Susan Boyle joins stars in top viral videos

SYDNEY - British singing sensation Susan Boyle, who became an overnight star with her surprising performance on a British talent show, has made the top 5 in a list of the most watched viral videos of all-time.

Visible Measures, which measures the use of online videos across more than 150 video-sharing sites, has compiled a list called the "100 Million Views Club" which is of online videos that have topped the 100 million viewership.

Topping the list is a music video by rapper Soulja Boy of "Crank That," which recorded 356 million hits, followed by a trailer for the vampire movie "Twilight" with 267 million clicks.

In third and four places, with 230 million and 197 million views respectively, came Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" music video and a user generated video by American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian Jeff Dunham called "Achmed the Dead Terrorist."

Boyle, who performed on "Britain's Got Talent," was in fifth place with 186 million views.

Boyle, 47, with her untamed hair and plain-spoken manner, captivated millions of music lovers and confounded celebrity watchers after stunning judges with a voice that belied an appearance dubbed "frumpy" and "dowdy" by the British media.

She has appeared on Larry King Live in the United States and in countless newspaper and Internet articles, fuelling the number of people viewing the online clip of her song.

"The most impressive aspect of her viral video success is the fact that she burst onto the scene just three weeks ago," said Visible Measures in a statement.

Boyle is due to appear in the semi-finals of the TV talent show in the week of May 25. The final will be held on May 30.

Also on the list of top viral videos were music videos by Leona Lewis, Avril Lavigne, Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus and Rihanna, movie trailers for "The Dark Knight," "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," and "Hannah Montana: The Movie," and some user generated videos.

`Twilight,' `Slumdog' lead MTV award nominees

NEW YORK - It's "Twilight" versus "Slumdog Millionaire" at this year's MTV Movie Awards.

The vampire blockbuster took the lead with seven nominations and the Oscar-winning Indian romance received six, MTV announced Monday. Both popular movies were nominated for best film.

"Slumdog" star Dev Patel and "Twilight" vampire Robert Pattinson are both nominated for the male breakthrough performance award. The other contenders are Ben Barnes ("The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"), Bobb'e J. Thompson ("Role Models") and Pattinson's "Twilight" co-star Taylor Lautner.

Mark Burnett, who produces the freewheeling ceremony, said either film has a great chance of winning best picture.

"Twilight" has "certainly touched a part of America and young girls are totally in love with what the movie stands for and (with) romance," Burnett said in an interview. "On the other hand, I have to say, all of my kids loved `Slumdog Millionaire.' There's just something so uplifting about what that movie stands for."

Other nominated movies include "Iron Man," "The Dark Knight" and "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."

Kate Winslet, who won an Oscar for her dramatic role in "The Reader," is up for best female performance, along with Angelina Jolie ("Wanted"), Anne Hathaway ("Bride Wars"), Kristen Stewart ("Twilight") and Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button").

Nominees for best male performance are Christian Bale ("The Dark Knight"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man"), Shia LaBeouf ("Eagle Eye"), Vin Diesel ("Fast & Furious") and "High School Musical" heartthrob Zac Efron.

Efron's co-star (and girlfriend) Vanessa Hudgens will challenge Miley Cyrus for the breakthrough performance female award. Their competition includes "Slumdog" beauty Freida Pinto and Ashley Tisdale, another "HSM" star.

The golden popcorn trophy for best kiss _ one of the event's signature unconventional categories _ could be handed to one of six big-screen duos, including Efron and Hudgens, Pinto and Patel, Stewart and Pattinson, or Sean Penn and James Franco, who co-starred in "Milk."

Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his menacing performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," is also nominated in the best villain category.

MTV usually introduces a new category or two each year: This year, a golden popcorn will be awarded to the "best song from a movie." The nominees are Cyrus' "The Climb" (from the new "Hannah Montana" film); the "Twilight" song "Decode" by Paramore; the "Slumdog" anthem "Jai Ho"; and the Bruce Springsteen ballad "The Wrestler" from the movie starring Mickey Rourke.

Votes can be cast online at MTV's Web site through May 27 for all categories except best movie. MTV said voting in that category remains open until May 31, when the show will air live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif. "Saturday Night Live" star Andy Samberg is the host.

Burnett said the key to a successful movie-awards show is to let awkward moments pan out. Among last year's highlights: Franco and Seth Rogen pulled out a bag of fake marijuana on stage.

"I will tell you right now _ there are three big things" that are part of the show, Burnett said. "I would say personally in my three years of producing the MTV Movie Awards live, the biggest thing that I can think of is going to be happening this year."

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