Emmy-nominated actors Jon Cryer and Kyra Sedgwick will join Dick Askin, chairman and CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, to announce the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations July 19. The announcement will take place at the academy’s Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood, starting at 7:40 a.m. Chicago time. ...
Nominees in the top 11 categories will be announced during the live ceremony. For the 17th consecutive year, Douglass M. Stewart Jr. will produce the event.
The Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will air live on Fox from 7-10 p.m. on Sept. 16 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Cryer was nominated for a supporting actor Emmy last year for his role in the CBS comedy series ‘‘Two and a Half Men,’’ while Sedgwick was nominated for a lead actress Emmy for her role in the TNT drama series ‘‘The Closer.’’
Academy tweaks producers rule for best picture Oscar
LOS ANGELES — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a rule change today allowing a best picture Oscar winner to have more than three producers in rare circumstances. Academy President Sid Ganis said the change was among a handful of refinements in the rules approved Tuesday for the 80th Academy Awards. ...
The Academy imposed a rule in 2000 that limited each nominated film to three credited producers who could claim statuettes. That led to bickering and lawsuits from people who felt they were denied Oscars for pictures that won.
Bob Yari sued the Academy and the Producers Guild claiming he wrongly lost out on a producer credit for ‘‘Crash,’’ which won best picture in 2006. The Academy also denied Brad Grey, now chairman of Paramount Pictures, and Brad Pitt producing Oscars for this year’s best picture, ‘‘The Departed.’’
The rules still say that ‘‘three or fewer producers who have performed the major portion of the producing functions’’ will be considered eligible nominees, but now a provision allows the Producers Branch Executive Committee to ‘‘name any additional qualified producer’’ in ‘‘what it determines to be a rare and extraordinary circumstance.’’
‘‘It’s very important to have a limit on the number of producers who can be nominated and potentially receive an Oscar statuette,’’ Ganis said. ‘‘But we also recognize that a truly unique situation could arise, and we want to have just enough flexibility to allow for that rare occurrence.’’
Another change involves defining an animated feature film as one that is at least 70 minutes long and uses a frame-by-frame technique to create characters’ movements.
NEW YORK — Did Tony help whack the Tonys? Viewership of Sunday’s 2007 Tony Awards telecast on CBS was 6.24 million, down 17 percent from last year, according to preliminary figures released Monday by the network, with a 4.2 rating and 7 share of the audience.
If that holds up when the final numbers are announced Tuesday, it will be the least-watched Tonys show ever. But then, between 8 and 9 p.m., the Tonys were up against the final episode of ‘‘The Sopranos’’ on HBO. ...
‘‘We always knew we had a particular challenge,’’ said Howard Sherman, executive director of the American Theatre Wing, which co-produces the Tonys. ‘‘We do know that while we were down from prior years, we also know that CBS overall still did very strongly for the night, relative to the other networks.
‘‘It is not every Sunday night in June that one of most acclaimed series in television history comes to an end,’’ Sherman added. ‘‘We applaud the achievements of ‘The Sopranos’ just as we applaud the achievements of the people working on Broadway every year.’’
Last year, the ratings for the Tony Awards show improved a bit over the 2005 telecast, reaching 7.71 million viewers for a 5.2 rating and 9 share of the audience.
Students honored by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Twelve students were honored with trophies and prize money Saturday for their short films at the 34th annual Student Academy Awards.
Actress Zooey Deschanel, director John Landis and Academy President Sid Ganis presented the awards at a ceremony at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars every year, presented the college students with awards in four categories. ...
Ben Wu from Stanford University won the gold medal in the documentary category for his film ‘‘Cross Your Eyes Keep Them Wide.’’
‘‘Art’s Desire’’ by New York University’s Sarah Wickliffe and ‘‘Mirage’’ by the School of Visual Art’s Youngwoong Jang tied for the gold medal in the animation category.
Winners get $5,000 for gold medals, $3,000 for silver medals and $2,000 for bronze.
The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to support college and university filmmakers. Past winners who have gone on to successful careers in Hollywood include Spike Lee, Robert Zemeckis, John Lasseter and Trey Parker.
A complete list of the winners in each category:
Alternative:
— Gold Medal: ‘‘Fission,’’ Kun-I Chang, School of Visual Arts, New York.
Animation:
— Gold Medal: ‘‘Art’s Desire,’’ Sarah Wickliffe, New York University and ‘‘Mirage,’’ Youngwoong Jang, School of Visual Arts, New York.
— Bronze Medal: ‘‘A Leg Up,’’ Bevin Carnes, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, Florida.
Documentary:
— Gold Medal: ‘‘Cross Your Eyes Keep Them Wide,’’ Ben Wu, Stanford University.
— Silver Medal: ‘‘Ladies of the Land,’’ Megan Thompson, New York University.
— Bronze Medal: ‘‘Lumo,’’ Bent-Jorgen S. Perlmutt and Nelson Walker III, Columbia University.
Narrative:
— Gold Medal: ‘‘Rundown,’’ Patrick Alexander, Florida State University.
— Silver Medal: ‘‘High Maintenance’’ Phillip Van, New York University.
— Bronze Medal: ‘‘Screening,’’ Anthony Green, New York University.
Honorary Foreign Student Film Award:
— ‘‘Nevermore,’’ Toke Constantin Hebbeln, Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.
NEW YORK — ‘‘The Coast of Utopia,’’ Tom Stoppard’s sprawling tale of 19th-century Russian intellectuals, and ‘‘Spring Awakening,’’ a pounding post-rock musical of teenage sexual anxiety, dominated the recently concluded Broadway season. And there’s no reason to believe they won’t do the same tonight at the 2007 Tony Awards when Broadway honors the best of what has been a surprisingly eclectic year, particularly for musicals. ...
Competing against ‘‘Spring Awakening’’ for the top musical prize are ‘‘Grey Gardens,’’ the story of an eccentric mother and daughter; ‘‘Curtains,’’ a jaunty musical whodunit; and ‘‘Mary Poppins,’’ a lavish look at a certain English nanny made famous in the Disney movie.
For best play, ‘‘Utopia’’ will face ‘‘Frost/Nixon,’’ Peter Morgan’s docudrama based on interviews between David Frost and Richard M. Nixon; ‘‘Radio Golf,’’ August Wilson’s final chapter in his epic look at the black experience in 20th-century America; and ‘‘The Little Dog Laughed,’’ Douglas Carter Beane’s satiric examination of Hollywood hypocrisy.
Business was robust on Broadway during the 2006-2007 season as both grosses ($939 million) and attendance rose, with the number of theatergoers topping the 12-million mark for the second year in a row. Thirty-five productions opened during the year, including 12 new musicals and 11 new plays, according to the League of American Theatres and Producers.
‘‘We are fortunate that this season was marked by sensational new musicals and plays, offering audiences a diversity of shows to enjoy,’’ said Charlotte St. Martin, the league’s executive director. ‘‘We believe that this diversity is one of the strongest reasons why Broadway has had such a record year with attendance.’’
Even so, the 2006-07 season did not include any box-office bonanzas such as ‘‘Wicked’’ or ‘‘Jersey Boys,’’ megahits from previous seasons that even today remain hot tickets. Yet ‘‘Spring Awakening’’ has done steady, if not sellout business, while ‘‘The Coast of Utopia’’ (now closed) was a sturdy seller during its limited engagement at the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater. And such different productions as ‘‘Mary Poppins,’’ ‘‘A Chorus Line,’’ ‘‘Frost/Nixon,’’ ‘‘Inherit the Wind’’ and ‘‘The Year of Magical Thinking’’ have managed to pull in respectable numbers of theatergoers.
The 2007 Tonys, broadcast by CBS from Radio City Music Hall, include 25 competitive categories and were voted on by 785 members of the theatrical community. The awards were founded in 1947 by the American Theatre Wing which now produces the show with the League of American Theatres and Producers.
The Latin Recording Academy, Univision Network, Mandalay Bay and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced today that the 8th annual Latin Grammy Awards will take center stage at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Thursday, Nov. 8. This marks the first time Las Vegas will host the international showcase of Latin music. ...
The Latin Grammy Awards ceremony previously has been held in Miami, Los Angeles and New York.
Nominations for this year's Latin Grammys will be announced Aug. 29.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Travel Industry Association of America, Las Vegas ranks as the nation's top destination for Hispanics. Last year, approximately 2.4 million U.S. Hispanics visited the city and spent about $1.7 billion on non-gaming activities, making it the ideal location for the Latin Grammys.
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Paris Hilton expressed fear about her upcoming jail sentence while making a surprise visit to the MTV Movie Awards, saying she was "scared" but ready to do the time.
"I am trying to be strong right now," said Hilton, who wore a black strapless dress and jewels to the event Sunday. She stopped briefly to pose for photos and speak to reporters. ...
The hotel heiress, ordered to report to jail by Tuesday for violating for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case, said her family, friends and fans have helped her prepare for her nearly three-week sentence behind bars.
"I've received thousands of letters from around the world of support and it's really been inspirational and really helped me," she said. "I'm really scared but I'm ready to do this. And I hope that I'm an example to other young people."
Hilton could start serving her time at before Tuesday but did not tell reporters whether she would wait until the last moment.
Once she arrives, the "Simple Life" star will be housed in the jail's "special needs" unit.
"I did have a choice to go to a pay jail," said Hilton, without giving details. "But I declined because I feel like the media portrays me in a way that I'm not and that's why I wanted to go to county, to show that I can do it and I'm going to be treated like everyone else. I'm going to do the time, I'm going to do it the right way."
When Hilton was sentenced May 4, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ruled that she would not be allowed any work release, furloughs or use of an alternative jail or electronic monitoring in lieu of jail.
Though a judge sentenced her to 45 days behind bars, Hilton is expected to serve only 23 days because of a state law that requires shorter sentences for good behavior.
Hilton said the jail sentence had forced her to reflect.
"Even these past couple weeks, it's completely changed my life," she said. "Even though it's a scary thing I'm using it in a positive way and when I come out, I can't wait to start my new life and be even stronger than I am now."
Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said a statement would be issued after Hilton was incarcerated.
A call to Hilton's attorney, Howard Weitzman, was not returned Sunday. Her publicist, Elliot Mintz, was reached by e-mail and declined comment.
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Captain Jack Sparrow was the big winner at the MTV Movie Awards tonight as "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was named best movie and its star, Johnny Depp, won for best performance.
Depp joined "Pirates" producer Jerry Bruckheimer to accept the Golden Popcorn trophy.
"This is the man who did it all right here, Johnny Depp," Bruckheimer said. "Without him, we wouldn't be here."
"I'd like to thank this man and Disney for not firing me first," Depp quipped. ...
Other big winners during the live broadcast from the Gibson Amphitheater included Mike Myers, who won the MTV Generation Award, and Sacha Baron Cohen, who collected two trophies.
Cohen earned the comedic performance prize for his starring turn in "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan."
"Unfortunately, Borat can't be here tonight," he joked. "He's been feeling the pressures of fame and had to check himself into rehab."
Cohen also claimed best-kiss honors for his smooch with Will Ferrell in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." The two comedians shared a long, passionate kiss — culminating in a roll-around-on-the-floor makeout session — as they accepted their awards.
The movie prizes were almost upstaged by a star who wasn't nominated for any: Paris Hilton.
The heiress, who must report to Los Angeles County Jail by midnight Tuesday, caused a commotion when she arrived on the ruby carpet outside the amphitheater. Wearing a ruffled black dress and dazzling jewels, she flashed her trademark coy smile as she posed for photos and talked with reporters.
"I'm really scared but I'm ready to face my sentence," she said. "Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me, and that's really helpful."
Host Sarah Silverman cracked a crude joke at Hilton's expense to open the show. When the camera panned to Hilton, she was not smiling.
Then the focus turned to films. MTV's irreverent mix of honors includes prizes for best fight and best villain, plus awards for aspiring filmmakers.
Jack Nicholson was the winning villain, capturing the Golden Popcorn trophy for his mobster role in "The Departed." The fight prize went to Gerard Butler, who battled "The Uber Immortal" in the epic "300."
The breakthrough performance prize went to 9-year-old Jaden Smith, who starred opposite his father, Will Smith, in "The Pursuit of Happyness." He accepted his award by video from Toronto with his dad by his side and his mom behind the camera.
The two-hour program was punctuated by musical performances. Rihanna and Jay-Z paired up on her new song "Umbrella," and soul songstress Amy Winehouse sang her megahit, "Rehab."
The 16-year-old awards show unveiled two new categories Sunday: best movie spoof and best summer movie you haven't seen yet. Andy Signore, a filmmaker from Pennsylvania, won for "United 300," a hybrid spoof of "300" and "United 93."
"Transformers," due July 3, was named the best as-yet-unseen summer film.
MTV viewers voted by telephone, text message and Internet to choose the winners in all categories.
List of winners of the 2007 MTV Movie Awards:
Best Movie: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
Performance: Johnny Depp, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
Breakthrough performance: Jaden Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness"
Comedic performance: Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
Kiss: Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"
Villain: Jack Nicholson, "The Departed"
Fight: Gerard Butler vs. "The Uber Immortal," "300"
Summer movie you haven't seen: "Transformers"
mtvU best filmmaker on campus: Josh Greenbaum, University of Southern California
Movie spoof: Andy Signore, "United 300"
MTV Generation Award: Mike Myers
Rehabbing Lindsay Lohan to miss tonight's MTV Movie Awards
By SANDY COHEN
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Victoria Beckham, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Jessica Biel and Bruce Willis were among the celebrities poised to pass the popcorn at tonight's 16th annual MTV Movie Awards, but Lindsay Lohan planned to pass the show. The actress, scheduled to be a presenter of the ceremony’s distinctive ‘‘Golden Popcorn’’ trophy before she checked into rehab last week, was skipping the telecast, her publicist confirmed.
Lohan sought treatment after a wild Memorial Day weekend during which she crashed her Mercedes-Benz into a curb, was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence and was photographed slumped in the passenger seat of a friend’s car. ...
Two ‘‘Dreamgirls’’ stars, Oscar winner and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson and Grammy winner Beyonce Knowles, are in the running for best performance at the Sunday night awards, scheduled for live broadcast on MTV from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City. Sarah Silverman is set to host.
Also nominated in the best performance category are Will Smith for ‘‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’’ Keira Knightley for ‘‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’’ and Gerard Butler for ‘‘300.’’
Smith’s 9-year-old son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, was nominated for breakthrough performance for his role opposite his father in ‘‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’’ Other nominees in that category included Justin Timberlake for ‘‘Alpha Dog’’ and ‘‘Little Miss Sunshine’’ star Abigail Breslin.
Films nominated for best movie were ‘‘300,’’ ‘‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,’’ ‘‘Blades of Glory,’’ ‘‘The Devil Wears Prada,’’ ‘‘Little Miss Sunshine’’ and ‘‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.’’
The blood-soaked ‘‘300’’ garnered a leading five nominations, followed by ‘‘Dead Man’s Chest’’ with four.
Sacha Baron Cohen, a k a Borat, was up for three awards, including best comedic performance, best fight (with Ken Davitian) and best kiss (with Will Ferrell in ‘‘Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby’’).
The MTV Movie Awards were chosen by fans, who voted online and by text message.
'Babel,’ ’Ugly Betty’ lead honors at ALMA awards for Hispanic artists
PASADENA, Calif. — ‘‘Babel’’ won four awards, including outstanding motion picture, while the quirky TV comedy ‘‘Ugly Betty’’ also captured multiple honors Friday at the 2007 ALMA Awards, which honor achievements by Hispanic artists. ...
‘‘Babel,’’ which wove together stories in several languages on three continents, also earned the movie director award for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, movie actress honor for Adriana Barraza and outstanding screenplay for Guillermo Arriaga.
The outstanding movie actor was Jesse Garcia for his work in ‘‘Quinceanera.’’
‘‘Babel’’ was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won an Oscar for best score this year.
‘‘Ugly Betty’’ earned the ALMA award for outstanding television series, miniseries or TV movie. Based on a Colombian telenovela, the ABC comedy-drama centers on a dowdy young Latina with a blazing spirit who intends to make her mark on the world.
Its star, America Ferrera, was named outstanding actress, Ana Ortiz earned the supporting actress award and Silvio Horta received a writing nod for the pilot.
The National Council of La Raza, the country’s largest Hispanic advocacy organization, created the ALMA Awards in 1995 to honor Hispanic performers and promote positive images of Hispanics in entertainment. ALMA stands for American Latino Media Arts and also means ‘‘soul’’ in Spanish.
The awards were presented at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The ceremony will be televised Tuesday on ABC.
