mr gif turned One Direction into an animated video game for Buzzworthy's Best New Artist illustration series.

Each of the 15 VMA categories carries its own prestige and distinction. But VMA Best New Artist is perhaps one of the night's most anticipated categories. The Best New Artist category represents a diverse roster of some of the best and brightest new faces and names to enter the musical landscape and pop culture conversation over the past year. To celebrate the artistic influence of this year's Best New Artist nominees on Buzzworthy, where we're committed to celebrating pop music, pop culture, and, of course, music fans, I asked five different young artists to pay homage to the 2012 Best New Artist nominees with an "inspiration illustration," to look at that musical artist and the impact of their art through another artist's eyes.

Each of this year's Best New Artist nominees have opened our minds (and, quite often, our hearts) by writing a tribute to eternal youth (fun. and Janelle Monáe), writing an unforgettable (and unstoppably catchy) ode to first crushes (Carly Rae Jepsen), inciting boy band mania all over again (The Wanted and One Direction, of course), or by breathing new, poetic life into R&B (Frank Ocean). It may sound corny, but it's true -- how we as music fans experience music, videos, lyrics, and the visual images surrounding music creates a visceral, emotional bond that transcends music itself (I can't remember the last time a song truly transported and swept me away like Frank Ocean's "Swim Good" did the first time I heard it). Essentially, this is an artist-on-artist series. Hopefully you'll enjoy seeing how five visual artists connected to and interpreted each of the 2012 MTV VMA Best New Artist nominees.

Earlier in the series, Brooklyn artist Jess Rotter took on 2012 VMA Best New Artist nominee Frank Ocean and "Swim Good"; Oakland artist Jon Stich captured Carly Rae Jepsen and her unstoppable, inescapable, always adorable "Call Me Maybe" crush anthem; Jenny Hart turned The Wanted into a needlework of art; and musician/artist Sherri DuPree-Bemis of the band Eisley reimagined "We Are Young," by fun., featuring Janelle Monáe, into a charmingly devilish, incredibly inky affair. Finally gif artists mr gif turned One Direction into a video game. Here's what they had to say about turning One Direction into a video game.

Check out mr gif's 2012 VMA Best New Artist "inspiration illustration" animation of One Direction after the jump.


"When we were given the task of creating artwork expressing One Direction's Best New Artist nomination, we had to think of something that encapsulated their energy and spirit. Whatever we created had to say 'new' because not only are these guys some of the youngest breakouts, their success seems to be propelled by some of the new means of communication. Almost immediately we thought VIDEO GAMES. Game design is the newest and next great art form, but since we didn't have time to actually create a working game, we did what we do best and made gifs that represent what a One Direction game would look like. By making it a 'game,' we show how all the fans can have their favorite Directioner, and they are the ones who really control the fate of One Direction becoming nominated for Best New Artist." -- mr gif

About the artist: Jimmy Repeat and his college friend Mark Portillo are mr gif. They have been at the forefront of the resurgence of the GIF, or graphics interchange format. The duo's quirky, topical, and downright beautiful animations have led to commissioned works for the likes of Forbes, XXL magazine with Rick Ross, designer Mark Ecko, Vice magazine, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and chef Anthony Bourdain. Their work is an eclectic and electric mix of hand-drawn art, photographs and 8-bit compositions. Plus they are really cool badass dudes.

Don't miss One Direction's performance at the 2012 MTV VMAs live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Photo credit: Sony; Illustration: mr gif for MTV