Label:Life

Singer Mariah Carey won just one prize at the American Music Awards, despite leading the pack with four nominations.

Carey won the night’s first award for favourite soul/R&B female artist, but lost out in other categories. Punk band Green Day, country star Tim McGraw, singer Kelly Clarkson, R&B trio Destiny’s Child and funk band the Black Eyed Peas all took home two awards.

Held in Los Angeles, the show featured performances from Gwen Stefani, rapper Pharrell and UK band the Eurythmics. The Rolling Stones closed the show, performing live by satellite from a concert in Salt Lake City, Utah. But many of the winning acts did not attend the event, among them rappers 50 Cent and Eminem.

More@bbc

Once again a politician has connected a form of music with youth crime. London Mayor Ken Livingstone recently put the music industry in the spotlight, saying the behaviour of rap stars who glamorise violence, by making carrying guns and knives fashionable, is leading to children being killed on Britain’s streets.

“Some overpaid rap artists swinging around with a gun or knife…the consequences of their behaviour is a kid lying dead in the street,” stated Mr Livingstone. (more…)

Radio Two today faces the task of editing down a two-and-a-half-hour concert for an hour-long slot after Motown legend Stevie Wonder last night played a show which represented yet another new high point in the auspicious history of Abbey Road Studios.

Wonder, backed by a 10-piece band, delighted a select crowd of around 300 media, industry and celebrities – including comics Peter Kay and Sacha Baron Cohen, actor Martin Freeman and Office writer Stephen Merchant – as well as Universal Music International chief Lucian Grainge and Motown president Sylvia Rhone, who was ushered to the stage by the singer halfway through and hailed Wonder as “a great man, a great human being”. (more…)

Music for peace is the theme, and the music theme for peace is jazz. Jazzmandu 2005, Nepal’s own large-scale international music festival, has been going on from November 4 and will end on November 12. This year’s being the forth time ever to be held in Kathmandu, the festival has grown much since it first began.

Happening at Patan Durbar Square in front of Krishna Mandir, the Norwegian jazz trio, SOLID! will be taking center stage for this free-of-charge show brought to you as part of the ongoing Jazzmandu 2005 festival.

More@kantipuronline

To mark its 40th edition, MIDEM – The World’s Music Market (Cannes, 22–26 January 2006), is proud to announce that Finland, Europe’s fastest growing exporter of musical talent, will host the prestigious opening night party. Under the banner “Come hear. Finland”, the evening will include a series of multi-genre, live concerts from today’s hottest Finnish artists, to be performed on three separate stages. “Come hear. Finland” will take place on Sunday, 22 January, in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.

Numerous Finnish artists have attained a world-wide following and the 13 artists to have been independently selected to perform at the event have all successfully expanded their careers outside Finland’s boarders. (more…)

It’s no secret that Apple’s world-leading iTunes is being seen by the computer giant as a means of driving sales of the far more profitable iPod. Everyone from Coke to McDonalds to Heineken has been busy giving away downloads for free. And now Yahoo has raised (or rather lowered) the stakes in the music subscription market by offering a fully portable service for less than £3 a month in the US.

This evening seminar will consider the extent to which new digital business models are impacting the inherent value of music and how music industry licensing practices may need to be adapted in order to untap the real sources of value in the new digital music supply chain.

The event will provide an opportunity for you to debate and network with senior executives from leading mobile, internet and music companies. Tickets include free food and drinks after the event. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment. (more…)

BBM/BMC is celebrating Black History Month by co-organising ‘Music Power’, which looks to discuss the role of music and musicians in uplifting society. The event features a screening of “Amandla! A revolution in four-part harmony” followed by a panel discussing the role of music and musicians in uplifting humanity as well as mini workshops and live music.

More@britishblackmusic

Brit bands Coldplay and Gorillaz are highly tipped for gongs at this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards, with five nominations each.

Coldplay are in the running for Best Group, Best Rock, Best Song for Speed Of Sound, Best Album for X&Y, and Best UK and Ireland Act.

More@sky.com

Seminal British label 4AD is celebrating its silver anniversary with 10 nights of performances from some of the label’s most enduring acts as well as some newer faces.
The gala will begin November 17 at The Scala in London with TV On The Radio. Like many artists on the schedule, the New York band will perform with unnamed “special guests.”

More@Pollstar

Robbie Williams was paid £1million to sing at a birthday party – and gave it to charity.

Robbie, 31, sang to 300 guests at the 50th birthday bash of City broker Michael Spencer, says the Sun.

He sang for an hour, starting at midnight with Let Me Entertain You and finishing with Angels at Chateau Meuf de Grasse in the south of France.

One guest said: “It was an incredible party that must have cost at least £1.5million.

“It had everything money can buy and then some. The vintage wine and champagne included bottles worth thousands.

“When Robbie came on people could not believe that he was there playing to them in such an intimate venue. It was a night no one will forget.”

Seventies band Sister Sledge also played, while two of France’s top chefs provided food.

Mr Spencer is the UK’s 138th richest man with £360million.

Source:Ananova