The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2026, with Nigerian music legends Fela Kuti and Sade Adu among the globally recognised artists being inducted for their lasting influence on music and culture.
The announcement, made on April 13, 2026, revealed a wide-ranging list of inductees across multiple categories, including Performers, Early Influence Award recipients, Musical Excellence honourees, and a special Ahmet Ertegun Award. The induction ceremony is scheduled for November 14, 2026, in Los Angeles, California, and will later be broadcast on ABC and Disney+.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is regarded as one of the highest honours in the global music industry, recognising artists whose work has significantly shaped the evolution of rock and popular music across generations, while also serving as a museum that preserves and documents global music history.
In the Performer category, Sade joins a diverse lineup that includes Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan, reflecting the Hall of Fame’s recognition of artists who have shaped rock, soul, R&B, and alternative music across decades.
Sade, whose full band identity blends jazz, soul, and R&B influences, is celebrated for a timeless catalogue that has sold millions of records worldwide. The group’s music is widely regarded for its emotional depth and signature sound, which has remained influential across generations.
In the Early Influence category, Fela Kuti is honoured alongside Celia Cruz, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Gram Parsons, recognising pioneers whose work reshaped musical direction and cultural expression globally.
Fela Kuti is described by the Hall of Fame as a revolutionary figure who fused jazz, West African rhythms, and soul to pioneer Afrobeat, while using music as a tool for political expression and social commentary.
Born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in 1938, he rose to prominence after forming his band Koola Lobitos in London and later developing Afrobeat after exposure to African American jazz, funk, and civil rights-era influences in the United States.
He is credited with transforming music into a vehicle for resistance, with works such as Expensive Shit and Water No Get Enemy reflecting both artistic innovation and political criticism.
The Hall of Fame noted that despite being jailed and widely criticised during his lifetime for anti-government messaging, Fela Kuti remains one of the most influential African musicians in global history.
Other honourees in the Musical Excellence category include Rick Rubin, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller, and Linda Creed, recognised for shaping modern music production and songwriting.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame stated that eligibility requires artists to have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior, with selections made by industry professionals, historians, and past inductees.
The 2026 class has been described as one of the most diverse in the institution’s history, reflecting its continued expansion beyond rock into global, cross-genre musical recognition. (AriseNews)
The broadcast of a racial slur that was shouted during the Bafta Film Awards breached the BBC’s editorial standards, the corporation’s executive complaints unit (ECU) has ruled.
A Tourette syndrome campaigner shouted an involuntary racial slur while actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting one of the categories at the event in February.
The shout was not edited out of the subsequent TV broadcast, which aired on BBC One on a two-hour delay, and the ceremony remained available to stream on iPlayer until the morning after.
On Wednesday, the BBC’s chief content officer Kate Phillips said the ECU “found this should not have made it to air and it was a clear breach of our editorial standards”. However, she noted, it also “found the breach was not intentional”.
The ECU received “a large number of complaints” about the BBC’s Baftas coverage, and upheld those relating to editorial standards on harm and offence.
Last month, outgoing director general Tim Davie said the BBC “profoundly regrets” what happened, adding that the team editing the ceremony had not heard the word and did not intentionally leave it in.
The ECU’s findings said: “The ECU found that the inclusion of the n-word in the broadcast (which was also streamed live on iPlayer) was highly offensive, had no editorial justification and represented a breach of the BBC’s editorial standards, but that the breach was unintentional.”
Phillips explained that “the production team did not hear the n-word at the time it was said and therefore no decision was taken to leave the word within the broadcast”.
She added: “The ECU accepted this was a genuine mistake, especially as the team did correctly identify and edit out a subsequent use of the same word, in line with the protocols that were agreed in advance of the event regarding offensive and unacceptable language.”
The ECU said leaving the coverage on iPlayer until the Monday morning was also a “serious mistake” and breached guidelines.
“The fact that the unedited recording remained available for so long aggravated the offence caused by the inadvertent inclusion of the n-word in the broadcast,” its report said.
Phillips said: “There was a lack of clarity among the team present at the event as to whether the word was audible on the recording. This resulted in there being a delay before the decision was taken to remove the recording from iPlayer.
“The ECU has been clear that this was a serious mistake and commented that the fact the unedited version stayed up overnight made the severe impact of the inadvertent inclusion of the n-word worse.”
Phillips said the BBC “must learn from our mistakes and ensure our processes are as robust as they can be”, and set out measures to improve pre-event planning, production at live events, and the iPlayer takedown processes.
She added that she had written to Lindo, Jordan and Sinners co-star Wunmi Mosaku, as well as Tourette’s activist John Davidson, to “apologise directly”.
Best supporting actress winner Mosaku told Entertainment Weekly she had “no hard feeling” towards Davidson, but that the BBC’s failure to edit out slurs had “tainted” the event and later kept her awake at night and brought tears to her eyes.
Davidson said the BBC should have “worked harder to prevent anything that I said” from being aired, and questioned why he had been seated near a microphone.
He attended the ceremony because a film based on his life story, I Swear, was among the nominees, and went on to win three awards.
Director Kirk Jones said Davidson was “let down” by how the events unfolded.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy called the broadcast “completely unacceptable and harmful”, while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the BBC had made “a horrible mistake”.
Bafta ceremony host Alan Cumming apologised after the “trauma-triggering” show.
Elsewhere, the ECU dismissed “many complaints” about the BBC editing the words “Free Palestine” out of an acceptance speech.
Director Akinola Davies Jr made the remark as he ended his speech to accept the prize for best debut for My Father’s Shadow.
Davies Jr and his brother Wale, the film’s writer, spoke on stage for two-and-a-half minutes, but their speeches were edited to about one minute for broadcast, which the BBC said was due to time restrictions.
The ECU supported that explanation, concluding: “The production team’s decision did not hinge on considerations of impartiality. The principal consideration was that approximately three hours of recorded material had to be edited to fit a two-hour transmission slot.” (BBC)
“Project Hail Mary” is bringing audiences to movie theaters in numbers the industry hasn’t seen for a non-franchise film since “Oppenheimer.” The science fiction epic starring Ryan Gosling earned around $80.5 million in ticket sales in its first weekend playing in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. Box office tracker EntTelligence estimates that translates into about 5 million ticket buyers.
The PG-13 rated film opened on 4,007 screens and easily topped the domestic box office charts, surpassing expectations to become the biggest of the year and delivering a record opening for studio Amazon MGM, whose previous best was “Creed III” ($58 million in 2023). Not accounting for inflation, “Project Hail Mary” also scored the second biggest opening for a non-franchise movie behind only “Oppenheimer,” which opened to $82.4 million in 2023.
It’s now one of only three non-franchise movies in the past decade to open over $70 million (the third is Jordan Peele’s “Us” ). In the realm of modern space operas, it exceeded the debuts of “The Martian,” also an Andy Weir adaptation that opened around $54.3 million in 2015, “Gravity” ($55.6 million in 2013) and “Interstellar” ($47.5 million in 2014).
Internationally, “Project Hail Mary” earned $60.4 million from 82 markets, bringing its global total to $140.9 million.
“We all know theatrical is not an easy business. It’s tougher today I think than it’s ever been,” Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of domestic distribution, told The Associated Press on Sunday. “And sci-fi movies, to break out to a broad audience, is not the easiest thing to do.”
And yet the results of the weekend put them in “rarefied air” alongside “Oppenheimer,” which Wilson said is “certainly something special.” The film is playing broadly across the country with markets like Salt Lake City, Denver and Portland overindexing which, Wilson said, suggests that they’re getting some family audiences too.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, “Project Hail Mary” cost about double the “Oppenheimer” production budget, with a price tag in the $200 million range. But it also carries strong reviews and audience scores and could be destined for a long run. According to PostTrak exit polls, where it scored five out of five stars, 83% of audiences said they would “definitely recommend” the film to friends. The gender breakdown skewed slightly more male (57%), and 55% of the audience were under 35.
In an era where the draw of movie stars is always in question, Wilson said, “It leaves no doubt that Ryan Gosling is a singular star that has the massive global appeal and charisma to anchor a story like this.”
The film is centered around Gosling’s character who wakes up alone and with little memory on a spaceship, where his apparent mission is to try to save the sun from dying. As has become the norm for “event” movies like “Project Hail Mary,” premium large format screens were in demand, making up 56% of the weekend’s gross. IMAX screens alone accounted for $$27.6 million of the global total.
“The next interesting piece will be how long can this movie play, which I think could be something special,” Wilson said.
“Project Hail Mary” will have a second weekend essentially free of big competition until it loses its IMAX screens to “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” on April 1.
Hollywood’s other big new opener, “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” a Searchlight release, came in a distant fourth with $9.1 million, behind Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers” ($18 million) and the Bollywood sequel “Dhurandhar: The Revenge,” which made $9.6 million from Friday through Sunday according to the U.S. distributor; Comscore is projecting a slightly higher $10 million figure. Universal’s Colleen Hoover adaptation “Reminders of Him” rounded out the top five in its second weekend with $8 million.
Viva Pictures also released an animated adaptation of the popular children’s book “The Pout-Pout Fish” in 1,854 theaters, which landed in ninth place with $1.5 million.
The year-to-date box office is now up around 21%, according to Comscore.
“The performance of ‘Project Hail Mary’ is a momentum builder like no other and it’s reinvigorating the movie marketplace,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends. “This is a momentum business, and this is exactly what the industry needed right now.”
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
“Project Hail Mary,” $80.5 million.
“Hoppers,” $18 million.
“Dhurandhar: The Revenge,” $10 million.
“Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” $9.1 million.
“Reminders of Him,” $8 million.
“Scream 7,” $4.3 million.
“Goat,” $3.7 million.
“Undertone,” $3 million.
“The Pout-Pout Fish,” $1.5 million.
“MET Opera: Tristan und Isolde,” $722,499. (JapanToday)
After a four-year break, K-pop supergroup BTS returned Saturday with a massive, free comeback concert in Seoul, where thousands of police locked down a central boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle that drew tens of thousands of fans.
“Annyeonghaseyo! We’re back,” RM, the band’s leader, told the crowd, using the Korean word for “hello,” as they opened with “Body to Body,” setting off delirious screams from fans waving purple-and-red light sticks and thrusting smartphones into the air.
All seven members of the band — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — recently completed South Korea’s mandatory military service, and hope to reclaim their status as one of the world’s biggest pop acts.
The performance at Gwanghwamun Square launches a global tour spanning dozens of shows across the United States, Europe and Asia, which analysts say could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per quarter.
The hourlong concert came after the group on Friday released its fifth album, “ARIRANG,” which sold nearly 4 million copies in its first day, said the band’s management company, HYBE. The company also said RM had injured his ankle during a rehearsal, but he still performed with modified choreography.
The BTS concert, which began at 8 p.m., drew several tens of thousands to the Gwanghwamun area, including 22,000 fans who secured free seats in the designated viewing zone and others who watched on screens nearby. The show was streamed live on Netflix.
“It will be amazing because it’s been so long that BTS (was) not with us,” Dallila Di Tullio, a 32-year-old fan from Italy, said before the concert, calling it a once-in-a-century event.
BTS debuted in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.” It became the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2020 with their first all-English song “Dynamite.”
Jung Dukhyun, a pop culture commentator, said that the impact of BTS’ return as a full-group would be tremendous at a time when global fandom for K-pop has grown much stronger, as shown by the success of Netflix’s animated sensation “KPop Demon Hunters.”
The dark streets blazed with light as waves of fans sang and cheered from cordoned sections, a jubilant scene that unfolded under an unusually heavy police presence managing the crowds.
“I still vividly remember how, at our last Busan concert a few years ago, we asked you to wait for us. Thank you so much for coming here like this,” Jin said.
The group performed songs from their new album, including “SWIM,” alongside hits like “Dynamite” and “Butter.” Some members appeared to tear up while thanking fans who braved the chilly night, before holding hands and bowing to the crowd to close the show.
Police and city officials closed nearby streets and roads, halted the area’s subway and bus services, and sealed off dozens of surrounding buildings, in what amounted to a full-day shutdown of the district.
Thousands of police officers maintained a tight perimeter around the performance venue, channeling the crowds with a maze of fences and buses. Concertgoers began queuing by midday to secure spots along nearby roads, passing through security checks and metal detectors at designated entry points. The restrictions forced nearby shops to close and police to use their buses to shuttle wedding guests to a nearby venue.
“I was hoping to (see) if we can go through some holes or be around. Apparently we cannot because they will be asking people to move,” said Bernice Sanchez, a 52-year-old fan from Switzerland, as she looked for a place to wait.
While South Korean officials have taken crowd safety more seriously since a 2022 Halloween surge that killed nearly 160 people, critics say the controls went too far and undermined the symbolism of performing in Gwanghwamun, seen as Seoul’s spiritual heart and most prominent gathering space.
Hundreds of thousands have gathered in Gwanghwamun in recent years to mourn, protest and celebrate as the country weathered tragedy and political upheaval. The BTS concert came about a year after waves of demonstrators filled the area, calling for the ouster of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Those monthslong rallies were marked by a festive atmosphere and a striking blend of politics and pop culture, with protesters singing and waving colorful K-pop light sticks, and ended without major safety accidents.
The new BTS album, “ARIRANG,” takes its name from a centuries-old folk song, regarded as an unofficial anthem in both Koreas, whose themes of separation, longing and quiet resilience have echoed across generations.
Gwanghwamun and nearby Gyeongbok Palace provided a sweeping historic backdrop to Saturday’s show, which was highlighted by lighting effects that bathed the palace gate and walls in purple, red and blue.
Suga told the crowd that the album’s title and the decision to perform in Gwanghwamun reflected the group’s focus on identity. RM said the band focused on making music that felt true to themselves as they reconvened to work on the new album.
“We wanted to show who we are and how we can come together,” he told the crowd.
South Korean officials, including current President Lee Jae Myung, expressed hope that the event would promote the country’s culture and soft power.
The group’s comeback follows a nearly four-year hiatus driven by South Korea’s mandatory military service, which requires most able-bodied men to serve 18 to 21 months under a conscription system aimed at deterring aggression from North Korea. BTS members began serving in 2022, with Suga the last to complete his service in June 2025.
Some analysts say the group’s “ARIRANG” world tour could become the biggest K-pop tour ever by scale and revenue, with 82 shows planned globally in stadiums of around 50,000 seats. Ha Jae-keun, a cultural critic, said BTS was likely to have a “second heyday,” as they maintained a highly powerful fandom and would benefit from the broader international ascent of K-pop.
“We will do our best to give everything we got,” J-Hope said. (JapanToday)
Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86.
Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.”
“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media.
Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He was a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate, known sometimes as Chun Kuk Do, and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide. Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th degree black belt, the highest possible honor.
Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the U.S. Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.
“I went out for gymnastics and football at North Torrance high,” he told The Associated Press in 1982. “I played some football, but I also spent a lot of time on the bench. I was never really athletic until I was in the service in Korea.”
After he was honorably discharged in 1962, he worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police officer, but was put on a waitlist. Meanwhile, he opened a martial arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting.
Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie “The Wrecking Crew,” which included a fight with Dean Martin. He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship — sometimes, as sparring partners — led to an iconic faceoff in the 1972 movie “Return of the Dragon,” in which Lee fights and kills Norris’ character in Rome’s Colosseum.
He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as “Missing in Action,” “The Delta Force” and “Sidekicks.”
“I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for,” Norris said in 1982.
In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TV’s “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.
“It’s not violence for violence’s sake, with no moral structure,” Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show. “You try to portray the proper meaning of what it’s about — fighting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. … It’s entertaining for the whole family.”
Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the final match of the 2004 movie “Dodgeball.” He only on occasion had taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012’s “The Expendables 2” and the 2024 sci-fi action movie “Agent Recon.” He’s due to appear in “Zombie Plane,” an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.
It was around the time of “Dodgeball” that his toughman image became the stuff of legend, literally: “Chuck Norris Facts” went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, “Chuck Norris had a staring contest with the sun — and won,” and, “They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mt. Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t tough enough for his beard.”
Norris ultimately embraced the absurdity of the meme craze, putting together “The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book,” which combined his favorites with supposedly true stories and the codes he aimed to live by. He would also write books on martial arts instruction, a memoir, political takes, Civil War-era historical fiction and more.
“To some who know little of my martial arts or film careers but perhaps grew up with ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ it seems that I have become a somewhat mythical superhero icon,” Norris wrote in the forward to the “Fact Book.” “I am flattered and humbled.”
That book raised money for a nonprofit he founded with President George H.W. Bush that promoted martial arts instruction for kids.
The intentionally outlandish statements featured in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, when Norris endorsed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and shot an ad playing on the “Chuck Norris facts.”
“Chuck Norris doesn’t endorse. He tells America how it’s going to be,” Huckabee said in the campaign ad.
President Donald Trump’s supporters later promoted “Trump Facts” in the same vein, and political pundits tried it as well, describing the commander-in-chief’s decision to seize Venezuela’s sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, as a “Chuck Norris Moment,” and its initial effect on oil prices a “Chuck Norris Premium.”
Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years — he even went skydiving with Bush for the former president’s 80th birthday. As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Norris is survived by five children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of an early 1960s “one-night stand” revealed in his autobiography.
Norris celebrated his birthday just over a week before his death, posting a sparring video on Instagram.
Hollywood’s best and brightest have been honoured with the most coveted awards in the movie industry, the Oscars.
One Battle After Another led the way with six wins, while Hamnet‘s Jessie Buckley and Sinners‘ Michael B Jordan scooped the top acting honours.
See the full list of winners and nominees below.
Best picture
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Bugonia
Frankenstein
F1
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best actress
WINNER: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Best actor
WINNER: Michael B Jordan – Sinners
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Best supporting actress
WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Best supporting actor
WINNER: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Best director
WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Jessie Buckley, left, winner of the award for best actress in a leading role for “Hamnet,” and Michael B. Jordan, winner of the award for best actor in a leading role for “Sinners,” pose in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Best supporting actress
WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Best supporting actor
WINNER: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Best director
WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Best animated feature
WINNER: KPop Demon Hunters
Arco
Elio
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
Best international feature
WINNER: Sentimental Value
It Was Just an Accident
Sirât
The Secret Agent
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Best documentary feature
WINNER: Mr Nobody Against Putin
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through the Rocks
The Alabama Solution
The Perfect Neighbor
Michael B. Jordan, left, winner of the award for actor in a leading role for “Sinners,” and Ryan Coogler, winner of the award for writing (original screenplay) for “Sinners,” pose in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Best original screenplay
WINNER: Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Blue Moon – Robert Kaplow
It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
Best adapted screenplay
WINNER: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Bugonia – Will Tracy
Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
Best original song
WINNER: Golden – KPop Demon Hunters (by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park)
Dear Me – Diane Warren: Relentless (by Diane Warren)
I Lied to You – Sinners (by by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson)
Sweet Dreams of Joy – Viva Verdi! (by Nicholas Pike)
Train Dreams – Train Dreams (by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner)
Best original score
WINNER: Sinners – Ludwig Goransson
Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
Hamnet – Max Richter
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
Best cinematography
WINNER: Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji
One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso
Best film editing
WINNER: One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
F1 – Stephen Mirrione
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
Sentimental Value – Olivier Bugge Coutté
Sinners – Michael P Shawver
Best sound
WINNER: F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A Rizzo and Juan Peralta
Frankenstein – Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern
One Battle After Another – José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio and Tony Villaflor
Sinners – Chris Welcker, Benjamin A Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor and Steve Boeddeker
Sirât – Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas
Best visual effects
WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
F1 – Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington and Keith Dawson
Jurassic World Rebirth – David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan and Neil Corbould
Sinners – Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter and Donnie Dean
The Lost Bus – Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen and Brandon K McLaughlin
Best production design
WINNER: Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
Hamnet – Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
Sinners – Hannah Beachler and Monique Champagne
Best production design
WINNER: Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
Hamnet – Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
Sinners – Hannah Beachler and Monique Champagne
Best make-up and hairstyling
WINNER: Frankenstein – Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
Kokuho – Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu
Sinners – Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry
The Smashing Machine – Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein
The Ugly Stepsister – Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg
Best costume design
WINNER: Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Deborah L Scott
Hamnet – Malgosia Turzanska
Marty Supreme – Miyako Bellizz
Sinners – Ruth E Carter
Best animated short
WINNER: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Butterfly
Forevergreen
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Best live action short
WINNER (TIED): The Singers
WINNER (TIED): Two People Exchanging Saliva
A Friend of Dorothy
Butcher’s Stain
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
Best documentary short
WINNER: All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” was crowned best picture at the 98th Academy Awards, handing Hollywood’s top honor to a comic, multi-generational American saga of political resistance.
The ceremony Sunday, which also saw Michael B Jordan win best actor and “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw make Oscar history as the first female director of photography to win the award, was a long-in-coming coronation for Anderson, a San Fernando Valley native who made his first short at age 18 and has been one of America’s most lionized filmmakers for decades. Before Sunday, Anderson had never won an Oscar.
But “One Battle After Another,” the favorite coming in, won six Oscars, including best director and best adapted screenplay for Anderson, the Oscars’ first trophy for best casting and best supporting actor for an absent Sean Penn.
“I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess that we left in this world — we’re handing off to them,” said Anderson while accepting the screenplay trophy. “But also with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”
Ryan Coogler’s Jim Crow-set, blues-soaked vampire tale “Sinners,” which came in with a record 16 nominations, also landed some big and even historic wins. Coogler, the widely loved filmmaker, won the first Oscar in an unblemished career that started out with Jordan in 2013’s “Fruitvale Station.”
Jessie Buckley, left, winner of the award for best actress in a leading role for “Hamnet,” and Michael B. Jordan, winner of the award for best actor in a leading role for “Sinners,” pose in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Arkapaw was also the first Black person to win for best cinematography. Only the fourth female cinematographer ever nominated, her win was a long-in-coming triumph for women behind the camera.
“I really want all the women in room to stand up,” said Arkapaw. “Because I don’t feel like I get here without you guys.”
And Jordan, one of Hollywood’s most liked leading men, won best actor in one of the night’s closest races. The Dolby Theatre rose to its feet in the most thunderous applause of the night.
“Yo, momma, what’s up?” said Jordan after staggering to the stage.
The Oscar night belonged to Warner Bros., the studio of “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners,” which scored a record-tying 11 wins. It was an oddly poignant note of triumph for the fabled studio, which weeks earlier agreed to a sale to Paramount Skydance, David Ellison’s rapidly assembled media monolith. The $111 billion deal, which awaits regulatory approval, has Hollywood bracing for more layoffs.
But “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” — the much-acclaimed heavyweights of the season — were each Hollywood anomalies: big-budget originals born from a personal vision. In a year where anxiety over studio contraction and the rise of artificial intelligence often consumed the industry, both films gave Hollywood fresh hope.
Jessie Buckley won best actress for her performance as Agnes Shakespeare in “Hamnet,” making her the first Irish performer to ever win in the category. At an Oscars where no other acting award seemed a sure thing, Buckley cruised into Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre as the overwhelming favorite.
“It’s Mother’s Day in the UK,” said Buckley on the stage. “I would like to dedicated this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”
From the start, when host Conan O’Brien sprinted through the year’s nominees as Amy Madigan’s character in the horror thriller “Weapons” in a pre-taped bit, Sunday’s ceremony was quirky, a little clunky and preoccupied with the shifting place of movies in culture. There was, of all things, a tie for best live-action short film.
Host Conan O’Brien performs during the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
As expected, the Netflix sensation “KPop Demon Hunters,” 2025’s most-watched film, won best animated feature, as well as best song for “Golden.” It was a big win for Netflix but a more qualified victory for the movie’s producer, Sony Pictures. Though it developed and produced the film, Sony sold “KPop Demon Hunters” to the streaming giant instead of giving it a theatrical release.
On Netflix, “KPop Demon Hunters” became a cultural phenomenon and the streaming platform’s biggest hit. It has more than 325 million views and counting.
“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” said co-director Maggie Kang.
Another Netflix release, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” picked up three awards for its lavish craft, for costume design, makeup and hairstyling and for production design.
Amy Madigan won best supporting actress for her performance in the horror thriller “Weapons,” a win that came 40 years after the 75-year-old actor was first nominated, in 1986, for “Twice in a Lifetime.” Letting out a giant laugh as she hit the stage, Madigan exclaimed, “This is great!”
Hosting for the second time, O’Brien began the Dolby Theatre show alluding to “chaotic and frightening times.” But he argued that the current geopolitical climate made the Oscars all the more resonate as a globally unifying force.
“We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities today — optimism,” O’Brien said. “We’re going to celebrate. Not because we think all is well, but because we work, and hope, for better.”
Throughout the show, O’Brien hit a number of targets, like Timothée Chalamet — who again missed out on winning his first Oscar, this time for “Marty Supreme” — for his diss of opera and ballet. But the ceremony seldom wasn’t shadowed by politics, whether in references to changes under U.S. President Donald Trump or the recently launched war in Iran.
Joachim Trier, whose Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” won best international film, quoted James Baldwin in his acceptance speech: “All adults are responsible for all children,” he said. “Let’s not vote for politicians that don’t take this seriously into account.”
Presenter Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night show last year was suspended after comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s killing, was among the most blunt.
“There are some countries that don’t support free speech,” said Kimmel. “I’m not at liberty to say which. Let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.”
Shortly after, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” a film about a Russian primary schoolteacher who documents his students’ indoctrination to support Russia’s war with Ukraine, won best documentary.
“’Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ is about how you lose your country,” co-director said. “And what we saw when working with this footage is that you lose it through countless, small, little acts of complicity.”
“We all face a moral choice,” he added, “but, luckily, a nobody is more powerful than you think.”
Elegy also marked the Oscars. Producers expanded the in memoriam segment following a year that featured the deaths of so many Hollywood legends, including Keaton, Robert Duvall and Redford. Barbra Streisand spoke about Redford, her “The Way We Were” co-star.
“Bob had real backbone,” said Streisand, who called Redford “an intellectual cowboy” before singing a few bars of “The Way We Were.”
Billy Crystal paid tribute to Rob and Michele Reiner, who were killed in their home in December. Crystal, a close friend of Rob Reiner’s who memorably starred in 1989’s “When Harry Met Sally…” and 1987’s “Princess Bride.” In his moving remarks, Crystal quoted the latter.
“All we can say is: Buddy, how much fun we had storming the castle,” said Crystal.
Yet again, the night’s final award again didn’t go to a streaming release; Apple’s “CODA” remains the only streaming film to achieve that distinction. “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” were both theatrical releases shot on film.
Apple’s top contender this time, the Formula One race drama “F1,” a movie that it partnered with Warner Bros. to distribute theatrically, won for best sound. The lone blockbuster of the year to go home with a win was “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” for visual effects.
Some of O’Brien’s best digs came at the expense of the streamers. Netflix chief Ted Sarandos, he joked, was in a theater for the first time. The host also lamented the lack of nominees for Amazon MGM: “Why isn’t the website I order toilet paper from winning more Oscars?”
“I’m honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” said O’Brien. “Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.” (JapanToday)
Netflix has confirmed that a sequel to the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ animation feature is in the works, with Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans returning to write and direct the second adventure of the Huntrix Girl Group singers.
Speaking after the news, Kang said, “I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters. There’s so much more to this world we have built, and I’m excited to show you. This is only the beginning.”
“These characters are like family to us; their world has become our second home. We’re excited to write their next chapter, challenge them and watch them evolve – and continue pushing the boundaries of how music, animation and story can come together,” added Appelhans.
Released on Netflix on June 20, 2025, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ became an instant global hit, and is in the race for the Oscars for the Best Animation, and Best Original Song score ‘Golden’ for the film’s soundtrack written by Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick, and sung by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami.
The animation had won the Golden Globes in both categories, and recently swept the Annie Awards and topped the animation contenders at the VES Awards. It has also been recognized by numerous critics’ circles, including the Critics’ Choice Awards.
The sequel is set to release in the year 2029. (Leadership)
Disney+ is developing Tink, a live-action drama series based on the Tinker Bell character, according to Deadline.
The project is being written and executive produced by Liz Heldens and Bridget Carpenter and is produced by 20th Television, with Gary Marsh attached as an executive producer, along with Quinn Haberman from Heldens’ production company Selfish Mermaid.
The character of Tinker Bell originated in J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” and appeared in Disney’s 1953 animated film Peter Pan. She has appeared in numerous films and series for decades and remains one of the studio’s most recognizable fantasy figures.
Earlier attempts to develop a live-action project centered on the character date back more than a decade. Variety reported that a version announced in 2010 was planned as a live-action romantic comedy with Elizabeth Banks attached to star, while a separate 2015 feature project was developed with Reese Witherspoon set to play the role. That film project was later reworked after Marsh departed his executive role at Disney Branded Television in 2021 to focus on producing.
More recently, Yara Shahidi portrayed Tinker Bell in the 2023 live-action film Peter Pan & Wendy.
Heldens and Carpenter previously collaborated on the television series Friday Night Lights. Heldens’ credits include creating series such as Mercy, Deception, Camp, The Passage, and The Big Leap, and she currently serves as co-showrunner of ABC’s Will Trent. Carpenter’s television work includes 11.22.63, Only Murders in the Building, Parenthood, Westworld, and The Red Road, in addition to her work as a playwright. (AWN)
Paramount Global has reached an agreement to acquire Tyler Perry Studios’ equity stake in the streaming service BET+, marking a major shift in the company’s digital streaming strategy.
The development will see BET+ cease operating as a standalone platform, with its catalogue of more than 1,000 hours of programming integrated into the Paramount+ streaming service by June 2026.
Although the financial terms of the agreement were not officially disclosed, industry analysts estimate the deal to be worth tens of millions of dollars.
The acquisition forms part of Paramount’s broader plan to strengthen its global streaming operations and expand its reach in an increasingly competitive digital entertainment market.
In a memo to staff, BET Networks President Louis Carr described the move as an opportunity to take the platform’s storytelling to a wider audience.
“This powerful next step ensures the stories we champion, the creators we support and the culture we represent go further than ever before,” Carr said.
“Paramount+ will bring global fans more than 1,000 hours of iconic series and films that reflect the full spectrum of the Black experience.”
Under the new arrangement, popular titles such as The Ms. Pat Show, All The Queen’s Men, and Zatima will be available through a dedicated BET hub within the Paramount+ interface.
Despite the sale of his stake in BET+, Tyler Perry is said to still maintain his long standing creative partnership with BET.
The network is to continue to operate its traditional television channels as well as its FAST (Free Ad Supported Streaming Television) channels featuring Perry’s productions. (Leadership)
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