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Grammys 2015: Lowest audience since 2009

Sonia Pantiss
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Grammys 2015: Lowest audience since 2009

This year’s Grammy Awards ceremony was watched by 25.3 million people in the US, the show’s smallest audience since 2009.

The figures were down 11% compared with 2014, when a tribute to the Beatles and a mass on-stage wedding attracted 28.5 million viewers.

However, it was the fifth consecutive year that the Grammy audience topped 25 million.

It was also the most-watched award show of the year to date, beating the Golden Globes’ audience by six million.

However, the Oscar ceremony remains the most-watched award show – having attracted 43 million people in 2014.

Sam Smith was the big winner at this year’s Grammys, taking home four awards including song of the year and record of the year – both of which went to his gospel-tinged break-up ballad Stay With Me.Grammys 2015 lowest audience

Beck won the album of the year prize for his eighth album, Morning Phase – infuriating Kanye West, who stormed the stage to protest at Beyonce’s loss, before deciding to return to his seat rather than taking the microphone.

The incident was the most-tweeted moment during the show, attracting 13.4 million comments on Twitter. The ceremony was also streamed 7.5 million times, an increase of 40%.

Overall the show was low on spectacle, with most artists presenting stripped-back, muted performances; largely concentrating on their slower numbers.

Madonna was the obvious exception, playing a matador to a stage full of dancers wearing diamante-encrusted minotaur masks.

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Smart insulins could revolutionize diabetes management

Kathryn R. Bown
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Smart insulins could revolutionize diabetes management

“Smart” insulins, which are undergoing trials, could revolutionize the way diabetes is managed, scientists say.

Instead of repeated blood tests and injections throughout the day to keep blood sugar in check, a single dose of smart insulin would keep circulating in the body and turn on when needed.

Animal studies show the technology appears to work – at least in mice.

Scientists plan to move to human trials soon, PNAS journal reports.

Experts caution that it will take years of testing before treatments could become a reality for patients.

People with type 1 diabetes, who either do not make or cannot use their own natural insulin, rely on insulin injections to stay well.

Without these, their blood sugar would get dangerously high.Smart insulin

In the same time injecting insulin can also make blood sugar levels dip too low, and people with type 1 diabetes must regularly check their blood glucose levels to make sure they are in the right zone.

Diabetes experts have been searching for ways to make blood sugar control easier and more convenient for patients, which is where “smart” insulins come in.

There are a few different types in development, but all are designed to automatically activate when blood sugar gets too high and switch off again when it returns to normal.

Dr. Danny Chou from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been testing a smart insulin that he and his colleagues developed in the lab.

It is a chemically modified version of regular, long-acting insulin.

It has an extra set of molecules stuck on the end that binds it to proteins that circulate in the bloodstream. While it is attached to these, the smart insulin is in its switched off mode.

When blood sugar rises, the smart insulin switches on – glucose locks on to the smart insulin and tells it to get to work.

Dr. Danny Chou said: “My goal is to make life easier and safer for diabetics.

“This is an important advance in insulin therapy.”

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has been funding work into smart insulins.

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Spider-Man joins Marvel Cinematic Universe

Sonia Pantiss
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Spider-Man joins Marvel Cinematic Universe

The custody of Spider-Man will be shared by Sony Pictures and the Walt Disney after the companies signed a deal that means the web-slinging superhero could appear in a future Avengers movie.

The deal comes after Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 under-performed at the box office last year.

Despite a respectable $709 million box office haul, it was the lowest-grossing of Sony’s five Spider-Man films so far.

The character could now appear Marvel films such as Iron Man and Thor.

However, the timing of the deal makes it likely his first outing will be in 2017’s Captain America: Winter Soldier. The character already appears in the comic book version of the story.

Marvel will then co-produce the next solo Spider-Man outing, financed by Sony Pictures, which will be released in 2017.

Kevin Feige, the Marvel boss who has overseen 10 consecutive box office blockbusters, including Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy, will be involved in all future creative decisions about Spider-Man.

He will work alongside Amy Pascal, the Sony executive who recently stood down following a cyber-attack that saw her private emails leaked.Spider-Man Marvel Cinematic Universe

Fans have been clamoring for Spider-Man to join Marvel’s roster on the big screen for more than a decade.

The character is part of the Marvel’s comic book empire, but Sony has owned the film rights since 1999, when it paid a reported $7 million.

Evil Dead director Sam Raimi first brought the character to the big screen, with Tobey Maguire in the lead role.

More recently, the series was rebooted, with Andrew Garfield inside the iconic red and blue suit and Marc Webb directing.

The new deal effectively spells the end for Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Peter Parker and his superhero alter-ego, reported the LA Times.

Sony had been casting around for ways to re-invigorate the franchise after his second outing failed to break the $1 billion mark at the box office last May.

A third Amazing Spider-Man film was postponed to 2018, while a spin-off film, The Sinister Six, focusing on Spider-Man’s most notorious enemies, was slated for 2016.

There was also discussion of introducing a female set of heroes in their own films; and a potential film based around Peter Parker’s Aunt May.

At the same time, Sony was holding discussions with Marvel – as revealed in emails leaked as a result of last year’s cyber-attack.

Those emails showed that Marvel was pushing for Spider-Man to appear in the next Captain America movie; while Sony Pictures president Doug Belgrad wanted a Marvel-produced Spider-Man movie in which Sony retained “creative control, marketing and distribution.”

Although those talks were said to have stalled in December, the new announcement effectively fulfils all of those criteria.

It has also led to Marvel reshuffling the release dates of its upcoming movies.

The next Thor movie would have gone head-to-head with a new Spider-Man movie in the summer of 2017. It will now move to November of that year, shunting a film based on the Black Panther character into the following year.

The two-part Avengers: Infinity War movies, however, will not budge.

Earth’s inner core has a core smaller than Moon

James J. Williams
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Earth’s inner core has a core smaller than Moon

Chinese and the US researchers suggest that the innermost core of the Earth has another, distinct region at its center.

The team believes that the structure of the iron crystals there is different from those found in the outer part of the inner core.

The findings are reported in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Without being able to drill into the heart of the Earth, its make-up is something of a mystery.

Scientists use echoes generated by earthquakes to study the core, by analyzing how they change as they travel through the different layers of our planet.Earth inner core has a core

Prof. Xiaodong Song, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign said: “The waves are bouncing back and forth from one side of the Earth to the other side of the Earth.”

He and his colleagues in China say this data suggests that the Earth’s inner core – a solid region that is about the size of the Moon – is made up of two parts.

The seismic wave data suggests that crystals in the “inner inner core” are aligned in an east-to-west direction – flipped on their side, if you are looking down at our planet from high above the North Pole.

Those in the “outer inner core” are lined up north to south, so vertical if peering down from the same lofty vantage point.

Prof. Xiaodong Song said: “The fact we are discovering different structures at different regions of the inner core can tell us something about the very long history of the Earth.”

The core, which lies more than 5,000km down, started to solidify about a billion years ago – and it continues to grow about 0.5mm each year.

The finding that it has crystals with a different alignment, suggests that they formed under different conditions and that our planet may have undergone a dramatic change during this period.

Bruce Jenner’s cellphone records to be released over Malibu car crash

Lisa.Felice
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Bruce Jenner’s cellphone records to be released over Malibu car crash

Bruce Jenner’s cellphone records will be released to investigators in connection with Saturday’s fatal car crash on Pacific Coast Highway.

Sgt. Philip Brooks of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told the Los Angeles Times that investigators would ask Bruce Jenner to sign a form to release his cellphone records to authorities.

Meanwhile, DMV records showed that Kim Howe, the 69-year-old driver killed in the Malibu crash, had not had a valid license since 2007, when it expired.

Alan Nierob, the former Olympian’s publicist, has said Bruce Jenner would provide the records to show he was not texting, Associated Press reported.

Philip Brooks said investigators would try to obtain cellphone records for the other drivers involved in the crash that killed Kim Howe. At this point, he said, all drivers were being investigated.

The crash investigation likely will take months, the sergeant said: “It’s like putting Humpty Dumpty back together again.”Bruce Jenner texting car crash

Along with reviewing cellphone records, detectives plan to examine the vehicles, re-create the crash on paper, talk to witnesses and look through any photographs and video.

If the probe reveals one of the drivers committed a vehicle code violation at the time of the crash, more serious charges – including vehicular manslaughter – are a possibility, he said.

Authorities say the crash happened when a Lexus slammed into a Prius that had stopped or slowed down on PCH near Corral Canyon Road in Malibu.

Bruce Jenner was behind the Lexus in a black Cadillac Escalade, hauling an off-road vehicle. He rear-ended the Lexus.

The Lexus was pushed into the path of a Hummer, causing a head-on collision.

Kim Howe, the driver of the Lexus, died at the scene.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Kim Howe had not had a valid driver’s license since 2007, when it expired.

Bruce Jenner, who rear-ended Kim Howe’s vehicle, has a valid license, the DMV said.

Paparazzi were following Bruce Jenner, but Philip Brooks said it didn’t appear Jenner was trying to outrun them.

Philip Brooks said Bruce Jenner was photographed holding a cellphone but it was unclear when it was taken. Five others were hurt, but not seriously, in the crash.

On February 8, Bruce Jenner issued a statement calling the crash a “devastating tragedy.”

“My heartfelt and deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones, and to all of those who were involved or injured in this terrible accident,” the reality star said in a statement released by his publicist.

“It is a devastating tragedy and I cannot pretend to imagine what this family is going through at this time. I am praying for them. I will continue to cooperate in every way possible.”

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Bobbi Kristina Brown candlelight vigil held in Riverdale

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown candlelight vigil held in Riverdale

A candlelight vigil for Bobbi Kristina Brown was held in the city of Riverdale, Georgia, as the 21-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown clings to life at nearby Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

“Forget that he [Bobby Brown] is a renowned artist. That her mama, the late Whitney, was a renowned artist. These [are] still people. They bleed and hurt like us,” said Riverdale mayor Dr. Evelyn Wynn-Dixon on Monday night.

“Sometime people ask you, or they say, <<I know how you feel>>. Sometime they don’t. Sometime they don’t know what it’s like if your child is on that ventilator. <<What do I do? If I take it off and she could have lived or do I let her stay on it and suffer?>> That’s a hard question for any parent,” the mayor told the large crowd of fans and concerned residents.Vigil for healing Bobbi Kristina Brown

Evelyn Wynn-Dixon’s comments seemed to confirm what has been widely reported by the media that Bobbi Kristina Brown is connected to a ventilator, and her family faces a decision whether or not to remove her from life support.

Before the service began, organizers played several of Whitney Houston’s hit songs including I Have Nothing and I’m Every Woman.

Once the gathering got underway, a series of family friends and ministers addressed the crowd with words of encouragement including “we’re here to pick people up” and “continuous prayer is what is needed at this point.”

As the vigil came to a close, legendary R&B singer Tony Terry took the microphone and sang I Look To You, Whitney Houston’s last attempt at a comeback single before her death in 2012.

Several people in the crowd were brought to tears while Tony Terry belted out the stirring track, which is a call for help in a time of crisis.

Riverdale organized the “Shining A Light For Healing For Bobbi Kristina Brown” vigil to support the Brown family, because Bobby Brown was the first artist to perform at its amphitheater, a city official told several media outlets.

Bobbi Kristina Brown was rushed to the hospital after being found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub at her home on January 31.

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UBS under new tax evasion investigation in US

Clyde K. Valle
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UBS under new tax evasion investigation in US

Swiss banking giant UBS has confirmed it is being investigated by US authorities into whether it helped Americans evade taxes through investments banned in the US.

According to the bank, US regulators were investigating potential sales of so called “bearer bonds”.

These bonds can be transferred without registering ownership, enabling wealthy clients to potentially hide assets.

“We are cooperating with the authorities in these investigations,” USB said.

The fresh investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and from the US Securities and Exchange Commission comes after UBS paid $780 million in 2009 to settle a separate Justice Department tax-evasion probe.

The move comes as authorities in a range of countries are considering examining HSBC’s actions in helping more than 100,000 wealthy individuals avoid paying tax.UBS tax evasion investigation in US

UBS made the announcement as it revealed a better-than-expected 13% rise in fourth quarter net profit to 963 million Swiss francs.

However, it warned the increased value of the Swiss franc relative to other currencies, following the Swiss National Bank’s decision to abandon the cap on the currency’s value against the euro, would “put pressure” on its profitability.

“The increased value of the Swiss franc relative to other currencies, especially the US dollar and the euro, and negative interest rates in the eurozone and Switzerland will put pressure on our profitability and, if they persist, on some of our targeted performance levels,” it warned.

UBS results for the full year, were hit by more than $1 billion to settle past scandals. In November, it was one of six banks fined by UK and US regulators over their traders’ attempted manipulation of foreign exchange rates, paying 774 million Swiss francs in total.

It also paid $300 million in the second quarter to settle charges it helped wealthy German clients evade tax.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is continuing to investigate UBS over currency manipulation allegations.

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Grammys 2015: Kanye West interrupts Beck as he collects Best Album Award

Sonia Pantiss
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Grammys 2015: Kanye West interrupts Beck as he collects Best Album Award

Kanye West started to interrupt Beck as he collects his Best Album Grammy Award, echoing his infamous 2009 on stage faux pas with Taylor Swift.

Prince was on stage announcing that Beck had won the Album of the Year award for his record Morning Phase.

“Like books and black lives, albums still matter – tonight and always,” the music legend said.Kanye West interrupts Beck at Grammys 2015

As Beck collected his award and walked up to the microphone, Kanye West approached the stage.

The audience gasped and jeered in horror thinking they will witness a repeat performance of one of the most cringeworthy moments in award ceremony history.

Kanye West famously interrupted Taylor Swift when she beat Beyoncé at the MTV VMA in 2009, shouting: “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you and I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!”

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Kim Howe: Woman killed in Bruce Jenner car crash identified

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Howe: Woman killed in Bruce Jenner car crash identified

The woman killed in this weekend’s deadly multi-vehicle crash involving Bruce Jenner has been identified as Kim Howe.

Kim Howe was a 69-year-old widow who lived in Calabasas and Malibu.

Public records show that Kim Howe had a home in the same gated community in Calabasas as Bruce Jenner’s former stepdaughters Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian.

Kim Howe was behind the wheel of a Lexus on the Pacific Coast Highway when the Toyota Prius ahead of her stopped and she slammed into it.

Bruce Jenner, driving a Cadillac Escalade behind Kim Howe, crashed into her, sending the woman’s car into oncoming traffic, where a Hummer collided with it. Kim Howe died at the scene.

Photo DMV California
Photo DMV California

Authorities are still trying to determine exactly what happened to cause the accident.

Bruce Jenner has said that he wasn’t distracted by texting at the time of the accident, and has volunteered to show investigators his cell phone records.The woman killed in this weekend’s deadly multi-vehicle crash involving Bruce Jenner has been identified as Kim Howe.
Kim Howe was a 69-year-old widow who lived in Calabasas and Malibu.
Public records show that Kim Howe had a home in the same gated community in Calabasas as Bruce Jenner’s former stepdaughters Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian.
Kim Howe was behind the wheel of a Lexus on the Pacific Coast Highway when the Toyota Prius ahead of her stopped and she slammed into it.
Bruce Jenner, driving a Cadillac Escalade behind Kim Howe, crashed into her, sending the woman’s car into oncoming traffic, where a Hummer collided with it. Kim Howe died at the scene.
Authorities are still trying to determine exactly what happened to cause the accident.
Bruce Jenner has said that he wasn’t distracted by texting at the time of the accident, and has volunteered to show investigators his cell phone records.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown: Public prayer vigil announced for February 9

Lisa.Felice
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Bobbi Kristina Brown: Public prayer vigil announced for February 9

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s family announced a public prayer vigil on Monday, February 9, for Whitney Houston’s daughter who was found unconscious and face down in a bathtub on January 31.

The “Shining a Light for Healing” vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Amphitheater at Riverdale Town Center in Riverdale, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

“All are welcome to attend as a show of support for Bobbi Kriss & Family,” Bobbi Kristina Brown’s cousin Jerod Brown wrote on his Facebook page.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 21, has been surrounded by family, including father Bobby Brown, since being hospitalized.

“As her father already stated, we are asking you to honor our request for privacy during this difficult time,” the family said in a statement last week.

“Thank you for your prayers, well wishes, and we greatly appreciate your continued support.”

Barack Obama: US may supply lethal defensive arms to Ukraine if diplomacy fails

Roy Siemens
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Barack Obama: US may supply lethal defensive arms to Ukraine if diplomacy fails

The US is studying the option of supplying lethal defensive arms to Ukraine if diplomacy fails to end the crisis in the east, President Barack Obama has said.

Russia had violated “every commitment” made in the failing Minsk agreement, he added, after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a new peace deal.

Barack Obama has come under pressure from senior US officials to supply arms, despite objections from Angela Merkel.

Russia denies accusations of sending troops and supplying the rebels.

The latest diplomatic efforts come amid renewed fighting between the pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian government troops, with fighting centered around the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve.

The rebels said on February 9 they had cut off a key supply road to the town, which is near the rebel-held city of Donetsk, but the military says the battle is ongoing.Barack Obama and Angela Merkel Ukraine talks 2015

Ukrainian government officials say nine soldiers and at least seven civilians have been killed in fighting over the last 24 hours.

The crisis in Ukraine has already claimed more than 5,300 lives and displaced 1.5 million people from their homes.

Angela Merkel met Barack Obama in Washington on February 9 to update him on Franco-German efforts to revive last year’s Minsk peace plan, which collapsed amid fighting over the winter.

The detailed proposals have not been released but the plan is thought to include a demilitarized zone of 50-70km (31-44 miles) around the current front line.

Four-way talks between Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are due to be held in Belarus’s capital Minsk on February 11 to discuss the proposals.

Speaking alongside Angela Merkel, President Barack Obama said the option of lethal defensive weapons for the Ukrainian government remained on the table.

“If, in fact, diplomacy fails, what I’ve asked my team to do is to look at all options,” he said, adding that offering lethal arms was only one of the options under consideration.

Angela Merkel, who has made it clear she opposes sending lethal arms, acknowledged setbacks in efforts to reach a diplomatic solution with Russia over Ukraine, but said that they would continue.

Meanwhile Barack Obama criticized Russian aggression in Ukraine, saying that the borders of Europe could not be “redrawn at the barrel of a gun”.

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Netflix launches streaming service in Cuba

Clyde K. Valle
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Netflix launches streaming service in Cuba

Netflix has launched its services in Cuba, as diplomatic relations between the US and the communist island continue to thaw.

The internet movie and television streaming service said its content, such as series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, will be available to anyone with international payment cards.

On January 15, the US announced new rules that ease long-running sanctions against Cuba.

A trade embargo has been in place since 1962.Netflix launches in Cuba

MasterCard and American Express have both said they will launch operations in Cuba soon.

Last month, Netflix said its international expansion was proceeding ahead of schedule.

The company said it plans to expand to 200 countries in the next two years, and to earn “material profits” from its operations overseas by 2017.

“We are delighted to finally be able to offer Netflix to the people of Cuba, connecting them with stories they will love from all over the world,” said Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings in a statement.

“Cuba has great filmmakers and a robust arts culture and one day we hope to be able to bring their work to our global audience of over 57 million members.”

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Samsung Smart TV listens to you and shares information with third parties

Nancy Clayson
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Samsung Smart TV listens to you and shares information with third parties

Samsung is warning customers to avoid discussing personal information in front of their Smart TV set.

The warning applies to TV viewers who control their Samsung Smart TV using its voice activation feature.

Such TV sets “listen” to some of what is said in front of them and may share details they hear with Samsung or third parties, it said.

Privacy campaigners said the technology smacked of the telescreens, in George Orwell’s 1984, which spied on citizens.

The warning came to light via a story in online news magazine the Daily Beast which published an excerpt of a section of Samsung’s privacy policy for its net-connected Smart TV sets.Samsung Smart TV listens to you

The policy explains that the TV set will be listening to people in the same room to try to spot when commands or queries are issued via the remote. It goes on to say: “If your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.”

Corynne McSherry, an intellectual property lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) which campaigns on digital rights issues, told the Daily Beast that the third party was probably the company providing speech-to-text conversion for Samsung.

She added: “If I were the customer, I might like to know who that third party was, and I’d definitely like to know whether my words were being transmitted in a secure form.”

Soon after, an activist for the EFF circulated the policy statement on Twitter comparing it to George Orwell’s description of the telescreens in his novel 1984 that listen to what people say in their homes.

In response to the widespread sharing of its policy statement, Samsung has issued a statement to clarify how voice activation works. It emphasized that the voice recognition feature is activated using the TV’s remote control.

It said the privacy policy was an attempt to be transparent with owners in order to help them make informed choices about whether to use some features on its Smart TV sets, adding that it took consumer privacy “very seriously”.

Samsung said: “If a consumer consents and uses the voice recognition feature, voice data is provided to a third party during a requested voice command search. At that time, the voice data is sent to a server, which searches for the requested content then returns the desired content to the TV.”

It added that it did not retain voice data or sell the audio being captured. Smart-TV owners would always know if voice activation was turned on because a microphone icon would be visible on the screen, it said.

The third-party handling the translation from speech to text has not been named.

Samsung is not the first maker of a smart, net-connected TV to run into problems with the data the set collects. In late 2013, a UK IT consultant found his LG TV was gathering information about his viewing habits.

Publicity about the issue led LG to create a software update which ensured data collection was turned off for those who did not want to share information.

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The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water tops US box office in its opening weekend

Sonia Pantiss
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The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water tops US box office in its opening weekend

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water has topped the US box office, taking $56 million in its opening weekend.

The animated movie follows SpongeBob character as he leaves his home on the ocean floor and attempts to recover a stolen burger recipe.

Clint Eastwood’s Navy Seal drama American Sniper fell to second place after taking $24.2 million in its fourth week.

Since its release, American Sniper has raked in $282 million. Based on the memoirs of soldier Chris Kyle, it has received six Oscar nominations, including a best actor nod for Bradley Cooper in the title role.The SpongeBob Movie Sponge Out of Water tops US box office

Jupiter Ascending sold the third most tickets over the weekend, with estimated box office takings of $19 million.

Starring Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis and Eddie Redmayne, the sci-fi blockbuster has received wildly disparate reviews.

Seventh Son, a 3D fantasy-action film starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore, took the fourth spot, earning $7.1 million.

Paddington, the film adaptation of the family classic about a bear lost in the big city, came fifth, with $5.4 million in ticket sales.

North America box office Top 10:

  1. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – $56 million
  2. American Sniper – $24.2 million
  3. Jupiter Ascending – $19 million
  4. Seventh Son – $7.1 million
  5. Paddington – $5.4 million
  6. Project Almanac – $5.3 million
  7. The Imitation Game – $4.9 million
  8. Black or White – $4.52 million
  9. The Wedding Ringer – $4.5 million
  10. The Boy Next Door – $4.1 million

Source: Rentrak

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Liu Han: Chinese mining tycoon executed for leading mafia-style crime and murder

Diane A. Wade
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Liu Han: Chinese mining tycoon executed for leading mafia-style crime and murder

Chinese mining tycoon Liu Han has been executed after being sentenced to death in May 2014 for “leading mafia-style crime and murder”, state media say.

Liu Han’s younger brother, Liu Wei and three other associates were also executed, Xinhua said, after China’s top court signed off on the move.

The former chairman of Hanlong Group is believed to have had links to former security tsar Zhou Yongkang, who is currently being investigated.

The Hanlong Group is a major private conglomerate based in Sichuan province, involved in multiple industries including mining, telecommunications and chemicals.

As head of the company, Liu Han was both rich and very influential.Liu Han Hanlong Group executed

Xinhua said the company, which had been “harbored and indulged by government officials, had illegally monopolized the gaming business in Guanghan City in Sichuan province, tyrannized local people and seriously harmed the local economic and social order”.

In recent months, several top officials from Sichuan province have come under scrutiny.

Sichuan was a power base of Zhou Yongkang, China’s former domestic security chief who is now the subject of a corruption probe.

Zhou Yongkang was the party secretary in Sichuan before becoming head of China’s public security ministry in 2003.

He was arrested in December 2014, the latest and by far the most senior figure to be handed over to prosecutors as part of President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on corruption.

Official reports do not specifically link Liu Han’s case with Zhou Yongkang.

Liu Han was an associate of Zhou Bin, Zhou Yongkang’s son, the South China Morning Post reported.

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HSBC helped wealthy clients across world evade hundreds of millions of dollars

Clyde K. Valle
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HSBC helped wealthy clients across world evade hundreds of millions of dollars

According to new reports, HSBC helped wealthy clients across the world evade hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax.

Accounts from 106,000 clients in 203 countries were leaked by whistleblower Herve Falciani in 2007.

HSBC admitted that some individuals took advantage of bank secrecy to hold undeclared accounts. But it said it has now “fundamentally changed”.

The banking giant now faces criminal investigations in the US, France, Belgium and Argentina.

HSBC said it is “co-operating with relevant authorities”. However, in the UK, where the bank is based, no such action has been taken.

Offshore accounts are not illegal, but many people use them to hide cash from the tax authorities. And while tax avoidance is perfectly legal, deliberately hiding money to evade tax is not.

India’s finance minister Arun Jaitley has said that all Indian names on the list will be investigated, although he cautioned that some accounts might be legitimate. A current inquiry looking into more than 600 people who hold accounts overseas, will now be widened to look into the current list of names.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

The French authorities concluded in 2013 that 99.8% of their citizens on the list were probably evading tax.

The thousands of pages of data were obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde. In a joint investigation, the documents have now been passed to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Guardian and more than 50 media outlets around the world.

HSBC did not just turn a blind eye to tax evaders – in some cases it broke the law by actively helping its clients.

The bank gave one wealthy family a foreign credit card so they could withdraw their undeclared cash at cashpoints overseas.

HSBC also helped its tax-dodging clients stay ahead of the law.

When the European Savings Directive was introduced in 2005, the idea was that Swiss banks would take any tax owed from undeclared accounts and pass it to the taxman.

It was a tax designed to catch tax evaders. But instead of simply collecting the money, HSBC wrote to customers and offered them ways to get round the new tax.

HSBC denies that all these account holders were evading tax.

Meanwhile, HSBC said it has completely overhauled its private banking business and has reduced the number of Swiss accounts by almost 70% since 2007.

In a statement, the bank said: “HSBC has implemented numerous initiatives designed to prevent its banking services being used to evade taxes or launder money.”

HSBC said it now puts compliance and tax transparency ahead of profitability.

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Rosie O’Donnell explains why she leaves The View

Lisa.Felice
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Rosie O’Donnell explains why she leaves The View

In a recent interview, comedian Rosie O’Donnell has explained why she leaves The View.

According to her rep, Rosie O’Donnell leaves the show to concentrate on her family after splitting with her second wife, Michelle Rounds.

Rosie O’Donnell, 52, told Entertainment Tonight on February 7: “Stress is a major contributing factor to heart disease and heart attacks. You can’t really minimize it. I’m having a lot of stressful situations in my family life at the moment and having stressful situations in my work environment, so something had to give. The most easy way to accomplish the lessening of the stress is to not go to work for right now.”

The comedian also said that her decision was not driven by any on-set conflict.Rosie O'Donnell leaves The View

On February 6, her rep confirmed the news that Rosie O’Donnell and her wife of three years, Michelle Rounds, had split in November 2014.

In 2012, Rosie O’Donnell had a near-fatal heart attack. At the time, she described it as a wake-up call and said she had missed the warning signs.

ABC has yet to announce who will fill Rosie O’Donnell’s seat on The View.

Rosie O’Donnell will still appear on a five-episode arc of ABC Family’s drama The Fosters.

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The human cost of war in Ukraine

Roy Siemens
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The human cost of war in Ukraine
  • 5,358 people killed and 12,235 wounded in eastern Ukraine
  • Fatalities include 298 people on board flight MH17 shot down on July 17, 2014
  • 224 civilians killed in three-week period leading up to February 1, 2015Ukraine war human cost 2015
  • 5.2 million people estimated to be living in conflict areas
  • 921,640 internally displaced people within Ukraine, including 136,216 children
  • 600,000 fled to neighboring countries of whom more than 400,000 have gone to Russia

Source: Figures from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, February 3, and UN report, January 21, 2015

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Vladimir Putin: Ukraine crisis caused by West

Roy Siemens
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Vladimir Putin: Ukraine crisis caused by West

President Vladimir Putin has renewed the blame on the West for the Ukrainian crisis, as he works on Franco-German proposals to end fighting between the government and pro-Russia rebels.

Western countries had broken pledges not to expand NATO and forced countries to choose between them and Russia, Vladimir Putin told an Egyptian newspaper.

The comments come amid new hopes of a peace deal on February 11.

Russia denies accusations of sending troops and supplying the rebels.

The fighting in eastern Ukraine has claimed more than 5,300 lives and driven 1.5 million people from their homes.

At least nine Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the past 24 hours, officials say.

Photo RT
Photo RT

Fighting is said to be intense around the town of Debaltseve, near the rebel-held city of Donetsk.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to brief President Barack Obama in Washington on February 9 on the peace plan Germany and France have tried to reach with Ukraine and Russia.

The Washington talks come as the US considers sending weapons to the Ukrainian government.

Angela Merkel told a security conference at the weekend that she could not “imagine any situation in which improved equipment for the Ukrainian army leads to President Putin being so impressed that he believes he will lose militarily”.

Secretary of State John Kerry has denied any rift with EU leaders, saying: “I keep hearing people trying to create one. We are united, we are working closely together.”

Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have been leading efforts to revive the Minsk peace plan, which collapsed amid fighting over the winter.

The detailed proposals have not been released but the plan is thought to include a demilitarized zone of 50-70km (31-44 miles) around the current front line.

The four leaders have announced plans to meet in Minsk on February 11 – provided agreement is reached in the meantime in talks in Berlin.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on February 9 there were hopes for a settlement but nothing had been agreed.

At the start of a visit to Egypt, President Putin renewed his attack on Western countries for their “hollow” promises not to expand NATO to include former Soviet countries, and therefore ignoring Russian interests.

There had been attempts, Vladimir Putin told Egypt’s al-Ahram newspaper, “to tear states which had been parts of the former USSR [Soviet Union] off Russia and to prompt them to make an artificial choice <<between Russia and Europe>>”.

“We repeatedly warned the US and its Western allies about harmful consequences of their interference in Ukrainian domestic affairs but they did not listen to our opinion,” the Russian leader said.

Vladimir Putin went on to accuse them of supporting a “coup d’etat in Kiev” – a reference to the ousting of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych last year.

Viktor Yanukovych lost power amid protests over his decision to scrap a deal that would have seen Ukraine establish closer ties with the European Union.

Since then, Russia has annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and rebels in the east have sought to establish full control over the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

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Cairo stadium clashes: Egypt authorities halt football league matches after deaths

Clyde K. Valle
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Cairo stadium clashes: Egypt authorities halt football league matches after deaths

Egypt has suspended football league matches indefinitely after clashes at a stadium in Cairo left at least 22 people dead.

People were crushed after police fired tear gas at supporters of Zamalek who were trying to force their way in for a match against city rivals ENPPI.

The fans blamed the authorities for opening only a single gate.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the leaders of the Zamalek supporters group, the White Knights.

The last time the league was suspended was in 2012 after 74 fans died in rioting at a game in Port Said.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

At least 20 people were also injured in Cairo on February 8 at the Air Defense Stadium, witnesses say.

Despite the violence, the match went ahead.

Egyptian football fans are often deeply politicized and played a role in the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Many people believe police in Port Said stood by in revenge for the fans’ role in anti-Mubarak unrest. Police deny the accusation.

Recently lifted restrictions on the numbers attending football matches, imposed after the deaths at Port Said, will now be re-imposed.

Egypt’s public prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the Cairo clashes.

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Grammys 2015: Full list of winners

Sonia Pantiss
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Grammys 2015: Full list of winners

Complete list of winners and nominees at the 57th Grammy Awards:

GENERAL

Album of the Year

WINNER: “Morning Phase,” Beck
“Beyoncé,” Beyoncé
“X,” Ed Sheeran
“In the Lonely Hour,” Sam Smith
“Girl,” Pharrell Williams

Record of the Year

“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX
“Chandelier,” Sia
WINNER: “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version),” Sam Smith
“Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift
“All About That Bass,” Meghan Trainor

Song of the Year

“All About That Bass,” Kevin Kadish & Meghan Trainor (Meghan Trainor)
“Chandelier,” Sia Furler & Jesse Shatkin (Sia)
“Shake It Off,” Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift)
WINNER: “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version),” James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith (Sam Smith)
“Take Me to Church,” Andrew Hozier-Byrne (Hozier)

New Artist

Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Brandy Clark
Haim
WINNER: Sam Smith

POP

Pop Solo Performance

“All Of Me (Live),” John Legend
“Chandelier,” Sia
“Stay With Me (Darkchild Version),” Sam Smith
“Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift
WINNER: “Happy (Live),” Pharrell Williams

Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX
“A Sky Full of Stars,” Coldplay
WINNER: “Say Something,” A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera
“Bang Bang,” Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
“Dark Horse,” Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J

Traditional Pop Vocal Album

WINNER: “Cheek to Cheek,” Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
“Nostalgia,” Annie Lennox
“Night Songs,” Barry Manilow
“Sending You a Little Christmas,” Johnny Mathis
“Partners,” Barbra Streisand With Various Artists

Pop Vocal Album

“Ghost Stories,” Coldplay
“Bangerz,” Miley Cyrus
“My Everything,” Ariana Grande
“Prism,” Katy Perry
“X,” Ed Sheeran
WINNER: “In the Lonely Hour,” Sam Smith

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Dance Recording

“Never Say Never,” Basement Jaxx
WINNER: “Rather Be,” Clean Bandit Featuring Jess Glynne
“F for You,” Disclosure Featuring Mary J. Blige
“I Got U,” Duke Dumont Featuring Jax Jones
“Faded,” Zhu

Dance/Electronic Album

WINNER: “Syro,” Aphex Twin
“While (1 < 2),” Deadmau5
“Nabuma Rubberband,” Little Dragon
“Do It Again,” Röyksopp & Robyn
“Damage Control,” Mat Zo

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Contemporary Instrumental Album

“Wild Heart,” Mindi Abair
“Slam Dunk,” Gerald Albright
“Nathan East,” Nathan East
“Jazz Funk Soul,” Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb, Everette Harp
WINNER: “Bass & Mandolin,” Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer

ROCK

Rock Performance

“Gimme Something Good,” Ryan Adams
“Do I Wanna Know?” Arctic Monkeys
“Blue Moon,” Beck
“Fever,” The Black Keys
WINNER: “Lazaretto,” Jack White

Metal Performance

“Neon Knights,” Anthrax
“High Road,” Mastodon
“Heartbreaker,” Motörhead
“The Negative One,” Slipknot
WINNER: “The Last in Line,” Tenacious D

Rock Song

WINNER: “Ain’t It Fun,” Hayley Williams & Taylor York (Paramore)
“Blue Moon,” Beck Hansen (Beck)
“Fever,” Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton & Patrick Carney (The Black Keys)
“Gimme Something Good,” Ryan Adams (Ryan Adams)
“Lazaretto,” Jack White III (Jack White)

Rock Album

“Ryan Adams,” Ryan Adams
WINNER: “Morning Phase,” Beck
“Turn Blue,” The Black Keys
“Hypnotic Eye,” Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
“Songs of Innocence,” U2

ALTERNATIVE

Alternative Music Album

“This Is All Yours,” Alt-J
“Reflektor,” Arcade Fire
“Melophobia,” Cage the Elephant
WINNER: “St. Vincent,” St. Vincent
“Lazaretto,” Jack White

R&B

R&B Performance

WINNER: “Drunk In Love,” Beyoncé Featuring Jay Z
“New Flame,” Chris Brown Featuring Usher & Rick Ross
“It’s Your World,” Jennifer Hudson Featuring R. Kelly
“Like This,” Ledisi
“Good Kisser,” Usher

Traditional R&B Performance

“As,” Marsha Ambrosius & Anthony Hamilton
“I.R.S.,” Angie Fisher
WINNER: “Jesus Children,” Robert Glasper Experiment Featuring Lalah Hathaway & Malcolm Jamal Warner
“Nobody,” Kem
“Hold Up Wait a Minute (Woo Woo),” Antonique Smith

R&B Song

WINNER: “Drunk in Love,” Shawn Carter, Rasool Diaz, Noel Fisher, Jerome Harmon, Beyoncé Knowles, Timothy Mosely, Andre Eric Proctor & Brian Soko (Beyoncé Featuring Jay Z)

“Good Kisser,” Ronald “Flip” Colson, Warren “Oak” Felder, Usher Raymond IV, Jameel Roberts, Terry “Tru” Sneed & Andrew “Pop” Wansel (Usher)

“New Flame,” Eric Bellinger, Chris Brown, James Chambers, Malissa Hunter, Justin Booth Johnson, Mark Pitts, Usher Raymond IV, William Roberts, Maurice “Verse” Simmonds & Keith Thomas (Chris Brown Featuring Usher & Rick Ross)

“Options (Wolfjames Version),” Dominic Gordon, Brandon Hesson, William Roberts & Jamaica “Kahn-Cept” Smith (Luke James)

“The Worst,” Jhené Aiko Chilombo, songwriter (Jhené Aiko)

Urban Contemporary Album

“Sail Out,” Jhene Aiko
“Beyoncé,” Beyoncé
“X,” Chris Brown
“Mali Is …,” Mali Music
WINNER: “Girl,” Pharrell Williams

R&B Album

“Islander,” Bernhoft
“Lift Your Spirit,” Aloe Blacc
WINNER: “Love, Marriage & Divorce,” Toni Braxton & Babyface
“Black Radio 2,” Robert Glasper Experiment
“Give the People What They Want,” Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

RAP

Rap Performance

“3005,” Childish Gambino
“0 to 100/The Catch Up,” Drake
“Rap God,” Eminem
WINNER: “I,” Kendrick Lamar
“All I Need Is You,” Lacrae

Rap/Sung Collaboration

“Blak Majik,” Common Featuring Jhené Aiko
WINNER: “The Monster,” Eminem Featuring Rihanna
“Tuesday,” I Love Makonnen Featuring Drake
“Studio,” Schoolboy Q Featuring BJ The Chicago Kid
“Bound 2,” Kanye West & Charlie Wilson

Rap Song

“Anaconda,” Ernest Clark, Jamal Jones, Onika Maraj, Marcos Palacios & J. Solone-Myvett (Nicki Minaj)

“Bound 2,” Mike Dean, Malik Jones, Che Pope, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, John Stephens, Kanye West, Charlie Wilson & Cydel Young (Kanye West & Charlie Wilson)

WINNER: “I,” K. Duckworth & C. Smith (Kendrick Lamar)

“We Dem Boyz,” N. Fisher & C. Thomaz (Wiz Khalifa)

“0 To 100 / The Catch Up,” A. Feeney, Aubrey Graham, A. Hernandez, P. Jefferies, M. Samuels & Noah Shebib, (Drake)

Rap Album

“The New Classic,” Iggy Azalea
“Because the Internet,” Childish Gambino
“Nobody’s Smiling,” Common
WINNER: “The Marshall Mathers LP2,” Eminem
“Oxymoron,” Schoolboy Q
“Blacc Hollywood,” Wiz Khalifa

COUNTRY

Country Solo Performance

“Give Me Back My Hometown,” Eric Church
“Invisible,” Hunter Hayes
“Automatic,” Miranda Lambert
WINNER: “Something in the Water,” Carrie Underwood
“Cop Car,” Keith UrbanGrammys 2015 winners

Country Duo/Group Performance

WINNER: “Gentle On My Mind,” The Band Perry
“Somethin’ Bad,” Miranda Lambert With Carrie Underwood
“Day Drinking,” Little Big Town
“Meanwhile Back at Mama’s,” Tim McGraw Featuring Faith Hill
“Raise ‘Em Up,” Keith Urban Featuring Eric Church

Country Song

“American Kids,” Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird and Shane McAnally (performed by Kenny Chesney)
“Automatic,” Nicolle Galyon, Natalie Hemby and Miranda Lambert (Miranda Lambert)
“Give Me Back My Hometown,” Eric Church and Luke Laird (Eric Church)
WINNER: “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell)
“Meanwhile Back at Mama’s,” Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston and Jeffrey Steele (Tim McGraw featuring Faith Hill)

Country Album

“Riser,” Dierks Bentley
“The Outsiders,” Eric Church
“12 Stories,” Brandy Clark
WINNER: “Platinum,” Miranda Lambert
“The Way I’m Livin’,” Lee Ann Womack

NEW AGE

New Age Album

“Bhakti,” Paul Avgerinos
“Ritual,” Peter Kater & R. Carlos Nakai
WINNER: “Winds of Samsara,” Ricky Kej & Wouter Kellerman
“Symphony Live in Istanbul,” Kitaro
“In Love and Longing,” Silvia Nakkach & David Darling

JAZZ

Improvised Jazz Solo

“The Eye of the Hurricane,” Kenny Barron
WINNER: “Fingerprints,” Chick Corea
“You & the Night & the Music,” Fred Hersch
“Recorda Me,” Joe Lovano
“Sleeping Giant,” Brad Mehldau

Jazz Vocal Album

“Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro,” Billy Childs & Various Artists
“I Wanna Be Evil,” René Marie
“Live in NYC,” Gretchen Parlato
WINNER: “Beautiful Life,” Dianne Reeves
“Paris Sessions,” Tierney Sutton

Jazz Instrumental Album

“Landmarks,” Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
WINNER: “Trilogy,” Chick Corea Trio
“Floating,” Fred Hersch Trio
“Enjoy the View,” Bobby Hutcherson, David Sanborn, Joey DeFrancesco Featuring Billy Hart
“All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller,” Jason Moran

Large Jazz Ensemble Album

“The L.A. Treasures Project,” The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
WINNER: “Life in the Bubble,” Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
“Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project,” Rufus Reid
“Live: I Hear the Sound,” Archie Shepp Attica Blues Orchestra
“OverTime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer,” The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

Latin Jazz Album

“The Latin Side of Joe Henderson,” Conrad Herwig Featuring Joe Lovano
“The Pedrito Martinez Group,” The Pedrito Martinez Group
WINNER: “The Offense of the Drum,” Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
“Second Half,” Emilio Solla y la Inestable de Brooklyn
“New Throned King,” Yosvany Terry

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

Gospel Performance/Song

“Help,” Erica Campbell Featuring Lecrae; Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell, Hasben Jones, Harold Lilly, Lecrae Moore & Aaron Sledge
“Sunday A.M. [Live],” Karen Clark Sheard; Rudy Currence & Donald Lawrence
“I Believe,” Mali Music; Kortney J. Pollard
WINNER: “No Greater Love,” Smokie Norful; Aaron W. Lindsey & Smokie Norful
“Love on the Radio,” The Walls Group; Kirk Franklin

Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

“Write Your Story,” Francesca Battistelli; Francesca Battistelli, David Arthur Garcia & Ben Glover

“Come as You Are,” Crowder

WINNER: “Messengers,” Lecrae Featuring For King & Country; Torrance Esmond, Ran Jackson, Ricky Jackson, Kenneth Chris Mackey, Lecrae Moore, Joseph Prielozny, Joel Smallbone & Luke Smallbone

“Shake,” MercyMe; Nathan Cochran, David Arthur Garcia, Ben Glover, Barry Graul, Bart Millard, Soli Olds, Mike Scheuchzer & Robby Shaffer

“Multiplied,” Needtobreathe; Bear Rinehart & Bo Rinehart

Gospel Album

WINNER: “Help,” Erica Campbell
“Amazing [Live],” Ricky Dillard & New G
“Withholding Nothing [Live],” William McDowell
“Forever Yours,” Smokie Norful
“Vintage Worship,” Anita Wilson

Contemporary Christian Music Album

“If We’re Honest,” Francesca Battistelli
WINNER: “Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.” For King & Country
“Hurricane,” Natalie Grant
“Welcome to the New,” MercyMe
“Royal Tailor,” Royal Tailor

Roots Gospel Album

“Forever Changed,” T. Graham Brown
WINNER: “Shine for All the People,” Mike Farris
“Hymns,” Gaither Vocal Band
“A Cappella,” The Martins
“His Way Of Loving Me,” Tim Menzies

LATIN

Latin Pop Album

WINNER: “Tangos,” Rubén Blades
“Elypse,” Camila
“Raíz,” Lila Downs, Niña Pastori and Soledad
“Loco de Amor,” Juanes
“Gracias por Estar Aquí,” Marco Antonio Solís

Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

WINNER: “Multiviral,” Calle 13
“Behind the Machine (Detrás de la Máquina),” Chocquibtown
“Bailar en la Cueva,” Jorge Drexler
“Agua Maldita,” Molotov
“Vengo,” Ana Tijoux

Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

“Lastima Que Sean Ajenas,” Pepe Aguilar
WINNER: “Mano a Mano — Tangos a la Manera de Vicente Fernández,” Vicente Fernández
“Voz y Guitarra,” Ixya Herrera
“15 Aniversario,” Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
“Alegría del Mariachi,” Mariachi los Arrieros del Valle

Tropical Latin Album

“50 Aniversario,” El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
“First Class to Havana,” Aymee Nuviola
“Live,” Palo!
“El Asunto,” Totó la Momposina
WINNER: “Más + Corazón Profundo,” Carlos Vives

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC

American Roots Performance

“Statesboro Blues,” Gregg Allman & Taj Mahal
WINNER: “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash
“And When I Die,” Billy Childs Featuring Alison Krauss & Jerry Douglas
“The Old Me Better,” Keb’ Mo’ Featuring the California Feet Warmers
“Destination,” Nickel Creek

American Roots Song

WINNER: “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal (Rosanne Cash)

“Just So Much,” Jesse Winchester (Jesse Winchester)
“The New York Trains,” Woody Guthrie & Del McCoury (The Del McCoury Band)

“Pretty Little One,” Edie Brickell & Steve Martin, songwriters (Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell)

“Terms of My Surrender,” John Hiatt (John Hiatt)

Americana Album

WINNER: “The River & The Thread,” Rosanne Cash
“Terms of My Surrender,” John Hiatt
“Bluesamericana,” Keb’ Mo’
“A Dotted Line,” Nickel Creek
“Metamodern Sounds in Country Music,” Sturgill Simpson

Bluegrass Album

WINNER: “The Earls of Leicester,” The Earls of Leicester
“Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe,” Noam Pikelny
“Cold Spell,” Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
“Into My Own,” Bryan Sutton
“Only Me,” Rhonda Vincent

Blues Album

“Common Ground — Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy,” Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin
“Promise of a Brand New Day,” Ruthie Foster
“Juke Joint Chapel,” Charlie Musselwhite
“Decisions,” Bobby Rush With Blinddog Smokin’
WINNER: “Step Back,” Johnny Winter

Folk Album

“Three Bells,” Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas & Rob Ickes
“Follow the Music,” Alice Gerrard
“The Nocturne Diaries,” Eliza Gilkyson
WINNER: “Remedy,” Old Crow Medicine Show
“A Reasonable Amount of Trouble,” Jesse Winchester

Regional Roots Music Album

“Light the Stars,” Bonsoir, Catin
“Hanu ‘A’ala,” Kamaka Kukona
“Love’s Lies,” Magnolia Sisters
WINNER: “The Legacy,” Jo-El Sonnier
“Ceremony,” Joe Tohonnie Jr.

REGGAE

Reggae Album

WINNER: “Fly Rasta,” Ziggy Marley
“Full Frequency,” Sean Paul
“Back on the Controls,” Lee “Scratch” Perry
“Out of Many, One Music,” Shaggy
“The Reggae Power,” Sly & Robbie & Spicy Chocolate
“Amid the Noise and Haste,” Soja

WORLD MUSIC

World Music Album

“Toumani & Sidiki,” Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté
WINNER: “Eve,” Angelique Kidjo
“Our World in Song,” Wu Man, Luis Conte & Daniel Ho
“Magic,” Sérgio Mendes
“Traces of You,” Anoushka Shankar

CHILDREN’S

Children’s Album

“Appetite for Construction,” The Pop Ups
WINNER: “I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Malala Yousafzai),” Neela Vaswani
“Just Say Hi!” Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
“The Perfect Quirk,” Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
“Through the Woods,” The Okee Dokee Brothers

SPOKEN WORD

Spoken Word Album

“Actors Anonymous,” James Franco
“A Call to Action,” Jimmy Carter
“Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America,” John Waters
WINNER: “Diary of a Mad Diva,” Joan Rivers

“A Fighting Chance,” Elizabeth Warren
“We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song,” Gloria Gaynor

COMEDY

Comedy Album

WINNER: “Mandatory Fun,” “Weird Al” Yankovic
“Obsessed,” Jim Gaffigan
“Oh My God,” Louis C.K.
“Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time,” Patton Oswalt
“We Are Miracles,” Sarah Silverman

MUSICAL THEATER

Musical Theater Album

“Aladdin”
WINNER: “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”
“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
“West Side Story”

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

“American Hustle”
WINNER: “Frozen”
“Get On Up: The James Brown Story”
“Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”

Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

“Frozen,” Christophe Beck
“Gone Girl,” Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
WINNER: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Alexandre Desplat

“Gravity,” Steven Price
“Saving Mr. Banks,” Thomas Newman

Song Written for Visual Media

“Everything Is Awesome!!!” Joshua Bartholomew, Lisa Harriton, Shawn Patterson, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone (Tegan and Sara Featuring the Lonely Island, “The Lego Movie”)

“I See Fire,” Ed Sheeran (Ed Sheeran, “The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug”)

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell & Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell, “Glen Campbell, I’ll Be Me”)

WINNER: “Let It Go,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez (Idina Menzel, “Frozen”)

“The Moon Song, Spike Jonze & Karen O (Scarlett Johansson & Joaquin Phoenix, “Her”)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING

Instrumental Composition

WINNER: “The Book Thief,” John Williams (John Williams)
“Last Train to Sanity,” Stanley Clarke (The Stanley Clarke Band)
“Life in the Bubble,” Gordon Goodwin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
“Recognition,” Rufus Reid (Rufus Reid)
“Tarnation,” Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile (Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer)

Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

“Beautiful Dreamer,” Pete McGuinness (The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra)
WINNER: “Daft Punk,” Ben Bram, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstie Maldonado & Kevin Olusola (Pentatonix)
“Get Smart,” Gordon Goodwin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
“Guantanamera,” Alfredo Rodríguez (Alfredo Rodríguez)
“Moon River,” Chris Walden (Amy Dickson)

Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

“All My Tomorrows,” Jeremy Fox (Jeremy Fox Featuring Kate McGarry)
“Goodnight America,” Vince Mendoza (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
WINNER: “New York Tendaberry,” Billy Childs (Billy Childs Featuring Renée Fleming & Yo-Yo Ma)
“Party Rockers,” Gordon Goodwin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
“What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” Pete McGuinness (The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra)

PACKAGE

Recording Package

“Formosa Medicine Show,” David Chen & Andrew Wong (The Muddy Basin Ramblers)
“Indie Cindy,” Vaughan Oliver (Pixies)
WINNER: “Lightning Bolt,” Jeff Ament, Don Pendleton, Joe Spix & Jerome Turner (Pearl Jam)
“LP1,” FKA Twigs & Phil Lee (FKA Twigs)
“Whispers,” Sarah Larnach (Passenger)

Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

“Cities of Darkscorch,” Leland Meiners & Ken Shipley (Various Artists)
“A Letter Home (Vinyl Box Set),” Gary Burden & Jenice Heo (Neil Young)
WINNER: “The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27),” Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood & Jack White (Various Artists)
“Sparks (Deluxe Album Box Set),” Andy Carne (Imogen Heap)
“Spring 1990 (The Other One),” Jessica Dessner, Lisa Glines, Doran Tyson & Steve Vance (Grateful Dead)

NOTES

Album Notes

“Happy: The 1920 Rainbo Orchestra Sides,” David Sager (Isham Jones Rainbo Orchestra)
“I’m Just Like You: Sly’s Stone Flower 1969-70,” Alec Palao (Various Artists)
WINNER: “Offering: Live at Temple University,” Ashley Kahn (John Coltrane)

“The Other Side of Bakersfield: 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers From ‘Nashville West,'” Scott B. Bomar (Various Artists)
“Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound,” Jon Kirby (Various Artists)
“The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27),” Scott Blackwood

HISTORICAL

Historical Album

“Black Europe: The Sounds and Images of Black People in Europe Pre-1927,” Various Artists

WINNER: “The Garden Spot Programs, 1950,” Hank Williams
“Happy: The 1920 Rainbo Orchestra Sides,” Isham Jones Rainbo Orchestra
“Longing for the Past: The 78 RPM Era in Southeast Asia,” Various Artists
“There’s a Dream I’ve Been Saving: Lee Hazlewood Industries 1966-1971 (Deluxe Edition),” Various Artists

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL

Engineered Album, Non-Classical

“Bass & Mandolin,” Richard King & Dave Sinko, engineers; Robert C. Ludwig, mastering engineer (Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer)

“Bluesamericana,” Ross Hogarth & Casey Wasner, engineers; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer (Keb’ Mo’)

WINNER: “Morning Phase,” Tom Elmhirst, David Greenbaum, Florian Lagatta, Cole Marsden, Greif Neill, Robbie Nelson, Darrell Thorp, Cassidy Turbin & Joe Visciano, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Beck)

“The Way I’m Livin’,” Chuck Ainlay, engineer; Gavin Lurssen, mastering engineer (Lee Ann Womack)

“What’s Left Is Forever,” Tchad Blake, Oyvind Jakobsen, Jo Ranheim, Itai Shapiro & David Way, engineers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Thomas Dybdahl)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Paul Epworth
John Hill
Jay Joyce
Greg Kurstin
WINNER: Max Martin

Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

WINNER: “All of Me (Tiesto’s Birthday Treatment Remix),” Tijs Michiel Verwest (John Legend)
“Falling Out (Ming Remix),” MING (Crossfingers Featuring Danny Losito)
“Pompeii (Audien Remix),” Audien (Bastille)
“The Rising (Eddie Amador Remix),” Eddie Amador (Five Knives)
“Smile (Kaskade Edit),” Ryan Raddon (Galantis)
“Waves (Robin Schulz Remix),” Robin Schulz (Mr. Probz)

SURROUND SOUND

Surround Sound Album

“Beppe: Remote Galaxy,” Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Vladimir Ashkenazy & Philharmonia Orchestra)

WINNER: “Beyoncé,” Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Tom Coyne, surround mastering engineer; Beyoncé Knowles, surround producer (Beyoncé)

“Chamberland: The Berlin Remixes,” David Miles Huber, surround mix engineer; David Miles Huber, surround mastering engineer; David Miles Huber, surround producer (David Miles Huber)

“The Division Bell (20th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set),” Damon Iddins & Andy Jackson, surround mix engineers; Damon Iddins & Andy Jackson, surround mastering engineers (Pink Floyd)

“Epics of Love,” Hans-Jörg Maucksch, surround mix engineer; Hans-Jörg Maucksch, surround mastering engineer; Günter Pauler, surround producer (Song Zuying, Yu Long & China Philharmonic Orchestra)

“Mahler: Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection,'” Michael Bishop, surround mix engineer; Michael Bishop, surround mastering engineer; Elaine Martone, surround producer (Benjamin Zander & Philharmonia Orchestra)

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL

Engineered Album, Classical

“Adams, John: City Noir,” Richard King, engineer; Wolfgang Schiefermair, mastering engineer (David Robertson & St. Louis Symphony)

“Adams, John Luther: Become Ocean,” Dmitriy Lipay & Nathaniel Reichman, engineers; Nathaniel Reichman, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)

“Dutilleux: Symphony No. 1; Tout un Monde Lointain; The Shadows of Time,” Dmitriy Lipay, engineer; Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)

“Riccardo Muti Conducts Mason Bates & Anna Clyne,” David Frost & Christopher Willis, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

WINNER: “Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem; Symphony No. 4; The Lark Ascending,” Michael Bishop, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Robert Spano, Norman Mackenzie, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

Producer of the Year, Classical

Morten Lindberg
Dmitriy Lipay
Elaine Martone
WINNER: Judith Sherman
David Starobin

CLASSICAL

Orchestral Performance

WINNER: “Adams, John: City Noir,” David Robertson, conductor (St. Louis Symphony)

“Dutilleux: Symphony No. 1; Tout un Monde Lointain; The Shadows Of Time,” Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)

“Dvorak: Symphony No. 8; Janacek: Symphonic Suite From Jenufa,” Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

“Schumann: Symphonien 1-4,” Simon Rattle, conductor (Berliner Philharmoniker)

“Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7; Tapiola,” Robert Spano, conductor (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)

Opera Recording

WINNER: “Charpentier: La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers,” Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Aaron Sheehan; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble; Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble)

“Milhaud: L’Orestie d’Eschyle,” Kenneth Kiesler, conductor; Dan Kempson, Jennifer Lane, Tamara Mumford & Brenda Rae; Tim Handley, producer (University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble & University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra; University of Michigan Chamber Choir, University of Michigan Orpheus Singers, University of Michigan University Choir & UMS Choral Union)

“Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie,” William Christie, conductor; Sarah Connolly, Stéphane Degout, Christiane Karg, Ed Lyon & Katherine Watson; Sébastien Chonion, producer (Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment; The Glyndebourne Chorus)

“Schönberg: Moses und Aron,” Sylvain Cambreling, conductor; Andreas Conrad & Franz Grundheber; Reinhard Oechsler, producer (SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden Und Freiburg; EuropaChorAkademie)

“Strauss: Elektra,” Christian Thielemann, conductor; Evelyn Herlitzius, Waltraud Meier, René Pape & Anne Schwanewilms; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Staatskapelle Dresden; Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden)

Choral Performance

“Bach: Matthäus-Passion,” René Jacobs, conductor (Werner Güra & Johannes Weisser; Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin; Rias Kammerchor & Staats-Und Domchor Berlin)

“Dyrud: Out of Darkness,” Vivianne Sydnes, conductor (Erlend Aagaard Nilsen & Geir Morten Øien; Sarah Head & Lars Sitter; Nidaros Cathedral Choir)

“Holst: First Choral Symphony; The Mystic Trumpeter,” Andrew Davis, conductor; Stephen Jackson, chorus master (Susan Gritton; BBC Symphony Orchestra; BBC Symphony Chorus)
“Mozart: Requiem,” John Butt, conductor (Matthew Brook, Rowan Hellier, Thomas Hobbs & Joanne Lunn; Dunedin Consort)

WINNER :“The Sacred Spirit of Russia,” Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare)

Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

“Dreams & Prayers,” David Krakauer & A Far Cry
WINNER: “In 27 Pieces — The Hilary Hahn Encores,” Hilary Hahn & Cory Smythe
“Martinu: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-3,” Steven Isserlis & Olli Mustonen
“Partch: Castor & Pollux,” Partch
“Sing Thee Nowell,” New York Polyphony

Classical Instrumental Solo

“All the Things You Are,” Leon Fleisher
“The Carnegie Recital,” Daniil Trifonov
“Dutilleux: Tout Un Monde Lointain,” Xavier Phillips; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
WINNER: “Play,” Jason Vieaux
“Toccatas,” Jory Vinikour

Classical Solo Vocal Album

WINNER: “Douce France,” Anne Sofie Von Otter; Bengt Forsberg, accompanist (Carl Bagge, Margareta Bengston, Mats Bergström, Per Ekdahl, Bengan Janson, Olle Linder & Antoine Tamestit)

“Porpora: Arias,” Philippe Jaroussky; Andrea Marcon, conductor (Cecilia Bartoli; Venice Baroque Orchestra)

“Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin,” Florian Boesch; Malcolm Martineau, accompanist

“Stella di Napoli,” Joyce DiDonato; Riccardo Minasi, conductor (Chœur De L’Opéra National De Lyon; Orchestre De L’Opéra National De Lyon)

“Virtuoso Rossini Arias,” Lawrence Brownlee; Constantine Orbelian, conductor (Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra)

Classical Compendium

“Britten to America,” Jeffrey Skidmore, conductor; Colin Matthews, producer
“Mieczyslaw Weinberg,” Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Daniil Grishin, Gidon Kremer & Daniil Trifonov; Manfred Eicher, producer
“Mike Marshall & The Turtle Island Quartet,” Mike Marshall & Turtle Island Quartet; Mike Marshall, producer
WINNER: “Partch: Plectra & Percussion Dances,” Partch; John Schneider, producer
“The Solent – Fifty Years of Music by Ralph Vaughan Williams,” Paul Daniel, conductor; Andrew Walton, producer

Contemporary Classical Composition

WINNER: “Adams, John Luther: Become Ocean,” John Luther Adams (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)

“Clyne, Anna: Prince of Clouds,” Anna Clyne (Jaime Laredo, Jennifer Koh, Vinay Parameswaran & Curtis 20/21 Ensemble)

“Crumb, George: Voices From the Heartland,” George Crumb (Ann Crumb, Patrick Mason, James Freeman & Orchestra 2001)

“Paulus, Stephen: Concerto For Two Trumpets & Band,” Stephen Paulus (Eric Berlin, Richard Kelley, James Patrick Miller & UMASS Wind Ensemble)

“Sierra, Roberto: Sinfonía No. 4,” Roberto Sierra (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

Music Video

“We Exist,” Arcade Fire; David Wilson, video director; Jason Baum, video producer

“Turn Down for What,” DJ Snake & Lil Jon; Daniels, video directors; Judy Craig, Candice Ouaknine, Jonathan Wang & Bryan Younce, video producers

“Chandelier,” Sia; Daniel Askill & Sia, video directors; Jennifer Heath, video producer

WINNER: “Happy,” Pharrell Williams; We Are From LA, video director; Kathleen Heffernan, Roman Pichon Herrera, Jett Steiger & Cedric Troadec, video producers

“The Golden Age,” Woodkid Featuring Max Richter; Chis Clayton & Yoann Lemoine, video directors; Roman Pichon Herrera, Christine Miller, Susan Porche & Annabel Rosier, video producers

Music Film

“Beyoncé & Jay Z: On the Run Tour,” Beyoncé & Jay Z; Jonas Åkerlund, video director; Svana Gisla, video producer

“Ghost Stories,” Coldplay; Paul Dugdale, video director; Jim Parsons, video producer

WINNER: “20 Feet From Stardom,” Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer & Judith Hill; Morgan Neville, video director; Gil Friesen & Caitrin Rogers, video producers

“Metallica Through the Never,” Metallica; Nimród Antal, video director; Adam Ellison & Charlotte Huggins, video producers

“The Truth About Love Tour: Live From Melbourne,” Pink; Larn Poland, video director; Roger Davies, video producer

Grammys 2015: Sam Smith triumphs with four Grammy wins

Sonia Pantiss
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Grammys 2015: Sam Smith triumphs with four Grammy wins

Sam Smith was the big winner at last night’s Grammy Awards ceremony, taking four prizes including record and song of the year and best new artist.

The 22-year-old British soul singer was rewarded for being the only solo artist to sell more than a million albums in both the UK and US in 2014.

Pharrell Williams, Beyonce and Rosanne Cash, daughter of country legend Johnny Cash, won three awards each.

Beck won two, including best album.

Madonna, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney were among those performing at the Los Angeles ceremony.

Sam Smith has cemented his place as one of pop’s biggest stars just nine months after the release of his debut album In the Lonely Hour.

Accepting the trophy for record of the year, he said: “I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year.

“Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys.”

Sam Smith also performed his hit Stay With Me on stage with Mary J. Blige.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

As well as record and song of the year for Stay With Me and best new artist, Sam Smith won best pop vocal album.

He lost out on the best album award to long-serving indie troubadour Beck, who was honored for his 12th studio LP Morning Phase. It also won best rock album.

“We made this record at my house for the most part, so I would like to thank my kids for letting me keep them awake a little bit longer,” he said.

Pharrell Williams’ Girl won best urban contemporary album, while Happy won best music video and best pop solo performance. He performed that hit on the night with pianist Lang Lang and composer Hans Zimmer.

Drunk In Love, Beyonce’s collaboration with her husband Jay-Z, was named best R&B performance and best R&B song. Beyonce also won best surround sound album.

The other triple winner, Rosanne Cash, picked up the best American roots performance and song awards for A Feather’s Not A Bird and best Americana album.

Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne won best dance recording, while Aphex Twin won best dance/electronic album for Syro, his first album for 13 years.

Ed Sheeran, who had three nominations, went home empty-handed, but did join ELO’s Jeff Lynne on stage to perform at the ceremony.

Other performers on the night included Paul McCartney, Kanye West and Rihanna, who teamed up to play their joint composition FourFiveSeconds.

Madonna was joined by male dancers wearing glittering masks and horns to perform Living For Love, from her new album Rebel Heart.

There were also duets between Jessie J and Tom Jones; Hozier and Annie Lennox; and Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett.

The ceremony departed from pure entertainment for a segment in which President Barack Obama sent a recorded video message in support of a campaign against domestic violence.

An abuse victim from Texas then delivered a poignant message about her own experiences.

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Zhang Ziyi receives marriage proposal from Wang Feng via drone

Lisa.Felice
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Zhang Ziyi receives marriage proposal from Wang Feng via drone

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon actress Zhang Ziyi has received a marriage proposal from her musician boyfriend via a drone, Chinese media report.

At Zhang Ziyi ‘s 36th birthday party, Wang Feng sent her a white drone carrying a diamond ring before getting on one knee to ask her to marry him.Zhang Ziyi receives marriage proposal from Wang Feng via drone

The Chinese actress said “yes” amid tears and applause from a crowd of onlookers at the event.

Zhang Ziyi is best known for her role in the hit martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The day after the proposal, Zhang Ziyi posted a picture of fireworks on a social media account with the words “I do”.

Wang Feng is a popular rock star in China and has been married twice before.

Zhang Ziyi has starred in almost 30 films, including The Grandmaster, Memoirs of a Geisha and House of Flying Daggers.

BAFTAs Winners 2015: Full List

Sonia Pantiss
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BAFTAs Winners 2015: Full List

Full list of winners at the 68th British Academy Film Awards:

Best film

Boyhood, Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland

Leading actress

Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Leading actor

Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Director

Richard Linklater, Boyhood

The EE rising star award (voted for by the public)

Jack O’Connell

Costume design

Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Adapted screenplay

Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything

Film not in the English language

Ida, Paweł Pawlikowski, Eric Abraham, Piotr Dzięcioł, Ewa PuszczynskaBAFTAs 2015 winners

Original screenplay

Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

Stephen Beresford (writer), David Livingstone (producer), Pride

Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman

Supporting actress

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Supporting actor

JK Simmons, Whiplash

Special visual effects

Interstellar, Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley

Animated film

The Lego Movie, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Sound

Whiplash, Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann

Editing

Whiplash, Tom Cross

Short animation

The Bigger Picture, Chris Hees, Daisy Jacobs, Jennifer Majka

Short film

Boogaloo and Graham, Brian J Falconer, Michael Lennox, Ronan Blaney

Makeup and hair

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Frances Hannon

Production design

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock

Documentary

Citizenfour, Laura Poitras

Original music

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Alexandre Desplat

Outstanding British film

The Theory of Everything, James Marsh, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

BAFTA Fellowship (announced earlier)

Mike Leigh

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema (announced earlier)

BBC Films

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BAFTAs 2015: Eddie Redmayne wins best actor prize for The Theory of Everything role

Sonia Pantiss
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BAFTAs 2015: Eddie Redmayne wins best actor prize for The Theory of Everything role

Eddie Redmayne has won the best actor prize at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards for his role as in The Theory of Everything.

The Theory of Everything was also named outstanding British film and won a third award for its adapted screenplay.

Age drama Boyhood – shot over 12 years with the same cast – was named best film, with Richard Linklater picking up best director prize.

Patricia Arquette also won the best supporting actress BAFTA for her role in Boyhood.

The ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on Sunday night was hosted by Stephen Fry.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

Julianne Moore won the leading actress prize for her performance as a linguistics professor with early-onset Alzheimer’s in Still Alice.

Wes Anderson’s comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel won the most awards on the night – a total of five including costume design, production design, make-up and original music; with Anderson winning his first BAFTA for original screenplay.

Jazz drumming drama Whiplash also took three awards – for editing, sound and supporting actor for JK Simmons, who thanked director Damien Chazelle for “the gift of this character”.

World War Two drama The Imitation Game, with Benedict Cumberbatch as codebreaker Alan Turing, won nothing despite its nine nominations.

Showbiz satire Birdman, staring Michael Keaton as a washed up superhero actor, took only one award – for Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography.

The obituary section also paid tribute to Robin Williams, Billie Whitelaw and Lauren Bacall – among others – who died in the past year.

The Lego Movie, which caused a shock by being snubbed by the Oscars, was named best animated film.

Unbroken actor Jack O’Connell won the Rising Star award, the only one of the awards to be voted for by the public.

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