Gayle King caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly on the 2025 Fanatics Super Bowl party red carpet.
Nelly brought his St. Louis swagger to a New Orleans institution, turning a nearly seven-decade-old restaurant into a Super Bowl week party.
The multi-Grammy winner packed Brennan’s on Friday night (Feb. 7), delivering a hit-filled set at h.wood’s “Homecoming.” As fans rushed the stage, pro football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and actor Jaleel White kicked back in the VIP area, while Flavor Flav enjoyed the show from a prime onstage spot.
Chainsmokers went on before Nelly, performing a number of their hits, from “Closer” to “Roses.”
Before Nelly’s appearance, attendees mingled for a few hours at the invite-only event. Once he arrived, many flocked toward the stage and pulled out their phones to capture his set.
While Flavor Flav recorded him, Nelly went on to perform several jams including “Ride Wit Me,” “E.I.” and “Air Force Ones.” Many in the crowd recited the Kelly Rowland-sang chorus of “Dilemma,” which won a Grammy in 2003. Nelly also performed “Hot in Herre,” another Grammy winner in that same year.
The Homecoming show was a part of a night filled with other concerts across the New Orleans area before the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Shaquille O’Neal held his carnival-style Shaq’s Funhouse with Ludacris and John Summit headlining the concert. Some attendees included rapper Sexyy Red, football player Desean Jackson, NBA great Paul Pierce and Patrick Surtain II, who was recently awarded the NFL’s defensive player of the year honor.
Nelly recently performed at the Liberty Inaugural Ball, held for the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20. He commented on his decision to take part in the inauguration concert, saying, “I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this because it’s an honor. I respect the office. It don’t matter who is in office, the same way that our men and women, our brothers and sisters who protect this country, have to go to war and have to put their life on the line for whoever’s in office. So if they can put their life on the line for whoever in office, I can damn sure perform for whoever.”
Sabrina Carpenter, who took home her first Grammy awards last weekend, has given fans a glimpse at her celebratory night — on film. Featured in her photographs are industry peers Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Chappell Roan and Beyoncé, among others.
The Short n’ Sweet singer seemingly went to a Grammys after party also attended by Swift, Antonoff, Margaret Qualley and Amber Mark. She shared a snapshot of herself getting cozy with the group on a couch, and another in which Swift, wearing the jacket that she caught from Janelle Monáe during Sunday’s (Feb. 3) ceremony, embraces her with a big hug.
Carpenter posted her pictures on Instagram on Friday (Feb. 7), captioning the collection “film from Sunday,” with a smiley face.
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In the slideshow of 15 pictures is a shot of Carpenter with Roan, both with wide, ecstatic grins. Another special moment captured on film is the “Espresso” star getting a hug from album of the year winner Beyoncé.
Carpenter’s photos also document her glamorous Grammy Awards look: that backless, baby blue gown.
She left the 2025 Grammy Awards as a winner in the best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance categories.
Post-Grammys, Carpenter announced a deluxe edition of breakthrough album Short n’ Sweet, with Dolly Parton on a remix of “Please Please Please.” The deluxe release also features bonus tracks “15 Minutes,” “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” “Busy Woman” and “Bad Reviews.” It’ll be out on Feb. 14.
The original Short n’ Sweet debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in August. Three singles from the album charted on the Hot 100, led by “Please Please Please,” which reached No. 1.
Chelsea Handler made a Wicked joke about Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater that didn’t quite land with the audience at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards. Grande and Slater were seated side-by-side and posed for photos together at the event Friday night (Feb. 7).
Handler, who hosted the awards ceremony for the third year in a row, directed her attention toward the couple during Friday’s speech at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.
“It is so nice to see some of our beloved child stars all grown up and thriving. Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande are all nominated tonight,” Handler said, leading up to the joke.
“And now, Ariana has even found love with a Munchkin,” she quipped, to a quiet response in comparison to the laughs she’d gotten elsewhere in her comedic speech. Grande’s been linked to Slater since 2023, when they met on the set of Wicked.
Handler attempted to quell the seemingly awkward reaction from the crowd, insisting, “That’s good news, everybody.”
Slater portrayed Boq, a character from Munchkinland, in the film.
The pop star and actor have mostly kept their relationship private. Grande was previously married to luxury realtor Dalton Gomez; the pair finalized their divorce in March 2024. Slater was previously married to therapist Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young child; they settled their divorce in September 2024.
When it came time to mention Wicked star Cynthia Erivo in her speech, Handler heaped praise on her performance.
“My god,” the host said. “The most radical hero of any movie this year, or maybe even this decade. And not because you were green — because you were, and you are, epic, and it’s an honor to be in the same room as you.”
Then came a punchline involving Erivo and Grande: “I loved the Wicked press tour,” said Handler. “The two of them all over each other. I remember the first time I did molly.”
The Wicked team took home three honors at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards: Jon M. Chu won best director, Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales won for best production design and Paul Tazewell won for best costume design. The film was nominated for a total of 11 awards, including for best picture, which Wicked lost to Anora. Best actress went to Demi Moore (The Substance) rather than Erivo, while best supporting actress went to Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) rather than Grande.
See Handler’s bit about Grande and Slater in the clip from her Critics Choice Awards speech below.
A Complete Unknown, the James Mangold film about Bob Dylan in the 1960s, won best picture/best movie for grownups at AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards, which were held on Saturday (Feb. 8) at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The event had originally been scheduled for Jan. 11, but was postponed due to the wildfires that spread across multiple neighborhoods of the Los Angeles area beginning on Jan. 7.
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Alan Cumming, the Tony- and Primetime Emmy Award-winning host of the competition show The Traitors, returned as host of the show, which is in its 24th year. The awards are set to be broadcast by Great Performances on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on PBS, its website and the PBS app.
AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards was established to encourage films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers. On its site, AARP adds that there is an age requirement for individual honors: “AARP honors 2024’s finest film and TV achievements by talents 50+.” (They go so far as to list ages in the winners list on their site.)
That 50+ requirement explains why Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Zoë Saldaña (Emilia Pérez), who are winning most awards for best supporting actor and actress, respectively, weren’t nominated here. Culkin is 42. Saldaña is 46. It also explains why Timothée Chalamet wasn’t nominated for best actor for playing Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Chalamet is just 29 — a whippersnapper in AARP terms.
A Complete Unknown competed in the best picture category with Conclave, Emilia Pérez, Gladiator II and September 5. The Dylan biopic won a second award for best time capsule. It was the only double winner at the show.
The awards for best actor and best actress went to Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) and Demi Moore (The Substance), who seem to be the front-runners to win Academy Awards in those categories.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story won best documentary. The film, directed by Peter Ettedgui, tracks actor Christopher Reeve’s pivot from film star to activist for disability rights following a 1995 horse-riding accident. It triumphed in a tough category that had a greater than usual music emphasis. The other nominees were I Am: Celine Dion, directed by Irene Taylor, which focuses on the singer’s struggle with Stiff Person Syndrome; Luther Vandross: Never Too Much — directed by Dawn Porter, which traces the late R&B star’s life and career; Piece by Piece, directed by Morgan Neville, a journey through the life of Pharrell Williams, told through the lens of LEGO animation; and Will & Harper, directed by Josh Greenbaum, an intimate portrayal of friendship starring Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, friends of 30 years who go on a cross-country road trip.
Glenn Close was the Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Winner, their version of a lifetime achievement award.
Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 2025 Movies for Grownups Awards, with winners marked.
FILM AWARDS
Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups
WINNER: A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Gladiator II
September 5
Best Actress
Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths)
Nicole Kidman (Babygirl)
WINNER: Demi Moore (The Substance)
June Squibb (Thelma)
Best Actor
WINNER: Adrian Brody (The Brutalist)
Daniel Craig (Queer)
Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
Jude Law (The Order)
Best Supporting Actress
WINNER: Joan Chen (Didi)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys)
Lesley Manville (Queer)
Connie Nielsen (Gladiator II)
Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)
Best Supporting Actor
Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing)
Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
WINNER: Peter Sarsgaard (September 5)
Stanley Tucci (Conclave)
Denzel Washington (Gladiator II)
Best Director
Pedro Almodóvar (The Room Next Door)
WINNER: Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez)
Edward Berger (Conclave)
James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)
Ridley Scott (Gladiator II)
Best Screenwriter
Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Nicolas Livecchi (Emilia Pérez)
Jay Cocks and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)
WINNER: Winnie Holzman (Wicked)
Peter Straughan (Conclave)
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts (Dune: Part Two)
Best Ensemble
A Complete Unknown
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
His Three Daughters
September 5
WINNER: Sing Sing
Best Intergenerational Film
Didi
Here
His Three Daughters
The Piano Lesson
WINNER: Thelma
Best Time Capsule
WINNER: A Complete Unknown
The Brutalist
Here
Maria
September 5
Best Documentary
I Am: Celine Dion
Luther: Never Too Much
Piece by Piece
WINNER: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper
TV AWARDS
Best TV Series or Limited Series
The Crown
Hacks
Palm Royale
WINNER: Shōgun
Slow Horses
Best Actress (TV)
Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)
WINNER: Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country)
Jean Smart (Hacks)
Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building)
Sofia Vergara (Griselda)
Best Actor (TV)
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
Idris Elba (Hijack)
WINNER: Jon Hamm (Fargo)
Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)
Hiroyuki Sanada (Shōgun)
The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to cross something off your list?
This week with your family, you might want to book tickets to see a new movie about a classic character, and revisit a book series that’s been popular with for generations.
But first, take a look at two Feb. 6 releases: the new streaming comedy series Clean Slate, with a full season available now on Prime Video, and a playlist curated for Mattel’s 80th anniversary. Read on for all the details on both.
On the family calendar is the upcoming opening of Sony Pictures’ Paddington in Peru, which arrives in movie theaters across the U.S. starting on Feb. 14.
And something you can do for free right away, or whenever your schedule allows, is make a visit to the library to borrow Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie book series (which happens to be one of the childhood reads that inspired me to start writing). Why read the tales of a pioneer family now, in 2025? You’ll be well-prepared for the new Little House on the Prairie streaming series that’s headed to Netflix.
Find out more about this week’s top picks in the Billboard Family Hits of the Week:
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez won best original song at the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards, which were held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., on Friday (Feb. 7).
The song, co-written by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard, the film’s writer, director and co-producer, also won the Golden Globe Award in that category on Jan. 5.
With these two wins, “El Mal” appears to be the front-runner in the race for best original song at the Oscars. The other Oscar nominees in that category are “El Camino,” also from Emilia Pérez; “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late; “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight; and “Like a Bird” from Sing Song. The latter three songs were not nominated at the Critics Choice Awards.
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ acclaimed score for Challengers won the Critics Choice Award for best original score, just as it won at the Golden Globes. But it cannot win the Oscar as it wasn’t even nominated. It’s just the third film score to win both the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award and not even be nominated at the Oscars. The first two were Howard Shore’s score for The Aviator at the 2005 ceremony and Justin Hurwitz’s score for First Man in 2019. (Shore, Hurwitz and Reznor & Ross had all won best original score at the Oscars with previous films, making these shut-outs hard to understand.)
The other best original score nominees at the Oscars are Volker Bertelmann for Conclave, Daniel Blumberg for The Brutalist, Kris Bowers for The Wild Robot and John Powell & Stephen Schwartz for Wicked.
Emilia Pérez also won best the Critics Choice Award for foreign language film. Zoe Saldaña, who sang “El Mal” in Emilia Pérez, (with an assist from Karla Sofia Gascón) won the award for best supporting actress.
Accepting the Critics Choice Award for best original song, Camille said “This gives us such a sense of belonging. It feels so grounding. You know this awards season sometimes is so hectic, so overwhelming. I feel like saying sometimes [sings] I’m just a bird.” Thank you so much to Jacques Audiard to allow the bird in me and us to write. Thanks to the Emilia Pérez team and to Zoe, of course, for being such a great artist.”
Ducol, Camille’s romantic partner and collaborator, spoke warmly about Los Angeles in accepting the award. “We’ve been making L.A. our home over the past few months with our family and fell in love with the city and its people. We were so warmly welcomed by the community here and made lasting friendships. Of course, we were heartbroken by the fires and destruction. Now I know why I dreamed of becoming a firefighter when I was young.”
Last year’s Critics Choice Award winners in the music categories were Ludwig Göransson’s Oppenheimer for best original score (which went on to win the Oscar) and “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie for best original song (which was Oscar-nominated, but lost to fellow Barbie song “What Was I Made For?”
Chelsea Handler hosted the Critics Choice Awards for the third year in a row. The show was originally set for Sunday, Jan. 12, but was postponed to Sunday, Jan. 26, and then postponed again, because of wind-whipped wildfires in Los Angeles that began on Jan. 7. The three-hour show, which included awards for both film and television, aired at 7 p.m. ET/PT on E!. The show will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
Final-round Oscar voting extends from Feb. 11-18. The 97th Oscars, hosted for the first time by Conan O’Brien, will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The show will air live coast-to-coast at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC and streamed live on Hulu for the first time.
Here are the Critics Choice Award nominees in the two music categories, with winners marked:
Best Song
“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Music by: Andrew Wyatt
Lyrics by: Andrew Wyatt, Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li
“Compress/Repress” – Challengers – Music by: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Lyrics by: Trent Reznor, Luca Guadagnino
WINNER: “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Music by: Clément Ducol, Camille
Lyrics by: Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Music & Lyrics by: Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Music & Lyrics by: Clément Ducol, Camille
Best Score
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez
WINNER: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two
2025 might not be so bad after all.
Roc Marciano and DJ Premier surprised rap fans with a new single in “Armani Exchange” and have announced that they’ll be releasing a collaborative EP later this year. Ironically enough, this all came together by a chance meeting at Macy’s flagship Herald Square store in New York City.
“True Story. Several years ago I was shopping at Macy’s in Herald Square and I was passing the ‘Armani Section,’” Preemo said in a press release. “When I see Roc Marci there and he asks me when are we gonna do a record together. I told him we would eventually get to it.
Adding, “Fast-forward a few years later, right before Christmas 2024, I gave him a call and told him it was time to get to it. I reminded him of that day, and he said that should be the title of the record. The tone was officially set.”
The track starts off with Preemo’s signature cuts as Roc gets right to his signature fly pimp rhetoric. “If it’s me and Preem, then it’s a smash hit like summer madness,” Marci raps. “Will Smith should do the ad libs/ While I mack bi—es in rich fabrics/ Mink draggin’ up in Saks Fifth/ Maybach G wagon, this ain’t even me braggin’/ Like Ali sneakin’ jabs in.”
If the rest of the EP sounds like this, then fans will be in for a treat. It’s not often that two legends link up like this. This rap thing isn’t just a young person’s sport anymore. Sometimes you gotta let the OGs show you how it’s done.
We’ll keep updated once the title and release date is announced.
But for now, you can listen to “Armani Exchange” below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday (Feb. 7) that he is firing members of the board of trustees for the Kennedy Center and naming himself chairman.
He also indicated that he would be dictating programming at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, specifically declaring that he’d put an end to events featuring performers in drag.
Trump’s announcement came as the new president has bulldozed his way across official Washington during the first weeks of his second term, trying to shutter federal agencies, freeze spending and ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the government.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” Trump wrote.
“We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”
Unlike former President Joe Biden and other commanders in chief through the decades, Trump did not attend the annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremonies during his first term, held at the performing arts venue in Washington’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood that opened in 1971.
Shortly after Trump’s post, the Kennedy Center website began experiencing technical difficulties. Visitors got a message reading “We are experiencing high traffic” and were redirected to a “waiting room” that listed how many hundreds of people were trying to access the site ahead of them.
Trump suggested in his post that he would be implementing some changes to the center’s performance schedule, noting that last year “the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP.”
According to its website, the center in July hosted a preshow titled “A Drag Salute to Divas” and a November “Drag Brunch.”
In his post, Trump did not clarify which board of trustee members he would be terminating besides the current chairman, philanthropist David Rubenstein. The board often features political powerbrokers and major donors, and is currently made up of members from both sides of the aisle.
Rubenstein was first elected to the post in 2010 and reelected each year since that time. Also, the principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Rubenstein was originally appointed to the Kennedy Center board by President George W. Bush and subsequently reappointed by President Barack Obama and Biden.
The current board features Biden’s White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, as well as Mike Donilon, Biden’s longtime ally, and Stephanie Cutter, a former Obama adviser. The treasurer of the center’s board of trustees is television producer Shonda Rhimes, who hosted fundraisers for Biden before he abandoned his reelection bid last summer.
But the current board also features Trump allies, including Pam Bondi, the new president’s recently confirmed attorney general, and Lee Greenwood, whose song “God Bless the USA,” was the unofficial anthem of Trump’s presidential campaign.
During his first term in 2019, Trump announced that he was tapping actor Jon Voight, a longtime supporter, to the board, along with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who he’s picked as U.S. ambassador to Israel this time.
Rick Ross and 50 Cent are at it again. This time the veteran rappers and businessmen have been going back and forth over a picture.
Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory, who was recently released to a halfway house and has been visited by various celebrities including 50 Cent, linked up with Rick Ross — which has apparently created tension. 50 produces a series on Starz entitled BMF, which is loosely based on the Black Mafia Family exploits of Big Meech and his younger brother Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, and also stars Meech’s son Demetrius Flenory Jr. The Queens mogul obviously didn’t appreciate the elder Meech hanging out with an adversary and posted (and deleted) his feelings on Instagram. He did, however, post this rundown of the situation by user @sirlancwoods.
Ross has now fired back by saying that he’s going to produce a movie about Detroit’s notorious Black Mafia Family. “I wanna do a BMF film because you’ve been entertained by a lackluster, small-budget series,” Ross said about 50’s television show. “Now it’s time to do a big-budget film. Which director? Shout out to my homie F. Gary Gray. Antoine Fuqua, what’s up? Tarantino… there’s a lot of legends. This is gonna be big, I can feel it.”
Ross famously has a classic single named “B.M.F.” featuring Styles P that peaked at No. 60 on the Hot 100 and spent 16 weeks on the chart.
Big Meech hasn’t commented yet on 50’s antics, but his son tried to fix things to no avail. 50 posted then deleted text messages between the two, in which Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. mentioned that 50 unfollowed him and said that the Miami rapper helped his father out so that he could stay afloat financially “until our next season starts,” referring to BMF‘s upcoming fourth season, to which 50 replied, “What next season.”
We’ll have to wait and see if 50 is really trolling or not regarding the show’s fate.
