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Singer tweets about nomination for 'Mean' in new Best Video With a Message category.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Taylor Swift in her "Mean" video
Photo: Big Machine Taylor Swift's glittering, empowering "Mean" video nabbed an MTV Video Music Award nod thanks to its feel-good theme. It's up for Best Video With a Message. This is the first time MTV is handing out a Moonman in this category, but given that over the past year more and more music videos have aimed to send fans positive messages, it feels like the right time to do it. The video follows Swift as she makes her way from small-town performer to full-fledged superstar. Little vignettes also follow other characters as they go from being bullied to being empowered. The nod seems to have Swift quite excited. She tweeted, "Wait, what?! The 'Mean' video got nominated for a VMA!! BEYOND excited. If you feel like voting ...... MTV.com." She followed the message with not one but three smiley faces. Swift's video will face off against Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," Katy Perry's "Firework," Pink's "F---in' Perfect," Eminem featuring Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie" and Rise Against's "Make It Stop (September's Children)." All the clips are being recognized for having a positive social message. The new category spotlights the intersection of music and social activism, highlighting artists who've raised awareness of some of the most pressing issues facing today's youth, from bullying and LGBT discrimination to domestic violence and struggles with self-image. MTV News spoke to "Mean" director Declan Whitebloom after the clip was released earlier this year. He explained that Swift wanted the video to mirror the song's message. "We all have similar stories in our life that hit similar emotional cues, and to open it up and make it broader about lots of people and situations ... makes it much more accessible," he said. "It means more in a general way. I think [the message] goes across the board." The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live on Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for your favorites in the general categories by visiting VMA.MTV.com. Related Photos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668535/taylor-swift-mean-vma-nomination.jhtml Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez 'Harry Potter' actor Tom Felton teases 'mega-edition' at 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' premiere.
By Kara Warner 
Tom Felton
Photo: MTV News Although this year's big blockbuster box-office record-breaker, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" is still reeling in the dough at theaters — we're only in week three of its release, after all — it's never too early to start thinking about what might be on the DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the film when it's released in November. MTV News caught up with "Potter" actor Tom Felton on Thursday at the premiere of his other film being released this year, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," to find out what more of Draco Malfoy we might see on the DVD. "They shot a bunch of stuff," Felton said. "There are documentaries and us doing all sorts of [things on set]. You saw us playing golf last time. There was all sorts of crazy stuff. They were trying to compose this mega-edition," he teased, but was not able to go into any great detail about exactly what will make the final cut. "I'm sure there will be a bunch of stuff. I'm excited for that." Felton revealed he was able to come away from the 10-year experience with more than just incredible memories: He also scored some sweet "Potter"-related mementos. "I have my ring, Draco's ring, which is cool," he revealed. "I have a script that's signed by the cast, and they actually signed it as characters. Helena Bonham Carter signed it as 'Auntie Bella,' which is quite sweet." Check out everything we've got on " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668187/tom-felton-harry-potter-deathly-hallows-dvd.jhtml Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie Anna Faris MTV News goes straight to the source to discuss recent pop-culture mermaid trends and beefs.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Lady Gaga
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images Beyoncé declared her love for mermaids during her MTV special "The Year of 4," while Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Bette Midler have all dressed up like the mythical sea creatures onstage or in videos. Madonna has surrounded herself with mermen during a past tour, and mermaids also show up in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and in several new novels, including a forthcoming book by "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida is famous for its mermaid shows, so MTV News decided to go right to the source and get a real-deal mermaid on the phone. It's no surprise that "mermaid" Carli Goodworth told us it's officially the Year of the Mermaid. "It used to be really popular, like, 60 years ago and everybody was all about mermaids, and now today, it's coming back again," Goodworth told MTV News. "The stars are starting to use it, and the people from outside are loving it, and hopefully it'll draw more people to our attraction as well." So why are pop stars taking on mermaid alter egos? Goodworth said the public persona of mermaids has shifted from the cute and cuddly Disney version to the more accurate version of mermaids who are mysterious, dangerous and sexy. And the mermaid trend hasn't been free from controversy: There has already been beef between fans of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, accusing the pop stars of lifting the idea, and then between Lady Gaga and Bette Midler, who did the mermaid-in-a-wheelchair routine decades before Gaga did. "It's becoming so popular," Goodworth laughed about the mermaid beefs. "I think it's awesome. We're used to the few people around here, because we are known as the mermaid country, and it's neat to see all these other people battling it out to be the only mermaid. It's just different." Being that Goodworth has performed as a mermaid for quite some time now, she's happy to see other people getting excited about it. "We love mermaids, so it's fun to see other people doing stuff with mermaids besides us," she said, adding her advice: "Be creative, do your own thing, really do your research." What do you think about the pop-culture mermaid trend? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667575/lady-gaga-bette-midler-mermaids.jhtml Cindy Taylor Cinthia Moura Claudette Ortiz Spears received nominations for Best Choreography and Best Pop Video.
By Christina Garibaldi 
Britney Spears
Photo: MTV News Britney Spears is no stranger to the Video Music Awards. She has so far been nominated 28 times, won four awards and has given us some of the most iconic VMA performances of all time. Who could forget her VMA strip-down in 2000 for "Oops! ... I Did It Again," her dance with a snake for "I'm a Slave 4 U" and, of course, her infamous "Like a Virgin" kiss with Madonna? This year, Spears looks to add to her list of VMA accomplishments with two nominations, one for Best Pop Video and one for Best Choreography for her hit Ke$ha-penned song "Till the World Ends." MTV News recently caught up with Spears and broke the news of the nominations to the pop star. "Oh my goodness, I'm completely flattered," Spears said. "That is amazing! Thank you so much for telling me. That's awesome!" Spears will tackle some pretty stiff competition in both categories including seven-time nominee Adele ("Rolling in the Deep") and four-time nominee Bruno Mars ("Grenade"). But Spears isn't concentrating on her competition, she's just happy to be recognized. "I grew up listening to MTV. It's just such an iconic thing to be able to participate in," Spears said about the VMAs. "To even be presented an award is just so flattering and I'm honored. I'm excited." Spears should be excited after such a big year. She released her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale, which reached #1 on the Billboard chart, she's currently on the road for her summer tour, and now she has two more nominations to add to her already lengthy list of awards. So does Spears ever get used to all the VMA nominations? "Oh no, you never get used to that!" she said. You can vote for general VMA categories, including Best New Artist, by visiting VMA.MTV.com or m.mtv.com on your mobile phone. In addition, you can get in on Best New Artist text voting by texting BNA to 66333 on your wireless phone. Voting continues through the show, which airs live August 28 at 9 p.m. ET. (Verizon subscribers can vote on all categories via SMS by texting VMA to 66333; standard message rates apply.) The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live on Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for your favorites in the general categories by visiting VMA.MTV.com. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667895/britney-spears-video-music-award-nomination.jhtml Fergie Foxy Brown Freida Pinto  Single mom Linda Evangelista hasn't asked for a dime from her 3-year-old son's billionaire father -- but now, she's making up for lost time! According to the N.Y. Post, he 46-year-old supermodel visited Manhattan Family Court on Tuesday to demand $46,000 a month in child support from ex-boyfriend Francois Henri-Pinault.
Pinault, a 49-year-old French luxury-goods CEO, fathered baby Augustin with Evangelista in 2006, as the world learned last month. During his fling with Evangelista, he was temporarily split from then-girlfriend Salma Hayek, 44, who is now his wife and the mother of his 3-year-old daughter Valentina. So it's a sticky situation all around. Still, it's surprising that super-wealthy Pinault hasn't provided any child support to Evangelista. "He's just been sitting back, paying zero," Evangelista's lawyer told the judge yesterday. Evangelista's five-figure child support request -- "probably the largest support order in the history of the Family Court," noted the judge -- accounts for a live-in nanny ($80,000 a year) and a team of gun-carrying drivers who are also retired police detectives ($175,000 a year). She also sought $7,500 a month for "vacation" expenses, which the judge rejected -- but he said that the other expenses make sense, in light of Evangelista's demanding work schedule and the child's high-risk position as a billionaire's son. But Pinault doesn't seem to agree. His lawyers fought Evangelista's demands at the hearing, arguing that she makes enough money to cover her child's expenses. "She testified that she wants to have a 24-hour nanny because she does not want to be alone with the child," said Pinault's lawyer. "Miss Evangelista, you should understand, has a worth of more than $8 million, and she earned, last year, $1.8 million." In fact, the model testified that she needs a nanny because she spends so much time working and traveling. "On days when I do not work, I am working on my image," she testified. "I have to hit the gym. I have beauty appointments. I have to work toward my next job and maintaining my image, just like an athlete. When I work, it can be a 16-hour day." While Evangelista isn't poor, Pinault's family is worth an estimated $11.5 billion -- which makes the child support request seem comparatively reasonable. Besides, he doesn't seem to have any trouble spending money on his other 3-year-old. For daughter Valentina, Pinault purchased a $12 million estate in Los Angeles, which is being held in trust to the tune of $50,000 a month. Kind of takes "playing house" to a whole other level, no? Source: http://www.ivillage.com/linda-evangelista-salma-hayek-husband-child-support/1-a-370011 Chloë Sevigny Christina Aguilera Christina Applegate Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery 
Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures. To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere. According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town. Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans). The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis. It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October. Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1617950/dave-grohl-josh-homme-john-paul-jones-unveil-supergroup.jhtml Brittany Daniel Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy Beyonce's 4 knocked down to #5 in third week out.
By Gil Kaufman 
Blake Shelton
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images Blake Shelton was already a beloved country star before he became a reality-TV double-threat. But thanks in part to his breakout role on "The Voice," Miranda Lambert's better half is reaping plenty of benefits, including a #1 debut on the Billboard 200 charts next week for his new album, Red River Blue. According to figures provided by SoundScan, Shelton's sixth studio album, his first #1 debut ever and highest-charting album to date, sold 116,000 copies last week. Just behind was the first album in five years from floaty rockers Incubus with If Not Now, When, which debuts at #2 on sales of 80,000. They lead a parade of new faces in the top 10 that also includes country singer Chris Young, whose Neon hit #4 in its first week (73,000), pop smoothie Colbie Caillat's All of You (#6, 66,000), head-bangers Theory of a Deadman's Truth Is (#8, 38,000) and the debut from the rebooted Sublime with new singer Rome, Yours Truly (#9, 35,000). The rest of the top 10: Adele's 21 (#3, 77,000), Beyoncé's 4 (#5, 72,000), Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party (#7, 42,000) and Selena Gomez and the Scene's When the Sun Goes Down (#10, 33,000). A couple of former top 10 dwellers fall to the second rung, including Eminem's Hell: The Sequel project under the Bad Meets Evil banner (#11, 30,000), Lady Gaga's Born This Way (down five to #13, 25,000) and Jill Scott's Light of the Sun (#14, 21,000). The soundtrack to "Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Part 2" comes in at #25, while indie darlings Washed Out crash in at #26 with the excellent Within & Without (#26, 15,000). And it was a short trip to the top 10 for R&B crooner Lloyd, who plummets 39 spots to #49 in the second week for King of Hearts (9,000). Over on the iTunes chart Caillat sits atop the album tally, followed by Shelton, Incubus, Adele, Sublime, Chris Young, Theory of a Deadman, Beyoncé, Bad Meets Evil and the unstoppable Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More. LMFAO continue to rule the iTunes singles chart with their summer hit "Party Rock Anthem," which beats out Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper," Katy Perry's "Last Friday (T.G.I.F.)," Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" and Hot Chelle Rae's "Tonight Tonight." Rounding out the top 10 at #6 are Lil Wayne's "How to Love," Pitbull's "Give Me Everything," Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," OneRepublic's "Good Life" and Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem." Things should be fairly static next week, with the only new titles including a new Kidz Bop Kids title and albums from 311, 3 Doors Down and DJ Khaled. Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667568/blake-shelton-incubus-billboard.jhtml Beyoncé Bianca Kajlich Bijou Phillips I've been watching a lot of HGTV since coming to LA. My favorite shows are House Hunters and House Hunters International. There's also another show I like to watch called For Rent, but only because it makes me angry. When it comes to apartments/homes, I think living in New York for the past eleven years has made me bitter because there was this whiny broad on For Rent a few nights ago who was looking at a huge place—A HUGE PLACE—and was like, "There's no place for a dining room table..." B*TCH, YOU'RE LUCKY TO GET A KITCHEN IN NEW YORK. I hated her. Now there's some stupid lady on House Hunters who wants a townhouse with a fireplace that she can turn on with a light switch. IT HAS TO BE A LIGHT SWITCH because she doesn't want to bend down and flip a switch on the floor. WHO DO THESE PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE? Anyway, I know my LA update is WAY overdue (and truth be told I wrote a long one last week but for some reason it didn't save so I lost the whole thing and I was so angry that I just said, "Ah, f*ck it," and closed the computer instead of rewriting) but to give you a quick update, I AM SO HAPPY HERE. I MEAN, I'M REALLY, REALLY HAPPY. And I think living here and watching HGTV—both of these things combined—has made me realize that New York was just beating me down. I mean, the fireplace lady—yes, she's an idiot. But there's nothing wrong with wanting a dining room table. Why did I get so mad at that lady? Since being here, at least once a day I ask myself why I have lived in New York for so long. (It's like I had Stockholm Syndrome or something.) CALIFORNIA IS AWESOME. It's like the promised land. It's sunny all the time and there are birds and flowers everywhere. I have space out here. I have a sofa on the patio out here. I HAVE A SOFA OUTSIDE. I haven't seen one rat since I've been here. But hummingbirds? THEY ZIP BY MY HEAD EVERY DAY. I am so happy. I'm supposed to go back to New York in November, but truth be told, I'm not sure I will. Source: http://www.prettyinthecity.com/blog/2011/7/15/hgtv-la-and-dining-room-tables.html Brittany Daniel Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy  Was Amy Winehouse planning on adopting a Caribbean daughter before her untimely death at age 27? On Sunday, 10-year-old St. Lucia resident Dannika Augustine told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper that Winehouse was in the process of adopting her, and that she already considered the singer her mother. But Winehouse's rep says the story is a fabrication, telling E! News on Monday that "there's no truth to it." Winehouse did, in fact, know Dannika and her family, as she frequented St. Lucia on getaways. Amy and Dannika were photographed together by paparazzi several times, and Winehouse often went to a bar run by the girl's grandmother. But the story in the Mirror presents Winehouse as a virtual member of the family, who would "beg" Dannika's poverty-stricken parents to let her adopt their child. "Amy loved Dannika with all her heart," Dannika's grandmother told the paper. "I don’t know why Amy took to Dannika above all the other children on the island, but from the moment they met they were inseparable. They would spend all day playing, horse-riding and walking up and down the beach hand-in-hand." Dannika's mother and father corroborated the story that Winehouse had begun adoption proceedings, and Dannika herself even gave a sorrowful statement. "Amy was already my mother," said the 10-year-old. "I would call her mum and she would call me her daughter. She took care of me and we had fun together. I loved her and she loved me. She was the most amazing person, and I was looking forward to living with her here or in London. I cannot believe she is gone. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me." It's a tragic, touching story -- but, again, not true. Winehouse's rep didn't even know anything about Dannika, telling TMZ, "I think (Amy) might have met her in St. Lucia, but she was in no way about to adopt her." E! speculates that the Augustine family -- reportedly living in poverty -- lied to the Mirror in order to get paid big bucks for an exclusive story. That would explain why they did it, but not why so many people seemed willing to believe it. Perhaps we all want to believe that Amy Winehouse was trying hard to turn over a new leaf, instead of succumbing to the same addiction she'd fought her entire life. Source: http://www.ivillage.com/amy-winehouse-had-no-plans-adopt-she-died/1-a-369303 Amber Brkich Amber Heard Amber Valletta Katy Perry, Pitbull, Chris Brown and Adele also found support from MTV.com readers.
By James Montgomery 
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images Now that school's out and folks are slathering on the sunscreen, we figured it was time to take the temperature of the annual Summer Jam Sweepstakes — the race to dominate the airwaves (and your tanning playlist) during the long, hot months of the year. So last week, we published our initial rankings in the race for the Summer Jam crown, a list that was topped by Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," with Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" following close behind. A whole host of other big-name stars — like Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Adele, to name just a few — also made the cut, along with some dark-horse candidates (like Foster the People, Maroon 5 and David Guetta) who are determined to make this competition close. Of course, our rankings had you talking too — in fact, the conversation in our comments section got so huge (we even heard from a Hall of Fame third baseman!) that we've decided to spotlight some of the best back-and-forth right now. What's your pick for the Song of Summer 2011? Here's what you had to say: "This has been Katy's decade so far! She made pop music fun again." — Tuffy Luvvy " 'Lighters' by Eminem, Royce and Bruno Mars all the way, baby! It's a long-shot, I know. I think Katy Perry will get it, but you never know." — lilbittaflava "I like Katy, but 'I Wanna Go' from Britney sounds more like a summer song." — Aaron "Britney Spears! 'I Wanna Go' just makes my summer great!" — Melissa Goulart "Britney Spears all the way! 'I Wanna Go' all the way! I'm still in love with Pitbull's 'Give Me Everything,' and his album is amazing. Nicki Minaj's 'Super Bass' is sick, love it!" — RyanJaggerz " 'The Edge of Glory' is a glorious pop anthem-masterpiece, no need for it to be crowned as a 'jam.' Adele's 'Rolling' is heart-touching, breathtaking and also a masterpiece." — Spyros Venturis " 'Moves Like Jagger' by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera is amazing!" — SuperZonic Jbsz "Oh I couldn't believe when I saw them, thank you so much MTV for putting them on the list ... I love them, talking about of course FOSTER THE PEOPLE YEAHHHHHHH." — hotalejandro " 'Tonight Tonight' by Hot Chelle Rae! I could party to that every day of the summer." — WhatShouldIDo? "You guys forgot about New Boyz ft. Chris Brown, 'Better With the Lights Off,' and Lupe Fiasco ft. Trey Songz, 'Outta My Head.' " — booklady "All these songs have that 'I've heard it all before' sound to them. Nothing special about any of the songs on the list. A lot of the 'artists' on this list would be better off working a mop at a Waffle House. It's Kanye's fault." — Mike Schmidt What do you think? Share your Summer Jam picks in the comments below! Related Videos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666863/lady-gaga-britney-spears-fans-pick-their-2011-summer-jams.jhtml Beyoncé Bianca Kajlich Bijou Phillips Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff 
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images "I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday." He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards. You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history. Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released. And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain. And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified. To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album. "At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards." Related Videos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604582/plantkrauss-win-album-year-grammy.jhtml Cinthia Moura Claudette Ortiz Coco Lee Lineup for October show in Cardiff, Wales, will be revealed August 3.
By Gil Kaufman 
Siblings LaToya, Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson after announcing 'Michael Forever,' in Beverly Hills July 25, 2011.
Photo: AFP/Getty Images Michael Jackson's family has announced a tribute concert to the late King of Pop that is slated to take place on October 8 in Cardiff, Wales. The four-hour show at the 75,000-capacity Millennium Stadium will be broadcast via satellite on pay-per-view and into movie theaters with a cast of big-name performers whose identities have not yet been revealed. At the Beverly Hills press conference on Monday revealing the details of the "Michael Forever" show, Jackson family matriarch Katherine was joined by sons Tito, Jackie and Marlon and daughter LaToya; siblings Jermaine, Randy, Janet and estranged husband Joe were not in attendance. "When I was told some of the names of the artists performing, I knew it would be fit for a king. If my son was here today he would feel the same way, and so I'd like to say thank you very much for helping to keep my son's legacy alive," Katherine Jackson said of Michael, who died in June 2009 of a heart attack caused by a prescription drug overdose. According to Wales Online, the show will feature artists Jackson admired and will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the start of his solo career. "I will be there along with as many members of my family that can make it," Katherine said. "It is intended to be the biggest and best concert in the world for many years to come." LaToya added, "This event is far, far overdue. He was an entertainer who I feel no one can ever stand up to or hold a candle to as far as his talent is concerned. This tribute will be something spectacular and I know that he would approve." One of the show's producers said that despite taking place in a large stadium, the event will have a more intimate atmosphere with the building's roof closed. Proceeds from the show will benefit three charities Jackson supported: the Prince's Trust, AIDS Project Los Angeles and a cancer charity. The show's lineup will be announced on August 3. As with many things related to MJ's legacy, there was controversy, as brothers Randy and Jermaine said they thought the timing of the show was inappropriate. In a statement, the two said, "While we wholeheartedly support the spirit of a tribute that honors our brother, we find it impossible to support an event that is due to take place during the criminal trial surrounding Michael's death. As everyone knows, those proceedings commence September 20." That date is when Jackson's former doctor, Conrad Murray, is slated to go on trial for manslaughter charges in the singer's death. Jermaine attempted to put on a tribute concert to his late brother in September 2009, but the show fell apart after many of the top acts were unable to commit to the event. Related Photos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667905/michael-jackson-family-tribute-concert.jhtml Connie Nielsen Cristina Dumitru 
Who will Ashley Hebert choose on The Bachelorette? Who cares! Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone? Whatever! We finally have an answer to one of life's most pressing questions: Who will be designing Kim Kardashian's wedding dress? And the lucky woman is... 
... Vera Wang!!! "What a glorious moment!" the designer told E! News. "I am so thrilled to be dressing Kim for her wedding to Kris Humphries! As a friend of the Kardashian/Jenner clan, I wish the engaged couple all the joy and happiness in the world!" Details on the dress are being kept quiet, but you can check out the wedding invitation HERE and you can start the countdown to the August 20 nuptials right now. We can totally wait! Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/08/and-kim-kardashian-wedding-dress-designer-is/ Bianca Kajlich Bijou Phillips Blake Lively 'She's gone; you're not putting these clothes back on,' Julia Jones recalls to MTV News of saying goodbye to her character, Leah.
By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz 
Julia Jones
Photo: MTV News After filming "Eclipse" and the two-part "Breaking Dawn," Julia Jones can call herself a "Twilight Saga" veteran. But that doesn't mean she found going to Comic-Con for the first time any less intimidating. MTV News caught up with Jones in San Diego after the "Breaking Dawn" cast's packed Hall H panel. Unfortunately, her castmates hadn't given her much of a heads-up about the insanity of Comic-Con. "We've been in front of a lot of people before but this is a new experience for me, Comic-Con," Jones said. While her fellow castmembers had helped her prepare for the experience of doing fan events for "Eclipse," Jones said this time they figured she would get the hang of things. "Now I think they just don't pay attention: 'She's been here long enough, she'll figure it out.' " In "Breaking Dawn - Part 1," Jones and the rest of the wolf pack are featured much more than they have been in previous installments, which gave the actress some room to expand on her character, Leah Clearwater. While Leah is characterized by her anger at Bella (Kristen Stewart) and the Cullens in "Eclipse," in "Breaking Dawn," fans will see that her rage has been tempered because a good portion of the story is told from werewolf Jacob Black's (Taylor Lautner) perspective. "I was thrilled when I read [the script] because she really has the opportunity to kind of grow and she's not so angry anymore," Jones explained. "I felt relieved for her when I read that, oh, my gosh, she can actually express these things she hasn't expressed and go somewhere with it." As for the last day of shooting the "Twilight" series, Jones admitted that she may have shed a few tears in her trailer when director Bill Condon shouted "Cut!" for the last time. The long shoot made it seem as if filming would never end, she explained, and that made saying goodbye that much harder. "For me, personally, the last day, right when we wrapped, I didn't believe it. I hadn't even thought that that was possible. I just stood there like a zombie. People started hugging, like, 'You're wrapped, you're wrapped!' Like, 'Go, what are you doing? We need to move on,' " Jones said with a laugh. "I actually went back to my trailer and I was fine, I was a little in a daze. And I realized as I was taking my costume off that this is it. She's gone; you're not putting these clothes back on. And that was kind of a big thing for me." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos Related Photos Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668098/breaking-dawn-julia-jones.jhtml Hilary Duff Hilary Swank Isla Fisher |
