MTV brings the summer of 2012 to a close with the live 29th annual MTV Video Music Awards on September 6 at 8/7c pm. As usual, the nominee list is a who’s who of the music industry elite with Rihanna and Drake at the front of the pack each with five “Moonman” nods.  Always a wild TV party, the VMA ceremony also actually celebrates music (which was the cornerstone of the cable channel back in the day), so expect performances by Rhianna, One Direction, Pink, Green Day and a whole lot more.

With the stars ready to belt out their songs and tear up the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Snakkle was curious about how well you know this year’s crop of nominees? We’ve assembled a visual photo feast featuring some of the biggest noms before they became global music sensations. Can you name them correctly?