Posted 2/9/12
Posted 2/9/12
Posted 2/8/12
Posted 2/1/10 12:48 pm ET by MTV Tr3s in Celebrities
There were plenty of over-the-top moments during Sunday night's (January 31) 52nd annual Grammy Awards, but none of them could outshine Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.
Yes, the dynamic duo — who were nominated for a combined 16 Grammy Awards — took home 10 of them, with Beyoncé winning six, including Song of the Year, and Swift snagging four, including the night's biggest trophy, Album of the Year.
Swift's three other Grammys came in the country category, with Fearless winning Best Country Album and her hit "White Horse" grabbing Best County Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Beyoncé's haul was spread out across many categories. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won three Grammys, for Song of the Year, Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. "Halo" won for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance, and her version of Etta James' "At Last" took home the award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
"This has been such an amazing night for me," Bey said while accepting her Best Female Pop award. "I'd like to thank my family, including my husband [Jay-Z, just in case anyone didn't know]. I love you."
Following close behind Beyoncé and Swift were a few artists who won three Grammys, including Jay-Z (Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration) and the Black Eyed Peas; Eminem took home two awards; and Lady Gaga won two of her own (though both were during the pre-televised ceremony).
But for all the award-accepting merriment, it was the performances that shined brightest on this Grammy night. Or at least they shined the loudest. Show producers gave out only a handful of awards during the actual telecast, deciding to focus instead on the talents they had assembled inside the Staples Center, and that talent delivered, with one massive spectacle after the next.
Lady Gaga kicked off the show with a theatrical version of "Poker Face" — which featured a steam-powered set dubbed "The Fame Factory," some flames and a pair of seriously sparkly shoulder pads — then welcomed Elton John to the stage for a dueling-piano take on Gaga's "Speechless." And, in keeping with the rather flamboyant nature of both artists, show producers made sure their conjoined piano was topped with severed mannequin arms.
It was a pretty epic opening, but Beyoncé didn't back down from the challenge. She stormed into Staples with an army of riot-gear-clad escorts, then got down to belting out a fiery version of "If I Were a Boy," complete with a shredding backing band and a brief foray into Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know." She wrapped up her performance by channeling her inner Tina Turner, dropping to her knees and singing for the rafters. By the time B had gotten to her feet, so had the audience, who showered her with applause.
Pink got aerial (and soaking wet) during her performance of "Glitter in the Air," which saw her wrapped in linen, sent soaring above the crowd at Staples, then dipped into a pool of water. The Black Eyed Peas rattled the roof with a booming medley of their hits, which featured a battalion of electric-clad dancers, Fergie donning her Robocop finest and Will.I.Am rocking an inexplicable black molding of his head on his head. And Lil Wayne, Eminem, Drake and Travis Barker roared versions of Weezy's "Drop the World" and D's "Forever," though, judging by the frequent audio drops, it would seem the network censors got a little too anxious with the "delay" button.
There was also a 3-D tribute to the late Michael Jackson to "Earth Song," while 3-D images played around the performers and featured unintentionally comical shots of stars like Rihanna, Beyoncé and Will.I.Am wearing their 3-D glasses in the audience. It will probably be remembered best for what happened next, as two of Jackson's children — son Prince and daughter Paris — accepted an honorary lifetime-achievement award in their father's memory.
"I want to thank the fans, our father loved you so much," Prince said, his voice wavering slightly. "We will continue to spread his message and help the world."
"Daddy was going to be here; he was going to perform this year, [because] he couldn't perform last year," his daughter Paris added. "Thank you. We love you, Daddy."
It was an emotional moment in a night largely bereft of themand Wyclef's from-the-heart speech about his native Haiti — in which he spoke in Creole and thanked the world for their support, before adding, "We will continue" — did manage to tug on the heartstrings.
But this night will probably be best remembered for Beyoncé and Swift's dominance, not to mention the sheer spectacle of the performances, which proved that even in dour times, the music industry knows how to throw a party — a massive, eye-popping, over-the-top one at that. (MTVNews)
Posted 1/21/10 6:07 pm ET by MTV Tr3s in Agentes de Cambio, Celebrities
Madonna, President Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, and Will Smith have joined "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," which airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT on MTV Tr3s and many other networks.
In addition to musical performances, Wyclef Jean in New York City, George Clooney in Los Angeles, and CNN's Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti, "Hope for Haiti Now" will also feature Chris Rock, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and Matt Damon, and more than 100 of the biggest names in film, television and music.
Madonna (performing in New York) and Haitian artist Emeline Michel (in Los Angeles) will join the previously announced lineup of musical performances: Shakira, Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige and Sting in New York; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, and Taylor Swift in Los Angeles; and Beyoncé, Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna in London.
"Hope for Haiti Now" will begin accepting donations at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT on Friday via the following methods:
» Online: www.hopeforhaitinow.org
» Phone: 877-99-HAITI
» Text: Text "GIVE" to 50555
» Mail: Hope For Haiti Now Fund, Entertainment Industry Foundation, 1201 West 5th Street, Suite T-700, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Music performances from "Hope for Haiti Now" will be available for purchase and download on the iTunes Store. Beginning on Friday, iTunes customers will be able to exclusively pre-order both the Hope for Haiti Now full performance album ($7.99) and the full two-hour video telecast ($1.99). Pre-orders will be delivered in the days following the telethon. Individual audio performances will also be available for purchase and download for 99 cents each in the days following the telethon. Apple, the record labels and the artists will donate their share of the proceeds to Haiti relief funds managed by "Hope for Haiti Now" charities.
"Hope for Haiti Now" performances will also be available for purchase on AmazonMP3 and Rhapsody, with distribution provided by INgrooves. Proceeds from those purchases will also benefit Haiti relief funds managed by "Hope for Haiti Now" charities.
"Hope for Haiti Now," will benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, Yele Haiti Foundation and the newly formed Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation. Proceeds from "Hope for Haiti Now" will be split among each organization's individual funds for Haiti earthquake relief. With the exception of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, each partner organization was selected for its history of operation and collaboration within the NGO community in Haiti.
"Hope for Haiti Now" will air across ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, CNN en Español, HBO Latino, and Canadian networks including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television, and MuchMusic. The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Rhapsody and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and FloTV. "Hope for Haiti Now" will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic, and MTV Networks International, which is available in 640 million homes worldwide. "Hope for Haiti Now" will be available non-exclusively to all terrestrial radio stations around the globe and SIRIUS XM Radio as a one time only radio broadcast via the MTV Radio Network and Westwood One. (MTVNews)
Posted 1/19/10 4:21 pm ET by MTV Tr3s in Agentes de Cambio, Celebrities, Hope For Haiti
Relief has been pouring in for the impoverished island of Haiti in wake of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the nation's capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12th. And while we've heard dozens of stories on the 2 million and counting that Wyclef, one of the country's most famous exports, has raised through his organization Yele Haiti, we've heard very little on what some of our favorite artistas Latinos are doing to help. Here's the scoop!
Wisin y Yandel have reached deep in their pockets to donate to the victims of Haiti. The duo have given $100,000 to a Haitian orphanage, and another $100K towards the purchase of generators to help restore electricity to the devastated nation.
The boys of Aventura are also donating big bills! A whopping $25, 000 to their relief organization of choice, the American Red Cross. The Bachata quartet will also have Red Cross volunteers accepting donations on-site at their 4 Madison Square Garden concerts over the next two weeks.
Ricky Martin isn’t just writing a check; he's heading to Haiti! Our favorite humanitarian boarded a plane to Port-au-Prince today, and plans on providing as much on the ground assistance as possible.
Belinda is doing her part as well, and has taped a special PSA for the Red Cross. The segment is meant to motivate and inspire the Mexican public and others to donate and give to the relief fund in Haiti. (LatinGossip)
Are you doing your part? To find out how you can do more, head on over to Think.MTV.com. And make sure you watch Hope For Haiti, an MTV Telethon broadcast LIVE and hosted by George Clooney, Wyclef, and CNN's Anderson Cooper, on MTV Tr3s Friday, January 22nd at 8pm EST/PST. All donations will directly benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF and Wyclef's Yele Haiti Foundation.
Photos via Getty Images
Posted 1/15/10 4:04 pm ET by MTV Tr3s in Celebrities
In the days since a deadly 7.0-magnitude earthquake leveled Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, on Tuesday evening, millions of dollars have been pledged to help the search and rescue and relief efforts on the impoverished Caribbean nation.
But where is that aid going?
The most desperate immediate needs of the more than 3 million Haitians who've been impacted by the disaster are food, water, shelter and medical supplies.
Like Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti which is urging people to text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 to the cause — which has raised more than $2 million so far — many other relief organizations have used mobile messaging to quickly gather funds.
But experts have been warning those wishing to donate to Haitian relief to be wary of organizations that claim 100 percent of their funds will go to victim relief because all charities have overhead and administrative costs and rarely use all the funds raised strictly for relief. They've also suggested that you go with well-known, big organizations such as the American Red Cross and UNICEF, who have a long track record with these types of efforts and who typically channel 90 percent of funds into programming/relief.
Other tips from Charity Navigator: avoid telemarketers and anonymous e-mail/text requests for would-be scammers looking to capitalize on the situation, don't be afraid to be suspicious and ask questions, never give your personal or financial information, ask if the charity is registered with an organization like the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, never donate cash and while the immediacy of the social-networking giving that has become the go-to method of donation is inspiring, make sure you do your homework before texting that donation in.
CNN reported that the FBI has already issued a warning about unscrupulous scammers who might be looking to take advantage of the situation in Haiti to solicit bogus appeals. So be WARY!
For our part, MTV is teaming up with Oscar-winning actor George Clooney for a Haitian Relief Telethon next Friday (January 22). Here are some other ways you can take part in Haitian relief efforts. (MTV News)
Photo via Getty Images
Posted 1/14/10 4:38 pm ET by MTV Tr3s in Agentes de Cambio, Celebrities
So far, Wyclef Jean's nonprofit organization, Yele Haiti, has raised over $1 million for the victims of Tuesday's devastating earthquake from mobile donations alone. With a series of urgent tweets, an appearance on CNN and the help of his famous friends the singer has mobilized a massive effort on behalf of his homeland, imploring followers to text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 to the effort.
According to Albe Angel, CEO of Miami-based Give on the Go, the mobile communications company working with Yele Haiti to coordinate donations, the organization has raised over $1 million for relief efforts since the earthquake. Yele's goal is to up that figure to $1 million a day as part of the SMS fundraising drive.
"Since the disaster occurred around 5 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday and [by] midnight [Wednesday] we cleared $1 million," said Angel, whose company provides the technology that allows mobile users to make an automatic $5 donation. Give on the Go has announced that 100 percent of the donations raised will go directly to Yele Haiti. More than 200,000 people have donated to the cause, and Angel said he thinks it's possible that the $1 million per day goal could be reached, given the volume of donations that have been coming in. "These types of donations really were spawned by the [2004] tsunami relief effort, and the $1 million that Yele has raised already is a watershed event."
Wyclef is not the only celebrity who has stepped up to aid the cause. The Jolie-Pitt Foundation, founded by Angelina Jolie and partner Brad Pitt, has pledged $1 million to the emergency medical operations of Doctors Without Borders.
"It is incredibly horrible to see a catastrophe of this size hit a people who have been suffering from extreme poverty, violence and unrest for so many decades," Jolie said in a statement on Wednesday.
Relief efforts have spawned Facebook and Twitter users to take action, and a number of other celebrities have joined in the fight to send urgently needed supplies to the impoverished Caribbean nation, including Alyssa Milano, Olivia Wilde, LL Cool J, Jessica Alba, and Demi Moore.
On Thursday, President Obama pledged $100 million in aid from the U.S. The United Nations also announced that $10 million would go to relief efforts in Haiti, while the World Bank pledged $100 million. (MTV News)
Photos via Getty Images
Bachata boy band wonder Aventura is working on their last album under the label Premium Latin Music and they plan on going out with a bang. Los bachateros from New York are in the process of enlisting "Hips Don't Lie" producer Wyclef Jean to add some of his magia to the upcoming project. A collabo como esta could really take them to the next level! We here at Blogamole wouldn't mind seeing Romeo and the boys shake their caderas!
Wyclef joins the list of renowned artists that have collaborated with Aventura in the past, among Don Omar, Wisin y Yandel and Arturo Sandoval. [El Caribe]
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