HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Pop songstress Shakira won six awards and reggaeton pacesetter Daddy Yankee took home three at the Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday night.
Shakira's album "Fijacion Oral Vol. 1" (Oral Fixation Vol. 1), which was released in both Spanish and English, won female Latin pop album of the year. The album's top song, a sexy duet with Spanish singer
Alejandro Sanz called "La Tortura" (The Torture), won four other awards, including hot Latin song of the year.
The Colombian crossover star's voice was nearly drowned out by the cheering audience when she received the award for female Latin pop album.
"Wow. Thank you. This is for all of you, my fans, who have been accompanying me, understanding and protecting me all these years," she said.
Later, Shakira, wearing a sparkling blue bikini top and red-and-white skirt, unleashed her trademark hip-wiggle as she danced and sang alongside Wyclef Jean on their pulsing collaboration "Hips Don't Lie."
The performance kept with the theme of these awards over the years: mix Latin acts with performances with crossover appeal.
Shakira also won the Spirit of Hope Award, in honor of the 29-year-old's work to improve living conditions for Colombian children through her charitable organization, Fundacion Piez Descalzos (Bare Feet Foundation). Four children from her foundation surprised her on stage and gave her the award.
Sanz's collaboration with Shakira netted him four awards. Colombian rocker Juanes — a big winner the past few years — won three. Dominican bachata singer Andy Andy and good-looking Mexican pop group RBD also won three times.
RBD, which reached young listeners with its album "Rebelde" (Rebel), won best Latin pop album for a duo or group, and the same award for new artists. It also won the viewers' choice award.
Reggaeton — a mix of tropical rhythms, reggae, hip-hop and rap that first took hold in the major U.S. Hispanic markets of Miami, Los Angeles and New York — was featured during several performances.
Surrounded by dancers clad in jungle camouflage, Daddy Yankee performed two songs to start the show — the first on an outdoor floating barge, the second on the indoor stage.
The Puerto Rican star whose song "Gasolina" is among reggaeton's most well-known tunes, won for top Latin album artist and top reggaeton album. He also was among those honored for reggaeton song of the year for "Mayor Que Yo" (Older than Me), a collaboration with Baby Ranks, Tonny Tun Tun, Wisin y Yandel and Hector "El Father."
He gave credit to fellow reggaeton producers for helping propel the genre.
"This award is for all my people, for all of reggaeton," he said while receiving the reggaeton album award.
Reggaeton also was the theme of the show's final performance, which featured Tito "El Bambino," Angel y Khriz and Wisin & Yandel.
Other notable performances came from Orishas, the Cuban hip-hop group based in Europe who energized the show by surrounding their vocals with horn and Latin percussion sections, and Ricardo Montaner, who showed off his strong voice while singing his ballad "Nada.
Those in attendance also honored singer-songwriter Joan Sebastian, who received the Hall of Fame Award after 30 years as a fixture on the Mexican music scene.
The show was held at Seminole Hard Rock Live, which is adjacent to a hotel and casino complex in this Fort Lauderdale suburb.
It was hosted by TV personality Candela Ferro and Mexican ranchero artist Lupillo Rivera. Television personality Maria Celeste Arraras, Puerto Rican dance queen Olga Tanon and soccer announcer Andres Cantor were among the presenters at the show, broadcast live on Telemundo.
The awards show honors the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music as determined by sales and radio airplay data published on Billboard's weekly charts.
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'Lost' Actress Given Expedited Release From Prison
"Lost" actress Michelle Rodriguez was released from prison Friday
morning after spending about 64 hours behind bars.
She was released at about 6:30 a.m. Her release was expedited, according to Oahu Community Correctional Center Warden Nolan Espinda.
A judge on Tuesday gave Rodriguez the choice of a five-day jail sentence or 240 hours of community service for pleading guilty to drunken driving.
Rodriguez was to spend only four calendar days in jail because of time served when she was arrested.
No media were present when she was released. On Thursday, Espinda told KITV that the earliest Rodriguez could get out was 8 a.m. Friday.
Rodriguez turned herself in to the Kaneohe District Court a little after 2 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving a four-day jail sentence. With her release Friday morning, that means she spent less than three full days in prison.
Espinda said Rodriguez wasn't given special treatment. He said when a person is in custody, any portion of a single day counts as a day.
Espinda says Rodriguez' release was expedited but he doesn't know why.
Normally, the inmates that need to be transferred to court go first and then the prison releases happen. Espinda said perhaps that process happened faster than he anticipated.
OCCC's warden said Rodriguez stayed in a dorm with 60 other female inmates. She ate three times a day and could watch TV and read and she had to keep her area clean, Espinda said. Unlike Rodriguez' bad girl dramas on "Lost" the warden said the actress' stay in prison was uneventful and that she acted graciously.
It may not be the last time Rodriguez gets locked up. She faces 18 months in prison at a probation violation hearing next month, stemming from a DUI conviction in California.
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Rosie Outlook for "The View"
ET puts those Rosie rumors to rest, as we confirmed from co-host
JOY BEHAR
"The View" this fall, replacing
Joy told ET Friday, "You know the show is going to be a new thing in the fall -- with Rosie joining us ... I just found out yesterday this was happening too! I can't wait to see her. I think she's going to be fantastic."
Joy revealed that she and Rosie had left messages for each other but hadn't actually spoken yet. "Rosie's an old friend of mine, [so her joining is] an easy one for me."
As for rumors that Rosie and
Vieira recently announced that she will be leaving the chatfest to become co-host of the "Today" show starting in September. She'll be replacing
O'Donnell will bring a great track record to "The View." She earned six Daytime Emmys for Best Talk Show Host for "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" during its run from 1997-2002.
Daniel Baldwin Arrested
Santa Monica, CA police confirmed Friday that actor DANIEL BALDWIN was arrested last Saturday along with another man for suspicion of cocaine possession.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, the arrests took place at a motel after a complaint was made of a male threatening a female in one of the rooms. When officers arrived at the room, they found Baldwin and the other suspect, WINSTON ANTHONY HUNTER, but no female. According to police, Baldwin and Hunter reportedly admitted to using narcotics.
Baldwin -- the 45-year-old younger brother of actor ALEC BALDWIN -- posted $10,000 bail and was released Sunday afternoon. Hunter had no bail due to a parole hold.
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