Gaga is honoring Emily-Anne Rigal from Williamsburg, Va. who started WeStopHate, and anti-bullying website and YouTube channel. Rigal was forced to switch schools because she was teased about her weight. Gaga said she connected with Rigal’s cause because the singer/songwriter also works to stop bullying, adding that the 17-year-old had “strong convictions and a beautiful soul.” Shanoah Washington, who now resides in St. Petersburg, Fla., left gang violence in California in order to have a better life. She started a mentoring program called Sista2Sista in order to help young girls stay on the right path. Biel chose her as her honoree. FundAField, started by Kyle Weiss and his brother, raises money to build soccer fields in developing countries in Africa, a cause that was close to Beckham’s heart.

Related Posts

In fact, she’s campaigning for it
Taraji P. Henson opens up on engagement to Kelvin Hayden
The protest will be followed by a concert, dubbed “The Not Those Awards All-Star Latin Jazz Jam,” at a night club with two-time Grammy winner Oscar Hernandez, John Santos and Bobby Matos. It all stems back to April when the Recording Academy announced it would eliminate 31 categories from the 2012 Grammys, noting the move would maintain “the prestige of the highest and only peer-recognized award in music.” Among the categories eliminated were Latin jazz, zydeco, traditional blues, American Indian and gospel music. At the time, Paul Simon and Carlos Santana were among the dozens of artists who spoke out against the decision. More in Awards Season But now some artists are taking it a step further. Latin jazz musician Bobby Matos, who’s also the spokesperson for the Grammy Watch Group, said, “We are holding this concert to remind music fans about all the great music that has been eliminated from the Grammy. To paraphrase what Frank Sinatra said at the first Grammy Awards in 1959, ‘Remember, the awards are about excellence, not popularity.'” CBSNews.com recently asked Latin and Christian pop singer Jaci Valesquez what she thought about the elimination of Grammy categories. “It does make me sad to not honor those that have dedicated their lives to music — to not have a category for them is kind of unfair,” said the one-time Grammy-nominated artist. “But I also do understand that they have to make room for what works … they have to dedicate the most time to what people gravitate to in the masses.” And that’s exactly what Grammy organizers are doing. This year, the awards ceremony will highlight dance and electronic music, with a performance by deadmau5 and David Guetta. Tell us: What do you think about the category elimination?

No comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *