Showing posts with label Paul McCartney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul McCartney. Show all posts

Monday, November 30, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 22nd to 30th, 2020 - Update #31

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/27 to 11/29/2020 weekend box office was DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 9.7 million dollars.

POLITICS - From GuardianUK:   Why Biden shouldn't extend an olive branch to Republicans

CULTURE - From YahooLife:  If it isn't the most unusual location for a McDonald's restaurant in America, it is one of the most.  See the Ace Hardward-McDonald's in Washington D.C.

MOVIES - From Time:   "Time Magazine" names the "Ten Best" acting performances in film for 2020.

SPORTS/CULTURE - From NPR:   Sarah Fuller of the Vanderbilt Commodores football team becomes the first woman in history to play in a "Power 5" conference football game.  Vanderbilt is a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as is their opponent in the game played on Sat. Nov. 28th, 2020, the University of Missouri Tigers.

SPORTS/MUSIC - From ESPN:   Grammy-winning, Canadian recording artist, "The Weeknd," will be the headlining act at the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.

From CoS:  "The Weeknd" did not receive one 2021 Grammy nomination when they were recently announced, although he seemed to be a lock to receive several due to the smash success of his 2020 album, "After Hours."  Sources close to him believe that this lack of nominations is due to him performing at the Super Bowl LV halftime show.

STREAMING - From IndependentUK:   Acclaimed director David Lynch is apparently working on a series entitled "Wisteria" for Netflix.

OSCARS - From Variety:   Netflix could break an 85-year-old Oscar record.  That would be for the studio with the most "Best Picture" nominations in a year - held by MGM with five in 1937.

From Variety:  If you don't like the Academy Awards diversity standards, comedian and actor, Andy Samberg, says that you can f**k off.

CULTURE - From Yahoo/NYT:  A new generation of rich kids wants to tear down capitalism.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actor Idris Elba will interview rock music legend and former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney for a BBC One special, "Idris Elba Meets Paul McCartney."

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  Disney is apparently considering or developing a spinoff of 20th Century Fox's "Alien" franchise that involves a younger version of the beloved character "Ellen Ripley," made famous by Oscar-nominated actress, Sigourney Weaver.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Netflix has removed Comedy Central's "Chappelle's Show" from its streaming service at the request of the series' star, Dave Chappelle.  Chappelle claims that ViacomCBS

POLITICS - From YahooNYT:  The things Donald Trump really liked about being President of the USA.

MOVIES - From Collider:  Writer-director Chris Columbus provides an update on "Gremlins 3," which would be the second sequel to "Gremlins," the beloved 1984 he wrote.

GRAMMYS - From THR:   Trevor Noah, the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," will host the 2021 Grammy Awards.

From ETOnline:  South Korea's musical act, BTS, has become the first K-Pop (Korean pop) act to receive a Grammy Awards nomination in a major category - "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" for their English-language single, "Dynamite."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Sports journalists, Jemele Hill, formerly of ESPN, and Kelley Carter, are  joining Gabriele Union and Sony Pictures TV to develop the half-hour comedy, "New Money," for Showtime.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:   Cherokee American actor Wes Studi revisits the Oscar-winning film, "Dances With Wolves" (including winning "Best Picture"), in which he appeared and also talks about the changing depictions of Native Americans in film and television

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:   "Saturday Night Live" writer reveals how Eddie Murphy saved the late-night show 40 years ago.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/20 - 11/22/2020 weekend box office is "Freaky" with an estimated take of 1.2 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From THR:   Tyler Perry's giveaway of food and gift cards at Tyler Perry Studios on Sunday, Nov. 22nd attracted thousands.  People started lining up in their cars on Saturday...

MOVIES - THR: Tyler Perry, Melanie Lynskey and Ron Perlman are the latest stars to join the all-star cast of Adam McKay’s satire, "Don’t Look Up."

MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Grammy-winning recording artist and actor, Nelly, will portray seminal rock 'n' roll musician, Chuck Berry, in "Clear Lake," an upcoming biographical film about the late Buddy Holly.

CELEBRITY - From ShadowandAct:   Taylor Simone Ledward, the widow of actor Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther"), is the administrator of the late actor's estate.

POLITICS - From Truthout:  President Joe Biden should cancel student debt on "Day One" of his administration.

MOVIES - From THR:   Channing Tatum has reunited with his "21 Jump Street" collaborator, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, for a "tongue-in-cheek" thriller based on the "Universal Monsters" franchise.

OBITS:

From YahooHuffPost:   The British actor and weightlifter and bodybuilder, David Prowse, has died at the age of 85, Saturday, November 28, 2020.  Prowse was best known for playing "Darth Vader" in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, beginning with "Star Wars" in 1977.  Prowse wore Vader's costume, but actor James Earl Jones provided Vader's voice.

From ESPN:   Argentine professional football (soccer) player, Diego Maradona, has died at the age of 60, Wednesday, November 25, 2020.  Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Maradona captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup championship.

From YahooEntertainment:   The brother of actors, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray, Ed Murray, has died at the age of 76, Monday, November 23, 2020.  Ed was one of the inspirations for the iconic sports movie, "Caddyshack" (1980), which Brian co-wrote and in which Bill starred.

COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlanticThe Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

11/13 - YahooNews:  "We blew it": U.S. reaches 'explosive' COVID-19 spread as virus is nearly impossible to control, experts say.

11/29 From LATimes:  California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.

From Truthout:   Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised.



Saturday, March 31, 2018

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 25th to 31st, 2018 - Update #16

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ANIMATION-SCANDAL - From BuzzFeed:  John Kricfalusi, creator of "Ren and Stimpy," has been accused of preying on underage girls who wanted animation careers

MUSIC-SCANDAL - From HuffPostBlog:  While crazy rock musician Ted Nugent criticizes the #ParklandShooting survivors, let's look at his pedophile and statutory rape issues.

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POLITICS - From TheDailyBeast:  Neil Young Sounds Off on Trump: ‘He Has No Balls’

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STREAMING - From JoBlo:  Comic book luminary Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) and Tom Wheeler will develop a TV series for Netflix.  It is (another) take on King Arthur based on Miller and Wheeler's upcoming YA book.

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MOVIES - From TheVillageVoice:  The magazine's Bilge Ebiri talks to eccentric actor, Joaquin Phoenix.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  In the wake of the cancellation of his "Deadpool" animated series for FX, Donald Glover posts a fake episodic script he wrote for "Deadpool" (for an imagined finale) and he wonders if the series was cancelled because it was too black...

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COMICS-FILM - From DenofGeek:  Fox's next "X-Men" franchise films get more release changes.  "The New Mutants was moved from Spring 2018 to February 2019 and now it's new release date is August 2, 2019.  "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" has also been moved, from Nov. 2, 2018 to Feb. 14th, 2019.

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#MarchForOurLives - From TheDailyBeast: Paul McCartney Honors John Lennon at NYC March for Our Lives

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 3/23 to 3/25/2018 weekend box office is "Pacific Rim: Uprising" with an estimated take of $28 million.

From Variety:  After five weekends at the top of the box office, "Black Panther" is finally dethroned.

From Deadline:  "Pacific Rim: Uprising" opens at $65 mil in China for a possible worldwide box of about $150 million.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Steven Spielberg says no Oscars for Netflix films.

From Deadline:  Peter Bart and Mike Fleming, Jr. had a similar conversation a few weeks earlier.

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ANIMATION - From THR:  Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, and FX have dropped their involvement in an animated series based on Marvel Comics' "Deadpool."

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From NOLA:  Tom Hardy will star as Al Capone in the biopic, "Fonzo."  The film will reportedly shoot in New Orleans and will be directed by Josh Trank, who shot his superhero film, Fantastic Four, in Louisiana.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Tessa Thompson will reunite with her "Thor: Ragnarok" co-star, Chris Hemsworth, to headline Sony's "Men in Black" reboot.  F. Gary Gray is set to direct the film which is due for release June 14, 2019.

OBIT:

From CJOnlineLinda Brown has died at the age of 76, Monday, March 26, 2018.  As a child, Linda was at the center of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ended school segregation in the United States.  Linda's father, Oliver Brown, became the lead plaintiff in the Brown v. Board case after attempting to enroll Linda in 1951 in the all-white Sumner Elementary School near the family’s home in Topeka, Kansas.


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

2016 Grammy Award Nominations; Kendrick Lamar Leads with 11

The Grammy Awards (or Grammys) are given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) of the United States. The Grammy is an accolade that recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry. It is the music industry equivalent to the Academy Awards for film, the Emmy Awards for television, and the Tony Award for stage.

The 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Monday, February 15, 2016, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.  The ceremony will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

The 58th Annual Grammy Awards are recognizing the best musical (and some spoken word and video) recordings, compositions, and artists for the eligibility year that began on October 1, 2014 and ended on September 30, 2015.  There will be a “pre-telecast” ceremony, officially known as the “Premiere Ceremony,” in which the awards for most of the categories will be presented.  That will be held at the Microsoft Theater, which is near the Staples Center.

Below, I have included the nominees in select categories.

2016 / 58th Grammy Award nominees:

GENERAL FIELD

Album Of The Year:
Sound & Color — Alabama Shakes
To Pimp A Butterfly — Kendrick Lamar
Traveller — Chris Stapleton
1989 — Taylor Swift
Beauty Behind The Madness — The Weeknd

Record Of The Year:
“Really Love” — D’Angelo And The Vanguard
“Uptown Funk” — Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
“Thinking Out Loud” — Ed Sheeran
“Blank Space” — Taylor Swift
“Can’t Feel My Face” — The Weeknd

Song Of The Year:
  • “Alright” — Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
  • “Blank Space” — Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
  • “Girl Crush” — Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
  • “See You Again” — Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
  • “Thinking Out Loud” — Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)

Best New Artist:
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor

POP FIELD

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Ship To Wreck” — Florence + The Machine
“Sugar” — Maroon 5
“Uptown Funk” — Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
“Bad Blood” — Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“See You Again” — Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC FIELD

Best Dance Recording:
“We’re All We Need” — Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston
“Go” — The Chemical Brothers
“Never Catch Me” — Flying Lotus Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Runaway (U & I)” — Galantis
“Where Are Ãœ Now” — Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Performance:
“Don’t Wanna Fight” — Alabama Shakes
“What Kind Of Man” — Florence + The Machine
“Something From Nothing” — Foo Fighters
“Ex’s & Oh’s” — Elle King
“Moaning Lisa Smile” — Wolf Alice

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music Album:
Sound & Color — Alabama Shakes
Vulnicura — Björk
The Waterfall — My Morning Jacket
Currents — Tame Impala
Star Wars — Wilco

R&B FIELD

Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Ego Death — The Internet
You Should Be Here — Kehlani
Blood — Lianne La Havas
Wildheart — Miguel
Beauty Behind The Madness — The Weeknd

RAP FIELD

Best Rap Performance
"Apparently" – J. Cole
"Back to Back" – Drake
"Trap Queen" – Fetty Wap
"Alright" – Kendrick Lamar
"Truffle Butter" – Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne
"All Day" – Kanye West featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
"One Man Can Change The World" – Big Sean featuring Kanye West & John Legend
"Glory" – Common & John Legend
"Classic Man" – Jidenna featuring Roman GianArthur
"These Walls" – Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat
"Only" – Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown

Best Rap Song
"All Day"
        Ernest Brown, Tyler Bryant, Sean Combs, Mike Dean, Rennard East, Noah Goldstein, Malik Yusef Jones, Karim Kharbouch, Allan Kyariga, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Victor Mensah, Charles Njapa, Che Pope, Patrick Reynolds, Allen Ritter, Kanye West, Mario Winans & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney)

"Alright"
        Kendrick Duckworth, Kawan Prather, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)

"Energy"
        Richard Dorfmeister, A. Graham, Markus Kienzl, M. O'Brien, M. Samuels & Phillip Thomas, songwriters (Drake)

"Glory"
        Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)

"Trap Queen"
Tony Fadd & Willie J. Maxwell, songwriters (Fetty Wap)

Best Rap Album:
2014 Forest Hills Drive — J. Cole
Compton — Dr. Dre
If Youre Reading This Its Too Late — Drake
To Pimp A Butterfly — Kendrick Lamar
The Pinkprint — Nicki Minaj

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Album:
Montevallo — Sam Hunt
Pain Killer — Little Big Town
The Blade — Ashley Monroe
Pageant Material — Kacey Musgraves
Traveller — Chris Stapleton

JAZZ FIELD

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
My Favorite Things — Joey Alexander
Breathless — Terence Blanchard Featuring The E-Collective
Covered: Recorded Live At Capitol Studios — Robert Glasper & The Robert Glasper Trio
Beautiful Life — Jimmy Greene
Past Present — John Scofield

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC FIELD

Best Gospel Album:
Destined To Win (Live) — Karen Clark Sheard
Living It — Dorinda Clark-Cole
One Place Live — Tasha Cobbs
Covered: Alive Is Asia [Live] (Deluxe) — Israel & Newbreed
Life Music: Stage Two — Jonathan McReynolds

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
Whatever The Road — Jason Crabb
How Can It Be — Lauren Daigle
Saints And Sinners — Matt Maher
This Is Not A Test — Tobymac
Love Ran Red — Chris Tomlin

LATIN FIELD

Best Latin Pop Album:
Terral — Pablo Alborán
Healer — Alex Cuba
A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition) — Ricky Martin
Sirope — Alejandro Sanz
Algo Sucede — Julieta Venegas

AMERICAN ROOTS FIELD

Best Americana Album:
The Firewatcher’s Daughter — Brandi Carlile
The Traveling Kind — Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Something More Than Free — Jason Isbell
Mono — The Mavericks
The Phosphorescent Blues — Punch Brothers

SPOKEN WORD FIELD

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling):
Blood On Snow (Jo Nesbø) — Patti Smith
Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, And Assorted Hijinks — Dick Cavett
A Full Life: Reflections At Ninety — Jimmy Carter
Patience And Sarah (Isabel Miller) — Janis Ian & Jean Smart
Yes Please — Amy Poehler (& Various Artists)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL FIELD

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical:
Jeff Bhasker
Dave Cobb
Diplo
Larry Klein
Blake Mills

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

Best Music Film:
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown — James Brown
Sonic Highways — Foo Fighters
What Happened, Miss Simone? — Nina Simone
The Wall — Roger Waters
Amy — Amy Winehouse

Music for Visual Media

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Empire: Season 1 – various artists
Fifty Shades Of Grey – various artists
Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me – various artists
Pitch Perfect 2 – various artists
Selma – various artists

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Birdman - Antonio Sánchez, composer
The Imitation Game - Alexandre Desplat, composer
Interstellar - Hans Zimmer, composer
The Theory of Everything - Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
Whiplash - Justin Hurwitz, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media
  •     "Earned It" (from Fifty Shades of Grey) – Ahmad Balshe, Jason Quenneville, Stephan Moccio & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)
  •     "Glory" (from Selma) – Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)
  •     "Love Me like You Do" (from Fifty Shades of Grey) – Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Tove Nilsson, Ali Payami, & Ilya Salmanzadeh, songwriters (Ellie Goulding)
  •     "See You Again" (from Furious 7) – Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth)
  • "Til It Happens to You" (from The Hunting Ground) – Lady Gaga & Diane Warren, songwriters (Lady Gaga)


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Saturday, March 21, 2015

Dark Horse Announces Paperback Edition of "The Fifth Beatle" Graphic Novel for October 2015


#1 ‘NEW YORK TIMES’ BESTSELLER ‘THE FIFTH BEATLE’ HEADS TO PAPERBACK

INCLUDES NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN SKETCHES AND ESSAYS, PLUS BONUS MATERIAL FROM THE SOUGHT-AFTER COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Paul McCartney: “If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian.”

MILWAUKIE, OR—This October, Dark Horse Comics invites you to experience the award-winning The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story in a whole new format, as the incredible original graphic novel written / produced by Vivek J. Tiwary with art by Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker, heads to trade paperback for the first time.

This edition of the gorgeous, Eisner Award–winning original graphic novel recounting the untold story of visionary Beatles manager Brian Epstein—who engineered Beatlemania and guided the band from basement gigs to unprecedented international stardom— also includes bonus background material from the sought-after collector’s edition, including a revised sketchbook and Beatles memorabilia bonus section with insights from Vivek Tiwary and Andrew Robinson.

The new paperback edition will also include new art and concept material from artist Kyle Baker, such as the never-before-seen Sgt. Pepper piece pictured here, as well as an excerpt from Vivek Tiwary’s TEDxFultonStreet talk, “The Birth of the Beatles and Impossible Dreams,” and his essay, “The Curtain Rising,” detailing Brian Epstein’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Winner of the Eisner and Harvey Awards, and a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Best LGBT Graphic Novel, the number-one New York Times bestseller The Fifth Beatle recounts the untold story of visionary Beatles manager Brian Epstein—who created Beatlemania and guided the band from basement gigs to unprecedented international stardom. Paul McCartney said, “If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian.”

Winner of the Eisner and Harvey Awards, and a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Best LGBT Graphic Novel, the number-one New York Times bestseller The Fifth Beatle has been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives, and is currently being adapted into a major motion picture. The Fifth Beatle film adaptation, written and produced by Tiwary, is the first-ever feature film about the Beatles to secure music rights to their songs and has been granted unprecedented access to the Lennon/McCartney music catalog. It is scheduled to begin shooting in 2015. More info can be found at FifthBeatle.com.

Experience Brian Epstein’s rise with the Beatles, lauded by critics from the New York Times to the Hollywood Reporter, for the incredible price of $14.99. Preorder your copy today from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or your local comics retailer.

Praise for The Fifth Beatle:

“10/10 . . . Brilliant in every aspect.” –IGN’s Best Graphic Novel, 2013

“Heartbreaking, exhilarating and unexpected . . . A complete triumph.” —The Hollywood Reporter

“A wonderfully eccentric telling of one of the great unsung architects of 20th Century culture, with luminous art by two modern masters of the field.” —Warren Ellis (Gun Machine, Red)

“Reveals an unexpected side of the Beatles’ manager and renders the Beatles’ story in a fresh, sophisticated way—full of poetic variation and surprising delicacy.” —Dave Marsh (Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, The Beatles’ Second Album)


About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, EVE Online, Halo, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

ABOUT VIVEK J. TIWARY
Vivek J. Tiwary is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, and the founder of multi-platform arts and entertainment company Tiwary Entertainment Group.

Vivek’s graphic novel The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story, based on the untold life story of Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, received worldwide critical acclaim and won a number of prestigious literary awards including the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Reality-Based Work and two Harvey Awards including Best Original Graphic Novel. It is a Lambda Literary Finalist for Best LGBT Graphic Novel, an American Library Association Great Graphic Novel for Teens, and has been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives Permanent Collection. The Fifth Beatle is now being adapted into a feature film that has secured unprecedented access to Beatles music and is on-track to shoot in 2015. Vivek is writing its screenplay and will serve as a producer.

On Broadway, Vivek’s productions have won a combined 25 Tony Awards over 44 Tony nominations—every single one of his shows has been decorated. They include such groundbreaking work as Green Day’s “American Idiot,” “A Raisin In The Sun,” and Mel Brooks’ “The Producers”. Vivek is currently working with Alanis Morissette and Pulitzer and Tony Award-winner Tom Kitt to adapt Morissette’s breakthrough album “Jagged Little Pill” for Broadway.

Vivek also serves on the Board of Directors for Valiant Entertainment, a multi-platform company that boasts the third largest and most-loved universe of comic book characters and has been hailed by the New York Times as “Marvel 2.0”.

Prior to founding TEG and online music education/empowerment company StarPolish, Vivek held a number of major label music-industry positions and has worked with artists covering the entire musical spectrum from Bruce Springsteen to Britney Spears.

Among many charitable pursuits, Vivek is the Co-Founder of Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization that uses music and entertainment to complement the healing process.

Vivek is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of both the Wharton School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts and Sciences, and a cum laude graduate of the Collegiate School in New York City. He also holds a filmmaking certificate from The New York Film Academy and is an acting student of Susan Batson/Black Nexxus Acting Studio.

He lives in New York with his inspiring wife Tracy, their delightful children Kavi and Nandini, and a feisty papillon named Sukhi.

Vivek is represented by Lawrence Mattis and David Alpert at Circle of Confusion, and for speaking engagements by Zach Radoski at APB Speakers.

www.circleofconfusion.com
www.apbspeakers.com

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Saturday, February 7, 2015

2015 Grammys to Present Debut Performance of Rihanna's "FourFiveSeconds"

Rihanna, Paul McCartney, and Kanye West Set to Take the Stage in a World Debut Performance of Rihanna's New Single, "FourFiveSeconds," on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards®

Music's Biggest Night® — Hosted By LL Cool J — Airs Live On CBS, Feb. 8, 2015

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seven-time GRAMMY® winner and current nominee, Rihanna, will deliver a world debut performance of her newly released single, "FourFiveSeconds," with fellow GRAMMY-winning collaborators Kanye West and Paul McCartney on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards®. Making his return to the GRAMMY stage after six years, 21-time GRAMMY winner, Kanye West, holds two current nominations. The legendary Paul McCartney is an 18-time GRAMMY winner and a two-time recipient of The Recording Academy®'s Lifetime Achievement Award, as a solo artist and as a member of the Beatles. Entertainment icon and two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J returns as host. Taking place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Music's Biggest Night® will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Seven-time GRAMMY winner Rihanna is up for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "The Monster" with Eminem.

Twenty-one-time GRAMMY winner Kanye West is up for two awards: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (with Charlie Wilson) and Best Rap Song for "Bound 2."

Previously announced performers are GRAMMY-winning band AC/DC; current nominees and GRAMMY winners Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga; nominee Eric Church; nominees and GRAMMY winners Common with John Legend; nominee Ariana Grande; nominee Hozier with nominee and GRAMMY winner Annie Lennox; nominee Jessie J with GRAMMY winner Tom Jones; nominee and GRAMMY winner Miranda Lambert; GRAMMY winners Adam Levine with Gwen Stefani; seven-time GRAMMY winner Madonna; nominee Ed Sheeran; nominee Sam Smith; nominee and eight-time GRAMMY winner Usher; and nominee and seven-time GRAMMY winner Pharrell Williams.

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy® is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube.

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Kanye West to Deliver Two Performance at 2015 Grammy Awards

Kanye West Returns to the GRAMMY® Stage to Deliver Two Performances on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards®

Music's Biggest Night® — Hosted By LL Cool J — Airs Live On CBS, Feb. 8, 2015

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The latest performer to be added to the incredible all-star lineup for the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards® telecast is one of today's most decorated artists, 56-time nominee and 21-time GRAMMY® winner Kanye West. Returning to the GRAMMY stage after six years, West is set to deliver a never-before-seen solo performance as well as a world debut collaborative performance with 18-time GRAMMY winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Paul McCartney and seven-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Rihanna. Entertainment icon and two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J returns as host. Taking place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Music's Biggest Night® will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Twenty-one-time GRAMMY winner Kanye West is up for two awards this year: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Bound 2" with Charlie Wilson.

Previously announced performers include GRAMMY-winning band AC/DC; current nominees and GRAMMY winners Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga, nominee Eric Church; nominees and GRAMMY winners Common with John Legend; nominee Ariana Grande; nominees Hozier with GRAMMY winner Annie Lennox; nominee Jessie J with GRAMMY winner Tom Jones; nominee and GRAMMY winner Miranda Lambert; GRAMMY winners Adam Levine with Gwen Stefani; seven-time GRAMMY winner Madonna; nominee Ed Sheeran; nominee Sam Smith; nominee and eight-time GRAMMY winner Usher; and nominee and seven-time GRAMMY winner Pharrell Williams.

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy® is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube.

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Monday, January 27, 2014

Daft Punk Wins "Album of the Year" at 56th Grammy Awards - Complete Winners List

by Leroy Douresseaux

"Random Access Memories" by Daft Punk is "Album of the Year."

The Grammy Awards (or Grammys) are given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States.  The Grammy is an accolade that recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry.  It is the music industry equivalent to the Academy Awards for film, the Emmy Awards for television, and the Tony Awards for stage.

They are helmeted, mute, and mysterious, and now, French electronic music pioneers, Daft Punk, are the toast of the music world following their big night at music’s biggest night, the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.  Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter are the guys behind the masks.  They perform as Daft Punk; last night at the Grammy Awards ceremony, however, everyone seemed to be referring to them as “the French robots.”

Daft Punk won four awards, including “Album of the Year” for the album, Random Access Memories, and “Record of the Year” for their worldwide hit song, “Get Lucky.”  The song features Pharrell Williams (who also won the Grammy for “Producer of the Year, Non-Classical”) and Nile Rodgers, a renowned songwriter and producer best known as the co-founder of Chic, one of the bestselling and most popular dance bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Daft Punk’s four Grammy Awards in one night is a first for a French music group.  Random Access Memories also received a Grammy for “Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.”  Since Daft Punk only appears in public behind helmets, Pharrell Williams, who accompanied them on stage, made the acceptance speeches for their awards.

Other big winners at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards included Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Justin Timberlake, Lorde, and Kacey Musgraves.

The eligibility period for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards is October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013.  The 56th annual Grammys awards ceremony was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and aired on CBS on Sunday, January 26, 2014.  See a complete list of nominees at http://www.grammy.com/nominees

2014 / 56th annual Grammy Awards winners:

1. Album of the Year: "Random Access Memories," Daft Punk

2. Record of the Year: "Get Lucky," Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers

3. Song of the Year: "Royals," Joel Little & Ella Yelich O'Connor, songwriters (Lorde)

4. Best New Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

5. Best Pop Solo Performance: "Royals," Lorde
6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Get Lucky," Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
7. Best Pop Instrumental Album: "Steppin' Out," Herb Alpert
8. Best Pop Vocal Album: "Unorthodox Jukebox," Bruno Mars
9. Best Dance Recording: "Clarity," Zedd Featuring Foxes
10. Best Dance/Electronica Album: "Random Access Memories," Daft Punk
11. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "To Be Loved," Michael Buble
12. Best Rock Performance: "Radioactive," Imagine Dragons
13. Best Metal Performance: "God Is Dead?" Black Sabbath
14. Best Rock Song: "Cut Me Some Slack," Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear)
15. Best Rock Album: "Celebration Day," Led Zeppelin
16. Best Alternative Music Album: "Modern Vampires Of The City," Vampire Weekend
17. Best R&B Performance: "Something," Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway
18. Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Please Come Home," Gary Clark Jr.
19. Best R&B Song: "Pusher Love Girl," James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
20. Best Urban Contemporary Album: "Unapologetic," Rihanna
21. Best R&B Album: "Girl On Fire," Alicia Keys
22. Best Rap Performance: "Thrift Shop," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
23. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Holy Grail," Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake
24. Best Rap Song: "Thrift Shop," Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)
25. Best Rap Album: "The Heist," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
26. Best Country Solo Performance: "Wagon Wheel," Darius Rucker
27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "From This Valley," The Civil Wars
28. Best Country Song: "Merry Go 'Round," Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
29. Best Country Album: "Same Trailer Different Park," Kacey Musgraves
30. Best New Age Album: "Love's River," Laura Sullivan
31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo: "Orbits," Wayne Shorter, soloist
32. Best Jazz Vocal Album: "Liquid Spirit," Gregory Porter
33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue," Terri Lyne Carrington
34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble: "Night In Calisia," Randy Brecker, WÅ‚odek Pawlik Trio & Kalisz Philharmonic
35. Best Latin Jazz Album: "Song For Maura," Paquito D'Rivera And Trio Corrente
36. Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance: "Break Every Chain [Live]," Tasha Cobbs
37. Best Gospel Song: "If He Did It Before... Same God [Live]," Tye Tribbett, songwriter (Tye Tribbett)
38. Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: "Overcomer," David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)
39. Best Gospel Album: "Greater Than [Live]," Tye Tribbett
40. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: "Overcomer," Mandisa
41. Best Latin Pop Album: "Vida," Draco Rosa
42. Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: "Treinta Días," La Santa Cecilia
43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album: "A Mi Manera," Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
44. Best Tropical Latin Album: "Pacific Mambo Orchestra," Pacific Mambo Orchestra
45. Best American Roots Song: "Love Has Come For You," Edie Brickell & Steve Martin, songwriters (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell)
46. Best Americana Album: "Old Yellow Moon," Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
47. Best Bluegrass Album: "The Streets Of Baltimore," Del McCoury Band
48. Best Blues Album: "Get Up!" Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite
49. Best Folk Album: "My Favorite Picture Of You," Guy Clark
50. Best Regional Roots Music Album: "Dockside Sessions," Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
51. Best Reggae Album: "Ziggy Marley In Concert," Ziggy Marley

52. Best World Music Album: (TIE) "Savor Flamenco," Gipsy Kings; AND "Live: Singing For Peace Around The World," Ladysmith Black Mambazo

53. Best Children's Album: "Throw A Penny In The Wishing Well," Jennifer Gasoi
54. Best Spoken-Word Album: "America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't," Stephen Colbert
55. Best Comedy Album: "Calm Down Gurrl," Kathy Griffin
56. Best Musical Theater Album: "Kinky Boots"
57. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: "Sound City: Real To Reel," Butch Vig, compilation producer

58. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: "Skyfall," Thomas Newman, composer
59. Best Song Written For Visual Media: "Skyfall," Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)

60. Best Instrumental Composition: "Pensamientos For Solo Alto Saxophone And Chamber Orchestra," Clare Fischer, composer (The Clare Fischer Orchestra)
61. Best Instrumental Arrangement: "On Green Dolphin Street," Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
62. Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): "Swing Low," Gil Goldstein, arranger (Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding)
63. Best Recording Package: "Long Night Moon," Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
64. Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: "Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition)," Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney And Wings)
65. Best Album Notes: "Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded)," Neil Tesser, album notes writer (John Coltrane)
66. Best Historical Album: (TIE) "Charlie Is My Darling - Ireland 1965," "The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums"
67. Best Engineered Album: "Random Access Memories," Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine "Chab" Chabert, Bob Ludwig, mastering engineers (Daft Punk)
68. Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Pharrell
69. Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: "Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)," Cedric Gervais, remixer (Lana Del Rey)
70. Best Surround Sound Album: "Live Kisses," Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)
71. Best Engineered Album, Classical: "Winter Morning Walks," David Frost, Brian Losch & Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
72. Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost
73. Best Orchestral Performance: "Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4," Osmo Vänskä, conductor (MinnesotaOrchestra)
74. Best Opera Recording: "Adès: The Tempest," Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna & Alan Oke; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
75. Best Choral Performance: "Pärt: Adam's Lament," Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis)
76. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: "Roomful Of Teeth," Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth
77. Best Classical Instrumental Solo: "Corigliano: Conjurer - Concerto For Percussionist & String Orchestra," Evelyn Glennie; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
78. Best Classical Vocal Solo: "Winter Morning Walks," Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough & Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
79. Best Classical Compendium: "Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik," Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
80. Best Contemporary Classical Composition: "Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks," Maria Schneider, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson & Australian Chamber Orchestra)
81. Best Music Video: "Suit & Tie," Justin Timberlake Featuring Jay Z - David Fincher, video director; Timory King, video producer
82. Best Music Film: "Live Kisses," Paul McCartney - Jonas Akerlund, video director; Violaine Etienne, Aron Levine & Scott Rodger, video producers

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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Jay Z Leads 56th Grammy Awards Nominations

by Amos Semien

The Grammy Awards (or Grammys) are given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States.  The Grammy is an accolade that recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry.  It is the music industry equivalent to the Academy Awards for film, the Emmy Awards for television, and the Tony Awards for stage.

Jay Z leads the 56th annual Grammy Awards pack with nine nominations, but none came in the “Big Three” categories of album, song, or record of the year.  The following acts each had seven nominations:  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Timberlake  With her nomination in the "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" category ("Part II (On The Run)" - Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé), Beyoncé becomes the most nominated woman in Grammy Awards history with her 46th nomination.

The eligibility period for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards is October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013.  The 56th annual Grammys awards ceremony will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and will air on CBS on Sunday, January 26, 2014.  See a complete list of nominees at http://www.grammy.com/nominees

NOTE:  Scroll to the bottom to see the "Music for Visual Media" categories, which may be of particular interest to movie fans.

Nominees in select categories for the 56th annual Grammy Awards:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
"The Blessed Unrest" - Sara Bareilles
"Random Access Memories" - Daft Punk
"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" - Kendrick Lamar
"The Heist" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
"Red" - Taylor Swift

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Just Give Me A Reason" - Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess, songwriters
(Pink Featuring Nate Ruess)
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars,
songwriters (Bruno Mars)
"Roar" - Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry
Walter, songwriters (Katy Perry)
"Royals" - Joel Little & Ella Yelich O'Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
"Same Love" - Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis, songwriters
(Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert)

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
"Royals" - Lorde
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars
"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell

BEST NEW ARTIST
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Brave" - Sara Bareilles
"Royals" - Lorde
"When I Was Your Man" - Bruno Mars
"Roar" - Katy Perry
"Mirrors" - Justin Timberlake

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
"Just Give Me A Reason" - Pink Featuring Nate Ruess
"Stay" - Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell
"Suit & Tie" - Justin Timberlake & Jay Z

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
"Steppin' Out" - Herb Alpert
"The Beat" - Boney James
"Handpicked" - Earl Klugh
"Summer Horns" - Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair & Richard Elliot
"Hacienda" - Jeff Lorber Fusion

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Paradise" - Lana Del Rey
"Pure Heroine" - Lorde
"Unorthodox Jukebox" - Bruno Mars
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke
"The 20/20 Experience - The Complete Experience" - Justin Timberlake

BEST DANCE RECORDING
"Need U (100%)" - Duke Dumont Featuring A*M*E & MNEK
"Sweet Nothing" - Calvin Harris Featuring Florence Welch
"Atmosphere" - Kaskade
"This Is What It Feels Like" - Armin Van Buuren Featuring Trevor Guthrie
"Clarity" - Zedd Featuring Foxes

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM
"Random Access Memories" - Daft Punk
"Settle" - Disclosure
"18 Months" - Calvin Harris
"Atmosphere" - Kaskade
"A Color Map Of The Sun" - Pretty Lights

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Viva Duets" - Tony Bennett & Various Artists
"To Be Loved" - Michael Bublé
"The Standards" - Gloria Estefan
"Cee Lo's Magic Moment" - Cee Lo Green
"Now" - Dionne Warwick

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
"Always Alright" - Alabama Shakes
"The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" - David Bowie
"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
"Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin
"My God Is The Sun" - Queens Of The Stone Age
"I'm Shakin'" - Jack White

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
"T.N.T." - Anthrax
"God Is Dead?" - Black Sabbath
"The Enemy Inside" - Dream Theater
"In Due Time" - Killswitch Engage
"Room 24" - Volbeat Featuring King Diamond

BEST ROCK SONG
"Ain't Messin 'Round" - Gary Clark Jr., songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)
"Cut Me Some Slack" - Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic &
Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic,
Pat Smear)
"Doom And Gloom" - Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, songwriters (The
Rolling Stones)
"God Is Dead?" - Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi & Ozzy Osbourne,
songwriters (Black Sabbath)
"Panic Station" - Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)

BEST ROCK ALBUM
"13" - Black Sabbath
"The Next Day" - David Bowie
"Mechanical Bull" - Kings Of Leon
"Celebration Day" - Led Zeppelin
"...Like Clockwork" - Queens Of The Stone Age
"Psychedelic Pill" - Neil Young With Crazy Horse

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
"The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The
More I Love You" - Neko Case
"Trouble Will Find Me" - The National
"Hesitation Marks" - Nine Inch Nails
"Lonerism" - Tame Impala
"Modern Vampires Of The City" - Vampire Weekend

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton
"Best Of Me" - Anthony Hamilton
"Nakamarra" - Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip
"How Many Drinks?" - Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar
"Something" - Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
"Please Come Home" - Gary Clark Jr.
"Get It Right" - Fantasia
"Quiet Fire" - Maysa
"Hey Laura" - Gregory Porter
"Yesterday" - Ryan Shaw

BEST R&B SONG
"Best Of Me" - Anthony Hamilton & Jairus Mozee, songwriters (Anthony Hamilton)
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton, Darhyl Camper, Jr., LaShawn Daniels &
Makeba Riddick, songwriters (Tamar Braxton)
"Only One" - PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton Featuring Stevie Wonder)
"Pusher Love Girl" - James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley &
Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
"Without Me" - Fantasia Barrino, Missy Elliott, Al Sherrod Lambert,
Harmony Samuels & Kyle Stewart, songwriters (Fantasia Featuring Kelly
Rowland & Missy Elliot)

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton
"Side Effects Of You" - Fantasia
"One: In The Chamber" - Salaam Remi
"Unapologetic" - Rihanna
"New York: A Love Story" - Mack Wilds

BEST R&B ALBUM
"R&B Divas" - Faith Evans
"Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys
"Love In The Future" - John Legend
"Better" - Chrisette Michele
"Three Kings" - TGT

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
"Started From The Bottom" - Drake
"Berzerk" - Eminem
"Tom Ford" - Jay Z
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" - Kendrick Lamar
"Thrift Shop" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
"Power Trip" - J. Cole Featuring Miguel
"Part II (On The Run)" - Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé
"Holy Grail" - Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
"Now Or Never" - Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige
"Remember You" - Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd

BEST RAP SONG
"F***in' Problems" - Tauheed Epps, Aubrey Graham, Kendrick Lamar,
Rakim Mayers & Noah Shebib, songwriters (ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2
Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)
"Holy Grail" - Shawn Carter, Terius Nash, J. Harmon, Timothy Mosley,
Justin Timberlake & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Kurt Cobain, Dave
Grohl & Krist Novoselic, songwriters) (Jay Z Featuring Justin
Timberlake)
"New Slaves" - Christopher Breaux, Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Louis
Johnson, Malik Jones, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Che Smith, Kanye
West & Cydell Young, songwriters (Anna Adamis & Gabor Presser,
songwriters) (Kanye West)
"Started From The Bottom" - W. Coleman, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib,
songwriters (Bruno Sanfilippo, songwriter) (Drake)
"Thrift Shop" - Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore &
Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)

BEST RAP ALBUM
"Nothing Was The Same" - Drake
"Magna Carta...Holy Grail" - Jay Z
"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" - Kendrick Lamar
"The Heist" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
"Yeezus" - Kanye West

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
"I Drive Your Truck" - Lee Brice
"I Want Crazy" - Hunter Hayes
"Mama's Broken Heart" - Miranda Lambert
"Wagon Wheel" - Darius Rucker
"Mine Would Be You" - Blake Shelton

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
"From This Valley" - The Civil Wars
"Don't Rush" - Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill
"Your Side Of The Bed" - Little Big Town
"Highway Don't Care" - Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
"You Can't Make Old Friends" - Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton

BEST COUNTRY SONG
"Begin Again" - Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
"I Drive Your Truck" - Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Jimmy
Yeary, songwriters (Lee Brice)
"Mama's Broken Heart" - Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally & Kacey
Musgraves, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
"Merry Go 'Round" - Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne,
songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
"Mine Would Be You" - Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Deric
Ruttan, songwriters (Blake Shelton)

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
"Night Train" - Jason Aldean
"Two Lanes Of Freedom" - Tim McGraw
"Same Trailer Different Park" - Kacey Musgraves
"Based On A True Story" - Blake Shelton
"Red" - Taylor Swift

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
"Lux" - Brian Eno
"Illumination" - Peter Kater
"Final Call" - Kitaro
"Awakening The Fire" - R. Carlos Nakai & Will Clipman
"Love's River" - Laura Sullivan

BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
"Don't Run" - Terence Blanchard, soloist
"Song For Maura" - Paquito D'Rivera, soloist
"Song Without Words #4: Duet" - Fred Hersch, soloist
"Stadium Jazz" - Donny McCaslin, soloist
"Orbits" - Wayne Shorter

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
"The World According To Andy Bey" - Andy Bey
"Attachments" - Lorraine Feather
"Liquid Spirit" - Gregory Porter
"WomanChild" - Cécile McLorin Salvant
"After Blue" - Tierney Sutton

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:

  • Django Unchained – Various Artists
  • The Great Gatsby (Deluxe Edition) – Various Artists
  • Les Misérables (Deluxe Edition) – Various Artists
  • Muscle Shoals – Various Artists
  • Sound City: Real to Reel – Dave Grohl & Various Artists


Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media:

  • Argo - Alexandre Desplat, composer
  • The Great Gatsby - Craig Armstrong, composer
  • Life of Pi - Mychael Danna, composer
  • Lincoln - John Williams, composer
  • Skyfall - Thomas Newman, composer
  • Zero Dark Thirty - Alexandre Desplat, composer


Best Song Written for Visual Media:
"Atlas" (from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (performed by Coldplay)

"Silver Lining (Crazy 'Bout You)" (from Silver Linings Playbook)
Diane Warren, songwriter (performed by Jessie J)

"Skyfall" (from Skyfall)
Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (performed by Adele)

"We Both Know" (from Safe Haven)
Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw, songwriters (performed by Colbie Caillat featuring Gavin DeGraw)

"Young and Beautiful" (from The Great Gatsby)
Lana Del Rey & Rick Nowels, songwriters (performed by Lana Del Rey)

"You've Got Time" (from "Orange Is the New Black")
Regina Spektor, songwriter (performed by Regina Spektor)


END


Monday, February 13, 2012

2012 Grammy Awards - Complete Winners List

The Grammy Awards (or Grammys) are given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) of the United States. The Grammy is an accolade that recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry. It is the music industry equivalent to the Academy Awards for film, the Emmy Awards for television, and the Tony Award for stage.

The 54th Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS.  Adele won six awards including the big three: Album, Record, and Song of the Year.

54TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS (2012) – Complete List of Winners:

1. Record of the Year
"Rolling in the Deep" - Adele

2. Album of the Year
"21" - Adele

3. Song of the Year
“Rolling in the Deep” - Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)

4. Best New Artist
Bon Iver

5. Best Pop Solo Performance
"Someone Like You" - Adele

6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
"Body And Soul" -Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse

7. Best Pop Instrumental Album
"The Road From Memphis" - Booker T. Jones

8. Best Pop Vocal Album
"21" - Adele

9. Best Dance Recording
"Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" - Skrillex

10. Best Dance/Electronica Album
"Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" - Skrillex

11. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
"Duets II" - Tony Bennett & Various Artists

12. Best Rock Performance
"Walk" - Foo Fighters

13. Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
"White Limo" - Foo Fighters

14. Best Rock Song
"Walk" - Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)

15. Best Rock Album
"Wasting Light" -Foo Fighters

16. Best Alternative Music Album
"Bon Iver" - Bon Iver

17. Best R&B Performance
"Is This Love" - Corinne Bailey Rae

18. Best Traditional R&B Performance
"Fool For You" - Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona

19. Best R&B Song
"Fool For You" - Cee Lo Green, Melanie Hallim, Jack Splash, songwriters (Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona)

20. Best R&B Album
"F.A.M.E." - Chris Brown

21. Best Rap Performance
"Otis" - Jay-Z & Kanye West

22. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
"All of the Lights" - Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie

23. Best Rap Song
"All of the Lights," Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)

24. Best Rap Album
"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" - Kanye West

25. Best Country Solo Performance
"Mean" - Taylor Swift

26. Best Country Duo/Group Performance
"Barton Hollow" - The Civil Wars

27. Best Country Song
"Mean" - Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)

28. Best Country Album
"Own The Night" - Lady Antebellum

29. Best New Age Album
"What's It All About" - Pat Metheny

30. Best Improvised Jazz Solo
"500 Miles High" - Chick Corea, soloist

31. Best Jazz Vocal Album
"The Mosaic Project" - Terri Lyne Carrington & Various Artists

32. Best Jazz Instrumental Album
"Forever" - Corea, Clarke & White

33. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
"The Good Feeling" - Christian McBride Big Band

34. Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
"Jesus" - Le'Andria Johnson

35. Best Gospel Song
"Hello Fear" - Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin)

36. Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
"Blessings" - Laura Story, songwriter (Laura Story)

37. Best Gospel Album
"Hello Fear" - Kirk Franklin

38. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
"And If Our God Is For Us..." - Chris Tomlin

39. Best Latin Pop, Rock, Or Urban Album
"Drama Y Luz" - Maná

40. Best Regional Mexican Or Tejano Album
"Bicentenario" - Pepe Aguilar

41. Best Banda Or Norteño Album
"Los Tigres Del Norte And Friends" - Los Tigres Del Norte

42. Best Tropical Latin Album
"The Last Mambo" - Cachao

43. Best Americana Album
"Ramble At The Ryman" - Levon Helm

44. Best Bluegrass Album
"Paper Airplane" - Alison Krauss & Union Station

45. Best Blues Album
"Revelator" - Tedeschi Trucks Band

46. Best Folk Album
"Barton Hollow" - The Civil Wars

47. Best Regional Roots Music Album
"Rebirth Of New Orleans" - Rebirth Brass Band

48. Best Reggae Album
"Revelation Pt 1: The Root Of Life" - Stephen Marley

49. Best World Music Album
"Tassili" - Tinariwen

50. Best Children's Album
"All About Bullies... Big And Small" - (Various Artists); Jim Cravero, Gloria Domina, Kevin Mackie, Steve Pullara & Patrick Robinson, producers

51. Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)
"If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)" - Betty White

52. Best Comedy Album
"Hilarious" - Louis C.K.

53. Best Musical Theater Album
"The Book Of Mormon" - Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells, artists; Anne Garefino, Robert Lopez, Stephen Oremus, Trey Parker, Scott Rudin & Matt Stone, producers; Robert Lopez, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)

54. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
"Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1" (Various Artists); Stewart Lerman, Randall Poster & Kevin Weaver, producers

55. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
"The King's Speech" - Alexandre Desplat, composer

56. Best Song Written For Visual Media
"I See The Light (From Tangled)" Alan Menken & Glenn Slater, songwriters (Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi)

57. Best Instrumental Composition
"Life In Eleven" - Béla Fleck & Howard Levy, composers (Béla Fleck & The Flecktones); Track from: Rocket Science

58. Best Instrumental Arrangement
"Rhapsody In Blue" - Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band); Track from: That's How We Roll

59. Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
"Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" - Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Tony Bennett & Queen Latifah); Track from: Duets II

60. Best Recording Package
"Scenes From The Suburbs" - Caroline Robert, art director (Arcade Fire)

61. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
"The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story" - Dave Bett & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)

62. Best Album Notes
"Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond As Recorded By The San Francisco Bay By Chris Strachwitz In The 1960s" - Adam Machado, album notes writer (Various Artists)

63. Best Historical Album
"Band On The Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection - Deluxe Edition)" Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Sam Okell & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers (Paul McCartney & Wings)

64. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
"Paper Airplane" - Neal Cappellino & Mike Shipley, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)

65. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Paul Epworth:

1. Call It What You Want (Foster The People) (T)
2. I Would Do Anything For You (Foster The People) (T)
3. I'll Be Waiting (Adele) (T)
4. Life On The Nickel (Foster The People) (T)
5. No One's Gonna Love You (Cee-Lo Green) (S)
6. Rolling In The Deep (Adele) (T)

66. Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
"Cinema (Skrillex Remix)" - Sonny Moore, remixer (Benny Benassi); Track from: Electroman

67. Best Surround Sound Album
"Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition)" - Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek & The Dominos)

68. Best Engineered Album, Classical
"Aldridge: Elmer Gantry" - Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)

69. Producer Of The Year, Classical
Judith Sherman:

1. Adams: Son Of Chamber Symphony; String Quartet (John Adams, St. Lawrence String Quartet & International Contemporary Ensemble)
2. Capricho Latino (Rachel Barton Pine)
3. 85th Birthday Celebration (Claude Frank)
4. Insects & Paper Airplanes - Chamber Music Of Lawrence Dillon (Daedalus Quartet & Benjamin Hochman)
5. Midnight Frolic - The Broadway Theater Music Of Louis A. Hirsch (Rick Benjamin & Paragon Ragtime Orchestra)
6. Notable Women - Trios By Today's Female Composers (Lincoln Trio)
7. The Soviet Experience, Vol. 1 - String Quartets By Dmitri Shostakovich & His Contemporaries (Pacifica Quartet)
8. Speak! (Anthony De Mare)
9. State Of The Art - The American Brass Quintet At 50 (The American Brass Quintet)
10. Steve Reich: WTC 9/11; Mallet Quartet; Dance Patterns (Kronos Quartet, Steve Reich Musicians & So Percussion)
11. Winging It - Piano Music Of John Corigliano (Ursula Oppens)

70. Best Orchestral Performance
"Brahms: Symphony No. 4" - Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

71. Best Opera Recording
"Adams: Doctor Atomic" - Alan Gilbert, conductor; Meredith Arwady, Sasha Cooke, Richard Paul Fink, Gerald Finley, Thomas Glenn & Eric Owens; Jay David Saks, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

72. Best Choral Performance
"Light & Gold" - Eric Whitacre, conductor (Christopher Glynn & Hila Plitmann; The King's Singers, Laudibus, Pavão Quartet & The Eric Whitacre Singers)

73. Best Small Ensemble Performance
"Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide" - Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird

74. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
"Schwantner: Concerto For Percussion & Orchestra" - Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony)

75. Best Classical Vocal Solo
"Diva Divo" - Joyce DiDonato (Kazushi Ono; Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Lyon; Choeur De L'Opéra National De Lyon)

76. Best Contemporary Classical Composition
"Aldridge, Robert: Elmer Gantry" - Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein

77. Best Short Form Music Video
"Rolling In The Deep" – Adele; Sam Brown, video director; Hannah Chandler, video producer

78. Best Long Form Music Video
"Foo Fighters: Back And Forth" - Foo Fighters; James Moll, video director; James Moll & Nigel Sinclair, video producers

http://www.grammy.com/

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Review: "Vanilla Sky" is a Crazier Cruise-Diaz Team-Up

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 20 (of 2001) by Leroy Douresseaux

Vanilla Sky (2001)
Running time: 136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexuality and strong language
DIRECTOR: Cameron Crowe
WRITER: Cameron Crowe (based upon the film Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) by Alejandro Amenábor and Mateo Gil Rodreguez)
PRODUCERS: Cameron Crowe, Tom Cruise, and Paula Wagner
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Toll (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Joe Hutshing and Mark Livolsi
COMPOSER: Nancy Wilson
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/FANTASY/ROMANCE/SCI-FI/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Timothy Spall, Johnny Galecki, Michael Shannon, and Tilda Swinton

David Aames (Tom Cruise) is the wealthy scion of a publishing empire who lives only for himself and his pleasures. He treats his novelist friend Brian Shelby (Jason Lee, Chasing Amy) as a possession to be admitted or dismissed as needed, though Aames often professes deep love for Shelby. He has recreational sex with another friend, Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz), a girl who practically admits to being around the block quite a few times. At a party that he hosts, David sees a stunning beauty that Brian has brought to the party with him. The looker, Sofia Serrano (Penelope Cruz, who was in the Spanish film upon which Vanilla Sky is based), throws David for a loop and he falls very hard for her.

Aww, but Julie is jealous; she follows David and is waiting for him after he spends the night (a sex free night) with Sofia. In an insane rage, Julie, with David a passenger, runs her car off the road, killing herself. David survives, but his body is damaged and his face is badly scarred. From that point, David’s life is a series of time shifts; past, present, and future loose their meanings.

Directed by Cameron Crowe, who also directed Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky is a mind numbing and genre bending film that mixes elements of romance, romantic thriller, mystery, suspense, and science fiction. It demands the viewers’ complete attention, while it careens across the screen like the out of control car that changes David Aames life.

Vanilla Sky is also a movie that can test an audience’s patience. It has ideas and messages, and most people do not want their movies to preach to them, at least not preach smart ideas. They want a loud, vivid, cinematic experience – special effects and movie magic. “Entertain me” is the mantra, and Crowe adds only the thinnest of candy coatings to his film.

The movie begins with a beautiful scene in which David discovers that he is alone in Times Square; he runs down the street for a few minutes totally afraid of being alone before we learn that this is a dream. There are also voiceovers while we follow David’s privileged life. There is the accident, and then we find David in a dark room wearing a mask, while a psychologist (Kurt Russell) prods him for answers regarding a murder of which David has been accused. From then, we’re bouncing back and forth through time, through illusions, dreams, fantasies, flashbacks. It can be disconcerting, but the film is so alluring that you want to soldier on.

Cruise has always been a good actor in the hands of good director, and Crowe is good. Over his career, Cruise has learned to open himself up to the possibilities of using his handsome face to express a variety of feelings and emotions, where once he simply lit up that million dollar smile and that was that. He is good here and quite believable. It’s no trick to play a spoiled, wealthy brat, but he convincingly transforms himself into the tortured package of damaged goods.

The supporting cast in nice, but while Penelope Cruz got all the attention, Diaz is the surprise. Some may believe her looks carry her career, but she can act. She plays the wild, vulnerable, hurt, and angry Julie Gianni to the hilt while also playing it down low and subtle. She creates a three-dimensional villain of sly evil and of terrible sadness.

Vanilla Sky is rife with musical references, most of which are quite annoying, but the Jeff Blakely reference is dead on appropriate for its scene. There are lots of visual references from pop culture to fine art, and they mean something, but you have to catch them, as they fly by so quickly.

Vanilla Sky is a good film, especially because it asks for the viewer to get involved where most movies only want to yell at you. At its heart are good messages about responsibility for the choices one makes, selfishness, love, and sacrifice. It stumbles and rushes to it fantastical, sci-fi ending that almost destroys film, but the movie is a worthy effort by ambitious talents. By no means perfect, it is still a grand entertainment and a wonderful puzzle with which to struggle, and it doesn’t mind trying to be smart even when it over reaches its ambitions.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2002 Academy Awards: 1 nominations: “Best Music, Original Song” (Paul McCartney for the song "Vanilla Sky")

2002 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Paul McCartney for the song "Vanilla Sky") and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Cameron Diaz)

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