Underwood, Swift, Hough: Women rule the ACMs
Carrie Underwood captured entertainer of the year Sunday night at the Academy of Country Music Awards, winning the top honor that has eluded women for nearly a decade, while Taylor Swift won album of the year and Julianne Hough snagged top new artist.
Country music’s boys’ club was adjourned for the year when Underwood broke Kenny Chesney’s four-year win streak and became the first woman to hold the title since the Dixie Chicks in 2000. The significance wasn’t lost on the 26-year-old superstar.
“I accepted that award on behalf of myself and my fans, but also on behalf of other women who came before me that kicked butt but never got the recognition they deserved, ” Underwood said. “I can’t wait (for) the day, which I hope is in the very near future, where having females in the category is no big deal whatsoever.”
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Carrie Underwood breaks Chesney’s streak at ACM Awards
LAS VEGAS ‘ Carrie Underwood became the first female act to win entertainer of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards since the Dixie Chicks did it back in 2000.
Underwood’s victory Sunday interrupted Kenny Chesney’s four-year streak of winning the award. If Chesney had won, he would have tied Alabama for most wins in a row. Underwood became only the seventh female act to win it, putting her alongside Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks.
Strait, Swift show diversity of country at ACMs
LAS VEGAS (AP) ‘ The music of George Strait and Taylor Swift couldn’t be more different and still be called country, and yet they are two of the genre’s hottest stars heading into Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards.
With six nominations, the 56-year-old Strait is tied with Brad Paisley as the leading nominee, while Swift, 19, has four.
How hot is Strait? His latest single, the jaunty “River of Love, ” is poised to become his 57th No. 1 country single. He won his first Grammy this year for his album “Troubadour, ” and he’ll be honored Monday as the ACM’s Artist of the Decade.
Carrie Underwood Subtly Prepares The Public For Her “Difficult” Third Record
The big story going into last night’s Academy of Country Music Awards had little to do with the actual winners; instead, the press leading up to the event focused on the gown that country Idol Carrie Underwood would wear during her performance, thanks to an embargo on photos, video, or descriptions of said frock. (This did not stop Underwood from telling the AP that it was “Kind of like water, maybe? Like red water? That sounds scary, doesn’t it? Maybe like lava. It’s like lava. Or icing. Red icing.”) A picture of the dress’ and its possible roots in the American Idol canon’ after the jump.
1986: A good year for Anoop?
For Chapel Hill’s Anoop Desai, zero hour is here. He was the last of eight contestants to make it through last week’s “American Idol” round, and the judges have been consistently critical of his song choices.
So this week’s show comes at a make-or-break moment for Desai: Either make a strong statement, or go home. Fortuitously, this week’s theme plays to his strengths.
Contestants are to sing a song from the year they were born — 1986 in Desai’s case. And given his tastes and inclinations, this should be less of a stretch for Desai than for his rivals. Throughout the competition, he has shown a fondness for Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men and other R&B acts whose heyday came during Desai’s own childhood years.
American Idol Betting Odds (Updated April 5, 2009)
The latest American Idol betting odds have been released and Adam Lambert remains the near even favorite. Last week, BetUS.com had Lambert at even odds. This week he would pay $1.35 for every $1.00 bet.
Danny Gokey continued to be listed with the next shortest odds, this week +225 for a payout potential of $2.25 on every $1.00 bet.
From boy to man
AFTER a stunning run in American Idol Season 7 in 2008, young David Archuleta who was only 17 then, was a strong favourite to win. However, majority of voters preferred the edgier David Cook who won the American Idol title that year.
But being first runner up wasnt that bad as almost every record company wanted to sign him up. He eventually signed with Jive.
Archuleta proved that his run on Idol was no fluke when his first single Crush, released in August 2008, became a hit. His debut album was released in November the same year, hitting the number two spot on the Billboard charts.
Singer/actress Jennifer Hudson: ‘I’m fine, I’m happy’
Jennifer Hudson still gets nervous when she has to perform, at least on certain occasions.
February’s Super Bowl “was too big an event to take in. I had to step out of it, to be like, ‘I’m just singing to myself.’ ” Appearing on the Grammy Awards later that month brought on “a whole other basket of nerves” as Hudson was nominated for three awards ‘ she won best R&B album, for her self-titled debut ‘ and faced an audience of her peers and idols. “I’m thinking, ‘Am I going to win?’ Then I looked out and saw Whitney Houston, and I lost it.”
The Ultimate, All-Time ‘Idol’ Rankings
Alright, America. You asked for it, you got it! OK, maybe you didn’t ask, per se, but I knew you wanted it, so here it is: The Ultimate “American Idol” Power Rankings.
That’s right. Like Dr. Frankenstein, I’ve been working in the “Eye on Idol” lab for weeks to pull together this unstoppable force — a collection of all 82 “Idol” finalists, from Season 1 through Season 7 — ranked from the worst (OK, I’ll just tell you it’s Corey Clark) to the best (OK, fine, I’ll tell you it’s… psych!).
Where did your favorite “Idol” land? Who’s No. 1? Who just missed the Top 10?
Simon Cowell loves what?!: The ‘American Idol’ judge shares his odd obsessions on ‘Must List Live!’
We were psyched when American Idol judge Simon Cowell told us he wanted to share his Celebrity Must List picks with us. And he didn’t disappoint with some very offbeat selections. However that’s not all you’ll find on this week’s episode of Must List Live!
Simon v Simon
TWO middle-aged men called Simon with dyed hair and high waistbands dont immediately sound like material for a titanic battle.
But when millionaire music moguls SIMON FULLER and SIMON COWELL go head-to-head this week for silverware honouring the greatest music executive ever, I predict the gloves will definitely be off.
On Wednesday the two Simons are up against each other at the 50th anniversary Music Week Magazine Awards in London.
Both music bosses ‘ Fuller at 19 Entertainment and Cowell at SyCo ‘ are nominated along with 18 other industry legends for a pretty incredible bragging right.
Was Steve Wozniak Unfairly Eliminated From Dancing With the Stars?
One of our more educated readers has chimed in on The Woz’s Dancing With the Stars elimination. If he’s right, let the Internet masses descend on ABC with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns.
Says Giz reader (and dancer?) Dallas in an email to Gizmodo from this morning:
