Could Britney Top This Year's VMAs?

After a debacle of a performance at the 2007 Video Music Awards, Britney Spears is now poised to take top honors at this year's event.
The pop star's "Piece of Me" has been nominated in three categories for the 2008 VMAs, including best pop video, best female video and video of the year. Spears' nominations should come as a welcome bit of success for the star, who, in the past year, was involuntarily hospitalized on several occasions, had her assets taken over by her father and fought a public custody battle.
Yet, in recent months, with gigs like a guest role on How I Met Your Mother and an appearance in promos for the VMAs, it's seemed that she may be on the upswing. In the shadow of recent events, she's back in the spotlight, with nominations that pit her against some of pop's newer, reigning kings and queens: For the video of the year, Brit's up against the Jonas Brothers' "Burnin' Up" and Chris Brown's "Forever," among others.
In the pop and female categories, the competition is also high, with contenders like Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" and American Idol darling Jordin Sparks' "No Air" (which, with its inclusion of Chris Brown, packs a double-whammy of pop power).
Are Spears' nominations more evidence of her comeback, or more like an olive branch from MTV to a woman on the mend? How do you think Britney will fare up against newer pop faves? The award show airs Sept. 7 (9 pm/ET). - Anna Dimond
More on Britney:
" Britney Gets Tongue and Cheek in New VMA Ads
" Britney Spears Tapes Promo for VMAs