MTV video awards grant honors in Japan artists

TOKYO -- Boyz II Men, Sheryl Crow and other American artists joined such Japanese stars as Rip Slyme and rapper Zeebra on Friday for the first MTV Video Music Awards Japan.

The awards, chosen by MTV's Japanese viewers, were given in 15 categories, ranging from dance to hip-hop and rap.

Ayumi Hamazaki, a Japanese singer whose popularity is spreading through Asia, won the top female honors.

"It was the first award, so I was really nervous," Hamazaki said. "I'm just happy to be here."

The Backstreet Boys, who were not present at the ceremony in downtown Tokyo, were selected as the best group of the year. Japan's Chemistry won the top pop honors, and the British band Oasis won for best live performance.

Rip Slyme, which opened the award show performing in men's kimonos, won in the hip-hop/rap category.

Paramount Pictures chief receives star

LOS ANGELES -- Robert Evans, the former head of Paramount Pictures who approved some of today's cinematic masterpieces, now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Films such as "The Godfather," "The Godfather: Part II" and "Love Story" were made at Paramount during Evans' tenure as production chief, lifting the previously struggling studio to success.

"If we hadn't made 'Love Story,' Paramount would now be a cemetery," he said at Thursday's ceremony. About 500 people were there to cheer for the producer, including Cheryl Tiegs, Mark Wahlberg, Peter Bart and Evans's ex-wife, Ali MacGraw.

Half of ABBA awarded for lifetime achievement

LONDON -- Swedish pop stars Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, who set the world rocking as half of ABBA, were honored with an international award for their lifetime contribution to music.

The songwriting duo were presented Thursday with the Ivor Novello Special International Award by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.

The pair spoke the words to their hit track "Fernando" as they collected the award at the Le Meridien Grosvenor House hotel in London.

--From wire reports