Rapper 50 Cent and veteran rock act Green Day each nab six trophies at the 2005 Billboard Music Awards. 50 was honored as artist of the year and took the album of the year prize for "The Massacre," while Green Day earned rock artist of the year and won rock song of the year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Kanye West is honored for his significant success with Billboard's Artist Achievement Award while Gwen Stefani wins the new artist of the year award on the strength of her solo debut, "Love.Angel.Music.Baby." Mariah Carey caps her 2005 comeback by being named the female Billboard 200 album artist and female R&B/hip-hop artist of the year and won five awards total. Tom Petty is presented with the 2005 Century Award, Billboard magazine's highest honor. More...

Fans worldwide lay flowers and light candles to honor music icon and peace activist John Lennon 25 years after his murder outside his New York apartment.

With eight nominations each, Mariah Carey, John Legend and Kanye West lead the field for the 48th annual Grammy Awards. 50 Cent, Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am and Stevie Wonder have six nods each for the honors, which will be handed out Feb. 8 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS. More...

Prince inks a deal with Universal for the release of his next album, "3121." The set will be preceded by the single "Te Amo Corazon," the video for which stars actress Mia Maestro ("Frida," "The Motorcycle Diaries") and was directed by actress Salma Hayek. More...

Foxy Brown's lawyer reveals that the rapper is almost totally deaf. Attorney Joseph Tacopina discloses her hearing problem after a question about why they exchanged notes while waiting in Manhattan Criminal Court for her case to be called on an unresolved 2004 assault charge.

Canadian country act Emerson Drive becomes the flagship act on new label Midas Records. More...

LEGALITIES:

Murder Inc. Records founders Irv and Chris Lorenzo (aka "Irv Gotti" and "Chris Gotti") are acquitted of all counts in a New York money laundering trial. The brothers are found not guilty of conducting a financial transaction involving the proceeds of specified unlawful activity and conspiracy of committing money laundering with funds allegedly supplied by convicted drug lord Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. More...

Linkin Park says it is resolving its differences with Warner Bros. and has begun working on a new album for a spring release. More...