Awards | featured news

A popular and eye-popping mix of stars like Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga drew a TV audience of 25.8 million Americans to the Grammy Awards -- the biggest TV audience for the telecast in six years, according to preliminary television ratings on Monday.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" made a fortune. "Land of the Lost" tanked. Both films are equal earners at the Razzies, though, grabbing seven nominations each on Monday, including worst picture of 2009 and worst-acting slots for Will Ferrell and Megan Fox.

Man Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel and National Book Award finalists Jayne Anne Phillips and Bonnie Jo Campbell were among the nominees announced Saturday night for the National Book Critics Circle prize. Other finalists include memoir writer Mary Karr, former U.S. poet laureate Louise Glueck and former National Book Award winner William T. Vollmann, cited by critics for his 1,300-plus-page "Imperial."

Last year, as the Grammys were approaching, the show's executive producer was in frequent talks with Michael Jackson to appear on the telecast to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "Thriller."...

"Mad Men" won despite a big night for Showtime's "Dexter." Michael C. Hall won for best actor in a drama and John Lithgow won a supporting actor honor.

The science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar" won best drama at the Golden Globes and picked up the directing honor for James Cameron on Sunday, raising the "Titanic" filmmaker's prospects for another Academy Awards triumph.

The people have chosen vampires. "The Twilight Saga," "True Blood" and "The Vampire Diaries" all sucked up trophies Wednesday at the 36th annual People's Choice Awards.

Science-fiction scored big with the Producers Guild of America, with "Avatar," "Star Trek" and "District 9" taking three of the 10 nominations Tuesday for the group's top film honors....

Best Picture honors from group gives Kathryn Bigelow film clean sweep of three biggest movie-reviewer groups; see full list of winners.

Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift are to perform at the 52nd Annual Grammys early next year.