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The multi-genre Wicked Oaks festival, which held its first edition in Austin, Texas, on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 25-26), has released a statement addressing reports that multiple attendees were injured or killed during the event — and offered information on refunds for attendees impacted by the severe weather that forced temporary closures throughout the weekend.
According to festival organizers, there were no fatalities on the festival grounds, though two attendees were transported to hospitals on Saturday, while five were transported to hospitals on Sunday. “[Austin-Travis County] EMS has advised they are not aware of any deaths or critical patients among those transported from the festival,” the festival’s statement reads.
The statement goes on to note that organizers “are also aware of a tragic vehicle accident in the Bastrop area, involving individuals traveling home after the event,” that killed one person, Anthony Pike, after “a truck ran a red light and caused the wreck.”
“Our community is small, and losses like this are felt deeply,” the statement continues. “We are profoundly saddened by this tragedy and extend our heartfelt condolences to Anthony’s family, friends, and all who are affected.”
Wicked Oaks organizers also acknowledged the severe weather that impacted all three days of the festival — including a “severe storm” that struck around 10 p.m. on Saturday, prompting “a site-wide evacuation” and forcing the festival to shut down for the remainder of the evening — and offered refund and reimbursement information for impacted attendees.
The festival says it’s offering a full refund to attendees who held Saturday single-day tickets; a 50% refund to two-day ticket holders; a hotel reimbursement for campers who had to secure alternate lodging on Friday when forecasts of heavy rain and lightning delayed the opening of the festival’s campgrounds; a 50% refund for attendees who paid to park in the festival’s Enchanted Overnight Parking areas, after the festival’s parking lots were deemed “unusable” on Sunday following rainstorms; and a full refund for attendees who paid to ride festival shuttles on Saturday. All qualifying refunds will be issued to the original form of payment.
Festival organizers instruct those requesting a hotel reimbursement to email an itemized receipt to contact@wickedoaksfest.com by midnight on Friday (Oct. 31).
“We are working closely with our multiple ticket providers to finalize the refund timeline,” the festival’s statement continues. “Because many guests purchased through payment plans, the process is more complex and requires coordination across several platforms. We understand the time, money, and planning that goes into a festival weekend. We are committed to resolving this quickly and will update everyone as soon as possible.”
Performers at Wicked Oaks included Martin Garrix, Eric Prydz, Bob Moses, Kaskade, Cloonee and Nightmre.
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After a Korean judge ruled this week against NewJeans‘ efforts to break free from its label ADOR following the firing of its mentor, Kesha is showing love to the embattled K-pop girl group.
“My heart is with you NewJeans,” Kesha posted late Wednesday on X alongside a single red-heart emoji.
While Kesha has no public connection to NewJeans, she’s no stranger to a high-profile legal battle that puts artistic freedom in limbo. For nearly a decade, the “TiK ToK” singer was embroiled in competing lawsuits with her longtime music producer Dr. Luke. It started in 2014 when Kesha sued Dr. Luke, accusing him of sexual assault and abuse starting when she was a teenager, followed by the producer countersuing Kesha for defamation. The pop star sought to be released from her Kemosabe Records contract, but a judge ruled that she was obligated to continue making music under the Sony Music label.
Following a #FreeKesha social media movement that included vocal support from Kelly Clarkson (another frequent Dr. Luke collaborator) and Lady Gaga, Kesha and Luke came to a joint resolution in 2023 ahead of the defamation trial.
It appears Kesha is paying it forward to the K-pop group, whose members include Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein. As the CEO of ADOR, Min Hee-Jin introduced NewJeans as the label’s first girl group in July 2022, and the quintet soared to international success, landing five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and accepting the group of the year award at Billboard Women in Music in March 2024. Just months later, in August 2024, Hee-Jin was dismissed as CEO and later exited ADOR altogether.
The members of NewJeans announced their intention in November of last year to terminate the group’s contract with ADOR, which was followed by the label’s lawsuit. This week, a judge in Seoul ruled that Min’s firing as CEO was not sufficient grounds for NewJeans to void its seven-year exclusive contract with ADOR.
In a statement through their lawyers, shared by the Korea Times, NewJeans had this to say about the new ruling: “NewJeans members respect the court’s judgment, but it is impossible to return to this company and continue normal entertainment activities in the current situation where the trust relationship with ADOR is completely shattered.”
Earlier this year, NewJeans attempted to rebrand as NJZ, debuting the new song “Pit Stop” at ComplexCon Hong Kong in March and announcing a hiatus, before ADOR challenged the group’s use of the new name while the legal battle moved forward.
In a podcast interview with Monica Lewinsky in July, Kesha opened up about what it was like to have to continue working with someone with whom you’re also in a legal battle.
“The recordings of my voice did not legally belong to me in the universe in perpetuity,” Kesha explained. “To then be delivering music to someone that you’re in litigation with … they’re in control of the promotion, of the budgets, all of it, the release, everything. For years. For 10 years. That was the only way I’d get out of the deal [with Kemosabe] was if I delivered the music.
“In my mind, it just felt like the biggest head-f— of all time,” the musician continued. “It still perplexes me, because it kind of makes no sense how the legal system could just watch this be happening and be like, ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ It felt inhumane.”
Kesha made her independent debut over the summer with her latest album Period, which appropriately arrived on July 4, aka Independence Day.
Kevin Mazur / Megan Thee Stallion / Queen Latifah
Megan Thee Stallion has a fan in Queen Latifah. The Hip-Hop icon and actress had nothing but high praise for Houston musician during a recent visit to The Jennifer Hudson Show.
The 55-year-old rapper didn’t hold back the praise and admiration when Hudson shared a clip of Latifah and Thee Stallion rocking the Coachella stage together during Meg’s headlining act at the music festival.
Hudson also shared a clip of Thee Stallion and the “Ladies First” crafter trying escargo together with Latifah telling the singer/talk show host, “She’s so cool, she’s so fun, she’s so very talented and strong in her spot.”
She also added, “I love that energy carrying hip-hop into the future, of course.”
Queen Latifah Reflects On The Coachella Moment
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Latifah and Thee Stallion became the duo we all didn’t know we needed after she shared the stage with “Big Ole Freak” rapper during Meg’s weekend set at Coachella in April, instantly becoming one of the most significant moments of the festival, mainly when they performed Latifah’s powerful anthem “U.N.I.T.Y” together.
“She asked me to pop out at Coachella, and I was like, ‘What? For Real, OK?’ I had to bring it for her because this is Coachella, we gotta take that thing down,” Latifah said. “The people are gonna be ready.”
The Queen also took time to recognize the other big names, like Ciara and Victoria Monet, who also shared the stage with Megan Thee Stallion at Coachella.
“I wanna thank her again for having me, it was so much fun,” she continued. “They worked so hard, her dancers and everybody. It was just good energy that night.”
She also revealed that she is working on new music, but balancing life and time is holding her up from releasing it.
“But I’m a make some time because I want to get it out there,” Latifah said. “It’s all kinds of music too.”
Trending on Billboard
Universal Music Group (UMG) reported solid growth across all three business units on Thursday (Oct. 30), with revenue rising 10.2% in constant currency to 3.02 billion euros ($3.53 billion). Early shipments of Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, which had an Oct. 3 street date, helped UMG’s physical sales jump 23% year over year. But the quarter was dominated by subscription gains and strong publishing results. During Thursday’s conference call, the conversation was heavy on AI and UMG’s new partnership with the generative AI platform Udio.
Here are some main takeaways from UMG’s third-quarter results and executives’ comments during Thursday’s conference call.
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UMG Announced a Renewed Licensing Deal with YouTube
Usually, a major announcement regarding a leading streaming platform gets its own press release. But during Thursday’s conference call, CEO Lucian Grainge slipped news of UMG’s new licensing deal with YouTube into his opening remarks. It’s the company’s third licensing deal in its “Streaming 2.0” initiative and covers both recorded music and publishing. Previous Streaming 2.0 deals, which the company says prioritize artist-centric principles, were signed with Amazon in December and Spotify in January.
“The agreement includes all aspects of YouTube’s various music services and platforms, embodies our artist centric principles and drives greater monetization for artists and songwriters,” Grainge said. “And as part of our new YouTube deal, we’ve secured really important guardrails and protection for our artists and writers around Gen AI content.”
The Udio Partnership Furthers UMG’s Superfan Ambitions
Some people view a generative AI platform as a means to create music that competes with artists signed to both major and independent record labels. That may have been the common perception of Udio, a popular music-making platform that requires only simple text prompts to create fully formed songs. But on Thursday, UMG made it clear it views its newly signed licensing partnership with Udio as part of its ambitions to reach “superfans,” the people who spend the most time and money on music. That puts Udio in the same category as the long-awaited superfan tiers of subscription services such as Spotify.
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“What we’ve announced with Udio, and in terms of artist centricity, what’s significant there is that the product vision is to focus on a superfan experience for customization, a deep engagement [and] hyper-personalization of the experience for fans interacting through AI technology with the artists that they love,” chief digital officer Michael Nash explained during the conference call. Nash called Udio’s new platform, which will launch in 2026, a “subscription service [that] will transform the user engagement experience, creating a license to protect the environment, to customize, stream and share music responsibly on the audio platform.”
The Artist is Central to AI Music
UMG executives were coy when asked for specifics about the Udio partnership, but they repeatedly emphasized that any AI music platform that partners with UMG will have an artist-centric approach. Nash mentioned UMG’s just-announced partnership with Stability AI, a startup that builds generative AI models for audio and video, to create new tools that benefit its artists and songwriters.
“The economics of the music ecosystem are really driven by fans’ desire to engage with artists and by fans’ desire to participate in music culture,” Nash explained. “We’re envisioning products that deepen both of those things.” Nash pointed to UMG’s internal research of the U.S. market that revealed 50% of music consumers are interested in AI “in relationship to their music experience.” But fake artists ranked lowest amongst U.S. consumers. “There’s a lack of traction” amongst fake artists, he noted, “other than the occasional novelty phenomenon that may capture some headlines.”
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Short-Form Video Has Caused a “Disruption” in Ad-Supported Royalties
People love watching short videos on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Unfortunately for record labels and music publishers, newer short-form platforms don’t monetize music as well as older, long-form platforms with established advertising businesses. As a result, UMG’s streaming revenue — everything other than subscriptions — was flat in constant currency. Other than digital downloads, which were also flat, every other aspect of UMG’s recorded music division posted gains in the quarter. Nash said UMG’s recent licensing deals, including the one with YouTube that was announced during the conference call, were the result of “broad-based efforts” to address the “disruption” to ad-supported royalties caused by short-form video and efforts to better monetize it.
UMG is Making Progress with Japanese Music — Both Inside and Outside of the Country
Japanese music has a reputation for not traveling well, but Grainge highlighted the success of Japanese artists outside of their home country. In March, BABYMETAL signed to Capitol Music Group in the U.S. and, according to Grainge, became the first Japanese artist ever to reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart with its album Metal Forth. Earlier this year, Grainge added, UMG’s J-pop artist Ado played to 500,000 fans in 33 cities across Asia, Europe, the U.S. and Latin America. UMG fared well inside Japan, too, led by releases from Mrs. GREEN APPLE and Fujii Kaze, with strong sales there helping drive UMG’s 23% increase in physical sales.
Additionally, Grainge said that UMG recently increased its majority stake in Japanese label and artist management company A-Sketch by acquiring the minority stake of KDDI Corporation. UMG initially acquired its majority interest in February by purchasing the stake of the company’s co-founder, Amuse.
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The Best Subscription Growth in Q3 Came from Outside the U.S.
Growth in subscribers in the top 10 markets, not price increases, was the major factor in UMG’s 8.7% (in constant currency) subscription revenue growth, said CFO Matt Ellis. But the U.S. wasn’t at the top of the list. UMG saw double-digit subscription growth in China, Brazil and Mexico, while in the U.S., it saw high single-digit growth. Four of UMG’s top five streaming services delivered double-digit or high single-digit revenue growth.
With 8.7% subscription growth, UMG was within the 8% to 10% range it targets for long-term growth. Good thing, too, since investors see subscription growth as an all-important metric when assessing UMG’s market value. “We remain encouraged by the trajectory of the subscription business,” said Ellis.
Trending on Billboard SiriusXM Holdings saw quarterly revenue slip 1% year-over-year to $2.16 billion, though it reversed a loss from a year ago to generate $297 million in positive net income, the company reported Thursday (Oct. 30). That turnaround — Sirius reported a net loss of $2.96 billion in the third quarter of 2024, stemming […]
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Music City and Capitol Hill came together Wednesday night as the RIAA Honors saluted leaders in Christian and gospel music, as well as two senators who have led the fight to protect creators’ rights.
Though it may be a fractious time in Washington, D.C., as the government shutdown and partisan discord continues, there was nothing but good vibes and glorious music at the Recording Industry Association of America’s headquarters.
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“RIAA Honors recognizes artists, industry leaders and policy makers who have made important contributions to American culture,” said RIAA chairman/CEO Mitch Glazier, at the packed event. “Over the past few years, we’ve honored pioneers of country music, hip-hop and Latin music, and tonight, we come together to celebrate pioneers in one of music’s most important and meaningful genres: Christian and gospel music.”
At the event, sponsored by Billboard, the RIAA recognized platinum contemporary Christian artist Lauren Daigle as artist of the year, while Nashville-based executives Jackie Patillo, president of the Gospel Music Association and GMA Foundation, and Ed Leonard, president of Daywind Music Group and an executive committee member of the GMA, were honored as industry executives of the year. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Chris Coons (D-DE) were celebrated as policymakers of the year.
Morna Willens, RIAA’s chief policy officer, cited the many pieces of legislation that Blackburn has been behind, as much of her constituency in Tennessee includes the creative community in Nashville. “You want her in your corner when things are rough, and her record from the Music Modernization Act to the NO FAKES Act to her defense of Tennessee’s rights to protect the citizens from AI abuses speak for itself,” Willens said.
Blackburn took the stage and joked that “In Nashville, I can’t go to church, I can’t go to one of the kids’ games, I can’t go to the mailbox, I can’t go out for a walk without seeing somebody that’s a singer, a songwriter, a record producer.” She added that when she first came to D.C. as a U.S. representative, she was surprised to realize “not everyone had an appreciation for the role that intellectual property and the protection of that intellectual property [plays and] why it is so important,” adding, “It is the basis on which so many people make their living.”
Pictured (L-R): RIAA Honors Executives of the Year Ed Leonard & Jackie Patillo,
Artist of the Year Lauren Daigle and Policymakers of the Year Senators Marsha Blackburn & Chris Coons
Daniel Swartz
She mentioned a number of other pieces of legislation she has championed, including 2006’s Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act and the newly introduced CREATE Act, as well as gave a shout-out to Coons and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tom Tillis (D-N.C.) for their co-sponsorship of the NO FACTS Act, which protects artists and minors against unauthorized AI deepfake impersonations, before concluding, “In other words, we’ve got your back and we’ve got you covered, and it is truly an honor to do that for you.”
Next, Willens lauded Blackburn’s NO FACTS Act co-sponsor Coons as someone who “has earned his colleagues’ respect, on both sides of the aisle, as a principled, substantive and pragmatic leader,” as well as praised his championing of such momentous legislation as the CLASSICS Act and the Music Modernization Act.
Coons noted that protecting music creators is close to his heart: His step-brother has recorded seven albums and his half-sister is an opera singer. He thanked Blackburn for her partnership, stressing the importance of bipartisanship. “At a time when — you might have heard this — there’s division in Congress, it is so wonderful to be able to reflect back what music does for all of us, which is to bring us together and to find common solutions to the challenges that face singers, songwriters, publishers and producers, the whole creative community,” he said. Turning to the NO FAKES Act, he added, “I’m confident, optimistic that we will get it through Congress and to President Trump’s desk this year to protect your voice, your face, your likeness and your music.”
Moving to the industry executives of the year, a video featuring top gospel and Christian artists For King + Country’s Joel Smallbone, Natalie Grant and Jekalyn Carr saluted Patillo, who many of the artists have known for decades — including Grant, who thanked Patillo for signing her when she was a label executive and for introducing her to her husband. Carr thanked her for her “contribution to gospel music” and for “God trusting you with the assignment” to protect and spread gospel music.
Michele Ballentyne, RIAA’s president and chief operating officer, shared seeing firsthand the unifying impact Patillo has had on the gospel community, calling her “a force of nature,” and noting that she has proven to be such a leader that the GMA even named its leadership award after her.
A humble Patillo spoke briefly, praising God’s plan for her, despite her doubts. “I am so grateful that God chose me,” she said. “Every time I’ve wrestled with Him and said, ‘But I’m not qualified,’ He said, ‘Trust me.’ And I’ve never done anything other than facilitate the creation and the furtherance of Christian and gospel music. So I’m honored to be at the table with Mitch and to be able to represent the gospel music trade association at the table for advocacy of all of our intellectual properties.”
Similarly to the video saluting Patillo, an artist package for Leonard featured gospel icon CeCe Winans, Joseph Habedank and Karen Peck of Karen Peck and New River, who noted, “Ed’s vision, integrity and dedication have not only strengthened Daywind, but also enriched the entire Christian and gospel music industry. His leadership has guided artists, writers and labels through seasons of change with wisdom and grace, while his advocacy has ensured that creators are valued and protected.”
Ballentyne recited a litany of music industry organizations that Leonard either leads or is a member of, adding, “I doubt there is a more experienced or accomplished executive out there in the genre.”
Leonard used most of his speech to praise others, including Patillo, whom he said took the GMA “from the ashes to the pinnacle,” and thanked both the RIAA staff and Senators Blackburn and Coons for “saving culture by saving music.” But his most touching moment came when he teared up as he thanked Daigle for her music. He recalled that one of his children, upon finding out he was being honored along with the singer, said, “’You know, Dad, her music got me through some of the toughest times in my life over the last five to 10 years,’ and to be able to say thank you to you publicly is something that is very special to me.”
That sentiment led beautifully into the artist of the year presentation honoring Daigle, which kicked off with a performance by Jon Batiste, who called Daigle “a light in the world. And in these times, we need beacons of light to lead us home,” he said. “You exist in the truth the way that God made us to be, and your music is a reflection [of that.].”
Appropriately, Batiste, seated at a grand piano, then launched into an effervescent, jazzy version of the children’s song and later Civil Rights Movement anthem “This Little Light of Mine.”
Glazier then addressed Daigle, who has more than 20 million units certified by the RIAA and is a two-time Grammy winner, eight-time Billboard Music Awards winner and 12-time GMA Dove Awards winner. “She’s been an unparalleled ambassador for Christian music, growing the genre and reaching new generations, embraced by fans in countries around the world, and proving over and over again that powerful, unapologetic Christian music reflects just as much talent, commitment and musical craft as the biggest hits of any genre ever recorded,” he said, before thanking her for her support of the NO FAKES Act, as well as her work with the International Justice Mission to support the STOP CSAM Act, which addresses online child exploitation and human trafficking.
Daigle, with her father in the audience, spoke of the power of music. “I’m so grateful that music is this bonding agent in a time of division, right?,” she said. “We get to all sit and listen to songs together, and in the process of doing that, we see the world become one. We see the world become whole again, even if it’s for but a moment, and that, to me, is so beautiful.” Admitting she suffered from imposter syndrome and felt that she didn’t deserve the honor, she turned her praise to Jesus. “He is for me. He is not against me. He is for you. He is not against you. And to receive a gift that you don’t deserve, but that you feel so deep to represent that around the world, is the highest of honors,” she said.
Then she let her music do the talking, launching into a heartfelt, beautiful rendition of “You Say,” her 2018 breakthrough hit that spent a record 132 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, the first time a song had 100 or more weeks atop any of Billboard’s “Hot” charts. She and Batiste then came together to perform an emotional version of “Be Okay,” a song she wrote with Ellie Holcomb inspired by a terminally ill fan who asked Holcomb how to die. Their voices, separately and together, soared through the room, ending the evening on a high note and proving definitively the power of music that so many in the room are fighting to protect.
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The holidays are here, which means it’s time to break out your Elf on the Shelf doll at home. Based on the 2005 picture book of the same name, Elf on the Shelf company Lumistella has reportedly sold more than 20 million units of Santa’s official Elf scout since the book and toys were released.
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A number of Elf on the Shelf alternatives have come out in recent years too, including Snoop Dogg’s popular “Snoop on a Stoop,” and even Martha Stewart’s “Martha on the Mantel.”
But if you don’t celebrate Christmas or are looking for a Jewish Elf on the Shelf doll, allow us to introduce you to “Mensch on a Bench.” First unveiled by its creators on Shark Tank a few years ago, the Mensch on a Bench is back in stock for Hanukkah 2025. The holiday release is a 12-inch plush toy with a full beard, hat, blue outfit and prayer shawl, sitting on a removable bench.
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Mensch on a Bench
$29.99
$32.99
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Available now on Amazon, it’s designed to teach kids about the Jewish holiday while keeping an eye out on the house during the eight nights of Hanukkah.
As with Elf on the Shelf, the Mensch on the Bench comes with an accompanying book, which tells the story of Moshe the Mensch, who is in the temple with the Maccabees as they go to war against the Greeks. As the product description states, “There was only enough oil for one night and everyone was exhausted from the war and wanted to go to sleep. But what if the oil went out while the Jews were sleeping? From the back of the temple, Moshe offered to stay up all night and watch the oil.”
The Mensch on the Bench isn’t the only Elf on the Shelf-style toy for Hanukkah. You can also pick up the Mitzvah Moose, a cuddly stuffed toy with antlers that glow that like the candles on the menorah.
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Mitzvah Moose
The Mitzvah Moose measures approximately nine inches in height. Two AAA batteries are required.
The Mitzvah Moose set also includes a 17-page storybook that tells the story of what happens when Moshe the Mensch runs into a moose whose antlers won’t light up. Will they be able to find a way for Mitzvah to re-discover his glow?
And then there are the popular Squishmallow toys, which have released collaborations with movies like Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, and brands like McDonald’s, for their Happy Meals. Now the Squishmallow store has an official Hanukkah version available online.
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Squishmallows Original Stokely the Jewish Teddy Bear
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$24.99
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Dubbed “Stokely the Jewish Teddy Bear,” the cuddly companion measures approximately 10 inches in size.
This Hanukkah Squishmallow sports a blue and white scarf and kippah and makes a great gift idea for the Jewish holidays or just for yourself.
And if you just want the original Elf on the Shelf, well, you can order one of those online too.
The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition
$27.61
$31.77
13% off
Amazon says it has sold more than 8,000 Elf on the Shelf dolls in the last month alone, with orders sure to rise as we approach Christmas.
This Elf on the Shelf comes in a keepsake box with a “certificate of adoption” and measures approximately 10 inches in height. It’s also accompanied by an illustrated storybook. As the toymaker notes, “This beloved family tradition has captured the hearts of children everywhere who embrace the magic of having a Scout Elf who reports to Santa each night during the holidays. [You] better keep an eye out for these elves every morning, because you’ll never know where they’ll land next.”
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If Ashley Padilla has anything to say about it, Brandi Carlile will host this weekend’s Saturday Night Live instead of Miles Teller.
In just-released promos for this weekend’s episode, Padilla brings up her brand-new haircut — and she explodes on Teller for not noticing. “I got a haircut, and you haven’t said anything about it!” Padilla yells at the Top Gun: Maverick actor. “Yeah, sorry, I think I didn’t notice, Ashley, because we’ve never met before,” Teller responds.
But guess who did notice? Eleven-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile. “I noticed. The second I saw you, I knew you had that new-haircut glow,” Carlile says. “Thank you, Brandi Carlile! You’re the host now,” Padilla says matter-of-factly, to which Carlile celebrates with a “Yesssss.”
“She’s joking, right?” Teller asks. But Dismukes assures the actor she’s dead serious. “I hope you can sing,” she threatens, and Teller gives a shrug: “I can sing.” (We know that at least Keith Urban agrees: Back in 2016, the country star invited Teller onstage to duet on The Temptations’ “My Girl” during an Albuquerque, New Mexico, concert.)
Watch all the new promos below:
Saturday’s episode will mark Carlile’s fourth time as a musical guest on SNL — and her second time this year. She joined Elton John on the stage back in April to perform songs from their joint album Who Believes in Angels? This time around, she’s promoting her just-released solo album Returning to Myself.
This will be Teller’s second hosting gig after he made his debut in 2022. He’s hitting the show ahead of the premiere of his sci-fi rom-com Eternity, co-starring Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner, which arrives Nov. 26 in theaters.
Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and streams on Peacock. (See all the options to watch SNL here.)
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The BRIT Awards has announced an eligibility shake-up across a number of categories at the upcoming 2026 ceremony.
For the first time in its nearly 50 year history, The BRITs will leave London and will be held in Manchester’s Co-op Live arena. The ceremony will take place on Feb. 28 at the 23,500-capacity venue, which first opened in 2024. It will be the first time the awards have been held outside of London in its almost five-decade history; from 2011 to 2025, the ceremony was held at The O2 arena in London.
Ahead of the nomination process, The BRITs has announced a number of changes to the eligibility across certain categories. The eligibility period runs from Dec. 6, 2024, to Dec. 4, 2025.
The BRITs Rising Star Award will revert back to being called the Critics’ Choice award. The award was introduced in 2008 and is voted for by a judging panel made up of industry experts. Previous winners include Adele, Sam Smith, Sam Fender, Ellie Goulding and Florence + The Machine, and the title is currently held by Myles Smith.
The award changed its name to Rising Star in 2020, and recognizes artists who are predicted to make the biggest impact on music in the coming year. To be eligible, artists must not have yet achieved a top 20 album or more than one top 20 single on the U.K. charts.
Best new artist will change its name to breakthrough artist and honor British artists as they make their mark on the industry. The award was previously called British newcomer (1982-2002) and British breakthrough act (2003-2019) before being called best new artist from 2020 to 2025. The category recognizes artists on their achievements throughout the eligibility period and honors musicians with a greater profile than those of Critics Choice. Recent winners include The Last Dinner Party (2025), RAYE (2024) and Wet Leg (2023).
The BRITs has also announced a change in the eligibility criteria across a number of categories. Nominees in artist of the year, international artist of the year, group of the year and international group of the year will need to have achieved either a top 30 album or two top 20 singles on the Official U.K. charts in the eligibility period. Previously, artists were considered eligible if they had achieved either one top 40 album or two top 20 singles in the eligibility period.
For the Mastercard album of the year prize, the LP must have reached the top 30 on the U.K.’s Albums Chart.
In the five genre categories for alternative/rock, dance, hip-hop/grime/rap, pop and R&B, the eligibility criteria remains the same, with artists required to have achieved a top 40 album or single on the Official U.K. charts in the eligibility period.
Nominees for the BRITs are usually announced in January and are selected by members of the BRITs voting panel, which is comprised of thousands of musicians, industry experts, pundits and more. In recent years, genre categories have been voted on by the public.
In other developments for the 2026 ceremony, Stacey Tang, co-president of RCA U.K., will chair this year’s organization committee and will oversee the ceremony’s creative direction, alongside representatives from other U.K. major and independent record labels, BRITs TV and the BPI.
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A Korean court has rejected NewJeans’ attempt to break away from its label ADOR, dealing a major victory to the HYBE subsidiary in its closely-watched legal battle with the chart-topping K-pop group.
The five members of NewJeans — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein — have been fighting since last November to leave ADOR and make music independently under the moniker NJZ. The women claim ADOR broke their trust with the controversial dismissal of their mentor, former CEO Min Hee-jin.
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However, ADOR has argued that NewJeans’ 2022 exclusive contract bars any independent activities until 2029. A legal battle ensued and, after months of back and forth, a Korean court sided with ADOR on Thursday (Oct. 30).
According to Korean news reports, a judge in the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Min’s termination was not sufficient grounds for NewJeans to void its seven-year contract with ADOR.
“Nowhere in the exclusive contract is it stated that ADOR must entrust the management duties for NewJeans to Min Hee-jin,” wrote Presiding Judge Jeong Hoe-il, according to the Chosun Daily. “Merely the fact that NewJeans personally places high trust in Min Hee-jin does not make guaranteeing her the position of ADOR’s CEO a significant obligation under the exclusive contract.”
In an official statement on Thursday, ADOR expressed “deep gratitude for the court’s decision.”
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“We sincerely hope that today’s judgment, which comes after long-term verification of various claims and facts and reaffirms prior rulings, will serve as an opportunity for the artists to calmly reflect on this matter,” said the label. “ADOR is committed to re-emphasizing its role and responsibilities as NewJeans’ management agency. As we stated during the trial, we have completed preparations for the artist’s activities, including the release of a studio album, and are waiting. We will do our utmost to return to the fans through discussions with the artist.”
The NewJeans members, meanwhile, put out a statement through their lawyers saying they plan to appeal the decision.
“NewJeans members respect the court’s judgment, but it is impossible to return to this company and continue normal entertainment activities in the current situation where the trust relationship with ADOR is completely shattered,” said the law firm Shin & Kim, as reported by the Korea Times.
NewJeans’ legal battle with ADOR has captivated the K-pop world, where companies like HYBE hold immense power and artists rarely speak out against their labels.
The group found global success in 2023 with the EP Get Up, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent 26 weeks on the chart. The album’s lead single, “Super Shy,” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200.
