INTRODUCTION:
2005 was a year that saw familiar faces rise to the top of the music charts and successful movie franchises rule the box office. VOA's Crystal Park reports on who made the biggest impact this past year in the entertainment industry.
NATS: MILLION DOLLAR BABY - COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS
NARRATOR:
The drama Million Dollar Baby was the big winner at the Oscar Awards, winning four major categories including Best Picture. Hillary Swank won her second Best Actress award for her role as a female boxer. Morgan Freeman won the Best Supporting Actor award and Clint Eastwood, who also co-starred in the movie, was named Best Director.
NATS: RAY - COURTESY UNIVERSAL PICTURES
NARRATOR:
Jamie Foxx won the Best Actor trophy for his portrayal of legendary musician Ray Charles in Ray.
NATS: STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH - COURTESY LUCASFILM
NARRATOR:
At the box office, the big winners were successful franchises. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith was the top grossing movie of the year - earning close to 850 million dollars globally at the box office. Revenge of the Sith was the last of 3 Star Wars movies made as prequels to the popular trilogy of movies made from the late 1970's and early 1980's.
NATS: HARRY POTTER and the GOBLET of FIRE - COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS
NARRATOR:
Harry Potter mania continued as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire grossed over 200 million dollars at the box office. Meanwhile, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in author J.K. Rowling's series, has sold over 11 million copies in the United States alone since it's July release.
Music sales continued to fall this year as Internet piracy remained a problem. But digital music sales are rising globally due to the popularity of Apple's iTunes and other online music stores.
NATS: 50 CENT - COURTESY G-UNIT
NARRATOR:
50 Cent's The Massacre was the top selling album in the U.S. this year, selling over 4 ?million copies.
NATS: RAY CHARLES - MUST COURTESY CONCORD RECORDS
NARRATOR:
At the Grammy's, 8 seems to be the magic number. The late Ray Charles won 8 awards this year - including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
NATS: MARIAH CAREY - COURTESY ISLAND/DEF JAM RECORDS
NARRATOR:
Pop singer Mariah Carey, who made a comeback with the album The Emancipation of Mimi, received 8 nominations for next year's Grammy Awards.
NATS: KANYE WEST - COURTESY Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
NARRATOR:
Hip-Hop artist and producer Kanye West and R&B singer John Legend
NATS: JOHN LEGEND - COURTESY COLUMBIA
NARRATOR:
also received 8 nominations for 2006.
NATS: MADONNA AT LIVE 8 - COURTESY CAPITOL/EMI
NARRATOR:
Many popular musical artists performed at Live 8. Over a million people attended 10 concerts on 4 different continents and an estimated 2 billion more watched globally on television. The goal of the event, which occurred 20 years after the original Live Aid, was to raise awareness of global poverty and request more assistance from the leaders of G8 nations.
NATS: LOST
NARRATOR:
Scripted television shows made a comeback this past year. Lost, a drama about a group of plane crash survivors, and Desperate Housewives, a comedy revolving around a group of suburban housewives, were U.S. television hits.
COURTESY - PARAMOUNT PICTURES - DURING WAR OF THE WORLDS CLIP
Several celebrity couples caused a big stir this past year. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who starred in War Of The Worlds and Batman Begins respectively, announced their engagement and the birth of their upcoming child after a series of high profile appearances together.
COURTESY - 20TH CENTURY FOX DURING MR. & MRS. SMITH CLIP
Movie stars Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston divorced after five years of marriage. Pitt has most recently been romantically linked to actress Angelina Jolie, his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star.
Crystal Park, VOA News.
2005 was a year that saw familiar faces rise to the top of the music charts and successful movie franchises rule the box office. VOA's Crystal Park reports on who made the biggest impact this past year in the entertainment industry.
NATS: MILLION DOLLAR BABY - COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS
NARRATOR:
The drama Million Dollar Baby was the big winner at the Oscar Awards, winning four major categories including Best Picture. Hillary Swank won her second Best Actress award for her role as a female boxer. Morgan Freeman won the Best Supporting Actor award and Clint Eastwood, who also co-starred in the movie, was named Best Director.
NATS: RAY - COURTESY UNIVERSAL PICTURES
NARRATOR:
Jamie Foxx won the Best Actor trophy for his portrayal of legendary musician Ray Charles in Ray.
NATS: STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH - COURTESY LUCASFILM
NARRATOR:
At the box office, the big winners were successful franchises. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith was the top grossing movie of the year - earning close to 850 million dollars globally at the box office. Revenge of the Sith was the last of 3 Star Wars movies made as prequels to the popular trilogy of movies made from the late 1970's and early 1980's.
NATS: HARRY POTTER and the GOBLET of FIRE - COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS
NARRATOR:
Harry Potter mania continued as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire grossed over 200 million dollars at the box office. Meanwhile, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in author J.K. Rowling's series, has sold over 11 million copies in the United States alone since it's July release.
Music sales continued to fall this year as Internet piracy remained a problem. But digital music sales are rising globally due to the popularity of Apple's iTunes and other online music stores.
NATS: 50 CENT - COURTESY G-UNIT
NARRATOR:
50 Cent's The Massacre was the top selling album in the U.S. this year, selling over 4 ?million copies.
NATS: RAY CHARLES - MUST COURTESY CONCORD RECORDS
NARRATOR:
At the Grammy's, 8 seems to be the magic number. The late Ray Charles won 8 awards this year - including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
NATS: MARIAH CAREY - COURTESY ISLAND/DEF JAM RECORDS
NARRATOR:
Pop singer Mariah Carey, who made a comeback with the album The Emancipation of Mimi, received 8 nominations for next year's Grammy Awards.
NATS: KANYE WEST - COURTESY Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
NARRATOR:
Hip-Hop artist and producer Kanye West and R&B singer John Legend
NATS: JOHN LEGEND - COURTESY COLUMBIA
NARRATOR:
also received 8 nominations for 2006.
NATS: MADONNA AT LIVE 8 - COURTESY CAPITOL/EMI
NARRATOR:
Many popular musical artists performed at Live 8. Over a million people attended 10 concerts on 4 different continents and an estimated 2 billion more watched globally on television. The goal of the event, which occurred 20 years after the original Live Aid, was to raise awareness of global poverty and request more assistance from the leaders of G8 nations.
NATS: LOST
NARRATOR:
Scripted television shows made a comeback this past year. Lost, a drama about a group of plane crash survivors, and Desperate Housewives, a comedy revolving around a group of suburban housewives, were U.S. television hits.
COURTESY - PARAMOUNT PICTURES - DURING WAR OF THE WORLDS CLIP
Several celebrity couples caused a big stir this past year. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who starred in War Of The Worlds and Batman Begins respectively, announced their engagement and the birth of their upcoming child after a series of high profile appearances together.
COURTESY - 20TH CENTURY FOX DURING MR. & MRS. SMITH CLIP
Movie stars Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston divorced after five years of marriage. Pitt has most recently been romantically linked to actress Angelina Jolie, his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star.
Crystal Park, VOA News.