Thursday, September 13, 2007
John Stewart To Host 80th Oscars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced Wednesday that Stewart will host the 80th awards show Feb. 24 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Oscar telecast producer Gil Cates described Stewart as smart, quick and funny. He said Stewart loves movies and is a great guy.
Stewart got mixed reviews when he hosted the 78th annual awards. Some jokes fell flat and some critics expected the political satirist to be edgier.
Stewart joked that he is thrilled to be asked for a second time, because the third time is a charm.
Stewart hosts The Daily Show With Jon Stewart on Comedy Central.
He hosted the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Pictures From The Big Night
To see all the pictures from Sunday nights Oscars, click on Read More.
The Great Moments Of The Night
This year's Oscar show had some giggles, a few surprises and a vacuum cleaner thrown in for good measure.
Great Moment: Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly were hysterical in their musical challenge to fight all the best actor nominees. ("Ryan Gosling, you're all hip and now. But I'm going to break you're hip. Now.")
Great Moment: Cute interplay with George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg.
Great Moment: Everything Ellen DeGeneres said ("If it weren't for blacks, Jews and gays, there's be no Oscars. And nobody named Oscar, for that matter.")
Great Moment: Beyonce’s tears of joy over Jennifer Hudson’s Best Supporting Actress Win.
One Of The First Pictures From The Oscars
Lots more to come.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Robyn Troupe’s Grammy Win
Grammy viewers may have recognized a familiar face on Tuesday's night American Idol episode. For a split second, you saw Robyn Troup getting booted after performing a rendition of Shalimar's "Night to Remember." Yup, that's the same Robin Troup who sang and sashayed her way through a duet with Justin Timberlake as the winner of the My Grammy Moment contest at Sunday's Grammy Awards.
And though Troup was booted from Idol without even making it to the Final 24, the Houston native may be having the last laugh: Besides her Grammy performance, she's signed a deal with Timberlake's production company. And she has no hard feelings for the Idol judges. "Simon told me my voice needs to mature, which I definitely agree with," she tells PEOPLE.
So, what was her Grammy experience like? "I was shocked. It was scary. It was fun. It was awesome – so many different things going through my head at the same time," she says about her big debut, which also fell on her 19th birthday. "It's all a blur, really. I'm glad I didn't really get a chance to process it at the moment because I think I would have froze."
And Troup says duet partner Timberlake helped her through the nerve-racking experience of singing the Bill Withers classic "Ain't No Sunshine" and Timberlake's "My Love" (along with rapper T.I.) in front of the industry-packed house and millions of viewers. "He's a genuinely nice and helpful person," she says. "I never let go of his hand after we got off the stage. He was just trying to calm me down because my whole body was shaking."
Monday, February 12, 2007
Pictures From The Grammys
For more pictures from the big night click on Read More.
Dixie Chicks Clean Up At The Grammy’s
The Dixie Chicks may not have been "ready to make nice," but they sure felt the love at Sunday night's 49th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
They swept the night, taking home all five awards they were nominated for – including album, song and record of the year, where they beat out competitors like Justin Timberlake, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and eight-time nominee Mary J. Blige. (Click here for a list of the night's big winners.)
While accepting the song of the year trophy, the group's outspoken lead singer, Natalie Maines joked: "I, for the first time in my life, am speechless."
Throughout the telecast the Dixie Chicks were full of memorable quips. When they won for best country album, for the fiery Taking the Long Way, Maines playfully rebuffed detractors by imitating a character from The Simpsons, saying, "Haa-ha."
Earlier in the evening, during the pre-telecast ceremony, the trio also won for best country performance by a duo or group – which they learned about from Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet.
Blige, who was nominated for a leading eight Grammys, wept openly when she collected her first award of the night – for best R&B album for The Breakthrough. "This is the first time I've ever been up here to receive anything," she said. "I'm growing into a better human being and I thank you so much."
Blige, who delivered a simmering rendition of "Be Without You" backed by a full orchestra during the show, also picked up awards for best female R&B vocal performance and best R&B song.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Grammy Nominations For Tonight
The 49th Annual Grammy Awards begin tonight at 8. Be sure to tune in and see all the performances, should be a big line-up.Here are the nominations
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Be Without You, Mary J. Blige
You're Beautiful, James Blunt
Not Ready To Make Nice, Dixie Chicks
Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
Put Your Records On, Corinne Bailey Rae
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Taking The Long Way, Dixie Chicks
St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley
Continuum John Mayer
Stadium Arcadium Red Hot Chili Peppers
FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake
SONG OF THE YEAR (nominated songwriters)
Be Without You, Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry
Jesus Take the Wheel, Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson
Not Ready to Make Nice, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson
Put Your Records On, John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou and Corinne Bailey Rae
You're Beautiful, James Blunt, Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbek
BEST NEW ARTIST
James Blunt
Chris Brown
Imogen Heap
Corinne Bailey Rae
Carrie Underwood
BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Mary J. Blige, Be Without You
Beyonce, Ring the Alarm
Mariah Carey, Don't Forget About Us
Natalie Cole, Day Dreaming
Indie Arie, I Am Not My Hair
BEST R&B ALBUM
The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige
Unpredictable, Jamie Foxx
Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
3121, Prince
Coming Home, Lionel Richie
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL
The Black Eyed Peas, My Humps
Death Cab For Cutie, I Will Follow You Into The Dark
The Fray, Over My Head (Cable Car)
Keane, Is It Any Wonder?
Pussycat Dolls, Stickwitu
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Back To Basics, Christina Aguilera
Back To Bedlam, James Blunt
The River In Reverse, Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
Continuum, John Mayer
FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Try!, John Mayer Trio
Highway Companion, Tom Petty
Broken Boy Soldiers, Raconteurs
Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Living With War, Neil Young
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL
Coldplay, Talk
The Fray, How To Save a Life
The Raconteurs, Steady as She Goes
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dani California
U2 & Green Day, The Saints Are Coming
BEST ROCK SOLO VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Beck, Nausea
Bob Dylan, Someday Baby
John Mayer, Route 66
Tom Petty, Saving Grace
Neil Young, Lookin' for A Leader
BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
We Run This, Mary J. Blige
Touch It, Busta Rhymes
Kick, Push, Lupe Fiasco
Undeniable, Mos Def
What You Know, T.I.
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
Smack That, Akon featuring Eminem
Deju Vu, Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z
Smack That, Eminem featuring Nate Dogg
Unpredictable, Jamie Foxx featuring Ludacris
My Love, Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Taking The Long Way, Dixie Chicks
Like Red On A Rose, Alan Jackson,
The Road To Here, Little Big Town
You Don't Know Me: The Songs Of Cindy Walker, Willie Nelson
Your Man, Josh Turner
BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
Dixie Chicks, Not Ready to Make Nice
Duhk, Heaven's My Home
Little Big Town, Boondocks
Rascal Flatts, What Hurts The Most
Wreckers, Leave the Pieces
BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
Bon Jovi & Jennifer Nettles, Who Says You Can't Go Home
Solomon Burke & Dolly Parton, Tomorrow Is Forever
Kenny Rogers & Don Henley, Calling Me
Rhonda Vincent & Bobby Osborne, Midnight Angel
Trisha Yearwood & Garth Brooks, Love Will Always Win
BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE
Yolanda Adams, Victory
Israel & New Breed, Not Forgotten
Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers, The Blessing Of Abraham
Chris Tomlin, Made To Worship
Tye Tribbett & G.A., Victory
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Martin Scorsese Wins Top Awards
Scorsese’s mob drama “The Departed” has brought him Directors Guild award for best director, making him a favorite for an Academy Award.
"I can't believe this," Scorsese said after accepting the award, a hug from presenter Steven Spielberg and a standing ovation from the audience.
"I was just trying to make a good picture. I didn't think I'd be standing here tonight... But it is the first movie I have ever done with a plot.”
He also called the gangster thriller set in Boston his "B-Movie" film and said he made it in honor of such crime genre directors as Sam Fuller, Robert Aldrich and Don Siegel.
The 64-year-old director joked about his movie saying it has been well-received in US cities with an allegedly large mafia presence.
"If you look at the graph at the spikes at where the picture is doing really great figures, it's like looking at a veritable map of the American underworld," he said.
"Vegas, forget about it. It was amazing."
The master movie maker was up against Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("Babel"), Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls"), Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris ("Little Miss Sunshine") and Stephen Frears ("The Queen").
Scorsese, who has been previously nominated six times, was chosen as filmmaker of the year by his peers. After a black-tie audience at the Guild's awards dinner gave Scorsese a standing ovation, the director declared he was surprised by the award.
In 1999 Scorsese won the DGA's honorary Filmmaker Award and the guild's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
The prestigious prize is regarded as a reliable indicator as to who will go on to land the best directing Oscar. Only six times in the guild's 58-year history has the winner failed to do so. The Academy Awards will be handed out on February 25.
Although he has been previously nominated for the Oscars for "The Aviator", "Gangs of New York", "The Age of Innocence", "Goodfellas"," "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver," this would be his first victory if he wins.
A sixth loss at the Oscars would put Scorsese in the record books as the filmmaker with the most nominations without winning.
Two of this year's other DGA nominees, "The Queen"'s Stephen Frears and "Babel"'s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, are also up for the best director Oscar.
“The Departed,” based on the Hong Kong crime thriller “Infernal Affairs,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, was made by Warner Bros, a division of Time Warner Inc., and it has grossed more than any other film Scorsese has made.
Other winners announced Saturday night included:
• TV drama series: Jon Cassar, "24," Fox
• TV movie: Walter Hill, "Broken Trail," AMC
• TV comedy series: Richard Shepard, "Ugly Betty," ABC
• Musical variety: Rob Marshall, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," NBC
• Daytime serials: Jill Mitwell, "One Life To Live," ABC
• Reality TV: Tony Sacco, "Treasure Hunters," NBC
• Documentary: Arunas Matelis, "Before Flying Back to the Earth"
• Children's programming: Kenny Ortega, "High School Musical," Disney Channel
• Commercials: Dante Ariola.
Friday, September 08, 2006
DeGeneres To Host Next Oscars
Ellen DeGeneres has been chosen as host for the 79th Academy Awards telecast, producer Laura Ziskin said Thursday in Beverly Hills, Calif.
It will be DeGeneres' first time as Oscars' host, as well as her first appearance on an Academy Awards telecast. Ziskin said DeGeneres "was born" to be the Oscars telecast host.
"There is no more challenging hosting job in show business," said Ziskin. "It requires someone who can keep the show alive and fresh and moving, as well as someone who is a flat-out great entertainer. Ellen completely fits the bill."
The Academy Awards will be presented Feb., 25, 2007, in ceremonies at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, to be telecast live over ABC.