BTS wins Artist of the Year at 49th American Music Awards

BTS receives an award for Artist of the Year at the 49th Annual American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California on Sunday. The K-pop band beat rival nominees Ariana Grande, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and The Weekend.

-reuters-

K-pop fans unhappy as Swift, Grande lead VMA nominations

LOS ANGELES -- Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande dominated nominations on Tuesday for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) with 10 apiece, but some K-pop fans cried foul when best-selling Korean bands were placed in a separate category.

Grande's breakup anthem "thank u, next" and Swift's "You Need to Calm Down," in which she criticizes social media trolls and those who attack LGBTQ people, will contend for the top prizes of song of the year, best pop and video of the year.

Grande also got a nod for artist of the year along with rapper Cardi B, 17-year-old newcomer Billie Eilish, Halsey, the Jonas Brothers and Shawn Mendes.

Korean boy band BTS, which has led a K-pop music wave in the United States and scored three No.1 albums on the Billboard chart in the past year, got just 4 nods, including 3 in the newly created K-pop category.

"bts outsold,,,, EVERY SINGLE,,, artist in the artist of the year category but the vmas didn’t wanna see that so they made a whole new category just to not acknowledge the power and influence bts has had over the whole industry," tweeted a BTS fan called Chioma.

"I am getting so sick of the westerners not giving BTS the due respect. They ignore stats, facts, achievements, charts and the people as well," a user called Shivani Shintre posted on Twitter.

MTV did not return a call for comment.

Fans vote on the winners of the VMA awards, which will be announced at a show in Newark, New Jersey, on August 26, but they do not vote on the nominations.

"Boy With Luv," a collaboration between BTS and American singer Halsey, received nods for best collaboration, art direction and choreography.

Other nominees in the K-pop field include girl band BlackPink, Monsta X, NCT 127, EXO and Tomorrow X Together.

The new Video for Good field features songs deemed to have raised awareness. It includes Swift's "You Need to Calm Down," Halsey's female-empowering "Nightmare," Lil Dicky's environmentally themed "Earth" and John Legend's "Preach" about social injustices.

Other nominees in the category include The Killers' "Land Of The Free," a protest against US President Donald Trump's planned wall on the US-Mexican border, and "Runaway Train" about missing children.

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Ariana Grande wins first Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album

LOS ANGELES - Reigning pop princess Ariana Grande took home the first Grammy of her career for Best Pop Vocal Album on Sunday for her fourth studio album "Sweetener," topping a tough field including perennial favorite Taylor Swift.

Grande's Grammy comes after 6 career nominations but the star was notably absent from this year's gala.

Just days before the event, she slammed the ceremony's producer for "lying" about her decision not to perform on music's biggest night.

The chart-topper released her fifth album "Thank U, Next" before lashing out at producer Ken Ehrlich after he told US media the 25-year-old Grande "felt it was too late for her to pull something together."

"i know i’m not there tonight (trust, i tried and still truly wished it had worked out tbh) and i know i said i try not to put too much weight into these things .... but (...) this is wild and beautiful. thank you so much," she tweeted.

Grande had great success in the last 12 months, with Billboard naming her its 2018 Woman of the Year.

But she was passed over in the top Grammy categories of Album, Record and Song of the Year -- though her smash hit "Thank U, Next," the title song off her new album, dropped after this year's nomination deadline.

"Sweetener" includes her signature blend of pop and R&B with inflections of hip-hop, all set to the star's wide-ranging, silky-yet-breathy vocals.

It features appearances from Pharrell Williams, Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott, and debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart while boasting 3 top singles.

Grande makes headlines as much for her chart-topping music as her love life, having dated the late rapper Mac Miller and shortly thereafter getting engaged to "Saturday Night Live" comedian Pete Davidson.

Grande and Davidson split in October 2018, just before she released "Thank U, Next" -- in which she reflects on lessons learned from past loves.

She was also nominated this year for Best Pop Solo Performance for "God Is A Woman," but lost out to Lady Gaga, who won for her song "Joanne (Where Do You Think You're Going?)"

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Ariana Grande cancels Las Vegas concert due to 'health issues'

Ariana Grande has canceled a Las Vegas concert due to "health issues," the singer said on Friday.

The 25-year-old, one of the most popular in the United States, was set to perform at The Cosmopolitan hotel on Saturday.

"Vegas, I’m currently working through some health issues and am beyond sorry I won’t be able to see you this weekend,” she wrote on Instagram.

Entertainment website TMZ reported that Grande had bronchitis, citing sources close to the singer. A representative for Grande was not immediately available for comment.

Grande finished 2018 with her song "Thank U, Next" at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the sixth week. Her year also saw the death of ex-boyfriend and rapper Mac Miller in September and her break up with fiance Pete Davidson in October.

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'Sorry can't take your pain away': Ariana Grande pays tribute to ex-beau Mac Miller

NEW YORK- Singer Ariana Grande paid a poignant tribute on Friday to rapper Mac Miller, a week after her former boyfriend died at age 26.

"I adored you from the day I met you when I was nineteen and I always will," Grande wrote on Instagram in her first public reaction to Miller's death from a reported overdose.

The two split up in May, and Grande has faced attacks on social media by people claiming she was the cause of Miller's death.

"You were my dearest friend. for so long. above anything else. I'm so sorry I couldn't fix or take your pain away. I really wanted to," Grande wrote.

Miller, who released his fifth album in August, spoke openly about his struggle with addiction.

"The kindest, sweetest soul with demons he never deserved. I hope you’re okay now. rest," Grande wrote.

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Rapper Mac Miller dead of overdose at 26: reports

NEW YORK, United States - Mac Miller, the troubled rapper who won fans with his retro hip-hop but generated uncomfortable attention with songs on ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande and Donald Trump, died Friday at age 26, reports said.

Celebrity news site TMZ said that Miller was found dead from an apparent overdose in his Los Angeles-area home and US Weekly said it also confirmed his death.

A representative for Miller did not respond to requests for comment and Los Angeles emergency services declined comment.

His death comes several months after he ended a high-profile, two-year relationship with pop superstar Grande, often seen as the inspiration for his songs.

Shortly after their breakup, he crashed his car in May and was charged with driving under the influence. 

Grande at the time wrote on social media that she had long tried to help Miller become sober but described their relationship as "toxic" and said, "I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be."

Miller has been open about his trouble with substance abuse including an addiction to powerful cough syrup -- known on the street as purple drank.

But he said he was getting better as he released his fifth studio album, "Swimming," last month. 

He told Rolling Stone at the time: "Have I done drugs? Yeah. But am I a drug addict? No."

Born in Pittsburgh as Malcolm McCormick, the rapper first found fame releasing music online as a teenager, choosing a minimalist style with heavy beats that harked back to early hip-hop.

His delivery was uber-masculine, with hard-spit lyrics that often graphically described sexual encounters, yet he gradually tried to mature from his frat-boy persona.

In 2011, Miller wrote a song about becoming fabulously wealthy and, seeking a metaphor, entitled the song "Donald Trump."

The real estate mogul was flattered by the song, although he described the lyrics as "a little hard to understand." Trump hailed Miller as "the new Eminem" -- another prominent white rapper.

After Trump's surprise political ascent, Miller reversed the message of the song and would vociferously denounce the president in concert.

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Singer Demi Lovato hospitalized for drug overdose: report

Pop star Demi Lovato was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital Tuesday after an apparent heroin overdose, the celebrity news site TMZ said.

Quoting law enforcement sources, TMZ said the 25-year-old singer was transported from her home in the Hollywood Hills and that her condition was unknown.

A representative for Lovato did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A former Disney child star, Lovato has been open about her struggles with addiction as well as depression and eating disorders.

Just a month ago, she released a song entitled "Sober," in which she appeared to indicate a relapse, opening with the line, "I got no excuses for all these goodbyes."

Lovato, whose acting career has also included a recurring role on "Glee," has in recent years developed a more mature image and has been politically active on issues including support for gay rights.

Fellow pop star Ariana Grande offered her support after the hospitalization report, tweeting at Lovato, "I love you."

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Music stars unite in Manchester as fans face down fears

Cheers drowned out tears in Manchester on Sunday as Ariana Grande was joined by fellow music stars for a charity concert where fans vowed to face down fears of terrorism after two deadly attacks in Britain.

"Let the world hear your resilience," Pharrell Williams told a sell-out crowd of 50,000 who had gathered to remember victims of a May 22 suicide bomb attack on Grande's concert in the city.

The hastily-organised "One Love Manchester" event became one of the biggest single gatherings of musical talent this year, as stars lined-up for the concert dedicated to the 22 people killed and 116 injured, many of them children.

Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Robbie Williams, Take That, Liam Gallagher, and Little Mix were among those who hit the stage, as fans held "We stand together" and "For our angels" signs.

Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford opened the show after the crowd fell silent for a minute.

Less than 24 hours before the concert got underway, Britain was rocked by another terrorist attack, in central London, in which seven people were killed and 48 injured.

Grande tweeted "Praying for London" while her manager Scooter Braun said the concert would go ahead "with greater purpose".

DANCING POLICE OFFICERS

Fans flocked to the Old Trafford cricket ground for the show, many of them with tears rolling down their cheeks during the performances.

In one heartfelt moment, Grande was joined on stage by children from a local school, some of whom were at the targeted Manchester Arena concert, as the group performed her hit song "My Everything".

Grande and Coldplay's Chris Martin performed "Don't look back in anger", the track by Manchester Britpop band Oasis which crowds sang during vigils in the days following the bombing.

Additional security measures were put in place for the concert, with police warning that everyone would be searched.

But there was also a jovial atmosphere, as police officers and security guards danced with music fans.

Revelers dressed for the occasion, with many wearing tops featuring a bee -- a symbol for Manchester -- and slogans expressing their love for the city.

"We're here to show our support to Manchester more than anything. These people aren't going to dampen our spirits," said 34-year-old Abdullah Mala.

His eight-year-old daughter Hannah had left the Grande concert just before the deadly bombing and said she was "happy to be back" to see some of pop's biggest names.

'OVERCOME THE FEAR'

Proceeds from the concert will be donated to a fund set up to help the victims' families.

Rachel Jea, 32, said she was at Grande's previous Manchester concert and felt it was important to attend Sunday's show to regain trust after the bombing.

"Our grandparents went through world wars so that we could live in freedom and now it's starting again. It just shouldn't be like this," she told AFP.

Her nine-year-old daughter Scarlet adopted a defiant tone, telling others not to be afraid. "We need to try and find a way to overcome the fear. I'm really happy to come tonight, it is good for Ariana, it wasn't her fault what happened."

Grande, who described herself as "broken" following the May 22 bombing, had immediately returned to the US, interrupting her Dangerous Woman world tour and later promising to return for the charity concert.

On Friday the 23-year-old singer made a surprise visit to injured fans being treated at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

Sunday's concert was held on the eve of the first funeral of Manchester attack victims.

The coffin of Eilidh MacLeod, a 14-year-old victim of the bombing, was flown to the Scottish island of Barra and carried across a beach by mourners on Sunday ahead of the funeral.

UNSCRUPULOUS APPLICATIONS'

Those who had attended Grande's May 22 concert were offered free tickets to the Sunday show, while the 35,000 tickets put up for sale on Thursday at £40 each ($51, 46 euros) sold out in minutes.

"Over 10,000 unscrupulous applications", however, were made for free tickets, Ticketmaster said, with people applying despite not having attended the original concert.

Others tried to resell their tickets on eBay for £1,200. The online auction platform has since then pledged to immediately remove any item "which profits in any way from the tragedy in Manchester".

The BBC, Twitter, Apple, YouTube and MTV streamed the concert live, making it available to viewers in 180 countries.

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Police arrest 23-year old man over Ariana concert blast

British police said they arrested a 23-year old man in connection with a suicide bomb attack in Manchester which killed 22 people and injured dozens at a British concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande.

"With regards to last night's incident at the Manchester Arena, we can confirm we have arrested a 23-year-old man in South Manchester," Greater Manchester Police said on Twitter on Tuesday.

A suicide bomber killed at least 22 people and wounded 59 at a packed concert hall in the English city of Manchester in what Prime Minister Theresa May called a sickening act targeting children and young people.

May said police believed they knew the identity of the bomber and police then said a 23-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the attack carried out late on Monday evening as people began leaving a concert given by Ariana Grande, a U.S. singer who attracts a large number of young and teenage fans.

"All acts of terrorism are cowardly...but this attack stands out for its appalling sickening cowardice, deliberately targeting innocent, defenseless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives," May said outside her Downing Street office in London.

"The attempt to divide us met countless acts of kindness that brought people closer together."

The northern English city remained on high alert. A Reuters witnesses said they heard a "big bang" at Manchester's Arndale shopping mall and saw people running from the building. Police said they were dealing with an incident inside. The shopping centre reopened soon afterward, a Reuters witness said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said more police had been ordered onto the streets of the British capital.

Monday's attack was the deadliest in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London's transport system in 2005. But it will have reverberations far beyond British shores.

Attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, Brussels, St Petersburg, Berlin and London have shocked Europeans already anxious over security challenges from mass immigration and pockets of domestic Islamist radicalism. The Islamic State militant group has called for attacks as retaliation for Western involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Witnesses related the horror of the Manchester blast, which unleashed a stampede just as the concert ended at what is Europe's largest indoor arena, full to a capacity of 21,000.

"We ran and people were screaming around us and pushing on the stairs to go outside and people were falling down, girls were crying, and we saw these women being treated by paramedics having open wounds on their legs ... it was just chaos," said Sebastian Diaz, 19. "It was literally just a minute after it ended, the lights came on and the bomb went off."

U.S. President Donald Trump described the attack as the work of "evil losers". German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it "will only strengthen our resolve to...work with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhumane deeds."

A source with knowledge of the situation said the bomber's explosives were packed with metal and bolts. At least 19 of those wounded were in a critical condition, the source said.

A video posted on Twitter showed fans, many of them young, screaming and running from the venue. Dozens of parents frantically searched for their children, posting photos and pleading for information on social media.

"We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming," concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters.

"It was a huge explosion - you could feel it in your chest."

Singer Ariana Grande, 23, said on Twitter: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words."

May, who faces an election in two-and-a-half weeks, said her thoughts were with the victims and their families. She and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, agreed to suspend campaigning ahead of the June 8 vote.

SUICIDE BOMBER?

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but U.S. officials drew parallels to the coordinated attacks in November 2015 by Islamist militants on the Bataclan concert hall and other sites in Paris that killed 130 people.

"It clearly bears the hallmark of Daesh (Islamic State)," said former French intelligence agent Claude Moniquet, now a Brussels-based security consultant, "because Ariana Grande is a young singer who attracts a very young audience, teenagers.

"So very clearly the aim was to do as much harm as possible, to shock British society as much as possible."

Islamic State supporters took to social media to celebrate the blast and some encouraged similar attacks elsewhere.

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe", meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

British counter-terrorism police have said they are making on average an arrest every day in connection with suspected terrorism.

In March, a British-born convert to Islam ploughed a car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, killing four people before stabbing to death a police officer who was on the grounds of parliament. The man was shot dead at the scene.

In 2015, Pakistani student Abid Naseer was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Arndale shopping center in the center of Manchester in April 2009.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas, Editing by Paul Sandle)

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'Broken' Ariana Grande apologizes after deaths at concert

MANILA – American singer Ariana Grande apologized to her fans after an explosion marred her concert in Manchester, England on Monday night (Tuesday morning in Manila).

In a post on Twitter, Grande wrote: “Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don't have words.”

At least 19 people were killed and 50 others wounded in what Greater Manchester Police described as a "terrorist incident."

Immediately after the blast, a spokesman for Grande, 23, said the singer was "okay."

Grande’s concert was held at the Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, is a popular concert and sporting venue. it has a capacity for 21,000 people, according to its website.

Britain is now on its second-highest alert level of "severe" meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

– with reports from Rose Eclarinal, ABS-CBN News, and Reuters

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At least 22 killed suicide attack at Ariana Grande concert in Britain

MANCHESTER - At least 22 people, including some children, were killed and 59 wounded when a suicide bomber struck as thousands of fans streamed out of a concert by US singer Ariana Grande in the English city of Manchester on Monday.

Prime Minister Theresa May said the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack, making it the deadliest militant assault in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London's transport system in July 2005.

Police said the attacker died after detonating explosives shortly after 10:33 pm (5:35 a.m. in Manila) at Manchester Arena, which has the capacity to hold 21,000 people. Children were among the dead, police said.

"We believe, at this stage, the attack last night was conducted by one man," Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters. "The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.

"The attacker... died at the arena. We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated causing this atrocity."

A witness who attended the concert said she felt a huge blast as she was leaving the arena, followed by screaming and a rush by thousands of people trying to escape the building.

A video posted on Twitter showed fans, many of them young, screaming and running from the venue. Dozens of parents frantically searched for their children, posting photos and pleading for information on social media.

"We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming," concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters.

"It was a huge explosion - you could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out."

Ariana Grande, 23, later said on Twitter: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words."

May, who faces an election in two-and-a-half weeks, said her thoughts were with the victims and their families. She and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, agreed to suspend campaigning ahead of the June 8 election.

"We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack," May said in a statement. "All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected."

May is due to hold a crisis response meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his condolences over the blast to Britain's Queen Elizabeth, Chinese state media reported.

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs meanwhile said it was seeking confirmation on the condition of Filipinos in England.

 SUICIDE BOMBER?

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but US officials drew parallels to the coordinated attacks in November 2015 by Islamist militants on the Bataclan concert hall and other sites in Paris, which claimed about 130 lives.

Islamic State supporters took to social media to celebrate the blast and some encouraged similar attacks elsewhere.

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe", meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

British counter-terrorism police have said they are making on average an arrest every day in connection with suspected terrorism.

In March, a British-born convert to Islam ploughed a car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, killing four people before stabbing to death a police officer who was on the grounds of parliament. The man was shot dead at the scene.

In 2015, Pakistani student Abid Naseer was convicted in a US court of conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Arndale shopping centre in the centre of Manchester in April 2009.

PARENTS' ANGUISH

Manchester Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, opened in 1995 and is a popular concert and sporting venue.

Desperate parents and friends used social media to search for loved ones who attended Monday's concert while the wounded were being treated at six hospitals across Manchester.

"Everyone pls share this, my little sister Emma was at the Ari concert tonight in #Manchester and she isn't answering her phone, pls help me," said one message posted alongside a picture of a blonde girl with flowers in her hair.

Paula Robinson, 48, from West Dalton about 40 miles east of Manchester, said she was at the train station next to the arena with her husband when she felt the explosion and saw dozens of teenage girls screaming and running away from arena.

"We ran out," Robinson told Reuters. "It was literally seconds after the explosion. I got the teens to run with me."

Robinson took dozens of teenage girls to the nearby Holiday Inn Express hotel and tweeted out her phone number to worried parents, telling them to meet her there. She said her phone had not stopped ringing since her tweet.

"Parents were frantic running about trying to get to their children," she said. "There were lots of lots children at Holiday Inn."

(Additional Reporting by Alistair Smout, Kate Holton and David Milliken in LONDON, Mark Hosenball in LOS ANGELES, John Walcott in WASHINGTON, D.C., Leela de Kretser in NEW YORK, Mostafa Hashem in CAIRO, and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Nick Tattersall; Editing by Paul Tait and John Stonestreet)

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Swift, Azalea kick off American Music Awards

LOS ANGELES - Pop music's leading ladies Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande gave high-octane performances, while British boy band One Direction won favorite pop/rock band at the American Music Awards on Sunday.

A sultry Swift kicked off the show with "Blank Space," performing against a backdrop of romantic images and accompanied by dancers dressed as rose-bearing suitors.

Newcomer and Australian rapper Azalea won best rap/hip-hop album for "The New Classic" and said it was the first award she has ever won. The prizes are awarded based on fan voting.

"It means so much to me that it is for best hip-hop because that's what inspired me to move to America," the 24-year-old rapper said. "It means so much that I can stand here against Eminem and Drake and come out with this."

She later performed a medley of her hits "I'm So Fancy" and the raunchy "Beg For It."

British soul singer Sam Smith, 22, capped a whirlwind year in which he skyrocketed to success in the United States and won favorite pop/rock male artist.

"Last year I wrote an album about being lonely and tonight, I couldn't feel further from being lonely," the newcomer said. He sang his ballad "I'm Not the Only One" accompanied by rapper A$AP Rocky and a string quartet.

Luke Bryan won favorite country male artist, while British boy band One Direction, which just released their album "Four," won favorite pop/rock band and favorite pop/rock album for "Midnight Memories."

Much of the three-hour awards show, aired on ABC, was dedicated to performances.

Pop star Grande performed "One Less Problem" and "Break Free" with a jazz twist, showcasing her vast vocal range.

New Zealand songstress Lorde performed "Yellow Flicker Beat," the theme for box office-topping "Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1," in an orange box before breaking out onto the stage.

British singer Charli XCX sang "Boom Clap" and "Break the Rules" against a prom backdrop, while Australian boy band 5SOS added some rock with a cover of The Romantics' "What I Like About You."

Wyclef Jean joined Canadian reggae-pop group MAGIC! to perform the group's single "Rude," getting the star-studded crowd dancing along.

Ahead of the awards show, Azalea had led the nominees with six nods, while pop star Katy Perry, soul singer John Legend and R&B singer Pharrell Williams followed with five nominations each.

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