The entertainment industry had a big year in 2004. Charlene Sarmiento has a review of some of this year's splashiest movies, music and live events.
In movies, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the last film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, swept the 2004 Academy Awards with 11 awards. It won every category it was nominated in.
One of the most controversial films of the year was The Passion of the Christ, which depicted the final hours and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The film, directed by Mel Gibson, did not shy away from violence and was done in Aramaic with English subtitles. It was the second highest-grossing film of the year.
The top-grossing movie of 2004 - Shrek 2, was an animated sequel, about an ogre named Shrek meeting the parents of his new wife, Princess Fiona. The film made more than $880 million worldwide.
Pop singer Usher was the year's biggest success with his hit song entitled "Yeah." Usher picked up numerous awards this year, and is nominated for eight Grammy Awards. His album Confessions has sold more than seven million copies.
2004's biggest newcomer was rapper Kanye West. West, who has long produced songs for other artists, came out an album entitled College Dropout. He has the most Grammy award nominations with 10.
Legendary singer Ray Charles, who died this year, was nominated for seven Grammies for his album Genius Loves Company.
One of the most popular television comedies in the U.S., Friends, ended after 10 seasons. The show, about lives of six friends in New York City, had been the top-rated comedy for the past six years.
Pop singer Janet Jackson had what was described as a "wardrobe malfunction," during the widely televised Super Bowl half-time show. Singer Justin Timberlake removed a part of her costume and exposed her breast on live television. CBS, the network, which aired the show, was fined more that $500,000, the largest fine on a television broadcaster. The incident launched a year's worth of investigations by the U.S. Federal Communication Commission or FCC into indecency in broadcasting.
