Kardinal Offishall may have been the big winner at the annual MuchMusic Video Awards, but the boys from Hedley garnered the screams when they pulled down their pants to reveal tattoos touting the B.C. rock band.

Hedley, led by Jacob Hoggard, shocked and amused fans with the stunt, part of their outrageous red-carpet arrival at the gala in Toronto on Sunday. They pulled up in a white police van, pouring out of the vehicle followed by women posing as female officers, but dressed in miniskirts and heels.

The Toronto-based rapper Kardinal Offishall won three awards at the MuchMusic Video Awards Sunday. (Andrew MacNaughtan/MuchMusic)

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

"We have to do everything in style, you know," the Toronto-based rapper told the Canadian Press.

Kardinal 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," Kardinal said. "This is for all my hip-hop people from east to west."

Kardinal 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, best pop video for Be Easy, while rockers Billy Talent went home empty-handed despite their five nods.

Both Kardinal and Massari were also up for a People's Choice award for favourite Canadian artist, but lost to Save Your Scissors by City and Colour, the solo moniker for Alexisonfire vocalist Dallas Green.

Rockers Simple Plan was named favourite Canadian group for Crazy.

The favourite international group was rock band Fall Out Boy for Dance Dance, while former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson was named favourite international artist for her ballad Because of You.

Other winners included:

• Best post-production: The Trews, So She's Leaving
• Best cinematography: Buck 65, Devil's Eyes
• MuchLOUD best rock video: Nickelback, Photograph
• MuchVibe best rap video: Classified, No Mistakes
• Best independent video: Metric, Poster of A Girl
• MuchMoreMusic award: Michael Bublé, Save the Last Dance for Me
• Best French video: Stéphanie Lapointe, La Mer
• Best international video, group: Green Day, Wake Me Up When September Ends

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.

Autograph-seekers came to gawk at party girl Paris Hilton, actress Tori Spelling, singer and tabloid coverboy Nick Lachey and chart-topping pop sensation Rihanna, who took home the prize for best international video, solo artist.

Spelling showed up arm-in-arm with Canadian actor Dean McDermott. The former Beverly Hills 90210 star, draped in a loose and flowing minidress of green, pink and yellow, said she was excited to "get to walk down the red carpet with this hot man," gesturing to McDermott, her new husband.

While on stage, she made reference to her ongoing dispute with former Canadian TV personality Mary Jo Eustace, whose marriage to McDermott ended last year when he left her for Spelling, daughter of prolific TV and film producer Aaron Spelling.

Eustace was also in attendance at the downtown Toronto event, accompanied by her former What's for Dinner co-host Ken Kostick. Other Canadian personalities at the party included Canadian Idol host Ben Mulroney, Tory MP Belinda Stronach, federal NDP Leader Jack Layton and NDP MP Olivia Chow.