Meet 'Dr. Luke,' the Man Behind Britney Spears' Award-Winning 'Till the World Ends'

Aug. 29, 2011— -- One of the most memorable moments from last night's MTV Video Music Awards happened when Lady Gaga, dressed as her male alter-ego Jo Calderone, appeared on stage to present the Princess of Pop -- Britney Spears -- with not one but two of the evening's biggest awards.

Britney took home not just the Video of the Year award for her single "Till the World Ends" but also the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

"It was really crazy. I had no idea what to expect," Spears told MTV News.

The Vanguard Award, also known as the Lifetime Achievement Award, is given to musicians who have made a profound impact on MTV's culture, and who have had the most acclaimed music videos in MTV history. Other recipients include the Beatles, Madonna, the Rolling Stones and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

But Spears probably wouldn't be the megastar she is today without the help of Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, a 37-year-old music producer and songwriter, and his music-mixing magic.

He is one of the principal architects of "Till the World Ends," as well as many other popular tracks on Spears' album "Femme Fatale," released last March.

From Conway Studios in Hollywood, Gottwald has helped produce breakout hits for an impressive list of stars, including the Princess of Pop herself.

"She gets it done," Gottwald said of Spears in an interview with "Nightline" last February. "She's pretty focused when she gets in and records, and she sounds good fast, you know? She's a lot busier than I am, so she comes in and gets it done, and she's out."

With 23 No. 1 hit singles and two Grammy nominations under his belt, Gottwald is the most successful (and sought-after) hitmaker on today's pop music scene.

"I'm looking for voices that are distinctive," Gottwald said. "That's the most important thing to me. I mean, obviously, they have to be able to sing."

He has also shaped the "American-Idol"-bred barrage of Kelly Clarkson, the candy-coated track "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry, the polished punk rock of Pink and the intoxicating beats of Ke$ha. Time and again, Gottwald has proved that he knows the magic sound for what pop-music lovers crave.