Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year

Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff

<P>"I'm bewildered," <MTVNLINK type="artist" id="14245">Robert Plant</MTVNLINK> said onstage as he accepted the <MTVNLINK type="news" id="1604580">Grammy Album of the Year award</MTVNLINK> with <MTVNLINK type="artist" id="506074">Alison Krauss</MTVNLINK> on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."</P><P>He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because <i>Raising Sand,</i> which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.</p><div style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;"></div><p></P><P>You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his <MTVNLINK type="artist" id="993">Led Zeppelin</MTVNLINK> days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.</P><P>Really, she's the key to <i>Sand</i>'s success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music &#8212; so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, <i>Sand</i> was released.</P><P>And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.</P><P>And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on <i>Sand.</i> His arrangements are sparse &#8212; giving the two voices ample room to breathe &#8212; yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.</P><P>To date, <i>Sand</i> has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year &#8212; "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.</P><P>One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.</P><P>"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" <i>New York Times</i> music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really <i>good</i> record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards." </P>

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'Star Wars' Experts: Disney 'Strikes' Gold With 'Empire' Writer

'Empire Strikes Back' writer Lawrence Kasdan and 'X-Men' scribe Simon Kinberg are reportedly signed on for Disney's 'Star Wars' sequels.
By Josh Wigler


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Lady Gaga Addresses 'Massive Struggles' In Open Letter To Fans

Mother Monster thanks fans for making her feel 'free' despite the past year's hardships that kept her 'in chains.'
By Jocelyn Vena

<P>Lady Gaga got real personal in an open letter she posted on her Little Monsters social networking site on Tuesday.</P><P>In it, she exposed about her ups and downs over the past year. And while she never calls anyone out by name, savvy fans everywhere shouldn't find it <i>too</i> difficult a task to decode the folks she refers to for making her feel like she was "in chains at times."</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Lady Gaga Twitter Lightning Round!" id="vid:683377.id:1669247" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>Titled "A letter to my sweet fans" she Ana Ivanovi

WATCH: Matthew McConaughey Talks Dramatic Weight Loss

In the past few months, Matthew McConaughey has become the incredible shrinking man. The Magic Mike actor, who had very little body fat to begin with, has been shedding weight like crazy for his role as an HIV-positive prescription-drug smuggler in the film The Dallas Buyers Club. By the time the movie started shooting this month, the actor had dropped a startling 38 pounds. During an interview with the website HitFix, the 43-year-old actor described the challenge of attaining his skin-and-bones physique. Watch the interview here:

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Can Selena Gomez Top VMA Vets Beyonce And Rihanna?

Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj also up for Best Female Video at September 6 show.
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<P>The girl power will be at an all-time high Thursday, September 6, thanks to the ladies nominated for Best Female Video at the 2012 Video Music Awards. With everyone from pop mavens to R&B goddesses duking it out for a Moonman this year, whoever ends up taking it home might just have the most diva moment of the night.</P><P>Most of the nominees in the Best Female category have been there and done that at the VMAs. But there's one young lady who has yet to taste the glory of a nomination. That rookie, however, will have to fend off these VMA vets for that coveted trophy. So will Katy Perry, Beyonc&#233;, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj or Selena Gomez go all the way? MTV News breaks down their nominated videos!</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry Vie For Best Female Video" id="vid:821214.id:1690828" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>Beyoncé, "Love on Top"<br> B made the 2011 VMAs all her own when she put her baby bump on full display during her "Love on Top" performance, but it's the subsequent video for the <i>4</i> track she's nominated for this year. Inspired by acts like New Edition, the simple performance clip features the Queen surrounded by several male backup dancers as she sashays in body-hugging outfits. Having already won 11 VMAs in the past, it's hard to deny her history of nabbing the prize.</P><P>Katy Perry, "Part of Me"<br> Riding high off an impressive 2011 Video Music Awards, during which the star took home a handful of awards and became a first-time winner at the show, the video for "Part of Me" showed off yet another side of the eye-popping pop star. The Marine-themed clip follows a heartbroken Perry as she shaves off her hair and enlists for service. Taken from her <i>Teenage Dream</i> re-release, Perry decided to forgo her love of aliens and whipped-cream bras to get serious and hit the ground running in the race for Best Female Video.</P><P>Nicki Minaj, "Starships"<br> With only one Moonman to her name (Best Hip-Hop Video for "Super Bass" at last year's show), Minaj's neon-hued beach video from <i>Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded</i> might help her win another one. Considering it features a scantily clad Nicki cavorting on the beach surrounded by tribal dancers and partygoers at a bonfire rave, the Anthony Mandler-directed video feels like the kind of over-the-top eye candy tailor-made to win a VMA.</P><P>Rihanna, "We Found Love"<br> It's been five years since Rihanna took home a Moonman, previously winning two for "Umbrella." Following a self-destructive couple, the "We Found Love" video stirred up a lot of controversy when fans thought it might be referencing her own split from Chris Brown. Well, considering the scope and message of her Melina Matsoukas-directed video, now might be her year to nab another piece of hardware.</P><P>Selena Gomez & The Scene, "Love You Like a Love Song"<br> Gomez may have hosted the 2011 VMA pre-show, but this year she's upping her game as a nominee with the trippy video for her dance-floor love song. The dreamy clip follows the singer as she's taken from a karaoke club and travels through the '80s in varying setups ranging from a muse inspired by "Amadeus" to a rockabilly babe. Can the unusual clip help the <i>When the Sun Goes Down</i> singer beat these seasoned vets? Only time will tell.</P><P><b>The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Head to VMA.MTV.com now through August 24 to vote for your favorites, or text BNA to 22444 to vote for Best New Artist all the way through the show!</b></P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="The 2012 Video Music Award Nominees Are..." id="vid:820732.id:1690828" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P>

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Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield Buy New Home For $2.5 Million

Actors Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield have added a new home to their assets, purchasing  property in Beverly Hills for $2.5 Million. Amazing Spider-Man co-stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have taken the next step in their relationship.  The famous duo purchased a new home together, as confirmed by Ace Showbiz. The young couple, who fell in love after meeting on the set of the blockbuster reboot, bought a 3,862 square foot home in the lush zip code of Beverly Hills.  Set in a gated community, the one story home is rumored to include four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, wood-beamed ceilings, a brick fireplace, a breakfast room, a beautiful kitchen with a Viking stove, a raised deck, a swimming pool and more. The very private home was formerly owned by English actor and comedian Dudley Moore and is said to be one of the most attractive houses in their new neighborhood.  Both Garfield and Stone paid $2.5 million for their love nest.  This marks the second property the dup have purchased together.  Last year they purchased a New York apartment together. Both Garfield and Stone will both reprise their roles as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy in the [...]

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