Winehouse Arrested Following Novello Nom

When we last left Amy Winehouse, she was crawling under fences and being shot across the universe to appear via satellite at the 2008 Grammy Awards. Despite her struggles with addiction and her drug-induced performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards, Winehouse has shown moments of clarity as a songwriter. She'll be a triple threat at the 53rd Ivor Novello Awards with Love is a Losing Game, You Know I'm No Good and Rehab.

This years' Novello Awards nominations are not the first for Winehouse, as she has won twice before; in 2004 and 2007 Best Contemporary Song category for Stronger Than Me and Rehab respectively. Her success in the awards show arena, while bolstering her songwriting credibility, has done little to boost confidence in Winehouse's public persona and ability to kick her drug habit (not to mention incarcerated husband escape plan hatching)....

This just in....Pink is the New Blog is reporting (that People is reporting) that Amy Winehouse was arrested today. Weeeee! This is better than the rumored James Bond/Winehouse connection.


Amy Winehouse Up for Three Novello Awards [Telegraph]
Amy Winehouse Nominated for Three Ivor Novello Awards [Times Online]

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]

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.

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]

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!

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.