A new Grammy category honors album covers, and the artists that make them
NEW YORK (AP) — Five albums are nominated for best album cover at the 68th Grammy Awards. Previously included in the best album package category, it's the first time covers have their own category in over 50 years. The nominees are Bad Bunny's “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Tyler, the Creator's “Chromakopia,” Djo's “The Crux,” Perfume Genius's “Glory” and Wet Leg's “Moisturizer.” The new category was designed to recognize the impact of covers in the digital age, when listeners more often encounter the images and not the physical packaging. Artists say that the award brings visibility to the work that goes into artists' visual worlds.
The Golden Globes are this week. Here's what to know about the first major show of awards season
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The Golden Globes kick off Hollywood’s awards season on Sunday. This year’s 83rd edition of the show is hosted for the second year by comedian Nikki Glaser. It airs live at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS and streams live on Paramount+. Acting nominees include Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Emma Stone. “One Battle After Another” is the top nominee with nine and is an Oscar front-runner. “Sentimental Value,” “Sinners” and “Hamnet” are also nominated in top categories. Career achievement awards will go to Helen Mirren and Sarah Jessica Parker.
South Korean movie star Ahn Sung-ki, dubbed 'The Nation's Actor,' dies at 74
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean film star Ahn Sung-ki, whose prolific career earned him the nickname “The Nation's Actor,” has died. He was 74 and had had blood cancer for years. His agency and a Seoul hospital announced his death Monday. Ahn debuted in “The Twilight Train” in 1957 and appeared in about 70 movies as a child actor. He left the film industry to live an ordinary life but returned when he couldn't find work with his university degree. The lead role in the coming-of-age tale “Good, Windy Days” was followed by a series of highly successful and critically acclaimed movies and he became arguably the country’s most popular actor in much of the 1980-90s.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting votes itself out of existence
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting's directors voted the organization out of business Monday. The private agency, which has distributed federal funding to PBS, NPR and hundreds of local television and radio stations across the country for more than a half-century, saw its appropriations from Congress eliminated this past summer. That was part of President Donald Trump's drive to defund public broadcasting, which he has accused of having a liberal bias. CPB's board voted to dissolve the organization rather than continue to have it operate as a shell, saying it would remain vulnerable to public attack.
What to Stream: Kid Laroi, 'The Pitt' and 'Tron: Ares'
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Returns to “The Pitt,” the Grid and music of Kid Laroi are some of the new television, films and music headed to a device near you. Kid Laroi's sophomore album, “Before I Forget,” drops Friday, offering listeners breakup reflections and lovelorn lyrics. On the TV front, “The Pitt” returns for its second season Thursday on HBO Max. The Emmy-winning drama follows a day in a Pittsburgh ER. After nearly a decade, “The Night Manager” also returns Sunday on Prime Video with a new story. For movie fans, “Tron: Ares” hits Disney+ on Wednesday. The third film in the franchise stars Jared Leto and features a Nine Inch Nails soundtrack.
Hollywood starts 2026 with 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' No. 1, as James Cameron's sci-fi epic crosses $1B
NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood kicked off 2026 with “Avatar: Fire and Ash” atop the box office for the third straight week and with hopes for a blockbuster-filled year after a disappointing 2025. In three weeks of release, “Fire and Ash” has cleared $1 billion worldwide. The third chapter in James Cameron’s Pandora epic collected $40 million over its third weekend in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. But over the holiday week, it wasn’t just about the weekend ticket sales. The whole week was a lucrative one for Hollywood, with most schools still out. What drove ticket sales, beyond “Avatar”? Sydney Sweeney, Timothée Chalamet and “Zootopia 2.”
What to expect from CES 2026, the annual show of all things tech
LAS VEGAS (AP) — With the start of the New Year squarely behind us, it’s once again time for the annual CES trade show to shine a spotlight on the latest tech companies plan on offering in 2026. The multi-day event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, kicks off this week in Las Vegas. Advances across industries like robotics, healthcare, vehicles, wearables, gaming and more are set to be on display. Artificial intelligence will be anchored in nearly everything, again, as the tech industry explores offerings consumers will want to buy. In 2025, more than 141,000 attendees from over 150 countries, regions, and territories attended the CES. Organizers expect around the same numbers for this year’s show.
Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan. 11-17 includes LL Cool J and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Celebrities having birthdays during the week of Jan. 11-17 include rapper-actor LL Cool J, actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus and actor-playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. Mary J. Blige turns 55, actor Issa Rae reaches 41 and singer Zayn hits 33. Other celebrities with big days include “Ocean’s Eleven” director Steven Soderbergh, TV anchor Shepard Smith and actor Jason Bateman. Musician Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and of Nirvana hits 57, actor-director Regina King turns 55 and electronic dance musician Skrillex reaches 38. More starry folk celebrating include actor-dancer Debbie Allen, supermodel Kate Moss and DJ Calvin Harris.
Leonardo DiCaprio on the importance of creating cinema over content at Palm Springs Film Festival
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Leonardo DiCaprio emphasizes the importance of creating cinema over content at the Palm Springs Film Festival’s 37th annual International Film Awards. The intimate A-list award show on Saturday night kicks off Hollywood’s whirlwind award season, honoring some of the film industry’s most anticipated award contenders. Notable peers at the event in Palm Springs, California, included Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet, Kate Hudson and Michael B. Jordan. Recipients and presenters made long, heartfelt speeches at the non-televised event. Many of the stars will travel to Los Angeles for the Critic's Choice Awards on Sunday.

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