Glen Powell caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly at the 2025 Golden Globes.
‘Squid Game’ Star Lee Jung-Jae caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly at the 2025 Golden Globes.
Host Nikki Glaser was holding space at the start of the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday (Jan. 5), as she kicked off the show with her monologue — and she got a little bit of help from the stars of Wicked.
While joking about how Hollywood has the power to do anything — except convince people who to vote for, apparently — the comedian looked into the star-studded crowd at the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., and quipped that there may not be another election. “I’m scared. Ariana, hold my finger, thank you!” she said, reaching out to Ariana Grande, who was sitting next to co-star Cynthia Erivo.
The singer-actress — who plays Glinda in the box-office smash — reached out toward the host with her white-gloved hand, but Erivo (who portrays Elphaba) gave her manicured pointer finger to the “Thank U, Next” singer instead, which Grande grasped delicately before mouthing and gesturing to her friend, “I’m holding hers.”
The moment referenced a meme between the two Wicked stars that went viral in November ahead of the movie’s release. During that press moment, a journalist discusses with the two women the impact of the song “Defying Gravity” — which is featured in both the film and the Broadway production — and seemingly catches Erivo off guard, and Grande reaches over to gently take her forefinger in a sign of subtle support.
Both Grande and Erivo are nominated for their roles in the movie, while the film itself is in the running for best motion picture – musical or comedy as well as cinematic and box office achievement.
The show also included presenters who are musicians, including Elton John and Brandi Carlile, as well as those with musical ties, such as Billboard-charting actors Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kate Hudson and Awkwafina.
Watch Nikki Glaser’s opening monologue below:
The Golden Globes are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation. PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.
Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift‘s years-long relationship, which came to an end in 2023, continues to make headlines in 2025.
The actor, who starred in A24’s The Brutalist and is presumably doing press for the film ahead of Oscar nominations being determined and announced this month, recently spoke with The Guardian about his work on the project — which premiered at Venice, with director Brady Corbet receiving the Silver Lion honor for best direction, and is up for several Golden Globes. An interview about Alwyn’s journey as an actor shifted topics to his experience with fame, and how dating one of the most recognizable pop stars in the world accelerated his ascent into celebrity.
The Guardian asked Alwyn if he worried “his relationship with Swift would overshadow his career.”
“I have tried just to focus on controlling what I can control,” Alwyn said. Looking back to his earliest work in the industry, in the 2016 film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, he added, “And right from the beginning, tried to focus on the things that are meaningful for me: friends, family, work, of course. So noise outside of that, I think I’ve done what lots of people who find themselves in the public eye do, which is just try and ignore it. If you don’t, and if you let all of that other stuff in, and if it starts to affect you and your behavior, you’re living from the outside in. And then you’re pretty f—ed.”
When the publication’s reporter pressed that Alwyn “must just want to move on” from the public scrutiny he faced during his time with Swift, Alwyn tactfully made it clear that he has moved on, while pointing out that moving on remains “something for other people to do.”
“We’re talking about something that’s a while ago now in my life,” he replied. “So that’s for other people. That’s what I feel.”
In the article, published Sunday (Jan. 5), Alwyn spoke fondly of his collaborative work with his ex. He received credit as songwriter “William Bowery” on songs from Swift’s pandemic-era sister albums, 2020’s Folklore (“Exile,” “Betty”) and Evermore (“Champagne Problems,” “Coney Island,” “Evermore”), and on one from 2022’s Midnights (“Sweet Nothing”). Alwyn also received credit as a co-producer on several Folklore tracks, which resulted in him being awarded an album of the year Grammy alongside Swift, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner in 2021.
“Lockdown was a whole host of surprises and that was pretty special,” Alwyn said of writing songs with Swift.
He continued, “That was not something I would have foreseen.”
The last time Alwyn, who’s known to stay quiet about his private life, spoke of his past relationship with The Tortured Poets Department hitmaker was in the summer, when The Sunday Times Style Magazine also brought her up in their convo with the actor.
“I would hope that anyone and everyone can empathize and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years. That is a hard thing to navigate,” said Alwyn, who navigated questions about Swift carefully; he noted they’d agreed to “keep the more private details of our relationship private” during their time together.
Of their split, which made the news on April 8, 2023, he noted to The Sunday Times, “What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later, it’s suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in … So you have something very real suddenly thrown into a very unreal space: tabloids, social media, press, where it is then dissected, speculated on, pulled out of shape beyond recognition. And the truth is, to that last point, there is always going to be a gap between what is known and what is said. I have made my peace with that.”
Read The Guardian‘s full feature on Alwyn here. The actor is next reported to appear in two Shakespeare-themed films: Aneil Karia’s adaptation of Hamlet and Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet (yes, Hamnet; not a typo), a story centering on William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes.
As of Saturday (Jan. 4), Justin Bieber has unfollowed Scooter Braun on Instagram.
The two have been linked since 2008, when Braun started managing the then-13-year-old Bieber after discovering him on YouTube. But over the past few years, their relationship became rocky and in 2023, the superstar was “actively looking at how he might extract himself from [it],” Billboard reported at the time.
As of August 2023, Billboard reported that Bieber was still under contract for about four more years, following a series of amendments to his deal with Braun made in 2020. In the same report, sources familiar with Bieber’s business dealings said he was focused on resolving his predicament with Braun at the time.
By June 2024, Braun announced his retirement from management (he maintains his role as CEO of HYBE America — the North American iteration of South Korean entertainment company HYBE). His news followed a string of headlines about artists leaving his SB Projects, including Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and J Balvin.
“23 years. That’s how long I have been a music manager,” Braun wrote in a statement posted to Instagram at the time. And while he shared several highlights from his management career, he dedicated a paragraph entirely to Grande and Bieber, writing: “Justin and Ariana were both young teenagers when I began with them. Justin a 13 year old kid busking in Canada and Ariana a young actress on Nickelodeon. To see them both come up to be the legends they are today will forever be one of my greatest honors. As we change our working relationships now, I will continue to root for them with the same passion that I did at each of their humble beginnings.”
In August 2024, Bieber and his wife Hailey Bieber welcomed their first child, Jack Blues Bieber. And in September, indie-rocker Mk.gee revealed to The New York Times that he’s been in studio sessions with Bieber, saying “he’s searching.”
Bieber’s last album, Justice, was released in 2021. It became his eighth No. 1 entry on the Billboard 200.
Selena Gomez was photographed on two red carpets, styled in contrasting and confident looks, in Palm Springs, California, on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 3 and 4).
Gomez was in town for the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Film Awards Gala, where she accepted the Vanguard Award with the cast of Emilia Pérez and the film’s director, Jacques Audiard.
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The singer-actress walked the Palm Springs Film Fest red carpet Friday night in a custom, monochromatic suit by Ralph Lauren. The pearl-white, menswear-inspired ensemble included long-length trousers that covered her shoes, which were paired with a sheer top worn under a vest and an open blazer, all topped off with a matching necktie. Her hair was smoothly pulled back in a bun.
Meanwhile, a Saturday brunch organized by Variety saw Gomez looking demure in a baby pink, tweed Oscar de la Renta minidress with long sleeves, a modest neckline, and a short skirt featuring cherry blossom-embroidered pockets. The dress, from the designer’s pre-fall 2025 collection, was complemented by light pink heels and soft, wavy hair parted in the middle and worn down.
The brunch was held to recognize the publication’s 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards. Emilia Pérez director Audiard was honored with the Creative Impact in Directing Award.
“Your films are not just entertainment, they’re experiences,” Gomez said in tribute to her director. “Emilia Pérez is a powerful and poignant exploration of love, loss and the human condition. It is a true honor ro celebrate your incredible talent.”
Gomez, who’s engaged to marry producer Benny Blanco, wore her marquise-cut diamond engagement ring both days. The couple recently shared sweet photos from their time together over the holidays and celebrating the new year.
See Gomez’s complete red carpet looks, styled by Erin Walsh, from the Palm Springs Film Festival on Friday and Variety‘s brunch on Saturday:
Brenton Wood, the soul singer best known for his 1967 hit “The Oogum Boogum Song,” has died at the age of 83.
Wood passed away on Friday (Jan. 3), at his home in Moreno Valley, Calif., surrounded by family and friends, according to his manager and assistant, Manny Gallegos, TMZ reports.
Gallegos confirmed to The New York Post that Wood died of natural causes. “He went in his sleep peacefully. The love that he gave us, God took him the same way,” Gallegos said.
The manager also shared a final message from Wood to his fans: “He said, ‘Catch you on the rebound,’” referring to a 1967 song and the title of his final tour, which wrapped up over Valentine’s Day weekend in 2024. Wood began feeling ill shortly after the tour and was hospitalized last May.
Born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, La., Wood relocated with his family to San Pedro, Calif., in the 1950s. He later attended college in Southern California, where he began nurturing his passion for music, drawing inspiration from artists like Jesse Belvin and Sam Cooke. A self-taught pianist, Wood wrote songs and harmonized with neighborhood friends. He adopted the stage name Brenton Wood, drawing inspiration from the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
After signing with Double Shot Records in 1967, Wood released three of his biggest hits that same year: “The Oogum Boogum Song” (which reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100), “Gimme Little Sign” (peaking at No. 9 on the Hot 100) and “Baby You Got It” (hitting No. 34 on the Hot 100). “The Oogum Boogum Song” and “Gimme Little Sign” both peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while “Baby You Got It” reached No. 30 on that chart.
In 1972, he founded his own label, Prophesy Records, and later released music under Mr. Wood Records.
Over the years, “The Oogum Boogum Song” has reached new audiences through its inclusion in popular TV shows and movies such as The Umbrella Academy, Almost Famous and Don’t Worry Darling, among others.
“It’s hard to be in a bad mood after you hear the ‘Oogum Boogum Song,’” NPR wrote in 2023. “Probably not worth the effort.”
“It’s a silly title and has silly lyrics, too. But there’s something about the feeling. That almost playful falsetto, the drums bouncing along, the jangly guitar hits.”
During his career, Wood believed in “giving back” and frequently performed at schools and community outreach events throughout Southern California, according to his website. During these appearances, the musician would share his personal and professional challenges and successes, offering a message of empowerment with an emphasis on education and a “can do” attitude to inspire youth, the site states.
Ariana Grande and Nicole Kidman together on the red carpet had cameras flashing Friday night (Jan. 3) at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Film Awards Gala.
“Oh my god,” Kidman cried out when seeing Grande headed her way at the fest. The two stars embraced, held hands and seemingly dished out compliments, though camera mics didn’t pick up their conversation, at least in video footage of the moment captured by The Associated Press or The Hollywood Reporter.
Arms around each other, they posed for photographers, as seen in the clip from THR above. During their interaction Grande also gave the actress a small bow, which Kidman — who’s quite a bit taller than the pop star — leaned down to reciprocate.
Though they haven’t worked together yet, Grande and Kidman were originally both cast in the 2020 Netflix musical The Prom. Grande had to drop out of filming due to tour scheduling conflicts, and Ariana DeBose filled the role.
With Oscar nominations voting set to begin on Wednesday, many of Hollywood’s biggest names attended the Palm Springs fest to present or accept honors at the gala. (As THR points out, there’s often a number of Academy members in the crowd — and there’s still time to sway the race for the Academy Awards.)
Grande was in Palm Springs to accept the Rising Star Award, presented by Jennifer Coolidge, for her work in the hit 2024 feature film adaptation of the musical Wicked, for which she’s predicted to be a frontrunner to receive a supporting actor nom at the Oscars.
“I’ve been performing since I was a child, so I never thought at the age of 31 I would be hearing the words ‘Rising Star’ again. So I wanted to start by thanking my good friends Botox and Juvéderm. I thought I’d be hearing ‘Slightly Withering Star,’ or ‘Drooping Star’ by now, so thank you,” the charming Grande joked, breaking the ice during her Rising Star acceptance speech at the Palm Springs Film Fest, where she said, “Being able to play Glinda the Good” was “the honor of my life,” and that before music, her start as a performer was in stand-up — her grandparents’ living room being her first venue, and $5 her first paycheck.
Grande employed humor and sincerity in her speech, while Kidman was overcome with emotion in hers. The Babygirl star was honored with the International Star Award, presented by Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis held Kidman’s hand through a genuine speech in which the actress broke down in tears over the recent death of her mother.
“My whole career has been for my mom and my dad, and they’re not here anymore,” Kidman said. “I want to keep working and giving to the world. I’m sorry I’m crying. I didn’t want to do that, but I feel my mama right now. This is for you, Mama.”
See more pictures of Grande and Kidman’s sweet run-in on the Palm Springs Film Fest red carpet:
Bono is among 19 individuals who will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, President Joe Biden announced on Saturday (Jan. 4).
In addition to the U2 frontman, other recipients include Hillary Clinton, NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, soccer icon Lionel Messi, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, George Soros, designer Ralph Lauren, chef José Andrés and conservationist Jane Goodall.
“President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else,” the White House wrote in a statement. “These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”
The statement also noted that the Presidential Medal of Freedom is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”
In honoring Bono, the White House highlighted the legendary Irish rocker as a “pioneering activist against AIDS and poverty,” noting his role in uniting politicians from opposing parties to create the U.S. PEPFAR AIDS program. Bono is also the co-founder of advocacy organizations ONE and (RED).
The Presidential Medal of Freedom will be presented at the White House on Saturday.
The announcement comes just weeks after U2 released How to Re-assemble an Atomic Bomb, a special edition celebrating the 20th anniversary of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb with previously unreleased tracks from the 2004 album’s recording sessions. In September, U2 premiered V-U2: An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas, showcasing their historic residency at The Sphere in Sin City.
U2’s most recent album, Songs of Surrender, was released in March 2023 and reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
Wayne Osmond, the second-oldest of the legendary Osmonds, died on Jan. 1. He was 73 years old.
Wayne, one of nine Osmond siblings, started a barbershop quartet in 1958 alongside his brothers Alan, Merrill and Jay. After getting discovered from a Disneyland performance, the boys were cast over a seven-year period on NBC’s The Andy Williams Show beginning in 1962. When brothers Jimmy and Donny joined the group, they became known as the Osmonds and were standout teen idols throughout the ‘70s.
The Osmonds formed in their hometown of Ogden, Utah. Their mother, Olive, reflected on their origin, born of their Mormon faith, in a 1976 interview, as recounted in Fred Bronson’s The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. “The church encourages talent, beginning with such things as singing, sports and speeches when the children are small,” she mused. “That’s how the four boys started singing together.”
The Osmonds charted four top 10s, among 10 top 40 hits, on the Billboard Hot 100, including the 1971 No. 1 “One Bad Apple.” Alan and Merrill Osmond co-wrote “Down by the Lazy River” (No. 4, 1972), the group’s biggest self-penned hit. The act achieved its top-charting album on the Billboard 200 with Phase-III, which reached No. 10 in 1972. The Osmonds tallied 13 titles on the tally through 2008.
Following 13 Hot 100 hits in 1971-76, the Osmonds disbanded in the summer of 1980. They reformed in 1982, minus Donny, and logged 11 entries on the Hot Country Songs chart, through 1986, led by their introductory hit at the format, the top 20-peaking “I Think About Your Lovin’.”
Amid the Osmonds’ chart dominance as a group, Donny scored solo success, earning five Hot 100 top 10s in 1971-73, including the three-week No. 1 “Go Away Little Girl,” which led seven months after “One Bad Apple.” After a 13-year-break from the chart, he returned and marched to No. 2 in 1989 with “Soldier of Love.”
Plus, Donny and sister Marie Osmond notched seven Hot 100 hits in 1974-78, including two top 10s. Marie forged her own successful career in country, running up four Hot Country Songs No. 1s in 1973-86.
On Jan. 2, Donny shared a heartfelt tribute on X, writing, “Wayne brought so much light, laughter and love to everyone who knew him, especially me. He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone. I’m sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother.”
Below, browse the Osmonds’ 10 biggest career hits as a group on the Hot 100.
The Osmonds’ Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot 100 chart from its Aug. 4, 1958, inception, through Jan. 4, 2025. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
