Guy Maddin film wins $10,000 prize
Guy Maddin's bizarre tribute to his hometown, My Winnipeg, has won a new $10,000 film prize.
The avant-garde director was given the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, presented by the Toronto Film Critics Association. A gala dinner was scheduled Tuesday to recognize the association's favourite releases of 2008.
Sarah Polley, whose film, Away From Her was named best Canadian feature last year, was due to present the award to Maddin in front of an audience expected to include heavyweight filmmakers including Atom Egoyan, Robert Lantos, Bruce McDonald and Don McKellar.
Other films in the running were Stephane Lafleur's film, Continental: A Film Without Guns, and Yung Chang's acclaimed documentary Up the Yangtze, about the issues surrounding the Three Gorges Dam in China.
"Our three finalists for the year's Best Canadian Film are all strongly evocative tales of characters adrift in manufactured landscapes," association president Brian Johnson, film critic for Maclean's magazine, said in a release.
"My Winnipeg gleefully obliterates the line between fact and fiction, documentary and drama between lucid memoir and fevered dream. It's an exquisitely Canadian film that has won praise from around the world, and we are pleased to add our voice to the acclaim with this inaugural prize."
Established in 1997, the Toronto Film Critics Association is comprised of Toronto-based journalists and broadcasters who specialize in film criticism and commentary.
'Dark Knight,' 'Iron Man' battle for visual effects Oscar
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Superheroes Batman, Iron Man and Hellboy are mixing it up with Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and an ancient mummy for the visual-effects Academy Award.
The Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight is one of seven films competing for the Oscar, along with fellow comic-book adaptations Iron Man and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
The other four nominees Tuesday: Kidman's Australia, Pitt's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and two Brendan Fraser actioners, Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
Members of the academy's visual-effects branch will view 15-minute excerpts from each film and choose three nominees for the Feb. 22 Oscars.
The Oscar nominations come out Jan. 22.
Why So Sunny? Dark Knight's a PGA Nominee
Los Angeles (E! Online) – The Dark Knight's Oscar campaign has picked up another key endorsement.
The Batman epic is one of five nominees for the Producers of America Guild's version of Best Picture: the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire round out the list.
The PGAs are typically a blueprint for the Oscars, which makes today's news bad news for Revolutionary Road and the likewise shunned. Last year, four of five PGA contenders went on to score Best Picture nominations at the Academy Awards. This year, three of the five—Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire, but, no, not Dark Knight—are up for Best Motion Picture, Drama at Sunday's Golden Globes.
PGA winners are to be announced January 24th.
Oscar Ballots on the Move
Los Angeles (E! Online) – It all comes down to this for The Dark Knight, Milk, Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire and all the other films labeled "Oscar hopeful" for whatever reason in 2008.
Ballots for the 81st Annual Academy Awards are due to be mailed Friday to the 5,810 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
So, with holiday shopping (and returns) out of the way, it will be time to finally pencil in their choices for the top films, performances and technical work of 2008, be they Heath Ledger for his terrifying turn as the Joker, director Danny Boyle for Slumdog, Kate Winslet for The Reader (or Revolutionary Road) or WALL-E for either best animated film or best motion picture altogether.
Completed ballots must be back in the hands of the ballot counters and protectors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, by Jan 12.
Oscar nods will be announced in the wee hours of the morning Jan. 22, with the little gold men getting passed out Feb. 22 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Springsteen, M.I.A., Jenny Lewis Short Listed For “Best Song” Oscar
Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler,” M.I.A.’s Slumdog Millionaire contribution “O… Saya,” Jack White & Alicia Keys‘ “Another Way To Die,” Beyoncé’s “Once In a Lifetime” from Cadillac Records and Jenny Lewis’ Bolt track “Barking At The Moon” are among the 49 songs on the eligibility list for Best Song at the next Academy Awards. Also up for contention are Miley Cyrus’ “I Thought I Lost You,” Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” and Peter Gabriel’s Wall-E theme “Down To Earth,” with all three joining Springsteen and Beyoncé’s songs as this year’s Golden Globe nominees.
Unlike years’ past, when a film like Enchanted and Dreamgirls dominated the category, each film can only be represented by a maximum of two songs at the ceremony. High School Musical 3 leads the short list with 11 selections, but it’s likely the songs will split the votes and wind up with no nominee. Also noteworthy: Danny Elfman’s “The Little Things” from Wanted, Robyn Hitchcock’s “Up To Our Nex” from Rachel Getting Married and the hilarious “Dracula’s Lament” from Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Tina Fey voted AP Entertainer of the Year
NEW YORK – Tina Fey is the entertainer of the year? You betcha. Fey was voted The Associated Press' Entertainer of the Year, an annual honor chosen by newspaper editors and broadcast producers across the country.
Fey was selected by AP members as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008.
The 38-year-old comedian bested runner-up Robert Downey Jr., whose comeback was capped with the blockbuster smash "Iron Man," and the third-place vote-getter, Heath Ledger, who posthumously wowed audiences as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."
But it was Fey who most impressed voters largely with her indelible impression of Gov. Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live." Her cameos on her old show (where she had been a head writer until 2006) helped drive the show to record ratings and eventually drew an appearance from Palin herself.
"Tina Fey is such an obvious choice," said Sharon Eberson, entertainment editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "She gave us funny when we really needed it and, in a year when women in politics were making huge strides, Fey stood out in the world of entertainment."
Fey's 2008 was a full year, though.
She also starred for the first time on the big screen in "Baby Mama" (which grossed $60 million at the box office) and won three Emmys for her critically lauded NBC sitcom "30 Rock," which she created, stars in and writes. In the comedy series category, she won for best lead actress and best writing, and shared in the award for best comedy series.
"She simultaneously entertained us with her wit and put a mirror up to the nation during the election and made us think about what was going on," said Scott Shive, assistant features editor at the Lexington Herald-Leader. "She is the epitome of the smart kid coming out on top for once."
As soon as Palin was chosen as Sen. John McCain's running mate, conjecture mounted that the similar-looking Fey would have to return to "SNL" to play her.
In an interview earlier this fall, Fey recalled watching early TV coverage of Palin: "That was the first time I thought, `Well, I kinda do look like her. I'd better really listen to how this lady talks.'"
Fey debuted the impression on the "SNL" season premiere and a sensation quickly followed. She made four more pre-election appearances as Palin on the late-night satire.
"From the winks to the nods to the accent, she nailed it," said Marc Bona, assistant entertainment editor of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "And she did so at a time when it seemed the whole country was tuned in — both to the presidential race as well as 'Saturday Night Live.'"
Her Palin impression has benefited "30 Rock," too. The show premiered its fourth season to 8.5 million viewers, a million more than last year's opener.
Recently, she was also nominated for a Golden Globe (for best performance by an actress in a TV series, comedy or musical), as well as a Screen Actors Guild award.
"The `SNL' stuff has certainly changed things for me," Fey said in October. "A lot more people seem to know who I am."
Last year's AP Entertainer of the Year also went to a comedian whose satire blended in with politics: Stephen Colbert.
April Wine on tap for Music Industry Hall of Fame
April Wine is now a vintage to be treasured — the Canadian rock band is to be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in March.
The rockers who had hits like You Could Have Been a Lady, Roller and Anything You Want You Got It are still performing, though there have been several changes of personnel over the years.
Myles Goodwyn, Jim Henman and brothers David and Ritchie Henman originally formed the band in Nova Scotia in 1969.
Lead singer Goodwyn remains and the other members are Jerry Mercer, a drummer who joined the band in 1973, Brian Greenway of Hawkesbury, Ont., on guitar and vocals, who joined in 1977 and bassist Breen LeBoeuf, formerly with Offenbach, who joined April Wine in 2007.
Goodwyn was in the news after collapsing after a Halifax show on Nov. 28. He was treated in hospital for internal bleeding and released.
The band will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award and be inducted into the Hall of Fame March 13 during Canadian Music Week in Toronto.
April Wine moved to Montreal in 1970 and had their first hit with You Could Have Been a Lady, a song originally recorded by Hot Chocolate in the U.K.
Producer Ralph Murphy saw the group through a number of albums, including Stand Back and The Whole World's Goin' Crazy, with hits such as I Wouldn't Want to Lose Your Love and You Won't Dance with Me. They toured extensively, becoming known for their power ballads and rock 'n' roll sound.
The band is also famous for opening for a mystery group called the Cockroaches at the El Mocambo club in Toronto in 1977.
The Cockroaches turned out to be the Rolling Stones and the album recorded from that session, Live At The El Mocambo, features April Wine's She's No Angel.
The band's seventh studio album First Glance was a turning point, with the single Roller becoming a hit in the U.S.
The band, then with five members, continued touring throughout the 1980s with hits such as Crash and Burn and Just Between You and Me.
Goodwyn went solo for a while in the late 1980s, but the band reunited in July 1992.
Their most recent studio album is Roughly Speaking, released in 2006.
Iron Man Meets The Office at AFI Awards
Los Angeles (E! Online) – The Hulk is gonna get green with envy. Well, greener.
Iron Man and The Dark Knight were both named Sunday to the American Film Institute's Movies of the Year Top 10 list.
On the television side, the AFI Awards' honorees included The Office, Lost and Mad Men, but not the Emmy-winning 30 Rock.
For Iron Man, the kudos is its first major honor of awards season. For The Dark Knight, it's its umpteenth honor. For superhero movies—the passed-over Incredible Hulk excepted—it's another step in their march toward world domination.
Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams and Clint Eastwood, meanwhile, helped represent for people who can't fly.
Pitt's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Williams' Wendy and Lucy and Eastwood's Gran Torino all made AFI's movie Top 10.
Rounding out the list: Frost/Nixon, the low-budget indie Frozen River, Milk, WALL-E, and The Wrestler.
Revolutionary Road, The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire, all of which are up for Best Drama at the Golden Globes, along with Frost/Nixon and Benjamin Button, were not AFI selections. The group's awards honor American-made films; those three movies are European productions or coproductions.
As with film, the AFI's Programs of the Year list heavily favored drama over comedy. In addition to Lost and Mad Men, Breaking Bad, In Treatment, cult-favorite Life, the miniseries John Adams, the TV movie Recount, and the late The Wire and The Shield all made the cut.
The Steve Carell-managed The Office was the only half-hour comedy honored.
Hugh Jackman to host new-look Oscars
LOS ANGELES – Hugh Jackman will host the 81st annual Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed Friday.
The 40-year-old Australian actor, recently named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive," won an Emmy in 2005 for hosting the 59th annual Tony Awards in 2004. He was also nominated as host of the 2005 Tonys.
Jackman, who first claimed fame as Wolverine in the "X-Men" movie franchise, recently starred in Baz Luhrmann's romantic adventure film "Australia" with Nicole Kidman. He was out of the country Friday for a world promotional tour for the film and was not immediately available for comment, his representative Alan Nierob said.
He's never been an Oscar nominee, but was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in 2001's romantic film "Kate & Leopold." His other movie credits include 2006's "The Prestige" and 2004's "Van Helsing."
With new producers, a new set director and even a new music director, the Academy has been hinting at an all new look and feel for this year's Oscars telecast on Feb. 22.
Jackman's selection is a departure from the Academy's standard of big-name comedians. Jon Stewart, host of "The Daily Show," hosted the ceremony in 2008 and 2006; Ellen DeGeneres was the 2007 host. Chris Rock, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg have also hosted the show in recent years.
Surprises and snubs at Thursday's Golden Globe nominations
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - It's not as if any huge shockers emerged from the Golden Globe nominations Thursday. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Doubt" and "Frost/Nixon" led the field with five apiece, which makes absolute sense - they're all polished, starry, classic awards-season fare.
But still, there were a few surprises and snubs:
-A DARK DAY FOR "THE DARK KNIGHT": Heath Ledger was the only nominee from the blockbuster Batman saga, deservedly receiving a posthumous supporting-actor nomination for his riveting turn as the Joker. It's something we all expected, but director Christopher Nolan's epic actioner has been earning awards buzz across the board, with talk that it could even find itself among the best-picture contenders at the Academy Awards.
-ALONG THOSE LINES: Sean Penn was the only nominee from "Milk," being duly recognized for his richly charismatic depiction of gay politician and civil rights leader Harvey Milk, who was shot to death in 1978. Again, this is one of those movies that has been considered a front-runner all along for top awards; the New York Film Critics Circle chose it as the year's best this past week.
-I COULDN'T HELP BUT WONDER: How did the "Sex and the City" get shut out entirely? The hugely anticipated screen version of the trendsetting HBO series made $153 million in the United States, and its splashy crowd-pleasing nature would seem to make it a natural at the Globes. But it didn't get nominated for best comedy, for star Sarah Jessica Parker or for any of the supporting performances from Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall or Kristin Davis. The red carpet just got a little less glamorous.
-DOWN AND OUT DOWN UNDER: Despite its ambition, wide scope and striking imagery, "Australia" continues to be a letdown. Baz Luhrmann's homage to romantic adventure film, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, also failed to get a single nomination from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It's gotten mixed reviews and has only made about $32 million since its Nov. 26 opening.
-GET OFFA HIS LAWN: Clint Eastwood received nominations for his score and the original song he co-wrote (and sang a bit in) for "Gran Torino," which isn't a big surprise. A longtime jazz lover, he's been writing the music for his films for many years, and previously was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Million Dollar Baby." But best-actor buzz has been building for his funny, roaring performance as a cantankerous bigot who battles the violence in his Detroit neighbourhood, and he was left out of that race Thursday.
-ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID: Michael Sheen unfortunately was overlooked again, despite consistently providing solid work opposite showier performers in splashier roles. Two years ago, it was as Tony Blair in "The Queen," in which Helen Mirren reigned supreme. Now, it's as David Frost in "Frost/Nixon," for which his co-star, Frank Langella, received a best-actor nomination as Richard Nixon.
-A LITTLE HUMOUR: Smaller movies dominated the best comedy or musical category, between "In Bruges," "Happy-Go-Lucky" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Even "Burn After Reading," with its superstar cast including Brad Pitt and George Clooney, has a quirky Coen brothers esthetic. The ABBA-centric "Mamma Mia!", the other nominee, was the only traditional choice.
Gordie Sampson, Matt Mays, El Torpedo vie for ECMA honours
Cape Breton singer-songwriter and producer Gordie Sampson, and Halifax rockers Matt Mays and El Torpedo top a list of Atlantic Canadians vying for trophies at the 2009 East Coast Music Awards.
Nashville-based Sampson — who has made a name for himself writing hits for the likes of Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill and Bon Jovi — scored five nominations, including best songwriter and recording of the year for his latest solo album For the Few and Far Between.
Matt Mays and El Torpedo also netted five nominations, with the band's album Terminal Romance to battle Sampson in categories such as songwriter and recording of the year.
Rounding out the best recording category are Halifax's Jill Barber for Chances and two Newfoundland acts: Damhnait Doyle for her album of covers Lights Down Low and Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) by indie rock outfit Hey Rosetta!
Besides Sampson and Mays, other best songwriter contenders include Asif Illyas for U Dream (performed by Halifax pop group MIR), Tim Baker for New Goodbye (performed by St. John's-based Hey Rosetta!) and Halifax's Christina Martin for her song Two Hearts.
Other artists who picked up multiple nominations include David Myles, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Troy MacGillivray & Shane Cook, Hot Toddy and Vishten.
The mix of nominees reflects "the vibrant musical diversity among East Coast artists, from well-established and popular bands and musicians to fresh new faces and sounds," ECMA chair Wade Pinhorn said in a statement.
A complete list of nominees is available on the East Coast Music Association website.
The roving East Coast Music Association industry conference and awards will descend on Corner Brook, N.L., for its next edition, which gets underway Feb. 26 and ends March 1.
'In Bruges' emerges as unlikely Globes contender
Though "In Bruges" was released in February — an eternity away from the fall premieres of most awards-seeking films — the Colin Farrell film emerged as an unlikely contender at the Golden Globes.
"In Bruges" scored three nominations from the Globes on Thursday, including best picture for a musical or comedy and dueling best actor in a musical or comedy nominations for Farrell and his co-star Brendan Gleeson — a first for each.
Written and directed by playwright Martin McDonagh, the film received good but mixed reviews, and grossed less than $8 million at the U.S. box office. In it, Farrell and Gleeson play hit men laid up in the picturesque and quaint town of Bruges, Belgium.
"It had been brought to my attention by people that it was a possibility, a dark-horse possibility, for getting some recognition, but I really, really didn't expect it," Farrell said Thursday. "It had been released in the early part of the year, it didn't do huge money, it wasn't seen by that many people. But it's a testament to (McDonough's) writing in his film debut that it obviously struck a chord with them."
Speaking by phone Thursday from London, Gleeson — recognized by many as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody from the "Harry Potter" films — said he was surprised at his nomination and the attention to "In Bruges."
"It's a matter of total mystery to me how all of this happens," said Gleeson. "But it's absolutely fantastic that the film has a life."
The movie's Golden Globe success may have been partially indebted to its Anglo-Irish production and Belgian setting. The Globes nominees are selected through the slightly European perspective of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
"In Bruges" also fared well with the British Independent Awards, where it was nominated for six awards and won for best screenplay.
Though Globes success can often spell good things for a film's Oscar prospects, that's unlikely in this case: Unlike the Academy Awards, the Globes split films between dramas and comedies, giving comedies more attention.
It's debatable how much of a comedy "In Bruges" is — it's at least as dramatic as it is comedic. But Gleeson, chuckling, makes one thing clear: "It's not a musical!"
'Button,' 'Frost/Nixon,' 'Doubt' grab 5 Globe noms
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Frost/Nixon" led the Golden Globes on Thursday with five nominations each, among them best drama, while "Doubt" also has five, including four acting slots.
Other best-drama nominees: "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road" and "Slumdog Millionare."
Meryl Streep had two nominations, best dramatic actress for "Doubt" and musical or comedy actress for "Mamma Mia!"; and Kate Winslet also had two, best actress for "Revolutionary Road" and supporting-actress for "The Reader."
Also chosen for dramatic actress were: Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"; Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"; and Kristin Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You So Long."
Nominees for dramatic actor were Leonardo DiCaprio, "Revolutionary Road"; Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"; Brad Pitt, "Benjamin Button"; Sean Penn, "Milk"; and Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."
"Doubt" also scored supporting nominations for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis, plus a screenplay slot for director John Patrick Shanley, who adapted his Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
The year's biggest hit, the Batman blockbuster, "The Dark Knight," came in with strong awards buzz across the board but had only one nomination, supporting actor for Heath Ledger as the Joker.
The Harvey Milk film biography "Milk" also had been at the top of awards watchers' lists but only grabbed an acting nomination for Penn.
Clint Eastwood had two music nominations for his "Changeling" score and for co-writing the title song for "Gran Torino." But he missed out on directing nominations for both films and for an acting slot in "Gran Torino," in which he starred.
Along with "Mamma Mia!", nominated for best musical or comedy were "Burn After Reading," "Happy-Go-Lucky," "In Bruges" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."
HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION 2008 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS NOMINATIONS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008
1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures
b. FROST/NIXON
Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures
c. THE READER
Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company
d. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
An Evamere Entertainment BBC Films Neal Street Production; DreamWorks Pictures in Association with BBC Films and Paramount Vantage
e. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.; Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.
2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. ANNE HATHAWAY RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
b. ANGELINA JOLIE CHANGELING
c. MERYL STREEP DOUBT
d. KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
(IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME)
e. KATE WINSLET REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. LEONARDO DICAPRIO REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
b. FRANK LANGELLA FROST/NIXON
c. SEAN PENN MILK
d. BRAD PITT THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON
e. MICKEY ROURKE THE WRESTLER
4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. BURN AFTER READING
Working Title/Releasing Company; Focus Features in association with Studio Canal
b. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Summit Entertainment, Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Miramax Films; Miramax Films
c. IN BRUGES
Blueprint Pictures; Focus Features
d. MAMMA MIA!
Relativity Media, Playtone, Littlestar; Universal Pictures
e. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Mediapro; The Weinstein Company
5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. REBECCA HALL VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
b. SALLY HAWKINS HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
c. FRANCES MCDORMAND BURN AFTER READING
d. MERYL STREEP MAMMA MIA!
e. EMMA THOMPSON LAST CHANCE HARVEY
6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. JAVIER BARDEM VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
b. COLIN FARRELL IN BRUGES
c. JAMES FRANCO PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
d. BRENDAN GLEESON IN BRUGES
e. DUSTIN HOFFMAN LAST CHANCE HARVEY
7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
a. BOLT
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
b. KUNG FU PANDA
DreamWorks Animation SKG; Paramount Pictures
c. WALL-E
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
a. THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (GERMANY)
(DER BADDER MEINHOF KOMPLEX)
Constantin Film Produktion GmbH; Summit Entertainment, LLC
b. EVERLASTING MOMENTS (SWEDEN/DENMARK)
(MARIA LARSSONS EVIGA ÖGONBLICK)
Final Cut Productions Aps; IFC Films
c. GOMORRAH (ITALY)
(GOMORRA)
Fandango; IFC Films
d. I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (FRANCE)
(IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME)
UGC YM/UGC Images/France 3 Cinema/Integral Film; Sony Pictures Classics
e. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (ISRAEL)
Bridgit Folman Film Gang/Les Films D'Ici/Razor Films/Arte France/ITVS International; Sony Pictures Classics
9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. AMY ADAMS DOUBT
b. PENELOPE CRUZ VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
c. VIOLA DAVIS DOUBT
d. MARISA TOMEI THE WRESTLER
e. KATE WINSLET THE READER
10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. TOM CRUISE TROPIC THUNDER
b. ROBERT DOWNEY JR. TROPIC THUNDER
c. RALPH FIENNES THE DUCHESS
d. PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN DOUBT
e. HEATH LEDGER THE DARK KNIGHT
11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
a. DANNY BOYLE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
b. STEPHEN DALDRY THE READER
c. DAVID FINCHER THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON
d. RON HOWARD FROST/NIXON
e. SAM MENDES REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
a. SIMON BEAUFOY SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
b. DAVID HARE THE READER
c. PETER MORGAN FROST/NIXON
d. ERIC ROTH THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON
e. JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY DOUBT
13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
a. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON
b. CLINT EASTWOOD CHANGELING
c. JAMES NEWTON HOWARD DEFIANCE
d. A. R. RAHMAN SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
e. HANS ZIMMER FROST/NIXON
14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
a. “DOWN TO EARTH” — WALL-E
Music by: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman
Lyrics by: Peter Gabriel
b. “GRAN TORINO” — GRAN TORINO
Music by: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
Lyrics by: Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
c. “I THOUGHT I LOST YOU” — BOLT
Music & Lyrics by: Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele
d. “ONCE IN A LIFETIME” — CADILLAC RECORDS
Music & Lyrics by: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street
e. “THE WRESTLER” — THE WRESTLER
Music & Lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen
15. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
Showtime/John Goldwyn Productions/The Colleton Company/Clyde Phillips Productions
b. HOUSE (FOX)
Universal Media Studios in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions
c. IN TREATMENT (HBO)
Sheleg, Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
d. MAD MEN (AMC)
Lionsgate Television
e. TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
Your Face Goes Here Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. SALLY FIELD BROTHERS AND SISTERS
b. MARISKA HARGITAY LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS
UNIT
c. JANUARY JONES MAD MEN
d. ANNA PAQUIN TRUE BLOOD
e. KYRA SEDGWICK THE CLOSER
17. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. GABRIEL BYRNE IN TREATMENT
b. MICHAEL C. HALL DEXTER
c. JON HAMM MAD MEN
d. HUGH LAURIE HOUSE
e. JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS THE TUDORS
18. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. 30 ROCK (NBC)
Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little
Stranger Inc.
b. CALIFORNICATION (SHOWTIME)
Showtime Presents in association with Aggressive Mediocrity, And Then...
c. ENTOURAGE (HBO)
Leverage and Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
d. THE OFFICE (NBC)
Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
e. WEEDS (SHOWTIME)
Lionsgate Television
19. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. CHRISTINA APPLEGATE SAMANTHA WHO?
b. AMERICA FERRERA UGLY BETTY
c. TINA FEY 30 ROCK
d. DEBRA MESSING THE STARTER WIFE
e. MARY-LOUISE PARKER WEEDS
20. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ALEC BALDWIN 30 ROCK
b. STEVE CARELL THE OFFICE
c. KEVIN CONNOLLY ENTOURAGE
d. DAVID DUCHOVNY CALIFORNICATION
e. TONY SHALHOUB MONK
21. BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. A RAISIN IN THE SUN (ABC)
Sony Pictures Television
b. BERNARD AND DORIS (HBO)
Trigger Street Independent Productions in association with Little Bird and Chicago Films and HBO Films
c. CRANFORD (PBS)
A Co-Production of BBC and WGBH Boston.
d. JOHN ADAMS (HBO)
Playtone in association with HBO Films
e. RECOUNT (HBO)
Spring Creek/Mirage Productions in association with Trigger Street Productions, Everyman Pictures and HBO Films
22. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. JUDI DENCH CRANFORD
b. CATHERINE KEENER AN AMERICAN CRIME
c. LAURA LINNEY JOHN ADAMS
d. SHIRLEY MACLAINE COCO CHANEL
e. SUSAN SARANDON BERNARD AND DORIS
23. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. RALPH FIENNES BERNARD AND DORIS
b. PAUL GIAMATTI JOHN ADAMS
c. KEVIN SPACEY RECOUNT
d. KIEFER SUTHERLAND 24: REDEMPTION
e. TOM WILKINSON RECOUNT
24. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. EILEEN ATKINS CRANFORD
b. LAURA DERN RECOUNT
c. MELISSA GEORGE IN TREATMENT
d. RACHEL GRIFFITHS BROTHERS AND SISTERS
e. DIANNE WIEST IN TREATMENT
25. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
b. DENIS LEARY RECOUNT
c. JEREMY PIVEN ENTOURAGE
d. BLAIR UNDERWOOD IN TREATMENT
e. TOM WILKINSON JOHN ADAMS
Screen Actors Guild sets January strike vote
LOS ANGELES – The Screen Actors Guild plans to send strike authorization ballots to more than 100,000 union members on Jan. 2, a date that leaves the Golden Globes safe but puts Oscar night within reach of a potential boycott.
Votes will be counted on Jan. 23, nearly two weeks after the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, but ahead of the Feb. 22 Academy Awards, the most important date on the Hollywood calendar.
Approval by 75 percent of voting members is required to pass the measure. If it is approved, the SAG national board can call a strike.
Guild President Alan Rosenberg has said a strike is the last resort to force a resolution in stalled contract talks with major movie studios, but that if it is necessary, it would be timed to have the most impact.
"SAG members understand that their futures as professional actors are at stake," Rosenberg said in a statement Wednesday.
The guild is at odds with the studios over the treatment of Internet productions and the benefits that actors can get when earthquakes or other unforeseen events, such as a strike by another union, shut down productions.
For instance, actors have an outstanding claim for payments they say they are due for work lost during the 100-day strike by writers last season. That strike reduced the Golden Globes this past January to a glorified press conference.
In the Internet debate, the guild wants union coverage of all shows made for the Web, regardless of budget, and residual payments for actors on made-for-Internet shows that are reused online. Currently, almost all provisions for made-for-Internet productions are negotiable or at the producer's discretion.
Major studios called the strike vote poorly timed.
"It's now official: SAG members are going to be asked to bail out a failed negotiating strategy by going on strike during one of the worst economic crises in history," said a statement by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
That group represents studios such as Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures and Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. The alliance has stuck to what it called its final offer made when the previous contract expired June 30.
Similar deals have already been accepted by other unions, including those representing directors, writers, stagehands and a smaller actors union. On its Web site, the movie and TV producers' group says the Screen Actors Guild has so far foregone more than $37 million in pay increases by continuing to work under the terms of the old deal.
On Monday, the guild held a closed-door town hall-style meeting at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood, and Rosenberg said he was ``encouraged by the response" by the 500 members in attendance.
But the guild, which had expected to send out ballots this month, pushed back the strike vote date after the producers' alliance accused it of using the holidays to ensure a low turnout and leave more working actors out of the process.
"We want SAG members to have time to focus on this critical referendum," Rosenberg said.
The guild plans another town hall meeting in New York on Monday and one in Hollywood on Dec. 17. As well, the guild is sending out e-mails and fact sheets to members, and will put up testimonials from prominent actors such as Hal Holbrook and Ed Asner on its website to urge actors to vote yes.
But actors are divided. In guild elections in September, an upstart group called Unite For Strength broke up the majority control of the national board that had been held by a faction that supports Rosenberg.
However, the Unite group has not clarified its position on the strike vote.
Last week, at a benefit performance at the University of California, Los Angeles, "Mad Men" actor Jon Hamm told The Associated Press that he hoped the labour strife would not affect next year's TV season.
"I wish it was not happening. I wish there were sound heads on both sides who were able to discuss this like adults," he said. ``If history is any judge, it's not looking good, but we'll see, especially given the financial climate.''
'Milk' named best film by New York Film Critics
NEW YORK – Sean Penn and "Milk," Gus Van Sant's biopic about gay rights leader Harvey Milk, continued to gain awards momentum Wednesday, winning best film from the New York Film Critics Circle.
Penn was chosen as best actor for his performance in the lauded film about Milk, the openly gay San Francisco politician who was assassinated in 1978. Josh Brolin won best supporting actor for his performance in the film.
On Tuesday, Penn was chosen as best actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. "Milk" also leads the Broadcast Film Critics Association with eight nominations, tied for the most with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
Like their West Coast brethren, the New York critics picked Sally Hawkins for best actress for her performance in Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky." Best director went to Leigh.
The New York circle, which last year chose "No Country for Old Men" as best film, is a group of 33 New York-based critics. Their picks are one of the early film honors in Hollywood's long awards season, which continues Thursday with nominations for the Golden Globes.
Best supporting actress went to Penelope Cruz for her role in Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Jenny Lumet, daughter of Sidney Lumet, won for her screenplay of "Rachel Getting Married."
"Man on Wire" won best documentary, "WALL-E" won best animated film and "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" won best foreign film. Anthony Dod Mantle won for his cinematography in "Slumdog Millionaire." Courtney Hunt ("Frozen River") won for best first film.
The awards ceremony will be held Jan. 5 in New York.
Jerry Lewis to receive Oscar's humanitarian award
LOS ANGELES – Jerry Lewis has never been nominated for an Oscar, but he's going to get one anyway. The 82-year-old will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscar ceremony in February.
The governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their selection Wednesday. The Hersholt Award — an actual Oscar statuette — recognizes humanitarian efforts that have brought credit to the film industry.
An actor, director, writer and producer, Lewis made his big-screen debut in 1949's "My Friend Irma." He has been national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association since 1952 and has raised more than $2 billion for the cause through his annual Labor Day telethon.
The Oscars will be presented Feb. 22.
Ledger Honoured With Another Posthumous Award
Heath Ledger has been honoured with a posthumous acting award from the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.
Ledger has been named Best Supporting Actor for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight by the critics.
Slumdog Millionaire claimed its second major U.S. Best Film prize, while Oscar favourites Mickey Rourke and Meryl Streep won the Best Actor and Best Actress honours for The Wrestler and Doubt, respectively.
The cast of Doubt also walked away with Best Acting Ensemble, while Rosemarie DeWitt won Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Getting Married.
The full list of Washington DC Area Film Critics Association honourees are:
Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actor: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Best Ensemble: Doubt
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Best Supporting Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Breakthrough Performance: Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Original Screenplay: Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Animated Feature: Wall-e
Best Foreign Language Film: Let The Right One In
Best Documentary: Man On Wire
Best Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
'Milk' earns Stanley Kramer prize from Producers
LOS ANGELES – Sean Penn's film biography "Milk" is receiving the Producers Guild of America's Stanley Kramer Award, which honors pictures taking on provocative social issues.
The prize, announced Monday, will be presented at the guild's awards show Jan. 24.
"Milk" stars Penn as San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, who in 1977 won a seat on the board of supervisors to become the first openly gay man elected to major public office in the United States. The film is directed by Gus Van Sant.
The following year, Milk was slain along with Mayor George Moscone by a board colleague.
The Kramer Award is named after the legendary filmmaker whose works include "The Defiant Ones," "Judgment at Nuremberg" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."
Ledger honoured with Australian acting prize
The late actor Heath Ledger has been handed one of his country's highest film honours: the Australian Film Institute's international award for best actor for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight.
The 28-year-old actor died of an accidental overdose of painkillers and other medicines in a New York apartment in January.
"Heath was never one to accept mediocrity. He put his heart and soul into achieving what he believed was required and followed his passions with great enthusiasm and an insatiable curiosity," Sally Ledger said of her son.
Sister Kate stood alongside her parents as they accepted the award Saturday night at a film institute gala in Melbourne.
"It has been without a doubt the most difficult year, losing such a loved family member," Kate Ledger said, fighting back tears. "We are so proud of him and humbly accept this award on behalf of his beautiful daughter [Matilda], who we will cherish forever."
Audience members rose to their feet as the award was announced. The AFI also paid tribute to Ledger as a "ground-breaking actor trapped in the body of a leading man."
Ledger was nominated for an Oscar playing a gay cowboy in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. The Dark Night will be re-released to cinemas in January the day after this year's Oscar nominations are disclosed.
Cate Blanchett won the Australian Film Institute's female acting award for her role in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Meanwhile, The Black Balloon — about a teenage boy learning to live with an autistic brother — captured best film.
Heading into the awards with 11 nominations, The Black Balloon also took home trophies for best supporting actor and actress for Luke Ford and Toni Collette, while director and co-writer Elissa Down won for best direction and original screenplay.
In the TV category, the acclaimed crime drama Underbelly, about Melbourne's gang world, garnered six of eight awards for which it was nominated, including best TV drama series and best acting for its male and female leads.
Lil Wayne Tops 51st GRAMMY Nominations
Nominations for the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced tonight by The Recording Academy and reflected one of the most diverse years ever with the Album Of The Year category alone representing the rap, R&B, folk and rock genres.
Lil Wayne topped the nominations with eight, Coldplay garnered seven, and Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Kanye West each earned six nods. Alison Krauss, John Mayer, Robert Plant, Radiohead and Jazmine Sullivan received five each, and Adele, Danger Mouse, Eagles, Lupe Fiasco, George Strait, and T.I. each received four nominations.
For the first time, nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards were announced on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night." The one-hour special — broadcast live on CBS from Nokia Theatre L.A Live — featured past GRAMMY winners and nominees reading nominations in several categories, as well as performing songs from the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in celebration of the grand opening of the GRAMMY Museum.
Two-time GRAMMY winner LL Cool J and 50th GRAMMY Best New Artist nominee Taylor Swift co-hosted the telecast, and presenters/performers included four-time GRAMMY winner Christina Aguilera, five-time GRAMMY winners Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, the six-time GRAMMY-winning Foo Fighters, 14-time GRAMMY winner B.B. King, five-time GRAMMY winner John Mayer, and Swift.
"The GRAMMY Awards process once again has yielded a comprehensive, diverse and eclectic group of excellent nominees across multiple genres," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "This year's nominations are truly reflective of the talented community of artists and creators who represent some of the highest levels of musical excellence. Coupled with our first-ever prime-time nominations special, featuring stellar performances by past GRAMMY winners and nominees, we're off to an incredible start on the road to Music's Biggest Night and the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards in February."
Following are the nominations in the four General Field categories:
Album Of The Year:
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (Coldplay)
Tha Carter III (Lil Wayne)
Year Of The Gentleman (Ne-Yo)
Raising Sand (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss)
In Rainbows (Radiohead)
Record Of The Year:
"Chasing Pavements" (Adele)
"Viva La Vida" (Coldplay)
"Bleeding Love" (Leona Lewis)
"Paper Planes" (M.I.A.)
"Please Read The Letter" (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss)
Song Of The Year:
"American Boy," William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters (Estelle Featuring Kanye West, artist)
"Chasing Pavements," Adele Adkins & Eg White, songwriters (Adele, artist)
"I'm Yours," Jason Mraz, songwriter (Jason Mraz, artist)
"Love Song," Sara Bareilles, songwriter (Sara Bareilles, artist)
"Viva La Vida," Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay, artist)
Best New Artist:
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan
Nominations in the Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals category are "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay; "Waiting In The Weeds" by Eagles; "Going On" by Gnarls Barkley; "Won't Go Home Without You" by Maroon 5; and "Apologize" by OneRepublic.
For Best Rock Album, the nominees are Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends by Coldplay; Rock N Roll Jesus by Kid Rock; Only By The Night by Kings Of Leon; Death Magnetic by Metallica; and Consolers Of The Lonely by the Raconteurs.
Nominations in the Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals are "Ribbon In The Sky" by Boyz II Men; "Words" by Anthony David Featuring Indie.Arie; "Stay With Me (By The Sea)" by Al Green Featuring John Legend; "I'm His Only Woman" by Jennifer Hudson Featuring Fantasia; and "Never Give You Up" by Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton.
For Best Rap Album, the nominees are American Gangster by Jay-Z; Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne; The Cool by Lupe Fiasco; Nas by Nas; and Paper Trail by T.I.
The Best Country Collaboration With Vocals nominees are "Shiftwork" by Kenny Chesney & George Strait; "Killing The Blues" by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss; "House Of Cash" by George Strait & Patty Loveless; "Life In A Northern Town" by Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town; and "Let The Wind Chase You" by Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban.
This year's Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominees are Danger Mouse, Nigel Godrich, Johnny Karkazis, Rick Rubin, and will.i.am.
GRAMMY ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Dec. 17 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm Deloitte by Jan. 14, 2009, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the telecast.
The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Feb. 8, 2009, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
'Rachel,' `River,' lead Spirit Award nominees
LOS ANGELES – Anne Hathaway's family drama "Rachel Getting Married," the border-smuggling tale "Frozen River" and the Deep South saga "Ballast" led nominees Tuesday for the Spirit Awards with six nominations each, including best picture.
Other best-picture nominees for the awards, which honor independent film, were Michelle Williams' down-on-her-luck drama "Wendy and Lucy" and Mickey Rourke's broken-down athlete tale "The Wrestler."
Hathaway and Williams have lead-actress nominations, along with Melissa Leo for "Frozen River," Summer Bishil for "Towelhead" and Tarra Riggs for "Ballast."
Rourke has a lead-actor nomination, along with Javier Bardem for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Richard Jenkins for "The Visitor," Sean Penn for "Milk" and Jeremy Renner for "The Hurt Locker."
"Rachel Getting Married," with Hathaway as an addict whose homecoming for her sister's wedding causes upheaval, also earned nominations for director Jonathan Demme, supporting actresses Debra Winger and Rosemarie DeWitt and screenwriter Jenny Lumet.
"Frozen River," which follows a white woman and a Mohawk Indian woman drawn into smuggling on a reservation along the New York-Quebec border, had writing and directing nominations for filmmaker Courtney Hunt. Supporting-actress Misty Upham and supporting-actor Charlie McDermott also were nominated.
"Ballast," the story of a single mother struggling to get by amid trauma and turmoil, grabbed directing and writing nominations for filmmaker Lance Hammer, along with slots for supporting actor JimMyron Ross and for cinematographer Lol Crawley.
Other key nominations included two more for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," for Woody Allen's screenplay and supporting actress Penelope Cruz.
Eligible films must have cost less than $20 million to produce, with significant financing from independent sources outside the Hollywood studio system.
The Spirit Awards will be presented Feb. 21, a day before the Academy Awards.
The ceremony will include the annual Robert Altman Award for an ensemble film, which is being presented to "Synecdoche, New York," the directing debut from "Being John Malkovich" screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.
Axed CBC drama wins top Gemini
TORONTO - The choice showed Intelligence, but the timing was kind of awkward.
The critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged series Intelligence, which officially was cancelled by the CBC last winter, took home the award for best drama series at the 2008 Gemini Awards, which were held last night in Toronto.
The last new episode of Intelligence aired almost a year ago, so it made for a bit of a weird atmosphere last night when Intelligence beat out fellow best-drama nominees The Border, The Tudors, Durham County and Murdoch Mysteries.
But we don't mean "weird" in a way that suggests Intelligence, which starred the excellent Ian Tracey and Klea Scott, wasn't worthy. In fact, yours truly was a devoted follower, and we always wondered why more Canadians weren't tuning in.
Regardless, last night must have been pretty sweet for Intelligence creator Chris Haddock. Sadly, he was not in attendance last night to share his, uh, "opinion."
However, mentalist The Amazing Kreskin cracked wise by "predicting" Intelligence would be "renewed for two more seasons." Priceless.
In an interview that appeared in Sun Media outlets in November 2007, Haddock blasted the CBC, claiming the public broadcaster had become "hostile" to his kind of story-telling and had not adequately promoted his show.
CBC executive director of network programming Kirstine Layfield strongly rejected Haddock's accusations, pointing out no creator of a series ever thinks their show is being promoted enough. Layfield claimed the CBC brought Intelligence back for a second season "in good faith" because of the quality of the series, but the ratings simply did not improve.
Haddock subsequently attempted to take an American-ized version of Intelligence to Fox in the United States, but Fox's initial interest was not followed by firm commitments.
The Gemini Awards were hosted by veteran Canadian actor/director Jason Priestley, who first made a name for himself playing Brandon Walsh on Beverly Hills 90210 in the 1990s. Priestley had a hilarious taped opening bit about proving he was Canadian to the likes of Brent Butt, Megan Follows and the Trailer Park Boys.
Among the presenters last night was Shenae Grimes, the young Canadian who plays Annie Wilson in the new 90210, following her portrayal of Darcy Edwards on CTV's Degrassi: The Next Generation. Priestley referred to Grimes as being from "the new, old, 9021-oh, let it go already."
"It's so exciting to be home - it's about time," said Grimes, who is from the Toronto area. "I haven't been here since June. The cold is crazy."
Another presenter last night was Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge, who currently is starring in the apparently doomed ABC series Eli Stone. Fortunately for Henstridge, she was on hand to accept a Gemini Award in person for best actress in a dramatic program or mini-series, for her role in CTV's Would Be Kings.
"To feel that in my home country people recognize my work on that level is so, so flattering," Henstridge said.
Project Runway Canada took home a Gemini for best reality program or series.
Best comedy program or series was won by CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Cock'd Gunns, which originally aired on IFC, took home trophies for best ensemble performance in a comedy and best writing in a comedy or variety program.
Best dramatic mini-series was won by The Englishman's Boy, and Nicholas Campbell's work in that program earned him an award for best actor in a mini-series.
Justin Louis and Helene Joy won best-actor and best-actress in a drama for their performances in Durham County, which aired originally on The Movie Network and Movie Central.
"Acting in Canada you often don't feel you get the attention you deserve, so this is great," Joy said.
Best direction in a drama series went to Holly Dale for Durham County.
Leah Miller and Brendan Fehr won the viewers' choice polls for hottest female and male, respectively.
GEMINI WINNERS
Best dramatic series: "Intelligence."
Best comedy program or series: "This Hour Has 22 Minutes."
Best dramatic miniseries: "The Englishman's Boy."
Best reality program or series: "Project Runway Canada."
Best performance by an actor in a continuing leading dramatic role: Justin Louis, "Durham County" (episode "What Lies Beneath").
Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a dramatic program or miniseries: Nicholas Campbell, "The Englishman's Boy."
Best performance by an actress in a continuing leading dramatic role: Helene Joy, "Durham County" (episode "Guys and Dolls").
Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a dramatic program or miniseries: Natasha Henstridge, "Would Be Kings."
Best ensemble performance in a comedy program or series: Inessa Annie Frantowski, Brooks Gray, Andy King, Rebecca McMahon, Leo Scherman, Morgan Waters: "Cock'd Gunns" (episode "A Taste of Success").
Best host or interviewer in a general/human interest or talk program or series: George Stroumboulopoulos, "The Hour With George Stroumboulopoulos."
Best host or interviewer in a sports program or sportscast: Ron MacLean, "Hockey Day in Canada."
Best news anchor: Ian Hanomansing, "CBC News at Six."
Best writing in a comedy or variety program or series: Brooks Gray, Andy King, Leo Scherman, Morgan Waters: "Cock'd Gunns" (episode "Ready, Aim, Fire").
Best direction in a dramatic series: Holly Dale, "Durham County" (episode "What Lies Beneath").
Sarah McLachlan, Loverboy to be honoured at Junos
Lilith Fair founder and charitable campaigner Sarah McLachlan has been named winner of the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award to be presented at the Juno Awards gala in March.
It is the fourth time the award, for an artist whose "humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada" has been given.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Junos, also announced Thursday that '80s rock band Loverboy would be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
The band that created Turn Me Loose and This Could Be the Night was formed in Calgary in 1980 and is now based in Vancouver.
Members include Mike Reno on lead vocals, guitarist Paul Dean, bassist Scott Smith, keyboard player Doug Johnson on keyboards and Matt Frenette on drums. Smith died in 2000 after being knocked off a sailboat.
McLachlan, best known for her hit Angel, has had a 20-year career as a singer-songwriter and is an eight-time Juno Award winner. She also earned Grammy Awards for Building a Mystery, Last Dance and I Will Remember You.
She is widely recognized for founding Lilith Fair, a tour headlined by all female artists that raised money for charities and women's shelters across North America.
Lilith Fair ran for three years and was considered ground-breaking for its role in promoting women in music.
Her Sarah McLachlan Foundation supports music education among young Canadians and has established a Vancouver program to provide music lessons to disadvantaged children.
In 2004, McLachlan and director Sophie Muller created fund-raising video World on Fire, designed to raise awareness about the need for global aid.
She also has been involved with music education charity MusiCounts, global charity Free the Children, and the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Previous winners of the Allan Waters Award, named for the CHUM Ltd. founder, include Paul Brandt, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Jackson.
The Juno gala is March 28.
Superheroes will battle for People's Choice honors
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Superheroes Batman and Iron Man and adventurer Indiana Jones, will battle for top film honors at the upcoming People's Choice Awards which annually bestows honors on favorite celebrities in film, TV and music.
Among nominees named on Monday for People's Choice Awards was pop star Britney Spears who earned a nod as a "scene stealing" guest star on television but was shut out of music categories.
The People's Choice Awards, which will be given out on January 7, are one of Hollywood's earliest shows in its season of honors leading to the Oscars, the film industry's top prizes.
But unlike the more prestigious Oscars or any of the many other honors given out by entertainment groups, People's Choice winners are voted on by movie, TV and music fans.
Australian actor Heath Ledger was nominated with his "The Dark Knight" co-star Christian Bale for best on-screen matchup, as well as in the favorite cast category for the Batman movie released after Ledger's accidental death in January. Ledger played the villainous Joker to Bale's heroic Batman.
"Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. and Bale were also nominated for favorite male action star, while "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will fight it out with "The Dark Knight" and "Iron Man" for the favorite movie and favorite action movie award.
New categories for this year's 35th Annual People's Choice Awards include favorite superhero, favorite TV drama diva, favorite film cast, favorite scene-stealing guest star and favorite star under 35.
Spears, 26, is nominated for her two guest appearances earlier this year in the TV sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" in which she played a sassy office assistant.
But Spears does not appear in the music categories, which are dominated by Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood on the female side. R&B star Chris Brown had most mentions in the male music sections.
The four singers were also among the favorite under 35 year-old nominees, along with teen favorites Daniel Radcliffe, Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, Chace Crawford, Shia LaBeouf and Justin Timberlake.
The winner will be chosen by a public online vote at the www.pcaVOTE.com Web site from November10 thru December 7. The awards will be handed out in Los Angeles in a live TV broadcast on the CBS broadcast network.
CBC big winner of Geminis for news, sports and documentaries
CBC Television's The National was named best newscast and also took home a trophy for best reportage at the Gemini News, Sports and Documentary Gala on Monday evening.
Two other CBC TV shows earned three awards each at the ceremony — current affairs show The Fifth Estate and Hockey Night in Canada.
The National's Adrienne Arsenault, Erin Boudreau and Richard Devey won the Gemini for best news magazine segment for "Moshe and Munir," about the friendship between a Palestinian and an Israeli.
The Fifth Estate was named best information series, and host Hana Gartner won the Gemini for best host or interviewer in a current affairs series.
Avi Lev won the award for best picture editing for his work on The Fifth Estate episode "Brian Mulroney: The Unauthorized Chapter."
Hockey Night in Canada's coverage of its annual outdoor game was named best live sporting event, with Geminis going to Sherali Najak, Brian Spear and Doug Walton. Inside Hockey: The Aud won the award for best sports feature segment.
Don Wittman, the veteran CBC sportscaster who died in January in Winnipeg, won the Gemini for best play-by-play announcing for his work on Hockey Night in Canada.
Wittman joined CBC Sports in 1961 and went on to call some of the most vicious, arresting and triumphant moments in Canadian sports history. He worked with Hockey Night in Canada from 1979 until the 2007-08 season.
Another veteran CBC News reporter, Don Newman, senior parliamentary editor and host of CBC Newsworld's Politics, was honoured with the Gordon Sinclair Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.
Newman, who joined CBC in 1976 as its Washington correspondent, began reporting on Ottawa in 1981.
The award is given annually for outstanding contribution to Canadian television journalism.
Other winners included:
- Pierre McGuire, best game analyst, IIHF World Junior Hockey Gold Final: Canada vs. Sweden, TSN
- Bob McKenzie best studio analyst, IIHF World Junior Hockey Gold Final: Canada vs. Sweden, TSN.
- Diamond Road, best documentary series, TVO.
- Confessions of an Innocent Man, best biography documentary program, CTV.
Confessions of an Innocent Man was a documentary about William Sampson, a dual Canadian-British citizen who was imprisoned and tortured in Saudi Arabia after being accused of orchestrating a car bombing.
In June 2006, CTV News announced it would no longer nominate its news programs for the Gemini Awards, saying too much work was involved in the nomination process.
CBC's The National had nine nominations and The Fifth Estate had 11 heading into the Geminis. Winners in some categories will be declared later in the week.
The Gemini gala for lifestyle, children's and youth winners will be held Tuesday and the gala for drama, variety and comedy will follow on Wednesday.
The main Gemini show is to be held in Toronto on Nov. 28.
Weakerthans win three WCMAs
EDMONTON - Maybe they should be called the Strongerthans.
Songs about curling, a Winnipeg bus driver and Big Foot helped The Weakerthans dominate the Western Canadian Music Awards Sunday. The indy pop recording darlings, who have been winning rave reviews as they play around the world in support of their latest album Reunion Tour, were honoured for outstanding independent album and songwriters of the year at the awards show in Edmonton.
The band, which crafted Reunion Tour in a factory on the outskirts of Winnipeg during a few frigid weeks in March 2007, also won video of the year for Civil Twilight, a song about a city bus driver whose route takes him past a house that is haunted only for him.
The Weakerthans appear to have a love-hate relationship with buses. This summer the band missed playing the Lalapalooza festival in Chicago when their tour bus broke down after a show, stranding them in Ohio.
The Western Canadian Music Awards recognizes the best recording artists from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon in 19 categories.
"It was definitely a great weekend," said Kennedy Jensen, executive director of the Western Canadian Music Alliance.
"We were thrilled to be hosting the event in Edmonton this year - to share our hospitality and amazing spirit."
Alberta native son Corb Lund won the outstanding roots recording - solo - award for the title song of his Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! album, a ballad that chronicles the changing fortunes of cavalrymen throughout history.
The show opened with a tribute to the life and career of jazz icon Tommy Banks, who was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame, as were Spirit of the West. The Vancouver-based artists performed rousing renditions of their hit singles during the program.
Feist, k.d. lang and Nickelback were all honoured with awards for international achievement.
Country crooner Paul Brandt, who has sold more than one-million albums during his career, won the top country recording award for his album Risk.
Winnipeg rockers The Liptonians were honoured for outstanding pop recording for their self-titled debut album.
Altered Laws' Metaphora, an album that explores Latin, pop, Brazilian, mainstream and avant-garde jazz, won top jazz recording.
Other award winners included; Little Miss Higgins for outstanding blues recording for the album Junction City, State of Shock's Life, Love and Lies was top rock record, Twilight Hotel' Highway Prayer was honoured for outstanding roots recording.
List of winners from the 2008 Western Canadian Music Awards
EDMONTON - Here's the list of winners from the Western Canadian Music Awards presented Sunday night in Edmonton:
The 2008 Western Canadian Music Award winners are:
Outstanding Aboriginal Recording: Tracy Bone, No Lies.
Outstanding Blues Recording: Little Miss Higgins, Junction City.
Outstanding Children's Recording (Tie): Googol Power, Crazy 4 Math. The Kerplunks, The Kerplunks.
Outstanding Contemporary Christian/Gospel Recording: Steve Bell, The Symphony Sessions.
Outstanding Classical Composition: Elizabeth Raum, Dark Thoughts (How Bodies Make Ecstatic Marks).
Outstanding Classical Recording: Jasper Wood, A Child's Cry from Izieu.
Outstanding Country Recording: Paul Brandt, Risk.
Outstanding Francophone Recording: Ariane Mahryke Lemire, Double Entendre.
Outstanding Instrumental Recording: Bob Evans, 4 on 6.
Outstanding Jazz Recording: Altered Laws, Metaphora.
Outstanding Pop Recording: The Liptonians, Self-Titled.
Outstanding Rock Recording: State of Shock, Life, Love & Lies.
Outstanding Roots Recording - Duo/Group: Twilight Hotel, Highway Prayer.
Outstanding Roots Recording - Solo: Corb Lund, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!.
Outstanding Urban Recording: Souljah Fyah, Truth Will Reveal.
Outstanding World Recording: Alex Cuba, Agua Del Pozo.
Outstanding Independent Album: The Weakerthans, Reunion Tour.
Songwriter(s) of the Year: The Weakerthans, Reunion Tour.
Video of the Year: The Weakerthans, Civil Twilight.
Hall of Fame: Senator Tommy Banks, Spirit of the West.
International Achievement Award: Feist, k.d. lang, Nickelback
Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Eagles lead AMA nominees
Alicia Keys, Coldplay and The Eagles led the pack when nominees for the 2008 American Music Awards were announced Tuesday (10/14).
Keys garnered five nominations to top the field, while Coldplay and The Eagles followed closely behind with four apiece. Each of the top-three nominees are in the running for the overall Artist of the Year prize, along with Chris Brown and Lil Wayne.
Nominations for the awards, which are divided into several categories--including Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Latin and Contemporary Inspirational--were announced by comedian Jimmy Kimmel at a press conference in Beverly Hills. The awards will be presented during a November 23rd live broadcast from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
The complete list of nominees is included below.
AMA nominations are based on sales data compiled by music-industry trade magazine Radio & Records and Nielsen SoundScan. For the second consecutive year, winners will be determined through an online vote open to the general public. In previous years, winners were selected via a national sampling of about 20,000 people.
Votes will be collected through Nov. 7.
Nominees for the 2008 American Music Awards:
POP/ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Chris Brown
Kid Rock
Usher
Favorite Female Artist
Mariah Carey
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Favorite Band, Duo Or Group
Coldplay
Eagles
Daughtry
Favorite Album
Coldplay, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends"
Eagles, "Long Road Out of Eden"
Alicia Keys, "As I Am"
COUNTRY MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Garth Brooks
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Favorite Female Artist
Reba Mcentire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Favorite Band, Duo Or Group
Brooks & Dunn
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
Favorite Album
Garth Brooks, "The Ultimate Hits"
Rascal Flatts, "Still Feels Good"
Carrie Underwood, "Carnival Ride"
RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Flo Rida
Lil Wayne
Kanye West
Favorite Band, Duo Or Group
G Unit
Three 6 Mafia
Wu-Tang Clan
Favorite Album
Jay-Z, "American Gangster"
Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III"
Kayne West, "Graduation"
SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Chris Brown
J. Holiday
Usher
Favorite Female Artist
Mary J. Blige
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Favorite Album
Mary J. Blige, "Growing Pains"
Mariah Carey, "E=Mc2"
Alicia Keys, "As I Am"
SOUNDTRACKS
Favorite Album
"Alvin And The Chipmunks"
"Juno"
"Mamma Mia!"
ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Linkin Park
ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Daughtry
Eagles
Jordin Sparks
LATIN MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Enrique Iglesias
Juanes
Wisin Y Yandel
CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist
Casting Crowns
Mercyme
Third Day
T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Colbie Caillat
Flo Rida
Jonas Brothers
Paramore
The-Dream
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lil Wayne
Chris Brown
Alicia Keys
Eagles
Coldplay
Late fiddler Oliver Schroer leads Canadian Folk Music nominations
Toronto fiddler Oliver Schroer, who died of leukemia July 3 at the age of 52, leads the lineup for this year's Canadian Folk Music Awards with four nominations.
Schroer, who combined folk music traditions with classical arrangements, received nominations for contemporary album of the year, solo instrumentalist, producer and a category called pushing the boundaries. He'll be honoured in a tribute at the CFMA ceremony next month.
Close behind him are Vancouver signer-songwriter Wyckham Porteous and Nova Scotia fiddler Troy MacGillivray with three nominations each.
With more than 400 submissions from across Canada this year, it has become more difficult to decide on nominations for the awards, notes Jean Hewson, a St. John's singer who is on the organization committee.
Nominees for traditional album are:
Troy MacGillivray & Shane Cook, When Here Meets There (Lanark, N.S.).
Le Vent du Nord, Dans les Airs (Montreal).
Mariam Matossian, In the Light ( Vancouver).
Yves Lambert and Le Brébert Orchestra, Le Monde à Lambert (Montreal).
Genticorum, La Bibournoise (Montreal).
Nominees for contemporary album:
Oliver Schroer, Hymns and Hers (Toronto).
Justin Rutledge, Man Descending (Toronto).
NQ Arbuckle, X O K (Toronto).
Annebelle Chvostek, Resilience (Montreal).
Luke Doucet & The White Falcon, Blood's Too Rich (Toronto).
Nominees for Children's Album of the Year are:
Rik Barron, Shine (St. John's).
Celtic Rathskallions, All Around the Circle (Ottawa).
Funky Mamas, Rollin' Along (Guelph, Ont.).
The Kerplunks, The Kerplunks (Gabriola Island, B.C.).
Art Napoleon, Mocikan: Songs for Learning Cree (Victoria).
Nominees for traditional singer are:
Norah Rendell, Wait There Pretty One (Richmond, B.C.).
Enoch Kent, One More Round (Toronto).
Mary Beth Carty, Voici … Bette et Wallet (Quebec City).
Allison Lupton, Fly Like Swallows (Cambridge, Ont.).
Daniel Payne, Chain (Cow Head, N.L.).
Nomines for contemporary singer are:
Amos Garrett, Get Way Back (Turner Valley, Alta.).
Wyckham Porteous, 3 AM (Vancouver).
Tannis Slimmon, Lucky Blue (Guelph, Ont.).
Dave Carroll, Perfect Blue (Halifax).
Rita Chiarelli, Uptown Goes Downtown (Toronto).
Nominees for instrumental solo artist are:
Oliver Schroer, Hymns and Hers (Toronto).
Pierre Schryer, Melange (Kakabeka Falls, Ont.).
Sarah Burnell for the Sarah Burnell Band, Return Ticket (Ottawa/Montreal).
Craig Korth, Suspicious Minds (Edmonton).
Troy MacGillivray, Live at the Music Room (Lanark, N.S.).
Nominees for instrumental group are:
Marc Atkinson Trio, Vol. IV (Victoria).
Odessa/Havana, Odessa/Havana (Toronto).
Troy MacGillivray & Shane Cook, When Here Meets There (Lanark, N.S.).
Sagapool, Sagapool, Episode Trois (Montreal).
UCalgary String Quartet, Far Behind /Left My Country (Calgary).
Nominees for English songwriter are:
Garnet Rogers, Get a Witness (Brantford, Ont.).
Tim Hus, Bush Pilot Buckaroo (Calgary).
Wyckham Porteous, 3 AM (Vancouver).
Corb Lund, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! (Edmonton).
Lindsay Jane, Lovers Find Reasons (Winnipeg).
Nominees for French songwriter are:
David Jalbert, Des Histoires (Mascouche, Que.).
Anique Granger, Pepins (Montreal).
Yves Desrosiers, Chansons indociles (Montreal).
Tomas Jensen, Quelqu'un d'autre (Montreal).
Swing, Tradarnac (Ottawa).
Nominees for vocal group are:
Sisters of Sheynville, Sheynville Express (Toronto).
The Sojourners, Hold On (Vancouver).
Chic Gamine, Chic gamine (Winnipeg).
Dala, Who Do You Think You Are? (Toronto).
Frida's Brow, Frida's Brow (Wakefield, Que.).
Nominees for ensemble of the year are:
Foggy Hogtown Boys, The Golden West (Toronto).
Yves Lambert and Le Brébert Orchestra, Le Monde à Lambert (Montreal).
Rita Chiarelli, Uptown Goes Downtown (Toronto).
Le Vent du Nord, Dans les Airs (Montreal).
Hungry Hill, Ride (Smithers, B.C.).
Nominees for solo artist are:
Wyckham Porteous, 3 AM (Vancouver).
Ken Whiteley, One World Dance (Toronto).
Michael Jerome Browne, Double (Montreal).
Lindsay Jane, Lovers Find Reasons (Winnipeg).
Corb Lund, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! (Edmonton).
Nominees for world solo artist are:
Musa Dieng Kala, Exile (Brossard, Que.).
Ines Canepa, Capricho (Montreal).
Celso Machado, Jogo da Vida (Gibsons, B.C.).
Harry Manx, Harry Manx and Friends Live at the Glenn Gould Studio (Saltspring Island, B.C.).
Eliana Cuevas, Vidas (Toronto).
Nominations for world group are:
Compadres, Buddy Where You Been? (Calgary/Winnipeg).
Odessa/Havana, Odessa/Havana (Toronto).
Sagapool, Episode Trois (Montreal).
Constantinople et Françoise Atlan, Ay! Amor (Montreal).
Sisters of Sheynville, Sheynville Express (Toronto).
Nominees for new/emerging artist are:
The Polyjesters, Kitchen Radio (Calgary).
Mariam Matossian, In the Light (Vancouver).
Chic Gamine, Chic Gamine (Winnipeg).
Chloe Albert, Dedicated State (Edmonton).
David Jalbert, Des Histoires (Mascouche, Que.).
Nominees for producer of the year are:
Steve Dawson for Steve Dawson, Waiting for the Lights to Come Up (Vancouver).
Mathieu Dandurand for David Jalbert, Des Histoires (Montreal).
Erik West-Millette for Bia, Nocturno (Montreal).
Oliver Schroer for Oliver Schroer, Hymns and Hers (Toronto).
Othentic for Swing, Tradarnac (Montreal).
Nominees for pushing the boundaries are:
Oliver Schroer, Hymns and Hers (Toronto).
Steve Dawson, Waiting for the Lights to Come Up (Vancouver).
The Marc Atkinson Trio, IV (Victoria).
Harry Manx, Harry Manx and Friends Live at the Glenn Gould Studio (Saltspring Island, B.C.).
Bia, Nocturno (Montreal).
Nominees for young performer are:
Emma Beaton, Pretty Fair Maid (Qualicum Beach, B.C.).
Chrissy Crowley, Demo (Margaree, N.S.).
Kierah, Irish Madness (White Rock, B.C.).
Drumlin, Mackerel Skies (Bridgewater, N.S.).
Paul Cresey, Piece the Picture (Edmonton).
Rik Barron, nominated for children's album of the year, said he is glad to be a part of this year's awards. "Up until three or four years ago, we didn't have an award that was just for children," he said.
The awards ceremony will be held Nov. 23 in St. John's.
And the Oscar-Hosting Job Goes to...Ricky Gervais?
Los Angeles (E! Online) - Ricky Gervais as the next host of the Oscars?
Not so fast.
No doubt the Extras funnyman knows how to crack us up, but reports of him already being a leading contender for hosting duties have been greatly—well, hugely—exaggerated.
"We haven't made one single phone call," Larry Mark, who was announced yesterday as a coproducer of the 81st Annual Academy Awards show with writer-director Bill Condon, said earlier today. "There has been no reaching out."
"We haven't gotten that far yet," said Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. "We're just not there yet."
Ganis knows they'll never please everyone no matter who they pick for the top job. "If you toss up all the opinions on last year's shows and they all came down, 50 percent of them will say, 'It was a sensational show' and fifty percent of them say, 'Uck, it's the worst thing I have ever seen on television,' " he said. "It's hard. Everyone has an opinion."
Unfortunately, last year's Oscar telecast with Jon Stewart as host hit an all-time ratings low with just 32 million U.S. viewers, down about 8 million from 2007.
This will be Mark and Condon's first time producing the Oscars. The show telecasts live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on ABC Feb. 22.
"We were taken aback for a moment," Mark said about being offered the gig. "And then we took a moment to figure our schedules and whatever else, and then we were like, This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance." (Condon wasn't available for an interview today because he is finishing a script for a movie he's going to direct about comedian Richard Pryor.)
Mark comes to the job with a lengthy producing résumé that includes Jerry Maguire, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion and Dreamgirls. Condon wrote and directed Dreamgirls, Gods and Monsters and Kinsey.
As for pumping up the ratings, Ganis said a lot depends on what movies are nominated. "Hopefully, there will be films in contention this year that are of a more populist nature," he said.
Not that he wasn't a fan of last year's big winners like No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, but "I also know that all of them were kind of on the low side in terms of eyeballs."
Crystal Shawanda, Eagle & Hawk top nominees for Aboriginal Music Awards
Country singer Crystal Shawanda and Winnipeg rockers Eagle & Hawk each have a leading five nominations for this year's Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.
Eagle & Hawk, an alternative rock group, are nominated for best group, best album for Sirensong and best single and best songwriter for the title song Sirensong.
The group, which won a Juno in 2002, is scheduled to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra next year.
Shawanda, of Wikwemikong, Ont., has made a splash in Nashville and on the Canadian country scene with her chart-topping debut album Dawn of a New Day.
She's nominated for best album, best country album, best female singer, best video and best single. The Ojibwa singer's surname, Shawanda, translates to "dawn of a new day."
She is competing against Vancouver's Christa Couture and Savona, B.C.'s Farah Palmer for best female artist.
Shawanda and Eagle & Hawk will vie for the best album honours along with Tanya Tagaq, the Inuit throat singer nominated for her album Auk-Blood.
Tagaq, a native of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, who has been filling concert halls for her unusual performance with strings group Kronos Quartet, has nominations for best traditional female singer and best album cover.
Red Power Squad of Morinville, Alta., and Lester of White Rock, B.C., have been nominated for best group.
The nominees for best male artist are:
Mitch Daigneault of Battleford, Sask.
Main Event of Barrie, Ont.
Jace Martin of Ohsweken, Ont.
Nominees for best rap artist:
7th Generation, from Penticton, B.C.
Feenix, from Edmonton.
Wabs Whitebird of Toronto.
This year's ceremony adds several new awards, including categories for best original score and best hip-hop music video.
The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, in their 10th year, will be given out Nov. 28 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
WHAT YOU DIDN'T SEE AT THE EMMYS
The stars of TV stumbled back to work yesterday - after a three-hour Emmy telecast and a night of partying.
Sure, it was the biggest night of Tina Fey's life - three Emmys for her sitcom, "30 Rock."
But here's a glimpse of what went on away from the cameras:
A LEGEND WIPING OUT
Mary Tyler Moore, on hand to pay tribute to former co-star Betty White, took a nasty spill while climbing a red carpet platform to be interviewed by "The Insider."
The actress, 72, was helped back to her feet and was able to walk away, telling reporters: "I feel fine, thanks."
ARI GOLD TEARING UP
Jeremy Piven got all choked up when a reporter asked what his late father would think of the "Entourage" star's third Emmy.
"I was talking to my mother before I came here and she was sayin' 'Just raise it up to him,'" he said, holding back tears.
ONE MAD WRITER
Kirk Ellis (Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, "John Adams") was mad as hell at his acceptance speech being cut short.
"When I got up there, as soon as I got up there, they were already flashing the 'Wrap It Up' light," he complained backstage.
"I find it very interesting that we can have 30 minutes of the ceremony devoted to reality show hosts, but the people who actually create the work, don't get time to talk!"
CASE OF THE MISSING PURSE
"If anyone has seen a small purple purse with an iPhone in it with a picture of a naked toddler, please let me know," Tina Fey pleaded backstage.
"I left it under my chair when we went up to accept the award (for Outstanding Comedy Series for '30 Rock')".
NEXT YEAR, CABLE
Add up the ratings for the Emmys - the lowest in 18 years - and the number of awards going to cable TV shows like "Mad Men" and "Damages" and what do you get?
The four broadcast TV networks - which rotate the Emmys each year - may be ready to let the Emmy show go to cable.
The current Emmy contract ends in 2010, Variety reports, and the old-line networks may want to see the the back of the awards show.
BALD & THE BEAUTIFUL
"I was late getting here because I really won't leave the house until my hair is perfect," "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston joked after picking up his first-ever Emmy (Lead Actor in a Drama). "It feels like Velcro to me. And it works like Velcro. There are all kind of things sticking to my head, fuzz and Jujubes."
WARDROBE MALFUNCTION
It took some extra time for portly "Lost" star Jorge Garcia to get his Woody Wilson tux red-carpet ready. "I had to call housekeeping for some safety pins," he admits. "I discovered one of my suspenders broke."
ISN'T IT TIME
...that Heidi Klum got some speech lessons?
All she says on "Project Runway" is "You're either in or you're out" and "Auf Wiedersehn."
Using her as a comedienne at the Emmys was a mistake. Her lines, delivered in a thick accent, were incomprehensible.
TALK ABOUT MISSING A CUE
How jaded do you have to be to not give cancer-comeback kid Christina Applegate a standing ovation?
The only standing O all night was when Kathy Griffin ordered the crowd to its feet for Don Rickles.
Emmy telecast bombs in ratings and reviews
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 60th annual Primetime Emmys show, roundly panned by critics as perhaps the worst ever, laid a big, fat ratings egg as well, with early figures pointing to the smallest audience in the awards' history.
According to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research, ABC's three-hour Sunday telecast, featuring major wins for "Mad Men" and "30 Rock," averaged 12.2 million viewers, falling just below the historic low of 12.3 million posted by the 1990 ceremony aired on Fox.
Final national ratings for Sunday's broadcasts are due Tuesday.
By comparison, 13 million viewers tuned in for last year's ceremony and its farewell send-off of "The Sopranos," which ranked as the second-lowest Emmys audience on the books.
Sunday's telecast no doubt suffered from the fact that the shows and stars getting most of the attention, including best drama "Mad Men," comedy champion "30 Rock" and winning actors from shows like "Damages" and "Breaking Bad," represent programs that draw relatively few viewers themselves.
The Emmy telecast on ABC also collided in the eastern half of the country with NBC's highly rated Sunday Night Football broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys' 27-16 defeat of the Green Bay Packers.
And many New York viewers were likely siphoned off by an ESPN telecast of the last baseball game by the New York Yankees at historic Yankee Stadium.
Still, ABC's cause was not helped by an Emmy presentation that critics largely derided as a flop, especially an oddly ad-libbed opening monologue shared by five reality-show hosts who served as the evening's collective emcees.
In an apparent homage to their unscripted TV genre, Howie Mandell ("Deal or No Deal"), Ryan Seacrest ("American Idol") Jeff Probst ("Survivor"), Tom Bergeron ("Dancing with the Stars") and Heidi Klum ("Project Runway") took to the stage for about five minutes to joke about how they literally had nothing prepared to say.
Probst, Seacrest and Mandell then left the stage to Bergeron and Klum, who were joined by William Shatner for a gag that involved ripping off Klum's clothes.
The whole bit was panned by reviewers and other performers. Emmy winner Jeremy Piven, co-star of HBO's "Entourage," called the opening confusing and a "celebration of nothingness."
The ceremony then lurched into overdrive by mid-show with many presenters and winners forced to rush through their appearances to make up for lost time.
"It was hideously awful from start to harried finish, dragged down by five amateurish reality anchors who would have been unwelcome as guests, let alone hosts," USA Today wrote.
ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co. and fellow networks doubt hoped for a more auspicious official kickoff to prime-time TV's premiere week, seen by industry executives as a kind of reboot for television after last season was cut short by the Hollywood writers strike.
Run-D.M.C., Metallica nominated for Rock Hall
CLEVELAND - Run-D.M.C. could "Walk This Way" into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The 1980s rap act, along with Metallica and the Stooges are among the nine nominees for next year's hall of fame class, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced Monday.
The other nominees are guitarist Jeff Beck, singer Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, War, Bobby Womack, and disco and R&B group Chic, the only nominee back from last year's ballot.
The five leading vote-getters will be announced in January and inducted April 4, 2009, in Cleveland.
The ceremony typically has been held in New York but is returning to Cleveland after more than a decade-long absence. Tickets will be made available to the public for the first time.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five opened the door for rap at the Rock Hall as the first hip-hop act to be inducted in 2007. Now, Run-D.M.C., nominated in the first year of its eligibility, has the chance to follow on the strength of rock and rap blends such as the 1986 cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" and classics like "It's Tricky" and "My Adidas."
Metallica jumped on the heavy metal wave of the '80s and 25 years later is still selling out arenas. This month the group released "Death Magnetic," which marks a return to its early speed metal days.
The Stooges, recently given props in the film "Juno," get another shot after last appearing on the ballot two years ago.
Left off the ballot were Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bon Jovi. Both had been eligible for the first time. To be nominated an act must have released its first single or album 25 years prior.
More than 500 musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the inductions
TV Review: Emmycast tries to get real, and flops
NEW YORK - Are the TV writers still on strike?
There have been boring, listless and otherwise ham-handed Emmy broadcasts among the past 59. Sunday's Emmycast was all of those things. But "The 60th Primetime Emmys" also seemed an inadvertent homage to the 100 days of the Hollywood writers strike last season, when the shows that were able to continue demonstrated what TV without writers is like.
ABC's Emmycast seemed to recapture that dreary world, despite the strike having been settled seven months ago, and the credits for the Emmycast listing writers and script supervisors.
The writing was on the wall (sorry) at the top of the show, when its five co-emcees — Heidi Klum ("Project Runway"), Tom Bergeron ("Dancing With the Stars"), Howie Mandel ("Deal or No Deal"), Jeff Probst ("Survivor") and Ryan Seacrest ("American Idol") — arrived on stage, all dressed in tuxedoes.
They, of course, were also the five nominees in the brand-new reality host category. Each is skilled, charming and/or gorgeous doing whatever series got each of them nominated. But on the Emmy broadcast they shared no chemistry, and seemed at a loss for anything clever to say from the outset.
After their initial strained banter, Probst confessed to the audience, "We have absolutely nothing for you. This is not a joke."
"This is not a bit," Mandel chimed in. "This is reality, and who better to offer that to you?"
Seacrest broke it to viewers that "there is absolutely nothing" on the TelePrompTers.
"We are like on Sarah Palin's bridge to nowhere," Mandel said.
A few more tedious moments and William Shatner burst from his seat in the Nokia Theatre, strode on stage, and gave a tug to Klum's tux, which ripped away to reveal a scanty black sequined number.
Well, at least someone presumably wrote that gag, however lame.
The remainder of the three-hour broadcast was occasionally jolted back to life by the appearance of people who knew to BYOM (bring your own material).
An early presenter, Ricky Gervais, displayed how he's one of the drollest performers on the planet as he recalled his absence last year, when he won a comedy Emmy for his series "Extras."
"I couldn't come last year. Which is a shame. But I STILL won. Do you remember?"
Another presenter, Steve Martin, introduced himself by saying "I'm Steve Martin and I'll be out here in just a minute" — a 40-year-old quip from his standup days that was still fresher than most of the broadcast's material.
Politics, and the presidential race, was in evidence in the exchange between Jon Stewart and his co-presenter, Stephen Colbert. While Stewart tried to list the best miniseries nominees, Colbert began munching from a bagful of prunes.
It was necessary, said Colbert, slipping into character as right-wing buffoon, then added, "Right now, America needs a prune ... This dried-up old fruit has the experience we need."
Stewart looked doubtful. "You know, after eight years of prunes, you would think _"
"Never enough!" Colbert snapped, then ate another. "What could possibly go wrong?"
While the Emmycast seemed to want to validate reality shows, it also crammed in a few pleasant, but extraneous, tributes to favorite scripted entertainment. These clips, accompanied by reproductions of familiar settings from those bygone shows (the WJM newsroom from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Monk's Diner from "Seinfeld"), seemed little more than filler.
Not nearly soon enough, the program was nearing its conclusion. Jimmy Kimmel handled the chore of presenting the best reality host Emmy.
With his customary wryness, Kimmel offered all five nominees a bit of backhanded praise for their shared Emmycast performance.
"Haven't they been sufficient, everybody?" he said.
He was being too kind.
'Mad Men,' '30 Rock' take top Emmy awards
LOS ANGELES - The sleek '60s drama "Mad Men" made Emmy history Sunday as the first basic-cable show to win a top series award, while the sitcom "30 Rock" and its stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin also emerged as big winners.
"We're all so very grateful to have jobs in this turkey-burger economy," Fey said after accepting the best comedy series trophy for her satire about a late-night TV show.
"This is the greatest job I've ever had in my life," Baldwin said of his role an a network executive.
He paid tribute to Fey, the NBC show's star and creator, as "the Elaine May of her generation."
"I thank my parents for somehow raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities. Well done. That is what all parents should do," said Fey, who also won for best actress and writing in a comedy series.
Emmy voters rewarded quality, not ratings: Many of the winners draw relatively small audiences. AMC's "Mad Men," which looks at America through the prism of Madison Avenue, is lucky to get 2 million viewers.
Glenn Close of FX's "Damages" and Bryan Cranston of AMC's "Breaking Bad" captured drama acting trophies.
Close, honored for her portrayal of a ruthless attorney, complimented her fellow nominees, including Holly Hunter and Sally Field.
"We're proving that complicated, powerful, mature women are sexy in high entertainment and can carry a show," she said. "I call us the sisterhood of the TV drama divas."
Cranston won the trophy for his role of a desperate man who turns to making drugs.
Dianne Wiest of "In Treatment" and Zeljko Ivanek of "Damages" won supporting acting honors for the drama series. Jean Smart of ABC's "Samantha Who?" was honored as best supporting actress in a comedy series, with Jeremy Piven her actor counterpart for "Entourage."
Piven took aim at the five reality hosts who helped open the ceremony in what could charitably called a rambling way, saying, "What if I just kept talking for 12 minutes — what would happen? That was the opening."
The crowd at the 60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards laughed heartily, not a good sign for the hosts, who included Ryan Seacreast of "American Idol."
Don Rickles was honored for best individual performance in a variety or music program for "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project."
"It's a mistake," Rickles said. "I've been in the business 55 years and the biggest award I got was an ashtray from the Friar's in New York."
Best reality-competition program went to "The Amazing Race," the show's sixth award. It and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" are now tied for most consecutive awards in a best-series category.
Jeff Probst of "Survivor," one of the ceremony's masters of ceremonies, claimed the first award for best reality series host. "We feel honored to be part of this family. Thank you for letting reality in," he said.
As the evening progressed, politics went from having a cameo to a co-starring role.
"I really look forward to the next administration, whoever it is," Jon Stewart said as he accepted the best variety, music or comedy series award for "The Daily Show." "I have nothing to follow that. I just really look forward to the next administration."
Later, Stewart and Stephen Colbert, whose "The Colbert Report" won a writing trophy, teamed to present an award — and exchange banter in which they used a package of prunes as a metaphor for the upcoming presidential election.
"America needs prunes. It may not be a young, sexy plum. Granted, it's shriveled and at times hard to swallow. But this dried-up old prune has the experience we need," Colbert said.
Tommy Smothers received a commemorative writing achievement for his work on the cutting-edge and controversial "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" from the late '60s — and turned serious.
"It's hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war. And there's nothing more scary than watching ignorance in action," he said, dedicating his award to "all people who feel compelled to speak out, and are not afraid to speak to power, and won't shut up and refuse to be silenced."
Martin Sheen, who played a president on "The West Wing," lauded television for giving America a front-row seat to real presidential campaigns. Then he urged viewers to vote for "the candidate of your choice, at least once."
The award for best TV movie went to "Recount," about the contested 2000 Bush-Gore contest.
HBO's "John Adams," about the founding father, was named best miniseries and won other awards including acting trophies for Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson.
The historical drama set a record for most awards, 13, including five trophies Sunday and eight previously announced. The record of 11 was held by HBO's "Angels in America," the TV academy said.
HBO was the most-honored network, with 26 awards earned Sunday and at the creative arts ceremony held earlier this month. ABC was second with 12 awards, followed by CBS, NBC and PBS with 10 each; AMC with eight, Showtime with five and Fox with four.
Throughout the evening, the ceremony kept its landmark 60th birthday in the spotlight with salutes to television's past.
Pop star Josh Groban offered a marathon medley of TV theme songs, ranging from "The Simpsons" to "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" to "South Park" to "Gilligan's Island." At one point, Ed McMahon kicked in a "Heeeere's Johnny!" to salute Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show.
A tribute to memorable TV dialogue of the past was delivered by the stars of today in an opening clip package.
"One of these days, Alice, pow, right in the kisser!" Helen Mirren said, quoting Jackie Gleason's line from "The Honeymooners."
As the show opened at the Nokia Theatre, Howie Mandel and his fellow hosts riffed about a lack of material for the ceremony.
They then turned to slapstick: "Boston Legal" star William Shatner came on stage to help Tom Bergeron rip off co-host Heidi Klum's modest suit to reveal hot pants and more skin.
Four faces — and outfits — to watch at the Emmys
NEW YORK - The red carpet at the 60th Emmy Awards on Sunday will surely be a parade of beautiful people wearing beautiful things — the faux pas of years past are out.
These days, designers use the carpet as a second runway and stylists keep their clients picture perfect. Still, armchair fashion critics want to have their say, even if it's only to say how great everyone looks.
Here are some buzz-worthy candidates to keep an eye on:
_Tina Fey
She was already the toast of the town with 17 nominations for "30 Rock," including her own nomination as best actress in a comedy — a prize she won last year.
Her return to "Saturday Night Live" was the watercooler talk of the week. What brought her back to "SNL" is her uncanny resemblance to GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Will she play that up or down?
"I think she'll try to look as far away from Sarah Palin as she can — that is, if she doesn't want to be asked to do the same imitation for every camera," says "Access Hollywood" supervising producer Ryan Patterson.
Fey often wears black to events and leaves her glasses at home, but the updo she wore last year might invite Palin comparisons.
"I think she might be forced to go in another direction," Ryan says. "I'm hoping to see her in something sleek and sexy with her hair sleek, too."
However, anything too trendy or fashion-forward wouldn't match her personality, notes Gretta Monahan, the new co-host on "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style." "My advice would be to see her play up her classic, pretty beauty. ... I'd say don't be the geek, be the beauty."
_Heidi Klum
Klum, one of the ceremony's co-hosts, won't have one stunning look on Sunday, she'll have eight, starting with an all-over sparkler by Armani Prive.
Each of the supermodel's outfits were carefully thought out, says Klum's stylist Maryam Malakpour. "The whole concept is more than just a celebrity changing clothes, we wanted every time you see her to say, `Wow!'"
Klum is working with Michael Kors, John Galliano for Dior, Valentino, Roland Mouret and "Project Runway" alum Christian Siriano have all provided looks, as well as one vintage choice. "An off-the-runway look might overwhelm someone else but she can pull that off because she's a model," Malakpour says.
It doesn't hurt that there's very few things that don't look good on her and that Klum treats the red carpet like just another catwalk, which she struts with confidence.
The one thing Klum doesn't wear is anything too trendy, Monahan says. "Whatever is trendy right now, you can assume Heidi is a step ahead."
_Christina Applegate
This is Applegate's first splashy fashion event since undergoing a double mastectomy, and while it's unlikely that anyone would criticize whatever she wears, "Access Hollywood's" Patterson has high expectations.
"She's young, flirty, fresh — I'm really excited to see what she does," Patterson says. "She always looks good."
Applegate has grown up in front of the cameras and so has her style. She doesn't dress too maturely for a 36-year-old but she also knows not to dress like a teenager.
"This is the Emmys, it's not the VMAs (MTV's Video Music Awards). She's not going to show up in thigh-high boots, a miniskirt or show a lot of cleavage. She will be classic and glamorous."
Applegate has taken to wearing her hair up to black-tie events and choosing retro gowns, including a beaded Art Deco-inspired look to the Screen Actors Guild Awards and a slinky siren number to last year's Tonys.
_The women of "Mad Men"
The old-school style that January Jones, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss, among others, bring to the 1960s-era drama hasn't been lost on the fashion world. Several designers and tastemakers have said they've been influenced by the show's costumes that marry a buttoned-up style with straight-up sex appeal.
You'd never catch these women in yoga pants or even jeans.
Monahan says she hopes the stars stick to that overall aesthetic.
"They shouldn't be in costumes but I'd like to see them in a modern take on their characters," she says. "I want to see that glamour — it's refreshing. ... Maybe next year they could wear something crazy, but this year I want to see them do what they do best."
Patterson, though, thinks this could be the time for the actresses to give the audience a glimpse of who they really are.
"They might go the opposite way and get out of the clothes they seem to wear 24/7. It's a chance for them not to be typecast and to offer some personal expression."
Movie buffs can win bleacher seats for 2009 Oscars
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Stargazers seeking an up-close glimpse of Hollywood's royalty can win seats on Oscar night along the red carpet.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday that 300 bleacher seats will be up for grabs in an online lottery.
Beginning at 9 a.m. PDT Monday, movie buffs can enter for a chance to win a seat in front of the Kodak Theater for the Oscars scheduled for Feb. 22. The lottery runs through 9 p.m. Sept. 28.
Applicants can register for up to four seats at http://www.oscars.org/bleachers.
In previous years, as many as 20,000 fans have applied online for the bleacher seats.
Lincoln Center to honor Tom Hanks in annual gala
NEW YORK - The Film Society of Lincoln Center will honor Tom Hanks in its annual gala tribute, citing the actor's talent of making "a good man compelling."
The two-time Academy Award winner will be feted April 27 at Alice Tully Hall, which is being renovated but scheduled to reopen Feb. 22. It will be the society's 36th annual gala, following last year's celebration of Meryl Streep.
"There are so few actors who have been able to make the struggle and drama of being a good man compelling," Kent Jones, the society's associate director of programming, said Monday. "With his talent, his presence, his versatility, his sense of humor, he has set a very high standard for his fellow actors."
The 52-year-old Hanks won best-actor Oscars for 1993's "Philadelphia" and 1994's "Forrest Gump."
Michael J. Fox always a Canadian at heart as he returns home for Walk of Fame
TORONTO - Michael J. Fox may have become a U.S. citizen a few years back, but when it came to the recent Beijing Olympics, the Edmonton-born actor was cheering for the Canucks all the way.
"In my heart, I'm a Canadian, I'll always be a Canadian," he said in a recent telephone interview from Long Island, New York.
"That was really evident the last couple of weeks watching the Olympics. Someone diving off a platform, if they had a Maple Leaf on them, I was all for them."
Fox's Canadian ties will be on full display this weekend when he is officially inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. The honour was initially announced in 2000 but Fox was not on hand for the ceremony.
"I'm most blown away by the company I'm in. It's really cool. Steve Nash, kd lang, Bryan Adams," he said, referring to fellow honorees.
"It's just really exciting to kind of know that even though I don't live in Canada anymore that it's still my home and people still think of me as one of them."
People also still think of him, of course, as young Republican Alex P. Keaton from the '80s TV smash "Family Ties" and as Marty McFly, the time-travelling teen from the "Back to the Future" movies.
Although Fox also appeared on the popular TV comedy "Spin City" and in films including "Doc Hollywood," "The Secret of My Success" and "Casualties of War," he says people most remember him for his iconic teen roles.
"I am amazed when people with teenaged kids come up and tell you that they grew up watching you, you kind of check your watch and go, 'oh yeah, I'm old,"' said Fox, 47.
"(Family Ties) was so 'of its time,' that when people think of it, they don't just think of the show or the actors, they think of the time, they think of where they were, they think of what that period of their lives was. There's a lot of emotion and memory mixed together with it."
"Family Ties" also became the place where Fox met his wife of 20 years, Tracy Pollan, who played Alex's girlfriend Ellen. The characters' theme song was "At This Moment," which became a hit for Billy Vera and the Beaters, a band Fox knew from the L.A. club scene.
The actor was glad the tune found an audience, but says it followed he and Pollan around for years.
"People would always play it, whenever we came into a room or something," he said. "When you'd go to a wedding or something, people would throw it on and we'd kind of go 'Oh, god, here's the song again."
In recent years, Fox has taken on a very different role. He's become a high-profile advocate for stem cell research and a spokesman for Parkinson's disease.
He was diagnosed with the condition in 1991, but did not make his illness public until seven years later. In 2000, he set up the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has funded $126 million in research.
Despite the tremors that accompany Parkinson's, the actor says he's feeling "great" and has been playing tennis and golf this summer.
In October, he's set to guest star on "Rescue Me," the dark firehouse drama that stars his hockey buddy Denis Leary.
"Denis is a good friend of mine," said Fox. "I love the show, I love Denis and I love his edge and he had a great idea or a character and ran it by me and I thought: 'Cool, that would be a fun thing to do'."
Fox will play the boyfriend of the ex-wife of Leary's character, Tommy Gavin.
For now, however, the actor is focused on the Walk of Fame - and on back-to-school activities.
He and Pollan have four children - Fox proudly mentions that his son is entering college, while his daughter is going into first grade and his twin girls are headed to junior high.
He says they get up to Canada at least once a year and cherish the visits to their father's homeland.
"My kids love Canada," said Fox. "They always talk about the Canadian relatives as the funny relatives, the laughing relatives."
Other stars to be honoured at the Walk of Fame ceremonies this Saturday include comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, model Daria Werbowy, filmmaker James Cameron and actress Frances Bay.
'Murdoch Mysteries' leads Gemini noms
TORONTO - A pair of detective shows - one set in the 19th century and another that takes place in present-day suburbia - are this year's leading Gemini Award nominees.
"Murdoch Mysteries," which airs on Citytv and stars Yannick Bisson as a sleuth who solves crimes in Toronto in the late 1800s, is up for 14 of the prizes, which recognize excellence in Canadian television.
The show received nods for best dramatic series, writing, visual effects, photography, score and make-up. A host of guest stars who appeared on the program are also vying for awards.
"We're really, really excited...we're ordering quite a few bottles of champagne," said Christina Jennings, executive producer of 'Murdoch Mysteries.'
"Who would have thought a mystery series set in 1895 would capture both Canadian audiences and international audiences?"
"Durham County," in which Hugh Dillon plays a homicide detective who moves his family from Toronto to the suburbs only to discover that his neighbour may be a serial killer, nabbed 13 Gemini nominations.
Dillon is up for an acting prize, as are co-stars Helene Joy and Justin Louis. The program, which airs on The Movie Network and Movie Central, is also up for best dramatic series as well as for writing, directing, editing, sound and photography.
Jennings said that while TV audiences are well-versed in the crime genre these days, "Murdoch Mysteries" gives them some historical perspective.
"I think we all know about 'CSI,' and we've all seen these cop procedurals before," she said.
"This (show) is the beginnings of where forensics started, things that we take for granted like lie detectors...or infrared. I think the audience is interested in where all of that comes from."
In the best drama category, "Murdoch Mysteries" and "Durham County" will square off against the sexy Henry VIII drama "The Tudors," cop thriller "The Border and organized crime drama "Intelligence."
"The Tudors" received 12 nominations overall, as did "The Englishman's Boy," a miniseries based on a Guy Vanderhaeghe novel.
"The Fifth Estate" picked up 11 nods, while "The Border" and "CBC News: The National" tied with nine apiece.
The TV miniseries "Would Be Kings" picked up eight nominations and "Across the River to Motor City" and "Mayerthorpe" each collected seven.
"Marketplace," "ReGenesis," "Rent-A-Goalie" and "Cowboy Junkies - Trinity Revisited" amassed six.
Competing for best comedy will be: "Cock'd Gunns"; "Corner Gas"; "Kenny vs. Spenny"; "Odd Job Jack"; "Rent-A-Goalie"; and "This Hour Has 22 Minutes."
And, the reality show contenders are: "Canada's Next Top Model"; "Dragons' Den"; "Project Runway Canada"; "Triple Sensation"; and "The Week the Women Went."
Three nights of Gemini galas will be held on Oct. 20, 21 and 22 to hand out hardware for various categories including news, sports, documentaries and children's shows.
The main Gemini Awards show will take place in Toronto on Nov. 28.
The awards are administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.