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."

In 39 years of recognizing a top entertainer, the academy has granted the honor to a woman seven times, including Underwood. The others were Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. Each won once.

Chesney, who missed the chance to tie Alabama for most entertainer of the year awards, kissed Underwood as she walked up to accept the honor.

"He told me he was proud of me," said Underwood, who's enjoyed astounding success since winning "American Idol" in 2005 with eight No. 1 country hits including the signature single, "Jesus Take the Wheel."

Swift, another woman dominating not only country music but the entire industry, won album of the year for her sophomore disc "Fearless." Both of Swift's albums have topped the 3 million mark — a rare feat today. She's connected with fans both young and old for her intensely personal songs, which she writes usually on her own or with a co-writer.

Backstage, Swift told reporter that she "obsessed" over making "Fearless."

"I labored over this album for two years," she said. "The fact that you can write songs in your bedroom about your feelings and boys and can win album of the year at the ACMs. I just didn't think that was possible."

Swift, who had four nominations going into Sunday's show, also got a special honor as McEntire presented her with an ACM Crystal Milestone Award for bringing so many young people to country music.

A tearful Hough, who added country singer to her "Dancing with the Stars" credentials, thanked "everybody that has followed me from the beginning and believed in me." She bested Jake Owen and the Zac Brown Band for the honor.

Other winners included Jamey Johnson, Sugarland, Trace Adkins and Brad Paisley, but the evening's most memorable moments came during the performances.

Adkins performed "'Til the Last Shot's Fired," a somber salute to U.S. troops, with the West Point Glee Club in honor of servicemen and women. The performance was introduced by Lt. Andrew Kinard, who had been wounded. He told the crowd, "As you listen to this song, please consider that it's not about the war, it's about the warrior."

John Rich's angry anthem "Shuttin' Detroit Down" also stirred the crowd.

"I'd like to dedicate this song tonight to all the hard-working, taxpaying Americans from coast to coast who love this country as much as I do," Rich said while holding a guitar tagged with a "Made in the U.S.A." sticker.

"We wrote this song specifically for you," he said before launching into his searing song that feeds into taxpayer resentment about the bailouts on Wall Street.

Other performances included teen sensation Miley Cyrus, dancing atop a high staircase on stage; Heidi Newfield singing "Johnny and June," inspired by the late Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, around an appropriate ring of fire; and Underwood in a burgundy dress so overwhelming that it took up most of the stage.

"Can I borrow that?" host Reba McEntire quipped afterward.

Newcomer Johnson beat out veterans like George Strait and Paisley in nabbing the night's first honor, song of the year for his poignant hit about an old man looking back on his life, "In Color."

"Thanks to my band for going in on an off day and producing an off record," Johnson quipped in a brief acceptance speech.

Adkins won single of the year for his heartfelt hit "You're Gonna Miss This." The deep-voiced singer said the song, about how people want to grow up and move on with life when they should slow down and enjoy the moment more, was very personal to him, but he didn't think others would relate to it. When his label said they were going to release it as a single, he said, "Go ahead. Nobody's going play it."

"I'm glad I'm an idiot," Adkins cracked. "Thank you very much."

Sugarland broke Brooks & Dunn's lock on the vocal duo award, and lead singer Jennifer Nettles received an ACM Crystal Milestone Award for her songwriting.

Strait and Paisley led all nominees with six. Paisley was linked up by video from Nashville, where his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley is expecting their second child, and accepted the trophy for male vocalist of the year from there.

"I wish I could be there but I didn't want to take the chance of missing the birth of our next child. I hope you understand," said Paisley, who also won video of the year for "Waitin' on a Woman" and vocal event of the year for "Start a Band," his guitar-slinging duet with Keith Urban.

Jamie Foxx introduced Strait's performance of "Troubadour," and joked that the country scene was getting more diverse.

"Things are changing," Foxx said, mentioning his repeat appearance at the ACMs and Darius Rucker's success on the country charts. "(An) African-American singing country. Things are changing. Got a black man running the country. Things are changing. ... I mean what's next, white people going to Tyler Perry movies?"

The show aired live from the MGM Grand on CBS.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1NSOO-PLEJwvxQR0K10zaWGlCwgD97CUAO01

Chris Brown -- Let's Make a Deal

Chris Brown's lawyer and the prosecutor in the Rihanna case have been engaged in "serious" plea bargain negotiations and according to one source, a "deal is close."

We know Brown will plead not guilty tomorrow, however the plea may just be a formality.

Sources say Rihanna has made it clear she does not want to tesitfy in the case and wants Brown to cop a plea. We're told one of the reasons she's in Barbados right now is because "she wants to be as far away from this case as possible."

As we first reported, Brown was inclined to plead either guilty or no contest to a misdeamor, provided he got no jail time -- but since we broke that story, the D.A. and Mark Geragos, Brown's lawyer, have gotten down to the nitty gritty.

We do not know if Brown changed his view and would accept jail time to avoid a trial. Brown will be in court tomorrow for the arraignment.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/04/05/chris-brown-lets-make-a-deal/

Madonna leaves Malawi after failed adoption bid

U.S. star Madonna left Malawi on a private aircraft on Sunday after failing to adopt a second child from the African country, airport officials said.

Security forces blocked the road leading to the airport after Madonna's convoy arrived, preventing reporters from speaking to her or filming.

Madonna, who was seeking an interim adoption, appealed against a High Court decision refusing her bid to adopt a four-year-old girl named Mercy James.

Her lawyer, Alan Chinula, said she does not have to appear before the Supreme Court for the appeal.

Malawian rights groups, who accused the government of skirting residency laws when Madonna adopted David Banda in 2006, also opposed the latest adoption attempt.

They say celebrities should not be allowed to fly in and adopt children at will.

Malawi's government had supported Madonna's attempt to adopt Mercy, saying she was a worthy mother.

An AIDS epidemic in the impoverished southern African country has orphaned more than one million children and Madonna has set up a charity for Malawian children.

The star, who was divorced last year from British film director Guy Ritchie, is one of the music industry's most successful singers, with album sales of more than 200 million.

Madonna has entertained millions with sexy high-energy performances and songs like "Material Girl" and "Papa Don't Preach". She has also created controversies along the way.

In 1989, the video for "Like A Prayer", with its links between religion and eroticism, was condemned by the Vatican.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUKL510535820090405?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Paris Hilton Gushes On Doug Reinhardt: ‘He’s Going To Be My Husband’

Has Paris Hilton found her future fiance?

“He’s going to be my husband,” she giggled to E! Online at the I Heart Ronson for JCPenney party in LA.

And though she and the baseball player and former “The Hills” star have seemingly had a whirlwind romance, the celebutante said that Doug’s been part of her life for quite some time.

“We’re best friends,” Paris said. “It’s not like we just met. We’ve known each other over the past year. I was in a relationship before and we reconnected. I’m really in love and really happy.”

But according to Doug, the couple doesn’t have wedding bells in mind just yet.

“You never know,” Doug said.

Until then, he’s got a place on the set of the second season of Paris’ “My New BFF,” where she said he comes up with “funny ideas.”

“It’s good having my boyfriend on set and watching,” she said, adding that things didn’t work out with Season One winner Brittany Flickinger. “I want a best friend who wants to be friends with me because I’m a good person and a good friend, not for any other reason. I’ve been fooled by so many girls.”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/paris-hilton-gushes-on-doug-reinhardt-hes-going-to-be-my-husband_article_16351

NBC gives Boston station an ultimatum on Jay Leno show

NBC Universal rolled out a cannon to shoot down a rebel Boston television station that says it will not carry Jay Leno at 10 p.m. when the comedian's show shifts to prime time in the fall.

The media giant said Friday that it would yank all of its NBC programming from Boston's WHDH-TV if the station carried out its threat to ditch Leno -- who grew up outside Boston -- and instead run a local news broadcast at 10.

NBC took its tough stance to head off a rebellion among local affiliates that are worried that Leno's show might draw lower ratings than the shows it would replace, leaving fewer people to watch their 11 p.m. local newscasts.

"This speaks to how much angst there is among the station affiliates who wonder whether NBC is making the right move, and what that move will do to their late newscasts," said Steve Ridge, president of the media strategy group for the consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates.

The Boston TV party began boiling Thursday when Ed Ansin, owner of WHDH, told the Boston Globe newspaper that his station would run local news at 10 because Leno would be "detrimental to our 11 o'clock newscast" and "detrimental to our finances."

Ansin did not return calls Friday.

For its part, NBC Universal said its affiliation agreement with WHDH forbids the station from cherry-picking shows. "WHDH's move is a flagrant violation of the terms of their contract with NBC," NBC Network President John Eck said in a statement. "If they persist, we will strip WHDH of its NBC affiliation."

NBC on Friday said it had other options in Boston to distribute its programming. The company also owns a Telemundo Spanish-language station and could run NBC programming on it.

Another NBC executive said the company received calls Friday from other Boston stations expressing interest in assuming the NBC affiliation.

"Make no mistake, the new Leno show will air at 10 p.m. weeknights in the Boston market on NBC," Eck said.

Losing a strong station in a Top 10 market would be dicey for the network, further dragging down its prime-time ratings.

That's the last thing NBC needs because it has been stuck in the ratings cellar for four seasons.

Moving Leno to prime time was a solution crafted by NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker to keep Leno from defecting to ABC, and to prop up the peacock's sagging schedule with lower-cost programming.

NBC and Ansin have a tortured history. Twenty-two years ago, Ansin, who also owns a TV station in Miami, had his NBC affiliation pulled out from under him when the network bought a rival station in the market. The switch dramatically reduced the value of Ansin's station, and with it his family's worth.

At the time, NBC's action was seen within the broadcasting world as jaw-dropping treachery, upending a decades-long partnership and redrawing the balance of power between a network and its affiliates.

Some viewed NBC's switch in Miami, coming shortly after General Electric's takeover of NBC, as a turning point in relations between networks and local broadcasters, which have eyed each other warily since.

These days, Ansin isn't the only station owner unsure about his standing with the networks.

NBC Universal and other media companies have been rushing to figure out how to use the Internet to distribute their shows. NBC Universal is part of a joint venture that owns Hulu, the online video website, which could help dethrone local stations as the TV industry's primary distribution system. In February, Hulu logged 34 million visitors lured by episodes of shows such as "Family Guy" and "The Office."

These technology changes underscore the shift in the relationship between the networks and the affiliates, Ridge said. "No one really knows for sure what the endgame will be," he said, and both sides are looking to preserve their businesses.

Some affiliates worry the networks could bypass them altogether and put their programming directly on cable or satellite.

At the same time that local station owners have felt shunned by the networks, local broadcasters have been wounded by a dramatic drop in revenue.

The recession has battered their mainstay advertisers -- car dealerships, retailers and financial firms. Local newscasts have traditionally generated the lion's share of station profits, which is why Ansin and others are concerned about Leno's move into prime time.

Michael Fiorile, the chairman of the NBC Affiliate Board, said most affiliates were initially "cautiously optimistic" about Leno's prospects in prime time, and now are largely supportive.

"We're now pretty excited and think that Leno at 10 o'clock could be cool," Fiorile said.

The group is participating in a study to determine ways that Leno's show might be retooled to get viewers to stay tuned in until the end of the hour, and then watch their late local news.

The usual ritual for many viewers of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is to watch the monologue and the first guest, then check out. If that pattern carries over to the 10 p.m. show, it could hurt viewership of affiliates' local newscasts.

"Everybody understands that the show has to have attractive content to take people all the way through the end of the show," said NBC research chief Alan Wurtzel.

He made the case that Leno would be a reliable ratings generator, more so than if NBC experimented with a batch of new dramas at 10.

During the last five years, the networks have run 67 shows during the 10-11 p.m. slot and "72% of those shows didn't return for a second season," he said. "This is a very competitive time period, and we think Jay is going to be very competitive at 10 and provide a terrific lead-in for the station's late news."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cotown-leno4-2009apr04,0,323136.story

'Fast & Furious' grosses huge $30.1 mil on Friday, on pace to shatter box office records

Fast & Furious started off the weekend in shocking fashion, earning an astonishing $30.1 million at the box office on Friday. That sum is more than twice what most industry observers expected and it sets Vin Diesel's franchise flick on a pace to annihilate the record for the best April opening ever, Anger Management's $42.2 mil, among other achievements. By comparison, the highly anticipated Watchmen banked a smaller $25.1 mil on its first day. (Yes, the sound you hear right now is jaws dropping all around Hollywood.) The weekend's other big new movie, Adventureland, had a hard time getting its motor running, grossing just $2.2 mil on the first day of the frame. Friday's rankings are below, and please check back here tomorrow for a full weekend recap in the Box Office Report.

1. Fast & Furious -- $30.1 mil
2. Monsters vs. Aliens -- $8.9 mil
3. The Haunting in Connecticut -- $3.7 mil
4. I Love You, Man -- $2.7 mil
5. Knowing -- $2.7 mil
6. Adventureland -- $2.2 mil

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/04/saturday-fast.html

'ER' finale draws 16.4 million TV viewers

NBC hospital drama "ER" ended its 15-year run by drawing 16.4 million viewers for its final episode, the highest viewership for a drama finale since 1996, the U.S. network said on Friday.

The two-hour show on Thursday night brought back "ER" alumni Noah Wyle and Eriq La Salle, as the staff at County General Hospital in Chicago treated a dying woman in labor, an AIDS patient and a comatose teenager with alcohol poisoning.

The last scene showed emergency room staff wheeling in burn victims from a plant explosion as Chicago's famous elevated train passed overhead, giving audiences the sense that while a TV show may end, life goes on.

The 16.4 million figure was the highest for a U.S. drama finale since the CBS show "Murder, She Wrote" in 1996, which drew 16.5 million viewers, NBC (GE.N) said.

Earlier on Friday the network said the show had drawn 16.2 million viewers.

Throughout its run on U.S. television, "ER" boosted the careers of actors like Wyle, La Salle and George Clooney, who played Dr. Doug Ross on the show until 1999.

The late author Michael Crichton created the series in 1994, drawing on his experiences as a medical student at a busy hospital emergency department.

As original cast members bowed out, they were replaced by the likes of John Stamos, Angela Bassett and Maura Tierney, and viewership slipped.

The show recently had attracted fewer than 8 million viewers per episode. But at the height of its popularity in the mid-1990s it was the top-rated drama in the United States.

Its highest viewership was in 1998 when 25.8 million people tuned in after the finale of NBC comedy "Seinfeld."

Comedies often have enjoyed higher viewership than dramas in their finales. "Friends" had 52.5 million viewers for its last episode in 2004, and 76.3 million people watched the finale of "Seinfeld," NBC said.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUKN0336286120090403?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Madonna’s Adoption Bid Is Denied in Malawi

A Malawi court ruled on Friday that Madonna, right, cannot adopt a 3-year-old child there, Reuters reported, because she has not been a resident of the country for the last 18 months. As with Madonna’s adoption of her son David Banda, 3, completed in 2008 in Malawi, her petition to adopt a girl named Chifundo James caused critics to complain that the pop star was trying to circumvent laws banning nonresidents from adopting Malawian children. In her High Court ruling, Judge Esme Chombo warned against celebrity adoptions, saying they could lead to child trafficking. “Anyone could come to Malawi and quickly arrange for an adoption that might have grave consequences on the very children that the law seeks to protect,” she said. In addition to David Banda, Madonna, who reportedly was not in the court to hear the ruling, has a daughter, Lourdes, 12, from a previous relationship, and a son, Rocco, 8, from her marriage to Guy Ritchie. Her divorce from Mr. Ritchie became final in January.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/arts/music/04arts-MADONNASADOP_BRF.html?ref=arts

Judge denies effort to halt Jackson auction

Hundreds of items from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch may still go on sale after a judge on Friday rejected a bid to have the King of Pop's one-time possessions returned to the singer. But the ruling probably won't be the last word on who ends up with them.

Jackson's production company was seeking the return of the collection of art, MTV Video Music Awards, crystal-encrusted gloves and nearly 2,000 other items removed from Jackson's former home before the sale begins on April 22. They have another motion for an injunction to stop the sale, slated to be heard on April 15.

Auctioneer Darren Julien and his attorney claimed victory after the hearing, saying they do not expect other efforts to block the sale to succeed.

"We have to proceed because we have no choice," Julien said.

His firm, Julien's Auction House, has spent more than $2 million arranging the sale of the Neverland items and could go bankrupt if the sale was stopped, his lawyer told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brett Klein.

Klein's ruling will "have no impact whatsoever" on the injunction motion, said Alan Gutman, who is representing Jackson's company, MJJ Productions. That hearing will come before a different judge.

Jackson did not attend Friday's hearing. But his father, Joe Jackson, sat in the audience and after Klein's ruling, smiled and shuffled out of the courtroom. He declined to comment afterward.

MJJ Productions sued Julien's Auction House last month, claiming Jackson hadn't authorized the sale of items taken from his former home at Neverland Ranch.

Gutman has argued that an agreement signed by Jackson's representative, Tohme Tohme, and Julien's Auction House is unenforceable under California law.

But Julien's lawyer, Jerry Hawxhurst, said the agreement gave the firm the right to sell the items as planned.

"The contract is clear as well water," Hawxhurst said.

Julien and Jackson's representatives agreed to allow some of the items to go on tour to promote their sale while the lawsuit proceeds.

The singer has struggled to pay his debts since his financial empire began to crumble following his arrest in 2003 on charges that he molested a 13-year-old boy at the ranch. A jury acquitted him of all charges.

Last year he faced foreclosure on Neverland, the 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country, 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles. He was bailed out by Colony Capital, and months later transferred the deed to Neverland to another entity he partially controls.

Jackson plans a series of concerts in London in July that he has said will be his last in the British capital.

Julien has been entrusted to preside over numerous auctions of famous memorabilia. Some recent celebrity sales have included items once belonging to Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Hope and rare behind-the-scenes footage of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable on the set of the film "The Misfits."

"The reason he hired us was to do a first-class auction," Julien said Friday. "He worked with us for eight months to do an auction."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZNgbrgnco68wdSY5q0bFdgp2MYgD97B87G04

Security breach: intruder forces way into actor Jamie Foxx's hotel penthouse

An unknown man forced his way into Jamie Foxx's penthouse at Philadelphia's AKA Hotel while Foxx was there about a week ago. Celeb tracker TMZ reported the story yesterday, saying that a suspect was arrested.

The actor last night spoke to Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell, but wouldn't discuss details, citing legal reasons, according to an MSNBC story this morning. He did, however, give a "shout out to Philadelphia and the mayor and everybody else to make sure it’s good.”

Foxx is currently promoting his new movie, "The Soloist."

The upscale, AKA Hotel chain specializes in long-term stays. Foxx stayed at AKA's contemporary location on Philly's lovely Rittenhouse Square. It sits on a bustling corner amid trendy restaurants and cafes.

So what's the hook for Hotel Check-In? Guest security.

I'll check in with AKA officials after sunrise this morning to ask them about AKA's security measures, and whether the Foxx situation will prompt any changes. Stay tuned for updates. I'll tell you what happens in this spot. I also invite hotel security experts to weigh in on topic.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/hotelcheckin/post/2009/04/65027721/1