Month: February 2026

As the Writers Guild of America West prepares to negotiate a new contract with major studios, its staff union has authorized a strike of its own.

The labor group’s staff union (WGSU), which includes attorneys, research analysts and other positions, claims that “management has dismissed [its] staff’s needs and engaged in bad faith surface bargaining with no intent to reach a fair contract.” According to the union’s social media post, 82% of its members voted to authorize a strike.

The union wrote that 100 members participated in the vote, “demonstrating our unity and commitment to winning a fair contract. If management won’t bargain in good faith with us at the table, we will see them on the picket line.”

With a strike authorization vote, a strike is not guaranteed, but it gives union leaders the power to call one if needed.

WGSU claims it has been negotiating with the union since last September. The pending contract, according to a flier from the union, deals with issues such as AI protections, pay raises and “basic protections” like grievance procedures.

WGA has denied these claims, arguing that the union has offered “comprehensive proposals with numerous union protections and improvements to compensation and benefits.”

“Public claims suggesting otherwise are inaccurate, and allegations of unfair labor practices are without merit. WGAW respects the staff’s right to engage in collective activity, and hopes to reach a first contract agreement with the staff union soon,” wrote a union spokesperson in a statement.

In response to the strike authorization, WGA West also released a four-page comparison of the proposals and counterproposals on Thursday. The document shows management has offered a minimum annual salary of $55,000 and the staff union is asking for a minimum of $59,737.

The Writers Guild made headlines in 2023 for the second-longest strike in the union’s history. At the time, film and TV writers were boycotting major studios and fighting for fair compensation. WGA West staffers also played a key role in the strike, as they too joined the picketing lines.

A contract was settled after a 148-day work stoppage, but it’s set to expire on May 1. The strike authorization vote comes as the WGA’s east and west coast groups get ready to once again sit down with major movie studios and streaming companies. Negotiations between the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are expected to begin March 16.

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained by immigration officers in Minnesota and held at an ICE facility in Texas, have been released a day after judge’s order, which excoriated the Trump administration for its conduct in the case. They have returned to Minnesota, according to the office of Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro.

The two were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. He and his father were taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas.

Katherine Schneider, a spokesperson for Castro, a Democrat, confirmed that the two had arrived home. She said Castro picked them up from Dilley on Saturday night and escorted them home Sunday to Minnesota.

The Associated Press emailed the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the father and son’s release. There was no immediate response.

Images of the young boy wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack and surrounded by immigration officers drew outrage about the Trump administration’s crackdown in Minneapolis.

Neighbors and school officials say that federal immigration officers used the preschooler as “bait” by telling him to knock on the door to his house so that his mother would answer. The Department of Homeland Security has rejected that description. It said the father fled on foot and left the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway.

Castro wrote a letter to Liam while they were on the plane to Minnesota, in which he told the young boy he has “moved the world.”

“Your family, school and many strangers said prayers for you and offered whatever they could do to see you back home,” Castro wrote. A photo of the letter was posted on social media. “Don’t let anyone tell you this isn’t your home. America became the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth because of immigrants not in spite of them.”

In a social media post, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) welcomed the boy back to Minnesota, saying that he “should be in school and with family — not in detention,” adding, “Now ICE needs to leave.”

Tarazona freed after four years in prison on ‘terrorism’ and conspiracy charges.

Venezuelan rights ‍activist Javier Tarazona has been freed ‍in a prisoner release, his family says, more than four years since he was arrested.

“After 1675 days, 4 years and 7 months, this long-awaited day has arrived. My brother Javier Tarazona is free,” Jose Rafael Tarazona posted on X on Sunday. “One person’s freedom is everyone’s hope.”

Legal rights group Foro Penal said several other prisoners had been released with Tarazona from the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas. The group said it has ​verified more than 300 political prisoners freed since the government announced a series of releases on January 8.

Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday unveiled a proposed “amnesty law” covering hundreds of prisoners and said the Helicoide prison – long condemned by rights groups as a site of prisoner abuse – will be transformed into a sports and social services complex.

Translation: Today, #1Feb, after 1675 days, 4 years and 7 months, this long-awaited day has arrived. My brother Javier Tarazona is FREE. THANKS BE TO GOD ALMIGHTY. Thank you to everyone who made this moment possible. One person’s freedom is everyone’s hope. #FreeToLiberate

Tarazona is the director of FundaRedes, which tracks alleged abuses by Colombian armed groups and the Venezuelan military along the countries’ border. He was arrested in July 2021 and accused of “terrorism” and conspiracy.

Government officials – who deny holding political prisoners and say those jailed have committed crimes – have given a much higher figure for the releases, saying there have been more than 600, but have not been clear about the timeline and appear to be including releases from previous years. The government has never provided an official list of how many prisoners will be released or who they are.

Families of prisoners said the releases have progressed too slowly, and Foro Penal said more than 700 political prisoners remain jailed, an updated ​count including prisoners whose fearful families had not previously reported their detentions.

Families and rights advocates have long ‌demanded the charges and convictions against detainees who are considered political prisoners be revoked.

Opposition politicians, journalists and rights activists have long been subject to charges like “terrorism” and treason, which their families have called unjust and arbitrary.

The proposed amnesty law could affect hundreds of detainees who remain behind bars in the ‌South American country as well as former prisoners who have already been conditionally released.

The releases were announced as the top United States envoy for Venezuela arrived in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to reopen a US diplomatic mission seven years after ties were severed.

Last month, the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from the presidential palace in Caracas on the orders of US President Donald Trump.

Maduro was then taken to a prison in New York and is facing drug trafficking and “narcoterrorism” conspiracy charges.

Manchester United produce stunning winner to beat Fulham 3-2 in Premier League thriller at Old Trafford.

Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick extended his perfect start as Benjamin Sesko’s stoppage-time strike sealed a pulsating 3-2 win over Fulham on Sunday.

United took the lead through Casemiro’s first-half header and looked in command when Matheus Cunha netted after the interval at Old Trafford.

In an incredible finale, Raul Jimenez’s penalty with five minutes left gave Fulham hope before Kevin’s wonder-goal hauled the visitors level in stoppage time.

To United’s immense credit, they hit straight back as the much-maligned Sesko’s fourth goal in his last four games sealed Carrick’s third successive victory.

After new manager Carrick masterminded surprise wins over Manchester City and Premier League leaders Arsenal, this remarkable encounter suggested the former United midfielder might have the Midas touch.

Unbeaten in their last seven league matches, United moved up to fourth place as their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League gathers pace.

Reaching the Champions League would be a significant statement for Carrick, who was sacked by second-tier Middlesbrough last year.

Only once in former manager Ruben Amorim’s turbulent 14-month reign did United win three games in a row. And Carrick has matched that run within weeks of his appointment until the end of the season.

United’s hierarchy may have to consider hiring Carrick on a permanent basis if he can continue his impressive run.

Whether that is enough to appease the 1958 Manchester United fans group is another matter after they staged a protest against the owners outside Old Trafford before kickoff.

Hundreds of fans, some wearing clown masks, gathered to express their frustration with United’s decline under the Glazer family and the lack of improvement since co-owner Jim Ratcliffe took charge of football operations.

The group claimed United are “being dragged through chaos by clown ownership” and are “run like a circus”.

Fans chanted against the owners and held aloft banners as flares filled the air on Sir Matt Busby Way.

When the smoke cleared, Carrick’s intuition paid off as he brought Cunha into the starting lineup to replace the injured Patrick Dorgu after the Brazilian scored the winner at Arsenal last weekend.

Only Arsenal had taken more points than in-form Fulham over the previous eight games, but United found the formula to end that strong spell.

United thought they had won a penalty for Jorge Cuenca’s foul on Cunha.

But a VAR check showed the offence took place just outside the area.

It was only a temporary reprieve for Fulham as United took the lead from the resulting free kick in the 19th minute.

Bruno Fernandes swung his delivery to the far post, and Casemiro rose highest to thump a towering header past Bernd Leno.

United struck again in the 56th minute with Cunha’s sixth goal this season.

It was a goal made in Brazil as Casemiro’s clever no-look pass found Cunha inside the Fulham area, and he smashed a fine finish past Leno from an acute angle.

Fulham were controversially denied a lifeline when VAR disallowed Cuenca’s 65th-minute goal.

Samuel Chukwueze was ruled offside by the narrowest of margins when he prodded Jimenez’s free kick to Cuenca.

But United were wobbling and Jimenez converted an 85th-minute penalty after the Mexican was fouled by Harry Maguire.

United looked to have collapsed in stoppage time when Kevin cut in from the right wing and curled a sublime strike into the far corner from the edge of the area.

Two minutes after Kevin’s leveller, United showed their spirit as Sesko took Fernandes’s pass and drilled high into the net from 12 yards to spark wild celebrations.

This year’s Grammy Awards are sure to be defined by historic firsts and lasts.

Music’s biggest night returns to L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, broadcast live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ starting at 5 p.m. Pacific. After more than half a century on CBS, the awards show will move to Disney outlets in 2027. Trevor Noah will also be hosting for the sixth and final time.

Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar With SZA, Chappell Roan and the duo of Rosé and Bruno Mars vie for the coveted record of the year, while Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Carpenter, Clipse, Pusha T and Malice, Lady Gaga, Lamar, Leon Thomas and Tyler, the Creator compete in the album of the year category.

Lamar leads nominations with nine, followed by Lady Gaga and producers Cirkut and Jack Antonoff, each of whom has seven. Bad Bunny, Carpenter, Thomas and recording engineer Serban Ghenea are tied with six.

Record of the year

“DtMF” — Bad Bunny
“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“Wildflower” — Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra” — Lady Gaga
“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar With SZA
“The Subway” — Chappell Roan
“Apt.” — Rosé, Bruno Mars

Album of the year

“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” — Bad Bunny
“Swag” — Justin Bieber
“Man’s Best Friend” — Sabrina Carpenter
“Let God Sort Em Out” — Clipse, Pusha T and Malice
“Mayhem” — Lady Gaga
“GNX” — Kendrick Lamar
“Mutt” — Leon Thomas
“Chromakopia” — Tyler, the Creator

Song of the year

“Abracadabra” — Lady Gaga, Henry Walter and Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
“Anxiety” — Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
“Apt.” — Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas and Henry Walter, songwriters (Rosé, Bruno Mars)
“DtMF” — Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry and Roberto José Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny)
“Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” — Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami)
“Luther” — Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears and Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar With SZA)
“Manchild” — Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
“Wildflower” — Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best new artist

Olivia Dean
Katseye
The Marías
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young

Producer of the year, nonclassical

Dan Auerbach
Cirkut
Dijon
Blake Mills
Sounwave

Songwriter of the year, nonclassical

Amy Allen
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Laura Veltz

Pop solo performance

“Daisies” — Justin Bieber
“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter
“Disease” — Lady Gaga
“The Subway” — Chappell Roan
“Messy” — Lola Young

Pop duo/group performance

“Defying Gravity” — Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
“Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” — Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami
“Gabriela” — Katseye
“Apt.” — Rosé, Bruno Mars
“30 for 30” — SZA With Kendrick Lamar

Pop vocal album

“Swag” — Justin Bieber
“Man’s Best Friend” — Sabrina Carpenter
“Something Beautiful” — Miley Cyrus
“Mayhem” — Lady Gaga
“I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)” — Teddy Swims

Dance/electronic recording

“No Cap” — Disclosure and Anderson .Paak
“Victory Lap” — Fred Again.., Skepta and Plaqueboymax
“Space Invader” — Kaytranada
“Voltage” — Skrillex
“End of Summer” — Tame Impala

Dance pop recording

“Bluest Flame” — Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco
“Abracadabra” — Lady Gaga
“Midnight Sun” — Zara Larsson
“Just Keep Watching (From “F1 The Movie”)” — Tate McRae
“Illegal” — PinkPantheress

Dance/electronic album

“Eusexua” — FKA twigs
“Ten Days” — Fred Again..
“Fancy That” — PinkPantheress
“Inhale / Exhale” — Rüfüs Du Sol
“F— U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3” — Skrillex

Remixed recording

“Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)” — Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga and Gesaffelstein)
“Don’t Forget About Us” — Kaytranada, remixer (Mariah Carey and Kaytranada)
“A Dreams a Dream – Ron Trent Remix” — Ron Trent, remixer (Soul II Soul)
“Galvanize” — Chris Lake, remixer (The Chemical Brothers and Chris Lake)
“Golden – David Guetta Rem/x” — David Guetta, remixer (Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami)

Rock performance

“U Should Not Be Doing That” — Amyl and the Sniffers
“The Emptiness Machine” — Linkin Park
“Never Enough” — Turnstile
“Mirtazapine” — Hayley Williams
“Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back to the Beginning” — Yungblud Featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman and II

“Night Terror” — Dream Theater
“Lachryma” — Ghost
“Emergence” — Sleep Token
“Soft Spine” — Spiritbox
“Birds” — Turnstile

Rock song

“As Alive as You Need Me to Be” — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
“Caramel” — Vessel1 and Vessel2, songwriters (Sleep Token)
“Glum” — Daniel James and Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams)
“Never Enough” — Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills and Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)
“Zombie” — Dominic Harrison and Matt Schwartz, songwriters (Yungblud)

Rock album

“Private Music” — Deftones
“I Quit” — Haim
“From Zero” — Linkin Park
“Never Enough” — Turnstile
“Idols” — Yungblud

Alternative music performance

“Everything Is Peaceful Love” — Bon Iver
“Alone” — The Cure
“Seein’ Stars” — Turnstile
“Mangetout” — Wet Leg
“Parachute” — Hayley Williams

Alternative music album

“Sable, Fable” — Bon Iver
“Songs of a Lost World” — The Cure
“Don’t Tap the Glass” — Tyler, the Creator
“Moisturizer” — Wet Leg
“Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” — Hayley Williams

R&B performance

“Yukon” — Justin Bieber
“It Depends” — Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
“Folded” — Kehlani
“Mutt (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)” — Leon Thomas
“Heart of a Woman” — Summer Walker

Traditional R&B performance

“Here We Are” — Durand Bernarr
“Uptown” — Lalah Hathaway
“Love You Too” — Ledisi
“Crybaby” — SZA
“Vibes Don’t Lie” — Leon Thomas

R&B song

“Folded” — Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Kehlani Parrish, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Khris Riddick-Tynes and Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani)
“Heart of a Woman” — David Bishop and Summer Walker, songwriters (Summer Walker)
“It Depends” — Nico Baran, Chris Brown, Ant Clemons, Ephrem Lopez Jr., Ryan Press, Bryson Tiller, Elliott Trent and Dewain Whitmore Jr., songwriters (Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller)
“Overqualified” — James John Abrahart Jr. and Durand Bernarr, songwriters (Durand Bernarr)
“Yes It Is” — Jariuce Banks, Lazaro Andres Camejo, Mike Hector, Peter Lee Johnson, Rodney Jones Jr., Ali Prawl and Leon Thomas, songwriters (Leon Thomas)

Progressive R&B album

“Bloom” — Durand Bernarr
“Adjust Brightness” — Bilal
“Love on Digital” — Destin Conrad
“Access All Areas” — Flo
“Come as You Are” — Terrace Martin and Kenyon Dixon

R&B album

“Beloved” — Giveon
“Why Not More?” — Coco Jones
“The Crown” — Ledisi
“Escape Room” — Teyana Taylor
“Mutt” — Leon Thomas

Rap performance

“Outside” — Cardi B
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse, Pusha T and Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“TV Off” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay
“Darling, I” — Tyler, the Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Melodic rap performance

“Proud of Me” — Fridayy Featuring Meek Mill
“Wholeheartedly” — JID Featuring Ty Dolla Sign and 6Lack
“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar With SZA
“WeMaj” — Terrace Martin and Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody
“Somebody Loves Me” — PartyNextDoor and Drake

Rap song

“Anxiety” — Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
“The Birds Don’t Sing” — Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T and Malice Featuring John Legend and Voices of Fire)
“Sticky” — Aaron Bolton, Dudley Alexander Duverne, Gloria Woods, Dwayne Carter Jr., Janae Wherry, Tyler Okonma and Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, the Creator Featuring Glorilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne)
“TGIF” — Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Gloria Woods, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims and Jorge M. Taveras, songwriters (Glorilla)
“TV Off” — Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears and Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay)

Rap album

“Let God Sort Em Out” — Clipse, Pusha T and Malice
“Glorious” — GloRilla
“God Does Like Ugly” — JID
“GNX” — Kendrick Lamar
“Chromakopia” — Tyler, the Creator

Spoken word poetry album

“A Hurricane in Heels: Healed People Don’t Act Like That (Partially Recorded Live @City Winery & Other Places)” — Queen Sheba
“Black Shaman” — Marc Marcel
“Pages” — Omari Hardwick and Anthony Hamilton
“Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends at Treepeople” — Saul Williams, Carlos Niño and Friends
“Words For Days Vol. 1” — Mad Skillz

Jazz performance

“Noble Rise” — Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins and Mark Whitfield
“Windows – Live” — Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade
“Peace of Mind / Dreams Come True” — Samara Joy
“Four” — Michael Mayo
“All Stars Lead to You – Live” — Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold and Rachel Eckroth

Jazz vocal album

“Elemental” — Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap
“We Insist 2025!” — Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell
“Portrait” — Samara Joy
“Fly” — Michael Mayo
“Live at Vic’s Las Vegas” — Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold and Rachel Eckroth

Jazz instrumental album

“Trilogy 3 (Live)” — Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade
“Southern Nights” — Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington and Marcus Gilmore
“Belonging” — Branford Marsalis Quartet
“Spirit Fall” — John Patitucci Featuring Chris Potter and Brian Blade
“Fasten Up” — Yellowjackets

Large jazz ensemble album

“Orchestrator Emulator” — The 8-Bit Big Band
“Without Further Ado, Vol 1” — Christian McBride Big Band
“Lumen” — Danilo Pérez and Bohuslän Big Band
“Basie Rocks!” — Deborah Silver and the Count Basie Orchestra
“Lights on a Satellite” — Sun Ra Arkestra
“Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores” — Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring the Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra and Frost Jazz Orchestra

Latin jazz album

“La Fleur de Cayenne” — Paquito D’Rivera and Madrid-New York Connection Band
“The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico” — Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Pedrito Martinez, Daymé Arocena, Jon Faddis, Donald Harrison and Melvis Santa
“Mundoagua – Celebrating Carla Bley” — Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
“A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole” — Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta and Joey Calveiro
“Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at the Village Vanguard” — Miguel Zenón Quartet

Alternative jazz album

“Honey From a Winter Stone” — Ambrose Akinmusire
“Keys to the City Volume One” — Robert Glasper
“Ride Into the Sun” — Brad Mehldau
“Live-Action” — Nate Smith
“Blues Blood” — Immanuel Wilkins

Traditional pop vocal album

“Wintersongs” — Laila Biali
“The Gift of Love” — Jennifer Hudson
“Who Believes in Angels?” — Elton John and Brandi Carlile
“Harlequin” — Lady Gaga
“A Matter of Time” — Laufey
“The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2” — Barbra Streisand

Contemporary instrumental album

“Brightside” — Arkai
“Ones & Twos” — Gerald Clayton
“Beatrio” — Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez
“Just Us” — Bob James and Dave Koz
“Shayan” — Charu Suri

Musical theater album

“Buena Vista Social Club” — Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
“Death Becomes Her” — Taurean Everett, Megan Hilty, Josh Lamon, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard and Michelle Williams, principal vocalists; Noel Carey, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Julia Mattison and Scott M. Riesett, producers; Noel Carey and Julia Mattison, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)
“Gypsy” — Danny Burstein, Kevin Csolak, Audra McDonald, Jordan Tyson and Joy Woods, principal vocalists; David Caddick, Andy Einhorn, David Lai and George C. Wolfe, producers (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2024 Broadway Cast)
“Just in Time” — Emily Bergl, Jonathan Groff, Erika Henningsen, Gracie Lawrence and Michele Pawk, principal vocalists; Derik Lee, Andrew Resnick and Bill Sherman, producers (Bobby Darin, composer and lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
“Maybe Happy Ending” — Marcus Choi, Darren Criss, Dez Duron and Helen J. Shen, principal vocalists; Deborah Abramson, Will Aronson, Ian Kagey and Hue Park, producers; Hue Park, lyricist; Will Aronson, composer and lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Country solo performance

“Nose on the Grindstone” — Tyler Childers
“Good News” — Shaboozey
“Bad as I Used to Be [From “F1 The Movie”]” — Chris Stapleton
“I Never Lie” — Zach Top
“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Lainey Wilson

Country duo/group performance

“A Song to Sing” — Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton
“Trailblazer” — Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson
“Love Me Like You Used to Do” — Margo Price and Tyler Childers
“Amen” — Shaboozey and Jelly Roll
“Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” — George Strait and Chris Stapleton

Country song

“Bitin’ List” — Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)
“Good News” — Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman and Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)
“I Never Lie” — Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols and Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)
“Somewhere Over Laredo” — Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson and Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)
“A Song to Sing” — Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton)

Traditional country album

“Dollar a Day” — Charley Crockett
“American Romance” — Lukas Nelson
“Oh What a Beautiful World” — Willie Nelson
“Hard Headed Woman” — Margo Price
“Ain’t in It for My Health” — Zach Top

Contemporary country album

“Patterns” — Kelsea Ballerini
“Snipe Hunter” — Tyler Childers
“Evangeline vs. the Machine” — Eric Church
“Beautifully Broken” — Jelly Roll
“Postcards From Texas” — Miranda Lambert

American roots performance

“Lonely Avenue” — Jon Batiste Featuring Randy Newman
“Ancient Light” — I’m With Her
“Crimson and Clay” — Jason Isbell
“Richmond on the James” — Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Beautiful Strangers” — Mavis Staples

Americana performance

“Boom” — Sierra Hull
“Poison in My Well” — Maggie Rose and Grace Potter
“Godspeed” — Mavis Staples
“That’s Gonna Leave a Mark” — Molly Tuttle
“Horses” — Jesse Welles

American roots song

“Ancient Light” —Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her)
“Big Money” —Jon Batiste, Mike Elizondo and Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
“Foxes in the Snow” — Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
“Middle” — Jesse Welles, songwriter (Jesse Welles)
“Spitfire” — Sierra Hull, songwriter (Sierra Hull)

Americana album

“Big Money” — Jon Batiste
“Bloom” — Larkin Poe
“Last Leaf on the Tree” — Willie Nelson
“So Long Little Miss Sunshine” — Molly Tuttle
“Middle” — Jesse Welles

Bluegrass album

“Carter & Cleveland” — Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter
“A Tip Toe High Wire” — Sierra Hull
“Arcadia” — Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Outrun” — The Steeldrivers
“Highway Prayers” — Billy Strings

Traditional blues album

“Ain’t Done With the Blues” — Buddy Guy
“Room on the Porch” — Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’
“One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey” — Maria Muldaur
“Look Out Highway” — Charlie Musselwhite
“Young Fashioned Ways” — Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Bobby Rush

Contemporary blues album

“Breakthrough” — Joe Bonamassa
“Paper Doll” — Samantha Fish
“A Tribute to LJK” — Eric Gales
“Preacher Kids” — Robert Randolph
“Family” — Southern Avenue

Folk album

“What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow” — Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson
“Crown of Roses” — Patty Griffin
“Wild and Clear and Blue” — I’m With Her
“Foxes in the Snow” — Jason Isbell
“Under the Powerlines (April 24 – September 24)” — Jesse Welles

Regional roots music album

“Live at Vaughan’s” — Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet
“For Fat Man” — Preservation Brass and Preservation Hall Jazz Band
“Church of New Orleans” — Kyle Roussel
“Second Line Sunday” — Trombone Shorty and New Breed Brass Band
“A Tribute to the King of Zydeco” — (Various Artists)

Gospel performance/song

“Do It Again” — Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
“Church” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend; Anthony S. Brown, Brunes Charles, Annatoria Chitapa, Kenneth Leonard Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Jonas Myrin, songwriters
“Still (Live)” — Jonathan McReynolds and Jamal Roberts; Britney Delagraentiss, Jonathan McReynolds, David Lamar Outing III, Orlando Joel Palmer and Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters
“Amen” — Pastor Mike Jr.; Adia Andrews, Michael McClure Jr., David Lamar Outing II and Terrell Anthony Pettus, songwriters
“Come Jesus Come” — Cece Winans Featuring Shirley Caesar

Contemporary Christian music performance/song

“I Know a Name” — Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake; Hank Bentley, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake and Jacob Sooter, songwriters
“Your Way’s Better” — Forrest Frank; Forrest Frank and Pera, songwriters
“Hard Fought Hallelujah” — Brandon Lake With Jelly Roll; Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings, Jason Bradley Deford and Brandon Lake, songwriters
“Headphones” — Lecrae, Killer Mike, T.I.; Tyshane Thompson, Bongo ByTheWay, Michael Render, Lecrae Moore, William Roderick Miller and Clifford Harris, songwriters
“Amazing” — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton; PJ Morton and Darrel Walls, songwriters

Gospel album

“Sunny Days” — Yolanda Adams
“Tasha” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“Live Breathe Fight” — Tamela Mann
“Only on the Road (Live)” — Tye Tribbett
“Heart of Mine” — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton

Contemporary Christian music album

“Child of God II” — Forrest Frank
“Coritos Vol. 1” — Israel & New Breed
“King Of Hearts” — Brandon Lake
“Reconstruction” — Lecrae
“Let the Church Sing” — Tauren Wells

Roots gospel album

“I Will Not Be Moved (Live)” — The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
“Then Came the Morning” — Gaither Vocal Band
“Praise & Worship: More Than a Hollow Hallelujah” — The Isaacs
“Good Answers” — Karen Peck & New River
“Back to My Roots” — Candi Staton

Latin pop album

“Cosa Nuestra” — Rauw Alejandro
“Bogotá (Deluxe)” — Andrés Cepeda
“Tropicoqueta” — Karol G
“Cancionera” — Natalia Lafourcade
“¿Y ahora qué?” — Alejandro Sanz

Música urbana album

“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” — Bad Bunny
“Mixteip” — J Balvin
“Ferxxo Vol X: Sagrado” — Feid
“Naiki” — Nicki Nicole
“EUB Deluxe” — Trueno
“Sinfónico (En Vivo)” — Yandel

Latin rock or alternative album

“Genes Rebeldes” — Aterciopelados
“Astropical” — Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana and Astropical
“Papota” — Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso
“Algorhythm” — Los Wizzards
“Novela” — Fito Paez

Música Mexicana album (including Tejano)

“Mala Mía” — Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera
“Y Lo Que Viene” — Grupo Frontera
“Sin Rodeos” — Paola Jara
“Palabra De To’s (Seca)” — Carín León
“Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mía – Por La Puerta Grande (En Vivo)” — Bobby Pulido

Tropical Latin album

“Fotografías” — Rubén Blades, Roberto Delgado and Orquesta
“Raíces” — Gloria Estefan
“Clásicos 1.0” — Grupo Niche
“Bingo” — Alain Pérez
“Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2” — Gilberto Santa Rosa

Global music performance

“EoO” — Bad Bunny
“Cantando en el Camino” — Ciro Hurtado
“Jerusalema” — Angélique Kidjo
“Inmigrante Y Que?” — Yeisy Rojas
“Shrini’s Dream (Live)” — Shakti
“Daybreak” — Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar

African music performance

“Love” — Burna Boy
“With You” — Davido Featuring Omah Lay
“Hope & Love” — Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin
“Gimme Dat” — Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid
“Push 2 Start” — Tyla

Global music album

“Sounds of Kumbha” — Siddhant Bhatia
“No Sign of Weakness” — Burna Boy
“Eclairer le monde – Light the World” — Youssou N’Dour
“Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)” — Shakti
“Chapter III: We Return to Light” — Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar
“Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo” — Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia

Reggae album

“Treasure Self Love” — Lila Iké
“Heart & Soul” — Vybz Kartel
“Blxxd & Fyah” — Keznamdi
“From Within” — Mortimer
“No Place Like Home” — Jesse Royal

New age, ambient or chant album

“Kuruvinda” — Kirsten Agresta-Copely
“According to the Moon” — Cheryl B. Engelhardt, GEM and Dallas String Quartet
“Into the Forest” — Jahnavi Harrison
“Nomadica” — Carla Patullo Featuring the Scorchio Quartet and Tonality
“The Colors in My Mind” — Chris Redding

Children’s music album

“Ageless: 100 Years Young” — Joanie Leeds and Joya
“Buddy’s Magic Tree House” — Mega Ran
“Harmony” — Fyütch and Aura V
“Herstory” — Flor Bromley
“The Music of Tori and the Muses” — Tori Amos

Comedy album

“Drop Dead Years” — Bill Burr
“Postmortem” — Sarah Silverman
“Single Lady” — Ali Wong
“What Had Happened Was…” — Jamie Foxx
“Your Friend, Nate Bargatze” — Nate Bargatze

Audio book, narration and storytelling recording

“Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story” — Kathy Garver
“Into the Uncut Grass” — Trevor Noah
“Lovely One: A Memoir” — Ketanji Brown Jackson
“Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama” — Dalai Lama
“You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli” — Fab Morvan

“A Complete Unknown” — Timothée Chalamet
“F1 The Album” — (Various Artists)
“KPop Demon Hunters” — (Various Artists)
“Sinners” — (Various Artists)
“Wicked” — (Various Artists)

“How to Train Your Dragon” — John Powell, composer
“Severance: Season 2” — Theodore Shapiro, composer
“Sinners” — Ludwig Göransson, composer
“Wicked” — John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, composers
“The Wild Robot” — Kris Bowers, composer

“Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires” — Pinar Toprak, composer
“Helldivers 2” — Wilbert Roget, II, composer
“Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” — Gordy Haab, composer
“Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & a Pirate’s Fortune” — Cody Matthew Johnson and Wilbert Roget, II, composers
“Sword of the Sea” — Austin Wintory, composer

“As Alive as You Need Me to Be [From “Tron: Ares”]” — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
“Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” — Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami)
“I Lied to You [From “Sinners”]” — Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)
“Never Too Late [From “Elton John: Never Too Late”]” — Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)
“Pale, Pale Moon [From “Sinners”]” — Ludwig Göransson and Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)
“Sinners [From “Sinners”]” — Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo and Darius Povilinus, songwriters (Rod Wave)

Music video

“Young Lion” — Sade; Sophie Muller, video director; Sade and Aaron Taylor Dean, video producers
“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter; Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia, video directors; Aiden Magarian, Nathan Scherrer and Natan Schottenfels, video producers
“So Be It” — Clipse; Hannan Hussain, video director; Daniel Order, video producer
“Anxiety” — Doechii; James Mackel, video director; Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes and Sophia Sabella, video producers
“Love” — OK Go; Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada and Damian Kulash Jr., video directors; Petra Ahmann, video producer

Music film

“Devo” — Devo; Chris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes and Chris Smith, video producers
“Live at the Royal Albert Hall” — Raye; Paul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou and Amy James, video producers
“Relentless” — Diane Warren; Bess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele Farinola and Kat Nguyen, video producers
“Music by John Williams” — John Williams; Laurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg and Justin Wilkes, video producers
“Piece by Piece” — Pharrell Williams; Morgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes and Pharrell Williams, video producers

Recording package

“And the Adjacent Possible” — Hà Trinh Quoc Bao, Damian Kulash Jr., Claudio Ripol, Wombi Rose and Yuri Suzuki, art directors (OK Go)
“Balloonerism” — Bráulio Amado and Alim Smith, art directors (Mac Miller)
“Danse Macabre: De Luxe” — Rory McCartney, art director (Duran Duran)
“Loud Is As” — Farbod Kokabi and Emily Sneddon, art directors (Tsunami)
“Sequoia” — Tim Breen and Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)
“The Spins (Picture Disc Vinyl)” — Miller McCormick, art director (Mac Miller)
“Tracks II: The Lost Albums” — Meghan Foley and Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)

Album cover

“Chromakopia” — Shaun Llewellyn and Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, the Creator)
“The Crux” — William Wesley II, art director (Djo)
“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” — Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
“Glory” — Cody Critcheloe and Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
“Moisturizer” — Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki and Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)

Album notes

“Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974” — Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens and His Buckaroos)
“After the Last Sky” — Adam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates and Dave Holland)
“Árabe” — Amanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)
“The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967” — Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & the Family Stone)
“A Ghost Is Born (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)” — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)
“Miles ‘55: The Prestige Recordings” — Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)

Historical album

“Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)” — Patrick Milligan and Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)
“The Making of Five Leaves Left” — Cally Callomon and Johnny Chandler, compilation producers; Simon Heyworth and John Wood, mastering engineers (Nick Drake)
“Roots Rocking Zimbabwe – The Modern Sound of Harare’ Townships 1975-1980 (Analog Africa No.41)” — Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
“Super Disco Pirata – De Tepito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 (Analog Africa No. 39)” — Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
“You Can’t Hip a Square: The Doc Pomus Songwriting Demos” — Will Bratton, Sharyn Felder and Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Doc Pomus)

Best engineered album, nonclassical

“All Things Light” — Jesse Brock, Jon Castelli, Tyler Johnson, Nick Lobel, Simon Maartensson, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, Anders Mouridsen, Ryan Nasci, Ernesto Olivera-Lapier, Ethan Schneiderman and Owen Stoutt, engineers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Cam)
“Arcadia” — Neal Cappellino and Gary Paczosa, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)
“For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)” — Joseph Lorge, Blake Mills and Sebastian Reunert, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Japanese Breakfast)
“That Wasn’t a Dream” — Joseph Lorge and Blake Mills, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Pino Palladino, Blake Mills)

Best engineered album, classical

“Cerrone: Don’t Look Down” — Mike Tierney, engineer; Alan Silverman, mastering engineer (Sandbox Percussion)
“Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2” — Gintas Norvila, engineer; Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineer (Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra)
“Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons, Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck, Peter Hoare, Brenden Gunnell and Boston Symphony Orchestra)
“Standard Stoppages” — Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, Bill Maylone, Judith Sherman and David Skidmore, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Third Coast Percussion)
“Yule” — Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer (Trio Mediaeval)

Producer of the year, classical

Blanton Alspaugh
Sergei Kvitko
Morten Lindberg
Dmitriy Lipay
Elaine Martone

Immersive audio album

“All American F—boy” — Andrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)
“Immersed” — Justin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka and Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)
“An Immersive Tribute to Astor Piazzolla (Live)” — Andrés Mayo and Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo and Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)
“Tearjerkers” — Hans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)
“Yule” — Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen and Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediaeval)

Instrumental composition

“First Snow” — Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf and Danielle Wertz)
“Live Life This Day: Movement I” — Miho Hazama, composer (Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band and Danish National Symphony Orchestra)
“Lord, That’s a Long Way” — Sierra Hull, composer (Sierra Hull)
“Opening” — Zain Effendi, composer (Zain Effendi)
“Train to Emerald City” — John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, composers (John Powell and Stephen Schwartz)
“Why You Here / Before the Sun Went Down” — Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson Featuring Miles Caton)

Arrangement, instrumental or a cappella

“Be Okay” — Cynthia Erivo, arranger (Cynthia Erivo)
“A Child Is Born” — Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Nordkraft Big Band and Remy Le Boeuf)
“Fight On” — Andy Clausen, Addison Maye-Saxon, Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands, arrangers (The Westerlies)
“Super Mario Praise Break” — Bryan Carter, Charlie Rosen and Matthew Whitaker, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band)

Arrangement, instruments and vocals

“Big Fish” — Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, Nate Smith and Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Nate Smith Featuring Säje)
“How Did She Look?” — Nelson Riddle, arranger (Seth MacFarlane)
“Keep an Eye on Summer” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
“Something in the Water (Acoustic-Ish)” — Clyde Lawrence, Gracie Lawrence and Linus Lawrence, arrangers (Lawrence)
“What a Wonderful World” — Cody Fry, arranger (Cody Fry)

Orchestral performance

“Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture; Ballade Op. 4; Suites From ’24 Negro Melodies’” — Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
“Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie” — Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
“Ravel: Boléro, M. 81” — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela)
“Still & Bonds” — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
“Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements” — Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

Opera recording

“Heggie: Intelligence” — Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Jamie Barton, J’Nai Bridges and Janai Brugger; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Houston Grand Opera; Gene Scheer)
“Huang Ruo: An American Soldier” — Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Hannah Cho, Alex DeSocio, Nina Yoshida Nelsen and Brian Vu; Adam Abeshouse, Silas Brown and Doron Schachter, producers (American Composers Orchestra; David Henry Hwang)
“Kouyoumdjian: Adoration” — Alan Pierson, conductor; Miriam Khalil, Marc Kudisch, David Adam Moore, Omar Najmi, Naomi Louisa O’Connell and Karim Sulayman; Mary Kouyoumdjian, producer (Silvana Quartet; The Choir of Trinity Wall Street)
“O’Halloran: Trade & Mary Motorhead” — Elaine Kelly, conductor; Oisín Ó Dálaigh and John Molloy; Alex Dowling and Emma O’Halloran, producers (Irish National Opera Orchestra; Mark O’Halloran)
“Tesori: Grounded” — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ben Bliss, Emily D’Angelo, Greer Grimsley and Kyle Miller; David Frost, producer (the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; the Metropolitan Opera Chorus; George Brant)

Choral performance

“Advena – Liturgies for a Broken World” — Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Simon Barrad, Emily Yocum Black and Michael Hawes; Conspirare)
“Childs: In the Arms of the Beloved” — Grant Gershon, conductor (Billy Childs, Dan Chmlellnskl, Christian Euman, Larry Koonse, Lyris Quartet, Anne Akiko Meyers, Carol Robbins and Luciana Souza; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
“Lang: Poor Hymnal” — Donald Nally, conductor (Steven Bradshaw, Michael Hawes, Lauren Kelly, Rebecca Siler and Elisa Sutherland; the Crossing)
“Ortiz: Yanga” — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, chorus master (Los Angeles Philharmonic and Tambuco Percussion Ensemble; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
“Requiem of Light” — Steven Fox, conductor; Emily Drennan and Patti Drennan, chorus masters (Brian Giebler and Sangeeta Kaur; the Clarion Choir)

Chamber music/small ensemble performance

“Dennehy: Land Of Winter” — Alan Pierson and Alarm Will Sound
“La Mer – French Piano Trios” — Neave Trio
“Lullabies for the Brokenhearted” Lili Haydn and Paul Cantelon
“Slavic Sessions” — Mak Grgić and Mateusz Kowalski
“Standard Stoppages” — Third Coast Percussion

Classical instrumental solo

“Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From ’24 Negro Melodies’” — Curtis Stewart; Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
“Hope Orchestrated” — Mary Dawood Catlin; Jesús David Medina and Raniero Palm, conductors (Venezuela Strings Recording Ensemble)
“Inheritances” — Adam Tendler
“Price: Piano Concerto in One Movement in D Minor” — Han Chen; John Jeter, conductor (Malmö Opera Orchestra)
“Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos” — Yo-Yo Ma; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
“Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works” — Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Classical solo vocal album

“Alike – My Mother’s Dream” — Allison Charney, soloist; Benjamin Loeb, conductor (National Symphonia Orchestra)
“Black Pierrot” — Sidney Outlaw, soloist; Warren Jones, pianist
“In This Short Life” — Devony Smith, soloist; Danny Zelibor, pianist; Michael Nicolas, accompanist
“Kurtág: Kafka Fragments” — Susan Narucki, soloist; Curtis Macomber, accompanist
“Schubert Beatles” — Theo Hoffman, soloist; Steven Blier, pianist (Rupert Boyd, Julia Bullock, Alex Levine, Andrew Owens, Rubén Rengel and Sam Weber)
“Telemann: Ino – Opera Arias for Soprano” — Amanda Forsythe, soloist; Robert Mealy, Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, conductors (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)

Classical compendium

“Cerrone: Don’t Look Down” — Sandbox Percussion; Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Christopher Cerrone, Ian Rosenbaum, Terry Sweeney and Mike Tierney, producers
“The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II” — Will Liverman; Jonathan Estabrooks, producer
“Ortiz: Yanga” — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer
“Seven Seasons” — Janai Brugger, Isolde Fair, MB Gordy and Starr Parodi; Nicholas Dodd, conductor; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi and Kitt Wakeley, producers
“Tombeaux” — Christina Sandsengen; Shaun Drew and Christina Sandsengen, producers

Contemporary classical composition

“Cerrone: Don’t Look Down” — Christopher Cerrone, composer (Conor Hanick and Sandbox Percussion)
“Dennehy: Land of Winter” — Donnacha Dennehy, composer (Alan Pierson and Alarm Will Sound)
“León: Raíces (Origins)” — Tania León, composer (Edward Gardner and London Philharmonic Orchestra)
“Okpebholo: Songs in Flight” — Shawn E. Okpebholo, composer (Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez and Various Artists)
“Ortiz: Dzonot” — Gabriela Ortiz, composer (Alisa Weilerstein, Gustavo Dudamel and Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Second round of talks to follow negotiations last month that appeared to make little progress on key issue of territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a second round of trilateral talks on ending the war with Russia will take place in Abu Dhabi this week as the fate of a temporary energy ceasefire hangs in the balance.

Zelenskyy, whose country’s energy system has come under relentless attack in one of the coldest winters in years, said envoys from the United States, Russia and Ukraine would meet in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war,” he said on Sunday amid continuing US pressure to reach a deal with Russia after almost four years of war.

The first round of trilateral negotiations took place in late January but appeared to make little progress on the vital question of territory. Moscow still is demanding Kyiv cede a fifth of the Donetsk region that it still controls, which Zelenskyy’s government is refusing to do. The next round had been scheduled to take place on Sunday but may have been delayed because of the US-Iran crisis.

US President Donald Trump, who has said he wants to be remembered as a “peacemaker”, has repeatedly said a deal to end the Ukraine war is close and on Thursday announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to stop strikes on energy targets for a week due to cold weather.

The terms of his agreement with Putin were not clear, but the Kremlin said on Friday that it had agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure until Sunday. Ukraine appeared to believe the suspension was supposed to last until the following Friday.

Medvedev says Russian victory near

Meanwhile, US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Saturday that he held constructive talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Florida.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum also attended the talks. Witkoff said afterwards that he was “encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine”.

On Sunday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev praised Trump as a “peacemaker”, telling the Reuters news agency that Russia would “soon” achieve a military victory in the Ukraine war.

“But it is equally important to think about what will happen next. After all, the goal of victory is to prevent new conflicts. This is absolutely obvious,” said the hawkish former president, who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.

Neither Ukraine nor Russia have reported major strikes on their energy infrastructure in recent days although Zelenskyy said Russia was trying “to destroy logistics and connectivity between cities and communities” through air attacks.

In southeastern Ukraine, two people were killed overnight in a drone strike on a residential building in the city of Dnipro, and six people were wounded in an attack on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, regional officials said.

Madeline Duggan starred as EastEnders’ mischievous teenager Lauren Branning for four years, but the 31-year-old actress has come a long way since her days in Albert Square

Madeline Duggan looks worlds away from the chaos-creating character who brought to life one of EastEnders‘ biggest moments.

The actress, who originally played Lauren Branning in the BBC soap, looked completely different from her Walford days as she glammed up for a selfie. Madeline, 31, starred as Max Branning’s eldest daughter from 2006 until 2010, with Jacqueline Jossa then taking on the role.

Lauren famously exposed her dad, Max’s, affair with her daughter-in-law, Stacey’s, in the epic 2007 Christmas special, with her shocked family watching a videotape that revealed the sordid secret. Madeline looks nearly unrecognisable from her time on the soap, after leaving more than 15 years ago.

She is all grown up and she is quick to keep fans up to date with what’s going on in her life. Sitting in a black robe, she showed off her stylish cut after showing off some jet-setting holidays in 2025.

In her latest selfie, she wrote: “Dareee l say… I’m really enjoying the Kylie skin tint & Rhodes blush, but this now means I wanna try the Khy B10k foundation.” She quickly followed that up with another Instagram Story, a ‘well-deserved’ Pina Colada.

After leaving EastEnders, Madeline landed roles in the TV show Rules of Love, before securing a role as the character Amy Chester in the acclaimed BBC crime drama Silent Witness.

A year later, the versatile actress starred in the British film Everyone’s Going to Die, cast as the character Laura in a storyline based on a couple embracing their past and moving on with their lives.

In 2017, she played a waitress in the Channel 4 drama Dates and also had a role in Sky Atlantic’s French detective series The Tunnel: Sabotage and Home Alone.

She also appeared in a number of other films during her eclectic career, including Between Us, Spoilt Eggs, and Maybe I’m Fine in 2019. Madeline has also appeared in two music videos, for the bands Feeder and Shaduno, with acting still high on her priority list. But it’s her role in the iconic Max/Stacey affair-reveal that she is best known for.

Arguably one of the most iconic moments in TV soap history, EastEnders viewers were glued to the screen as Max and Stacey’s sordid affair was finally revealed in front of Max’s wife Tanya and Stacey’s husband, Bradley.

After filming the pair on her video camera on Stacey’s wedding day, angry Lauren burned the footage onto a DVD before playing it to the entire family on Christmas Day.

Madeline revealed in April 2020 that she was working part-time in a doctor’s surgery because “being an out-of-work actress doesn’t pay”.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Travel expert Simon Calder has called the new booking system a “real faff” as Rome introduces charges to manage overtourism.

A travel expert has issued a warning about major changes taking effect at a world-renowned tourist attraction from tomorrow.

Numerous cities have been grappling with overtourism in recent years, with authorities working to tackle enormous crowds and unacceptable conduct.

Rome has now joined the growing list of cities taking action. Visitors wishing to see the famous Trevi Fountain will be required to pay a €2 (£1.75) entrance fee. The new charge for tourists comes into effect on February 2.

Coins thrown into the fountain will continue to be donated to charity, but the entrance fee for the Baroque landmark will go to the city council. Officials say the money will fund the fountain’s maintenance as well as visitor management.

Rome anticipates generating €6.5million annually from the fountain alone. Furthermore, the Trevi Fountain isn’t the only attraction where tourists will now face charges, as fees have been introduced at five additional sites including the Napoleonic Museum, reports the Express.

The Trevi Fountain attracts approximately 30,000 visitors daily. Travel expert Simon Calder offered his perspective on the new charging system, revealing it took him 15 minutes to secure a ticket.

He confessed: “It’s a real faff, but they say it is necessary at the Trevi Fountain, and five other locations around Rome, in order to keep tourism manageable.”

Explaining the rationale behind the fee, Simon told BBC Breakfast : “The idea is that tourism is so intense in some key locations, that you have got to do something to control it.”

Discussing the impact of the charge, Simon said: “I don’t think it will put people off, it will hopefully make the experience a bit more manageable.

“There has been cases of people climbing into the fountain, they have police there prepared to haul them out and fine them heavily.

“I think Romans are in two separate camps here. There’s the people that say it is a public space, you can’t possibly start regulating entry, it is anti-democratic and anti-freedom.

“Then there’s others that say, frankly, when you’re into the summer in Rome things become a bit unmanageable and anything we can do to try to bring some decorum has to be a good thing.”

From February, tourists and non-residents wanting to enter the basin of the Trevi Fountain must shell out two euros for a ticket, which grants access daily between 9am and 10pm.

Rome residents, youngsters aged five and under, and disabled visitors can still enter without charge. Viewing the Trevi Fountain from afar will remain completely free.

To say that DeAndre Cole inherited a difficult challenge when he became the boys’ basketball coach at Compton Centennial this season would be an understatement. The team went 1-23 last season and had a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons since finishing 13-13 in 2017-2018.

“The expectation was to bring the winning culture, to bring some excitement,” the 44-year-old Cole said.

Incredibly, Centennial has already finished its regular season with a 12-12 record and represents one of the biggest turnaround stories in Southern California. The .500 record means Centennial is eligible for a Southern Section at-large playoff berth.

This is a program where UCLA assistant coach Rod Palmer once had teams competing against the best when alumnus Arron Affalo was bombing in threes and delivering dunks before going on to UCLA and the NBA. Centennial won the 2004 state Division III championship. This year’s team went 1-6 in the Ocean League, where Inglewood and high-scoring Jason Crowe Jr. won the league title.

Cole once served as an assistant coach at Washington Prep and Manual Arts. He was set to be head coach at Morningside until the school closed last year.

He’s a Crenshaw grad who says he was kicked off the basketball team by legendary coach Willie West. Asked what he learned, Cole said, “It takes hard work and being dedicated buying into the program and no player is bigger than the program.”

He said his problem was not listening to West and thinking he was the next Stephen Curry.

Even though Centennial had only six players available much of the season for varsity action, Cole created a junior varsity team, so help is on the way if the team gets a playoff spot. The team’s best two players have been guards Jaden McDonald, a transfer from Detroit, and Edward Johnson, who used to be home-schooled.

Five of the six players have played football, including Joshua Crathers, who was the school’s quarterback for two years.

Asked what he learned after winning one game last season, Crathers said, “Don’t give up. When you lose, you get better.”

Cole had to be creative when he lost a player against St. Bonaventure, leaving the Apaches with four players. A student who was a friend of a Centennial player with minimal practices was asked to join the team for a single game.

“We need you to show up,” Cole told the student.

Cole remembers him being so out of shape that he needed a water break after the first play of the game. Centennial won 63-58.

McDonald said the team has no choice but to be in their best shape knowing players have to play the entire game.

“I feel everything that comes to us is deserving, but we have to work hard,” McDonald said.

There’s no reason the program can’t continue to grow considering the Compton area is filled with talent. Remember the city is where DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Christopher, Tyson Chandler and Corey Benjamin once played. It’s about keeping the neighborhood kids home and showing players can develop and explore their basketball dreams.

Considering how far Centennial plunged, a 12-12 record at this point is a stunning reward for the school, players, parents and fans. Let’s see where Cole can take them.

The school is about to go through a rebuilding phase, with the gym being torn down and replaced on a whole new campus.

The straight outta of Compton story is in its beginning stage, but it sure looks like things are changing fast.

BREAKINGBREAKING,

This is a breaking news story, more details to follow.

Pakistan’s cricket team has been cleared to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 but will not play its game against India, the government of Pakistan said in a statement.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the statement said on Sunday.

The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, features 20 nations and begins on Saturday.

Pakistan are drawn in Group A along with India, Namibia, Netherlands and US, and are playing all their matches in Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s first match on Saturday is against Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

If Pakistan boycotts their match against India, they will forfeit two points.

More to follow…

Celebrations as flight carries dozens of passengers from Port Sudan to Sudanese capital.

The international airport in Khartoum has received its first scheduled commercial flight in more than two years as the Sudanese government continues to assert its control over Sudan’s capital city after years of fighting.

The Sudan Airways flight travelled to Khartoum from the Red Sea city of Port Sudan on Sunday, carrying dozens of passengers.

Reporting from near the runway where the flight had landed, Al Jazeera’s Taher Almardi described scenes of jubilation following the arrival of the plane.

He said the reopening of the airport will help connect the capital to other regions in Sudan, with officials saying the facility is now ready to welcome as many as four flights daily.

Sudan Airways said in a statement that the flight, which was announced on Saturday with ticket prices starting at $50, “reflects the return of spirit and the continuation of the connection between the sons of the nation”.

The Sudanese military announced regaining full control of the capital from its rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, in March of last year.

Last month, Sudan’s army-aligned authorities moved the government’s headquarters back to Khartoum from their wartime capital of Port Sudan, which has also housed the country’s international airport since the early days of the war that began in April 2023.

Khartoum International Airport has come under repeated attacks, including an RSF drone assault in October that Sudanese officials said was intercepted.

On October 22, the airport said it had received a Badr Airlines flight, which was not pre-announced. But no further operations of commercial flights resumed until Sunday.

The war started as two top generals – Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the military, and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, the RSF chief – and their forces clashed for power and control over Sudan’s resources.

The fighting has ravaged towns and cities across Sudan, killing tens of thousands of people and forcing millions of others from their homes.

Violence continues to rage in central and western Sudan, particularly in Darfur, where the war has led to mass displacement and a humanitarian crisis.

“In Darfur today, reaching a single child can take days of negotiation, security clearances, and travel across sand roads under shifting frontlines,” Eva Hinds, spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said in a statement on Friday.

“Nothing about this crisis is simple: every movement is hard-won, every delivery fragile.”

Macaulay Culkin paid tribute to his “Home Alone” co-star Catherine O’Hara following her death at age 71.

O’Hara died Friday at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her agency CAA confirmed. Following the news, Culkin mourned his movie mom on social media.

“Mama. I thought we had time,” the actor wrote. “I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you.”

“I heard you. But I had so much more to say,” he continued. “I love you. I’ll see you later.”

O’Hara played the frazzled yet fierce Kate McCallister, mother to quick-witted troublemaker Kevin McCallister, in the iconic “Home Alone” (1990) and its sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992). The films launched Culkin to fame and have become bona fide Christmas classics, whose emotional core lies in the palpable chemistry between Culkin and O’Hara.

The pair reunited in 2023, when O’Hara honored Culkin at the latter’s Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony, praising the “sweet, yet twisted, yet totally relatable sense of humor” that helped him survive his early launch into the spotlight.

“The reason families all over the world can’t let a year go by without watching and loving ‘Home Alone’ together is because of Macaulay Culkin,” O’Hara said in her speech.

“Thank you for including me — your fake mom who left you home alone not once, but twice — to share in this happy occasion,” she said. “I’m so proud of you.”

News of O’Hara’s death brought tributes from the actor’s film and TV industry peers, including her collaborators from over the years.

Dan Levy, who co-created and co-starred in “Schitt’s Creek” with his father, Eugene Levy, said his TV mom was “extended family before she ever played my family.”

“What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years. Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her.”

Eugene Levy reflected on his five-decade-long relationship with O’Hara.

“Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today. I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years,” Levy said in a statement. “From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to ‘SCTV,’ to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship. And I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O’Hara family.”

Seth Rogen, who recently teamed up with O’Hara on the Emmy-winning comedy “The Studio,” said in an Instagram post that she was among his earliest inspirations.

“I told O’Hara when I first met her I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever had the pleasure of watching on screen,” Rogen said, citing “Home Alone” as “the movie that made me want to make movies.”

“Getting to work with her was a true honour,” the actor, who co-created, directed and stars in the series, continued. “She was hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous… she made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it.”

Other members of “The Studio” crew also honored their late co-star.

Ike Barinholtz, who plays chaotic executive Sal Saperstein in “The Studio,” captioned an Instagram photo of him and O’Hara: “I never in a million years thought I would get to work with Catherine O’Hara let alone become friends with her.”

“So profoundly sad she’s somewhere else now,” Barinholtz added. “So incredibly grateful I got to spend the time I did with her.”

Ron Howard, who made a guest appearance as himself in the show, called O’Hara “a wonderful person, artist and collaborator.”

“I was lucky enough to direct, produce and act in projects with her and she was simply growing more brilliant with each year,” the filmmaker wrote Friday on X. O’Hara appeared in Howard’s 1992 dramedy “The Paper.”

O’Hara’s “Beetlejuice” co-star Michael Keaton also mourned the late actor, tracing their relationship back to well before the beloved Tim Burton movie.

“She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend,” Keaton wrote on Instagram. “This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her.”

Justin Theroux, who joined O’Hara in 2024’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” also wrote on Instagram, “Oh Catherine. You will be so missed.”

Burton himself memorialized O’Hara with a cast photo from the “Beetlejuice” sequel.

“Catherine, I love you. This picture shows how much light you gave to all of us. You were a special part of my life and after life,” the venerated director captioned the shot on Instagram.

Martin Scorsese, who directed O’Hara in “After Hours,” said in a statement to IndieWire that her loss feels “impossible.”

“Catherine was a true comic genius, a true artist and a wonderful human being. I was blessed to be able to work with her on ‘After Hours,’ and I’m going to miss her presence and her artistry. We all are,” he said.

“Home Alone” director Chris Columbus said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter that he was “heartbroken, along with the rest of the world,” upon learning O’Hara had died.

“I was an obsessive fan of Catherine’s brilliant comedic work on ‘SCTV’ and was thrilled when she agreed to play Kevin’s mom in ‘Home Alone,’ ” Columbus said.

“What most people don’t realize is that Catherine carries the weight of 50% of that film. The movie simply would not work without her extraordinary performance. Catherine grounds the picture with a profound emotional depth,” he added. “I will miss her greatly. Yet there is a small sense of comfort, realizing that two of the finest human beings I’ve ever known, Catherine and John Candy, are together again, brilliantly improvising, making each other laugh.”

Meryl Streep, who acted with O’Hara in the romantic comedy “Heartburn,” said in a statement to the Associated Press that O’Hara “brought love and light to our world, through whipsmart compassion for the collection of eccentrics she portrayed.”

Andrea Martin told the outlet that her fellow “SCTV” cast member “is and will always be the greatest. It is an honor to have called her my friend.”

Pedro Pascal, who worked with O’Hara on the sophomore season of “The Last of Us,” said on Instagram that he was thankful the two crossed paths.

“Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful,” Pascal said. “There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always.”

Melanie Lynskey, who featured in the first season of “The Last of Us,” called O’Hara “the pinnacle of greatness” in her own social media salute.

“So grateful I got to tell her what she meant to me- how she inspired me, shaped my sense of humour and understanding of the work we do,” Lynskey wrote.

“I’m sure every actor she met told her similar things. She did not behave as though she’d heard it a million times, she listened and accepted it with grace and wit and tremendous kindness,” the Emmy nominee added.

Lynskey recalled interacting with O’Hara at a 2013 Live Read of “Glengarry Glen Ross” and while filming Sam Mendes’ 2009 romantic comedy “Away We Go.”

During both stints, Lynskey said, “I saw [O’Hara] be nothing short of wonderful to every single person she encountered, from the director to the PAs.”

“When people say someone ‘lit up a room,’ this is what they mean,” she said.

“The Last of Us” showrunner Craig Mazin said on Instagram, “I think [O’Hara] would prefer that we keep laughing somehow, or at the very least not cry. Not possible at the moment.”

Others in the industry hailed O’Hara as a generational actor who shined in everything she touched.

“Catherine O’Hara changed how so many of us understand comedy and humanity. From the chaos and heart of ‘Home Alone’ to the unforgettable precision of Moira Rose in ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ she created characters we’ll rewatch again and again,” Kevin Nealon, who, alongside O’Hara, led the claymation sitcom “Glenn Martin, DDS,” wrote on X.

Josh Gad, who worked with O’Hara on the animated comedy series “Central Park,” expressed his disbelief at her death on Instagram.

“Why is the world such a heart breaking place right now? I truly cannot process how to say goodbye to someone so full of life who seemed to just be hitting her prime,” Gad said.

“Goodbye legend. Thank you for making us laugh until we hurt… which is why right now we are all hurting so damned much knowing we will never again get those laughs,” the “Frozen” voice actor added.

“Only one Catherine O’Hara, and now none. Heartbreaking,” echoed actor-comedian Michael McKean, who worked with the late actor on the mockumentaries “Best in Show,” “For Your Consideration,” “Waiting for Guffman” and “A Mighty Wind.”

O’Hara’s fellow “Bartok the Magnificent” voice actor Hank Azaria called her death “a profound loss.”

“Comedy will never be the same without Catherine O’Hara. An inspiration to us all, especially little Bartok,” Azaria captioned a social media clip featuring O’Hara’s character, Ludmilla, in the animated film.

Rita Wilson in an Instagram tribute called her “a woman who was authentic and truthful in all she did.”

“You saw it in her work, if you knew her you saw it in her life, and you saw it in her family,” the actor and singer said, offering condolences to O’Hara’s husband, Bo Welch, and their two children.

As Ellen DeGeneres put it on Instagram, “Sending love to all who adored her, which might just be everyone.”

Actor and professional wrestler Paul Walter Hauser called O’Hara “my Meryl Streep.”

“I could watch her in anything. Didn’t matter how good or bad the film or show was. I wanted to see what she would do,” Hauser wrote on Instagram, citing the actor’s work in “After Hours,” “Waiting for Guffman” and “Best in Show,” among other projects.

“A freaking angel just went home to Heaven. And she’s not home alone,” he wrote.

DID you know there’s a place in the UK so dark that you can see planets, shooting stars, and even the Northern Lights.

There’s an observatory in Northumberland nestled in a huge National Park that’s set to be the ‘world’s best travel adventure’ for this year.

National Geographic recently revealed their ’20 travel adventures to book in 2026′.

And at the very top of the list is going on a ‘mini stargazing safari in Northumberland’.

The publication suggested that adventure-hungry Brits head up to Kielder Forest which has a huge public observatory and organises over 700 events a year.

Kielder Observatory is one of the best places to see the night sky as it sits in Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park – Kielder Forest.

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It’s also the third-largest protected Dark Sky reserve in the world.

The fact it’s unaffected by light pollution means you’re likely to see thousands of stars and the Milky Way on a cloudless night.

Through binoculars or observatory telescopes, visitors can sometimes see Andromeda Galaxy, planets and the Northern Lights.

Many visitors say the experience was “unbelievable” and “out of this world” with lots seeing them.

One added: “When the clouds eventually started to clear we were given the chance to use the telescopes and stay a bit longer after the experience had finished to see Jupiter and some stars.

“Absolutely brilliant night, would fully recommend it to anyone! And the hot chocolate is amazing…”

Tickets for the observatory start from £25 and it’s open all year-round.

There are other experiences in the surrounding areas for stargazing; the local Twice Brewed Inn country pub offers some too.

You can enjoy a two course meal before an evening of stargazing with astronomers from the Kielder Observatory.

There’s even a ‘stargazing, supper and slumber’ package which is tailored to guests.

For those who are keen to embrace the great outdoors, you can also pitch up at the ‘remotest campsite in England‘ which is Kielder Village Camping & Caravan Site.

The three-star site is right in the heart of the forest, so there’s no phone signal and very little Wi-Fi.

Facilities include a dish washing room, showers, hair dryer sockets, drinking water, washing machines and BBQ stands.

It’s dog-friendly too and there’s a children’s play area onsite.

There are pitches for tents, caravans, motorhomes, touring caravans and two family pods – these don’t have beds but are more weather-proof than tents.

The campsite will reopen to the public on March 27, 2026 with bookings available from February 1, 2026.

Rates start from £12 for a single occupancy tent, with two-man tents increasing to £20 per night – or £10 per person.

For more on the Northern Lights – here are the five best places to see the Northern Lights near the UK.

Plus, one Travel Writer spent the night in the UK’s biggest National Park with both stargazing and Northern Light spotting.

Here are the top 10 travel adventures to book in 2026…

Here are all the adventures you should book in 2026 according to National Geographic…

1. Stargazing Safari in Northumberland
2. Take a modern-day pilgrimage in Portugal
3. Conquer Slovenia in six days
4. Try forest bathing in Japan’s Kii Peninsula
5. Wallow in a warm mud bath in Italy
6. Get a change of scenery on a grief retreat
7. Sweat it out in an urban sauna in London
8. Soak with seaweed in Brittany
9. Take a football pilgrimage across South America
10. Play padel under the sizzling Spanish sun

SACRAMENTO — As massive federal cuts are upending the healthcare system in California, analysts and healthcare professionals are urging state lawmakers to soften the blow by creating new revenue streams and helping residents navigate through the newly-imposed red tape.

“It impacts not only uninsured but also Medicare and commercially insured patients who rely on the same system,” said Dolly Goel, a physician and chief officer for the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare Administration. “People will die.”

Goel was among more than a dozen speakers this week at a state Assembly Health Committee hearing held to collect input on how to address cuts enacted by a Republican-backed tax and spending bill signed last year by President Trump. The committee’s Republican members — Assemblymembers Phillip Chen of Yorba Linda, Natasha Johnson of Lake Elsinore, Joe Patterson of Rockin, and Kate Sanchez of Trabuco Canyon — did not attend.

The so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” passed by Republicans shifts federal funding away from safety-net programs and toward tax cuts and immigration enforcement. A recent report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises the state Legislature on budgetary issues, estimated this will reduce funding for healthcare by “tens of billions of dollars” in California and warned about 1.2 million people could lose coverage through Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program providing healthcare coverage to low-income Americans.

Congress allowed enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire, which is dramatically increasing the cost of privately-purchased health insurance. Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace, estimates hundreds of thousands of Californians will either be stripped of coverage or drop out due to increased cost.

Sandra Hernández, president of the California Health Care Foundation, said the federal legislation creates administrative hurdles, requiring Medicaid beneficiaries to meet new work or income requirements and to undergo the eligibility re-determination process every six months instead of annually.

“We are looking at a scenario where otherwise eligible working parents lose their coverage simply because they aren’t able to navigate a complex verification process in a timely way,” she said.

California should move aggressively to automate verification instead of putting the burden of proof on beneficiaries, Hernández said. She advised legislators to center new healthcare strategies around technology, like artificial intelligence and telehealth services, to improve efficiency and keep costs down.

“While the federal landscape has shifted, California has enormous power to mitigate the damage,” said Hernández. “California has had a long tradition of taking care of its own.”

Hannah Orbach-Mandel, an analyst with the California Budget and Policy Center, said legislators should establish new revenue sources.

“A common sense place to start is by eliminating corporate tax loopholes and ensuring that highly profitable corporations pay their fair share in state taxes,” she said, adding that California loses out on billions annually because of the “water’s edge” tax provision, which allows multinational corporations to exclude the income of their foreign subsidiaries from state taxation.

One proposal to raise money for state healthcare benefits already is raising controversy. Under the Billionaire Tax Act, Californians worth more than $1 billion would pay a one-time 5% tax on their total wealth. The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, the union behind the act, said the measure would raise much-needed money for healthcare, education and food assistance programs. It is opposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, among others.

During last week’s legislative hearing in Sacramento, other speakers stressed the importance of communicating clearly with the public, collaborating with nonprofits and county governments and bracing for an influx of hospital patients.

Those who lose health insurance will skip medications and primary care and subsequently get sicker and end up in the emergency room, explained Goel. She said this will strain hospital staff and lead to longer wait times and delayed care for all patients.

The federal cuts come at a time when California is struggling with its own budgetary woes. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the state will have an $18-billion budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year.

At the start of the hearing, Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) criticized the federal government for leaving states in the lurch and prioritizing immigration enforcement over healthcare.

The Republican-led Congress and the president provided a staggering funding increase to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE. The agency’s annual budget has ballooned to $85 billion.

“The federal dollars which once supported healthcare for working families are now being funneled into mass deportation operations,” said Bonta, who chairs the committee. “Operations that resulted in tragic murders — this is where our healthcare funding is going.”

Wolves have accepted a reduced offer worth £48m for striker Jorgen Strand Larsen from Crystal Palace.

Last week, the two clubs reached an agreement in principle over a £50m deal for the Norway international to move to Selhurst Park.

All that was left was for Palace to submit a written offer – and provided the bid was of the value discussed, Wolves would have accepted.

However, as BBC Sport revealed, the offer never arrived as Palace communicated their intention to walk away from the deal, which put the transfer in jeopardy.

Sources claim that Palace’s decision to pause final talks was down to reservations over the total cost of the deal, not concerns over the player.

The impasse in recent days has placed further doubt on the deal.

But with a little over 24 hours to go until the transfer window closes, Palace have now had a new offer accepted worth £43m plus an additional £5m in bonuses – a deal worth £2 less than their original verbal offer.

If the deal goes through, the door could open for Jean-Philippe Mateta to complete his protracted move to AC Milan.

Mateta wants to leave Selhurst Park with the Italian club leading the chase for his signature.

But Palace are unwilling to let the France international go without a replacement.

Carlos Alcaraz has rewritten tennis history by becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam with his victory over the great Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open 2026 in Melbourne.

Alcaraz, 22, overcame a first-set loss to complete a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 triumph over the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday. In the process, he denied the 38-year-old a chance to become the only player with 25 Slam titles.

While the world number one later admitted his “legs were shaking” as he served for the title, he seemed to have the upper hand as the match wore on and finished after three hours and two minutes.

The top seed now has an Australian Open trophy to add to his two French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles each, also making him the youngest to garner seven Slams.

Djokovic, from Serbia and a 10-time champion in Australia, was the quicker of the two out of the blocks and broke his younger rival twice to swiftly claim the opening set.

But Alcaraz, of Spain, didn’t waste time in pulling back and claiming the second set with the same scoreline in a display of speed, power and finesse.

In breaking the career Slam record, Alcaraz surpassed his idol and compatriot Rafael Nadal – who watched from the stands and who was two years older when he did the same.

It was a first defeat for Djokovic in a Melbourne final after he won all 10 previously, leaving him still searching for a landmark 25th major to better Australia’s Margaret Court, who was also watching on.

Gladiatorial contest

Both men battled through five long sets in their semifinals, Alcaraz against Alexander Zverev and Djokovic against Jannik Sinner, and recovery was always going to be key after their physical struggles.

But they showed few signs of fatigue in another gladiatorial contest.

They both opened with comfortable holds before a double fault and netted forehand presented the first break point chance for Djokovic at 2-1.

Alcaraz saved it, but the aggressive fourth seed kept pressing and converted on his third, then consolidated for a 4-1 lead.

Djokovic was reading Alcaraz’s serve well, and once he got in the rallies, he was authoritative, with a sensational forehand winner earning him two set points.

He claimed the set in a statement 33 minutes after a ninth unforced error from the top seed, having dominated the big moments.

It was vintage Djokovic, but Alcaraz came storming back, upping the tempo to break for 2-1 in the second set, pumping his fist when he saved a break point and held in the next game.

Djokovic put drops to his eyes and began rubbing them, unable to tame a now rampant Alcaraz, who broke again for 5-2.

There were some sensational rallies that had the crowd on their feet in set three, which went with serve until Djokovic slapped a forehand wide under pressure to slip 2-3 behind.

He gamely saved four set points at 3-5, but, with his energy level dropping, was unable to save a fifth as the Spaniard took control.

On the back foot, Djokovic then saved six break points in an 11-minute opening service game in set four to stay alive and kept fighting hard.

But Alcaraz ground him down and pounced as Djokovic served to stay in the match to seal a maiden Australian championship.

It ensured he remained world number one and Sinner two, with Djokovic moving up a place to three ahead of Zverev.

Australian Open win ‘means the world’ to Alcaraz

Despite his heartbreaking loss, Djokovic was gracious in defeat as he walked around the net to congratulate Alcaraz on his side of the court.

Plenty of pats on the back and smiles were exchanged in a passing-of-the-baton moment between the two tennis icons.

Afterwards, Alcaraz told the host broadcasters that his legs were shaking as he served for the championship.

“I was telling myself, at least put it [the serve] in and then let’s see what happens,” the champion said with a laugh.

The man from Murcia, southeastern Spain, said the elusive win in Australia was something he had been working hard for.

“It means the world to me and shows that all the hard work paid off,” he said.

Alcaraz’s seventh Slam put him alongside John McEnroe and Mats Wilander and one behind Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.

However, the young champion was quick to dismiss talk of overtaking his heroes Nadal and Djokovic, and said 22 or 24 titles were “too far away” at the moment.

“I know how difficult it is to win a Grand Slam,” he said. “I know what it takes, so I just want to enjoy each one because I don’t know if it’s going to be my last one.

“I want to keep going and working hard to feel this emotion again.”

Meanwhile, Djokovic did not make any explicit statements on his career but did admit he’s not sure whether he will return to Melbourne for next year’s Australian Open.

“I tried to give it back with good tennis over the years. This is my 22nd year coming to Australia,” he said at the presentation ceremony.

The Serb said he didn’t think he’d be “standing on a Grand Slam final podium again”.

“God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in six or 12 months,” the 2023 champion said.

“It has been a great ride, and I love you guys.”

They added that the government was “focused on delivering a balanced approach with strengthened law enforcement to tackle supply coupled with investment in treatment, the development of a skilled workforce, sustainable recovery services and peer networks that will support people in recovery with employment, housing and education”.

This year’s Sundance felt marked by great uncertainty. Personally, I was never quite sure how to feel, as the many unknowns of next year’s move to Boulder meant that it was unclear how much this year was supposed to feel like the end of something or the start of a new beginning. I didn’t know just how mournful to be, though, as the festival marched along, it became clear there was a space for nostalgic reflections.

The first movie I ever saw at Sundance was Andrew Fleming’s comedy “Hamlet 2” in the Library Center Theatre. Which means it was 2008 and I was then an intrepid freelancer who talked my way into sleeping on a recliner at a condo rented by The Times until staffers trickled out and I eventually had the place to myself because of the vagaries of an extended rental agreement. Which is how I found myself, entirely unexpectedly, in a room interviewing all of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, who were in town for their tour documentary “CSNY/Déjà Vu.”

That sense of surprise and discovery — and in-person interactions that likely wouldn’t happen anywhere else — are what have brought me back to the festival every year I could manage since. It’s exactly why I have been a huge fan of the festival’s NEXT section, made up of films that don’t quite fit elsewhere in the program. A standout this year was Georgia Bernstein’s debut feature, “Night Nurse,” a film of assured poise about a young woman (a compelling Cemre Paskoy) who takes a job at a retirement home only to find herself drawn into a series of phone scams, erotic role play and psychosexual transference with one the clients. Recommending the film to colleagues feels a little like an HR violation, but the kinky undercurrents and unsettling emotions are worth it.

Cemre Paksoy and Bruce McKenzie in the movie “Night Nurse.”

(Lidia Nikonova / Sundance Institute)

Many conversations around the festival seemed to firmly center on “The Invite” and “Josephine,” but another film people consistently brought up was “Wicker.” Written and directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, adapting a short story by Ursula Wills-Jones, the film takes place in an unspecified time and place: a sort of medieval-ish middle European village of the mind, in which an unmarried woman (Olivia Colman) asks a local basket weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband. That he comes out looking like Alexander Skarsgård sets the whole town into a tizzy. Nimble and inventive, with convincing special effects work, the film is a charming parable that continually finds ways to reset itself.

It is unclear just how planned it was, but there could have been no better film than “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” to be the final fiction feature to debut in the Eccles Theatre, one of the festival’s most storied venues. Character actor Noah Segan’s directorial debut, the movie is a warmly elegiac portrait of the city and the pain of recognizing when your time has passed. Led by a quietly commanding lead performance by John Turturro, the film also features Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito in supporting roles.

As the trio took the stage with Segan and other cast members after the film, it quickly became apparent how special it was to have those three actors there in that moment. Buscemi rattled off a quietly astounding number of films he has appeared in with “New York” in the title — “New York Stories,” “Slaves of New York,” “King of New York” — while Turturro spoke movingly about his relationship with Robert Redford, whose absence hung heavy over the entire festival.

John Turturro in the move “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.”

(MRC II Distribution Co. L.P. / Sundance Institute)

As Esposito began talking about what Sundance has meant to him over the years, his words took on a fierce momentum. He recalled when he first came to the festival in the ’90s, he was “ecstatic because it gave a voice to those who didn’t have a voice. … We didn’t come to sell a film to a big studio. We came to share our small movie with human beings that could really see themselves in a mirror on the screen.”

Of Redford, he added, “His vision is priceless. It’s the gem that we all hope for. It’s the juice of why we live. It’s the connection of why this movie works. It’s the love of what we do. This, to me, will stick with me for the rest of my life. My interactions with this man who started this festival will always be a beacon of light in my creative process.”

It was a beautiful and inspiring way to leave that theater for the last time and, in turn, leave Park City behind for a future that, while full of unknowns, will for now also hold the promise of new discoveries to come.