Globes, Oscars Feel the Wrath of the WGA

The looming question as to whether the writer's strike will effect awards show programming has been answered. It all began with a tiny snowflake that has slowly, slowly tumbled down the Hollywood Hills resulting in a giant snowball that threatens to push the Academy Awards back into the spring, and perhaps derail the Golden Globes all together.

Initially, the WGA denied a request from the Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes) to use union writers for scripted portions of the show and the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences was denied the ability to use previous awards show footage, reports Deadline Hollywood Daily.

Hollywood Today indicates that the Screen Actors Guild has been encouraging its members to boycott major awards shows like the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. This includes targeting awards nominees themselves, which could mean that no big stars will grace the red carpet or be around to make acceptance speeches. The guild defends it stance by stating, "We will continue to do everything in our power to bring industry negotiations to a fair conclusion. In the meantime, we are grateful for the ongoing support of the Hollywood talent community."

In a later report, Hollywood Today put a number on the face of those actors that will not cross the picket line in support of their own work at the upcoming Golden Globes. That number is astonishing in it's solidarity; seventy actors refuse to participate in the show. Now seventy may not seem like a lot, but it represents every last nominated actor. Every single one. I think the Golden Globes are in trouble.

No WGA Waivers for Globes or Oscars (and Other News From Tonights Meeting) [Deadline Hollywood Daily]

Final: No Stars for Golden Globes as Striking Writers, Actors Say No Telecast and Globes: 70 Stars Say We Won't Go [Hollywood Today]

SAG Adds Stunts to its Nominee Roster

After recently viewing the bonus features on The Kingdom DVD, it was clear to me why SAG decided to recognize exceptional stunt work in film and television. The film is more CSI: Saudi Arabia than a commentary about the devastation of war.

Director, Peter Berg (adorable as Dexter Rutecki in Aspen Extreme), choreographs a heart-stopping car chase that propels the story forward just when you thought it was winding down. The talent of the stunt crew is evident when you learn that much of The Kingdom was filmed using hand held cameras. It really is a credit to the Screen Actors Guild to ask the actors that work with these stunt ensembles to select a movie or TV series that otherwise may not get recognized in an already established category. Good thinkin' SAG!

The Bourne Ultimatum, I Am Legend, 300 and The Pirates if the Caribbean: At World's End were nominated alongside The Kingdom in the categories of Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series. Heroes, 24, Lost, Rome and The Unit received nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture.

The stunt winners will be presented with their awards on the red carpet just prior to the show on January 27, 2008 as part of a pre-show web cast on TNT.com and TBS.com.

Check for a full listing of the SAG Awards nominations on their website.

Globe Nominations Leave Oscar Race More Uncertain

After months of speculation, the announcement of the 65th annual Golden Globe nominations this morning has left one thing clear, Atonement, is a bonafide front runner and Oscar contender. The film, based on the novel by Ian McEwan, received seven nominations including Best Motion Picture - Drama and actress and actor nods for Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. The uncertainty presents itself when we examine what films were missed for Golden Globe recognition.

Into the Wild was completely overlooked in all categories except Best Original Score and Best Original Song. Whether this quashes any hope for Academy Award nomination or actually opens the film up for Oscar contention is yet to be seen. The same theory may also hold true for other overlooked movies such as Knocked Up and Waitress. Who needs a golden globe when you can have a golden man?

Another interesting snub comes in the form of Homer Simpson. As a longstanding television show (having stood the longest throughout prime time series history), The Simpsons have never been nominated for a Golden Globe in any television category, ever. Despite being entwined in superlative hell, The Simpsons Movie captured the hearts and minds of the Hollywood Foreign Press voters and snagged a nomination over weaker competition (read Alvin and the Chipmunks and Meet the Robinsons). Improvement is still needed in the realm of motion capture when what should be a visually stunning film like Beowolf fails to impress against more traditional animation. As for Shrek the Third, three times just wasn't a charm.

The 80th Annual Academy Award nominations will be revealed on January 22, 2008. Let's hold any unfounded speculation until that time.

Send Your Best Poetry To Writer's Digest

The Writer's Digest writing competitions run fast and furious nearly all year long, however, this one offers an opportunity for poets alone and it's the only one of its kind. Submit your poetry by the Dec. 20th deadline, and keep it under 32 lines. The entry fee is $10 and the first place prize is $500. First through tenth place will also be published in the August 2008 issue of Writer's Digest. For more info on how you can receive recognition for the poet within, visit their website!

Can Awards Success Equal Superstar Status?

Writer Stefania Marghitu, over at the Indiana Daily Student (idsnews.com) brings up a valid point. Do the big time awards shows and the accolades we bestow upon actors, directors and musicians really make a difference throughout the life of their career?

Marghitu takes the position that these awards don't matter, and in the grand scheme of things they probably don't.....much. But in the wide world of entertainment, they do mean a heck of a lot more than Marghitu lets on.

Take Lily Allen for instance. She has released one album, Alright, Still (2006 in the U.K. and 2007 in the U.S.). This album earned Allen a BRIT Awards nomination, was certified triple-platinum on the U.K. charts and gold in the U.S. These are significant achievements in the music industry and with no sophmoric release to date we can hardly name Allen a falling star. In fact, she was recently nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award in the Best Alternative Music category, which she may even stand a good chance of winning (up against Bjork, The White Stripes, The Shins and Arcade Fire).

Another alleged victim of the awards show "curse" as described by Marghitu is Cuba Gooding Jr. In 1997 he was nominated and won the Academy Award for his supporting actor role as Rod Tidwell in Jerry McGuire. Since that time, various movies in which he held roles have gone on to exceptional box office success (which translates to marketability), including Pearl Harbor (over $198 mil.), As Good As it Gets (over $148 mil.) and critically acclaimed American Gangster ($46.3 mil in the first three days).

Because I have a blog which is entirely based on awards and awards shows, I may be a little biased as to whether or not they play a part in launching an artist into the stratosphere. I'd like to think that people tend to take notice when a performer puts on a kick-ass show on the CMA's or the Grammy's. Or, we're more likely to see a film that Felicity Huffman stars in because she won an Emmy for a role she played on TV.

Awards, schmawards [idsnews.com]

2007 Awards Season to Remember

The awards show season is in full swing, but 2007 is nearly over. I look to you, loyal readers to help remind me of some of your favorite/controversial/awkward/laughable awards show moments of this past year.

Britney horrified at the MTV Music Awards. Sarah Silverman skewered Paris Hilton during the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. The Dixie Chicks won big at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards despite coming under fire for previous anti-Bush comments, and Isaiah Washington made a few questionable comments of his own backstage at the Golden Globes.

Let me know which juicy-juicy contusions you'd like to relive for the 2007 Self-Injurious Awards Season Moments.

Will Winehouse Make it to the Grammy's?

Or, as an alternate blog heading....Why on Earth Was Winehouse Nominated Even Once, Let Alone Many, Many Times.

My conclusion: the Recording Academy does not read or watch TMZ.

If they did, it would be clear that the prospect of Amy Winehouse winning any of the six 2008 Grammy's for which she is now nominated, will cause more gastro-intestinal malaise than actually watching her perform on the show. If she shows up that is (her rep told People.com that she "is determined to be ready and well for that performance"). The singer is in rough shape. She flubbed a recent performance at the MTV Europe Awards and she's reportedly in rehab after clearing her calendar for 2007.

There she is, trying to break-out her imprisoned boyfriend, Blake Fielder-Civil so they can attend the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2008 together. Thanks, TMZ.

Other notable Grammy hopefuls include Kanye West with eight noms, Bruce Springsteen with four nominations, although not for album of the year!, and Carrie Underwood with two nominations.

American Idol or AMA's? You Decide.

I have to admit, I rather enjoyed the American Music Awards show last night. Maybe even a little bit more than the CMA's a couple of weeks ago. I guess I like my T-Pain mixed with a sprinklin' of Sugarland, not to mention the giant elephant in the room, which no one seemed to mention. Or acknowledge. Or recognize. Or thank in any way.

I'll mention it now. The AMA's are now known as the American Idol Music Awards. Heh.

It went something like this:

Within the first twenty minutes, AI alum took over the show. There was Kellie Pickler and Jordin Sparks dancin' all Soulja Boy with Jimmy Kimmel. Didn't Pickler look cute and all confused? Then Carrie Underwood won her first of three awards of the night including, Favorite Country Female Artist, Favorite Country Album and the fan favorite text-in and vote category sponsored by T-Mobile. Then Underwood presented the award for Favorite Breakthrough Artist to Daughtry headed by frontman, Chris Daughtry a former American Idol-er. Then Seacrest showed up sans frosted tips and yammered on about I can't remember.

Breathe.

Then Daughtry won two more awards and thanked the fans a million times. But not American Idol, which brought the fans in the first place. Then Fantasia was nominated for Favorite Female Soul/R&B but lost to Rihanna. In order to punctuate continued AI dominance, Daughtry performed an acoustic version of Home, with AMA awards as home decor.

Finally, the Dreamgirls soundtrack was nominated for Favorite Soundtrack and as you know, American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson is a dreamgirl. So there's that.

By the way, where was Zac Efron and were the Jonas Brothers' stage rush by two girls escorted off by security at the end of S.O.S. planned or did the teeny-boppers just want to stop the so-pitch-y-you-can't-sing singing?

Personally, I loved the performance of Kiss Kiss by Chris Brown, T-Pain and the reflective-tape dancers. The three man upside-down marionette ending was funky and fresh. Check out the video, although it doesn't do the performance justice with all the flash bulbs poppin' off. Word.

Chris Brown - Kiss Kiss live @ AMAs 2007
Uploaded by geronimos87

Watch the Eagles Tonight on CMA Awards

As if to fly directly in the face of my previous post in which I declared the same-old, same-old from the CMA Awards lineup and nominees, the Eagles will perform tonight (Nov. 7) for the first time ever. Ever. Ever, ever.

Except in 1993 when Don Henley flew solo, and performed the duet Walk Away Joe with Trisha Yearwood during the show. The hit single from Yearwood's first album was nominated as 1992 CMA's Vocal Event of the Year. In 1994, they won Album of the Year for the collaboration Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles with CMA heavy hitters including Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn. The performance tonight will likely showcase their current country music hit single How Long.

The Eagles have long been considered a significant influence on the flavor of country music, and their current success on the charts with "Long Road Out of Eden," proves they continue to have a strong following. Despite the lack of a studio release for nearly 30 years, the Eagles' album beat out "Blackout", the album from pop princess of questionable sanity, Britney Spears and took the top spot on the Billboard 200.

So, maybe I was wrong, or spoke to soon. Tonight just might remain Country Music's Biggest Night.

Eagles Fly Past Britney to Debut at No. 1 [Billboard.com]

The Eagles to Perform on CMA Awards [USA Today]

Eagles Ready for CMA Awards Debut [CMT.com]

Does Burton + Depp = Oscar for 'Sweeney Todd'?

When Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborate on a film, the result is often bizarre, ecclectic and surging with ghoulish delight. Together, the pair create one of the award-winningest super-threats of any actor/director team; theirs is a style that is incredibly well-suited. And the Oscar buzz has officially begun for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Now, I've seen the trailer for Sweeney Todd both online and in the theaters and it plays delightfully creepy on the big screen. The tension builds, and as Burton does so well, the color and saturation gets darker as the film progresses. Camera work becomes more erratic as the pace quickens and then ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (protracted high-pitched scream) Depp begins to sing. Okay. In the trailer he actually doesn't sound half bad. Maybe even fairly decent singing. But will this risk -- a singing Johnny Depp -- keep people away or attract them like voyeurs to a freak in a side-show.

Elevate Your Rockstar Standing With Grammy Brand

Lyrics to the song "Rockstar", by Nickelback address the universal dream of livin' large as a world famous musician and all the perks that go along with it. One way to indulge your success in this role as musical icon is to "dress your ass with the latest fashion/get a front door key to the playboy mansion", and you have to admit, the idea seems rather appealing.

Well, now the Recording Academy has made rockstar chic easier to achieve than ever, announcing Grammy Brand a new fashion line to be unveiled next week at a private party. Private, meaning you're not invited. And it doesn't help you obtain Hef's master key either. So much for easy.

The high-end designer clothing is unfortunately, only affordable if you've already reached rockstar status, and so hopes are dashed anew. Perhaps you can pool your personal life savings with that of your friends and purchase a pair of sunglasses. Sigh.

What good is it you ask? It seems, a "meaningful portion of every Grammy Brand sale" goes to MusicCares and the Grammy Foundation. Noble causes, both.

Recording Academy Unveils Grammy Brand [AP]

2007 Weblog Awards: Nominate the Best

Although a little slow out of the gate, the time is now to nominate the bloggiest of blogs in the blogosphere in any of the 49 categories, such as Best Blog, Best Online Community, and Best Music Blog. Nominations for the 2007 Weblog Awards are being taken until October 15, 2007 and any website that qualifies as a blog can be nominated. You can even nominate yourself, because one's own blog is always the best!

Several new categories have been added this year including Best Celebrity Blog, Best Pet Blog and Best Literature Blog. Rosie O'Donnell's blog, Bazzyboy the Australian Racehorse, and the Stay At Home Bookworm are early nominees in each of these categories respectively.

But the fun doesn't stop there. Once finalists are selected and voted on, winners will be presented with their awards at BlogWorld & New Media Expo held November 8-9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Whooo, hoo!

Celebrity Smackdown: Bonaduce vs. Fairplay

Just when you thought it was safe to hug Danny Bonaduce, it wasn't. During last night's Reality Remix Really Awards, overzealous Bonaduce fan, Survivor's very own Jonny Fairplay, attempted the well-known "flying embrace" and was swatted face first to the ground, TMZ reports. Ouch.

What was unclear, however, was how Bonaduce could have felt threatened by an armful of Fairplay. As the pic below illustrates, Jonny Fairplay weighs a mere five lbs. soaking wet. The fear of being pooped on might have thrown Bonaduce over the edge, and removing Fairplay's bum from his person became an urgent priority.

While it may serve as a nominal distraction to continue this speculation of Bonaduce's motives, again, TMZ comes to the rescue and clarifies. Adrienne Curry started this whole mess by encouraging Bonaduce to get up on stage and inform Fairplay of his douche-bag status.

Curry, a reality tv whore monger herself (winner of America's Next Top Model) brags about the incident on her blog.

The 2nd Annual Reality Remix Really Awards show will air on October 13, 2007, but I bet heavy editing of the smackdown will deprive us all of this memorable 2007 awards show event.

UPDATE: Inside Edition has exclusive video of the onstage heave-ho, which aired on tonight's episode. I suspect it will be posted here, but at the time of this update, the video link was not yet active.

2007 CMAs Recycle 2006 Nominees/Performers

Additional performers were announced today for the 41st Annual Country Music Association Awards, and the line up is lookin' oh! sooo 2006. Not to mention, the nominees in every category are nearly identical. Some may have moved around a bit, but the artists' names remain the same. Once known as the "Biggest Night in Country Music", has seemingly adopted a new motto. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Even Little Big Town makes a repeat appearance in the Horizon Award category. Apparently there was a shortage of up-and-coming country music artists, so they needed to give the four-person vocal group another shot at being awarded for their up-and-coming-ness. Does that really make sense? No. It's wordy and long-winded, and doesn't make any kind of sense at all. What about Bucky Covington? I don't mean to go all American Idol on you, but his single, "A Different World", made it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was played endlessly on country music radio.

In the Entertainer of the Year category, George Strait replaced Brooks & Dunn, while every other nominee remained the same from last year. Call me crazy, but I feel as though I was entertained by more than just country music men this year. If the broadcast plans on staying on top of its game, and the ratings (it remains one of the most successful awards show programming, consistently winning its time-slot), then it had better have a few tricks up its sleeve.

'World Stupidity Awards' Defunct?

Fall may well be known as the season for stupidity. The ailing elderly create cardio-infarction by raking endless piles of leaves. Parents are expected to fork over astronomical amounts for school supplies and mediocre blue background Lifetouch photos with their children's hair combed within an inch of its life. And football mad-foolery begins in earnest.

Since 2003, however, autumn was also the season of The World Stupidity Awards or "Oscars of Idiocy" as they have been lovingly referred. To my dismay, nary a snark has been heard all summer about potential nominees or category changes. And I'm beginning to worry.

But the giant gaping hole of disinformation will soon be filled, as I have but one of my best sleuths on the case (me) and am awaiting a response to my requests from one of their "spokesmorons" (their word, not mine). Once I learn the fate of this most fabulous tradition of stupid-ness, I will share with you, beloved, dedicated reader. These things usually end well.

UPDATE 12/14/2007: I had almost given up hope of receiving a response to my request for more information re: the World Stupidity Awards, but low-and-behold my inbox did not disappoint this morning. Albert Nerenberg, spokesmoron, had the following to say about the whereabouts of the favorite "Oscars of Idiocy".

"Thank you for your concerned comments about the World Stupidity Awards. Although the awards have had some perilous days, they will be announced right before Christmas. Basically, the comedy festival which supported the awards, couldn't afford to stage them despite the fact they sell out every year, and told us to go and get a TV deal. That's what were working on now but it's slow progress. Needless to say, we'll be announcing an online version at Christmas and hope to have a televised version sometime in the future."

I will post more information as I receive it. And if you're some big-time TV exec who'd like to put the show on the air, and you're reading this, then have your people contact Albert's people and set this thing up. Or let's do lunch!

'Talladega Nights' beats out 'We Are Marshall' at ESPY Awards

With record fan voting to the tune of 12.5 million votes cast, the ESPY Awards captures the heart and soul of our professional sports obsession. To prove how intricately entwined pop culture is with sports today (on again/off again Carrie Underwood and Tony Romo notwithstanding), the nutty sports movie satire Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby won the ESPY for Best Sports Movie over We Are Marshall reports the Harold-Dispatch.com.

Marshall is based on the true story of triumph over tragedy as Marshall University's football team recovers from a plane crash that killed the majority of it's players. Also nominated in this category was Invincible and Pride, neither of which had an angel's shot in hell against Talladega.

Had Talladega Nights gone up against previous years' winners such as Friday Night Lights or Miracle would it have won? Come on now all you crazy online voters, you would have chosen Will Ferrell over Miracle?? Oh, lord help us all.

The ESPY Awards were held on June 10 and will air tonight on ESPN.

We Are Marshall misses out on ESPY [Harold-Dispatch.com]

Celebrities Line Up For 'MTV Movie Awards'

Things are heating up as MTV announces presenters and performers for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards to be held June 3. We've already been jolted to attention with revelation the dirty, dirty comedienne Sarah Silverman will host the live broadcast and hopefully produce loads of censor-worthy material to keep the bleeper patrol on their toes.

Following her stop at Ellis Island, newly immigrated Victoria Beckham will make an appearance, as well as former host and Golden Popcorn recipient, Lindsay Lohan. Unfortunately, Lohan remains a U.S. resident.

Robin Williams will be presenting an award, in what the press release has touted as some sort of joke-off with Silverman. Despite the creep factor generated ever since Williams' portrayal of an obsessed photo mart clerk stalking the all American family in the film One Hour Photo, his manic delivery and penchant for X-rated material may leave him the hands down winner of the evening.

As we wade through the list of celebrities on board to pimp their summer movie releases, including Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up), the relevance of the award show at hand seems nonexistent. The majority of the nominated films have long been out of the theater

On the other hand, with the mockucategory of "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet", those of us movie buffs who invest hours of our time on awards show programming (guilty!) that dole out awards for movies the general public hasn't yet been privy to, sometimes I think the execs at MTV hit the nail on the head. Even if that nail is coffin bound.

2007 Student Academy Awards

The finalists for the 2007 Student Academy Awards were announced on May 14, with hopefuls vying for medals of the Gold, Silver or Bronze Olympic variety, as well as cash prizes and a week-long introduction to the industry.

While the winners have now been selected, voted on by Academy members, they have not been told which medal they have actually won. This will be revealed during the June 9 ceremony held at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Gold medalist and Honorary Foreign Film winners are granted a full-length screening of their film following the ceremony.

Besides allowing Academy voters the opportunity to practice on unsuspecting college and graduate level students, the Student Academy Awards have identified some of the most creative minds in filmmaking. The list of innovative and successful filmmakers include Spike Lee, Trey Parker and Robert Zemeckis. The Academy website reports that Student Academy Award winners have been nominated for an Oscar a remarkable 35 times, with a total of seven Oscar wins either as an individual or as part of a group nomination.

Aspiring collegiate filmmakers should make the Student Academy Awards a must-do on their contest/fellowship submission list.

Academy Announces 2007 Student Academy Award Winners [Academy press release]

MTV VMAs to Take Over Vegas

Despite the statistical probability of actually viewing a music video on MTV akin to that of a Sasquatch siting in the forests of North America, it has been announced that the MTV Music Video Awards will continue to perpetuate the widely held myth by holding it's annual ode to all things "music video" in Las Vegas. Oh, how I'd like to see the odds for catching a glimpse of Sasquatch vs. a music video on MTV. Me thinks, too close to call.

In an effort to lure an ostentatious list of previously uninterested celebs, Christina Norman, MTV President, announced plans for the VMA's "to take over every available nook and cranny of the infamous celebrity stomping ground, The Palms Casino Resort," according to an MTV press release.

It appears, owner of the trendy hot-spot, George Maloof was not informed of the intimate invasion, as he states, "the opportunity to showcase The Pearl Concert Theater as the venue for the awards show is extremely exciting." Someone needs to let him know what exactly will be happening to his nooks and crannies before its too late. I'm also happy to announce that I will be in Vegas well before this year's "nothing will be off limits" approach, and I feel cleaner for it.

For those of you who enjoy watching the re-broadcast of the VMA's seven times a day for months on end, you will be disappointed to know that with the change of venue comes a change in playback. For instance, there will be no more playback.

Per se.

The show is to air during a single live broadcast. The twist is that as MTV strives for more and more viewer interaction, they will somehow (likely some new fandangled technology) allow viewers to program remixed versions of the show. Excuse me...MTV...I'd like to order the Blake Lewis beat-boxed version of the VMA's, please.

We will soon find out what, if anything, Christina Norman knows about "rock 'n roll chaos". Her words, not mine.

2007 MTV Video Music Awards Sets Up Next Act in Las Vegas [PRNewswire]
MTV Has VMAs on Lockdown [TMZ]

Rosie O'Donnell, You're Fired!

Okay, maybe not fired, but the Trumpness of the headline was too good to pass up. It's been reported by the AP via Yahoo! News that O'Donnell and ABC were unable to meet in the middle during contract negotiations. But it's been rumored that Barbra Walters may have had enough of all the controversy and generally belligerent, un-ladylike behavior displayed by O'Donnell over the last year.

While Walters has denied that she has anything to do with her exit from The View, Rosie's scatalogical rant at the Women in Communications awards luncheon in the presence of impressionable young, teenage women awaiting recognition may have thrown Barbara over the edge. The fact that Walters considers herself an aboveboard, professional journalist lends an air of truth to the rumor. The fact that the rumor is being "trumpeted" by the duck-man himself, sucks its legitimacy below sea level.

Whether there is some truth to the claims or not, the real question is who is ano appropriate replacement as co-host and still be as big an audience draw for ABC?

Will Rosie's Vulgar Act at Teen Award Show Boot Her from 'View?' [NewsBusters]
Rosie O'Donnell leaving ABC's 'The View' [Yahoo! News]

Would You Know A Drama Desk If You Saw One?

Kristin Chenoweth, a 2007 Razzie Award nominee, will be hosting the Drama Desk Awards on May 20. If you find it unusual that you've never heard of an awards show that is now in its 52nd installment, you are not alone. Let's explore together.

The Drama Desk Awards were created to counteract the Tony Awards, which bestow recognition on Broadway productions only. Off-Broadway and off-off Broadway productions are eligible for a Drama Desk nomination, but not for a Tony. I can feel the learning happening. If you were taking the SAT, it would look something like this:

Drama Desk Award :: Tony Award as Independent Spirit Award :: ____________?

If you said Academy Award, congrats! If you said something else, then you probably went to a State University and now work at a job you despise. It's not my fault.

While you may not have heard of the Drama Desk awards, you will be familiar with nominations for some of your favorite (and notable) movie and television stars. Ever wonder what Sandra Oh of Grey's Anatomy does when she's not sewing up bodies? Or ponder the whereabouts of David Hyde Pierce since Frasier wrapped up three years ago? Why they're flexing their acting chops and wishing for a win at the Drama Desk Awards, that's what.

2007 Drama Desk Nominees Announced, LoveMusik Leads Pack [Broadway World]

Silverman at the Helm of 'MTV Movie Awards'

Sarah Silverman, comedienne du jour, has a potty mouth. Mark Burnett, reality tv kingpin, has balls the size of watermelons. Put them together and the MTV viewership is in for one wild ride during the live telecast of the 2007 MTV Movie Awards on June 3. Live. Live. Live.

If MTV execs are sweatin' this sure-as-shit spectacle in the making, their not lettin' on. Like a proud momma, Christina Norman MTV president is offering up praise for the risque Silverman, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Its likely this will be a train wreck worth watching, and if episodes of Intervention are any indication, enabling parental figures are key to the equation.

While Jessica Alba was an audience draw at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards for obvious reasons, Silverman has a two-fold approach -- gutter-floating sludge nuggets of humor and her looks are nothin' to shake a stick at. Delightful.

Silverman hosting MTV Movie Awards [The Hollywood Reporter]

A Tale of Three Pirates of the Caribbean

Arrgg....

The accomplishment of making an award winning film, does not always translate to a big hit at the box office. While industry players may claim contentment with either an armful of trophies or cash in the bank, you wouldn't hear anyone complaining about bringing home a whole lot of both. Disney is set to release the third installment of its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise on May 25, 2007. Is it expected to outsell 'Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest? Yo ho ho! Will this grand finale to the trilogy be overrun with accolade and kumbaya? Ahoy matie! What can money hungry, statuette loving studios learn from this treasure trove? Plenty o' gold (vaguely Irish vs Pirate, I know).

Here's the winning formula:

Cast Pirates

Now I'm not saying every award winning blockbuster has to consist of complex plots involving pirates. But it is obvious that pirates do make interesting, multi-dimensional characters who readily adapt into the nefarious villains we love and despise. Add to that the drama of pirate drinkin', pillaging, and the cleavage baring pirate fly girls and you're in for a wild ride. Audiences will gladly walk the plank, or shell out $7.50 for a ticket when they know the cost involves high seas metrosexuals. But what if you include stellar....

....Special Effects

The icing on the cake as far as movie goers are concerned, but there are also a heap of awards categories for costuming, cinematography and make-up. No shame in snagging that Oscar or Golden Globe for technical superiority, when the end result is a box office return that allows for the production of meatier fair.

A Little Swashbuckling Never Hurt

A film that takes risks, in grandiose fashion and with reckless abandon is sure to capture audience as well as academy attention. E.T. the Extra-terrestrial sits as the 4th biggest money maker in film history, won four Academy Awards in 1982 and was loaded with oodles of swashbuckling, including a drunken alien dressed like a girl and blatent product placement.

I apologize Stephen Spielberg for comparing your timeless classic to a pirate movie, but it follows the pattern as described above: Casting multi-demensional pirates (E.T.), special effects (and how!) and swashbuckling galore!

Check out Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End trailer for a sneak peek!

Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan

Six people are currently slated to play the role of Bob Dylan in the Todd Haynes' biopic I'm Not There. Cate Blanchett is one of them.

While it's difficult to envision the super-tall actress capturing the essence of a scrawny young Dylan, I'm sure she's up to the task. More of a concern is whether academy voters will be able to sort out the crazy mess come Oscar time next year, considering it's likely that each actor will have a limited amount of screen time to make his mark. This hasn't stopped Blanchett before as she landed the Oscar in 2004 for her believable portrayal of Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator, despite a minimal supporting role. Instead, they may take the less complicated route of nominating Blanchett as Elizabeth I in The Golden Age.

Gender-bending is not a new phenomenon in cinema and it typically has "awards" written all over it. Hillary Swank won her first Oscar playing Teena Brandon/Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry. And Felicity Huffman received an Oscar nomination for her work in TransAmerica. So why are we (and the Academy) so fascinated by women playing men? Or actors playing famous people for that matter? And why has it been steadily reported that seven actors will take on Dylan during different phases of his life, when the IMDb only lists six? Adrian Brody is listed in the cast, with no "character" associated with his name. Is he the seventh Dylan? Are we nearing the end times? The answer my friend is "blowin' in the wind".

Vote Online for CMT Awards

If you've been disappointed with the results of a parade of recent awards programming, now is your chance to have a say. The CMT Music Awards are a fairly new addition to the awards show circuit, tauted as the only fan-voted country music awards show. Jeff Foxworthy will host, as he has done for the last three years. Viewers can vote for their favorite videos in a two-round format. The first round of nominee selection has been completed with the exception of the final four Video of the Year nominees. Fan-voting for all other category winners is now in full swing.

The Johnny Cash Visionary Award will be given to an as yet unnamed recipient. Strangely enough, this award so obviously named in honor of Johnny Cash, was not "given" to Johnny Cash until 2003, the second year of this event. The Dixie Chicks were honored during the 2002 CMT Awards telecast, its premiere year. This years' recipient will be announced on March 13, so check back for an update.

Expect big-time performances by some of country music's hottest stars, including Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Sugarland and Dierks Bentley and more. The ceremony will air on April 16, 2007, with a live simulcast playing on affiliated country music radio and a live webcast at CMT.com. What a party!

Kellie Pickler, an American Idol contestant and successful country music artist, will host a one-hour special featuring the eight contenders for Video of the Year, which include:

• Toby Keith - "A Little Too Late"
• Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice"
• George Straigth - "The Seashores of Old Mexico"
• Rascal Flatts - "What Hurts the Most"
• Carrie Underwood ' "Before He Cheats"
• Keith Urban - "Once in a Lifetime"
• Sugarland - "Want To"
• Kenny Chesney - "You Save Me"

All other related programming surrounding the 2007 CMT Music Awards can be found here.

Happy Voting!

It's Oscar Night - Awards Show Junkies Unite

It's 11:33 a.m. CST, and E! has already started it's red carpet coverage. Let me repeat, E! is my Oscar coverage dealer, and understands my need to have at least eight hours of pre-Oscar fix before the giant shoot-up begins. Followed by two more hours of post-Oscar party fever. After which, I will fall back on the sofa and revel in the precious hours of my life that I have invested in my pal Oscar.

Alas, I have found a reveler in kind. Each day I receive my awards show report via Google, which helps with blog entry ideas. Imagine my surprise when yesterday up popped a fellow awards show junkie. Rebecca Keister, staff writer for the Sun Chronicle, expressed her similar obsession with awards show viewing. She doesn't realize it yet, but I feel like we're journalistic mental twins. Hopefully she'll leave a comment on Monday morning, once she recovers from her Academy Award sized hangover. Either that or she'll be filing a protective order.

Cheerie-O!

We've Got the Spirit (Awards), Yes We Do

In case you haven't heard, Oscar's big night is approaching at break neck speed. The stage is set for hours upon hours of glitz and glamour and laughter (thanks, Ellen!) and tears. But if your stomache hurts and your head is spinning from all the hype, campaigning and prognosticating then tune in to Spirit Awards quietly airing the night before. Rooting for the little guy is easy as pie, as they're all "the little guy". So sit back and enjoy a low-key, but equally as relevant night of film airing on the Independet Film Channel (IFC). The most notable categories are the two "first" categories that will honor the efforts of a director/producer team and screenwriter's first film. Delicious!

SPECIAL NOTE: Netflix has been a bit promiscuous this award season, cuz their shackin' up with the Spirit's as well!

Netflix and Oscar: A Match Made in Heaven

As an avid fan of Netflix for several years (after nearly losing my house to Blockbuster due to extensive late fees), it behooves me that other video rental agencies are attempting to infringe upon Netflix's ingenious idea to mail me movies. Am I in support of a movie rental-by-mail monopoly? Yes, yes I am.

My dreams aside, rather than stoop to the level of those "other" video rental facilities, Netflix has risen to the occasion and jumped in the sack with the most respected and anticipated annual award show programming - the Academy Awards.

The term "strange bedfellows" does not apply here. In fact there could not be two more appropriate film lovers snuggling up under the covers with a giant bowl of popcorn than Netflix and Oscar. The campaign is huge and if you want to get in on the fun, the audience participation portion information can be found here.

Sheena Metal on the Award Train

I came across this article by Sheena Metal, a woman with music industry know-how. It explored the concept that few people go from obscurity to Grammy's overnight, and that any publicity generating activity should be carefully considered and mapped out. While the focus of her article is on maximizing award exposure for bands, it easily translates to any industry. A nomination with no win is cause for celebration, not shame. What better opportunity to issue a press release than making it as a finalist in a screenwriting competition or a band member garnering a nomination for his guitar prowess. It is all reason to write home about AND gain a little publicity. Thanks Sheena for your great advice! I'll be issuing a press release once my blog gains 50 readers a day! Whoo-hooo!

The Upside of Brain Damage - Smoking Cessation

You've chewed the gum, worn the patch, walked the steps and even smeared on the hand gel. Now your skin is smooth as a baby's behind, but its still clutching the butt end of a cigarette. Left with a deep sense of frustration and self-loathing (admit it all you traditionally inclined addicts out there, you blame everyone else but yourself), you'll go to any length, and I mean any length to quit. A new study has revealed that a small area of the brain called the insula, is the nerve center of addiction. While this is good news to scientists, it's not such great news for current smokers. The only way to create the desired effect is to damage this part of the brain in a fairly traumatic event, such as a stroke. With all hopes dashed, I feebly light up and announce the award for today's most useless scientific finding goes to the University of Southern California. Since I will be accepting the award on USC's behalf, I'd like to thank Studio 60 for planting the idea of useless scientific findings.

[Source] Fox News

Will Carrie Underwood Score on Grammy Night?

One might say I've had gamblin' on the brain since my review of Casinomeister's Best and Worst of 2006. In that vain, all bets are on that Carrie Underwood will take home the Best New Artist Grammy on February 11, 2007. Thanks to her overwhelming popularity on American Idol last season and her phenomenal rise in the Billboard Charts with her debut album Some Hearts, she appears to be the favored winner. According to BestBetting , Underwood has a slight edge over James Blunt, and has held this position since December 2006.

One-third of the bets have been placed on Corinne Bailey Rae, who has also had a stellar year with her fresh baby-jazz vocals and playful lyrics on her hit single "Put Your Records On". But a win by Rae would be an upset on the same level as Norah Jones' win for Best Album of the Year in 2003 over Bruce Sprinsteen. Not the exact same level, but close.

My prediction confidence has grown to near unrecognizable heights since accurately predicting Underwood would take home two of her four CMA Award nominations. How do I think she'll fair in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance, in which she's nominated against heavy hitters Gretchen Wilson and Martina McBride? Let's just say I believe this will be Wilson's to lose, but the viewing public won't be horrified if Underwood secures another win.

Casinomeister Names Best and Worst of 2006

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Act has not dampened the spirits of online gambling websites, and has energized Casinomeister to bestow recognition with the "...only Awards that Matter". Without further ado we delve into the previously untouched arena of casino awards:

A lawsuit was bound to be brewing in the Evil Player category of 2006, but disaster was averted by handing the award over to all evil players everywhere. Previous winners with "evil" in their monikers cried out for nomination and deservedly so, causing casinos to tighten security for evil and angelic players alike.

One way to jam a craw in the jaw of an annoying forum member is to ban them from your site for all eternity. Another is to give them the title Most Annoying Forum Member to wear like a crown of victory over all who doubted their status as "King of Annoyancropolis". Thesmacker is undoubtedly wearing said crown in an extended three-way conversation...with himself.

In a bold move, Casinomeister added the category for Most Bizarre Press Release of 2006, and the winner's press release (CasinoFortune.com) is admittedly very bizarre. But an award for a press release is so bizarre, it borders on groundbreaking. The award for Most Creative but Admittedly Bizarre Category goes to Casinomeister.

You may win big at an online casino, but collecting your winnings in a timely manner is another story. If retroactively changing your payout policy is common practice in the online gambling industry, I'd say its time for a little class action, action. At the very least the Worst Player Experience Runner-up may benefit from an investigation into his claims, and a good attorney.

And finally, in the winner-takes-all category of Best Casino 2006, the award goes to 32Red Casino in a four-year-running record landslide. As can be imagined, a successful online gambling establishment should exude trustworthiness and banish even the slightest inkling of rogue behavior from its collective thought process. See ya next year, and here's hoping 32Red Casino doesn't reappear in Casinomeister's Fall From Grace category. That would be one mighty plunge.