The Five Best Moments From the 2013 Golden Globes (Plus a Priceless GIF of Glenn Close)

This GIF pretty much sums up the 2013 Golden Globes. Enjoy.

This year's Golden Globe Awards will definitely rank amongst the best ever, thanks mostly to the hilarious host Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. But more on them later. Here are the greatest moments from this year's ceremony:

5. Adele Wins Best Original Song for "Skyfall"
She ruled 2011 and 2012, and it seems her reign isn't letting up in 2013. Adele made her huge public return at this year's Globes, and surprised no one (except maybe Taylor Swift) when she won the award for Best Original Song for her hit "Skyfall" from the Bond movie of the same name. Ever humorous and humble, Adele admitted she was expecting to just be there for the party as she accepted her speech. Oscar glory is all but guaranteed for her come next month.

4. Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig Present Best Actress
Last night was filled with laughs, but the most side-splitting moment by far came from Bridesmaids star Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell, who presented the award for the Best Actress - Comedy or Musical. The two played a hilarious skit where they try to describe the performances that they haven't seen, with absolutely outrageous results. If this was their audition for the Golden Globes 2014, then they can take it.

3. Ben Affleck Wins Two Golden Globes and Gets Back at the Oscars for Snubbing Him
Many people were surprised to learn that Ben Affleck (and Katheryn Bigelow, for that matter) did not receive a Best Director nod from the Academy Awards. Well it seems the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences) has some explaining to do, after Ben Affleck not only won Best Director for his critically lauded film Argo, he took home Best Picture as well. Ben, who admitted to be in recovery mode following the mess that was "Bennifer", seemed stunned when he picked up his Best Director trophy, pipping frontrunner Steven Spielberg and his film Lincoln. With this huge double whammy from the Hollywood Foreign Press, Argo is firmly set as a frontrunner in this hotly-contested Oscar season.

2. Jodie Foster. Enough Said.
I wasn't expecting much from Jodie Foster when they announced she was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. That was a mistake. Huge mistake. The actress, who has logged nearly five decades worth of performances, delivered one of the most unbelievable speeches in the history of entertainment. Part-retrospective, part-coming out, part-diatribe on privacy in Hollywood, part-tribute to her mother, and part-retirement declaration, Foster left everyone either laughing, crying, or just speechless in her acceptance. While proclamations that it was the best speech ever might be taking it too far, Jodie Foster's speech will certainly go down as the most memorable in Golden Globes history.

1. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Need To Host Every Awards Show
From start to finish, comediennes Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were absolutely brilliant, so much so that I wished we got to see more of them during the three hour telecast. There were just so many hilarious moments, from their dragging James Cameron and James Franco within minutes of each other, to their dig at Taylor Swift and her serial dating, to their drinking after losing the Golden Globe to Girls star Lena Dunham, to their trolling of the presenters as fake nominees, I can't possibly see why those two shouldn't remain as host for the foreseeable future. Oscar host Seth McFarlane has his work cut out for him.

What were your favorite moments from the Globes?

My Advice To Britney Spears: Re-Evaluate Your Life!

At last night's Billboard Awards, pop icon Britney Spears performed a highly anticipated dual set with Rihanna of "S&M" and Nicki Minaj OF "Til The World Ends". It was the first time that Britney performed on awards show since the infamous 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.

Frankly, it should be her last for awhile.

I was reading Toya'z World earlier today and she wrote that the Britney Spears of yesteryear, who would've absolutely slayed her performances last night, was dead. Unfortunately, I think I agree. There was something genuinely troubling about her performance last night. Britney, a performer once known for her high-octane energy and pristine, crisp movement, was stumbling about the stage like a toddler. It was obvious who the better performer was when she and Rihanna did those power poses; in fact, Britney didn't really pose at all. She didn't even seem engaged during the pillow fight at the end of the performance.

Britney performing well two years ago on X Factor

It's unbelievable that a woman who delivered show-stopping performances in the past could have fallen so far off her game. Far be it for me to speculate about Britney's personal feelings, but it appears that she simply doesn't care anymore. I remember when she came back with "Womanizer" in 2008 and she performed on X Factor. Back then, even though she lipsynced the whole thing, there was still that fiery persona that we all came to love. She was truly putting on a show. These days, she's hard pressed to a genuine hair toss, shown particularly in her Good Morning America concert a few months back. Let's be honest here: Britney reached her incredible heights of fame because of her performance quality. If she can't even do that, why exactly is she still a pop star?

Maybe she still loves it, but is just too focused on raising her two children to care. Maybe she is still dealing with the ramifications of her public breakdown in 2007/2008. Maybe she is just a puppet for Jive, used to make as much as money before Justin returns with his new album. Also possible, she is secretly delivering crap performances and promotion as a way of rebellion, or to prove she is capable enough to be set free, she is just going through the motions.

Whatever the case is, it is no longer acceptable for Britney to be walking the stage like a zombie when there are people actually investing in seeing her succeed like she has in the past. It is insulting to her fans (me being one of them), who are constantly coming up for excuses for her, saying that she can't perform as well because she's gotten older. Yet, Jennifer Lopez could kill it at 45 on American Idol, or Janet at 45 on tour. Hell, even Michael Jackson was making executive moves at the age of 50. Let's not even get into Beyoncé, who killed it last night with her performance. It just discredits Britney even more.

My serious advice to Britney Spears is take two years off and honestly reexamine her priorities. If she wants to be a pop star, she needs to snap out of this funk and train and whatever else to get back into shape, literally and figuratively. If she doesn't, and she just wants to be a mom, that's totally fine too. She's earned the right to just raise her kids and find some peace with the millions she's made. If she wants to do both, she needs to learn (with a new manager possibly) how to balance both roles, because it can be done.

The Britney Spears we are getting right now is nowhere near her true potential as a talented pop megastar. It isn't fair to her fans, to the public, and herself. I just hope she realizes before she begins chipping at a hard-won legacy.

The Best and Worst of the 2011 Golden Globes

 The 2011 Golden Globes were last night in Los Angeles, kicking off the awards season. Of course, the show was full of noteworthy moments. Some were awesome, while others were jaw-droppingly awkward. Frankly, it was the shadiest Golden Globes in history; you would think everybody came there ready to sling at least one pack of mud at one another. Here are my top (and bottom) moments from one of Hollywood's glitziest nights:

BEST
Seeing Glee's Chris Colfer being genuinely shocked at his win for Best Supporting Actor (we weren't, though) was very heartwarming. You also gotta love his quote: "I think I dropped my heart between Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore". No one was more deserving than him. Other awwww moment? Watching Lea Michele almost cry at his win (we're going to assume it wasn't because she knew she was going to lose her category).

The award for Best Shade goes to the producer of Toy Story 3, which won Best Animated Feature. Justin Bieber presented the award (the Hollywood Foreign Press needed an excuse to bring him there for ratings) and when the movie won, Lee Unkrich asked him, "Were you even born when Toy Story came out?" Let's just say that if I was drinking something, I would've spit it out all over my keyboard. That's another lawsuit the Golden Globes doesn't need.

Michael Douglas, who has successfully beaten cancer, was the toast of the night when he came out to present the award of Best Motion Picture - Drama. It was heartwarming to see one of Hollywood's most popular actors still standing after being diagnosed with a horrible disease.

The Social Network, which I believe is the best movie of 2010, took home the big award last night, Best Motion Picture - Drama. The funniest part, though? Unlike every other time a movie or TV show wins, the movie's two stars, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, remained sitting, having to be called up to the stage. Surely they weren't mourning their losses in the acting categories, right?

WORST
While some people will have enjoyed Ricky Gervais' second take as the GG host, I thought it was an overall hot mess. He dropped so many bombs that night I was concerned for the auditorium's stability. He went after virtually everyone, including the HFPA President and either Tom Cruise or John Travolta with a really tacky gay Scientology joke. Oh well, good luck next time....if they hire him back.

Justin Bieber's attendance at the show was wrong enough in its own right, but this kid could at least look like he was attending a huge awards ceremony. I mean, the kid didn't even wear dress shoes! Newsflash, Justin: Vans aren't even acceptable prom attire, let alone glamorous awards show attire.

Was it me, or did Robert De Niro seem like he had a bit too many sips of something? The veteran actor, receiving the Cecil B DeMille award, awkwardly shuffled through his speech, trying to attain laughs while only inspiring light chuckles of politeness. Even Ricky Gervais did better.

Lady Gaga Owns 2010 MTV Video Music Awards with EIGHTEEN Nominations

Pop behemoth Lady Gaga has proven why she is the new queen of music videos.

Today, the MTV Video Music Award nominations were announced, and Gaga is nominated no less than 18 times for her videos "Bad Romance", "Telephone", and her feature on Beyoncé's "Video Phone". She is nominated for virtually every award she is eligible, including Video of the Year twice. In fact, she is double nominated in five other categories, and triple nominated for Best Choreography. She has broken the record for most nominations in one year by a mile.

With their shared eight nominations, is it possible that Beyoncé and Gaga will perform together on the VMA stage? Here's to hoping.

Eminem's video for "Not Afraid" comes behind Gaga with 8 nominations, including Video of the Year. Beyoncé also scores eight nominations, despite I Am Sasha Fierce being released almost two years ago.

A big nomination surprise comes from Florence + The Machine, who landed a slot in the Video of the Year category for "Dog Days Are Over". Rihanna is majorly snubbed this year, only being nominated for Best Editing for "Rude Boy".

The VMAs will be held on September 12th in Los Angeles.

Below is the full list of nominees:

Best Collaboration
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé - Telephone
3OH!3 featuring Kesha - My First Kiss
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

Best Female Video
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg - California Gurls
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Taylor Swift - Fifteen

Best Male Video
Eminem - Not Afraid
Usher featuring Will.I.Am - OMG
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes
Drake - Find Your Love
Jason Derulo - In My Head

Best Hip Hop Video
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes
Eminem - Not Afraid
Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem - Forever
Jay-Z & Swizz Beats - On To The Next One
Kid Cudi featuring MGMT & Ratatat - Pursuit Of Happiness

Best New Artist
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Jason Derulo - In My Head
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris - Baby
Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett - Massive Attack
Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside

Best Pop Video
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dog - California Gurls
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars - Nothing on You

Best Rock Video
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens
Muse - Uprising
Paramore - Ignorance
Florence + the Machine - Dog Days Are Over
MGMT - Flash Delirium

Best Dance Music Video
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull - I Like It
Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor
David Guetta featuring Akon - Sexy Chick
Usher featuring Will.I.Am - OMG

Video Of The Year
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens
Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé - Telephone
Eminem - Not Afraid
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes

Best Art Direction
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
Eminem - Not Afraid
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)

Best Choreography
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé - Telephone
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Usher featuring Will.I.Am - OMG
Janelle Monáe featuring Big Boi - Tightrope

Best Cinematography
Eminem - Not Afraid
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

Best Direction
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
Pink - Funhouse
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens

Best Editing
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
Rihanna - Rude Boy
Pink - Funhouse
Miike Snow - Animal

Best SFX
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
Muse - Uprising
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Dan Black - Symphonies

Breakthrough Video
Dan Black - Symphonies
Gorillaz featuring Bobby Womack & Mos Def - Stylo
Coldplay - Strawberry Swing
The Black Keys - Tighten Up

Glee Smashes Emmys With Nineteen Nominations!

There is a lot be gleeful about!

FOX's hit show Glee has landed an astonishing nineteen nominations at this year's Emmy Awards, which will be held in August. The show is nominated for every category in the comedy field, including Best Series, Best Actress (Lea Michele), Best Actor (Matthew Morrison), Best Supporting Actor (Chris Colfer), and Best Supporting Actress (Jane Lynch).

Following Glee in nominations is AMC's Mad Men with 17 nominations. The most nominations of the year goes to HBO's TV miniseries The Pacific, with an amazing 24 nominations.

Below is the nomination list for the major awards:

DRAMA

OUTSTANDING DRAMA
Lost
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Mad Men
True Blood
The Good Wife

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Mariska Hargitay (Special Victims Unit)
Glenn Close (Damages)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
January Jones (Mad Men)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Hugh Laurie (House M.D.)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Matthew Fox (Lost)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
John Slattery (Mad Men)
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Martin Short (Damages)
Terry O’ Quinn (Lost)
Michael Emerson (Lost)
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Sharon Gless (Burn Notice)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Rose Byrne (Damages)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

COMEDY
OUTSTANDING COMEDY
Glee
Modern Family
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Nurse Jackie
30 Rock
The Office
Curb Your Enthusiasm

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Lea Michele (Glee)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Toni Collette (The United States of Tara)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Matthew Morrison (Glee)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Jon Cryer (Two and A Half Men)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Holland Taylor (Two and A Half Men)

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien

REALITY
OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM
Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
MythBusters
Undercover Boss

OUTSTANDING REALITY - COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race)
Ryan Seacrest (American Idol)
Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars)
Heidi Klum (Project Runway)
Jeff Probst (Survivor)

NOMINATION TALLY
The Pacific (24)
Glee (19)
Mad Men (17)
30 Rock (15)
Modern Family (14)
Lost (12)
Saturday Night Live (12)
Dancing with the Stars (9)
The Good Wife (9)
Nurse Jackie (8)
The Amazing Race (7)
Breaking Bad (7)
Dexter (7)
American Idol (6)

The Best, Worst, and UNbelievable of the BET Awards 2010

Last night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, some of the biggest names in black entertainment gathered for the 10th annual BET Awards. As usual, it was a hot mess, but it was the best year in a very long time (miles better than last year, that's for sure). Here are the high, low, and ridiculous lights.

BEST
While it appears that the jury is still out on the legitimacy of Chris Brown's tears during the MJ tribute he gave, but there is no doubt it was one of the best moments of the night.

Speaking of artists who royally fucked up, Kanye West made his comeback to the stage with his new single "Power", coming out of a volcano. Phoenix rising from the ashes? Sure, I'll go with it.

While the nominees in the category were laughable, Nicki Minaj's win was deserved. She had a really great speech ("My mom didn't even know what channel this was gonna be on!") and she looked absolutely spectacular with that white dress. She was definitely queen of the night.

Thank God for Prince, because his faces alone during some of the performances were worth the price of admission. The side eye shade he threw at Trey Songz when he started to sing "Purple Rain" was just too much to handle (more on Songz later). Then there were his reactions to his tribute, which ranged from "OMG" to "Hell yes"! The most awesome moment of Prince at the awards? When he got on stage and told the audience screaming for to sit, and they all dropped in one fell swoop. Only royalty could do that.
  
WORST
BET has been known for their cheapness, but their sound system was down right 99 cent store. I mean, some of the mics were so low that some had to scream into the mic to be heard. I had my HDTV blasted to 100% the entire show just to hear some of the performances.

Another sign of BET's irrelevancy: the winners of the two biggest awards weren't in attendance. Beyonce and Lady Gaga won Video of the Year for "Video Phone", and Rihanna won Viewer's Choice for "Hard".

Trey Songz, Trey Songz, Trey Songz. Didn't you know that Patti Labelle was going to perform "Purple Rain" and completely slay your life? Prince did not approve. Good news, though, "Yo Side of the Bed" is a good song, but that's probably because it sampled Prince's "Purple Rain". A word of advice to Songz; keep away from the high notes live until you can control them

Nicki Minaj would have been flawless, if she had decided a wig that didn't have her looking like Wilma Flintstone. The orange hair was a complete hot mess.

I wish the show ended with the Prince tribute, because DJ Khaled's All I Do is Win was a disaster.

Last I checked, Usher had stage presence coming out the wazoo. So why the hell was his performance of "There Goes My Baby" boring as hell?

UNBELIEVABLE
Prince is known for his wild and crazy antics, but even he must have been surprised by the off the wall craziness going on during his tribute. Janelle Monáe was acting like she was getting high off the spirit, Alicia's pregnant self was writhing on top of a piano, and Patti LaBelle kicked her damn shoes off singing a church-ified version of "Purple Rain"! It was amazing.

The Award For Quickest Wig Change During a Performance Goes to.... Nicki Minaj!

El Debarge made his comeback last night, but two things. First, so many people (myself and Taraji P. Henson included) got his name wrong I couldn't even take it (James, Chico, El, which was it?). Wasn't it a bit embarrassing for him to be a "Music Matters" artist? oh well, he's still a better singer than half the audience.

Another case of mistaken identity: you know you aren't that relevant when you were confused for being Gucci Mane and Gudda Gudda. It was really Young Jeezy.

I'm going BET to put more gospel in the show, because they have to know that audience has broken at least 5 of the 10 commandments and need some Jesus in their lives.
 

UNbelievable: Chris Brown's Tears During MJ Tribute at 2010 BET Awards

Embattled singer Chris Brown may have finally scored a chance at redemption with an intense and emotional tribute performance for his idol, the late Michael Jackson.

Brown started the performance with a snippet "The Way You Make Me Feel", before recreating dance routines from "Remember The Time" and "Billie Jean". To the surprise of no one, Brown moved excellently, even if his moonwalk looked a bit off (only MJ could really do it justice).

What most people will be talking about tomorrow was Brown's emotional breakdown during what was supposed to be his singing of "Man in the Mirror". Apparently so overcome with emotion, Brown began to cry as he struggled to sing and move around the stage. The backup singers had to pick up the vocals when it appeared that Brown was simply unable to. He would later be comforted by Michael's brother Jermaine as he walked off the stage. He would appear on stage again to accept the "Fandemonium" award. In his speech, he said that he would not let his fans down again.

While the impact of MJ's loss may have been the most obvious cause of his tears, it may have also been the result of the fact that this was as much his comeback performance as it was a tribute. When the BET Awards did the disastrous MJ tribute last year, the biggest complaint was that Brown wasn't invited to partake in the activities. He was still coming off of the Rihanna domestic abuse scandal at the time, and BET probably felt than wasn't the right time (it wasn't). Now, however, was his chance to prove his worth as a performer. The daunting fact must have been truly overwhelming. It made for a surprisingly raw and real moment during the typical mess that BET puts on every year. While there are certainly valid arguments to support the theory that Chris may have been putting on a bit for a new sympathy bid, I belong to the school of thought that this was a real moment. It was actually his most real and genuine moment since the Rihanna incident.

It was certainly one of the night's highlights, and it might just serve as the beginning of the repairing of Chris Brown's tarnished image. While I still believe he is an immature brat who still hasn't conceived of the damage he has done to Rihanna, his young fans excusing his behavior, and himself, I can respect his genuine emotion and his great performance.

Check out the performance below:

2010 BRIT Nominations Announced: JLS, Gaga and Lily Allen Are Triple Nominees, Robbie To Be Honored

The nominations for the 2010 BRIT Awards were announced today at London's O2 Arena and JLS, Lily Allen and Lady Gaga are leading the pack.

X Factor runners-up JLS scored a triple whammy, being nominated for British Single, British Group, and British Breakthrough Act. They will be battling it out with winner Alexandra Burke for a spot in the British Single shortlist. Surprisingly, Burke only received one nomination.

The recently retired Lily Allen also received three nods for her album It's Not Me, It's You. She's nominated for British Female, British Album, and British Single.

In the international categories, Lady Gaga, who scored three UK #1 singles in the past year, scored three nominations herself for Best Female, Best Album, and Breakthrough Act. Last year, Gaga was invited to perform "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" with last year's Contribution to Music honorees Pet Shop Boys. This year's honoree is Robbie Williams, who is also nominated for British Male Artist. Robbie has the distinction of winning the most awards at the BRITS with eleven awards.

The full list is below:

British Female Solo Artist
Bat for Lashes
Florence & the Machine
Leona Lewis
Lily Allen
Pixie Lott

British Male Solo Artist
Calvin Harris
Dizzee Rascal
Mika
Paolo Nutini
Robbie Williams

British Breakthrough Act
Florence & the Machine
Friendly Fires
JLS
La Roux
Pixie Lott

British Group
Doves
Friendly Fires
JLS
Kasabian
Muse

MasterCard British Album
Dizzee Rascal - Tongue n’Cheek
Florence & the Machine - Lungs
Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Lily Allen - It’s Not Me, It’s You
Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up

British Single
Alesha Dixon - Breathe Slow
Alexandra Burke Ft Flo Rida - Bad Boys
Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love
Joe McElderry - The Climb
JLS - Beat Again
La Roux - In For The Kill
Lily Allen - The Fear
Pixie Lott - Mama Do
Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart
Tinchy Stryder Ft N-Dubz - Number 1

Critics' Choice
Ellie Goulding
Delphic
Marina and the Diamonds

BRITs Album of 30 Years
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
Dido - No Angel
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Duffy - Rockferry
Keane - Hopes & Fears
Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Phil Collins - No Jacket Required
Sade - Diamond Life
The Verve - Urban Hymns
Travis - The Man Who

International Female Solo Artist
Lady Gaga
Ladyhawke
Norah Jones
Rihanna
Shakira

International Male Solo Artist
Bruce Springsteen
Eminem
Jay-Z
Michael Buble
Seasick Steve

International Album
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Black Eyed Peas - The End
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
Lady Gaga - The Fame

International Breakthrough Act
Animal Collective
Daniel Merriweather
Empire of the Sun
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

Outstanding Contribution Award
Robbie Williams

Beyonce and Lady Gaga Dominate VMA Noms!

The time has come for the MTV Video Music Awards, and the nominations for the September ceremony have just been announced!

Leading the nomination pack are Beyonce and Lady Gaga, who scored a whopping nine nominations each, including Video of the Year and Best Female Video. Beyonce was nominated for "Single Ladies" and Gaga was nominated for "Paparazzi" and "Poker Face". Gaga is also nominated for Best New Artist. Britney, who saw her first VMA success at last year's ceremony, scored seven nominations for her videos "Womanizer" and "Circus".

This year's ceremony will be hosted by last year's controversial host, comedian Russell Brand. The show will air September 13th.


Video Of The Year
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Womanizer'
Eminem - 'We Made You'
Kanye West - 'Love Lockdown'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'

Best Female Video
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Katy Perry - 'Hot N Cold'
Kelly Clarkson - 'My Life Would Suck Without You'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'
P!nk - 'So What'
Taylor Swift - 'You Belong With Me'

Best Male Video
Eminem - 'We Made You'
Jay-Z - 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)'
Kanye West - 'Love Lockdown'
Ne-Yo - 'Miss Independent'
T.I. feat. Rihanna - 'Live Your Life'

Best New Artist
3OH!3 - 'Don't Trust Me'
Asher Roth - 'I Love College'
Drake - 'Best I Ever Had'
Kid Cudi - 'Day N' Nite'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'

Best Hip-Hop Video
Asher Roth - 'I Love College'
Eminem - 'We Made You'
Flo Rida - 'Right Round'
Jay-Z - 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)'
Kanye West - 'Love Lockdown'

Best Pop Video
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Womanizer'
Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester -'Good Girls Go Bad'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'
Wisin y Yandel - 'Abusadora'

Best Rock Video
Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida'
Fall Out Boy - 'I Don't Care'
Green Day - '21 Guns'
Kings of Leon - 'Use Somebody'
Paramore - 'Decode'

Breakthrough Video
Anjulie - 'Boom'
Bat for Lashes - 'Daniel'
Chairlift - 'Evident Utensil'
Cold War Kids - 'I've Seen Enough'
Death Cab for Cute - 'Grapevine Fires'
Gnarls Barkley - 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul'
Major Lazer - 'Hold the Line'
Matt and Kim - 'Lessons Learned'
Passion Pit - 'The Reeling'
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - 'Heads Will Roll'

Best Video That Never Won A Moonman
Beastie Boys - 'Sabotage'
Bjork - 'Human Behavior'
David Lee Roth - 'California Girls'
Dr. Dre - 'Nuthin' But a G Thang'
Foo Fighters - 'Everlong'
George Michael - 'Freedom'
OK Go - 'Here It Goes Again'
Radiohead - 'Karma Police'
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 'Into the Great Wide Open'
U2 - 'Where the Streets Have No Name'

Best Art Direction
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida'
Gnarls Barkley - 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul'
Lady Gaga - 'Paparazzi'

Best Choreography
A.R. Rahm & Pussycat Dolls feat. Nicole Scherzinger - 'Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)'
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake - 'Love Sex Magic'
Kristinia DeBarge - 'Goodbye'

Best Cinematography
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida'
Green Day - '21 Guns'
Lady Gaga - 'Paparazzi'

Best Direction
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester - 'Good Girls Go Bad'
Green Day - '21 Guns'

"To Us, Michael Is Family": Grieving Janet Pays Tribute To Brother Michael at BET Awards

Janet Jackson, who I consider the Duchess of Pop, made a surprise appearance at last night's BET Awards to pay tribute to her brother Michael. The pop star, who was visibly shaken and grieving, thanked the world for their love and support and made this statement: "To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family". She revealed that she was elected by the family to speak on their behalves after realizing a full appearance would be "too painful".

The icon was escorted on the stage by Jamie Foxx, who later performed "I'll Be There" with Ne-Yo to close out the show. The BET Awards was retooled to pay tribute to the fallen King of Pop, who shockingly passed away last Thursday.





Here is Janet (and the tribute) below:

BRIT Awards 2009 MegaPost: Girls Aloud, Duffy Reign; Pet Shop Boys Honored

 

It's about damn time!

Not my words, but the words of Sarah Harding.

UK national treasures/girl group Girls Aloud have won their first ever BRIT Award. The five-piece took home Best British Single, for their #1 smash "The Promise". The girls were also nominated for Best Group. They beat out other contenders Duffy, Coldplay, and Leona Lewis to take home the award voted for by the public.



The girls performed their BRIT-winning hit "The Promise" live at the ceremony, which was hosted by Kylie Minogue.



The big winner of the night was Duffy, who took home British Album, Breakthrough Act and Solo Female, beating Adele in the latter categories.

The Pet Shop Boys were given the Outstanding Contribution to Music award, and they performed a greatest hits medley with special guests Lady GaGa and Brandon Flowers.



Other performers included Take That, Coldplay, and a collaboration between The Ting Tings and Estelle:







Below is a full list of winners:


British Male Solo Artist
Paul Weller - WINNER!

British Female Solo Artist
Duffy - WINNER!

British Group
Elbow - WINNER!

British Single
Girls Aloud - 'The Promise' - WINNER!


British Album
Duffy - Rockferry - WINNER!


British Breakthrough Act
Duffy - WINNER!

British Live Act
Iron Maiden - WINNER!

International Male Solo Artist
Kanye West - WINNER!

International Female Solo Artist
Katy Perry - WINNER!

International Group
Kings of Leon - WINNER!

International Album
Kings of Leon - Only By The Night - WINNER!


Critics' Choice Award
Florence and the Machine

Outstanding Contribution to Music
Pet Shop Boys

Photo from girlsaloudmedia.com

The UNBELIEVABLE of the 2009 Grammys

UNBELIEVABLE

I have to give M.I.A props for getting up there and performing, but for God's sake, she looked like she was going to pop right there on the stage. Plus, I can't count how many times people have referred to her as Yoshi from the Mario games.

I'm sorry to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss fans, and I do respect them as veteran artists, but I cannot be the only one who thought their multiple Grammy wins were a bit out of left field, epecially for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. As for Record of the Year, either Leona, Coldplay, or M.I.A was robbed (depending on your preference).

This may be blasphemous speak for some, but U2's performance of their new single "Get On Your Boots" wasn't as epic as expected.

Speaking of epic performances, save for M.I.A., I thought the much-touted "Swagga Like Us" hip-hop summit was terribly underwhelming.

It's funny how people see television differently; some (like me) saw Whitney Houston make a fantastic entrance, others saw her cracked out.

I know its old news now, but the Chris Brown/Rihanna debacle just seems so UNBELIEVABLE!

WORST of the Grammys 2009

WORST (there are quite a few...)




The Rock's whole appearance on the show made no sense. He has NOTHING to do with music, PERIOD. Then there were his lame-ass jokes that made the comical Katy Perry cringe. He made Ryan Seacrest look brilliant.


Note to Chris Martin: you are very rich. You sell millions of albums. You win Grammys like nothing. Can you please dress like you are famous, and not like you just came from a long, dark night underneath an underpass (although I appreciate your bandmate apologize to McCartney for jacking the Sgt. Peppers motif).

Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift perform "Fifteen". I thought the Academy learned their lesson after the Grammy Nominations Concert; Taylor doesn't sing well live. Instead of heeding that warning, they took it a step further and had Miley sing with her, who is worse. Two sub-standard live singers does not a Grammy performance make.

Speaking of Miley and Taylor, shame on the cameramen for not showing their exes', Nick and Joe Jonas, faces while they performed. Hell, MTV showed Justin's reaction when Britney and Madonna made out. The duet was as close to that moment as the Disney queens were going to get.

Speaking of the Jonases, who's great idea was to pair them with Grammy darling Stevie Wonder? There was too much failure about it to truly list, but there's one thing that is truly sad; Nick stumbling over a simple lyric: "thirteen month-old babies". Ironic, huh?

Kanye West must have multiple personality disorder. First he's God, then he's Elvis, now he's 80s Lionel Richie? Make up your mind, and while you're doing that, get a haircut!

The official Grammy snub list: Leona Lewis, Katy Perry, Jazmine Sullivan, everyone who lost to Daft Punk, and Jason Mraz (I threw that in for those who actually love "I'm Yours", I didn't)

Speaking of Leona, there were no true diva performances. Save for Jennifer and arguably Adele, this year's ceremony was almost woman-free (Miley and Taylor don't count). Where was (not exclusive to) Mariah, Beyonce, Mary J., Janet, Madonna, Alicia, and the other Grammy women who usually kill it?

T-Pain won a Grammy. Enough said.

The entire Grammy voting process fails, but that's for another longer rant post.

The BEST of Grammys 2009

BEST



Jennifer Hudson continues her return to the spotlight by taking home the "Best R&B Album" Grammy and delivering a heart-tugging, emotional performance of her album cut "You Pulled Me Through". I know more than a few people pulled out some Kleenex during that performance.

Alternative band Radiohead delivered a polarizing performance of their song "15 Step" from their Grammy-winning album In Rainbows. I don't even know who they really are, and I kind of feel really stupid for that. That song is definitely on heavy rotation on the iPod.

Grammys avoid complete humiliation by not giving the Jonas Brothers the Best New Artist Grammy, instead, giving to a truly grateful Adele, who considering the nominees, really deserved it.

After events prior to the ceremony pulled Chris Brown and Rihanna from the ceremony, legend Al Green, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, and Boyz II Men performed a solid "Let's Stay Together". Also, seeing Justin act like giddy fanboy was very funny.

I may have been the only one, but I was certainly amused by Katy Perry's performance of "I Kissed a Girl". I got the fruit thing, and it was a very good vocal from the Grammy-snubbed pop tart.

Not a big country person, but there were two performances that really caught my ear. Sugarland, specifically Jennifer Nettles, got me wanting to get their Grammy-winning single "Stay". Kenny Chesney, who isn't that interesting, also did a good job.

I love tributes! Lil Wayne's homage to New Orleans, John Mayer and B.B. King's salute to the late Bo Diddley, and the "new" Four Tops were definitely standout performances of the night.

 

Grammys 2009: The Live-Blog!

I will be doing my first live blog tonight of the 2009 Grammys, so you'll get to see my opinion of the telecast, unfiltered (well, a bit, maybe).

Starting now!

8:03 - U2 is performing new single "Get On Your Boots". I don't get why the song didn't do well. It's good, and another great performance.

8: 04 - WHITNEY, WHITNEY, WHITNEY, WHITNEY!! LOOKING AMAZING! Presenting Best R&B Album

8:07 - And the winner is.. Jennifer Hudson!! First shock of the night!

8:08 - Why is The Rock here? Yea, "I Kissed a Girl" jokes? Um, no.

8:10 - PLEASE STOP JOHNSON!!

8:10 - Justin replacing Chris?

8:12 - First performance of the night: Keith Urban, Boyz II Men, Justin Timberlake, and Al Green performing "Let's Stay Together". Pretty good combo, producers, But why is Justin there? New album soon?

COMMERCIAL NOTES - I loved that they played "You Pulled Me Through" during Jennifer's win. Favorite song on the album. The Rock was pointless. JT should stick to singing. Whitney looked amazing, sounded like she had gravel for breakfast.

8:21 - Coldplay up for performance... performing Lost? (the slow version). What happened to the current single, Lovers in Japan, or even Viva La Vida?

8:23 - Jay-Z with Chris Martin? Another surprise. Then again, he was on the EP.

8:24 - Nvm. Here's "Viva La Vida". BTW, what's with Chris Martin's jackets? Very interesting.

8:27 - Carrie Underwood's up now, playing my favorite role for her: sexpot! Go mini-Shania! "Last Name" should've been a bigger hit!

8: 30 - Totally shallow comment: I liked what she was wearing last year more. She looks better in black lol!

8:32 - BTW, congrats to Gene Autry and Brenda Lee for their Lifetime Acheivement awards
Sheryl Crow and Leann Rimes announce Best Country Group Performance to... Sugarland!

8:41 - Duffy and Al Green? Fantastic pairing...presenting Song of the Year... and dueting on "Bridge Over Troubled Water"? Awesome

8:42 - And the winner is... Coldplay for "Viva La Vida". I was expecting Adele, but congrats to them. Maybe now they'll look like they sold millions of copies.

Awesome moment: Coldplay apologizing to Paul McCartney for jacking their outfits lol

8:44 - Why is Kid Rock performing???

8:45 - He went from a good song to the most annoying record of 2008. Thanks producers.

8:47 - They gave THIS guy a slot, but not Leona? They should just admit they hate the girl.

8:55 - Miley and Taylor? No thanks. Both proved they can't sing live well. BTW, two Jonas exes, on the same stage? I'm betting that Nick and Joe are adjusting their ties right about now.

8:57 - So, they're presenting Best Pop Collaboration... I wonder who wins... Poor Rihanna....not so much for Chris...and the award goes to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for "Rich Woman". So, no awkwardness for Rihanna and Chris...

9:00 - My girl J-Hud's performing, my favorite song "You Pulled Me Through". Sing it girl! She looks spectacular too! This should've been the second single, in memory of her lost family.

9:02 - SING IT!!! Jennifer breaks down at the end, my heart tugs, and she gets a very deserving standing ovation. Watch her album skyrocket this week.

9:09 - Oh no....the Jonas Brothers...

9:10 - Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder, what sacrilege is this?????? At least Stevie sounds good....BUT WHY??????? This is wrong!!!

9:12 - This is a joke, right? Jonas doing "Superstitious"? Kill me now....and they are killing the song...

9:14 - A reunited Blink-182? Very good (and I'm happy for Travis Barker) presenting Best Rock Album...and the winner is... Coldplay...no surprise.

9:22 - Screech sex tape jokes? Awesome
Katy Perry's performing....cool

9:24 - Fruity Katy? Very clever...(if you don't get it...sad for you). Good vocals so far...and I just noticed the banana...

9:27 - Time for Kanye and Estelle now...speaking of Estelle...I didn't know they made silver-sparkly garbage bags! Cool performance, though.

9:29 - I just remembered how much I liked this song. Now, times for Best New Artist...please don't be the Jonas Brothers...and its Adele!!!! Yay!!! She looks so happy....and she's crying...OMG she just made a face when she said she loved the Jonas Brothers!!! She really does win!

COMMERCIAL NOTES: Who does Kanye think he is, Lionel Richie? Get a haircut!

9:36 - Morgan Freeman? Hmm... Kenny Chesney performs now....time for snack break....

9:39 - Not a huge country fan, but Kenny's doing really good.

9:40 - P. Diddy, Herbie Hancock, and Natalie Cole? Presenting Record of the Year...It's gonna be Coldplay...love that Leona's setting next to Keyshia...the winner is Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for "Please Read The Letter"....ok, sure...whatever

You know what, no offense to "Please Read The Letter", but what the hell? Leona, Katy, Jazmine all get snubbed, and they win ROTY? Grammys = EPIC FAIL

COMMERCIAL NOTES - I completely had a deja vu moment...when Herbie Hancock won AOTY....

9:48 - Queen Latifah presents Dean Martin with Lifetime Achievement...and the biggest performance of the night..."no one on the corner has swagga like us". I love that uber-preggers M.IA. is performing. She looks like she's gonna bust, now.

9:50 - Seriously Kanye, haircut, today. "The Rap Pack"? Everybody does look fresh, Lil' Wayne's scarf is weird though...M.I.A going into labor would be the highlight of the night. Unlikely though.

9:55 - Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl....

Ignorant question - Who the hell is Alison Krauss, who I just found out has won 21 Grammys???

9:57 - Spirited, although unnecessary, performance of "I Saw Here Standing There" BTW. Macca still has it.

9:59 - Facebook quote of the day: "M.I.A. looks like Yoshi for Mario". True talk.

10:04 - Jack Black and a guy I've never heard of, presenting Best Male Pop Vocal
And the winner is... John Mayer?!?! WTF!! Complete and utter shock.

10:07 - Jay Mohr and LL Cool J? Weird combo....Sugarland and Adele combo....weirder combo

10:08 - I may need to trek over to iTunes and find Sugarland's "Stay"

10:10 - I just learned Jennifer Nettles was the girl part of Sugarland (she performed at the Obama HBO concert)....Adele's on...love that they jazzed it up a bit.

10:14 - Adele and Sugarland duet on "Chasing Pavements"...nothing special, honestly.

10:19 - Gywneth Paltrow presents Radiohead...wonder how Chris feels about that. Radiohead totally has my interest right now.

10:21 - I'm totally iTunes-ing "15 Steps" tomorrow, this song is so weirdly hot and insanely cool.

10:28 - Samuel L. Jackson, introducing T.I. and J.T. singing my favorite collaboration of the year "Dead and Gone". J.T. doesn't sound too hot.... Ignore that, he got better. Plus, he was forced to perform twice since Rihanna-beater Chris Brown couldn't make it...

10:31 - Just a thought, has there been a year where Justin HASN'T appeared on the Grammys?

10:35 - Time for a Prez of the Academy speech about charity...using Obama-speech...


10:38 - Smokey Robinson presents Four Tops with the Lifetime Achievement award...and they are performing with Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx! Surprise performance! Love spontaneous tributes!


10:41 - Sugar pie, honey bunch....love Motown!


10:47 - Sorry, can't look at Josh Groban without thinking about his Emmy crackheaded-ness. Time for Neil Diamond!


10:51 - Time for the Memoriam. May those who passed rest in peace... (love ya Eartha Kitt and Issac Hayes!)


10:54 - John Mayer, Keith Urban, and B.B. King perform... don't really know why, but it's good...


11:02 - Why is there no CSI: LA? Lil' Wayne and Robin Thicke?? Not very interesting...When he's no screaming, Lil' Wayne actually has a really smooth flow, and Robin Thicke certainly highlights that.

11:07 - Bringing in some New Orleans spirit here...lovin' it.

11:09 - T-Pain won a Grammy....he and Will.i.am present Best Rap Album...which Weezy has on lock....the winner is....Lil' Wayne. No way in HELL he was losing that!

11:18 - Time for the two people kicking the most ass, that many people who tuned in to see the Jonas Brothers have never heard of, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss!!

11:20 - I think I may need to trek to iTunes and check out "Rich Girl" by these two, its a very chill record.

11:23 - Holy crap! Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day went blond...and presenting Album of the Year...and the winner is...Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss....maybe she'll actually talk this time

11:26 - Well, the Grammys are over. I gotta say, this year was quite boring, predictable, and disappointing with how many robberies there were. Check back tomorrow for my full Grammy roundup..

11:27 - Stevie Wonder's closing out...his treat for performing with the freakin' Jonas Brothers. Now its over. Night everybody.

Early Grammy News: Adele, Estelle, Duffy Win Grammys

Here are some of the early Grammy wins:

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - "Chasing Pavements" - Adele

Best Pop Vocal Album - Rockferry by Duffy

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - "American Boy" by Estelle and Kanye West

Best Rock Group/Duo Performance - "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon

Congrats to all the winners so far...

Duffy, Coldplay, and X Factor Score Big BRIT Nominations

The nominees for the 2009 BRIT Awards, the UK equivalent to the Grammys, were announced yesterday, and to the surprise of no one, Duffy and Coldplay scored the most.

The Welsh singer and the alternative band scored four nominations each, duking it out in the "Best British Single" and "Best Album" categories. Duffy is nominated for "Best Solo Female Artist" and "Breakthrough Act" and Coldplay are nominated for "Best Group" and "Best Live Act".

Reality competition The X Factor also did very well. Both Alexandra's winner single "Hallelujah' and the charity single "Hero" were nominated in the "British Single" longlist, although it is unlikely either will make it to the final round. The winner from two years ago, three-time Grammy nominee Leona Lewis is also nominated in British Single for Top 2 hit "Better In Time".

Speaking of Grammy nominees, Adele is competing with Duffy in all but one category, "Best Album".

In the International categories, Kings of Leon scored two nods, one for Best Group and another for Best Album. Also nominated are Beyonce, Katy Perry, AC/DC, and Kanye West.

Receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Music award are The Pet Shop Boys, who are releasing their latest album this sping and recently collaboration with nominees Girls Aloud on their 20th top 10 single "The Loving Kind".

The ceremony will be held at Earl's Court on February 18th, airing live on ITV1.

Here is the full list:

British Male Solo Artist
Ian Brown
James Morrison
Paul Weller
The Streets
Will Young

British Female Solo Artist
Adele
Beth Rowley
Duffy
Estelle
M.I.A.

British Group
Coldplay
Elbow
Girls Aloud
Radiohead
Take That

British Single
Adele - 'Chasing Pavements'
Alexandra Burke - 'Hallelujah'
Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida'
Dizzee Rascal ft. Calvin Harris - 'Dance Wiv Me'
Duffy - 'Mercy'
Estelle ft. Kanye West: 'American Boy'
Girls Aloud - 'The Promise'
Leona Lewis - 'Better In Time'
Scouting For Girls - 'Heartbeat'
The X Factor Finalists - 'Hero'

British Album
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Duffy - Rockferry
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

British Breakthrough Act
Adele
Duffy
The Last Shadow Puppets
Scouting For Girls
Ting Tings

British Live Act
Coldplay
Elbow
Iron Maiden
Scouting For Girls
The Verve

International Male Solo Artist
Beck
Neil Diamond
Jay-Z
Kanye West
Seasick Steve

International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Gabriella Cilmi
Katy Perry
Pink
Santogold

International Group
AC/DC
Fleet Foxes
The Killers
Kings of Leon
MGMT

International Album
AC/DC - Black Ice
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
The Killers - Day & Age
Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

British Producer of the Year
Bernard Butler
Brian Eno
Steve Mac

Critics' Choice Award
Florence and the Machine

Outstanding Contribution to Music
Pet Shop Boys

The 2009 Golden Globe Nominees Announced!

The nominees for the 2009 Golden Globes have been announced, and there are really no suprises:

Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were both nominated in the Lead categories for their respective films The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Changeling. Among the others nominated in the Lead categories are Meryl Streep for Doubt, Sean Penn for Milk, Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married and Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon.

Building on the Oscar buzz from this summer is Heath Ledger, whose universally celebrated performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight garnered him a nod for Best Supporting Actor. In that category also is Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder, Ralph Fiennes for The Duchess, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt.

For the full list, look below:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Leonardio DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST MOTION PICTURE –  COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Christina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Javier Bardem, Vicky Christina Barcelona
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
James Franco, Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden/Denmark)
Gomorrah (Italy)
I’ve Loved You So Long (France)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare, The Reader
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood, Changeling
James Newton Howard, Defiance
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Hans Zimmer, Frost/Nixon

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
a. “DOWN TO EARTH” — WALL-E
Music by: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman
Lyrics by: Peter Gabriel
b. “GRAN TORINO” — GRAN TORINO
Music by: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
Lyrics by: Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
c. “I THOUGHT I LOST YOU” — BOLT
Music & Lyrics by: Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele
d. “ONCE IN A LIFETIME” — CADILLAC RECORDS
Music & Lyrics by: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street
e. “THE WRESTLER” — THE WRESTLER
Music & Lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen

Britney Spears Performs at the German Bambi Awards

If this hadn't been Britney's first performance since last year's disastrous VMAs, I would declare this a failure.

However, considering, I'll give her a free pass. Baby steps, right?

The Best, Worst, and UNBelievable Of the 2008 American Music Awards

BEST
It was a very a good night for the divas. Mariah delivered her best performance of the year by far. Pink delivered the two best performances of the night: her new single "Sober" and "Angel", her duet with Sarah McLachlan. Beyonce brought out Sasha and brought the awesomeness. Leona twisted her single "Better In Time" into a very cool soft-rock ballad and delivered a faultless performance. Annie Lennox was given the Award of Merit after performing a stirring rendition of "Why".

Amidst the teenybopper fare, it was very cool to see Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Motley Crue, and a visibly inebriated Scott Weiland presenting in order to give the show some much needed cred.

Taylor Swift, who topped the Billboard charts with her sophomore album Fearless, performed "White Horse". I don't know if its about Joe Jonas or not, but her emotional delivery made it seem like that. It was very well done.

WORST
Just as it was a good night for the ladies, some of the boys suffered, a lot. The boy bands who performed, to be more specific, outright sucked. New Kids on the Block performed a terribly lackluster medley of their old hits and their new singles "Single" and "Dirty Dancing". On the other side of the age spectrum, Kevin, Joe, and Nick of the insanely popular Jonas Brothers whined their way through their single "Tonight" off of the platinum A Little Bit Longer.

Despite a "who's who" of talent performing, the American Music Awards truly have no clue about anything when it comes to nominations. How was possible that Chris Brown and Rihanna were nominated in both pop/rock and R&B? Same goes with Alicia Keys, who won both Pop/Rock Album and R&B Album. It was terribly unfair to the other artists who deserved nominations.

Unless your last name was Jonas, Cyrus, or Swift, there was no love for you at the AMAs. Honestly, that audience couldn't be more dead even if they were dragged from the grave. Even the host, the very funny Jimmy Kimmel, had to deal with the crappy audience. Of course, when the aforementioned came on screen, the crowd erupted into annoying screams.

UNBelievable

Remember what I said about the divas? I forgot one. Kanye West. Usually, he's throwing temper tantrums that would make a 7 year-old shut up. Now, he's complaining about winning. Then, he proclaims he wants to be bigger than Elvis. After his "experimental" phase, paired with this, I think someone should consider putting Kanye in a mental hospital.

Am I the only one who didn't really get Alicia Keys' "Superwoman" finale? Don't get me wrong, it was very nice to see her, Queen Latifah, and Kathleen Battle perform onstage, but there was something off about it, like it didn't fit well.