The Craigy Awards 2015

Can you believe it is that time again! The Craigy's are back! Once again nominations were kept secret so it is anybody's guess who will win. Once again these awards highlight some of the shows that may get forgotten about by the mainstream award shows we all love. We have 15 awards to give out which include two new ones so lets get this show on the road.

Good luck to everyone.

Congratulations to all the winners!

My American Country Music Awards 2015

Last night was the big 50th Annual American Country Music Awards! That's right it was the big 5-0. The Kings and Queens of country put on their sunday best and hot footed it to the AT&T Stadium in Texas. It was a night of amazing performances, shocking guests and award after award after award. Speaking of awards I of course have an opinion, some people should have won and some were just damn right snubbed. So I have picked my winners, and if any of the losers see this and have won in this list - well done, you freaking deserved it.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Jason Aldean
- Garth Brooks
- Luke Bryan
- Miranda Lambert
- Florida Georgia

Luke Bryan won on the night, and I totally understand as he does entertain the masses. He is country's darling right now and can't seem to do much wrong. However I feel Miranda Lambert was robbed. Her album (Platinum) is perfect, she always puts on a show and when it comes to entertaining I know who I would prefer to see live.

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- Jason Aldean
- Dierks Bentley
- Luke Bryan
- Eric Church
- Brad Paisley
- Blake Shelton

Jason Aldean took away the award last night and huge congrats to him. I thought Blake Shelton might have won this award, he has much more mass appeal thanks in large parts to The Voice. I also think Hunter Hayes was snubbed, I absolutely loved his song 'Invisible', it was a refreshing change to hear a male country artist to song from the view of teenagers who are struggling.

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney - American Kids
- Miranda Lambert - Automatic
- Florida Georgia Line - Dirt
- Dierks Bentley - Drunk On A Plane
- Lee Brice - I Don't Dance

Lee Brice won and I understand, it is a beautiful heartfelt song - some argue that it isn't country but I don't think that country has the same guidelines as it used to, and it is starting to have more influence from other genres and I applaud that. From this category I was championing Miranda, it is a lovely song and probably the only one I would listen to on repeat from this list. However there was major snubs for this category, Little Big Town 'Girl Crush', The Band Perry 'Gentle on my Mind' and Carrie Underwood 'Something in the Water' to name a few.

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- Brandy Clark
- Miranda Lambert
- Martina McBride
- Kacey Musgrave
- Carrie Underwood

Miranda won this one and I completely agree, she is the reigning Queen after all. Her album exploded and she never falters. I would have liked Carrie to have won aswell as she has the vocal chops that not many have ever had. I would have liked a few more women get a nod this year like Jennifer Nettles, Kira Isabella and Ashley Monroe.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- Jason Aldean - Old Boots, New Dirt
- Little Big Town - Pain Killer
- Miranda Lambert - Platinum
- Dierks Bentley - Riser
- Eric Church - The Outsiders

Miranda won again and rightly so, this album is (I've said it before and I will say it again) country perfection. I probably am not the one to judge this category as I haven't even heard the other albums on the list, but that might speak volumes in itself - because I don't intend to either, nothing is pulling me to them. Except one. I really need to hear Little Big Town's latest record, really loving what they have done in the last couple of years.

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
- Lady Antebellum
- Little Big Town
- Rascal Flatts
- The Band Perry
- Zac Brown Band

Little Big Town won this one and I was happy with that. I actually wish this could have been broken and thrown to a few people Cady Heron style. Lady Antebellum and The Band Perry also could have deservedly won this award. I guess their Grammy's will just have to keep them company instead.

SONG OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney - American Kids
- Miranda Lambert - Automatic
- Luke Bryan - Drink A Beer
- Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow
- Eric Church - Give Me Back My Hometown
- Dierks Bentley - I Hold On

Once again I do not 100% understand the difference between song of the year and single record of the year, and even more confusingly they had different winners. This time Miranda took the prize. Yay. She is exactly who I would have picked from the list, but I would have easily been as happy if Kacey took the prize. Again there was a lot of snubs but I understand they had to whittle it down to this six.

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
- Brothers Osborne
- Dan + Shay
- Florida Georgia Line
- Maddie & Tae
- The Swon Brothers

Florida Georgia Line won this one. I would have liked Maddie and Tae to win. They made a bold choice this year and released a song that kind of attacks the sexism in country music so for them to win would have been a great big statement from the academy.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney - American Kids
- Keith Urban - Cop Car
- Dierks Bentley - Drunk On A Plane
- Glen Campbell - I'm Not Gonna Miss You
- Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood - Somethin' Bad

Dierks Bentley took home the gold last night, its a cute video but I didn't feel like it was award worthy. For me there was two other worthy winners and for very different reasons. Glen Campbell's video never fails to choke me up. It's basically clips of Glen's life as he suffers with alzheimer's. Miranda and Carrie's video was this high budget, balls to the wall video showing them as two criminals stealing from the bank and back alley poker tournaments, before looking damn good walking on to their private plane. They never looked better.

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
- Lonely Tonight - Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe
- Meanwhile Back At Mama's - Tim McGraw featuring Faith Hill
- Somethin' Bad - Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood
- The South - The Cadillac Three featuring Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, & Mike Eli
- This Is How We Roll - Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan

Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan took the prize this year. Carrie and Miranda were extremely snubbed. They tear the roof off the place whenever they perform this song, it has much more mass appeal and everyone loves a foot stomping good time. The idea behind this song was an event all on its own, get two of the biggest voices in country music together, make a flawless video and a perfect song - genius.

So those were my choices and I may have seem a tad biased, but I am not going to apologise - Miranda Lambert is God's gift to country music. Her performance on the night cemented that fact. Other highlights for me were Christina Aguilera (yep, she was there), Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift's Mum and Taylor probably receiving her final ever country award. My ultimate highlight was Little Big Town's performance. It was a simple performance, no bells or whistles. I was so happy they decided to play this song and another one of their hits. They sang 'Girl Crush' and if you know much about country music than you know the controversy around this song. It has been banned by a country radio station for "promoting the gay agenda." First of all this is ridiculous, if they even listened to the song once they would know it was about been jealous of a woman because she has the man she wants! Secondly, I am a gay man -  WE HAVE NO AGENDA!

My Grammy Predictions (and wants)

It is that time of year again, it is time for my 3rd favourite awards show! I love the Grammys because I love music and I want to see all these amazing artists and creators get celebrated for all their hard work the last 12 months. There has of course been a few snubs and a few surprises. What I am going to do is pick who I want to win the categories I will be watching out for as well as pick who I think will win (unfortunately they rarely match).

RECORD OF THE YEAR - Nominees

Fancy
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX

Chandelier
Sia

Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)
Sam Smith

Shake It Off
Taylor Swift

All About That Bass
Meghan Trainor

Who I want to win - Sia
Who I think will win - Sam Smith

Don't get me wrong I will always support the fellow Brit at these award shows but for me the wonder from down under just had the best song of the year. She allowed art to become a focus of her music and I will always admire that. The video had everyone talking and the song is one that we all have tried to scream out loud whilst bouncing around our bedroom in our nude onesie, or maybe that was just me.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Nominees

Morning Phase
Beck

Beyoncé
Beyoncé

X
Ed Sheeran

In The Lonely Hour
Sam Smith

Girl
Pharrell Williams

Who I want to win - Beyonce
Who I think will win - Ed

Once again my British pride had to take a step back. As much as I enjoyed Ed's and Sam's albums, I couldn't turn my back on Queen Bey. Her album was a huge step forward from her previous work, she experimented and to me it seemed like she has finally done what she wants to do, without input from anyone - so kudos to her. Also one of my favourite songs of the year came from this album (Heaven).

SONG OF THE YEAR - Nominees

All About That Bass
Kevin Kadish & Meghan Trainor, songwriters (Meghan Trainor)

Chandelier
Sia Furler & Jesse Shatkin, songwriters (Sia)

Shake It Off
Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)
James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith, songwriters (Sam Smith)

Take Me To Church
Andrew Hozier-Byrne, songwriter (Hozier)

Who I want to win - Hozier
Who I think will win - Meghan Trainor

I am still not sure how this category differs from 'Record of the Year' but I digress. For me Hozier knocked it out of the park with this song, it is dark and haunting with way too many catchy lyrics than any song should have. It is also one of the few songs I haven't gotten bored of yet. I do however think Meghan will win, the song was a huge success, it created a new catchphrase and it empowered a lot of people; and the melody is just too darn catchy.

BEST NEW ARTIST - Nominees

Iggy Azalea

Bastille

Brandy Clark

Haim

Sam Smith

Who I want to win - Haim
Who I think will win - Sam Smith

This category was a tough one to call because it crosses quite a few genres. Brandy Clark definitely has the country vote and there is no denying she could follow in the footsteps of Kacey Musgraves. Bastille created one of my favourite songs (Pompeii) and Sam Smith just exploded on to the scene this year. However I want Haim to win so bad, I saw them live this year and they were incredible, they are only going to get bigger with the 1989 Tour with Taylor. We have waited a while for a second album from them so hopefully this gives them the push to get it out.

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE - Nominees

All Of Me (Live)
John Legend

Chandelier
Sia

Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)
Sam Smith

Shake It Off
Taylor Swift

Happy (Live)
Pharrell Williams

Who I want to win - Sia
Who I think will win - Sia or John Legend

Sia has to win this one, her vocals are insane and on every live performance you can hear her straining her voice to reach the perfect note. I fell in love with song after the first listen purely because I am a sucker for an amazing powerful  strong vocal. I think John could be a contender because of the pure emotion that seeps out with every word. It is a love song sang by a man in love, there's no sweeter sound.

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE -  Nominees

Fancy
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX

A Sky Full Of Stars
Coldplay

Say Something
A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera

Bang Bang
Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

Dark Horse
Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J

Who I want to win - A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera
Who I think will win - A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera

This song is just simply stunning. It is sung with such an effortless that emotes every feeling the singers have when singing this song. It makes little children cry for God's sake. Christina doesn't Christina all over it because it didn't need it. Its a simple song with a depressing message - magic. It would be nice for Jessie J to win though, she deserves some recognition and celebration.

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM - Nominees

Ghost Stories
Coldplay

Bangerz
Miley Cyrus

My Everything
Ariana Grande

Prism
Katy Perry

X
Ed Sheeran

In The Lonely Hour
Sam Smith

Who I want to win - Miley Cyrus
Who I think will win - Ed or Sam

I don't think it's an unfair statement to say that the British Boys ruled the music charts this year the world round. So it would be a fair assumption one of them will win this category. However I really want Miley to win, I don't know if it is because I was a Disney kid in my youth or the fact that I actually liked this album. It was a good mix of pop and hip hop and 90's nostalgia. She experimented and definitely set her own tone.

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE - Nominees

Give Me Back My Hometown
Eric Church

Invisible
Hunter Hayes

Automatic
Miranda Lambert

Something In The Water
Carrie Underwood

Cop Car
Keith Urban

Who I want to win - Carrie Underwood
Who I think will win - Miranda Lambert

I will feel like a winner either way because I love both these broads. I will never get over Miranda's albums, they are my go to choices. I just think Carrie may have beaten her to the punch with this song. Carrie's vocals are flawless. She nails every note and it seriously knocks me out. I do this weird thing where if a song hits me, or a note is perfect I will raise my arms in the air as if I am reaching for Jesus - I held my arms up for 4 minutes straight for 'Something in the Water'.

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE - Nominees

Gentle On My Mind
The Band Perry

Somethin' Bad
Miranda Lambert With Carrie Underwood

Day Drinking
Little Big Town

Tim McGraw Featuring Faith Hill
Track from: Sundown Heaven Town

Raise 'Em Up
Keith Urban Featuring Eric Church

Who I want to win - Miranda and Carrie
Who I think will win - Little Big Town

I have mad love for all the nominees in this category but I have to give it to Miranda and Carrie. This song is a foot stomping, table slapping good time. It's country, it's rock, it is just balls to the wall fun. I do think Little Big Town will win this though, they got a lot of love from country award shows around America for it and it is such a good song, real chill and laid back.

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM -  Nominees

Riser
Dierks Bentley

The Outsiders
Eric Church

12 Stories
Brandy Clark

Platinum
Miranda Lambert

The Way I'm Livin'
Lee Ann Womack

Who I want to win - Miranda
Who I think will win -Miranda

There is no competition for me, she is the best country has to offer right now. The album is country perfection. Her story telling is unrivalled. Her voice is indisputable. Her skills are unmatched. Give her all the awards. Jeez I love Miranda.

Here are some others that I hope win

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA - 

Guardians Of The Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM - 

Beyonce - Beyonce

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION - 

Eminem Feat. Rihanna

BEST COUNTRY SONG - 

Miranda Lambert - Automatic

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA - 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA - 

Let It Go -Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO - 

Sia - Chandelier

There are 82 categories this year so hopefully I will be happy with some of them. Phew that was a big post, thanks for sticking around if you did. My main predictions will be that it will be a good night for Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, however Taylor Swift and Iggy Azaelia won't be taking any gold wear away with them unfortunately. But every one will have fun and isn't that what its all about?!

The Craigy's 2014

It is that time once again ladies and gentleman.  Welcome to the 2014 Craigy's! An award celebrating the shows that may get overlooked or for the simple reason I love them. I feel over the years I have become an opinion on TV as I have put more hours into it then most will in their life time.

I have limited each category to 7 nominees each, this was tough as I feel I may have missed a few, but I am not as flawless - so take your drama outside.

Congratulations to all the winners.

 

Why we should all be a little more Jennifer Lawrence

If you haven't been charmed by the beautiful Jennifer Lawrence then you must simply be heartless. She is a warm, intelligent, talented, beautiful and charismatic actress. Every role I have seen her in she just shines. And normally I am quite bitter when it comes to people younger than me been successful, but with her it doesn't seem to bother me (as much).

 There are quite a few things that we can learn from this young woman and here are 5 quotes that would benefit us greatly if we took them to heart.

1. Jennifer on her 'weight'

'I don't really diet or anything. I'm miserable when I'm dieting and I like the way I look. I'm really sick of all these actresses looking like birds... I'd rather look a little chubby on camera and look like a person in real life, than look great on screen and look like a scarecrow in real life.' 

We always hear stars saying that they live these healthy lifestyles, how refreshing is it to hear one of the world's most famous actresses actually say what we want to hear.

2. Jennifer on mental health

'It's just so bizarre in this world; if you have asthma, you take asthma medicine. If you have diabetes, you take diabetes medicine, but as soon as you have to take medication for your mind it's...there's such a stigma behind it.'

When she speaks, she only speaks the truth. The lack of filter on her mouth truly makes her brilliant. I can't imagine how many people this helped - to be acknowledged and supported by someone like her.

3. Jennifer on acting
“Not to sound rude, but [acting] is stupid. Everybody’s like, ‘How can you remain with a level head?’ And I’m like, ‘Why would I ever get cocky? I’m not saving anybody’s life. There are doctors who save lives and firemen who run into burning buildings. I’m making movies. It’s stupid.’”
One thing we all love about her is is her honesty. It's so great to see someone in the business who actually is aware.

4. Jennifer on money
“I like the financial security because I know how hard it is for so many people who struggle to earn a living. I’m grateful I don’t have to worry about money and I can live very freely and do something I love and get paid very well to do it. I tell my friends to slap me if they ever think I’m getting full of myself.”
She is so aware of everything, she fully understands how great some parts of her life are and yet when she says it we don't actually hate her for it.

5. Jennifer on being starstruck
“Once I’m obsessed with somebody, I’m terrified of them instantly. I’m not scared of them — I’m scared of me and how I will react. Like, for instance, one time someone was introducing me to Bill Maher, and I saw Meryl Streep walk into the room, and I literally put my hand right in Bill Maher’s face and said, ‘Not now, Bill!’ and I just stared at Meryl Streep. [...] I just creepily stared at her.”
Okay, hands up ... isn't this exactly what you would do if you saw Meryl Streep!

This is quite a short list about how and why I love Miss Lawrence! She is honest to the point that sometimes you don't know if she is saying something for effect; but really with her we know she isn't. She is hilarious, all you have to do is watch an interview with her. She is crazy talented and if you don't agree she has 67 awards for acting you can argue with. She is only going to get better and bigger. I see more Oscar's for her and more inspiring roles for her to take over.

Jennifer I bow down to you, please stay you amazing self, don't let the bastards get you down and keep on shining.

The VMA's Restyled By Me

To say the least I was disappointed by the fashion on the red carpet at this years MTV VMA's. It was boring or weird. There was no happy middle ground. If I had to pick some of the best dressed it would be Katy Perry, Ciara and Ellie Goulding. I respected Rita Ora's choice because she chose to go with a bang - nothing says bang like a 20 foot feathered train. 

When it comes to some of these events there are certain people we look out for; these are the fashionable, edgy, cool, classy girls who pull something out of the bag. They may not shock us but they let us know that they are fashion aware and know how to dress. I was hugely disappointed with Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus.

Miley Cyrus
What she wore - Dolce and Gabanna
What I would have put her in - Chanel Fall Couture 2013

She is trying too hard here to bring the 90's trend back. It's over the top whilst still being simple. I have a thing against leggings - don't like them and I never will. Pairing them up with oversized gems just angers me. Her hair looks stupid and I am a huge supporter of her new shorter do - but what the hell are those small buns all about? They only looked good on Scary Spice.
I put her in a silver dress from Chanel. I picked this because it keeps her looking youthful aswell as having a bit of a 90's throwback with the smaller skirt over the longer skirt. The length would be perfect on her and allow her to play with footwear - I would consider a shocking pink platform pump. Her shorter hair would also go flawlessly with this look, but instead of buns I would scrape it all back and add some volume on top.

Selena Gomez
What she wore - Atelier Versace
What I would have put her in -  Dior Fall Couture 2013

Lets all remember she is only 21. These are the perfect years to have fun and experiment fashion wise. It looks like she pulled this out of an ageing american soap-star's closet. It's tacky even for a 40 year old woman. I appreciate the playfulness of it with the revealing of undergarments, but there is no shape to it; where is her waist? It's so blah that even a revealed breast doesn't help it. Also full length sleeves should only be worn by women ashamed of their upper arms - I doubt she has this problem.
I put her in this cute Dior dress. The colour is a much more fun and a youthful blue than the one she chose. It's a bit risqué with the slit down the front of the middle of the dress, but it doesn't cross the line into trashy. The length is great for her as she doesn't have the longest of legs, so having it end above the knee will definitely create length. I am also in love with the material manipulation which gives the dress a seamless appearance.

Lady Gaga
What she wore -  Prabal Gurung
What I would have put her in - Giambattista Valli Spring Couture 2013

This dress she chose was so lacklustre, there is nothing special about it and the material is way too shiny that all I see is trash bags. Its like an unconventional materials challenge on 'Project Runway' gone wrong. It looks badly made and the bow is just sad. For a woman who loves to push boundaries she just looks boring.
The dress I chose isn't that different to her choice. Its black, has a fishnet material and isn't too out there. I feel my choice just speaks better for Gaga. Its fun and unconventional whilst being fashionable and edgy. Also I deliberately chose to give her blonde/white hair as it just stands out more and completes the look - she doesn't look so much like Helena Bonham Carter's weird little sister anymore.

Taylor Swift
What she wore - Hervé Léger by Max Azria
What I would have put her in - Ellie Saab Fall Couture 2013

One word for the dress she chose was 'blah' - my god it is so boring, We all know Taylor is loaded so she could have bought any dress she wanted. In recent years she has made some great choices (see the Grammy's this year) but what happened? She has gone for a column dress which are normally reserved for a shorter gal as they give length - Taylor does not need added height. It completely leaves her shapeless and it is so boring. Paired with the hair she looks 20 years older easily - never mind being 22 try 42.
The dress I chose isn't out there because at the end of the day she needs to be comfortable. I chose this emerald green Ellie Saab dress as I think it is very her (especially in the direction she should be going in). Its classy with an added something. The added something is a bit of sparkle but not in a trashy way. The sheerness will keep the youthfulness whilst the 3/4 length sleeve and full length keeps it respectable. This dress has a dropped back so we will see a gorgeous back and profile.

Rihanna
What she wore - Muscle shirt with a picture of MC Lyte and skinny cropped jeans.
What I would have put her in - Bouchra Jarrar Fall Couture 2013

I'm stuck with this one; on one hand I applaud her for choosing to keep it cool and comfortable, on the other hand I really think she could have at least tried. She was obviously in a mood where she didn't give a shit and just came to watch the show, collect her cheque and get gone. She did however provide the best entertainment from the show with her amazing unimpressed expressions.
To keep with her easy laid back style I chose this complete look from Bouchra Jarrar. I decided to keep her in trousers as she has legs for days so she always look amazing in them, I chose a cropped top because she has the abs I would kill for and then a baggy layer on top to keep the street look she has perfected. However from this look I would get rid of the belt - its overkill.

P.S excuse the shocking photoshop-ing, its late and I really wanted to do this post.

Who Doesn't Love A Good Song And A Dance?

I really enjoy award shows, but the thing is I couldn't care less about the awards. Its the performances I love. The artists go all out and put on a 5 minute spectacle. The MTV Video Music Awards are showing on Monday and I am more than excited. With performances from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus to look forward to. So I thought I would have a gander at some of my favourite past performances.

The best ones in my eyes are the ones that shock. With Lady Gaga on the roster we are almost guaranteed a few surprises. I am basing this on her record - once coming out dressed as her male alter-ego and another time where she appeared to kill her self on stage. Britney Spears doesn't come up short when it comes to the shocks. She has been known to dance with a python, strip off whilst singing a Rolling Stone's song and of course the kiss heard around the world with Madonna (everyone seems to forget Madge did the dirty with Christina Aguilera aswell). Justin Timberlake's face was my favourite bit from that entire performance.

Then there are the performance where artists take the opportunity to show what they got. Beyonce singing 'Love On Top' stopped me in my tracks - I think I even held my breath so I could listen with all I had. Eminem performing with Rihanna was also special - he will always be my favourite rapper. Also Eminem's debut performance with a hundred dopple-ganger's was something special.

Monday can not come soon enough. I am rather excited. I can't wait to see the red carpet. Most importantly you know the performances are going to be epic. Gaga and Perry are both using this opportunity to sing their new songs for the first time. Yay.

Check below to remind yourself of some special performances.

Fingers crossed no one jumps on stage to interrupt an acceptance speech (looking at you Kanye!)

The Craigy's

Ladies and Gentleman may I introduce you to the first annual Craigy's. This is where we celebrate TV from the last 12 months and acknowledge certain shows that some other major Award Ceremonies seem to skip over. Here at the Craigy's we try our best not to be biased and we try to make a point that there is a lot of shows on the box that deserve awards. We have 13 categories so lets get under way.

 

 

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees.