TitleTales

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards: by Trisha Rigsby

A/V Awards & Bests—02/05/10
The 52nd Annual Grammy Award winners were announced on January 31, 2010, with some expected wins and some nice surprises. Only recordings released between October 1, 2008, and August 31, 2009, were eligible for this year’s Grammys. Beyonce won big with her album, I Am…Sasha Fierce, capturing Best Contemporary R&B Album, three wins for the track “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” and another for “Halo.” Taylor Swift picked up Album of the Year, Best Country Album and two other Country awards. Kings of Leon, Jason Mraz, Black Eye Peas, Lady Gaga, Eminem and Maxwell also won in multiple categories. I am happy to see Phoenix’s critically acclaimed Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix win Best Alternative Album for their breakthrough record. Michael J. Fox won Best Spoken Word Album for his reading of Always Looking Up, which was one of my favorite audiobooks of 2009. Some of my other favorite Album wins: Steve Martin, Best Bluegrass; Emerson String Quartet, Best Chamber Music Performance; Heather Headley, Best Contemporary R&B Gospel; Loudon Wainwright III, Best Traditional Folk; Calle 13, Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban; and Ziggy Marley, Best Musical Album for Children.

82nd Academy Awards Predictions: by Erin Stachowiak

A/V Awards & Bests—02/05/10
Every year, I jump in the ring and make my Oscar nominee predictions. I tend to be spot-on with most of the major contenders from all the trend research and by following critics’ predictions. This year’s biggest, with nine nominations each, are Avatar and The Hurt Locker, putting James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow up against each other in seven categories. These two directors are longtime friends and also happen to be exes. I’m pulling for Bigelow to collect as many golden statues as possible. Her film rings true with the reality and immediacy of the Iraq War and has been on critic’s best lists for this year and also for the decade.

Bigelow won an award over Cameron from the Director’s Guild of America, becoming the first woman to win that honor ever. Her prospects for winning in the two major categories at the Academy Awards are heightened by this achievement. Many times over, the DGA award winner has corresponded with the winner of the Oscar for direction, as well as the best picture award. In addition, tradition dictates that the best picture Oscar winner needs nominations for director, screenplay, acting, editing. The Hurt Locker is one of the films that has all of those. Precious and Inglourious Basterds also have those four nominations.

With her nomination for best director, Kathryn Bigelow has become one of only four women nominated in this category for an Academy Award and maybe, just maybe will be the FIRST woman ever to win it!

The Oscars will air on Sunday, March 7th and I’ll have my ballot in front of me, marking off my predictions and pulling for Kathryn Bigelow. If history is made, will you be watching?

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