Britney Spears is to star at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, a year after a calamitous comeback performance at the same award ceremony. But this time the pop singer won’t be performing.

Spears will be opening the 25th annual edition of the MTV VMAs on Sunday at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, according to MTV’s website.

That means she will be on hand if she wins an award. Spears has garnered three nominations for the clip to her single “Piece of Me” — Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and Video of the Year.

“MTV has long played an important role in my career,” Spears said in a statement. “How can I not be there to kick off their 25th VMAs? I’m excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated.”

Exactly how she planned to open the show remained unclear. In previous appearances she has kissed Madonna and performed with a writhing snake.

Spears has yet to win an MTV Video Music Award, and her nominations this year are particularly tantalizing after her much-derided appearance in 2007, when she lip-synched her way through a dance number in an ill-fitting black bikini.

Coming off two marriages, two children and two stints in rehab, Spears sought to launch a career comeback on last year’s show with a performance of the song “Gimme More” that proved a publicity bomb for her but a ratings boon for MTV.

But with Spears said to be cleaning up her act and back in the recording studio this summer, working on a new album, MTV has made the most of the suspense surrounding her possible return to the VMAs, refusing until Wednesday to say whether she might appear as a presenter or performer.

The MTV VMAs, long considered a hipper version of the Grammys, will be broadcast live on MTV on September 7, hosted by British comedian Russell Brand.

Britney Spears took off for Las Vegas over Labor Day weekend, spending time lounging at the pool and hanging with a few friends. According to People.com, she took a private jet over to Sin City and stayed at the Mirage Hotel and Casino’s exclusive villas. Although she had her own private pool, Spears went out and sunned in the VIP area of the hotel’s Bare Pool with pals, including her hairstylist Kim Vo. She was seen texting from her phone and taking a swim in the pool. An observer said, “Her body looked great. It looks like she’s getting her body back, back to the old Britney.” Spears also attended Cirque du Soleil’s Love show.

The troubled pop star’s ex-boyfriend, photographer Adnan Ghalib, was also at Mirage over the weekend, but they weren’t seen with each other.

Spears plans to release her next album in 2009.

Her “Piece of Me” clip is up for three MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year, Best Female Video and Best Pop Video.

The MTV Video Music Awards are set for September 7th in Los Angeles. Spears has been appearing in promos for the awards show but isn’t expected to perform at the event. The latest rumors suggest that she will be tapped as a presenter.

Britney Spears says her sixth album will be out within nine months as the U.S. pop star seeks to rebound from troubling behavior and hospital stints for psychiatric evaluations.

In an interview with OK! magazine released on Wednesday, the 26-year-old says she has written more for the new album than her previous five studio albums, and describes it as having an “urban” feel.

“I’m writing every day, right here at the piano,” said Spears, one of the world’s most successful pop stars of the early 2000s. Her last album, “Blackout,” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard 200 last November, but quickly slid down the chart.

Spears has given few interviews in recent years as her life spiraled out of control and she lost custody of her two sons.

Over the past 18 months she has been involved in an ugly divorce from Kevin Federline, entered rehab treatment several times, and exhibited erratic behavior like shaving her head and attacking a photographer’s car with an umbrella.

But in the past six months, her father Jamie Spears has taken over management of her affairs and she was also mentioned as a possible Emmy award nominee for guest appearances on U.S. TV series “How I Met Your Mother.”

When asked by OK! if she would like to do more acting, Spears said: “I’d love to, if I can find the right movie.”

“Actually, I have a part that just came up. We’re just trying to work it out with my schedule, with the children,” she said.

A court recently extended Jamie Spears control over his daughter’s affairs, which he shares with Los Angeles attorney Andrew Wallet, until the end of 2008.

Britney Spears, who is looking increasingly glamorous and cheerful every day, left us drooling when she made a five minute stop at Lisa Kline on Robertson Blvd in Los Angeles on Saturday, August 9. What pop wreck? We saw a ravishing blond pop star yesterday!

The 26-year-old yummy mummy showed her well toned body in green hot pants and white tee. She accessorized with large shades, danglers, bangles and, most of all, a pendant necklace that read Jayden Preston. Her flip flops added to the casual but powerful allure.

The video shows Britney in a comical and improvised question and answer session with VMA host, Russell Brand. It also features LL Cool J, FNMTV host/ Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, and a 9,000 pound elephant!

Britney’s fans are hoping that she will perform again at the awards this year, for no other reason than to make up for her disastrous performance last year!

Despite 17 nominations Britney has yet to walk away with a VMA. This year she has been nominated under two categories for the song Piece of Me from her last album Blackout : Best Pop Video and Best Female Video.

MTV’s Video Music Awards 2008 will air live from the legendary Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood on September 7 at 9 pm. They will be hosted by British comedian Russell Brand and include performances by nominees Lil Wayne and the Jonas Brothers.

Pop star Britney Spears must increase her child support payments to ex-husband Kevin Federline by $5,000 a month as part of a custody settlement agreed to Friday.

Under the terms of the deal approved by Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon, Spears will pay a total of $20,000 a month to the former backup dancer.

She will also pay his $250,000 legal bill from lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan.

The custody agreement leaves her two sons — Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1 — in Federline’s custody but expands her visitation rights.

The agreement calls for Spears to have the children for a second overnight visit each week beginning in the fall.

Spears’ attorney said the performer was “at peace” with the agreement.

“She couldn’t be happier about it, actually,” said her attorney, Laura Wasser.

“She’s going to see her kids more.”

Spears has monitored visits with the toddlers three days and one night each week.

Spears, 26, lost custody of the boys last year after her behavior became erratic.

In January, after the singer was hospitalized for psychiatric problems, a court appointed her father, Jamie, conservator of her and her estate.

Kaplan did not return a call seeking comment, but he told City News Service, “It’s a great relief [for Kevin] to have this two-year ordeal behind him.”

The agreement averts a trial scheduled for August.

Wasser said negotiations concerned money and visitation rights but not Federline’s custody of the children.

“We would never have sought a modification of legal or physical custody while she’s under the conservator ship,” Wasser said.

Attorneys for Spears and her father are due in court July 31 to discuss continuing the conservator ship.