5 of Top 10 U.S. Albums For BMG, Zomba
BMG and Zomba are hot on the U.S. charts with debuts from Slim Thug and The All-American Rejects as well as recent chart staples from R. Kelly, Mariah Carey and Coldplay.

Here's how the chart looks during July:
Zomba Music Publishing's R. Kelly holds at number one for a second consecutive week with his latest release, TP.3Reloaded (Jive Records). The album is approaching platinum sales in the U.S. after just two weeks. TP.3Reloaded is R. Kelly's ninth top five debut and his fifth number one album in his 15 year career. To date, R. Kelly has sold over 36 million albums worldwide.

Debuting at number two is rapper Slim Thug with the aptly-titled Already Platinum (Geffen Records). BMG Songs writer/producer Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes) is behind four of the album's tracks while Zomba Music Publishing's Cool & Dre and Bun B. also have tracks on the album, including the first single "3 Kings" (Bun B.). Already Platinum, which sold 129,000 units in its first week, debuted at number one on the rap chart and went into the R&B chart at number two.

After three weeks at number one, Coldplay holds in the top five this week with X&Y (EMI) at number four. The BMG Music Publishing U.K. band adds another 100,000 unit sales to the album's total, which is well over two million in the U.S. alone.

Mariah Carey's double platinum The Emancipation of Mimi (Island Def Jam) continues its impressive run, landing at number five this week. BMG Songs and Zomba Music Publishing contributed a total of four tracks to the album, including the recent number one "We Belong Together" (co-written by BMG's Manuel Seal).

Debuting at number six is BMG Songs' The All-American Rejects who have their first top 10 chart entry with Move Along (Interscope). Move Along, which features the current hit "Dirty Little Secret," sold 90,000 copies in its first week. Move Along is the follow-up to The Rejects' 2003 self-titled debut. BMG Songs controls both albums.

"We are thrilled to have another strong week on the Billboard charts with so many great releases," said Scott Francis (President, BMG Songs NA). "The number six debut for The All-American Rejects is especially gratifying as we believe the band and the album are very special. Strong first week sales, coupled with growing airplay for their current single and video 'Dirty Little Secret,' are just the beginning for this rising band."

17 MTV VMA Nominations for BMG, Zomba Music Publishing
Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" leads BMG Music Publishing's 17 nominations at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards with five nods including Video of the Year.
And the nominees are...

Video of the Year
Coldplay "Speed of Sound" (EMI); BMG Music Publishing U.K.
Snoop Dogg "Drop It Like It's Hot" (Universal); BMG Songs
Kanye West "Jesus Walks" (Universal); BMG Songs
Best Male Video
Kanye West "Jesus Walks" (Universal); BMG Songs
Best Female Video
Kelly Clarkson "Since U Been Gone" (RCA); Zomba Music Publishing U.K.
Mariah Carey "We Belong Together" (Island Def Jam); BMG Songs
Best Group Video
Black Eyed Peas "Don't Phunk With My Heart" (A&M); Zomba Music Publishing U.S.
Best Rap Video
The Game & 50 Cent "Hate It or Love It" (Universal); Zomba Music Publishing U.S.
Best R&B Video
Mariah Carey "We Belong Together" (Island Def Jam); BMG Songs
Usher and Alicia Keys "My Boo" (Jive); BMG Songs
Best Hip-Hop Video
Kanye West "Jesus Walks" (Universal); BMG Songs
Nas w/Olu Dara "Bridging The Gap" (Sony); Zomba Music Publishing U.S.
Snoop Dogg "Drop It Like It's Hot" (Universal); BMG Songs
Best Pop Video
Kelly Clarkson "Since U Been Gone" (RCA); Zomba Music Publishing U.K.
Best Special Effects
Coldplay "Speed of Sound" (EMI); BMG Music Publishing U.K.
Best Editing
Coldplay "Speed of Sound" (EMI); BMG Music Publishing U.K.
Best Cinematography
Coldplay "Speed of Sound" (EMI); BMG Music Publishing U.K.

R. Kelly #1 on U.S. Album Chart
R. Kelly is back on top of the U.S. album chart this week with TP.3 Reloaded (Jive), which catapulted to number one on sales of 491, 000 units.
TP.3 Reloaded features the five-part huge hit "Trapped In The Closet." The album is a sequel to 2002's number one TP-2.com (Jive).
R. Kelly is a longtime Zomba Music Publishing writer.

Stevie Wonder Tribute Wins at Jazz Victoires
French Jazz artist Stephane Belmondo won two Victoires du Jazz Awards, including Best Album of the Year for his tribute to Stevie Wonder, Wonderland (B Flat/Discograph).
BMG Music Publishing France controls Stevie Wonder's catalogue through a direct deal with Wonder's Blackbull Music.
Wonderland contains jazz versions of Wonder's songs and is dedicated to his songwriting artistry. Belmondo, a well known jazz trumpet player, was also named Best Artist of the Year at the Jazz Victoires.