New Rules at Oscars: Not All Winners Take the Stage
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) - The long walk down the Oscar aisle will be a lot shorter for some of this year's Academy Awards winners -- in fact, some will not make it to the stage.
Oscars telecast producer Gil Cates told the annual luncheon of nominees on Monday that he had major changes planned for the awards, including not inviting the victors in some categories to the stage.
Instead, Cates said they will receive their awards from a presenter parked in the audience. In other cases, all the nominees in a single category will be invited up on stage and the winner then announced.
And, finally, some nominees will get their Oscars the old-fashioned way, walking down the aisle to the stage after the envelope is opened and the name announced.
Cates said the changes for the 77th annual Academy Awards, to be broadcast on Feb. 27, were aimed both at saving time and making sure that every nominee is seen by a worldwide television audience estimated in the hundred of millions.
Many treasured Oscar moments have involved the trek to the stage, as when Italy's Roberto Benigni was named best actor in 1998 for "Life is Beautiful" and made an elaborate display of climbing over seats and people to get to the stage.
Cates, who this year, as in years past, made an impassioned plea for Oscar winners to keep their acceptance speeches short, said the main reason for the change was to "get more of the nominees seen on television."
As in years past, the luncheon drew a Who's Who in Hollywood to the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
A total of 115 nominees posed for a group photo that featured Leonardo DiCaprio standing in the last row near Clint Eastwood, also up for best actor, and Morgan Freeman, up for best supporting actor. In front of them, stood Jamie Foxx nominated for best actor in "Ray" and that film's director, Taylor Hackford.
In the front row in front of Australian actress Cate Blanchett was diminutive British actress Imelda Staunton, up for a best actress nomination in "Vera Drake," a role that is giving her international recognition for the first time.
Asked how the nomination had changed her life, Staunton dead-panned, "I am totally changed. I won't do any domestic duties at all."
And then when asked if the nomination had led to her being offered more roles, the 49-year-old actress said, "I bloody well hope it does. I'd like to think I am an actress in mid-career, not at the end of one."
Avril leads Juno noms
TORONTO (CP) - The Junos looked with love on a punk princess-turned-woman, a rapper with a conscience and several boy bands that reached the status of rock royalty this past year.
Avril Lavigne led nominations Monday for the annual music showdown, earning five nods including artist of the year, fans' choice and best songwriter. Under My Skin, on which the young star sang about more mature topics, was also nominated for album of the year and best pop album. The CD earned one of its producers, Raine Maida, normally the frontman of Our Lady Peace, a nomination as well.
Diana Krall had four nominations, while K-os, Shania Twain, Billy Talent and Simple Plan received three nominations each.
Punk-pop outfits Billy Talent of Toronto and Simple Plan of Montreal each had a stellar year, selling plenty of CDs and criss-crossing Canada and the U.S. performing in packed venues. The bands, favourites among skateboarding teens, will face off in the best album and group of the year categories.
Crabbuckit, a high-energy track with gospel-style hand claps from Toronto rapper k-os's Joyful Rebellion CD, was among those vying for single of the year.
The others are: River Below by Billy Talent, One Thing by Finger Eleven, Not Ready To Go by The Trews and Party For Two by Twain and Mark McGrath.
Producer Bob Rock, Sum 41, Ron Sexsmith, Marc Jordan, Fefe Dobson, Matt Mays and Feist were double nominees.
Hosted by comedian Brent Butt, the Junos will be awarded April 3 at a ceremony and concert in Winnipeg. As well as crowning the year's kings and queens of the music charts, mainstay rockers the Tragically Hip will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
The bash will be broadcast live on CTV.
There are 39 categories this year including a new one, best adult alternative album. Juno organizers, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, hope the fresh category will embrace some of the country's more eclectic musicians, who often get pushed out of the top categories by mainstream artists.
Mays, Sexsmith, Sarah Harmer, Sarah Slean and Rufus Wainwright will compete for the award.
The best country recording category will see newcomer George Canyon face off against veteran performers Terri Clark, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Shania Twain and Paul Brandt.
Usher, U2, Eminem, Green Day and Norah Jones are up for the title of best international album. The category is entirely based on sales.
Here is the complete list of nominees in the 39 categories announced Monday for the annual Juno Awards, to be celebrated April 3 in Winnipeg:
1. Single of the year: River Below, Billy Talent; One Thing, Finger Eleven; Crabbuckit, k-os; Not Ready to Go, The Trews; Party For Two, Shania Twain with Mark McGrath.
2. Fan choice award: Diana Krall; Avril Lavigne; Sarah McLachlan; Marie-Elaine Thibert; Shania Twain.
3. International album of the year: Encore, Eminem; American Idiot, Green Day; Feels Like Home, Norah Jones; How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2; Confessions, Usher.
4. Francophone album of the year: Ecoute-moi donc, Dany Bedar; Audrey De Montigny, Audrey; J’t’aime tout court, Nicola Ciccone; Marie-Elaine Thibert, Marie-Elaine Thibert; Gros Mammouth Album Turbo, Les Trois Accords.
5. Album of the year: Billy Talent, Billy Talent; Miracle, Celine Dion; The Girl In The Other Room, Diana Krall; Under My Skin, Avril Lavigne; Still Not Getting Any, Simple Plan.
6. Artist of the year: Bryan Adams; Celine Dion; Diana Krall; k.d. lang; Avril Lavigne.
7. Group of the year: Billy Talent; Great Big Sea; Simple Plan; Sum 41; The Tragically Hip.
8. Instrumental album of the year: A Warrior’s Journey, Longhouse; Mi Destino/My Destiny, Oscar Lopez; Celtic Reverie, Loretto Reid & Dan Gibson Solitudes; Rest & Relaxation, Montgomery Smith; Mediterranean Nights, Vehkavaara & Piltch.
9. Pop album of the year: Miracle, Celine Dion; Fefe Dobson, Fefe Dobson; Under My Skin, Avril Lavigne; Home, Ryan Malcolm; Still Not Getting Any, Simple Plan.
10. Rock album of the year: Elocation, Default; Chuck, Sum 41; Seven Circles, The Tea Party; Come Again, Thornley; In Between Evolution, The Tragically Hip.
11. New artist of the year: Keshia Chante; Fefe Dobson; Matt Dusk; Feist; Matt Mays.
12. New group of the year: Alexisonfire; Death From Above 1979; The Marble Index; Thornley; The Waking Eyes.
13. Songwriter of the year: Buck 65 for Wicked and Weird, 463, Sore; Marc Jordan for Let’s Waste Some Time, Shot Down My Heart, Tears of Hercules; Avril Lavigne for Don’t Tell Me, My Happy Ending, Nobody’s Home; Gordie Sampson for Sunburn, Paris, You (Or Somebody Like You); Ron Sexsmith for Whatever It Takes, Not About to Lose, Hard Bargain.
14. Country recording of the year: This Time Around, Paul Brandt; One Good Friend, George Canyon; Girls Lie Too, Terri Clark; Dress Rehearsal, Carolyn Dawn Johnson; Party For Two, Shania Twain with Billy Currington.
15. Adult alternative album of the year: All Of Our Names, Sarah Harmer; Matt Mays, Matt Mays; Retriever, Ron Sexsmith; Day One, Sarah Slean; Want Two, Rufus Wainwright.
16. Rap recording of the year: F.A.M.E., Concise Shoreline; Life’s a Collection Of Experiences, DL Incognito; Joyful Rebellion, k-os; Bang Bang, Kardinal Offishall; Say Something, Kyprios.
17. Alternative album of the year: Funeral The Arcade Fire; Let It Die, Feist; Now, More Than Ever, Jim Guthrie; The Slow Wonder, A.C. Newman; Set Yourself on Fire, Stars.
18: Vocal jazz album of the year: That’s For Me, Susie Arioli Band featuring Jordan Officer; Eclipse, Kate Hammett-Vaughan Quintet; Make Believe Ballroom, Marc Jordan; The Girl In The Other Room, Diana Krall; Open Your Eyes, Dione Taylor.
19: Contemporary jazz album of the year: Red Dragonfly (AKA Tombo) Jane Bunnett; 5, Alain Caron; New Danzon, Hilario Duran Trio; City of Neighbourhoods, NOJO with Sam Rivers; Sekoya, Sekoya.
20. Traditional jazz album of the year: Vivid: The David Braid Sextet Live, David Braid; Extra Time, The Mike Murley Quintet; Deep Cove, Ryga / Rosnes Quartet; Exponentially Monk, John Stetch; Elenar, Francois Theberge.
21. Children’s album of the year: Songs for You, Jennifer Gasoi; MathJam K, Judy & David; A Poodle in Paris, Connie Kaldor; Angela May’s Magnificent Musical Menagerie, Angela Kelman; The 5 Elements, Rick Scott & Harry Wong.
22. Classical album of the year, solo or chamber ensemble: Dvo—k, Jan—ek, Smetana: Romantic Pieces, James Ehnes, Eduard Laurel; Nikolai Kapustin Piano Music, Marc-Andre Hamelin; Bach: The English Suites, Angela Hewitt; Takemitsu: Toward the Sea, Robert Aitken, New Music Concerts Ensemble.
23. Classical album of the year, large ensemble or soloist(s) with large ensemble accompaniment: Frenergy: Music of John Estacio, Mario Bernardi, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra; Hummel, James Ehnes, London Mozart Players; Mahler: Symphony No. 4, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal Atmaclassique; Dardandus/Le temple de la gloire:Music of Jean-Phillippe Rameau, Jeanne Lamon, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; Borodin, Bramwell Tovey, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
24. Classical album of the year, vocal or choral performance: Cleopatra, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; So Much to Tell, Measha Brueggergosman, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra; Brahms Lieder, Marie-Nicole Lemieux; Bach: Psaume 51, Cantate 82, Karina Gauvin, Daniel Taylor, Violons du Roy; Italian Oratorios, Matthew White, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
25. Classical composition of the year: The Tents of Abraham, Istvan Anhalt, Canadian Composers Portraits: Istvan Anhalt; A Farmer’s Symphony, John Estacio, Frenergy; Nuevas monod“as espanolas, Jose Evangelista, The Art of Touching the Keyboard; Pangaea, Jeffrey Ryan, Variations on a Memory; Third Symphony, Robert Turner, Canadian Composers Portraits: Robert Turner.
26. Dance recording of the year: All Of My Life, Aluna; Feel Love, DJ’s Rule; Money Shot, Hatiras; Ghetto Love - Extended Original Version, Original 3; All Things (Just Keep Getting Better), Widelife with Simone Denny.
27. R&B/soul recording of the year: Gary Beals, Gary Beals; Keshia Chante, Keshia Chante; Resurrected, jacksoul; What It Is, Ray Robinson; More, Tamia.
28. Reggae recording of the year: Empty Barrel, Blessed feat. Kardinal Offishall; WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), Sonia Collymore; Bare as She Dare, Carl Henry feat. Ce’Cile CeSoul; It’s All Bless, Korexion; Uncorrupted, Steele.
29. Aboriginal recording of the year: Green Dress, Wayne Lavallee; Pishimuss, Claude Mckenzie; Full Circle, Pappy Johns Band with Murray Porter; Taima, Taima; KATAKu, Florent Vollant.
30. Roots & traditional album of the year, solo: Michael Jerome Browne & The Twin River String Band, Michael Jerome Browne; The Waking Hour, David Francey; Acoustic Album, Amos Garrett; West Eats Meet, Harry Manx; Hopetown, Jenny Whiteley.
31. Roots & traditional album of the year, group: Let Em Run The Bills; In All Things, Leahy; Jimson Weed, Nathan; Migration, La Volee d’Castors; 40 Days, The Wailin’ Jennys.
32. Blues album of the year: Fresh Horses, Jim Byrnes; No One To Blame, Rita Chiarelli; Come On In, Downchild; Soap Bars & Dog Ears, The Jimmy Bowskill Band; I’m Just a Man, Garrett Mason.
33. Contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year: Red Letterz, Fresh I.E.; Living Water, Aileen Lombardo; Taken, Raylene Scarrott; Here to Stay, Greg Sczebel; Phenomenon, Thousand Foot Krutch.
34. World music album of the year: Dho-Mach (Sacred Gift), King Achilla Orru Apaa-idomo; Four Higher, autorickshaw; En Voyage, Les Gitans de Sarajevo; African Guitar Summit, Mighty Popo, Madagascar Slim, Donne Robert, Alpha Ya Ya Diallo, Adam Solomon, Pa Joe; Road to Kashgar, Orchid Ensemble.
35. Producer of the year: David Foster; Raine Maida; Nickelback and Joey Moi; Bob Rock; Track & Field.
36. Recording engineer of the year: Vic Florencia; John MacLean and Sheldon Zaharko; Peter Prilesnik (co-engineer Eric Ratz); Bob Rock; L. Stu Young.
37. CD/DVD artwork of the year: Bryan Adams (director/photographer) and Dirk Rudolf (designer) for Room Service, Bryan Adams; Tracy Maurice (director/designer/illustrator) and N Hilary Treadwell (photographer) for Funeral, The Arcade Fire; Jesse F Keeler (director/designer/illustrator) and Eva Michon (photographer) for You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine, Death From Above 1979; Vincent Marcone (director/designer/illustrator) for It Dreams, Jakalope; John Rummen and Kim Kinakin (director/designer/illustrator) and James Michin III (photographer) for Under My Skin, Avril Lavigne.
38. Video of the year: Perfect Wave, Stephen Scott for Barlow; The End Of The World, Floria Sigismondi for The Cure; One Evening, George Vale for Feist; B-Boy Stance, The Love Movement feat. k-os & Micah Meisner for k-os; The Reasons, Benjamin Weinstein for The Weakerthans.
39. Music DVD of the year: The Barenaked Truth, David Langer, Barbara Barde, The Barenaked Ladies; In Stereovision, Ron Mann, Blue Rodeo; Great Big DVD, John Small Hallway Entertainment, Great Big Sea; A Night In Vienna, Michael Fischer-Leenice, Scott Morin, Oscar Peterson; Toronto Rocks, Dave Russell, Marty Callner, Michael Cohl, Stephen Howard, David Kines, Fred Nicolaidis, Jake Cohl, Randy Gladstein, Various Artists.