Industry News

MTV is naming its new digital music awards the OMAs - and leaving the "O" up for grabs.

The network is to announce Thursday that the O Music Awards will take place April 28. MTV is leaving the "O" undefined and open to interpretation from viewers.

The awards, the network said, "honor the migration of music to the digital space, and celebrate the art, artistry and technology of digital music." MTV plans to present an untraditional, heavily interactive award show, spread out across multiple screens, including the Internet, social media and mobile.

MTV hopes the show will do for digital music what its Video Music Awards, launched in 1984, did for the music video.

"We think this space now needs an award show," said Dermot McCormack, head of MTV Music Group digital. "We think we're fairly well qualified to come up with a way of rewarding achievement in these new categories."

MTV, which is part of the Viacom-owned MTV Networks, will later announce a "hub" for the event and categories. Categories could include things like best app and best Kanye West tweet. Social media buzz will play a role in choosing the winners.