Britney Spears has been nominated for two MTV Europe Music Awards.

The ‘Gimme More’ singer - who scooped two prizes at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month - has been shortlisted for Album of the Year for ‘Blackout’ and Act of 2008.

Britney - who is set to release new album ‘Circus’ in November - will face competition from troubled star Amy Winehouse for the Act of 2008 award, despite several heavily criticised live performances from the ‘Back To Black’ singer this year.

The 26-year-old singer will battle against Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Duffy and Leona Lewis in the Album of the Year category.

Beyonce is set to perform at the November 6 ceremony in Liverpool, England, to launch her new album.

The R’n'B star - who is married to rapper Jay-Z - is also up for the Ultimate Urban prize.

Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’ has made it into the Most Addictive Track list, alongside Kid Rock’s ‘All Summer Long’ and Pink’s ‘So What’.

MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 nominations, full list -

Album of the Year:
Alicia Keys - ‘As I Am’
Britney Spears - ‘Blackout’
Coldplay - ‘Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends’
Duffy - ‘Rockferry’
Leona Lewis - ‘Spirit’

Headliner:
Foo Fighters
Linkin’ Park
Metallica
The Cure
Tokio Hotel

Most Addictive Track:
Coldplay - ‘Viva La Vida’
Duffy - ‘Mercy’
Katy Perry - ‘I Kissed A Girl’
Kid Rock - ‘All Summer Long’
Pink - ‘So What’

New Act:
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Katy Perry
Miley Cyrus
One Republic

Act of 2008:
Amy Winehouse
Britney Spears
Coldplay
Leona Lewis
Rihanna

Ultimate Urban:
Alicia Keys
Beyonce
Chris Brown
Kanye West
Lil Wayne

Rock Out:
30 Seconds to Mars
Linkin’ Park
Metallica
Paramore
Slipknot

Cheryl Cole will be mentoring the girls in her first season of X Factor.

The Girls Aloud singer will be going head to head with Simon Cowell, who was handed the boys, Louis Walsh, who will mentor the groups, and last year’s winner Dannii Minogue, who will work with the over 25s.

The four judges were told who they would be working with on tonight’s episode of the X Factor.

Cheryl had earlier warned the camera bluntly: ‘If they tell me I have got the overs (25s) this competition might be over because I don’t see any point in going forward.’

But although the over 25s may have been Cheryl’s least favourite group Dannii seemed pleased to be working with them. ‘That’s so good, I’m so excited, that’s brilliant,’ she said.

Simon, however, had made it clear he wanted to work with the girls. ‘I’m thrilled for them more than me,’ he said, referring to the boys he would be working with.

Louis, who guided Westlife and BoyZone to fame, was happy to be handed the groups. ‘Good, I’m happy with that.’

Tonight also saw 26 hopefuls going home. Of the thousands who auditioned only 24 could go through to the final - and to work with the judges.

After coming through the bootcamp the finalists auditioned in front of the panel, with some showing their nerves as they broke down.

Then they were called out on stage and given the good or bad news in groups.

Schoolboy Liam Payne, 14, was devastated to be told he was going home. ‘I thought I had done enough,’ he said, obviously devastated.

But after he left the room the judges had a change of heart after being persuaded by Simon.

‘I would hate to see this guy go, it’s the right decision I promise you,’ he told the other judges.

Liam was then called back into the room.

‘We’ve changed our mind,’ he was told, at which point he collapsed on the floor.

Another of the hopefuls to make it through to the final was Diana Vickers, who thrilled the judges with her soulful rendition of Diana Vickers, Hallelujah.

And Amy Vickers, who made Cheryl cry as she talked about losing her mother at her original audition, also made it through.

The final 24 hopefuls will now work with their mentor, who will then have to pick the final three in each category.

mailonline 28 September 2008

Oasis Manchester´s favourite band, are back with avengence having kicked off their world tour in Seattle on August 26th to outstanding reviews.

The tour is just the beginning for the band´s new drummer, Chris Sharrock who takes the place of former Oasis sticksman, Zak Starkey. Lets hope he can make the distance!

After introducing him to the adoring fans at the Wamu Theatre, Seattle, Noel ever the joker told the crowd they are “trying to break Spinal Tap’s” record for drummers!!!

The lads are showcasing new material from their album, ‘Dig Out Your Soul’, including ‘Falling Down’ and the LP’s lead single ‘The Shock Of Lightning’ alongside their classic hits and they are going down a storm.

Check out the new video for the lead single from their album “The Shock Of Lightning” below… a great track which according to Noel was written and recorded “dead fast” helping to retain the raw energy of the track.

Personally I think it´s one of the best tracks they´ve recorded for a long while… classic Oasis a pumpin rock`n´roll masterpiece!!!

Jack Osbourne’s career continues to go from strength to strength. Five years after his drug rehabilitation, Jack has lost over 50 pounds in weight, undertaken several gruelling expeditions and helped raise awareness for testicular cancer. And now the former teen rebel is set to produce a documentary about his father, Ozzy Osbourne.

The documentary, which will be entitled ‘John’ (Ozzy’s real name), will feature interviews with Ozzy’s Black Sabbath band-mates and hopes to change people’s views on the ageing rocker.

Jack, 22, told Rolling Stone magazine that he was inspired to make the film because he thought the media had misrepresented his father.

“My dad’s not an idiot — he’s nothing short of a genius,” he said. “He does have huge flaws, and we’re trying to really paint an honest picture of that.”

He added: “I think [reality TV show] ‘The Osbournes’ tarnished the public’s perception of my dad as a bit of a senile, funny, bumbling guy. My dad can be that guy, but it’s not him. I think that almost discredited who he is as an artist.”

Jack will preview the film at Ozzfest 2009.

Personally I think this is a great opportunity for Jack. I have a great deal of respect for him for turning his life around. Jack didn’t let his drug and alcohol addiction beat him and he’s fought back every step of the way. Having worked as an A&R scout for Epic Records, Jack knows a great deal about the music industry and is the perfect person to produce this documentary. I think this will be an intriguing documentary and I’m looking forward to watching it. Best of luck Jack!

Following last year’s car-crash performance many people were eager to see Britney Spears resurrect her career at this VMAs. However, fans will have to wait a little longer to see Britney’s comeback as the star’s manager has just revealed that the ‘Toxic’ star won’t be performing at this year’s show.

Brit’s manager Larry Rudolph released a statement saying: “Contrary to media reports, Britney was never slated to perform at this year’s VMAs. She’s in the middle of recording her next album, which is going amazingly well, and her focus remains on the studio.”

Last week, hairdresser Kim Vo spoke about a hairstyle he had planned for the 26-year-old’s performance, but he has also confirmed Larry’s statement.

He said: “Any ideas that we have about her hair are always theoretical. And we always have to be prepared. But she is not performing and so we don’t have to worry about that.”

What a shame. I was really looking forward to seeing Britney perform. However, considering Britney’s traumatic year I think Rudolph’s slow and steady approach is wise. Better to rebuild Britney’s career bit by bit then destroy it with one big, highly anticipated performance. That kind of pressure wouldn’t be good for Britney right now.

While Britney might not be performing, she’s been nominated for three accolades including Best Pop Video, Best Female Video and Video of the Year, all for ‘Piece of Me’. Britney has never won a VMA despite receiving 17 nominations so here’s hoping that the princess of pop will still make her mark on this year’s VMAs.

Pink, Paramore, Rihanna and the Jonas Brothers will perform at the September 7th ceremony.

The second week of X Factor 2008 delivered (some) more talent, a great Cowell’ism, the normal truckload of deluded teenagers and some serious self doubting. I am very worried about my loyalty values.

As a long standing avid fan of Sharon Osbourne it scares me that I’ve already forgotten that she used to be one of the judges. Isn’t that terrible? Does this mean that my love for Simon would diminish if he left and was replaced by Piers Morgan? I just can’t believe that would happen.

It’s not so much that Sharon has been replaced (as surely she is irreplaceable), but Cheryl Cole has been a surprisingly good addition to the judging panel. Cheryl has a nice presence, she’s warm and she makes relevant comments. And I love the way she bursts into tears at every emotionally charged situation.

Alexander Burke from London had Ms. Cole sobbing into her shirt sleeve when she returned to the X Factor auditions after a gap of three years. In 2005 Alexander made it all the way to Louis house, but was kicked off the show before the tv finals. She has since grown up, become incredibly gorgeous and now can seriously sing. I was welling up with Cheryl when she made it through to boot camp again.

A shock of the series so far for me (and it’s a massive one) is that Holly Willoughby isn’t as irritating as I thought she was; she’s actually doing quite an entertaining job in Fearne Cotton’s old back stage role. However she does get very silly whenever in conversation with Simon Cowell, and obviously fancies him furiously. I can’t knock her for that, I wouldn’t even be able to speak to the man if I ever met him; and I would definitely give him a Chinese burn.

Adorable 15 year old schoolboy Eoghan Quigg is one to follow through to the late stages – are we looking at the Irish David Archuleta? I don’t think so ….. Eoghan looks quite trendy.

Cowell’ism of the Week:
“Right, Holly, your mouth is far, far too big when you sing. It was like looking into a cave. I’ve never seen anything so big in my life”.
(Simon on bizarre hotel singer Holly Jervis)

Most Deluded Contestant(s) of the Week:
“We’re bubbly and we’re crazy and we can all sing, we’re not just like four models who can’t sing and look good and try to sing”
(Leila, Phoebe, Tita & Marissa of ‘Girl Band’ - quite unaware of their average girl next door looks)

hurry up next Saturday evening please …….

Rihanna has only $20,000 to her name according to her ex-business manager. Yes, despite topping the charts worldwide, the ‘Umbrella’ star is said to be broke.

According to blackarazzi.com Rihanna fired her manager Patricia Williams and accused her of stealing her money when she realised the poor state of her finances.

Williams said: “It’s not my fault that she only has $20,000 to her name… I have worked for many high profile actors, musicians and multi-million dollar corporations. Why would I steal from Rihanna?”

The business manager explained: “I showed her all the paperwork and tried to explain to her the circumstances but she wouldn’t listen. She called me all sorts of horrible names and stormed off.”

Rihanna’s single ‘Umbrella’ was number one on both sides of the Atlantic while her recent album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ has sold around 5 million copies worldwide. In addition, Rihanna has performed stadium tours across the US and Europe and signed lucrative sponsorship deals. Unless Rihanna has a serious shopping addiction, it’s difficult to see how she’s blown through her fortune so quickly.

Williams claims the 20-year-old singer’s record label Def Jam and her manager Marc Jordan are to blame for her financial problems. She said: “Def Jam doesn’t fund Rihanna properly, so Marc uses the money Rihanna makes from third-party endorsements and from tours to fund her album and music videos.”

Ooooh, this all very scandalous! I bet Rihanna’s not very impressed. What with her singles, albums, tours and endorsements, she probably hasn’t had a day off for months.I wouldn’t be happy if I worked that hard and had nothing to show for it!

It’s just been announced that Rihanna, Pink and Paramore will perform at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Rihanna will perform ‘Disturbia’, Paramore will play ‘Misery Business’ and Pink will sing her new single ‘So What’. Rihanna and Paramore are also up for VMA awards.

What do people make of this? I’m a huge fan of Paramore and I like both Rihanna and Pink so I’m pleased with the line-up. I especially like Pink’s new single, it’s really fresh and funky, and I’m looking forward to buying her new album ‘Funhouse’ on October 28th.

Lil’ Wayne, the Jonas Brothers and Kid Rock are also included in the VMA line-up. MTV is expected to release the names of more performers before festivities kick-off on September 7th.

With just two days to go until Madonna unleashes her ambitious world tour, the Queen of Pop’s publicist has just revealed this astounding list of tour stats and info.

Intriguing tour facts include the following:

3500 Number of individual wardrobe elements for tour
653 Hours of rehearsal time for Madonna and band
250 Number of travelling personnel
69 Guitars
36 Different designers who contributed to the onstage wardrobe
30 Wardrobe trunks travel to each venue
28 Maximum number of performers onstage
20 Nationalities represented in touring staff (including Japanese, Israeli, Russian, Romanian, Australian and Algerian)
18 Racks of clothing for band, dancers and gypsies
12 Seamstresses working non-stop in Cardiff to finish costumes for opening night
12 Travelling trampolines used in training by Madonna and dancers
8 Major Madonna costume changes
5 Number of people it takes to change Madonna into next costume
3 Racks of Clothing contain Madonna’s stage wardrobe
2 Stages
1.5 Minutes - Shortest time required to change Madonna’s costumes between numbers
1 Personal trainer
1 Masseuse
1 Set of Swarovski crystal ear phones for DJ

The performance will be broken into four sections:

Pimp
A mashed up homage to 1920’s deco and modern day gangsta pimp.

Old School
Madonna tips her hat to her early 80’s downtown New York City dance roots.

Gypsy
A VIP trip to La Isla Bonita infused by the spirit of Romanian folk music and dance.

Rave
Far eastern influences emerge all sparkly and sporty.

The Sticky & Sweet Tour, which is produced by Live Nation Global Touring, will kick-off this Saturday at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

While I understand that Madonna’s shows have to be bigger and better each and every time, isn’t this a bit excessive? In today’s globally aware world, isn’t such excess a bit grotesque? Maybe it’s just me.

I’ve just read a news story about a 16 year old boy in America, Blake Peebles who dropped out of high school last September in favour of home tutoring so that he could concentrate on perfecting his technique at Guitar Hero and make gaming into a career!!

I’m amazed to learn that by playing at a professional-level he could earn anything upto $80,000 a year through prize money and sponsorship, although in reality, the average earnings for a competitor is $20,000 to $30,000 a year.

According to the article, players can compete online as well as in local competitions and tournements which culminate in Germany for the ultimate world tournement.

Blake dreams of making a living through gaming and of securing a contract with Major League Gaming…. but it’s a tough career choice as to get anywhere you’ve got to be in the top 1 percent. So far he has won around $1000, numeourous gift certificates and gaming equipment and 52 chicken sandwiches!!

I’m a fan of Guitar Heroes as a game, and having played it can appreciate how difficult it is to play at a proffessional level, medium is hard enough for me! Personally though, it amazes me that people can focus on taking their gaming so seriously!

Surely learning to play an actual instrument is a preferable skill to acheive…. what do you think?

To read the associated news article click here