(CelebrityAccess News Service) – The 46th Annual Grammy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles at Staples Center on February 8. The show will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network from 8-11 p.m. (live in the East, tape delayed in the West), marking the 31st consecutive year the show has been broadcast on CBS.
"We are delighted to be bringing the Grammys back to Los Angeles," said Recording Academy President Neil Portnow. "We look forward to working with Mayor Hahn and his staff, our great friends at Staples Center, and our terrific partners at CBS to make February 8 'Grammy Sunday!'"
"Los Angeles is proud to host the 46th Annual Grammys," said Los Angeles Mayor Hahn. "This is great news for our City of Angels and reaffirms our place as the entertainment capital of the world."
"Staples Center is once again proud to welcome the music industry and the Grammy Awards show back to its home," said Timothy Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group and Staples Center. "We thank Neil Portnow and our partners at the Recording Academy for not only returning the world's premier music event to Los Angeles but for their continued support of our schools, arts and community through their ongoing charitable activities."
"One of network television's greatest attributes is its ability to broadcast big events," said CBS Television Network President Leslie Moonves. "There aren't many events bigger than the Grammys, which is consistently the most entertaining awards show and attracts one of the largest television audiences of the year. We once again look forward to joining forces with our valued partners at the Recording Academy to produce a broadcast that will have audiences talking the next day. And, we're very excited to return to Los Angeles, where the hospitality of Mayor Hahn and the events team at Staples Center has created a great environment to present an exciting Grammy Awards."
Grammy nominees will be announced on December 4, 2003, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Grammy Awards are produced in association with Cossette Productions. Pierre Cossette is executive producer, Ken Ehrlich is producer/writer, Walter Miller is producer/director, and John Cossette is supervising producer. Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer.–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
Stars Honor Gregory Hines in Harlem
NEW YORK (AP) — Stars from the worlds of theater, film and dance came out Sunday night to pay tribute to the late tap-dancing actor Gregory Hines at a festive memorial celebration at Harlem's Apollo Theater.
Fellow actress and dancer Debbie Allen said Hines' love of dance infused his entire body of work, from the stage to the screen.
"He took tap to a whole other level," Allen said before the tribute. "It was a part of everything he did — his movies, his Broadway shows, his music."
Hines, a Tony Award winner who died of cancer in August at 57, starred on Broadway and in movies including "White Nights" and "Running Scared."
Colleagues said they'd miss his generous spirit as much as his contributions as an artist.
"He was a wonderful, funny man, humorous and warm," said Isabella Rossellini, who played Hines' wife in the 1985 film "White Nights." "He didn't change on the set and off the set. There was an authenticity about him."
Hines also starred in a sitcom, "The Gregory Hines Show," in 1997, and had a recurring role on NBC's "Will & Grace."
Actress Phylicia Rashad and Hines' older brother, Maurice Hines, co-hosted the tribute, which included performances by tap dancers and singers as well as video clips of Gregory Hines' performances.
A range of artists from Mikhail Baryshnikov to Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee came out for the tribute as did politicians such as Rep. Charles Rangel, D-Harlem.
Gregory Oliver Hines was born in New York City in 1946. When Gregory was a toddler, Maurice would come home from tap dancing classes and teach him steps.
The brothers began performing together when Gregory Hines was 5. A year later, they performed at the Apollo with their dad in a family dance trio billed as Hines, Hines and Dad.
"I brought him home," Maurice Hines told the Apollo crowd on Sunday, "because this is where we began."
CMA Board Presented Proposal to Hold CMA Awards in New York
(CelebrityAccess News Service) – During the September meeting of the CMA Board of Directors, a contingent of representatives from New York City presented a proposal to host the annual CMA Awards in New York in 2005 for one year. "Nashville has and will always be home base for the CMA Awards," said CMA executive director Ed Benson. "Strategically, the possibility of periodically moving the awards has been looked at before, with several different cities in discussion, but only on a one-time basis to generate increased exposure and excitement for the format."
The New York proposal was viewed with interest by the CMA Board. The CMA staff was directed to study the proposal in depth and report back to the board at a later time. A final announcement won't be made until July 2004. It's important to stress that no decision has been made to hold the CMA Awards in another city at this time.
The NYC Host Committee had approached CMA earlier this year about the possibility of hosting the awards at a future date. Exploring opportunities to further the profile of the awards and country music is one of CMA's strategic initiatives determined by the board of directors in 2002.
"The spirit of country music described in CMA's vision statement — community, creativity, fun, celebrating success, willingness to take risks and embrace change, and patriotism — are the very same things that define New York City," said New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development &Rebuilding Daniel Doctoroff. "So while at first glance New York might seem like an unusual choice to host the CMA Awards, New York is, in fact, the natural place for this prestigious event."
The CMA Awards was the first music awards special to be broadcast on network television in 1968. In 2002, "The 36th Annual CMA Awards" attracted more than 38 million viewers. In 2003, "The 37th Annual CMA Awards" will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network on November 5 (8:00-11:00 PM/EST) from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn. –by Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
'West Wing' Wins Emmy for Best Drama
LOS ANGELES (AP) — There were no term limits for NBC's "The West Wing," which won its fourth Emmy for best drama Sunday despite shrinking viewership, while CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" won five awards, including best comedy.
James Gandolfini, who plays the hulking mobster on HBO's "The Sopranos," and Edie Falco, who portrays his long-suffering wife, swept the top dramatic acting awards.
The ceremony was both celebratory and bittersweet, with homage paid to a number of performers and industry figures who died this year, including Bob Hope, John Ritter, Gregory Hines and Fred Rogers.
Tony Shalhoub, who plays an obsessive-compulsive detective on USA's "Monk," beat broadcast network stars for best actor in a comedy. Debra Messing, after three unsuccessful tries, won best comic actress for "Will & Grace."
An emotional Shalhoub, in the spirit of the evening's other tributes, noted the sudden death of a nephew who the actor said had "a warm laugh and a good heart."
Although "The Sopranos" claimed four awards, versus two for "The West Wing," the mob drama again was denied the top award. TV academy voters have yet to crown a cable series as best drama.
"I wish for everyone a working experience like we have," Falco said, adding "we have inadvertently created the perfect working environment."
The best drama award for "The West Wing" represented a last hurrah for Aaron Sorkin, who created the White House drama and wrote much of it. He left at the end of last season.
"I want to personally thank everyone behind me," Sorkin said of the series' cast assembled on stage. "For four years, you did the TV series of any playwright's dreams."
HBO won a leading 18 Emmys, followed by CBS with 16, NBC with 15 and ABC with nine. Fox and PBS earned seven each.
"Everybody Loves Raymond" was the most-honored series, with five awards, while "Door to Door" had a total of six awards including technical honors given earlier.
HBO's "Six Feet Under," the leading nominee with 16 bids, was shut out Sunday and won only a single technical award.
The fourth time was the charm for Messing. "Oh my God," said the exuberant actress, who had been nominated three times before and went home empty-handed. "I never thought this was going to happen."
TNT's "Door to Door" — based on the true story of Bill Porter, a salesman with cerebral palsy — was honored as best made-for-TV movie. William H. Macy, who portrayed Porter, won best actor in a miniseries. The movie also won writing and directing awards.
Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett, who play two members of the battling Barone family on CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond," were honored as supporting actors in a comedy series.
"Wow. That was worth coming up here for," Roberts said after receiving a congratulatory kiss from presenter Matthew Perry as she accepted the comedy series supporting actress award. It was her third career Emmy.
Garrett, who held out for a better contract before the new season of "Everybody Loves Raymond," jokingly thanked CBS and the show's producers for not firing him.
"It's good to be back," Garrett said. It was his second consecutive supporting actor Emmy.
Tyne Daly was honored for her supporting role in the CBS drama series, "Judging Amy," while Joe Pantoliano — who lost his head on "The Sopranos" — won best supporting actor in a drama series.
CBS' "The Amazing Race" won the Emmy in the reality competition category, beating more popular series "American Idol" and "Survivor."
Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," which received plaudits for poking fun at war coverage, won for the first time as best variety show, breaking a five-year winning streak for David Letterman. "The Daily Show" was also honored for its writing.
"Everybody Loves Raymond" won for best writing in a comedy series. HBO's "The Sopranos" won best writing in a drama series.
Garry Shandling, one of many comedians serving as hosts of the show, received a long kiss from Garrett that parodied the Madonna-Britney Spears kiss from the MTV Video Music Awards. Perry kept the joke going with his smooch planted on Roberts.
"The West Wing" received the Emmy for best directing for a drama series, while the comedy trophy in the category went to "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
The award for best miniseries went to the science fiction drama "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken."
In other miniseries or movie categories, Maggie Smith won lead actress for "My House in Umbria." The movie "Hysterical Blindness" won best supporting actor and actress honors for Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands, respectively.
Wayne Brady was named best individual performer in a variety or musical program for "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
"Cher — The Farewell Tour" was named best variety, music or comedy special.
Bill Cosby accepted the second Bob Hope Humanitarian Award with a self-effacing speech in which he thanked his wife, Camille, for 40 years of unconditional love and recalled fondly beloved children's entertainer Rogers.
Cosby also shared a lighthearted memory of bringing his son, Ennis, with him to work on an episode of the animated series "Fat Albert." Ennis Cosby was shot to death in Los Angeles in 1997.
Walter Cronkite paid tribute to Hope, who died at age 100 this summer.
In the creative arts ceremony held earlier this month, awards were announced in craft categories including outstanding choreography, editing and makeup. Network and show totals included the creative arts awards.
Four acting awards for guest roles also were given out. Emmys for best guest actress and actor in a drama series went to Alfre Woodard for "The Practice" and Charles S. Dutton for "Without a Trace."
For guest actor and actress in a comedy series, the winners were Gene Wilder for "Will & Grace" and Christina Applegate for "Friends."
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