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By Larry Yepez Jr.

Warner Brothers is getting ready to launch an aggressive campaign so that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 be noticed and recognized in the next Academy Awards ceremony, according to Variety magazine.

The idea is to have an equivalent acknowledgement at the Oscar's as The Return of the King, the third film from the Lord of the Rings Saga, which took home 11 golden statuettes thanks to the strategic marketing scheme of New Line. This time, Warner Brothers plans to capitalize on the economic success and artistic recognition of the Potter saga, which is definitely one of the most popular of Hollywood's film history.

The last film of the Harry Potter franchise, currently in theaters, will have a powerful campaign with the ultimate objective of obtaining the Oscar for Best Film, just as Peter Jackson's last Rings Film. "Return of the King" also won for Best Director (Jackson) and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Warner Bros. execs are saying that the 2012 Oscars could serve as a global recognition to one of the most popular and successful movie sagas of the last decade, a strategic concept that definitely helped The Lord of the Rings trilogy get their final Oscar recognitions.

Even though the seven Potter films have had numerous nominations (specially in the technical categories), which is also the prediction for this final film, the magical saga has yet to win a single Oscar. Let's hope Harry will take home some precious Oscar gold in the next Academy Awards.

Do you think Harry Potter should be recognized with Oscars for the completion of the popular saga?

Tags Academy Awards, Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Lord of the Rings, Oscars, Peter Jackson

By Michael Lopez

The surfboard gods have spoken and this year they showed a massive amount of love for tween stars Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez! Believe it or not, Selena took home five "boards" at last night’s Teen Choice Awards and caught quite a bit of attention for her "Biebs" PDA and her long-awaited reunion with Demi Lovato.

Photographers were all over Gomez and Lovato’s BFF poses on the TCA carpet. Making one of her first major public appearances since leaving rehab, Demi shone brightly throughout the evening, taking home an Inspiration Award and the honors for Best Summer Song.

Selena may need a pickup truck to fit all of the surfboards she nabbed during the night. Scoring honors for Choice TV Actress, Female Hottie, Choice Love Song and more, it was clear that the TCAs couldn’t get enough of the perky Disney Channel star.

Speaking from the stage, a humble Selena explained,

"This is for all of you guys! This isn't mine."

Another huge winner of the night was Taylor Swift, who nabbed five boards of her own. Scoring Choice Female Music Artist, Female Red Carpet Icon, and the Ultimate Choice Award, she incited a ton of cheers every time she took the stage.

Justin Bieber got honored not just for his music, but for his "acting abilities." In what was perhaps the most interesting victory of the night, the 17-year-old pop star nabbed Best Villain for his guest role on CSI.

Plenty of other Tr3s faves earned their moment in the TCA spotlight too. Cameron Diaz nabbed Choice Comedy Actress for her work in Bad Teacher, Bruno Mars got Choice Breakout Artist, and even Rebecca Black earned an award for Choice Web Star.

And outside of the honorees, the TCAs delivered yet another phenomenal moment. Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston made his first appearance since nearly dying in a jet-skiing accident last May and received a massive response from the crowd.

What did you think of last night’s Teen Choice Awards? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 2011 Teen Choice Awards, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bruno Mars, Celebrities, Demi Lovato, Hot Stuff, Justin Bieber, Rebecca Black, Sean Kingston, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Teen Choice Awards

By Michael Lopez

What's your favorite Grammy category? Don't tell us, Best Latin Jazz Artist, right? Sure that particular genre doesn't hold as much as weight as Record Of The Year, but it still has a very dedicated following. And many of its honorees are up-in-arms over the fact that it's been dropped from this year's ceremony.

In fact, a handful of popular Latin musicians have filed a class action lawsuit against the Grammys, saying the elimination of their category will cause irreparable harm to their careers. Their argument stems from the fact that they would be lumped into the much broader Jazz Instrumental and Vocal Album fields, which would limit their ability to be nominated.

"You would have to submit under the broad jazz category, now," said the musicians' attorney, Robert Maldonado. "You're competing against any other number of genres that are not going to be viewed the same. You're also trying to compare apples and oranges in a way that just doesn't work."

But before you start shedding tears for the Latin jazz guys, consider this: approximately 30 other Grammy categories were also cut. So don't be surprised if you start hearing about more lawsuits coming from the Best Hawaiian Album and Best Native American Album contenders too.

Do you think it was wrong of the Grammys to cut so many categories? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Grammy Awards, Grammys, Jazz, Latin Jazz Artists, Música

By Michael Lopez

It looks like George Lopez and Eva Longoria can expect a lot of top notch Latino talent when they host this year's ALMA Awards. The nominee list was finally released today and it's chock full of your favorite entertainers from the movie, TV, and music world.

The great thing about the ALMAS is that they don't just honor the same group of A-listers you see at every awards show. Here, many talented supporting players are recognized too. Actors like Constance Marie, Aubrey Plaza, and Oscar Nuñez have all scored nominations this year, and deservedly so!

On the TV side of things, we were thrilled to see that Sarah Shahi got a nod for Favorite Actress. She'll be competing against quite a few Tr3s faves for the honor, including Cote de Pablo, Francia Raisa, and Sara Ramirez.

Stars like Adam Rodriguez and Chuck’s Joshua Gomez scored noms in the Favorite TV Actor category. And several Latino reality stars were honored with a nomination too, including Mario Lopez for Extra, Christina Aguilera for The Voice, and even Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan!

In the movie department, Michael Peña scored a much-deserved nomination for his work in Battle: Los Angeles, as did A Better Life’s Demián Bichir. Even Danny Trejo has a shot at Favorite Movie Actor for his starring role in Machete.

Speaking of Machete, it also got Jessica Alba a nom for Favorite Movie Actress. She'll be competing against Pirates of the Caribbean’s Penélope Cruz, Unstoppable’s Rosario Dawson, and Zoe Saldana for Takers.

But that's only part of the fun. The ALMAs also extend into the music world. This year , they've nominated Taio Cruz, Enrique Iglesias, Bruno Mars, Pitbull, and Ricky Martin for their Favorite Male Music Artist. On the female side, it will be Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, and Glee’s Naya Rivera competing for the title.

As you can imagine, with all of this talent it promises to be an incredible show. You can see the full list of ALMA nominees by visiting their home page and don't miss the broadcast of the big ceremony on September 16!

Who are you rooting for at this year's ALMA Awards? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 2011 Alma Awards, Adam Rodriguez, ALMA Awards, Award Shows, Christina Aguilera, Cultura, Demian Bichir, Música, Michael Peña, Naya Rivera, Sarah Shahi, Taio Cruz, Television

By Michael Lopez

Be warned, you may have a tough decision ahead. Starting this Friday, Tr3s is giving you the opportunity to vote for this year’s Best Latino Artist, in celebration of the MTV Video Music Awards. Will it be Don Omar, Enrique Iglesias, Maná, Prince Royce, or Wisin y Yandel? Your mouse click may hold the answer.

Now let’s think about this for a second. Don Omar rocked the house this year with his Meet The Orphans album and that "Danza Kudoro" video. But Enrique had that killer “Tonight (I'm Loving You)” track and some dynamite performances with Pitbull.

Maná has been on fire too, breaking records left and right with their Drama y Luz album. And if you’ve been checking Blogamole lately, you'll know how much Prince Royce's music has been in the news. Though, if your loyalty lies with Wisin y Yandel, that’s perfectly cool too. Especially when you consider the live shows those guys have put together.

So basically, this is a REALLY tough decision. And keep in mind, whoever you pick will appear on Tr3s to accept their award on September 5. So pump up your playlist, concentrate, and choose wisely, because the fate of this year's Best Latino Artist is in your hands!

The polls will be open from Friday July 29 to Friday August 19!

Who do you think should win Best Latin Artist? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Award Shows, Best Latino Artist, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Don Omar, Enrique Iglesias, Mana, Música, Prince Royce, VMAs, Wisin y Yandel

By Michael Lopez

It's hard to believe another MTV VMA  is creeping upon us. And what an incredible year it's been for music videos! There were those funky gorilla masks in Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song," wild space aliens in Katy Perry's "E.T.," and tons more! Now they're all looking to get honored with today's announcement of the 2011 VMA nominees.

Katy Perry is undoubtedly leading the pack this year. Scoring a whopping nine nominations, she's in the running for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, and Best Collaboration (just to name a few). One of our personal Perry favorites, "Last Friday Night" even made it into the Best Pop Video category.

Bruno Mars is continuing to prove his rising star status with four nominations. Both his "Grenades" and "Lazy Song" videos made it onto the VMA list. The 25-year-old crooner seemed very touched by the honor and made sure to share his gratitude with the Twitterverse.

"4 Nominations!?!?!?! THANK YOU @MTV," he wrote.

Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" is continuing to prove its staying power with a nomination for Best Collaboration. Who knows? If all goes according to plan, Pit could walk away with a  Moon Man for the track.

Other big contenders at the VMAs will be Adele, who scored seven nominations, and Nicki Minaj, who received three noms. Even Lady Gaga's controversial "Judas" video seemed to impress the MTV voters, nabbing a slot in the Best Choreography category.

Though no host has been announced for the VMA show yet, we imagine MTV will be looking to cast a very colorful character (as they have in years' past). And they better hurry, the entire event is set to go down August 28 at L.A.'s Nokia Theatre.

Who will you be rooting for at this year’s Video Music Awards? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 2011 Video Music Awards, Adele, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Música, MTV, MTV NEws, MTV VMAs, Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, Video Music Awards, Videos

By Michael Lopez

Who needs the paparazzi when you've got Tr3s? Just this afternoon, we got hold of some exclusive shots from Pitbull's Premios Juventud rehearsals for "Give Me Everything" and it looks like Mr. 305 is having a blast busting a move with Ne-Yo and Nayer.

Tomorrow's Premios show promises to deliver some killer talent. Artists like Enrique Iglesias and Shakira are up for the music awards, Tr3s faves Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 and Machete will be duking it out in the movie category, and William Levy may walk away with a Best Actor in a telenovela award.

Ricky Martin (who's up for multiple awards) was seen rehearsing with none other than Wisin y Yandel for tomorrow's show. Striking a pose in these exclusive shots, it's clear they make quite an engaging trio!

As you can imagine, it's the live performances that always get the crowd jumping. And none is more hotly anticipated that Pit's "Give Me Everything." As the pictures show, he'll be wailing on the mic with sexy Nayer by his side. And though he's not necessarily known for his Spanish abilities, Ne-Yo will be there too, backing up Mr. 305!

You can bet we'll have a big time Premios recap on Friday when all is said and done. And perhaps a few more exclusive pix too!

Are you looking forward to this year's Premios Juventud awards? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Give Me Everything, Hot Stuff, Nayer, Ne-Yo, Pitbull, Premios Juventud, Ricky Martin, Tr3s Exclusives, Wisin y Yandel

By Larry Yepez Jr.

American Black Film Festival (ABFF), one of the most prestigious festivals honoring black cinema, returned to Miami Beach promoting cultural diversity and recognizing the contributions of black directors, writers and actors to the film industry.

Now in its 15th year, the American Black Film Festival continues to contribute to the film industry by strengthening the black film-making community bringing to Miami four days of film screenings, networking, workshops for both actors and directors and panel discussions.

20 independent films premiered during the festival, allowing for emerging filmmakers to showcase their work through short-film and documentary competitions. The films were either made or directed by an African-American, or have a focus on black culture.

Opening the festival was the film In the Hive, produced by Robert Townsend and starring Michael Clarke Duncan, Loretta Devine, Vivica A. Fox and Jonathan "Lil J" McDaniel. The film is based on a true story of a woman who started an alternative school for troubled youth in North Carolina.

The festival also included a 30-minute documentary on the making of Boyz n' the Hood, the 1991 box office hit by John Singleton, who was nominated for an Academy Award for best director for this film. He discussed the differences of film-making for the black community then and now.

Comedian and director Keenen Ivory Wayans was honored for his achievements in television and the big screen. According to Jeff Friday, festival's co-founder Wayans has desensitized race in films and has given the black community a platform to take race out and make it about the talent.

What is your take on the black community in the film industry?

Tags American Black Film Festival, Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, John Singleton, Jonathan "Lil J" McDaniel, Keenen Wayans, Loretta Devine, Michael Clarke Duncan, vivica a. fox

By Michael Lopez

TV fanatics were glued to the web this morning as nominees for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards were announced. Taking place at 5:40am PST, Fringe’s Joshua Jackson and Bridesmaids' Melissa McCarthy had the honors of calling out the names. And though we would have liked to have seen a few more Latinos on the list (no Eva Longoria?), small-screen stars Sofia Vergara and Edgar Ramirez definitely got their due.

Sofia's Modern Family, scored a total of 17 nominations. Every adult star on the series got recognized in the Supporting Actor categories (sorry Rico Rodriguez) and, as expected, the show got a nod for Best Comedy.

Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez got recognized for his work as Carlos the Jackal in the dramatic mini-series Carlos. A five-and-a-half hour epic, Carlos aired to rave reviews this past year on the Sundance Channel.

Other Tr3s faves got their share of Emmy love too. The medieval HBO series Game of Thrones earned a nod for Best Drama, as did Paz de la Huerta's Boardwalk Empire. Dexter’s Michael C. Hall was recognized in the Best Actor category (and we're hoping the same goes for Edward James Olmos when he joins the cast next year).

In the comedy department, Glee’s Jane Lynch made it into the Best Supporting Actress category for her work as Sue Sylvester and Kristen Wiig got a nice bit of Emmy love for her role on Saturday Night Live.

Conan O'Brien's Conan show made it into the Best Variety, Musical Or Comedy category, edging out both Lopez Tonight and The Tonight Show. And American Idol is in the running for Best Reality Competition (though sadly, there's no Best Reality Judge slot for J. Lo).

Though it would have been nice to see a few more Latinos in the mix, we're sure the talented TV peeps will get their due at the upcoming ALMA Awards. As for the Emmys, you can see Sofia and Edgar battle it out for the winged gold statue on Fox September 18th!

Which Latino actor do you think most deserves an Emmy nomination? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Edgar Ramirez, Emmy Awards, Hot Stuff, sofia vergara, Television

By Michael Lopez

Good news ALMA Awards fans, the Latino gala is coming back after a year hiatus. And better yet, its founders, the National Council of La Raza, have announced that Eva Longoria and George Lopez have both signed on to host!

"This is an important show for our community," said NCLR spokesperson Delia Delavera. "We got a lot of comments from people about how excited they were to see George and Eva co-hosting."

Scoring Lopez and Longoria is a major coup for the ALMAS. As we all know, Eva is one of the most in-demand stars on TV and she may even bring along her boyfriend's famous family. George is also an entertainment powerhouse and will certainly add a lot of energy and humor to the event.

Unfortunately, the 2010 ALMAs had to be scrapped because of scheduling and broadcast issues. But now it looks like the ceremony is coming back in a major way, with a key timeslot on NBC.

Though the actual nominees have yet to be announced, we're expecting plenty of famous faces getting added to the roster. The ALMAS honor Latinos in television, film, and music, so expect a dynamite show this September 16th!

Are you looking forward to this year's ALMA Awards? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags ALMA Awards, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, national council of la raza, NCLR