'Speech' sweeps British Oscars
LONDON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- "The King's Speech" was the big winner at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in London, picking up the top prizes for Best Film and Best British Film.
In the movie, Colin Firth plays Britain's King George VI, a monarch who hated public speaking because of his severe speech impediment, then took the throne in 1936 after his elder brother King Edward VIII abdicated so he could marry an American divorcee.
"The King's Speech" is about how George worked with an unconventional speech therapist, played by Geoffrey Rush, to find his voice shortly before England joined World War II. Helena Bonham Carter plays the king's supportive wife.
Firth won the BAFTA Sunday for Leading Actor, while his co-stars Rush and Bonham Carter won the awards for Supporting Actor and Actress respectively.
The film also earned honors in the Original Music and Original Screenplay categories.
Natalie Portman won the Leading Actress accolade for her portrayal of a tormented ballerina in "Black Swan."
The Facebook origins picture "The Social Network" won the prizes for Editing, Best Director for David Fincher and Best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin.
While Firth and Portman have previously won Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Critics' Choice Awards this season for their respective performances in "The King's Speech" and "Black Swan," Rush and Bonham Carter were trumped in all three Hollywood races by "The Fighter" co-stars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.
'Suburbs' named Album of the Year
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- The Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire's "Suburbs" was declared Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles Sunday night.
"I just want to say thank you to Montreal, Quebec for giving us a home and a place to be in a band," lead singer Win Butler told the audience upon winning the evening's top honor. "We're going to go play another song because we like music. So, thank you to the Grammys. Thank you everyone. We're so happy."
The country act Lady Antebellum took home the awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Country Song of the Year and Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the title track from "Need You Now." The CD also was named Country Album of the Year.
"Oh my gosh," Hillary Scott said after taking the stage to collect the band's Song of the Year trophy. "We're so stunned, we started walking in the wrong direction. Thank you so much to The Recording Academy. You don't know what this year has meant to us. We are so thankful for this."
Eminem, who was the most nominated artist going into Sunday's competition with 10 nods, went home with the statuettes for Best Rap Solo Performance for "Not Afraid" and for Best Rap Album for "Recovery."
"OK, this is crazy," he said in his acceptance speech for the Best Rap Album prize. "Thank you. First off, I want to thank everybody, all the producers who helped put this record together. Everyone played a vital part in it ... . I want to thank (singer) Rihanna, too, for helping propel the album to where it's at now and what it's doing."
Jay-Z cleaned up in most of the other hip-hop categories, winning the awards for Best Rap Song and Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Empire State of Mind," his duet with Alicia Keys, as well as for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "On to the Next One," a song he recorded with Swizz Beatz.
"F*** You" by Cee Lo Green, which has become a pop-culture phenomenon thanks to its use on TV's "Glee" and "Saturday Night Live," won the Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.
Lady Gaga's "The Fame Monster" was named Best Pop Vocal Album, while her song "Bad Romance" won the statuette for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
John Legend & The Roots earned the accolades for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "Hang On In There," Best R&B Song for "Shine" and Best R&B Album for "Wake Up!"
Aging rockers Paul McCartney and Neil Young also took home Grammys. McCartney earned his for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "Helter Skelter" and Young won his for Rock Song for "Angry World."
Esperanza Spalding was named Best New Artist, beating out fellow newcomers Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence & the Machine, and Mumford & Sons.
Rosenbaum books return to 'Smallville'
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Michael Rosenbaum says he will return as Lex Luthor for the 2-hour series finale of the U.S. television series "Smallville."
The show, which chronicles the early years of the guy who becomes Superman, is set to wrap up its 10th and final season May 13.
Luther has been a recurring character throughout the show, but Rosenbaum hasn't been seen playing him since Season 7.
"I'm delighted to return for the series finale," Rosenbaum said in a statement issued to TVGuide.com. "I'm simply doing it for all of the fans out there who made 'Smallville' the great success it is. I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness, and even their threats. Ha-ha."
Prince Harry to be Will's best man
LONDON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince William has asked his younger brother, Harry, to be his best man when he marries Kate Middleton this April, the BBC said Monday.
William, 28, and Kate, 29, recently announced their engagement after about eight years of dating. They are to be wed at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29.
The BBC said Kate's sister, Philippa, will be her maid of honor, while her bridesmaids will be 7-year-old Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex; 8-year-old Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley; 3-year-old Grace van Cutsem, the daughter of William and Kate's close friend Hugh van Cutsem; and 3-year-old Eliza Lopes, the granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall.
Prince William is the son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.
