MTV Europe Awards come your way this week 

Well it's that time of year again where the awards ceremonies are making the circuit. This time around it's the MTV Europe Awards taking place in Frankfurt's Festhalle in Germany. Up for the plaque is a variety of acts ranging from Pop to Rap. Hosted by Ali G, it will feature performances by Basement Jaxx, Depeche Mode, Dido, and more. The affair should garner the usual suspects seating front, back and center.

 

 

The nominees are:

Best Video	Best Group
The Avalanches - 'Since I left you' Fatboy Slim - 'Weapons of Peace' Gorillaz - 'Clint Eastwood' Outkast - 'Ms. Jackson' Robbie Williams - 'Supreme'	Destiny's Child  Gorillaz  Limp Bizkit  R.E.M.  U2
Best Song	Best Album
Christina Aguilera, 'Lil Kim, Mya & Pink 'Lady Marmalade' Crazytown - 'Butterfly' Destiny's Child - 'Surviver' Eminem - 'Stan' Gorillaz - 'Clint Eastwood'	Limp Bizkit - 'Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog flavoured water' Madonna - 'Music' U2 - 'All that you can leave behind' Travis - 'The Invisible Band' Dido - 'No Angel'
Best Male	Best Female
Craig David Eminem Ricky Martin Robbie Williams Shaggy	Dido Janet Jackson Jennifer Lopez Madonna Mariah Carey
Best Dance	Best New Act
Basement Jaxx Daft Punk Gorillaz Faithless Roger Sanchez	Craig David Dido Nelly Furtado Gorillaz Wheatus
Best Pop	Best Rock
Anastacia Atomic Kitten Britney Spears N-Sync Shaggy	Blink 182 Limp Bizkit Linkin Park Crazy Town U2
Best R&B	Best HipHop
Craig David Destiny's Child Janet Jackson Outkast Wyclef	D-12 Eminem Missy Elloit P.Diddy Outkast
Best UK Acts
Craig David Feeder Artful Dodger S Club 7 Sugarbabies

__________________________________________________________________

Not expected - Michael Jackson debuts at No.1 

 

I didn't think he would do it but the King of Pop, Michael Jackson has debuted at No.1 on Billboards Top 200 album chart and to add even more prestige to the mix, he also debuted at No.1 on the Billboard's Top 100 R&B charts as well. This all coming from an artist who hasn't put out a new studio album in 7 years.

His status is very evident, the man still has the 'magic' to beat out the likes of young guns Backstreet boys and Enrique Iglesias to claim his 5th No.1 album of his lustrous career. Good on ya mate, continued success to you and the album. 

 

_________________________________________________________________

R&B Foundation founded for artists and their families 

 

Motown/Universal Music Group (UMG) has founded the Motown/Universal Music Group Fund to provide financial assistance grants to R&B artists and their surviving spouses formerly affiliated with UMG or any of its wholly owned labels. The fund will be used to provide health, welfare, and medical expenses, to be dispensed by a special R&B Foundation committee, which received the fund's initial $2 million donation The $2 million gift is expected to allow the fund to generate monies for the needs of artists in perpetuity. 

Among the many labels affiliated with the UMG are A&M Records, ABC Dot, ABC Paramount, Argo, Blue Thumb, Cadet, Casablanca, Checker, Chess, Commodore, Coral, Decca, Def Jam, Def Soul, Duke, Dunhill, Geffen, Gordy, GRP Records, Interscope, Island, MCA, Mercury, Motown, Peacock, Polydor, Rare Earth, RSO, Soul, Tamla, Uni, Universal Records, and Verve  

(billboard.com).   

_________________________________________________________________

Leon Ware 'rare' albums re-issued

 

One of the true pioneers of the 70's rare groove movement finally gets his work re-issued. Leon Ware who helped shape the revolutionary movement with Marvin Gaye's politically correct statement album "What's going on" has 2 of his own solo efforts re-issued. Warner Bros have finally come to their senses and answered the public's cry for the man's work. 

On tap is the self-titled debut release Leon Ware which gave us the rare groover 'Why I came to California', Can I touch you there' and 'Words of Love' and 'Rocking you eternally' which featured 'Sure do want you now', 'In our garden' and 'Baby don't stop me'. Look for them to be on your nearest record shop shelves by the end of the year.