The ceremony is best remembered for Madonna kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during the show's opening performance.

[2] The ceremony broadcast was preceded by the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards Opening Act.

Hosted by Kurt Loder and SuChin Pak with reports from John Norris, Iann Robinson, Sway, and Gideon Yago, the broadcast featured red carpet interviews, pre-taped features on the career of Johnny Cash and a comparison between Eminem and 50 Cent, and performances from Sean Paul and Black Eyed Peas.

"Frantic" Nominees were selected by a group of approximately 5,000 viewers and members of the music industry.

[3] Winners in general and professional categories were selected by a group of 500 members of the music industry.