"Sexy Kumi Koda Wins Big Again at MTV Video Music Awards"
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![Japan's Sexiest Performer - Koda Kumi [Pics and Videos]](http://www.wtnrradio.com/kumi.jpg "Japan's Sexiest Performer - Koda Kumi [Pics and Videos]") June 14, 2007
Steamy diva Kumi Koda was again the big winner at this year's MTV Video Music Awards Japan. Koda won three awards, including Best Female Video for "Yume No Uta," edging singer Ai Otsuka and comic DJ Ozma, who each won two awards.
The award ceremony took place last Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in front of a packed audience of 12,000 fans who watched the show as it was broadcast live to viewers of MTV Japan. Repeat broadcasts will continue tonight.
Among the other winners were Ai for Best R&B video, Kreva for Best Hip Hop Video, Exile for Best Group Video and Shonan no Kaze for Best Reggae Video.
![Japan's Sexiest Performer - Koda Kumi [Pics and Videos]](http://www.wtnrradio.com/images/kumi.gif "Japan's Sexiest Performer - Koda Kumi [Pics and Videos]") |
| Koda Kumi is also known for her relatively skimpy and revealing outfits when she performs on stage. |
As usual, a smattering of foreign artists were drafted in to give performances, pick up awards and add some kind of international credibility to an awards ceremony that is really about domestic acts gaining recognition and showing off their fashion smarts in what sets out to be the most glamorous of Japan's various music awards ceremonies.
Among the foreign acts who appeared were New Jersey rockers My Chemical Romance, R&B singer Ne-Yo, British newcomer Mika, Daniel Powter of "Bad Day" fame and boy bands Mayday from Taiwan and Tohoshinki, who are also known as TVXQ in their native South Korea.
But the night belonged to Koda, who expressed surprise even to be in the running for an award this year after her success at the MTV VMAJ in 2006.
"Last year I won three awards. That's a lot of awards to receive, so this year I thought I'd just come here to enjoy it. But it was a surprise even to get nominated again," the sultry diva told members of the press after the awards show.
In addition to scooping the Best Female Video award, "Yume no Uta" also won Koda an award for Best Video of the Year.
"Using a ballad telling the heartrending tale of a man and woman, I wanted to make the kind of promotional video that would be popular among women like the one for the song 'You' was. The kind of song that really sticks in the heart," Koda explained of the video for "Yume no Uta," which is really one of a pair of related videos. "Working with [actor] Atsuro Watabe and [director] Kensuke Kawamura, we made this video with two stories, one in which a girl gets a call from her boyfriend and goes to see him and another in which a girl doesn't answer the phone and leaves the guy out in the cold. With these two girls we developed the stories for the promotional videos of 'Yume no Uta' and 'Futari de.'
"For girls out there, it actually seems that it was the sad story of 'Yume No Uta' that struck them much more than expected.
"Winning this award makes me think about what kind of thing I will make next and what the next connection will be."
Koda also won a special award for Best Stylish Artist. When asked about her fashion sense, Koda, wearing her hair up and sporting a long brown patterned dress, one of several outfits she wore that day, suggested she was opting for a more refined look.
"This year I'm going to turn 25, you know. As I debuted when I was 18, inside of me I feel it's about time I portrayed myself more as an adult. I think it'd be good to have the kind of sexy female image that comes just from being an adult. My fashion so far this year has had that objective in mind. Compared to the past, I've been wanting more dresses with a greater sense of elegance this year."
Sexy Koda Kumi Become's Japan's Best-Selling Pop Act
FOR the second year in a row, J-pop siren Kumi Koda (right) has beaten Ayumi Hamasaki to become Japan's best-selling pop act.
Kumi, 25, won the 21st Nihon Golden Disk Award last week for generating top sales of 20 billion yen ($260m) lastyear.
She has sold over 3.5 Million albums, 2.41 Million singles, 140,000 music DVDs and 12 Million song downloads.
Despite her obvious wealth and pop status, Kumi seems to prefer the average Joe type of guy when it comes to dating.
Her last boyfriend worked in a restaurant, but they reportedly broke up last October.
Apparently, Kumi gained approximately 8lbs(4kg) eating because of the distress associated with the couple's split.
Her new look is apparently drawing eyes from even the most unlikely of French pop stars. Sources say that the famed guitarist/singer Gadjo Loco is looking to collaborate with Kumi on his forthcoming release.
![Japan's Sexiest Performer - Koda Kumi [Pics and Videos]](http://www.wtnrradio.com/gadjo.jpg "Japan's Sexiest Performer - Koda Kumi [Pics and Videos]")
Check out the video from her 2006 hit song, Juicy, off her Black Cherry album.
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