NEWS FROM VIRGIN MEDIA MUSIC AWARDS

More anguish for Amy
Winehouse voted ‘Loser of the Year’ in Virgin Media Music Awards

• Leona Lewis wins ‘Best UK Act’
• Kings of Leon take ‘Best Album’
• Katy Perry picks up ‘Best Track’

Amy Winehouse has been dealt a further blow today after being named ‘Loser of the Year’ in the Virgin Media Music Awards, for the second year running. Amongst the winners of 12 other categories was Leona Lewis, who picked up the prestigious title of ‘Best UK Act’ with 72 per cent of the vote.

Girl band The Saturdays won their first Virgin Media Music Award after being named ‘Best New Act’, narrowly beating American boy band sensations The Jonas Brothers. Both bands got voters’ hearts racing by winning the ‘Hottest Male’ and ‘Hottest Female’ titles, with 19-year old Joe Jonas (39 per cent) and The Saturdays’ Una Healy (38 per cent), knocking last year’s winner Cheryl Cole off the top spot, triumphing in their respective categories.

The annual awards, a precursor to the Brit Awards, are thought to be the biggest music awards voted for entirely by the public with almost three million votes on www.virginmedia.com.

Kylie Minogue still proves to be hugely popular, triumphing in the ‘Legend of the Year’ category ahead of Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, with 59 per cent of the vote. American rockers Kings of Leon picked up the coveted ‘Best Album’ award (52 per cent) for their number one album ‘Only by the Night’ whilst controversial Katy Perry saw her risqué pop hit ‘I Kissed a Girl’ pick up ‘Best Track’ (52 per cent). The two are strongly tipped to succeed at this year’s Brit Awards and both have already picked up Grammy nominations.

In other awards, Britney Spears’ continued her comeback by scooping second spot in the ‘Best International Act’ category, just behind winner Rihanna, with Ms Spears’ album ‘Circus’ coming runner-up in the ‘Best Album’ section.

Finally, Paris Hilton was dubbed ‘Best Hanger On’ by music fans, with 67 per cent of votes, beating both Peaches Geldof (8 per cent) and Agyness Deyn to the top spot (8 per cent).

To see a full rundown of the final awards, log on to http://www.virginmedia.com/music/awards2008/winners.php


Virgin Media Music Awards Winners

• Best Album: ‘Only by the Night’, Kings of Leon
• Best Track: ‘I kissed a Girl’, Katy Perry
• Best UK Act: Leona Lewis
• Best International Act: Rihanna
• Best New Act: The Saturdays
• Legend of the Year: Kylie Minogue
• Loser of the Year: Amy Winehouse
• Hottest Female: Una Healy (The Saturdays)
• Hottest Male: Joe Jonas (The Jonas Brothers)
• Best Comeback: Maria Carey
• Best Album Cover: ‘Viva la Vida’, Coldplay
• Worst Track: ‘Get Outta My Head’, Ashlee Simpson
• Best Hanger On: Paris Hilton



-Ends-

Notes to Editors

About Virgin Media Music Awards

The Virgin Media Music Awards were voted for by almost three million members of the public between November 2008 and January 2009, on www.virginmedia.com.

About Virgin Media
With almost 10 million customers, Virgin Media is the UK's first quad-play provider of TV, broadband, phone and mobile.

Virgin Media is the largest residential broadband provider in the country, delivering next-generation internet access with ultrafast speeds of up to 50Mb using its unique fibre-optic cable network.

Virgin Media has the UK’s most advanced TV on demand service and is the only TV platform to carry BBC iPlayer. Virgin Media was the first to launch a high definition TV service and offers a high-specification, HD-ready V+ personal video recorder.

Virgin Media is the second-largest provider of pay TV and home phone in the UK and the largest virtual mobile network operator.

Virgin Media also owns two content businesses – Virgin Media Television (VMTV) and sit-up. VMTV owns eight entertainment channels, including Virgin1, Living, Bravo, Challenge and Trouble – and is a 50 per cent joint partner with the BBC in UKTV which consists of ten channels including Dave, G.O.L.D., Watch and Alibi. sit-up runs retail TV channels bid tv, price-drop tv and speed auction tv.

For more information, go to www.virginmedia.com.