TV/Film
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The performers lineup for CBS’ New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash is getting packed with even more musical talent. The special, which will be headlined by Kane Brown, Keith Urban and Jelly Roll, will also feature performances from Shaboozey, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Tyler Hubbard, Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, Brittney Spencer, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson and Zach Top.
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Jelly Roll, Urban and Brown will headline from Nashville’s Bicentennial Park, while Parker McCollum will perform from the Brooklyn Bowl, with special guests SiriusXM and CMT host Cody Alan, and SiriusXM host Caylee Hammack.
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The special will be hosted by four-time Grammy winner Urban and Entertainment Tonight‘s Rachel Smith. Shaboozey has seen his smash hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” rule on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks this year, while Eric Church and Luke Combs aided those impacted by Hurricane Helene earlier this year by teaming up with artists including Billy Strings, Urban and James Taylor for the all-star Concert For Carolina in October. Bryan, Lambert, Post Malone, Top and Wilson all released new projects in 2024.
The five-hour celebration will air live on Dec. 31 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT, 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. ET/PT) on the CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Set in Music City, the special will feature more than 40 performances, while Nashville counts down to midnight with the East Coast, and continues the festivities through midnight Central Time with the city’s signature Music Note Drop at the Bicentennial Mall stage.
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash is executive produced by Robert Deaton and Mary Hilliard Harrington in partnership with Music City Inc., the foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. The special will be directed by Sandra Restrepo.
The Sundance Film Festival is marking its 40th anniversary in 2025 with a lineup that highlights music’s transformative role in storytelling.
Running from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, the festival will feature 87 feature films and six episodic projects, selected from nearly 16,000 submissions across 156 countries. For music lovers, this year’s festival offers a slate of documentaries and narratives that delve into the lives and legacies of iconic artists and groundbreaking genres.
Among the highly anticipated entries is Selena y Los Dinos, a documentary that honors Selena Quintanilla, the Queen of Tejano Music. With hits like “Como La Flor” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” gracing the Billboard charts, Selena’s impact transcended music. Using never-before-seen footage from her family’s archive, the film offers an intimate look at her rise from family celebrations to stadium-filling performances.
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It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley provides an evocative portrait of the late singer-songwriter whose debut album, Grace, remains a touchstone in music history. Featuring rare footage and personal accounts, the documentary illuminates Buckley’s artistry and the lasting resonance of his work, such as Billboard 100 charting entries “You And I” and “Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk”.
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In Move Ya Body: The Birth of House, audiences will explore the cultural revolution ignited by house music. Tracing its roots from Chicago’s underground dance clubs to its global influence, the film examines house music’s enduring presence.
Questlove’s SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) offers an in-depth look at Sly & The Family Stone, whose trailblazing hits like their Billboard No. 1 “Everyday People” and No. 2 “Hot Fun In The Summertime” left a major mark on the Billboard Hot 100. The documentary sheds light on the pressures and challenges faced by Black artists navigating the music industry’s complexities.
Adding to the mix is One to One: John & Yoko, a documentary exploring a transformative period in the lives of Beatles legend John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Set during 18 pivotal months in the early 1970s, the film examines the couple’s time living in Greenwich Village, New York City, when their personal and creative worlds collided.
Diversity remains a cornerstone of Sundance’s mission, with nearly half of this year’s films directed by women and 45% by filmmakers identifying as people of color. Notably, 96% of the lineup will premiere globally at the festival, further cementing Sundance’s reputation as a launchpad for innovative cinema.
Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. MT. Members have access to a Single Film Ticket pre-sale, and limited quantities of passes and packages remain on sale.
For those unable to attend in person, Sundance is expanding access by offering a selection of films online from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2. Individual tickets go on sale Jan. 16, with passes available now at festival.sundance.org.
Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez are in each other’s corners. While at the Academy Women’s Luncheon Tuesday (Dec. 10) in Los Angeles — where the Rare Beauty founder sat next to the “Yes, And?” singer — Gomez revealed to Variety that Grande was one of the first people to message her after they both received Golden Globes nominations in the best supporting actress category the day prior.
“Ariana texted me and it was the sweetest note and it was about six in the morning,” the Only Murders in the Building star said, noting that boyfriend Benny Blanco also sent congratulations around the same time. “We sent each other voice messages. It was very exciting.”
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Grande also told the publication that she’s “always adored” Gomez. “I respect her so much,” said the R.E.M. Beauty mogul. “I was really happy for her to see us on that list together. It was very special.”
“I really love watching this moment happen for Selena,” Grande added. “I know how hard she’s worked and how long she’s waited. I recognize that because it resonates with me, so I know that feeling. So when you can reach out to your friends in the industry and say, ‘Great work, congratulations,’ why not do it? I don’t know Selena as well as I wish I did, so I’m excited to sit next to her today.”
While sitting next to each other at the luncheon, which celebrated women in Hollywood, Gomez also shared a photo on Instagram Stories of their hands — recognizable from their respective tattoos — and called Grande an “angel on earth.” The Wizards of Waverly Place alum is nominated for best supporting actress at the 2025 Globes for her performance in Emilia Pérez, while the “We Can’t Be Friends” artist is up for the award for Wicked. The two women share the category with Gomez’s costar Zoe Saldana, The Brutalist‘s Felicity Jones, The Substance‘s Margaret Qualley and Conclave‘s Isabella Rossellini.
It’s an exciting moment all around, especially as Gomez has long been a fan of Grande’s. In January, the former was one of the first stars to react to the latter’s new-music tease: “FINALLY,” the Only Murders in the Building star excitedly commented on pictures of Grande in the studio. And earlier this year, while serving as a guest DJ on SiriusXM Hits 1, Selena queued up “7 Rings” and gushed, “I cannot do anything fun without listening to Ariana.”
“I feel so empowered, and I think she is incredible, and I just have so much fun,” she added at the time. “I’m the girl that’s playing Ariana all the time, and I think people kind of notice that, but I love it! I think she’s amazing.”
Sofronio Vasquez is the winner of season 26 of The Voice. The Team Bublé singer gave coach Michael Bublé a win in his first season on the show on Tuesday night (Dec. 10) when the 31-year-old singer from the Philippines emerged as voters’ favorite following electric performances of Sia’s “Unstoppable” and The Greatest Showman showstopper “A Million Dreams.”
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In addition to scoring a $100,000 payday and a record deal, Vasquez said the amazing mentorship provided by the “Spicy Margarita” singer was its own prize. “Your mentorship is a blessing to me, my family and to all the dreamers out there,” Vasquez told Bublé before the final results were read. In a rare double-down, Bublé was also the only coach to have two contestants make it into the top five, as well as boasting the top two finishers thanks to his other contestant, Shye, coming in as runner-up.
Bublé joins Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and John Legend as the fourth new coach to score a win in their first season on the show. In addition to beating out his teammate, Vasquez also bested Team Snoop’s Jeremy Beloate and Team Gwen’s Sydney Sterlace.
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“My Filipino brother, you are the hope of so many people… it has been such an unbelievable journey to be here with you,” Bublé told Vasquez — who moved to the U.S. in 2022 to chase his music dreams — before the singer was handed his hardware. According to an NBC bio, Sofronio grew up in the Philippines with no bed or indoor plumbing and “describes his upbringing as happy because music was always there to bring his family joy.” He loved singing for his late father, but thought a music career was out of reach, so he began to study dentistry, then decided to give music a chance while taking his dental boards.
After his father’s sudden death, Sofronio moved to the U.S. to pursue music full-time, landing gigs at the famed Apollo Theater and racking up nearly 10 million Facebook views for his cover of Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For.”
“I think if people understood the strength that you have and the fact that through all of this adversity, you walk out here on a night like tonight, when it probably matters more than anything has in your whole life career-wise,” Bublé added. “You walk out here in the moment and you take the brass ring and I’m just so happy for you.”
It was a joy ride for Vasquez, who got a four-chair turn at the beginning of the season from coaches Bublé, Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg for his take on Mary J. Blige’s version of Rose Royce’s 1976 disco ballad “I’m Goin’ Down.”
Along the way, Vasquez proved his versatility with covers of Elvis’ “If I Can Dream,” Jennifer Rush’s “The Power of Love,” Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” as well as a killer take on Roy Orbison’s “Crying” during the playoff rounds. He also teamed up with his coach during Tuesday night’s finale for a cover of soulful cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “Who’s Loving You.”
After the confetti fell, Vasquez posted a picture on his Insta of himself with Bublé holding the trophy with the caption, “Dreams really do come true.”
The 27th season of The Voice will premiere on Feb. 3 with Bublé returning alongside Kelsea Ballerini, Legend and returning coach Adam Levine.
Check out video from Vasquez’s final night.
Julien Baker and Torres debuted their new duet, “Sugar in the Tank,” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, giving audiences a first look at their country-inspired collaboration on Dec. 11.
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Backed by a full live band, the performance introduced audiences to the twanging, heartfelt track that explores the complexities of love and self-reflection.
The song’s lyrics capture an intimate snapshot of vulnerability, with Baker and Torres trading verses and harmonizing on the chorus: “Sitting outside with the engine running/ Just waiting on me to change/ So c’mon baby, put a little/ Sugar in the tank/ I love you all the way.” The poignant delivery was paired with Baker’s banjo and Torres’ guitar.
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The performance marks the latest step in the duo’s ongoing collaboration, which they previewed earlier this year during a Webster Hall performance in New York. The set included unreleased tracks that hinted at the country-inflected direction of their partnership.
On social media, they’ve continued to tease fans, recently sharing a snippet of what appears to be a Western-themed music video, captioning the clip, “Next week… we ride.”
The partnership aligns with several 2025 festival appearances, including stops at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, High Water Music Festival in Charleston, and the Green River Festival.
This collaboration comes as both artists continue to explore new creative territories. Baker, a celebrated singer, songwriter, and guitarist, is renowned for her work as a solo artist and as a member of the indie supergroup boygenius, alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.
The group’s Grammy-winning debut album the record in 2023 solidified their place in modern music, with hits like “Not Strong Enough,” “Cool About It,” and “True Blue.” On her own, Baker has gained acclaim for tracks such as “Appointments,” “Faith Healer,” and the hauntingly beautiful “Turn Out the Lights.” Her latest solo release, a cover of Belle and Sebastian’s “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying,” continues to showcase her range and introspection.
The duo’s foray into country-tinged storytelling feels like an exciting evolution for both artists, marrying their lyrical prowess with a genre steeped in tradition. As fans eagerly await their next move, one thing is clear: Baker and Torres are proving that their combined talents are as boundless as the open road.
Watch their performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon here.
Halsey is a songwriter, visual artist and makeup mogul — and now, the star has found a new medium for her artistry. According to Variety, the musician is set to write the script for a new dark comedy series Prime Video is developing called Bloodlust, with Ti West onboard to direct. As revealed Tuesday (Dec. […]
Looks like A$AP Rocky will be returning to the silver screen. Spike Lee said the rapper will have the “main role” in his upcoming Highest 2 Lowest film in an interview with Deadline on Monday (Dec. 9). “The main role … is A$AP Rocky,” he said during the interview at the 2024 Red Sea International […]
The late country artist and Country Music Hall of Fame member Keith Whitley will be the focus of an upcoming documentary film, thanks in part to his fellow country artist Blake Shelton. The Whitley-centered documentary will begin filming in January 2025.
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Shelton is co-producing the documentary with Lee Metzger of Lucky Horseshoe Productions. Also leading the project are Anomaly Content & Entertainment (ACE) partner and producer Evan Hayes (Free Solo), with ACE partner and CEO Justin Barocas serving as executive producer and Zach Heinzerling (Cutie and the Boxer, McCartney 3, 2, 1) serving as director.
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Whitley died in May 1989 at age 34, with only two full-length studio country albums having been released by the time of his passing (1985’s L.A. to Miami and 1988’s Don’t Close Your Eyes; his third album, 1989’s I Wonder Do You Think of Me, arrived three months after his death). However, the songwriting and vocal prowess displayed on those projects — and in his live shows — has been an indelible influence on generations of artists. Whitley’s “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” earned the CMA’s 1989 single of the year honor, while Whitley’s duet with wife Lorrie Morgan, “‘Til a Tear Becomes a Rose,” was named the CMA’s vocal event of the year in 1990.
The documentary will look at Whitley’s life and career, his struggles with addiction, his romance and marriage to fellow country artist Morgan, and his lasting impact on the music industry. The upcoming documentary will also feature archival footage from the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as personal collections from Morgan. The film will also look at Whitley’s roots in Sandy Hook, Kentucky, and will highlight reflections from Morgan as she navigates her own career while honoring Whitley’s memory.
Shelton said in a statement, “Keith Whitley released only three albums during his life, but his music has influenced generations of country music artists and fans. Gwen [Stefani] and I love to watch music documentaries, and I looked for his doc one night and couldn’t believe that there wasn’t one. I’m proud and honored we get to bring his incredible story to film.”
“Thanks to Blake, we finally have the chance to uncover the truth behind the legend that is Keith Whitley: a layered and heartbreaking story of talent, hardship, and love that is long overdue,” Heinzerling added. “It’s an honor to bring Keith’s story to a wide audience,” Metzger said. “He’s the kind of singer everyone knows the songs when they hear them but doesn’t know the story of the singer who performed them.” Hayes said, “What drew me to this project was the idea of tapping into a pop culture story that lies slightly beneath the surface. Here is this guy who is so important in the country music world — he inspired the modern Star Is Born, Morgan Wallen wrote a song about him and his music — and a lot of people don’t know his name. To be able to explore this character and this love story that had permeated pop culture country music in such an impactful way and to introduce it to mainstream audiences is exciting.”
In 2023, Shelton and Metzger founded Lucky Horseshoe Productions, which helmed the USA Network series Barmageddon, and is in pre-production on the upcoming singing competition series The Road.
Motown Records icon Smokey Robinson remembers that at one of the storied label’s holiday parties in the late ‘60s, he received a very special gift.
“Stevie Wonder came,” Robinson recalls to Billboard, “and gave me a cassette tape with the music for [the No. 1 R&B/pop hit] ‘The Tears of a Clown.’ But he couldn’t think of a song to go with it and wanted me to write a song for that music. And so I did. And ‘Tears’ became one of the biggest songs I’ve ever been associated with around the world.”
Now, as NBC gets set to premiere its holiday special A Motown Christmas, Robinson is promising music fans a “great night featuring legendary Motown artists and contemporary artists singing music and having a good time together.” The two-hour special bows Wednesday (Dec. 11) at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will stream the next day on Peacock.
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Halle Bailey and Smokey Robinson in ‘A Motown Christmas.’
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Hosts Robinson and Halle Bailey will be welcoming a diverse cast of performers that includes Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and the Temptations as well as Ashanti, Andra Day, BeBe Winans, Jamie Foxx, JoJo, Jordin Sparks, MGK, October London, Pentatonix and the hosts themselves. More than 25 Motown gems and other songs will be performed via a tuneful array of solos, duets and group medleys.
Among the highlights: London’s medley of Marvin Gaye songs (including “What’s Going On”); Knight (“Midnight Train to Georgia”); Pentatonix’s Four Tops medley (including “I Can’t Help Myself”); Foxx (“Little Drummer Boy”); Bailey and The Supremes’ medley (including “Stop in the Name of Love”); a Temptations medley (including “My Girl”); Andra Day (“Higher Ground”), Ashanti (“Santa Baby”) and Robinson performing his and the Miracles’ classics including the aforementioned “The Tears of a Clown.” Rounding out the show will be a world exclusive performance from the Broadway company of MJ the Musical.
Gladys Knight in ‘A Motown Christmas.’
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Calling fellow host Bailey “a wonderful young woman and a great talent,” Robinson also talked about working with the executive producers of A Motown Christmas, Debbie Allen and Motown alumnus Suzanne de Passe. “Debbie and Suzanne are my sisters,” he says. “I’ve known them forever and ever, so it’s always great to work with them. Debbie is one of the best choreographers and dancers that you’d ever want to meet. And Suzanne is a Motown mainstay. At one point she was our A&R director for music and now she’s a top movie and television producer.”
Asked about Motown founder Berry Gordy’s reaction to the holiday special, Robinson notes, “I think he’s going to love it because, you know, he is the reason for the season. On the very first day at Motown, he sat us down — it was four people there other than him — and said, ‘I’m going to start my own record company, and we’re not just going to make Black music. We’re going to make beats for everybody, make music for the world; quality music.’ So we set out to do that and, thank God, I think we accomplished it. If it hadn’t been for Berry, we wouldn’t be having a Motown special.”
Jamie Foxx and Halle Bailey in ‘A Motown Christmas.’
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Just as she prophesied on Cowboy Carter‘s “Protector,” Beyoncé is watching her kids shine on their own.
Following the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King starring Blue Ivy Carter in the leading role of Kiara, the superstar posted a heartfelt message dedicated to her 12-year-old daughter on Instagram Monday (Dec. 9) and wrote that she “could not be prouder” of her hard work. “My gorgeous baby girl,” Bey began, sharing photos of Blue modeling a gold Christian Siriano ballgown on the Mufasa red carpet. “This is your night.”
“You worked hard and you did such a beautiful job as the voice of Kiara,” added the “Break My Soul” singer, who also stars in the film as Nala. “Your family could not be prouder. Keep shining.”
The new live-action Mufasa comes five years after the 2019 remake of The Lion King, which also found Bey voicing the character of Nala and contributing a self-curated soundtrack album titled The Gift. The LP reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy nod for best pop vocal album.
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Half a decade later, the vocalist is now sharing the cinematic spotlight with Blue, whom she joined on the red carpet Monday along with Jay-Z and Tina Knowles. The next day, Good Morning America aired a behind-the-scenes clip of the mom-daughter duo recording their parts for the movie — in which Bey’s firstborn at one point asks her mom to stop staring at her, to which the Destiny’s Child alum responds, “I can’t help it — you’re just too beautiful.”
“Seeing Blue as Kiara and hearing her voice come out of that character … it’s really hard to focus and do my job after that,” Bey says in a sit-down interview portion, tears welling up in her eyes. “I can’t believe that’s my baby.”
Blue Ivy adds, “This is just a great experience for me, and I’m really happy that girls who look like me all around the world are able to watch this movie and hear and see themselves in it.”
Bey — who also shares 7-year-old twins Rumi and Sir with the Roc Nation founder — has worked with her eldest daughter before. Blue joined her mom on some of the Renaissance Tour in 2023, performing choreography for “My Power” and “Black Parade” on stage on certain dates of the world trek — an opportunity Bey says the tween had to do some convincing in order to secure.
“She told me she was ready to perform, and I told her no,” the superstar said in last year’s Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé, before noting that the resistance only made Blue train harder.
Mufasa: The Lion King hits theaters Dec. 20. Watch Bey and Blue on GMA below.