» Madonna Career Diary (By Maurice Gravelle)

» 1999 Jan (1) Madonna is voted Artist Of The Year by readers of the music internet website Rock On The Net. (4) Ray Of Light is voted Favorite Album Of The Year by Billboard magazine. (5) Madonna and Ray Of Light are nominated for 6 Grammy Awards: Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Best Pop Album, Best Dance Recording, Best Recording Package and Best Short-Form Music Video. (9) Madonna begins filming "Nothing Really Matters" video in New York, NY, directed by Johan Renck. (12) Madonna is #2 on Mr. Blackwell's 39th annual list of the worst-dressed women of 1998. (18) Madonna guests on CNN-TV's Larry King Live. (21) Madonna wins Best Female Artist and Best Dance/Electronica Artist in Rolling Stone magazine's 23rd annual Readers Poll. (29) Ray Of Light is voted Pop/Rock Album Of The Year by Playboy magazine. Feb (2) Madonna signs a long-term licensing and marketing contract with Sony Signatures: she will lend her name and image to fashion designers and manufacturers of fragrances, cosmetics and collectibles, and Swiss watchmaker Ebel. (5) Madonna is interviewed on ABC-TV's Entertainment Tonight. (6) Madonna wins Best International Female Artist and Best International Album (Ray Of Light) at the 10th annual Dansk Grammy Awards at Tivoli's Garden Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark. (8) Madonna wins Female Artist Of The Year at the 1st annual NRJ Radio Awards at Cirkus in Stockholm, Sweden. (10) Madonna attends a reception at Astra in the D&D Building, New York, for the unveiling of Esquire magazine's March 1999 issue about the AIDS crisis in which she is featured on the cover with other AIDS activists. (13) "Nothing Really Matters" video premieres on MTV. (16) Madonna attends the Los Angeles premiere of Guy Ritchie film Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. (22) Max Factor announces a $6.5 million agreement with Madonna to collaborate on a line of several new cosmetic products, and she will also appear in TV commercials and ad campaigns which will run in Europe, Japan and Asia. (24) Madonna performs "Nothing Really Matters" at the 41st annual Grammy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA; Ray Of Light wins Best Pop Album, Best Dance Recording, Best Recording Package and Best Short-Form Music Video. Mar (2) Maverick Recording Company and Warner Bros. Inc. announce a long-term extension of their joint venture which also includes a new long-term contract with Maverick partners Madonna, Guy Oseary and Ronnie Dashev. (3) Madonna is voted Electronic Artist Of The Year and Ray Of Light is voted Electronic Album Of The Year in the 2nd annual Sonicnet / Addicted To Noise Readers Poll. (4) Madonna wins Best International Female Artist at the 39th annual Edison Music Awards in Amsterdam, Holland. (9) "Madonna - Ciao Italia: Live From Italy" (1988) is released on DVD. (15) Madonna is named one of People magazine's "25 Legends Of The Past 25 Years". (17) Madonna wins Best Dance Artist - Solo and Best Dance Video ("Ray Of Light") at the 14th annual International Dance Music Awards at the Winter Music Conference in Miami, FL. (19) Madonna attends Sony Music's pre-Academy Awards party at Mondrian Hotel's Asia de Cuba restaurant, Los Angeles, CA. (20) Madonna begins filming Max Factor commercial in Los Angeles, CA, directed by Alek Keshishian. (21) Madonna attends the Vanity Fair post-Academy Awards party at Morton's restaurant, West Hollywood, CA. (29) Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack is certified 5x platinum (5 million units). Apr (5) Madonna is voted the Most Positive & Influential Sexual Voice Of The Past 35 Years in a USA Today online survey. (9) "Ray Of Light" wins Pop Video Of The Year and "Frozen" wins Best Special Effects In A Music Video at the 8th annual Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Awards at the Egyptian Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. (13) "Nothing Really Matters" single is released. (14) Ray Of Light wins Best Foreign Album Of The Year at the Fryderyk Music Awards in Warsaw, Poland. (20) Four Rooms (1995) is released on DVD. (23) Madonna begins filming The Next Best Thing, starring Rupert Everett and Benjamin Bratt, directed by John Schlesinger. (25) Madonna is featured in various photographs in The UK Sunday Times for the Max Factor campaign. (30) The Max Factor commercial premieres on TV in Europe. May (1) Madonna begins filming "Beautiful Stranger" video at Universal Studios, Los Angeles, CA, directed by Brett Ratner. (2) Madonna wins Best International Pop/Rock Album (Ray Of Light) and Best International Music Video ("Frozen") at the 6th annual Croatian Porin Music Awards in Makarska, Croatia. (8) "Nothing Really Matters" hits US #93. (11) Madonna & Ricky Martin duet "Cuidado Con Mi Corazon (Be Careful With My Heart)" is featured on his CD Ricky Martin. (13) Ray Of Light is named one of Rolling Stone magazine's "Essential Recordings Of The 90s". (17) "Frozen" is honored as one of the Most Performed Songs Of 1998 at the 16th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA. (19) "Beautiful Stranger" video premieres on MTV. Madonna is interviewed by Charlie Rose on CBS-TV's 60 Minutes II. (23) Guinness Book of Records - Top 100 Singles includes "Crazy For You" #16 and "Holiday" #33. (26) "Ray Of Light" is honored as Top ASCAP Dance Song at the 12th annual ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center, New York, NY. Jun (1) "Beautiful Stranger" single (from film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) is released. (8) "The Immaculate Collection" (1990) is released on DVD. (10) Madonna and Rupert Everett attend the Los Angeles premiere of his film An Ideal Husband. (16) Madonna is interviewed on ABC-TV's Entertainment Tonight. (29) Madonna files a $2.5 million lawsuit against her ex-financial advisors, Padell, Nadell, Fine, Weinberger & Co. for malpractice and breach of contract: she claims to have paid $2 million in New York state income taxes in 1992 after the firm prepared her taxes saying she was a California resident; Madonna seeks $2 million in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages. (30) Madonna completes filming The Next Best Thing in Los Angeles, CA. Jul (15) "Beautiful Stranger" is the most-played song on radio ever in UK: it was played 2,462 times in only one week. (17) During a 2-week vacation in Europe, Madonna attends the Versace Fashion Couture party at Man Ray Club in Paris, France. (24) "Beautiful Stranger" hits US #19. (26) "Beautiful Stranger" wins Best Pop Song Of The Year on BBC2-TV's Gaytime TV Awards in London, England. Aug (2) Madonna attends the Talk magazine launch party on Liberty Island, Manhattan, NY. Sep (9) Madonna wins Best Video From A Film for "Beautiful Stranger" and co-presents with Paul McCartney the Best Video Of The Year award to Lauryn Hill for "Doo Wop (That Thing)" at the 16th annual MTV Video Music Awards at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, NY. (Madonna is crowned Most Honored Artist Of The 20th Century in the 15-year history of the MTV Video Music Awards with a career total of 18 awards). (12) Madonna and Lourdes attend the Versace Spring 2000 Show at the Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY. (30) "Blond Ambition Tour" is named The Greatest Concert Of The 1990s by Rolling Stone magazine. Oct (7) Madonna wins Favorite Female Artist at the 1st annual ARTIST Direct Online Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA. (13) Madonna attends the Details magazine party at the Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, NY. (17) Madonna receives death threats from a telephone caller on her way to London, England to begin work on a new album; upon their arrival at Heathrow Airport, Madonna and Lourdes are escorted by police but there are no incidents. Nov (1) Guinness World Records: Madonna is the most successful female solo artist for selling 120 million albums worldwide. (7) Madonna is #5 on "Top Entertainers Of The Half-Century (1950-2000)" list by Entertainment Weekly magazine. (9) "Madonna: The Video Collection 1993-99" is released on home video and DVD. Madonna is named Top-Selling Female Rock Artist Of The Century by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA). (13) In UK, Madonna is voted Female Performer Of The Millenium on Channel 4's Music Of The Millenium Poll. (17) Madonna is voted Favorite Female Music Artist Of The 80s (37.8% votes) on AccessHollywood.com - Millenium Poll. (27) "Madonna: The Video Collection 1993-99" hits US #3 on Top Music Videos chart. (30) MTV & TV Guide's Top 100 Videos Ever Made includes "Vogue" #2, "Express Yourself" #10 and "Lucky Star" #50. Dec (1) Madonna is crowned Artist Of The Millenium by MTV Asia. Madonna is voted #3 Artist Of The Decade and "Beautiful Stranger" is #2 Song Of The Decade in RollingStone.com and TDK's "90s Music Time Capsule" Online Survey. (5) Madonna presents the Male Celebrity Style Award to Rupert Everett at the 5th annual VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards at the Lexington Avenue Armory, Manhattan, NY. (12) Madonna is #8 on The Detroit Free Press newspaper's "100 Greatest Artists & Entertainers Of Michigan's Century". (14) Madonna is voted Female Artist Of The Century by readers of SongLink International, a UK songwriters and music magazine. (18) Madonna is #3 on VH1-UK's "Millenium Honors List" of the top 100 greatest artists of the millenium. (25) Madonna is featured in Billboard magazine's "Totally 90s - Diary Of A Decade": Top Pop Artist Of The Decade #6, Top Pop Female Artist Of The Decade #4, Hot 100 Singles Of The Decade "Take A Bow" #24 and "Vogue" #93. (28) Madonna is honored as Female Artist Of The Millenium by Radio Tel Aviv in Israel. (30) In Australia, Madonna is voted #1 "Female Music Star Of The Millenium" in a Virtual Time Capsule by 2DayFM radio station. (31) MuchMusic: Top 100 Videos Of The Century includes "Express Yourself" #3, "Ray Of Light" #8 and "Like A Prayer" #47. » 2000 Jan (1) Madonna and Guy Ritchie celebrate the new millenium at Donatella Versace's party at the Versace Mansion in Miami, FL. (3) In Israel, Madonna is named Female Artist Of The Decade by listeners of Galgalatz radio station. (4) Madonna is nominated for 2 Grammy Awards: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media ("Beautiful Stranger"). (10) Madonna begins filming "American Pie" video in London, England, directed by Phillip Stolzl. (14) "Beautiful Stranger" wins Best Song at the 3rd annual Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards in Las Vegas, NV. (18) "Beautiful Stranger" is named the most-played song on UK radio in the year 1999: it was played 44,483 times to an audience of 1,468,204 radio listeners which makes Madonna the first female solo artist to top the Radio Airplay chart in England. Feb (2) Madonna is interviewed on ABC-TV's Entertainment Tonight. (4) Madonna and Benjamin Bratt (co-star of The Next Best Thing) guest on NBC-TV's The Rosie O'Donnell Show. (5) Madonna is a special guest at the 27th annual Evening Standard British Film Awards at the Savoy Hotel, London, England. (11) "American Pie" video premieres on MTV. (14) Madonna attends the London premiere of film The Talented Mr. Ripley at the Empire Theatre, Leicester Square. (22) The Next Best Thing: Music From The Motion Picture soundtrack CD is released and includes 2 new songs by Madonna: "American Pie" (a remake of 1971 Don McLean classic) and "Time Stood Still". (23) "Beautiful Stranger" wins Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media at the 42nd annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA. (26) MTV - Top 25 Most Played Music Videos includes "Like A Virgin" #8 and "Vogue" #18. (28) "American Pie" single (from The Next Best Thing) is released. (29) Madonna and Guy Ritchie attend the New York premiere of The Next Best Thing at the Loews Cineplex Theatre. Madonna Exposed - The Next Best Thing Movie Special premieres on VH1. Mar (1) Madonna guests on MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) at the MTV Building in Times Square, New York, NY. (2,3) Madonna is interviewed by Matt Lauer on NBC-TV's Today. (3) The Next Best Thing is released nationwide. Madonna is featured in an interview on MTV's Fanatic. (4) "American Pie" hits US #29. (5) The Next Best Thing hits #2 at the US box-office with $5.8 million on its opening weekend. (16) The Immaculate Collection is certified 9x platinum (9 million units), Ray Of Light is certified 4x platinum (4 million units). (20) Madonna announces she is 3-months pregnant with her second child and the father is Guy Ritchie. (23) Madonna and Guy attend the re-opening of the Tate Britain Gallery, London, England. (25) Madonna wins a Razzie Award for Worst Actress Of The Century at the 20th annual Golden Raspberry Awards at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Academy Room, Los Angeles, CA. Apr (7) "Beautiful Stranger" wins Best Cinematography In A Music Video at the 9th annual Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Awards at the Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles, CA. (20) Madonna begins filming "Music" video in Los Angeles, CA, directed by Jonas Akerlund. (25) "Beautiful Stranger" is honored as one of the Most Performed Songs From A Motion Picture at the 15th annual ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA. May (21) The Next Best Thing has grossed a total of $14.9 million US at the box-office. (25) "Beautiful Stranger" wins PRS (Performing Rights Society) Most Performed Work at the 45th annual Ivor Novello Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, England. (31) A copy of Madonna's new single "Music" is illegally downloaded on the internet by Napster months before its release date and her record company is threatening legal action. Jun (1) Madonna attends a charity dinner hosted by HRH Prince Charles at his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, England. (6) Madonna attends the London premiere of The Next Best Thing at the Odeon West End Theatre, Leicester Square. (7) "Nothing Really Matters" is honored as one of the Most Performed Dance Songs Of 1999 at the 13th annual ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center, New York, NY. (13) Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) is released on DVD. (18) In Singapore, Madonna is named Best Female Artist at the 1st annual Radio Music Awards at the Harbour Pavilion. Aug (1) The official website www.MadonnaMusic.com is launched by Warner Bros Records. (2) "Music" video premieres on MTV. (11) Madonna gives birth to a 5-lb, 9-oz boy, Rocco Ritchie, at 11:59 am at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, CA. (22) "Music" single is released. (24) Madonna files a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) of the United Nations for ownership of the internet address www.madonna.com, a pornographic website presently owned by New Jersey entrepreneur Dan Parisi. (26) Madonna becomes the first female solo artist to have 10 No. 1 singles in UK with "Music". (29) The Next Best Thing is released on home video and DVD. Sep (5) "Music" DVD video single is released. (16) "Music" hits US #1 for four consecutive weeks - it is her 12th No. 1 and 33rd Top 10 single in US. (18) Madonna participates in her first live online chat on America Online (AOL). (19) Music CD is released. Madonna attends the Music launch party at the club Catch One, Los Angeles, CA. (22) Madonna makes a surprise in-store appearance at the Virgin Megastore, West Hollywood, CA, to sign copies of Music CD. (23) "Music" DVD hits US #3 on Top Music Videos chart. (24) Music has sold 420,000 US copies in one week and hits #1 in 23 countries such as: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US. (26) Madonna announces she will perform mini-concerts in New York and London clubs in Nov 2000. Oct (3) Madonna is certified 5x platinum (5 million units), Something To Remember is certified 3x platinum (3 million units). (7) Music hits US #1 for one week - her first No. 1 album in 11 years. (10) VH1 - 100 Greatest Dance Songs includes "Vogue" #4 and "Into The Groove" #40. (16) Madonna wins her case for ownership of the internet address www.madonna.com and the World Intellectual Property Organization orders businessman Dan Parisi to transfer the site back to her. (17) Madonna begins filming "Don't Tell Me" video in Los Angeles, CA, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. (24) Madonna contributes "Shanti/Ashtangi" to all-star Tibetan benefit CD Mantra Mix. (25) Music is certified 2x platinum (2 million units), "Music" single is certified 1x platinum (1 million units). (26) RIAA Top Selling Artists: Madonna is #10 with 57 million certified units in US. Nov (1) Guinness World Records: Madonna is the most successful female solo artist for selling 130 million records (singles and albums) and having 35 Top 10 singles and 12 Top 10 albums in US with a UK total of 47 Top 10 singles and 14 Top 10 albums. (3) Madonna guests and performs "Don't Tell Me" on CBS-TV's Late Show With David Letterman. (5) Madonna performs a mini-concert at the Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY. (7) Madonna announces she will perform at Brixton Academy, London on Nov 28 - her first UK concert in 7 years. (10) "Music" wins Best Pop Clip Of The Year at the 22nd annual Billboard Video Awards at the Universal Hilton, Los Angeles, CA. (11) Madonna guests and performs "Don't Tell Me" on Wetten Dass TV show in Freiburg, Germany. (12) Madonna is interviewed on CNN-TV's World Beat. (13) Madonna is named Best International Female Artist at the 4th annual Premios Amigo Awards in Madrid, Spain. (16) Madonna performs "Music" at the 7th annual MTV Europe Music Awards at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden and wins 2 awards: Best Female and Best Dance Act. (17) "Don't Tell Me" video world premieres on BBC1-TV's Top Of The Pops in London, England. (18) Madonna is interviewed on NRJ Radio Show at the Champs Elysées in Paris, France. (19) Madonna performs "Music" and "Don't Tell Me" and is interviewed on Nulle Part Ailleurs TV show in Paris, France. (20) Madonna is interviewed on TF1's Journal de 20 Heures in Paris, France. (24) Madonna performs "Don't Tell Me" on BBC1-TV's Top Of The Pops in London, England. (25) Rolling Stone & MTV: The 100 Greatest Pop Songs includes "Like A Virgin" #4, "Vogue" #19 and "Papa Don't Preach" #62. (27) "Don't Tell Me" video premieres on VH1. (28) Madonna performs a mini-concert at Brixton Academy, London, England, which is webcast live on the internet on Microsoft Network (MSN) at 8:00 pm GMT and seen by 9 million viewers in UK, US and Europe - it is the biggest live webcast ever and breaks the record of 3 million set by Paul McCartney's online concert at Liverpool's The Cavern Club in 1999. (30) In UK, Madonna's house is burglarized while she and her family are asleep: reports confirm that thieves stole her boyfriend's Range Rover and various other items; the vehicle is recovered and the matter is being investigated by police. Dec (2) Madonna performs "Don't Tell Me" on Carramba Che Fortuna TV show in Rome, Italy. (7) Madonna announces her engagement to Guy Ritchie and that they will marry in Scotland on Dec 22, 2000. (15) Madonna purchases an $8 million estate in London, England. "Music" is named Single Of The Year by People magazine. (17) "Music" is voted Best Pop Single and Best Pop Album in Dotmusic.com Records Of The Year Readers Poll. (18) Madonna and her family arrive in Scotland to begin wedding preparations; upon her arrival at Inverness Airport, she is greeted by journalists, fans and a bagpiper who welcomes her with a rendition of "Like A Virgin". (21) Rocco Ritchie is baptized at Dornoch Cathedral, Dornoch, Scotland. (22) Madonna and Guy Ritchie are married at Skibo Castle in Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland with Gwyneth Paltrow, Stella McCartney, Sting, George Clooney, Jon Bon Jovi, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Rupert Everett and others in attendance. (23) Madonna and Guy leave Scotland for their honeymoon: it is reported that they will spend Christmas with Sting and his wife Trudi Styler at their holiday-weekend estate in Wiltshire, England. (25) Madonna performs "Music" on a special Christmas episode of BBC1-TV's Top Of The Pops in London, England. (29) Madonna is named Woman Of The Year, Hype Of The Year (Madonna at Brixton) and "Music" is named Best Promo Video Of The Year by the writers of Dotmusic.com. (30) Madonna wins Top Hot Dance Club Play Artist, Top Hot Dance Club Play Single ("Music") and Top Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales ("Music") in Billboard magazine's The Year In Music survey. » Continue: Madonna Career Diary 2001 - 2004