Nelly
Photo: Universal

Nelly, Ashanti, Musiq and B2K took two awards each at the 17th annual Soul Train Music Awards Saturday at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.

Nelly won R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year for Nellyville (beating Nas, LL Cool J and Ashanti) and was honored with the 2003 Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year.

Ashanti won Best R&B/Soul Single: Female for her song "Foolish" (beating out Amerie, Erykah Badu and India.Arie) and Best R&B/Soul Album: Female for Ashanti (besting Amerie, Mary J. Blige and Angie Stone).

Musiq took Best R&B/Soul Single: Male for "Dontchange" (beating Justin Timberlake, Maxwell and Usher) and Best R&B/Soul Album: Male for Juslisen (topping Timberlake, Jaheim and Gerald Levert).

B2K won Best R&B/Soul Single: Group, Band or Duo for "Bump, Bump, Bump," which features P. Diddy (beating Dru Hill, Floetry and TLC) and Best R&B/Soul Album: Group, Band or Duo for B2K (defeating Boyz II Men, Floetry and R. Kelly & Jay-Z).

Other winners included Missy Elliott (Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video for "Work It"), Amerie (Best R&B/Soul or Rap: New Artist for "Why Don't We Fall in Love") and Kirk Franklin (Best Gospel Album for The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin).

In addition, Mariah Carey and LL Cool J won Quincy Jones Awards for Outstanding Career Achievement. The event was co-hosted by Arsenio Hall and Queen Latifah and aired live.

• Nelly
• Ashanti
• Musiq Soulchild
• B2K
• LL Cool J

Jennifer Lopez
Photo: Sony

A remixed Billboard 200 albums chart will see Jennifer Lopez's J. to Tha L-O! The Remixes switch places with Alan Jackson's Drive, reclaiming the #1 spot and bumping the country singer to #3.

J. to Tha L-O! sold more than 100,000 copies to beat out the #2 album, Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory, which inched past Jackson on sales of just over 96,000 copies, according to SoundScan data released Wednesday (February 27).

Kirk Franklin's The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin breathes new life into the top 10 of next week's chart, debuting at #4 on sales of more than 90,000 copies. Britney Spears will enjoy a boost when Britney enters top 10 terrain, coming in at #9. The usual suspects round out the remaining positions, with Ludacris' Word of Mouf at #5, Creed's Weathered at #6, Nickelback's Silver Side Up at #7, Pink's Missundaztood at #8 and Puddle of Mudd's Come Clean at #10.

Next week's chart reflects a sluggish sales week that saw only three albums in the top 50 sell more than they had the previous week. The lucky ones are Hoobastank's self-titled LP at #27, Fat Joe's Jealous Ones Still Envy at # 45 and Janet Jackson's All for You skyrocketing from #97 to #49 thanks to fans who caught her, ahem, revealing concert on HBO.

While their gains might be more modest than Ms. Jackson's, other artists who moving up include Train, whose Drops of Jupiter jumps 34 positions to #97, and Missy Elliott, whose Miss E ... So Addictive climbs from #185 to #166.

Frank Sinatra's Greatest Love Songs, whose sales surged around Valentine's Day, tumbles from #32 to #94. Another emotional record, the soundtrack to the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" telethon, plummets 50 spots to #192.

New and notable albums on the chart include the "Queen of the Damned" soundtrack (#39), Joey Ramone's posthumous solo album Don't Worry About Me (#109) and the Cars' Complete Greatest Hits (#144).

• Jennifer Lopez
• Kirk Franklin
• Linkin Park
• Nickelback
• Ludacris

Nelly Furtado
Photo: DreamWorks

Nelly Furtado will be doing a lot of flying come Wednesday.

"I just found out like two days ago I will be performing 'I'm Like a Bird' [at the Grammy Awards], so I'll have to fly by the seat of my pants," the four-time nominee said at Saturday's NAACP Image Awards. "I'm totally nervous."

Furtado joins Mary J. Blige and Kirk Franklin as the latest (and presumably final) performers added to the 44th annual Grammy Awards ceremony. The Recording Academy recently increased the program's running time by 30 minutes in order to accommodate more performances.

Gospel Grammy-winner Franklin will hit the stage with U2, who are among a list of previously announced performers that includes 'NSYNC with Nelly, Outkast, Alicia Keys, Alejandro Sanz with Destiny's Child, Dave Matthews Band, Train, Bob Dylan and others (see "Outkast, Dylan, 'Lady Marmalade' Ladies To Perform At Grammys").

Also added to the awards show are Backstreet Boys, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion, Craig David, Elvis Costello, Natalie Cole, Dave Koz, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Perry as presenters. They join Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Ja Rule, Kid Rock and others.

Furtado is nominated for four Grammys: Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album (for Whoa, Nelly!) and Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for "I'm Like a Bird"). Blige will vie for Best R&B Album for No More Drama and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Family Affair."

Several of the latest presenters are also nominated, including Backstreet Boys for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocal, Craig David for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Sheryl Crow for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Dave Koz for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

The Grammys will be broadcast on CBS from 8 -11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

Stick with MTV News for complete coverage when the Grammys are handed out on Wednesday. You can catch the action live from the red carpet on "Backstage at the Grammys" beginning at 7 p.m. (ET) on MTV, and get up-to-the-minute news and reaction from the stars on MTVNews.com throughout the night.

• Nelly Furtado
• Mary J. Blige
• Backstreet Boys
• Kirk Franklin

Kirk Franklin
Photo: Universal

Gospel star Kirk Franklin said the all-star lineup he assembled for the "Kingdom Come" soundtrack — which includes Carl Thomas, Jill Scott and Deborah Cox — was a dream come true.

"I had a wish list of gospel and R&B performers, and it gave me the chance to match all these voices with the movie's visuals," Franklin said. With the soundtrack at #1 on the Billboard gospel albums chart and #26 on the magazine's R&B/hip-hop album chart after two weeks, it's clear audiences are loving the combination, too (the movie itself stars Whoopi Goldberg, Toni Braxton and LL Cool J).

The soundtrack finds R&B stars such as Thomas and Scott alongside contemporary gospel luminaries Mary Mary, Natalie Wilson and Franklin himself. And while the names are among the biggest he's worked with, it's just another in a long line of projects for which Franklin has assembled talented crews of singers and dancers to work his gospel-crossover magic.

Franklin's platinum-selling 1993 debut, Kirk Franklin and the Family, spent 100 weeks atop the Billboard gospel albums chart. His success has continued through 2000's Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC, which cracked the top 30 on both Billboard's gospel and R&B charts.

Kingdom Come's first single finds gravel-voiced Franklin teaming up with Mary Mary on the uptempo "Thank You," while Thomas joins Wilson on "Daddy," a yearning ballad about an errant father. Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman, Tamar Braxton and Trin-I-Tee 5:7 also appear on the album.

Franklin said the best thing about working with R&B stars was discovering how many of them were deeply into gospel music. "Carl Thomas came into the studio and talked about gospel songs and producers from the 1970s I'd never even heard of," Franklin recalled. "It goes to show how much people who don't necessarily record gospel music know about gospel." For all his crossover success, Franklin said it's important to maintain the distinction between the secular and the sacred. "Just because a song like R. Kelly's 'I Believe I Can Fly' is uplifting and spiritual doesn't make it a gospel song," Franklin said. "You can be a great motivational speaker but that doesn't make you a preacher." Despite his popularity outside the gospel realm, Franklin said he remains frustrated that explicit gospel music still has a hard time finding radio and video play. "Let somebody talk about being a Christian, or about Jesus, and it's automatic exclusion," he said. "But this music is very contemporary, very on point with what's happening musically."

• Kirk Franklin
• Jill Scott
• Mary Mary
• Deborah Cox

After announcing that he will be establishing a $300,000 fund to benefit minority medical students at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, gospel artist Kirk Franklin and his label, Gospo Centric, were sued for $5.5 million by five members of Franklin's former backing band, The Family, the "Dallas Morning News" reports.

In their lawsuit, LaKeisha Grandy, Terri Pace, John Gray, and Dalon and Carrie "Mousie" Collins accuse Franklin and his Los Angeles-based record label, Gospo Centric, of fraud and breach of contract. The suit, which was filed on May 2 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that the five went unpaid for their work on Franklin's double platinum 1998 CD, "The Nu Nation Project," according to the "Morning News."

In a statement quoted in the "Morning News" article, Gospo Centric Records' attorney Peter Haviland said, "I have never seen a more frivolous lawsuit. These individuals don't represent The Family. We understand that other members want absolutely nothing to do with this suit."

A similar lawsuit was filed against Franklin and Gospo Centric Records by gospel choir God's Property, with whom Franklin recorded "Stomp," a 1997 crossover hit. in 1998, the group accused Franklin of inducing them to sign a one-sided contract with an offshoot of Gospo Centric Records, B-Rite Music. The group also accused Gospo Centric of not paying them for their work on the 1997 album, "God's Property From Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation."

• Kirk Franklin
• God's Property

With his "Nu Nation Project" in stores, Kirk Franklin is getting ready to hit the road after the holidays for an extensive U.S. tour.

• 12/26 - New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena
• 12/27 - Memphis, TN @ Mid-South Coliseum
• 12/28 - Columbus, GA @ Columbus Civic Center
• 12/31 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
• 1/1 - Philadelphia, PA @ Apollo Of Temple
• 1/2 - Washington, DC @ MCI Center
• 1/12 - Fayetteville, NC @ Cumberland Co.Civic Ctr.
• 1/13 - Chattanooga, TN @ Memorial Auditorium
• 1/14 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
• 1/15 - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
• 1/16 - Columbia, SC @ Carolina Coliseum
• 1/17 - Charlotte, NC @ Independence Arena
• 1/19 - Huntsville, AL @ Von Braun Civic Ctr.
• 1/20 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theater
• 1/21 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theater
• 1/22 - Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland St. University
• 1/23 - Detroit, MI @ Cobo Arena
• 1/24 - Cincinnati, OH @ Crown
• 1/26 - Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena
• 1/27 - Buffalo, NY @ Marine Midland Arena
• 1/28 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Arena
• 1/29 - New Haven, CT @ New Haven Coliseum
• 1/30 - Boston, MA @ FleetCenter
• 1/31 - Albany, NY @ To Be Announced
• 2/2 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Fort Wayne Expo Center
• 2/3 - Saginaw, MI @ Saginaw Civic Center
• 2/4 - Columbus, OH @ Battelle Hall
• 2/5 - Chicago, IL @ University Of Illinois
• 2/6 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Pittsburgh Civic Arena
• 2/7 - Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Arena
• 2/11 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena
• 2/15 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
• 2/17 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Civic Arena
• 2/18 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
• 2/19 - Universal City, CA @ Universal Amphitheatre
• 2/20 - Universal City, CA @ Universal Amphitheatre
• 2/21 - San Diego, CA @ San Diego Sports Arena
• 3/4 - New York, NY @ Madison Sq. Garden Th.
• 3/5 - New York, NY @ Madison Sq. Garden Th.
• 3/6 - New York, NY @ Madison Sq. Garden Th.
• 3/7 - New York, NY @ Madison Sq. Garden Th.
• 3/10 - Wichita, KS @ Century II Conv. Ctr.
• 3/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Convention Center
• 3/12 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Myriad Arena
• 3/13 - Dallas, TX @ Dallas Conv. Ctr. Arena
• 3/14 - Houston, TX @ Compaq Center
• 3/16 - Little Rock, AR @ Barton Coliseum
• 3/17 - Macon, GA @ Macon Centreplex
• 3/18 - Augusta, GA @ Augusta-Rich. Civic Ctr.
• 3/19 - Birmingham, AL @ Birm.-Jefferson Coliseum
• 3/20 - Jackson, MS @ Mississippi Coliseum
• 3/21 - Nashville, TN @ Municipal Auditorium
• 4/6 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
• 4/7 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
• 4/8 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
• 4/9 - Asheville, NC @ Asheville Civic Center
• 4/10 - Indianapolis, IN @ Pepsi Coliseum
• 4/13 - Montgomery, AL @ Acadome
• 4/14 - Orlando, FL @ UCF Arena
• 4/15 - Tampa, FL @ USF Sun Dome
• 4/16 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Coliseum
• 4/17 - Miami, FL @ Miami Convention Center
• 4/18 - Tallahassee, FL @ Civic Center

• Kirk Franklin
• God's Property

Dru Hill, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Mary J. Blige and Kirk Franklin & the Family are among the artists who have agreed to appear at "Soul Train's" inaugural "Christmas Starfest" being held on November 24.

• Babyface
• Mary J. Blige
• Dru Hill
• Kirk Franklin
• God's Property

Kirk Franklin, the man "Vibe" magazine credited with putting the "go" back in gospel music, will make a divine debut on the "Billboard" album charts next week with his new record, "The Nu Nation Project."

• Kirk Franklin
• God's Property
• R. Kelly

Even though she's used to having the spotlight all to herself, Mary J. Blige had no problem hooking up with Kirk Franklin, Bono, and R. Kelly for a benefit song that will pop up next month.

Franklin approached Blige about lending her talents to "Lean On Me," the benefit track that will turn up on Franklin's upcoming "Nu Nation Project" album. Blige pointed to her affinity for Franklin's work, as well as the fact that the song will benefit arson-ravaged churches in the South, as her reasons for joining in on the track.

"We all need a fountain. We all need somewhere to go," Blige told MTV News of the track. "I mean, we're not just walkin' on earth, just walkin' and wakin' up. We got somebody to thank, or something to thank, for wakin' and breathin' in the morning. Think about it."

The work that Blige did with Franklin, Kelly, and Bono will turn up on "Nu Nation Project" in October. Meanwhile, Blige is also working on her next studio album, and expects to release its first single, "No Happy Holidays," in November.

• Mary J. Blige
• Kirk Franklin
• God's Property
• R. Kelly
• U2

Last year, Kirk Franklin "stomped" his way up the charts with his hip-hop inspired gospel. For this year's model, Franklin is putting the finishing touches on a new album, called "The Nu Nation Project," which is due out in September.

The first single from "Nu Nation" is "Lean On Me," an original song penned by Franklin -- not a remake of the Bill Withers classic, and for the track, Franklin has enlisted the assistance of some special guests, including Bono, R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige.

Proceeds from the single, which will be released in August, have been ear-marked to benefit churches in the South that have been ravaged by arson fires over the last year and a half.

• Mary J. Blige
• Kirk Franklin
• God's Property
• R. Kelly
• U2