Triple Threat Spears and New Mom Aguilera Wow VMAs

One-time pop rivals and former Mickey Mouse Club darlings Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears were the toast of Hollywood on Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Spears opened the show with a toast to the prizegiving on its 25th anniversary and went on to pick up her first of three VMA 'moonmen' prizes for her Piece of Me video.

And new mom Christina Aguilera stole the show with her comeback; in what was her first public performance since becoming a mum in January, the busty blonde showed off her new X-Men-style look and disco sound.

Wearing black leather and a black eye mask, the Genie in a Bottle singer stunned with new single Keeps Getting Better.

Other performers, like Pink, T.I. and the Jonas Brothers used the VMAs' Paramount Pictures site to launch into tunes from the studio's backlot.

And the night was full of live collaborations - Kid Rock performed his summer anthem All Summer Long with Lil Wayne, while Rihanna and T.I. teamed up and Leona Lewis tackled the Animals' Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood with Lil Wayne.

Kanye West brought the climax to the show a year after insisting he'd never return to the event after his treatment at the 2007 VMAs in Las Vegas.

The night's winners were:

Best Female Video - Piece of Me by Britney Spears

Best Male Video - With You by Chris Brown

Best Dancing in A Video - When I Grow Up by Pussycat Dolls

Best Rock Video - Shadow of The Day by Linkin Park

Best Hip Hop Video - Lollipop by Lil Wayne

Best New Artist - Tokio Hotel

Best Pop Video - Piece of Me by Britney Spears

Video of The Year - Piece of Me by Britney Spears