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BREAKING NEWS

TARAJI P. HENSON

With ‘Mank’ and ‘The Crown,’ Netflix dominates Globes noms

In this image released by Netflix, Gary Oldman portrays Herman Mankiewicz in a scene from "Mank." On Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 the film was nominated for a Golden Globe for best motion picture drama. “Mank,” about “Citizen Kane” co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, landed nominations for best film, drama; best actor for Gary Oldman; best director for Fincher, best supporting actress for Amanda Seyfried; best score; and best screenplay for Jack Fincher, the director’s father who penned the script before dying in 2003. Netflix, which topped all studios at the Globes last year, too, led with a commanding 42 nominations, with 22 coming in film categories and 20 in television. AdThe Globes are typically the first major show of Hollywood’s awards season, which ends with the crowning of the best picture winner at the Oscars.

Golden Globes nominations Wednesday could belong to Netflix

Nominations for the 78th annual Golden Globes will be announced on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – Whether anyone will be attending the Golden Globes in person remains uncertain and improbable. On Tuesday, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association said the Globes — typically a bubbly dinner gathering with flowing drinks — will be held bi-coastally for the first time. digital channels and the Golden Globes' website. Last year's Golden Globes culminated in awards for “1917” and “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood."

Swift wins top prize at AMAs, says she's re-recording music

NEW YORK – Taylor Swift won her third consecutive artist of the year prize at the American Music Awards, but she missed the show for a good reason: She said she's busy re-recording her early music after her catalog was sold. She also won favorite music video and favorite pop/rock female artist, winning three honors and tying Bieber, Dan + Shay and the Weeknd for most wins Sunday. “The last time I received this award it was given to me by the late, great Prince," he said after winning favorite soul/R&B album. Breakthrough singer-rapper Doja Cat performed and won new artist of the year and favorite soul/R&B female artist. And Megan Thee Stallion — won favorite rap/hip-hop songs for “WAP" with Cardi B — performed “Body" from her recently released debut album “Good News."

Taraji P. Henson tells New Jack Swing backstory in podcast

LOS ANGELES – Taraji P. Henson remembered wearing her favorite outfit to a music festival where some of the biggest New Jack Swing tunes were being performed from Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison” to Tony! Tone!’s “Feels Good.”At the time, Henson had no clue about the backstory behind the music era, which made its mark in the ’80s and ’90s. I was enjoying the music,” said Henson, who serves as a producer of the six-part series, which airs Tuesdays. The series examines the “rise and eventual fall” of the New Jack Swing movement. “I didn’t think of her as an audio actress, but she’s just great at it.”Through the podcast, Henson wants the New Jack Swing story to be turned into a film.

Taraji P. Henson to host ‘New Jack Swing’ podcast series

LOS ANGELES – Taraji P. Henson will host a new podcast series focused on the story behind the New Jack Swing music era. Wondery and Universal Music Group announced Thursday that Henson will host “Jacked: The Rise of New Jack Swing.” The six-part series will premiere Nov. 17 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the Wondery App. The Oscar-nominated actor will also serve as a producer of the series, which is being dubbed as the “rise and eventual fall” of the New Jack Swing movement. The story will involve “dashed hopes, jealousy, betrayal, drugs, hip-hop and rivalries.”Megaproducer Teddy Riley is known as the leader of the New Jack Swing era, which made its mark in the ’80s and ’90s. The podcast series is the first project between Wondery and Universal Music Group since both announced their partnership last year.

'Empire' star Taraji P. Henson hailed for mental health work

“Empire” star Taraji P. Henson has enjoyed wealth, celebrity, a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination. “It’s OK to not be OK," Henson, the latest recipient of the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion, told The Associated Press via email. In 2018, the Washington, D.C., native started the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to stop those with mental illness from being stigmatized — especially Blacks, who she says are less likely to seek treatment. This year, with the coronavirus pandemic complicating people's mental health struggles, Henson's foundation has been helping African Americans — who've been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 — access free online therapy. “We need more people like Taraji to continue to eliminate the stigma around mental health across all our communities in America.”___Follow AP New England editor Bill Kole on Twitter at http://twitter.com/billkole.

Film academy to host virtual panels about inclusion, equity

Lee Daniels, Lulu Wang and Taraji P. Henson are among the talent participating in a series of virtual panels about inclusion and equity in Hollywood hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organization that puts on the Oscars said Thursday that the panels rolling out through September and October will be available to the public. Entitled Academy Dialogues: It Starts with Us, the series is part of the film academys push to further equity and inclusion in its ranks and in the entertainment industry. The series launched last month with a conversation between Whoopi Goldberg and civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson about the power of narrative. Its currently available on YouTube.

Jay-Z, other celebs ask feds to probe student's 2010 killing

Hess shot Henry as Henry drove through a parking lot, away from a disturbance that spilled out of a bar in October 2010 in Mount Pleasant, a New York City suburb. Hess has said Henry was trying to run him down and that he fired through the windshield to stop the driver. The Henrys have said Hess jumped front of the car, got onto the hood and shot their son for no good reason. Henry's father said new information that has come out since the criminal case was closed warrants a reexamination of his son's death. As human beings we should all want a standard of justice that is fair and right, Danroy Henry Sr. told The Boston Globe.