AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 11:50 a.m. EDT

Music Review: Ed Sheeran returns to his roots on 'Play,' a cross-cultural playground

NEW YORK (AP) — Ed Sheeran has long sought to bring people together with his music, whether it be his emotionally resonant acoustic ballads or unproblematic, danceable pop hits. His eight studio album, “Play,” stays in that familiar lane, writes The Associated Press' Elise Ryan. Recorded throughout his “Mathematics World Tour,” the project feels split. Sheeran the hitmaker returns on parts of the project, including the addictive “Sapphire,” featuring Indian singer Arijit Singh. Other songs fall more in line with Sheeran's past projects, deviating little from the narrative songwriting toolkit that raised him.

Sterling K. Brown has 3 Emmys, but Dan Fogelman has a bottle of scotch and a story

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Sterling K. Brown and Dan Fogelman are heading into Sunday's Emmy Awards with nominations for the first season of their show, “Paradise.” Brown has three Emmys, while Fogelman has none despite nine nominations. Fogelman jokes he's not jealous because he cherishes a pricey bottle of scotch Brown gave him without realizing an Emmy Awards engraving on it would out him as regifting. “Paradise” is a major departure from the men's previous show, “This Is Us,” which won Brown one of his Emmys. Brown is nominated for best actor, and the show is up for best drama, which would mean Fogelman finally gets a trophy.

With ‘The Grand Finale,’ ‘Downton Abbey’ is really coming to an end

Julian Fellowes has been saying goodbye to “Downton Abbey” for nearly as long as it has existed. The creators are really saying a final farewell with “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” which opens in theaters nationwide Friday. Fellowes said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that it is sad and that it has been a huge chunk of his life. “Downton Abbey” was conceived by producer Gareth Neame as a kind of spinoff to “Gosford Park.” It was in many ways an improbable hit. The first two features grossed more than $287 million at the worldwide box office.

Music Review: Spinal Tap almost goes to 11 on 'The End Continues' soundtrack

On “The End Continues,” the fictitious hard-rock band Spinal Tap continues to delightfully walk the fine line between clever and stupid, writes The Associated Press' Jim Pollock in his review. When the mockumentary film “This is Spinal Tap” and the accompanying debut album were released in 1984, the idea of a band rocking into middle age felt mildly ridiculous. With its core members now in their 70s and 80s, the band no longer goes all the way to 11, says Pollock. But the new album rewards fans with crisp comedic writing, interesting collaborations with rock royalty, and surprisingly direct confrontation with mortality and the ravages of time.

Shaun White and Nina Dobrev call off their engagement, break up after 5 years

Shaun White and Nina Dobrev have called off their engagement and brought an end to their five-year relationship, a person close to the couple tells The Associated Press. The Olympic champion snowboarder and the one-time star of “The Vampire Diaries” made a mutual decision to part, according to the person. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. White, 39, and Dobrev, 36, went public about their relationship in 2020. They announced their engagement in October 2024, posting a picture of White kneeling in front of Dobrev at a New York restaurant.

National Book Awards longlists include new works by Angela Flournoy, Susan Choi and Yiyun Li

NEW YORK (AP) — The National Book Foundation has announced the longlists for the National Book Awards. New fiction by Angela Flournoy and Susan Choi, a tragic memoir by Yiyun Li and a historical novel by Nobel laureate Han Kang are among the nominees. The foundation revealed 10 books in each of five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation and young people's literature. The categories will be narrowed to five finalists on Oct. 7, with winners announced at a Nov. 19 ceremony in Manhattan. Honorary awards will also be presented to author George Saunders and author-publisher Roxane Gay.

Jane Austen fans honor 250 years since her birth with grand costumed balls and dancing

LONDON (AP) — Fans of Jane Austen are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the beloved author's birth with costumed balls and themed events. This weekend, thousands of Austen devotees from all over the world are descending on Bath, England, for a 10-day festival celebrating the author of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility.” The highlight is a Regency costumed promenade, expected to draw some 2,000 people. The popularity of “Bridgerton” has renewed interest in all things Regency and drawn in a new generation of fans. Many “Janeites” say they get huge enjoyment in making Austen’s words and imageries come to life by making their own period dress and immersing themselves in historical dances.

Americans still give awards shows consideration, a new AP-NORC poll finds

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Most Americans still want to thank the academy, at least a little. About half of U.S. adults say they’ve watched all or most of an awards show on TV or streaming in the past year. That's according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Just over half say they’ve watched clips from an awards show. The results suggest some vitality remains in the tuxedo-and-gown world of the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Golden Globes, whose makers have fought to make them relevant when Americans have more choices in what to watch. When the Emmys return Sunday, all eyes will likely be on the winners and the ratings.

Michael Kors' style and wearability attract starry crowd at his New York Fashion Week show

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Kors was feeling loose as he brought his love of nature to urban New York City for a celebrity-heavy Spring/Summer 2026 show at New York Fashion Week. Kors called the collection he unveiled Thursday “earthly elegance” and says he was inspired by recent trips to tropical destinations. The clothes had an easy, loose feel, including oversized silk blouses and jackets and white linen matching sets of skirts and pants that looked like aspirational yacht-wear. Fabrics were light and often sheer, lending to comfort and wearability, and dominating colors were black, white, and brown, with accents of yellow and pink.