The 2012 Billboard Music Awards turned into the 2012 Adele Awards, as the British songstress was honored with 12 awards, including Top Artist, during the show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Party-meisters LMFAO also walked away with some major booty — six trophies, to be precise, with their smash single “Party Rock Anthem” nabbing the award in three separate musical genre categories (Top Pop, Rap and Dance Song).

The night’s other big winners include Woman Of The Year Taylor Swift (who kept her “surprised” face to a minimum level of shock, as she had no competition in this category), Lil Wayne picking up trophies for Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Album and Top Male Artist, and Coldplay winning Top Alternative Artist, Top Rock Artist and Top Rock Album. Check out the full list of winners below.

taylor looks ravishing in red

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TOP ARTIST: Adele

TOP FEMALE ARTIST: Adele

TOP DUO OR GROUP: LMFAO

TOP MALE ARTIST: Lil Wayne

TOP NEW ARTIST: Wiz Khalifa

WOMAN OF THE YEAR: Taylor Swift

TOP HOT 100 ARTIST: Adele

HOT 100 SONG OF THE YEAR: LMFAO, “Party Rock Anthem”

TOP BILLBOARD 200 ARTIST: Adele

TOP BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM: Adele, 21

TOP DIGITAL SONGS ARTIST: Adele

SOCIAL ARTIST: Justin Bieber

SPOTLIGHT AWARD: Katy Perry

TOP STREAMING ARTIST: Rihanna

TOP STREAMING SONG (VIDEO): Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”

TOP STREAMING SONG (AUDIO): Adele, “Rolling In The Deep”

TOP DIGITAL MEDIA ARTIST: Adele

TOP DIGITAL SONG: LMFAO, “Party Rock Anthem”

TOP RADIO SONGS ARTIST: Adele

TOP RADIO SONG: Pitbull, “Give Me Everything”

R&B ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Chris Brown

TOP R&B SONG: Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne, “Motivation”

TOP R&B ALBUM: Beyonce, 4

TOP POP ARTIST: Adele

TOP POP ALBUM: Adele, 21

TOP POP SONG: LMFAO, “Party Rock Anthem”

TOP RAP ARTIST: Lil Wayne

TOP RAP SONG: LMFAO, “Party Rock Anthem”

TOP RAP ALBUM: Lil Wayne, Tha Carter IV

TOP COUNTRY ARTIST: Lady Antebellum

TOP COUNTRY ALBUM: Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party

TOP COUNTRY SONG: Jason Aldean, “Dirt Road Anthem”

TOP ROCK ARTIST: Coldplay

TOP ROCK SONG: Foster The People, “Pumped Up Kicks”

TOP ROCK ALBUM: Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto

TOP ALTERNATIVE ARTIST: Coldplay

TOP ALTERNATIVE SONG: Adele, “Rolling In The Deep”

TOP ALTERNATIVE ALBUM: Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto

TOP LATIN ARTIST: Shakira

TOP LATIN SONG: Don Omar & Lucenzo,  ”Danza Kuduro”

TOP LATIN ALBUM: Romeo Santos, Formula: Vol. 1

TOP DANCE ARTIST: Lady Gaga

TOP DANCE SONG: LMFAO, “Party Rock Anthem”

TOP DANCE ALBUM: Lady Gaga, Born This Way

TOP TOURING ACT: U2

TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST: Casting Crowns

TOP CHRISTIAN SONG: Laura Story, “Blessings”

TOP CHRISTIAN ALBUM: Casting Crowns, Come To The Well

BILLBOARD ICON AWARD: Stevie Wonder

MILLENNIUM AWARD: Whitney Houston (accepted by Bobbi Kristina Brown)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: Patent Pending

Our neighbors to the north have released the nominations for the 2012 MuchMusic Video Awards, Canada’s equivalent of the MTV Video Music Awards. Of course, the country’s own Drake, Justin Bieber and pop newbie Carly Rae Jepsen have score noms, so call them to congratulate them, maybe?

American pop gals Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson are three of the 10 solo performers up for “International Video — Artist”, while One Direction, The Wanted, and eight other acts fill up the “International Video — Group” category. Nominees LMFAO will host the show, which will take place in Toronto on June 17. (Do they make formal banana hammocks with bowties? A quick Google search says yes, yes they do!) Check out all the nominees below.

2012 MuchMusic Video Awards Nominations

Video of the Year:
Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Call Me Maybe’
Down With Webster – ‘She’s Dope’
Drake – ‘Headlines’
Hedley – ‘Invincible’
Marianas Trench – ‘Fallout’

Post-Production of the Year:
Down With Webster – ‘Big Wheels’
Marianas Trench – ‘Fallout’
Shaun Boothe – ‘Let Me Go’
The New Cities – ‘Heatwave’
These Kids Wear Crowns – ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’

Cinematography of the Year:
City and Colour – ‘Fragile Bird’
Hedley – ‘Invincible’
Kreesha Turner – ‘Rock Paper Scissors’
Marianas Trench – ‘Fallout’
Shawn Desman – ‘Moneyshot/Something Stupid’

Director of the Year:
Aleesia Feat. Big Sean – ‘Kiss It Bye Bye’
Danny Fernadnes Feat. Josh Ramsay and Belly – ‘Hit Me Up’
Down With Webster – ‘Royalty’
Marianas Trench – ‘Haven’t Had Enough’
Nelly Furtado – ‘Big Hoops’

Pop Video of the Year:
Anjulie – ‘Brand New Chick’
Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Call Me Maybe’
Hedley – ‘Invincible’
Marianas Trench – ‘Haven’t Had Enough’
Victoria Duffield – ‘Shut Up and Dance’

MuchLOUD Rock Video of the Year:
Arkells – ‘Michigan Left’
F—ed Up – ‘Queen of Hearts’
Sam Roberts Band – ‘I Feel You’
The Sheepdogs – ‘I Don’t Know’
Theory of a Deadman – ‘Chick Came Back’

MuchVIBE Hip-Hop Video of the Year:
A-Game -’Cool Boyz’
Classified ft. Kayo and Jim Cuddy – ‘The Hangover’
Drake Feat. Lil Wayne and Tyga – ‘The Motto’
Harvey Stripes Feat. Lloyd – ‘Come On’
K’Naan Feat. Nelly Furtado – ‘Is Anybody Out There?’

MuchFACT Indie Video of the Year:
Arcade Fire – ‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)’
City and Colour – ‘Fragile Bird’
Danny Fernadnes Feat. Josh Ramsay and Belly – ‘Hit Me Up’
Down With Webster – ‘She’s Dope’
LIGHTS – ‘Banner’

International Video of the Year – Artist:
Beyonce Knowles – ‘Run the World (Girls)’
Chris Brown Feat. Justin Bieber – ‘Next 2 You’
David Guetta Feat. Nicki Minaj – ‘Turn Me On’
Flo Rida – ‘Good Feeling’
Katy Perry – ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)’
Kelly Clarkson – ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)’
Lady Gaga – ‘Marry the Night’
Nicki Minaj – ‘Starships’
Pitbull Feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer – ‘Give Me Everything’
Rihanna Feat. Calvin Harris – ‘We Found Love’

International Video of the Year – Group:
Bad Meets Evil Feat. Bruno Mars – ‘Lighters’
Cobra Starship Feat. Sabi – ‘You Make Me Feel’
Coldplay – ‘Paradise’
Foster the People – ‘Houdini’
Gym Class Heroes Feat. Adam Levine – ‘Stereo Hearts’
LMFAO – ‘Sexy and I Know It’
Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – ‘Moves Like Jagger’
One Direction – ‘One Thing’
Selena Gomez and The Scene – ‘Love You Like a Love Song’
The Wanted – ‘Glad You Came’

International Video of the Year by a Canadian:
Avril Lavigne – ‘Smile’
Drake Feat. Rihanna – ‘Take Care’
Nickelback – ‘When We Stand Together’
Justin Bieber – ‘Boyfriend’
Simple Plan – ‘Astronaut’

We’ve certainly been dealt enough teases of Coldplay and Rihanna‘s “Princess Of China” video — from the UK band performing at a concert with bits of the clip projected on the stage, to pics (and even video) of Rihanna’s segment from the visual making their way online. Today brings the inevitable behind-the-scenes video, which shows RiRi on the set describing what we’re in for when this thing finally premieres in full. “The final concept now is like a movie trailer to an old kung fu film,” she says. Later we see Chris Martin hoisted in front of a green screen while holding a sword, and Rihanna leaning in for an intimate moment with the Coldplay frontman, running her finger along the side of his face. [Via HotNewHipHop.com]

Rihanna's looks in the "Princess Of China" video

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When does your mom throwing away your best porno mag take on an epic level of melancholy and despair? When it’s covered by Coldplay, of course! While many pop stars took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the Beastie Boys‘ Adam “MCA” Yauch, Coldplay delivered a more musical tribute with a cover of “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” which works about as well as it could when accompanied by mournful piano, which makes it sound more like you gotta fight for your right to cry alone in your room instead. (But an acoustic “Intergalactic” would probably be even more impossible.) Do you think it’s a fitting tribute?

adam yauch's finest moments

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It was an odd fit, to be sure, but also maybe a nod to the Beasties’ long track record of twisting punk, classic rock and hip-hop into something new. Martin did switch up the lyrics just a bit, singing “I said mom you’re just jealous, it’s the Beastie Boys / So we’re sending all our love to the Beastie Boys.” (It’s not a knock to say that Martin couldn’t improve on Yauch’s best verses).

What did you make of Coldplay’s tribute? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.

We knew a tough elimination was coming on last night’s American Idol results show, but we never thought it’d be lone country holdout Skylar Laine. Isn’t this supposed to work like the presidential primaries — once it’s whittled down to one country candidate, the country fans all show up in support of the lone survivor, right? Anyway, poli sci was never our forte. But at least we got to witness two Coldplay songs and Carrie Underwood‘s triumphant return to the Idol stage before our little spark plug burned out.

Ryan Seacrest started off by getting all the formalities out of the way, a/k/a by revealing Joshua Ledet was safe. What I’m saying is, when Jimmy Iovine describes your prior night’s performance as “sky opening,” you’ve got a good thing going.

Speaking of no drama, “Paradise” by Coldplay! Look, we’re not trying to pile on the divisive Brits during their Idol debut. We tend to enjoy them around these parts, but this performance of this song did nothing to combat the argument that they’re nothing more than flaccid anthem peddlers. Don’t worry, Round 2 was better. And we still love the blacklight-neon, skid row-on-acid aesthetic.

Coldplay, “Paradise” (Live on American Idol)

Jimmy then commended Phillip Phillips for fighting through his kidney illness, but swiftly called him out for coasting. Soften them up and then STRIKE: classic Iovine rope-a-dope! Despite having arguably the weakest performances of the Top 5 on Wednesday, Phil survived. The show joked about his sickness a few weeks ago, but it’s clearly taking its toll. Next week we’ll find out if he has a Michael Jordan “Flu Game” in him.

Next we got the delightful Carrie Underwood, performing the aptly named “Blown Away” off her new album of the same name. And it was all kinds of good. She was like a neo-Stevie Nicks up there, blond locks and flowy dress all blowing in the wind, making for a compelling and eminently listenable piece of television. Seven years ago, people. That’s when she won. We are THE OLDS.

Now, let’s chat about vocal wunderkind/stylistic talking point Jessica Sanchez. Jimmy loved her rendition of “You Are So Beautiful” but could not abide that super-tight dress she wore for “Proud Mary.” A “travesty,” he called it, before saying that the stylists are “torpedoing” her. Is he right? Yeah, they should probably tone it down a bit. Plus, why distract from her voice? But to paraphrase JLo: Hollywood just has a higher threshold for raciness, so dig THAT, flyover states!

Time for the sad part. Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar found themselves on the bottom. Jimmy felt they both knocked their first songs out of the park and turned out middling second songs. But before things were sorted out (Seacrest dramatic pause) — it was time for another Coldplay song.

This time they did “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” which fared much better and had all the grandiosity we’ve come to expect from both Idol and the British megastars. As far as spectacles go, it’s hard to beat Chris Martin galloping around stage as confetti rains on the crowd and the song hits a crescendo. And allow us to throw some shine on guitarist Jonny Buckland: He’s an underappreciated, clean, consistent guitarist. That is all.

Coldplay, “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” (Live on American Idol)

OK, back to the bottom. When asked how they felt about the results, both Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler said it was the best Top 5 the show’s ever had. That didn’t stop Skylar from looking like the saddest puppy dog; we just wanted to hug her and pet her head and tell her it would all be OK.

But it wasn’t, America. It wasn’t OK. You just took her back behind the shed (you just know Skylar has a shed back home), and put her out of her misery. We’re astounded that Hollie has cracked the Top 4. We don’t mean to be mean, but it’s so clear she’s missing that performer gene that the other four (now three) have. Still, we’re happy for her, she’s dealt with all the criticism very gracefully.

As for Skylar: You know what, girl? You go get a headstart on cutting your album and making BUCKS before the rest of ‘em.

Did you think Hollie would outlast Skylar? Sound off in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.

Rihanna‘s “Gangster Goth Geisha” finally has its day in the sun, now that the visual for her cameo on Coldplay‘s “The Princess of China” has surfaced. The 2:38 clip will be played during Coldplay’s live shows, since the busy Barbadian beauty can’t just pop up to sing her part at every stop on Chris Martin and Co.’s tour. Both artists will appear together next week on American Idol‘s Thursday night results show (May 3) to perform the song, but till then you can peep RiRi in two dramatic upswept ‘dos, long gold nails and silken robes as she gracefully moves a cadre of arms like the Hindu deity Lakshmi.

Rihanna's "princess": Behind the scenes

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While there’s still no word on when Coldplay‘s “Princess Of China” official music video will be released, we’ve finally got a closer look at Rihanna‘s starring role in the clip. As any recent Coldplay concert attendee will tell you, a tease of RiRi — in her “Gangsta Goth Geisha” attire — has been projecting behind the band during the song’s live performance. We hope the finished vid will include just as much of the “influential” pop star donning her long fingernails and kimono. Below watch the Adria Petty and Alan Bibby tour video, and if it’s everything you expected from Rihanna’s behind-the-scenes Twitpics.

Rihanna twitpics from "China" 

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Time may have labeled Rihanna one of the World’s Most Influential People, but she’s also one of the planet’s biggest teases. First she let topless vacation pics slip online and gave the smallest of peeks at her upcoming “Where Have You Been” video to fans. Then RiRi’s bit in Coldplay’s upcoming “Princess Of China” video was previewed the other night as the UK band brought their latest tour to Edmonton’s Rexall Place in Alberta, Canada. The songstress was projected above Chris Martin and his musical partners, and she sprouted multiple arms, struck Buddha-like poses and was splashed with various colors. If you’re prepared to have a peaceful religious experience, RiRi fans, then click the video above to become enlightened by a glimpse of “Princess Of China”.

Did You Hear?

:: Finally! Pink tweeted a picture of herself with faint pink hair saying: “Okay…. You know what that means!!!!!!!!!! NEW RECORD TIME!!!!!!!!!!” News of a sixth studio album from Pink? Sounds f**king perfect to us. [ONTD]

:: In other dye job news, it probably is easy being green if you’re a superstar like Pharrell Williams, who rocked emerald locks at Paris fashion week. [Rap-Up]

:: Chris Martin of Coldplay says he now regrets slapping Mylo Xyloto with such a confusing, nonsense title. (And we say if you can’t pronounce it, you’re just not trying hard enough.) No word yet on similar sentiments regarding his children named “Apple” and “Moses,” however. [Popdust]

:: Cheryl Cole is following in Rihanna and Ne-Yo’s dance-pop footsteps to become the latest artist to say “Where have you been all my li-i-i-i-ife?” to Calvin Harris. It’ll be the first single from her new album. [PunchBowl Blog]

:: Starving for some Katniss and Peeta action? Well, stave off your appetite for The Hunger Games with yet another tidbit from the soundtrack, the first new song from Arcade Fire since their Grammy win for The Suburbs. [EW]

After the jump, find out which music acts you can find on the tube today.

Music On TV:

:: The Late Show With David Letterman (CBS) — Lana Del Ray (Repeat)
:: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) — Imelda May
:: Jimmy Kimmel Live! (NBC) — Sean “Diddy” Combs,  Miley Cyrus
:: The View (ABC) — 50 Cent
:: Ellen DeGeneres (ABC) — Idina Menzel
:: Chelsea Lately (E!) — Idina Menzel

The Monkees’ Davy Jones has passed away today at the age of 66, but it’s never too early to remember what made Jones and the band so big in the first place — their infinitely catchy, free-spirited songs. Many artists throughout the years – from the Four Tops to acts like Run DMC and even Susan Boyle – have flipped through The Monkees’ songbook and put their spin on their pop classics. Celebrate Davy’s contribution to music by listening to some major stars perform covers of The Monkees’ biggest hits below.

Susan Boyle – “Daydream Believer”

Coldplay – “I’m A Believer”

Neil Diamond – “I’m A Believer”

Run DMC – “Mary Mary” (which samples The Monkees’ song of the same name)

Four Tops – “Last Train To Clarksville”

Glee feat. Neil Patrick Harris – “Daydream Believer”

Smash Mouth – “I’m A Believer”

Head over to PureVolume to check out their favorite covers of songs by The Monkees.

For the second time in six months, Coldplay hit up the Jimmy Kimmel Live outdoor stage in Hollywood to perform a set of jams from Mylo Xyloto. Last night’s special occasion was, of course, the Academy Awards, and Chris Martin & Co. tore through current single “Charlie Brown” and their hit “Paradise”. Meanwhile, the band have tickets for an upcoming world tour to sell, so it’s no surprise that they’ve been hitting the stage frequently during awards season. Head below to watch Coldplay on Kimmel.

Coldplay — ”Charlie Brown” on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Coldplay — “Paradise” on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Did You Hear?

:: Just when you thought Chris Brown was in enough trouble, he now faces a robbery charge. After a fan tried to snap a picture of the “Birthday Cake” conspirator, Breezy snatched her phone, saying, “B****, you ain’t going to put that on no website.” [ONTD]


:: Has Justin Bieber’s love for tattoos rubbed off on his girlfriend? Although Selena Gomez offered no explanation behind the meaning of her first tattoo, we bet the heart was meant to show her love for Biebs. [E Online]


:: Will Taylor Swift be attending prom this spring? The Lorax star has been invited by Kevin McGuire, a cancer-stricken teen who defeated cancer once, but unfortunately relapsed this past year. Friends and family have created a Facebook page to catch Tay’s attention in hopes she will accept the 18-year-old’s request. [Pop Crush]


:: At his concert in Melbourne, Australia, Kanye West decided to treat fans to a little freestyle to “Say You Will” — which turned into a seven-minute rant about an ex-girlfriend who wouldn’t give him the time of day. [EW Music Mix]


:: Coldplay, whose Mylo Xyloto world tour begins in March, has recruited Robyn as their opening act for select US dates. Chris Martin and company will also make several TV appearances in the coming weeks to promote the show. [Consequence of Sound]


After the jump, find out which acts you can find on the tube today.

Music On TV:

:: The Late Show With David Letterman (CBS) — We Are Augustines
:: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) — Adam Levine, Chiddy Bang
:: Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) — The Joy Formidable (Repeat)

Though the big winner of the 2012 BRIT Awards was clearly Adele’s middle finger, the 21 singer and Ed Sheeran walked away with the most awards, with two each. Coldplay took home Best British Group, Bruno Mars scored International Male Solo Artist, and Lana Del Rey nabbed International Breakthrough Act. While accepting her award for International Female Solo Artist, Rihanna thanked all her fans “who continue to support me no matter what… at times when I feel misunderstood, my fans always remind me that it’s okay to be myself.” (Is it just us, or is she slyly referencing the “Birthday Cake” controversy?) Head below for the full winners list.

2012 BRIT AWARDS WINNERS

British Male Solo Artist: Ed Sheeran
British Female Solo Artist: Adele
British Breakthrough Act: Ed Sheeran
British Group: Coldplay
British Single: One Direction (“What Makes You Beautiful”)
British Album of the Year: Adele (21)
International Male Solo Artist: Bruno Mars
International Female Solo Artist: Rihanna
International Group: Foo Fighters
International Breakthrough Act: Lana Del Rey
Outstanding Contribution to Music: Blur
Critics Choice: Emeli Sande
British Producer: Ethan Johns

Watch performances from the awards show here.

Adele’s middle finger wasn’t the only entertaining moment of the 2012 BRIT Awards (though it’s our personal favorite). The awards show, held at the O2 Arena in London, featured many great performances — as well as tributes to departed music icons Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse. Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Florence + The Machine and Adele all gave stirring live sets, while Rihanna, who reportedly pulled an all-nighter for her birthday celebrations, let her backing vocals do most of the work during “We Found Love.” Watch the performances below.

Coldplay – “Charlie Brown”

Rihanna – “We Found Love”

Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”

Ed Sheeran – “Lego House”

Bruno Mars – “Just The Way You Are”

Florence + The Machine – “No Light, No Light”

Whitney Houston tribute

Amy Winehouse tribute

The 2012 Grammy Awards made us experience a rainbow of emotions during its three-and-a-half-hour telecast. Adele made us giggle with her adorable acceptance speeches, while Katy Perry‘s unflattering hair color just made us angry. We wept over Jennifer Hudson‘s moving tribute to Whitney Houston, and cried even more when Nicki Minaj began flying over the stage like a scene out of The Craft. But oh, there were so many more memorable moments from music’s biggest night. Check out the Top 5 Best and Worst of the bunch from the 54th Annual Grammy Awards below.

5 Best Moments From The 2012 Grammy Awards

5. Taylor Swift‘s spot-on performance of her Grammy-winning song “Mean”. Though Taylor has a tendency to go off-key during live performances, she sounded great during her bluegrass-infused number. (And we especially love the tweaked lyric, “Someday I’ll be singing this at the Grammys”.) Swift made her trademark surprised face at the end, shocked at the standing ovation she received, though we weren’t nearly as surprised the crowd gave her such a positive reaction.  (As a sidenote, anyone else think it looked like she was performing in front of the barricade set from Les Miserables? Perhaps she was inspired by her brief time being attached to the project?) Watch it here.

4. Justin Vernon‘s acceptance speech for Best New Artist was sweet, humble, and honest — after making critical comments towards the Grammys, it would be even more uncomfortable if the Bon Iver mastermind didn’t somehow mention that he was wary of such awards shows. Watch his awkward (yet totally endearing) acceptance speech here.

3. Alicia Keys (rocking a Janelle Monae/Bruno Mars-style pompadour) and Bonnie Raitt delivered a subtle and effective tribute to Etta James, covering the late singer’s “A Sunday Kind Of Love”. It was simple, subtle and sincere, proving you don’t need costumes, lasers or any other distractions to put on a phenomenal performance. Watch it here.

2. Adele (who was on stage so much during the show she should have had her mail forwarded there) kept it short and light for her first few acceptance speeches, chewing gum and acting super relaxed as she thanked her “Rolling In The Deep” producer Paul Epworth (who won Producer of the Year), radio stations for playing her songs, and her doctors for healing her voice. But the Brit singer’s speech upon winning Album Of The Year was the most moving, as she finally broke down into tears. (She still manages to make herself and us laugh when she realizes, “Oh, I got snot!”) Can this woman get any more likeable?! Watch it here.

1. Whitney Houston, whose death shocked the world only the day before, was memorialized throughout the night — host LL Cool J opened his monologue with a prayer, while many performers and presenters made reference to Whitney as the show went on. But with less than a day of preparation, Jennifer Hudson gave one of the finest performances of her career with this emotional tribute to the fallen star.

5 Worst Moments From The 2012 Grammy Awards

5. We’re disappointed that there wasn’t any Amy Winehouse tribute. We realize a whole bunch of people died in the last year and there are only so many hours of airtime, but the woman did win a whole bunch of Grammys. (Including one last night!)

4. We know they were either paid tribute to or referenced elsewhere during the show, but why was there no mention of Etta James and Soul Train creator Don Cornelius during the In Memorium segment?

3. Katy Perry made her first live TV performance since her divorce from Russell Brand, and it wasn’t much of a return. The blue-raspberry-haired pop star sang her new single “Part Of Me” (snappy, but far inferior to her Grammy-nominated song “Firework”), combining elements of S&M and sci-fi for an underwhelming production. Hey, at least she looked incredible in a skintight body suit. (Wait, is she now cribbing her style from Jessie J? Oh, how the tables have turned.)

2. That special electro-dance performance featuring mostly non-dance artists. We seriously didn’t need to see Chris Brown perform twice on one awards show when we didn’t even get to see Robyn perform once.

1. Nicki Minaj’s “Roman Holiday” performance… goodness gracious, where do we even begin? It was like watching a low-budget spin-off of The Exorcist turned into an off-off Broadway musical that’s cancelled after opening night. The song itself was so irritating it made “Stupid Hoe” seem as melodic as John Lennon’s “Imagine”. As for the production, the religious imagery was weird for the sake of being weird, and adding in “I Feel Pretty” and “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” was jarring and just plain random. Plus, picking a track that focuses on her alter-ego Roman was a poor choice, since we doubt most of America has any clue who Roman is or what Nicki was even talking about in that terrible British accent. Would it have killed her to perform “Super Bass” one more time? Or a song from her new album that’s more accessible for this type of platform? And forget all the faux-shocking theatrics – you’re a talented rapper, Nicki. Get up there and rap. All this ridiculous spectacle is unnecessary.

The 54th Grammy Awards, a night overshadowed by the death of Whitney Houston, kicked off with a performance by Bruce Springsteen. Right after, LL Cool J — the annual event’s first host in eight years — walked on stage and reminded us of just what a powerful, iconic force Houston was by introducing a clip of her performing “I Will Always Love You” back in 1994. Of course, the show must go on — and indeed it did. Head below to watch the night’s performances, from artists such as Adele, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry and Chris Brown.

See other highlights (Adele’s acceptance speech), lowlights (Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon at the microphone) and more on our Grammy Awards 2012 page.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band — ”We Take Care of Our Own”

Bruno Mars — ”Runaway Baby”

Alicia Keys & Bonnie Raitt — “A Sunday Kind of Love” (Etta James tribute)

Chris Brown — ”Beautiful People”

Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson — ”Don’t You Wanna Stay”

Foo Fighters — ”Walk”

Rihanna & Coldplay — ”We Found Love / Princess Of China / Paradise”

The Beach Boys, Foster the People & Maroon 5 — “Surfer Girl / Wouldn’t It Be Nice / Good Vibrations”

Paul McCartney — ”My Valentine”

Taylor Swift — ”Mean”

Katy Perry — “E.T. / Part Of Me”

Adele — “Rolling In The Deep”

The Band Perry, Blake Shelton & Glen Campbell — “Gentle on My Mind / Southern Nights/ Rhinestone Cowboy”

Jennifer Hudson — ”I Will Always Love You” (Whitney Houston tribute)

David Guetta, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Foo Fighters, Deadmau5 – “I Can Only Imagine / Rope / Raise Your Weapon”

21221222542 by YardieGoals

Nicki Minaj — ”Roman Holiday”

Paul McCartney — “”Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End”

Who stole the show? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.

Los Angeles’ Staples Center is where the 54th Grammy Awards will go down this Sunday. The CBS telecast kicks off at 8 p.m. EST, and the thought on everyone’s mind is likely this: just how many statues is Britain’s not-so-secret weapon Adele going to jet back to London with? Plus, will Grammy give the gift of a posthumous award to the late Amy Winehouse, who’s up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (with Tony Bennett)? Will this be the year Skrillex becomes a household name? Also, will Chris Brown and Rihanna bump into each other? Or will they avoid each other like the plague, given they that they’ve been rumored to be, er, “bumping” again lately? So many questions. But let’s run down what we know we’re in for on Sunday.

YOUR HOST(S) FOR THE NIGHT

Sunday’s ceremony will mark the first time the Grammys have had a host since 2004. And that host is LL Cool J — something we’re well aware of, thanks to his feisty and playful promo clips for the awards show with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. (Co-hosts will be Cali jazz saxophonist Dave Koz and pioneering “Keep On, Keepin’ On” rapstress MC Lyte.)

MOST-NOMINATED ARTISTS

“Ni**as In Paris” hit-maker Kanye West will walk into the ceremony with seven nominations — the most racked up by any artist this year. Right behind him are Adele, Bruno Mars and Foo Fighters, who each earned six nods. Relative newcomer Skrillex is tied with veterans Radiohead and Lil Wayne with five nominations, and Bon Iver, Drake, Jay-Z, Mumford & Sons, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna each have four.

CONFLICTED NOMINEES

At some point last year, before the Grammy nominations were announced, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon was interviewed by the New York Times. At that time, he talked about what he would say in his acceptance speech if, hypothetically, he were to be nominated and win. “‘Everyone should go home, this is ridiculous. You should not be doing this. We should not be gathering in a big room and looking at each other and pretending that this is important.’ That’s what I would say,” stated Vernon. Turns out he was nominated four times. Oops!

Meanwhile, Vernon’s buddy Kanye West (the two collaborated on My Beautiful Dark Fantasy tracks “Monster” and “Lost In The World”) is also having mixed emotions. During a rambling two-hour Twitter rant early last month, Yeezy tweeted the following: “I appreciate having the most nominations at the Grammies but I feel so conflicted by the fact that award shows sometimes are completely……illogical… Good logic tells me smile Kanye… the world likes you again… red or blue pill? … aaaaand Swallow lol”

Here’s an idea: instead of the pills, ‘Ye, swallow your pride, crack a bottle of bubbly and enjoy yourself.

THE ADELE FACTOR

Look, there’s no denying the fact that Adele Adkins is going into this whole shebang with a gold-plated halo above her head. She had the best-selling LP of 2011 with 21, the best-selling single of 2011 with “Rolling In The Deep” (“Someone Like You” didn’t do too shabby, either) and, since her sophomore set was released nearly a year ago, she’s been on top of the album chart for 19 (non-consecutive) weeks and counting.

As mentioned above, Adele has six Grammy nominations: Album Of The Year (21), Record Of The Year (“Rolling In The Deep”), Song Of The Year (“Rolling In The Deep”), Best Pop Vocal Album (21), Best Pop Solo Performance (“Someone Like You”) and Best Short Form Music Video (“Rolling In The Deep”).

But let’s look at her track record at the various music awards ceremonies from the past few months. Adele won three of the four American Music Awards she was up for in the fall, but nabbed only three of her seven potential MTV VMAs — and those three were all technical ones (Art Direction, Cinematography and Editing) for the “Rolling In The Deep” video. The London-based singer was left empty-handed after both the People’s Choice Awards, where she was nominated four times, and the Soul Train Music Awards, where she stood to win in three categories.

Adele also struck out in the three Teen Choice Awards categories she was nominated for, failed to nab the Mercury Prize for Album Of The Year and emerged from the MOBO Awards with one win (Best UK R&B/Soul Act) out of four.

There seems to be the mindset that the singer will be and should be the night’s big winner. But if history has taught us one thing, it’s to go into the Grammys with a cautious, open mind.

WHO’S PERFORMING?

In addition to current chart movers and shakers like Adele, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift taking the stage, as well as veteran acts like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Maceo Parker and Joe Walsh, there are also several pair-ups scheduled for Grammy night:

* In the wake of Whitney Houston’s untimely death on Saturday, Feb. 11, Grammy producers tagged Jennifer Hudson, who covered Houston’s “I Have Nothing” on American Idol, to perform a tribute to the superstar.

* Coldplay & Rihanna will presumably be performing “Princess Of China”.

* Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson are singing their nominated duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay”.

* Chris Brown, Deadmau5, Foo Fighters, David Guetta & Lil Wayne are doing some sort of dance music performance.

* Alicia Keys & Bonnie Raitt will tribute the late Etta James.

* The Beach Boys (!!) will be joined by Foster The People & Maroon 5.

* Glen Campbell, The Band Perry & Blake Shelton have the country collab box ticked.

* Tony Bennett, who performed at the very first Grammys, will perform a duet of “It Had to be You” with Carrie Underwood.

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Well, silly, we don’t know that yet. But you can check out our predictions for who’s going to win in the Pop and Dance categories, as well as Best New Artist, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year.

While tuning in to the Grammy Awards this Sunday, be sure to log on right here at Idolator (as well as our Twitter and Facebook), where we’ll be providing coverage of the ceremony all night!

If new videos from Madonna, Adam Lambert, and M.I.A. weren’t quite enough for you on this clip-heavy Friday, then we are sorry you’re so picky, but perhaps Coldplay is more your speed. The boys behind Mylo Xyloto may not be the first to spring to mind when you think of a dark club with plenty of fluorescent lights and hanky panky, but that’s exactly what they deliver in “Charlie Brown,” which manages to depict what looks like an awesome, fun-filled romantic night out and still leave us feeling a little glum in the end (in the best way, most Coldplay-ish way possible). So get your Snoopy dance ready and watch Mr. Paltrow & co. in “Charlie Brown” below.

Coldplay — “Charlie Brown”

Per usual, Coldplay makes us feel ecstatic, energized, and melancholy all at the same time in this appropriately beautiful video for such a haunting track. Which might be exactly what the titular Peanuts character meant when he always said: “Good grief.”

But hey, at least the colors are bright!

Are you a fan? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.

Before she makes her highly anticipated appearance at The Grammys, Katy Perry will sing at Paul McCartney’s MusiCares “Person Of The Year” ceremony in Los Angeles on February 10. In addition to Perry, the benefit will boast performances from Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Foo Fighters and Tony Bennett — as well as McCartney, who will promote his new album Kisses On The Bottom. Tickets for the event range from $1,500 to $100,000, with proceeds donated to MusiCares, an organization that provides assistance to musicians in financial or personal crisis.

For better or for worse, UK-based music magazine NME has rolled out its shortlist of nominees for its 2012 NME Awards. Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Adele each earned noms across the various irreverent categories — some more forgiving than others. (Born This Way and Under the Mistletoe both came in under Worst Album, oof!) Also scoring nods were newcomers Lana Del Rey and Azealia Banks and awards veterans Coldplay, The Throne and Katy Perry. See the full list of 2012 NME Award nominees below.

The winners will be announced on February 29 at the O2 Academy, Brixton in London. You can vote for your faves now at NME.com.

BEST BRITISH BAND
Arctic Monkeys
Bombay Bicycle Club
The Horrors
Kasabian
Muse

BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND
Arcade Fire
Foo Fighters
Justice
Odd Future
The Strokes

BEST SOLO ARTIST
Adele
Florence + The Machine
Frank Turner
Laura Marling
Miles Kane
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

BEST NEW BAND
Foster The People
Lana Del Rey
Tribes
The Vaccines
Wu Lyf

BEST LIVE BAND
Arctic Monkeys
Kasabian
Muse
Pulp
Two Door Cinema Club

BEST ALBUM
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Suck It And See’
The Horrors – ‘Skying’
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’
PJ Harvey – ‘Let England Shake’
The Vaccines – ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’

BEST TRACK
Arctic Monkeys – ‘The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala’
Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘Shuffle’
Florence + The Machine – ‘Shake It Out’
Hurts – ‘Sunday’
Lana Del Rey – ‘Video Games’

DANCEFLOOR ANTHEM
Azealia Banks – ’212′
Foster The People – ‘Pumped Up Kicks’
Justice – ‘Civilization’
Katy B – ‘Broken Record’
Metronomy – ‘The Bay’

BEST VIDEO
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Suck It And See’
Beyoncé – ‘Countdown’
Hurts – ‘Sunday’
Lana Del Rey – ‘Video Games’
Tyler, The Creator – ‘Yonkers’

BEST TV SHOW
‘Dr Who’
‘Fresh Meat’
‘Misfits’
‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’
‘This Is England ’88′

BEST FESTIVAL
Bestival
Glastonbury
Reading & Leeds
T In The Park
V Festival

BEST FILM
‘Black Swan’
‘Drive’
‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2′
‘The Inbetweeners Movie’
‘Submarine’

BEST MUSIC FILM
‘Back And Forth’ – Foo Fighters
‘Living In The Material World’ – George Harrison
‘Talihina Sky’ – Kings Of Leon
‘There Are No Innocent Bystanders’ – The Libertines
‘Upside Down – The Creation Records Story’

GREATEST MUSIC MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Brian May joins My Chemical Romance onstage at Reading Festival
Kasabian see in 2012 with their epic London O2 Arena show
Noel Gallagher launches his solo career with press conference
Pulp steal the show at Glastonbury with secret set
The Stone Roses reunite

BEST RE-ISSUE
Manic Street Preachers – ‘National Treasures’
Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’
Primal Scream – ‘Screamadelica’
The Rolling Stones – ‘Some Girls’
The Smiths – ‘Complete Re-issues’

BEST BOOK
Jared Leto – ‘Notes From The Outernet’
Jarvis Cocker – ‘Mother, Brother, Lover: Selected Lyrics’
Malcolm X – ‘A Life Of Reinvention’
Noel Fielding – ‘The Scribblings Of A Madcap Shambleton’
Shaun Ryder – ‘Twisting My Melon’

HERO OF THE YEAR
Alex Turner
Dave Grohl
Matt Bellamy
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher

VILLAIN OF THE YEAR
David Cameron
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Liam Gallagher
Nick Clegg

WORST ALBUM
Coldplay – ‘Mylo Xyloto’
Justin Bieber – ‘Under The Mistletoe’
Lady Gaga – ‘Born This Way’
One Direction – ‘Up All Night’
Viva Brother – ‘Famous First Words’

WORST BAND
Beady Eye
Coldplay
Muse
One Direction
Viva Brother

BEST ALBUM ARTWORK
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Suck It And See’
Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’
Bjork – ‘Biophilia’
Friendly Fires – ‘Pala’
Jay-Z and Kanye West – ‘Watch The Throne’

BEST BAND BLOG OR TWITTER
@Example
Frank-Turner.com/blog
@KanyeWest
@LadyGaga
@Theohurts
(New award)

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL
Field Day
Hop Farm
Kendal Calling
Latitude
RockNess

MOST DEDICATED FANS
30 Seconds To Mars
Arctic Monkeys
Hurts
Muse
My Chemical Romance

HOTTEST MALE
Andy Biersack, Black Veil Brides
Dominic Howard, Muse
Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance
Jared Leto, 30 Seconds To Mars
Matt Bellamy, Muse

HOTTEST FEMALE
Amy Lee, Evanescence
Florence Welch, Florence + The Machine
Hayley Williams, Paramore
Katy Perry
Marina Diamandis, Marina And The Diamonds

Who are you rooting for this year? Let us know below or hit us up on Facebook and Twitter.