Rapper Kanye West, who was nominated in five categories in the 27th annual Chicago Music Awards, captured all five Sunday night at the ceremony at Park West.
West captured awards for Pop Entertainer of the Year, Best Hip Hop/Rap CD, Best Hip Hop/Rap Entertainer, Songwriter of the Year and Record Producer of the Year. Academy-Award winning “Dream Girls” star Jennifer Hudson won for Best Female Vocalist. Rock stars Wilco swept the Rock categories by winning both the Best Rock Entertainer and Best Rock CD of the Year. Others who walked away winners included Otis Clay, Best Male Vocalist; Phil Guy, Best Blues Entertainer; Koko Taylor, Best Blues CD for “Old School” and Darius Brooks & The Tommies for Best Gospel Entertainer.
Following are the winners and special awardees for the 27th Chicago Music Awards:
1.
Pop Entertainer of the Year- Sponsored by NBC 5 Chicago
Kanye West
2.
R&B Entertainer of the Year
Chi-Lites
3.
Best New Entertainer
Ekklesia
4.
Best Female Vocalist
Jennifer Hudson
5.
Best Male Vocalist
Otis Clay
6.
Best Reggaeton Entertainer
P.R. ism (Puerto Rican ism)
7.
Best Classical Entertainer
Rachel Barton Pine
8.
Best Reggae Album/CD- Sponsored by Caribbean Shipping & Postal
“Ifficial”- Ifficial Reggae Movement
9.
Best Reggae Entertainer- Sponsored by ReggaeLink – Power92FM/Uncle Joe’s Jerk
Indika ft. Bunny Jackson/U-Roy
10.
Most Popular Reggae Club
Wild Hare
11.
Best Calypso/Soca Entertainer- Sponsored by Leroy Viamille – Remax Realty
Danki Man
12.
Best Blues Entertainer
Phil Guy
13.
Best Blues Album/CD- Sponsored by Kingston Mines Club
“Old School”- Koko Taylor
14.
Most Popular Blues Club
Kingston Mines
15.
Best Rock Entertainer
Wilco
16.
Best Rock Album/CD- Sponsored by Gatling Community Development, Inc.
“Sky Blue Sky”- Wilco
17.
Most Popular Rock Club- Sponsored by Reggie’s Rock Club/Record Breakers
Elbo Room
18.
Best Jazz Entertainer- Sponsored by Robert L. Scott & Assoc.
Dee Alexander
19.
Best Jazz Album/CD- Sponsored by Ideal Health- Toni & Richard Haynes
“Folk Music”- Deep Blue Organ Trio
20.
Most Popular Jazz Club
Andy’s Jazz Club
21.
Best Spoken Word/Poet
Malik Yusef
22.
Best African Entertainer
Ugoch
23.
Comedian of the Year
Larry Reeb
24.
Best Latin Entertainer- Sponsored by Share Your Soles
Bandoleros
25.
Best Gospel Entertainer- Sponsored by Gatling Community Development, Inc.
Darius Brooks & the Tommies
26.
Best Gospel Album/CD
“Jesus Got Me Off”- The Pilgrim Jubilees
27.
Best Country/Western Entertainer
Dayna Malow
28.
Most Outstanding Dance Group
M.A.D.D. Rhythms
29.
Best Hip Hop/Rap Entertainer
Kanye West
30.
Best Hip Hop/Rap Album/CD
“Graduation”- Kanye West
31.
A.O.H. for Contribution to World Beat Music- Sponsored by Chicago Gazette
Roots Rock Society
32.
Best Polka Entertainer
Eddie Blazoncyk’s Versatones
33.
Most Talented Kid(s) Under 12yrs
SEI Infinity
34.
Most Talented Teen(s) 12yrs-19yrs- Sponsored by Tanya’s Bath & Body
Jamiah “On Fire” Rogers
35.
Record Producer of the Year- Sponsored by Herbert Witter – Insurance Brokers, Inc.
Kanye West
36.
Songwriter of the Year- Sponsored by Bulger & Ivy, P.C.
Kanye West
37.
Record Label of the Year
Kingdoms Records
38.
Most Popular Entertainment Club
John Barleycorn
39.
Best Music Video Show
Mystic Vibes
40.
Most Outstanding Band or Group
Mississippi Heat
41.
Most Popular Music Radio
B-96 (96.3 FM)
42.
Most Popular College Music Radio
WDCB (90.9 FM)
SPECIAL AWARDEES:
Special Lifetime Achievement Awardees: Dave Green, J.B. Ross, LaDonna Tittle, Lafayette & Marguerite Gatling, Richard Steel, The Steelers
Award of Honorees: Fanny Brown, Screamin’ Rachael (Rachael Cain), Willie Wilson
Producer’s Award of Excellence: Phil Guy
Two Chicago-area players in My Grammy Moment semifinals
The winnowing continues on the way to this year's "My Grammy Moment" contest. Now we're down to 15 musicians competing for a chance to play with the Foo Fighters during next month's Grammy telecast.
And congrats to the two Illinois musicians — Andrew Pearson and Michelle Morales — among the semifinalists! See their videos below ...
These 15 semifinalists are guaranteed a spot in the Foo Fighters’ orchestra and will fly to Los Angeles during Gramy Week to rehearse and perform with the band.
The three finalists that will vie for a "featured performance" slot in the orchestra will be announced on Feb. 4, and music fans will have another opportunity to vote on YouTube and via text messaging during the show to pick their favorite musician. You can view the video submissions of the 15 instrumentalists now on YouTube.
The semifinalists are as follows:
— Luis Alberto (23, username: luisgma), Hattiesburg, Minn. -
Violin
— Lisa Dondlinger (33, username: LisaGirl2008), Winnetka, Calif.
- Violin
— Brian Fitzgerald (23, username: brianfitzrock), Coatsville,
Penn. - Violin
— Christine Wu (31, username: LAstrings), Santa Monica, Calif. -
Violin
— Tina Guo (22, username: demix500), Sun Valley, Calif. - Cello
— Rami Hachache (18, username: totalrocketsauce), Los Angeles -
Trumpet
— Jennifer Heilig (25, username: jenniebenn), Bonsall, Calif. -
Violin
— Jeffrey Hughes (25, username: MaestroJeffHughes), Denver -
Violin
— Tara Klein (27, username: taraklein1027), Cleveland, Ohio -
Cello
— Emily Palen (29, username: Emilypalen), Oakland, Calif. -
Violin
— Cameron Summers (23, username: casummers), New York - Trumpet
— Ann Marie Calhoun (28, username: theboggster), Gordonsville,
Va. - Violin
— Abigail Wilenksy (21, username: bonsaifir), Nashville - Violin
And of course, our local heroes, with their YouTube videos:
— Andrew Pearson (18, username: vonditchman), Batavia, Ill. -
Violin. Pearson is a member of the local band 8 Bit Trio.
— Michelle Morales (27, username: michellecello), Chicago -
Cello. Morales is also in a local band, called The Loneliest Monk.
Nominees Feist, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley and the casts of "The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil" and the film "Across The Universe" in a special Beatles segment are the latest performers for the 50th annual Grammy Awards telecast, announced today by The Recording Academy.
Eight-time Grammy winner Natalie Cole, 12-time Latin Grammy winner Juanes, Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper, three-time Grammy winner Bette Midler and nine-time Grammy winner Bonnie Raitt will appear as presenters.
Previously announced performers include Beyoncé; Foo Fighters (with special guest conductor John Paul Jones); Carrie Underwood; Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, the Clark Sisters, Israel And New Breed, and Trin-I-Tee 5:7 in a special gospel segment; and Rihanna with a reunited The Time in a special 50th anniversary segment.
This is a little PR-ish, but I've always found these annual CD releases to be helpful for those with a genuine interest in the Grammys. Today, the "2008 Grammy Nominees" CD was released — a decent round-up of tracks and artists nominated for this year's prizes.
Don't you wish the Academy would do this for the Oscars? A DVD compilation of the year's nominated films — what a box-office booster that would be!
This is the 14th edition in the best-selling CD series. A portion of the sales will benefit the MusiCares Foundation and the Grammy Foundation.
This year's disc features, once again, two Chicago-native artists: the omnipresent Kanye West and award-show faves the Plain White T's.
Here's the tracklist for the "2008 Grammy Nominees" CD, and the award(s) the song is nominated for:
1. Justin Timberlake
"What Goes Around…Comes Around (Interlude)"
Record Of The Year
2. Amy Winehouse
"Rehab"
Record Of The Year
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Album Of The Year
Song Of The Year
3. Beyoncé
"Irreplaceable"
Record Of The Year
4. Foo Fighters
"The Pretender"
Record Of The Year
Album Of The Year
5. Maroon 5
"Makes Me Wonder"
Best Pop Vocal Album
6. Feist
"1234"
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
7. Bon Jovi
"(You Want To) Make A Memory"
Best Pop Vocal Album
8. Paul McCartney
"Dance Tonight"
Best Pop Vocal Album
9. Christina Aguilera
"Candyman"
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
10. Nelly Furtado
"Say It Right"
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
11. Kanye West Featuring T-Pain
"Good Life"
Album Of The Year
12. Herbie Hancock
"River" Featuring Corinne Bailey Rae
Album Of The Year
13. Vince Gill (Guest Vocalist: Sheryl Crow)
"What You Give Away"
Album Of The Year
14. Carrie Underwood
"Before He Cheats"
Song Of The Year
15. Plain White T's
"Hey There Delilah"
Song Of The Year
16. Corinne Bailey Rae
"Like A Star"
Song Of The Year
17. Green Day
"Working Class Hero"
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
18. Daughtry
"It's Not Over"
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
19. Nickelback
"If Everyone Cared"
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
20. The White Stripes
"Icky Thump"
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
21. U2
"Instant Karma"
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
The 50th annual Grammy Awards are coming up: Feb. 10 in Los Angeles, broadcast live on CBS.
The 48-year-old actress was escorted from the ballroom at the Hyatt Regency in Century City on Saturday night after sparring with Julian Schnabel, who was nominated for ‘‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.’’
‘‘Actress Sean Young voluntarily admitted herself yesterday to a rehabilitation center for treatment related to alcoholism,’’ a statement from Insignia PR said today. ‘‘It is understood that Young has struggled against the disease for many years.’’
At the DGAs, all of the film nominees get a chance to say a few words before the top prize is announced. Schnabel, in his trademark yellow-tinted glasses, was a bit slow to start, looking down at the podium and running his hands through his wild, curly hair.
That’s when Young could be heard throughout the room urging him to get on with it. Apparently rattled, Schnabel scanned the room and asked who said that, then spotted Young and suggested that she ‘‘have another cocktail.’’
Then he suggested that she should finish his speech for him and started walking off the stage. Music began playing for his exit, but the audience urged him to stay and keep speaking, and he did. Young, meanwhile, was removed from the ballroom.
The guild said in a statement today: ‘‘The DGA wishes to respect Ms. Young’s privacy at this difficult time and declines further comment.’’
Joel and Ethan Coen were the winners for ‘‘No Country for Old Men.’’
Young made her name in the 1980s with films like ‘‘Stripes,’’ ‘‘Blade Runner’’ and ‘‘No Way Out.’’ But she’s become more famous for some of her more bizarre behavior, including dressing up in a homemade cat suit in her quest to secure the role of Catwoman in the 1992 sequel ‘‘Batman Returns,’’ which went to Michelle Pfeiffer.
She also tried to crash the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2006.
‘‘It was degrading,’’ she said in an Entertainment Weekly article last year. ‘‘But when you have nothing to lose, it’s really not that big of a deal.’’
One film has an oblique ending that’s left some viewers dissatisfied and others floored by its profundity. The other features a slowly developing plot and a brutal, operatically violent finale.
‘‘No Country for Old Men’’ and ‘‘There Will Be Blood’’ are both gorgeous and bold, expertly crafted and intelligently acted. But most moviegoers have seen neither of them — and they never will — even though they’re the two leading contenders for best picture at the Academy Awards.
Oscar-nominated films are often small, dark and unintended for mass audiences; they’re about art, after all, not commerce. But that’s especially true of this year’s crop, which has little mainstream buzz and among the lowest box-office totals in recent years.
(The exception, of course, is the crowd-pleasing comedy ‘‘Juno,’’ starring the hugely appealing Ellen Page as a quick-witted, pregnant teen. It had a budget of about $2.5 million and just crossed the $100 million mark at the box office. It is far and away the most financially successful of the five.)
Four of the movies nominated last week for best picture — ‘‘Juno,’’ ‘‘Michael Clayton,’’ ‘‘No Country for Old Men’’ and ‘‘There Will Be Blood’’ — got the so-called ‘‘Oscar bump’’ that comes from audiences checking them out the following weekend. (The sweeping romance ‘‘Atonement’’ dropped slightly.)
Still, they’ve only combined to make about $246.3 million domestically. In contrast, ‘‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’’ already had grossed about $364 million all by itself by the time it won best picture in 2004.
In terms of ticket sales, about 7.3 million people have seen ‘‘No Country’’ (from Miramax and Paramount Vantage, a division of Viacom Inc.) and 2 million have seen ‘‘There Will Be Blood’’ (also from Paramount Vantage), compared with the approximately 51 million who saw the third ‘‘Rings’’ picture in theaters by Oscar night.
‘‘I had someone ask me the other day, ‘Are academy voters out of touch in honoring these films that aren’t popular with audiences?’’’ said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracker Media By Numbers. ‘‘But they’re not supposed to be popular. They’re honoring the cinematic merit of these films. (Or else) ‘Spider-Man 3’ would have the most nominations. ...
‘‘I always say it’s either cinematic fast food or cinematic fine dining — you pick what you want,’’ Dergarabedian added. ‘‘And Oscar tends to honor the films that give a cinematic fine dining experience.’’
The 2006 nominees did a bit better with a cumulative gross of about $297 million, thanks largely to the winner, ‘‘The Departed,’’ which ended up with more than $132 million. ‘‘The Departed’’ also had a revered director in Martin Scorsese and an all-star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.
The nominees from 2005 combined for about $245 million with the winner, the ensemble drama ‘‘Crash,’’ making only about $55 million. But that year had huge buzz thanks to ‘‘Brokeback Mountain,’’ the gay cowboy romance, which had America talking regardless of their interest in art-house films. The perceived front-runner until the moment the envelope was opened, it made $83 million.
But it’s not just the contenders in the best picture category that are drawing specialized crowds. ‘‘Michael Clayton’’ is the only film with multiple acting nominations: for its star, George Clooney, and supporting actors Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton. The suspenseful corporate thriller from first-time director Tony Gilroy has made a decent $41.5 million.
‘‘Away From Her,’’ which has made a best-actress front-runner of Julie Christie as a wife suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, made just under $16 million in limited release last year. ‘‘La Vie en Rose,’’ the Edith Piaf biopic, has grossed only about $10 million, despite a wildly heralded performance from best-actress nominee Marion Cotillard.
The languid Western ‘‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,’’ with its creepy, nuanced supporting turn from nominee Casey Affleck, hasn’t even made $4 million. And the experimental ‘‘I’m Not There,’’ which features six different people playing various incarnations of Bob Dylan — including supporting-actress nominee Cate Blanchett — made just about $3.5 million in its limited run.
‘‘They’re not simple fare,’’ said Boo Allen, a Dallas-based film critic and historian.
‘‘The average moviegoer might hear that Brad Pitt is playing Jesse James, then they hear from someone who’s seen it that it’s two and a half hours long and very slow, it’s more of a character study than a shoot ’em up, and it just doesn’t touch a nerve,’’ said Allen, who chose ‘‘La Vie en Rose’’ as his favorite film this season. ‘‘Something like ‘Juno,’ that touches a nerve. You hear people say it’s funny, it’s about a teenager who gets pregnant. Jennifer Garner’s in it, Jason Bateman’s in it, the little girl’s really funny. That lends itself to word of mouth and draws people in.’’
While they haven’t exactly been boffo in terms of box office, this year’s awards contenders are undeniably strong in terms of art. Veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins, who’s up for two Oscars for ‘‘No Country’’ and ‘‘Jesse James,’’ compared the nominees to the kinds of films that pushed boundaries in the 1970s.
‘‘It’s one of the best years because there’s so many intelligent films that are provocative. They’re actually about something as well as being entertaining,’’ said Deakins, the longtime Coen brothers collaborator, who’s also been nominated for the more mainstream ‘‘The Shawshank Redemption.’’
‘‘It really makes you feel part of a real cinema,’’ he added. ‘‘There’s brilliant, brilliant people out there.’’
Life just got a lot easier for the head of the Recording Academy.
Last month, Neil Portnow vowed to stage a full-scale Grammy Awards show with or without support from the striking writers guild.
He’ll find it a lot easier to live up to that pledge now that the Writers Guild of America has agreed to let its members work the show on Feb. 10.
Portnow called the guild’s decision Monday gratifying, and promised a 50th anniversary show ‘‘with an amazing lineup of artists and performances.’’
With the guild’s board of directors deciding to sign an interim agreement for the awards ceremony, the Grammys will escape the fate that befell this month’s Golden Globes.
The Globes were stripped of stars and pomp when the guild wouldn’t agree to an interim deal and the Screen Actors Guild encouraged its members to boycott the ceremony, which was reduced to a news conference.
The agreement allowing guild-covered writing for the Grammys is in support of union musicians and also will help advance writers’ quest for ‘‘a fair contract,’’ the guild said in a statement.
‘‘Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media,’’ Patric M. Verrone, president of the guild’s West Coast branch, said in the statement.
Payment for projects distributed via the Internet is a central issue in the contract dispute between the writers union and the alliance that represents studios.
Informal talks began last week between the union and several studio chiefs in an effort to resolve the nearly three-month-old strike that has disrupted movie and TV production. Formal negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down in early December.
During the impasse, the Directors Guild of America reached a tentative deal with the alliance that addressed new-media issues and created pressure for the writers to resume talks.
The writers guild has agreed to allow next month’s NAACP Image Awards to proceed with guild support, a courtesy also granted to Sunday night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards.
But the guild has declined a waiver for the Academy Awards, raising doubts about how the Feb. 24 ceremony will be staged if the strike continues and actors stage a boycott. The ceremony’s producer has vowed the show will go on, hinting it could be padded with clips from 80 years of Oscar history if writers and stars do not cooperate.
'We did a freaky little movie' — overheard at the SAGs
A few quotes overhead at tonight's Screen Actors Guild Awards ...
"The Coen brothers are freaky little people, and we did a freaky little movie — whether you liked the ending or not. So thank you." — Josh Brolin accepting the Screen Actors Guild movie cast award for "No Country for Old Men."
"Good evening everyone and welcome to the most glamorous and exciting evening in the history of the world." — Steve Carell, introducing Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards.
"When someone asked the great character actor Sir Ralph Richardson how he did what he did at age 83, he replied, 'I don't know, I'm just getting the hang of it.' And that's how I feel. I'm just getting the hang of it." — Charles Durning, accepting the Screen Actors Guild's lifetime achievement award.
"It's been a dream come true. A dream that began when I watched the movies of the great character actors of my time. Actors like Claude Raines, Lee J. Cobb, Frank Morgan and King Kong." — Durning, reflecting on his long acting career.
"Thank you, guys, for hiring me and thank you for taking the hard work of choosing the good takes instead of the ones where I really sucked." Javier Bardem, thanking his directors, the Coen brothers, while accepting the SAG Award for supporting actor in a movie.
"To be here with so many people I admire and respect, it's so humbling." Ellen Page, nominated for best actress for the teen pregnancy comedy "Juno."
"If you've seen me on the show with Alec Baldwin, then you know it's sort of like watching Fred Astaire dance with a hat rack and after a while you're like, 'Oh, that hat rack is pretty good too.' And you've given an award to the hat rack and I thank you." — Tina Fey accepting the award for female actor in a comedy series.
"I remember from last year that when I went back to work I couldn't extend my biceps." Jenna Fischer, who shared an award for comedy series cast for "The Office," commenting on the heft of the Screen Actors Guild award, which weighs in at more than 20 pounds.
"I do 10 reps once a year." — Tina Fey, using her SAG award to do arm curls backstage.
"It's my first time holding one of these boys." — Supporting actress winner Ruby Dee.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie caused a stir among even their fellow stars as Hollywood's hottest couple made their way into tonight's Screen Actors Guild Awards.
"I've never been this close to them," gushed Eva Longoria, who craned her neck to catch a glimpse. "Oh my gosh, she's stunning."
Pitt and Jolie stayed on the other side of the carpet from most reporters, delighting screaming bleacher fans by signing autographs and posing for photos.
VIGGO IN HIGH FASHION: Viggo Mortensen, nominated for a leading actor Oscar for "Eastern Promises," turned his share of heads tonight when he arrived sporting a full beard and decked out in a flashy blue-and-red, pinstriped tuxedo.
"Look at you!" said fellow Oscar nominee Javier Bardem as he stopped to say hello on the red carpet. Christopher Walken simply greeted Mortensen with a kiss.
A SOPRANOS REUNION: It was reunion time backstage when 15 principal members of "The Sopranos" cast showed up to claim their trophies for best TV drama ensemble.
"Do we get one now?" Steve Schirripa asked excitedly.
"Yea, we get one now!" Lorraine Bracco exclaimed when she caught site of the hardware.
Only one award was handed out on stage, so the group had rushed back in search of the other 14.
As they lingered by the awards table, cast members also did some stargazing.
"Mary Hart, how are you?" Schirripa bellowed when he saw the "Entertainment Tonight" anchor.
"He's very shy," quipped co-star Edie Falco.
Steven Van Zandt was particularly excited to see Javier Bardem, who won for supporting movie actor for "No Country For Old Men."
"He's the best," said Van Zandt, who also doubles as Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band guitarist.
Meanwhile, Dan Grimaldi stayed true to "Sopranos" character when he noted how heavy the trophies were.
"If a fight breaks out, we're in good shape," he said.
POWER OUT: Power went out backstage 30 minutes into the awards show tonight, with just three trophies presented.
Backstage monitors went out, leaving those behind the scenes unaware of what was happening onstage. That left show personnel to shout out the winners of each category since microphones weren't working.
It was the sixth time the power went down during the evening.
Meanwhile, the on-air show continued uninterrupted during a stormy evening that saw the red carpet outside the Shine Auditorium tented in plastic.
That makeshift tent came in handy when it rained off and on as the stars made their way inside.
———
OUT OF WORK AND BORED: There's nothing like being unemployed to make an actor bored.
"It's weird not working," said Andrea Bowen of "Desperate Housewives." ''It makes you feel unstable."
Sara Ramirez of "Grey's Anatomy" has moved back to New York during the writers strike. "I don't feel like there is a reason to be in L.A.," she said. "I've been going to see tons of theater."
Judith Light of "Ugly Betty" has been spending time in Aspen, Colo., where she co-owns a restaurant.
Amanda Bynes of "Hairspray" has been playing with her dog and going to the movies. "I do get bored," she said. "I enjoy working."
FIRST-TIMERS: Ellen Page, Nikki Blonsky and Marion Cotillard were among the first-timers.
Page and Cotillard competed against each other for leading female actor in a motion picture. They're were nominated in the same category for next month's Oscars.
"To be here with so many people I admire and respect, it's so humbling," said Page, a 20-year-old who starred in the teen pregnancy comedy "Juno." ''It's hard to wrap my head around. I'm speechless."
Cotillard, the French actress who played Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," said she loves new experiences "and this is a very new experience."
Blonsky was shut out of a nomination for the Golden Globes, SAG awards and Oscars, but she shared a SAG cast nomination for "Hairspray."
"This is amazing," she said. "I'm looking at the cast of 'The Sopranos' right now. I really feel honored."
