The London Film Critics' Circle Awards Quentin Tarantino Their Top Honor

Naturally, British Film Critic went nuts for An Education. Not only did Lone Scherfig’s coming-of-age drama nab nominations for five UK-only categories, but two international-friendly ones as well: Carey Mulligan for Actress of the Year and Nick Hornby for Screenwriter of the Year.

Funny thing is, An Education nabbed a nomination for The Attenborough Award: British Film of the Year, but not in the Film of the Year category. In fact, no British films were nominated. The list pits Avatar up against The Hurt Locker, A Prophet, The White Ribbon and Up in the Air. British critics not satisfied with domestic filmmaking this year? I thought this would have been Moon’s time to shine, but Duncan Jones and his film were relegated to the British Film of the Year, British Director of the Year and Breakthrough British Film-Maker categories. At least the film is still well represented.

Inglourious Basterds only received a nomination – and a well-deserved one – in the Actor of the Year category for Christoph Waltz’s performance. I’m sure that’s good enough for Quentin Tarantino because on top of that, he’ll be the recipient of The London Film Critics' Circle’s top honor, the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Cinema. He’ll be honored at the 30th Critic’s Circle Film Awards on February 18th, 2010.

Emily Blunt will get two chances at a win having been nominated for British Actress in a Supporting role for Sunshine Cleaning and British Actress of the Year for The Young Victoria. Peter Jackson was likely expecting far more notoriety, but should be pleased to see his young leading actress Saoirse Ronan get a nomination for The NSPCC Award: Young British Performer of the Year for her role in The Lovely Bones.

1979 may feel like ages ago, but Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now was fresh on the Critic’s Circle mind and named the best film of the last 30 years.

Take a look below to see the full list of nominees:

FILM OF THE YEAR
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
Up in the Air

THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Bright Star
An Education
Fish Tank
In the Loop
Moon

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Class
Katyn
Let the Right One In
A Prophet
The White Ribbon

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Jacques Audiard - A Prophet
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air

BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Andrea Arnold - Fish Tank
Armando Iannucci - In the Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Kevin Macdonald - State of Play
Sam Taylor-Wood - Nowhere Boy

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Tahar Rahim - A Prophet
Michael Stuhlbarg - A Serious Man
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Abbie Cornish - Bright Star
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Mo'Nique – Precious
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Peter Capaldi - In the Loop
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Tom Hardy – Bronson
Christian MacKay - Me and Orson Welles
Andy Serkis - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Katie Jarvis - Fish Tank
Kristin Scott Thomas - Nowhere Boy

BRITISH ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Michael Fassbender* - Fish Tank
John Hurt - 44 Inch Chest
Jason Isaacs – Good
Alfred Molina - An Education
Timothy Spall - The Damned United

BRITISH ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Emily Blunt - Sunshine Cleaning
Anne-Marie Duff - Nowhere Boy
Rosamund Pike - An Education
Kierston Wareing - Fish Tank
Olivia Williams - An Education

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche - In the Loop
Thomas Bidegain & Jacques Audiard - A Prophet
Joel & Ethan Coen - A Serious Man
Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon
Nick Hornby - An Education

THE NSPCC AWARD: YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Katie Jarvis - Fish Tank
Aaron Johnson - Nowhere Boy and Dummy
George MacKay - The Boys Are Back
Bill Milner - Is Anybody There? and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Saoirse Ronan* - The Lovely Bones

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER
Daniel Barber - Harry Brown
Armando Ianucci - In the Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Peter Strickland - Katalin Varga
Sam Taylor-Wood - Nowhere Boy

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CINEMA
Quentin Tarantino

Stern's threat to quit Sirius could be empty talk

Howard Stern is threatening to leave Sirius XM Radio Inc. now that the shock jock and the satellite radio provider are getting set to enter contract talks in 2010.

That threat probably seems less daunting to Sirius than it once would have. Sirius originally wanted Stern so badly that it gave him the most lucrative radio contract ever, a five-year deal that started in 2006 and paid him $500 million in cash and stock.

Today, he doesn't have many places left to go — at least if he wants another huge payday.

Free radio stations are struggling with steep drops in advertising and high debt loads, and probably can't pay top dollar to get Stern back to the medium where he began. He also likely would chafe at being censored again after enjoying the freedom of satellite radio, where his racy banter hasn't been subject to federal restrictions on language and content.

He can't switch to another satellite radio provider — Sirius swallowed the only other one, XM, last year.

So if Stern, 55, does re-sign with Sirius, it's likely to be for less this time around.

Sirius nearly had to file for bankruptcy protection this year and is still trying to reduce costs. The company is feeling the brunt of weak auto sales, which deliver many of its new customers. And it faces new threats from emerging commercial-free rivals such as Internet radio.

For these reasons — and because Stern has warned other times that he might quit or retire — his latest threat rings hollow to some analysts.

"It's probably positioning for contract negotiations," said Brett Harriss, an analyst at Gabelli & Co., whose parent Gamco Investors Inc. owns 1.1 million shares of Sirius. "I don't think he would give up his bullhorn."

Sirius' chief executive, Mel Karmazin, told The Associated Press in a recent interview that he will work hard to retain Stern, but the company would not offer more detailed comments. Stern's agent, Don Buchwald, did not respond to requests for comment.

Stern made his name on traditional or "terrestrial" radio. While Sirius mainly makes its money from selling subscriptions, the money that flowed to Stern on traditional radio came from syndication rights. In that setup, radio stations pay companies that distribute programs such as Stern's.

Many of those radio stations have struggled since Stern left the free airwaves, and the recession compounded the problems. In the first nine months of the year, radio advertising revenue fell by 21 percent to $11.8 billion, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau.

Citadel Broadcasting Corp., the nation's third-largest operator of radio stations, filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday. Other big station owners also are wrestling with debts, and the syndication division of the largest station owner, Clear Channel Communications Inc., already is believed to be paying Rush Limbaugh $400 million over an eight-year contract.

"Who else can afford Howard Stern?" Harriss said.

When Stern signed with Sirius, the company trailed XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. in the race for customers. It badly needed a marquee name to attract subscribers to its service, which delivers 130 radio channels anywhere in the country for $6.99 a month to $19.99 a month, depending on the package.

Now after buying XM for $3.3 billion, Sirius has 18.5 million subscribers, down slightly from a peak of 19 million at the end of last year. Sirius' radio lineup beyond Stern includes Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, NFL games and Major League Baseball. Half of its channels are music and free of commercials, while the rest air sports, talk shows, news, entertainment, traffic and weather.

The company still has never posted a net profit. Revenue was nearly flat in the last quarter, and Sirius remains pressured to cut costs. Sirius narrowly avoided bankruptcy protection 10 months ago by getting $530 million in financing from Liberty Media Corp. Sirius had to give a 40 percent ownership stake to Liberty, which is controlled by satellite mogul John Malone.

As Sirius tries to get its finances in order, it must cope with threats from emerging technologies, such as Internet radio services that also deliver radio programming without commercials.

The company has been trying to cut costs. Sirius' programming expenses in the past four quarters fell 18 percent from the total paid by Sirius and XM in the previous year, when they were still separate companies. Sirius has eliminated duplicative radio programs since it absorbed XM and found ways to reduce "on-air talent costs."

Given the climate, if Stern returns to Sirius, "he's not going to get $500 million again," said Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce. Robert Eatman, the agent for Sirius talents Opie & Anthony and rapper Nick Cannon, agreed that Stern is "probably not worth" $500 million to Sirius now.

But the question will be just how much less Sirius can pay and still keep Stern.
Stern accounts for about $80 million of Sirius' annual programming costs, which have totaled $365 million over the past four quarters. The $80 million covers Stern's salary, wages for his staff and production and operating expenses, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The remainder of the contract was paid in stock.

There are no independent ratings available to track the popularity of Stern's show, which airs Mondays through Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. But he has been so important to Sirius that he was the sole radio talent mentioned in SEC filings from 2006 through 2009 as a party whose failure could hurt Sirius' business. (Automakers were also among the listed entities.) In his first year at Sirius, Stern received a stock bonus worth $82.9 million because Sirius' subscriber count exceeded an agreed-upon target by more than 2 million.

Stern could leave to start a new venture, perhaps a subscription service that sends his show to PCs and mobile devices. Sirius already streams Stern's shows online and through the iPhone. Or he could explore more options in cable TV, where his first pay-per-view special, "Howard Stern's Negligee and Underpants Party," was offered in 1988.

Stern also could retire.

"Howard has the creative and business freedom to do what he wants to. He can just about write his own ticket in a number of areas," said Tom Taylor, executive news editor of Radio-Info.com, which tracks the radio industry. "He doesn't need to do anything. He's going to pay the rent fine."

Leno loses affiliates

The news keeps getting worse for Jay Leno.

Now, it appears that NBC's affiliates, the local stations around the country that carry the network's programs, are ready to give up on the 10 o'clock experiment.

"The handwriting is on the wall," Alan Frank, who runs two NBC stations including the affiliate in Detroit, told the trade publication Broadcasting & Cable over the weekend.

"The only question is what [NBC] is going to do about it."

Other station managers told the magazine that they have seen ratings drop by nearly 50 percent since NBC decided to put Leno on every week night, right before the local late news.

"We'd sure like to have a few of those ratings points back," said the manager of the Las Vegas station.

The bad news comes just when Leno had hoped to improve his numbers -- in December, when the other networks were starting to air repeats of their 10 o'clock shows.

Rage Against the Machine Win U.K. Christmas Single Battle

In one of the most unexpected victories of this decade, Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” beat out The X Factor winner Joe McElderry’s “The Climb” to become the U.K.’s Christmas Number One single. The victory was aided by a grassroots Facebook campaign that chose Rage’s 1992 hit to halt a run of four consecutive wins for the Simon Cowell-produced reality competition show. According to the BBC, the final tally revealed Rage had beaten McElderry by around 50,000 downloads.

The race was at one point much closer than the 50K-gap outcome, but Rage’s announcement last week that they’d perform a free “thank you” gig in the U.K. led to a late frenzy of downloads before the December 19th deadline. “It will be the victory party to end all victory parties,” guitarist Tom Morello promised, adding that both McElderry and Cowell would be invited to MC the show. On his Twitter early this morning, Morello tweeted, “Quite a day! Thanks again for making Rage part of this historic campaign. Changing the charts or the world: together we can’t be stopped.” Rage has also vowed to give all the royalties from the “Killing” downloading spree to charity Shelter.

Despite previously criticizing the campaign, Cowell took the Christmas single loss admirably, saying he had already called Jon and Tracy Morter — the organizers of the Facebook effort — to congratulate them. “I called Jon on Saturday to congratulate the two of them that, win or lose, they turned this into a very exciting race for the Christmas Number One,” Cowell told the BBC. Even Paul McCartney, who appeared on the massively popular X Factor this season, spoke out in support of Rage’s campaign, saying a victory for the 1992 song would be “funny” and “prove a point.”

“The people in the U.K. are tired of being spoon-fed one schmaltzy ballad after another and they want to back their own charts, and we are honored that they have chosen our song to be the rebel anthem to try to topple The X Factor label,” Morello told the BBC5 moments before Rage performed “Killing in the Name” live over the airwaves. Rage’s performance was cut short after frontman Zack de la Rocha sang “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” four times over the air.

Peter Morgan Says Bond 23 Will Be Shocking

All's quiet on the Bond front for now, as Daniel Craig wraps up a run on Broadway, The Queen writer Peter Morgan taps away at the screenplay, and the producers hem and haw on picking a director. Bond fansite mi6.co.uk got a slight update from Morgan on the script's progress, in which he admitted "It's a shocking story," a revelation that could mean... well, pretty much anything.

He also confirmed that all production is pretty much on hold until someone buys MGM, the studio that owns the rights to the Bond franchise. Given that the series is such a guaranteed money-maker, a film is likely to get greenlit practically immediately, but until the expected sale happens in February, there won't be much movement. So there's your update, and may you enjoy what may be another year before any production actually gets started.

Radiohead Returning To Studio In January

Radiohead plans to return to the studio next month to continue work on its next album, which began over the summer.

"The vibe in the camp is fantastic at present," guitarist Ed O'Brien wrote over the weekend on Radiohead.com. "I am so genuinely excited about what we're doing, but for obvious reasons I can't divulge anything more."

Radiohead's last album, 2007's "In Rainbows," was initially released as a name-your-own-price download through the band's Web site before coming out on CD a few months later.

"Ten years ago we were all collectively (that's the band) in the land of 'Kid A,' and although hugely proud of that record, it wasn't a fun place to be," O'Brien wrote. "What's reassuring now, is that we are most definitely a different band, which should therefore mean that the music is different too and that is the aim of the game ... keep it moving."

Meanwhile, frontman Thom Yorke made a surprise appearance at last week's Copenhagen climate summit and was vocal in his criticism while writing on Radiohead's site. "We have no international agreement. This is all too, too late," he wrote. "I feel deeply traumatized by the whole experience. If you'd been there you would also have been."

Yorke played a handful of solo shows in October with a band featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and drummer Joey Waronker. He is expected to return to the stage for more dates in 2010, but details have yet to be announced.

Carrie Underwood engaged to NHL player Mike Fisher

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Carrie Underwood is engaged to Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher, her publicist said Monday.

No wedding date has been set for the couple, who have been dating for about a year.

"The couple couldn't be happier," said publicist Jessie Schmidt.

Fisher, 29, recorded his 300th career point for the Senators in their 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Fisher had an assist on Anton Volchenkov's goal in the first period.

Asked by The Associated Press last month what Underwood's family thought of Fisher, the 26-year-old singer said they were supportive.

"They love me and I would hope my parents would think we raised a good, smart girl, so she's going to do the right thing no matter what it is," she said.

Days before the CMA Awards in early November, Underwood did not know whether she would be spending the holidays with Fisher.

"Christmas, I don't know. We haven't really thought that far ahead. We kind of take it one week at a time," she said then.

Underwood has kept her relationship largely under wraps, but she gave Fisher a very public shout-out in the liner notes of her current album, "Play On," that was released Nov. 3. She wrote, "Thank you (No.) 12 (referring to his jersey number.) You are the most amazing addition to my life! You are such a wonderful person and have had such an amazing hand in the building of this album and in the growth of me as a person. I love you so much! You make my life better in every way!"

Big Sunday raises `Avatar' weekend to $77.35M

LOS ANGELES – James Cameron's "Avatar" has jumped out to a faster start than projected.

Distributor 20th Century Fox says Cameron's sci-fi saga did far more business Sunday than the studio had estimated, raising the film's domestic weekend total to $77.35 million. That's $4.35 million more than the studio first forecast.

That also should give a bump to the movie's worldwide total, which has topped $230 million.

Fox still is counting final numbers, but if the figure holds, "Avatar" will go in the record book for biggest December opening ever, a fraction ahead of the $77.2 million for Will Smith's "I Am Legend" two years ago.

But factoring in higher ticket prices today, "I Am Legend" sold more tickets than "Avatar" over opening weekend.

Family: Brittany Murphy was ill days before death

LOS ANGELES – Brittany Murphy was ill with flulike symptoms in the days before her death and prescription medications were taken from her home, the Los Angeles coroner's office said Monday.

The 32-year-old star of films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile" died Sunday morning after collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home. Paramedics tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said they will conduct an autopsy Monday to try to determine what killed the actress, and said her death appeared to be from natural causes. He said the illness, reported to officials by her family, could have contributed to her death, but it will be weeks before a final determination is made.

Toxicology tests will be performed, and officials will contact her personal physician to get a better sense of Murphy's medical history, Winter said.
Neighbor Clare Staples said she saw firefighters working to resuscitate the actress Sunday morning. She said Murphy was on a stretcher.

Murphy's husband, wearing pajama bottoms and no shoes, appeared "dazed" as firefighters tried to save her, Staples said. "It's just tragic," she added.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

"The sudden loss of our beloved Brittany is a terrible tragedy," Murphy's husband and family wrote in a statement. "She was our daughter, our wife, our love, and a shining star. We ask you to respect our privacy at this difficult time."

Murphy's death put "Saturday Night Live" in an awkward spot. Two weeks ago, the NBC show aired a sketch during "Weekend Update" in which cast member Abby Elliott performed an impression of Murphy, who had recently been fired from a film project. The impression portrayed Murphy as spacey and living in the past.

After her death Sunday, the sketch disappeared from Hulu.com, the online video repository co-owned by NBC Universal.

The quiet removal prompted many bloggers and online viewers to question the sketch's tastefulness and the decision to erase it without notice. A publicist for "Saturday Night Live" didn't respond to requests for comment.

Murphy moved to Los Angeles with her mother, Sharon, in the early 1990s. Her career started with small roles in television series, commercials and movies, but her part in "Clueless" led to larger projects.

She is best known for parts in "Girl, Interrupted" and "8 Mile," and also voiced the character Luanne Platter for more 200 episodes on Fox's animated series "King of the Hill."

Her role in "8 Mile" led to more recognition, Murphy told AP in 2003. "That changed a lot," she said. "That was the difference between people knowing my first and last name as opposed to not."

She married British screenwriter Simon Monjack in 2007.

Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, said he learned of her death from his son, the actress's brother, and was stunned.

"She was just an absolute doll since she was born," Bertolotti said from his Branford, Fla., home. "Her personality was always outward. Everybody loved her — people that made movies with her, people on a cruise — they all loved her. She was just a regular gal."

He said he hadn't heard much about the circumstances of Murphy's death. Bertolotti divorced her mother when Murphy was young and hadn't seen Murphy in the past few years.

"She was just talented," Bertolotti said. "And I loved her very much."

'A lot of prescriptions' found at Brittany Murphy's house

As more information surrounding the details of Brittany Murphy's death emerge the picture gets even scarier.

Murphy, who died Sunday morning after going into cardiac arrest had been vomiting and complaining that she felt very ill in the hours before she was discovered unconscious by her mother in the shower, reports TMZ.

According to sources, Brittany had been taking prescription medication for flu-like symptoms the past few days and that several prescriptions were found at the house in her name, as well as her mother's and her husband's.

"There were a lot ... a lot of prescriptions in the house," one source tells TMZ.

An autopsy will be performed on Monday or Tuesday to determine the exact cause of death, but it could take weeks to get back toxicology reports.

Jackson's death voted top 2009 entertainment story

Here are 2009's top entertainment stories as voted by U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors surveyed by The Associated Press.

1. MICHAEL JACKSON DIES: On June 25, Jackson was pronounced dead at the age of 50. One of the most momentous and shocking deaths in pop culture history, the event reverberated in many ways. There was the ongoing investigation: Jackson's death was ruled a homicide, and his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who says he's innocent of wrongdoing, is being investigated for manslaughter. There was the gigantic Los Angeles funeral. There was the documentary, "This Is It," of Jackson's preparations for a comeback concert series. But, perhaps most of all, there was the celebration of his music, on stages and sidewalks the world over.

2. SUSAN BOYLE BECOMES OVERNIGHT SENSATION: Two 21st-century powers — reality TV and the Web — combined to turn the humble, unknown Boyle into an international star. After Boyle sang "I Dreamed a Dream" on "Britain's Got Talent" on April 11, the clip spread like wildfire online, totaling more than 120 million views on YouTube. Her album, released in November, had the best opening week sales of a female debut in decades.

3. LATE-NIGHT SWAP: On NBC, Conan O'Brien took over the "Tonight" show, and Jay Leno moved to 10 p.m. All the fanfare may have been overdone, though: At year's end, neither was receiving good ratings.

4. WALTER CRONKITE DIES: The passing on July 17 of Cronkite, a paragon of journalism and a father figure to a nation, was not only the sad loss of a universally acknowledged great man but was a reminder of a bygone era in broadcasting.

5. DAVID LETTERMAN AFFAIR: Letterman's Oct. 1 announcement on his "Late Show" carried two bombshells: He alleged that he had been the victim of an extortion attempt, and he confessed to having affairs with women on his staff. Letterman, who hasn't shied from the subject on air, saw some of his best ratings in years. The man accused of trying to blackmail Letterman, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, says he was just shopping a screenplay.

6. CHRIS BROWN ASSAULTS RIHANNA: The big story on Grammy night in 2009 didn't take place on stage but outside the ceremony. Chris Brown assaulted then-girlfriend Rihanna, an altercation that led to Brown pleading guilty to felony assault in June. Both R&B stars were in comeback mode before the year was out, releasing new albums just weeks apart.

7. KANYE WEST ROBS TAYLOR SWIFT: Bad behavior, not awards, also ruled the story line at the MTV Video Music Awards. When a stage-crashing West interrupted Swift's acceptance speech for best female video, the rapper clearly underestimated the negative reaction he would inspire.

8. LIVE VIDEO EXPLODES ON THE WEB: One of the biggest trends in online video was the emergence of demand — and supply — for live video. Live online video particularly suited daytime news events (when people are at work in front of computers). Millions online watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama and the funeral of Michael Jackson.

9. KATE AND JON GOSSELIN BROADCAST SPLIT: One of reality TV's latest sensations fell apart just as it was reaching fruition. TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" was winning its best ratings in its fifth season when the Gosselins — parents of eight children — announced their separation. With more than 10 million viewers, that episode earned the show its best ratings. Arguments in the divorce, which became final in December, have thus far prevented the show from continuing. TLC hopes to debut a show for Kate Gosselin in the spring.

10. HEATH LEDGER WINS POSTHUMOUS OSCAR: Ledger, whose death topped the poll of 2008's top entertainment stories, remained a presence in 2009, when he won an Oscar for best-supporting actor for his performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."

Taylor Swift voted AP entertainer of the year

NEW YORK – It's a love story, baby.

Taylor Swift sang those words about a young romance, but they apply just as well to America's feelings for the 20-year-old country singer. Swift, adding to the heap of awards already bestowed on her, has been voted The Associated Press entertainer of the year.

Swift was chosen by newspaper editors and broadcast producers across the country in a survey of AP members. She follows last year's winner, Tina Fey, and 2007's pick, Stephen Colbert.

"I am so honored and so excited," Swift said in an interview by phone with the AP. "This was so unexpected, and I could not be more grateful."

Though her second album, "Fearless," came out in late 2008, Swift was ubiquitous in 2009.

She found critical acclaim for her autobiographical and infectious songwriting, exemplified in tunes such as "Love Story" and "White Horse." She led a sold-out tour across 52 cities in North America.

She won album of the year from the Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards. She hosted "Saturday Night Live" and performed at the Grammys. She won five American Music Awards, including artist of the year.
At one point, she had eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Swift said that several nights of her year were "golden and shiny and I'll remember forever." Hosting "SNL" was one of those.

"That entire week was life-changing, honestly," said Swift. "It makes you feel so thankful to be a part of the music industry, but more than that, to me, 'SNL' is show business."

Another live show, the MTV Video Music Awards, was more of a mixed blessing for Swift. She was accepting the award for best female video (the first VMA to be given to a country act) when Kanye West stormed the stage and interrupted her speech. West's stunt set off a media storm that perhaps said as much about Swift's popularity (fans and musicians alike came to her defense) than it did about West's.

Among those who voted for Swift for entertainer of the year was Danielle L. Kiracofe, entertainment editor for the Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper.

"In a time of 'made' musicians, she writes her own songs and has her own sparkly style," said Kiracofe. "She's managed to do all of this with grace, class and poise — and without uttering a swear word, dancing on a pole or wearing next to nothing. At the age of 20."

Ellis Widner, style editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, applauded Swift for superseding generational boundaries.

"She defines crossover appeal and would seem to be a strong business model in a declining music business," Widner said. "And to her fans, she's the real deal. On MySpace and in her songs, she wrote what she felt and sang about her experiences."

At year's end, Swift's life is in flux. She'll soon move out from home with her family, making this Christmas an emotional one for her.

She may well have more trophies to haul in, too: In January, she'll be attending the Grammys, where she's nominated for eight awards. She's already begun to look beyond 2009.

"The second that I put out `Fearless,' the moment that album came out and I was done with it, I started writing for my next album," said Swift. "I love to plan 20 steps ahead of myself, and it's really fun competition game that I play with myself, trying to top what I've done last. For this next record, that's all that I've been thinking about, that's all that my mind has been fixated on for the last year, and it's all that I'm going to be thinking about for this next year."