Mars to Release New Single “24K Magic” This Friday

Bruno Mars is ready to share a little music Magic

The 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican actor has announced plans to release the new single “24K Magic” on October 7.

Bruno Mars

“Excited to announce 24K Magic, out this Friday!!” he said on Instagram. “You can call it my first single, but I call it the invitation to the party.”

“24K Magic” will be the first track from his forthcoming third studio album, the follow-up to 2012’s Unorthodox Jukebox, which yielded the hits “Locked Out of Heaven,” “When I Was Your Man” and “Treasure.”

Since that album’s release, Mars has collaborated on Mark Ronson‘s 2014 hit “Uptown Funk,” written “All I Ask” with Adele, performed at two Super Bowls and debuted the ballad “Rest of My Life” on the season-two finale of The CW‘s Jane the Virgin.

Skrillex has mentioned that he’s an upcoming collaborator on new material.

No album release date or title has been revealed.

But Mars reassured his fans on Twitter, “You think I’ve been playin this whole time? You don’t think I’m masterminding the return?”

Mars’ “Uptown Funk” Collaboration with Mark Ronson Wins an MTV VMA

Bruno Mars is the (Moon)man of the hour…

The 29-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer picked up the third Moonman of his career atthe 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.

Bruno Mars in Uptown Funk

Mars picked up the award for Best Male Video for his collaboration with Mark Ronson, “Uptown Funk.”

Mars previously picked up awards at the 2013 MTV VMAs for Best Male Video for “Locked Out of Heaven” and Best Choreography for “Treasure.”

Here’s a look at the night’s winners:

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Kanye West
Video of the Year: “Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar
Best Female Video: “Blank Space,” Taylor Swift
Best Male Video: “Uptown Funk,” Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Best Pop Video: “Blank Space,” Taylor Swift
Best Hip Hop Video: “Anaconda,” Nicki Minaj
Best Rock Video: “Uma Thurman,” Fall Out Boy
Best Direction: “Alright,” Kendrick Lamar
Best Collaboration: “Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar
Best Video with Social Message: “One Man Can Changed the World,” Big Sean ft. Kanye West and John Legend
Best Art Direction: “So Many Pros,” Snoop Dogg
Best Choreography: “I Won’t Let You Down,” OK Go
Best Cinematography: “Never Catch Me,” Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar
Best Editing: “7/11,” Beyoncé
Best Visual Effects: “Where Are U Now” Skrillex and Diplo ft. Justin Bieber

Mars Earns Five MTV Video Music Awards Nominations

Bruno Mars is this year’s (Moon)man…

The 29-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter earned five 2015 MTV Video Music Awards nominations for his collaboration with Mark Ronson on “Uptown Funk.”

Bruno Mars in Uptown Funk

Mars and Ronson’s video for “Uptown Funk” earned nods in the Video of the Year, Best Male Video, Best Pop Video and Best Collaboration categories.

Additionally, Mars is nominated alongside Cameron Duddy in the Best Direction category for the work behind the scenes on the video, which has garnered more than 865 million page views on Vevo.

Mars previously collected Moonmen in 2013 for Best Male Video for “Locked Out of Heaven” and Best Choreography for “Treasure.”

Beginning immediately, fans can vote for their favorites in a handful of categories, including Video of the year, best male video and best female video.

This year, voting for the MTV artist to watch award will run through the celebration’s pre-show coverage, at which time the top two artists will be revealed and compete over a live hashtag vote. Voting is available here.

Nominees for the socially voted category, best song of summer, will be announced at a later date.

The 2015 VMAs will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on August 30 at 9:00 pm. Miley Cyrus will serve as the show’s host.

Here’s a look at the full list of nominees:

Video of the Year:
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”

Best Male Video:
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
The Weeknd – “Earned It”
Nick Jonas – “Chains”

Best Female Video:
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Sia – “Elastic Heart”
Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”

Best Hip Hop Video:
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Big Sean ft. E-40 – “IDFWU”

Best Pop Video:
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Maroon 5 – “Sugar”

Best Rock Video:
Hozier – “Take Me To Church”
Fall Out Boy – “Uma Thurman”
Florence + the Machine – “Ship To Wreck”
Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance”
Arctic Monkeys – “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”

Artist to Watch:
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Vance Joy – “Riptide”
George Ezra – “Budapest”
James Bay – “Hold Back The River”
FKA Twigs – “Pendulum”

Best Collaboration:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – “Love Me Harder”
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj – “Bang Bang”

Video With a Social Message:
Jennifer Hudson – “I Still Love You”
Colbie Caillat – “Try”
Big Sean ft. Kanye West and John Legend – “One Man Can Change the World”
Rihanna – “American Oxygen”
Wale – “The White Shoes”

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES

Best Art Direction:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Charles Infante)
Snoop Dogg – “So Many Pros” (Jason Fijal)
Jack White – “Would You Fight For My Love” (Jeff Peterson)
The Chemical Brothers – “Go” (Michel Gondry)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

Best Choreography:
Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Chris Grant, Additional choreography: Gabriel Valenciano)
OK Go – “I Won’t Let You Down” (OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano)
Chet Faker – “Gold” (Ryan Heffington)
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Nappy Tabs)
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Keone and Mari Madrid)

Best Cinematography:
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Larkin Sieple)
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” (Daniel Pearl)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Christopher Probst)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Justin Brown)
Alt-J – “Left Hand Free” (Mike Simpson)

Best Direction:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Joseph Kahn)
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy)
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” (Colin Tilley & The Little Homies)
Hozier – “Take Me To Church” (Brendan Canty, Conal Thomson)
Childish Gambino – “Sober” (Hiro Murai)

Best Editing:
Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Ed Burke, Jonathan Wing)
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Jacquelyn London)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)
A$AP Rocky – “L$D” (Dexter Navy)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

Best Visual Effects:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Ingenuity Studios)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi, and Max Chyzhevskyy)
Childish Gambino – “Telegraph Ave.” (Gloria FX)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Tyler, The Creator – “F****** Young/Death Camp” (Gloria FX)

Santiago Wins the Third Installment of Telemundo’s “La Voz Kids”

Jonael Santiago is the pint-sized voz of the season…

The 11-year-old Puerto Rican dynamo with an outsize personality was declared the winner of the third installment of La Voz Kids, the Spanish-language kiddie version of The Voice on the Telemundo network.

Jonael Santiago

Santiago’s win — determined by audience voting from more than 1.2 million viewers — was not a slam dunk by any means. This third season boasted a particularly talented lineup of finalists, including 11-year-old Shanty Sumaya, a Mexican American from Texas who already plays gigs in her home state and is particularly good at grupero; and 14-year-old Franser Pazosa, a Cuban-born 14-year-old from Portland, Oregon, with a stunning, versatile voice.

Santiago, a diminutive boy who looks younger than his years, couldn’t match their vocals, but he made up for it with stage presence, attitude and dance moves that evoked Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson. His grand finale was Mars’ “Treasure,” a song chosen for him by coach Natalia Jimenez.

“He’s an amazing package,” Jimenez told Billboard after the win. “He can dance, he can sing, he can act. I wanted him to sing something he can move with. He’s really good at singing ballads, but the most impressive thing is seeing him dance and sing at the same time.”

Even Daddy Yankee, a competing coach, agreed. “It’s so entertaining to watch Jona onstage,” he said after Santiago’s final performance.

Santiago competed against contestants coached by Jimenez, ranchera singer Pedro Fernandez and reggaeton star Daddy Yankee, who shared the stage as coaches for the first time in this third season of La Voz. The show, whose previous coaches have included Paulina Rubio and Prince Royce, has become a ratings success for  Telemundo.

La Voz Kids is a variation on The Voice’s format that features kids as contestants, major music stars as coaches and big-name guest performers. For the Sunday night finale, held — as the entire season was — at Universal Orlando, featured performers for the evening, beside the contestants, were Marc Anthony and Gente de Zona, Mexican singer Lucero and La Voz coach Fernandez.

The winner of La Voz Kids gets a $50,000 cash prize from AT&T that goes toward their education, and a recording contract from Universal Music Latino for the production of a song and video. That could go in different directions for Santiago, who moved from Puerto Rico to Miami two years ago to further his training in music and dance and sings equally well in both languages.

“I felt comfortable with ‘Treasure,’” he said of his final performance. His favorite acts, he says are “Demi Lovato — I love her — and Tori Kelly. I really want to record in the studio ‘All In My Head’ by Tori Kelly; she’s awesome.” However, he added, “Spanish is my first language and I came to Miami two years ago and I’m not perfect [in English yet]. I’m Puerto Rican and I always will be and I’ll talk Spanish forever.”

Mars Gives Electrifying Performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Bruno Mars has officially cemented his status as a music superstar after taking one of the world’s biggest stages by storm…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and his band The Hooligans rocked the stage during the halftime show at the 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, February 2, with special guest the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl

Dressed in a gold lame jacket, black skinny tie and white button-down shirt, the pompadoured Grammy-winning singer offered viewers the perfect blend of old school showmanship with rock star flash to give an oh-so-memorable performance at MetLife Stadium.

Following an introduction that featured a children’s choir singing a snippet of Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire,” which Mars co-wrote and appears on as a guest vocalist, the singer born Peter Gene Hernandez made his first appearance behind the drums for an impressive drum solo.

Mars, joined by his Hooligans, then moved to the mic to sing and bust a move to  his smash hits “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Treasure” and “Runaway Baby,” which featured a snippet of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout!”

Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl

Mars then performed a smoldering rendition of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away” with the legendary rock band by his side. Despite the frigid temperatures, Anthony Kiedis and Flea managed to rock out shirtless.

After a brief montage of soldiers sending a little love home to the States, Mars ended his stellar halftime show with the tender piano ballad “Just the Way You Are,” which was punctuated by fireworks.

Mars Announces Dates for the Second Leg of His “Moonshine Jungle” Tour

Bruno Mars is ready for a little more Moonshine

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer, who will be performing at this year’s Super Bowl with the Red Hot Chili Peppers as his special guest, has announced plans to launch the next leg of his popular Moonshine Jungle tour — and on select dates, he’ll be joined by fellow hitmaker Pharrell Williams.

Bruno Mars

Mars will kick off the newest set of concerts this May, following two April shows in Mars’ hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. Pharrell, a music producer and featured artist on two of 2013’s biggest songs, Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk‘s “Get Lucky,” will join Mars in five cities — Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal — while appearing behind his upcoming solo release with Columbia Records.

Panamanian American soul singer Aloe Blacc, best known in U.S. as the vocalist on Avicii‘s “Wake Me Up,” will open for Mars for majority of dates where Pharrell will not perform.

The Moonshine Jungle tour’s next leg will begin May 27 at Fresno, California’s Save Mart Center, running over 40 total dates before concluding Aug. 17 in Englewood, Colorado at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre.

Mars, Billboard’s Artist of the Year in 2013, is touring in support of his sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox, which was released in December 2012. The album has spawned two No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 — “Locked Out of Heaven” and “If I Was Your Man,” as well as the No. 5-peaking “Treasure” and “Gorilla,” which hit No. 22.

He’s also received multiple nominations at the Grammys later this month, including nods for Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Locked Out of Heaven.”

See the full list of tour dates at Mars’ official site.

Maxwell Earns Four NAACP Image Award Nominations

Maxwell’s critically acclaimed collaboration with Alicia Keys is paying dividends…

The 40-year-old half-Puerto Rican R&B singer leads the pack of Latinos nominated for prizes at this year’s NAACP Image Awards, earning three of his four nods for his song with Keys “Fire We Make.”

Maxwell

Maxwell will face-off against three-time nominee Bruno Mars in the Outstanding Male Artist
category. They’ll compete against Charlie Wilson, John Legend and Justin Timberlake for the award.

In the Outstanding Music Video category, the official clips for Maxwell’s duet with Keys “Fire We Make” and Mars’ hit song “Treasure” earned Image Awards love. The other nominees include music videos for India.Arie’s “Cocoa Butter,” John Legend’s “Made to Love” and “Q.U.E.E.N.,Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu’s collaboration.

Lastly, Maxwell’s duet with Keys “Fire We Make” and Mars’ “Treasure” are up for Outstanding Song. The other nominees include John Legend’s “All of Me,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”  featuring T.I. & Pharrell and “Q.U.E.E.N.” by Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu.

Maxwell’s final nomination comes in the Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration category, again for his single “Fire We Make” with Keys. The pair are up against fellow Latino nominees Mariah Carey and Miguel for their hit collaboration “#Beautiful.” The other nominees: “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, T.I. & Pharrell, “Hurt You” by Toni Braxton and Babyface and  “Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z.

In the Outstanding World Music Album category, Gloria Estefan earned a nod for her recently released American standards album, The Standards. The Cuban singer is up against Lady Ele’s Coming from a Lady, Emeli Sande’s Live At The Royal Albert Hall, Natalie Cole’s Natalie Cole en Español and Laura Mvula’s Sing To The Moon.

Other Latino/a nominees include Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, The Young and the RestlessTatyana Ali for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, Scandal’s Guillermo Diaz for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture for their blockbuster hit Gravity.

NAACP’s Image Awards will take place on February 22, airing live on the East Coast On TVOne and tape-delayed on the West Coast from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s nominees:

TELEVISION

Outstanding Comedy Series
“House of Lies” (Showtime)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
“The Game” (BET)
“The Soul Man” (TV Land)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)
Cedric The Entertainer – “The Soul Man” (TV Land)
Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
Dulé Hill – “Psych” (USA Network)
Kevin Hart – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Aisha Tyler – “Archer” (FX Networks)
Mindy Kaling – “The Mindy Project” (FOX)
Niecy Nash – “The Soul Man” (TV Land)
Tasha Smith – “Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse” (OWN)
Wendy Raquel Robinson – “The Game” (BET)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Boris Kodjoe – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Jerry “J B Smoove” Brooks – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Morris Chestnut – “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime)
Nick Cannon – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Tracy Morgan – “30 Rock” (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Anna Deavere Smith – “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime)
Brandy Norwood – “The Game” (BET)
Nia Long – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
Rashida Jones – “Parks and Recreation” (NBC)
Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family” (ABC)

Outstanding Drama Series
“Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
“Scandal” (ABC)
“The Good Wife” (CBS)
“Treme” (HBO)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
James Pickens, Jr. – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
LL Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS)
Michael Ealy – “Almost Human” (FOX)
Shemar Moore – “Criminal Minds” (CBS)
Wendell Pierce – “Treme” (HBO)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
Kerry Washington – “Scandal” (ABC)
Khandi Alexander – “Treme” (HBO)
Nicole Beharie – “Sleepy Hollow” (FOX)
Regina King – “SouthLAnd” (TNT)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Columbus Short – “Scandal” (ABC)
Guillermo Diaz – “Scandal” (ABC)
Jeffrey Wright – “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)
Michael Kenneth Williams – “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Archie Panjabi – “The Good Wife” (CBS)
Debbie Allen – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
Diahann Carroll – “White Collar” (USA)
Taraji P. Henson – “Person of Interest” (CBS)
Vanessa L. Williams – “666 Park Avenue” (ABC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
“Being Mary Jane” (BET)
“Betty & Coretta” (Lifetime)
“CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” (VH1)
“Luther” (BBC America)
“Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” (HBO)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “Dancing on the Edge” (Starz)
Danny Glover – “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest (HBO)
Idris Elba – “Luther” (BBC America)
Malik Yoba – “Betty & Coretta” (Lifetime)
Omari Hardwick – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Angela Bassett – “American Horror Story: Coven” (FX Networks)
Angela Bassett – “Betty & Coretta” (Lifetime)
Gabourey Sidibe – “American Horror Story: Coven” (FX Networks)
Gabrielle Union – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)
Keke Palmer – “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” (VH1)

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Aaron D. Spears – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Kristoff St. John – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Lawrence Saint Victor – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Redaric Williams – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Tequan Richmond – “General Hospital” (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Angell Conwell – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Christel Khalil – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Karla Mosley – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Kristolyn Lloyd – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Tatyana Ali – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)

Outstanding News/ Information – (Series or Special)
 “Justice for Trayvon” (BET)
“Mandela: Freedom’s Father” (BET)
“Oprah: Where Are They Now?” (OWN)
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” (PBS)
“Unsung” (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series
“Oprah’s Lifeclass” (OWN)
“Oprah’s Next Chapter” (OWN)
“Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
“The Arsenio Hall Show” (Syndicated)
“The Queen Latifah Show” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Series
“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“Sunday Best” (BET)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (OWN)

Outstanding Variety Series or Special
“12 Years A Slave: A TV One Special with Cathy Hughes” (TV One)
“Black Girls Rock!” (BET)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” (HBO)
“Oprah’s Master Class” (OWN)

Outstanding Children’s Program
“2013 HALO Awards” (Nickelodeon/TeenNick)
“A.N.T. Farm” (Disney Channel)
“Dora the Explorer” (Nickelodeon)
“Postcards: Mandela” (The Africa Channel)
“Wynton Marsalis: A YoungArts MasterClass” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance in a Youth/ Children’s Program – (Series or Special)
China Anne McClain – “A.N.T. Farm” (Disney Channel)
Eric I. Keyes, III – “Live Life and Win!” (Syndicated)
Fatima Ptacek “Dora the Explorer” (Nickelodeon)
Karan Brar – “Jessie” (Disney Channel)
Zendaya – “Shake It Up” (Disney Channel)

RECORDING

Outstanding New Artist
Ariana Grande
Candice Glover
K. Michelle
RaVaughn Brown
Zendaya

Outstanding Male Artist
Bruno Mars
Charlie Wilson
John Legend
Justin Timberlake
Robin Thicke

Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé
India.Arie
Janelle Monáe
Ledisi
Mary J Blige

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“#Beautiful” – Mariah Carey feat. Miguel
“Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
“Fire We Make” – Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell
“Hurt You” – Toni Braxton feat. Babyface
“Suit & Tie” – Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z

Outstanding Jazz Album
“Summer Horns” – Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot
“The Beat” – Boney James
“The Messenger” – Kevin Eubanks
“The Morning After: A Musical Love Journey” – Najee
“The Songs of Stevie Wonder” – SFJAZZ Collective

Outstanding Gospel Album – (Traditional or Contemporary)
“20 Year Celebration Volume 1 – Best For Last” – Donald Lawrence “Best Days Deluxe Edition” – Tamela Mann
“Good God” – Shirley Caesar
“Music From the Motion Picture Black Nativity” – Various

Outstanding World Music Album
“Coming from a Lady” – Lady Ele
“Live At The Royal Albert Hall” – Emeli Sande
“Natalie Cole en Español” – Natalie Cole
“Sing To The Moon” – Laura Mvula
“The Standards” – Gloria Estefan

Outstanding Music Video
“Cocoa Butter” – India.Arie
“Fire We Make” – Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell
“Made To Love” – John Legend
“Q.U.E.E.N.” – Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu
“Treasure” – Bruno Mars

Outstanding Song
“All Of Me” – John Legend
“Blurred Lines ” – Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
“Fire We Make” – Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell
“Q.U.E.E.N.” – Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu
“Treasure” – Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Album
“20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience” – Justin Timberlake “Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke
“Love In The Future” – John Legend
“Love, Charlie” – Charlie Wilson
“The Electric Lady” – Janelle Monáe (Bad Boy/Atlantic)

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“A Deeper Love Inside: The Porscha Santiaga Story” – Sister Souljah “Anybody’s Daughter” – Pamela Samuels Young
“Little Green: An Easy Rawlins Mystery” – Walter Mosley
“Never Say Never: A Novel” – Victoria Christopher Murray
“Who Asked You?” – Terry McMillan

Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“Bartlett’s Familiar Black Quotations: 5,000 Years of Literature, Lyrics, Poems, Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs from
Voices Around the World” – Retha Powers
“Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery” – Deborah Willis, Barbara Krauthamer
“High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and
Society” – Carl Hart
“Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones” – Hill
Harper
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Donald Yacovone

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Better Than Good Hair – The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy Gorgeous Natural Hair!” – Nikki Walton with Ernessa T.
Carter
“Ghana Must Go” – Taiye Selasi
“Nine Years Under” – Sheri Booker
“On The Come Up” – Hannah Weyer
“The Returned” – Jason Mott

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Auto-Biography
“Buck: A Memoir” – MK Asante
“Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington” – Terry Teachout
“Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker” – Stanley Crouch
“Mom & Me & Mom” – Maya Angelou
“The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” – Jeanne Theoharis

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Do I Look Like An ATM? A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible African American Children” – Sabrina
Lamb
“Plan D: How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes (Even If You Don’t Have It)” – Sherri Shepherd with Billie Fitzpatrick
“Recruiting and Retaining Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education” – Donna Y. Ford, Ph.D.
The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs” – Kevin D. Johnson
“The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life” – Robin Quivers

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid” – Nikki Giovanni
“Hum” – Jamaal May
“The Cineaste: Poems” – A. Van Jordan
“The Collected Poems of Ai” – Ai
“Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers” – Frank X Walker

Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“I’m A Pretty Little Black Girl!” – Betty K. Bynum (Author), Claire Armstrong-Parod (Illustrator)
“Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me” – Daniel Beaty (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
“Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song” – Andrea Davis Pinkney (Author), Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)
“Nelson Mandela” – Kadir Nelson
“You Never Heard of Willie Mays?!” – Jonah Winter (Author), Terry Widener (Illustrator)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Courage Has No Color, The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America’s First Black Paratroopers” – Tanya Lee
Stone
“God’s Graffiti: Inspiring Stories for Teens” – Romal Tune
“Invasion” – Walter Dean Myers
“Raising the Bar” – Gabrielle Douglas
“Serafina’s Promise: A Novel In Verse” – Ann E. Burg

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
“12 Years A Slave”
“Fruitvale Station”
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
“The Best Man Holiday”

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – “42″
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “12 Years A Slave”
Forest Whitaker – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Idris Elba – “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom”
Michael B. Jordan – “Fruitvale Station”

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – “Black Nativity”
Halle Berry – “The Call”
Jennifer Hudson – “Winnie Mandela”
Kerry Washington – “Tyler Perry Presents Peeples”
Nicole Beharie – “42″

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Cuba Gooding Jr. – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
David Oyelowo – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Morris Chestnut – “The Best Man Holiday”
Terrence Howard – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Terrence Howard – “The Best Man Holiday”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Alfre Woodard – “12 Years A Slave”
Lupita Nyong’o – “12 Years A Slave ”
Naomie Harris – “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Octavia Spencer – “Fruitvale Station”
Oprah Winfrey – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Blue Caprice”
“Dallas Buyers Club” (
“Fruitvale Station”
“The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete”
“The Trials of Muhammad Ali”

Outstanding International Motion Picture
“Call Me Kuchu”
“High Tech, Low Life”
“La Playa D.C.”
“Lion Ark”
“War Witch”

DOCUMENTARY

Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical)
“20 Feet from Stardom”
“Call Me Kuchu”
“Free Angela and All Political Prisoners”
“Girl Rising”
“The New Black”

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
“Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream”
“Dark Girls”
“Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic ”
“Venus Vs.”
“Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley”

WRITING

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

Erica Montolfo-Bura – “The Game” – In Treatment
Karin Gist – “House of Lies” – Sincerity is an Easy Disguise in This Business
Mara Brock Akil – “The Game” – The Blueprint I & II
Ralph Farquhar, Chris Spencer – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – Rock, Paper, Stealers (
Vincent Brown – “A.N.T. Farm” – influANTces

Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
Aaron Rahsaan Thomas – “SouthLAnd” – Babel
Chitra Elizabeth Sampath, Damian Kindler – “Sleepy Hollow” – Sanctuary
Janine Sherman Barrois – “Criminal Minds” – Strange Fruit
Karin Gist – “Revenge” – Mercy
Sara Hess – “Orange is the New Black” – Blood Donut

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)

Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón – “Gravity”
Brian Helgeland – “42″
Danny Strong – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
John Ridley – “12 Years A Slave”
Ryan Coogler – “Fruitvale Station”

DIRECTING

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anton Cropper – “House of Lies” – Sincerity Is an Easy Disguise in This Business
Eric Dean Seaton – “Mighty Med” – Saving The People Who Save People
Millicent Shelton – “The Hustle” – Rule 4080
Paris Barclay – “Glee” – Diva
Stan Lathan – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – Rock, Paper, Stealers

Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series
Carl Franklin – “House of Cards” – Chapter 11
Ernest Dickerson – “Treme” – Dippermouth Blues
Millicent Shelton – “The Fosters” – Clean
Regina King – “SouthLAnd” – Off Duty
Rob Hardy – “Criminal Minds” – Carbon Copy

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
Jono Oliver – “Home”
Justin Chadwick – “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Lee Daniels – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Malcolm D. Lee – “The Best Man Holiday”
Steve McQueen – “12 Years A Slave”

Mars Performs First-Ever Show at The Cosmopolitan’s The Chelsea

Bruno Mars has christened a new venue in Las Vegas in what could be a warm-up for his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer performed for an intimate crowd of 3,000 people at resort casino and hotel The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’s new theater The Chelsea on December 30 — Mars’ first of eight shows at the space throughout 2014.

Bruno Mars

An energetic Mars riffed on an electric guitar, dressed casually in a black blazer and graphic tee and accompanied by his band members The Hooligans outfitted in suits and suspenders.

Once the youngest Elvis Presley impersonator when he was 4 years old, Mars delivered more than his hits. He earned a few laughs as well.

“I have so much hairspray in this shit right now, you have no idea!” he joked.

Later, he said to widespread protest, “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a man so bad, I just wanted to rip my shirt off onstage. But I’m too short and I’m too fat!”

Bruno Mars

Along with performing his hit tracks like “Just the Way You Are,” “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Treasure,” Mars performed covers of songs like Barrett Strong‘s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and Travis McCoy’s “Billionaire,” as well as Aloe Blacc‘s “I Need a Dollar,” Bobby Brown‘s “Every Little Step” and Janet Jackson‘s “That’s the Way Love Goes,” among others.

Mars returns to the newly christened stage for New Year’s Eve, Feb. 15-16, May 23-24 and Aug. 22-23.

Set List:
Money Make Her Smile
Treasure
Money (That’s What I Want)
Billionaire
I Need a Dollar
 / Show Me
 / Our First Time
Pony
Ignition 
/ Marry You 
/ If I Knew
It Will Rain
 / Runaway Baby 
/ Your Love
Poison
This Is How We Do It
Every Little Step
Let’s Talk About Sex
Candy Rain
That’s the Way Love Goes / 
Waterfalls
 /When I Was Your Man
 / Billie Jean
Dirty Diana / 
Just the Way You Are

Encore:
Locked Out of Heaven

Mars Named Billboard’s Artist of the Year

There’s no denying Bruno Mars has had an incredible year in 2013…

Not only did the 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer earn four Grammy nominations earlier this month and land on three of Spotify’s year-end streaming charts, he’s just been named Billboard‘s top artist of the year.

Bruno Mars

Mars, the first man to claim the title since 2008, beat out several of this year’s breakout stars like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Imagine Dragons, pop divas like Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry, and R&B stars like Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke for the honor.

Mars’ sophomore album Unorthodox Jukebox, which commanded a steady presence on the Billboard 200 following its No. 2 debut last December, is one of the main reasons he’s the artist of the year.

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Remaining in the top 20 every week since then through the Sept. 14 issue, the Atlantic Records album hit No. 1 in its 12th week. To date, Unorthodox Jukebox has sold 1.8 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The year-end top artist tally also factors in activity on the Billboard Hot 100, where Mars landed three top 10 singles: “Locked Out of Heaven” (six weeks at No. 1), “When I Was Your Man” (No. 1 for a week) and “Treasure” (No. 5).

Also figured into the equation are social, ringtone and Billboard Boxscore data. In the lattermost instance, Mars’ Moonshine Jungle world tour finished at No. 23 on Billboard’s Top 25 Tours list. Kicking off June 22 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., the sold-out arena trek has thus far logged 48 dates in North America-including two nights at the Staples Center-posting a total attendance of 667,000 with a gross of $46.4 million.

And Mars isn’t slowing down in 2014…

His world tour resumes on February 28 with 10 dates in Australia and New Zealand before heading to Asiaand later to Mexico City. Another North American leg, which starts this summer, will be announced shortly. In the meantime, Mars has several other engagements to fulfill.

First up, his two-day residency at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on December 29 and December 31. Next it’s on to the 56th annual Grammy Awards before playing the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show on February 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Miguel Notches Five Soul Train Award Nominations…

Miguel is one of the music industry’s brightest soul-diers

The 27-year-old half-Mexican singer-songwriter, who will serve as a mentor on the upcoming season of NBC’s The Voice, leads this year’s pack of Latino Soul Train Awards nominees.

Miguel

Miguel is up for five awards, one less than overall lead nominee Kendrick Lamar.

He’s nominated twice in the Best Collaboration category, for his song with J.Cole, “Power Trip,” as well as his track “How Many Drinks” with Lamar.

He’s also up for Album of the Year for his sophomore set Kaleidoscope Dream, Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year for “Power Trip” and Best R&B/Soul Male Artist.

Meanwhile, Bruno Mars has earned two nods…

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer follows up his two MTV Europe Music Award nominations with two Soul Train Award nominations.

Mars, confirmed to perform at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show, will face off against Miguel in the Best R&B/Soul Male Artist category. He’s also up for Best Dance Performance for his sizzling single “Treasure.”

Other Latino nominees include Marc Anthony, Ashanti and Maxwell.

The Soul Train Awards will be presented November 8 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The awards will air December 1 on BET and Centric.

Actor-comedian Anthony Anderson will host the show.

See a complete list of nominees below.

Best New Artist
Bridget Kelly
K. Michelle
Kendrick Lamar
Tamar Braxton
TGT

Centric Certified Award
Joss Stone
Luke James
Lyfe Jennings
Solange
Stacy Barthe
Talib Kweli

Best Gospel/Inspirational Performance
Break Every Chain – Tasha Cobbs
Confessions- Lecrae
Every Praise – Hezekiah Walker
God Will Make Away – Shirley Caesar
If He Did It Before…Same God – Tye Tribbett
Life & Favor – John P. Kee & New Life

Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year

Bad – Wale feat. Tiara Thomas
High School – Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Wayne
Holy Grail – Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake
Poetic Justice – Kendrick Lamar feat. Drake
Power Trip – J. Cole feat. Miguel
Started From the Bottom – Drake

The Chaka Khan Best R&B/Soul Female Artist

Alicia Keys
Chrisette Michele
Fantasia
Janelle Monáe
Kelly Rowland
Tamar Braxton

Best R&B/Soul Male Artist

Bruno Mars
Charlie Wilson
Chris Brown
John Legend
Miguel
Robin Thicke

Album of the Year

20/20 Experience, The – Justin Timberlake
Good Kid, m.A.A.d City – Kendrick Lamar
Kaleidoscope Dream – Miguel
Magna Carta… Holy Grail – Jay Z
The Side Effects of You – Fantasia
Unapologetic – Rihanna

Song of the Year

Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I.
Diamonds -Rihanna
Fine China – Chris Brown
Love and War – Tamar Braxton
Poetic Justice – Kendrick Lamar feat. Drake
Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake feat. Jay Z

The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award

Crooked Smile – J.Cole (Jermaine Cole, Meleni Smith)
Fire We Make – Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell (Gary Clark Jr., Warren Felder, Alicia Keys, Andrew Wansel)
Lose to Win – Fantasia (Francine Golde, Dennis Lambert, Andrea Martin, Walter Orange, Harmony Samuels)
Love & War – Tamar Braxton (Tamar Braxton, Darhyl Camper Jr., LaShawn Daniels, Makeba Riddick)
Mirrors – Justin Timberlake (James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley, Justin Timberlake)
Q.U.E.E.N. – Janelle Monae feat. Erykah Badu (Roman GianArthur Irvin , Dr. Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Janelle Monáe Robinson, Kellis Parker Jr.)

Best Dance Performance

Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke
Body Party – Ciara
Fine China – Chris Brown
Q.U.E.E.N. – Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu
Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake feat. Jay Z
Treasure – Bruno Mars

Video of the Year

Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. (Diane Martel)
Fine China – Chris Brown (Chris Brown, Sylvain White)
Love & War – Tamar Braxton (Walid Azami)
Poetic Justice – Kendrick Lamar feat. Drake (The Lil Homie, Dave Free, and Dangeroo Kipawaa)
Q.U.E.E.N. – Janelle Monae feat. Erykah Badu (Alan Ferguson)
Started from the Bottom – Drake (Director X)

Best Collaboration

Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell – Fire We Make
Brandy feat. Chris Brown – Put It Down
J.Cole feat. Miguel – Power Trip
Janelle Monae feat. Erykah Badu – Q.U.E.E.N.
Miguel feat. Kendrick Lamar – How Many Drinks
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. – Blurred Lines
Wale feat. Sam Dew – LoveHate Thing

Best International Performance (CENTRICTV.com)

Differentology – Bunji Garlin
The Fog – Machel Montano
Next To Me – Emeli Sande
Personally – P-Square
Ur Waist – Iyanya

Best Traditional Jazz Performance (CENTRICTV.com)

George Benson feat. Wynton Marsalis – Unforgettable
Jeffrey Osborne feat. Chaka Khan – Baby it’s Cold Outside
Tony Bennett feat. Marc Anthony – For Once In My Life
Nicole Henry – Waiting In Vain
Terence Blanchard – Pet Step Sister’s Theme Song

Best Contemporary Jazz Performance (CENTRICTV.com)

Jose James – Trouble
Boney James feat. Rick Braun – Batucada (The Beat)
Michael Bublé – It’s A Beautiful Day
Dave Koz – Got To Get You Into My Life
George Duke – Missing You

Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance (CENTRICTV.com)

Ashanti – Never Should Have
Brian McKnight – Sweeter
Kenny Lattimore – Find A Way
Maysa – Love Me Good
Raheem DeVaughn – Love Connection
Ronald Isley – Dinner And A Movie