TV/Film
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Taylor Swift‘s blockbuster Eras Tour concert film is finally coming to Disney+, complete with four brand new bonus surprise songs previously left out from the project’s theatrical release. The 34-year-old pop star unleashed a new trailer teasing the film’s upcoming arrival on the streaming service Monday (March 4), featuring scenes from the Eras Tour‘s stay […]
Go west, they said. Scarlett Lee did just that with an audition on American Idol, for a glittering result. Raised in London, the Brit stepped into auditions Sunday night (March 3) and showcased her warm tones and extensive range, performing a cover of Emeli Sandé’s “Clown.”
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The three judges lapped it up.
“Oh, my goodness,” was Lionel Richie’s immediate response. “You do know that your trip was worth it. It was so well executed. I really enjoyed what you did.”
Luke Bryan chimed in: “What I do love is you have a neat personality. You have a neat little aura and vibe going on.”
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Katy Perry admitted she was hesitant when she heard the song choice. “Are we being pranked here,” was her initial thought. No, no it wasn’t. “That is one of my favorite songs,” the “Firework” singer continued. “It’s so vulnerable.”
It’s not the 26-year-old’s first rodeo. In 2018, Lee competed in the 15th season of the U.K.’s X Factor, finishing in second place, behind winner Dalton Harris; and participated in the 14th season, reaching the six-chair challenge.
Wearing a red dress, heels and bringing a “vibe” to the Idol auditions, Lee immediately won fans. “You’re fun and a little bit funky,” Perry continued. “Your personality is so big, and sometimes people don’t take you seriously. But when you sing a song and you sing a song like that, then you cut through all of the layers. It doesn’t matter the makeup, it doesn’t matter the outfit. You become Scarlett Lee the artist. The possible next American Idol. You become serious. So I’m taking you seriously. Your soul is shining through.”
It’s three yeses for Lee. And a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Judges Richie, Perry and Bryan and host Ryan Seacrest have all returned for the current, 22nd season of American Idol, which will be Perry’s last, she revealed in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live! ahead of the season premiere on Feb. 18.
The talent show airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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The Barbie ballad “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas won best song written and/or recorded for a film at the 2024 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, which were held at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday (March 3). The awards, now in their 14th year, celebrate the craft of music supervision in film, television, documentaries, advertising, trailers and video games.
“What Was I Made For?” is the front-runner to win the Oscar for best original song on March 10. If it does, it will be the third GMS winner to go on to win the Oscar, following “City of Stars” from La La Land and “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
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Eilish and Finneas accepted the award in person and thanked music supervisors for placing their songs in films and TV, dating back to Eilish’s first hit, “Ocean Eyes.” Finneas said, “If we owe our careers to any group of people, it really in all honesty is music supervisors.”
This being the GMS Awards, the award for best song written and/or recorded for a film also went to Barbie music supervisor George Drakoulias, who won a second award for his work on that blockbuster: best music supervision for a film budgeted over $25 million. Drakoulias thanked many people, including executives at Atlantic Records. “If you have a chance to make a soundtrack, make it with Kevin Weaver, because he’s a pitbull. We would do these weekly calls and [it] was like ‘this was an embarrassment of riches.’ Everybody said yes.”
Other double winners on the night were Toko Nagaro (Joy Ride, Totally Killer), Frankie Pine (Daisy Jones & The Six) and Alex Hackford (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game).
Two months after winning a Primetime Emmy for outstanding music supervision for The White Lotus, Gabe Hilfer received a GMS Award for best music supervision, television drama for his work on the HBO Max series.
The Icon Award was presented posthumously to Robbie Robertson, who is nominated for an Oscar for best original score for his work on Killers of the Flower Moon. Rocco DeLuca and Johnny Sheppard performed the hushed “They Don’t Live Long” from Killers. Margo Price, Robert Randolph and Jairus Mozee performed Robertson’s “Evangeline,” which Emmylou Harris introduced in the 1978 film The Last Waltz. Robertson’s award was accepted by his three grown children, Alexandra, Delphine and Sebastian, all of whom have built successful careers in the music field. Previous recipients of the Icon Award include Paul Williams, Diane Warren, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Kenny Loggins and Marc Shaiman.
The Legacy Award went to music supervisor Allan Mason, who has worked on more than two dozen films, including several that were directed by Barry Levinson, among them Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man and Bugsy. Some of the vintage songs Levinson found for movies later became major hits, including Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” from Good Morning, Vietnam and The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” from Benny & Joon. Mason took to the stage wearing a Strawberry Alarm Clark T-shirt and carrying his beloved dog, Benny. (“I feel without a doubt he’s here and I’m his +1,” Mason said of Benny.) Previous recipients of the Legacy Award include Pilar McCurry, Mitchell Leib, Maureen Crowe, Bob Hunka, Joel Sill, Gary Lemel and Chris Montan.
Jonathan Finegold won best music supervision for a documentary for Little Richard: I Am Everything. “The king of rock’n’roll is Black and he’s gay, and we need to realize that,” Finegold said. He also fessed up that when he was 11 and 12 and was supposed to be listening to instructional cassettes to study for his bar mitzvah, he was actually listening to Barry White’s Greatest Hits, Abbey Road and Hot Rocks.
Dan Wilson performed his nominated song “It Never Went Away” from the film American Symphony, which he co-wrote with Jon Batiste. Batiste is set to perform it on the Oscars, where it is nominated for best original song. India Carney performed her nominated song “I Found You” from the Showtime series The L Word: Generation Q. Spotlight Performer d4vd, signed to Interscope/Darkroom, performed “Romantic Homicide.” Tia P performed a rap song, “Stay Ready,” which served as a thank-you to the event’s sponsors, each of whom got a name-check in the song.
Presenters included Mark Ronson, Tyrese Gibson, Nia Vardalos, Ben Platt & Noah Galvin, Luca Guadagnino, PJ Morton, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Crystal Methyd, Freddy Scott, Ryan Lott of Son Lux and Volker Bertelmann.
The event was produced by the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards production committee – president Lindsay Wolfington (who won an award as the music supervisor of Theater Camp), vice president Heather Guibert, plus Joel C. High and Janet Lopez. Show production is handled by Angelia Bibbs-Sanders from ABS Collective with talent producer Julie Donsky and technical production by Nick Urbom from Big Push Media Group.
Here’s a complete list of nominations for the 2024 Guild of Music Supervisor Awards, with winners marked.
FILM
Best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million
Matt Aberle – The Holdovers
Deva Anderson, Rachel Lautzenheiser – My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
Stephanie Diaz-Matos, Philippe Pierre – They Cloned Tyrone
WINNER: George Drakoulias – Barbie
Steven Gizicki – Maestro
Kirsten Lane – Saltburn
Kier Lehman – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Frankie Pine – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
James A. Taylor – Wonka
Andrea von Foerster – Air
Best music supervision for film budgeted $25 million and under
Lucy Bright – The Iron Claw
Kevin Edelman – Jesus Revolution
Connie Farr – All of Us Strangers
Carly Hildebrand, Natalie Hayden – Polite Society
Vanessa Jorge Perry – Flamin’ Hot
WINNER: Toko Nagata – Joy Ride
Best music supervision for film budgeted $10 million and under
Adam Bennati – Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Jody Colero – Brother
Meghan Currier – Past Lives
Tracy McKnight – Somewhere in Queens
Howard Paar – Eileen
Andy Ross, Ben Sokoler – War Pony
Michael Turner – Paint
WINNER: Lindsay Wolfington – Theater Camp
Best music supervision for a non-theatrically released film
WINNER (TIE): Angela Asistio – Chang Can Dunk
Linda Cohen – Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain
David Fish – Rye Lane
Liz Gallacher – Sitting in Bars with Cake
Rob Lowry, Tracy McKnight – Family Switch
WINNER (TIE): Toko Nagata – Totally Killer
Javier Nuño, Joe Rodríguez – A Million Miles Away
Wyler Sanca – Heist 88
Derryck “Big Tank” Thornton – Praise This
Best song written and/or recorded for a film
“Am I Dreaming” – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Songwriters: Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Rakim Mayers, Roisee, Leland Wayne, Landon Wayne; Performers: Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky, Roisee; Music Supervisor: Kier Lehman
“Camp Isn’t Home” – Theater Camp; Songwriters: Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt, Mark Sonnenblick; Performers: Alexander Bello, Bailee Bonick, Donovan Colan, Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Luke Islam, Madisen Lora, Kyndra Sanchez, Jack Sobolewski, Quinn Titcomb; Music Supervisor: Lindsay Wolfington
“Can’t Catch Me Now” – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes; Songwriters: Dan Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo; Performer: Olivia Rodrigo; Music Supervisor: Hillary Holmes
“I’m Just Ken” – Barbie; Songwriters: Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt; Performer: Ryan Gosling; Music Supervisor: George Drakoulias
“It Never Went Away” – American Symphony; Songwriters: Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson; Performer: Jon Batiste; Music Supervisor: Priya Autrey
“JUICY” – Joy Ride; Songwriters: Isak Alvedahl, Kirubel Swedin, Sandra Wikstrom; Performer: Ramengvrl; Music Supervisor: Toko Nagata
“Little Bit ‘O Soul” – Totally Killer; Songwriters: John Carter, Kenneth Hawker; Performer: The Linda Lindas; Music Supervisor: Toko Nagata
“Quiet Eyes” – Past Lives; Songwriters: Zachary Dawes, Sharon Van Etten; Performer: Sharon Van Etten; Music Supervisor: Meghan Currier
“Road to Freedom” – Rustin; Songwriter: Lenny Kravitz; Performer: Lenny Kravitz; Music Supervisor: Barry Cole
WINNER: “What Was I Made For?” – Barbie; Songwriters: Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell; Performer: Billie Eilish; Music Supervisor: George Drakoulias
TELEVISION
Best music supervision – television drama
Ed Bailie, Abi Leland, Toby Williams – Top Boy Season 3
Zoë Ellen Bryant, Pete Saville – I Hate Suzie Too Season 2
Rick Clark – Dark Winds Season 2
Nora Felder – Yellowjackets Season 2
WINNER: Gabe Hilfer – The White Lotus Season 2
Jonathan Leahy, Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe – Welcome to Chippendales Season 1
Janine Scalise – The L Word: Generation Q Season 3
Best music supervision – television comedy or musical
Matt Biffa – Sex Education Season 4
Leah Harrison – I’m a Virgo Season 1
Mike Moreno – Mariachis Season 1
Javier Nuño, One Six, Joe Rodríguez – Neon Season 1
WINNER: Frankie Pine – Daisy Jones & The Six Season 1
Robin Urdang – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5
Justine von Winterfeldt – Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin Season 1
Laura Webb, Lindsay Wolfington – XO, Kitty Season 1
Best music supervision – reality television
Greg Danylyshyn – Teen Mom: The Next Chapter Season 1
Peter Davis – Are You the One? Season 9
Jon Ernst – Love Is Blind Season 5
WINNER: Carrie Hughes – Love & Hip Hop: Miami Season 5
Sara Torres, Jordan Young – Love Island USA Season 5
Best song written and/or recorded for television
“A Beautiful Game” – Ted Lasso; Songwriters: Max Martin, Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance; Performer: Ed Sheeran; Music Supervisors: Christa Miller, Tony Von Pervieux
“City On Fire” – City on Fire; Songwriter: Zach Ellis; Performer: Ex Post Facto; Music Supervisor: Jonathan Leahy
“Esperando Pelitos” – Big Mouth; Songwriter: Lin-Manuel Miranda; Performers: Robin De Jesús, PJ Sin Suela; Music Supervisor: Amanda Krieg Thomas
“I Found You” – The L Word: Generation Q; Songwriters: Annalia Marie Mallory, Viv Parker, Lexxi Taylor Saal; Performer: India Carney; Music Supervisor: Janine Scalise
WINNER: “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” – Daisy Jones & The Six; Songwriters: Jason Boesel, Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, Johnathan Rice, Stephony Smith; Performer: Daisy Jones & The Six; Music Supervisor: Frankie Pine
“The Manster (Dr. Hunkenstein’s Theme)” – Welcome to Chippendales; Songwriters: Dan Bern, Siddhartha Khosla, Robert Siegel, Mike Viola; Performer: Welcome to Chippendales cast; Music Supervisors: Jonathan Leahy, Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe
“Pussy Don’t Lie” – Big Mouth; Songwriters: Megan Pete, Mark Rivers; Performer: Megan Thee Stallion; Music Supervisor: Amanda Krieg Thomas
“Staplehead” – Poker Face; Songwriters: John Darnielle, Jamey Jasta; Performer: Doxxxology; Music Supervisor: Thomas Golubić
Documentaries
Best music supervision for a documentary
Justin Feldman – All Up in the Biz
WINNER: Jonathan Finegold – Little Richard: I Am Everything
Joel C. High – Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story
Susan Jacobs – Wild Life
Aminé Ramer, Andrea von Foerster – Peter Case: A Million Miles Away
Amani “Burt Blackarach” Smith – Stamped from the Beginning
Allison Wood – Last Stop Larrimah
Best music supervision in a docuseries
Janet Billig Rich, Lisa Moberly – Dear Mama Season 1
James Cartwright – Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators Season 1
Kyle McKeveny, Joe Rudge – The Super Models Season 1
WINNER: Andrea von Foerster – Welcome to Wrexham Season 2
Willa Yudell – Arnold Season 1
Advertising
Best music supervision in advertising (synch)
Jeremy Daw, JT Griffith – Nike: A Feel for Every You
Andrew Kahn, Morgan Thoryk – Check ‘Em Out
Sunny Kapoor, Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – Going Out in Style in the Greatest Story Ever Worn
Sunny Kapoor, Mike Ladman, Brandy Ricker, Mara Techam – One Fair Exchange in the Greatest Story Ever Worn
Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – Rumble
Sara Matarazzo, Stephanie Pigott, Danielle Soury – American Gothic
WINNER: Scott McDaniel – Run This Town – The Road to Halftime Starts on Rihanna Drive
Lilah Obregon-Wilson – Wear Your Shine – The Coach Shine Collection
Jonathan Wellbelove – iPhone 14 – Action Mode
Best music supervision in advertising (original music)
Abbey Hendrix, Mika Sheerin, Jonathan Wellbelove – iPhone 15 Pro – On with the Show
Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – Unshattered
Mike Ladman, Mara Techam – More of Life Brought to Life – Sneakers
Sara Matarazzo, Stephanie Pigott, Danielle Soury – Xbox Series X|S – Wake Up and Dream
WINNER: Nicole Palko, Jonathan Wellbelove – iPhone 15 Plus – Miss You
Trailers
Best music supervision in a trailer – film
Maggie Baron – Problemista – Official Trailer
Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – Killers of the Flower Moon – Official Trailer 2
Calum Brice-Stevens – All of Us Strangers – Official Trailer
Danny Exum, Derek Liner – Sisu – Official Trailer
Bobby Gumm – Damsel – Official Trailer
WINNER: Angel Mendoza – Killers of the Flower Moon – Official Teaser Trailer
Scenery Samundra, Gregory Sweeney – Priscilla – Official Trailer
Best music supervision in a trailer – series
Isaac Allaway, Eduardo Fontes Williams – The Crown Season 6 – Part 2 Trailer
Maggie Baron – The Idol – Official Teaser Trailer
Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – Official Trailer
Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – Swarm – Official Trailer
Bobby Gumm – The Witcher Season 3 – Official Trailer
WINNER: Rochelle Holguin Cappello, Katie Pool – Yellowjackets Season 2 – Official Trailer
Sanaz Lavaedian, Marina Polites – Griselda – Official Trailer
Best music supervision in a trailer – video game & interactive
Jonny Altepeter, Peter Li – VALORANT – Iso Agent Trailer – MYTHS
WINNER: Rebecca Bergman, Brian Murphy – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – Official Justice League Trailer – “No More Heroes”
Chris Fox, Kyle Hopkins – South of Midnight – Announce Trailer
Lindsey Kohon, Naaman Snell, Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – Gameplay Reveal Trailer
Raphaella Lima, Michael Sherwood – Apex Legends: Ignite Launch Trailer
Nick Maker – Marathon – Official Announce Trailer
Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – Makarov Reveal Trailer
Video Games
Best music supervision in a video game (synch)
WINNER: Alex Hackford – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Alex Hackford, Sophie Levine, Monty Mudd – MLB ’23: The Show
Maya Halfon Cordova – Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure
Raphaella Lima, Cybele Pettus, Steve Schnur – EA SPORTS FC 24
Raphaella Lima, Cybele Pettus, Steve Schnur – F1 23
Raphaella Lima, Cybele Pettus, Steve Schnur – Madden NFL 24
Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Season 2-6
Best music supervision in a video game (original music)
WINNER: Alex Hackford, Scott Hanau, Keith Leary – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2; Composer: John Paesano
Simon Landry, Alex Riviere – Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora; Composer: Pinar Toprak
Steve Schnur – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; Composers: Stephen Barton, Gordy Haab
Jaren Tolman – Hogwarts Legacy; Composers: Peter Murray, Chuck E. Myers, J. Scott Rakozy
Austin Wintory – Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical; Composers: Montaigne, Tripod, Austin Wintory
Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III; Composer: Walter Mair
Kacey Musgraves returned to Studio 8H on March 2.
For her third time as musical guest on Saturday Night Live, the 35-year-old country music star performed two tracks from her upcoming album, Deeper Well.
Stepping out barefoot and donning a patchwork jacket dress, Musgraves received an introduction from host Sydney Sweeney before opening with the a stirring rendition of her new project’s title track. For her second song, the singer-songwriter wrote a beautiful blue dress during “Too Good to Be True,” with assistance from her backing band.
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“I just want someone to look at me the way Sydney Sweeney looks at Kacey Musgraves,” a fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the show. Musgraves responded to the post, writing, “The clip. I forgot to remove the clip,” she wrote, referring to a hair clip she’s seen wearing at the end of the program.
Musgraves took the stage as musical guest on SNL for the third time, having previously done it in May 2018 and October 2021. On the heels of winning her seventh Grammy honor Feb. 4 (for best country duo/group performance with Zach Bryan for “I Remember Everything”), the artist will release her fifth studio album, Deeper Well, on March 15, through Interscope/MCA Nashville. The project follows her previous project, Star-Crossed, which released in 2021.
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In a statement, Musgraves explained that she took inspiration for the new album from the energy in New York City’s Greenwich Village and that she recorded the project at the iconic Electric Lady studios. The album will “serve as a lens focusing on moments of life that often go unnoticed, turning them into timeless songs that strike a chord deep within listeners. Saturn returns, cardinals embody a dead friend, love is given and taken, streets rush by, belongings are packed and old chapters deserted, new love blooms, jade bracelets serve as talismans, deep lessons emerge, small details define everything, the woods are a refuge and New York City serves as the same gleaming beacon as Oz.”
Watch Musgraves’ SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
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Sydney Sweeney is making her Saturday Night Live hosting debut this weekend (March 2), alongside musical guest Kacey Musgraves.
In a series of new promos for the episode, SNL cast member Heidi Gardner expresses excitement for the “girl power” of the three girls in the scene. “Love this group of three strong ladies. I bet so many women are going to tune in this week,” Gardner says, before Sweeney expresses, “Weirdly, a lot of my fans are men.”
“Hm, I wonder why,” Musgraves responds.
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Musgraves is taking the stage as musical guest for SNL for the third time, having previously done it in May 2018 and October 2021. On the heels of winning her seventh Grammy honor Feb. 4 (for best country duo/group performance with Zach Bryan for “I Remember Everything”), Kacey Musgraves will release her fifth studio album, Deeper Well, on March 15, via Interscope/MCA Nashville. The project follows her previous project, Star-Crossed, which released in 2021.
In a statement, Musgraves explained that she took inspiration for the new album from the energy in New York City’s Greenwich Village and that she recorded the project at the iconic Electric Lady studios. The album will “serve as a lens focusing on moments of life that often go unnoticed, turning them into timeless songs that strike a chord deep within listeners. Saturn returns, cardinals embody a dead friend, love is given and taken, streets rush by, belongings are packed and old chapters deserted, new love blooms, jade bracelets serve as talismans, deep lessons emerge, small details define everything, the woods are a refuge and New York City serves as the same gleaming beacon as Oz.”
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Watch the promos below, and catch the full episode on Saturday (March 2) at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, before the episode heads to streaming on Peacock.
The 2024 Oscars will have strong Latin representation. Two Puerto Rican superstars of different generations — Bad Bunny and Rita Moreno — have been added as presenters for the March 10 ceremony, along with Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef.
Moreno won an Oscar in 1962 for West Side Story. In 1977, she became the first Latina (and just the third person overall) to complete the EGOT. In 2022, Bad Bunny made history when Un Verano Sin Ti became the first Spanish-language album to top Billboard’s year-end chart and to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year.
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On Wednesday, the Academy announced that another popular Latin star, Becky G, would perform the nominated “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot on the telecast. Becky G was born in Inglewood, Calif., to Mexican American parents.
Previously announced Oscars presenters are Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.
The 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast to outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10, at the new, earlier time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the show for the fourth time. It will be held at its usual home, the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner for the 2024 Oscars. Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan are also executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing. Rickey Minor is music director.
Freaknik took HBCU spring breaks in Atlanta throughout the ’80s and ’90s by storm. The cultural street party has been turned into a documentary as Hulu’s Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is set to arrive on the streamer on March 21.
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Ahead of the P. Frank Williams-directed documentary’s debut at SXSW next month, Hulu unleashed a trailer detailing the Black excellence to give those that attended a nostalgic blast from the past and inform those who didn’t have the chance to learn about the history they missed out on.
21 Savage, Jermaine Dupri and Uncle Luke are on board as producers for the film, which also boasts appearances from Lil Jon, Killer Mike, Too Short and more.
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“At its heart, Freaknik is a music documentary. Luke is the soundtrack of Freaknik, [Dupri’s] So So Def label is directly correlated to Freaknik and 21 Savage is the new school. They’re fascinated with the wild stuff we did, the clothes and the music of that era,” Williams told Variety. “The legacy of Freaknik really started in ‘83, I don’t know if people realized that. It was about kids trying to find a place for Black joy. Freaknik wasn’t just about the party. Our goal was to show how it affected politics, culture, race, there was a lot with sexuality, gender.”
Freaknik provided a place for the youth to indulge in debauchery but also celebrate themselves as well as their sexual expression. Lil Jon called the block party the “greatest Black gathering in America.” Killer Mike joked to close out the teaser: “Trust me, your momma and daddy got down.”
However, amid all the partying, there was a dark side of Freaknik that the documentary made sure to not shy away from with scenes of violence breaking out among the overwhelming amount of partygoers and police brutality.
“The turn up, the cars, sexuality, joy, the daisy dukes — that’s the candy of it. But there’s also some vegetables in it – which is the Black empowerment, police brutality was part of it, Black cultural realization, young women realizing their sexuality, young men too,” Williams continued.
“Freaknik is really a coming of age story about a generation who was trying to find a voice in a world that didn’t accept them — but this is a place they created for themselves. Freaknik is the ultimate personification of that.”
Watch the trailer below. Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told arrives on March 21.
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In Jennifer Lopez’s new documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told, producers revealed that Lizzo and a litany of other celebrities turned down cameos in the “I’m Real” singer’s This Is Me … Now: A Love Story film, but according to the Yitty founder, she never received an invite.
A very confused Lizzo reacted to a clip from the behind-the-scenes project – in which Lopez’s team says the singer is “unavailable” to participate in the film – in a Wednesday (Feb. 28) TikTok, telling followers, “Ain’t nobody told me nothing.”
“Nobody asked me,” the “Truth Hurts” artist adds, laughing. “J. Lo, I love you.”
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Billboard has reached out to Lopez’s rep for comment.
Lizzo’s reaction comes about two weeks after the 54-year-old singer-actress unveiled This Is Me … Now: A Love Story alongside her new album This Is Me … Now Feb. 16. The accompanying documentary of the album and film’s making, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, arrived Tuesday (Feb. 27) on Prime Video.
In addition to Lizzo, producers noted in the doc that Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge and Snoop Dogg were also all unavailable to appear in This Is Me … Now: A Love Story. The film did, however, nab cameos from Fat Joe, Post Malone, Keke Palmer, Trevor Noah, Kim Petras, Jane Fonda, Post Malone, Sofia Vergara, Jenifer Lewis, Jay Shetty, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Derek Hough, Paul Raci, Trevor Jackson and, of course, Lopez’s husband and the muse behind her new record, Ben Affleck.
This Is Me … Now debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200. It serves as a follow-up to the Marry Me star’s 2002 LP This Is Me … Then and captures Lopez’s journey to rekindling her romance with Affleck nearly two decades after they called off their original engagement in 2004.
“This Is Me…Then was something that I wrote at that point in time that wound up capturing a moment where I fell deeply in love for the first time in that way, and I didn’t know that I would look back and I think,” she told Billboard earlier this month. “Then to have this kind of crazy, strange, magical, surrealistic plot twist where I wound up back with that person, it was insane and it was also very inspiring.”
See Lizzo’s TikTok below.
Fans will finally get to see Paul Simon dive into his songwriting legacy and the high points of his nearly seven-decade career in music when the biopic In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon hits streaming next month.
“People used to say, ‘Oh, you have your finger on the pulse,’” Simon says in voiceover in the 90-second trailer for the “definitive” musical doc chronicling the 82-year-old singer’s legendary career; the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and will bow as a two-part series on MGM+ on March 17 and 24. “No, I don’t have my finger on the pulse… I just have my finger out there and the pulse is running under,” Simon says.
In addition to taking viewers behind the scenes of the making of Simon’s 2023 album Seven Psalms, the Alex Gibney-directed doc promises to includes never-before-seen footage from throughout Simon’s storied career, from his days in Simon & Garfunkel to the global success of his landmark 1986 world music album Graceland.
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The opening montage says it all, bouncing from footage of a fresh-faced Simon at the beginning of his career in the mid-1950s, to his historical free 1981 Concert in Central Park benefit show with former partner Art Garfunkel for 500,000 and the sessions for the meditative Psalms song cycle.
“I’ve never wanted to be anything other than a singer and songwriter,” says Simon, author of such indelible hits as “Homeward Bound,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “Loves Me Like a Rock” and the South Africa-inspired Graceland, which won the 1987 Grammy for album of the year.
His collaboration with Garfunkel — which began when they were teenagers performing as Tom & Jerry — spawned dozens of hits and classic albums during the 1960s until their acrimonious split in 1970. The pair reunited several times over the next three decades for one-off shows and a 1993 world tour, though they would never again record a full album together.
“Artie, that was a good friendship,” he says lovingly about Garfunkel in the trailer. “We thought we should express what our generation felt.”
Watch the trailer for In Restless Dreams below.
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Richard Lewis, the beloved comedian and actor known for his role as himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm, has died on Tuesday (Feb. 27) after suffering a heart attack. He was 76 years old. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Comedian/Actor Richard Lewis passed away peacefully at his […]