• While the price of gold skyrockets, the Oscars are having to make this year's statues with less money in the kitty. Michael Cieply reports, "net assets for the fiscal year ended June 30 fell slightly, to $228.8 million, from $235.3 million the year before, as cash dwindled a bit and investments fell." And says Cieply, "Income from the Academy Awards rose about 3.5%, to $76.3 million from $73.7 million in 2008. Still, this year’s awards ceremony was more expensive. Awards-related expenses rose 6.8%, to $33.2 million from $31.1 million." NEW YORK TIMES

• Among the tasty tidbits offered up by Greg Ellwood in his comprehensive preview of the Golden Globes are the notion that Sandra Bullock ("The Proposal," "The Blind Side"), Meryl Streep ("Julie and Julia," "It's Complicated"), George Clooney ("The Men Who Stare At Goats," "Up in the Air") and Stanley Tucci ("Julie and Julia," "The Lovely Bones") "all have a legitimate shot at double acting nods" and that "global critical standouts such as Neil Bloomkamp's 'District 9' may receive the deserved recognition Oscar may deny them." HIT FIX

• Jeff Wells conducts a compelling interview with "Crazy Heart" star Maggie Gyllenhaal. Jeff prefaces his three-part video chat by commenting, "her performance works for everyone and then some, but is it leading or supporting? I saw it as supporting from the get-go, which didn't strike me as a problem in the least. The Fox Searchlight guys were feeling differently about this a week or two ago, but maybe they've come around." HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE

• Melinda Newman has put together a fun and fact-filled photo gallery of possible contenders for the new artist award at this year's Grammys. As Melinda notes in her intro, "Lady GaGa, the obvious winner, isn’t eligible because 'Just Dance' was nominated for best dance recording last year. Two other possible contenders, Phoenix and Kid Cudi, are also not eligible." HIT FIX

• "Superior Donuts," the well-received new play by Tracy Letts, is shuttering after just 16 weeks on Broadway. As Gordon Cox writes, "The show was Letts’ Rialto follow-up to his Tony and Pulitzer-winner 'August: Osage County,' but unlike that play, 'Donuts' never gained much momentum at the box office. Helmed by Tina Landau, 'Donuts' stars Michael McKean as the owner of a doughnut shop in a run-down part of Chicago. Co-star Jon Michael Hill has attracted attention for his well-reviewed perf as the shop owner’s young employee." VARIETY

• Pete Hammond reports, "Quentin Tarantino turned moderator for a SAG screening of 'Inglourious Basterds' Sunday, with 10 of his actors fielding questions at the post-screening Q&A. Guild members reportedly started lining up at 8:30 a.m. for the noon event that also featured a casual and bearded Brad Pitt, who was mobbed by paparazzi when the panel finally ended. Quentin, who loves doing this sort of thing, kept it going even after publicists were waving at him to end it for nearly 20 minutes." NOTES ON A SEASON

• Steve Pond does a crackerjack job interviewing Oscar contender Viggo Mortensen ("The Road"). Mortensen admitted, "I’ve never been in a movie where the character was dealing with this much sadness and dread all the way through. There are scary moments and entertaining moments, but still, inside he’s carrying a burden emotionally. How do you do that realistically, as an actor, and get it across so that it’s as real as the open wound of nature around us? That was a measuring stick. We couldn’t be any less real than what we were traveling through, these dead or dying landscapes." THE ODDS

Photos: HFPA, Playbill

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Our forums moderator David "Guru" Schnelwar and I have already dished who we think will score bids for best record of the year when Grammy nominations are unveiled on Dec. 2. Below, we duke it out over best album and add the views of our other forums moderator Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch. See his text write-up below; he'll join us in the future for video slugfests. We all agree that top contenders for this Grammy trophy include Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, U2 and Whitney Houston.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SCHNELWAR'S PREDIX
FRONT-RUNNERS
"Together Through Life," Bob Dylan
"21st Century Breakdown," Green Day
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"BlackSummers' Night," Maxwell
"Fearless," Taylor Swift

POSSIBLE
"I Am...Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)," Black Eyed Peas
"I Told You So," Whitney Houston
"No Line On The Horizon," U2
"808's And Heartbreak," Kanye West

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: DORTCH'S PREDIX
FRONT-RUNNERS
"21st Century Breakdown," Green Day
"BlackSummers' Night," Maxwell
"Twang," George Strait
"Fearless," Taylor Swift
"No Line on the Horizon," U2
 
POSSIBLE
"Black Ice," AC/DC
"I Am . . . Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D.," Black Eyed Peas
"Big Whiskey & the Groogrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Together Through Life," Bob Dylan
"Relapse," Eminem
"I Look to You," Whitney Houston
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"Dark Horse," Nickelback
"Working on a Dream, Bruce Springsteen
"808s & Heartbreak," Kanye West
"It's Blitz!" Yeah Yeah Yeahs
 
DOUBLED'S COMMENTARY: This category is ridiculously weak this year. ANYONE could get a nomination. Swift is in for obvious reasons and I think the country voting bloc will get George Strait, a well-respected veteran, a nod here as well. Maxwell will get the R&B vote over Beyonce and Whitney Houston since his album has been so well received. Past nominees/winners Green Day and U2 are likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lady Gaga or even the BEPs replaced them. Even an under-the-radar act like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose album is critically acclaimed, could surprise with a nod here.

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Who'll nab Grammy bids for best record of the year when nominations are announced Dec. 2? Below, I square off with predix against our Grammy forum moderators David "Guru" Schnelwar and Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch. Schnelwar was available for a video chat about this contest; we'll catch up with Dortch later via webcam. Meantime, his views are written below. All of us agree that top contenders include Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and U2.

(NOTE: Apologies for a bizarre scratching noise that can be heard here and there in the video. I don't know what it is!)

RECORD OF THE YEAR: SCHNELWAR'S PREDIX
FRONT-RUNNERS
"I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas
"21 Guns," Green Day
"Use Somebody," Kings Of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

POSSIBLES
"Halo," Beyonce
"Run This Town," Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West
"Hot N Cold," Katy Perry
"Working on a Dream," Bruce Springsteen
"I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," U2

*****

RECORD OF THE YEAR: DORTCH'S PREDIX
FRONT-RUNNERS
"I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas
"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"Pretty Wings," Maxwell
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
 
POSSIBLES
"Halo," Beyonce
"Blame It," Jamie Foxx
"You Found Me," The Fray
"21 Guns," Green Day
“Kids,” MGMT
“Fireflies,” Owl City
"Heartless," Kanye West
"Get on Your Boots," U2

"I Gotta Feeling" spent 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. The last song that accomplished that feat, Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together," garnered a nod here. I think the BEPs are in, as is Lady Gaga, who is having a banner year.

The remaining nominees will be a mix of pop/rock and urban artists, though I have a sneaky suspicion NARAS will dig the more traditional sounds of Maxwell. Look for some surprising general-field love for him. Taylor Swift and Kings of Leon are safe bets here, but Owl City's No. 1 hit "Fireflies" is peaking right during Grammy voting, so watch out. Voter faves like U2, Kanye, Beyonce, etc., could show up here too.

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Just hours after the release of the new Michael Jackson single "This Is It" Monday, Paul Anka established his right to co-author credit on the song. Turns out the tune -- then titled "I Never Heard" -- was penned by Anka and Jackson back in 1983 when they were working together on songs for a new Anka album. As Reuters reports, "Both 'I Never Heard' and 'This Is It' share the same vocal and piano line, although the latter track boasts new overdubs from Jackson's brothers."

Paul Anka could be in for quite a payday now that he owns half of the copyright in "This Is It." But will it finally win the veteran singer-songwriter a Grammy Award? Though Paul Anka enjoyed a string of hits in the early years of the Grammys, he has never contended for any of the major awards. He was snubbed even for his 1969 English language lyrics for "My Way" -- a signature song for then Grammy favorite Frank Sinatra.

Critical response to "This Is It" has been mixed at best. Jon Pareles of the New York Times said: "No funk here: it’s the posthumous, all-sweetness-and-light Jackson that his family is determined to sell. But at least he sounds human, especially at the end, where he lets the vocal line take a few tentative leaps." Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said, "Jackson cycles through a verse, pre-chorus and chorus several times during the track's 3:46 duration but never really develops any of the initial ideas." And for Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times, "His high tenor billows and crests, but never breaks; this is ecstasy without resolution. It feels great, but unfinished. It simultaneously makes you want it to keep going and to become something else, something more."

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Barbra Streisand just debuted at the top of the Billboard album chart with her disc "Love Is the Answer." This jazz-themed album beat out a slew of new offerings for the top spot, including "Brand New Eyes" by "Twilight" rockers Paramore and "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" from Mariah Carey. Streisand bettered her Billboard record of at least one No. 1 album in each decade stretching back to the 1960s. Before "Love Is the Answer," she last topped the charts with "Higher Ground" in 1997.

The question now is whether Barbra Streisand can parlay this sales success into another Grammy Award. She already has eight competitive Grammys on her crowded mantle (along with two honorary ones). The versatile Streisand has earned a total of 39 nominations across a dozen categories. Buoyed by the good reviews for "Love Is the Answer," Streisand could contend for the first time in the jazz vocal category.

Usually Babs produces her own albums, but this time around she let Diana Krall do the heavy lifting. Krall has a pair of Grammys herself for jazz vocal (1999) and jazz album (2002). And this Canadian talent contended for album of the year in 1999 for "When I Look in Your Eyes" -- she lost to "Supernatural" by Santana.

The top Grammy category has come to include albums representing many musical genres. Streisand has won album of the year only once -- for her self-titled debut disc way back in 1964. She has contended for this award another five times: "People" (1965), "My Name Is Barbra" (1966), "Color Me Barbra" (1967), "Guilty" (1980) and "The Broadway Album" (1986).

"Despite struggling with her vocals on "Good Morning America," Whitney Houston's latest album 'I Look To You' is projected to sell 200,000 copies and gain the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart," reports Billboard.

If Whitney pulls that off, it'll be a notable achievement, because she's competing against Miley Cyrus' new CD, "The Time of Our Lives," which might be restricted in sales by being released exclusively by Wal-Mart — and prematurely at that. "Lives" was supposed to debut this past Tuesday, but Miley confessed via Twitter that she's "kinda bummed" that Wal-Mart put it on shelves last Friday, triggering early sales of 62,000 copies.

If that helps Whitney to get back on top of the charts, it might give the former Grammy queen a big psychological push in the new awards derby. "I Look to You" debuted (on time) on the last day of Grammy eligibility so that it will be most fresh on voters' minds when they check off their nomination ballots in October. Whitney Houston won six Grammys, including the recording academy's two highest honors — best record ("I Will Always Love You") and album ("The Bodyguard") of the year (1993).

Miley Cyrus, by contrast, has won no Grammys.

RELATED POST

'I Look to You' launches comeback for Whitney Houston

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Since Grammy nominations for best record of the year are chosen by a secret committee of 25 people with uncertain tastes and agendas, they're not easy to predict. However, our kudos prophets David "Guru" Schnelwar and Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch, who moderate our forums, agree on three of the final five contenders: Black Eyed Peas ("Boom Boom Pow" or "I Gotta Feeling"), Lady Gaga ("LoveGame" or "Poker Face") and Taylor Swift ("Love Story" or "You Belong With Me").

I agree with DoubleD that Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" is also a front-runner. Guru has it ranked merely as a possibility, but I'll be flabbergasted if it's not nominated in November. (I think it would win if voting occurred right now.) Awards will be presented on Jan. 31.

So . . . hmmm . . . maybe these nominees actually will be easy to predict this year, after all? Check out DoubleD's and Guru's predix for best album of the year here.

RECORD OF THE YEAR: DOUBLED'S PREDIX
(Front-runners)
"Boom Boom Pow" or "I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas
"Blame It," Jamie Foxx
"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
"Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"Love Story" or "You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
 
(Possible)
"Hometown Glory," Adele
"Halo" or "Single Ladies" (if eligible), Beyonce
"You Found Me," the Fray
"21 Guns," Green Day
"Pretty Wings," Maxwell
"Heartless," Kanye West
"Get On Your Boots," U2
 
DOUBLED'S COMMENTARY: I'd be surprised if the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga weren't nominated for best record. Their songs have been ubiquitous this year. Plus, the Peas are past nominees in this category, and Gaga is this year's biggest breakout star.

After that, this category is up for grabs. Jamie Foxx or Maxwell will probably represent the R&B vote; my money's on Foxx since "Blame It" was such a huge hit. Earlier this year, Kings of Leon beat out some heavyweights (including Coldplay, Eagles, AC/DC and Radiohead) for the rock duo/group Grammy. "Use Somebody" is currently exploding on radio; it's in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and has brought the underrated band some surprising commercial success.

Finally, Taylor Swift is, arguably, the biggest pop/country star on the planet right now, and her country singles have done extremely well on the pop charts; she's a safe bet. If any of those choices fall though, expect any of the past nominees for record of the year — Beyonce, Kanye, U2, Adele, Green etc. — to return. Or the Fray's hugely popular "You Found Me" could surprise, though I suspect it'll end up in the song-of-the-year category instead.

RECORD OF THE YEAR: GURU'S PREDIX
(Front-runners)
"Halo"  or "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyonce
"Boom Boom Pow" or "I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas
"21 Guns," Green Day
"Love Game" or "Poker Face," Lady Gaga
"Love Story" or "You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

(Possible)
"Knock You Down," Keri Hilson featuring Ne-Yo & Kanye West
"Run This Town," Jay-Z featuring Rihanna & Kanye West
"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
"Hot 'N' Cold" or "Waking Up in Vegas," Katy Perry
"Working on A Dream," Bruce Springsteen
"Get On Your Boots" or "Magnificent" or "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," U2
"Heartless," Kanye West 
 
GURU'S COMMENTARY: Taylor Swift is the biggest country crossover artist since Shania Twain.  Swift started 2009 off with "Love Story" and now is getting huge airplay for "You Belong With Me."
 
Two-time record-of-the-year nominees the Black Eyed Peas just made Billboard Hot 100 chart history for "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling," being No. 1 for a total of 20 weeks. The only negative is that both songs were not played on VH1.

2005 record-of-the-year winner Green Day is hoping for its third nomination in this category.

While the second round of reviews for "I Look to You" are not as strong as those from last week, Whitney Houston could still be a major presence at this year's Grammy Awards. Remember Hollywood loves a comeback, and Whitney Houston certainly epitomizes that.

As Jon Pareles of the New York Times wrote in his review, "Seven years after her last album of pop songs, two years after her divorce, Whitney Houston re-emerges with full diva qualifications on 'I Look to You,' released Monday. Most of its revelations aren’t verbal; they’re in the husky, vehement sound of her voice."

For Allison Stewart of the Washington Post "I Look to You", "is a finely calibrated, just-modern-enough mix of mom-friendly club bangers and dauntless ballads that, in retrospect, seems like the only album she could have made."

However, Jim Farber of the New York Daily News sounded a cautionary note: "Houston still owns an instrument most singers would kill for, with a broad range and a respectable force. And she gets to apply it to some catchy and pleasing new songs here. But there's no getting around the fact that something key is gone. Namely, her genius. The tone of epic clarity, the lungs of steel, the notes that seemed to sail higher than any musical staff could hold -- all those things are behind her now." 

And Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Despite the machinations of top-tier producers and songwriters such as R. Kelly, Diane Warren, Akon, Stargate and David Foster, nothing else feels quite as elegantly ebullient. Nor does she ever cut loose; at times it feels as if Houston is just a pretty ornament on her producers' tracks. In the past, her voice was big enough to tower over lackluster material, but no more."

Houston's record label Artista was so sure of the success of "I Looked to You" that it moved the release date up to today – the cut-off for Grammy Awards eligibility. Houston won the first of her six Grammys way back in 1985. But her most recent victory was a full decade ago. 

Since the cut-off date for Grammy eligibility is approaching (Aug. 31), it's time for award nuts like us to start predicting the top races. Sure, nominations won't be revealed until December, but, hey, that just means we have more time to noodle, argue, harrumph and pontificate.

Of course, nobody's better at that than David "Guru" Schnelwar and Darrin "Double D" Dortch, moderators of our Grammy forums. Below, they offer their early forecast for the album of the year category. Curiously, they agree on three of five nominees: Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown," Taylor Swift's "Fearless" and Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak."

While reading their expanded views, keep in mind the voting process used by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. All 16,000 members may cast ballots for the top four awards known as the general field — best record, song, album and new artist — but their input only has partial weight. They merely whittle down the list of contenders in each race to a top 20. Thereafter, music of those finalists is listened to by a secret committee of 25 music experts who gather in a Los Angeles hotel for a weekend and choose the final five in those four categories.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: GURU'S PREDIX
(Front-runners)
"Together Through Life," Bob Dylan
"21st Century Breakdown," Green Day
"The Fame," Lady Gaga
"Fearless," Taylor Swift
"808s & Heartbreak," Kanye West
 
(Possible)
"Black Ice," AC/DC
"I Am . . . Sasha Fierce," Beyonce
"The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)," Black Eyed Peas
"Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King," Dave Matthews Band
"Relapse," Eminem
"I Look to You," Whitney Houston
"BLACKsummers'night," Maxwell
"Lotus Flower," Prince
"Working on a Dream," Bruce Springsteen
"No Line on the Horizon," U2
"Wilco (The Album)," Wilco

GURU'S COMMENTARY: In the past two years, the album of the year race has had a single representative from each genre.

Example: In 2008 — Robert Plant & Alison Kraus (folk), Coldplay (rock), Lil Wayne (rap), Ne-Yo (R&B) and Radiohead (alternative).

Example: In 2007 — Herbie Hancock (jazz), Foo Fighters (rock), Vince Gill (country), Kanye West (rap), Amy Winehouse (pop)

This pattern is not set in stone, but I expect that this year will be no different.

Taylor Swift's "Fearless" is the biggest-selling album of 2009. Swift performed on the 2008 Grammy nomination special and telecast without any nominations. That is usually a good indicator. I expect Taylor Swift to represent the country field in the album of the year race.

Fifty years ago today, the first Grammy Awards were bestowed in a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" (better known as "Volare") won both song and record of the year for composer Domenico Modugno. Another composer, Henry Mancini, took album of the year and arranging for "The Music From 'Peter Gunn'." Winner of best male vocalist was Perry Como ("Catch a Falling Star") while Ella Fitzgerald claimed the laurels as top female crooner ("The Irving Berlin Songbook").

Ella Fitzgerald also picked up the solo jazz performance prize for "The Duke Elllington Songbook." The first lady of jazz would go on to win another 11 Grammys over the years. Her great pal Count Basie took both dance band and jazz group for "Basie." Married music makers Keely Smith and Louis Prima won best vocal group for "That Old Black Magic" while The Kingston Trio lassoed the country and western award for "Tom Dooley" and The Champs downed the R&B award for "Tequila."

Frank Sinatra's music began the night with the most nominations (12), but the only prize Ole Blue Eyes ended up reaping for himself was one he didn't deserve. He won best album cover for "Only the Lonely," which he didn't design. The victory caused uproar and outrage, but Sinatra would return the next year to claim legit, overdue kudos. He'd collect the first of his three album of the year awards for "Come Dance With Me" (the others were "September of My Years," 1965; and "A Man and His Music," 1966).

Among the other winners were Oscar champ "Gigi" which danced off with best soundtrack, Tony winner "The Music Man," which took best cast album, and piano virtuoso Van Cliburn, who won the first of two consecutive classical Grammys.

The biggest winner of the evening in terms of numbers was "The Chipmunk Song" ("Christmas Don't Be Late") with three victories: best comedy performance, best children's recording, and best engineered record (non-classical). This little ditty was written by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. and performed by him under the stage name David Seville as — kid you not — three chipmunks named Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. This trio of chipper chompers went on to star in a string of TV shows and movies over the years.

While the adorable Chipmunks are regarded with fondness today (2007 film "Alvin and the Chipmunks" grossed $360 million worldwide), their victories at the first Grammys triggered widespread fury among music critics. The reason: The recording academy was governed by vanguards of the old music industry who refused to recognize rock and roll and, instead, substituted the oh-so-cute tunes of the Chipmunks to represent music by young people.

Reporting on the first Grammy ceremony, Variety wrote, "Over the pomp and circumstance of the festivities hung a cloud. The record academy has sharply snubbed the rock. Not one R&R record was nominated in the 28 categories submitted to members." In subsequent years, as Grammy chiefs continued to conspire to exclude rock, that cloud would burst, resulting in a storm that would engulf two music generations at this awards show year after year.

Photo: Capitol Records

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