Nelly wins two MMVAs:

MuchMoreMusic Award & People's Choice: Fave Canadian Artist

By Chris Santos, SOTR

May 25, 2002

The Music Video Production Association announced the winners at the 11th annual MVPA Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood last Wednesday (May 22). Nelly's video for "Turn off the Light" beat out videos by U2, *Nsync, Elton John and Jamiroquai to win in the Best Pop video category.

The MVPA Awards are the only awards forum that recognizes the technical and creative artisans of music video production. The video was shot exactly one year ago (May 25, 2001) and directed by Sophie Muller. Nelly and Sophie worked well together as they shared ideas to reflect Whoa, Nelly's diversity and eclecticism.

Another production that Nelly was involved in was the Artist Against AIDS video for "What's Going On." That video was the MVPA's R & B Video of the year.

The videos were selected and judged by the members of the MVPA which include music video production and post-production companies, editors, directors, producers, cinematographers, choreographers, script supervisors, computer animators and even make-up artists.

By Chris Santos, SOTR

Apr 14, 2002

Does St. John's know how to party or what? The top Canadian artists took time out of their busy schedules to attend the 31st annual Juno Awards at the Mile One Stadium in St. John's Newfoundland& Labrador. There was a lot of hype for this show - being that it was the first time the Junos were held in Newfoundland. The award show is usually held in Toronto and in recent years, Hamilton, Ontario.

>>read full story<<

Feb 27, 2002

Nelly Furtado now has good reason to feel like a bird -- the Victoria artist soared to her first Grammy on Wednesday night.

Furtado, who went into the annual Grammys show with four nominations, came out with one award, best female pop performance. A buoyant Furtado hopped out of her seat beside her mother and on to the stage.

"Whooo!" she crowed, accepting the trophy.

"Cool! Look, we got a Grammy," she shouted holding up the award.

Host Jon Stewart ribbed Furtado for being Canadian with a catty Olympics reference: "You did stumble in your acceptance speech and the Russian judges are asking that another Grammy be given to (Russian comedian) Yakov Smirnoff," Stewart deadpanned.

Ireland's U2 were a highlight of the show, but they shared the stage with youngsters who weren't even born when the rockers first emerged a quarter century ago -- Furtado, Alicia Keys and India.Arie.

Keys got the best welcome of the newcomers. Her song Fallin' won song of the year, and she was named best new artist. She also won three awards in R&B categories, tying Lauryn Hill's 1999 record of five awards.

India.Arie, a frontrunner going into the awards, left with none.

Furtado lost to Sade's Lovers Rock for best pop vocal album -- a surprising outcome considering that Janet Jackson, Elton John and 'N Sync were also in the category.

U2, with eight nominations, won best pop performance by a group, best rock performance by a group, best rock album and record of the year for Walk On -- an honour Hamilton-born producer Daniel Lanois shares in.

Lead singer Bono said the band was relieved to take at least one award, especially as the Irish would never forgive them otherwise.

"If you got eight nominations and no awards they wouldn't let you back in the country," he said.

Later backstage, Bono said the band feels welcome once again in the front lines of popular music.

"Last year we were pushing a rock up a hill," he said. "This time last year, rock and roll music was very much the outsider -- that's always where we get defensive and want to start making wild pronouncements about being the best band in the world."

"But are you?" a journalist asked.

"Well yes, as it happens," Bono quipped. "But some of our friends are very, very good too."

Train took best rock song for Drops of Jupiter, beating U2's Elevation and Walk On, both of which were nominated in the category.

The biggest shock of the evening was the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack winning album of the year. The compilation had already surprised the industry by becoming one of the year's most popular albums. It took three other awards: best male country vocal performance for O Death by Ralph Stanley, best compilation soundtrack and best country vocal collaboration.

Bluesman T-Bone Burnett, who helmed the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, won best producer, beating out Furtado's Canadian producers Gerald Eaton and Brian West.

After the show, Furtado posed with her statuette, composed and at ease among throngs of journalists.

"Once I got up on the stage I was pretty relaxed," she said.

How did she feel?

"Really, really incredible. We're going to have a lot of fun tonight."

Security at the Grammys was much tighter than usual, and Stewart riffed on that to open the show.

He was forced to walk through a mock metal detector, then strip-searched on stage.

"Remember when security was tight because Eminem was playing with Elton John?" Stewart said. "Those were the days."

Without credentials, it was impossible to get within a block of the Staples Center arena. Even there, snipers patrolled roofs overlooking the venue, and metal detectors were deployed at every entrance.

The ceremony this year-- 31/2 hours long, half an hour longer than usual -- was loaded with high-calibre performances, among them Furtado singing I'm Like a Bird. With an estimated worldwide audience of 1.7 billion, that was probably more important to her career than actually winning an award.

Other performers included Train, Alan Jackson, Keys, Destiny's Child, Bob Dylan, the Dave Matthews Band, 'N Sync, a tribute to the O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Outkast.

Fort McLeod, Alta.'s Joni Mitchell received a long-deserved Lifetime Achievement Grammy along with fellow music legends Al Green, Rosemary Clooney, late bandleader-pianist Count Basie and late crooner Perry Como.

Thunder Bay, Ont.-born Paul Shaffer, David Letterman's bandleader, won best country instrumental for his work with Earl Scruggs on Foggy Mountain Breakdown.

Halifax cellist Denise Djokic got her big Grammy break too -- not as a nominee but on stage as she performed with American stars Train on their hit Drops of Jupiter.

While they were not up for any awards, jazz singer Diana Krall from Nanaimo, B.C., and Celine Dion at least got to hand out Grammy statuettes.

Toronto tenor Ben Heppner was part of a group of artists that secured two Grammy wins, best classical album and best opera recording (Berlioz: Les Troyens).

Another Toronto tenor, Michael Schade was in a separate group that took best choral album (Bach: St. Matthew Passion).

Nelly Furtado Lands Olympics Gig, Starts Headlining Tour

By Neal Weiss, Launch.com
Jan 26, 2002

Nelly Furtado has been added to the festivities surrounding the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The Canadian pop singer-songwriter will perform February 18 as part of the Hallmark Olympic Celebration Concert Series. At least portions of her concert will be televised, according to Furtado's official website (nellyfurtado.com).

Previously announced for the free concerts between February 8-24 are the Dave Matthews Band, the Foo Fighters, Macy Gray, Barenaked Ladies (news - web sites), Sheryl Crow, Smash Mouth, Brooks & Dunn, Train, Creed, Marc Anthony, *NSYNC (news - web sites), and Martina McBride. More acts will be announced in the coming days.

The gig comes at the tail end of the first leg of Furtado's headlining tour in support of her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, which kicks off tonight (January 28) in Victoria, British Columbia. She will travel to Salt Lake City after completing a two-night stand at the Warfield in San Francisco on February 15.

The tour is the biggest yet by Furtado. She tells LAUNCH that it is "for my fans. The fans who come to my shows are really dedicated fans. They're the one who post on my website regularly, they're part of my street teams, my e-groups. I guess I pride myself in having dedicated fans like that and I just want to come back and give the fans a really good show, at a good ticket price, and give them some really cool, cutting-edge new music," she says.

Opening acts include Citizen Cope, the Nerds, Reese, and Swollen Members. Furtado adds, "It's just a very musical tour, that's very edgy and creative."

Canadian Press
Jan 9, 2001

Making it onto a magazine cover is normally considered a good thing for a pop star. But not if the star is Canadian singer Nelly Furtado and the magazine is FHM, a "lads' mag" in Britain.

Furtado says FHM, known for provocative photos of scantily dressed women, altered a picture of her to shorten her shirt and reveal her stomach. And then they altered her stomach.

"There I am with a shirt that has actually been digitally altered to go to just below my chest, with a stomach that I don't recognize," she reported in an interview with BBC Radio 1. The picture in question is on the cover of FHM's February edition in Britain. The magazine, which has a different North American edition, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Furtado says she didn't pose for the magazine or give permission to be put on the cover. A source close to her told London's Sun newspaper: "She was asked to do a shoot but she said no. She's not a men's magazine kind of girl."

The FHM cover bills Furtado as "Canada's sexiest export -- in her hottest ever shoot!". Other teasers on the cover include “Eminem becoming Pope?” and “Revealed! The Sexiest Women on Radio!”

"I don't like being misrepresented to my fans," she told the BBC. "You work hard to represent a certain thing and have a certain image ... and somebody can take it all away with the cover of a magazine."

Furtado's career has recently shifted into high gear, with the singer earning four Grammy nominations this month -- best new artist, best pop vocal album, best female pop vocal performance and song of the year.

Her album Whoa, Nelly!, released in January, 2001, has sold over two (2) million copies in the United States. The single On the Radio (Remember the Days) was released Monday in Britain.

Furtado grew up in Victoria but now lives in Toronto.

Nelly nominated for New Artist at the NAACP Image Awards on Feb 23 (on FOX March 1st at 8pm)

Nelly is nominated for Best international female solo artist and Best international newcomer at the Brit Awards 2002 on Feb 20 at Earls Court in London

Portuguese-Canadian songstress Nelly Furtado says she not pleased that a photo of her on the cover of British men's magazine FHM was digitally altered to show a bare belly that does not belong to her.

"There I am with a shirt that has actually been digitally altered to go to just below my chest, with a stomach that I don't recognize," the 23-year-old singer told BBC. "I don't like being misrepresented to my fans. You work hard to represent a certain thing and have a certain image, and somebody can take it all away with the cover of a magazine." The photo in question was shot for FHM's February issue, which is headlined, "Nelly Furtado! Canada's Sexiest Export, Her Hottest Ever Shoot."

-- Jason Gelman, New York

Young Canadian songwriter Nelly Furtado scored four nominations for the 44th annual Grammy Awards. U2, last year's big winner, leads the pack again this year with eight.

Full Story

(by Suzanne Ellis from canada.com)

Young Canadian songwriter Nelly Furtado flew like a bird above her musical peers, scoring three Grammy nominations -- for Song Of The Year ('I'm Like A Bird'), Best New Artist, and Best Pop Vocal.
Another new female artist to receive multiple nods was India.Arie, who scored seven nominations for work from her debut album Acoustic Soul.
Alicia Keys, expected to walk away with a pile of nominations, was less present in the nominations, however she still received a couple nods for her Songs In A Minor record.
Last year's big winners, U2, are a force to be reckoned with again this year. The band scored multiple nominations for its All That You Can't Leave Behind album, which spawned the hits 'Beautiful Day', the title track, 'Elevation', and 'Stuck In A Moment.'
Furtado was on hand to announce the nominees Friday morning at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, joined by Destiny's Child, India.Arie, Ja Rule, Jimmy Jam, Stevie Nicks, Jamie O'Neal, Outkast, Carl Reiner, Pat Monahan of Train, and Usher.
The 44th Annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and the show will be broadcast live on the CBS and Global TV on February 27, 2002, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

More details to come on canada.com, including a full list of nominees.

NELLY ON THE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS!
(from www.nellyfurtado.com)

Nelly is up for the Favorite New Artist Award in the Pop/Rock category for the annual 29th American Music Awards! The show will air LIVE on ABC Wednesday, January 9th 2002 @ 8PM EST. In addition to being nominated, Nelly will also be a presenter at the AMA awards!!! We'll all be rooting for Nelly! You can see all the nominees here.

Teen People Magazin (Dec/Jan 2001/2002)

MacLeans (current issue) (Canada)

New Woman (Jan 2002) (UK)

Here you can find a complete listing of all Nelly CDs, MCs, 12"s and 7"s with photos, track listing and more...

(This section is still under construction, but you can have a short preview)

>>CD/MC/LP Section<<

(Polls, Guestbook, Forum and soon a Nelly Quiz)
Please sign my Guestbook!

>>Interactive Section<<

The nominees for the 44th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced at a press conference in L.A. on Jan. 4. Nelly Furtado, India.Arie, Ja Rule, Outkast, Train, Usher, and other artists will be on hand to give out the good news.

Nelly also made it on the first nominating ballot!

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NELLY FURTADO LAUNCHES 2002 BURN IN THE SPOTLIGHT TOUR! (from www.nellyfurtado.com)

Nelly Furtado will greet the new year with her first headlining tour of major North American venues, which she's dubbed the 2000 Burn In The Spotlight Tour.

>>more on www.nellyfurtado.com<<

Check out www.peermusicawards.com and vote for Nelly!!!

submitted by Angela Batchelor

Don't miss the My VH1 Music Awards 2001
(live on VH1 at 9/8c)