AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 7:38 p.m. EDT

5 indelible photos from Hollywood's awards season, and the stories behind them

LOS ANGELES (AP) — As a staff photojournalist for The Associated Press based in Los Angeles, Chris Pizzello covers hundreds of entertainment events a year. It all culminates in awards season, where he captures the defining moments in the lives of the celebrities he’s shot day in and day out, from the triumphs of Beyoncé and Bad Bunny at the Grammys to the envelope snafu and The Slap at the Oscars. This year, he chose five key photos and shared the stories behind making them. They range from Amy Madigan and Michael B. Jordan's surprise wins to Teyana Taylor's celebration. He connected with Ethan Hawke while making hurried portraits and shot Justin Bieber's stripped-down performance from afar.

Live Nation, Ticketmaster trial to resume after 7 states join a Justice Department settlement

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 30 states will resume their antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster on Monday after negotiations this week failed to result in many states joining a tentative settlement reached by the Justice Department. Federal Judge Arun Subramanian said at a hearing in Manhattan on Friday that the states had dropped their request to restart the trial in coming weeks with a different jury. Lawyers told the judge that Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota were joining the Justice Department in settling.

Ryan Coogler aware of potential Oscar history ahead but focused on 'Sinners' team before ceremony

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ryan Coogler says the Oscars matter, but he is focused on enjoying the moment with his “Sinners” team. He told The Associated Press Thursday that he is staying present as the ceremony nears. Coogler could become the first Black filmmaker to win best director. He says Sunday feels like the last official night together for the cast and crew after months on the awards circuit. They were honored at the Macro Pre-Oscars party, which celebrates nominees of color. “Sinners” leads the Oscars field with 16 nominations and stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles.

Brazil's telenovela industry is the secret agent behind powerful films at the Oscars

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Hollywood actors might rule the silver screen, but Brazil’s path to stardom often starts under the bright lights of a television studio. Since the early 1960s, the telenovelas, often compared to soap operas, produced by the country’s leading broadcaster TV Globo have evolved from simple daily dramas into a multi-million-dollar industry that can shape the national discourse, reaching more than 60 million of Brazil's 212 million people every week. Many Brazilian actors associated with Oscar-contending films, including “I’m Still Here” and this year’s four-category nominee “The Secret Agent,” first became household names via TV Globo. Actors like Wagner Moura and Fernanda Torres gained broad national visibility through telenovelas.

Two long-lost episodes of 'Doctor Who' have been found. Fans will soon be able to watch them

LONDON (AP) — A film charity has uncovered two episodes of sci-fi series “Doctor Who” that were long believed lost. The charity Film is Fabulous found the 1960s episodes in the belongings of a deceased collector. “Doctor Who” first aired in 1963 and is now a much-loved classic. But scores of episodes were lost because the broadcaster wiped the tapes for re-use. The BBC has restored the two rediscovered episodes and plans to release them next month on its streaming service. The episodes come from 1965 and star William Hartnell as intergalactic adventurer the Doctor in a storyline involving iconic villains the Daleks. Ninety-five episodes still remain missing.

Inclusion of Russia in 2026 Venice Biennale art fair sparks outcry

ROME (AP) — The inclusion of Russia in the line-up of the 2026 Venice Biennale art fair has sparked international outcry. The European Commission is threatening to withhold funding from the Biennale and 22 European countries are demanding Moscow stay away again over its war in Ukraine. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli is trying to manage the diplomatic fallout. He is voicing clear opposition. But he has ackowledged the Biennale's governing foundation is independent of the government. The scandal comes just weeks after the Italian government had to stand by as the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics.

After years of growth, Georgia’s film industry hits a painful reset

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s film industry is struggling. The state’s generous tax credits once turned Atlanta into the Hollywood of the South, drawing hundreds of productions and transforming the local economy. But spending has tumbled from a peak of $4.4 billion in 2022 to just $2.3 billion the last fiscal year. The 2023 writers and actors strikes accelerated the decline, and Marvel has since shifted its productions to the United Kingdom. Many crew members say they’ve struggled to find film work, forcing some to get second jobs or leave the industry entirely. State officials say things are improving and that tax incentives were recently widened to cover newer types of content.

Trump administration denounces CNN for airing messages from Iranian leaders

The Trump administration is denouncing CNN for airing a portion of the new Iranian supreme leader's first public statement since he got the job. It was the second time in three days that the administration specifically singled out the network for trying to find out what the leaders of the country the United States is bombing are thinking. The attack is another illustration of the care that news outlets must take in reporting during wartime, and the responsibilities of journalists to get multiple perspectives in a conflict. It also exposed the uncomfortable spotlight on one outlet, since the message of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was widely available elsewhere.

Live Nation employee mocks customers as 'so stupid' in internal messages released in court case

NEW YORK (AP) — Newly revealed incendiary messages in which a Live Nation employee mocks customers as “so stupid” and says the company is “robbing them blind, baby” are gaining public attention during an ongoing antitrust trial. The messages were highlighted Wednesday in a filing by government lawyers insisting that the messages should be evidence in the week-old Manhattan federal court trial. Live Nation, parent of Ticketmaster, wants them disqualified from the trial, saying they reflect “off-the-cuff banter, not policy” between two personal friends who don't work together. The trial's status is uncertain after the federal government announced this week it is settling though many states are not.