Cabaret Katy kicks of MTV Awards

Katy Perry kicked off the MTV Europe Music Awards tonight, asking: "Are you feeling sexy, Berlin?"

Perry wore a bowler hat, thigh-high boots and a heart on her knickers for a Cabaret-style medley performance of songs including When Love Takes Over and Poker Face.

After the rendition, Perry, who is hosting the event, told the audience "Last year I popped my MTV cherry."

The event is one of the music world's most glitzy bashes and was being held in Berlin this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a potent Cold War symbol.

The ceremony, watched in more than 500 million homes worldwide, tends to be dominated by acts from the United States, despite being a Europe-based event.

Perry - who is dating comedian Russell Brand - made her MTV Europe Music Awards debut last year, which saw her open the show astride a giant cherry Chapstick. She managed to get through 10 costumes and win the Best New Act category in 2008.

Lady GaGa and Kings Of Leon lead this year's nominations, with five apiece.

U2 were announced winners of Best Live Act.

Frontman Bono said: "Danke schon Berlin. Live is where this band lives. It's all that counts... If you have given us this award I guess that's what you're thinking and it means a great deal to us."

Guitarist The Edge told how 20 years ago the band were in a studio, writing the song One, "which brought us back together."

Jay-Z won the Best Urban gong.

He said: "I go to the studio just like the Jonas Brothers, just like Green Day, and we're all just artists at the end of the day."

The rapper's wife, Beyonce, turned up the heat by wearing a red corset slashed to the navel, suspenders and long red gloves, performing in front of a giant red heart.

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Green Day, dressed in black, opened the ceremony with a raucous performance of their song Know Your Enemy, getting the crowd clapping above their heads.