Despite its Emmy snubs, Nikki Finke reports record ratings for the season premiere of FX’s motorcycle drama “Sons of Anarchy“: “The series’ 90-minute Season 4 premiere last night became the most-watched episode in the series’ history in Live+Same Day with 4.94 million viewers, and FX projects that it will likely be the most-watched single episode ever for an FX original series in Live+7. In total viewers, SOA was up a whopping 20% from the show’s third-season debut.” DEADLINE
Andrew Gans reports that judges have been selected for the 2012 Obie Awards: “The [Village] Voice’s chief theatre critic, Michael Feingold, who has chaired the Obies since the 2006-07 season, will become the first Obies Chairman Emeritus. The 2011-12 Obie Chairman will be Brian Parks, who is the Arts and Culture editor of The Village Voice. Joining Feingold and Parks will be Voice critic Alexis Soloski, who contributes frequently to The New York Times, the U.K. Guardian and BBC Radio.” PLAYBILL
Li’l Wayne earned an Album of the Year Grammy nomination for “Tha Carter III,” and how his followup, “Tha Carter IV,” debuted to blockbuster record sales, according to Brad Wete: “It sold 964,000 copies, making it the best selling hip-hop debut of the year and the second biggest opening week overall—second only to Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way,’ which moved 1.11 million copies.” EW’S MUSIC MIX
As per Guy Lodge, BAFTA LA will honor Warren Beatty at its upcoming Brittania Awards: “The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles will bestow its Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film to Warren Beatty at the organizations annual Britannia Awards gala Nov. 30 at the Beverly Hilton.” IN CONTENTION
Kris Tapley considers the news that Meryl Streep is one of the honorees at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors in the context of the Oscars race: “The announcement is a great way to launch her into the awards season as she looks to be a good bet for Oscar recognition for her role as Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Iron Lady,’ especially seeing as Glenn Close is dominating that conversation this week with ‘Albert Nobbs‘ bowing in Telluride before moving on to Toronto.” IN CONTENTION
Ryan Adams previews the titles bowing at the upcoming London Film Festival: “Opening the festival is Fernando Meirelles’ ‘360,’ written by Peter Morgan, and starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. Weisz is also the star of Terence Davies’ closing night film, ‘The Deep Blue Sea,’ alongside a cast which includes Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston. Key talent will be in attendance for both films.” AWARDS DAILY
