The Future Nigeria

Mo’Nique became the fifth black woman to win an acting Oscar on Sunday night, 70 years after Hattie McDaniel became the first to do so for “Gone with the Wind.”

The 42-year-old standup comedienne portrayed an abusive mother in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

“I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all she had to so that I would not have to,” Mo’Nique said in accepting the Oscar.

Her character, Mary Jones, is terrifying and violent and reveals her own brutalized past in the end.

Mo’Nique, who hosts The Mo’Nique Show on BET, was the overwhelming favorite in the run-up to the Oscars, having racked up supporting actress wins at the Golden Globes, Spirit Awards and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, among others.

In the supporting actress category, the only other black Academy Award winners were Jennifer Hudson for “Dreamgirls” (2006) and Whoopi Goldberg for “Ghost” (1990). Halle Berry is the only black Oscar winner in the best actress category, earning the honor for “Monster’s Ball” (2001).

Seven black men have won acting awards, including Denzel Washington, who won best actor for both “Training Day” (2001) and “Glory” (1989).
Courtesy of: starpulse.com

Best Picture: “The Hurt Locker.”

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart.”

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side.”

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds.”

Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker.”

Best Foreign Film: “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” Argentina .

Best Adapted Screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, “The Hurt Locker.”

Best Animated Feature Film: “Up.”

Best Art Direction: “Avatar.”

Best Cinematography: “Avatar.”

Best Sound Mixing: “The Hurt Locker.”

Best Sound Editing: “The Hurt Locker.”

Best Original Score: “Up,” Michael Giacchino.

Best Original Song: “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart,” Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett.

Best Costume: “The Young Victoria .”

Best Documentary Feature: “The Cove.”

Best Documentary (short subject): “Music by Prudence.”

Best Film Editing: “The Hurt Locker.”

Best Makeup: “Star Trek.”

Best Animated Short Film: “Logorama.”

Best Live Action Short Film: “The New Tenants.”

Best Visual Effects: “Avatar.”

“We Are the World: 25 for Haiti,” the all-star remake of the classic 1985 charity single, premiered on Friday night during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. The song features dozens of today’s biggest musical artists, ranging from Kanye West and Pink to Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett, and unlike the original, it also features a large number of rappers. However, the genre’s biggest star said that to him, musically speaking, nothing could ever come close to the original.

“I have an interesting take on that,” Jay-Z said Saturday at the annual “2 Kings” dinner, which was sponsored by Sprite and Bing and took place during NBA All-Star weekend. “I know everybody is gonna take this wrong: ‘We Are the World,’ I love it, and I understand the point and think it’s great. But I think ‘We Are the World’ is like [Michael Jackson's] ‘Thriller’ to me. I don’t ever wanna see it touched. I’m a fan of music. I know the plight and everything that’s going on in Haiti. I applaud the efforts: [Millions have been raised] through text [donations] to Haiti. So I appreciate the efforts and everything, but ‘We are the World’ is [musically] untouchable like ‘Thriller’ is untouchable. Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it’s gonna be untouchable.”

Jay said he felt that a new song should have been written instead of re-creating the 1985 classic.

“I would have loved that idea better,” he said. “As everyone knows, I have tremendous respect for Quincy Jones. Of course, I think he’s a genius, as everyone else does. But, I think it’s time for us to make a new song. I tried to do that with ‘Stranded,’ the song Jay, Rihanna and U2’s Bono and the Edge premiered at the ‘Hope for Haiti Now’. I didn’t try to make ‘We Are the World,’ but I tried to make our take on how we felt.”

In fact, Jay and LeBron James spent the early part of Saturday giving back in Dallas. They visited a local Boys & Girls Club and gave out not just scholarships, but words of advice and inspiration telling the kids to pursue their dreams.

The “2 Kings” dinner and after party was held at the W Hotel in Dallas. Diddy, Mario Lopez, Terrell Owens, Magic Johnson, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame’s Dave Winfield were among those who attended.

Courtesy of: mtv.com
“We Are the World: 25 for Haiti,” the all-star remake of the classic 1985 charity single, premiered on Friday night during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. The song features dozens of today’s biggest musical artists, ranging from Kanye West and Pink to Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett, and unlike the original, it also features a large number of rappers. However, the genre’s biggest star said that to him, musically speaking, nothing could ever come close to the original.

“I have an interesting take on that,” Jay-Z said Saturday at the annual “2 Kings” dinner, which was sponsored by Sprite and Bing and took place during NBA All-Star weekend. “I know everybody is gonna take this wrong: ‘We Are the World,’ I love it, and I understand the point and think it’s great. But I think ‘We Are the World’ is like [Michael Jackson's] ‘Thriller’ to me. I don’t ever wanna see it touched. I’m a fan of music. I know the plight and everything that’s going on in Haiti. I applaud the efforts: [Millions have been raised] through text [donations] to Haiti. So I appreciate the efforts and everything, but ‘We are the World’ is [musically] untouchable like ‘Thriller’ is untouchable. Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it’s gonna be untouchable.”

Jay said he felt that a new song should have been written instead of re-creating the 1985 classic.

“I would have loved that idea better,” he said. “As everyone knows, I have tremendous respect for Quincy Jones. Of course, I think he’s a genius, as everyone else does. But, I think it’s time for us to make a new song. I tried to do that with ‘Stranded,’ the song Jay, Rihanna and U2’s Bono and the Edge premiered at the ‘Hope for Haiti Now’. I didn’t try to make ‘We Are the World,’ but I tried to make our take on how we felt.”

In fact, Jay and LeBron James spent the early part of Saturday giving back in Dallas. They visited a local Boys & Girls Club and gave out not just scholarships, but words of advice and inspiration telling the kids to pursue their dreams.

The “2 Kings” dinner and after party was held at the W Hotel in Dallas. Diddy, Mario Lopez, Terrell Owens, Magic Johnson, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame’s Dave Winfield were among those who attended.

Courtesy of: mtv.com

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