Awards

• All Her Lives is pas de vijfde korte verhaalbundel die in 58 jaar de prestigieuze prijs van NZ$ 65.000 wint • De beginnende fictieschrijver Ingrid Horrocks heeft de rijkste literaire prijs van Nieuw-Zeeland gewonnen voor haar debuutbundel met korte verhalen, All Her Lives. • De in Wellington gevestigde dichter, essayist en memoirist won woensdagnacht tijdens de Ockham New Zealand book awards 2026 de prestigieuze Jann Medlicott Acorn prijs voor fictie van NZ$ 65.000 (A$ 53.000, £ 28.500). Het boek volgt negen vrouwen in negen verschillende levensfasen en generaties, terwijl zij navigeren door politiek, gender en moederschap. Lees verder...

• De met een Emmy bekroonde presentator Conan O'Brien zal terugkeren om de uitzending van de 99ste Oscars te presenteren, waarbij hij opnieuw samenwerkt met executive producers Raj Kapoor en Katy Mullan voor deze grote awardceremonie. • O'Brien brengt zijn uitgebreide ervaring in late-night televisie en comedy mee naar het prestigieuze Hollywood-evenement, waarmee hij zijn traditie van het presenteren van grote awardshows voortzet. • De keuze voor O'Brien is een teken van het vertrouwen van de Academy in het behouden van sterke kijkcijfers en een boeiende presentatie voor het wereldwijde entertainmentpubliek.

De zaak trekt wijdverspreide aandacht als voorbeeld van hoe China de enthousiaste adoptie van AI probeert in balans te brengen met werkzekerheid.

• In een zeldzame publieke verschijning waarschuwde Meta-klokkenluider Sarah Wynn-Williams voor 'netwerken van machtige elites' die rijkdom en invloed gebruiken om dissidente stemmen het zwijgen op te leggen. • Meta-klokkenluider Sarah Wynn-Williams en de overleden Virginia Giuffre hebben gezamenlijk de Freedom to Publish-prijs gewonnen bij de British Book Awards van dit jaar, wat de eerste keer is dat de prijs is gedeeld. • Wynn-Williams, een voormalig Facebook-executive, werd erkend voor 'Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism', haar bestseller-memoires over haar jaren bij Meta, voorheen Facebook.

Ceremony organisers taking event procedures ‘extremely seriously’ after broadcast of racial slur in February Continue reading...

• MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 revealed nominees in 77 categories on Saturday, highlighting achievements in Japanese and global music. • The event celebrates international music connections with artists from Asia and worldwide ahead of the June 13, 2026 ceremony in Tokyo. • Nominees include top J-pop acts and K-pop groups, with categories spanning song of the year, artist of the year, and genre-specific awards.

The honour recognises Albanese’s work ‘documenting and denouncing violations of international law in Gaza’The Spanish government awarded the UN legal expert Francesca Albanese one of its highest civilian honours in recognition of what it termed her “extensive work in documenting and denouncing violations of international law in Gaza”.Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer who serves as UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, has been vocal in her criticisms of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which she has described as genocide. Continue reading...

• The Newsmakers Achievers Awards 2026 celebrated lifetime achievements of renowned Indian entertainers and public figures including Usha Mangeshkar, Hariharan, Dilip Joshi, and Sanjeev Kapoor. • The Governor presided over the ceremony, recognizing contributions from distinguished personalities including Atul Tiwari, Pooja Bedi, and cultural figures across multiple domains. • The awards ceremony highlighted India's recognition of artistic excellence and public service across entertainment, culinary arts, social work, and education sectors.

• Actress Sayani Gupta is receiving positive response for her latest series 'Glory', which recently premiered on Netflix, where she plays the role of Joyna. • Gupta celebrated a significant week in her career with the world premieres of her short film 'Aasmani', which won two awards at the event. • The actress shared an emotional note about balancing her work on the Netflix series with her independent short film project.

• The Kennedy Center will hold its first award ceremony since President Trump overhauled the board of trustees earlier this year. • Changes aim to align cultural programming with administration priorities. • The event draws attention to federal arts funding debates and political influence on institutions.

The Plaza Prizes offered 10 awards in 2025 but some judges say they were not paid, while a number of winners hit back over AI accusationsA competition for new writers that promised a £20,000 prize fund appears to have shut down, leaving winners and judges, including a Booker prize-winning novelist, out of pocket.Established in 2022, the Plaza Prizes last year offered 10 awards that were judged by the “finest poets and writers in the world”. Continue reading...

• Beyoncé won seven Grammy Awards on April 17, breaking the previous record for most wins by a female artist in a single night, surpassing Georg Solti's 31-year-old record. • Her wins included Album of the Year for "Renaissance Reimagined," Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video, cementing her legacy as one of music's greatest achievers. • The Recording Academy held the delayed 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles following a scheduling conflict, with Beyoncé's performance of her new single "Renaissance Eternal" opening the show.

• The Academy announced Oprah Winfrey will host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, 2027, marking her first time hosting the Oscars in 16 years. • Winfrey previously hosted the 2011 Academy Awards and has become one of the most celebrated hosts in Oscar history, winning praise for her humor and audience engagement. • The 2027 ceremony promises a reimagined format with emphasis on celebrating filmmaking achievements and engaging younger demographics through digital integration.

‘If we celebrate the impact of physical storytelling, we must acknowledge the artists behind it,’ says Equity body, calling out the lack of movement categories in major awardsChoreographers and movement directors in theatre are undervalued by awards ceremonies and deserve greater acknowledgment, says the Equity group representing both disciplines.At last weekend’s Oliviers ceremony, the award for best theatre choreographer went to Fabian Aloise for Evita at the London Palladium. In a statement, Equity’s Choreographers and Movement Directors Network (CMDN) said it was “brilliant to see choreography recognised on major stages like the Olivier awards” but drew attention to the movement directors who worked on nominated productions yet went unrecognised with their own category. The ceremony “opens up a bigger conversation about what language we use to describe how theatre is made, and questions who gets named in that process – especially when it comes to movement and choreography”, said the CMDN. Continue reading...

West End spectacular about Michael Bond’s beloved bear wins seven prizes, while Rachel Zegler, Rosamund Pike, Paapa Essiedu and James Graham are all recognisedIt was a night of sweet victory for Michael Bond’s marmalade-loving bear as Paddington: The Musical dominated the Olivier awards on Sunday. Amid the tuxes and gowns of a glittering ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the duffle coat-wearing bear got his sticky paws all over seven prizes including best new musical.The award for best actor in a musical went to the duo who play Paddington: James Hameed provides the lovable hero’s voice and is the remote puppeteer while Arti Shah performs in the furry costume. The show’s baddies, Tom Edden (as the busybody Mr Curry) and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (as Millicent Clyde, who wants Paddington to literally get stuffed), won best supporting actor and best supporting actress in a musical respectively. Luke Sheppard was named best director for the production, which also picked up awards for costume design (Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar) and set design (Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward). Continue reading...

The artist will follow in the footsteps of Ariana DeBose, Cynthia Erivo and Kevin Spacey this JuneThe Tony awards have turned to a singer with a reputation for a high-energy, physical live show to be the next telecast host – Pink.The three-time Grammy award winner will make her debut as emcee for the awards on 7 June at its familiar home of Radio City Music Hall. Continue reading...

• SAG-AFTRA announced the rebranding of its annual SAG Awards to 'The Actor Awards' effective 2027, marking a shift in the union's awards nomenclature. • The 33rd ceremony is set for February 28, 2027, and the 34th for February 20, 2028, both streaming live exclusively on Netflix under a multi-year partnership. • This move aligns with upcoming Oscars on March 14, 2027 (99th) and March 5, 2028 (100th), potentially boosting actor visibility amid streaming dominance.

• QMusic CEO Kris Stewart resigned suddenly on April 3, 2026, following board accusations of improprieties in awarding lucrative media contracts for major events. • The resignation highlights governance issues in the music industry organization. • Stewart's departure raises questions about transparency in entertainment event deals.

Other winners include Raye for video of the year, Central Cee for best hip-hop act and Ezra Collective in jazz categoryBritish golden girl Olivia Dean was the biggest winner at the 2026 Mobo awards, scooping best female act, album of the year and song of the year for the No 1 hit Man I Need.Other big winners at the ceremony honouring the best of black music included Raye, whose song Where Is My Husband won video of the year; Central Cee, who was awarded best hip-hop act, and Ezra Collective in the jazz category.Best male act – Jim LegxacyBest female act – Olivia DeanAlbum of the year – Olivia Dean, The Art of LovingSong of the year – Olivia Dean, Man I NeedBest newcomer – DC3Video of the year – Raye , Where Is My Husband! (directed by The Reids)Best R&B/soul act – FloBest alternative music act – Nova TwinsBest grime act – ChipBest hip-hop act – Central CeeBest drill act – Twin SBest international act – Ayra StarrBest media personality – Niko OmilanaBest performance in a TV show/film – Stephen Graham, AdolescenceBest African music act – WizkidBest Caribbean music act – Vybz KartelBest jazz act – Ezra CollectiveBest electronic/dance act – SherelleBest gospel act – DC3Best producer – P2JMobo global songwriter award – Pharrell WilliamsMobo lifetime achievement award – Slick Rick Continue reading...

Other winners include Inter Alia’s Rosamund Pike, Ivo van Hove for All My Sons and Hayley Atwell who beat her Much Ado co-star Tom Hiddleston to best Shakespearean performanceBrendan Gleeson has been named best actor at the Critics’ Circle theatre awards for his West End debut in Conor McPherson’s pub drama The Weir. He beat fellow nominees including Bryan Cranston and Paapa Essiedu, both recognised for All My Sons, and James Hameed and Arti Shah, the duo who together portray Paddington in the new musical about Michael Bond’s bear. The Weir, directed by McPherson, was entirely omitted from the nominations for this year’s Olivier awards and is being turned into a film with Gleeson and the rest of the West End cast.All My Sons, a critically adored production of Arthur Miller’s 1946 classic at Wyndham’s theatre, won in two categories at the Critics’ Circle awards: best revival of a play or musical and best director for Ivo van Hove. A new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods, directed by Jordan Fein at the Bridge theatre, also won two prizes – best designer (Tom Scutt) and the inaugural award for best ensemble or cast. Continue reading...

The Australian Institute of Architects’ judges sought to highlight a gentler approach to urban transformation,’ chair of the awards steering committee saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney’s Campbelltown has paved paradise and put up a parking lot. And the brave jury at the Australian Urban Design awards has declared it heavenly.The winners of the 2026 awards, announced on Tuesday at Parliament House in Canberra, suggest the era of the star architect’s singular, sculptural spectacle is being traded, at least this year, for something more pragmatic: an unassuming revolution where the most significant breakthroughs are found in natural, open-mesh ventilation, a splash of colour and a heart of soothing greenery. Continue reading...

• The National Science Foundation awarded $45 million over three years to the NSF Energy Storage Engine, led by Binghamton University, entering its second phase on March 24, 2026. • The Upstate New York initiative, partnering with Cornell, RIT, Syracuse, and others, aims to make the region America's battery tech capital. • Phase one funded over 15 battery startups, securing $20 million in follow-on funding and national awards like Battery Manufacturer of the Year.

• The US Army announced a major enterprise agreement with Anduril, consolidating 120-130 prior orders into a 5-10 year contract worth up to $20 billion for AI drones and detection systems. • The deal shifts Pentagon strategy from pilot programs to long-term fixed-price contracts with select defense tech startups, with an initial $87 million task order issued. • This establishes a benchmark for venture-funded firms, amid tensions with AI companies like Anthropic restricting military use of their models.

Jonathan Horn scooped best sports feature prize for a series on AFL, while Chris Hopkins won for pictures of a cancer sufferer caring for her son Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSports writer Jonathan Horn and photographer Chris Hopkins have won Melbourne Press Club awards for their work for Guardian Australia.Guardian Australia was recognised with eight nominations in a range of categories in the 31st annual Quill awards, which were presented in Melbourne on Friday night. Continue reading...

• The 98th Oscars averaged 17.86 million viewers, down 9% from 19.69 million last year, marking the lowest since 2022 per Nielsen. • Grammys drew 14.41 million viewers, down 6% from 15.4 million, while Golden Globes had 8.66 million, also down 6% from 9.27 million. • ABC promotions during the show generated $24.2 million in media value, heavily featuring Disney+ with 12 airings worth $14 million.

• Michael B. Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as twins Smoke and Stack in "Sinners," competing against Timothée Chalamet and other nominees in a hotly contested category. • In his emotional acceptance speech, Jordan acknowledged Black actors who won Oscars before him, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Will Smith, stating "I stand here because of the people that came before me." • "Sinners" had a successful night at the 98th Oscars, bringing home four total Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.

• "One Battle After Another" claimed the Oscar for best picture at the 98th Academy Awards held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, winning six total Oscars out of 13 nominations. • Producer Sara Murphy and director Paul Thomas Anderson accepted the award, with Murphy expressing gratitude for the filmmaking experience and Anderson closing the ceremony by inviting the audience to have a martini. • The film defeated nine other nominees including "Bugonia," "F1," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value," "Sinners" and "Train Dreams."

• The 98th Academy Awards ceremony takes place Sunday evening with Hollywood's biggest stars competing across major categories, with entertainment experts from ABC News and Variety sharing final predictions on who will take home Oscar gold. • The Dolby Theatre is completing final preparations with the red carpet set to roll out, while ABC's coverage begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by E!'s red carpet broadcast at 1 p.m., with Amelia Dimoldenberg returning as social media ambassador for a third consecutive year. • 'Sinners' has gained unexpected momentum heading into the ceremony after its stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were subjected to a racial slur at the BAFTAs, with the film receiving a record-breaking 16 nominations despite being overshadowed much of awards season by Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another.'