While many folks here in Hollywood participated in the 25th anniversary redux of the We Are The World recording last night, folks in the UK got their first listen this morning of another Haitian relief charity single that was recently recorded overseas. R.E.M.‘s song Everybody Hurts was re-recorded by a batch of performers — including folks like Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Rod Stewart, Jon Bon Jovi, Kylie Minogue and more — and the song has already debuted on the UK airwaves:

A star-studded charity single for Haiti had its first airplay on Tuesday, with Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams and Susan Boyle among those teaming up to help quake victims. The version of REM’s “Everybody Hurts,” co-organised by television and music mogul Simon Cowell, will go on sale next weekend to raise funds for the hundreds of thousands affected by the January 12 quake. Other stars lending their voices to the version of REM’s 1993 REM hit include Leona Lewis, JLS, Westlife and Joe McElderry, who won the last series of Cowell’s talent show “The X Factor” Robbie Williams also reunited with his former Take That bandmates Gary Barlow and Mark Owen on the single, recorded in London and Los Angeles. Cowell, known for his acid-tongued appearances as a judge on reality TV shows “American Idol” and “The X Factor”, garnered support from Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the single. The single will be available for download from February 7 and in record shops on February 8. The government has said it will waive sales tax on purchases of the song.

I hope instead of people seeing Everybody Hurts and We Are The World: 25 Years for Haiti as competing charity singles, they will see the two songs as two opportunities to donate to Haitian relief. Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of the song Everybody Hurts … mainly because of the depressing tone of the track. But, with all these big name singers lending their voices to the song, I know I can’t help but want to buy Everybody Hurts: Helping Haiti when it becomes available. After the jump, you can listen to the song in full and hear it for yourselves …

25 years after the original version was recorded, a new batch of stars convened at the Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood, CA to re-record the charity anthem We Are The World in an effort to raise money and awareness for Haitian Relief. 25 years ago, We Are The World was written and recorded in an effort to raise money for African Aid so it is very fitting that the song would be remade for the people of Haiti. Here are a few photos from inside the recording studio yesterday for this momentous occasion:

Producers were putting the final touches Tuesday to a remake of “We Are The World” with stars such as Barbra Streisand, Wyclef Jean and Celine Dion lending their support for Haiti’s quake victims. It was 25 years ago that Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen joined others at the famed A&M Studios in Hollywood for an all-star recording of the same song to benefit famine relief in Africa. That effort, USA for Africa, raised 63 million dollars. This time, dozens of other A-listers — who also include Usher, Lil Wayne, Pink, Natalie Cole and the Jonas Brothers — took to the same soundstage late Monday for an hours-long recording that dragged into the night. The aim is to raise money to help survivors of the massive January 12 quake that killed 170,000 people and devastated what was already the poorest country in the Americas. No cameras were allowed inside, but the song’s producers said “We Are The World – 25 For Haiti” will air during NBC television’s coverage of the opening of the Winter Olympics on February 12. More than 70 stars — many of them hip-hop artists — lent their voice to the effort, none of them participants in the original recording. Rapper Wyclef Jean, a Haiti native, said in a statement he was “proud to be joined by so many members of the artistic community that want to support the region and have donated their time and talents to providing an effective way for the global community to get involved with helping the Haitian population.” The original tune was co-written and produced by Jackson, who died June 25 of cardiac arrest, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones. Richie and Jones produced the new version. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis, who directed “Crash” and also co-wrote “Million Dollar Baby,” filmed the session for an accompanying video. “What an unbelievable group of people who have come together to give their voices, for a cause to start the healing of a people who have experienced a devastation of such magnitude,” said Richie. Among the other performers spanning a broad swath of genres and ages, from 83-year-old Tony Bennett to 15-year-old Justin Bieber, were Carlos Santana, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine of the Beach Boys. “It kind of hit me that I guess this is something way more important than I could have ever imagined,” rapper Lil Wayne, who is playing Bob Dylan’s part from the original recording, told a news conference. The recording was timed just a day after the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards to ensure the maximum number of stars would attend. The contemporary version of the song and the video will be available to buy through online and traditional retailers. Producers say all proceeds will go “directly” to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

This is such a fantastic idea … what a great way to raise money for Haitian relief. It’s such a shame that Michael Jackson couldn’t be part of this redux but it was nice of Kanye West to wear one of MJ‘s jackets so that he could be there in spirit. I can’t even begin to express how much of an impact the original We Are The World had on me when it was released in 1985. I loved that song so much … I would sit by the radio and record it on cassette tapes every time it aired … I would have cassette tapes with just this song recorded on it over and over again. I’m really looking forward to hearing this version. I’m not sure why this report claims there were “no cameras” allowed in the studio because there were and a lot of photos have been made available. After the jump, check out some individual shots of some of the folks who participated in We Are The World: 25 Years for Haiti yesterday …

Happy Groundhog Day, y’all!! Today is the day that the famed groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil crawls out of his home to face the day and check to see if he can see his shadow. According to tradition, if he sees his shadow then we are in for 6 more weeks of Winter. If he doesn’t, then Winter will come to an early end. This morning, in Punxsutawney, PA, Phil came and … saw his shadow:

The chilly temperatures haven’t kept hundreds of people from gathering in Punxsutawney for the 2010 Groundhog Day. Of course, the cold isn’t what most of those folks are concerned about, rather it’s the sun. Fireworks helped to “wake up” the town’s most famous resident, Punxsutawney Phil. The groundhog emerged from his burrow in Gobbler’s Knob at 7:25 a.m. Legend says if the groundhog sees his shadow, it will mean six more weeks of winter. If Phil doesn’t see his shadow, spring is on the way. According to Phil, don’t put those warm woolies away just yet. The groundhog saw his shadow, which means another six weeks of wintry weather. This is the 98th time Phil has seen his shadow since the Punxsutawney celebration began. “As the sun shines bright above me, my shadow I see beside me,” read one of Phil’s handlers from the groundhog’s official prognostication. “Don’t shoot the messenger!” the same handler said to the crowd, who offered a few good-natured boos at the news. The Groundhog Day celebrations in Punxsutawney date back more than 120 years, but Phil, his handlers and local officials have adapted to changing times. Fans of Phil can have his prediction texted to their cell phones, watch the event on live webcams or get updates on Facebook and Twitter. Links to all of the update sites can be found on visitpa.com.

As you may recall, PETA issued an open letter last week to the folks who run this Groundhog Day celebration insisting that the practice of using a live groundhog for the ceremony is a “cruel” practice and that Punxsutawney Phil should be replaced with an animatronic robot. I somehow doubt that will ever happen … and this morning, a real live groundhog was used just like always. So … bundle up, y’all … we’ve got 6 more weeks of Winter ahead … er, that is unless you live in the paradise known as Southern California ;)

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The big morning that Hollywood dreams about all year long has finally come … the nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced earlier today and there were quit a few surprises. For the first time since the 1940′s, 10 films have been chosen to compete for Best Picture and among this year’s batch are a couple of very surprising films — District 9 and Up (which is only the second animated film to be nominated for Best Picture after Beauty and the Beast in 1992). The other big story from today’s Oscar noms … both Avatar and The Hurt Locker walked away with 9 nominations each, including noms for Best Picture and Best Director … which will pit James Cameron and ex-wife Kathryn Bieglow head-to-head. It’s really shaping up to be a very interesting Academy Awards this year, don’tcha think? Read on to find out who else garnered Oscar noms this morning:

“Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” have been duking it out all awards season. Now, the two films face their final showdown: They enter the 82nd annual Academy Awards prizefight with nine nominations apiece. The films – which, coincidentally, are by former husband-and-wife James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow – couldn’t be more different. “Avatar” is an eye-popping 3-D science-fiction studio extravaganza: It is the most expensive film ever made and has gone on to be the most successful film ever, earning more than $2 billion so far, worldwide. By contrast, “The Hurt Locker” is a gritty, low-budget, independent film about a bomb-disposal unit in the Iraq War. Though it has earned plenty of accolades this awards season, it has yet to crack the $13-million mark at the box office. The films are two of the best picture nominees announced Tuesday morning by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, among an eclectic mix that included another sci-fi hit, “District 9,” another war film, “Inglourious Basterds” and the animated hit “Up,” which is only the second animated film ever to receive a nod in this category. Though it was no surprise that “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” and “Up in the Air” earned best picture nods, there were some unexpected choices, including “The Blind Side,” “An Education” and “A Serious Man.” … The academy’s announcement marked the first time in 66 years that there were 10 nominees in this marquee category, instead of the traditional five. The nominees for best director were as expected. They included: Cameron for “Avatar,” Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker,” Lee Daniels for “Precious,” Quentin Tarantino for “Inglourious Basterds” and Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air.” But two of the nominees were nonetheless noteworthy: Bigelow, who won the Directors Guild of America Award over the weekend, is only the fourth woman to earn a best director nod. Daniels is just the second African American filmmaker to earn that honor. In the acting categories, the academy followed in the footsteps of the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The only real surprise was Maggie Gyllenhaal for best supporting actress for “Crazy Heart.” She had largely been overlooked this awards season. The nominees for best actress were Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side,” Helen Mirren for “The Last Station,” Carey Mulligan for “An Education,” Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious” and Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia.” With this nod, Streep has earned an unprecedented 16 Oscar nominations over the last 31 years. She has received two Oscars: best supporting actress for 1979′s “Kramer vs. Kramer” and best actress for 1982′s “Sophie’s Choice.” The best actor nominations went to Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart,” George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man,” Morgan Freeman for “Invictus,” and Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker.” Joining Gyllenhaal in the best supporting actress category are Penelope Cruz for “Nine,” Vera Famiga and Anna Kendrick for “Up in the Air” and Mo’Nique for “Precious.” Cruz won in this category last year for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Nominated for best supporting actor are Matt Damon for “Invictus,” Woody Harrelson for “The Messenger,” Christopher Plummer for “The Last Station,” Stanley Tucci for “The Lovely Bones” and Christoph Waltz for “Inglourious Basterds.” The nominations were revealed at 5:38 a.m. Tuesday at the academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, with last year’s lead actress nominee Anne Hathaway helping Oscar president Tom Sherak with the announcements. The Oscars will be telecast live March 7 on ABC from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Man … what an interesting batch. Films like District 9, The Blind Side and Up are helped greatly by the fact that the Academy decided to go back to the seeming ancient practice of nominating 10 films for Best Picture. They will now be forever known as Academy Award nominated films. Extra special congrats goes out to Lee Daniels for becoming the second African American person to be nominated for Best Director (after John Singleton in 1991 for Boyz N the Hood) and love and congrats goes out to Meryl Streep for picking up her unprecedented 16th Academy Award nomination (she’s held the record since she garnered her 14th Oscar nom … tho she’s only, thus far, won 2 of those nominations!). Click HERE to check out the full list of major Academy Award nominations to see if your faves were nominated. Are any of y’all excited for the show this year? Who are your picks to win Oscars come March 7?

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