MTV: Music Television announced nominees for the 2006 MTV Movie Awards with two adult comedies 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN and WEDDING CRASHERS, each receiving five nominations. Also vying for the spotlight are BATMAN BEGINS, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, HUSTLE & FLOW, SIN CITY and STAR WARS: EPISODE III — REVENGE OF THE SITH with three nominations each. Filming June 3, 2006, at Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, California, the awards will premiere to audiences nationwide on Thursday, June 8, at 9:00 pm ET/PT on MTV.

MTV also announced it will cast for new categories of "Best Hero," "Sexiest Performance" and the "mtvU Student Filmmaker Award" for the first time ever. In addition, all of this year's categories, including "Best Performance," will make no distinction between male and female.

Fans can vote by visiting movieawards.mtv.com before May 19. Fans can also vote from their mobile phone by texting "MOVIEAWARDS" to 91757 to receive a ballot. Voting is also available by dialing toll free to 1-877-MTV-VOTE where fans can support their favorite nominees with a different category available for voting each day.

"This year's Movie Awards will be more than an awards show — it's an experience completely inspired by the movies, and everything we love about them," said Christina Norman, president, MTV. "This year's cast of movies and stars are all deserving nominees, and there is no doubt this year's Movie Awards will in itself, be a movie to remember."

The complete list on nominees are:
BEST MOVIE
* THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN (Universal Pictures)
* BATMAN BEGINS (Warner Bros. Pictures)
* KING KONG (Universal Pictures)
* SIN CITY (Dimension Films)
* WEDDING CRASHERS (New Line Cinema)

BEST PERFORMANCE
* Joaquin Phoenix — WALK THE LINE (20th Century Fox)
* Jake Gyllenhaal — BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (Focus Features)
* Rachel McAdams — RED EYE (DreamWorks SKG)
* Steve Carell — THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN (Universal Pictures)
* Terrence Howard — HUSTLE & FLOW (Paramount Classics)
* Reese Witherspoon — WALK THE LINE (20th Century Fox)

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
* Owen Wilson — WEDDING CRASHERS (New Line Cinema)
* Adam Sandler — THE LONGEST YARD (Paramount Pictures)
* Steve Carell — THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN (Universal Pictures)
* Tyler Perry — TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S FAMILY REUNION (Lions Gate Films)
* Vince Vaughn — WEDDING CRASHERS (New Line Cinema)

BEST ON-SCREEN TEAM
* Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen & Romany Malco — THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN (Universal Pictures)
* Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott & Jessica Simpson — THE DUKES OF HAZZARD (Warner Bros. Pictures)
* Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans & Michael Chiklis – FANTASTIC FOUR (20th Century Fox)
* Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson & Rupert Grint — HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Warner Bros. Pictures)
* Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson — WEDDING CRASHERS (New Line Cinema)

BEST VILLAIN
* Cillian Murphy — BATMAN BEGINS (Warner Bros. Pictures)
* Hayden Christensen — STAR WARS: EPISODE III — REVENGE OF THE SITH (20th Century Fox)
* Ralph Fiennes — HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Warner Bros. Pictures)
* Tilda Swinton — THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (Disney Pictures)
* Tobin Bell — SAW II (Lions Gate Films)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
* Andre "3000" Benjamin — FOUR BROTHERS (Paramount Pictures)
* Isla Fisher — WEDDING CRASHERS (New Line Cinema)
* Nelly — THE LONGEST YARD (Paramount Pictures)
* Jennifer Carpenter — THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (Screen Gems)
* Romany Malco — THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN (Universal Pictures)
* Taraji P. Henson — HUSTLE & FLOW (Paramount Classics)

BEST HERO
* Christian Bale — BATMAN BEGINS (Warner Bros. Pictures)
* Jessica Alba — FANTASTIC FOUR (20th Century Fox)
* Daniel Radcliffe — HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Warner Bros. Pictures)
* Kate Beckinsale — UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (Screen Gems)