Australia#39;s Caitlin Bassett, fourth left, who scored the winning goal, celebrates with her teammates after the final game against New Zealand at the World Netball Championships on Sunday, July 10, 2011 in Singapore. Australia beat New Zealand 58-57. The Netball World Championships final on Sunday will be between defending champions Australia and New Zealand, a repeat of the 2007 final. The two teams have dominated the championship, with Australia winning nine times and the Kiwis four times.
Viewers make special a Twitter trend and demand its release on iTunes. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne performs on “Unplugged” Photo: Frank Micelotta/MTV/PictureGroup Lil Wayne may have been out at Miami’s Liv nightclub on Sunday (June 12) celebrating the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA championship , but his fans took to Twitter to celebrate Weezy. With all of their collective online efforts before, during and after the premiere of “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged,” fans made “Lil Wayne Unplugged” a trending topic. ” ‘Lil Wayne Unplugged’ was the best thing I’ve ever watched on TV!! Hopefully there’s a DVD for it,” tweeted iReadWeezy. “I wish i was there (Lil Wayne Unplugged),” added @_BriRozay. The “Unplugged” special was broadcast simultaneously on MTV2, MTV and MTV.com Sunday night. And though that happened to be the same time the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in the championship-clinching game of the NBA Finals, fans managed to watch as Weezy tore through hits like “A Milli,” “Fireman,” a cover of Tupac’s “Hail Mary,” “6 Foot 7 Foot” and his latest, “Nightmares of the Bottom.” “Watching this Lil Wayne unplugged during halftime … pretty dope,” tweeted Question210. Others tuned in to the hour-long special in its entirety as they commented on Wayne’s set-list . For @dizturbdwun , he was particularly impressed when Birdman Jr. performed a mash-up of his Tha Carter IV single “How to Love” and his #1 hit “Lollipop”: “That’s tight how they blended ‘How to Love’ & ‘Lollipop’ on ‘Lil Wayne Unplugged.’ They need to release that to iTunes.” B32LLS is ready to purchase a retail version of Tunechi’s special as well. “I gotta buy the lil wayne unplugged that gotta hit stores asap,” he blasted out on Twitter . Some fans had to postpone their “Unplugged” viewing, however. In the comments of MTV News’ post-show recap , Emily Pearl Davis wrote, “Unfortunately, I missed the show, but after reading this, I know just how intense it was (of course)! Wayne’s a god.” She shouldn’t worry too much, though. “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged” is available on-demand on MTV.com right now, and it re-airs on MTV2 on Monday (June 13) at 9 p.m. ET. What did you think of “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged”? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne MTV News Extended Play: Lil Wayne Related Photos MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne Related Artists Lil Wayne
: ‘Justin Bieber is the epitome of [a] big star, so it was cool for me,’ McCreery says of his new nickname. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Rya Backer Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery Photo: MTV News Throughout his championship run on the just-completed 10th season of “American Idol,” Scotty McCreery never really wavered from his country roots … even when he was singing Stevie Wonder. And while you’ve certainly got to give him credit for playing to his strengths, McCreery’s down-home crooning — not to mention his rather boyish good looks — also earned him a rather bizarre nickname: “Country Bieber.” And while he can laugh at the comparisons, if he’s being honest, McCreery can’t really understand why anyone would equate him to the teen-pop prince. But his fellow “Idol” finalist, Lauren Alaina, certainly can. “Country Bieber … I mean, Justin Bieber is the epitome of [a] big star, so it was cool for me,” McCreery smiled. “I mean, Justin’s a whole lot further ahead than I am … so, I guess it’s mainly because of our age. …” “Girls love Scotty McCreery like they love Justin Bieber,” Alaina interjected. “It’s true.” “Thank you, Lauren,” McCreery laughed. “I just figure it’s because of our age. Me and Justin are pretty much two young guns.” And with the “Idol” title in the bag, McCreery can now focus on expanding on that whole “young guns” thing … his first official single, the ballad “I Love You This Big,” is already the biggest-selling coronation song since season 7 champ David Cook’s “The Time of My Life,” and he’s beginning to contemplate how his debut album will sound. And, not surprisingly, it’s going to be a country affair. “It’s gonna be a good ol’ country album,” McCreery said. “I like to have that old flavor in my music, but with a contemporary feel, so we’ll see where that leads me. I think it’ll be a good little mix.” And if you just can’t get enough of “Love,” well, you’re in luck … McCreery said that you’ll have plenty of chances to see him perform it in the coming months on the American Idols Live! Tour . ” ‘I Love You This Big’ is a great song, it’s done me really well so far,” he said. “And I’ll be singing it a couple hundred more times, so I’m sure you’ll be hearing it,” he joked. Related Videos Interviews From The ‘American Idol’ Red Carpet ‘Idol Party Live’ Season 10 Finale Show Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Finale Performances ‘American Idol’ Finale 2011 Red Carpet Related Artists Justin Bieber
: ‘Justin Bieber is the epitome of [a] big star, so it was cool for me,’ McCreery says of his new nickname. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Rya Backer Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery Photo: MTV News Throughout his championship run on the just-completed 10th season of “American Idol,” Scotty McCreery never really wavered from his country roots … even when he was singing Stevie Wonder. And while you’ve certainly got to give him credit for playing to his strengths, McCreery’s down-home crooning — not to mention his rather boyish good looks — also earned him a rather bizarre nickname: “Country Bieber.” And while he can laugh at the comparisons, if he’s being honest, McCreery can’t really understand why anyone would equate him to the teen-pop prince. But his fellow “Idol” finalist, Lauren Alaina, certainly can. “Country Bieber … I mean, Justin Bieber is the epitome of [a] big star, so it was cool for me,” McCreery smiled. “I mean, Justin’s a whole lot further ahead than I am … so, I guess it’s mainly because of our age. …” “Girls love Scotty McCreery like they love Justin Bieber,” Alaina interjected. “It’s true.” “Thank you, Lauren,” McCreery laughed. “I just figure it’s because of our age. Me and Justin are pretty much two young guns.” And with the “Idol” title in the bag, McCreery can now focus on expanding on that whole “young guns” thing … his first official single, the ballad “I Love You This Big,” is already the biggest-selling coronation song since season 7 champ David Cook’s “The Time of My Life,” and he’s beginning to contemplate how his debut album will sound. And, not surprisingly, it’s going to be a country affair. “It’s gonna be a good ol’ country album,” McCreery said. “I like to have that old flavor in my music, but with a contemporary feel, so we’ll see where that leads me. I think it’ll be a good little mix.” And if you just can’t get enough of “Love,” well, you’re in luck … McCreery said that you’ll have plenty of chances to see him perform it in the coming months on the American Idols Live! Tour . ” ‘I Love You This Big’ is a great song, it’s done me really well so far,” he said. “And I’ll be singing it a couple hundred more times, so I’m sure you’ll be hearing it,” he joked. Related Videos Interviews From The ‘American Idol’ Red Carpet ‘Idol Party Live’ Season 10 Finale Show Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Finale Performances ‘American Idol’ Finale 2011 Red Carpet Related Artists Justin Bieber
The 2011 MMM title game went down to the wire, but in the end, it’s Green Day who stand triumphant. By James Montgomery Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Photo: C Flanigan/ FIlmMagic It’s all over but the shouting (and there’s still plenty of that): Green Day are the champions of MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness tournament, knocking off an upset-minded Paramore in Monday’s title game to claim the crown. Check out our MMM Bracket right here! In a contest that was waaay more thrilling — and higher scoring — than the actual NCAA basketball championship game, the guys in Green Day jumped out to an early lead, then held on for dear life as Hayley Williams and company staged a furious second-half comeback … one that, ultimately, fell short as polls closed at midnight. All in all, more than 120,000 votes were cast in the matchup, and Green Day ended up winning by fewer than 2,500. It was a nail-biter, a squeaker, and it came down to the wire. In other words, it was everything you could possibly want in a title game. And, in Green Day, we have everything we could possibly want in a champion. After an ugly opening-round loss in last year’s MMM tournament, the pop-punk veterans committed themselves to redemption, and tipped off the 2011 competition by blasting Adam Lambert in round one. Focused, Green Day then took out their frustrations on fellow heavyweights U2 and Blink-182, before surviving scares from Panic! at the Disco in the Elite Eight and Disturbed in the Final Four. And now, having bested Paramore, they stand atop the MMM mountain … battle tested, redeemed and, ultimately, triumphant. So congratulations to Billie Joe, Tr
The 2011 MMM title game went down to the wire, but in the end, it’s Green Day who stand triumphant. By James Montgomery Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Photo: C Flanigan/ FIlmMagic It’s all over but the shouting (and there’s still plenty of that): Green Day are the champions of MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness tournament, knocking off an upset-minded Paramore in Monday’s title game to claim the crown. Check out our MMM Bracket right here! In a contest that was waaay more thrilling — and higher scoring — than the actual NCAA basketball championship game, the guys in Green Day jumped out to an early lead, then held on for dear life as Hayley Williams and company staged a furious second-half comeback … one that, ultimately, fell short as polls closed at midnight. All in all, more than 120,000 votes were cast in the matchup, and Green Day ended up winning by fewer than 2,500. It was a nail-biter, a squeaker, and it came down to the wire. In other words, it was everything you could possibly want in a title game. And, in Green Day, we have everything we could possibly want in a champion. After an ugly opening-round loss in last year’s MMM tournament, the pop-punk veterans committed themselves to redemption, and tipped off the 2011 competition by blasting Adam Lambert in round one. Focused, Green Day then took out their frustrations on fellow heavyweights U2 and Blink-182, before surviving scares from Panic! at the Disco in the Elite Eight and Disturbed in the Final Four. And now, having bested Paramore, they stand atop the MMM mountain … battle tested, redeemed and, ultimately, triumphant. So congratulations to Billie Joe, Tr
The 2011 MMM title game went down to the wire, but in the end, it’s Green Day who stand triumphant. By James Montgomery Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Photo: C Flanigan/ FIlmMagic It’s all over but the shouting (and there’s still plenty of that): Green Day are the champions of MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness tournament, knocking off an upset-minded Paramore in Monday’s title game to claim the crown. Check out our MMM Bracket right here! In a contest that was waaay more thrilling — and higher scoring — than the actual NCAA basketball championship game, the guys in Green Day jumped out to an early lead, then held on for dear life as Hayley Williams and company staged a furious second-half comeback … one that, ultimately, fell short as polls closed at midnight. All in all, more than 120,000 votes were cast in the matchup, and Green Day ended up winning by fewer than 2,500. It was a nail-biter, a squeaker, and it came down to the wire. In other words, it was everything you could possibly want in a title game. And, in Green Day, we have everything we could possibly want in a champion. After an ugly opening-round loss in last year’s MMM tournament, the pop-punk veterans committed themselves to redemption, and tipped off the 2011 competition by blasting Adam Lambert in round one. Focused, Green Day then took out their frustrations on fellow heavyweights U2 and Blink-182, before surviving scares from Panic! at the Disco in the Elite Eight and Disturbed in the Final Four. And now, having bested Paramore, they stand atop the MMM mountain … battle tested, redeemed and, ultimately, triumphant. So congratulations to Billie Joe, Tr
Voting is now open as the bands compete for 2011 title game after tough Final Four challenges. By James Montgomery Paramore Photo: Nigel Crane/ Redferns It’s all come down to this: Green Day and Paramore will meet for the 2011 Musical March Madness title, advancing to the championship game after knocking off a pair of tough challengers in the Final Four. Third-seeded Green Day held off a late charge from upset-minded #9 Disturbed, watching a big lead (nearly 8,000 votes) dwindle down to triple digits as Final Four polls closed Sunday at midnight. In a contest that saw more than 230,000 votes cast, Green Day’s final margin of victory was less than 800. Things weren’t nearly as close in our other Final Four matchup, as #5 Paramore dominated heavily favored #3 My Chemical Romance. Hayley Williams and Co. led from nearly the opening tip, and ran away from MCR — who lost the 2010 MMM championship matchup to Coheed and Cambria — late, ultimately cruising to a 20,000-vote win. That sets up our 2011 championship game, which is not only a clash of two battle-tested bands (Green Day knocked off the likes of U2, Blink-182 and Panic! at the Disco in this year’s tourney, while Paramore survived showdowns against foes like No Doubt and Tokio Hotel), but also serves as the culmination of a year-long quest for revenge: Both Green Day and Paramore were upset in the opening round of last year’s MMM and have spent the past 12 months seething about that fact. In short, this one’s been a long time coming. So, why wait to get the action under way? Championship game voting has begun over on the Newsroom blog! Polls will remain open until Monday (April 4) at midnight ET. And since it’s the championship game, we want to keep things suspenseful, which means results — and our 2011 MMM champion — won’t be revealed until Tuesday on MTVNews.com. MTV’s Musical March Madness has reached our championship game! It’s Green Day versus Paramore, and the winner is determined by your votes. Rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM. Related Videos MTV News’ 2011 Musical March Madness Related Photos Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness’ Band Bracketology Related Artists Paramore Green Day
Voting is now open as the bands compete for 2011 title game after tough Final Four challenges. By James Montgomery Paramore Photo: Nigel Crane/ Redferns It’s all come down to this: Green Day and Paramore will meet for the 2011 Musical March Madness title, advancing to the championship game after knocking off a pair of tough challengers in the Final Four. Third-seeded Green Day held off a late charge from upset-minded #9 Disturbed, watching a big lead (nearly 8,000 votes) dwindle down to triple digits as Final Four polls closed Sunday at midnight. In a contest that saw more than 230,000 votes cast, Green Day’s final margin of victory was less than 800. Things weren’t nearly as close in our other Final Four matchup, as #5 Paramore dominated heavily favored #3 My Chemical Romance. Hayley Williams and Co. led from nearly the opening tip, and ran away from MCR — who lost the 2010 MMM championship matchup to Coheed and Cambria — late, ultimately cruising to a 20,000-vote win. That sets up our 2011 championship game, which is not only a clash of two battle-tested bands (Green Day knocked off the likes of U2, Blink-182 and Panic! at the Disco in this year’s tourney, while Paramore survived showdowns against foes like No Doubt and Tokio Hotel), but also serves as the culmination of a year-long quest for revenge: Both Green Day and Paramore were upset in the opening round of last year’s MMM and have spent the past 12 months seething about that fact. In short, this one’s been a long time coming. So, why wait to get the action under way? Championship game voting has begun over on the Newsroom blog! Polls will remain open until Monday (April 4) at midnight ET. And since it’s the championship game, we want to keep things suspenseful, which means results — and our 2011 MMM champion — won’t be revealed until Tuesday on MTVNews.com. MTV’s Musical March Madness has reached our championship game! It’s Green Day versus Paramore, and the winner is determined by your votes. Rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM. Related Videos MTV News’ 2011 Musical March Madness Related Photos Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness’ Band Bracketology Related Artists Paramore Green Day
Tournament tips off Monday, and the Brooklyn duo like their chances. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Rya Backer Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss Photo: Michael Burnell/Redferns Much like the actual March Madness tournament, MTV’s second annual Musical March Madness brackets are filled with upstart bands looking to shock the world. Everywhere you looked this year, there were unknown acts making big moves — everyone from Mumford & Sons and Florence and the Machine to the Black Keys and Cage the Elephant — but perhaps no band went from obscurity to the big time quite like Sleigh Bells. The Brooklyn duo broke out with their squalling, squelching debut Treats. So it should probably come as no surprise that, as we gear up for the tipoff of the 2011 MMM on Monday, the Bells are making preparations for a deep run in the tournament. And, in keeping with the spirit of dark-horse contenders like the Butler Bulldogs (who came within a desperation 3-point heave of upsetting Duke in the 2010 NCAA finals), they’re entering firmly as underdogs — which suits them just fine. “We are definitely an underdog,” singer Alexis Krauss laughed. “I don’t know … it’s a bit overwhelming. But I’m appealing to you as the underdog to try and go out at least fighting a good fight.” And, really, that battling spirit is perhaps Sleigh Bells’ best shot at making their way to the MMM championship. They already know they’ll face tough challenges from established acts like Linkin Park and Panic! at the Disco and up-and-comers like Adele , and if they survive that, they might just run into defending champs Coheed and Cambria in the finals. But as Krauss put it, underdog or not, her band possesses a trait that none of the other MMM bands have: Namely, a lot of weapons. And genuine psychosis. “Have you seen our videos? In my first video, I was walking around wielding a baseball bat. In my second video, I was pushing [guitarist/producer] Derek [Miller]out of a car, and he was covered in blood. So clearly we have some tricks up our sleeves,” she explained. “Derek, he knows his basketball, he knows his stuff. We already have jerseys made; we’re ready to go. So, I don’t know, expect the unexpected. And we may not just use basketballs, we may use baseball bats and switchblades. Who knows? We’re psychos.” MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness Tournament begins Monday, March 14, when we reveal the full field of 64 bands that will battle for the championship. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite act made the cut, it’ll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, it’s gonna be a war. Related Videos MTV’s Musical March Madness Is Back For 2011
