Beyonce top winner at Grammy’s with six awards
LOS ANGELES: Pop diva Beyonce Knowles took home six golden gramophones at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards and became the top winner at the star-studded event.
The singer was nominated in 10 categories and won six including song of the year, best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance awards for the song “Single Ladies” (Put A Ring On It).
American rock band Kings of Leon and teenage singing sensation Taylor Swift were the other top grabbers at the Grammys, the most prestigious event of the music industry that was held at Staples Center Sunday.
Swift took home four Grammys, including the album of the year award for “Fearless,” and Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” earned the rockers prizes for record of the Year, best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals.
Hip hop band the Black Eyed Peas and singer Jay-Z were also triple winners at the mega music event. While Elton John and Lady Gaga collaborated to open the show, the event also witnessed terrific performances from acts like Green Day, Pink, Dave Matthews Band, Beyonce and the Black Eyed Peas.
But the event’s highlight was a star-studded tribute to the late pop legend Michael Jackson. The stunning collaboration was accompanied by a 3-D version of the Earth Song video that Jackson had planned to use as a backdrop during his This Is It concerts last year.
Following the performance, Jackson’s children Prince and Paris came on the stage to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards on their father’s behalf.
Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Smokey Robinson and Carrie Underwood teamed up to perform the King of Pop’s Earth Song.
Indian presence was strongly felt at the awards ceremony with music maestro A.R. Rahman bagging two Grammys. He was honored for his compositions in “Slumdog Millionaire.”
He also won best compilation soundtrack for a motion picture award as well as the best motion picture song for “Jai ho,” which he shared with lyricist Gulzar and Tanvi Shah.
Surprise: Pitt, Jolie are together after all!
LONDON: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie surprised all and sundry when the two came together at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles.
They were rumored to have consulted lawyers over custody of their six children and dividing their about $330 million fortune.
Dailymail.co.uk reports that they declined to pose together on the red carpet at the star-studded bash Sunday, but the couple were ‘extremely affectionate’ as they mingled with their peers.
Pitt had been invited to the ceremony to present his “Inglourious Basterds” director Quentin Tarantino with a plaque for being nominated for the Outstanding Directional Achievement in Feature Film, which was won by Kathryn Bigelow.
Jolie wasn’t expected to join Pitt, but perhaps recent speculation about their relationship prompted her to attend the event at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City.
The 34-year-old actress looked stunning in a green asymmetrical Elie Saab gown and Stuart Weitzman heels as she kept close quarters with Pitt.
After months of sporting a scraggly beard, Pitt had finally trimmed his beard into a neat goatee and looked dapper in a black suit.
An onlooker said the couple were incredibly affectionate throughout the four-hour event.
“They looked very giggly. They look like they are having a fun time. It’s definitely a date,” the guest told People magazine.
Neither star attended the recent Golden Globes. Reports last week claimed the couple had met with lawyers to arrange their affairs in preparation for a possible split.
The stars have three adopted children together — Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, and Zahara, 5 — as well as three biological kids — Shiloh, 3, and one-and-half-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
Hathaway spends free time studying Einstein’s theories
LONDON: No fashion magazines for Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway, rather she spends free time studying books on physics to enhance her knowledge on the universe.
The “Devil Wears Prada” star admits she shuns fashion magazines and instead stocks up on books by scientist Albert Einstein and physics textbooks in a bid to better understand the universe, reported contactmusic.com.
“I’m interested in elementary particles. What I like thinking about is how time and space exist in the universe and how we understand it. Any spare time I have, I bury my head in a physics textbook. I’m reading a lot about Einstein. I like theories and I want to understand string theory,” she said.
Eastwood not ready to
hang his boots yet
LONDON: While critics predicted his 2008 outing “Gran Torino” as his last, veteran filmmaker Clint Eastwood has said he isn’t ready to retire from Hollywood yet.
The 79-year-old screen legend who, has won five Golden Globes and five Academy Awards, says he will only quit Hollywood when he has no energy left, reports contactmusic.com.
“Retire? I don’t know. I’m sure that some day you quit. It’s like an athlete quits at a certain point, if they don’t get hurt first. But I don’t think that I’m quite there. Not just yet,” he said.
I will do ‘Indiana Jones 5’
if I’m still alive: Ford
LONDON: Hollywood legend Harrison Ford says he won’t mind doing a fifth “Indiana Jones” movie if the script will be ready on time and if he is still alive.
The 67-year-old, who has played the daredevil archaeologist in all four movies of the action-adventure franchise, won’t mind reprising the role as long as the story is ready quickly, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
“If we find a script and develop a story in less than the 18 years it took to make the last one, if I’m still alive, I’ll make myself available,” he said.
Ford worked with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg in the previous movies.
Although famous for his action and sci-fi roles, Ford is open to different roles nowadays and joked he would even consider playing a woman.
Damon wants to turn to
directing after turning 40
LONDON: Hollywood star Matt Damon isn’t worried about turning 40 this year and says he wants to turn to direction in the new decade of his life.
Damon, who will turn 40 in October, said: “I can’t wait to direct. The only thing that is stopping me from directing is that I keep getting these great roles.”
The “Bourne Identity” says he isn’t worried about ageing because his “Invictus” co-star Morgan Freeman, 72, told him that 40 is the best age to be, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
“I was talking to Morgan and someone said I was about to turn 40 and Morgan said, ‘Are you about to turn 40?’ I said I was and he said, ‘You are just coming into your prime.’ I said, ‘Really?’ And he replied, ‘The 40s are the best decade by far. That’s when things really get good’,” said Damon.
— Compiled from agencies
