Justin big winner at 2003 MTV Awards

Justin Timberlake leads the pack of winners in the 10th MTV Europe Music Awards by winning in three categories (Best Male Singer, Best Pop Artist and Best Album)

Former ‘N Sync heartthrob Justin Timberlake led the winners in the 10th annual MTV Europe Music Awards. Held last Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Ocean Terminal Arena, Western Harbour, Leith, Edinburgh in Scotland, the event was shown to a global TV audience of more than one billion people. Timberlake won in three categories, Best Male Singer, Best Pop Artist and Best Album for Justified, his successful first solo effort.

Other winners are:
• Best Group: Coldplay
• Best Song: Crazy In Love by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z
• Best Female: Christina Aguilera
• Best Hip Hop: Eminem
• Best New Act: Sean Paul
• Best R&B: Beyoncé
• Best Dance: Punjabi MC
• Best Rock: The White Stripes
• Best Video: Sigur Rós Untitled 1
• The Web Award: www.goldfrapp.co.uk
• Best French Act: KYO
• Best Dutch Act: Tiesto
• Best Italian Act: Gemelli Diversi
• Best Spanish Act: El Canto Del Loco
• Best Polish Act: Myslovitz
• Best German Act: Die Ärtze
• Best Portuguese Act: Blind Zero
• Best Russian Act: Gluc’;)oza
• Best Romanian Act: AB4
• Best Nordic Act: The Rasmus
• Best MTV2 UK Act: The Darkness

The 2003 MTV Europe ‘Free Your Mind’Award was presented to Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s democratically elected leader and Nobel Peace laureate, who has spent much of the past 15 years in detention.

The MTV Europe Music Awards 2003 was hosted by Christina Aguilera, who also won the trophy for Best Female. The glittering ceremony featured 24 separate awards, including 11 regional awards. The winner in the Best Song category; Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z for Crazy In Love was voted for live by fans via SMS that same evening. That means via texting. The show also featured live performances from Beyoncé, Dido, Kraftwerk, Kylie Minogue, Missy Elliott, Pink, Sean Paul, The Black Eyed Peas, The Darkness, The White Stripes, and Travis. Special guest star Vin Diesel hotfooted it across Edinburgh to appear at both the main Awards show and at MTV In The Gardens, a free public show held simultaneously at the Princes Street Gardens. <

Jazz In Time

Local jazz lovers will not only treat themselves to the music of sax legend Courtney Pine (OBE), when they watch Jazz in Time at the Crossroads 77 Convenarium at Mother Ignacia corner Scout Reyes in Quezon City on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 15. Also in town to perform with Pine and launch his own album is the UK’s leading R&B guitarist, Cameron Pierre. The album is titled The Other Side of Notting Hill and it is a total delight that I am sure Pinoys will thoroughly enjoy. Pierre has a youthful, relaxed style that pleases the ears and puts the listener in a joyful mood. Symes Zees with Alex Wilson on keyboards is simply fantastic. The inclusion of familiar melodies like Michael Jackson’s Human Nature and the golden oldie Endlessly also make this excellent jazz album accessible to everybody.

Call The British Council at 914-1011 to 14 for tickets to what has been dubbed "the year’s ultimate jazz showdown." Aside from Brits Courtney Pine and Cameron Pierre, the show will also feature Filipino artists Mon David, Tots Tolentino, Jay Cayuca, Colby dela Calzada, Egay Avenir, Boyet Pigao, Joey Quinto, Bo Razon and the Ugoy Ugoy horn section. As for the vocalists, there will be Cookie Chua, Lyn Sherman, Noel Cabangon, Mishka Adams, Chad Borja and Bituin Escalante. <

Bobby Hatfield, 63

Bobby Hatfield, half of the legendary pop duo, the Righteous Brothers, died last Wednesday, Nov. 5 of undetermined causes. He was 63. Hatfield and his singing partner for the past 42 years, Bill Medley were set to perform at the Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was found dead in his hotel room. Medley was described as "broken up and almost incoherent" after he heard the news.

Though they were not even distantly related, Hatfield and Medley billed themselves as the Righteous Brothers. Along with the legendary producer Phil Spector, they were responsible for bringing "blue-eyed soul" to the hit charts with number one selling songs like You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling and (You’re My) Soul and Inspiration during the mid-’60s. A remake of Roy Hamilton’s Unchained Melody was another one of their big hits. It was this version which was used in the soundtrack of the motion picture Ghost. The huge success of the movie renewed interest in the Righteous Brothers and Hatfield and Medley reunited and started performing together again.