AP writer Julie Hirschfeld Davis wins Dirksen Award for economic bailout coverage

October 16th, 2009 Spain: novel on immigrant women wins major prizeMADRID — Spanish writer and journalist Angeles Caso has won the country's most lucrative literary award for a novel about the ordeals of women from poor countries who emigrate in search of a better life. The Premio Planeta was announced late Thursday at a ceremony in Barcelona and carries a €601,000 ($890,000) cash stipend.

October 6th, 2009 Ian Frazier wins Thurber PrizeNEW YORK — Ian Frazier is a funny man. Officially. The author and frequent New Yorker contributor won the Thurber Prize for American Humor for his lighthearted book on parental guidance, "Lamentations of the Father." Frazier, who in 1997 received the inaugural Thurber award, will receive $5,000, prize organizers said Monday.

September 22nd, 2009 Acclaimed singer/songwriter BUDDY MILLER pulled off a near-clean sweep at the eighth Americana Music Association Honors & Awards show in Nashville, Tennessee last week (17Sep09). Miller took home trophies in almost every category for which he was nominated, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Written In Chalk, Duo/Group of the Year and Song of the Year for Chalk, which he performed with Patty Griffin.

September 21st, 2009 MARIAH CAREY and OPRAH WINFREY's new movie PRECIOUS scooped the top award at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday (19Sep09). The movie, a gritty drama produced by talk show host Winfrey and featuring singer Carey, was honoured with the People's Choice award at the annual event in Canada.

September 20th, 2009 Toni Collette wins Emmy for lead comedy actressLOS ANGELES — Toni Collette is the winner of the Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy series. Collette stars in the Showtime series "United States of Tara," written by Oscar-winner Diablo Cody.

September 16th, 2009 German writer Enzensberger wins Danish prizeCOPENHAGEN — German writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger was awarded Denmark's 2010 Sonning Prize on Wednesday, which honors work that benefits European culture. The University of Copenhagen said Enzensberger, 79, will receive the prize and 1 million kroner (about $200,000) during a ceremony in February.

September 9th, 2009 Previous Man Booker Prize winners DAME A.S. BYATT and J.M.

July 30th, 2009 23 films to vie for Golden Lion awardROME — Michael Moore's examination of the world's economic crisis and the directorial debut of former Gucci designer Tom Ford are among 23 films vying for the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. Organizers announced the lineup for the 66th festival on Thursday.

July 10th, 2009 LONDON - The title of Michael Moore's next documentary film is 'Capitalism: A Love Story'. The director, who is renown for making 'Bowling for Columbine', which that went on to win Oscar for best documentary film, has revealed that the new film will focus on ramifications of global economic meltdown.

July 7th, 2009 Obama's speech not widely seen on TV in RussiaMOSCOW — President Barack Obama's speech to a graduating class of Moscow college students Tuesday was not widely available for the Russian people to see on television. Obama's speech at the New Economic School was being televised live on 24-hour news channel Vesti, but not on any of the main, more widely watched Russian TV channels like First Channel, Rossiya, or NTV.

July 4th, 2009 Television networks planning Jackson coverageNEW YORK — NBC executives changed their minds Sunday and decided to join other networks that will televise Michael Jackson's memorial service live this week. NBC joins ABC, CNN, MSNBC and E! Entertainment in offering the ceremony live.

July 2nd, 2009 Poll: 64 percent say too much Jackson coverageLOS ANGELES — Nearly two in three Americans say news organizations have given too much coverage to the death of Michael Jackson, but half say the media have struck the right balance between covering the pop star's personal life and musical career. In a Pew Research Center poll published Wednesday, 64 percent of those surveyed said Jackson's death last week in Los Angeles has received too much coverage, 29 percent said the story received the right amount and 3 percent said the story got too little attention.

June 25th, 2009 Tour signs deal with Eurosport for UK coveragePONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — PGA Tour television coverage in the United Kingdom will continue under an agreement with Eurosport to broadcast the remaining tournaments on the 2009 schedule.

June 22nd, 2009 Historian wins $100,000 military prizeNEW YORK — Historian Gerhard L. Weinberg has received a $100,000 lifetime achievement prize for excellence in military writing.

June 12th, 2009 US writer Michael Thomas wins lucrative book prizeDUBLIN, Ireland — American writer Michael Thomas won one of the world's most lucrative literary prizes Thursday for his debut novel "Man Gone Down." A panel of judges from Ireland, Britain, Switzerland and Canada named Boston-born Thomas, 41, the winner of the euro100,000 (US$140,000) IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. "Man Gone Down" follows a thirty-something African-American man, broke and estranged from his wife and three children, who has four days to keep his family afloat and reclaim his stake in the American Dream.