Eminem, Taylor Swift top YouTube Awards
Crying babies, Win Butler’s Kanye moment, a faked double suicide, face painting, a makeup-free Lady Gaga in plaid and a trucker’s cap. There were all kinds of unexpected moments on the first YouTube Music Awards, as imagined by Spike Jonze and carried off by the odd couple hosts Jason Schwartzman and Reggie Watts.
Eminem, Taylor Swift and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were among the winners during Sunday night’s live webcast from New York.
Eminem was named artist of the year before performing a word-perfect version of his new lung-busting tour de force “Rap God,” filmed in black and white. Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” won YouTube phenomenon and Macklemore and Lewis won YouTube breakthrough.
Schwartzman and Watts admitted they would be working the 90-minute show without a script – with just notecards standing between them and awkward pauses and brief technical difficulties.
Lady Gaga performed her new song “Dope” wearing just a black cap, sunglasses and a plaid shirt and sitting alone at a piano.
Arcade Fire frontman Butler jokingly interrupted as a group of Swift fans accepted her award, recreating the infamous moment when Kanye West rushed the stage during Swift’s win at the MTV Video Music Awards.
“Not Taylor Swift,” Butler said. “I’m gonna let you finish. Not Taylor Swift. The YouTube phenomenon of the year was definitely the ‘Harlem Shake.’ I don’t know. No disrespect, but everybody knows that if you’ve ever been on YouTube, so whatever.” He then dropped the mic and walked off stage.
Queen of Soul returning to stage
After recovering from an undisclosed illness, Aretha Franklin is returning to the concert stage with a December performance in her hometown of Detroit.
The Detroit News says the Queen of Soul will sing Dec. 21 at the MotorCity Casino Hotel’s Sound Board.
Franklin is involved in recording an album for Clive Davis and Sony Music in November, produced by Don Was and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.
Franklin told reporters Oct. 16 that “the side effects were rough” from her treatment for the mystery condition and says she’s “glad to be back.”
The birthday bunch
Actress Doris Roberts (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 83. Actress Loretta Swit (“M.A.S.H.”) is 76. Singer Delbert McClinton is 73. Actress Markie Post is 63. Actress Kathy Griffin is 53. Actor Ralph Macchio is 52. “Survivor” host Jeff Probst is 52. Actor Matthew McConaughey is 44. Rapper-producer Diddy (Sean Combs) is 44. TV personality Bethenny Frankel is 43. Actress Heather Tom is 38.