First-ever festival is set for March 15 at South by Southwest and will lead up to the awards themselves. By James Montgomery Chiddy Bang Photo: Patrick Ford/Redferns The 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards will return to Austin, Texas, on March 15, during South by Southwest, and they’re definitely getting in the spirit of the annual festival. First, they announced this year’s nominees , an epically diverse field that includes everyone from Jay-Z and Kanye West, the Black Keys and Skrillex to up-and-comers like Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino and Cloud Nothings. Then they announced the first round of performers for the first-ever Woodies Fest , a (grammatically adventurous) list topped by Fun., Wallpaper. and A$AP Rocky. And on Wednesday (February 22), the Woodies announced even more performers for that festival: Chiddy Bang (whom, as you might recall, previously set a Guinness World Record for Longest Freestyle during the inaugural O Music Awards), Gary Clark Jr., Kimbra (of “Somebody That I Used To Know” fame) and British singer Ed Sheeran. The 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Festival will take place March 15 down at SXSW and is open to both badge-holders and uncredited music fans alike. The entire fest will also stream live on Woodies.mtvU.com and leads up to the awards themselves. On Sunday, March 18, the best moments from the Woodies will be broadcast in a 30-minute special airing on MTV and mtvU at 8 p.m. ET. Voting is also under way in all Woodies categories — including Woodie of the Year and the coveted Best Video Woodie — and will remain open until March 9. Voting in the Breaking Woodie category will continue during the live show March 15. Fans can cast ballots in all categories through the Woodies’ website , on their mobile phones at M.MTV.com or by texting VOTE to 66333. Standard message and data rates may apply. 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 March 18 at 8 p.m. ET. Related Photos 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Nominees Related Artists Chiddy Bang
Singer was born in Garden State and grew up singing in Newark church. By Gil Kaufman Whitney Houston in East Orange, NJ in 1987 Photo: Ron Galella/WireImage When Whitney Houston is eulogized and laid to rest on Saturday in New Jersey, it will complete the circle of her personal and professional lives in more ways than one. Houston, who died at age 48 last Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel room of as-yet-undetermined causes, grew up in New Jersey and cut her teeth singing at Newark, New Jersey’s New Hope Baptist church. It is there that her family and friends will gather to remember a favorite daughter who burst onto the global music scene in the mid-1980s, never forgetting where she came from. Houston was the third and youngest child born, on August 9, 1963, to gospel great Cissy Houston and her late husband John, an entertainment executive and former Army serviceman. The couple raised their brood in what has been described as a strict but loving household in middle-class East Orange, New Jersey, where the family moved in 1967 following six days of riots in Newark tied to a police incident involving a black cabdriver. To her neighbors and childhood friends, Houston was known affectionately by her nickname “Nippy” and for the angelic, powerful voice she shared with them during Sunday worship services. Her Grammy-winning mother led the musical program at New Hope and the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s cousin Dionne Warwick also sang in the choir of the 112-year-old church. Whitney got her start as a soloist in the church’s junior choir at age 11. Houston was just one of the stars to rise from the city of 275,000, located 10 miles from New York City, which also spawned comedian Jerry Lewis and rock icon Paul Simon. According to local media reports, Houston kept those roots strong even after she ascended to stardom, dropping in every so often to sing at Easter Sunday services at New Hope and spending time with neighbors at barbecue and holiday gatherings. The town returned the favor, renaming a local elementary school near her childhood home Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts in 1997. Houston would often drop in and spend time with the pre-kindergarten-through-eighth-grade students, who gathered for a memorial event on Monday where they heard speeches, released white balloons and listened to Houston’s legendary rendition of the National Anthem from Super Bowl XXV. Her funeral will be a private affair that will be streamed live online and offered to TV networks. New Hope Pastor Joe A. Carter will preside over the small, intimate ceremony, which he said will be a “celebration for one who has left us with so much,” and the eulogy will be given by gospel singer Marvin Winans. People magazine reported on Thursday that Houston’s “The Bodyguard” co-star Kevin Costner will speak at the funeral, which will also feature songs from Houston’s godmother, R&B icon Aretha Franklin, and Motown legend Stevie Wonder, in addition to words from her longtime record boss Clive Davis. New Jersey’s outspoken governor Chris Christie, meanwhile, was forced to defend his decision to have flags in the state flown at half-staff on Saturday following complaints. “What I would say to everybody is there but for the grace of God go I,” he said, according to The Associated Press . Christie brushed aside complaints that Houston, who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction during her life, is not deserving of such reverence. “Whitney Houston was an important part of the cultural fabric of this state,” Christie said. “She was a cultural icon in this state, and her accomplishments in her life were a source of great pride for the people of this state … I am disturbed by people who believe that because her ultimate demise — and we don’t know what is the cause of her death yet — but because of her history of substance abuse that somehow she’s forfeited the good things that she did in her life,” he said. “I just reject that on a human level.” Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words Related Photos Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos Related Artists Whitney Houston
A$AP Rocky, Fun., More Tapped For mtvU Woodie Awards Festival By James Montgomery Nate Ruess, Will Noon and Jack Antonoff of Fun. Photo: WireImage Last week, mtvU announced that not only would the 2012 Woodie Awards be returning to Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest music festival, but this year, they’ll be getting in on the action too, with a free, daylong fest of their own. And on Friday (February 17), the first batch of performers for the 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Festival were announced, a lineup chock-full of up-and-coming talent from all fields: Rock acts Fun. and Walk the Moon, rapper A$AP Rocky, and electro standout Wallpaper will all perform at the festival, which kicks off at 1 p.m. CT on March 15 and is open to both SXSW badge-holders and the great uncredentialed masses. More acts for the Woodies Fest will be announced at a later date. If you can’t make it down to Austin, don’t fret: Beginning March 11, “Woodie Awards Week” will take over MTV, mtvU and MTV.com with performances, interviews and updates from SXSW. And the entire 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Festival will stream live at the Woodies’ official site . It all leads up to the 2012 Woodie Awards, which kick off at 8 p.m. on March 15. That Sunday, March 18, MTV and mtvU will air the best moments from the awards in a 30-minute special. Voting is already under way in all Woodie categories — nominees include Jay-Z and Kanye West, the Black Keys and Skrillex — and will remain open until March 9 … except for the “Breaking Woodie” category, for which voting will continue during the live show on March 15. Fans can vote in all categories online or on their mobile phones at m.mtv.com, or by texting “VOTE” to 66333. Standard message and data rates may apply. The 2012 mtvU Woodies invade SXSW on March 15 with the Woodies Festival. The best of the 2012 mtvU Woodies will air on MTV and mtvU on Sunday (March 18) at 8 p.m. ET. Related Photos 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Nominees Related Artists A$AP Rocky fun.
‘I did try to look at every single thing that exists,’ he tells MTV News of his research for the role. By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Andrew Garfield Photo: MTV News Most Spider-Man fans would agree that the man who plays the iconic hero should be a fan. In that respect, Andrew Garfield fits the bill perfectly. When Garfield spoke with MTV News’ Josh Horowitz before a screening event for fans , he explained his process of tackling the role for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” and it involved lots and lots of comic books. “I did try to look at every single thing that exists. That is impossible, I discovered, but I did my best,” he said. But naturally, as a fan, there would be certain incarnations of the web-slinger that resonated with Garfield and helped him conceive his take on Spider-Man. For Garfield, those insights came from many different comic book sources. “There were certain things that I loved for his physicality. There were certain things that I loved for his wit. There were certain incarnations that I loved for his body type,” Garfield said. “The Ultimates, I love the body type in the Ultimates and his physicality in the Ultimates, but I also love the artwork in the ‘Torment’ series, the [Todd] McFarlane series.” Once those pieces were found, it was a matter of stringing them all together into an in-depth conception of the superhero. Garfield and his stunt team attempted to go through every level of Peter Parker’s life and think of the implications of his powers. “Me and the stunt boys, we created a room where we just had a shrine to everything Spidey and to everything Peter Parker, because we wanted to make sure the physical language wasn’t just a guy in a suit being a guy in a suit and throwing punches and throwing kicks,” he said. “We didn’t want it to be Jason Statham in a suit. We wanted it to be a half-spider, half-boy, who has spider DNA running around his blood system.” To realistically pull this off, the team went step-by-step to imagine how Spider-Man would realistically act, something necessary for bringing him to the big screen. “We wanted to understand deeply what that meant in terms of how he moves, in terms of skin sensitivity, in terms of his abilities of awareness. Imagine if he had six eyes. Imagine if he had more legs and what that means, not just within the suit but in day-to-day life,” Garfield said. “He can eat Chinese takeout with his feet, while he’s also writing a note, while texting with his shoulder. What does that mean? We tried to approach it from as organic a place as possible.” 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 Videos MTV Rough Cut: Andrew Garfield Related Photos The Amazing Spider-Man
The mtvU Woodies are once again heading to SXSW, with plans for a day-long festival leading up to the awards themselves. By James Montgomery Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images The mtvU Woodie Awards are heading back to South by Southwest, and this year, they’re going to be bigger than ever. That’s because on Wednesday (February 8), mtvU announced that, in addition to the awards themselves, the Woodies will channel the SXSW spirit and become a day-long festival. It begins March 15 at 1 p.m. CT with a host of live performances — open to all SXSW badge holders (though, if you’re not going to be down in Austin, you can watch the fest unfold live on Woodies.mtvU.com ) — and culminate with the 2012 Woodie Awards. The best moments from the awards will air on MTV and mtvU on March 18 at 8 p.m. ET, though the music lovers can stay up to date on all Woodie-related mania — interviews, performances and SXSW updates — beginning on March 11, when “Woodie Awards Week” kicks off on MTV, mtvU and MTV.com. Woodie performers will be announced in the coming weeks, but the nominees have already been announced, and fans can vote for their favorite nominated artists beginning Wednesday through Woodies.mtvU.com . Kanye West and Jay-Z, The Black Keys, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Frank Ocean, J.Cole and more lead the field that will vie for the coveted big hunks of wood in categories like “Woodie of the Year” (given to the artist who left their mark on music in 2011) and the “Performing Woodie” (given to the year’s best touring musician). And this year, the Woodies have unveiled a brand-new category to honor electronic dance music: the “EDM Effect Woodie.” Voting in all Woodies categories closes March 9. Here’s a look at all the nominees. Woodie of the Year
The 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards air live tonight at midnight on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU. By MTV News staff Donald Glover Photo: mtvU Everybody wants a piece of Tyler the Creator and his Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All crew. From record execs to the cool kids on the block, people know a sure thing when they see it. In fact, the group is one of the main reasons Donald Glover signed on to host the mtvU Woodies , airing live on mtvU, MTV and MTV2 on Wednesday (March 16) at midnight from Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest Music and Film Festival. The girls, the music and the SXSW rituals of BBQ, booze and begging for deals? Not so much. “This whole thing is just a ploy for me to meet Odd Future Wolf Gang,” the “Community” star admitted of the performers. In addition to Odd Future, Wiz Khalifa, Sleigh Bells and Two Door Cinema Club will also perform at the Woodies . Matt & Kim, Lupe Fiasco, Dev, Chiddy Bang, Skylar Grey and MTV’s “My Life as Liz” star Liz Lee will present awards, and MNDR will serve as the house DJ. California’s Odd Future have blown up seemingly overnight with their blend of shocking rhymes and energetic stage shows. They recently graced the cover of music-trade magazine Billboard. In the interview, OFWGKTA frontman Tyler spoke about their rising buzz and the pressure to deliver on the expectations. “I could be a complete failure come June,” he told the magazine. ” Goblin could brick. Everyone could hate it. The hype could be over. I could be back to trying to fill out junior-college [applications] … But I don’t see that happening. I see Grammys.” The 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards will air live on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU tonight at midnight ET/PT from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. For more information — and to vote for the winner of the “Breaking Woodie” award — check out Woodies.MTV.com . Related Videos Woodie Awards 2011: Donald Glover MTV News Extended Play: Tyler, The Creator Related Photos 2011 Woodie Awards Nominees
Duo’s ‘Opposite of Adults’ up against Duck Sauce for Best Video. By Gil Kaufman Chiddy Bang Photo: C. Brandon/ Redferns There’s no reason Philly alternative hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang should be afraid of a matronly 68-year-old standards singer. But, on the eve of the 2011 Woodie Awards in Austin, Texas, “Chiddy” Anamege and Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin are sweatin’ the competition in the Best Video category thanks to “Barbra Streisand.” The Babs they fear is not, of course, the “Yentl” star herself, but the insanely catchy song that borrows her name from DJ duo Duck Sauce , whose video features cameos from Kanye West, the Roots, Chromeo and Vampire Weekend. “I think the biggest competitor in our category is gonna be ‘Barbra Streisand,’ ” Beresin told MTV News about the video that accompanies the poppy dance track. “That video is crazy. It’s like, ‘Oh man, we’re friends with this famous guy’ … They’ve got so many cameos, and it’s shot really well.” While Bang’s clever clip for the MGMT-sampling “Opposite of Adults” has its own merits, not limited to their cartoonishly gigantic heads, they’ve got plenty of stiff competition in the category from some other stellar clips, as well. They’re up against the Black Keys’ lauded schoolyard beat down in “Tighten Up,” Vampire Weekend’s equally cameo-heavy (Jake Gyllenhaal, Lil Jon, RZA and Joe Jonas) “Giving Up the Gun” tennis throwdown and the Gorillaz’ Bruce Willis-starring desert death race, “Stylo.” In fact, theirs is one of the only clips in that bunch that doesn’t have a marquee cameo, so maybe their lo-fi indie sensibility will win the day after all. Performers at this year’s show, hosted by Donald Glover, include the Foo Fighters, Wiz Khalifa, Odd Future, Sleigh Bells and Two Door Cinema Club. As in previous years, Woodie winners will be determined by fan voting. Voting in most Woodie categories closed Tuesday (March 15), but votes will continue to be counted in the Breaking Woodie category right up until the show. The 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards will air live on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, March 16, at midnight ET/PT. Who is your choice for Best Video? Sound off below! Related Artists Chiddy Bang Duck Sauce
Congratulations, the duo’s sophomore effort, is reportedly due out early next year. By James Montgomery MGMT Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images MGMT ‘s Oracular Spectacular made them sorta stars when it came out in 2008 (after an earlier digital release).
