Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jay-Z Win Early Grammy Awards

Black Keys, Bruno Mars also among preshow winners.
By Eric Ditzian


Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony has not even officially begun, but with over 100 categories being recognized this year — from Best New Artist to Best Improvised Jazz Solo — there's simply not enough time to squeeze everything into the three-hour telecast.

That's why a slew of awards have already been handed out. Preshow winners include Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Bruno Mars, the Black Keys and more.

Gaga, who is nominated in six categories, now has a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance win for "Bad Romance," after besting Beyoncé ("Halo") and Katy Perry ("Teenage Dream"). But the pop star, who became the talk of the red carpet when she showed up encased in a huge, translucent egg, also fell short in two early categories: Her duet with Beyoncé, "Telephone," lost out for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals to Herbie Hancock, Pink and friends' "Imagine," while Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)" nabbed Best Dance Recording over Gaga's "Dance in the Dark."

The win for Rihanna marks an auspicious return to the Grammys ahead of her upcoming performance with Drake and Eminem. Yet she, too, has already fallen short in a few categories: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys took home both Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Empire State of Mind," twice beating out RiRi and Em's "Love the Way You Lie." Jay also picked up a win for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, along with Swizz Beatz, for "On to the Next One."

In the Rock categories, the Black Keys garnered a win for Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals ("Tighten Up"), prevailing over the likes of Arcade Fire ("Ready to Start") and Kings of Leon ("Radioactive").

In the world of pop, Bruno Mars came out on top for Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Just the Way You Are"), defeating Michael Jackson ("This Is It"), John Mayer ("Half of My Heart") and others.

For the Grammy Awards winners list, analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News during the big show and beyond.

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Charlie Sheen Tells UCLA Baseball Team Don't Do Drugs

Charlie Sheen Tells UCLA Baseball Team Don't Do Drugs

Charlie Sheen certainly isn't the healthiest star around, but those 36-hour benders do require some athletic stamina! So when the troubled Two and a Half Men star crossed paths with the UCLA baseball team, it came as no surprise the actor gave the Bruins a little pep talk.

Sheen -- a baseball fanatic -- was at UCLA taking batting practice with Major League pals Coco Crisp, Eric Davis, Brandon Watson and Milton Bradley just before the Bruins hit the field for their own practice on Thursday. UCLA's head coach John Savage, who X-17 reports is helping Sheen get into shape, approached Charlie and asked him to say a few words to the kids about the dangers of drug use.

The actor obliged, and the Bruins' catcher, Richard Brehaut, later shared Sheen's remarks via Twitter. Brehaut wrote: "'Don't do crack, drink chocolate milk, and enjoy every moment.... that's all I got.'-Charlie Sheen. That's what he told our baseball team today."

Indeed it was. TMZ has a video of Sheen bestowing those words of wisdom on the Bruins, though Sheen said "your moment" and not "every moment." The video shows that the players are clearly amused, laughing heartily at the actor and clapping for his anti-drug speech.

The soon-to-be divorced Sheen is currently rehabbing from home, halting the production of his hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. In a good faith gesture, the actor has agreed to help pony up one-third of the salaries for the crew members who aren't getting paid during the show's hiatus.

To these college guys, Sheen probably seems like a playboy who is partying it up, making bank and living the life. But hopefully these young athletes take his words to heart, avoid the crack and kick back with a nice big glass of chocolate milk.

What do you think of Charlie Sheen's pep talk to the UCLA baseball team? Chime in below!

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Britney Spears Battles Herself In New 'Hold It Against Me' Teaser

Fans will get two Britneys for the price of one in 'HIAM' video, which premieres on MTV next Thursday.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears in her eighth "Hold It Against Me" teaser
Photo: Jive

It looks like Britney Spears is in a throwdown with herself in the video for "Hold It Against Me." In the latest, very brief teaser for the video, one Britney knocks down a second Britney (or Britney look-alike) with a blow to the face.

The teaser opens with a shot of two sets of feet, perfectly accessorized in high platform shoes. The camera pans up to show that one blond woman, dressed in a flowing gown, is punching another blond woman, also in a flowing gown, sending her flying through the air and onto the ground in slow motion. The two versions of Britney appear to be in some sort of battle for Britney supremacy.

With less than a week until the actual premiere of the video, fans have been given bits and pieces of the puzzle that is the Jonas Åkerlund-directed video.

"Anything that he does is magical. His eye for art is insane, so I was excited to work with someone who loves art so much, and it's not just a job, it's not technical — it really is a string aesthetic to what he does," the video's choreographer Brian Friedman said recently about the video's director.

"I really feel like bringing two artists together in a way like that — where the director really loves the dance and understands the art of the dance and doesn't try to cover it up and water it down — is the best way to go," he added. "He was genius for me with dance."

Spears began rolling out teasers for the video last Friday, two weeks before the video's February 17 premiere on MTV. The much-anticipated clip will air on MTV and MTV.com Thursday at 9:56 p.m. ET, right before a new episode of "Jersey Shore."

Don't miss Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" video premiere February 17 at 9:56 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com before a new episode of "Jersey Shore"!

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Usher's 'OMG' ' 'Kills It Every Night,' Says Tourmate Miguel

'There's so much anticipation for this song when he comes out,' Miguel says of MTV News' Song of the Year.
By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker


Usher
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images

MTV News just named Usher's "OMG" the #1 song of 2010, and clearly we're not alone in our admiration. But what is it like to watch it performed night after night? Miguel, who is currently opening for Usher's OMG Tour gave us a little insight.

"There's so much anticipation for this song when he comes out, and he really gives the fans what they want," Miguel laughs. "He kills it every night."

Before his latest string of hits, Usher was out of the spotlight for a period of time in 2009, when he was dealing with personal issues including a divorce. Miguel finds his 2010 comeback inspiring.

"There was a period of time, when a lot of people didn't believe in Usher and thought he was finished ... just kind of going to ride off into the sunset and disappear," the up-and-coming singer noted.

With the release of Raymond vs. Raymond and its extended, companion EP, Versus, in 2010, Usher proved the skeptics wrong with chart-toppers including "OMG" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love."

"He's such a tremendous example of perseverance and determination," Miguel beamed. "I was there throughout this album, so I've seen the adversity that he's had to overcome perception-wise."

MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 have all been counted down. But the fun isn't over yet: We still want to see your picks in the comments below!

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First Photo Of Cynthia Nixon And Her Lesbian Partner?s Son

Sex And The City star Cynthia Nixon and her partner Christine Marinoni yesterday showed off their son for the first time. Education activist Christine, 43, who has been in a relationship with Cynthia since 2004, gave birth to Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni in New York on Monday. The couple had not announced they were expecting a [...]

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