MTV VMA 2011: Women Dominate the Awards, Adele Steals the Show

It was girls' night out at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, with women taking the top prize in every category -- except one -- that had a female nominee.

Katy Perry grabbed three Moonmen: Video of the Year for Firework, and another two shared with Kayne West for E.T. -- best collaboration and best special effects.

Lady Gaga, dressed in drag as her alter-ago Jo Calderone, accepted the Best Female Video and the Best Video with a Message awards for Born This Way.

Nicki Minaj took home the Best Hip-Hop Video trophy for Super Bass, and Britney Spears had a surprise best pop video nod for Till the World Ends.

Adele's Rolling in the Deep won the best directing, best cinematography, and best editing categories, but Adele herself won the hearts and minds (if there were any left to win) of audiences all over the world with her stirring, stripped-down performance of Someone Like You.

It doesn't matter if she wins or loses, wrote Roger Friedman of Showbiz411. She's already won. Her album has been number one for 33 weeks. You can't do better than that. She doesn't need MTV, the Marketing TV Network.

And of course, Amy Winehouse was there in spirit. Both Russell Brand and Bruno Mars paid tribute to the late singer, Brand with a speech and Bruno Mars with a cover of Valerie (which was originally recorded by the Zutons).

Mars capped off the performance with a protracted shout-out to Winehouse, concluding with we'll miss ya baby.