Scotty McCreery sang George Strait’s “Cross My Heart” on Idol this week. For a country singer to use George Strait, well, they’re gonna have to be good, ’cause they’re gonna be compared to George Strait. Did Scotty pull it off? It seemed to us that he had trouble with his pitch sometimes, struggled with some notes and didn’t exactly get a lot of favors from the American Idol band.
Industry experts explain why this latest batch of artists from across the pond is making it in the U.S. By Sterling Wong Adele Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images It’s not quite Beatlemania or the ’90s Britpop invasion by the likes of Oasis, Blur and the Spice Girls, but astute music followers will have noticed that British music, has been quietly staging yet another attack on American charts. This time around, this assault is spearheaded by powerhouse diva, Adele, whose sophomore album, 21, is currently the bestselling one of the year and is pushing Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale off the #1 spot on next week’s Billboard 200 chart. Then there’s folk-rock band Mumford and Sons, whose album peaked at #2 a whole year after it was released and has impressively gone platinum. In fact, Adele, Mumford and Sons and Marsha Ambrosius , yet another British act, combined for the top three spots on the Billboard sales charts for one week in March, the first time in over 20 years that British artists have done so. Are we experiencing a third wave of British music invasion? Or is it mere coincidence that acts like Adele and Mumford and Sons are achieving chart success at the same time? “I think the U.S. market is just generally receptive to a lot more things than it’s been for a while, with all the changes in sales,” Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston observed. “You also have other aspects of the industry that have changed, like the Arcade Fire, who are on an independent label, winning the Album of the Year Grammy.” For Spin editor-in-chief Doug Brod, the success of these artists has got more to do with the quality of their music than their nation of origin. “With Mumford and Sons, their success has been long in the making,” Brod said. “The record’s been out for a year, and they’ve sold over a million copies and are now headlining festivals, but it took them a long time. “In Adele’s case, her previous record primed her for success,” Brod added. “It received Grammy nominations and won awards. And this record just took off because of the great songs.” Johnston also thinks some British acts are doing well by marketing to underserved audiences. “It was the same with Adele, and with Sade and Susan Boyle,” she said. “There are certain audiences that don’t get marketed to a lot by popular music, and so when they do, even if it’s just an appearance on a TV show like ‘Letterman’ or ‘Oprah,’ people will respond to a really powerful, good song.” The increasing popularity of digital music sources has also made it easier for Americans to seek out music from across the pond. “The digital marketplace levels the playing field,” Hits Daily Double senior editor Roy Trakin said. “It doesn’t matter where something is from at this point, because it is a globalized universe. British acts go in and they go out. Sometimes they can’t buy a break, and then sometimes you see them all over the place. But when things break, they can break instantaneously. That’s probably a factor.” At the moment there are two types of British acts that have achieved success in the U.S. recently: big-voiced divas like Adele, Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle; and rock bands like Coldplay and Mumford and Sons. Pop stars like Robbie Williams and girl group Sugababes have tried and failed. Is it possible for a British pop act to join the British invasion? All eyes are on Jessie J, whose Who You Are made its U.S. debut this week. Brod had a positive prognosis for Jessie. “She has a lot of momentum,” he said. “She’s been aligned with big American stars like B.o.B, Bruno Mars, Miley, so she has visibility. Her ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance also really put her on people’s minds, so it’s a matter of radio getting behind her at this point. I think if radio responds well to her, she could ride that to a big career here.” But Johnston opined that Jessie J’s success is not a litmus test of whether British pop acts can break America, because Jessie’s music already sounds very American. “Jessie J is so in the American mold of pop stars,” Johnston argued. “I would love to see what would happen right now if a [British pop group] Girls Aloud song got properly promoted and got a proper push. That to me is more of a litmus test, than something that sounds a lot like American music.” A potential game changer for Britpop artists could be the upcoming fall launch of Simon Cowell’s U.S. “X Factor.” If the show proves to be a hit, British acts will have a great high-profile platform on which to introduce themselves to the U.S. “You can’t discount Simon Cowell’s influence. He brought Leona to Clive Davis, who was onboard immediately. So whatever you may think of him as a judge or as a celebrity, he does wield big influence on what makes a pop star in the U.S. As long as he’s part of the conversation and the culture, he will have an effect on which British artists might make it here.” One thing is certain: The music industry is all about trends, so if Jessie J makes it here, that could open the door for other similar British acts. “It’s the Amy Winehouse-Duffy-Adele scenario,” Brod explained. “Amy Winehouse opened the door, and Duffy and Adele stepped in. Adele stuck, and Duffy sort of fell off, so there might be casualties involved. But a lot of it just depends on the quality of the music.” Related Artists Adele
Is it America’s fault Pia Toscano got the boot, or is it the judges’? By Jim Cantiello Pia Toscano on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Jim Cantiello’s “American Idol” in 60 Seconds recaps have been an institution at MTV News since Sanjaya’s Reign of Terror. But sometimes, the lightning-quick pace moves by so fast, you occasionally miss a joke, comment or sight gag. So, as a courtesy to our loyal watchers, we’re publishing the full script of Jim’s latest recap. This week, the top nine (and Scotty’s groupies) tackled rock and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists! [ Clip of Steven Tyler singing James Brown. And high kicking. For no reason. ] Wait, is Steven competing now? Can we vote him off? Will.i.am mentored the top nine while speaking in funny voices and refusing to make eye contact with them. [ Will.i.am exclaims, “Sammy!” ] Pia listened to the judges and finally did a fast song, Casey listened to the judges and finally did a bass song, and Jacob listened to his conscience and stopped a Gaye song. (Marvin Gaye, that is.) [ Clip of Jacob: “If I’m in the bottom three, it will be because America won’t be ready to look at themselves in the mirror.” ] [ Jim has a mirror at his desk. ] But Jacob, I am looking in the mirror. And my reflection’s telling me that your performance was terrible. But wait, can we go back to Pia and discuss that outfit? [ Clip of Michael Kors from old-school “Project Runway” saying, “The crotch on those pants is insane!!” ] Thank you, Michael Kors. On the results show it was headache [ shot of Russell Brand ], nightmare [ shot of Gwen Stefani giving fashion advice ], nausea [ shot of Harry Levin and his TMZ crew ], and then a sleazy rocker came back to relive his glory days when really everyone just wanted him to button up his shirt. [ Shots of Iggy Pop performing, but Jim cuts off the editor. ] Oh, no, no, no. I liked Iggy Pop. I was talking about Constantine. [ Clip of Constantine Maroulis: “Am i gonna get judged here?” ] Oh, you’re getting judged. And results!! Goodbye, Stefan-OH WAIT! Pia’s going home?! Stop the clock! [ Clip of a teary J.Lo: “I have no idea what just happened here. ] I’ll tell you what just happened here. You and your pals told Pia that she was perfect every week, when in actuality, she had the personality of wallpaper. But if you had done your job and given her notes to improve her stage presence three weeks ago, chances are Pia would have worked on that. She does, after all, strike me as a perfectionist. Maybe then, America would have fallen in love with her as much as they were in love with her voice. Steven, do you have anything to say for yourself? [ Clip of Steven Tyler: “A mistake is a mistake, but a lack of passion is unforgiveable.” ] This coming from the man who pretended to be asleep Wednesday night? Oh, hold my earrings. Randy Jackson, final thoughts? [ Clip of Randy: “I’m mad, and I don’t get upset!” ] Oh, you never get angry, do you? Well, you also don’t pay attention. Because you, of all people, should know that the cray-crays who vote a zillion times for their favorite contestant are mostly girls. And who have the girls been voting for, especially in the last three seasons? Boys! If only there was a way for you to protect the female talent, and saved that stupid judges’ save for someone with, you know, a vagina! Just sayin’! Hashtag it! And another thing, Randy Jackson. If you’re going to sit there and tell everybody that they’re amazing and beautiful and perfect and awesome, you have no right to act shocked or angry when the bottom three is announced. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you got all huffy once Haley was safe, even though the night before you said the old brilliant Haley was “back-ack-ack-ack-ack.” It is you three who need to look in a mirror. Boom fiyah! OK, you can start the clock again. [ The clock continues. ] Does anybody know when “The Voice” premieres? [ Ding! ] Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Is it America’s fault Pia Toscano got the boot, or is it the judges’? By Jim Cantiello Pia Toscano on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Jim Cantiello’s “American Idol” in 60 Seconds recaps have been an institution at MTV News since Sanjaya’s Reign of Terror. But sometimes, the lightning-quick pace moves by so fast, you occasionally miss a joke, comment or sight gag. So, as a courtesy to our loyal watchers, we’re publishing the full script of Jim’s latest recap. This week, the top nine (and Scotty’s groupies) tackled rock and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists! [ Clip of Steven Tyler singing James Brown. And high kicking. For no reason. ] Wait, is Steven competing now? Can we vote him off? Will.i.am mentored the top nine while speaking in funny voices and refusing to make eye contact with them. [ Will.i.am exclaims, “Sammy!” ] Pia listened to the judges and finally did a fast song, Casey listened to the judges and finally did a bass song, and Jacob listened to his conscience and stopped a Gaye song. (Marvin Gaye, that is.) [ Clip of Jacob: “If I’m in the bottom three, it will be because America won’t be ready to look at themselves in the mirror.” ] [ Jim has a mirror at his desk. ] But Jacob, I am looking in the mirror. And my reflection’s telling me that your performance was terrible. But wait, can we go back to Pia and discuss that outfit? [ Clip of Michael Kors from old-school “Project Runway” saying, “The crotch on those pants is insane!!” ] Thank you, Michael Kors. On the results show it was headache [ shot of Russell Brand ], nightmare [ shot of Gwen Stefani giving fashion advice ], nausea [ shot of Harry Levin and his TMZ crew ], and then a sleazy rocker came back to relive his glory days when really everyone just wanted him to button up his shirt. [ Shots of Iggy Pop performing, but Jim cuts off the editor. ] Oh, no, no, no. I liked Iggy Pop. I was talking about Constantine. [ Clip of Constantine Maroulis: “Am i gonna get judged here?” ] Oh, you’re getting judged. And results!! Goodbye, Stefan-OH WAIT! Pia’s going home?! Stop the clock! [ Clip of a teary J.Lo: “I have no idea what just happened here. ] I’ll tell you what just happened here. You and your pals told Pia that she was perfect every week, when in actuality, she had the personality of wallpaper. But if you had done your job and given her notes to improve her stage presence three weeks ago, chances are Pia would have worked on that. She does, after all, strike me as a perfectionist. Maybe then, America would have fallen in love with her as much as they were in love with her voice. Steven, do you have anything to say for yourself? [ Clip of Steven Tyler: “A mistake is a mistake, but a lack of passion is unforgiveable.” ] This coming from the man who pretended to be asleep Wednesday night? Oh, hold my earrings. Randy Jackson, final thoughts? [ Clip of Randy: “I’m mad, and I don’t get upset!” ] Oh, you never get angry, do you? Well, you also don’t pay attention. Because you, of all people, should know that the cray-crays who vote a zillion times for their favorite contestant are mostly girls. And who have the girls been voting for, especially in the last three seasons? Boys! If only there was a way for you to protect the female talent, and saved that stupid judges’ save for someone with, you know, a vagina! Just sayin’! Hashtag it! And another thing, Randy Jackson. If you’re going to sit there and tell everybody that they’re amazing and beautiful and perfect and awesome, you have no right to act shocked or angry when the bottom three is announced. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you got all huffy once Haley was safe, even though the night before you said the old brilliant Haley was “back-ack-ack-ack-ack.” It is you three who need to look in a mirror. Boom fiyah! OK, you can start the clock again. [ The clock continues. ] Does anybody know when “The Voice” premieres? [ Ding! ] Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Is it America’s fault Pia Toscano got the boot, or is it the judges’? By Jim Cantiello Pia Toscano on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Jim Cantiello’s “American Idol” in 60 Seconds recaps have been an institution at MTV News since Sanjaya’s Reign of Terror. But sometimes, the lightning-quick pace moves by so fast, you occasionally miss a joke, comment or sight gag. So, as a courtesy to our loyal watchers, we’re publishing the full script of Jim’s latest recap. This week, the top nine (and Scotty’s groupies) tackled rock and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists! [ Clip of Steven Tyler singing James Brown. And high kicking. For no reason. ] Wait, is Steven competing now? Can we vote him off? Will.i.am mentored the top nine while speaking in funny voices and refusing to make eye contact with them. [ Will.i.am exclaims, “Sammy!” ] Pia listened to the judges and finally did a fast song, Casey listened to the judges and finally did a bass song, and Jacob listened to his conscience and stopped a Gaye song. (Marvin Gaye, that is.) [ Clip of Jacob: “If I’m in the bottom three, it will be because America won’t be ready to look at themselves in the mirror.” ] [ Jim has a mirror at his desk. ] But Jacob, I am looking in the mirror. And my reflection’s telling me that your performance was terrible. But wait, can we go back to Pia and discuss that outfit? [ Clip of Michael Kors from old-school “Project Runway” saying, “The crotch on those pants is insane!!” ] Thank you, Michael Kors. On the results show it was headache [ shot of Russell Brand ], nightmare [ shot of Gwen Stefani giving fashion advice ], nausea [ shot of Harry Levin and his TMZ crew ], and then a sleazy rocker came back to relive his glory days when really everyone just wanted him to button up his shirt. [ Shots of Iggy Pop performing, but Jim cuts off the editor. ] Oh, no, no, no. I liked Iggy Pop. I was talking about Constantine. [ Clip of Constantine Maroulis: “Am i gonna get judged here?” ] Oh, you’re getting judged. And results!! Goodbye, Stefan-OH WAIT! Pia’s going home?! Stop the clock! [ Clip of a teary J.Lo: “I have no idea what just happened here. ] I’ll tell you what just happened here. You and your pals told Pia that she was perfect every week, when in actuality, she had the personality of wallpaper. But if you had done your job and given her notes to improve her stage presence three weeks ago, chances are Pia would have worked on that. She does, after all, strike me as a perfectionist. Maybe then, America would have fallen in love with her as much as they were in love with her voice. Steven, do you have anything to say for yourself? [ Clip of Steven Tyler: “A mistake is a mistake, but a lack of passion is unforgiveable.” ] This coming from the man who pretended to be asleep Wednesday night? Oh, hold my earrings. Randy Jackson, final thoughts? [ Clip of Randy: “I’m mad, and I don’t get upset!” ] Oh, you never get angry, do you? Well, you also don’t pay attention. Because you, of all people, should know that the cray-crays who vote a zillion times for their favorite contestant are mostly girls. And who have the girls been voting for, especially in the last three seasons? Boys! If only there was a way for you to protect the female talent, and saved that stupid judges’ save for someone with, you know, a vagina! Just sayin’! Hashtag it! And another thing, Randy Jackson. If you’re going to sit there and tell everybody that they’re amazing and beautiful and perfect and awesome, you have no right to act shocked or angry when the bottom three is announced. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you got all huffy once Haley was safe, even though the night before you said the old brilliant Haley was “back-ack-ack-ack-ack.” It is you three who need to look in a mirror. Boom fiyah! OK, you can start the clock again. [ The clock continues. ] Does anybody know when “The Voice” premieres? [ Ding! ] Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and their die-hard fans are up for awards at April 28 event. By MTV News staff O Music Awards Photo: MTV The typical awards show is packed with performances, celebrity appearances, red-carpet arrivals and, at some point, the presentations of the night’s biggest prize, usually just before the credits roll. The O Music Awards ? Not so much. The first-ever edition of MTV Networks’ latest awards extravaganza will take everything you know about awards galas, throw it in a blender, mash it up with an obscure black-and-white cartoon from the 1940s, add a Kanye West beat under it and maybe some adorable LOLcats and a snippet of “Friday” on top, post it on Twitter and watch it go mega-viral. Instead of just honoring the singers, songwriters, directors and producers who make our favorite digital-music products, the O Music Awards will dig deeper in such categories as Innovative Music Video, Fan Army FTW, Funniest Music Short, Innovative Artist, Must Follow Artist on Twitter, NSFW Music Video, Most Viral Dance, Best Independent Music Blog, Best Animal Performance, Best Performance Series and more to dig up the people behind your favorite online music and videos, professional, amateur or just plain awesome. Voting has now begun on the O Music Awards website , and like the best viral memes, it will be simple, social and transparent, with fans encouraged to vote via social media through a mobile voting wap site. You can follow the top vote-getters in the categories on a real-time leader board in the run-up to the April 28 event. Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. And unlike those other awards shows, the night’s biggest trophy might be handed out before the broadcast, during it or even after, to keep the conversation going. “There will be an event, but it won’t be a traditional awards show with a host, audience and a bunch of celebrities,” promised Shannon Connolly, vice president of music strategy for the MTV Music Group. “It will embody what the O Awards celebrates, which is being very interactive. We’ll have live performances, mash-ups, collaborations and it will be a Web event that will take place not just on MTV Music Group sites.” Lady Gaga and Odd Future’s Tyler the Creator lead with three nominations each, followed by Kanye West, the Flaming Lips and Nicki Minaj with two nominations apiece. Additional nominated artists include Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Justin Bieber, Lil B, Wiz Khalifa, Robyn, OK Go, Katy Perry and iamwhoiam. Notable nominees include Antoine Dodson/ Gregory Brothers (Funniest Music Short), the Lonely Island (Funniest Music Short), Funny or Die (Funniest Music Short), 50 Cent, Rebecca Black and Bert (Favorite Animated GIF), the Hype Machine (Best Music Discovery Service), Pandora (Best Music Discovery Service), Tiny Desk Concerts (Best Performance Series), Gorilla vs. Bear (Best Independent Music Blog) and Marshall Jones (Best Music Hack). Fans will definitely be front and center, with an entire category devoted to the Best Fan Cover, the most rabid online fan following (which will pit 30 Seconds to Mars’ Echelon against the Beliebers, Katy Perry’s Bandaids, Gaga’s Little Monsters and the followers of My Chemical Romance, Nicki Minaj, Tokio Hotel, Wiz Khalifa, Rain and Rihanna). There are also nods to the Best Fan Forum, Best Music Hack and Best Animal Performance. The Innovative Artist race is a tight one as well, including such nominees as the Flaming Lips, iamwhoiam, Kanye, Gaga, Lil B, Radiohead and Tyler the Creator. You’ll have to choose between the Dougie, the Pony, Lil B’s Cooking Dance and the “Whip My Hair” boogie in the Most Viral Dance category. In keeping with recent digital-music innovations from MTV Networks like MTV Hive and the Music Meter , Connolly said it was apparent that the time was right to create an awards show that moved at the speed of the Net. “Music consumption has never been greater, and it’s hugely important to our audience,” she said. “We felt like the time was right to look at the convergence of technology and music fans and the YouTube celebrities who’ve created this new ecosystem where music is exploding.” Voting starts today for the O Music Awards . Make your voice heard! Related Artists Lady Gaga Nicki Minaj Kanye West
‘It turns me on to stare someone deep in their eyes,’ she tells MTV News of looking out at the crowd during California Dreams Tour. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway Katy Perry Photo: MTV News Katy Perry is currently on her California Dreams Tour, inspiring fans with anthems like “Firework.” But, as it turns out, Perry is just as inspired by her fans as they are by her. “It turns me on to stare someone deep in their eyes,” she tells MTV News of looking out into the audience every night on her tour. “Sometimes I see all kinds of emotions. It’s a lot of emotion. “It’s lovely, too, because I love people that are passionate about life and music in general,” she continued. “Music has been such a helping tool for me to get through so many things. That’s why I write a lot of times, is to continue to evolve as a person, and I can see the same thing has happened with other people; they’ve just adopted the song for themselves.” What’s also inspiring Perry these days is outer space. She headed out of this world for her just-released “E.T.” video , and she credits her new wave of fans for finally embracing the pop singer, allowing her the opportunity to be truly creative. “It’s pretty exciting that I have the opportunities now to work with great directors and have 100 percent of my voice heard,” she said. “That’s always been the challenge as an artist, is for other people to jump onboard and see your vision correctly. And that’s why, sometimes, it’s hard for me to break out, especially on other labels, because my vision was always so strong, and I think with Teenage Dream, the record on a whole, I knew I wanted to give so many different flavors, so many different ideas and just make a different movie for each song, and I feel like I’ve done that.” Which Katy Perry song inspires you? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Katy Perry Related Artists Katy Perry
‘I think she’s perfect and they did a great job casting those movies,’ actor who plays Caius in ‘Breaking Dawn’ says. By Jocelyn Vena Jamie Campbell Bower Photo: MTV News Jamie Campbell Bower was thrust into the world of “Twilight” as Caius in “New Moon,” and he’ll be back vamping it up in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” next year. And the actor admits that as he preps to return to the “Twilight” set in 2012 for the final “Twilight Saga” movie, fans of the franchise will get to see just how bad Caius and the rest of the Volturi are. “Well, [director] Bill Condon, he brings something wonderful and a sort of theatricalness to the whole film,” Bower explained to MTV News when he stopped by to talk about his new Starz series “Camelot.” “The film itself, it’s much darker than the first three. It’s got a grittiness to it. From our side, the Volturi side, you really get to find out how messed up these characters are and just how badass they are,” he said. “We’re really evil people. I was always like, we’re not evil, we’re trying to keep it cool, but they are nasty blokes. So from us, you get to see how screwed up we are. That was great fun to play, just screw about on set and do as much as possible and be theatrical.” Much of the chatter about the final films in the “Twilight” series revolves around Kristen Stewart’s turn as vampire Bella , and from one vamp to another, Bower has nothing but praise for her performance. “She’s great as a vampire,” he said. “I think she’s perfect and they did a great job casting those movies. “Again to be a part of something that is such a success and has influenced so many different things, I’m really honored to be able to do that,” he added. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos On The Set Of ‘Breaking Dawn’
Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and their die-hard fans are up for awards at April 28 event. By MTV News staff Photo: MTV The typical awards show is packed with performances, celebrity appearances, red-carpet arrivals and, at some point, the presentations of the night’s biggest prize, usually just before the credits roll. The O Music Awards ? Not so much. The first-ever edition of MTV Networks’ latest awards extravaganza will take everything you know about awards galas, throw it in a blender, mash it up with an obscure black-and-white cartoon from the 1940s, add a Kanye West beat under it and maybe some adorable LOLcats and a snippet of “Friday” on top, post it on Twitter and watch it go mega-viral. Instead of just honoring the singers, songwriters, directors and producers who make our favorite digital-music products, the O Music Awards will dig deeper in such categories as Innovative Music Video, Fan Army FTW, Funniest Music Short, Innovative Artist, Must Follow Artist on Twitter, NSFW Music Video, Most Viral Dance, Best Independent Music Blog, Best Animal Performance, Best Performance Series and more to dig up the people behind your favorite online music and videos, professional, amateur or just plain awesome. Voting begins today (April 5) on the O Music Awards website , and like the best viral memes, it will be simple, social and transparent, with fans encouraged to vote via social media through a mobile voting wap site. You can follow the top vote-getters in the categories on a real-time leader board in the run-up to the April 28 event. Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. And unlike those other awards shows, the night’s biggest trophy might be handed out before the broadcast, during it or even after, to keep the conversation going. “There will be an event, but it won’t be a traditional awards show with a host, audience and a bunch of celebrities,” promised Shannon Connolly, vice president of music strategy for the MTV Music Group. “It will embody what the O Awards celebrates, which is being very interactive. We’ll have live performances, mash-ups, collaborations and it will be a Web event that will take place not just on MTV Music Group sites.” Lady Gaga and Odd Future’s Tyler the Creator lead with three nominations each, followed by Kanye West, the Flaming Lips and Nicki Minaj with two nominations apiece. Additional nominated artists include Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Justin Bieber, Lil B, Wiz Khalifa, Robyn, OK Go, Katy Perry and iamwhoiam. Notable nominees include Antoine Dodson/ Gregory Brothers (Funniest Music Short), the Lonely Island (Funniest Music Short), Funny or Die (Funniest Music Short), 50 Cent, Rebecca Black and Bert (Favorite Animated GIF), the Hype Machine (Best Music Discovery Service), Pandora (Best Music Discovery Service), Tiny Desk Concerts (Best Performance Series), Gorilla vs. Bear (Best Independent Music Blog) and Marshall Jones (Best Music Hack). Fans will definitely be front and center, with an entire category devoted to the Best Fan Cover, the most rabid online fan following (which will pit 30 Seconds to Mars’ Echelon against the Beliebers, Katy Perry’s Bandaids, Gaga’s Little Monsters and the followers of My Chemical Romance, Nicki Minaj, Tokio Hotel, Wiz Khalifa, Rain and Rihanna). There are also nods to the Best Fan Forum, Best Music Hack and Best Animal Performance. The Innovative Artist race is a tight one as well, including such nominees as the Flaming Lips, iamwhoiam, Kanye, Gaga, Lil B, Radiohead and Tyler the Creator. You’ll have to choose between the Dougie, the Pony, Lil B’s Cooking Dance and the “Whip My Hair” boogie in the Most Viral Dance category. In keeping with recent digital-music innovations from MTV Networks like MTV Hive and the Music Meter , Connolly said it was apparent that the time was right to create an awards show that moved at the speed of the Net. “Music consumption has never been greater, and it’s hugely important to our audience,” she said. “We felt like the time was right to look at the convergence of technology and music fans and the YouTube celebrities who’ve created this new ecosystem where music is exploding.” Voting starts today for the O Music Awards . Make your voice heard!
Welcome to THG’s Week in Review! Below, our staff takes a look back at the stories, stars and scandals that made this week the most memorable in … weeks! If you don’t already, you can FOLLOW THG on Twitter and Facebook for 24/7/365 updates. Now, a rundown of the week that was at The Hollywood Gossip: Jenelle Evans’ beatdown of Britany Truett led to … many arrests. Did Adam Lambert cause a wasted scene at Gaga’s b-day bash? Robert Pattinson’s personal life remains off limits . Mostly. The Bieb and the Mother Monster push for disaster relief . Britney Spears ‘ latest comeback is on in a major way. Bill O’Reilly Challenges Donald Trump Compared to Donald Trump, Bill O’Reilly is the voice of reason . At least Lindsay Lohan can cross one thing off her list of woes. Katy Perry and Kanye West are totally out of this world . A Christina Aguilera photo scandal may break any day. Rihanna just wants people to drop it already. Chris Brown on Dancing With The Stars – Yeah 3X Chris Brown performed on Dancing With the Stars amid outcry. The show also announced its first elimination of the season. American Idol axed two finalists after last week’s save. There was a lot of celebrity baby news this week. And some celebrity wedding news as well. Are Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth back on again? She’s not a huge fan of Rebecca Black in any case. Is this Serena Williams ad simply too sexy for TV? The Bachelor’s Brad and Emily are going strong. Get well soon, Spencer Pratt .
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