González Iñárritu Earns Three Academy Award Nominations for “Birdman”

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu is this year’s Oscar darling…

The 51-year-old Mexican filmmaker has received three Academy Award nominations for his critically acclaimed dark comedy Birdman, which matched Wes Anderson’s offbeat dramedy The Grand Budapest Hotel for the most nominations with nine.

The Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday morning in Los Angeles, with González Iñárritu’s unconventional, genre-defying film, Birdman earning a Best Picture nod.

He also earned individual nominations in the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay categories.

Emmanuel Lubezki also added to his season-long kudos, earning his second consecutive Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, this time for his work on Birdman.

Other Latino/a nominees include Birdman’s Martín Hernández for Best Sound Editing, and Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga in the Best Sound Mixing  category for Birdman.

Montaño also earned a second nomination this year in the Sound Mixing Category this year for his work on Unbroken.

The list of nominations for the 87th Academy Awards

Best Picture
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”

Actor in a Leading Role
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”

Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”

Directing
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”

Animated Feature Film
“Big Hero 6”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Robert D. Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lynzewski, “Ida”
Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Roger Deakins, “Unbroken”

Costume Design
Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Mark Bridges, “Inherent Vice”
Colleen Atwood, “Into the Woods”
Anna B. Sheppard, “Maleficent”
Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”

Documentary Feature
“Citizenfour”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Virunga”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Finding Vivian Maier”

Documentary Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”
“Joanna”
“Our Curse”
“The Reaper”
“White Earth”

Film Editing
Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”
Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
William Goldenberg, “The Imitation Game”
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”

Foreign Language Film
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
“Wild Tales”
“Timbuktu”

Makeup and Hairstyling
Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard, “Foxcatcher”
Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White, “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Music – Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Imitation Game”
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Gary Yershon, “Mr Turner”
Jóhann Jóhannsson, “The Theory of Everything”

Music – Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” by Shawn Patterson, “The LEGO Movie”
“Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
“Grateful” by Diane Warren, “Beyond the Lights”
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond, “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois, “Begin Again”

Production Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Production design: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“The Imitation Game,” Production design: Maria Djurkovic, Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
“Interstellar,” Production design: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“Into the Woods,” Production design: Dennis Gassner, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Mr. Turner,” Production design: Suzie Davies, Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Short Film – Animated
“The Bigger Picture,” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
“The Dam Keeper,” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
“Feast,” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
“Me and My Moulton,” Torill Kove
“A Single Life,” Joris Oprins

Short Film – Live Action
“Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
“Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
“Butter lamp,” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
“Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger
“The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas

Sound Editing
“American Sniper,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
“Birdman,” Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
“Interstellar,” Richard King
“Unbroken,” Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

Sound Mixing
“American Sniper,” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Birdman,” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga
“Interstellar,” Garry A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
“Unbroken,” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee
”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley

Visual Effects
“Captain America: Winter Soldier,” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
“Guardians of the Galaxy,” Stephanie Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
“Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Writing – Adapted Screenplay
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Anthony McCarten, “The Theory of Everything”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”

Writing – Original Screenplay
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”

Lovato Scores Her Best Sales Week Ever on the Billboard 200 Chart

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato may have missed debuting in the No. 1 spot on Billboard 200 chart… But she has plenty of reason to celebrate.

The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress and returning The X Factor judge has scored her best sales week ever on the albums chart, selling 110,000 copies of her fourth album Demi.

It’s enough to land the former Disney Channel star in the No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Lovato’s fourth album is her fourth straight set to debut in the top four.

Her last album, 2011’s Unbroken, started at No. 4 with 96,000. She previously opened at No. 1 with her sophomore set, Here We Go Again, in 2009 (108,000 in its debut — her previous best sales week). Her first album, 2008’s Don’t Forget, debuted and peaked at No. 2 off an 89,000 launch.

Vampire Weekend notched its second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as Modern Vampires of the City debuts atop the list this week with sales of 134,000 copies.

Country legend George Strait’s latest album debuted at No. 2. Love Is Everything sold 125,000 in its first frame.

Lovato’s New Album “Demi” to Open in the Billboard 200 Chart’s Top Three

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is set to make a splash on next week’s album charts…

The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress and returning The X Factor judge released her fourth studio effort, Demi, last week, with the album expected to debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Lovato’s album is projected to sell about 110,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, May 19, according to industry sources. Should the numbers hold up, it would be the best sales week of her career.

Lovato’s last album, 2011’s Unbroken, debuted at No. 4 with 96,000. She previously opened at No. 1 with her sophomore set, Here We Go Again, in 2009 (108,000 in its debut). Her first album, 2008’s Don’t Forget, debuted and peaked at No. 2 off an 89,000 launch.

The No. 1 position next week will likely be owned by Vampire Weekend‘s Modern Vampires of the City, with perhaps 130,000 copies sold. The No. 2 stop is expected to go to George Strait’s latest album with sales of 120,000.

The new Billboard 200 chart will be revealed on Wednesday, May 22.

Lovato Honored by the U.S. Department of Health

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato has faced her demons and returned unbroken… And, now she’s being honored for sharing her experiences with the world.

The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer and returning The X Factor judge has received an honor from U.S. Department of Health. She was hailed for championing cbd hemp flowers brnging it mainstream and now is being funded by the government.

Lovato was lauded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for breaking free from her demons and setting a good example for youths facing similar challenges.

The former Disney Channel star has been very open about her past struggles with bipolar disorder, bulimia, drugs and cutting stemming from body image issues. She accepted an award from the U.S. Department of Health during a press briefing on Tuesday, May 7 before the National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is observed two days later.

“Every young person faces challenges as they work toward becoming an independent adult, and for those with mental health challenges, it can be even more of a struggle,” she said in a moving speech. “I want those young adults to know that your life has meaning and you can reach out to someone you trust for support and overcome any challenges in your life.”

Lovato Releases Cover Art for Fourth Album “Demi”

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato isn’t afraid to channel her inner silver screen goddess…

The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer released the cover art for her upcoming fourth studio album this week, featuring Lovato covered in silver body paint.

In February, Lovato released “Heart Attack,” the lead single from the album Demi, which will go on sale on May 14 through Hollywood Records. The song, which scored her biggest sales week for a single upon its debut, currently sits at No. 21 on the current Hot 100 chart.

Meanwhile, the official music video for the single will premiere this coming Tuesday night (April 9) on E! News.

Demi is the follow-up to 2011’s Unbroken, which has sold 448,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album was led by the ballad “Skyscraper,” which gave Lovato her first Top 10 single, and also spawned the hit “Give Your Heart a Break,” which spent 32 weeks on the Hot 100 in 2012.

The Suspex, Ryan Tedder, Carl Falk, Jonas Jeberg, Matt Rad and Rami Yacoub are among the producers and writers with credits on Demi.

“It’s better than anything I have ever done! I experimented with a variety of different sounds and poured my heart into writing these songs,” said Lovato, who will be returning as a judge on The X Factor, in a statement. “I’m so excited for everyone to finally get the chance to hear them!”

Pre-orders for Demi began on Tuesday in North America, and this coming Tuesday (April 9) for the rest of the world.

The Full Version of Lovato’s New Track “Heart Attack” Leaks Online

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Don’t have a heart attack… Demi Lovato’s brand new single has made it on to the internet.

The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer’s track “Heart Attack” has leaked online a week before it was expected to premiere on Ryan Seacrest‘s syndicated radio show.

Following the release of teaser snippets, the complete version of Lovato’s sweeping electro-pop track leaked online, a hint at the former Sonny with a Chance star’s upcoming fourth album.

Unbroken, Lovato’s 2011 album, was led by the somber ballad “Skyscraper.” But “Heart Attack” is closer in intensity to Lovato’s breakout hit “Give Your Heart a Break.” Produced by the Suspex, “Heart Attack’s” hook rests upon a breathy guitar lick that leads directly into a monstrous percussion breakdown, and Lovato is in full, Kelly Clarkson-esque belting mode as she declares that she’s “putting my defenses up/’Cuz I don’t wanna fall in love.”

Earlier this month, Lovato released a teaser of the song, and announced that her still-untitled next album will be more personal.

“For a while, I could tell that, when people would talk to me, they knew my story,” she said. “I think I’ve opened up more on this album. My life began to evolve, and I started to grow.”

“Heart Attack” is now available on iTunes, and Lovato’s follow-up to Unbroken is expected to arrive later this spring.

Lovato to Release New Single “Heart Attack” in March

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez isn’t the only former Disney Channel star releasing new music in March… Her Princess Protection Program co-star Demi Lovato plans to unleash a new single on her Lovatics early in the same month.

The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer, actress and The X Factor judge has released artwork and a teaser clip to promote “Heart Attack,” the first track off her upcoming album.

Lovato’s fourth studio album, set to be released later this year, is the follow-up to Lovato’s successful 2011 album, Unbroken, which featured her first Billboard No. 1 single “Give Your Heart a Break.”

“My new single #HeartAttack available March 4,” the 20-year-old singer announced on Twitter, with the hashtag #LovaticsAreHavingaHeartAttack.

“For a while, I could tell that when people would talk to me, they knew my story. I think I’ve opened up more on this album. My life began to evolve and I started to grow. These are songs about the celebration of life and how rewarding it can be. This is what this album is about,” revealed Lovato in the video clip.

Lovato is set to premiere her new single on American Idol host Ryan Seacrest‘s popular 102.7 KIIS-FM radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest.

“Heart Attack” was co-written by Lovato along with Mitch Allan, Jason Evigan, Sean Douglas and Nikki Williams, and produced by the Suspex. She first revealed to followers that she’s putting together a new studio set when she tweeted back in November, “Listening to rough cuts of some of my new songs…. Get excited Lovatics!!!”

Lovato: The Top-Ranking Latweeno on Billboard.com’s 21 Under 21

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Billboard.com is back with its list of this year’s hottest minors in music, with five Latweeno artists/groups making the cut… And Demi Lovato isn’t only the highest ranking Hispanic artist, she’s also the top-ranking female…

The 20-year-old part Mexican singer/actress, who ranked at No. 7 last year, moved up four spots on Billboard.com’s latest 21 Under 21 installment, which ranks the most powerful minors in music.

Here’s a look at the Latweenos making the grade this year:

No. 3: Demi Lovato
Following the personal problems that threatened to derail her career two years ago, Lovato has come back Unbroken, which happens to be name of the album she released last year. It’s an album that’s still garnering attention. The album’s first track “Skyscraper” recently picked up an MTV Video Music Award, while follow up single “Give Your Heart a Break” has resulted in Lovato’s first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

But that’s not all… Lovato scored a high-profile primetime television gig by joining Fox’s The X Factor, where she’s currently judging other aspiring artists alongside Simon Cowell and Britney Spears.

Throw in a popular summer tour with Hot Chelle Rae and hosting gigs at the Teen Choice Awards and MTV’s live New Year’s Eve Special, and 2012 is proving to be the year the former Disney Channel star is reaching new heights in her already impressive career.

No. 4: Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery is holding steady on the 21 Under 21 list, coming in at No. 4 once again. That’s probably because the 18-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer’s career has been going full steam ahead since he won American Idol in 2011. McCreery, who graduated from high school this year, saw his debut album Clear as Day reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Even though he hasn’t placed a single in the top 10 on the country charts, McCreery has developed a very loyal fan base at a young age. Clear as Day helped him claim prizes from the American Country Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the CMT Music Awards.

McCreery even toured with Brad Paisley and performed on the CW’s Hart of Dixie.

McCreery is following up his debut album, which was certified platinum, with a holiday set, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, will hit stores on October 16.

No. 6: Selena Gomez
She may have dropped three spots on the 21 Under 21 list, to No. 6, but Selena Gomez has not fallen off the radar. In the last year, she’s released another hugely popular album (When the Sun Goes Down), which spawned the hit singles “Who Says” and “Love You Like a Love Song,” which earned Gomez her first-ever MTV Video Music Award nod. And the 20-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress performed the album’s third single, Hit The Lights, on Dancing with the Stars.

And Gomez has broadened her appeal while taking a break from recording music. This spring, she launched a brand new fragrance and focused on her film career. Her voice will be heard in the animated film Hotel Transylvania, and she’s set to appear in two films that could help shatter her Disney image: Spring Breakers with James Franco and the crime drama Getaway.

And she’s currently dating the No. 1 on the 21 Under 21 list, Justin Bieber, which has resulted in countless tabloid placements. Selena Gomez and the Scene will hopefully be back soon, but in the meantime, she continues to leave her indelible imprint on pop culture.

No. 17: 3BallMTY
3BallMTY may not be huge in the United States, but they could be very soon. The Mexican DJ collective, comprised of 19-year-old Erick Rincón, 19-year-old Alberto Presenda (DJ Otto) and 20-year-old Sergio Zavala (DJ Sheeqo Beat), have managed to turn their hobby into a huge business that’s reached a global audience thanks to their signature “tribal guarachero” sound. They’ve achieved success via radio airplay and synch deals with brands like Pepsi. And they recently dominated the list of finalists for the upcoming Billboard Mexican Music Awards. Despite their newfound fame, 3BallMTY has kept a cool and down-to-earth attitude about the group’s ascent in the music business. This past summer they opened up for Justin Bieber in a special concert at the famous Zócalo, the main square in the heart of historic Mexico City in front of about 200,000 music fans. “It was a bit nerve-wrecking,” says Rincón, “but once we were out on stage it was an amazing experience that we will never forget.”

No. 21: Victoria Justice
Victoria Justice has taken a tumble on the 21 Under 21 list, dropping from No. 10 to No. 21. But that has nothing to do with the 19-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer/actress’ talent. The star of had a relatively quiet recording year. She’s the breakout star of the Nickelodeon hit show, even while co-stars like Ariana Grande are seeing their stock rise. The release of the show’s latest soundtrack, Victorious 2.0, coincided with the release of Justice’s recent solo single, “Make It In America,” and in August Justice embarked on her first solo tour in support of the pop tune.

With Victorious ending it’s run on cable, Justice will be setting her sights elsewhere. She has a new film Fun Size coming out this October; and she plans to release a solo album shortly after that.

Click here to see this year’s complete list of music’s hottest minors.

Lovato’s “Give Your Heart a Break” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard Charts

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s apparently a week of firsts for Demi Lovato…

Not only has the 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer claimed the first MTV Video Music Award of her career, but now she’s earned her first No. 1 single on the Billboard charts.

This week, the new The X Factor judge latest track, “Give Your Heart a Break,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart.

“The reception for my single is so amazing,” Lovato told MTV News. “It’s been going up the charts for a while now and right now I actually have my first #1 single, so that’s really exciting for me. It means so much to me. I never thought I’d be blessed enough to have this opportunity and here I am.”

The dance-pop ballad, the second single from Lovato’s third studio album Unbroken, was released at the beginning of the year—on January 23, 2012. The song has been Lovato’s biggest radio hit to date.

So why has this song taken so long to reach the No. 1 spot? Billy Steinberg, who co-wrote the song with Josh Alexander, recently offered an explanation to MTV News.

“You know, I just think it took a long time for numerous reasons. I think one, it’s not a trendy dance track. It’s kind of almost an old-school song with a verse and a chorus and a bridge. It’s kind of an old-fashioned song. … But she does have a devoted following and the fan base she does have really pushed the song and Hollywood Records did a great job to promote the song. And the fact that it was a great song that was really sung well, it just built up steam. It took time, but it happened.”

“Give Your Heart a Break,” which Lovato performed on MTV’s New Year’s Eve show, has sold more than 1,000,000 digital copies. It was officially certified Platinum in the U.S. on August 15, 2012. And the music video for the track has been viewed on VEVO more than 35 million times.

Lovato Releases Teaser Clip for Next Video

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is about to get her flirt on…

The 19-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress has released an official teaser for her soon-to-be-released “Give Your Heart a Break” music video. The clip offers a glimpse at the former Sonny with a Chance star as she peeks from behind a curtain and smiles coyly at a shirtless man who holds the other end of the curtain.

“‘Give Your Heart a Break’ isn’t a song about having a broken heart. It’s actually funny sometimes when people think that, because it has nothing to do with that,” explains Lovato, who recently performed the song on American Idol. “This is a song about faith, it’s a song about fighting for the one you love. It’s about living in the moment, and mostly it’s about believing you’re worth falling for.”

She may only be 19, but Lovato has “lived through more emotions” than someone twice her age. That’s one of the reasons why she sings about love so often.

“Love goes right, love goes wrong. I’ve sung about loving someone so much that it takes your breath away. I’ve sung about the love you can find chasing your dreams and what it’s like to finally achieve that,” she shares.

“Give Your Heart a Break” is the latest single from Lovato’s third studio album Unbroken.

The entire music video, directed by Justin Francis, will be unleashed on April 2 in North America before having its worldwide premiere the next day.

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