| CMU Daily - on the inside Tuesday 21st February |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- Glitter trial date set
- Wembley expected to comment on building work delays
- BBC criticised for Live 8 swearing
- Bono meets Brazilian president
- Billy Cowsill dies
- Single review: JD73 - Happy People
- Gibb brothers reunite for charity
- Wireless Festival announces line up, and Leeds
- MTV announce Oxegen line up
- Embrace singer tells of album tensions
- New Keane album a beast
- Latest track leak news
- Jose Gonzalez tour
- TEAM, downloads, tour
- Deacon Blue singer gratified by Blunt success
- Decca appoint new president
- XL appoint new New York A&R
- Commercial radio organisations merge
- Baftas get low ratings too
- British Press Awards announce nominations
- Live review: Simple Minds/The Streets at the Astoria, London
- Kylie to wed?
- Girls Aloud get pop doc
- Doherty misses Strokes gig
- Madonna relies on Oxygen
- British Press Awards: nominees in full
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TOP BIT>>
Well, we've all been far too ill round here in the last 48 hours to be constructing any coherent polemics in the Top Bit - so instead, some logistics. As we mentioned a couple of weeks back, we're currently putting together a 'promoters' bit to the CMU Directory. Thanks to everyone who has emailed in their info - if you're a gig or club promoter and you haven't sent in your details yet, then do it now, because we'll be launching the new section next week. To be added just email your company name, address, phone number and press contact info to [email protected] While we're taking about directory type things - the next section of the old directory we are planning to add is artist management, so, if you're an artist management type firm send over your company name, address, phone number and details of the artists you represent to [email protected] and we'll get busy compiling it all. And that's it for now - I'm off to top up on Lemsip.
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PRESS ROOM>>
BREAKING GROUND - THE OFFICIAL BREAKSPOLL AFTERSHOW
To continue the excitement of this Thursday's Breakspoll Awards celebrations, Leyline presents Breaking Ground, The Official Breakspoll Aftershow @ seOne club this Friday, 24th February 2006. The After-Show will be presenting a whole host of fantastic breaks DJs including Freq Nasty, Rennie Pilgrem with MC Chickaboo, JDS, Will Saul, Precision Cuts, The Teamplayers featuring Aquasky, UK Apache, Spyda, The Ragga Twins & Ban Jyang, Spiltloop, Pendulum (breaks set), Breakfastaz, Deekline & Wizard with MC Ivory, and Deep Impact with Screwface. All takes place this Friday from 10 pm - 6am, tickets are £10 in advance from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk or £12 on the door.
Press info from Leyline, full press release at: http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/breakingground
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GLITTER TRIAL DATE SET
A date has been set for Gary Glitter's sex abuse trial in Vietnam. According to Vung Tau officials, the former glam-rocker, real name Paul Gadd, will appear in court on 2 Mar, accused of committing obscene acts with two girls. As previously reported, he could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
The trial will reportedly last just two days, and the judge Hoang Thanh Tung has ruled that no cameramen or photographers will be allowed to record the event, given that the case involves minors.
Gadd has been in police custody since his arrest on 19 Nov as he attempted to board a flight out of the country at Ho Chi Minh City airport.
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WEMBLEY EXPECTED TO COMMENT ON BUILDING WORK DELAYS
Well, perhaps our cynicism regarding the chances of Wembley Stadium being ready to host its Bon Jovi gigs later this year was justified. Or perhaps not. Either way, according to the Press Association, Wembley Stadium bosses will today make an announcement regarding concerts due to take place there this summer after it was revealed yesterday that May's FA Cup Final has been moved to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium because of fears the new North London stadium won't be ready in time.
The FA reportedly decided to move its Cup Final, and two World Cup warm-up games due to take place at Wembley on 30 May and 3 Jun, after the organisation's chief executive visited the stadium on Monday. Although the new stadium was originally due for completion last Autumn, with a March deadline as a second extension, the company building the new stadium, Multiplex, said at the start of the year that there was only a 70% chance of the venue being ready by Cup Final day - 13 May.
It now remains to be seen if Multiplex bosses reckon the stadium will be ready in time for the first music events due to take place there - two Bon Jovi concerts on 10 and 11 Jun. As previously reported, Bon Jovi were the last band to play the old Wembley Stadium, so it was apt they should be the first to play the new venue. Whether the stadium will be ready to host such an event may be confirmed later today.
Any additional delays could also affect two Take That concerts due to take place at the Stadium at the end of June.
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BBC CRITICISED FOR LIVE 8 SWEARING
Media regulator OfCom has criticised the BBC for airing artists' swearing during its broadcast of the Live 8 concerts in July 2005. As reported at the time, Madonna, Razorlight, Green Day and Snoop Dogg all swore during their televised sets at the event, all of which aired before the 'watershed'. OfCom have criticised the Beeb for not broadcasting the show with a slight time delay in order to censor such language, and also for failing to properly apologise once swearing had been aired.
Responding to viewer complaints, Ofcom said yesterday: "We consider the BBC should have anticipated an audience for this event, which would include a significant number of children, and we therefore consider that the broadcast of this material was inappropriate, compounded by the lack of any apology."
The Beeb has apologised for the incidents, saying that issues between Live 8 and BBC executives meant the Corporation's staff were unable to monitor the situation to the usual standard. A statement from the broadcaster yesterday said: "a confrontation between the organisers and senior editorial figures from the BBC meant two key BBC editorial personnel missed much of the performance by Snoop Dogg and were unable to set the apology procedure in motion".
The Corporation added that it would take "further precautions" to ensure such problems could not happen again at similar events, adding that it would consider using a short delay in future live broadcasts where problems could arise.
The Beeb may find itself in more trouble over swearing issues after Radio 1's Chris Moyles yesterday called the children of one of his callers "fucking brats". Though Moyles and Radio 1 bosses will be hoping that the fact the presenter immediately apologised for his outburst will help him avoid the wrath of regulators - an immediate apology helping the show avoid getting into too much trouble when guest Elton John launched into a tirade of swearing back in 2004. BBC bosses are yet to confirm whether the children of listener Donna, taking part in a phone in on the show, are, in fact, 'fucking brats'.
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BONO MEETS BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT
Bono has further increased his Make Bono A Statesman campaign, by meeting Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in advance of two U2 concerts in Sao Paulo. The pair met for lunch at the leader's official residence in the country's capital Brasilia, with discussions about the fight against global poverty high up on the agenda. Bono is, of course, well known for his campaigning, whilst Lula has garnered widespread praise for his Zero Hunger programme, which seeks to address the extreme poverty endured by around a third of Brazil's population.
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BILLY COWSILL DIES
William Cowsill, lead singer of family ensemble The Cowsills, the inspiration for TV series The Partridge Family, has died aged 58. The band, originally four Cowsill brothers, later joined by their mother and younger sister, formed in Rhode Island in the 1960s, first achieving success when they secured an appearance on a US TV show which subsequently led to a record deal.
The singer died on Friday in Calgary, Canada. No cause of death has been given but he was known to be suffering from emphysema and osteoporosis and had recently undergone back surgery, during which doctors had to collapse one of his lungs. His death follows the loss of brother and bandmate Barry Cowsill, who was drowned last year during Hurricane Katrina. Cowsill is survived by two sons, Travis and Del.
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SINGLE REVIEW: JD73 - Happy People (Wax On Records)
Of course, I really, really meant to write a review for this single much earlier, partly because it was released yesterday, and I am, therefore, technically, late in publishing it, but also because I really love this track and want to urge you all to listen to it. JD73 is busy Morcheeba keyboardist Dan Goldman, dubbed the Jazz Doctor by the band's Ross Godfrey, and the soubriquet seems entirely appropriate to me, given that he's certainly made me feel better in recent weeks. No really. He has. Christmas was over and I knew I'd still got January, February and March to endure when the CD bearing 'Happy People' arrived, and it's one of those tracks that has the capacity to put a smile on your face whatever the weather. It continues to brighten up my winter with its mix of jazzy, funky electronica that oozes so much seventies it's wearing serious platforms, whilst not detracting from its ultimately very contemporary sound. It's absurdly infectious, guaranteed to have you nodding your head along in time with the beat; like I said, just what you need when it's raining outside. There's an album, 'Zeros and Ones', coming out soon, so keep an eye out for it. In the meantime, get your hands on the single, it's an order. CM
Release Date: 20 Feb
Press contact: Wax On Records / [email protected] [all]
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GIBB BROTHERS REUNITE FOR CHARITY
Bee Gees Robin and Barry Gibb have played together on stage for the first time since the death of their brother Maurice three years ago. The Gibbs performed hits such as 'Staying Alive' and 'How Deep Is Your Love' at a private concert held at Miami's Diplomat Hotel on Saturday, to raise funds for the Diabetes Research Institute.
As previously reported, Maurice Gibb died aged 53 in 2003, following a cardiac arrest.
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WIRELESS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINE UP, AND LEEDS
Live Nation yesterday confirmed its Wireless Festival will return to Hyde Park for a second year this summer, on 22, 23 and 25 Jun, with The Who, Depeche Mode and James Blunt confirmed as headliners in a line up that also includes The Flaming Lips, David Gray, Goldfrapp, KT Tunstall, Pharrell Williams, Zero 7, Eels and Bauhaus.
Not only that, but there'll be two more Wireless dates on 24 and 25 Jun at Harewood House in Leeds. Confirmed acts for that northern leg include the The Who, Goldfrapp, The Flaming Lips, Pharrell Williams, Super Furry Animals and DJ Shadow.
More acts for both events are to be announced soon.
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MTV ANNOUNCE OXEGEN LINE UP
Elsewhere in festivals news, MTV has confirmed it will be an official partner of Ireland's Oxegen Festival, which takes place at the Punchestown Racecourse in Country Kildare on 8 and 9 Jul.
MTV's Tim Kash was at a press conference in Dublin yesterday to formally launch the festival, telling reporters: "I'm really excited to be involved with Oxegen for the second year running. Last year was MTV's first year at the festival and in between being hungover and watching some of the biggest bands in the world we also filmed some fantastic live footage! With another stellar line up this year I can't wait to come back for more! Bring on Oxegen 2006."
MTV's coverage of the event will air throughout July, culminating in an 'Ultimate Festivals Weekend' on 29 and 30 Jul with 150 hours of footage across all of MTV's channels in the UK and Ireland, with additional programming shown across Europe. Artists confirmed for the Oxegen bill yesterday included Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, Richard Ashcroft and Damian Marley.
As it happens, Ashcroft and Marley were yesterday also added to the T In The Park line up too.
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EMBRACE SINGER TELLS OF ALBUM TENSIONS
Embrace singer Danny McNamara has told the Scottish Sunday Mail that their sessions for their new album 'This New Day' were fraught with tension, and revealed that at one stage producer Youth went so far as to throw stuff at him. He says: "At one point, Youth wanted me to make a lyrical change to a song. When I didn't want to do it he picked up his tobacco box and threw it at me. Luckily it missed. He told me to grow up - which was a bit ironic. There were screaming matches, band members were leaving because they couldn't take it any more."
It's all worth it, though, of course. He continued: "Despite our rows, Youth has become like a sixth member of the band. 'This New Day' is our strongest work yet. It's the record I've always wanted to make - a big, rousing rock 'n' roll album. I sometimes think, if it gets too easy in the studio your music starts sounding a bit flat."
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NEW KEANE ALBUM A BEAST
Keane have been talking about their new album to 6Music, and it's apparently a bit of a beast. Well, that's what they said. They also explained how they felt under a great deal of pressure after their 2004 debut 'Hopes And Fears' became a runaway success.
Drummer Richard Hughes said: "I think to start off with we felt a lot of pressure, but I think we reached the point where we thought 'Actually if we keep worrying about what everyone's going to think, this is going to turn out to be a rubbish album'. So we just thought 'Let's lock ourselves away and do whatever excites us really, makes us feel that sort of thrill of making music'. We ended up with a sort of weird rock and roll beast of an album."
Bandmate Tim Rice-Oxley added" "Towards the end of last year we were all kind of completely brain dead and exhausted. I think we all felt like we really wanted to have a break from touring, but it's funny how you have a few weeks off and you start to get twitchy. Now we're absolutely desperate to get out on the road again, we've got a bunch of new songs and I can't wait."
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LATEST TRACK LEAK NEWS
Well, this is the second time in the last week or so that reports have surfaced regarding the leaking online of Guns n Roses tracks from the long, long, long awaited album 'Chinese Democracy', which may mean that the LP is going to be released in March, as is widely expected. Fans are speculating that it's actually Axl Rose doing the leaking in order to gauge the reaction in anticipation of the album's release.
Elsewhere in track leaking news, the whole of The Flaming Lips' new album 'At War With The Mystics' has also appeared online, apparently, six weeks ahead of its official release on 3 Apr.
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JOSE GONZALEZ TOUR
Swedish troubadour Jose Gonzalez has announced a UK and Ireland tour for this summer, bless his dulcet tones. Dates as follows:
21 Apr: Bristol Colston Hall
22 Apr: Manchester Apollo
23 Apr: Cambridge Corn Exchange
24 Apr: London Hammersmith Apollo
26 Apr: Birmingham Alexandra Theatre
29 Apr: Newcastle City Hall
1 May: Oxford New Theatre
8 May: Dublin Olympia Theatre
9 May: Belfast Spring and Airbrake
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TEAM, DOWNLOADS, TOUR
Captains Of Industry signings TEAM will release a download only double a-side single next Monday (27 Feb). The two tracks - 'The Guilty Language of Gossip' and 'One Side of a Conversation' - will be available from the band's website - http://www.teamtm.co.uk. Meantime, the band are on tour right now, remaining dates as follows:
21 Feb: London Vibe Bar (Free Show! Believe)
22 Feb: Tunbridge Wells Forum
23 Feb: Leicester Charlotte
24 Feb: Lincoln Bivouac
27 Feb: Cardiff The Social
28 Feb: Plymouth Phoenix
1 Mar: Cheltenham The Two Pigs
2 Mar: Nottingham Junktion 7
3 Mar: Carlisle Brickyard
4 Mar: Blackpool - Poker Day!
5 Mar: Manchester Retro Bar (100th Gig!)
6 Mar: Northampton Yates
7 Mar: Leicester Firebug
10 Mar: Harlow The Square
27 Mar: Dingwalls, London (With Brigade)
Press info from [email protected]
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DEACON BLUE SINGER GRATIFIED BY BLUNT SUCCESS
Former Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross has said some nice things about that much maligned former army captain James Blunt. Possibly because he co-wrote Blunt's track 'High' and now the pennies are rolling in. "It's gratifying for my bank manager I have to tell you. He couldn't be happier," he said.
It's not just the cash, though. Ross claims that Blunt deserves his success, and continued: "I am utterly delighted James is doing so well. It was one of the happiest nights of my life when he got recognised at the Brits because James is someone I have known for a good few years. It's great for me and it's great for James because he is a great person. He is a lovely guy and amazing things have happened to him. It's rare that an artist has an album that goes ballistic all around the world. He has even eclipsed Robbie Williams."
You notice, of course, that it's become fashionable to be nice to James Blunt, ever since CMU took a stand on the issue of Blunt-bullying, and Coldplay followed suit. Hell, it's rumoured that even Paul Weller apologised to the singer at the Brits over that I'd-rather-eat-my-own-shit comment. All of which means CMU will now have to start a backlash to the backlash to the backlash. His voice is terribly high when he speaks, isn't it? What a big girl.
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DECCA APPOINT NEW PRESIDENT
More label exec changes for you. Costa Pilavachi, the long serving President of Universal owned classical label Decca has stepped down. He will be replaced with immediate effect by Bogdan Roscic, an A&R VP at sister label Deutsche Grammophon.
Confirming the new appointment, Christopher Roberts, President of Universal Music International's Classics & Jazz division, told CMU: "Bogdan has been a huge part of the recent success and revitalization of Deutsche Grammophon, and I am confident he will bring the same focus, intelligence and artistic knowledge and passion to his new position".
On Pilavachi's time at Decca, Roberts continued: "I would like to offer my heartfelt appreciation to Costa for the dedication and achievements he has brought to the Philips and Decca labels over the last 17 years. Costa has been responsible for a string of artistic and commercial successes in both the classical and crossover areas with artists such as Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli, Valery Gergiev, Seiji Ozawa, Mitsuko Uchida and Hayley Westenra, among others."
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XL APPOINT NEW NEW YORK A&R
Talking of exec changes, Beggars label XL Recordings announced last week that Kris Chen was joining its New York office as a Senior VP of A&R. Formerly a label manager at Domino, Chen will report to XL's London based chairman Richard Russell.
Confirming his new role, Chen told reporters: "I'm excited to be here. I've always admired XL and its great roster, and the people behind the scenes are every bit as amazing."
Russell added: "We're delighted to have Kris join our expanding US operation. Kris is a serious music fan and will add great knowledge and expertise to our team."
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COMMERCIAL RADIO ORGANISATIONS MERGE
Industry association news anyone? Well, two of the main industry bodies for the UK's commercial radio sector have merged. The Radio Advertising Bureau and the Commercial Radio Companies Organisation confirmed their merger yesterday, telling reporters that they hoped by focusing their efforts they could better help the commercial sector take on the BBC in the battle for radio listeners.
Specifics of the new organisation, including a name, are yet to be confirmed, although the RAB is expected to carry on its operations pretty much unchanged as a division of the new organisation. A 'commissioning centre' is also expected to be established which will look into the possibility of creating high profile shows that could be syndicated across commercial stations nationwide in a bid to take on BBC radio heavyweights like Jonathan Ross, Chris Evans and Terry Wogan.
Confirming the merger, CRCA boss Paul Brown told reporters: "There are considerable challenges for commercial radio and recent consolidation has changed the shape of the industry. The aim of creating a single commercial radio industry body is to pull our industry back into growth and to strengthen the position of all of its members with external organisations".
The new organisation will also incorporate commercial radio's advertising clearance body the RACC, the snappily titled Joint Industry Commercial Radio IT Futures Group and the Hit40UK company.
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BAFTAS GET LOW RATINGS TOO
Brits bosses who are reportedly considering how they might woo viewers back to the award's TV show in 2007 following those previously reported disappointing ratings for last week's bash should take heart from the news that the British Academy Film Awards fared even less well in terms of viewing figures. Just 3 million people tuned in to the Bafta Film Awards on BBC1 on Sunday night, its lowest audience since the awards show returned to the BBC four years ago. So perhaps it's not the Brits that people are tiring of, rather endless awards shows. If it's any consolation to the Brits people - my Aunty Jen thought this year's Brits show was the best in years. Of course, she's possibly not in their target audience.
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BRITISH PRESS AWARDS ANNOUNCE NOMINATIONS
Talking of tiring of award shows, the Press Gazette have announced the nominations for this year's British Press Awards which are due to take place in London on 20 Mar - with the 'Cocaine Kate' story that helped keep the Doherty soap opera spinning in 2005 up for Scoop Of The Year.
Of course, the main scoop involving the British Press Awards is that Associated Newspapers, the Telegraph Group and Northern & Shell are all boycotting the event because the awards bash has become increasingly raucous in recent years - with the stand out moment of last year's event probably when Bob Geldof, presenting an award, started lashing out at the Daily Mail before launching into a stand up row with Mirror editor Richard Wallace. Despite efforts by new Press Gazette owners Matthew Freud and Piers Morgan to convince those publishers that this year's awards would be better managed, all three companies have refused to play ball, meaning no staff writers from their respective publications have been shortlisted.
Nevertheless, organisers will be hoping all that doesn't lessen the prestige of being a nominee - a full list of them is at the bottom of today's Daily.
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LIVE REVIEW: Simple Minds at Astoria, London on 13 Feb, The Streets at Astoria, London on 18 Feb
So, last week I was mainly reviewing bands beginning with the letter 's' playing at the Astoria - and arguably that's pretty much all Simple Minds and The Streets have in common - except, perhaps, an undeniable ability to connect with their respective audiences.
Prior to the gig, most of the people I told that I was going to see The Streets pulled a definite 'rather you than me' kind of face, expressing a fondness for a couple of Mike Skinner's poetic ramblings, but less enthusiasm for his whole back catalogue. I must admit I myself have ripped only a handful of Streets tracks onto my PC, enjoying them, but rarely digging out the albums they came off. And I have to say, I wasn't that familiar with much of Skinner's set on Saturday night except, of course, the encore renditions of 'Dry Your Eyes' and 'Fit But You Know It' - oh, and the new single 'When You Wasn't Famous' which I'd seen on Popworld earlier that day. But that didn't really matter. On record Skinner can be variable - some songs with catchy hooks and clever rhymes that are nothing if not infectious - others less so. But live none of that really matters, it's more about the way Skinner, his singing buddy and backing band, genuinely connect with their audience. I'm not quite sure how it works given that much of that 'connecting' involves shouting more or less inaudibly into the microphone, while persisting with a pretty poor 'I'm going to name check the wrong city' gag. But nevertheless, his audience love every minute of it, and it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement - especially as those more familiar, cleverer musical creations appear in the finale.
A similar, possibly even stronger connection was present when Simple Minds took to the Astoria stage a few days earlier. This connection, however, was much more about the music. Frontman Jim Kerr kept the audience banter to the very minimum and the lighting was such that it was at times quite hard to see the band at all, which is possibly because most its members are now of the age when a bit of bad dancing looks more sad than it does ironic. But in this case, none of that mattered, such was the love and respect for this band's back catalogue among the sell out audience. Again not all the set was so familiar - this band having released a lot more recent music than you'd probably realised - or made the effort to discover. I worried on my way to the gig that perhaps I should have made the effort to get a copy of 2002's 'Cry' or last year's 'Black & White 050505' before coming - but I kind of got the impression much of the rest of the audience weren't so familiar with the recent work either. In fact, it was almost like being at two gigs in one. During more recent tracks the audience looked on interestedly but somewhat laid back, but once the always distinctive opening bars of classics like 'Waterfront', 'All The Things She Said' and 'See The Lights' kicked in they went crazy, jumping up and down and singing along as if they were at a gig where the band and the audience were half the age they really were. No more so than with 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' where the audience got so into its 'la, la, las' that had Kerr not stopped them, I suspect they'd still be singing them now. What followed that roof raising moment summed up the gig - once stopped from their la la las the audience fell back in to 'interested' mode with an encore of mainly newer tracks. Yet the audience remained fully connected, mostly, I suspect, because they were united in the assumption that 'Alive & Kicking' was surely going to be the finale. Duly it was, and so the up for it audience returned with a rendition of 'da da da das'. Whether gigs like this will persuade Simple Minds fans of old to go out and buy the band's newer material I don't know, but it proved that when it comes to live shows, those classic tracks are so loved, it doesn't really matter. CC
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KYLIE TO WED?
We've probably had that headline before, because speculation has been mounting for, well, years, over when Kylie Minogue will marry French boyfriend Olivier Martinez, but now, according to reports, the actor's mother has confirmed that a ceremony is set to go ahead this April.
Rosemarie Martinez told New Idea magazine that the pair's nuptials will take place on French Island, off the coast of Melbourne. She's quoted as saying: "My son has promised we will be flown over for the big day. We're just rejoicing that she and my son can now go ahead and make the plans they've wanted to make for so long."
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GIRLS ALOUD GET POP DOC
Girls Aloud are set to star in a new pop documentary series, which will follow the girl band on their tour of Australia and New Zealand. Filming for the show, to be broadcast on Channel 4 in May, has already begun. A spokesman said: "The series will reveal what it is like to be at the heart of a chart-topping group. It will also show the girls as they try to escape professional pressures and unwind with loved ones."
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DOHERTY MISSES STROKES GIG
Been missing your Doherty news? Well, with Babyshambles back on tour this week, here's a teeny snippet. Doherty turned up to see The Strokes play at the Hammersmith Apollo on Friday, but stormed off when security refused to let his companion into the gig alongside him. Had he made it into the venue, he might have bumped into Carl Barat and Kate Moss, who were also there. Which would have no doubt been a lot of fun for all concerned.
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MADONNA RELIES ON OXYGEN
Madonna has apparently told a magazine in Germany that she has bought Oxygen machines for each of her homes, to give herself oxygen facials and to help her recover from jet lag. She says: "You can take the oxygen machine and inhale if you're feeling really tired or jet-lagged, which is one of the reasons I have them at home. You just lie down for 10 minutes and put it in your nose. They are really great."
It sounds great. Now where can I get one?
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BRITISH PRESS AWARDS: NOMINEES IN FULL
Specialist writer of the Year
Steve Connor, The Independent
John Cornwell, The Sunday Times
Richard Girling, The Sunday Times
Tom Newton Dunn, The Sun
Michael Smith, Sunday Times
Business & Finance Journalist of the Year
John Gapper, The Financial Times
Ian Griffiths, The Guardian
Michael Harrison, The Independent
Hamish McRae, The Independent
Patience Wheatcroft, The Times
Political Journalist of the Year
Francis Elliott, Independent on Sunday
Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
Alice Miles, The Times
Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer
Philip Stephens, The Financial Times
Interviewer of the Year
Lynn Barber, The Observer
Emma Brockes, The Guardian
Robert Chalmers, Independent on Sunday
Rachel Cooke, The Observer
Deborah Ross, The Independent
Janice Turner, The Times
Feature Writer of the Year
Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times magazine
Adrian Levy / Cathy Scott Clarke , The Guardian
Malcolm Macalister Hall, The Independent
Stefanie Marsh, The Times
Michael Tierney, The Herald
Reporter of the Year
Oliver Harvey, The Sun
Felicity Lawrence, The Guardian
Stephen Moyes, Daily Mirror
Andrew Norfolk, The Times
Nicholas Timmins, The Financial Times
Foreign Reporter of the Year
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, The Guardian
Patrick Cockburn, The Independent
Hala Jaber, The Sunday Times
Richard Lloyd Parry, The Times
Jonathan Watts, The Guardian
Showbusiness Writer of the Year
Jane Atkinson, News of the World
Anthony Barnes, Independent on Sunday
Caroline Hedley, Daily Mirror
Victoria Newton, The Sun
Rav Singh, News of the World
Phil Taylor, News of the World
Columnist of the Year
Jeremy Clarkson, The Sunday Times
Anatole Kaletsky, The Times
Lucy Kellaway, Financial Times
George Monbiot, The Guardian
Jane Moore, The Sun
Tony Parsons, Daily Mirror
Critic of the Year
Charlie Brooker, The Guardian
AA Gill, The Sunday Times
Ian Hyland, News of the World
Waldemar Januszczak, Sunday Times
Jay Rayner, The Observer
Sports Journalist of the Year
Rob Beasley, News of the World
Oliver Holt, Daily Mirror
Jamie Jackson, The Observer
Paul Kimmage, The Sunday Times
James Lawton, The Independent
Young Journalist of the Year
Lucy Bannerman, The Herald
Steve Bloomfield, Independent on Sunday
Gemma Calvert, News of the World
Giles Hattersley, The Sunday Times
Katharine Hibbert, The Sunday Times
Scoop of the Year
Francis Elliott, Independent on Sunday, (Blunkett broke Rules)
Jamie Pyatt, The Sun, (Harry the Nazi)
Robert Jobson, Freelance/Evening Standard, (Charles & Camilla to wed)
Stephen Moyes, Daily Mirror, (Cocaine Kate)
Michael Smith, The Sunday Times, (Blair - War leak)
Team of the Year
Art Newspaper, (Sheikh Saud - biggest art collector)
Daily Mirror, (7/7 team)
The Guardian, (Attack on London)
The Independent, (7/7 team)
The Sun, (7/7 team)
Sunday Times, (Nature's time bomb - AsianTsunami)