Kendrick Lamar wins best rap album Grammy Award after electric show opening
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 68th annual Grammy Awards are taking place Sunday in Los Angeles. Kendrick Lamar won the first televised award for best rap album. Rosé and Bruno Mars opened the 2026 Grammy Awards with an electric performance, followed by Sabrina Carpenter. Trevor Noah is hosting the main show, airing live on CBS. At the pre-televised Premiere Ceremony there were many first-time winners. Steven Spielberg won a Grammy, becoming an EGOT winner. “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” won song written for visual media, marking the first Grammy for a K-pop act. FKA twigs won dance/electronic album for “EUSEXUA.” The Dalai Lama won his first Grammy for audio book, narration and storytelling recording, beating out Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
FKA twigs, Addison Rae and others embrace playful, daring fashion on Grammys red carpet
The 68th Grammys red carpet is buzzing with bold fashion choices from stars like Addison Rae and FKA twigs. This year, artists are taking style risks, moving away from last year’s subdued looks. Lola Young and PinkPantheress showcased unique Vivienne Westwood outfits Sunday, while Zara Larsson dazzled in a yellow sequined set. FKA twigs brought her album “Eusexua” to life with a sheer Paolo Carzana dress. Rising stars like Rae and Sombr made statements with their attire. Stars toned down their attire last year due to the Los Angeles wildfires. The Associated Press is streaming a four-hour red carpet show with interviews and fashion footage on YouTube and APNews.com.
The Grammys bring more celebrity pushback to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown
Artists this awards season are having to decide whether and how to join the growing cultural revolt against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns. Those questions will again surface Sunday when music’s biggest stars walk the red carpet at the Grammys. Activists are circulating anti-ICE pins after debuting them at the Golden Globes. But they’re hoping for a better showing of support tonight than they got last month. Public backlash continues to grow after a Border Patrol officer fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti. Plus, Jess Morales Rocketto, one of the organizers, says the music industry tends to be less risk-averse than Hollywood.
Kennedy Center to close for 2 years for renovations in July, Trump says, after performers’ backlash
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction. Trump’s announcement on social media Sunday night follows a wave of cancellations by artists since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump announced his plan days after the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary of the first lady was shown at the storied venue. He says the proposal is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his hand-picked allies.
XJ Kennedy, prize-winning poet and educator, dead at 96
NEW YORK (AP) — An award-winning poet, author, translator and educator has died. X.J. Kennedy was 96. He schooled millions of students through “The Bedford Reader” and other textbooks and engaged voluntary readers with his children’s stories and intricate, witty verse. Born Joseph Charles Kennedy, he chose the professional name X.J. Kennedy as a young man to avoid confusion with Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of President Kennedy. Starting in the early 1960s, he turned out dozens of poetry and children’s books, contributed to the popular Bedford Reader and collaborated with the poet Dana Gioia on anthologies of poetry, drama and fiction
‘Melania,’ panned by some film critics, opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary
NEW YORK (AP) — Promoted by President Donald Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” debuted with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The release of “Melania” was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the rights, plus some $35 million to market it, making it the most expensive documentary ever. While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, “Melania” was a success by documentary standards. It’s the best opening weekend for a documentary, outside of concert films, in 14 years. The Sam Raimi-directed survival thriller “Send Help” was No. 1 with $20 million.
The Latest: Music stars arrive on red carpet ahead of tonight’s Grammy Awards show
The 68th annual Grammy Awards are airing live from Los Angeles on CBS and Paramount+. Kendrick Lamar’s dominance continues at the Grammys, where he leads the nominations with nine this year. He’s followed closely by Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer/songwriter Cirkut, who boast seven nominations each. Comedian Trevor Noah returns to host Sunday night’s show for his sixth consecutive time — and his last.
Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Iranian drama ‘It Was Just an Accident’ arrested in Tehran
One of the Oscar-nominated screenwriters of the Iranian drama “It Was Just an Accident” has been arrested in Tehran just weeks before the Academy Awards. Representatives for the film on Sunday said that Mehdi Mahmoudian was arrested Saturday. No details on the charges against Mahmoudian were available. But his arrest came just days after Mahmoudian and 16 others signed a statement condemning Islamic Republic leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the regime’s violent crackdown on demonstrators. Two other signatories, Vida Rabbani and Abdullah Momeni, were also arrested. Jafar Panahi, the prize-winning director of “It Was Just an Accident,” issued a statement Sunday decrying his co-writer’s arrest.
Demond Wilson, who played Lamont on ‘Sanford and Son,’ dies at 79
Demond Wilson, the actor who played the son on the seminal 1970s sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has died. He was 79. Wilson’s Lamont character was the subject of endless insults from Redd Foxx’s Fred Sanford in an early sitcom that focused on Black characters. The Vietnam War veteran was born in Georgia and grew up in Harlem. He had starring roles in a few more short-lived shows and returned to acting occasionally. Starting in the mid-1980s, he focused on his role as a minister and had mostly disdain for Hollywood.
Read more on Yakima Herald-Republic
