US collecting society BMI will celebrate songwriter Don Black at their European awards event, which takes place in London next month. Black will be declared a BMI Icon at the event, an honour previously given to the likes of Donovan, Van Morrison, the Bee Gees, James Brown and Willie Nelson.

Black is best known for penning songs for film soundtracks, and his biggest hits come from the movies, even if some of those songs are now more famous than the films they accompany, in particular Michael Jackson's 'Ben'. He also wrote the lyrics to a number of James Bond theme songs, including 'Thunderball', 'Diamonds Are Forever', 'The Man With The Golden Gun', 'Surrender' (from 'Tomorrow Never Dies') and 'The World is Not Enough'.

London-based Black is a member of PRS For Music, but represented in the US by BMI. The awards take place on 5 Oct at London's Dorchester Hotel.

NASA have launched two competitions to select songs that will be played to astronauts on the final two missions of the space shuttle programme. The first a poll to choose one of 40 songs played on previous missions, the second the opportunity to have one of your own songs played during the final mission next February.

Amongst the songs in the first vote are 'Beautiful Day' by U2, 'What A Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong and 'Fly Me To The Moon' by Frank Sinatra. But probably more exciting is the second part of the competition, calling on musicians to upload their own songs for use during the STE-134 trip to the International Space Station, aka the final shuttle flight. Your song might even be heard by aliens. I hear the music industry in other parts of the galaxy is far more stable than our own.

To vote and/or upload music, head to this quite shoddy looking website: songcontest.nasa.gov

Kanye West and Taylor Swift could be reunited at this year's MTV VMAs, a year after the rapper hijacked the singer's acceptance speech for the Best Female Video award to tell the assembled audience that Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' video was actually better. This year's host, comedian Chelsea Handler, is hoping to get the pair back together on more friendly terms.

Handler told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show: "I want to go and film some ridiculous stuff and see if Kanye, if we can do something with Kanye, because I always talk about Kanye, so he seems like he'd be in on the fun. I'd like to get [West and Swift] together. We've never really seen them together since [last year's VMAs]. They were supposed to be together on 'Saturday Night Live' but then that didn't end up happening. We'll try to think of something clever to do with them, because that would be really fun. We just had our first couple of meetings [with West in] the last couple of weeks, and then we'll figure out a plan".

Kanye West is set to appear on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, which, as previously reported, are due to take place in LA on 12 Sep. Though this time his stage appearance is planned. As you'll no doubt remember, it was at the same awards ceremony last year when West cut Taylor Swift off during her acceptance speech for the Best Female Video to announce that, in fact, Beyonce Knowles had made the best video of all time.

West will perform new single 'Power', which is set for release on 30 Aug. Watch this video here, if you like: youtu.be/L53gjP-TtGE

The all new NME Music Photography Awards, which will award people who take good pictures of musical stuff, in partnership with Nikon, will take place later this year, it has been announced. First, though, they need submissions.

The categories are to be split into Live, Portrait, Reportage, Festivals, Age Group 15-17, Age Group 14 and under, and Grand Prix (into which all entries are automatically entered). Professional photographers will also be judged in the Photographer Of The Year and Outstanding Contribution categories.

Entries will be judged by NME photo director Marian Paterson, alongside top music photographers Pennie Smith, Jill Furmanovsky and current NME photographer Dean Chalkley.

For more information and to enter, head to www.nme.com/photoawards.

Lady Gaga is leading the pack at this year's MTV Video Music Awards with a quite ridiculous thirteen nominations. That's not, as you might think, all of them. However, it is all of the eleven categories in which she's eligible (three of the nominations are for Best Choreography, if you were wondering). Her closest competitor is Eminem with eight nominations, while Florence & The Machine and BoB have five each, and some other people have some more.

The VMAs this year take place in LA on 12 Sep.

Here are the nominations in full:

Best Collaboration: BoB feat Hayley Williams - Airplanes, Beyoncé feat Lady Gaga - Video Phone (Extended Remix), Lady Gaga feat Beyoncé - Telephone, 3OH!3 feat Kesha - My First Kiss, Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind

Best Female Video: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Ke$ha - Tik Tok, Katy Perry feat Snoop Dogg - California Gurls, Beyoncé feat Lady Gaga - Video Phone (Extended Remix), Taylor Swift - Fifteen

Best Male Video: Eminem - Not Afraid, Usher feat Will.i.am - OMG, BoB feat Hayley Williams - Airplanes, Drake - Find Your Love, Jason Derulo - In My Head,

Best Hip Hop Video: BoB. feat Hayley Williams - Airplanes, Eminem - Not Afraid, Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem - Forever, Jay-Z & Swizz Beats - On To The Next One, Kid Cudi feat MGMT & Ratatat - Pursuit Of Happiness

Best New Artist: Ke$ha - Tik Tok, Jason Derulo - In My Head, Justin Bieber feat Ludacris - Baby, Nicki Minaj feat Sean Garrett - Massive Attack, Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside

Best Pop Video: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Katy Perry feat Snoop Dog - California Gurls, Ke$ha - Tik Tok, Beyoncé feat Lady Gaga - Video Phone (Extended Remix), BoB feat Bruno Mars - Nothing On You

Best Rock Video: 30 Seconds To Mars - Kings And Queens, Muse - Uprising, Paramore - Ignorance, Florence & The Machine - Dog Days Are Over, MGMT - Flash Delirium

Best Dance Music Video: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Enrique Iglesias feat Pitbull - I Like It, Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor, David Guetta feat Akon - Sexy Chick, Usher feat Will.i.am - OMG

Video Of The Year: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Florence & The Machine - Dog Days Are Over - Lungs, 30 Seconds To Mars - Kings And Queens, Lady Gaga feat Beyoncé - Telephone, Eminem - Not Afraid, BoB feat Hayley Williams - Airplanes

Best Art Direction: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Florence & The Machine - Dogs Days Are Over, Eminem - Not Afraid, 30 Seconds To Mars - Kings And Queens, Beyoncé feat Lady Gaga - Video Phone (Extended Remix)

Best Choreography: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Lady Gaga feat Beyoncé - Telephone, Beyoncé feat Lady Gaga - Video Phone (Extended Remix), Usher feat Will.i.am - OMG, Janelle Monáe feat Big Boi - Tightrope

Best Cinematography: Eminem - Not Afraid, Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind, Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man, Florence & The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

Best Direction: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind, Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Eminem - Not Afraid, Pink - Funhouse, 30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens

Best Editing: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Eminem - Not Afraid, Rihanna - Rude Boy, Pink - Funhouse, Miike Snow - Animal

Best Special Effects: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance, Eminem - Not Afraid, Muse - Uprising, Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown, Dan Black - Symphonies,

Breakthrough Video: Dan Black - Symphonies, Gorillaz feat Bobby Womack & Mos Def - Stylo, Coldplay - Strawberry Swing, The Black Keys - Tighten Up

DJ Mag has launched its annual search for the world's best DJ, as voted for by clubbers from around the world. Armin van Buuren has topped the list for the last three years in a row, though with the ascension of dubsteppers like Skream and the continued popularity of Tiësto (himself a three time winner), the Dutch DJ and producer's position is looking far from assured.

Last year saw the poll receive 350,000 votes from dance fans in over 230 countries, with over 40,000 DJs nominated, and those numbers are expected to have increased this year when voting closes on 23 Sep.

Cast your vote at www.top100djs.net

Q magazine have announced that this year's Q Awards will take place on 25 Oct and will be hosted by Al Murray once again, just in case you missed any of his eleven gags last year.

There will be three new gongs dished out this time around, including the public voted Best Female Artist and Best Male Artist, and a judging panel-selected Next Big Thing award. A pool of vodka and a small tower of credit cards will also be on show, while there'll be some fund raising going on for an interesting charity called YouYou which provides career support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Q Editor-In-Chief Paul Rees says this: "Q firmly believes that music now is as exciting and vital as it's ever been and that it continues to be consistently refreshed by new talent. The extra awards this year recognise Q's ongoing commitment to the best things in music right now and in the future. In addition, Q has also always been about celebrating music's great success stories. And, as ever, our collection of merit awards will recognise the heroic achievements and ongoing influence of music's true icons".

Voting for the reader voted categories is already underway. You can vote here:
awards.qthemusic.com/

As I'm sure every single one of you already knows, the Mercury Prize shortlist was announced in London yesterday to the usual round of whoops and sighs from music journalists, fans and commentators.

As always, there was a certain degree of eclecticism to the list of supposed albums of the year. The urban box was ticked with Dizzee Rascal, even if he's more pop than anything else these days, bagging him his second Mercury nod having won the prize with his debut album in 2003. The largely unknown jazz act box was ticked with the Kit Downes Trio, a largely unknown jazz act. And the old guy box was ticked via Paul Weller, nominated for his tenth solo album.

Given that folk is in vogue at the moment, ensuring indie folky nonsense was well represented on this year's list, this made room for some rock in the list. Which was good news for Biffy Clyro. Wild Beasts were also shortlisted. We like Wild Beasts.

On the whole it was an uncontroversial list that missed out some obviously great albums from the last year, but still had some room for mild, if not outlandish, experimentation. And that's probably the best you're ever going to get from the Mercurys.
 
Here's the full shortlist:

Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N Cheek
Foals - Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
Kit Downes Trio - Golden
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Paul Weller - Wake Up the Nation
The xx - xx
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

Getting in with his Mercurys reaction before anyone else had a chance, the chair of the Awards' judging committee Simon Frith told reporters yesterday: "This year's Mercury list includes musicians from all stages of their careers and from contrasting parts of the British Isles. It features music that is urban and rural, light and dark, joyful and profound. The records have wit, an abundance of musical energy and their own distinct voices. There is music here to make you laugh, cry, dance and sing".

Having counted up and realised that no less than seven of the shortlisted albums were released by independent labels, the boss of the Association Of Independent Music, Alison Wenham, told CMU: "This year's list once again proves the indie sector is the home of great music".

Having counted up and realised three of the shortlisted albums were released by them, EMI Music UK's President Andria Vidler told CMU: "Corinne Bailey Rae, Laura Marling and I Am Kloot have all released remarkable albums in 2010. These Mercury honours are a clear and well deserved recognition of their talent and creativity. Everyone at EMI is very proud to work with these wonderful artists".

Having counted up and realised they distributed the Kit Downes album, Proper Distribution's Commercial Director Drew Hill told CMU: "We're delighted that Kit has made the Mercury Prize shortlist.  Kit is the kind of artist who deserves wider recognition and this nomination will draw attention to an amazing British talent at the height of his powers. This is our fourth Mercury nomination in the last five years and we're extremely proud to represent artists of this calibre".

After the shortlist had been announced, Yannis Philippakis of nominated band Foals claimed that, while he and his bandmates were at the Mercury press launch yesterday, they didn't find out they were shortlisted until the last minute, having been told by their people they should attend the event because an unrelated interview had been arranged for after it.

Philippakis told the NME: "We're really shocked. We didn't know about it until five minutes before the announcement. We were tricked by the people who work for us into thinking we were here for some other reason. We were in Spain and we had two days off, but they told us to fly back to do some press. We were kind of angry, so now it's made the trip worthwhile".

Asked what he'd do with the twenty grand prize if his band were to win it, the Foals man joked: "I'd get a nose job and upgrade my girlfriend".

Also speaking to the NME, Oliver Sim of The xx also expressed surprise at being nominated, tell the music mag: "It's absolutely insane considering all the other artists [nominated], like Paul Weller. It's really mindblowing".

He added that should the band win the overall prize former bandmate Baria Quereshi, who appeared on the album but quit the band last November, should also be part of any celebrations. He added: "She has a place here, definitely. She's part of the album".

But enough of all that. Who, you want to know, should you be putting your money on this year? Well, William Hill originally put The xx and Dizzee Rascal forward as joint favourites to win, with odds of 4/1. However, within two hours the bookies had put The xx in front with 5/1, tying Dizzee Rascal and Wild Beasts in second place with 5/2.

The winner will be announced at a big bash on 7 Sep hosted by Jools Holland, which will be broadcast live on BBC2.

It wasn't just the Mercury Prize nominations being announced yesterday. No. While that particular award looks for the best album of the last year, Popjustice does the same with singles, offering a crisp £20 note to the winner. Leading the pack this year are Mini Viva, who have no less than three singles nominated - those being all the singles they've ever released.

This year's nominations are as follows:

Mini Viva - One Touch
Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo
Mini Viva - I Wish
Diana Vickers - Once
Alexandra Burke - Bad Boys
Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot
Example - Kickstarts
Hurts - Wonderful Life
Nerina Pallot - Real Late Starter
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Bittersweet
Groove Armada - I Won't Kneel
Tinchy Stryder feat Amelle - Never Leave You

Like the Mercury's, the Twenty Quid Prize winner will be announced on 7 Sep. Jools Holland will have no involvement, though.

For more info, go to twentyquid.popjustice.com

Word has it ITV are lining up their newest recruit - some chap called Jonathan Ross - to present next year's BRIT Awards. Beehive City also claim that the producer of Ross's now defunct BBC chat show, Suzi Alpin, might be brought it to produce the BRITs TV programme.

The consensus seems to be that last year's host, Peter Kay, wasn't overly popular with BRITs or ITV chiefs, viewers or the wider music industry. ITV bosses seemingly think Ross would be a more professional host, but with enough edge to ensure the BRITs still retains its reputation for being as raucous as a corporate back slapping flim flam can be.

There is also speculation that the BRITS might make the move to The O2 Arena next February. Current home Earls Court is facing closure, so the awards show needs a new base. Some expressed concern that The O2 couldn't offer the mega corporate hospitality facilities of Earls Court, including the big after show party.

However, Beehive City say O2 owners AEG have been wooing the BRITS brigade, and both record industry chiefs and ITV bosses are attracted by the possible cost savings of going the Dome route.

All of this is, so far, idle speculation. Meanwhile, rumours that the flagship live performances at the 2011 show will be a fist fight between Tom Jones and Island Records VP David Sharpe are made up.

The shortlist is out for this year's Mercury Music Prize. And look, here it is, looking all short and everything...

Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N’ Cheek
Foals - Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
Kit Downes Trio - Golden
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Paul Weller - Wake Up the Nation
The xx - xx
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

Some people said "Woo!".

Most people said "What?".

AIM said "Ooooooh, lots of indies".

At least once person said "Is this the British version of the Polaris/Choice/Shortlist/AMP awards then?".

The xx and Dizzee Rascal are already joint favourites to win, according to William Hill. A full report in tomorrow's CMU Daily I reckon.

London-based creative company The Playground has launched a competition which will see two new acts receiving recordings and marketing packages worth a total of £15,000.

The first prize act will receive a package worth £10,000, which will see them record an EP with an internationally known producer who has worked with the likes of Brian Eno, Babyshambles, Whitey, Theoretical Girl, Kylie Minogue and Squarepusher. The Playground will also promote and market the release. Second prize is a recording and PR deal for a single worth £5000.

The competition is open to UK-based bands who set up a profile on www.theplayground.co.uk. Fans can then vote for their favourite act, with the two most popular taking the prizes. The deadline for entry is 4 Oct, with the winners announced on 6 Oct.

The Hoosiers will later this month attempt to break the record for the longest pop song released as a single in the UK, and not just by sticking it in ProTools and hitting ctrl+v repeatedly. Instead, the band are asking fans to submit lyrics for new verses for their next proper single, 'Choices'.

They'll record the new, lengthier version of the song, renamed 'Stop Giving My Verses', on 26 Jul before releasing it as a single. Fans who have their verse used will get a picture of their face displayed in the accompanying video while their lyrics are being performed, plus the same picture in the digital release's accompanying artwork and also a songwriting credit.

For more information go here: http://www.thehoosiers.com/gb/news/2010-07-06/stop_giving_me_verses_announcement/

Proceeds from the sale of the track, assuming anyone actually buys it, will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Meanwhile, the normal-length version of 'Choices' will be released as a single on 1 Aug, followed by The Hoosiers' second album, 'The Illusion Of Safety', on 16 Aug.

Organisers of the Polaris Music Prize, the annual music award destined to always be described as "sort of the Canadian version of the Mercury Music Prize", have announced their short list for 2010. The ten albums of the year are as follows: 

The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
Caribou - Swim
Karkwa - Les Chemins De Verre
Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice
Owen Pallett - Heartland
Radio Radio - Belmundo Regal
The Sadies - Darker Circles
Shad - TSOL
Tegan And Sara - Sainthood

One of these ten will win the overall prize on 20 Sep and get a twenty grand cheque courtesy of Sirius Satellite Radio.

Commenting on the final list of ten, the award's founder, Steve Jordan, told CMU: "Once again our jury has selected a magnificently and satisfyingly diverse short list. They've managed to reward continued artistic achievement from previous winners and nominees while making room for both newcomers like Radio Radio, Karkwa, and Dan Mangan and veterans like Tegan And Sara and The Sadies. Our Grand Jury will have their work cut out for them selecting a winner".

Muse picked up their Silver Clef award on Friday at the annual fund-raising bash held to support the Nordoff Robbins organisation.

As previously reported, the band previously declined to accept the prize, but this year agreed to take the honour. They also ensured that there was plenty of cash in the charity bowl by the end of the night, by bidding big money in the rock n pop auction part of the evening, and providing the most hotly contested lot for the auction, a signed custom-made Manson guitar. According to Music Week, the auction and a raffle raised £410,000 for the music therapy charity.

Queen's Roger Taylor and Brian May presented the award to the Muse boys declaring the trio "probably the greatest live act in the world today" and calling them "a magnificent, incredible group". Main Muse man Matt Bellamy said getting the award was an "amazing privilege and honour".

As expected, Scouting For Girls, Russell Watson and JLS were handed the Best British Band, Best Classical and Newcomer Silver Clef awards respectively. Also on the night Tony Bennett got a Lifetime Achievement gong and Vera Lynn an Icon Award. A Hard Rock Ambassador Of Rock prize went to Slash, while Dizzee Rascal got a Digital Innovation Award, for being digitally innovative presumably.

American R&B type Lloyd has denied explicitly telling Chris Brown to cry during his comeback performance at last weekend's BET Awards.

As previously reported, popular wifebeater Brown attempted a comeback at the annual black music awards bash by performing a Michael Jackson tribute, the awards coinciding with first anniversary of Jacko's death. After an apparently kick ass rendition of 'Billie Jean' he attempted to sing 'Man In The Mirror', but broke down as he started to sing.

American singer Lloyd was subsequently quoted as saying he had advised Brown he should cry at the awards show in a bid to publicly demonstrate his remorse for beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna unconscious at the start of last year, in a bid to win over those former fans and journalists and music business types who are yet to forgive him for that incident.

But Lloyd took to his website yesterday to say he had been misquoted, and that Brown's tears at the BET show were genuine, not some pre-rehearsed cynical attempt to win renewed public approval from American R&B fans.

Lloyd wrote: "I never told him to go on stage and cry. We spoke recently, and I told him as a friend that people hadn't really seen him be vulnerable about his situation last year. I thought he was holding back and needed to let that emotion out. [But] him crying at the BET Awards was real, I could feel it".

He added: "I think he cried about a number of things. About the fact that he thought people would hate him forever because of one mistake. Feeling that love on stage was probably overwhelming. Plus [Jackson] being gone and him performing 'Man In The Mirror', that song is powerful, especially for his situation. It pushed him over the edge".

So there you go. Given Lloyd was widely misquoted on this and is now seen by some as a cynical tear orchestrator who was making light of Brown's Rihanna-beating crimes, he might now have to go on stage and cry too, and perhaps write a gentle ballad about being terribly misunderstood, so people love him again as well.

It was the BET Awards this weekend, the annual awards bash celebrating music and entertainment emanating from and influenced by the American black community. And that Chris Brown fella stole the show with a timely Michael Jackson tribute introduced by Jacko's brother Jermaine. Brown seemingly wowed the crowd with his rendition of 'Billie Jean', complete with Jacko-style dress and dance moves, though broke down while attempting to sing 'Man In The Mirror'.

Brown, who would most likely have been part of last year's official Michael Jackson tribute show had he not beaten his girlfriend Rihanna unconscious a few months earlier, also won the so called Fandemonium Award at the event, and told the audience "I let you all down before, but I won't do it again. I promise you". Whether that's the wife-beater's rehabilitation as a chart topping pop star complete, I'm not sure.

Awards wise, Beyonce took Best Video for her collaboration with Lady Gaga, 'Video Phone', while her other half Jay-Z got Best Collaboration for his song with Alicia Keys, 'Empire State Of Mind. Dizzee Rascal won the International prize.

In fact, have a full list of winners why don't you:

Best Female R&B Artist: Alicia Keys
Best Male R&B Artist: Trey Songz
Best Female Hip Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj
Best Male Hip Hop Artist: Drake
Best New Artist: Nicki Minaj
Best Gospel: Marvin Sapp
Best Group: Young Money
Best International Act: Dizzee Rascal (UK)
Best Collaboration: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

Best Actress: Mo'Nique
Best Actor: Idris Elba
Best Movie: "Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire"
Youngstars Award: Keke Palmer
Sportswoman of the Year: Serena Williams
Sportsman of the Year: LeBron James

Video of the Year: Beyonce Knowles (featuring Lady GaGa) - Video Phone
Viewer's Choice: Rihanna (featuring Young Jeezy) - "Hard"
Centric Award: Monica
Fandemonium Award: Chris Brown

Kerrang! has announced the nominations for its annual awards ceremony. Scoring big in the list this year are the likes of Paramore, Green Day, 30 Seconds To Mars, Lostprophets and Bullet For My Valentine. Though we're mainly excited to see hardcore types Throats up for Best British Newcomer.

Slightly more excited about the nominations as a whole, the magazine's editor Nichola Browne told CMU: "The competition is now getting tough! US superstars Paramore, Green Day, Metallica and 30 Seconds To Mars are going head to head with the biggest and best homegrown talent, namely Lostprophets, Bullet For My Valentine, You Me At Six and Biffy Clyro".

Public voting is now open in all categories, ahead of the awards ceremony in London on 29 Jul, which will this year again be hosted by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor.

Says Ian: "I am really excited, actually super excited to be back again for my fourth year hosting the Kerrang! Awards. And like last year, I get to share the good time with my stylish friend Corey Taylor. Next to my birthday, it's the biggest party of the year!"

And the nominees are:

Best International Band: 30 Seconds To Mars, Avenged Sevenfold, Green Day, Metallica, Paramore

Best British Band: Bullet For My Valentine, Enter Shikari, The King Blues, Lostprophets, You Me At Six

Best International Newcomer: Dommin, Framing Hanley, Halestorm, The Swellers, Trash Talk

Best British Newcomer: Deaf Havana, General Fiasco, Out Of Sight, Rise To Remain, Throats

Best Single: Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare, The Blackout - Save Ourselves (The Warning),
Four Year Strong - Wasting Time (Eternal Summer), Slipknot - Snuff, You Me At Six - Liquid Confidence

Best Video: 30 Seconds To Mars - Kings And Queens, Biffy Clyro - The Captain,
Cancer Bats - Sabotage, Lostprophets - It's Not The End Of The World (But I Can See It From Here), Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick

Best Album: 30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War, Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions, Bullet For My Valentine - Fever, Paramore - Brand New Eyes, You Me At Six - Hold Me Down

Best Live Band: 30 Seconds To Mars, Bullet For My Valentine, Green Day, Paramore, Skindred

Recordings by REM and the late rapper Tupac Shakur are among the latest to be added to the US Library Of Congress' recordings archive. The Library adds new sound recordings to its collection each year based on nominations by the public and a panel of experts. Recordings must be over ten years old to be considered, and 25 are added each year.

Among the latest additions are Tupac's 1995 track 'Dear Mama', REM's 1981 song 'Radio Free Europe' and other recordings by Little Richard, Patti Smith and Willie Nelson. Spoken word recordings are also included, and Bill Cosby's comedy album 'I Started Out As A Child' are among the new additions.

Shakur is only the third rap act to be added to the Library's archives, following Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy.