Katy Perry leads with 9 VMA nods
NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) — US pop star Katy Perry led the field with nine nods when nominations for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards were announced.
MTV said Wednesday Perry is nominated for Video of the Year and Best Female Video for Firework, Best Pop Video for Last Friday Night [TGIF], and Best Collaboration, Best Art Direction, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Special Effects for ET featuring Kanye West and directed by Floria Sigismondi.
Her video for Teenage Dream is nominated for Best Cinematography.
Also in the running for Video of the Year are Adeles Rolling in the Deep, Tyler, the Creators Yonkers, Bruno Mars Grenade and Beastie Boys Make Some Noise.
Perrys fellow nominees for Best Female Video are Adeles Rolling In The Deep, Beyonces Run the World [Girls], Nicki Minajs Super Bass and Lady Gagas Born This Way.
Shortlisted for Best Male Video are Cee Lo Greens F*** You, Eminems Love the Way You Lie, Bruno Mars Grenade, Kanye Wests All of the Lights and Justin Biebers U Smile.
Earning the nod for Best Hip Hop Video are 67 by Lil Wayne and Cory Gunz, All of the Lights by Kanye West, Rihanna and Kid Cudi, Look at Me by Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, Super Bass by Nicki Minaj and The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco.
Nominated for Best New Artist are Foster the People for Pumped Up Kicks, Wiz Khalifa for Black and Yellow, Tyler, the Creator for Yonkers, Big Sean for My Last and Kreayshawn for Gucci Gucci.
Vying with Perry for the award for Best Pop Video are Adeles Rolling in the Deep, Bruno Mars Grenade, Pitbulls Give Me Everything and Britney Spears Till the World Ends.
Up for Best Rock Video are The Black Keys for Howlin For You, Foo Fighters for Walk, Foster the People for Pumped Up Kicks, Mumford Sons for The Cave and Cage the Elephant for Shake Me Down.
The acts nominated for Best Collaboration, along with Perry and West, are Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Nayer and Afrojack for Give Me Everything, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes for Look at Me Now, Kanye West, Rihanna and Kid Cudi for All of the Lights and Nicki Minaj and Drake for Moment 4 Life.
The VMAs are to be handed out Aug. 28 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
Rapper DMX released from prison
LOS ANGELES, July 21 (UPI) — Earl Simmons, the rapper known as DMX, has left an Arizona prison after serving a seven-month sentence for probation violations, officials said.
Billboard.com said Simmons was released Tuesday morning.
I spoke to my daughter. I just got off the phone with my wife, the music Web site quoted the hip-hop artist as saying shortly after his release. Im going to go see my daughter while the sun is up then Im going to be in the studio, man.
Simmons was arrested Nov. 18 for a probation violation after he was allegedly found to be in possession of cocaine.
He was also cited for use of OxyContin without a prescription, failing to submit to drug testing, failing to participate in counseling programs, failure to make payments for fines and driving on a suspended license.
Simmons has been incarcerated numerous times in recent years in connection with assault, weapons, drugs or animal-cruelty arrests.
Shannen Doherty to star in reality series
NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) — WE tv says it has ordered a new, 1-hour docu-series tentatively called The Shannen Doherty Project and starring the Hollywood actress.
The eight-part series will be about Dohertys relationship with photographer Kurt Iswarienko.
Viewers will witness the challenging, comical, and dramatic moments that ensue when two people — with two different backgrounds — come together, bringing along their own sets of opinionated friends and family, the cable network said in a synopsis. Their complicated, and often hilarious, journey also includes wedding preparations, a house tragedy that may end in lawsuits, and the next chapter of the actress burgeoning career.
The series is to begin production next month. It is expected to premiere in early 2012 on WE tv.
Shannens relationships and life experiences make her a riveting personality to watch, John Miller, WE tvs senior vice president of original productions and development, said in a statement Thursday.
This is an opportunity for audiences to get a rare sneak peek into the real Shannen, who has been notorious about guarding her private life. Her situations are familiar and is what will make this series stand apart from other celeb-reality shows. Its what WE tv does best — present stories that showcase the wild ride of modern-day life from a womans perspective.
The famously outspoken actress is best known for her work on TVs Little House on the Prairie, Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed and Scare Tactics. She also co-starred in the iconic movie Heathers.
Track Palins wife, Britta, is pregnant
WASILLA, Alaska, July 21 (UPI) — Britta Palin, the daughter-in-law of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is pregnant with her first child, People.com reported Thursday.
The former Britta Hanson, 21, married Palins 22-year-old son, Track, in May.
People.com said a friend from the couples native Alaska announced the baby news and posted pictures of the expectant mother on Facebook.
Britta is a nursing student and Track is an Army Reservist and commercial fisherman.
Sarah Palin is a former governor of Alaska and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee. Sarahs teenage daughter Bristol was pregnant with her first child during the 2008 presidential election. She became a celebrity by speaking publicly about teen pregnancy, competing on TVs Dancing with the Stars and writing a memoir.
The family did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the news of Brittas pregnancy, People.com said.