The Grammy Awards, the music industry's top awards, will return to Los Angeles for tenth straight year in 2013, taking place on February 10, organizers said on Thursday.

The annual nominations concert also will be held in Los Angeles and take place on December 5, 2012, the Recording Academy said in a statement.

Both the nominations and the awards - in its 55th edition for 2013 - will take place in the city's Staples Center and be broadcast live on U.S. television network CBS.

Only a handful of the 70-plus categories for the awards are featured in the nominations and awards show, including the top honors of album, record and song of the year.

A week of cultural events and activities take place in the run up to music's biggest night, including producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala the night before the awards which was struck by tragedy this past February after the sudden death of singer Whitney Houston a few hours before the party.

Houston's death cast a shadow on the 2012 awards show, and the late singer was commemorated by Jennifer Hudson singing "I Will Always Love You."

A record 39.9 million viewers tuned in to see British singer Adele sweep top categories, take home six Grammys, and sing a heartfelt rendition of her hit single "Rolling In The Deep." It was her first performance since her throat surgery in late 2011.

Lambert's second studio album sold 77,000 copies in its first week, a significantly lower debut than Underwood's "Blown Away" debut two weeks ago, which sold 267,000 copies to score the top spot on the chart.

"Blown Away" fell to No 3 this week, behind Adele's juggernaut "21," which added a further 63,000 copies to its phenomenal sales record this week.

Lambert joins six other former "Idol" contestants who have topped the album chart - Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Scotty McCreery.

Comedy rockers Tenacious D, comprising actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, made an impressive debut at No 5 with their third studio album "Rize of the Fenix," selling 44,000. Baltimore atmospheric pop band Beach House scored their highest debut to date with their fourth studio album "Bloom" at No 7.

Fox's musical TV show "Glee" made its lowest chart debut to date, as their season 3 finale's "Graduation Album" sold 39,000 copies and clocked in at No 8.

Newcomer Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen broke Gotye's long-running streak at No 1 on the Digital Songs chart with her infectious single "Call Me Maybe," which she performed at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The Mark Morris Dance Group's dancers will transform onstage into living, breathing and dancing musical notes at their China debut.

Since its 1980 founding, the group has become one of the world's leading dance companies.

It has danced to live orchestra music at every international performance since 1996. It has collaborated with such famous musicians as cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Founder and choreographer Mark Morris explains his commitment to live music like this: "The music I choose cannot satisfactorily be presented in a recorded version. It is dead. I want everyone in the theater to be alive - dancers, musicians and audiences."

The group will stage three classical Mark Morris works. The last piece, V, was described by The New York Times as "one of the few great works that modern dance has produced in a decade".

"American Idol" winner and country music star Carrie Underwood topped the Billboard 200 chart on Wednesday with her fourth studio album "Blown Away," while the Beastie Boys returned after the death last week of Adam "MCA" Yauch.

"Blown Away" sold 267,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, coming only second to Madonna's "MDNA" earlier this year, which sold 358,000 copies in its initial week of release. This is Underwood's third album to debut at No. 1 on the chart.

The death of Beastie Boys' Yauch last week led to a rise in sales of the band's catalog of albums, as their 1986 record "Licensed To Ill" re-entered the Billboard 200 at No. 18 with 19,000 copies sold.

Six other Beastie Boys albums also re-entered the Billboard 200 chart, with collective sales of 55,000 in the two days following Yauch's death last Friday. Online music streaming site Spotify said it saw a 1700 percent increase in people listening to Beastie Boys songs between May 3 and 4.

Grammy-winning blues singer Norah Jones' fifth studio album, "Little Broken Hearts," entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2 after selling 110,000 copies, while the new "Now 42" music compilation of current hits including those by Kelly Clarkson, Chris Brown and Gotye, entered the chart at No. 3 with sales of 95,000.

Rapper B.o.B.'s second album, "Strange Clouds," debuted at No. 5 with sales of 76,000, leaving Adele's Grammy-winning "21" at No. 4, the only non-new entry in the top five this week.

Two more new albums entered the top 10, with the soundtrack from hit TV musical "Smash" at No. 9 and gothic rocker Marilyn Manson's tenth studio album "Born Villain" debuted at No. 10. Last week's chart-topper, Jack White's "Blunderbuss," fell to No. 7 this week.

"I was hurt ... because, you know, me being off of narcotics for the last seven years - I felt that she was, you know, I didn't know she was struggling with it still. But at the same time, you know - listen, it's a hard fight," he said.

Brown said drugs were part of Houston's life before he met her in 1991. "I smoked weed, I drank the beer, but no, I wasn't the one that got Whitney on drugs at all," he said.

"So this was a part of her life before you and she got together?" Lauer asked.

"Way, way before. Yeah ... It's just, it's just unexplainable - how one could, you know, (say that I) got her addicted to drugs. I'm not the reason she's gone," Brown replied.

Brown said Houston had a "glow about her" when he last saw her about a week before she died. He was at a restaurant having dinner with their daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

"She just looked like she was in a good place," he said about the "I Will Always Love You" singer.

The interview will be aired on "Today" show on Wednesday and Thursday.

Brown turned up for Houston's funeral in New Jersey but left before the service started saying he felt unwanted and disrespected.

Six weeks after Houston died, Brown was arrested and charged in Los Angeles with drunk driving and driving on a suspended license. Brown has pleaded not guilty.

Record label XL was the big winner at the Music Week Awards late on Thursday, picking up four prizes mainly for its work on Adele's chart-topping "21".

At a ceremony in central London, music business publication Music Week honored XL Recordings with the A & R Award, the artist marketing campaign prize for 21 and the best record company award.

Richard Russell, XL Recordings boss, also picked up the outstanding contribution prize, while Adele turned up to present her manager Jonathan Dickins with his manager of the year award.

XL, which is independent but dubbed a "mini-major" by the music trade after it's huge success with Adele and other acts, began in 1989 as a specialist rave label.

The big breakthrough came in 1997 with The Prodigy's hit album "The Fat of the Land", which reached number one in 26 countries including the United States.

The label branched out to other genres, signing artists like Dizzee Rascal, The White Stripes and, crucially, Adele.

The British singer's second album "21" has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, earned her a raft of major music awards and turned her into one of the biggest names in pop.

Sinead O'Connor cancels tour due to bipolar disorder

Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor has cancelled her tour schedule due to bipolar disorder, she said in a statement quoted by British media and fansites on Tuesday.

She said she called off plans to tour North America "with enormous regret" and was "very unwell due to bipolar disorder."

O'Connor added that she had a "very serious breakdown" between December and March, but ignored her doctor's advice not to go on tour because she did not want to let people down.

"So very stupidly I ignored his advice to my great detriment, attempting to be stronger than I actually am. I apologize sincerely for any difficulties this may cause."

O'Connor's website and Twitter account were not accessible on Tuesday morning. A spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment on the statement.

The 45-year-old singer, who released a new album entitled "How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?" in March, has had a tumultuous few months, ending her marriage after only 16 days in December before announcing shortly afterwards that her relationship was back on.

O'Connor rose to fame in the late 1980s with her shaved head and haunting voice, and is best known for her chart-topping cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U", released in 1990.

Skylar Laine gets the boot on 'American Idol'

Mississippi's Skylar Laine got the boot from TV singing competition "American Idol" on Thursday, leaving the show with a rousing performance of country singer Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead."

Laine, 18, who idolizes Lambert and aspires to be a country star herself, sang the song as fellow contestant Hollie Cavanagh, also among this week's bottom two singers, wiped away tears knowing it was her friend's final number.

On Wednesday's performance episode of the top-rated U.S. television show, judge Jennifer Lopez had praised Laine's energetic performance of Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," and Randy Jackson exclaimed that she was "born to be on the stage."

But the panelists' comments for Laine's rendition of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" were not universal. While Lopez enjoyed the singer's spin on the Dusty Springfield classic, mentor Jimmy Iovine thought it was one of her weakest performances of the season.

Still, Iovine had hoped Laine would remain in the contest because, he said, "she suits up and shows up every night." But his hopes were dashed by audience voters who choose the contestants that will remain.

Cavanagh, who had frequently found herself in the show's danger zone of being voted off, wowed the judges on Wednesday with her soaring energy and Tina Turner-like dance moves in her take on "River Deep Mountain High."

Contestants sang hits from the 1960s, followed by songs by British artists on Wednesday, and "Idol" got a visit from one it most famous past winners, country songstress Carrie Underwood on Thursday elimination episode.

Sing along with Lil Jon

While Beijingers might not know Atlanta Georgia native Lil Jon, many have definitely heard his music. He's a "crunk" legend. The rowdy southern style of hip-hop has been gracing the Chinese party scene with hit songs such as Get Crunk and Get Low.

Since gaining notoriety after a sketch comedy portrayal of him by Dave Chappelle, Lil Jon has been the focus of many jokes, including one that has people screaming at him saying "Yeah", "What" and "Okay". He expects things to be a little better in China, but he isn't sure.

"Who knows? The show might've been popular in China, but I'm sure it won't be like America (where) I can't walk through the airport, go to the grocery store or go anywhere without somebody screaming it really loud," Lil Jon says. "Say I'm going through the airport and the TSA screeners, they see me and they scream out loud and I'm looking at them like 'you gonna get fired' trying to imitate me.

"It's just so out of place. I think they're going to scream that at my funeral."

With roots in crunk, Lil Jon is more than just a crunk artist. He describes himself as a party guy, and his music seems to invoke a sense of party.

"Back in the early days I did consider myself a crunk artist," Lil Jon says. "As I got older and the music started to change. And through the evolution of an artist, I became the party guy. That's what I am now."

Wang Feng to host pilot episode of talk show

Singer-songwriter Wang Feng will participate in the launch episode of an online talk show, Interactive Affairs, produced by LeTV, one of the most popular online video sites in China.

Interactive Affairs will invite celebrities to bring guests and discuss hot social topics. Wang, as one of the invited hosts, will bring his friends to talk about the mainland music industry. According to Wang, the talk show will offer him a new platform to showcase his music and attitude towards the industry.

Big Love: Can you spare some change?

A star-studded program, the Big Love Music Festival attracted considerable attention even before it started in late June. It was also the most talked-about festival afterward, but not entirely for good reasons.

There are two opposing opinions about the festival in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Many of those who attended say it was the best ever music festival in China, but for some of those who were involved in organizing the festival, it was a nightmare.

Contracted companies, including the hotel, production team, and those who provided power and cars, claimed they did not get paid. Before the festival was completed, some of them had already gone on strike, and by the end of the festival, things were out of control.

The hotel wouldn't let some guests check out because the organizer didn't pay for their stays; and some artists, including Taiwan singer Lo Ta-yu, had to pay for their own accommodation to leave. The transportation team refused to take artists to the airport too. Staff members of the organizing company, which is based in Beijing, couldn't leave Chengdu because no one paid for their flights.

Director of the festival Chen Shu made a public statement after being taken to the police station to settle disputes with the contracted companies. He admitted there were problems with the management of the festival, and he would try to pay back the 8 million yuan ($1.26 million) he owes contracted companies as soon as possible.

I interviewed Chen last year, when he was preparing to hold the festival in October, in Mianyang, another city in Sichuan. He seemed very optimistic and estimated that an overall audience of 200,000 would attend the festival. That didn't work out because the local government changed its mind, but Chen was still optimistic about his festival and decided to hold it in Chengdu, in June.

In terms of lineup, Big Love was the best music festival of the year, with top-notch Chinese artists like Cui Jian, Xie Tianxiao and Miserable Faith, pop artists Chyi Chin, Alan Tam and Chang Chen-yue. There were also international acts like Extreme, Suede and Lisa Ono.

China Mobile Ltd, the world's biggest mobile operator by subscriber base, said on July 11 that it successfully developed the first TD-SCDMA 3G mobile phone supporting the Near Field Communication technology.

NFC is a short-range communication technology that can be incorporated into mobile phones to perform functions such as paying for goods or swapping information.

NFC mobile phones can help China Mobile to promote its mobile payment services, as the telecom carrier tries to find new sources to boost its sluggish revenue growth.

China Mobile bought a 20 percent stake of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in 2010 to strengthen its mobile payment services. The two companies held a demonstration of their mobile payments solutions at the GSMA Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai in June. The solutions included a service similar to Google Inc's Google Purse, which enables people to connect their bank accounts to smartphones and make payments by phone.

Other two Chinese telecom operators - China United Telecommunications Corp Ltd, known as China Unicom, and China Telecom Corp Ltd - have also launched mobile payment branches.

China Unicom established a mobile payment arm in 2011 with registered capital of 250 million yuan ($39.26 million).

She explained that demand will remain depressed and steel prices will stay low for a while - maybe even drop slightly in coming months - because of the long investment cycle of the planned projects.

China's manufacturing and real estate industries remain weak, leading to lower steel consumption.

The country produced 296.26 million metric tons of crude steel during the first five months of the year, 6.4 million tons more than in the same period last year and 2.2 percent growth year-on-year, according to the China Iron and Steel Association.

The association predicted the average daily output of crude steel in June would be around 1.97 million tons, down 1.4 percent compared with the previous month but still at a high level.

Zhang said the contradiction between increasing steel output and shrinking demand will lead to high steel inventories, pushing down prices.

The nation's total steel products inventory reached 15.63 million tons on June 29, 69,600 tons more than the week before, according to market monitoring by the center. The inventories have now been increasing for three successive weeks.

The weak market for Chinese steel has depressed the demand for fuel, particularly coal and iron ore, leading to record high port inventories and falling prices of both, said Chen Kexin, an analyst at the center.

According to official figures, coal stocks at Qinhuangdao, the largest coal trading port in China, swelled to 9.46 million tons on June 18, the highest level since the outbreak of the 2008 financial crisis.