News in Brief

Jorge Camara was elected president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the year 2007-2008 at the organization's annual election meeting. A member of the association for 42 years, Camara is serving his fifth term as HFPA president. He covers entertainment (print and television) for Mexico and Latin America.

Mike Goodridge was elected vice president. Serge Rakhlin and Meher Tatna were elected executive secretary and treasurer, respectively. The new Board of Directors is comprised of Mahfouz Doss (Chairman), Armando Gallo, Anke Hofmann, Erkki Kanto, Paz Mata, and Frances Schoenberger (alternate).

After playing Miami, Los Angeles and New York, the Latin Grammy Awards are now headed to Las Vegas. The eighth annual event, which recognizes excellence in Latin music, will be held Nov. 8 at the Mandalay Bay casino-hotel, organizers said Tuesday.

Internet videos showing volcanic eruptions of Diet Coke will compete along with Web shorts featuring the cast of NBC's "The Office" in newly created categories for the upcoming Daytime Emmy Awards.

Beyonce earned a leading six nominations Wednesday for the 2007 BET Awards, including nods for top female R&B artist, video for "Irreplaceable" and duets with Jay-Z on "Deja Vu" and "Upgrade U."

Signaling a possible breakthrough for a new generation of composers whose bona fides are not in theater but in rock, "Spring Awakening," a musical hailed for bringing a fresh and authentic rock edge to a 19th century German tale about teenagers' sexual angst, received 11 Tony nominations Tuesday. Right behind with 10 was another new musical with an unorthodox approach: "Grey Gardens," about two off-kilter relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Mary J. Blige better make room on her trophy shelf. The R&B diva, who won three Grammy Awards in February, will receive the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Voice of Music Award, the group announced Tuesday.

The 50th Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 10, 2008 and be broadcast live from Staples Center in Los Angeles. Nominations will be announced Dec. 6.

A powerful drama about an elderly piano teacher and her relationship with a young prison convict won best picture at the German Film Prize awards on Friday.

"American Idol" executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick, who were enlisted to bring their hit-making pizazz to this year's Emmy Awards, abruptly pulled out of the show Friday, a surprise move that prompted more than a few grumbles within TV circles.

"Taxi to the Dark Side," a documentary detailing the Bush administration's policies on prison torture, won best documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The war epic "300" received five nominations today for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards, followed by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" with four nods.

She's fulfilling a lifelong dream, jokes Sarah Silverman, host of this year's MTV Movie Awards. "Ever since I was a little girl, before it even started in 1980 -- MTV -- I said, `Someday, I want there to be an all-music channel that gives out awards for movies. And I want to host that show,"' the 36-year-old actress-comedian said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"Sherrybaby," "Desperate Housewives" and "Ugly Betty" are among honorees.

A road movie set in the U.S., directed by a Chinese auteur, financed by a French company and starring a mix of British and American actors, Wong Kar Wai's "My Blueberry Nights" will open this year's Cannes Film Festival in competition.

TV Guide Channel announced Wednesday that it had booted Joan and Melissa Rivers from their Hollywood red carpet coverage and replaced the catty duo with television host and fashion entrepreneur Lisa Rinna.