Mac Miller, Steve Aoki, Fun. and more will take the stage starting at 2 p.m. ET leading up to the awards show. By MTV News staff Mac Miller Photo: Getty Images You may not have made it down to rock and roll spring break in Austin, Texas, for the SXSW festival, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch all the action at the inaugural mtvU Woodies Awards Festival. Head over to woodies.mtvu.com right now to catch all the action from a huge roster of performers including A$AP Rocky, Machine Gun Kelly, Dev, Chiddy Bang, Fun. and many more. The tacos may have to come from Trader Joe’s, but the music will be international, including show-opening English sensation Ed Sheeran, as well as Kimbra, blues ripper Gary Clark Jr., Of Verona, party starter Wallpaper., Imagine Dragons and Walk the Moon. The night will get a proper cap-off with the all-star lineup slated to take the stage for the big event starting at 8 p.m. CT. That’s when Mac Miller , Santigold and Steve Aoki will rock the Woodie Awards . The best moments from the Woodies will be featured in a 30-minute special airing on MTV and mtvU at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. Here’s the schedule of performers for the Woodies Fest:
Jada Pinkett-Smith is ready to ROCK again! After revamping the band she started in 2002 (which was booed off the stage at previous shows), Jada released a behind the scenes video for “Wicked Evolution’s” new single, Burn.
50 will perform his debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in its entirety at the March 16 show. By Rob Markman 50 Cent Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage The South by Southwest music festival just got a little more star-studded. Just two days after Jay-Z’s livestream SXSW concert was announced, the folks at Eminem ‘s label announced the “Shady 2.0 SXSW Showcase.” 50 Cent will headline the March 16 concert at Austin Music Hall and perform his 2003 debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, in its entirety. The Shady veteran isn’t the only draw: The label’s more recent signees Yelawolf and Slaughterhouse will also take the stage to rep the label. There’s no word yet if Slim Shady himself will show up, but Big K.R.I.T., Schoolboy Q, Action Bronson, Don Trip, STS and the Foodchain are sure to take the stage. MTV News correspondent and Shade 45 radio host Sway Calloway will host the evening. Jay-Z’s SXSW concert will be livestreamed on YouTube on Monday at 8 p.m. ET and then rebroadcast in an on-demand format on YouTube, Twitter and Xbox LIVE the next day. As of press time, there had been no announcement concerning a broadcast of the Shady show. mtvU’s Woodie Awards also take place during SXSW, including a daylong fest of our own on Thursday, March 15, that will feature performances from Childish Gambino, Fun., A$AP Rocky, Kimbra and Chiddy Bang. Jay and Kanye West lead this year’s nominees , which also include the Black Keys, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Frank Ocean, J. Cole and many more. The 2012 mtvU Woodies invade SXSW on March 15 with the Woodies Festival. The best of the 2012 mtvU Woodies will air on MTV and mtvU on Sunday (March 18) at 8 p.m. ET. Related Artists 50 Cent
No female has won since 2007, but the ladies proved on Wednesday that it may be their year to take back the crown. By Adam Graham Jessica Sanchez on “American Idol” Photo: Fox It was ladies’ night on “American Idol” Wednesday (February 29), and if the performances of the Top 12 females are any indication, it could be the ladies’ season as well. Indeed, Tuesday’s shaky performances from the guys may have had fans worried about this year’s installment of “Idol.” But several ladies turned in big, show-stealing songs on Wednesday that restored faith to the season at hand. And while no female has won “Idol” since Jordin Sparks took the crown back in 2007, this could be the year a woman puts an end to that dry spell. Fittingly, this potential female domination comes at a time when the biggest force in pop music is Adele, and the chart-topping diva’s presence loomed large over Wednesday’s show. Not only was Adele’s name was invoked several times, but two performers — Jen Hirsh and Elise Testone — took on the very same Adele song, “One and Only.” (What, one of them couldn’t switch to “Rolling in the Deep”?) With her take on “One and Only,” Hirsh hit some of the evening’s biggest notes, and Jennifer Lopez said she “felt the feeling of the song.” Steven Tyler, meanwhile, told Hirsh, “You’ve got what it takes.” Testone’s equally powerful “One and Only,” which closed the show, caused Randy Jackson to call her “a force to be reckoned with,” though both he and the other judges seemed concerned Testone could get lost in the mix with the other singers. “I hope America got it,” Lopez told her, somewhat worriedly. If America doesn’t “get it,” the judges have a chance to step in: On Thursday’s show, the five top males and the five top females will be passed on to the next round, and the judges will get a chance to choose wild card contestants. Whether that will result in a Top 13 or a Top 12 was not explained on the show. Other standouts included Skylar Laine, who threw down on the stage with a energetic, rockin’ take on Faces’ “Stay With Me.” “It’s like Tina Turner went country!” J. Lo gushed, while Jackson compared her to “Reba (McEntire) mixed with Kelly Clarkson.” Laine even took her own breath away; the Mississippi native complained at the end of her performance her dress was so tight she could hardly breathe. Jessica Sanchez said she suffered from swollen vocal chords earlier in the week and was worried she wouldn’t be able to perform up to her usual level, but she blew the judges away with her version of Dreamgirls’ “Love You I Do.” “That girl can sing!” said an enthusiastic Jackson, saying she turned in one of the best performances of the first two nights. Lopez praised her and said she’s beyond her years, while Sanchez herself seemed taken aback from the judges’ overwhelmingly positive reactions. Hollie Cavanagh “slayed the biggest dragon” of the evening by taking on Christina Aguilera’s “Reflection,” Jackson said, and she fared well, even if her combination of inspirational ballad and tight minidress read awkwardly on camera. “It wasn’t all perfect,” Jackson said, “but the parts that were brilliant were genius.” Lopez called her one of the competition’s frontrunners. Shannon MaGrane — whose baseball-player father seems to still have a bone to pick with Tyler over his comments toward his daughter during the auditions — sang “Go Light Your World,” a contemporary Christian song that was “in my soul and in my gut,” she explained, although it’s not well known. But the risk seemed to have paid off: Not only did Jackson and Tyler praise her powerful vocals, MaGrane gave Lopez her first “goosies” — that’s Lopez-speak for goosebumps — of the season. Hallie Day’s “Feeling Good” had her looking “like a star,” Lopez said, but Jackson said he wasn’t sure what direction she was headed in, awkwardly mentioning Adele and Lana Del Rey as would-be contemporaries. Day said she loves soul music and sees herself singing torch songs in the vein of — you guessed it — Adele. Brielle Von Hugel started out her version of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” by sitting on the stage, surrounded by her male co-stars (including Phillip Phillips and Heejun Han). She stood up, marched across the stage and showed off what Jackson called a bit of Janis Joplin in her voice. Lopez called her “a true performer” and said people underestimate her as a contestant. Erika Von Pelt showed off her rock side (her words) with Heart’s “What About Love,” and Tyler called her confidence “magical.” Still, the judges knew she had more to give, and Lopez urged her, “next time, let loose on us.” Jackson said her mix of confidence and restraint recalled — wouldn’t you know it? — Adele. Baylie Brown had the misfortune of following Laine’s showstopper of a performance, and her static take on the Lonestar ballad “Amazed” felt safe and a bit boring. “I’ve heard you sing better,” Tyler told her, and Lopez called it “shaky all the way through.” Jackson said Brown “never seized control of the song.” With her take on Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” which opened the show, Chelsea Sorrell didn’t do much but recall Underwood’s more memorable version of the song. And the most stinging critique of the evening came when Jackson said Haley Johnsen’s version of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” “was a bit of a nightmare, for me, instead of a dream.” What did you think of Wednesday’s “Idol”? Do you think a female will win this year? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Top 24 And Wildcard Contestants
I’m not a judge on The X Factor. You’re not currently a judge on The X Factor. No, I am not. But that’s all I really think I should say. And, with that exchange between Anderson Cooper and Janet Jackson yesterday, the singer made it sound very much like she’ll be a panelist on season two of Simon Cowell’s singing competition. Over the last couple weeks, a variety of names have been bantered about for the judging gig, from Beyonce to Mariah Carey to Kelly Rowland. But Janet appears to be the most likely possiiblity yet. Do you think Janet Jackson would make a good X Factor judge?
Bobby Brown will head to New Jersey this Saturday for the funeral of his ex-wife, but first he joined New Edition last night for a concert in Maryland. The singer took to the stage in front of a packed house there and gave an odd shout-out to Whitney Houston. “Life is life… You have to move on sometimes,” Brown announced, adding: “I love [Whitney] like I love God … my name is BAD ASS Bobby Brown.” Well, okay then. Take a look and a listen now: Bobby Brown Concert Shout-Out to Whitney Houston
Deadmau5 and Rihanna were among the featured acts last night at the House of Blues in L.A., where a major fundraiser was held for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The Canadian electro star headlined the wee-hours gig with tickets ranging from $250-1,000. Rihanna took the stage for only seven minutes, but made them count. Rocking a mini-dress and blonde Farrah Fawcett ‘do , she jumped, fist-pumped and maybe even sang her way through “Where Have You Been” and “We Found Love.” Calvin Harris, who produced and co-wrote “We Found Love,” and two backup vocalists accompanied Rih. Harris later took the stage for nearly an our at the shindig. Confetti fell from the ceiling during the climax of the latter tune, and like that, Rihanna was gone, good deed done and no doubt some after-after-party to get to. At the actual Grammys, Rihanna joined Coldplay on “Princess of China,” while Deadmau5 and fellow electro-star David Guetta followed Chris Brown’s performance . [Photos: WENN.com]
Late singer’s top MTV Moments, from the VMA stage to an all-access interview. By Christina Garibaldi Whitney Houston in MTV News’ “All Access: Whitney Houston” special Photo: MTV Whitney Houston was one of the most iconic stars of all time. She commanded the stage, captivated audiences on the big screen and was celebrated around the world. Now, as her fans continue to mourn her shocking death Saturday and details continue to emerge , MTV News is celebrating the life and legacy of a true icon as we look back at Houston’s top five MTV moments. 1986: Whitney Houston Makes Video Music Awards Debut : She was just 23 years old when she performed and won at the third-ever MTV Video Music Awards in 1986 . Houston took home her first ever Moonman, winning the award for Best Female Video for her hit single “How Will I Know” . She later went on to perform a classic rendition of the song, flowing into a flawless performance of her power ballad “The Greatest Love of All,” which left the crowd in awe and on their feet. 1996: Whitney Houston Performs at the Movie Awards : By 1996, Houston already proved to the world that not only did she have one of the most remarkable voices in music, but that she could make it in Hollywood as well. Houston starred opposite Kevin Costner in box-office smash “The Bodyguard,” which won her the 1993 MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie for “I Will Always Love You.” In 1996 , she returned to the Movie Awards to perform “Why Does it Hurt So Bad,” a single off the soundtrack to her second film, “Waiting to Exhale.” 1998: Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey Face-Off : Rumored rivals Houston and Mariah Carey took the stage at the 1998 Video Music Awards in the same “one-of-a-kind” dress. In a comedic stand-off, the two divas both tore away the hem of their gowns, turning their matching designs into two different stylish looks. Clearly, there was no diva competition between the two, since later that year, Carey and Houston teamed up again, this time in the studio, to record the song “When You Believe,” for the animated feature “The Prince of Egypt.” 1999: All Access: Whitney Houston : In November of 1998, Houston released her first album in eight years, My Love is Your Love. After 14 years in the business, the superstar was making a fresh start, showing off a revitalized sound, and embarking on a 70-day My Love Is Your Love World Tour. During three of those stops, she invited along MTV News’ John Norris, and gave him a rare, up-close look at the diva, in the MTV News special, “All Access: Whitney Houston.” 2000: Whitney Houston Makes Memorable Entrance at the VMAs : Now even though troubles began for Whitney Houston that year, she made an electrifying entrance that year at the 2000 Video Music Awards . After a warm introduction by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera , Houston was given a standing ovation as she belted her way onto the stage, showing off her vocal power with an a capella snippet of “I Will Always Love You,” making it one of the most memorable entrances for a Video of the Year presenter ever. Stick with MTV News all for all the Grammy red-carpet fashion , Grammy winners and Grammy news until the hangover wears off! Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon Remembering An Icon: Whitney’s Top MTV Moments Related Artists Whitney Houston
Singer’s ex-husband and the Houston family release statements just before daughter Bobby Kristina Brown is hospitalized. By Jason Kaufman Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston Photo: Ron Galella/ Ron Galella Collection As details of Whitney Houston’s death emerged, both the singer’s ex-husband, Bobby Brown, and her family officially addressed the media for the first time. “I am deeply saddened at the passing of my ex-wife, Whitney Houston,” Brown said in a statement to MTV News. “At this time, we ask for privacy, especially for my daughter, Bobbi Kristina. I appreciate all of the condolences that have been directed towards my family and I at this most difficult time.” The statement appears to have been made before Brown and Houston’s 18-year-old daughter, “Bobbi Kristina, was admitted to Cedars-Sinai hospital . According to TMZ, the teen was spotted being taken out of the Beverly Hilton on a stretcher less than 24 hours after her mother’s body was taken from the same hotel. The Houston family also released a statement to MTV News in what appears to be the hours before Bobbi Kristina’s hospitalization. “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly,” the statement read. “We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends.” Before his statement, the most the world had heard from Brown was during a New Edition concert in Mississippi Saturday night. After being comforted by the other members of New Edition, Brown took the stage and addressed the crowd . “First of all, I want to tell you that I love you all. Second, I would like to say, ‘I love you Whitney.’ The hardest thing for me to do is come on this stage.” Brown then told the fans that their support for New Edition over the years was the only thing that allowed him to get through the show. Brown broke down several times through the show and left the stage near the end of the set when he appeared too shaken to perform. MTV News’ Sway and James Montgomery will be live from the Grammys red carpet all evening to get reactions from music’s biggest stars on the death of Whitney Houston. Watch reactions and remembrances at MTV.com. Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon Related Artists Whitney Houston Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown’s band New Edition has released a statement to TMZ on the death of Whitney Houston . The band said they are “shocked and saddened” by the death of Whitney and said their thoughts and prayers remain with the entire Brown-Houston family.” We reported earlier that an emotional Bobby Brown took the stage with New Edition in Mississippi hours after Whitney passed in Los Angeles. New Edition’s statement: “We are absolutely shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely death of our dear sister Whitney. As a group, we are extremely close; when one of us hurts, we all hurt. As much as we are in pain right now, we will continue to draw strength from God, as we support and comfort our brother Bobby, their daughter Bobbi-Christina and Whitney’s mother Cissy Houston. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the entire Brown-Houston family today and always.” RELATED: Bobby Declares Love For Whitney On Stage [VIDEO] Whitney Houston’s Daughter Bobbi Kristina Rushed To Hospital Whitney Houston Found Underwater In Bathtub [UPDATE] Whitney Houston’s Last Interview [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Dead At 48 [BREAKING NEWS]
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