Rock News: Music's high and low notes

2002 MTV MOVIE AWARDS

Aaliyah, Britney Spears, Mandy Moore and rapper DMX are among the artists whose star-turns in motion pictures have garnered them a 2002 MTV Movie Award nomination.

Rapper-turned-actor Will Smith also is up for a best actor award for his role in "Ali."

The late Aaliyah was nominated for the best villain award for her role as the ancient vampire Akesha in "The Queen of the Damned." Spears and Moore are up for the breakthrough female award -- Spears for "Crossroads" and Moore for "A Walk to Remember."

DMX is among the nominees for breakthrough male for his role in "Exit Wounds."

The awards will be presented June 1 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in ceremonies that'll air June 6 on MTV.

KID ROCK

Kid Rock is no stranger to the world of country music and he's proving it again. His next country-tinged appearance will be May 10 in concert at New York's Madison Square Garden.

CMT says it's already sold out. The reason Country Music Television is at all interested in the ostensibly rock-style concert is that Hank Williams Jr. is going to be the special guest. Williams will be brought on as Rock's "Rebel Son."

You may remember that the trash-talking rocker has been enamored of the country music genre since his appearance on CMT's "Crossroads" program. That interesting series has been pairing traditional country stars with musicians and singers from other idioms.

(Thanks to UPI's Dennis Daily)

EMINEM, PAPA ROACH

MTV News reports the Anger Management Tour will return this summer with three of its original performers.

Eminem, Papa Roach and Xzibit will be joined by Ludacris and veteran DJs the X-ecutioners on the road trip, according to a spokesperson for Eminem. The dates haven't been finalized but Interscope Records, Eminem's label, said the tour would begin July 24.

Limp Bizkit was the headliner when the Anger Management Tour debuted in the fall of 2000. The other three acts from that bill -- Eminem, Papa Roach and Xzibit -- will be using this year's second run to promote new albums. They include "The Eminem Show," due out June 4; "Lovehatetragedy," Papa Roach's second major-label album, in stores June 18; and Xzibit's "Man Vs. Machine," also being released this summer. Ludacris, who recently finished a headlining club trek, will be supporting last year's "Word of Mouf."

GODSMACK

Godsmack has added another No.1 song to its long list of chart-topping hits.

"I Stand Alone" -- the first single from "Music From and Inspired by The Motion Picture 'The Scorpion King'" -- tops the Active Rock radio chart this week. It's Godsmack's seventh consecutive Top 5 charting track. The soundtrack album has remained in the Top 10 of Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart since its release March 26.

Recently, Godsmack won two Boston Music Awards. It was named Outstanding Rock Band, Major Label and lead singer Sully Erna won for Outstanding Male Vocalist, Major Label. Earlier this month, Godsmack released a home video DVD titled "Smack This!," a collection of back stage footage and live performances.

The band is currently writing and recording new music for its next album.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN

A special limited edition of "Toxicity" -- the multi-platinum album by System Of A Down -- is now in stores. It includes all 14 original tracks plus the band's very first DVD, which includes the "Toxicity" music video plus live underground guerilla footage of performances of "Chop Suey!," "Prison Song," and "Bounce," filmed live during the Pledge of Allegiance Tour 2001.

Originally released Sept. 4, 2001, "Toxicity" debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

System Of A Down will be one of the headlining bands on this summer's Ozzfest, taking the main stage slot right before Ozzy's set.

CAROLE KING

Hal David -- chairman/chief executive officer of the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame -- has announced that Carole King will be this year's recipient of the organization's Johnny Mercer Award.

King will pick up the award at ceremonies June 13 in New York, when the academy will also induct Barry Manilow, Michael Jackson, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Randy Newman and Sting into its hall of fame.

The academy will also present its Hitmaker Award to Garth Brooks and its Lifetime Achievement Award to Stevie Wonder. George M. Cohan's "You're a Grand Old Flag" will be honored with the academy's Towering Song Award.

"Carole King has been a tour de force in our industry ever since I can remember," said David. "She is a gifted songwriter and performer, who epitomized a wonderful era of music."

King was still a teenager in the late 1950s when she began her songwriting career in the cubicles of the legendary Brill Building in New York. She was 17 when she and Gerry Goffin collaborated on "Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow," which became a Top 10 hit for the Shirelles.

King's "Tapestry" album is still a best-seller 31 years after it was released. It won four Grammys -- record of the year ("It's Too Late"), album of the year, song of the year ("You've Got a Friend") and pop vocal performance, female -- the first "grand slam" for a female artist.

King has acted in the TV drama "Gilmore Girls," for which she also wrote and performed the theme song. She was nominated for an Emmy in 2000 for "Song of Freedom," which she wrote for the TNT original movie "Freedom Song."

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)