News

Early in the pandemic, when so many musicians were recording stripped-back albums that reflected the quiet interiority of lockdown living, the Uruguayan artist Jorge Drexler thought he could try the same thing, making music using only the tools he had at his fingertips. “So many of us enclosed ourselves in our immediate worlds, with their guitars and our laptops,” Drexler says on a recent call from Spain. “There have been so many records made in a bedroom with whatever artists had at their disposal, so just a guitar, their voice,...

Viewed through one lens, last night’s Latin Grammy Awards were full of unexpected awards and upsets. The 79-year-old Brazilian trailblazer Caetano Veloso and 24-year-old son Tom Veloso won over emerging stars like Rauw Alejandro and Camilo for Record of the Year; Panamanian salsero Rubén Blades beat out Bad Bunny, Natalia Lafourcade, and C. Tangana for Album of the Year; and the anthem “Patria Y Vida,” which soundtracked Cuban protests this summer, was chosen as Song of the Year over some of the biggest pop hits in recent months.

But...

Gloria Estefan opened the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards with a samba medley featuring some of her greatest hits. Backed by a full-band, Estefan kicked off things off with “Abriendo Puertas” alongside Colombian rapper Farina and Brazilian singer Giulia Be, who is nominated for Best New Artist. Puerto Rican singers Pedro Capó and Diego Torres then joined Estefan onstage for “Cuando Hay Amor.” The medley culminated with a cover of Sérgio Mendes’ classic “Magalenha” with Anitta and Carlinhos Brown. The colorful performance highlighted Brazilian acts, who are often overlooked in the Latin music scene.

Update (11/15): The Latin Grammys has finalized its performance lineup, tapping Gloria Estefan to open the 22nd iteration of the show. Estefan, per a press release, will kick things off with a three-song medley (“Abriendo Puertos,” “Cuando Hay Amor,” and “Magalenha”) and she’ll be joined on stage by an array of guests including Anitta, Carlinhos Brown, Laércio da Costa, Pedro Capó, Farina Giulia Be and Diego Torres.

Update (11/2): Christina Aguilera will return to the Latin Grammys for the first time in over 20 years for an “extended performance” at this year’s ceremony.

Three of this year’s Oscar nominated tunes were penned by Black songwriters: Celeste reaped a bid (along with Daniel Pemberton) for “Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago”; D’Mile, recent Grammy champ H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas collaborated on “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”; and supporting actor nominee Leslie Odom Jr. was cited with Nashville based singer/songwriter Sam Ashworth for “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami.”

The first Black tunesmith to contend for Best Original Song at the Oscars was Quincy Jones who was nominated in 1967 (alongside lyricist Bob Russell) for “The Eyes of Love” from the long-forgotten “Banning.” (Jones earned the first of his four score Oscar nominations that same year for “In Cold Blood.”) He and Russell reaped another bid the following year for the title tune from “For Love of Ivy.” His last nomination to date was in 1985 for...

“I always have loved the samba. I love Latin music and Latin dancing. It goes back to when I was 10-years-old the first time I saw ‘West Side Story,'” said Justina Machado about how special her “Double Elimination Night” dance would be to her on “Dancing with the Stars.” She’s a Puerto Rican woman, so it was special for her to see Puerto Ricans on screen for the first time, especially Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for that film and would go on to play Machado’s mom on “One Day at a Time.” “Keep doing what you’re doing,” Moreno told her in a special video message. “You’re beautiful, you are brave, and you’re a dancer!” Watch Machado’s samba video above, and see what the judges had to say about it below.

See‘Dancing with the Stars’ recap: Jeannie Mai’s sudden withdrawal...

Gloria Estefan didn’t enter the music business to become a superhero. Nor did she anticipate becoming a patron saint for Cuban-Americans, nor a musical ambassador to Brazil. But three Grammys, 14 studio albums, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom later, she’s come to embrace all three roles after stumbling upon them.

Like most Florida residents, Estefan has been locked down in isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. She’s passed the time by cleaning out her closets at home in Miami’s elite celebrity enclave, Star Island, where she resides...

Sergio Mendes is set to perform after the world premiere of “Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy” at the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Jan. 18. The Grammy award-winning Brazilian musician will perform three songs and participate in a Q&a at the Lobero Theater with director John Scheinfeld.

“Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy” includes interviews with Mendes, Herb Alpert, Carlinhos Brown, Harrison Ford, Lani Hall (lead singer of Brasil ’66), Quincy Jones, John Legend, Gracinha Mendes (Sergio’s wife and lead singer since 1971), Jerry Moss, Pele (soccer legend), Carlos Saldhana (Oscar-nominated filmmaker of Rio) and will.i. am.

Scheinfeld has made documentaries on subjects including John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, John Coltrane and many others.

****

Oscars Director Returns

Veteran Oscars director Glenn Weiss will return to direct the 92nd Oscars, producers Lynette Howell Taylor and Stephanie Allain announced Tuesday. “We are so lucky that Glenn is back as our director this year.

Forty-four were invited to join the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, including Kendrick Lamar, whose contributions to the “Black Panther” soundtrack are riding high on the album charts; songwriter Melissa Etheridge, who won an Oscar for her song for “An Inconvenient Truth”; and recent Oscar nominees Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka (“Lion”), Sufjan Stevens (“Call Me By Your Name”), Carlinhos Brown (“Rio”) and Benoit Charest (“The Triplets of Belleville”).

Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, whose work with Prince catapulted them into the limelight and who have gone on to do films (“Dangerous Minds”) and considerable television, were also invited, as were composers Jeff Beal, Fil Eisler and Sharon Farber, whose best-known feature-film credits are in the documentary arena.

Classical composers Osvaldo Golijov and Joanna Bruzdowicz are on the list, as are other composers from England and the Continent: Daniel Pemberton (“Steve Jobs”), Eric Serra (“The Fifth Element...

Loyzo Smolinsky, who has worked behind the scenes on Saturday Night Live and The Leftovers, is hoping to make his screenwriting debut with Marathon, a film about marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima.

Marathon: The Story Of Vanderlei de Lima

In 2004, Lima competed in the Athens Olympics and was leading the Marathon Men’s Final race when a protestor attacked him, dragged him to the side of the road and derailed his trajectory with four miles to go. Lima was able to recover, but failed to maintain his lead. Lima did, however, manage to earn a Bronze Medal – the first marathon medal ever won by a Brazilian. Lima’s tenacity and willingness to keep going despite the freak attack and his humility on the podium helped make him a Brazilian national hero. He was also awarded the special Pierre de Coubertin medal for his demonstration of Olympic spirit.

Now, Smolinsky,...

The Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMAs) have announced the nominees in the Visual Media categories.

Showcasing the best and brightest in musical creation for visual media, the 5th Annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMAs) will be held at The Fonda Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday, November 4, 2014.

The 2014 HMMAs welcome back celebrity hosts including Oscar nominated actor Eric Roberts, former Matchbox 20 member Adam Gaynor, acclaimed Director/Writer/Producer Andy Fickman and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Education Through Music – Los Angeles (Etmla). Honorees, performers, and special guests to be announced.

The field of entrants were narrowed down to final nominees by the Hmma advisory board and selection committee. The winners will be voted upon by music-media industry professionals comprised of select members of the Society of Composers and Lyricists (Scl), The Television Academy, the AMPAS Music Branch, Naras, performing rights organizations,...

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is at the top of the charts again this week and again in a very big way. The 24-year-old Swedish gamer is constantly bumping 100 million views with his steady output of Let's Play videos. In the last seven days along, PewDiePie score more than 96.1 million views. In second place is DisneyCollectorBR. The chart topper and online video destination for videos of adults playing with children's toys ended the week up 3% with more than 59.3 million views. Shakira is up next at #3. The international pop star's World Cup anthem, "La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown" is not getting as many plays since the conclusion of the global sporting event. All in all, Shakira's YouTube channel was down 15% on the week to bottom out at nearly 50.3 million views. UK-based online video gamer, StamyLongHead, is up next in the #4 spot. The young man with a penchant...

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is at the top of the charts again this week in a very big way. The 24-year-old Swedish gamer came just shy of scoring 100 million views in the last seven days with a total of more than 97.1 million views. That's almost 40 million views ahead of the channel's next closest competitor, Shakira. The international pop star's World Cup anthem, "La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown" saw an uptick in views during the final week of the World Cup and bumped up Shakira's channel 11% to net out at more than 59.4 million views. DisneyCollectorBR is next up in third place. The perennial chart topper and online video destination for videos of adults playing with children's toys ended the week with more than 57.4 million views. In the #4 spot is TheDiamondMinecart. The Great Britain-based gamer also saw an 11% jump in views on the week to net out at nearly 42.8 million.

Kristin Chenoweth makes her franchise debut as hench frog Gabi, Nigel's righthand amphibian, in the animated hit Rio 2, which comes to Blu-ray and DVD today! We have an exclusive featurette that looks at the singing talents of Kristin Chenoweth, and explores her onscreen relationship with fellow musician Jemaine Clement. The two certainly have an odd chemistry, which is put on display in select scenes from the movie. Check out Gabi and Nigel as they make beautiful music together, then be sure to pick up your copy of Rio 2 today!

Get ready to shake your tail feathers! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment takes you deep into the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest for the most fun you'll have all summer, as Rio 2 debuts on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD July 15. Just in time for summer vacation, this "hilarious family adventure" (Jeff Craig, Sixty Second Preview) will samba its way into...

In a winning World Cup closing show joyful enough to cheer up Brazilian fans mourning the performance of their national team, Shakira came onto the stadium field in Rio singing "Dare (La,La,La)." Playing a Carnival drum and wearing a red dress made up of sequined straps with a revealing fringe skirt, she was accompanied by samba dancers, Brazilian percussionists and collaborator Carlinhos Brown, in black tie and an Indian headdress. Photos World Cup Final Highlights: Germany Defeats Argentina in Extra Time Shakira was immediately followed by Santana, Wyclef Jean and Alexandre Pires, who gave a spirited live

read more...

Shakira stole the show when she performed “La La La (Brazil 2014)” at the World Cup closing ceremony before Germany beat Argentina in the finals on Sunday, July 13.

Shakira Performs At 2014 World Cup

Wearing a sparkly, red dress and armed with a drum and a microphone, Shakira stormed the stage at Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janeiro with Brazilian collaborator Carlinhos Brown.

The singer also performed some of her signature dance moves and was accompanied by samba dancers dressed in the two finalist nation’s colors (red, yellow and black for Germany, blue and white for Argentina).

I will never forget this day at Maracanã. Thank you all for bringing me here! Shak pic.twitter.com/PcSuChKJaf

— Shakira (@shakira) July 13, 2014

After Shakira’s performance, Santana, Wyclef and Alexandre Pires took the stage and performed “Dar Um Jeito (We Will Find A Way),” the official 2014 World Cup anthem. Finally, Brazilian star Ivete Sangalo...

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is at the top of the charts this week. While the 24-year-old Swedish gamer didn't rack up the 100+ million views he did last week, he came close. PewDiePie scored nearly 93.9 million views in the last seven days. That puts the channel almost 50 million views ahead of its next closest competitor this week, DisneyCollectorBR. The perennial chart topper and online video destination for videos of adults playing with children's toys ended the week with more than 55.2 million views. Up next in the #3 spot is Shakira whose World Cup anthem, "La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown" is still getting clicks on YouTube. The international pop star ended the week with a little more than 53.6 million views. Up next in the #4 spot is once again StamyLongHead. The UK-based online video gamer stayed consistent with slightly more than nearly 43.3 million views in the last seven days.

It's another installment of the weekly Tubefilter Chart of the Top 50 Most Viewed YouTube Channels Worldwide and PewDiePie is on top in a very big way. Chart Toppers Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is at the top of the charts this week with an incredible nine-figure view count. The 24-year-old Swedish gamer's YouTube channel scored more than 100,424,123 million views during the week, an impressive 22% increase over the week prior. Meanwhile, Shakira is in a far distant second place. The international pop star whose World Cup anthem, "La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown" is still getting a lot of online video play ended the week with more than 58.7 million views. In third place is DisneyCollectorBR. The longtime chart topper and online video destination for videos of adults playing with children's toys ended the week with almost 55.9 million views. Up next in the #4 spot is StamyLongHead. The UK-based online...

Columbia pop star Shakira will headline the closing ceremony for this year’s World Cup on July 13, topping a musical lineup that includes Wyclef Jean, Alexandre Pires, Santana and Ivete Sangalo. Shakira will sing her World Cup tune “La la la (Brazil 2014)” in a duet with Brazilian star Carlinhos Brown at Rio’s Maracana soccer stadium before the World Cup final match. Photos World Cup 2014: Tim Howard Heroics Spark Memes It will mark Shakira’s third consecutive appearance at a World Cup. Her native Columbia plays World Cup hosts Brazil in a quarterfinal matchup on Friday. "I have an

read more...

It's another installment of the weekly Tubefilter Chart of the Top 50 Most Viewed YouTube Channels Worldwide and PewDiePie is on top yet again. Chart Toppers Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is back on top the second week in a row after a brief stint in the #2 position. The 24-year-old Swedish gamer's YouTube channel scored more than 69.9 million views during the week, an impressive number even if it is a 17% decrease from the week prior. Meanwhile, Shakira's latest music video release of "La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown" is still getting a lot of online video play, especially with the official start of the 2014 World Cup. The international pop star ended the week with more than 64.5 million views. In third place is Psy. Just a week after his hit song "Gangnam Style" reached 2 billion views, the Korean pop star and international sensation rocketed up to the top of...

This year's official World Cup anthem is "We Are One (Ole Ola)," a song featuring Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, Jennifer Lopez, and Pitbull, for some reason. Good news: It is not the only World Cup–related piece of music that has been released in 2014. Here's a brief tour through the world of unofficial World Cup music; get ready for a lot of singing English bros.Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, and Claudia Leitte: “We Are One (Ole Ola) Most Chantable Lyric: “One night/Watch the world unite/Two sides/One fight/And a million eyes.” Pump-Up Factor: 4 out of 5 vuvuzelas Would You Listen to This When the World Cup Is Over? Yes, for a month, to try to recapture all that excitement we shared. Shakira feat. Carlinhos Brown: “La La La (Brazil 2014)" Most Chantable Lyric: “Is it true that you want it?/Then act like you mean it.” Pump-Up Factor:...

It's another installment of the weekly Tubefilter Chart of the Top 50 Most Viewed YouTube Channels Worldwide and PewDiePie is back on top. Chart Toppers Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is back on top after its recent stint in the #2 position. The 24-year-old Swedish gamer's YouTube channel scored nearly 84.5 million views during the week, a 9% increase over the week prior. Meanwhile, Shakira's latest music video release of "La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown" is still getting a ton of online video play. The international pop star lost her position at the top of the chart, but is still in the #2 spot with more than 72.4 million views in the last seven days. In third place is Werevertumorro. The YouTube home of Mexican video blogger Gabriel Montiel Guiterrez racked up more than 69.9 million views on the week. DisneyCollectorBR is next up in the #4 spot. The longtime chart topper and online...

Get ready to shake your tail feathers! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment takes you deep into the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest for the most fun you'll have all summer, as Rio 2 debuts on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD July 15. Just in time for summer vacation, this "hilarious family adventure" (Jeff Craig, Sixty Second Preview) will samba its way into your home with exciting bonus features and extras everyone will enjoy. Projected to eclipse more than $490 million worldwide at the box office, the animated hit is the must-own family title of the season.

The cast of the animated hit comedy Rio returns - along with a new flock of all-star voice talent, including Bruno Mars, Kristin Chenoweth, Andy Garcia and more - in this high-flying sequel for the whole family. The party continues when Blu (Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg), Jewel (Oscar winner Anne Hathaway) and their three kids take a walk...

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is not in its familiar position at the top of the charts this week thanks to an international pop star and an international sporting event. Shakira's latest music video release of "La La La (Brazil 2014) ft. Carlinhos Brown" is a partnership between the singer and Activia to support the World Food Programme and its School Meals Initiative. It also features a handful of famous soccer stars and is part of FIFA's 2014 Official World Cup Album. So, it's no surprise the video's racked up over 50 million views within its first week of release, contributing to more than 77.5 million total views on Shakira's YouTube channel in the last seven days. The aforementioned PewDiePie is in a very close second place. The 24-year-old Swedish gamer's YouTube channel scored nearly 77.2 million views during the week. Up next in third is Katy Perry, whose "Birthday" continues to get plays on YouTube.

Director Carlos Saldanha has been one of the principal creative forces at Blue Sky Studios since 1993. Saldanha was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and left his hometown in 1991 to follow his artistic instinct and passion for animation. With a background in computer science and a natural artistic sensibility, he found New York City the perfect locale to merge these skills and become an animator.

After the success of “Ice Age,” which got nominated for an Oscar in 2003, Saldanha took the directorial reins on “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), the third computer-animated feature film from Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios, which was the most profitable animated movie of the year. Next came the even more successful “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” which became one of biggest grossing animated films of all time, grossing over $887 million worldwide.

In 2011, Saldanha created and directed “Rio”, a love letter to his hometown,...

Twentieth Century Fox’s new animated feature Rio 2 took over Miami, Florida on Friday evening (March 21) for a series of gala events marking the film’s World Premiere.

The celebrations included a screening; a Guinness World Records Attempt of the Largest Samba Party; the groundbreaking ceremony of the City’s Official Walk of Fame, in which the film and two of its stars, Jamie Foxx and Andy Garcia, were the inaugural inductees; and a special concert that featured performances by acclaimed artists Janelle Monáe, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Ester Dean, all of whom contribute to the film’s soundtrack.

Attendees at the World Premiere screening of Rio 2 walked the special “Blu” Carpet (named for one of the film’s characters) and were enveloped by action, music and fun as director Carlos Saldanha reunited his beloved characters in Rio 2.

Rio 2 Concert from We Are Movie Geeks on Vimeo.

Janelle Monae wants to take you to Rio on her new song and resistance is futile. “What Is Love,” which is featured in 20th Century Fox’s animated feature, “Rio 2,” came out today. The song combines Monae’s trademark irrepressibly bouncy, upbeat sound with a slight Brazilian rhythm and with lots of great percussion. It’s easy to see the birds of Rio bopping to the tune. It’s easy to see anyone bopping to it. It has the same kind of fun vibe as the Spice Girls' "Spice Up Your Life" crossed with Santa Esmeralda's version of "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." Yep, I went there. In the song, Monae wonders what good is love if it’s not coming from the one she loves, but the song is as light as a feather, so even though she may be asking a deep question, the...

Voice cast members Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae discuss the musical elements of the animated sequel Rio 2 in a new featurette. We also get new behind-the-scenes footage with voice actors Carlinhos Brown, Will i Am, Kristin Chenoweth, Jemaine Clement and George Lopez recording their dialogue, along with some of the musical scenes in director Carlos Saldanha's follow-up, in theaters April 11.

Rio 2 comes to theaters April 11th, 2014 and stars Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Leslie Mann, Jamie Foxx, Rodrigo Santoro, Jake T. Austin, Will i Am, Bebel Gilberto. The film is directed by Carlos Saldanha.

By Terence Johnson

Managing Editor

One of the bright spots this past film year was the success of Disney’s Frozen. On the strength of it’s more modern princesses and an infectious score, the film set box office records and has garnered two Oscar nominations, Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Let It Go”, its infectious hit. In honor of Frozen’s nomination, we figured it was time to take a look at the history of animated movies in Original Song.

The history of animated films picking up nominations and wins in Best Original Song is a tale as old as time (see what I did there?). Since the 1930s, animated films have won this award 13 times and over 50 nominations, which you can see below. This is an even greater feat when you think about the consideration that animated films get when lists of musicals are made (they...

Bret McKenzie Bret McKenzie, Best Original Song Oscar winner for The Muppets' "Man or Muppet," at the 2012 Academy Awards after-party. The song had only one competitor: Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett's "Real in Rio," from Carlos Saldanha's Rio. (Photo: Darren Decker / © A.M.P.A.S.) "I grew up in New Zealand watching The Muppets on TV," McKenzie said in his acceptance speech. "I never dreamed I’d get to work with them. And I was genuinely starstruck when I finally met Kermit the Frog. But once you get to know him, he’s just a normal frog. And like many stars here tonight, he’s a lot shorter in real life. Just a few jokes." Bret McKenzie kept on with his "jokes" at the q&a backstage. See partial transcript (courtesy of AMPAS) below. Q. Here you are joining the ranks of Hugh Jackman, Jane Campion.

Owen Wilson Owen Wilson attended the Governors Ball following the 84th Academy Awards ceremony at Hollywood & Highland on February 26, 2012. Wilson and Penelope Cruz presented Oscar for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. The winners were, respectively, The Artist's Ludovic Bource and Bret McKenzie for The Muppets' "Man or Muppet." (Photo: Darren Decker / ©A.M.P.A.S.) Bource's competitors were Howard Shore for Martin Scorsese's Hugo, Alberto Iglesias for Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, and John Williams for two Steven Spielberg-directed movies, War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin. McKenzie's song only had one competitor, "Real in Rio," from Carlos Saldanha's animated feature Rio. The song's composers were Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett. Billy Crystal was this year's Oscar show host. Among the Academy Award presenters / Oscarcast participants were The Fighter / Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises'...

The Artist tops off its triumphant run throughout this awards season with a big night at the Oscars. And the winners are... in bold:

Best Picture

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Directing

The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants, Alexander Payne

Hugo, Martin Scorsese

Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen

The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick

Actor In A Leading Role

Demián Bichir in A Better Life

George Clooney in The Descendants

Jean Dujardin in The Artist

Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt in Moneyball

Actor In A Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill in Moneyball

Nick Nolte in Warrior

Christopher Plummer in Beginners

Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Actress In A Leading Role

Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis in The Help...

The 84th Annual Academy Awards ended up being one of the most entertaining Academy Award shows that I've seen in years, even though films I wanted to win didn't. I was rooting for Martin Scorsese and Hugo this year, but I knew that The Artist would end up taking home a majority of the big awards. In the end, each one of these films took home 5 Awards, Hugo took home the more technical ones though. I think it was a pretty easy year to predict the winners.

It was great to see Billy Crystal back up on stage; he really did a great job bringing light, fun entertainment that everyone could enjoy. Crystal was awesome and one of the best parts of the show. The guy is classic comedy. He helped bring back everything that the Oscars should be.

Here's the full list of nominees with the winners in bold.

The Artist and Hugo emerged as the big winners at the 84th Annual Academy Awards scoring five a piece with the silent film dominating the major awards including best picture, best director and best actor for Jean Dujardin, while Scorsese's 3D film took home the majority of technical field awards of cinematography, art direction, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

The most important award of the night for Flicks News HQ was that Bret Mackenzie won the Oscar for best original song, which he did for Man or Muppet from the soundtrack to The Muppets. Disappointingly there was no musical performances at this years even so Bret and The Muppets did not get to perform the song.

Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner at 82 by taking the best supporting actor prize. The Help...

If, for some crazy reason, you weren't glued to your TV last night watching the Oscars, here's a quick rundown of what you missed: not much. As expected, The Artist ended up winning most of the major awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, although Hugo managed to snag a lot of the technical awards. In the end, they finished in a tie with 5 wins a piece. The only real surprise of the night was Meryl Streep's Best Actress win over Viola Davis for her performance in The Iron Lady. Other than that, it was somewhat a yawn-inducing show, with Billy Crystal doing a serviceable but unremarkable job as host. I think the clear highlight of the night came on the red carpet where Sacha Baron Cohen "accidentally" spilled Kim Jong-Il's ashes on Ryan Seacrest. Were you happy with this year's Academy Award winners? What did you think of the show overall?...

By Sean O’Connell

hollywoodnews.com: Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist” lost a number of key technical categories to Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” but still prevailed in the top Oscar slot on Sunday night, claiming trophies for Best Picture, Director, and Actor (for Jean Dujardin).

It was a great night for Harvey Weinstein, who helped power Meryl Streep to an unexpected win over perceived frontrunner Viola Davis on the Best Actress race. Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) and Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”) rounded out last night’s acting categories.

I went 19 out of 24 in my picks, believing the Academy would spread a lot of its technical love around to films not named “Hugo.” All is all, a successful Oscar season. Here are the winners from the 84th Annual Academy Awards (bolded below):

Best Picture

“The Artist”

“The Descendants”

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

“Hugo”

“Midnight In Paris”

“The Help”

“Moneyball”

“War Horse...

Crowded House said it best in the lyrics “Hey now, hey now, don’t dream its over.” Yes, the awards season officialy came to an end tonight at the Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, CA. Tears, jubilation, substance and style were all memorable moments at the 84th Academy Awards hosted by Billy Crystal. With Sacha Baron Cohen’s shenanigans earlier on the red carpet and no huge upsets, Cirque du Soleil’s performance was the highlight of the evening.

The Oscar for Best Motion Picture of the Year went to “The Artist” produced by Thomas Langmann and Michel Hazanavicius won for Achievement in Directing. The movie becomes the first silent film to take the gold since the original Oscar ceremony 83 years ago when Wings won.

Christopher Plummer was the winner for a Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in “Beginners”; Octavia Spencer, was the...

Very few surprises at last night’s Academy Awards ceremony where The Artist clean sweeped the major awards, taking Best Picture, Best Director for Michael Hazanavicius and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin.

The black and white silent film masterpiece also took Best Original Score and Best Costume to win five awards in total.

Martin Scorsese’s love letter to cinema Hugo also racked up five wins, winning the technical categories including Best Cinematography for Robert Richardson.

As we suspected she might the moment the film was announced 18 months ago, Meryl Streep won her third Oscar for her portrayal of former British prime minister Maggie Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Completely dominant at the Oscars, this was Streep’s 17th nomination but her first win in almost twenty years.

In the supporting categories, Christopher Plummer took Best Supporting Actor becoming the oldest winner of an Oscar at 82. The Help’s Octavia Spencer won Best Supporting Actress.

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady Best actor Demián Bichir in A Better Life (Summit Entertainment) George Clooney in The Descendants (Fox Searchlight) * Jean Dujardin in The Artist (The Weinstein Company) Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Focus Features) Brad Pitt in Moneyball (Sony Pictures Releasing) Best actress Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs (Roadside Attractions) Viola Davis in The Help (Touchstone) Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sony Pictures Releasing) * Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady (The Weinstein Company) Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn (The Weinstein Company) Best supporting actor Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn (The Weinstein Company) Jonah Hill in Moneyball (Sony Pictures Releasing) Nick Nolte in Warrior (Lionsgate) * Christopher Plummer in Beginners (Focus Features) Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Warner Bros.) Best supporting actress Bérénice Bejo in The Artist (The Weinstein Company) Jessica Chastain in The Help...

The 84th Annual Academy Awards winners are here. Take a look below to see who took home the Oscars.

Best Picture:

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Directing:

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist

Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris

Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

Alexander Payne - The Descendants

Martin Scorsese - Hugo

Actor In A Leading Role:

Jean Dujardin - The Artist

Demi&#225n Bichir - A Better Life

George Clooney - The Descendants

Brad Pitt - Moneyball

Gary Oldman - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Actress In A Leading Role:

Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady

Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis - The Help

Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn

Actor In A Supporting Role:

Christopher Plummer - Beginners...

New Zealander Bret McKenzie has won best song at the Oscars for his song Man or Muppet from feature film The Muppets.

McKenzie’s song beat out song Real in Rio from animate feature Rio, composed by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown with lyrics by Siedah Garrett.

McKenzie is one half of musical comedy act Flight of the Conchords.

The actor/musician will be seen next in Two Little Boys, alongside Australia’s Hamish Blake.

Hopscotch Films will distribute the film locally, directed by Robert Sarkies, produced by Vicky Pope and Tim White.

Bret McKenzie has won the Oscar for 'Best Original Song'. The Flight of the Conchords star's track 'Man or Muppet' from The Muppets movie triumphed over Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett's 'Real in Rio' from animated feature Rio. McKenzie said: "I grew up in New Zealand watching The Muppets on TV and never dreamed I'd get to work with them. I was genuinely starstruck when I finally met Kermit the Frog, but once you get to know him he's just a normal frog - and, like many stars here, he's shorter in real life." The actor - who will soon appear in The Hobbit - thanked director James Bobin and the song's producer Mickey Petralia, before paying tribute to Disney "for making movies with songs in them". McKenzie (more)...

Hollywood's biggest night finally arrived on Sunday and we've got the full list of winners from the 84th Academy Awards!

Best Actor:

Demian Bichir for A Better Life

George Clooney for The Descendants

Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Jean Dujardin for The Artist

Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Best Actress:

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis for The Help

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady

Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor:

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill for Moneyball

Nick Nolte for Warrior

Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress:

Berenice Bejo for The Artist

Jessica Chastain for The Help

Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer for The Help

Best Director:

Michael Hazanivicus for The Artist

Alexander Payne for The Descendants

Martin Scorsese for Hugo

[link...

Hollywood's biggest night finally arrived on Sunday and we've got the full list of winners from the 84th Academy Awards!

Best Actor:

Demian Bichir for A Better Life

George Clooney for The Descendants

Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Jean Dujardin for The Artist

Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Best Actress:

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis for The Help

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady

Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor:

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill for Moneyball

Nick Nolte for Warrior

Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress:

Berenice Bejo for The Artist

Jessica Chastain for The Help

Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer for The Help

Best Director:

Michael Hazanivicus for The Artist

Alexander Payne for The Descendants

Martin Scorsese for Hugo

[link...

The 84th Annual Academy Awards became a rightful homage to French cinema! "The Artist," distributed by The Weinstein company but the creative team is composed mostly of French folks, took home the big prize, the Best Picture award! "The Artist" won a total of 5 Oscars including Jean Dujardin for Best Actor, Michel Hazanavicius for Best Director, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score.

But "Hugo" also won 5 Oscars, mostly technical and artistic merits, such as Best Art Direction, Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Visual Effects.

"Hugo," of course, was itself an homage to George Melies, the French illusionist who gave us the trippy "A Trip to the Moon."

Both "The Artist" and "Hugo" led the Oscar nominations with 10 and 11 nods respectively.

There was really no "oh gosh what a surprise" moment of the evening except for Meryl Streep taking home the Best Actress Oscar from the perceived surefire winner Viola Davis of "The Help.

Here you go — the complete list of the 84th annual Academy Awards winners. The winners are listed first in bold, with the rest of the nominees following.

Best Picture

Winner: "The Artist"

"The Descendants"

"The Help"

"Hugo"

"Midnight in Paris"

"Moneyball"

"The Tree of Life"

"War Horse"

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

Best Actress

Winner: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"

Viola Davis, "The Help"

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"

Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"

Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

Best Actor

Winner: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"

George Clooney, "The Descendants"

Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

Best Director

Winner: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"

Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"

Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"

Best Animated Short

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

"Dimanche/Sunday,...

Right! It’s another caffeine fuelled night ahead of us as we prepare to liveblog the 84th Academy Awards.

The Artist is the favourite to scoop up the awards tonight, which would round off a grand few days for Michel Hazanavicius and his silent film which run rampant through the Cesars and Independent Spirit awards but we may see Martin Scorsese’s Hugo do well with Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Meryl Streep and Viola Davis front runners for the acting awards.

Whether you agree with the relevance and importance of the Oscars it is the one night of the year when a huge amount of people are talking and celebrating movies, and that can only be a good thing. Debate will begin with the first award and continue with every golden envelope opened.

So, join us below, or on Twitter at @HeyUGuys for our take on film’s biggest night.

Getty Images George Clooney arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

The 84th annual Academy Awards with host Billy Crystal are being held tonight and Speakeasy is live-blogging the show. We have reporters in the audience, in the press room and at the parties getting the latest on all the events of the night. Stars on hand for the show include George Clooney, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Penelope Ann Miller and Christopher Plummer. Top films in contention include “The Help,...

Jean Dujardin, The Artist Oscar 2012 Predictions: Best Picture, Director, Acting Categories Best Picture: The Artist. Best Foreign Language Film: Monsieur Lazhar (Canada), directed by Philippe Falardeau. Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist. Best Actor: Jean Dujardin for The Artist. Best Actress: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer for Beginners. Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer for The Help. Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris. Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon for The Descendants. Best Animated Feature: Rango directed by Gore Verbinski. Best Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman for The Artist. Best Film Editing: Michel Hazanavicius, Anne-Sophie Bion for The Artist. Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource for The Artist. Best Original Song: "Real in Rio" by Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett, from Rio. Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo for Hugo. Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell for Hugo.

Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes in David Yates' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Oscar 2012 Predictions: Best Picture, Director, Acting Categories The Best Foreign Film Language winner is always a puzzle, as only a small percentage of Academy voters cast ballots in that category. That leaves room for some surprising — sometimes downright bizarre — choices. Asghar Farhadi's A Separation has been winning awards just about everywhere (though it lost the BAFTA to Pedro Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In). We're tempted to have it as our pick as well, but we're going out on a limb by selecting Philippe Falardeau's more sentimental Monsieur Lazhar from Canada. We'll see. Best Adapted Screenplay will definitely go to Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon for The Descendants. We believe the Best Original Screenplay will go to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, though a Michel Hazanavicius win for...