Punk-rock trio Green Day [ tickets ], who headed into Sunday's (8/28) MTV Video Music Awards with a pack-leading eight nominations, left the ceremony with seven Moonman trophies in hand.

The group cleaned up with its video for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"--a track from last year's "American Idiot"--which took the coveted Video of the Year award, as well as Best Rock Video, Best Group Video, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. The group's clip for the "American Idiot" title track, meanwhile, won in the Viewer's Choice category.

"It's great to know rock music still has a place on MTV," frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said while accepting the award for Best Rock Video. His group's multi-win night marked the first time since 1996--when Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" was the big winner--that one act has scored seven VMAs, according to MTV. Only two artists have won more, with A-Ha picking up eight trophies in 1986 and Peter Gabriel picking up nine the following year.

Missy Elliott [ tickets ] and Kelly Clarkson [ tickets ] were this year's only other multiple award winners, with Elliott scoring in the Best Hip-Hop Video and Best Dance Video categories for "Lose Control," and Clarkson picking up trophies for Best Female Video and Best Pop Video for "Since U Been Gone."

Gwen Stefani [ tickets ] and Gorillaz [ tickets ] generated a pair of wins as well, with choreographer Kishaya Dudley winning the Best Choreography in a Music Video award for Stefani's "Hollaback Girl"; art director Zach Matthewes winning the Best Art Direction in a Video category for Stefani's "What Are You Waiting For?"; and Passion Pictures winning in the Best Special Effects category for Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc.," a clip that also earned Gorillaz themselves a trophy for Breakthrough Video.

As always, live performances were the highlight of the show, with Green Day [ tickets ], Coldplay, 50 Cent, My Chemical Romance, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Ludacris, The Killers and Clarkson turning in live numbers.

50 once again showed his penchant for creating controversy by ending his number with a curse-filled rant directed at rapper Fat Joe, who, earlier in the evening, made a sarcastic remark about the size of the security team that 50 and his G-Unit crew had on hand.

The always-quirky R. Kelly, meanwhile, hit the stage amidst a set designed like a bedroom and lip-synched his way through selections from his multi-chaptered "Trapped in the Closet" project.

Rapper Hammer made a brief, surprise appearance, during which he and a team of dancers ripped through a snippet of his '90s-era mega-hit, "Can't Touch This."

Show-host Sean "Diddy" Combs presided over the ceremony's water-themed set at Miami's American Airlines Arena. During the show, he changed outfits a number of times, participated in several dance numbers, and led a tribute to his late friend The Notorious B.I.G., during which rapper Snoop Dogg joined him.

Video of the Year
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Green Day

Best Male Video
"Jesus Walks," Kanye West

Best Female Video
"Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson

Best Group Video
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Green Day

Best Rap Video
"Number One Spot," Ludacris

Best R&B Video
"Karma," Alicia Keys

Best Hip-Hop Video
"Lose Control," Missy Elliott

Best Dance Video
"Lose Control," Missy Elliott

Best Rock Video
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Green Day

Best Pop Video
"Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson

Best New Artist in a Video
"Mr. Brightside," the Killers

Breakthrough Video
"Feel Good Inc.," Gorillaz

Viewers' Choice Video
"American Idiot," Green Day

MTV2 Award
"Sugar," Fall Out Boy

Best Direction in a Video
Samuel Bayer for Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Best Choreography in a Video
Kishaya Dudley for Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl"

Best Special Effects in a Video
Passion Pictures for Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc."

Best Art Direction in a Video
Zach Matthewes for Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?"

Best Editing in a Video
Tim Royes for Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Best Cinematography
Samuel Bayer for Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"