Fatboy Slim
Photo: Jill Greenberg

Italian house producer Spiller was the big winner at Wednesday's DanceStar 2001 Tiscali World Dance Music Awards, taking home trophies for Best Chart Act, Best House Act and Record of the Year for his overseas hit "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)." Spiller missed a sweep by one category, losing the prestigious DanceStar of the Year award to British singer Sonique, who scored a worldwide crossover hit last year with "It Feels So Good." The DanceStar Awards ceremony was held at London's Alexandra Palace. Erick Morillo, founder of New York dance label Subliminal Records, hosted the second annual event with Gail Porter. Faithless, garage duo Architechs and trance act Darude, which won Best Breakthrough Act, were among the evening's performers. Superstar DJ Fatboy Slim led the list of nominees with five nods, but walked away with just one award, for Best Breakbeat/Eclectic Act for his Jim Morrison-sampling "Sunset (Bird of Prey)." French duo Daft Punk ousted Fatboy Slim, Sonique and two-step trailblazer MJ Cole in the Best Album category with Discovery, which was recently released in the U.S. Cole also lost Best Garage Act to Wookie featuring Lain, who won with their track "Battle," but Cole beat out Wookie, Mirwais and BT for Best Producer. Best Trance Act went to German DJ Timo Maas for "Ubik," Best Radio DJ went to Essential Mix host Pete Tong and Best Club DJ went to U.K. veteran Carl Cox, who was also honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Worldwide Dance Music award. New York DJ Danny Tenaglia was given the Lifetime Achievement award.

A worldwide academy of dance music artists, journalists and other industry experts chose the DanceStar nominees, and the public voted in the winners at www.dancestar.net.

• Fatboy Slim
• Sonique
• Daft Punk
• M.J. Cole
• Carl Cox

Fatboy Slim
Photo: MTV News

Fatboy Slim's five nods tops the long list of nominees for the DanceStar 2001 Tiscali World Dance Music Awards, which were announced Wednesday (April 25).

Close behind are Sonique and Spiller, each nominated for four awards, which will be presented June 6 at London's Alexandra Palace.

Fatboy Slim, a.k.a. Norman Cook, is up for Best Club DJ, DanceStar of the Year and Best Breakbeat/Eclectic Act for "Sunset (Bird of Prey)," Best Album of the Year for Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, and Best Video for "Demons" (featuring Macy Gray).

The other nominees for DanceStar of the Year are Timo Maas for "Ubik," Spiller for "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)," Craig David for "Rendezvous" and Sonique for "It Feels So Good." Sonique's Hear My Cry is also nominated for Best Album along with Daft Punk's Discovery, MJ Cole's Sincere and Bent's Programmed to Love. Fatboy faces stiff competition in the Best Club DJ category from Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia, Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, John Digweed, Seb Fontaine, Fergie, Carl Cox and Judge Jules.

Morillo, founder of New York dance label Subliminal Records, will host the awards along with Gail Porter and DJ Brandon Block.

Faithless, who occasionally feature founder Rollo's sister, Dido, are among the acts scheduled to perform. Others include U.K. garage duo Architechs, trance star Darude, Denmark percussionists Safri Duo and Jakatta, who will perform his hit European single "American Dream," a reworking of the title track to the film "American Beauty." Additional artists will be announced later.

Moby, Artful Dodger, ATB and Chicane (featuring Bryan Adams) performed at last year's inaugural ceremony.

DanceStar 2001 will be webcast live at Tiscali's music portal, www.musix.com.

A worldwide academy chose the nominees and winners are voted on by the public at www.dancestar.net.

In conjunction with the awards, DanceStar will release a compilation album featuring many of this year's nominees.

• Fatboy Slim
• Timo Maas
• Sonique
• Daft Punk
• M.J. Cole

Coldplay
Photo: Capitol

British R&B star Craig David and "Yellow" rockers Coldplay topped the list of Brit Award contenders announced Monday (January 15), with four and three nominations, respectively.

The U.K. equivalent of the Grammy Awards, the Brit Awards — including an Outstanding Contribution to Music honor for U2 — will be presented in a London ceremony on February 26. Several artists are up for two awards, including colorful pop star Robbie Williams, Radiohead, Badly Drawn Boy, pop singer Sonique, Irish boy band Westlife and David Gray. Badly Drawn Boy, the stage name of eccentric singer/songwriter Damon Gough, won U.K.'s prestigious Mercury Music Prize for best album last summer, but is not among the Brit Award nominees for Best British Album, which include Coldplay's Parachutes, David's Born to Do It, Radiohead's Kid A, Gray's Lost Songs and Williams' Sing When You're Winning. David, whose Born to Do It will be released Stateside by Atlantic Records in May, is also up for Best British Male Solo Artist, Best British Dance Act and Best British Newcomer. Coldplay are up for Best British Group and Best British Newcomer in addition to Best British Album. The long list of Best Newcomer nominees also includes two-step stars Artful Dodger, electronica duo Death in Vegas and Sonique.

Perhaps the most tightly contested races of the 15 Brit Awards categories will be for the international honors. Eminem, Wyclef Jean, Ronan Keating, Ricky Martin and Sisqó will compete for Best International Male Solo Artist, while Madonna takes on Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Pink and Jill Scott for Best International Female Solo Artist.

Scott, who is nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, received a Best International Newcomer nod, along with Kelis, Lene Marlin, Pink and Westlife, who will also battle U2, the Corrs, Savage Garden and Santana for Best International Group.

U2, Westlife, David and Williams, who holds the all-time record with nine Brit Awards, will perform at the ceremony, which will be held at Earls Court 2 and broadcast on U.K. television on February 27.

Brit Award nominees are determined by an academy of more than 1,000 members, with the exception of Best British Newcomer, Best British Video, Best British Single and Best Pop Act, which are determined by public voting.

• Craig David
• Coldplay
• U2
• Radiohead
• Robbie Williams