HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index. Acquisitions by the HMV Group include Waterstone's in 1998 from W H Smith^[1] (sold in 2011), the music retailer Fopp in August 2007, and selected Zavvi retail outlets in February 2009.^[4]

Simon Fox has been Chief Executive Officer since 28 September 2006. For this role he is paid an annual salary of £873,000.^[5] HMV stands for His Master's Voice, a painting created in 1899^[6] by Francis Barraud, of the dog Nipper listening to a cylinder phonograph. For advertising purposes this was changed to a wind-up gramophone, and eventually used simply as a silhouette.

History[link]

20th Century[link]

In 1921, the Gramophone Company opened the first HMV shop in London, England;^[7] the composer Sir Edward Elgar participated in the opening ceremonies.^[8] In March 1931 the Gramophone Company merged with Columbia Graphophone Company to form Electric and Musical Industries Ltd (EMI).

From the 1930s onwards, HMV manufactured radio and television sets under the HMV and Marconiphone brand names in their factory at Hayes Middlesex. The name HMV became synonymous with the highest quality; an HMV radiogram with a Garrard automatic record changer was regarded^{[by whom?]} as the Rolls Royce of radio and carried a correspondingly high price tag. There were to be seen only in the homes of the upper middle class such as doctors and solicitors^{[citation needed]}. They were also popular as a retirement present for long serving company executives^{[citation needed]}.

HMV flagship branch on Oxford Street, London.

In 1966, HMV began expanding its retail operations in London. Throughout the 1970s, the company continued to expand, doubling in size, and in six years became the country's leading specialist music retailers. It faced new competition, however, from Virgin Megastores, established in 1976, and Our Price, established in 1972.^[8] Subsequently, HMV overtook Our Price in popularity and threatened their existence, having established a chain of newer, larger stores.

Growth continued for a third decade in the 1990s. In 1996, when the company celebrated its 75 year anniversary, there were over 300 HMV Music stores internationally.^[8]

In 1998, HMV Media was spun off from EMI, leaving EMI with a 43% stake in HMV Media. The same year, the Company bought the Waterstone's chain of bookshops and merged them with Dillons.^[9]

21st Century[link]

From March 1999 through September 2006, Alan Giles was the CEO.^[10][11]

In 2002, the company floated on the London Stock Exchange as HMV Group plc, leaving EMI with only a token holding.^[12]

All HMV stores in Germany were closed in 2003.

In 2006, the HMV Group took over the Ottakar's book chain, via Waterstone's, with which it was merged into, in a similar situation to the acquisition of Dillons. This merger tied in to HMV's strategy for growth, as many of the Ottakar's branches were in smaller towns and outposts.

Permira bid[link]

The Christmas period of 2005 was disastrous for the HMV Group, with many product areas falling in sales. As a result, HMV itself became susceptible to a takeover, this time from a private equity firm called Permira. On 7 February 2006, HMV Group received a £762 million conditional takeover bid (based on 190p a share) from Permira, however it was rejected on the basis that it was an insufficient valuation of the company.^[13]

On 13 March 2006, HMV released a press statement declining a second offer from the private equity firm, even though it increased the value of the company, HMV felt that their firm was being undervalued and so rejected that offer of takeover as well. By the beginning of March 2006, HMV released a statement that the Permira offer undervalued the medium and long term prospects for the Group,^[14] resulting in Permira's withdrawal from the bidding.^[15]

HMV Curzon store in Wimbledon, London

Recent development[link]

HMV began piloting their refreshed loyalty scheme during 2008 under the name "pure hmv".^[16] The scheme had previously ceased to operate after being introduced in August 2003.

In 2007, HMV selected CLIC Sargent as its charity partner until 2010.^[17]

In the 2008 MCV Industry Excellence Awards, HMV was given the title 'Entertainment Retailer of the Year'.^[18]

On 1 September 2008, HMV Group launched Get Closer, a social networking site which allows users to import their own music library and rivals current providers including Napster and the iTunes Store which are both examples of an online music store.^[19]

As part of chief executive Simon Fox's plans to turn the retailer into an entertainment group for all seasons, HMV started a joint venture with Curzon Artificial Eye to bring cinemas to HMV and Waterstone's stores across England. The first trial store was in Wimbledon, London. The cinema is located above the shop in a former storage room and has been converted in to three separate screens and a bar. It has its own entrance, so it can be accessed outside store hours, as well as one within the store. The trial was deemed a success and HMV plan to open more, with HMV in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and Waterstone's in Piccadilly, London lined up next.^[20]

On 5 January 2011, HMV announced that profits would be at the lower end of analysts' forecasts due to falling sales, resulting in the share price falling by 20%^[21] and an announcement of the group's intention to close 40 HMV stores, as well as 20 Waterstone's stores, mainly in towns and cities where the company operates at multiple locations. The first of the store closures began at the end of January 2011.^[22]

On 5 February 2011, HMV Ireland announced that its profits fell by almost 90% to €465,000 last year compared to €4.1 million the previous year.^[23] It has not yet been confirmed whether some of the 27 stores operating in Ireland will cease trading under the redevelopment strategy currently being undertaken by HMV.

On 29 June 2011, the sale of Waterstone's to A&NN Capital Fund Management for £53 million was completed and was approved by the vast majority of shareholders at an emergency general meeting.^[24]

Takeovers[link]

Ottakar's[link]

The Competition Commission provisionally cleared HMV Group, through Waterstones, for takeover of the Ottakar's group on 30 March 2006. The Commission stated that the takeover would "not result in a substantial lessening of competition".^[25]

Waterstones then announced that it had successfully negotiated a takeover of Ottakar's on 31 May 2006.^[26]

All 130 Ottakar's stores were rebranded as Waterstone's prior to Christmas 2006. In March 2007, new Group CEO Simon Fox announced a 10% reduction over three years in the enlarged Waterstone's total store space, comprising mostly dual location shops created by the acquisition of Ottakar's.^[27]

Fopp[link]

In early July 2007, retailers Fopp went into administration, with the closure of 81 stores and 700 staff made redundant. Towards the end of the month, HMV bought the Fopp brand and six of its stores. HMV claimed that the six stores had traded profitably prior to their closure, and that the deal would save around 70 jobs. They later added a seventh Fopp store to its portfolio. They will continue to trade under the Fopp brand. Since, HMV did have ten stores trading under the Fopp Banner, which included the opening two new stores in Exeter and Gower Street, London which did not have a Fopp Store previously. They closed the Fopp Exeter store on 30 January 2011 due to the recent developments surrounding HMV's share price fall. Nine stores are still open under HMV ownership.^[28]

Zavvi[link]

HMV in the Manchester Arndale, England, now closed down. This store was a former Zavvi

On 24 December 2008, Christmas Eve, HMV's rival Zavvi, also an entertainment retailer, entered into administration. On 14 January 2009, a placing announcement by the company revealed that they intend to acquire 14 of Zavvi's stores.^[29]

On 18 February 2009, five additional Zavvi stores were purchased by HMV Group, all will be rebranded to HMV outlets. A 6th store has been taken over from Zavvi: this is a store in Exeter's modern Princesshay Development.^[30] The acquisitions by HMV were investigated and cleared by the Office of Fair Trading in April 2009.^[31]

MAMA Group[link]

By selling additional shares, the company will raise money to fund another joint venture with the MAMA Group, to run 11 live music venues, including the Hammersmith Apollo which is set to be renamed to the HMV Apollo. Other venues purchased include The Forum in London's Kentish Town, the Birmingham Institute and Aberdeen's Warehouse. HMV will also use the opportunity to create a tickets division which will have benefits for HMV loyalty card members.

A few months later HMV entered into a joint venture with MAMA Group. The Group had purchased a 50% stake in MAMA Group in January 2009 as part of a deal to introduce the HMV brand to live music venues, including the Hammersmith Apollo.^[32] On 23 December 2009, it decided to buy the whole of the MAMA Group in a live music takeover deal worth £46m.

Worldwide operations[link]

United Kingdom and Ireland[link]

A large HMV branch in Leeds incorporating an Orange Shop.

The company operates 379 HMV shops and 313 Waterstone's.(April 2008^[33]) HMV shops in the UK and Ireland use the His Master's Voice trademark with Nipper the dog, though its design has been updated. HMV's flagship store in Dublin, Ireland has relegated music to the basement of the store.

On 1 April 2007, HMV Group announced that Gromit, the animated dog of Wallace and Gromit fame, would stand in for Nipper for a three month period, promoting children's DVDs in its UK stores.^[34]

Hong Kong[link]

HMV store in the Elements, Kowloon

In 1994, HMV began operating in Hong Kong. HMV began relocating their store locations to shopping malls that are newly opened. HMV in Hong Kong appeals to the crowd that enjoy organized and free-sampling environment which many other records cannot match. However, the prices on their products especially those without promotion and discount are often higher than many independent record stores. HMV Hong Kong is the second place after UK that launched in-store digital kiosks. It is also the first in Asia.

There are currently five HMV stores in Hong Kong (the fifth is recently opened in Whampoa on 27 July 2011).

HMV Hong Kong once used the same stylized gramophone as HMV Japan; however, HMV Hong Kong's website presently displays the HMV UK & Ireland version of Nipper (without his gramophone), with the same lowercase logo as HMV UK & Ireland.

Singapore[link]

HMV was the second international music store to set up shop in Singapore, after Tower Records (which later closed down). It currently operates 2 stores in Singapore at 313@Somerset (which replaces one formerly in The Heeren), after closing the other at the CityLink underground mall, with a second one at Marina Square.

It is generally higher priced than other independent shops, and local chains like Gramophone and That CD Shop pose a serious challenge in terms of price competition. HMV, however, is the only store that also sells games, T-shirts, books and audio gear in addition to their music and video collection.

Former international operations[link]

Australia[link]

In September 2005, HMV Group decided to sell its 32 Australian stores to focus on the UK, Irish, Canadian and Asian markets. Under the HMV Australia subsidiary, these stores were sold to Brazin Limited, known briefly in the UK as Sanity Music, for AUS$7.3m (£1.7m). The company also operates the Sanity Entertainment and Virgin Entertainment (Virgin at Myer) retail chain in Australia. The horizontal merger was approved by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in October 2005.^[35] The HMV group's agreement with Brazin is to phase out the HMV brand in Australia by 2010. Most HMV stores in Australia have very high overhead costs and most have been closed when their lease ends and the remaining stores converted into Sanity stores, if there is no Sanity store in the area.

HMV's Australian flagship store, located in Pitt Street Mall, Sydney, was shut down on Friday 31 August 2007, when the Mid City Centre shopping centre it was located in, was closed for renovation.

USA & Canada[link]

In 1988, HMV Group began operating in Canada. This coincided with the bankruptcy, a few years later, of the Canadian record store retail chain A&A Records. HMV has also been cited as a contributor to the decline and eventual bankruptcy of two other major Canadian chains, Sam the Record Man and Music World (HMV in Canada was created by EMI Music Canada's buyout of the faltering Mister Sound chain in the late 1980s.)

HMV stores in the U.S. and Canada did not have rights to the His Master's Voice trademark; in those countries, that trademark is part of the RCA trademark portfolio owned by Technicolor SA and licensed to others. HMV Canada applied for use of the trademark, but its application was abandoned in 2010.^[36] Though the initials "HMV" originally came from the His Master's Voice trademark, HMV was not prevented from using its initials in the U.S. & Canada.

HMV had a handful of stores in the Eastern United States, which in their final years were overseen by HMV's Canadian operations. In the 1990s they had a significant presence in Manhattan.

Poor real estate decisions made in the early 1990s rendered the United States stores uneconomical and HMV gradually extricated itself from leases, with the final store in the United States, having lost £500,000 in 2003 and £1 million in 2004, closed on 3 November 2004.^[37]

In contrast, HMV has a strong position in Canada's music market, with 116 stores as of October 2007. For the last two decades, HMV has been awarded "Canadian Music Retailer of the Year".^[38]

In 2005, HMV Canada took over a Virgin Megastore in Vancouver, allowing it to own, "Canada’s largest store dedicated to music and DVD".^[39]

In June 2010, HMV Canada launched Purehmv, a customer rewards program that offers store discounts and exclusive items across worlds of Music, Film, and Gaming in exchange for points gained in-store.

In recent years, HMV Canada has encountered controversy by removing from sale all music and video recordings made by artists that have made exclusive distribution deals with other retailers for particular limited-edition or early-release titles; artists affected by this move include Alanis Morissette, The Rolling Stones and KISS.^[40]

In June 2011, HMV sold its Canadian stores for £2 million to Hilco UK, a firm specializing in failing retail stores.^[41]

On 3 November 2011 it was announced that the iconic flagship store in Downtown Vancouver, would close in January 2012, with no formal date given in a phone interview by President of Canadian operations. It was also noted that a smaller location would open in a different area of Downtown Vancouver at some time in the future, but no further details were disclosed. The same announcement brought forth detailed plans to close the location in Richmond Centre as well. ^[42]

Japan[link]

In July 2007, HMV Japan, which operates 62 shops, was sold to DSM Investment Catorce. The stores and HMV Japan website continue to trade as HMV, but is no longer owned by HMV Group.^[43]

Since JVC Kenwood Holdings (thru its JVC and Victor Entertainment subsidiaries) controls the His Master's Voice trademark in Japan, HMV Japan uses as its trademark a stylized gramophone of its own design.^[44] As with the former U.S. & Canadian operations, HMV Japan's use of the initials "HMV" has never been challenged.

India[link]

The first overseas branch of EMI was established in India in 1901. It went on make the first audio recording in India, of singer Gauhar Jan in 1902 and witnessed Indian cinema going talkies in 1931 leading to a boom in film based songs. The Gramophone Company of India was incorporated in 1946, and existed until 1985, when it was taken over by the RPG Group. On 2 November 2000, the company changed its name to Sa Re Ga Ma India Ltd.. Sa Re Ga Ma controls a large repertoire of Indian film and non-film music, spanning a century.^[45]

Product range[link]

HMV stores stock a range of products from audio, books, Blu-ray discs, CDs, computer software and hardware, DVDs, video games and most recently^[when?] have expanded their range of clothing and fashion items through "The Studio" section of their stores.^[46]

See also[link]

• Fopp
• Ottakar's
• Waterstone's
• A&B Sound
• His Master's Voice, the trademark from which HMV got its name
• Nipper, the dog featured in the trademark
• The Hut Group

References[link]

External links[link]

• HMV Group

Jordana Brewster
Jordana at the 2009 premiere of Fast & Furious.
Born	(1980-04-26) April 26, 1980 (age 32) Panama City, Panama
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Andrew Form (m. 2007) «start: (2007-05-06)»"Marriage: Andrew Form to Jordana Brewster" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jordana_Brewster)

Jordana Brewster (born April 26, 1980) is a Brazilian-American actress. She began her acting career in her late teens, with a 1995 one-episode role in the soap opera All My Children. She followed that appearance with the recurring role as Nikki Munson in As the World Turns, for which Brewster was nominated for Outstanding Teen Performer at the 1997 Soap Opera Digest Award. She was later cast as Delilah Profitt, one of the main characters in her first feature film, Robert Rodriguez's 1998 horror science fiction The Faculty. Her role brought her to the attention of a much wider audience, gained critical acclaim and achieved financial success. She also landed a starring role in a 1999 NBC television miniseries entitled The 60s.

Her breakthrough role came in the 2001 high budget car-themed action film The Fast and the Furious, which was a worldwide success. Brewster began being widely recognized. Other film credits include the 2004 action comedy film D.E.B.S., the 2005 independent drama Nearing Grace and the 2006 horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, for which she received two Teen Choice Award nominations. She had a recurring role in the NBC television series Chuck and starred in the 2009 film Fast & Furious, the fourth installment of the The Fast and the Furious film series. After guest roles in several television shows such as Dark Blue and Gigantic, she appeared in the fifth film in the franchise, 2011's Fast Five, which gained critical praise, becoming the highest rated entry for Brewster. She will star in the television series Dallas as character Elena Ramos.

Early life[link]

Brewster was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of Maria João (née Leal de Sousa), a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model from Brazil, and Alden Brewster, an American investment banker.^[1] Her paternal grandfather, Kingman Brewster, Jr., was an educator, diplomat, and president of Yale University. Brewster left Panama when she was 2 months old, relocating to London, where she would spend 6 years, before moving to her mother's native Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she learned to speak Portuguese fluently.^[2] She left Brazil at the age of 10, settling in Manhattan, New York, where she would live for the next 20 years. Brewster studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York and graduated from the Professional Children's School in New York. She then attended Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, graduating in 2003 with a B.A. in English.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Early career (1991–2000)[link]

Brewster made her debut in daytime soap operas, with a one-time appearance on All My Children as Anita Santos, followed by a recurring role on As the World Turns as Nikki Munson from 1995 to 2001. For her performance in the show, she was nominated for "Outstanding Teen Performer" at the 1997 Soap Opera Digest Awards.

Her first film role was in Robert Rodriguez's 1998 horror science fiction film, The Faculty. In the film, Brewster played the character of Delilah Profitt, a popular and vindictive girl who is the editor in chief of the student paper. The film received several favorable reviews^[3][4] and was a major success at the box office, grossing over $40 million domestically.^[5] Later, she was cast alongside Julia Stiles and Jerry O'Connell in a NBC television miniseries entitled The 60's, in which she appeared as Sarah Weinstock, a college student and radical activist. The miniseries premiered on February 7, 1999, in the United States and was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Breakthrough (2001–2008)[link]

In 2001, she starred with Cameron Diaz and Christopher Eccleston in The Invisible Circus, a drama feature based on Jennifer Egan's best-selling novel. The film was not well received by critics,^[6] however, Brewster's performance was praised. Reviewer James Berardinelli stated that "The film's saving grace is the performance of Jordana Brewster (whose only previous significant screen credit was as one of the students in Robert Rodriquez's The Faculty), whose reading of Phoebe pulls as much depth from the character as Brooks' direction will allow. Phoebe's mixture of self-confidence, bewilderment, and vulnerability is entirely credible."^[7]

Brewster had her breakthrough role when she starred opposite Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in the car-themed action film The Fast and the Furious, which was a box office hit (with an over $207 million worldwide gross)^[8] and received critical acclaim.^[9] Todd McCarthy of Variety.com stated that Brewster "is looking good and doing a better job here than she did as a searching teen in the recent The Invisible Circus."^[10] In 2004, she played one of the main characters in the action comedy D.E.B.S., as Lucy Diamond, a lesbian criminal mastermind who is the love interest of Sara Foster's character. She was cast in the 2005 independent teen drama film set in late 1970s, Nearing Grace. The film is based on the novel by Scott Sommer.

In 2006, Brewster released the drama film Annapolis. The film is about a young man who dreams of one day attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. That same year, she appeared in the high-profile horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which was released theatrically in October. In the film, she had the starring role of Chrissie. The Beginning was not well received by critics,^[11] however, grossed over $51 million worldwide,^[12] becoming a modest hit. For her performance, Brewster was nominated for both "Choice Movie Actress: Horror" and "Choice Movie: Scream" at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards. Brewster appeared in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, but her scenes were deleted.

Brewster portrayed the role of Mrs. Smith, the role depicted in the film by Angelina Jolie, in Mr. and Mrs. Smith,^[13] a spin-off pilot to the 2005 film of the same name which was made for the ABC network.^[14] However, ABC decided not to commission the series. She also joined the cast of the NBC television series Chuck, as a recurring character, Jill Roberts, Chuck's ex-girlfriend from Stanford. She has appeared in four episodes of the show between 2008 and 2009.

Recent work (2009–present)[link]

Brewster reprised the role of Mia Toretto in the fourth film of the The Fast and the Furious franchise, Fast & Furious, which opened on April 3, 2009.^[15] The film had a big financial success, with a over $353 million worldwide gross.^[16] In an interview with AskMen.com, Brewster explained her character: "In the first one I’m more of a wallflower and it's much more of a girlfriend-type role, but in [the new movie] I’m more of a woman. She’s far more tough. I deal with the repercussions of living in my brother’s world."^[17]

In 2010, Brewster had multiple guest appearances in the television series Dark Blue, in which she played Maria, an art gallery dealer who flirts with Dean. She also guest appeared in the Gigantic episodes "Pilot: Part 1" and "Pilot: Part 2".

Brewster co-starred in the fifth film of the The Fast and the Furious franchise, Fast Five. The film was released on April 29, 2011.^[18] The film told the story of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel's characters fighting against federal agents and a corrupt businessman.^[19] Filming of the movie began on June 28, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro^[20] and finished in October of that year. Fast Five opened to favorable reviews^[21] and has been a financial success, breaking box office records to become the highest grossing opening weekend in an April and the second highest opening weekend in Spring, earning $168 million.^[22] Starting in 2012 Brewster will play the character Elena Ramos on the popular tv series Dallas which is returning to the air after a 21 years hiatus. The series aired from 1978 to 1991 on CBS. It will air on TNT starting in June 2012.

In the media[link]

In 2002, Stuff magazine named her the 96th hottest woman in their "102 Sexiest Women in the World". In 2005 Maxim magazine named her the 54th sexiest woman in the world in their annual Hot 100. In 2006, Maxim ranked her at No.59 on their Hot 100.^[23] In 2009, she ranked No.9 on Maxim's Hot 100^[24] and, to coincide with Fast and Furious, a photographic spread of Brewster in a range of black lingerie in the May 2009 edition of Maxim ("Life in the Fast Lane") aroused much interest. The latter shoot followed a striking scene in Chuck (2008) in which, as Dr Roberts, she had stripped down to her black brassiere to seduce the title character (Zachary Levi).^[25] Brewster was placed 8th on afterellen.com's "100 Hottest Women" list in 2007,^[26] and placed 22nd in 2008.^[26] In 2011, Maxim Magazine placed Brewster at spot 11 in Maxims Hot 100.

Personal life[link]

She has a cat named Delilah, after her character in The Faculty, as well as two Labradors, a yellow one named Ella and a white one named Hendry.^{[citation needed]}

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, film producer Andrew Form, whom she met on the set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, in which Form worked as a producer. They announced their engagement on November 4, 2006.^[27] They married in a private ceremony in the Bahamas on May 6, 2007.^[28]

In an interview, she ranked Gossip Girl, The Office, and House as her favorite television shows.^[29]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jordana Brewster

• Jordana Brewster at the Internet Movie Database
• Jordana Brewster at AllRovi
• Jordana Brewster talks Fast & Furious with Michelle Rodriguez

Joshua Baret "Josh" Henderson^[1] (born October 25, 1981) is an American actor and singer. He rose to fame as one of the male members of Scene 23, a pop singing group that were selected as the winners of The WB's singing competition Popstars 2. After the group disbanded, he began focusing on an acting career. His most high-profile role to date has been that of Austin McCann on the ABC hit television series Desperate Housewives. He is currently playing John Ross Ewing III, son of J.R. And Sue Ellen Ewing, in the TNT revival of Dallas, which will broadcast in 2012.

Life and career[link]

Henderson was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Sharon Lea Henderson.

Henderson competed on the second season of the WB reality show Popstars and won a spot in the group Scene 23, which disbanded after a CD.

He joined the cast of Desperate Housewives in fall 2006 as Austin McCann, the nephew of Edie Britt, portrayed by Nicollette Sheridan.

Filmography[link]

Music videos[link]

• Ashley Tisdale - "He Said She Said" (2007) Music Video
• Ashley Tisdale - "Suddenly" (2008) Music Video
• Ashley Tisdale - "Not Like That" (2007) Music Video
• Scene 23 - "I Really Don't Think So" (2002) Music Video

References[link]

External links[link]

• Josh Henderson at the Internet Movie Database
• Josh Henderson on Myspace music Myspace
• Josh Henderson on Myspace personal myspace

Annie Lennox OBE
Annie Lennox performing at the Rally for Human Rights during the International AIDS Conference 2010 in Vienna as part of her SING Campaign.
Background information
Birth name	Ann Lennox
Born	(1954-12-25) 25 December 1954 (age 57)
Genres	Pop, rock, blue-eyed soul, New Wave, pop rock, R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, activist, humanitarian ambassador
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar, accordion, harmoniumflute
Years active	1975–present
Labels	RCA, Arista (1981–2009) Island, Decca (2010–)
Associated acts	The Catch, The Tourists, Eurythmics
Website	www.annielennox.com

Ann "Annie" Lennox, OBE (born 25 December 1954), is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s as part of the New Wave band The Tourists, she and fellow musician David A. Stewart went on to achieve major international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Lennox is the most recognized female artist at the Brit Awards, winning a total of eight awards. She has also been named the "Brits Champion of Champions".^[1]

Lennox embarked on a solo career in the 1990s with her debut album, Diva (1992), which produced several hit singles including "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass". To date, she has released five solo studio albums and a compilation album, The Annie Lennox Collection (2009). She is the recipient of eight Brit Awards, four Grammy Awards and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2002, Lennox received a Billboard Century Award; the highest accolade from Billboard Magazine.^[2] In 2004, she won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Into the West", written for the soundtrack to the feature film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.^[3]

In addition to her career as a musician, Lennox is also a political and social activist, notable for raising money and awareness for HIV charities in Africa. She also objected to the unauthorised use of the 1999 Eurythmics song "I Saved the World Today" in an election broadcast for Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in 2009.^[4] In 2011, Lennox was appointed to the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for her "tireless charity campaigns and championing of humanitarian causes".^[2][5]

Known as a pop culture icon for her distinctive contralto vocals and visual performances, Lennox has been named "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by VH1 and one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone.^[6] She has earned the distinction of "most successful female British artist in UK music history" due to her global commercial success since the early 1980s. Including her work within Eurythmics, Lennox is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 80 million records worldwide.^[7]

Early life[link]

Lennox was born on Christmas Day, 1954, in Summerfield Maternity hospital, Aberdeen. Her father worked at the shipyard, and her mother was a cook until she became a housewife. Lennox was an only child and the family lived in a small two-roomed apartment in a tenement with communal laundry facilities. Despite her family's financial status, Lennox had piano lessons at school from the age of seven years at the cost of £4.00 per term. She was interested in singing and, with plenty of time to herself, passed some of the time by singing along to the popular music of the time, including music by The Beatles. She was an unhappy teenager, partly because of a struggle over boundaries for her independence with her overprotective father.^[8] She attended Aberdeen High School for Girls, now Harlaw Academy.^[8][9] In 1964, her early talent was demonstrated when she came second in a talent contest at a Butlins holiday camp. She sang the song "Mairi's Wedding".^[10]

In the 1970s, Lennox won a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied the flute and classical music for three years. She lived on a student grant and worked at part-time jobs for extra money. Lennox was unhappy during her time at the Royal Academy partly because she was lonely and shy, and she missed many history-of-music lessons.^[8]

Lennox's flute teacher's final report stated: "Ann has not always been sure of where to direct her efforts, though lately she has been more committed. She is very, very able, however." Two years later, Lennox reported to the Academy: "I have had to work as a waitress, barmaid, and shop assistant to keep me when not in musical work." She also played and sang with a few bands, such as Windsong, during the period of her course. In 2006, the academy made her an honorary Fellow.^[11] Lennox also was made a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama that year.^[12]

Music career[link]

1976–1990: Dragon's Playground, The Tourists and Eurythmics[link]

Lennox in the mid-1980s

In 1976, Lennox was flautist with a band called Dragon's Playground, leaving before they appeared on TV's New Faces.^[13] Between 1977 and 1980, she was the lead singer of The Tourists (initially known as The Catch), a moderately successful British pop band and her first collaboration with Dave Stewart. During the time they were in The Tourists, Stewart and Lennox were involved in a relationship, though this had ended by the time they formed Eurythmics.

Lennox and Stewart's second collaboration, the 1980s synthpop duo Eurythmics, resulted in her most notable fame, as the duo's alto, soul-tinged lead singer. Early in Eurythmics' career, Lennox was known for her androgyny, wearing suits and once impersonating Elvis Presley. Eurythmics released a long line of singles in the 1980s, including "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", "Love Is A Stranger", "Here Comes the Rain Again", "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves", "Who's That Girl?", "Would I Lie to You?", "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)", "Missionary Man", "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart", "Thorn in My Side", "The Miracle of Love" and "Don't Ask Me Why". Though Eurythmics never officially disbanded, Lennox made a fairly clear break from Stewart in 1990. Thereafter, she began a long and equally-successful solo career.

Lennox and Stewart reconvened Eurythmics in the late 1990s with the album Peace, their first album of new material in ten years. A subsequent concert tour was completed, with profits going to Greenpeace and Amnesty International.^[2]

Lennox (far right) and David A. Stewart (left) performing as Eurythmics in 1987.

Lennox has received eight BRIT Awards, the most of any female artist.^[14] Four of the awards were given during her time with Eurythmics, and another was given to the duo for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1999.^[15]

The 1988 single with Al Green, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" (a cover version of Jackie DeShannon's 1969 hit), was recorded for the soundtrack of the movie Scrooged. Though it was produced by Dave Stewart, it was credited to Lennox and Green. This one-off single peaked at No. 2 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, No. 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was a top 40 hit in the UK.^[16][17] Lennox performed the song "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", a Cole Porter song, that same year for a cameo appearance in the Derek Jarman film Edward II. She then made an appearance with David Bowie and the surviving members of Queen at 1992's Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at London's Wembley Stadium, performing "Under Pressure".^[18]

[edit] 1992–1993: Diva

Lennox began working with former Trevor Horn protegé Stephen Lipson, beginning with her 1992 solo début album, Diva. It was a commercial and critical success, charting No. 1 in the UK, No. 6 in Germany, and No. 23 in the US where it went double platinum.^[19][20] Lennox's profile was boosted by Diva's singles, which included "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass". "Why" won an MTV Award for Best Female Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, while the video for "Walking on Broken Glass" featured the actors Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich.^[21][22] "Little Bird" also formed a double A-side with "Love Song for a Vampire", a soundtrack cut for Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie Bram Stoker's Dracula.^[23] The B-side of her single "Precious" was a self-penned song called "Step by Step", which was later a hit for Whitney Houston for the soundtrack of the film The Preacher's Wife.^[23] The song "Keep Young and Beautiful" was included on the CD release as a bonus track (the original vinyl album had only ten tracks).

The album entered the UK album chart at no.1 and has since sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK alone, being certified quadruple platinum.^[24] It was also a success in the US where it was a top 30 hit and has sold in excess of 2,700,000 copies.^[19] In 1993, the album was included in Q magazine's list of the "50 Best Albums of 1992". Rolling Stone magazine (25 June 1992, p. 41) described the album as "...state-of-the-art soul pop..." and it is included in Rolling Stone's (13 May 1999, p. 56) "Essential Recordings of the 90's" list. The album won Best British Album at the 1993 Brit Awards.^[25]

[edit] 1995–2000: Medusa and return to Eurythmics

Although Lennox's profile decreased for a period because of her desire to bring up her two children outside of the media's glare, she continued to record. Her second album, Medusa, was released in March 1995. It consisted solely of cover songs, all originally recorded by male artists including Bob Marley and The Clash. It entered the UK album chart at No. 1 and peaked in the US at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over 2,000,000 to date in the United States.^[19] It has achieved double platinum status in both the UK and the US.^[24][26] The album yielded four UK singles: "No More I Love You's" (which entered the UK singles chart at No. 2, Lennox's highest ever solo peak),^[17] "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Waiting in Vain" and "Something So Right". The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards of 1996,^[27] losing to Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell, however, Lennox won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "No More I Love You's".^[28] Though Lennox declined to tour for the album, she did perform a large scale one-off concert in New York's Central Park, which was filmed and later released on home video.^[29]

Lennox also provided an extensive solo vocal performance (without lyrics) for the soundtrack score of the film Apollo 13 in 1995.

In 1997, Lennox re-recorded the Eurythmics track "Angel" for the Diana, Princess of Wales tribute album, and also recorded the song "Mama" for The Avengers soundtrack album. In 1998, following the death of a mutual friend (former Tourists member Peet Coombes), she re-united with Dave Stewart.^[30] Following their first performance together in eight years at a record company party, Stewart and Lennox began writing and recording together for the first time since 1989. This resulted in the album Peace. The title was designed to reflect the duo's ongoing concern with global conflict and world peace. The record was promoted with a concert on the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior II, where they played a mixture of old and new songs. "I Saved the World Today" was the lead single, reaching number eleven on the UK singles chart.^[31] Another single, released at the beginning of 2000, "17 Again", made the UK top 40, and topped the US dance chart.^[32] In 2002, Lennox received a Billboard Century Award; the highest accolade from Billboard Magazine, with Editor-in-Chief Timothy White describing her as one of "the most original and unforgettably affecting artists in the modern annals of popular music."^[2]

[edit] 2003–2007: Bare and work in Africa

Annie Lennox on stage in 2004

In 2003, Lennox released her third solo album, Bare. The album peaked at No. 3 in the UK and No. 4 in the US – her highest charting album in the US to date.^[33] She embarked on her first tour as a solo artist to promote the album. The tour, simply titled Solo Tour, pre-dated the release of the album and visited both the US and Europe, with only a two-night stop in the UK at Saddler's Wells Theatre in London. The album has been certified Gold in both the UK and the US and was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 46th Grammy Awards.^[34] The album was released with a DVD which included interviews and acoustic versions of songs by Lennox. The Japanese edition of the album features a version of Lennox's earlier hit "Cold" recorded live in Toronto.

In 2004, Lennox won the Academy Award for Best Song for "Into the West" from the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,^[35] which she co-wrote with screenwriter Fran Walsh and composer Howard Shore. The song also won a Grammy award and a Golden Globe award. She had previously recorded "Use Well the Days" for the movie, which incorporates a number of quotations from Tolkien in its lyrics. This song was not used in the film, but it appears on a bonus DVD included with the "special edition" of the movie's soundtrack CD. In mid-2004, Lennox embarked on an extensive North American tour with Sting.^[2] In July 2005, Lennox performed at Live 8 in Hyde Park, London, along with Madonna, Sting, and other popular musicians.^[36]

In 2005, Lennox and Stewart collaborated on two new songs for their Eurythmics compilation album, Ultimate Collection, of which "I've Got a Life" was released as a single in October 2005. The promotional video for the song features Lennox and Stewart performing in the present day, with images of past Eurythmics videos playing on television screens behind them. The single peaked at number fourteen in the UK Singles Chart and was a number-one US Dance hit.^[16][17] On 14 November 2005, Sony BMG repackaged and released Eurythmics' back catalogue as 2005 Deluxe Edition Reissues.^[37]

[edit] 2007–2008: Songs of Mass Destruction and AIDS activism

Ending her long association with Stephen Lipson, Lennox's fourth solo album, Songs of Mass Destruction, was recorded in Los Angeles with veteran producer Glen Ballard (known for producing Alanis Morissette's album, Jagged Little Pill). It was released on 1 October 2007, and was the last studio album of Lennox's contract with BMG. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK and No. 9 in the US.^[16][17] Lennox stated that she believed the album consisted of "twelve strong, powerful, really emotive songs that people can connect to". If she achieves that, she says, "I can feel proud of [it], no matter if it sells ten copies or 50 million."^[38] Lennox described it as "a dark album, but the world is a dark place. It's fraught, it's turbulent. Most people's lives are underscored with dramas of all kinds: there's ups, there's downs – the flickering candle."^[39] She added, "Half the people are drinking or drugging themselves to numb it. A lot of people are in pain."^[39]

The album's first single was "Dark Road", released on 24 September 2007. Another song on the album, "Sing", is a collaboration between Lennox and 23 prominent female artists: Anastacia, Isobel Campbell, Dido, Céline Dion, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Beth Gibbons, Faith Hill, Angelique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Gladys Knight, k.d. lang, Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Beth Orton, Pink, Kelis, Bonnie Raitt, Shakira, Shingai Shoniwa, Joss Stone, Sugababes, KT Tunstall, and Martha Wainwright. The song was recorded to raise money and awareness for the HIV/AIDS organisation Treatment Action Campaign.^[40] Included among the group of vocalists are TAC activist members' own vocal group known as The Generics, whose CD of music inspired Lennox to make "Sing".^[40]

To promote Songs of Mass Destruction, Lennox embarked on a primarily North American tour called Annie Lennox Sings, which lasted throughout October and November 2007.^[41] The tour had 18 stops: London, San Diego, New York City (two dates), Boston. The venues generally were at medium-size theatres, except in New York, where one of the dates was a United Nations fundraiser at the Midtown restaurant Cipriani.

[edit] 2008–2009: The Annie Lennox Collection and departing from Sony

Finishing out her contract with Sony BMG, Lennox released the compilation album The Annie Lennox Collection. Initially intended for release in September 2008, the release date was pushed back several months to allow Lennox to recuperate from a back injury.^[42] The compilation was eventually released in the US on 17 February 2009, and in the UK and Europe on 9 March 2009. Included on the track listing are songs from her four solo albums, one from the Bram Stoker's Dracula soundtrack, and two new songs. One of these is a cover of Ash's single, "Shining Light". The other is a cover of a song by the English band Keane, originally the B-side of their first single in 2000. Lennox renamed the song from its original title "Closer Now" to "Pattern of My Life". A limited 3-disc edition of the album included a DVD compilation featuring most of Lennox's solo videos since 1992, and also featured a second CD of rarer songs including a version of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" with Alicia Keys and Lennox's Oscar winning "Into the West" from the third Lord of the Rings film. The album entered the UK Album Chart at No. 2 and remained in the top 10 for seven weeks.^[43]

Lennox's recording contract with Sony BMG concluded with the release of Songs of Mass Destruction and the subsequent retrospective album The Collection, and much was made in the press in late 2007/early 2008 about the apparent animosity between Lennox and the record company. Lennox stated that while on a trip to South Africa in December 2007 to appear at the 46664 campaign in Johannesburg, the regional company office of the label failed to return phone calls and e-mails she made to them for three weeks, and had completely failed to promote the Sing project as planned. Upon her return to the UK, Lennox met with the head of Sony BMG UK, Ged Docherty, who was "mortified" by the problems she had encountered with the South African branch. However, the debacle (partly inflamed when Lennox's dissatisfaction with the South African office was made public on her blog) led to press reports falsely stating that she was being dropped by Sony BMG. The record company themselves quickly refuted the rumour stating that Lennox's contract with them had merely been fulfilled and that they hoped she would consider remaining with them. The British tabloid, Daily Mirror, subsequently printed a retraction of its story about her being dropped by the label.^[44]

[edit] 2010–present: Island Records and A Christmas Cornucopia

In August 2010, Lennox signed a new contract with Island Records in the UK and Decca Records in the US (both part of the Universal Music Group).^[45] Her first release was a Christmas album entitled A Christmas Cornucopia, issued on 15 November 2010. The album is a collection of Lennox's interpretations of traditional festive songs such as "Silent Night" and "The First Noel", along with one new composition, "Universal Child", which was released as a download-only single on 13 October 2010. Lennox had previously showcased the song on the American Idol Gives Back TV show in April 2010. She sang the song "Angels from the Realms of Glory" from the album for the TNT special Christmas in Washington.^[46]

A music video was produced for a second single from the album, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Lennox also performed the track on the UK chat show Loose Women in December 2010, and was also interviewed.^[47]

According to Metacritic, A Christmas Cornucopia has gained "generally favourable reviews".^[48] Ian Wade of BBC Music gave the album a very positive review, saying "this collection could find itself becoming as much a part of the holiday season as arguments with loved ones."^[49] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine awarded the album 3.5/5 and said "Lennox seems more inspired on A Christmas Cornucopia than she has in years."^[50] John Hunt of Qatar Today magazine gave the album 9/10 and said "in particular, the vocal work and musical arrangement of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' are impactful to the point of being intimidating."^[51]

Public image[link]

Charity and political work[link]

Lennox in 2009 in Hyde Park attending a demonstration for Gaza, January 2009.

In 1990, Lennox recorded a version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" for the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue, a benefit for AIDS awareness. A video was also produced.^[52]

HIV campaigners, Memory Sachikonye (l) and Annie Lennox (r) met with Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell

Lennox has been a public supporter of Amnesty International and Greenpeace for many years, and she and Dave Stewart donated all of the profits from Eurythmics' 1999 Peacetour to both charities.^[53]

In 2006, in response to her humanitarian work, Lennox became patron of the Master's Course in Humanitarian and Development Practice for Oxford Brookes University.^[2] In October 2006, Lennox spoke at the British House of Commons about the need for children in the UK to help their counterparts in Africa.^[2]

On 25 April 2007, Lennox performed "Bridge over Troubled Water" during the American Idol "Idol Gives Back" fundraising drive.^[54]

Lennox's 2007 song "Sing" was born out of her involvement with Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), both of which are human rights groups which seek education and health care for those affected by HIV.^[2][40] In December 2007, Lennox established The SING Campaign, an organisation dedicated to raising funds and awareness for women and children affected by HIV and AIDS.^[55]

On 11 December 2007, she performed in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway together with a variety of artists, which was broadcast to over 100 countries.^[56] She led a rally against the Gaza War in London on 3 January 2009.^[57]

Lennox opened the 2009 Edinburgh Festival of Politics with a stinging attack on Pope Benedict XVI's approach to HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa. She said that the Pope's denunciation of condoms on his recent tour of Africa had caused "tremendous harm" and she criticised the Roman Catholic Church for causing widespread confusion on the continent. Lennox also condemned the media's obsession with "celebrity culture" for keeping the AIDS pandemic off the front page. In an attempt to counter this, during her address, she wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "HIV positive". Lennox wore similar T-shirts at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert at Madison Square Garden on 30 October 2009,^[58] while appearing on The Graham Norton Show on 30 November 2009 (where she performed the new song "Full Steam", a duet with singer David Gray), also during a recorded performance for American Idol during a 21 April 2010 fund-raiser, Idol Gives Back, and most recently during a performance on the live Comic Relief show on 18 March 2011. In June 2010, she was named as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for AIDS.^[59]

Lennox also supports the Burma Campaign UK, a non-governmental organisation that addresses the suffering in Burma and promotes democratisation.^[60]

In December 2010, it was confirmed that Lennox was in the New Years Honours List and would become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of her humanitarian work. She received the award from Queen Elizabeth II on 28 June 2011.^[61][62][63]

Gay icon[link]

Lennox has garnered a significant following within the LGBT community. According to The Advocate, "her distinctive voice and provocative stage persona have made Lennox a longtime gay icon."^[64] With Eurythmics' music videos earning regular rotation on MTV in the 1980s, Lennox took part in the shaping of popular culture alongside other gay icons such as Boy George, Madonna, Morrissey, and Michael Stipe.^[65]

'The House of Annie Lennox' Exhibition 2011 - 2012[link]

In 2010(?), Lennox approached the Victoria and Albert Museum (V+A) and asked if they would be interested in displaying some of her collection of costumes, accessories, photographs, awards, ephemera from her political campaigns and personal items which she'd had in storage.^{[citation needed]} This collection, along with music videos and interviews, became 'The House of Annie Lennox' at the V+A from 15 September 2011 to 26February 2012.^[66] The exhibition was more than doubled in size when it was installed at The Lowry in Salford, Manchester, which opened on 17th March 2012, (and is due to close on 17th June).^{[67] [68]} The exhibition will then travel to Aberdeen.^{[citation needed]}

Music videos[link]

Both as part of Eurythmics and in her solo career, Lennox has made over 60 music promo videos. The 1987 Eurythmics album Savage and her 1992 solo album Diva were both accompanied by video albums, both directed by Sophie Muller.^[69] Actors Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich appeared in the music video for "Walking on Broken Glass", while the video for "Little Bird" paid homage to the different images and personas that have appeared in some of Lennox's previous videos.^[22] The clip features Lennox performing on stage with several lookalikes (male and female) that represent her personas from "Why", "Walking on Broken Glass", "Sweet Dreams", "Beethoven", "I Need a Man", "Thorn in My Side", "There Must Be an Angel", and even her stage image from the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.

Personal life[link]

Both of Lennox's parents died of cancer.^[8] Her first marriage from 1984 to 1985 was to a German Hare Krishna devotee Radha Raman.^[70] From 1988 to 2000, she was married to Israeli film and record producer Uri Fruchtmann.^[71] They have two daughters, Lola (born 1990), and Tali (born 1993), who models for fashion chain Karen Millen.^[72] A son, Daniel, was stillborn in December 1988.^[73][74] Lennox describes herself as an agnostic^[75] and lives in Notting Hill, London.^[76]

Lennox was estimated to have a fortune of £30 million in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2010.^[77]

Discography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Lennox has received a variety of major awards during her career:^[78]

American Music Awards^[79]

• 2008 – AMA Award of Merit for her work and her humanitarian efforts

Academy Awards^[80]

• 2004 – Best Original Song ("Into the West")

Grammy Awards^[81]

• 1984 – Best New Artist (Eurythmics) (nominated)
• 1986 – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Eurythmics, "Would I Lie to You?") (nominated)
• 1987 – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Eurythmics, "Missionary Man") (Won)
• 1993 – Album of the Year (Diva) (nominated)
• 1993 – Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (Diva) (nominated)
• 1993 – Best Music Video – Long Form (Diva) (Won)
• 1996 – Best Pop Album (Medusa) (nominated)
• 1996 – Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("No More I Love You's") (Won)
• 2004 – Best Pop Album (Bare) (nominated)
• 2005 – Best Song Written For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media ("Into the West") (Won)

Ivor Novello Awards^[82]

• 1984 – Songwriter of the Year for Lennox and Dave Stewart
• 1987 – Songwriter of the Year for Lennox and Dave Stewart
• 1987 – Best contemporary song ("Its Alright, (Baby's Coming Back)")
• 1993 – Best Song ("Why")

BRIT Awards^[83]

• 1984 – Best British Female Artist
• 1986 – Best British Female Artist
• 1989 – Best British Female Artist
• 1990 – Best British Female Artist
• 1993 – Best British Female Solo Artist
• 1993 – Best British Album (Diva)
• 1996 – Best British Female Solo Artist
• 1999 – Outstanding Contribution to British Music (Eurythmics)

MTV Video Music Awards^[21]

• 1992 – Best Female Video ("Why")

Golden Globe Awards^[84]

• 2004 – Best Original Song – Motion Picture ("Into the West")

Honorary degrees and awards^[85]

• 1986 – Associate – Royal Academy of Music London
• 1997 – Fellowship – Royal Academy of Music London
• 2006 – Honorary Doctor of Music – The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
• 2006 – Fellowship – Edinburgh College of Art
• 2009 – Honorary Doctorate at the University of Edinburgh (awarded 20 October 2009), in recognition of her work in the field of HIV/AIDS, and her success as a recording artist.^[86]

Other awards / titles / ambassadorships^[87]

• 2002 – Billboard Century Award by Billboard
• 2008 – OUT magazine honoured Lennox for her work in the HIV and Aids field. The top 100 most influential people in Gay Culture.
• 2008 – The British Red Cross Services to Humanity Award
• 2008 – Glamour Magazine's Inspirational Woman of the Year Award
• 2008 – Honoured at the 2008 Youth AIDS Gala, for her contribution in helping the fight against HIV and AIDS
• 2008 – The German Sustainability "special achievement" award for her commitment in the fight against HIV and AIDS
• 2008 – Webby Award for official website www.annielennox.com^[88]
• 2009 – Save the Children "Amigo de los Niños" Award
• 2009 – Awarded the "Freedom of the City of London" by the British Red Cross for services to humanity in the field of HIV and AIDS
• 2009 – Nobel Peace Laureates for services to humanity
• 2010 – Patron of the Elton John Aids Foundation
• 2010 – Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Scotland
• 2010 – Ambassador for HIV/AIDS in London
• 2010 – UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador
• 2010 – Barclays Women of the Year Award
• 2010 – [International Service Award] for Global Defence of Human Rights
• 2010 – GQ Charity Woman of the Year Award
• 2010 – Harper's Bazaar Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2010 – OBE – Order of the British Empire for her work fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa

References[link]