Yak Roundup: Grammys Request Clothes, TV Friends Reunion, iTune’s 25 Billion Sales

tvyakAs but a supplement to our reports and features here at YakkityYaks, we’d like to (re)introduce our Yak Roundup where we will sift through some of the days news and round them up in our stable. On today’s agenda, the Grammys send an odd email to those attending Sunday’s big show, plus a Friends reunion coming to a TV near you and just who is iTunes 25,000,000,000th song sold?

Problematic Thongs at the Grammys |

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Grammys and CBS sent an email to those that will be in attendance Sunday night when the Grammys air LIVE from the Staples Center in LA. What was the subject of this email, you ask? Well, it was your typical “Subject: 55th GRAMMYS: Standard And Practice Wardrobe Advisory.” The email speaks for itself, so we’ve procured a copy for your reading pleasure.

CBS Program Practices advises that all talent appearing on camera please adhere to Network policy concerning wardrobe.

Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples. Please be sure the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible “puffy” bare skin exposure. Please avoid commercial identification of actual brand name products on T-shirts. Foreign language on wardrobe will need to be cleared. OBSCENITY OR PARTIALLY SEEN OBSCENITY ON WARDROBE IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR BROADCAST. This as well, pertains to audience members that appear on camera. Finally, The Network requests that any organized cause visibly spelled out on talent’s wardrobe be avoided. This would include lapel pins or any other form of accessory.

Go On - Season 1

Monica & Chandler Bing Reunited |

NBC announced a Friends reunion that will take place on their freshman comedy “Go On.” Matthew Perry and Courtney Cox will reunite on screen when Cox guest stars as a potential love interest for Perry’s character on the NBC sitcom. The guest stint will likely air on an episode in April and will be introduced to Ryan King through Anne (Julie White). Here’s hoping this guest stint turns into a potential recurring character!

iTunes Hits 25 Billionth Song Sold |

Wednesday afternoon marked the record number sale for iTunes. Since it’s inception, the platform has now sold more than 25 billion songs. What song made the cut for this bit of trivia you’ll want to use to impress your friends? “Monkey Drums (Goskel Vancin Remix)” by Chase Buch. The company released a statement on Wednesday saying that Phillip Lupke of Germany made the record purchase. As a reward, he will receive a 10,000 Euros iTunes gift card, equivalent to about $13,500. The store launched just under 10 years ago and has just hit the milestone before it’s 10th Anniversary this April.

In reality news, MTV has renewed “Buckwild” for a second season, while E! announced plans to bring you a reality series centered around boy band sensation The Wanted. The series will be produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions. Big Brother Canada announced late Wednesday that the show will air its first LIVE eviction on Night 2 after the houseguests move into the house. Details on how you can be a part of the audience are below.

Contact bbcaudience@insighttv.com with the subject line: Big Brother Canada Tickets for [Date Requested]. Be sure to include name, email address and phone number, as well the number of tickets you’d like to request (be within reason). Tickets will go fast, so send your emails now! You must be in the Toronto area or provide your own travel.

SAG Awards: ‘Twas A Night of Surprises

SAGAwards2011As but a bridge between the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards, Hollywood takes another night out the beginning of the new year to sit back, relax and honor themselves. Except tonight, they take it to a literal level. The Screen Actor’s Guild Awards takes votes from the actors themselves to honor their peers and colleagues in the industry. Homeland and Modern Family led the night for television with four nominations apiece, but it was a night of firsts and a couple of upsets. Downton Abbey toppled over some television drama favorites, while Modern Family became the first ensemble cast to win three years in a row. (Seinfeld has also won three SAG Awards, but they were not consecutive wins). Jennifer Lawrence edged out over favorite Jessica Chastain, and in a surprise to many, Bryan Cranston won his first SAG Award. Taking home film’s biggest award tonight?  Check out the full list of winners below.

Next stop: Academy Awaards, February 24 at 8/7c on ABC!

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, MOTION PICTURE
“Argo”
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
“Les Misérables”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR, LEADING ROLE
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
John Hawkes, “The Sessions”
Denzel Washington, “Flight”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR, LEADING ROLE
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Helen Mirren, “Hitchcock”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”
Marion Cotillard, “Rust and Bone”

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR, SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Arkin, “Argo”
Robert De Niro, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
Javier Bardem, “Skyfall”

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR, SUPPORTING ROLE
Sally Field, “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Nicole Kidman, “The Paperboy”
Maggie Smith, “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, DRAMA
Homeland
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Mad Men

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Claire Danes, Homeland
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story Asylum

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, DRAMA
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, COMEDY
Modern Family
30 Rock
Nurse Jackie
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
The Office

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Betty White, Hot, CLeveland

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Louis CK, Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Kevin Costner, “Hatfield and McCoys”
Woody Harrelson, “Game Change”
Ed Harris, “Game Change”
Clive Owen, “Hemingway and Gellhorn”
Bill Paxton, “Hatfield and McCoys”

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Nicole Kidman, “Hemingway and Gellhorn”
Julianne Moore, “Game Change”
Charlotte Rambling, “Restless”
Sigourney Weaver, “Political Animals”
Alfre Woodard, “Steel Magnolias”

OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE, MOTION PICTURE
“The Dark Knight Rises”
“Skyfall”
“The Bourne Legacy”
“The Amazing Spider-Man”
“Les Miserables”

OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE, TELEVISION
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“Breaking Bad”
“Sons of Anarchy”
“Walking Dead”
“Boardwalk Empire”

NBC Celebrates Betty White’s 90th Birthday (Again) In All-New Special

betty_whiteWe always knew Betty White can do it all, but did you know that the Golden Girl can turn 90 not once but twice? That’s right. The “Betty White’s 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Special” will air in just a few weeks on NBC. After a ratings success for the last celebration, it appears NBC didn’t want to let this opportunity slip by. In fact, Betty won’t turn 90 again. Or will she? In all seriousness, this special is to celebrate Betty’s 91st birthday, but it just doesn’t sound as catchy as her second 90th. Let’s face it.

Joining Betty White on this special are a number of major name stars. According to an NBC press release, Blake Shelton, Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes, Rico Rodriguez, Lily Tomlin and Sarah Silverman will honor America’s comedy sweetheart, along with Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. Also on hand to deliver birthday wishes will be Vicki Lawrence –reprising her popular title role from “Mama’s Family” — Katie Couric and White’s “Hot in Cleveland” co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick, as well as Zachary Levi, Larry King and Kate Flannery.

The special will include clips chronicling Ms. White and her illustrious career, as well as a performance from Blake Shelton written just for the guest of honor.

The special airs Feb 5 at 8/7c, followed by the special two-hour season premiere of SMASH at 9/8c on NBC!

CBS Announces Premieres for “Big Brother 15,” “Unforgettable” Return & “Under The Dome”

cp_cbs_yak_logoDuring Saturday’s session for the TCA 2013 conference, CBS announced their summer plans in front of the television critics. Summer is starting early on CBS this year, as evident by the premiere dates for the sophomore season of the recently resurrected Unforgettable, an expanded 15th season of summer staple Big Brother and Stephen King’s mini-series Under the Dome.

King’s series will kick off June 24 at 10/9c. CBS President Nina Tassler touted her hopes of the event becoming a “big summer event.” “What we heard was this extraordinary vision for 13 episodes and beyond, we have a unique opportunity here to do a big summer event and to do a script to series. [During the] summer, you have to make some noise, and we really wanted to this summer. We’ve got a lot of fresh, great content.”

The network also announced that “Unforgettable” will premiere its second season on Sunday July 28 at 9/8c and reality show The Great British Bake Off kicks off May 29 at 8/7c. “Big Brother 15”, which will be getting an expanded season, kicks off Wednesday June 26 at 9/8c. The show will air Sundays at 8/7c (starting June 30), Tuesdays at 9/8c (starting July 2) and live evictions on Wednesdays at 9/8c (starting July 3). Effective July 2, NCIS: LA will air encores at 10/9c to make way for Big Brother. Also, note that Big Brother 15 will shift to 8/7c on Wednesdays beginning July 17.

The Votes Are In: The Best of 2012 Are …

best_2012_smOther sites have been making lists based on their preference, telling you what they believe made up 2012. We here at the Yak like to do it another way … put you in command. You nominated, you voted, and now it’s time to reveal who YOU chose as the Best of 2012. 2013 just got underway, so we figured it’s time to take you down memory lane as we reminisce about what made these people, TV shows, songs, albums, and celebrities the best (or in some cases the worst) of 2012. There were some EXTREMELY tight races this year, but fans came out in full force to make sure their favorites got to the top. No more yakking, let’s just get right to it. What are we waiting for? Check out the gallery below and see who and what made YOUR list of favorites in television, music, movies and more in 2012. Check out the honorable mentions below … some of these races were just too tight, so we had to throw them in!

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Song of the Year:

Favorite Live Performance of the Year:

http://youtu.be/VPY6QL2Q5C4

Most Viral Video of the Year:

Walking Dead Shakeup! Show Renewed for 4th Season, EP Mazzara OUT

The_Walking_DeadChristmas is not being kind to a mastermind of the hit show, The Walking Dead. Early Friday morning, AMC announced that while they have opted (rightfully so) to renew the show for a fourth season, there is a major twist. Executive Producer Glen Mazzara is stepping down as showrunner.

According to AMC, this is a mutual decision based on creative differences. The network sees the show going in one direction that Mazzara does not agree with. In a statement AMC released this morning,

“Glen guided the series creatively for Seasons 2 and 3,” AMC said in a statement. “[We’re] grateful for his hard work. We are both proud of our shared success. Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways. This decision is amicable and Glen will remain on for post-production on Season 3B as showrunner and executive producer.”

Mazzara calls his experience with TWD “amazing,” but notes that it’s time to move on. “I have told the stories I wanted to tell and connected with our fans on a level that I never imagined. It doesn’t get much better than that. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey.”

Screen Actors Guild Awards: And The Nominees Are …

‘Tis the season! Awards season, that is. While we are all preparing for the hustle, bustle, jolly and joy of the holiday season, Hollywood is busily preparing away for the upcoming awards season, which kicks off with the Golden Globes on January 13. The Golden Globe nominees will be revealed Thursday at 8am ET, but today is all about the Screen Actors Guild. Early Wednesday morning (5:45am PT, to be precise), the Guild – joined by Taye Diggs (Private Practice) and Busy Philipps (Cougar Town) – announced the nominees in television and music from West Hollywood, CA. While the Academy Awards are what the season builds towards, the nominees between the SAGs and the Globes should start to shape what the Oscars elite list will be looking like. So who was nominated for a SAG? Homeland and Modern Family lead the TV drama and comedy nods, with four nominations each.

Check out the full list of nominees below. The Screen Actors Guild Awards air LIVE January 27, 2013 at 8/7c on TNT & TBS.

__________________

And the nominees are …

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, MOTION PICTURE
“Argo”
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
“Les Misérables”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR, LEADING ROLE
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
John Hawkes, “The Sessions”
Denzel Washington, “Flight”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR, LEADING ROLE
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Helen Mirren, “Hitchcock”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”
Marion Cotillard, “Rust and Bone”

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR, SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Arkin, “Argo”
Robert De Niro, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
Javier Bardem, “Skyfall”

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR, SUPPORTING ROLE
Sally Field, “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Nicole Kidman, “The Paperboy”
Maggie Smith, “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, DRAMA
Homeland
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Mad Men

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Claire Danes, Homeland
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story Asylum

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, DRAMA
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE, COMEDY
Modern Family
30 Rock
Nurse Jackie
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
The Office

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Betty White, Hot, CLeveland

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Louis CK, Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Kevin Costner, “Hatfield and McCoys”
Woody Harrelson, “Game Change”
Ed Harris, “Game Change”
Clive Owen, “Hemingway and Gellhorn”
Bill Paxton, “Hatfield and McCoys”

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Nicole Kidman, “Hemingway and Gellhorn”
Julianne Moore, “Game Change”
Charlotte Rambling, “Restless”
Sigourney Weaver, “Political Animals”
Alfre Woodard, “Steel Magnolias”

OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE, MOTION PICTURE
“The Dark Knight Rises”
“Skyfall”
“The Bourne Legacy”
“The Amazing Spider-Man”
“Les Miserables”

OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE, TELEVISION
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“Breaking Bad”
“Sons of Anarchy”
“Walking Dead”
“Boardwalk Empire”

2013 Writer’s Guild Award: And The Nominees Are…

This year, a couple newcomers made their way into the nomination list, while a few seasoned favorites regained top dog status. Breaking Bad garnered the highest number of nominations from the Writer’s Guild earlier today – a total of five. Modern Family comes a close second with four. Girls, Veep, The Newsroom, Nashville, and The Mindy Project are among the newbies to join the ranks.

The awards will be handed out at simultaneous awards in both LA and New York on February 17, 2013. Check out a list of the major category nominees below. A full list can be seen at WGA.org.

DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men

DRAMA, EPISODIC
Breaking Bad, “Buyout”
Breaking Bad, “Dead Freight”
Breaking Bad, “Fifty-One”
Homeland, “New Car Smell”
Mad Men, “The Other Woman”
Breaking Bad, “Say My Name”

COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock
Girls
Louie
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

COMEDY, EPISODIC
Parks and Recreation, “The Debate”
Episodes, “Episode 9″
30 Rock, “Leap Day”
Modern Family, “Little Bo Bleep”
Modern Family, “Mistery Date”
Modern Family, “Virgin Territory”

NEW SERIES
Girls, HBO
The Mindy Project, Fox
Nashville, ABC
The Newsroom, HBO
Veep, HBO

COMEDY/VARIETY
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Key & Peele
Portlandia
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

LONG FORM (ORIGINAL)
Hatfields & McCoys
Hemingway & Gelhorn
Political Animals

DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives
One Life to Live
The Young and the Restless

2013 Grammys: And The Nominees Are…

Tonight is the latest and greatest Nominations LIVE concert where LL Cool J (and Taylor Swift, this year) takes the stage to introduce a variety of artists to sing their hearts out for your entertainment while celebrity personalities take the stage to announce the nominees for some of the biggest categories for the upcoming Grammys.

As we previously announced, the Grammys Nominations Concert LIVE will take place outside of LA for the first time this year – at the Bridgestone Arena in Music City! This is in an obvious effort to appeal to the growing country music fan base. Performing on stage tonight – CMA New Artist of the Year Hunter Hayes, Maroon 5, The Who, fun., Ne-Yo, and Luke Bryan. The Band Perry and Dierks Bentley will be performing a special tribute to Johnny Cash, as well. The magic happens tonight at 10pm ET/9 CT live from Nashville.

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards airs Feb 10 at 8/7c on CBS! You can check the full list of nominees at Grammys.com.

Check back here for a full list of Grammy nominees after they’re announced tonight!

Announced on the telecast:

Pop/Vocal Album:
“Stronger,” Kelly Clarkson
“Ceremonials,” Florence + The Machine
“Some Nights,” fun.
“Overexposed,” Maroon 5
“The Truth About Love,” P!nk

Record of the Year:
“Lonely Boys,” The Black Keys
“Stronger,” Kelly Clarkson
“We Are Young,” fun. ft Janelle Monae
“Somebody That I Used To Know,” Gotye
“Thinkin’ Bout You,” Frank Ocean
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift

Best New Artist:
Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean

Country Solo Performance:
“Home,” Dierks Bentley
“Springsteen,” Eric Church
“Cost Of Livin’,” Ronnie Dunn
“Wanted,” Hunter Hayes
“Over,” Blake Shelton
“Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood

Album of the Year
“El Camino,” The Black Keys
“Some Nights,” fun.
“Babel,” Mumford & Sons
“Channel Orange,” Frank Ocean
“Blunderbuss,” Jack White

Other major categories:

Song Of The Year
“The A Team,” Ed Sheeran
“Adorn,” Miguel
“Call Me Maybe,” Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen & Josh Ramsay, songwriters (Carly Rae Jepsen)
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, songwriters (Kelly
Clarkson)
“We Are Young,” fun.

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Set Fire To The Rain” [Live], Adele
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” Kelly Clarkson
“Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen
“Wide Awake,” Katy Perry
“Where Have You Been,” Rihanna

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Shake It Out,” Florence & The Machine
“We Are Young,” Fun. Featuring Janelle Monáe
“Somebody That I Used To Know,” Gotye Featuring Kimbra
“Sexy And I Know It,” LMFAO
“Payphone,” Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa

Best Dance/Electronica Album
“Wonderland,” Steve Aoki
“Don’t Think,” The Chemical Brothers
“> Album Title Goes Here <," Deadmau5 "Fire & Ice," Kaskade "Bangarang," Skrillex Best Rock Performance
“Hold On,” Alabama Shakes
“Lonely Boy,” The Black Keys
“Charlie Brown,” Coldplay
“I Will Wait,” Mumford & Sons
“We Take Care Of Our Own,” Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Song
“Freedom At 21,” Jack White, songwriter (Jack White)
“I Will Wait,” Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall & Marcus Mumford, songwriters (Mumford &
Sons)
“Lonely Boy,” Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton & Patrick Carney, songwriters (The Black Keys)
“Madness,” Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)
“We Take Care Of Our Own,” Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)

Best Rock Album
“El Camino,” The Black Keys
“Mylo Xyloto,” Coldplay
“The 2nd Law,” Muse
“Wrecking Ball,” Bruce Springsteen
“Blunderbuss,” Jack White

Best Alternative Music Album
“The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do,” Fiona Apple
“Biophilia,” Björk
“Making Mirrors,” Gotye
“Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.,” M83
“Bad As Me,” Tom Waits

Best R&B Performance
“Thank You,” Estelle
“Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.),” Robert Glasper Experiment Featuring Ledisi
“I Want You,” Luke James
“Adorn,” Miguel
“Climax,” Usher

Best R&B Song
“Adorn,” Miguel Pimentel, songwriter (Miguel)
“Beautiful Surprise,” Tamia Hill, Claude Kelly & Salaam Remi, songwriters (Tamia)
“Heart Attack,” Benjamin Levin, Rico Love & Tremaine Neverson, songwriters (Trey Songz)
“Pray For Me,” Antonio Dixon, Kenny Edmonds, Anthony Hamilton & Patrick “jQue” Smith,
songwriters (Anthony Hamilton)
“Refill,” Darhyl “DJ” Camper, Elle Varner & Andrew “Pop” Wansel, songwriters (Elle Varner)

Best R&B Album
“Black Radio, Robert Glasper Experiment
“Back To Love,” Anthony Hamilton
“Write Me Back,” R. Kelly
“Beautiful Surprise,” Tamia
“Open Invitation,” Tyrese

Best Rap Performance
“HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right),” Drake Featuring Lil’ Wayne
“N****s In Paris,” Jay-Z & Kanye West
“Daughters,” Nas
“Mercy,” Kanye West Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
“I Do,” Young Jeezy Featuring Jay-Z & André 3000

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Wild Ones,” Flo Rida Featuring Sia
“No Church In The Wild,” Jay-Z & Kanye West Featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream
“Tonight (Best You Ever Had),” John Legend Featuring Ludacris
“Cherry Wine,” Nas Featuring Amy Winehouse
“Talk That Talk,” Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z

Best Rap Song
“Daughters,” Nasir Jones & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Patrick Adams, Gary DeCarlo, Dale
Frashuer & Paul Leka, songwriters) (Nas)
“Lotus Flower Bomb,” Olubowale Akintimehin, S. Joseph Dew, Jerrin Howard, Walker Johnson & Miguel
Jontel Pimentel, songwriters (Wale Featuring Miguel)
“Mercy,” Sean Anderson, Tauheed Epps, Stephan Taft, James Thomas, Terrence Thornton &
Kanye West, songwriters (Denzie Beagle, Winston Riley & Reggie Williams, songwriters) (Kanye West Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz)
“The Motto,” Dwayne Carter, Aubrey Graham & Tyler Williams, songwriters (Drake Featuring Lil’
Wayne)
“N****s In Paris,” Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Chauncey Hollis & Kanye West, songwriters (W.A.
Donaldson, songwriter) (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
“Young, Wild & Free,” Calvin Broadus, Chris Brody Brown, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Peter Hernandez
& Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (T. Bluechel, M. Borrow, T. Griffin, K. Jackson, N. Lee & M. Newman, songwriters) (Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Featuring Bruno Mars)

Best Rap Album
“Take Care,” Drake
“Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1,” Lupe Fiasco
“Life Is Good,” Nas
“Undun,” The Roots
“God Forgives, I Don’t,” Rick Ross
“Based On A T.R.U. Story,” 2 Chainz

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” Eli Young Band
“Pontoon,” Little Big Town
“Safe & Sound,” Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars
“On The Outskirts Of Town,” The Time Jumpers
“I Just Come Here For The Music,” Don Williams Featuring Alison Krauss

Best Country Song
“Blown Away,” Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
“Cost Of Livin’,” Phillip Coleman & Ronnie Dunn, songwriters (Ronnie Dunn)
“Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” Will Hoge & Eric Paslay, songwriters (Eli Young Band)
“So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore,” Jay Knowles & Adam Wright, songwriters (Alan Jackson)
“Springsteen, Eric Church,” Jeff Hyde & Ryan Tyndell, songwriters (Eric Church)

Best Country Album
“Uncaged,” Zac Brown Band
“Hunter Hayes,” Hunter Hayes
“Living For A Song: A Tribute To Hank Cochran,” Jamey Johnson
“Four The Record,” Miranda Lambert
“The Time Jumpers,” The Time Jumpers

Carrie Underwood Nabs Role of Maria Von Trapp In NBC’s LIVE “The Sound of Music”

Carrie Underwood

Big news coming out of NBC today, as the coveted and iconic role of Maria Von Trapp for NBC’s Live broadcast of “The Sound of Music” has been cast. Carrie Underwood, who has won her fair share of Grammys, CMA, ACM, and other lettered awards, has been cast in NBC’s ambitious project. The LIVE broadcast of the famed story will air sometime near the holidays in 2013.

When we previously announced NBC’s plans, details about the project were still being ironed out. We did know that SMASH duo Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will be behind the production. The duo is also currently producing the upcoming Academy Awards, set to air in February 2013.

Bob Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, made the announcement early Thursday morning. “Speaking for everyone at NBC, we couldn’t be happier to have the gifted Carrie Underwood take up the mantle of the great Maria von Trapp,” said Greenblatt. “She was an iconic woman who will now be played by an iconic artist.”

Zadan and Meron are also more than pleased with the news.

“We’re thrilled to be presenting the Broadway version of ‘The Sound of Music’ live and having Carrie Underwood as the star brings it to a new generation who will fall in love with it for the first time as many millions of people already have. It’s a particular joy to us as producers to see this amazing artist stretch into new territory with this classic musical.”

This is not the first time Underwood has tackled the beloved catalog. During a CBS special in 2007, Movies Rock, Carrie performed “The Sound of Music.”

The award winning country star is currently headlining her Blown Away Tour in the United States and recently announced a second leg of the tour to kick off early 2013. The tour has been entertaining sell-out crowds in arenas all over the country and she has been setting records with album sales on her fourth album, Blown Away. Underwood’s next single, “Two Black Cadillacs,” just hit radio airplay and has already been climbing the charts.

For more, check the rest of the NBC press release below.

“The Sound of Music,” set in pre-WWII Austria, is based on the romantic true story of Maria von Trapp, an aspiring nun who leaves the abbey to become a governess for the widower Captain von Trapp’s seven children and finds herself falling in love with her employer and questioning her religious calling. It premiered on Broadway in 1959, where it broke box-office records and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The 1965 film version won the Best Picture Oscar. Today it is an evergreen classic — as popular in opera houses and outdoor amphitheaters as it is in high school auditoriums. “The Sound of Music” features a libretto by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse and a score by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) that includes “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “So Long, Farewell.”

With more than 15 million albums sold worldwide, 16 #1 singles (seven of which were co-written by
Underwood) and five Grammys, Underwood is fueled by a restless creative spirit as she released her most ambitious project yet in her current platinum-selling album “Blown Away.”

She’s won a vast array of awards, including three female vocalist awards from both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). In 2010, when Underwood garnered her second win as ACM Entertainer of the Year, she became the first female artist in history to win the award twice. Underwood also received the ACM Triple Crown Award, thanks to her past wins for the categories of Entertainer of the Year, Top Female Vocalist and Top New Female Vocalist. Underwood also has won seven American Music Awards, six People’s Choice Awards, nine CMT Music Awards, nine American Country Awards, and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song for “There’s a Place for Us” from “Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” which she both recorded and co-wrote. She became America’s sweetheart in 2005 when she won the fourth season of “American Idol,” a vehicle that transformed her from a shy Oklahoma girl with a great voice to a budding superstar.

Underwood’s 2005 debut, “Some Hearts,” topped Billboard’s Country Albums chart for 27 weeks, has
sold over seven million copies, and was voted #1 Country Album of the Decade by Billboard. Her 2007 sophomore album, “Carnival Ride,” 2009’s “Play On,” and her current album, “Blown Away,” debuted atop the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. Over the course of four albums, she’s saturated country radio with such #1 hits as “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats,” “So Small,” “Last Name,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Good Girl” and “Blown Away.” Underwood is currently headlining “The Blown Away Tour,” performing internationally and in arenas across the U.S. and Canada well into 2013. She was the top-selling country female touring artist of 2008 and 2010, as her headline arena tours have played over 100 shows and to over one million fans each year.

Underwood expanded her resume making her film-acting debut in the 2011 feature “Soul Surfer,” following a guest TV role on “How I Met Your Mother.” She starred in her own holiday variety TV special in 2009, and has co-hosted the CMA Awards for the past five years.

Underwood is managed by XIX Entertainment and repped by CAA.