R. Kelly big winner at R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Aug. 7 (UPI) -- R. Kelly won seven of the eight categories during the Billboard-American Urban Radio Networks 2004 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards show Friday night in Miami Beach.
Billboard.com reported Saturday R. Kelly won for top songwriter and producer, top R&B/hip-hop artist, top R&B/hip-hop male artist, and top R&B/hip-hop singles artist. In addition, his single "Step in the Name of Love," won top R&B/hip-hop single and top R&B/hip-hop single -- airplay.
OutKast won four awards including the top R&B/hip-hop album and top rap album for "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below."
Beyonce was named top R&B/hip-hop new artist and top R&B/hip-hop female artist.
"American Idol" champion Ruben Studdard won the R&B/hip-hop single (sales) for "Superstar/Flying Without Wings.
The awards are based on sales data from Nielsen SoundScan and airplay information from Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.
Hilton sisters report burglary of home
HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Sisters Paris and Nicky Hilton have reported to police that jewelry and a laptop computer were stolen from their Hollywood home.
Sky News reported Saturday the Los Angeles Police Department said the reported items stolen amount to a "substantial and a high amount."
Nicky Hilton said she returned to her home Thursday morning and discovered the break-in, which apparently occurred Wednesday night.
Paris Hilton is recording an album and recently finished work on her feature film debut, a remake of the horror film "House of Wax." She also appears in the "The Simple Life" on Fox.
Cruise reveals work philosophy
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Hollywood film star Tom Cruise says he believes criticizing his own work after it is complete is an unproductive way to spend his time.
"I'm not the kind of person who sits back and criticizes my own work," the "Collateral" villain recently told reporters in Los Angeles.
Cruise revealed he is very demanding of himself with regard to his work, but insists he doesn't believe it's "healthy to rip yourself or make less or your work."
"Because I know what I did," he explained. "I know that (something that doesn't work in a film is) not from a lack of preparation or a lack of commitment, and it's important that I know what I could have done better, but without beating myself up.
"I don't look at myself in the third person," he concluded. "When I'm living my life, I'm living my life."
Portuguese transsexual wins 'Big Brother'
LONDON, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- This year, Britain's reality series "Big Brother" garnered 9 million viewers to watch Portuguese transsexual Nadia Almada win nearly $117,000.
The ratings were an improvement -- more than 50 percent of the British TV audience watched -- many more than last year's 6.6 million who tuned in for the final episode. But that's a far cry from the record 9.4 million viewers who watched Kate Lawler win the final night in 2002.
The BBC reported Saturday an average audience of 8.3 million tuned in weekly to watch the fifth series of "Big Brother."
Nadia, a 27-year-old bank clerk, kept that fact that she was born a man from her housemates.
Jason Cowan, a 30-year-old flight steward from Glasgow, Scotland; came in second and Daniel Bryan, 30, of Hull, England; was third in audience voting.
The house members had been locked in their TV house for 10 weeks with contestants kicked out along the way.
