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Kanye West Sweeps Three Early Grammys

The most nominated artist of the night, West wins Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Collaboration. By Gil Kaufman Kanye West Photo: Don Arnold/ WireImage It didn’t look like Kanye West, the most nominated man at Sunday (February 12) night’s Grammys , was going to make an appearance at the show, but even before the curtain came up, he was already a big winner. West came into the night with a leading seven nominations, and though he was controversially shut out of the Album of the Year race, he pulled off a near clean sweep in hip-hop categories handed out before the show. ‘Ye scored a win in the Best Rap Album race, taking the award for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, beating out his collabo with Jay-Z on Watch the Throne, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV, Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers and Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday. “Everybody’s working hard and he’s definitely another big artist in the game,” Tyga told MTV News’ Sway on the Grammy red carpet when news broke about the West wins. With 17 nominations for the YMCMB crew, label boss Baby didn’t have much to add about West’s win, though Weezy had plenty to say in a pre-Grammy freestyle in which he took shots at West and Jigga . West also scooped up Best Rap Song for “All of the Lights” and Best Rap Song Collaboration for that song’s hook-up with Rihanna, Fergie and Kid Cudi. In that category he beat out some other major players, including Beyonc

Kanye West Sweeps Three Early Grammys

The most nominated artist of the night, West wins Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Collaboration. By Gil Kaufman Kanye West Photo: Don Arnold/ WireImage It didn’t look like Kanye West, the most nominated man at Sunday (February 12) night’s Grammys , was going to make an appearance at the show, but even before the curtain came up, he was already a big winner. West came into the night with a leading seven nominations, and though he was controversially shut out of the Album of the Year race, he pulled off a near clean sweep in hip-hop categories handed out before the show. ‘Ye scored a win in the Best Rap Album race, taking the award for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, beating out his collabo with Jay-Z on Watch the Throne, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV, Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers and Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday. “Everybody’s working hard and he’s definitely another big artist in the game,” Tyga told MTV News’ Sway on the Grammy red carpet when news broke about the West wins. With 17 nominations for the YMCMB crew, label boss Baby didn’t have much to add about West’s win, though Weezy had plenty to say in a pre-Grammy freestyle in which he took shots at West and Jigga . West also scooped up Best Rap Song for “All of the Lights” and Best Rap Song Collaboration for that song’s hook-up with Rihanna, Fergie and Kid Cudi. In that category he beat out some other major players, including Beyonc

John Legend ‘Disappointed’ Kanye Isn’t Up For Album Of The Year Grammy

‘It had hit songs and just had quality tracks all the way through,’ Legend says of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. By Kelley L. Carter Kanye West Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images John Legend is bummed that his buddy and collaborator Kanye West isn’t up for one of the biggest awards at the Grammys . The rapper and producer is the most nominated musician going into Sunday, but his work is missing from the coveted Album of the Year category. “Well, I was rooting for Kanye and Jay-Z [ Watch the Throne ] to be nominated for album of the year or Kanye’s album [ My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ] to be nominated for album of the year. So I’m a little disappointed that it’s not,” Legend told MTV News. “I really thought [ MBDTF ] was the best work that was done in popular music this year, as far as a great album that you could listen to all the way through and really enjoy. It had some hit songs and just had … quality tracks all the way through.” That said, he’s tossing his support behind critical favorite Adele . The Brit has many celebrity fans, and many of her musical colleagues are rooting for her to take home the night’s top prize. “I’m really happy for Adele. I think she’s an amazing artist and she seems to be the odds-on favorite to win a lot of awards and she deserves it. And we’ll see what else happens,” Legend said. “It’s hard to call these awards. Sometimes you think you know who’s going to win, but they surprise you.” And what about West? Is he upset that his work didn’t get nominated for Album of the Year? “I don’t want to speak for him,” Legend said, adding, “I was upset that he didn’t. I really felt like I heard a lot of music this year and this was my favorite album. I just think he made two exceptional albums that were both eligible this year. … Maybe they canceled each other out. I wish he was up for Album of the Year.” Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the Grammys ; red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off! Related Videos A Guide To The Grammys 2012 Related Photos 2012 Grammy Nominees 2012 Grammy Rehearsals Related Artists Kanye West John Legend

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John Legend ‘Disappointed’ Kanye Isn’t Up For Album Of The Year Grammy

Kanye West Isn’t Only Grammy Album Of The Year Snub

Rapper’s critically acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy didn’t make the cut for Sunday’s top prize, and it’s in good company. By Gil Kaufman Kanye West Photo: Getty Images One of the favorite parlor games the morning after the Grammy Awards is the predictable bellyaching about which artists got robbed during the big show. And the category that typically draws the most Monday-morning quarterbacking is the biggest one of the night: Album of the Year. Long before the 54th annual ceremony Sunday night, the drumbeat had already begun about an album that failed to make the list despite its wide critical acclaim and deep musicality. Though he’s the leading nominee at this year’s ceremony with seven nods, Kanye West’s career-defining My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy failed to make the cut for the night’s top prize. Take a closer look at this year’s Grammy nominees through photos! Hip-hop heads grumbled that it was a continuation of the Recording Academy’s inability to think outside the mainstream box when awarding a hip-hop album with its highest honor. While Lauryn Hill and Outkast have won in the past, the denial of West’s richly textured, musically adventurous album puts him in pretty good company when it comes to landmark works that either never got a nomination for the award or failed to close the deal. Among the other (in)famous Grammy Album of the Year snubs: 1992 : If any album over the past 20-plus years could be said to completely define its era — not to mention igniting a complete reordering of the musical world — it was Nirvana’s Nevermind. Released in time to be considered at the 1992 Grammys, the landmark album wasn’t even nominated in a year when the winner was Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable … With Love tribute to her late father. Instead of honoring Nirvana, Grammy voters nominated Christian lightweight Amy Grant, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M. and Paul Simon. Among the other important works that didn’t even make the list: Guns N’ Roses’ ambitious Use Your Illusion double album set, Ten by Pearl Jam and Achtung Baby by U2. 2001 : In one of the all-time Grammy head-scratchers, that year’s honors went to the first album in 20 years from studio-rat duo Steely Dan, Two Against Nature. The pick was especially galling for rock and rap fans, as it meant that another career-pinnacle work, Radiohead’s twisty Kid A and Eminem’s massive The Marshall Mathers LP, had to settle just for being nominated. 2008 : In a year when West garnered his third Album of the Year nod, the Grammys went old-school again, shocking the world by giving the award to veteran jazzman Herbie Hancock’s 47th studio album, the Joni Mitchell tribute River: The Joni Letters. What albums were passed over in the process? Oh, nothing major, just Amy Winehouse’s hugely influential smash breakthrough Back to Black and West’s Graduation. 2009 : The Academy had another chance to make it up to the hip-hop world the following year when Lil Wayne’s massive Tha Carter III was up for the big one. And even though Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Coldplay’s Viva la Vida, or Death and All His Friends were solid contenders, the prize once again went to a lesser-heard disc by a veteran, Raising Sand, a folky collaboration between former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss. Do you have an all-time favorite Album of the Year snub? Let us know in comments below. Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the Grammys red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off! Related Videos A Guide To The Grammys 2012 Related Photos 2012 Grammy Nominees 2012 Grammy Performers Related Artists Kanye West

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Kanye West Isn’t Only Grammy Album Of The Year Snub

Scarlett Johansson Rallies For Obama: ‘2012 Will Not Be Easy’

Actress teams up with Vogue ‘s Anna Wintour for ‘Runway to Win’ fashion fundraiser. By Uptin Saiidi Scarlett Johansson before attending Runway to Win Tuesday night Photo: Alo Ceballos/FilmMagic Scarlett Johansson , a vocal Barack Obama supporter during his first election campaign, lent a hand to the President’s re-election run on Tuesday night. The actress co-hosted a fundraiser event with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour at a Theory store in New York City, where they also promoted new merchandise. The “Runway to Win” event brought together 23 of the biggest fashion designers, all of whom designed Obama swag to sell in support of the campaign. According to the Huffington Post , Johansson gave a talk in which she ticked off Obama’s various accomplishments in the last three years, from signing the Fair Pay Act to ending Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. But while the actress has been supportive during the president’s first term, some of Obama’s A-list supporters have been slower to sign on again. The “We Bought a Zoo” star seemed to hopes the fashion project will help reignite hope. “There is so much at stake in this campaign,” Johansson said in a press release. “2012 will not be easy. We have to fight even harder this time around, and that’s where Runway to Win will make a real difference.” The campaign collection includes merchandise, like tote bags, designed by Marc Jacobs, Sean John, Beyonc

Kanye, Jay-Z Battle Young Money For Best Rap Album Grammy

Will Yeezy capitalize on his double nods in the category, or will Lil Wayne or Nicki Minaj take the throne on Sunday night? By Rob Markman Kanye West Photo: Don Arnold/ WireImage Who would’ve ever thought that hip-hop would take it this far? The Notorious B.I.G. posed the question on his 1994 classic “Juicy,” and the 2012 Grammy nominations prove that hip-hop continues to rise to new heights. For the second year in a row, a rap artist is leading in Grammy nods: Last year it was Eminem, this year Kanye West . Yeezy’s seven nods take the cake. Two of West’s nominations come in the hotly contested Best Rap Album category; one for his solo My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the other for his and Jay-Z ‘s Watch the Throne tag-team LP. Lil Wayne ‘s Tha Carter IV, Nicki Minaj ‘s Pink Friday and Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers round out the category, and while the odds are clearly in the Louis Vuitton Don’s favor, he isn’t exactly a lock. If record sales are any indication, it will be tough to ignore the first-week sales of Wayne’s Carter IV . The approximate 960,000 units Weezy sold in his first week didn’t earn him a platinum plaque right out of the gate, but it stood as one of the biggest hip-hop stories of 2011. CIV has since been certified double platinum by the RIAA, and though some critics panned it, high-powered singles like “6 Foot 7 Foot,” “She Will” and “John” helped cement Wayne’s ninth solo album as a fan-favorite. Just like her Young Money boss, Nicki Minaj reigned throughout the year thanks to Pink Friday. Released at the end of 2010 and anchored by the infectious and inescapable bonus track “Super Bass,” Nicki’s debut LP helped her to penetrate the pop space while still keeping a foot firmly planted in the streets with her “Did It On ‘Em” single. Lupe Fiasco may be the dark horse of the group but considering the Recording Academy’s knack for acknowledging hip-hop with a message, don’t be surprised if the Chicago MC takes home the golden gramophone. Lasers was a commercial success thanks to its radio-friendly sound, but it didn’t sit well with some die-hard fans because it was a departure from Fiasco’s earlier work. Regardless of the LP’s sound bed, Lupe’s message remained potent. His criticism of President Obama on “Words I Never Said” was polarizing and opened up much political debate. Kanye’s MBDTF was highly touted when it dropped in November 2010, but was seemingly eclipsed by the meteoric Watch the Throne collaboration with Jay-Z. Discussing MBDTF ‘s Album of the Year snub , Yeezy blamed himself, saying that he should have spaced his releases out “just a little bit more.” But in the Best Rap Album category, his maddening pace only increases his chances. Who will emerge with the Best Rap Album Grammy? Share your predictions on our Facebook page! Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the Grammys red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off! Related Videos A Guide To The Grammys 2012 Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West

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Kanye, Jay-Z Battle Young Money For Best Rap Album Grammy

Grammys Red Carpet: MTV News Goes Live Sunday!

Join Sway and James Montgomery with your favorite celebs for a full three hours of mayhem, starting 5 p.m. Sunday on MTV.com. By Gil Kaufman 2012 Grammy Awards Photo: grammy.com From the first arrival to the last star running down the red carpet before the show begins, we’ll bring you all the glittering action from the Grammys live this Sunday night during the MTV News Pre-Show. With a crew anchored by MTV News’ Sway and James Montgomery, we’ll be everywhere you want to be in the run-up to the 54th annual ceremony. You never know what you’re going to see or hear on the red carpet, so we are posting up for a full three hours from 5 p.m. ET until the show kicks off at 8. Nicki Minaj vs. Skrillex: Who will win Best New Artist at the Grammys? And with the expansive roster of artists expected to perform, present or just hang out, we’ll catch up with as many as possible, from Katy Perry, Drake, Fergie, Bruce Springsteen and Adele to Rihanna, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters , Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Nicki Minaj , Chris Brown and host LL Cool J . The biggest shocks and snubs from this year’s Grammy nominations. Once we have them in our sights, we’ll ask the nominees how they’re feeling about their chances, what performances they’re most looking forward to and see if we can’t get a peek at what they’re planning for the future. Kanye West is the night’s most-nominated artist , with seven nods for his joint album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne, and his own My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, both of which are up for Rap Album of the Year. West is followed by this year’s critical darling, Adele, who is tied with the Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars with six nods each. Lil Wayne and dance-music breakout Skrillex each garnered five nods. Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the Grammys red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off! Related Videos A Guide To The Grammys 2012 Related Photos 2012 Grammy Performers 2012 Grammy Nominees

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Grammys Red Carpet: MTV News Goes Live Sunday!

‘Amazing Spider-Man’ Trailer: Five Key Scenes

Latest preview reveals Spidey’s new mask — and his attitude. By Kevin P. Sullivan Andrew Garfield in “The Amazing Spider-Man” Photo: Marvel / Columbia Pictures “Spider-Man” fans who stayed up late Monday were treated to the second trailer from the superhero’s upcoming reboot. The preview for “The Amazing Spider-Man” showed off new action sequences, a transformed reptilian villain and the smart-ass attitude fans of the comics have missed in recent years. We’ve watched the trailer more times than we care to mention and took the opportunity to break down our favorite moments. Here are the five key scenes from the “Amazing Spider-Man” trailer: Mask You’d have to think back hard, but believe it or not, the first trailer only included a glimpse at Spider-Man’s mask. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but it isn’t until you see the old red-and-blue for a period longer than half a second that you realized what you were missing. The new suit looks good, if slightly over-stylized, but the mask brings it home and makes it feel like a “Spider-Man” movie. Attitude “Spider-Man 3” may have caused you to forget that Spider-Man is actually kind of a smart-ass and not just an emo guy who dances in the street with side bangs and zero self-awareness. In “Amazing,” the wisecracking Spidey returns to make a carjacker feel like a complete dumbass, as he should. Andrew Garfield ‘s take on the hero brings back the fun, intentionally. Mr. and Mrs. Parker The official plot synopsis released a few weeks ago focused on Dr. Connors’ connection to the flighty parents that Mr. and Mrs. Parker were. The trailer plays off that new information and shows Peter hunting down the one-armed doctor to find out what happened to the parents he barely knew. It’s an element we haven’t seen in the previous films and one “Amazing” wants to put front and center. Lizard With the extra emphasis on Curt Connors comes an extended look at his bigger, greener side. After teases with flipped cars, we get to see the Lizard fully transformed, albeit a fleeting peek. They wouldn’t want to spoil it all for us, but we saw enough to confirm that the PEZ dispenser was, in fact, accurate. The Spire The trailer finishes with a shot from an action sequence that most likely takes place near the end of the film. Peter stands on the spire of a skyscraper, dressed in Spider-Man attire from the neck down, but he won’t be standing for long. The spike begins to tumble, and Pete struggles to not fall with it. The shot brings the serious action notes the first trailer lacked and makes us question how much we haven’t seen from the film. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Amazing Spider-Man.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Photos The Amazing Spider-Man

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‘Amazing Spider-Man’ Trailer: Five Key Scenes

Grammys Pit Nicki Minaj Vs. Skrillex For Best New Artist

Bon Iver, J. Cole and the Band Perry also in the mix for coveted statue come Sunday. By Gil Kaufman Nicki Minaj Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Whoever ends up staying in their seat when the Best New Artist trophy is handed out at Sunday’s Grammys shouldn’t feel so bad: They’re in pretty good company. Recent years have seen such multiplatinum stars as Justin Bieber , Drake , Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift come out on the short end in the category. Then again, there’s a distinct possibility this year’s winner could make history by becoming the first dubstep act ( Skrillex ) to take the prize, the first true indie rocker ( Bon Iver ) to snatch it or just the second female MC ( Nicki Minaj ) bestowed with the honor. This could also be the year when the music industry fully embraces the fact that just putting a traditional album out is not the surest (or only) path to Grammy glory. Among those in the mix are acts like J. Cole and Minaj, who’ve slowly built up careers by mining the mixtape path to glory and Skrillex, who went from indie punk rock to the top of the glow-stick-waving heap by perfecting a stomach-rumbling mix of dance music, techno beats and rock energy through a series of EPs and singles in front of ever-expanding, sweaty live crowds. Bon Iver (the nom de rock of sensitive singer Justin Vernon) brings his own unique path to the mix. On two acclaimed independently released albums of sensitive, wistful forest folk, Vernon has provided an antidote of sorts to Minaj’s hyper, in-your-face rhymes with music that washes over you instead of hitting you over the head. But his commercial prospects have not dimmed at all due to his chosen path, as Bon Iver tunes have shown up in Miller Genuine Draft ads and have landed him on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album and, reportedly, in the studio with Alicia Keys. With just her debut album, Pink Friday, to her credit, Minaj has gone from mixtape queen to pop/rap icon in just four years, culminating with her Super Bowl halftime appearance on Sunday alongside Madonna. Along the way, the Queens native has made spotlight-stealing cameos on songs by Kanye, Mariah Carey, Ludacris, DJ Khaled and Drake. Like Minaj, Cole slowly bubbled up on the mixtape circuit to a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, dropping a number of impressive guest verses along the way for Jigga, Wale, B.o.B and Young Chris. By the time his major-label debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, dropped in May, he was already being touted as one of the hottest young stars in the business. Though they’ve been playing together since 2005, country trio the Band Perry didn’t release their first full-length album until October. They’ve since recorded with Bieber for his Under the Mistletoe album, scored three American Music Awards nominations as well as a trio of hit singles. Who is your pick to win the Best New Artist Grammy? Let us know in comments below! MTV News is all over the Grammys ! Stick with us from now through Sunday’s show as we bring you everything you need to know. Related Photos 2012 Grammy Performers 2012 Grammy Nominees

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Grammys Pit Nicki Minaj Vs. Skrillex For Best New Artist

Put On Blast: Amber Rose’s Former Publicist Goes H.A.M. On Twitter! Says She And Yeezy Broke Up Cuz She’s A Lyin’ Thievin’ A$$ Beyotch!!!

Uh oh… Amber alert! Amby Cakes got put on Blizzast today after her former publicist Janero Marchand let loose on Twitter about the “REAL” reason Yeezy let that thang go… and turns it out it had nada to do with Kimmy cakes hear Janero tell it. Interestingly enough, his version of the story sounds a whole lot like the lyrics of “Blame Game” off Yeezy’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ! Continue for the full scoop.

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Put On Blast: Amber Rose’s Former Publicist Goes H.A.M. On Twitter! Says She And Yeezy Broke Up Cuz She’s A Lyin’ Thievin’ A$$ Beyotch!!!