Exclusive 'Hunger Games' VMA Photo: Jennifer Lawrence Is Katniss!

Feast your eyes upon the below image, because "The Hunger Games" are about to begin!

Consider today your lucky day, fans of Suzanne Collins' best-selling books, because not only did you receive a teaser for the exclusive sneak peek that will premiere at this Sunday's VMAs, but we also now have an exclusive first image from the sneak peek. Check out the photo reveal in the video below:

The image shows leading lady Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in the woods. Fans will know she spends a lot of time in the woods during the story, so this shouldn't come as too much of a shock.

But does this photo take place during the titular Hunger Games, or earlier on in the story, when Katniss is going hunting in District 12? It's unclear from the image, but we're guessing that it takes place in the former. Katniss certainly does look a bit frazzled, though, so it's likely that she is being hunted by something not too friendly during the Games.

To get even more of your "Hunger Games" fix, rewatch the teaser for the sneak peek below, and tune into the VMAs on Sunday at 9pm EST to see the full footage in all its glory.

Are you getting psyched for the "Hunger Games" sneak peek? What do you think the footage will reveal? Let us know in the comments section and on Twitter, and don't forget to tweet your video reactions to @MTVNews!

Tags jennifer lawrence, The Hunger Games, vmas

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Lady Gaga's VMA Performance All About 'Fearlessness'

So much for giving up the goods.

We really tried to get Laurieann Gibson, Lady Gaga's creative director, to spill her guts about what Mother Monster has planned for her VMA performance on Sunday, but she's keeping things under wraps ? in the best way possible.

She jokingly said a few censored (and, considering how much she's bleeped in the embedded video, obscene) things about what viewers will see. Long story short: She's not telling.

But Gibson did say of Gaga's opening performance, "I hope that people take the fearlessness away. The notion that you don't have to follow what is popular and that you can constantly take the opportunity and create a new understanding of music and performing.

"It could mean standing under one spotlight," she continued. "It could mean tons of camels and belly-dancing girls. I don't know. One is not necessarily better than the other. But it is about the artist. It's about 'Who's the artist?' So in that one moment, you have to take it and give it all you can."

Gibson is just following suit on the secrecy front: When Gaga talked to MTV News last week, she said she wants to surprise her fans at the VMAs. "I'm really very honored and excited to open the show," Lady Gaga told MTV News. "But I won't reveal anything; I want it to be a surprise."

From what Gaga and Gibson revealed, the performance sounds like it will be avant garde, much like her 2009 VMA set, when Gaga took the stage for a blood-soaked "Paparazzi" performance.

"It will be a continuation of everything I've been doing, and it will be exactly what they want," Gaga said. "I'm pretty good at knowing what my fans want me to do."

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

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Cobra Starship, Sabi Make The VMA Black Carpet 'Feel' Good

Leave it to Cobra Starship to slither elegantly down a black carpet.

Gabe Saporta has come a long way since the days when his pop-punk band were releasing split 7" singles and touring in vans. Samuel Jackson's meme-worthy "Snakes on a Plane" flick is a distant memory, but Cobra Starship remain ? bigger than the soundtrack that spawned them and rocking the MTV News VMA pre-show with gusto on Sunday in downtown Los Angeles.

Former Midtown vocalist/bassist Saporta led his synth-pop crew through a raucous "You Make Me Feel" in the lobby of the JW Marriott hotel, which MTV News had transformed into a space-age looking black carpet hosted by MTV News' correspondents and guest reporter Selena Gomez.

Guest singer and Britney gal-pal Sabi started off the song riding down an escalator in a white blazer, red belly shirt, big hooped earrings, ripped-up silver pants and red leather gloves. Saporta followed behind in a dark "Mad Men" worthy suit, red shades and red socks. The pair traded lines down the black carpet, stopping to shake hands and pose for the paparazzi, while the Cobra crew backed them from the stage. "L.A., put your hands up!" Saporta yelled as he triumphantly climbed the stage toward the end of the track with Sabi trailing behind. The heels on Sabi's boots were tall but they didn't prevent her from pogoing up and down as the song crescendoed, with the crash cymbals growing louder and louder.

"Cobra Starship and Sabi. How cool was that?" exclaimed Gomez immediately afterward.

"That was incredible! So much energy," agreed Sway.

At rehearsals the day before, flashy frontman Saporta wondered whether performing as a warm-up act on the pre-show was as prestigious as conquering the stage at the main event, like say, Lady Gaga or Adele. But guitarist Ryland Blackinton assured him the Starship had landed in a great spot, explaining that "you often like the appetizer more than the main course, because you're more hungry." "Even though it's not technically the VMAs ? it's the pre show ? it's still the best moment of my career," Saporta told Sway backstage.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards are live now! Stick with MTV News for winners, photos, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything going down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Lady Gaga's VMA Fashion 'Will Be Making A Statement'

For Lady Gaga, attending an awards show is not just about showing up and having a good time. For her, it's also about making a statement. And, many times, that statement is tied to the many, many wardrobe changes she makes throughout the night. That, of course, includes the MTV Video Music Awards, where Gaga will be in attendance Sunday night.

For her first VMAs, in 2009, Gaga made four costume changes, one of which included her seemingly bleeding onstage during her performance of "Paparazzi." Then, in 2010, she might have had three costume changes, but her most memorable was her Franc Fernandez-designed meat dress.

"When I came to VMAs that year, it was not perceived as performance, it was perceived as costume changes," she recently dished to MTV News. "My seat is my seat. In the overarching scheme of pop culture, I hope to change what things mean and have them branch into other areas."

While no one knows what or how many outfits she will wear during Sunday night's show, she did share what her bottom line is: "I will be making a statement."

That mirrors what she said during "MTV First: Lady Gaga" earlier this month, where she shared that her celebrity is a big art installation. "I think something that's always been very important to me ... is that the fame as an art form has always been an interesting stage," she said. "It begins on the subway or in the car on the way here. It begins when I wake up in the morning and I take a shower. It's not something that is temporal. It has no end, so I'm excited to continue as an artist to push the boundaries of where pop music can exist."

This year, Gaga is up for four Moonmen including Best Female Video and Best Video With a Message for "Born This Way," as well as Best Art Direction and Best Choreography for "Judas." Also, she will open the show with the night's first performance.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday from Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

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Wiz Khalifa Wants To 'Crush' VMA Best New Artist Rivals

Let's be clear, while Wiz Khalifa has respect for his fellow Best New Artist nominees, he fully expects to beat out the competition on Sunday night at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.

"I'm trying to crush everybody," the Rolling Papers MC told MTV News from the red carpet of the BMI Urban Awards in Los Angeles on Friday. "No disrespect, just crush them and do what I do."

Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" video is up against tourmate Big Sean's "My Last," Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci," Tyler, the Creator's "Yonkers" and indie-pop band Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks."

"I think it's really good competition, and it's just a good sign of the new wave of how an artist can come up and get recognition these days," Khalifa told MTV News in July when he first learned of the nomination. "Big Sean, I know his situation, how he came from nothing. Kreayshawn, she built her buzz similar with the Internet, and Tyler as well. These are all people who have their own movements."

Aside from his nomination, Wiz is just looking forward to some memorable moments at the VMAs. "I expect some real big performances, I expect some shockers, man. Some big things, people usually pull out all the stops at the VMAs," he said. "That's a big deal so I expect some entertainment."

Voting for the Best New Artist continues through the show, which airs live on Sunday (August 28) at 9 p.m. ET. You can vote by visiting vma.mtv.com or m.mtv.com on your mobile phone, or by texting BNA to 66333.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday from Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

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Lady Gaga's VMA Fashion 'Will Be Making A Statement'

For Lady Gaga, attending an awards show is not just about showing up and having a good time. For her, it's also about making a statement. And, many times, that statement is tied to the many, many wardrobe changes she makes throughout the night. That, of course, includes the MTV Video Music Awards, where Gaga will be in attendance Sunday night.

For her first VMAs, in 2009, Gaga made four costume changes, one of which included her seemingly bleeding onstage during her performance of "Paparazzi." Then, in 2010, she might have had three costume changes, but her most memorable was her Franc Fernandez-designed meat dress.

"When I came to VMAs that year, it was not perceived as performance, it was perceived as costume changes," she recently dished to MTV News. "My seat is my seat. In the overarching scheme of pop culture, I hope to change what things mean and have them branch into other areas."

While no one knows what or how many outfits she will wear during Sunday night's show, she did share what her bottom line is: "I will be making a statement."

That mirrors what she said during "MTV First: Lady Gaga" earlier this month, where she shared that her celebrity is a big art installation. "I think something that's always been very important to me ... is that the fame as an art form has always been an interesting stage," she said. "It begins on the subway or in the car on the way here. It begins when I wake up in the morning and I take a shower. It's not something that is temporal. It has no end, so I'm excited to continue as an artist to push the boundaries of where pop music can exist."

This year, Gaga is up for four Moonmen including Best Female Video and Best Video With a Message for "Born This Way," as well as Best Art Direction and Best Choreography for "Judas." Also, she will open the show with the night's first performance.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday from Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

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MTV #VMA Twitter Tracker Set To Bring The Buzz

The 2010 VMAs famously sparked more than 2 million tweets. But with Sunday's show set to kick off live with an opening set from Lady Gaga, plenty of superstar performances by nominees like Lil Wayne and Beyonc�, as well as some hotly contested races, MTV's big show seems poised to set the social networking site on fire once again.

Last year, fans hit Twitter to shout out things like Gaga's meat dress, and share their opinions on the winners and losers, the crazy fashions, and the general shenanigans unfolding inside L.A.'s Nokia Theatre. On Sunday, the MTV Twitter Tracker will be monitoring everything that gets you buzzing during the 2011 Video Music Awards.

So here's how it works: Fans who want to get in on the VMA action can head to our MTV Twitter Tracker, where the section labeled "buzz" will display photos of the celebs getting the most mentions. The photos will shrink and grow depending on popularity from moment to moment, so you'll always know who's blowing up.

Join the conversation on Twitter! Use the hashtag #VMA!

In the "paparazzi" section, photos of all the A-listers will be uploaded in real time from the black carpet Pre-Show and backstage. The photos can be retweeted directly from the site, and fans are definitely encouraged to try to trend their favorite pics? VMA attendees will be doing it too. In fact, during commercial breaks in the show, the Twitter Tracker will be displayed inside the theater so all of the stars can see who's trending and weigh in on the conversation.

The Twitter Tracker app is Web-based and can be accessed on iPhones and iPads, just log on and follow along with MTV News correspondent Jim Cantiello throughout the pre-show and the VMAs using the hashtag #VMA.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

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