MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament tips off March 18, and Tokio Hotel have big plans to defend their crown. By James Montgomery Tokio Hotel’s Tom and Bill Kaulitz Photo: MTV News
‘That’s just incredible, thank you so much for your support,’ frontman Bill Kaulitz says in message to fans. By James Montgomery Tokio Hotel’s Bill Kaulitz Photo: MTV News One day after upsetting Green Day and shocking the world in MTV’s Musical March Madness championship game, Tokio Hotel are still basking in their post-title glow — and they want to share that happiness with their fans. TH’s Bill and Tom Kaulitz have just released a special video message to their Aliens around the world, thanking them for all their support and for helping guide them to the 2012 MMM championship. “Hey, Aliens! We just heard we won MTV’s Musical March Madness 2012. … That’s just incredible, thank you so much for your support, and it’s unbelievable,” frontman Bill said in the message. “I know it’s been really, really hard because there’s been so many great bands nominated … totally unexpected.” Bill’s brother Tom then chimed in — from behind the wheel of what appears to be a rather large SUV (championship swag!) — with a parting shot that’s sure to anger plenty of fans of those other great bands, accusing them of attempting to bend the rules to bring Tokio Hotel down. But hey, he’s a champ now, and he can pretty much do whatever he wants. “And they tried to cheat!” Tom joked. “And they tried to cheat,” Bill laughed. “Thank you guys so much for voting! And we are so proud to have you guys, and we want to thank you for your patience. I know you’re waiting for the new record and we’re working on it really hard and we hope to see you guys pretty soon. Thank you so much — we’re really proud of you.” Unlike what 2010 MMM champs Coheed and Cambria did in their acceptance speech — 2011 champions Green Day didn’t feel like making one, btw — Bill signed off by blowing a kiss to the camera (his brother flashed the peace sign) and giving one last “thank you” to the TH fans for their undying dedication. And with that, the coronation was complete: Tokio Hotel reign supreme as MMM champs, and until someone knocks them off the throne in next year’s tournament, well, let’s just say we could be seeing a whole lot more kisses being blown. It’s apparently the European way to celebrate a championship title. Check out the results from this year’s tournament in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket! Related Videos Musical March Madness 2012: Video Highlights Related Photos MTV’s Musical March Madness 2012 Related Artists Tokio Hotel
With hours left to vote, our 2012 championship game is shaping up to be one for the ages … polls close tonight at midnight ET! By James Montgomery Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Tokio Hotel’s Bill Kaulitz Photo: Getty Images At this point, we probably shouldn’t be surprised. After all, if anything, the 2012 Musical March Madness tournament has been a wild ride, with upsets aplenty, epic, scoreboard-busting shootouts galore and vitriolic back-and-forths between fans. So, it’s fitting that our championship matchup — which pits reigning champs Green Day against unstoppable juggernaut Tokio Hotel — would play out like this. In short, it’s incredibly close. And with just hours left to go in the voting (polls close tonight at midnight ET), it’s looking more and more like the 2012 title game is going to come right down to the wire. As if this whole thing could’ve ended any other way. Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket! We’ve been keeping the numbers secret — suspense! — and we’ll reveal the 2012 champion Wednesday (April 4) on MTVNews.com. But until then, let’s bring you up to speed on what’s already been a championship battle for the ages! Showing that they weren’t about to be intimidated by the defending champs, Tokio Hotel came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, leaping out to a commanding lead within hours of the polls opening Monday morning. Rattled, Green Day were forced to call a time-out, and after a fire-and-brimstone speech from head coach Billie Joe Armstrong — not to mention a full-court Facebook press — the East Bay boys showed their championship pedigree, closing the gap by the afternoon. And unlike the actual March Madness championship game, this one has been a rollercoaster ride ever since, with each band seizing — and subsequently losing — the lead. At their highest point, Tokio led by nearly 200,000 votes, while Green Day’s biggest advantage was less than 100,000. And in a matchup that’s seen nearly 3 million votes cast already, well, you get an idea of how close this thing has been. Right now, with hours left in the contest, it’s Tokio Hotel who hold the lead, and stand on the precipice of finally hoisting the MMM trophy. Of course, given that everyone makes a run in Musical March Madness, Green Day have once again surged to within striking distance … they’re not about to let their championship reign end without a fight. But can they complete the comeback? Or will Tokio Hotel take home their first-ever championship? We’re headed into the home-stretch, and, really, we have no idea. Then again, we wouldn’t have it any other way; MMM 2012 has been one for the ages, and the championship game is definitely only adding to its legacy. So, who’s it gonna be? Green Day or Tokio Hotel? Someone’s going to win the MMM championship tonight, and you determine who will reign supreme. Polls close tonight at midnight ET, so time is running out … vote now, or forever hold your peace. Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket! The 2012 Musical March Madness championship is coming down to the wire! Will Green Day repeat, or can Tokio Hotel finally win it all? Voting runs until midnight ET on Tuesday, April 3, so there’s still time to help determine the winner. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM or by downloading one of our custom badges — and we’ll reveal our 2012 champion on Wednesday on MTVNews.com Related Videos Musical March Madness Heats Up! Related Photos MTV’s Musical March Madness 2012 Related Artists Green Day Tokio Hotel
After three weeks of battles, one of these four will take home the MMM title; voting in all Final Four matchups is now open! By James Montgomery Evanescence’s Amy Lee Photo: Getty Images Well, that was intense. After 48 hours of epic Elite Eight battles, we’ve reached the Final Four of MTV’s Musical March Madness . And while making it this far is certainly an accomplishment, there’s not exactly a whole lot of time to sit around and savor it. That’s because voting in our Final Four matchups is already under way, and polls will remain open until Sunday (April 1) at midnight ET. You’ve carried your favorite band to the cusp of championship glory, but can you help push them over the top? Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket! Let’s take a look at the four bands still standing in MMM: true, tourney-tested squads that have survived three weeks of brutal back-and-forth battles just to make it to this point. In a way, they’re all champions; too bad only one will actually be able to call themselves that. #5 My Chemical Romance vs. #5 Green Day My Chem are the champions of the Midwest region, having survived a furious rally from upset-minded Metallica in the Elite Eight (seriously, with more than 600,000 votes cast, MCR won by 400 ). Meanwhile, defending MMM champs Green Day had to stage a serious comeback of their own against Adam Lambert, who led until late Thursday before succumbing to GD’s full-court press. At this point of the tournament, there truly are no easy matchups, and this one, well, it’s going to be a war. Both bands have been put through the wringer, and both know how to win a close contest; can My Chemical Romance finally take home the MMM title (they’ve been in the Final Four three consecutive years), or will Green Day make history as the first band to repeat as champions? All we can do is wait and see … #1 Evanescence vs. #12 Tokio Hotel Speaking of history: Congratulations to Evanescence, the first #1 seed to make the MMM Final Four. They’ve battled hard throughout the tournament, having bested tough foes like Paramore, Linkin Park and Dave Matthews Band just to reach this point. As a reward, they draw perhaps the toughest opponent in the entire field: Tokio Hotel, a band that’s steamrolled their way through the competition. They’ve throttled all challengers and even got revenge (big time) against rivals Coheed and Cambria in the Elite Eight. No two bands have enjoyed as much fan support in MMM 2012, which is why we’re certain this one’s going to be a classic. And not to go out on a limb here, but we suspect the winner of this one may very well be the band hoisting the championship trophy next week. No pressure or anything. Is your favorite band still alive in the Final Four? Help carry them to the championship — or assist in shattering some dreams — by voting now. Polls close Sunday at midnight, so get cracking — we’re so close to crowning a champ! Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket! MTV’s 2012 Musical March Madness tournament reaches the Elite Eight! Voting runs until midnight ET on Thursday, March 29, and winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite act is still alive, it’ll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM or by downloading one of our custom badges — but get ready, it only gets more difficult from here on out. Related Videos Musical March Madness Heats Up! Related Photos MTV’s Musical March Madness 2012 Related Artists Evanescence Green Day Tokio Hotel My Chemical Romance
Defending champs Coheed and Cambria, upset-minded Sum 41 also survive … Elite 8 voting now open on the Newsroom blog. By James Montgomery Paramore’s Hayley Williams Photo: C Flanigan/ FilmMagic We’ve reached the Elite 8 of MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament, and it’s a fitting title, indeed. Because the eight bands left standing in the tournament are most certainly elite, each having survived increasingly tough challenges to stand on the precipice of championship glory. Check out our MMM Bracket right here! And nowhere was that more apparent than in the MMM’s Sweet 16, which saw not only a historic number of votes being cast by fans, but more nail-bitingly close contests than we can ever remember: Fifth-seeded Paramore came from way back to nip #1 Linkin Park; #5 Panic! at the Disco edged heavily-favored (and top-seeded) 30 Seconds to Mars; and, in perhaps the most remarkable matchup in MMM history, defending champs Coheed and Cambria snuck by #7 Avenged Sevenfold thanks to a last-second surge in votes … our first-ever buzzer beater! It was, to say the least, a remarkable round … and we expect nothing less in the Elite 8: One of these bands will hoist the MMM championship trophy next week, and you can help them do it. But you’ve got to hurry — Elite 8 voting is now open on the Newsroom blog, and will continue until Thursday at midnight ET. Elite 8 voting is now under way over on the Newsroom blog! We’ll reveal our Final Four on Friday … but before we get there, let’s take a look at our Elite 8 matchups! Midwest In one of the few drama-free Sweet 16 contests, #9 Disturbed handled #12 Patrick Stump with relative ease, moving David Draiman and Co. on to the Elite 8. The undercard — the now-legendary Coheed/A7X tussle — was anything but: Upset-minded Avenged took an early lead, stretched it to more than 4,000 votes, and then, with victory in sight, got complacent. That allowed Coheed (and their fans) to sneak back into things, slowly closing the gap and, finally, with less than 10 minutes to go in voting, overtaking A7X for good. In the end, in a contest that saw some 60,000 votes cast, Coheed won by less than 300 … a remarkable contest, and more proof that you should never underestimate the heart of a champion. And thanks to those last-second heroics, our Midwest final is now set: #9 Disturbed vs. #6 Coheed and Cambria East We knew heading into the Sweet 16 that the 30 Seconds to Mars/ Panic! at the Disco battle was going to be epic, but even we had no idea just how huge it would end up becoming. Top-seeded 30 STM cruised to an early lead, but then, thanks to some pretty heavy campaigning, #5 Panic! slowly started to chip away, and with less than two hours left in voting, they overtook Leto and his boys for good, winning by nearly 5,000 votes. In the undercard, what was expected to be a barnburner ended up being nothing more than a laugher, as #3 Green Day blasted #2 Blink-182 — despite Mark Hoppus’s efforts to rally the troops. And so, our East final is set: #5 Panic! at the Disco vs. #3 Green Day South A pair of hotly contested Sweet 16 matchups here, as #5 Paramore came roaring back against #1 Linkin Park (behold, the power of Facebook! ), erasing a 3,000-vote deficit in the round’s final hours and ultimately coasting to a 2,000-vote win — a pretty slight edge in a contest that saw more than 150,000 votes cast. In the region’s other battle, the unstoppable Tokio Hotel rolled on, besting a surprisingly game #2 Muse — TH’s 3,000-vote victory is by far their lowest margin to date. And so, we head to the South final, with a matchup that’s sure to deliver on every level: #5 Paramore vs. #14 Tokio Hotel East Sum 41 continue their VCU-like run through the tournament, as they pasted the fourth-seeded Strokes in the Sweet 16. But, like their NCAA counterparts, can Deryck Whibley and Co. advance to the Final Four? Standing in their way are last year’s MMM runners-up, #3 My Chemical Romance, who handled #2 Radiohead with ease. At this point, they could be the sneaky favorites to win the whole thing. But first, they’ve got to get past MMM’s Cinderellas, in what is perhaps the most unlikely East final of all time: #16 Sum 14 vs. #3 My Chemical Romance MTV’s Musical March Madness has reached the Elite 8! Voting is now open and will continue until Thursday at midnight, when we’ll roll on to the Final Four. All winners are determined by your votes, so, if your favorite act is still standing, it’s up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, things only get tougher from here on out! Related Videos MTV Kicks Off The 2011 Musical March Madness Related Photos MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness’ Band Bracketology Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness Related Artists Paramore Panic! at the Disco
Defending champs Coheed and Cambria, upset-minded Sum 41 also survive … Elite 8 voting now open on the Newsroom blog. By James Montgomery Paramore’s Hayley Williams Photo: C Flanigan/ FilmMagic We’ve reached the Elite 8 of MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament, and it’s a fitting title, indeed. Because the eight bands left standing in the tournament are most certainly elite, each having survived increasingly tough challenges to stand on the precipice of championship glory. Check out our MMM Bracket right here! And nowhere was that more apparent than in the MMM’s Sweet 16, which saw not only a historic number of votes being cast by fans, but more nail-bitingly close contests than we can ever remember: Fifth-seeded Paramore came from way back to nip #1 Linkin Park; #5 Panic! at the Disco edged heavily-favored (and top-seeded) 30 Seconds to Mars; and, in perhaps the most remarkable matchup in MMM history, defending champs Coheed and Cambria snuck by #7 Avenged Sevenfold thanks to a last-second surge in votes … our first-ever buzzer beater! It was, to say the least, a remarkable round … and we expect nothing less in the Elite 8: One of these bands will hoist the MMM championship trophy next week, and you can help them do it. But you’ve got to hurry — Elite 8 voting is now open on the Newsroom blog, and will continue until Thursday at midnight ET. Elite 8 voting is now under way over on the Newsroom blog! We’ll reveal our Final Four on Friday … but before we get there, let’s take a look at our Elite 8 matchups! Midwest In one of the few drama-free Sweet 16 contests, #9 Disturbed handled #12 Patrick Stump with relative ease, moving David Draiman and Co. on to the Elite 8. The undercard — the now-legendary Coheed/A7X tussle — was anything but: Upset-minded Avenged took an early lead, stretched it to more than 4,000 votes, and then, with victory in sight, got complacent. That allowed Coheed (and their fans) to sneak back into things, slowly closing the gap and, finally, with less than 10 minutes to go in voting, overtaking A7X for good. In the end, in a contest that saw some 60,000 votes cast, Coheed won by less than 300 … a remarkable contest, and more proof that you should never underestimate the heart of a champion. And thanks to those last-second heroics, our Midwest final is now set: #9 Disturbed vs. #6 Coheed and Cambria East We knew heading into the Sweet 16 that the 30 Seconds to Mars/ Panic! at the Disco battle was going to be epic, but even we had no idea just how huge it would end up becoming. Top-seeded 30 STM cruised to an early lead, but then, thanks to some pretty heavy campaigning, #5 Panic! slowly started to chip away, and with less than two hours left in voting, they overtook Leto and his boys for good, winning by nearly 5,000 votes. In the undercard, what was expected to be a barnburner ended up being nothing more than a laugher, as #3 Green Day blasted #2 Blink-182 — despite Mark Hoppus’s efforts to rally the troops. And so, our East final is set: #5 Panic! at the Disco vs. #3 Green Day South A pair of hotly contested Sweet 16 matchups here, as #5 Paramore came roaring back against #1 Linkin Park (behold, the power of Facebook! ), erasing a 3,000-vote deficit in the round’s final hours and ultimately coasting to a 2,000-vote win — a pretty slight edge in a contest that saw more than 150,000 votes cast. In the region’s other battle, the unstoppable Tokio Hotel rolled on, besting a surprisingly game #2 Muse — TH’s 3,000-vote victory is by far their lowest margin to date. And so, we head to the South final, with a matchup that’s sure to deliver on every level: #5 Paramore vs. #14 Tokio Hotel East Sum 41 continue their VCU-like run through the tournament, as they pasted the fourth-seeded Strokes in the Sweet 16. But, like their NCAA counterparts, can Deryck Whibley and Co. advance to the Final Four? Standing in their way are last year’s MMM runners-up, #3 My Chemical Romance, who handled #2 Radiohead with ease. At this point, they could be the sneaky favorites to win the whole thing. But first, they’ve got to get past MMM’s Cinderellas, in what is perhaps the most unlikely East final of all time: #16 Sum 14 vs. #3 My Chemical Romance MTV’s Musical March Madness has reached the Elite 8! Voting is now open and will continue until Thursday at midnight, when we’ll roll on to the Final Four. All winners are determined by your votes, so, if your favorite act is still standing, it’s up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, things only get tougher from here on out! Related Videos MTV Kicks Off The 2011 Musical March Madness Related Photos MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness’ Band Bracketology Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness Related Artists Paramore Panic! at the Disco
Linkin Park, Panic! at the Disco also advance, along with underdogs Disturbed and Sum 41 … Sweet 16 voting now open on the Newsroom blog. By James Montgomery My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way Photo: David Wolff – Patrick/ WireImage Two weeks ago, when we tipped off the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament, sixty-four bands entered the fray with championship dreams on their minds. For 32 of those bands, that dream died after one round. And for half of the remaining 32, the dream is over today. Because we’ve reached the Sweet 16, the midway point on the quest for the 2011 MMM title. And while the bands still left standing would no doubt like a moment to recover from their epic battles, as any tournament vet will tell you, there’s no rest for the weary. From here on out, the challenges only get tougher, and the cost of defeat is high: To come so close and leave empty-handed would be a heartbreaker, indeed.
It’s My Chemical Romance vs. Coheed and Cambria For the championship of MTV’s Band Bracketology! Winner will be revealed Wednesday! By James Montgomery My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way Photo: Getty Images/ MTV News Well, it’s come down to this. After hundreds of thousands of votes, 65 teams, 20 days and 5 rounds, we’ve reached the championship game of MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament. There have been shocking upsets, overtime thrillers and even accusations of voter fraud, all of which is going to make for one heck of a “One Shining Moment” montage . We plowed through regions, busted brackets, whittled our list down to a Terrific 32, a Sweet 16, an Elite 8 and a Final Four . And now, there are just two bands standing. Who Will Win MTV’s Musical March Madness?! So who are they? Well, before we unveil the two acts who will battle it out for the March Madness crown, let’s take a look back at the Final Four, which pitted #2 Muse (champions of the Midwest region) against #5 My Chemical Romance (champs of the West) in one semifinal, and #15 Coheed and Cambria (the unstoppable champions of the South) against #16 Tokio Hotel (the unlikely champions of the East) in the other. Both looked like they’d be hotly contested matchups on paper, but as it turned out, neither of them was particularly close (sort of like Duke/West Virginia). You can take a look at the updated bracket here . Voting on the championship game begins Monday (April 5) afternoon on the Newsroom blog and will run until Tuesday night. On Wednesday, we’ll unveil our champion. And much like Final Four voting, results will remain secret until the champ is crowned, so you won’t be able to keep track of the percentages as you vote. (This is what we in the business call building suspense. ) Anyway, who will be playing in the championship game?!? Why, none other than My Chemical Romance and Coheed and Cambria. And judging by both band’s performances up to this point, our title game is gonna be a doozy. My Chem got to the championship by hammering Muse in the semifinal, winning 69-31, getting balanced scoring from the Way brothers and a triple-double from guitarist Ray Toro, who abused Muse’s Christopher Wolstenholme in the low post. Thanks to the fanatical support of their MCRmy, My Chem have knocked off not only Muse, but upstarts Panic! at the Disco, tournament favorites 30 Seconds to Mars, the mighty Pearl Jam and the upset-minded Gorillaz, and now they stand on the precipice of claiming their first-ever championship. Of course, it’s not going to be easy, because standing in their way are Coheed and Cambria, who may be unstoppable at this point (they are definitely the Duke to MCR’s Butler), especially after C&C mauled Tokio Hotel in the semifinal, winning 62-38 (the actual numbers were 30,788 votes to 18,491.) And yes, we’re aware that there were some, uh, shenanigans being employed by Coheed fans, but they don’t seem to have overly skewed the results, so Coheed move on! (Take heart, Tokio fanatics, the band’s defeat will not be in vain: We’re going to safeguard finals voting against any further chicanery using top-secret technology.) So who will come out on top in our Musical March Madness championship game, My Chemical Romance or Coheed and Cambria? The MCRmy or the Children of the Fence? It’s going to be one for the ages, for certain. So get your voting fingers ready, polls open Monday afternoon on the Newsroom blog … on Wednesday, only one band will be left standing.
They’ve done away with Paramore, Mastodon and Phish — but can they take down Tokio Hotel? By James Montgomery Coheed and Cambria Photo: Sony/Getty Images/MTV News Who : The hard-riffing, hirsute champions of the South region in MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament , Coheed and Cambria have outgunned pretty much everyone on their run to the Final Four — including a #2 and a #6 seed — and now stand as a legitimate threat to win the whole thing. It all starts with C&C mastermind Claudio Sanchez, a threat to score from pretty much anywhere on the floor. As comfortable driving and dishing as he is penning bong-glazed, beard-y graphic novels, Sanchez is sort of like the musical equivalent of John Wall , except with better hair. Let’s just call him the MVP of the whole tourney. How They Got Here : The selection committee was unkind to Coheed, saddling them with a #15 seed and scheduling a first-round matchup against highly favored #2 Paramore. Undaunted, C&C blasted Hayley Williams and company 60-40, then made quick work of their second-round opponent, fellow shredders Mastodon. Looming in the Sweet 16 were #6 Phish, who — after favorites the Kings of Leon, Paramore and the Dave Matthews Band were all bounced from the tourney — were seen as the favorites to win the region. But once again, Coheed rose to the occasion, winning a bruising 56-44 showdown and moving on to the Elite Eight, where they dispensed of Alice in Chains with relative ease. Through it all, Coheed have proven to not only be the band no one wants to face, but the band that seemingly cares more about winning this whole thing than anyone else. And that tenacity has paid off in spades. The Outlook : Rabid, die-hard fanbase? Check (and then some). Dedicated bandmembers with too much free time on their hands? Yep. An actual, upcoming album to promote? Indeed. A few weeks ago, it would have seemed improbable (we didn’t see them beating Paramore, to be honest), but at this point, Coheed have the right chemistry to take the championship. They’ll face their toughest test in the Final Four, squaring off against #16 Tokio Hotel — a matchup of two bands with insane-o fans and nothing left to lose. The Internet shall surely buckle beneath the weight of their votes. Throughout the day, we’ll be breaking down the four bands still standing in MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament. Voting on the Final Four opens Friday (April 2) on the Newsroom blog and runs until Sunday night. Related Photos MTV News’ Band Bracketology Related Artists Coheed and Cambria
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