NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

MTV declares Miley Cyrus artist of the year

NEW YORK

Here’s something to wag a tongue at: MTV says Miley Cyrus is the best artist of the year.

The former child star twerked her way to the top. Her eye-popping duet with Robin Thicke on the MTV Video Music Awards was one of the year’s most talked about cultural events.

MTV said Monday the VMA duet on “We Can’t Stop” and “Blurred Lines” was the year’s most watched video on its websites. Similarly, the MTV artist site devoted to Cyrus had more visits than any other artist’s.

Besides “We Can’t Stop,” the song “Wrecking Ball” and album “Bangerz” were big hits for Cyrus, who also had notable appearances on “Saturday Night Live” and MTV’s European music awards show.

MTV executives pick their top artist. One Direction won last year, and Katy Perry won the year before.

This year, Cyrus was an easy choice, said Amy Doyle, head of MTV’s music and talent programming strategy.

‘Sound of Music’ actress dies at 91

LOS ANGELES

Eleanor Parker, who was nominated for Academy Awards three times for her portrayals of strong-willed women and played a scheming baroness in “The Sound of Music,” has died at 91.

Family friend Richard Gale said Parker died Monday morning due to complications from pneumonia.

“She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children at a medical facility near her home in Palm Springs,” Gale added.

Parker was nominated for Oscars in 1950, 1951 and 1955, but then saw her career begin to wane in the early 1960s.

Her last memorable role came in 1965’s “The Sound of Music,” in which she played the scheming baroness who loses Christopher Plummer to Julie Andrews.

Associated Press