Names and faces

LITTLE ROCK — Wrapping up the Asian leg of her world tour, Taylor Swift is relishing her growing international appeal as the singer-songwriter steadily gains fan outside the United States with her combination of confessional lyrics and country sound. Shortly before taking the stage at Hong Kong’s Asia World-Expo arena late Monday, the 21-year-old received a long line of Universal Music executives from across Asia who presented her with platinum sales plaques. Swift’s previous album, Fearless sold 400,000 copies in the region. Her latest release, Speak Now, is also performing well, achieving platinum status in Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines. “Some of them were really surprising to me. I wasn’t aware of every single certification we have in Asia. It really blew my mind,” Swift told The Associated Press backstage.It’s testimony to the growing crossover appeal of the country star on foreign shores. Having just released her third album in October, the four-time Grammy winner can already boast a considerable global following. Swift said she’s proud to be an international ambassador for country music. “I love country music, and I love the fact that it’s being accepted all over the world. That is so exciting for me,” she said. “I have heroes who have taken country music internationally. You have Garth Brooks and Shania Twain. They really did a lot for country music because they brought an awareness to it. The fact that I have the opportunity to do that too and go to other countries where I’ve never been before and play music - it’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing,” she said.

Director Oliver Stone has been awarded a “Master of Cinema” award by Colorado’s Boulder International Film Festival. The Boulder Daily Camera reports the award was presented Sunday, the last night of the festival. Stone’s films have been nominated for 31 Academy Awards, and he has won three Oscars: best adapted screenplay for Midnight Express and best director for Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July.