Forgotten British pop star Rick Astley's 'Rickrolling' phenomenon has stepped up a gear - he is a surprise contender for the Best Act award at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards.

The singer's Never Gonna Give You Up pop anthem from 1987 was adopted by online jokers in April, luring music fans to sites promising exclusive videos by current artists - only to blast them with remixed versions of Astley's song, or his old video. The computer trick was dubbed 'Rickrolling' by YouTube.com users who were caught out by the prank.

However it seems the joke has paid off - Astley, who hasn't had a hit record in two decades, will go up against pop superstars Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Green Day, Tokio Hotel and U2 to win the award for the Best Act In The History of the MTV EMAs.

A spokesman for the awards says, "The audience has spoken and MTV has been well and truly 'Rickrolled'. This surprise nomination truly demonstrates that the MTV Europe Music Awards is the most democratically selected awards show there is. Rick's fans have obviously decided that he deserves recognition as a pop icon and no doubt they are determined to make sure he wins on the night."

The show will be held in Liverpool, England on November 6th.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)