Awards

• Madonna leads the nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, followed by Taylor Swift, as announced by the network on Tuesday. • The nominations highlight Madonna's enduring legacy, noting she has been nominated in every decade of her career and holds 19 competitive VMA wins. • This recognition coincides with an interactive experience celebrating Madonna's 68th birthday, blending music, visual storytelling, and fan participation.

• A' Design Award & Competition has officially opened the call for entries for the A' International Entertainment, Content Creation and Streaming Media Design Awards 2026. • Announced on August 19, 2026, in Como, Italy, the competition aims to recognize global innovation in content creation, media experiences, and streaming formats. • The awards matter as they highlight cutting-edge design and creativity within the rapidly evolving digital entertainment and streaming landscape.

• Madonna has secured the lead for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations, continuing a streak of nominations spanning every decade of her career. • To celebrate her 68th birthday on August 16, 2026, an interactive installation titled “C’mon Meet Me On The Dancefloor” was launched at Outernet London. • The event blends music, visual storytelling, and fan participation, highlighting Madonna's enduring influence as a pioneer and former Video Vanguard Award recipient.

• Film Independent is expanding the Spirit Awards by introducing two new categories: Best International First Feature and a Digital Creator Award. • The Digital Creator Award targets storytellers producing original work for digital-first platforms, with the winner receiving a $25,000 unrestricted grant. • To support the new international category, the Berlinale has been added as a qualifying festival for the awards.

• Madonna has secured the most nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with Taylor Swift following closely behind. • The announcement coincides with an interactive installation titled “C’mon Meet Me On The Dancefloor” at Outernet London on August 16, 2026, celebrating Madonna’s 68th birthday. • This milestone highlights Madonna's enduring influence as a pop icon who has earned nominations across every decade of her career.

• MTV announced the official nominations for the 2026 Video Music Awards on Tuesday, August 18. • The complete list of nominees features high-profile artists, including pop icons Madonna and Taylor Swift. • These nominations highlight the most influential music videos and artists of the year, setting the stage for the industry's competitive awards ceremony.

• The International Banker announced its 2026 Middle East, Asia, and Australasia Awards, recognizing top institutions in retail, commercial, private, and investment banking. • India is targeting funding from overseas Indians in the Middle East, UK, US, Hong Kong, and Singapore, mirroring a 2013 program that raised $34 billion. • Finance Minister Sitharaman is urging state-owned lenders to utilize GIFT City in Gujarat to secure more offshore funding.

Neill won for his performance in legal thriller The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer, at a ceremony dominated by wins for the ABCLogies 2026 ceremony: the best moments and red carpet looks – in picturesSam Neill has won a posthumous best actor award at Australia’s biggest television awards, the Logies, with comedian Sam Pang taking home the night’s top honour, the Gold Logie award for most popular personality.Neill, who died in July, won his posthumous Logie for best lead actor in a drama, for his performance in legal thriller The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer. His close friend, the actor Heather Mitchell, accepted the award on his behalf. Continue reading...

Proud Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung nation recognised posthumously with the lifetime achievement awardGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of Australia’s greatest cultural ambassadors has been recognised posthumously for dedicating her life to sharing, preserving and promoting First Nations culture through language, dance and ceremony.Proud Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung nation Rhoda Roberts died in March aged 66. On Saturday night in Alice Springs, she was posthumously awarded the lifetime achievement award at the Naidoc awards. Continue reading...

Kennedy Center had sued Chuck Redd for canceling Christmas Eve concert after Trump renamed institutionA superior court judge in Washington DC has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay more than $250,000 to a musician who canceled a performance at the arts center after the White House announced that Donald Trump’s name would be added to the venue.Judge Tanya Jones Bosier ordered the Kennedy Center on Monday to pay $252,479.70 in legal fees and costs to attorneys for musician Chuck Redd within 45 days. Continue reading...

• Several high-profile film projects, including Denzel Washington’s "Here Comes the Flood" and Joel Coen’s "Jack of Spades," have been rescheduled for release in 2027. • Other notable titles affected by the shift include Greg Kwedar's "Saturn Return" and an undisclosed "mystery drop" from studio A24. • This shuffle significantly impacts the awards season landscape, as these major productions will now compete for accolades in a later cycle.

• A technical issue caused K-pop stars to freeze on TV during an awards show, breaking the typical perfection of South Korean entertainment. • The show was able to continue without further issues, but some viewers criticized the mistake, questioning the preparedness of the performers. • The performers, Sion, Ian, and Sungchan, are all signed to SM Entertainment, and many viewers noted this while discussing the incident.

• Several high-profile films, including Joel Coen's 'Jack of Spades,' 'Here Comes The Flood,' 'The Riders,' and 'The Entertainment System Is Down,' have been pushed to 2027. • These delays mean the projects will miss the 2026 festival and awards season windows, leaving their potential for nominations uncertain. • The shift highlights the unpredictable nature of production timelines for prestige cinema aiming for critical acclaim.

• Campaign Asia-Pacific has announced its most extensive regional judging panel to date for the Agency of the Year Awards 2026. • The initiative aims to enhance the prestige and objectivity of the awards by leveraging a broader range of industry expertise across the Asia-Pacific region. • This expansion is critical for ensuring a fair and comprehensive evaluation of agencies as the final entry deadline approaches.

• Park Chan-wook's film *No Other Choice* was notably absent from the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards. • Despite being considered one of the biggest snubs of the 2025 awards season, the film is now finding a new audience via streaming platforms. • The lack of Oscar recognition highlights the ongoing tension and competition between traditional cinema and streaming hits during awards cycles.

Yolŋu hip-hop artist dominates, while Butchulla duo and cousins Birdz and Fred Leone win artist of the year and Drifting Clouds takes home best new talentBaker Boy has won album, song and film clip of the year at the 2026 National Indigenous Music Awards (Nimas), paying tribute to his late grandmother who his album Djandjay is named for.The Yolŋu hip-hop artist, whose name is Danzal Baker, won three awards for his sophomore album Djandjay, including song of the year and film clip of the year for its hit single Thick Skin, which features Indigenous artists Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn and Jada Weazel. Continue reading...

• ADWEEK has announced its 2026 Tech Stack Awards, focusing on marketing technology that delivers proven revenue impact within the advertising and media sectors. • The awards highlight the critical need for marketers to effectively act on data, rather than simply collecting it, to drive business growth. • A primary focus of this year's recognition is the fundamental structural shift in search being powered by AI-driven discovery.

• BTS has announced they will not submit their album for consideration following the Grammy Awards' introduction of a new Best Asian Pop category. • The group argues that while recognition is a start, creating region-specific categories can hinder true impartial inclusion and integration into mainstream awards. • Critics and supporters suggest that artists from Korea, Japan, India, and the Philippines should instead compete naturally in general categories alongside all global artists.

• K-pop group BTS has announced they will not submit any music for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. • The decision follows the Recording Academy's recent addition of a specific "Asian pop" category to the awards line-up. • This move highlights ongoing tensions regarding how the Grammys recognize K-pop, a genre that maintains a massive global following but has historically been under-celebrated by the institution.

• AirAsia Philippines won three honors at the Advertising Asia Pacific Awards 2026 held on July 30 in Singapore. • The airline received two Silver awards and a national award for its success in engaging digitally savvy travelers. • Specific recognition was given for the "Best Use of TikTok," highlighting the company's effective use of social media to reach modern audiences.

• NASA has announced 18 new awards through its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program to fund visionary aerospace technology ideas. • The selected projects focus on a broad range of goals, including enhancing the exploration of the solar system and deepening the scientific understanding of the universe. • These awards are critical for fostering high-risk, high-reward research that can lead to breakthroughs in space travel and observation.

• BTS has announced that all seven members will not submit their music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards in 2027. • The group is specifically withholding their comeback album, 'ARIRANG', to protest the Recording Academy's new category for Asian pop music performances. • This decision stems from the group's opposition to music being "divided by region or language," challenging the Academy's approach to categorization.

• BTS announced on Wednesday that they will not submit their latest album, ‘Arirang,’ for consideration at the 69th annual Grammy Awards. • The decision comes just one month after the Recording Academy introduced a new category specifically for Asian pop music. • The group's seven members shared the decision via a joint statement written in Korean and posted across their individual social media accounts.

• The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for STEM Education has announced the first set of awards for the CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service (CyberAI SFS) program. • The initiative focuses on training students to use AI for enhancing cybersecurity operations, specifically in areas such as digital forensics, incident response, and threat detection. • This program is critical for developing AI systems that are secure and resilient against evolving cyber threats while building a specialized workforce for national security.

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has discontinued dozens of active research awards after previously slowing the issuance of new grants last year. • Affected researchers, such as physician-scientist Nora Becker from the University of Michigan, have seen funding cut for critical studies, including research on the financial burdens faced by Covid-19 patients. • This sudden withdrawal of support forces scientists to spend significant time "frantically applying" for alternative funding to sustain their ongoing projects.

• Bruce Springsteen performed a musical set after being honored at the ACLU Awards held in Washington, D.C. • The event celebrated the musician's contributions, with the coverage also featuring appearances by other stars such as Charli XCX. • This appearance highlights Springsteen's ongoing commitment to civil liberties and social justice causes through his partnership with the ACLU.

• The Guardian team has released their final tournament verdicts and awards for the 2026 World Cup, highlighting the best games, goals, and individual performances. • Key highlights include a "magical" atmosphere at the Estadio Azteca and a standout performance by Erling Haaland, who is described as "breaking America." • The coverage reflects a massive surge in soccer's popularity within the U.S., serving as a cultural reprieve during the political climate of a second Trump administration.

• CJ ENM announced on Wednesday that it has secured 12 nominations across seven different categories for the 2026 ContentAsia Awards. • Organized by the media platform ContentAsia, these awards are designed to recognize exceptional content and creative talent throughout the Asia-Pacific region. • This achievement highlights CJ ENM's significant influence and creative leadership within the competitive Asian entertainment and media landscape.