AP National Entertainment News

By SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — On a recent day at Sacramento native Lecho Lopez’s comic shop in the city, his 5-year-old nephew read his first word aloud: “bad.” It was from a graphic novel. There was irony in that being his first word, because Lopez credits comic books with many positive

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Ornella Vanoni, a beloved performer who had a seven decade-long singing career with such international hits as “Senza Fine” and “L’appuntamento,” has died. She was 91. In a post on X Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her deep sorrow for the loss of Vanoni, whose “unmistakable voice” left an

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — And Rosalía said, “Let there be Lux.” Rosalía, the global Spanish pop star loved by millions for fusing flamenco with Latin hip-hop and reggaeton, has amazed her fans with a radical shift. The singer and songwriter’s new album, “Lux” (“Light” in Latin), is unabashedly spiritual. Fifteen

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer “KPop Demon Hunters” is one step closer to another golden moment: The Oscars. The Netflix phenomenon is among 35 films features eligible for the animated feature film category at the 98th Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released on Friday lists of all the films

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Eddie Murphy is being celebrated with a life achievement award from the American Film Institute, AFI’s board of trustees said Friday. The award will be handed out at a gala tribute in Los Angeles, at the Dolby Theatre, on April 18. “Eddie Murphy is an American icon,” said Kathleen

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV opened a virtual meeting with American Catholic young people Friday by revealing a closely held pontifical secret: He uses a different Wordle start word each day. Leo divulged his strategy for the popular New York Times online game before fielding questions via videoconference about

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Texas-bred hip-hop duo UGK glared confidently into the camera atop stallions in the music video for their fan-favorite song “Wood Wheel.” The visuals reflected the expertise of the legendary Houston-area music act: blending tales of big city hustling with charming Texas cowboy culture. “This is

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The sounds of college football have changed over the years, with pop culture songs becoming part of the show at stadiums across the country. Fight songs, though, have withstood the test of time and still ring true. From “Rocky Top” at Tennessee to “Fight

By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Fátima Bosch Fernández’s Miss Universe victory resounded across Mexico on Friday, framed as the vindication of a disrespected contestant from a country where women have pushed their way into positions of power and are increasingly calling out traditional chauvinism. The 25-year-old from the Gulf coast state

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A new play exploring the complex relationship between playwright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime top U.S. infectious disease expert, will make its premiere early next year in New York under the direction of Tony Award-winner Daniel Fish. “Kramer/Fauci” will

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Nobel laureate Han Kang’s first book of nonfiction to come out in English will be released next spring. The Korean author’s “Light and Thread” is scheduled to be published March 24 by Penguin Random House imprints in the U.S., the United Kingdom and other English-speaking

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced plans to change the voting system of the popular musical extravaganza to ensure fairness, a move that follows allegations of “interference” by Israel’s government. The European Broadcasting Union, a Geneva-based union of public broadcasters that runs the event, said Friday

By TIAN MACLEOD Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Friday, a dramatic victory for a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant in Bangkok who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts. The issues at

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison for a case in which he was convicted of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Michel, 53, declined to address

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks against ABC and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday, urging the network to “get the bum off the air” in a social media post sent shortly after the comic’s latest episode ended. The president this week had also

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Weeknd’s After Hours ‘Til Dawn Tour has officially crossed the $1 billion mark, according to Live Nation. The lengthy tour, which launched in Philadelphia in July 2022 and runs through September 2026, has officially grossed $1.004 billion with approximately 7.55 million tickets sold across

By ANTON L. DELGADO Associated Press BELEM, Brazil (AP) — Fans of K-pop have an intensity that’s turned the music into a global phenomenon. Some are determined to channel that energy into action on climate change. Their push has been on display at United Nations climate talks in the city of Belem on the edge

By THOMAS ADAMSON and OLEG CETINIC Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Princess Diana returned to Paris in wax Thursday as one of Europe’s oldest wax museums unveiled a new figure of the British royal in the so-called “revenge dress,” decades after her tragic death in the city. The statue was ordered in Paris after the

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press A haunting 1940 self-portrait by famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold Thursday for $54.7 million and became the top-selling work by any female artist at an auction. The painting of Kahlo asleep in a bed — titled “El sueño (La cama)” or in English, “The Dream (The Bed)” — surpassed

By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — On the frozen edge of the world, staying in practice as a professional musician takes ingenuity, grit and a plastic instrument for schoolchildren that’s guaranteed not to freeze to your fingers or face. Natalie Paine is a French horn player in New Zealand’s navy who

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer ESPN and Major League Baseball appeared headed for an ugly separation after the network opted out of its rights deal in February. Nine months later, it appears to be the best thing to happen to both parties. ESPN has a reworked deal that includes out-of-market streaming rights while NBC

ATLANTA (AP) — The music artist and entertainment executive Usher is suing a group of investors who have been trying to open a new restaurant and lounge in Atlanta. Usher Raymond IV lent $1.7 million to the investor group toward the purchase of property for the planned Homage ATL, his lawyers said in a lawsuit

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer The Oscars are making room for one more award on their live broadcast in 2026. The new prize for achievement in casting will be part of the 98th Academy Awards in March, the academy told The Associated Press on Wednesday. That brings the total award count to 24 for

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — National Book Awards judges honored authors worldwide on Wednesday night, from Lebanese novelist Rabih Alameddine’s “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)” to Chicago-born poet Patricia Smith’s “The Intentions of Thunder.” Alameddine’s narrative of intense family bonds within the chaos of

By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — A grand jury in Texas has indicted the man accused of killing “King of the Hill” voice actor Jonathan Joss on a murder charge. But it is unclear whether Joss’ killing will be considered a hate crime. Police in San Antonio did not immediately return an

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer BEDFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Brendan Fraser is staring at a cooling fireplace. “I have an urge to poke this fire so bad,” Fraser says with a grin. The 56-year-old actor is midway through breakfast at a boutique Westchester inn not far from his home. He arrived, as Fraser usually

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Fifteen miles south of Sin City, Brandon Lake is seated backstage at a packed arena in Henderson, Nevada. In a matter of hours, he will perform an energetic, “family-friendly” show, as he tells The Associated Press, for thousands of people. He’s on the road with

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, hasn’t taken office yet. But he’s already the new avatar of evil for conservative media figures. He’s been called “downright sinister” and “incompatible with America.” His labels include commie, Marxist, jihadist sympathizer and “seething leftist.” Fox News’ Laura Ingraham warned her viewers