One Direction vs The Wanted: Boy Bands Battle it Out at 2012 MTV Video Music Awards

This Thursday, MTV airwaves will be occupied by the network's famous Video Music Awards. Viewers will get their fill of their Taylors and Rihannas but one of the defining features this year is the rise of the boy band. With One Direction and The Wanted both up for moonmen, this boy band reign makes it feel like Y2K all over again. 

It wasn't too long ago that the radio waves were filled with songs from the likes of 'NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys. The famous boybands battled it out for fans' hearts and awards alike. 

This year's boy bands are Brits and The Wanted and One Direction are making teen girls swoon just like their late '90s predecessors. 

One Direction is up for an award for their smash hit "What Makes You Beautiful."

The Wanted is up for an award in the category Best New Artist for their hit "Glad You Came." 

If YouTube views could predict winners, One Direction would win hands down. Their video trounces The Wanted's video with over 200,000,000 million views compared to The Wanted's 53,000,000. 

Tune in Thursday night to see which boy band becomes pop royalty ... at least for the night.

The 2012 VMAs, air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 6 at 8 P.M. EST.