Kamala Harris receives prestigious Chairman's prize at NAACP Image Awards
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during President Donald Trump's tenure. The 56th ceremony kicked off in Pasadena, California, with host Deon Cole honoring Altadena residents who were affected by a recent wildfire. Cole lightened the mood with a comedic prayer for Kanye West's wife to find more clothes after her barely-there Grammys look and for Shannon Sharpe to finally size up his T-shirts. Keke Palmer was named entertainer of the year.
The 31st SAG Awards are today. Here's what to know
The 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards should offer the final clue in an unusually unpredictable Oscar race. The other major awards including the BAFTAs, the Producers Guild Awards, the Directors Guild Awards and the Golden Globes have all had their say. In a ceremony Netflix will stream live, the actors will weigh in with their picks. Actors make up the largest piece of the film academy pie, so their picks often correspond strongly with Academy Award winners. Kristen Bell will host the ceremony beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Oscar favorite 'Anora' wins best film, director and actor at the Independent Spirit Awards
Sean Baker's "Anora" won best film, best director and best actor for Mikey Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in what could be a preview of next Sunday's Oscars. The film about a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind affair with a Russian oligarch's son has emerged in recent weeks as an awards season front-runner. The Spirit Awards, held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, is the shaggier, more irreverent sister to the Academy Awards, celebrating the best in independent film and television. This year had several other possible Oscar winners triumphing including Kieran Culkin, "Flow" and "No Other Land."
Hunter Schafer on why she spoke out about being issued a male passport
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) -- Hunter Schafer says "it's important to just keep track of where things are in our country," a day after the "Euphoria" star posted a video in which she revealed her new passport had been issued with a male gender marker. Speaking to The Associated Press on the red carpet at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, the 26-year-old trans actor said she felt "it was a good, necessary point" to share. The State Department said in response to a request for comment that it was implementing President Donald Trump's executive order on the sexes but declined to comment on specific cases, citing privacy laws and restrictions.
Norwegian drama 'Dreams (Sex Love)' takes top prize at the Berlin Film Festival
BERLIN (AP) -- A Norwegian film about love, desire and self-discovery won top honors at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday. A jury headed by American director Todd Haynes awarded the Golden Bear trophy to for "Dreams (Sex Love)" by Norwegian filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud. The runner-up Silver Bear went to Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro's dystopian drama "The Blue Trail." Argentine director Ivan Fund's rural saga "The Message" won the Jury Prize. The best director prize went to Huo Meng for "Living the Land." Rose Byrne was named best performer for her role as an overwhelmed mother in "If I had Legs, I'd Kick You." Andrew Scott won the supporting performer trophy for playing composer Richard Rodgers in "Blue Moon."
The Oscars are more international than ever. So why is the international film category broken?
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Oscars are more international than ever. This year's lead nominee, "Emilia Pérez," is the most nominated non-English language film ever. To diversify its membership, the academy has in recent years invited hundreds of overseas voters, tipping the Oscar scales. And yet the Academy Awards' marquee category for international cinema, best international film, has been continually criticized as unjust, outdated and subject to political interference. Unlike other categories at the Academy Awards, the nominee selection for the best international film category is outsourced. Individual countries make their submission, one movie per country. For years, critics have called on the academy to change the system.
Voletta Wallace, Notorious B.I.G.'s mother and keeper of his legacy, dies at 78
NEW YORK (AP) -- Voletta Wallace, the dedicated mother of the late great rapper The Notorious B.I.G., has died at age 78. The Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac confirms her death to The Associated Press and says Wallace died at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on Friday after a stint on hospice care. She died of natural causes. Wallace was a dedicated keeper of the legacy of her son, born Christopher Wallace. The Notorious B.I.G., one of the rap music greatest performers, was shot to death at age 24 in Los Angeles in 1997. The case remains unsolved. His 1994 debut album, "Ready to Die," has sold over 6 million units as of 2018 and included the hits "Big Poppa" and "Juicy."
AP sues 3 Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech
The Associated Press is suing three Trump administration officials over access to presidential events. It's citing freedom of speech in asking a federal judge to stop the 10-day blocking of its journalists. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The AP says its case is about an unconstitutional effort by the White House to control speech -- in this case refusing to change its style from the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," as President Donald Trump did last month with an executive order.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are officially divorced and single
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are officially divorced and single. A Los Angeles judge approved their divorce settlement last month, and declared that it would take effect on Friday, six months after she filed to end their marriage. Lopez has now dropped Affleck from her legal name. The former couple reached the settlement through mediation in September. The superstar couple first dated in the early 2000s before breaking up. They eventually reunited and married in 2022. The couple said in court filings that they separated in 2023. Most of the financial details of their split were kept private.
Jerry 'Ice Man' Butler, soul singer whose hits included 'Only the Strong Survive,' dies at 85
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer whose rich, steady baritone graced such hits as "For Your Precious Love," "Only the Strong Survive" and "Make It Easy On Yourself," has died at age 85. Butler's niece, Yolanda Goff, told The Associated Press that Butler died Thursday at his home in Chicago. A key voice for soul music made in Chicago and Philadelphia, he was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a three-time Grammy Award nominee. Butler was also an inspired songwriter who collaborated with Otis Redding on "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff on "Only the Strong Survive,"