TORONTO — Maintaining its reputation as the wildest music awards party in Canada, the MuchMusic Video Awards riled fans and guests alike with outrageous acts Sunday from duelling romantic rivals, with fashion foibles and bare rock star bums.

Screaming fans and scandalous celebrities overtook downtown Toronto for the freewheeling awards show, in which big winner Kardinal Offishall was overshadowed by a celebrity spectacle that included an ongoing cat-fight watch between former 90210 star Tori Spelling and former Canadian television celebrity Mary Jo Eustace.

Eustace, spurned a little over a year ago by actor-husband Dean McDermott for the billionaire heiress, said she had been told to leave the MuchMusic building for the awards portion of the party at the behest of Spelling.

"I was asked to leave the building because Tori Spelling was going to be presenting an award and I guess felt uncomfortable with me here," Eustace said in the crowded Much environment in which Spelling and McDermott stood just metres away.

"The excuse was that there was a restaining order against me, which is of course completely false and untrue," she said, adding that to accommodate MuchMusic she left the building temporarily.

Spelling denied even knowing that Eustace was at the party.

"I'd love to see her, I have a few words. Anyone see where she is?" joked Spelling, draped in a loose and flowy green, pink and yellow minidress.

Outside on the red carpet, Jacob Hoggard and the boys from Hedley left celebrity gawkers with a night to remember after they pulled down their pants to reveal Hedley tattoos on their bottoms.

The B.C. band had fans screaming after landing on the red-carpet in a white police van, pouring out of the vehicle with hot female cops - dressed in miniskirts and heels - on their tails.

Meanwhile, FashionTV maven Jeanne Beker got style stalkers chattering after being spotted wearing the same dress as teen movie star Amanda Bynes, called upon to introduce a performance by tabloid coverboy Nick Lachay. Both were decked out in a black and white empire-waist evening gown by Ports 1961.

Kardinal, who led the nominees with five nods, revelled in the cheers that greeted him as he arrived in a screaming red firetruck, doing his best to one-up fellow nominees in what's become an annual test of each guest's wild factor.

"We have to do everything in style, you know," Kardinal said.

The Toronto-based rapper snagged three of the coveted trophies for his single Everyday (Rudebwoy) - winning for best video, best director and the VideoFACT award.

"This is real good right here . . . This is for all my hip-hop people from east to west," Kardinal said before receiving his trophies.

"It's funny, though, that I'm not in the best hip-hop category."

Celebrity gawkers turned out in droves to catch glimpses of presenters and performers including party girl Paris Hilton, Desperate Housewives hunk Jesse Metcalfe and chart-topper Rihanna, who took home the prize for best international artist.

Massive outdoor stages featured live performances by Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland, rockers Simple Plan and video favourites Fall Out Boy.

Hilton smiled and waved at fans after emerging from a simple black SUV. She said she wasn't fazed by tabloid scrutiny over her personal life, a favourite topic since her X-rated video floated through the Internet years ago.

"It's just life - I don't care," Hilton said. "I know I'm a good person."

Inside the sprawling Much complex, McDermott's spurned ex-wife was one of several Canadian notables clogging the hallways. Dressed in a low-cut yellow summer dress, Eustace was accompanied by her former TV sidekick Ken Kostick from their kitschy cooking show What's for Dinner.

Liberal MP Belinda Stronach toured the building in tight black jeans, while Canadian Idol host Ben Mulroney chatted with federal NDP Leader Jack Layton and NDP MP Olivia Chow.

Young music fans turned out in the wee hours to catch their heroes.

Sammy Katz, 18, said he showed up at 5 a.m. to get a good spot in front of one of three streetside stages.

"It's amazing," said Katz, who waited in line nearly 10 hours last week to score a wristband pass to his third MuchMusic awards show.

"It's like our awards show. It's all about the fans."

Alannah Azzoli, 16, said she was there to see Lachey but "almost had a stroke" earlier Sunday when she met Hedley during band rehearsals.

"I'm not even kidding," Azzoli said. "I was having a panic attack in Starbucks."

Kardinal Offishall was one of three acts to lead the list of nominees with five nods, but the only one to take home multiple awards. Multiple nominee Massari took only one trophy - for best pop video - while rockers Billy Talent went home empty-handed despite their five nods.

Favourite Canadian artist went to City and Colour.

Awards are determined by an in-house MuchMusic panel, except for the People's Choice Awards, which are selected by fans via an online and telephone voting system.