Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga shine at the MTV VMAs with wins and performances
Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga set the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night with standout moments. Grande won Video of the Year and Best Pop, thanking her “therapists and gay people” in her speech. Gaga, the night’s top nominee, won Artist of the Year and performed at Madison Square Garden. Mariah Carey received the Video Vanguard Award, delivering a medley of her hits. The late Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a tribute performance. Busta Rhymes received the Rock the Bells Visionary Award. Ricky Martin was celebrated as the first-ever Latin Icon. The event was hosted by LL Cool J.
'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar and Barack Obama each won their second career Emmy at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Lamar won for music direction of his Super Bowl halftime show, while Obama won for documentary narration. Neither attended the event. “Saturday Night Live” was the night's biggest winner with 11 awards for its 50th season. HBO's “Pee-wee as Himself” won four awards, posthumously honoring its star Paul Reubens. Other winners included Beyoncé, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O'Brien, and Alan Cumming. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting received the TV Academy's the Governors Award.
Prince Harry visits UK, fueling speculation about meeting with king as relations appear to thaw
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry has planned a flying visit to his U.K.-based charities this week, sparking speculation about a potential meeting with his father, King Charles III. British media suggest it could be an opportunity for reconciliation. This trip coincides with the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Harry has had limited contact with his father and brother since moving to California in 2020. The relationship became strained after Harry and his wife, Meghan, aired grievances with the royal family. Harry last met Charles in February 2024. The prince has expressed a desire for reconciliation, but tensions remain.
What to Stream: Ed Sheeran, 'Only Murders in the Building,' Charlie Sheen doc and Borderlands 4
“Only Murders in the Building” returning for its fifth season on Hulu and Ed Sheeran coming back with the new pop album “Play” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time for the week of Sept. 8 as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are the Netflix two-part documentary “AKA Charlie Sheen” chronicling the 60-year-old star’s up-and-down career, Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke starring in a psychological thriller for Prime Video called “The Girlfriend” and R&B giant Ty Dolla $ign offers his first full-length album in half a decade.
'The Conjuring: Last Rites' creeps its way to another box office win for horror genre
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Conjuring: Last Rites” creeped its way toward a box office win for horror. The horror sequel raked in $83 million domestically in 3,802 theaters, making it the third highest domestic opening for a horror movie. It’s now the largest horror opening internationally, with $104 million. The horror genre has now generated over $1 billion in earnings for this year's domestic box office, with the help of other Warner Bros. hits like “Weapons," “Final Destination: Bloodlines” and “Sinners.” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore, says "there’s nothing quite like seeing a horror movie in a darkened room full of strangers.”
A bold, queer 'Hedda,' from Nia DaCosta and Tessa Thompson, debuts at TIFF
TORONTO (AP) — Coming on the heels of her Marvel Studios film “The Marvels,” DaCosta premiered her Ibsen adaptation “Hedda” at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. The film, starring Tessa Thompson, is the latest in a long litany of adaptations the 1890 play, but it’s shot through with a fiery understanding — though not a defense — of Ibsen’s eternal heroine. In DaCosta’s “Hedda,” Gabler is queer, though not openly. She’s recently married George (Tom Bateman) out of convenience, on a whim. When they host a party at their sprawling mansion, Hedda artfully manipulates her guests over a single, calamitous evening swirling with martini glasses, cutting quips and more sinister threats.
Mark Volman, who co-founded The Turtles and performed with Flo & Eddie, has died at 78
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mark Volman, a founding member of the 1960s pop group The Turtles, whose hits include "Happy Together," has died. Volman was known for his exuberant stage presence and distinctive vocals. When The Turtles imploded in 1970, he and bandmate Howard Kaylan reinvented themselves as the duo Flo & Eddie, earning a reputation for their humor and versatility. In midlife, Volman returned to college and later taught music business. In 2023, he published his memoir, “Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More.” Volman died on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee, after a brief, unexpected illness. He was 78.
'The Studio,' 'The Penguin' and Julie Andrews are among the winners at the Creative Arts Emmys
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Julie Andrews has won her third Emmy Award at age 89 for her voice-over work on Netflix's “Bridgerton.” This marks her first Emmy since 2005. At the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, “The Studio” from Apple TV+ took home nine trophies, while HBO's “The Penguin” won eight. Julianne Nicholson and Bryan Cranston also received awards in the guest acting categories. The Creative Arts Emmys, held over two nights, are a precursor to the main Primetime Emmy Awards. The main ceremony will air live on CBS on Sept. 14.
'The Penguin' snags top Creative Arts Emmy awards for technical performance
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Creative Emmy Awards on Saturday gave “The Penguin” eight awards for the “Batman” spin-off's technical work. The show took home awards for hairstyling, costumes, prosthetic makeup, visual effects, sound editing and sound mixing. Various award winners stressed the importance of behind-the-scenes studio work as a driver of the show’s success. Another spin-off from a major franchise, “Andor,” also ran up impressive numbers. The Disney+ show, part of the Star Wars franchise, took home four awards for editing, production design and costumes. “The Penguin” is up for outstanding limited or anthology series and other major awards at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14.
