MUSIC AWARDS FRENZY (YAWN)
With the MTV Video Music Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards just around the corner, the powers that be are inevitably pulling out the stops by ballyhooing special promotions and performers.
Levi's is celebrating its third year of sponsoring the VMA's Best New Artist Category by presenting a special charity auction. Christina Aguilera, Pink and Papa Roach have turned fashion designers—each artist has decorated a Levi's jacket, which will be auctioned off at Levi.com. Aguilera's proceeds will go to The Foundation Fighting Blindness, Retina International; Pink will benefit The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Papa Roach will aid Child Help USA. Bidding runs through 9/7. Levi's and MTV turned down teen queen Augilera's offer to design a muzzle for rapper-without-a-clue Eminem to wear at the 9/10 ceremony.
A "special" duet between NSYNC and Son By Four is the latest performance to be slated for the First Annual Latin Grammy Awards. The unlikely twosome joins Gloria Estefan and Jennifer Lopez at the inaugural ceremony, to take place this Sunday (9/7) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. CBS will air the festivities. The performance will mark the televised debut of NSYNC's bilingual tune "This I Promise You/Yo Te Voy A Amar," and will combine Son By Four's Latin Grammy-nominated Salsa song "A Puro Dolor." The two-time Grammy-nominated NSYNCers deny reports they're changing their name to En Cinco.
Faith Hill, Kenny Rogers, Lonestar, Toby Keith and SHeDAISY have joined the line-up for the 34th Annual CMA Awards. For the ninth year running, Vince Gill will host the gala from the Grand Old Opry in Nashville Wed., 10/4. The awards will be broadcast by—who else—CBS. Nominee leader Hill, who's up for eight awards, will perform her latest single, "There Will Come A Day." Lonestar is slated to play "Tell Her," SHeDAISY will do "I Will," Keith will sing "How Do You Like Me Now?" and Rogers will mark his first CMA performance in 16 years with "Buy Me A Rose." The legendary singer said of his hit single: "It's the wood that makes it good… Oh, I thought we were talkin' bout mah chicken."
