“For years, New Year’s Eve on MTV has always meant showcasing the best new music for our viewers,” said Dave Sirulnick, Executive VP, MTV News and Production. “2005 is no different. With amazing performances by some of the biggest artists from the past year, we will feature wall-to-wall music straight through to 2006.”

Hosted by MTV VJs Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo, Quddus Philippe, La La Vazquez and Susie Castillo, “MTV’s New Year of Music” features some of today’s hottest artists. MTV Fans will enjoy special guest appearances as well as amazing live performances by Kanye West, Shakira, Fall Out Boy, Young Jeezy, All-American Rejects, Common and Adam Levine.

For over twenty years, since 1981, the inaugural MTV New Year’s Eve party was held at the Grand Ballroom of NYC’s Hotel Diplomat. The yearly celebration has earned a reputation for being the biggest, baddest and hippest show for real music fans to watch. “MTV’s New Year of Music” will continue the tradition by hitting on all the “big places, events, and people that made the year 2005”.

As part of the New Year’s Eve celebration, MTV’s cameras followed multi-platinum rapper/actor Ludacris as he provided early Christmas presents for some Mississippi high school students devastated by hurricane Katrina. MTV will air a segment of Ludacris surprising the students with a visit to the school. During the visit, $57K worth of band equipment was donated to the school from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and the Grammy Foundation, $10K from MTV for much needed school supplies lost during the hurricane and $10K in scholarships from The Ludacris Foundation.

MTV Overdrive will also participate in the festivities by adding New Year’s Resolutions from selected artists that will launch on December 22nd. There will also be health tips from top trainers on staying in shape for the New Year and how their celebrity clients do it. In addition, all performances from New Year’s Eve will be available on MTV Overdrive by 5pm on January 3rd.

Also, in anticipation of “MTV’s New Year of Music”, MTV2 will air “The New Year’s Eve Monster Mix Marathon” starting at 10pm on Saturday, December 31st.