Beyoncé, Taylor Swift Share Spotlight

She nabs 10 nominations, Swift gets 8

(NEWSER) - Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga will compete to become queen of the 52nd Grammy Awards. The three women were the only artists to score nominations across the Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year categories, meaning one of them may be able to pull off a big sweep. Beyoncé scored 10 nominations, while Swift was close behind with eight, MTV reports. More»

Getting rid of the polka category was good, but more should be done

(NEWSER) - The 52-year-old Grammy Awards, which until recently still featured polka, are more reluctant to make changes than the Oscars and the Emmys. As we wait for tonight’s nominee unveiling, Todd Martens offers up some ideas for how the awards can stay relevant, in the Los Angeles Times :

• Give album of the year to Kanye West: Once a frontrunner, his loudmouth antics now have people doubting whether he’ll even be nominated—but there’s no question that he’s “been the face of hip-hop since 2004,” and he deserves to win.

Big-name acts, up-and-comers see modest rise in attendance

(NEWSER) - Concert tours remained surprisingly strong this year despite the weak economy, with slightly more people heading out to see their favorite acts than in 2008. Gross revenue held steady at $1 billion for the period from May 1 to Sept. 1, matching earnings a year earlier. Big-name acts like Kenny Chesney, the Dave Matthews Band, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay all enjoyed strong tours. More»

If it weren't for a certain rapper, Michael would have stolen the show

(NEWSER) - With the exception of Kanye West's inebriated attack on Taylor Swift, last night’s MTV Video Music Awards were all about Michael Jackson, with longtime friend Madonna and sister Janet delivering moving tributes, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Material Girl introduced the tribute, while Janet performed her half of the duet “Scream” as a video of Michael played in the background. Of course, there were also the big winners of the night: More»

9/11 benefit marks her first live show since Chris Brown assault

(NEWSER) - Rihanna's comeback took another step forward last night when she joined Jay-Z on stage for her first live performance since the February assault. During Jay-Z's star-studded 9/11 benefit concert in New York—John Mayer, Mary J. Blige, and, of course, Beyoncé also performed—Rihanna took the stage with him and Kanye West for a live version of "Run This Town," reports the Daily News. More»