Lindsay Lohan visited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his wife, and seven-year-old Syrian girl blogger Bana al-Abed at the country’s presidential palace today.

Bana became famous after tweeting from the war-ravaged city of Aleppo, Syria before her family was evacuated in December.

She shared a short video on Twitter, in which Lohan says: “We want to send to all of the people in Syria and Aleppo suffering, and to all the refugees, we are here supporting you and you can hang on and be strong. Just like Bana has.” They then embrace as Bana tells Lohan, “I love you”.

Lohan has been vocal in her support for Turkey's efforts to host refugees fleeing Syria. The actress later made the following post on her Instagram:

She presented light-blue badges to Erdogan and his wife with a quote from the Turkish leader saying, "World is bigger than five".

The star has become increasingly vocal about the Syrian refugee crisis and visited Syrian refugees at a hospital in Istanbul in September. In October, she visited a Syrian refugee camp in southeastern Turkey’s Gaziantep province.

Such a sweetheart! I remember like it was yesterday when Lindsay used to make headlines almost everyday about taking drugs, partying hard, and blithely drinking. Her change is astonishing. She's become a real role model.

Now, after she saves the refugees and brings about world peace, maybe it's time for some new music, hmm?  

Charli XCX has taken her particular brand of sugary pop tunes to Jimmy Kimmel Live recently. The popstar showed plenty of skin in a fluffy plunging bra top as she sang her brand new song 'Bounce' as well as latest single 'After The Afterparty'.

Charli showed off her figure in a scantily-clad outfit consisting of an audacious bralette and high-waisted shorts made of a fluffy material perfect for a slumber party. A sultry smoky eye and classic red lip added some extra glamour to her amazing look. 

The 'Boom Clap' singer brought a mattress on stage with her for the performance, which she proceeded to jump on and off as she danced along to her songs.  Eagle-eyed viewers can see her friend and PC music singer A.G. Cook laying on the mattress throughout.

Watch Charli's two performances below:

Charli is currently working on a mixtape which will be released on her Vroom Vroom Recordings label. Moreover, she is set to release her third studio album later this year, so you'll have plenty of new songs to keep you interested.

How do you like the performances? Do you think Charli's new song will be a hit?

Noah Cyrus has made an appearance at iHeartRadio Live Sessions on the Honda Stage recently where she performed an acoustic version of her debut single 'Make Me (Cry)', her new song 'Almost Famous' and a cover of Vance Joy's 'Riptide'.

Although she looked super nervous and it was occasionally extremely awkward to watch, we need to bear in mind that she hasn't had too many live shows yet and the music scene is a relatively new venture for her. Despite this, Miley's younger sister has a good set of pipes and she served some amazing vocals - especially during 'Make Me (Cry)'.

Watch her sing the three tracks at iHeartRadio below!

Both of Noah's original tracks tracks are set to appear on her upcoming debut album titled NC-17 which is to be released later this year. 'Make Me (Cry)' featuring Labrinth is available on iTunes now!

How do you find Noah as a singer? Tell us in the comments below!

Like Miley Cyrus before him, shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti has just been "What's good?"ed by Nicki Minaj.

The rap sensation started beef earlier today when she called the designer out on his use of her name in over twenty-three of his designs. Predictably taking to Twitter to throw around her accusations, the rapper accused Zanotti of "racism and disrespect" for avoiding her phone calls in regards to the use of her name.

Zanotti is known for regularly dedicating the style names of his shoes to certain female celebrities, with names such as Jen, Betty, Bridget and Andrea populating the products section on his website. At the time of Nicki's tweets, Zanotti had a total of twenty-three shoes with the name "Nicki" on his website: although it's never been clearly stated how many of these are dedicated to Minaj specifically. Minaj has no rights to the shoes and has apparently not been consulted after the first pair of shoes was named after her.

According to Nicki, she had met Zanotti years before, at which point he told her that she had inspired him to design a sneaker in her honour; the same pair she would go on to wear on the cover of Cosmo. In an interview with Footwear News magazine, the designer said, "I love a lot of celebrities, especially from the music world: Beyoncé, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Alicia Keys and Kanye West. They are style icons and have great talent. Their music entwines with art and entertainment, so they can be inspirational for a designer". Minaj referenced the shoes in her hit single 'Pound the Alarm', with the line "Skeeza, pleeza, I'm in Ibiza/Giuseppe Zanotti, my own sneaker". 

Everything seemed to be okay until Zanotti announced a capsule collection in partnership with Jennifer Lopez earlier this year. Nicki reached out to Zanotti's team with the intention of suggesting her own collaboration, but was apparently told that the shoemaker would not take her call, and she took to Twitter to vent her frustrations. For her part Jennifer, who has recently started dating Minaj's eternal love interest Drake, has apparently called the remarks "petty".

In a testament to her international fanbase, the hashtag started by Minaj - #GiuseppeWhatsGood - later became a worldwide trending topic. It was later revealed that Zanotti's team had also pulled all twenty-three of the shows named "Nicki" down from their website.

For our part, we think Nicki needs to take several steps back (preferably not while wearing her Zanotti's) and realise how much of a first world problem this is. There are people in the world who would be glad to have a pair of dollar store sandals on their feet and artists who would be hugely honoured to have a design named after them, which makes us wonder why Minaj is taking the issue so personally. It sounds to us more like a case of bitterness and upset that Zanotti's team don't think her relevant or talented enough to work together rather than a case of disrespect as Minaj claims - and exploding into rants about sexism and racism isn't doing much to help her situation.

What do you think about the beef? Does Nicki have a point about Zanotti's use of her name or has she let the fame go to her head? Let us know in the comments down below!

Beyoncé has just announced that she and Jay-Z are expecting twins. The singer made it official on Instagram first with a glamorous baby bump pic as only she would!

Congratulations to Beyonce, Jay-Z and the entire Carter-Knowles family!

In a caption attributed to both Mr. and Mrs. Carter, Bey wrote, "We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes."

When born, the twins, whose genders are still unknown, will become siblings to five year old Blue Ivy.

The photo Bey posted on Instagram was just one selection from the amazing maternity photoshoot she shared on her website. Check below to see the rest of the photos!

Camila Cabello is shook!

Following the announcement late last year that Camila was quitting the group to focus on solo activities and several days of back and forth between her and the remaining band members, all of the girls had pretty much gone radio silent, with the only news from their respective camps saying that both were working on individual albums.

But shots have been now fired in the classiest of ways, with the remaining members of Fifth Harmony officially debuting as a foursome in a high energy performance at the People's Choice Awards last night.

The remaining girls - Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui - stunned the crowd with an amped-up rendition of their hit single 'Work From Home' sans their former group member. In place of Camila's opening verse, the girls lived up to their name and harmonised with a subtle but pointed statement in the songs opening lines - "We ain't worried about nothing/We ain't worried, na nada", pausing after the line for dramatic effect. Redirecting the attention firmly to themselves, the girls displayed each of their individual names above them as they belted their way through the song. In typical 5H form, their voices were in fine form as they ad libbed their way through a remixed version of the song which focused on dance breaks for the girls to strut their stuff to.

The performance was a clear statement of intent for the group, who has been known lately more for their off-stage antics than their on-stage performances. Fifth Harmony is taking a much needed hiatus from their 7/27 Tour, which is scheduled to kick back up in North America in February before heading over to Asia later in the year. Before the departure of Cabello, they were already recording an album for release this year, although given the fact that they knew about her departure for months before it officially occurred, we're as yet unsure as to whether or not the album will be pushed back or not.

What did you think of Fifth Harmony's first performance as a foursome? Did they live up to the hype, or was the only thing of note about the performance Camila's conspicuous absence? Let us know in the comments below!

English superstar and former member of Wham! George Michael has been announced dead this Christmas Day.

The 53 year old, who announced both a new documentary and a new album in the past several months, was announced to have passed by his publicist this morning, who said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period. The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.”

Police confirmed that an ambulance attended a house in Oxfordshire at 1:42pm on Christmas Day. They said that the death was "unexplained but not suspicious". Michael's manager, Michael Lippman, later said that he had died from heart failure and was found "in bed, lying peacefully"; his publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed that he had not been ill in the lead up to his death.

Michael's former Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley took to Twitter to mourn his friend.

While Elton John, another close aquantance, took to Instagram to post a picture of himself and Michael in happier times.

Prior to his death, the 53 year old had confirmed that he had been in the studios with English hitmaker Naughty Boy working on new material, and had also announced a documentary set for release in March 2017. The film, titled Freedom: George Michael, was to be narrated by the singer himself and featured Mark Ronson, Mary J Blige, Tony Bennett, Liam Gallagher, James Corden and Ricky Gervais.

Michael rose to prominence in 1981 when he began the band Wham! with his school friend Ridgeley. While they were only together for five years, they sold more than 25 million records worldwide including the hits 'Last Christmas', 'Freedom' and 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go'.

After Wham! splitt up in 1986, Michael found success with his album Faith in 1987, which he wrote and produced every track on. 'I Want Your Sex', 'Faith', 'Father Figure', 'One More Try' and 'Monkey' all hit #1 on the US charts. His second album, Listen Without Prejudice, was equally successful, despite the fact that Michael refused to promote the album: he even went so far as to refuse to appear in the 'Freedom '90' music video, recruiting supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford to star in the video instead.

He was also one of the first openly gay popstars to make it big, coming out as bisexual to Ridgeley at age 19 before affirming himself as gay publicly in 1998 following a police arrest for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public restrooom. Michael maintained a steady relationship with his partner Ricky Goss from 1996 up until 2009 when they split, although recent reports have suggested that they rekindled their romance in recent years.

Avril Lavigne, one of Canada's most popular musical exports, has just announced via Instagram that she will be releasing a new album in 2017!

She started her post by thanking her fans for sticking with her during her battle with Lyme Disease, an illness she has been suffering from since 2015. "It hasn't just been a hard battle but it's also been enlightening and will reflect in my new music, artistry, life, and personally," she said in the post.

"I'm really happy to announce that I am now working on new music and I will be releasing a new album in 2017," she continued, promising that the disease and her work with the Avril Lavigne foundation would have an influence on the project.

As well as suffering with the disease, Lavigne has also recently broken up with her husband, Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, after two years of marriage and a duet on her last self-titled album.

It sounds like there's a lot of stories Lavigne has to tell.

Avril's last album, the personal Avril Lavigne, was released three years ago in 2013. She also released a single titled 'Fly' back in 2015, but like the album it failed to make much of an impact on the charts.

Do you think Avril can deliver a better album than fan favourite work Goodbye Lullaby? Are you happy that she's finally making her comeback? How do you think the new era will look?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Madonna - an international icon who extended her record as the highest-grossing female touring artist of all time in 2016, was honoured as Woman of the Year at Billboard's Women In Music 2016 event last Friday (December 9th). During her acceptance speech, she was...well...she was Madonna. 

The icon started her speech with a joke: "I always feel better with something hard between my legs," Madonna said, straddling the microphone stand.  

"I stand before you as a doormat. Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer," she continued. "Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse."

She then went on to detail some of the more shocking life experiences that shaped who she is today. "People were dying of AIDS everywhere. It wasn’t safe to be gay, it wasn’t cool to be associated with the gay community. It was 1979 and New York was a very scary place. In the first year I was held at gunpoint, raped on a rooftop with a knife digging into my throat and I had my apartment broken into and robbed so many times I stopped locking the door. In the years that followed, I lost almost every friend I had to AIDS or drugs or gunshots."

After that she praised one of her biggest inspirations who happened to be David Bowie: "I was of course inspired by Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde and Aretha Franklin, but my real muse was David Bowie. He embodied male and female spirit and that suited me just fine. He made me think there were no rules. But I was wrong. There are no rules - if you're a boy. There are rules if you're a girl," Madonna said. 

She went on to spill more brewing tea: "If you're a girl, you have to play the game. You're allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy. But don’t act too smart. Don’t have an opinion that's out of line with the status quo. You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut, but don’t own your sluttiness. And do not, I repeat do not, share your own sexual fantasies with the world. Be what men want you to be, but more importantly, be what women feel comfortable with you being around other men. And finally, do not age. Because to age is a sin. You will be criticised and vilified and definitely not played on the radio."

Madonna, teary-eyed, also opened up about the time when she felt "like the most hated person on the planet."

"Eventually I was left alone because I married Sean Penn, and not only would he would bust a cap in your ass, but I was off the market. For a while I was not considered a threat. Years later, divorced and single - sorry Sean - I made my Erotica album and my Sex book was released. I remember being the headline of every newspaper and magazine. Everything I read about myself was damning. I was called a whore and a witch. One headline compared me to Satan. I said, 'Wait a minute, isn't Prince running around with fishnets and high heels and lipstick with his butt hanging out?' Yes, he was. But he was a man."

Then she stated that that was the first time she had realised how unequal women are to men.

Madonna also recalled that at one point in her life, during all the public vitriol, "I remember wishing I had a female peer I could look to for support. Camille Paglia, the famous feminist writer, said I set women back by objectifying myself sexually. So I thought, 'Oh, if you're a feminist, you don't have sexuality, you deny it.' So I said 'fuck it. I'm a different kind of feminist. I'm a bad feminist.'"

Madonna also recalled all the legends which were gone too soon: "I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around. Michael is gone. Tupac is gone. Prince is gone. Whitney is gone. Amy Winehouse is gone. David Bowie is gone. But I'm still standing. I'm one of the lucky ones and every day I count my blessings."

Closing out her speech, Madonna offered thanks to her haters and advice to other women in music: "What I would like to say to all women here today is this: Women have been so oppressed for so long they believe what men have to say about them. They believe they have to back a man to get the job done. And there are some very good men worth backing, but not because they're men -- because they're worthy. As women, we have to start appreciating our own worth and each other's worth. Seek out strong women to befriend, to align yourself with, to learn from, to collaborate with, to be inspired by, to support, and enlightened by. It's not so much about receiving this award as it is having this opportunity to stand before you and say thank you," Madonna said, closing out her speech. "Not only to the people who have loved and supported me along the way, you have no idea... you have no idea how much your support means," she said, tearing up for the second time. "But to the doubters and naysayers and everyone who gave me hell and said I could not, that I would not or I must not - your resistance made me stronger, made me push harder, made me the fighter that I am today. It made me the woman that I am today. So thank you."

Now we only wait for the queen to deliver more bops!

After a full year of anticipating, we finally have the list of nominees for the 2017 Grammy Awards!

This year, it has been announced that the awards will be hosted by popular TV host James Corden, mostly known for his Carpool Karaoke series.

It comes as a surprise to no one that the person with the largest number of nominations is Beyoncé (clocking in with nine nominations) and that following her, Drake and Rihanna have the largest amount each (both with eight nominations).

The show is to take place on Sunday, February 12, so be sure to tune in!

Check out the full list of nominations below.

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Record of the Year:
“Hello” — Adele
“Formation” — Beyoncé
“7 Years” — Lukas Graham
“Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots

Album of the Year:
25 — Adele
Lemonade — Beyoncé
Purpose — Justin Bieber
Views — Drake
Sailor’s Guide to Earth — Sturgill Simpson

Song of the Year:
“Formation” — Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“Hello” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
“I Took a Pill in Ibiza” — Mike Posner, songwriter (Mike Posner)
“Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Justin Bieber)
“7 Years” — Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Pilegaard & Morten Ristorp, songwriters (Lukas Graham)

Best New Artist:
Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance the Rapper
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak

Pop Field

Best Pop Vocal Album:
25 — Adele
Purpose — Justin Bieber
Dangerous Woman — Ariana Grande
Confident — Demi Lovato
This Is Acting — Sia

Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Hello” — Adele
“Hold Up” — Beyonce
“Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber
“Piece By Piece (Idol Version)” — Kelly Clarkson
“Dangerous Woman” — Ariana Grande

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Closer” — The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey
“7 Years” — Lukas Graham
“Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Cheap Thrills” — Sia Featuring Sean Paul
“Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Cinema — Andrea Bocelli
Fallen Angels — Bob Dylan
Stages Live — Josh Groban
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin — Willie Nelson
Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway — Barbra Streisand

Dance/Electronic Music Field:

Best Dance Recording:
“Tearing Me Up” — Bob Moses
“Don’t Let Me Down” — The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya
“Never Be Like You” — Flume Featuring Kai
“Rinse & Repeat” — Riton Featuring Kah-Lo
“Drinkee” — Sofi Tukker

Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Skin — Flume
Electronica 1: The Time Machine — Jean-Michel Jarre
Epoch — Tycho
Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future — Underworld
Louie Vega Starring…XXVIII — Louie Vega

Contemporary Instrumental Music Field

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album:
Human Nature — Herb Alpert
When You Wish Upon a Star — Bill Frisell
Way Back Home: Live From Rochester, NY — Steve Gadd Band
Unpsoken — Chuck Loeb
Culcha Vulcha — Snarky Puppy

Rock Field

Best Rock Performance:
“Joe (Live From Austin City Limits)” — Alabama Shakes
“Don’t Hurt Yourself” — Beyoncé Featuring Jack White
“Blackstar” — David Bowie
“The Sound Of Silence” — Disturbed
“Heathens” — Twenty One Pilots

Best Metal Performance:
“Shock Me” — Baroness
“Slivera” — Gojira
“Rotting in Vain” — Korn
“Dystopia” — Megadeth
“The Price Is Wrong” — Periphery

Best Rock Song:
“Blackstar” — David Bowie, songwriter (David Bowie)
“Burn the Witch” —Radiohead, songwriters (Radiohead)
“Hardwired” — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica
“Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots)
“My Name Is Human” — Rich Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)

Best Rock Album:
California — Blink-182
Tell Me I’m Pretty — Cage The Elephant
Magma — Gojira
Death Of A Bachelor — Panic! At The Disco
Weezer — Weezer

Alternative Field

Best Alternative Music Album:
22, A Million — Bon Iver
Blackstar — David Bowie
The Hope Six Demolition Project — PJ Harvey
Post Pop Depression — Iggy Pop
A Moon Shaped Pool — Radiohead

R&B Field

Best R&B Performance:
“Turnin’ Me Up” — BJ The Chicago Kid
“Permission” — Ro James
“I Do” — Musiq Soulchild
“Needed Me” — Rihanna
“Cranes in the Sky” — Solange

Best Traditional R&B Performance:
“The Three Of Me” — William Bell
“Woman’s World” — BJ The Chicago Kid
“Sleeping With The One I Love” — Fantasia
“Angel” — Lalah Hathaway
“Can’t Wait” — Jill Scott

Best R&B Song:
“Come and See Me” — J. Brathwaite, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters (PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake)
“Exchange” — Michael Hernandez & Bryson Tiller, songwriters (Bryson Tiller)
“Kiss It Better” — Jeff Bhasker, Robyn Fenty, John-Nathan Glass & Natalia Noemi, songwriters (Rihanna)
“Lake By the Ocean” — Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)
“Luv” — Magnus August Høiberg, Benjamin Levin & Daystar Peterson, songwriters (Tory Lanez)

Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Lemonade — Beyoncé
Ology — Gallant
We Are King — KING
Malibu — Anderson .Paak
Anti — Rihanna

Best R&B Album:
In My Mind — BJ The Chicago Kid
Lalah Hathaway Live — Lalah Hathaway
Velvet Portraits — Terrace Martin
Healing Season — Mint Condition
Smoove Jones — Mya

Rap Field

Best Rap Performance:
“No Problem” — Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
“Panda” —Desiigner
“Pop Style” — Drake Featuring The Throne
“All The Way Up” — Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared
“That Part” — ScHoolboy Q Featuring Kanye West

Best Rap/Sung Performance:
“Freedom” — Beyoncé Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Hotline Bling” — Drake
“Broccoli” — D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty
“Ultralight Beam” — Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream
“Famous” — Kanye West Featuring Rihanna

Best Rap Song:
“All The Way Up” — Joseph Cartagena, Edward Davadi, Shandel Green, Karim Kharbouch, Andre Christopher Lyon, Reminisce Mackie & Marcello Valenzano, songwriters (Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared)
“Famous” — Chancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Ernest Brown, Andrew Dawson, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Kejuan Muchita, Patrick Reynolds, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Rihanna)
“Hotline Bling” — Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, songwriters (Drake)
“No Problem” — Chancelor Bennett, Dwayne Carter & Tauheed Epps, songwriters (Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz)
“Ultralight Beam” — Chancelor Bennett, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Kirk Franklin, Noah Goldstein, Samuel Griesemer, Terius Nash, Jerome Potter, Kelly Price, Nico “Donnie Trumpet” Segal, Derek Watkins, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream)

Best Rap Album:
Coloring Book — Chance The Rapper
And the Anonymous Nobody — De La Soul
Major Key — DJ Khaled
Views — Drake
Blank Face LP — ScHoolboy Q
The Life of Pablo — Kanye West

Country Field

Best Country Solo Performance:
“Love Can Go To Hell” — Brandy Clark
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert
“My Church” — Maren Morris
“Church Bells” — Carrie Underwood
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“Different for Girls” — Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King
“21 Summer” — Brothers Osborne
“Setting The World On Fire” — Kenny Chesney & P!nk
“Jolene” — Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton
“Think Of You” — Chris Young With Cassadee Pope

Best Country Song:
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey & Steven Lee Olsen, songwriters (Keith Urban)
“Die A Happy Man” — Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett & Joe Spargur, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
“Humble and Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw)
“My Church” — busbee & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Best Country Album:
Big Day In A Small Town — Brandy Clark
Full Circle — Loretta Lynn
Hero — Maren Morris
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth — Sturgill Simpson
Ripcord — Keith Urban

New Age Field

Best New Age Album:
Orogen — John Burke
Dark Sky Island — Enya
Inner Passion — Peter Kater & Tina Guo
Rosetta — Vangelis
White Sun II — White Sun

Jazz Field

Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
“Countdown” — Joey Alexander, soloist
“In Movement” — Ravi Coltrane, soloist
“We See” — Fred Hersch, soloist
“I Concentrate On You” — Brad Mehldau, soloist
“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” — John Scofield, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album:
Sound Of Red — René Marie
Upward Spiral — Branford Marsalis Quartet With Special Guest Kurt Elling
Take Me To The Alley — Gregory Porter
Harlem On My Mind — Catherine Russell
The Sting Variations — The Tierney Sutton Band

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Book of Intuition — Kenny Barron Trio
Dr. Um — Peter Erskine
Sunday Night At The Vanguard — The Fred Hersch Trio
Nearness — Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau
Country For Old Men — John Scofield

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
Real Enemies — Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
Presents Monk’estra, Vol. 1 — John Beasley
Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles — John Daversa
All L.A. Band — Bob Mintzer
Presidential Suite: Eight Variations On Freedom — Ted Nash Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album:
Entre Colegas — Andy González
Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Perspective On The Music Of Woody Shaw — Brian Lynch & Various Artists
Canto América — Michael Spiro/Wayne Wallace La Orquesta Sinfonietta
30 – Trio Da Paz
Tribute To Irakere: Live In Marciac — Chucho Valdés

Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Field

Best Gospel Performance/Song:

“It’s Alright, It’s OK” — Shirley Caesar Featuring Anthony Hamilton; Stanley Brown & Courtney Rumble, songwriters
“You’re Bigger [Live]” — Jekalyn Carr; Allundria Carr, songwriter
“Made A Way [Live]” — Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter
“God Provides” — Tamela Mann; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
“Better” — Hezekiah Walker; Jason Clayborn, Gabriel Hatcher & Hezekiah Walker, songwriters

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song:
“Trust In You” — Lauren Daigle; Lauren Daigle, Michael Farren & Paul Mabury, songwriters
“Priceless” — For King & Country; Benjamin Backus, Seth Mosley, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone & Tedd Tjornhom, songwriters
“King of the World” — Natalie Grant; Natalie Grant, Becca Mizell & Samuel Mizell, songwriters
“Thy Will” — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family; Bernie Herms, Hillary Scott & Emily Weisband, songwriters Track from: Love Remains
“Chain Breaker” — Zach Williams; Mia Fieldes, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

Best Gospel Album:
Listen —Tim Bowman Jr.
Fill This House — Shirley Caesar
A Worshipper’s Heart [Live] —Todd Dulaney
Losing My Religion — Kirk Franklin
Demonstrate [Live] —William Murphy

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
Poets & Saints — All Sons & Daughters
American Prodigal — Crowder
Be One — Natalie Grant
Youth Revival [Live] — Hillsong Young & Free
Love Remains — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family

Best Roots Gospel Album:
Better Together — Gaither Vocal Band
Nature’s Symphony In 432 — The Isaacs
Hymns — Joey+Rory
Hymns And Songs Of Inspiration — Gordon Mote
God Don’t Ever Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson — (Various Artists)

Latin Field

Best Latin Pop Album:
Un Besito Mas — Jesse & Joy
Ilusión — Gaby Moreno
Similares — Laura Pausini
Seguir Latiendo — Sanalejo
Buena Vida — Diego Torres

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album:
iLevitable — ile
L.H.O.N. (La Humanidad O Nosotros) — Illya Kuryaki & The Valderamas
Buenaventura — La Santa Cecilia
Los Rakas — Los Rakas
Amor Supremo — Carla Morrison

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano):
Raíces — Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga
Hecho A Mano — Joss Favela
Un Azteca En El Azteca, Vol. 1 (En Vivo) — Vicente Fernández
Generación Maquinaria Est. 2006 — La Maquinaria Norteña
Tributo A Joan Sebastian Y Rigoberto Alfaro — Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea

Best Tropical Latin Album:
Conexión — Fonseca
La Fantasia Homenaje A Juan Formell — Formell Y Los Van Van
35 Aniversario — Grupo Niche
La Sonora Santanera En Su 60 Aniversario — La Sonora Santanera
Donde Están? — Jose Lugo & Guasábara Combo

American Roots Music Field

Best American Roots Performance:
“Ain’t No Man” — The Avett Brothers
“Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time” — Blind Boys Of Alabama
“Factory Girl” — Rhiannon Giddens
“House Of Mercy” — Sarah Jarosz
“Wreck You” — Lori McKenna

Best American Roots Song:
“Alabama At Night” — Robbie Fulks, songwriter (Robbie Fulks)
“City Lights” — Jack White, songwriter (Jack White)
“Gulfstream” — Eric Adcock & Roddie Romero, songwriters (Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars)
“Kid Sister” — Vince Gill, songwriter (The Time Jumpers)
“Wreck You” — Lori McKenna & Felix McTeigue, songwriters (Lori McKenna)

Best Americana Album:
True Sadness — The Avett Brothers
This Is Where I Live — William Bell
The Cedar Creek Sessions — Kris Kristofferson
The Bird & The Rifle — Lori McKenna
Kid Sister — The Time Jumpers

Best Bluegrass Album:
Original Traditional — Blue Highway
Burden Bearer — Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Hazel Sessions — Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands
North And South — Claire Lynch
Coming Home — O’Connor Band With Mark O’Connor

Best Traditional Blues Album:
Can’t Shake The Feeling — Lurrie Bell
Live At The Greek Theatre — Joe Bonamassa
Blues & Ballads (A Folksinger’s Songbook: Volumes I & II) — Luther Dickinson
The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers — Vasti Jackson
Porcupine Meat — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album:
The Last Days Of Oakland — Fantastic Negrito
Love Wins Again — Janiva Magness
Bloodline — Kenny Neal
Give It Back To You — The Record Company
Everybody Wants A Piece — Joe Louis Walker

Best Folk Album:
Silver Skies Blue — Judy Collins & Ari Hest
Upland Stories — Robbie Fulks
Factory Girl — Rhiannon Giddens
Weighted Mind — Sierra Hull
Undercurrent — Sarah Jarosz

Best Regional Roots Music Album:
Broken Promised Land — Barry Jean Ancelet & Sam Broussard
It’s A Cree Thing — Northern Cree
E Walea — Kalani Pe’a
Gulfstream — Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars
I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax In The Evangeline Country — (Various Artists)

Reggae Field

Best Reggae Album:
Sly & Robbie Presents… Reggae For Her – Devin Di Dakta & J.L
Rose Petals — J Boog
Ziggy Marley — Ziggy Marley
Everlasting — Raging Fyah
Falling Into Place — Rebelution
Soja: Live In Virginia — Soja

World Music Field

Best World Music Album:
Destiny — Celtic Woman
Walking In The Footsteps Of Our Fathers — Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Sing Me Home — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble
Land Of Gold — Anoushka Shankar
Dois Amigos, Um Século De Música: Multishow Live — Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil

Children's Field

Best Children’s Album:
Explorer Of The World — Frances England
Infinity Plus One — Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Novelties — Recess Monkey
Press Play — Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could
Saddle Up — The Okee Dokee Brothers

Spoken Word Field

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling):
The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo — Amy Schumer
In Such Good Company: Eleven Years Of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In The Sandbox — Carol Burnett
M Train — Patti Smith
Under The Big Black Sun: A Personal History Of L.A.Punk (John Doe With Tom DeSavia) — (Various Artists)
Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink — Elvis Costello

Comedy Field

Best Comedy Album:
…America…Great… — David Cross
American Myth — Margaret Cho
Boysih Girl Interrupted — Tig Notaro
Live At The Apollo — Amy Schumer
Talking For Clapping — Patton Oswalt

Musical Theater

Best Musical Theater Album:
Bright Star — Carmen Cusack, principal soloist; Jay Alix, Peter Asher & Una Jackman, producers; Steve Martin, composer; Edie Brickell, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
The Color Purple — Cynthia Erivo & Jennifer Hudson, principal soloists; Stephen Bray, Van Dean, Frank Filipetti, Roy Furman, Scott Sanders & Jhett Tolentino, producers (Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell & Allee Willis, composers/lyricists) (New Broadway Cast)
Fiddler On The Roof — Danny Burstein, principal soloist; Louise Gund, David Lai & Ted Sperling, producers (Jerry Bock, composer; Sheldon Harnick, lyricist) (2016 Broadway Cast)
Kinky Boots — Killian Donnelly & Matt Henry, principal soloists; Sammy James, Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus & William Wittman, producers (Cyndi Lauper, composer & lyricist) (Original West End Cast)
Waitress — Jessie Mueller, principal soloist; Neal Avron, Sara Bareilles & Nadia DiGiallonardo, producers; Sara Bareilles, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Music For Visual Media Field

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Amy — (Various Artists)
Miles Ahead — Miles Davis & Various Artists)
Straight Outta Compton — (Various Artists)
Suicide Squad (Collector’s Edition) — (Various Artists)
Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1 — (Various Artists)

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Bridge of Spies — Thomas Newman, composer
Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight — Ennio Morricone, composer
The Revenant — Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, composers
Star Wars: The Force Awakens — John Williams, composer
Stranger Things Volume 1 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers
Stranger Things Volume 2 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers

Best Song Written For Visual Media:
“Can’t Stop The Feeling!” — Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Walt Dohrn, Ron Funches, Caroline Hjelt, Aino Jawo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Kunal Nayyar), Track from: Trolls
“Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots), Track from: Suicide Squad
“Just Like Fire” — Oscar Holter, Max Martin, P!nk & Shellback, songwriters (P!nk), Track from: Alice Through The Looking Glass
“Purple Lamborghini” — Shamann Cooke, Sonny Moore & William Roberts, songwriters (Skrillex & Rick Ross), Track from: Suicide Squad
“Try Everything” — Mikkel S. Eriksen, Sia Furler & Tor Erik Hermansen, songwriters (Shakira), Track from: Zootopia
“The Veil” — Peter Gabriel, songwriter (Peter Gabriel), Track from: Snowden

Composing/Arranging Field

Best Instrumental Composition:
“Bridge of Spies (End Title)” — Thomas Newman, composer (Thomas Newman)
“The Expensive Train Set (An Epic Sarahnade For Big Band)” — Tim Davies, composer (Tim Davies Big Band)
“Flow” — Alan Ferber, composer (Alan Ferber Nonet)
“L’Ultima Diligenza Di Red Rock – Verisione Integrale” — Ennio Morricone, composer (Ennio Morricone)
“Spoken At Midnight” — Ted Nash, composer (Ted Nash Big Band)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella:
“Ask Me Now” — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)
“Good ‘Swing’ Wenceslas” — Sammy Nestico, arranger (The Count Basie Orchestra)
“Linus & Lucy” — Christian Jacob, arranger (The Phil Norman Tentet)
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa)
“We Three Kings” — Ted Nash, arranger (Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis)
“You And I” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals:
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” — Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band Featuring Take 6)
“Do You Want To Know A Secret” — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa Featuring Renee Olstead)
“Flintstones” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
“I’m A Fool To Want You” — Alan Broadbent, arranger (Kristin Chenoweth)
“Somewhere (Dirty Blvd) (Extended Version)” — Billy Childs & Larry Klein, arrangers (Lang Lang Featuring Lisa Fischer & Jeffrey Wright)

Package Field

Best Recording Package:
Anti (Deluxe Edition) — Ciarra Pardo & Robyn Fenty, art directors (Rihanna)
Blackstar — Jonathan Barnbrook, art director (David Bowie)
Human Performance — Andrew Savage, art director (Parquet Courts)
Sunset Motel — Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
22, A Million — Eric Timothy Carlson, art director (Bon Iver)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package:
Edith Piaf 1915-2015 — Gérard Lo Monaco, art director (Edith Piaf)
401 Days — Jonathan Dagan & Mathias Høst Normark, art directors (J.Views)
I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It — Samuel Burgess-Johnson & Matthew Healy, art directors (The 1975)
Paper Wheels (Deluxe Limited Edition) — Matt Taylor, art director (Trey Anastasio)
Tug of War (Deluxe Edition) — Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)

Notes Field

Best Album Notes:
The Complete Monument & Columbia Albums Collection — Mikal Gilmore, album notes writer (Kris Kristofferson)
The Knoxville Sessions, 1929-1930: Knox County Stomp — Ted Olson & Tony Russell, album notes writers (Various Artists)
Ork Records: New York, New York — Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, album notes writers (Various Artists)
Sissle And Blake Sing Shuffle Along — Ken Bloom & Richard Carlin, album notes writers (Eubie Blake & Noble Sissle)
Waxing The Gospel: Mass Evangelism & The Phonograph, 1890-1990 — Richard Martin, album notes writer (Various Artists)

Historical Field

Best Historical Album:
The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12 (Collector’s Edition) — Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Mark Wilder, mastering engineer (Bob Dylan)
Music Of Morocco From The Library Of Congress: Recorded By Paul Bowles, 1959 — April G. Ledbetter, Steven Lance Ledbetter, Bill Nowlin & Philip D. Schuyler, compilation producers; Rick Fisher & Michael Graves, mastering engineers (Various Artists)
Ork Records: New York, New York — Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton & Maria Rice, mastering engineers (Various Artists)
Vladimir Horowitz: The Unreleased Live Recordings 1966-1983 — Bernard Horowitz, Andreas K. Meyer & Robert Russ, compilation producers; Andreas K. Meyer & Jeanne Montalvo, mastering engineers (Vladimir Horowitz)
Waxing The Gospel: Mass Evangelism & The Phonograph, 1890 – 1900 — Michael Devecka, Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Michael Devecka, David Giovannoni, Michael Khanchalian & Richard Martin, mastering engineers (Various Artists)

Production, Non-Classical Field

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical:
Are You Serious — Tchad Blake & David Boucher, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Andrew Bird)
Blackstar — David Bowie, Tom Elmhirst, Kevin Killen & Tony
Dig In Deep — Ryan Freeland, engineer; Kim Rosen, mastering engineer (Bonnie Raitt)
Hit N Run Phase Two — Booker T., Dylan Dresdow, Chris James, Prince & Justin Stanley, engineers; Dylan Dresdow, mastering engineer (Prince)
Undercurrent — Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Sarah Jarosz)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical:
Benny Blanco
Greg Kurstin
Max Martin
Nineteen85
Ricky Reed

Best Remixed Recording:
“Cali Coast (Psionics Remix)” — Josh Williams, remixer (Soul Pacific)
“Heavy Star Movin’ (staRo Remix)” — staRo, remixer (The Silver Lake Chorus)
“Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five (Timo Maas & James Teej Remix)” — Timo Maas & James Teej, remixers (Paul McCartney & Wings)
“Only” (Kaskade X Lipless Remix)— Ryan Raddon, remixer (Ry X)
“Tearing Me Up (RAC Remix)” — André Allen Anjos, remixer (Bob Moses)
“Wide Open (Joe Goddard Remix)” — Joe Goddard, remixer (The Chemical Brothers)

Surround Sound Field

Best Surround Sound Album:
Dutilleux: Sur La Mêe Accord; Les Citations; Mystère De L’Instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, surround mix engineers; Dmitriy Lipay, surround mastering engineer; Dmitriy Lipay, surround producer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)
Johnson: Considering Matthew Shephard — Brad Michel, surround mix engineer; Brad Michel, surround mastering engineer; Robina G. Young, surround producer (Craig Hella Johnson & Conspirare)
Maja S.K. Ratkje: And Sing … — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Maja S.K. Ratkje, Cikada & Oslo Sinfonietta)
Primus & The Chocolate Factory — Les Claypool, surround mix engineer; Stephen Marcussen, surround mastering engineer; Les Claypool, surround producer (Primus)
Reflections — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Øyvind Gimse, Geir Inge Lotsberg & Trondheimsolistene)

Production, Classical Field

Best Engineered Album, Classical:
Corigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — Mark Donahue & Fred Vogler, engineers (James Conlon, Guanqun Yu, Joshua Guerrero, Patricia Racette, Christopher Maltman, Lucy Schaufer, Lucas Meachem, LA Opera Chorus & Orchestra)
Dutilleux: Sur La Mêe Accord; Les Citations; Mystère De L’Instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)
Reflections — Morten Lindberg, engineer (Øyvind Gimse, Geir Inge Lotsberg & Trondheimsolistene)
Shadow of Sirius — Silas Brown & David Frost, engineers; Silas Brown,
Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9 — Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons & Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Producer of the Year, Classical:
Blanton Alspaugh
David Frost
Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin
Judith Sherman
Robina G. Young

Classical Field

Best Orchestral Field:
Bates: Works For Orchestra — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
Ibert: Orchestral Works — Neeme Järvi, conductor (Orchestre De La Suisse Romande)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, Op. 100 — Mariss Jansons, conductor (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)
Rouse: Odna Zhizn; Symphonies 3 & 4; Prospero’s Rooms — Alan Gilbert, conductor (New York Philharmonic)
Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9 — Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording:
Corigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — James Conlon, conductor; Joshua Guerrero, Christopher Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer & Guanqun Yu; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (LA Opera Orchestra; LA Opera Chorus)
Handel: Giulio Cesare — Giovanni Antonini, conductor; Cecilia Bartoli, Philippe Jaroussky, Andreas Scholl & Anne-Sofie von Otter; Samuel Theis, producer (Il Giardino Armonico)
Higdon: Cold Mountain — Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Emily Fons, Nathan Gunn, Isabel Leonard & Jay Hunter Morris; Elizabeth Ostrow, producer (The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra; Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program For Singers) Mozart: Le Nozze De Figaro — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Thomas Hampson, Christiane Karg, Luca Pisaroni & Sonya Yoncheva; Daniel Zalay, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe; Vocalensemble Rastatt)
Szymanowski: Król Roger — Antonio Pappano, conductor; Georgia Jarman, Mariusz Kwiecień & Saimir Pirgu; Jonathan Allen, producer (Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance:
Himmerland — Elisabeth Holte, conductor (Marianne Reidarsdatter Eriksen, Ragnfrid Lie & Matilda Sterby; Inger-Lise Ulsrud; Uranienborg Vokalensemble)
Janáček: Glagolitic Mass — Edward Gardner, conductor; Håkon Matti Skrede, chorus master (Susan Bickley, Gábor Bretz, Sara Jakubiak & Stuart Skelton; Thomas Trotter; Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra; Bergen Cathedral Choir, Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Choir Of Collegium Musicum & Edvard Grieg Kor)
Lloyd: Bonhoeffer — Donald Nally, conductor (Malavika Godbole, John Grecia, Rebecca Harris & Thomas Mesa; The Crossing)
Penderecki Conducts Penderecki, Volume 1 — Krzystof Penderecki, conductor; Henryk Wojnarowski, choir director (Nikolay Didenko, Agnieszka Rehlis & Johanna Rusanen; Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra; Warsaw Philharmonic Choir)
Steinberg: Passion Week — Steven Fox, conductor (The Clarion Choir)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance:
Fitelberg: Chamber Works — ARC Ensemble
Reflections — Øyvind Gimse, Geir Inge Lotsberg & Trondheimsolistene
Serious Business — Spektral Quartet
Steve Reich — Third Coast Percussion
Trios From Our Homelands — Lincoln Trio

Best Classical Instrumental Solo:
Adams, J.: Scheherazade.2 — Leila Josefowicz; David Robertson, conductor (Chester Englander; St. Louis Symphony)
Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Zuill Bailey; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony)
Dvorák: Violin Concerto & Romance; Suk: Fantasy —Christian Tetzlaff; John Storgårds, conductor (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vols. 8 & 9 — Kristian Bezuidenhout
1930′s Violin Concertos, Vol. 2 — Gil Shaham; Stéphane Denève, conductor (The Knights & Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album:
Monteverdi — Magdalena Kožená; Andrea Marcon, conductor (David Feldman, Michael Feyfar, Jakob Pilgram & Luca Tittoto; La Cetra Barockorchester Basel)
Mozart: The Weber Sisters — Sabine Devieilhe; Raphaël Pichon, conductor (Pygmalion)
Schumann & Berg — Dorothea Röschmann; Mitsuko Uchida, accompanist
Shakespeare Songs — Ian Bostridge; Antonio Pappano, accompanist (Michael Collins, Elizabeth Kenny, Lawrence Power & Adam Walker)
Verismo — Anna Netrebko; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Yusif Eyvazov; Coro Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia)

Best Classical Compendium:
Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway; American Gothic; Once Upon A Castle — Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer
Gesualdo — Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor; Manfred Eicher, producer
Vaughan Williams: Discoveries — Martyn Brabbins, conductor; Andrew Walton, producer
Wolfgang: Passing Through — Judith Farmer & Gernot Wolfgang, producers
Zappa: 200 Motels — The Suites — Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Frank Filipetti & Gail Zappa, producers

Best Contemporary Classical Composition:
Bates: Anthology Of Fantastic Zoology — Mason Bates, composer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Michael Daugherty, composer (Zuill Bailey, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
Higdon: Cold Mountain — Jennifer Higdon, composer; Gene Scheer, librettist
Theofanidis: Bassoon Concerto — Christopher Theofanidis, composer (Martin Kuuskmann, Barry Jekowsky & Northwest Sinfonia)
Winger: Conversations With Nijinsky — C. F. Kip Winger, composer (Martin West & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)

Music Video/Film Field

Best Music Video:
“Formation” — Beyoncé
“River” — Leon Bridges
“Up & Up” — Coldplay
“Gosh” — Jamie XX
“Upside Down & Inside Out” — OK Go

Best Music Film:
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead — Steve Aoki
The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years — (The Beatles)
Lemonade — Beyoncé
The Music Of Strangers — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble
American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry — (Various Artists)

 

From that Christmas forward, and for every one after, God claimed one thing to be true: the holidays would not begin until Mariah Carey sang 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'. - (Corinthians, 16:2)

It wasn't her all time best performance of the classic - she was clearly struggling to hit some of the higher notes, even with a prominent backing track which she harmonised with during her infamous falsetto moment in the final chorus - but Mariah Carey's performance still achieved it's yearly goal of bringing Christmas cheer to the masses when she performed it on the VH1 special Divas: An Unsilent Night recently. 

After opening the show Mariah was happy to share the spotlight, and let some other girls do the dirty work of entertaining the crowd for her. Professional flops JoJo, Bebe Rexha and Serayah realised that they couldn't book a solo gig and so instead teamed up to perform a Motown-inspired cover of Darlene Love's 1993 'All Alone on Christmas', made famous internationally by the classic holiday film Love Actually. JoJo breezed through the track in a low-cut gown while Bebe and Serayah let their nerves get the best of them and struggled to sing their solos, only just managing to turn out for the harmonies.

Fresh off her star turn in JoJo's newest single 'FAB.', Remy Ma turned out for a brief but fun performance of Run-DMC's 'Christmas in Hollis'...

While elsewhere, Grammy-award winner Patti Labelle made a grand entrance in orange singing her festive hit 'When You've Been Blessed'.

And for a grand finale, a gothic-styled Chaka Khan performed her timeless hits 'Ain't Nobody' and 'Natural Woman', before bringing out a selection of the other ladies - Labelle, JoJo, Rexha, Taylor and more - to back up Labelle during a soulful chorus of 'I'm Every Woman'.

Sadly, Mariah had a pair of sparkly red Louboutins that needed polishing and was unable to make time for her godmother Labelle's spot.

Which was your favourite Divas performance of the night? Did Mariah steal the show with her impressive direction, or did Patti upstage her with those incredible vocals? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Taylor Swift's ass cheeks are at the centre of a recent lawsuit, but her claims are quickly becoming the butt of every joke.

The lawsuit was initiated in November of last year, when former Denver radio show host David Mueller claimed that he was falsely terminated from his job after Swift's security claimed that he had grabbed Taylor's cheeks at a backstage meet and greet. According to Mueller, he attended a show that was a part of Swift's Red Tour in Denver back in 2013, and, as a radio DJ, was invited backstage. Mueller said that he and his girlfriend took a photo with Swift without issue before leaving to enjoy the show.

Mueller claims that he ran into a coworker during the show who bragged to him about putting his arms around Taylor and grabbing her ass during a photo op with her. Later, he says that he was approached by one of Swift's security guards who accused him of sexually assaulting Taylor and kicked him out of the arena. Mueller says that he was fired a few days later from his country music radio station because of the incident.

The case resurfaced last month when a judge passed a motion from Swift's lawyers requesting that the photo of the alleged assault be kept from the public eye until the case goes to trial. Taylor's lawyers claimed that the photo was inappropriate for public consumption because it would encourage "scandalous" behaviour and "prurient" thoughts (the definition of which is: "having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters, especially the sexual activity of others"). The judge agreed that given Swift's status as a public figure, "the widespread dissemination of this image might significantly complicate jury selection".

Unluckily for Swift's team, the wily folks at TMZ have managed to get their hands on the photo and have posted it online for all to see.

On the one hand, judging by the big smiles on everyone's faces in the photo and the fact that his girlfriend was less than a metre away from him, it doesn't seem likely that there was any particular groping going on. Given how tall Mueller is, it's not impossible that he simply misjudged and went in for an accidental ass pat - and he wouldn't be the first to do it.

On the other hand, it's a strange story for Swift to make up and go after with such force - lawyers aren't cheap, and we can't imagine her putting down so much money for a claim she knew was unfounded.

What do you think of the "scandalous" photo? Does it prove anything for either party, or is the case still completely ambiguous? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Icelandic singer Björk has spoken openly about her interesting sexual preferences in a new interview with the Evening Standard.

Opening up to the English newspaper recently, Björk explained that she isn't into "normcore sexuality". "I like a lot of erotic books and films but I just don’t find the kind of Las Vegas corset-and-fishnet-stockings thing very sexy," she told reporters. "It’s a bit mediocre, norm-core."

Never one to shy away from a controversial statement, the Homogenic artist went on to detail her preferred partners, saying, "I like bestiality. I get turned on by nature. I don’t find urban brothel situations very hot. But that’s just my taste… like, National Geographic shit.” When pressed about her supposed crush on nature documenter David Attenborough, who she worked with in 2013, she quipped, "I’m probably more into animals."

It certainly puts the infamous swan dress she wore to the 2001 Academy Awards in a new light. Speculation is now rife that the swan was not in fact just a fashion accessory, but her date to the infamous awards show.

What do you think of Björk's announcement? Is beastiality the new sexuality we should get on board with it, or is this one step too far even for Tumblr? Let us know in the comments below!

Little Monsters may soon have reason to celebrate - for word on the street is that their Mother Monster, Lady Gaga, is set to take on the 51st Super Bowl half-time show next year.

Fresh off the high heels of several of her other pop girl competitors performances in the last few year (including Beyonce and Katy Perry), Gaga is the latest act rumored to be taking the big stage. According to US Weekly, the plans are actually definite, with an anonymous source confirming that Gaga is set to take the stage at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017.

Despite this, the Washington Post is arguing that the US Weekly article was falsified, saying that the magazine ignored an "on the record response". For their part, the NFL has refused to confirm or deny the news: although they are implying that conversations with Gaga have definitely been taking place.

“We have had conversations with several fantastic artists about the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show," said Natalie Ravitz, senior vice president of communications for the NFL. "However, at this point we do not have a final decision. We’re happy there is so much excitement about the show.” Knowing the sneaky moves businesses like this sometimes make, we wouldn't be surprised if the NFL was simply leaking some unconfirmed news to garner some audience reaction about a Gaga feature before committing either way - a similiar thing happened with Taylor Swift earlier this year, although there was no follow up as to whether the rumour was true or not.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that Gaga took on the big Super Bowl Stage. She wowed the crowd earlier this year with a well-received powerful version of the National Anthem performed just before Coldplay's big set.

What do you think of a proposed Gaga performance? Is she the right choice for the show, or would you prefer to see another artist take on the role? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Fans of Fifth Harmony - or Harmonisers, as anyone under the age of fifteen would know them as - were left disappointed on Friday night after one of the five voices, that belonging to Camila Cabello, abruptly departed the group's Missouri concert halfway through the show.

Following the quintet's performance of their single 'Boss', Cabello left the stage for what her bandmates initially described as a temporary "wardrobe malfunction". Disappointingly, though, Camila never turned to the stage, forcing the remaining members to finish off the last seven songs in their set as a four-piece.

Camila later explained her decision in a Snapchat video posted on Saturday morning.

"Hi Missouri, sorry I couldn't finish the set last night," she said in the video. "I was having too much anxiety and couldn't finish it… I'm truly sorry."

This came after she posted a cryptic and much liked Tweet following Friday nights show.

In 2015, Camila spoke publicly about her anxiety for the first time during a cover story with Billboard Magazine. "I was having terrible anxiety, nonstop," she stated back then. "My heart would beat really fast the whole day. Two hours after I woke up, I'd need a nap because my body was so hyperactive. It was so eff – sorry, but it was so fucked up. I was scared of what would happen to me, of the things my brain might tell me. I realized the stuff I thought was important isn't worth my health. Now I write in a diary every day, work out and meditate."

In a post Tumblr-landscape in which mental illness is the new selling point, the word "anxiety" seems to be the 21st century's version of "artistic differences" or "exhaustion" - aka, a bullshit excuse for celebrities to use when they want to get out of a commitment. Camila's use of the terminology is eerily similar to Zayn Malik's use of the term which, coupled with "stress", lead to his departure from One Direction. Malik later used his "anxiety" to get out of performing at the Capital Summertime Ball, taking to Instagram to talk about the decision.

It appears that Camila was able to make it through Sunday night's show in Dallas, although it remains to be seen if her anxiety recurs or not. In the meantime, those fans who were tired of seeing her hogging the spotlight can enjoy this performance of 'Work From Home' sans Cabello in the video below.

 What are your thoughts on the situation? Is Cabello's anxiety a serious enough issue for you to forgive her absence, or is she just using her pain as an excuse to plan her next move as a solo artist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Lady Gaga has been officially cast in a remake of A Star Is Born, the film that made legends out of triple threats such as Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. Stepping into the iconic role of Esther Hoffman, Gaga will play the role of the struggling ingenue whose rise to fame matches her personal decline, making her debut as a main character in a feature film alongside American Sniper star Bradley Cooper who is also set to direct.

Production for the film is set to begin early next year in California, with Cooper making his directorial debut for the role. In a new twist on the role, Gaga is set to compose and perform some of her own original songs for the part, although it's yet to be known if she'll also cover songs such as Judy Garland's rendition of 'The Man That Got Away'.

“For those of us lucky enough to watch him work as an actor and producer, it has been clear that Bradley would make this transition to director,” Greg Silverman, President of WW Production said. “We are honored that he is doing it, here, at his home - Warner Bros. - and with Lady Gaga as a collaborator and co-star. The world is in for a treat as these great artists craft an all new vision of A Star is Born.”

This new remake of the project has been a long time coming, with an earlier version of the work that was teased in 2011 seeing Gaga's former 'Telephone' collaborator Beyoncé in the lead role with Clint Eastwood directing. Eastwood, who previously instructed Cooper on Sniper, eventually dropped out of the project in order for Cooper to make his directing debut - and after Bey allegedly demanded too much money for the role, Cooper went straight to Gaga. Apparently, he convinced the studio to make the film thanks largely to a chemistry test between himself and Gaga which they loved.

Gaga confirmed the news today with a Tweet containing a link to the Deadline article in which the news was confirmed, although rumours had been swirling for months after Cooper took her out for dinner and a motorcycle ride to discuss the script. The role is hardly surprising for Gaga, who in recent years has tried to spread her wings a little wider with a jazz album, an award-winning role on American Horror Story and composing credits for the Emmy-nominated 'Til It Happens To You' - even as fans wait for week after week for any scrap of news about LG5, her upcoming pop album.

What are your thoughts on Gaga's big acting gig? Are you excited for the part, or should she stick to music? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez may not have dated for years, but that won't stop the two from getting into a jealous lover's tiff.

Following major fan backlash against Justin's apparent confirmation that he was dating Sofia Richie - Nicole Richie's younger sister who also happens to be just seventeen years old - Bieber took to his Instagram page to defend his new beau's honour and to threaten to shut out the public from his account for good. Calling out the fans who were so "mean to the people that I like", Justin shared a snap of him and Sofia on their well-publicised holiday in Japan to show his support of the school-aged minor with a picture of the two of them posing in the back of a limo.

But something about Justin's post must have rubbed Selena the wrong way. The former Disney star, who usually stays quiet on matters of the heart and doubly silent when such matters involve Bieber, left a shady comment on the photo to criticise her ex of fame-whoring and using photos of Sofia for headlines. "Don't be mad at your fans," she chided him, "They love you and supported you before any one ever did".

Then, in an apparent attempt to prove her own dedication to her fanbase, Selena took to her own Instagram page to post a snap of her signing autographs and taking pictures with her fans.

Never one to shy down, Bieber commented back to Selena. "It's funny to see people that used me for attention and still try to point the finger this way," he stated, in what was a pretty low blow towards someone who has publicly talked about how difficult it is to be seen as anything other than an ex-girlfriend. "Sad. All love." 

But with a true commitment to getting in the final word on the matter, Selena clapped back with a retort of her own which not only mocked Bieber's writing style but also confirmed the years of rumours that have been spread about him cheating on her, using the negative press created by his own fanbase against him.

On one hand, Selena's retorts seem somewhat hypocritical after she advocated an end to online bullying and drama just a few weeks ago during the #KimExposedTaylorParty. But if you look under the surface of her comments, Selena's annoyance with Bieber is definitely justified. If he really cheated on her as often as she claimed, then we're not too surprised that she's finally letting out all the pent up rage that's been building up over the years their on again, off again relationship took place - even if she didn't do it in the most professional or mature way.

Your thoughts? Did Selena fail to 'Kill 'Em With Kindness', or is her bitchy 'Revival' justified? Let us know in the comments section below!

Known for his productions with Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, just to name a couple, Timbaland has announced that he's going to be focusing on a side project. Being a fan of the high-intensity music used in the exercise craze, Zumba, Timbaland has announced he'll be producing beats for the dance workout.

Timbaland, now 44, gave a quick interview on August 9th and mentioned the following.

Quote

I've always been into fitness, and music is a big part of exercising for me, and I feel like STRONG by Zumba was a great way — with my edge, my music style — to put it together.

 

Timbaland has teamed up with the Zumba company, STRONG, and claims that rather than producing typical latin beats that drive Zumba, he wants to create beats that'll help foregoers get through the routine with ease and help people realize their potential and push themselves. He's hoping his contributions to the program will help people keep going during the program and have a willingness to realize they can do more than they may expect.

Ntiedo Etuk, the CEO of YG Studios, an online platform that pairs trainers with clients mentioned the following:

Quote

(STRONG is) a step out for them. I think what they were really doing by working with someone like Timbaland, it’s almost like you’ve been typecast into a certain role … when you step out and do something different than what you’ve done before, then you look to make a splash and bring a different type of energy to it.

 

He's also mentioned that the songs he's producing will not be available for sale or stream. As of now, he's finished one track and is working on a second.

Confirmed productions:
1. Obs3ssed - Nobody
2. A collaboration with Scott Storch

The nominations for this year's MTV Video Music Awards have finally been announced.

There's few surprises in the list, with Beyoncé leading the pack and set to sweep the board with a grand total of five nominations in the main categories. However, we are shocked by the low quality of some of the videos nominated. Justin Bieber's 'Sorry', a green screen dance video which doesn't even feature the singer and plays out like a fan-made compilation, is one of the nominations; while Rihanna's 'Work', the no-choreography, no-creativity, no-looks, no-aesthetic, no-talent video that was so boring they had to film two, is also nominated twice; and Sia's music video that isn't a music video but is actually a lyric video for 'Cheap Thrills' is also nominated. Meanwhile, more worthy music videos like Fergie's 'MILF$', Gwen Stefani's 'Make Me Like You', Lana Del Rey's 'High By The Beach', Bonnie McKee's 'I Want It All' and Cupcakke's 'Pedophile' were all paid dust.

There's no word yet on hosts or performances we can expect on the night, but given whose currently promoting new music we can expect performances from the likes of Katy, Rihanna, Britney, Beyonce and Adele.

What do you think of the nominations? Are they well deserved or are there some glaring omissions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Video of the Year

Beyoncé - "Formation" 
Adele - "Hello" 
Drake - "Hotline Bling" 
Justin Bieber - "Sorry" 
Kanye West - "Famous" 

Best Female Video

Ariana Grande - "Into You" 
Beyoncé - "Hold Up" 
Adele - "Hello" 
Rihanna f/ Drake - "Work" 
Sia f/ Sean Paul - "Cheap Thrills" 

Best Collab

Beyoncé f/ Kendrick Lamar - "Freedom" 
Ariana Grande f/ Lil Wayne - "Let Me Love You" 
Calvin Harris f/ Rihanna - "This Is What You Came For" 
Rihanna f/ Drake - "Work" 
Fifth Harmony f/ Ty Dolla $ign - "Work from Home" 

Best New Artist

Desiigner 
Bryson Tiller 
DNCE 
Zara Larsson 
Lukas Graham 

Best Pop Video

Alessia Cara - "Wild Things" 
Ariana Grande - "Into You" 
Adele - "Hello" 
Justin Bieber - "Sorry" 
Beyoncé - "Formation" 

Best Male Video

Bryson Tiller - "Don't" 
Calvin Harris f/ Rihanna - "This Is What You Came For" 
Drake - "Hotline Bling" 
Kanye West - "Famous" 
The Weeknd - "Can't Feel My Face" 

Best Rock Video

All Time Low - "Missing You" 
Panic! At the Disco - "Victorious" 
Coldplay - "Adventure of a Lifetime" 
Fall Out Boy f/ Demi Lovato - "Irresistible" 
twenty one pilots - "Heathens" 

Best Hip-Hop Video

2 Chainz - "Watch Out" 
Bryson Tiller - "Don't" 
Chance The Rapper f/ Saba - "Angels" 
Desiigner - "Panda" 
Drake - "Hotline Bling" 

Best Electronic Video

99 Souls f/ Destiny's Child & Brandy - "The Girl Is Mine" 
Afrojack - "Summerthing" 
Calvin Harris & Disciples - "How Deep Is Your Love" 
Mike Posner - "I Took A Pill In Ibiza (SeeB Remix)" 
The Chainsmokers f/ Daya - "Don't Let Me Down" 

Breakthrough Long Form Video

Beyoncé - "Lemonade" 
Chris Brown - "Royalty" 
Florence + The Machine - "The Odyssey" 
Justin Bieber - "Purpose: The Movement" 
Troye Sivan - "Blue Neighbourhood Trilogy" 

Professional Categories

In yet another saga into one of the most majestically messy celebrity breakups of the past few years, Calvin Harris has taken to Twitter to slam onetime girlfriend Taylor Swift for what he calls a "hurtful" bout of bad press organised by her management team.

Taking to the social media platform less than an hour ago, Harris's tirade began as a response to a People magazine article in which it was revealed that Swift had actually written the DJ's latest hit with Rihanna, 'This Is What You Came For', under the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg.

In the article, Swift's rep confirmed that she "wrote 'This Is What You Came For' under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg". But the news didn't stop there, with People allegedly getting an exclusive scoop on how the duo broke up.

As reported by TMZ on Wednesday, Swift "wrote the song, sat down at a piano and did a demo into her iPhone", which she then sent to Harris for consideration. After recording a fully produced demo, they agreed to keep the collaboration under wraps and instead send the track to Rihanna to record.

Apparently, though, Swift was hurt when Harris did an interview after the song's release where he claimed that he couldn't foresee a collaboration with Swift. "You know, we haven't even spoken about it. I can't see it happening," Harris said to Ryan Seacrest. The rift over the song supposedly lead to the breakup of the power couple.

While there was no official source for this information on the relationship's disintegration, it's fascinating that it's included in the same article as a quote from Swift's rep. It's hardly unlikely that Swift's rep had something to do with leaking the story of her and Harris' break up to People; a coincidence that hasn't gone unnoticed by Harris himself.

Harris' first Tweet was relatively tame, complimenting Swift's songwriting on the track and saying that she had "smashed it as usual". But what started as a friendly comment to an ex soon disintegrated into an all out slam-fest, which even brought Swift's infamous rival Katy Perry into the fray.

In typically classy fashion, Harris signed off with a friendly farewell of "God bless everyone have a beautiful day".

The move comes almost a week to the day after Harris released his co-write with John Newman, the breakup anthem 'Olé'. "Low key, you won't tell none of your friends about me/You won't tell them I occupy your dreams and your thoughts," the song sings; with the phrase "low key" allegedly intended to be a reference to Swift's new beau's role of Loki in the Thor franchise. The song has long been thought to be directed towards Swift, even as rumours swirl that it was in fact written months ago.

Playing the victim? Check. Taking to social media to air your grievances? Check. Writing passive-aggressive breakup songs exposing your ex's dirty secrets? Check. Calvin is literally turning the tables and Taylor Swifting the original queen of breakups, Taylor Swift.

Your move, Taylor.

Just when we thought that the good sis Azealia Banks had well and truly buried her career once and for all when she incited the rage of the world's most fearsome fanbase, the Directioners, 2016's version of the Hydra has reared another one of it's ugly heads - and this one is noticeably paler than the last.

Just months after referring to former One Direction singer Zayn Malik as a "curry scented bitch", the formerly well-renowned rapper has taken once again to the Internet to reveal to her rapidly diminishing fanbase that she has begun the process of bleaching her skin.

Describing the process as "body modification", Banks claimed that skin bleaching was little more serious than wearing a weave. "Nobody was upset when I was wearing 30-inch weaves and tearing out my edges and doing all that type of shit like that," she mentioned. "You guys loved it!"

Banks made the revelation in a 21 minute livestream on Facebook, a medium she has resorted to since the suspension of her Twitter account several months ago. Rather than endure the entire 21 minutes of agony, feel free to peruse this shorter clip posted by WorldStarHipHop on Twitter below:

When the issue was pressed on Instagram, Banks made correlations between skin bleaching and cosmetic surgery, saying, “What's the difference between getting a nose job and changing your skin colour?”

Banks refused to accept claims that she may be shunning her African American ancestry through the practise, saying that such accusations were "petty" and "stupid". "I don't really think it's important to discuss the cultural significance of skin bleaching anymore because just as African American people in this world, or Black people, you assimilate," she said. "There are things that you accept not out of necessity, but things that become the norm because it's just happening all of the time."

What do you think of Banks' revelations? Is she right to say that she was pressed into the practise by her fans supporting beauty techniques like hair weaves and nose jobs? Or is skin bleaching just one step too far? Let us know your thoughts below!

 If you thought that Caitlyn Jenner's recent revelation as a transgender woman would change her political views, you'll be sadly disproven by the reality TV stars latest interview with Sports Illustrated in which she not only publicly expressed her support for Donald Trump, but also indicated that he was apparently "very much behind" both females and the LGBT community.

Jenner, who has come under enormous fire from liberal commentators regarding her staunchly Republican views, made the claim in a new article with Sports Illustrated for which she was the cover girl. Jenner began by condemning the reigning president Barack Obama for his management of the economy, a common claim among Republican naysayers; but she did say that things weren't all bad when it came to Obama's policies.

“I’m not excited with what Obama has done to the economy, to our Constitution, all that kind of stuff. But as far as the transgender community, they’ve actually been very good.”

She went on to explain her support for Trump, suggesting that he was a positive impact for the LGBT community. "Trump seems to be very much for women,” she explained. “He seems very much behind the LGBT community because of what happened in North Carolina with the bathroom issue. He backed the LGBT community.” 

Earlier this year, Jenner told an Australian radio show that she would be voting for whoever the Republican candidate was chosen to be, but admitted that she had a preference for Ted Cruz as leader. After Trump was announced as the Republican candidate officially, Jenner made a somewhat bizarre video in which she entered Trump Tower just to use the ladies bathroom, a presumed comment on North Carolina's transphobic bathroom bills. In March, she stated that Trump would be "very good" for women's issues and that she doesn't "think he's out there to destroy women or takes things away or do any of that kind of stuff", apparently neglecting the fact that Trump has previously called breastfeeding "disgusting" and is pro-life when it comes to abortion.

Jenner has previously stated that she is discriminated against more because of her Republican preferences than because of her transgender identity. What do you think of her public support of Trump? Does it mean that she deserves the criticism, or should she be entitled to her opinion regardless of her gender identity?

Seven year old Brooke Howes is making headline news this week for quite an upsetting reason.

While heading home one day from school, she was humming a tune by Fifth Harmony to herself when she was suddenly attacked by 3 boys from the same school.

Howes' mother, Lianne, was waiting for her daughter and saw the whole incident go down from beyond the school gate.

Allegations range from being pushed over, hit her head, punched, kicked and had her fingers bent back.

One of the boys is said to have even spat in her face.

According to Lianne, "she was wearing a summer dress and cardigan so it must have been done with some force to cause marks like that through her clothing."

Lianne later asked a teacher if her daughter had acted out in school to warrant the treatment she was receiving, but the teacher said she hadn't acted out of the normal, causing the mother to question the behaviour of the boys.

Brooke is now afraid of attending school in fear that the boys will attack again, so she has currently withdrawn from school to recover from the injuries, both internally and externally.

The next question is, will Fifth Harmony address this issue or even go one step further and visit this poor girl?

Taylor Swift made headlines last year when she pulled her entire back catalogue from music streaming service Spotify just months before holding back her latest album 1989 from Apple Music until she was promised the royalties owed to artists during a three month streaming period the company was offering customers. This year, she officially reconciled with the company when she appeared in advertisements for Apple Music's Beats 1 Radio.

Now, she's aiming for another week in the news by setting her sights on another music streaming service: YouTube.

Along with over 180 other artists - including Christina Aguilera, The Band Perry, Jennifer Hudson, Elton John, Yoko Ono Lennon, Paul McCartney and U2 - Swift has signed a letter which will appear this week in publications such as The Hill and Politico urging lawmakers to change the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to reflect changes in the media landscape.

The DMCA, initially passed in 1998 with the rise of the Internet, was created to protect works from infrigement, but has a "safe harbour" provision that protects ISP's and websites from copyright violations so long as such services take down content when they are notified of the existence of copyrighted works. This was put in place to protect social media websites like YouTube, which cannot reasonably be expected to trawl through the thousands of videos uploaded in search of copyrighted material.

However, according to Swift and others, the safe harbour provision has become unfeasible now that YouTube has become a go-to source for illegal music uploads. According to the letter:

Quote

 

The [DMCA] law was written and passed in an era that is technologically out-of-date compared to the era in which we live. It has allowed major tech companies to grow and generate huge profits by creating ease of use for consumers to carry almost every recorded song in history in their pocket via a smartphone, while songwriters' and artists' earnings continue to diminish.

 

Music Mogul Irving Azoff, who manages artists like Aguilera, The Eagles and Steely Dan, also signed the letter. In an article last month for Recode, Azoff said, "You have built a business that works really well for you and for Google, but it doesn't work well for artists. If you think it is just the labels and publishers who are complaining, you are wrong. The music community is traditionally a very fractured one, but on this we are united."

The musicians are hoping to catch the attention of the US Copyright Office, which is currently reviewing the DMCA. Earlier this year, music trade groups such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and American Federation of Musicians (AFM) told the Office that the RIAA has noticed more than 175 million illegal music uploads online since 2012, and sent over 280 million infringement notices to Google. 

Christophe Muller, head of YouTube's international music partnerships, referenced the movement in April when he posted an article on The Guardian. "Music matters. Musicians and songwriters matter. They deserve to be compensated fairly," he said at the time. "We believe this deeply and have partnered with the music industry for years to ensure it happens on our platform."

In a time of unprecedented gun violence, racist and prejudiced rhetoric against Hispanic and Muslim people, and the incredibly upsetting cancellation of CBS's The Good Wife, we find it surprising that Swift is choosing to focus her celebrity on such a minuscule issue. Artists have long known how to use YouTube to their advantage - take Justin and Selena's lip sync video to 'Call Me Maybe' which sent the song up the charts, or Cody Simpson's YouTube discovery - and we'd be shocked to hear that Swift and the other celebrities listed have never searched YouTube in order to hear their favourite pop song.

Regardless of the outcome of the petition, one things for sure - the Internet has a way of getting what it wants. Whether it's Napster, Limewire, or YouTube, we have the feeling there will always be an easy and accessible way of hearing music for free online.

Thoughts?

Kesha may still not be releasing music in the wake of her lawsuit with Dr. Luke, but that doesn't mean that her singing career has come to a halt.

Today, the singer announced a three-night "mini residency" set to take place this summer at the Wynn hotel and casino in Las Vegas, starting on June 23rd, and stretching for over a month until July 23rd. The tour will contain all of Kesha's hits over her three studio albums - Animal, Cannibal and Warrior - and will take place at the Wynn's Intrigue Nightclub, which can house up to 1 200 audience members.

The residency comes just weeks after Kesha's last performance in Vegas, which took place as part of the Billboard Music Awards. There, she sang a cover of Bob Dylan's 'It Ain't Me, Babe' accompanied by Ben Folds and Rob Moose. That performance was only allowed to take place after Kesha received the explicit approval of Dr. Luke and her record label, which leads some to think that the Vegas residency may have required the same permissions.

Kesha's last tour was the epic Warrior Tour, which stretched for over six legs from 2013 to 2015 and included a co-headlining leg with 'Timber' collaborator Pitbull. Since then, she's stayed offstage for the most part, but she did make a surprise appearance along with her newly-formed rock band Yeast Infection over the Christmas period last year.

What do you think of the situation? Is Kesha's mini residency a good move for the singer, or does she not have the career longevity and fanbase to pull it off? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!