Flickr/David Jones

The Staples Center will host the 2012 MTV VMAs.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — MTV is moving its annual, star-studded Video Music Awards (VMAs) to the Staples Center, bringing more celebrities to the Downtown venue than the NBA All-Star game itself.

This September will be the first time the home of the Lakers (and Clippers and Kings) has hosted this event. According to MTV, the expansive space is perfect for the ever-growing show which clocked a record-breaking 12.4 million viewers last year -- the largest audience in VMA history.

“Staples Center is incredibly excited to have the opportunity to host the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards," said Sr. Vice President & General Manager Lee Zeidman, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with our partners at MTV and hosting this one of kind music event here at L.A. Live.”

The 2010 and 2011 VMAs were held across the street at the Nokia Theater, and included highlights such as Lady Gaga's dress made of raw meat and Beyonce's public announcement of her pregnancy with hip-hop mogul husband, Jay-Z. Both spectacles resulted in a frenzy of twitter activity.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech this September on the same night of the VMAs. CNN reports that he is planning to accept the Democratic presidential nomination that evening at the Democaratic National Convention in South Carolina. To "avoid conflict" with the proceedings, an MTV spokeswoman told CNN that they'd be airing the awards an hour earlier than usual.

See Beyonce's performance and tweet-inducing announcement from last year

The VMAs take place Thursday, September 6.