Singer Annie Lennox is to receive a prestigious US award for her contribution to music. Lennox, 51, will get a Founders Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). It is awarded to songwriters who have made exceptional contributions to music and influenced their peers. Lennox enjoyed huge success during the 1980s in the Eurythmics, with Dave Stewart, and more recently as a solo performer and songwriter. ASCAP president and chairman Marilyn Bergman said: "Annie Lennox is one of the finest musical voices of our time - unlike any other, uncompromising and unpredictable. "Annie has worn every musical garment possible: Scottish folk singer, jazz singer, punk, rock - changing her image, but never her commitment to originality and excellence." Lennox rose to fame in the Eurythmics, the band she formed with Stewart. Their hits included Sweet Dreams, Who's That Girl?, Here Comes the Rain Again and There Must Be an Angel. Lennox's subsequent solo career also produced hits such as Why?, Little Bird and Walking on Broken Glass from her debut Diva, which won best British album at the 1993 Brit Awards. Her previous awards include four Grammys, seven Brits, a Golden Globe and an Oscar. Past recipients of the Founders Award include Elvis Costello, Sir Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young. Lennox will receive her honor at the 23rd Pop Awards in Los Angeles on 22 May.

Illusionist David Blaine, who is spending seven-days submerged in a water-filled sphere, is to receive medical treatment. Blaine's spokesman Pat Smith said the 33-year-old's peeling skin and overall condition was worrying doctors. But he added Blaine was "determined" to complete the "human aquarium" stunt at Lincoln Center in New York. A mask and an air line are keeping Blaine alive, and he is also getting liquid nutrition fed via a tube.

World record: But prolonged submersion in water poses a number of hazards, including nerve damage, blackouts, sleep deprivation and skin problems. Blaine has said his skin is causing him pain "like constant pins and needles" after five days in the acrylic sphere. Mr. Smith said: "Doctors are concerned that he's weakening. They are going to work with him through the weekend, trying to stabilize both his diet and his training regimen. "His skin is peeling very badly on his hands. Those are our biggest concerns right now." Blaine will end his challenge on Monday with an attempt to break the world record for holding breath under water, which currently stands at eight minutes, 58 seconds. He has said for the record attempt he would come out of the sphere to be handcuffed, wrapped in 150lb (68kg) of metal chains and dropped back inside. Blaine has undergone intensive training for the challenge, shedding 50lbs (23kg) in body weight since January to improve the efficiency with which his body uses oxygen.

Rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers have hit out at a music "pirate" who leaked their new album, Stadium Arcadium, onto the internet. Bass player Michael "Flea" Balzary said the group would be heartbroken if fans downloaded it illegally before its official release. Stadium Arcadium, the band's first studio album in four years, is due to go on sale next week. A spokeswoman for the band said she did not know who leaked the album. In a letter on the band's website, Flea wrote: "For people to just steal a poor sound quality version of it for free because some asshole stole it and put it on the internet is sad to me. "I cannot put in words how much this record means to us, how sacred the sound of it is to us, and how many sleepless nights and hardworking days we all had thinking about how to make it be the best sounding thing we could. "Now for someone to take it and put it out there with this poor sound quality it is a painful pill for us to swallow." The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Radiohead, Oasis and U2 are among the other stars who have fallen victim to internet leaks. Falling CD sales have been blamed on piracy but an industry campaign to prosecute illegal uploaders has struggled to contain the problem. In the US, people who copy music and films before their official release date face up to 11 years in prison under the 2005 Family Entertainment and Copyright Act.

Canadian singer Celine Dion is performing in Las Vegas again after a viral infection caused her to cancel six shows last month The 38-year-old was struck down with labyrinthitis - an inflammation of the inner ear causing dizziness. Dion said she refused to take medication after learning it could dry out her vocal chords but added she was now "95% better". Dion's show, A New Day, opened at Caesars Palace in March 2003. She decided to "take a chance" and return to the show after a doctor said jittery movements in her eyes had stopped. "It's hard to do a show, but it's harder not to do it," Dion said. "When you come back, you're afraid. You're scared and you're like, kind of ashamed. "Then you talk to yourself and say, 'You're a human being, it can happen'." Dion will perform her 500th show at Caesars Palace on Sunday, which will raise $1m (£541,436) for 10 local charities. The performer said she is excited about the show, with some concertgoers paying up to $10,000 (£5,414) for two front-row seats. She said: "It's amazing that people wanted to come and make a difference, too. It's rewarding. It's wonderful." Dion's run at the 4,100 seat theatre is due to run until the end of 2007.