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Eric Benét and I might be cousins. In any case, there’s a possibility our ancestors once walked on the same plantation — at least, that’s what the star, full name Eric Benét Jordan, half-jokingly tells me when we meet in the lounge of a New York hotel in late April. “It’s dope, right?” he says after pointing out our shared last name. “We probably are, we probably are.”

At 58 years old, Benét has both wisdom and jokes in his nature. TikTokers can catch one of the many skits...

Chappell Roan is arguably the biggest new music star of the year, so it might be surprising that she has a relatively low ceiling when it comes to what she can get from this year’s Grammy nominations. The most she can receive is six bids from the recording academy. But among those, she could achieve something rare: nominations across all of the big four general field categories. Here’s her complete list of potential noms.

Record of the Year — “Good Luck, Babe!”

Album of the Year — “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”

Song of the Year — “Good Luck, Babe!”

Best New Artist

Best Pop Solo Performance — “Good Luck, Babe!”

Best Pop Vocal Album — “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”

SEE6 biggest Grammy surprises on the ballot: No dance for Dua Lipa, nothing for Zach Bryan at all

The 14 artists who so far have achieved the...

This Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 8:35 Pm on BBC Two, music enthusiasts can tune in to “Later… with Jools Holland” for an hour-long musical extravaganza. Host Jools Holland presents a special episode featuring highlights from the show’s archive, focusing on the incredible women of hip-hop soul who have graced the Later… studio over the years.

The episode promises a showcase of talent from global stars like Erykah Badu, who made her debut in 1997, to Kelis, India Arie, and Angie Stone in the early 2000s. British stars of the genre, including Mercury Prize winner Ms Dynamite in 2002, Stefflon Don, and Jorja Smith, who made their debuts in 2017, and Little Simz, will also be featured.

Viewers can expect a musical journey celebrating the powerful voices and unique styles of these remarkable women in the world of hip-hop soul. So, mark your calendars and enjoy the rhythms and melodies on “Later… with Jools...

Over 70 episodes of the Joe Rogan Experience were quietly removed from Spotify Friday, adding yet another development in the ongoing debate over whether the streaming giant is responsible for monitoring misinformation and harmful content posted to its platform.

Among the episodes removed include interviews with Amy Schumer, Marc Maron, Bill Burr, Andy Dick, Tool frontman Maynard J. Keenan and Iliza Shlesinger.

It’s unclear why the episodes in question were pulled, and representatives for Rogan and Spotify did not respond to Rolling Stone‘s requests for comments. However, eagle-eyed fans...

David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash have issued a statement supporting former bandmate Neil Young in seeking the removal of their music from Spotify in protest of podcaster Joe Rogan.

In the statement posted on Stills’ Twitter page, the trio write, “We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast. While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music – or the music we made together – to be on the same platform.”

In his own tweets, Crosby is publicly asking Taylor Swift to join the Spotify protest, writing that that “she is the only one who has successfully kicked Spotifys ass. The only one. I think...

Both critical and celebratory, Jennifer Holness’ packed and penetrating documentary “Subjects of Desire” provides a superb overview of how Black culture has influenced, and been influenced by, contemporary beauty ideals from Civil War times to #BlackGirlMagic and beyond. Solidly if modestly presented — occasionally the photo-montage-and-voiceover sections feel a little bit PowerPointy — this energetic and provocative film lives easily on the small screen, though a truly enterprising outlet or streaming service would take note of how many fascinating avenues Holness’ dexterous arguments open up and order it to series.

The film is loosely structured around the 50th anniversary of the Miss Black America Pageant, but “loosely” should be stressed: Where a pageant’s suspense-based structure and inbuilt spectacle might prove too tantalizing a draw for most filmmakers, Holness has bigger fish to fry than backstage drama, wardrobe malfunctions and spangly tiaras. Instead, she uses the pageant’s history to get straight...

Alanis Morissette hosted a special edition of Alanis Radio, her Apple Music show, in honor of International Women’s Day on Monday. Calling back to her own artistic breakthrough in the Nineties, the Jagged Little Pill singer-songwriter paid tribute to other female artists who had largely contributed to that decade.

“When I think of International Women’s Day, I think about all these millions and trillions of women around the world making their mark in so many different ways,” Morissette said. “Just showing up in quiet and sometimes not so...

The Super 9 battled it out on “The Masked Singer” during Wednesday night’s episode with the top three singers from groups A, B, and C stretching their vocal cords for guest judge Snoop Dogg … or what we thought was Snoop but turned out to be Nick Cannon’s friend Eric. Oh ok April Fool! Moving on, no guest judge for tonight’s two-hour extravaganza. The real question: why is Nick wearing a weird silver lady’s hat? But I digress … Now to the real talent of the evening: The Kangaroo.

See Are ‘The Masked Singer’ celebrity contestants lip-syncing or singing live?

With clues like “putting on a brave face, rumors from the past, feeling out of my league” and being known for being a doll, this sultry alto singer has heart. Singing Dixie Chicks‘ “Not Ready to Make Nice,” her performance dazzled, and clearly she can sing.

Jenny McCarthy thought...

Winners of the 62nd annual Grammys were revealed on January 26 in a two-part event. The majority of the 84 Grammy Awards were handed out at the non-televised Premiere Ceremony, which began at 12:30 p.m. Pt/3:30 p.m. Et at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

The televised portion of the Grammys took place across the street at the Staples Center. It started on CBS at 5:00 p.m. Pt/8:00 p.m. Et. Winners in the top 10 categories were announced during a three-and-a-half hour concert that was hosted by Alicia Keys. Scroll down for the full and complete list of winners at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards.

See 2020 Grammys online: How to watch Grammy Awards live stream without a TV

General Field

Album Of The Year

“I, I,” Bon Iver

“Norman Fucking Rockwell,” Lana Del Rey

X – “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” Billie Eilish

“Thank U,...

Grammy Awards winners will be revealed on Sunday, January 26 in a two-part ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The majority of the awards in the 84 categories spread across 30 fields will be handed out in a non-televised event, the Premiere Ceremony, that afternoon. The televised portion of the Grammys will begin on CBS at 5:00 p.m. Pt/8:00 p.m. Et. Expect that 3.5 hour telecast to be dominated by musical performances with about a dozen presentations of prizes. Scroll down for the full and complete list of nominees for the 62nd annual Grammy Awards.

General Field

Album Of The Year

“I, I,” Bon Iver

“Norman Fucking Rockwell,” Lana Del Rey

“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” Billie Eilish

“Thank U, Next,” Ariana Grande

“I Used to Know Her,” H.E.R.

“7,” Lil Nas X

“Cuz I Love You,” Lizzo

“Father of the Bride,” Vampire Weekend...

Nominations for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards will be announced on Wednesday, November 20, and it has been an especially good year for R&b thanks to new music from a series of rising stars like Khalid, Ari Lennox, Ella Mai, Anderson Paak and H.E.R., not to mention R&b mainstays including Fantasia, Raphael Saadiq, Mariah Carey and India Arie. And it wouldn’t be the Grammys without Beyonce, who released not one but two albums this year (“Homecoming: The Live Album” and “The Lion King: The Gift“).

Here are the top seven contenders who I think have the strongest potential to clean up in the R&b field this year.

Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Beyonce

Grammy History: 23 wins, 66 nominations | R&b Field: 18 wins, 30 nominations

As the most nominated woman in Grammy history, Beyonce has proven that she’s an all-time great in the eyes of the recording academy.

You may know Xiuhtezcatl Martinez as one of the teens suing the U.S. government for failing to take action on the climate crisis. By the age of 14, Xiuhtezcatl — pronounced “shoe-tez-caht” —addressed the United Nations on environmental policy in English, Spanish, and the Aztec language Nahuatl, his native tongue. As youth leader of activist group Earth Guardians, he joined thousands in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock, and released a guide to movement building titled We Rise. Now, the 18-year-old has just issued yet another statement of resistance:...

One thing that’s easy for podcast fans to forget: There are people who don’t listen to podcasts. For the newly initiated, it’s hard to figure out where to look first. No fear: we’ve gathered a few of our favorite film-related shows. Some are hundreds of episodes deep into their runs, so we’ve also provided some good places to start. Enjoy.

Read More: 13 Must-Listen Podcast Episodes for March 2017

Black List Table Reads

Scripted podcasts come in all kinds; sci-fi, alternate history, period piece, and superhero shows only beginning to crack the list. Franklin Leonard and the team behind the Black List Table Reads have found a way to combine the appeal of those shows with the script-based hook of the site that gives the show its name. Producing feature-length scripts with an impressive roster of actors, the show has evolved to become something more than...

"Video" singer India.Arie is adding her voice to the chorus of those against the casting of Zoë Saldana as Nina Simone in the upcoming biographical film about her life. The 40-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter (via Billboard) that she was saddened by the choice of Saldana to play the iconic dark-skinned singer. Arie, who saw an early version of Nina three years ago and has even portrayed Simone onscreen (in a 2003 episode of American Dreams), said, "the way she looked in the movie was ugly." "I think the best way to say it is that they casted her against type...

"Video" singer India.Arie is adding her voice to the chorus of those against the casting of Zoë Saldana as Nina Simone in the upcoming biographical film about her life. The 40-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter (via Billboard) that she was saddened by the choice of Saldana to play the iconic dark-skinned singer. Arie, who saw an early version of Nina three years ago and has even portrayed Simone onscreen (in a 2003 episode of American Dreams), said, "the way she looked in the movie was ugly." "I think the best way to say it is that they casted her against type...

Nina Simone would go ballistic if she knew a light-skinned actress with dark makeup was portraying her in an upcoming biopic ... so say members of the late singer's family. Nina's brother, Sam Waymon, tells us Nina would blanch at the studio's choice of Zoe Saldana -- whose skin was drastically darkened to resemble her. Sam says "painting up" a light-skinned actress is insulting, and "raping Nina's legacy." Nina was a civil rights activist,...

Hollywood stars including Octavia Spencer, Michael B. Jordan and Chris Rock will come together on Monday to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The free event, hosted by Blackout for Human Rights and the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, is called “Mlk Now” and will be held at Harlem’s Riverside Church, where Dr. King delivered his famous 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.” Some of today’s leading actors and influencers will offer interpretations of Dr. King’s most well-known speeches at the event. Also read: Mlk Day: 9 Most Inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. Memes...

Chris Rock, Octavia Spencer, Michael B. Jordan and Harry Belafonte are among the Hollywood stars who will headline “Mlk Now,” an event celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday afternoon at Riverside Church in New York’s Harlem. Some of today’s leading actors and influencers will offer interpretations of Dr. King’s most well-known speeches at the event, which is being held at the church where King delivered his famous 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence.” There will also be musical performances by India Arie and others, and the day will close with an interactive panel discussion addressing.

http://amandla.tumblr.com/post/136866720678/so-i-took-over-the-teen-vogue-snapchat-today Amandla Stenberg has something to say, world - she's bisexual. The former Hunger Games star shared the news on Teen Vogue's Snapchat on Thursday, saying, "As someone who identifies as a black bisexual woman, I've been through it and it hurts. It's awkward and it's uncomfortable but then I realized because of Solange [Knowles], and India Arie and Willow [Smith], and all the black girls watching this right now, there's absolutely nothing to change." Aside from her touching revelation, she also expressed the need for more representation in both film and television. See the rest of her powerful message above, and then check out even more famous teens who are wise beyond their years.

All this week, the Vulture TV Awards honor the best television from the past year. Up next, Matt Zoller Seitz provides audio commentary for Best Scene of the year. The tooth extraction, The Americans (“Open House”) “All That Jazz” tribute, Better Call Saul (“Mijo”) Race riots, The Knick (“Get the Rope”) Abbi’s wisdom tooth adventure, Broad City (“Wisdom Teeth”) India Arie on Talk Back, Being Mary Jane (“Line in the Sand”) And the winner is ... The tooth extraction, The Americans...

Chicago – The show business life is ripe for drama, and the new film “Beyond the Lights” explores the difficulties of the the superstar reaches of the music business, through a Beyoncé-type singer. Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Noni, and the film’s director is Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love & Basketball”).

Minnie Driver and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in ‘Beyond the Lights’

Photo credit: Relativity Media

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is making a name for herself, with two major releases this year, “Belle” and “Beyond the Lights.” The English actress is probably best remembered as the quirky student friend of Tom Hanks in “Larry Crowne.” Director Gina Prince-Bythewood is back in the spotlight after the well-received “Love & Basketball” in 2000. Since that time, she has directed HBO’s “Disappearing Acts” (2000) and “The Secret Life of Bees” (2008).

HollywoodChicago.com sat down to speak with both women during the 50th Chicago International Film Festival, where “Beyond the Lights” was the highlighted...

India.Arie isn't feeling good at all about this. The singer-songwriter is slamming the choice of Zoe Saldana to play Nina Simone in Nina, an unauthorized biopic on the late High Priestess of Soul, saying the actress's fairer complexion stemming from her Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage is all wrong for the part. "So today I saw the images of Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone…And I Think They Are Ridiculous," India.Arie said in a caps-riddled post on Simone's official website. "Yes there should be a movie made, and Yes they should have chosen someone who Looks like Nina Simone, Especially since her Race played such a Pivotal role in Who, What and Why, she was." She continued:...

On TV this Sunday: Amanda Peet guest-stars as The Good Wife‘s Josh Charles takes his first turn behind the camera, The Cleveland Show gets a good rap(per), Revenge fauxs a wedding and some very talented women prove that Black Girls Rock. As a supplement to TVLine’s original features (linked within), here are 10 programs to keep on your radar. Reminder: Make sure you’ve adjusted your clocks for daylight savings time so you don’t miss anything.

7:30 pm The Cleveland Show (Fox) | In the official Season 4 premiere, Cleveland confronts his now famous old pal Kenny West (voiced...

I have to admit, every year I tune into the Grammys I mentally prepare myself for disappointment.  Yet I still watch, hoping that the granddaddy of music awards shows will exceed my admittedly low expectations.

I'm happy to say that this year they've done it (for the most part). 

Gimmicky performances, undeserving nominees and baffling winners  - the usual Grammy mainstays - were all on display last night, yet for every bad egg (seriously Gaga?) there was a nice surprise that put a smile on my face.  

The show began with a tribute to 18-time Grammy award winner, and Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera and Florence and the Machine's Florence Welch honored the ailed diva by singing a string of her hits. 

Sadly, five powerful singers wailing away at once proved to be too much. It quickly turned into an oversinging competition,...

The 42 annual NAACP Image Awards nominations were announced Wednesday (Jan. 12) by actresses Kimberly Elisa and Sanaa Lathan, rapper 50 Cent, singer Smokey Robinson and actors Columbus Short and Affion Crockett at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA.

ABC and NBC led the TV categories with 18 nominations each, followed by CBS and the Lifetime Movie Network with 10 apiece. "Grey's Anatomy" and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" tied at five noms apiece, while "For Colored Girls" topped all other movies or TV series with seven nominations. Tyler Perry's film and television projects had a combined total of 20 nominations.

The entire list of nominees is as follows:

Television

Outstanding Comedy Series

• "30 Rock" (NBC)

• "Are We There Yet?" (TBS)

• "Glee" (Fox)

• "Modern Family" (ABC)

• "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

• David Mann - "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" (TBS)

• Dulé Hill - "Psych" (USA)

• Lavan Davis...

Tyler Perry dominated the NAACP 42nd Image Awards nominations. The renaissance man received nods from his movies and TV projects. Divided into three categories (television, recording, motion picture), the 42nd Image Awards will be held on March 4th.

Here's the complete list of nominees (Check our Awards Avenue for complete winners/nominees for all award-giving bodies):

Television

Comedy Series

"30 Rock" (NBC)

"Are We There Yet?" (TBS)

"Glee" (Fox)

"Modern Family" (ABC)

"Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)

Actor in a Comedy Series

David Mann - "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" (TBS)

Dulé Hill - "Psych" (USA)

Lavan Davis - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)

Phil Morris - "Love That Girl!" (TV One)

Terry Crews - "Are We There Yet?" (TBS)

Actress in a Comedy Series

Cassi Davis - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)

Essence Atkins - "Are We There Yet?" (TBS)

Salli Richardson-Whitfield - "Eureka" (Syfy)

Tatyana Ali - "Love That Girl!

The Soul Train Awards might not air until November 28 but a bunch of pictures from the event teased what to expect from the prize-giving event. Ne-Yo, Bruno Mars, Keyshia Cole, Cee-Lo, Tank and Jazmine Sullivan were among the performers.

Eminem reportedly won Best Hip-Hop Song for his duet with Rihanna in "Love the Way You Lie", but couldn't attend the Wednesday night, November 10 show to accept the honor. So, CNN's Wolf Blitzer collected the trophy on his behalf.

The awards show was taped at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia with Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson as hosts. Raven Symone and Keisha Knight Pulliam, meanwhile, were among the presenters.

The other guests attending the show included Eric Benet, India.Arie, Janelle Monae, Melanie Fiona, R. Kelly, El DeBarge, Erykah Badu and Anita Baker.

Six  was the magic number for NAACP Image Awards nominations announced Wednesday (Jan. 6).

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," the film "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" and the TNT's telepic "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" led with six nominations apiece.

In music, however, Jay-z and Maxwell led the way with five nods each.

The nominations were announced at a press conference that featured Tay Diggs, comedian Wanda Sykes, "Brothers Star" Michael Strahan, Tatyana Ali and Kyle and Chris Massey.

The 41st NAACP Image Awards will air live beginning at 8 p.m. Et on Friday, Feb. 26 on Fox.

Check out the nominees:

Television

Outstanding Comedy Series

"30 Rock" (NBC)

"Everybody Hates Chris"(CW)

"Glee"(Fox)

"Tyler Perry's House of Payne"(TBS)

"Ugly Betty"(ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

Daryl "Chill" Mitchell - "Brothers"(Fox)

Donald Faison - "Scrubs"(NBC)

Dulé Hill - "Psych"(USA Network)

Lavan Davis - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne...

"Precious" leads the nominations for the 41st annual NAACP Image Awards earning eight noms including Best Director for Lee Daniels, Best Actress for Gabourey Sidibe, Supporting Actress for Mariah Carey, Monique, and Paula Patton, and Best Supporting Actor for Lenny Kravitz.

"Precious" also got nods for Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Independent Film. Other films nominated were "Invictus," "Michael Jackson's This Is It," "The Blind Side," and "The Princess and the Frog."

Winners will be announced Feb. 26 on Fox.

Here's the complete list of nominees for the 41st annual NAACP Image Awards:

Motion Picture Categories

Outstanding Motion Picture

. "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

. "Invictus" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

. "Michael Jackson's: This Is It" (Columbia Pictures)

. "Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

. "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

. Denzel Washington , "The Taking of Pelham 123" (Columbia Pictures...

Jasmine Guy (Dead Like Me, A Different World) is set to direct the upcoming stage production of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf from July 12 to August 9 at The Soutwest Arts Center in Atlanta, Ga.

Jasmine Guy, right, is the director of the True Colors production

Here's how True Colors Theatre Company describes the production, which will preview on July 12 and 14:

Directed by Broadway star and television actress, Jasmine Guy, Ntozake Shange's legendary choreopoem about the African-American female journey through America is portrayed through the poetry, dancing and narrative of a slate of women who become the colorful ladies of the rainbow. Both a joyous celebration of a unique culture and a wrenchingly real portrait of the struggle of an oppressed minority, For Colored Girls… tells the timeless story through 20 beautiful vignettes that inspire laughter and tears for the passion and pain of the black woman's experience.

The Naacp has announced it's 40th Annual Image Awards nominations. In the film category, Cadillac Records, The Secret Life of Bees, Miracle at St. Anna, Seven Pounds and Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys" have been nominated.

The TV network with the most nominations? ABC with 24 total!

The awards night will be televised on Fox, Feb. 12 from the Shrine Auditorium.

Click Read More to see the complete list of nominees:

Television Categories

Comedy Series

"30 Rock" (NBC)

"Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)

"The Game" (CW)

"Tyler Perry.s House of Payne" (TBS)

"Ugly Betty" (ABC)

Actor in a Comedy Series

Donald Faison - "Scrubs" (NBC)

Lavan Davis - "Tyler Perry.s House of Payne" (TBS)

Paul James - "Greek" (ABC Family)

Terry Crews - "Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)

Tyler James Williams - "Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)

Actress in a Comedy Series

America Ferrera -...

Latest: Whoopi Goldberg has blasted ignorant financiers for delaying the opening of her Broadway revival For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.

The show, featuring singer India.Arie in her Broadway bow, was scheduled to open later this month but the production has suffered a setback after donors pulled out over concerns about the title of Nitozake Shange's play.

Goldberg, who is among the producers of the show, says, "We had a couple of major donors who didn't look at the title.

"They said, 'We can't say for coloured girls or suicide - we certainly can't say them in the same sentence.'

"I was like, 'Did you not know this play?'

"But more money is coming in."

Producers have not yet announced when the play will be rescheduled.

Singer India.Arie's Broadway debut has been postponed after her forthcoming show lost one of its financial investors.

Arie was set to take the stage next month to star in Whoopi Goldberg's revival of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.

Goldberg joined bosses at DreamTeam Entertainment Group to make the announcement on Wednesday.

Producers have not yet announced when the show will be rescheduled.