What's news: BTS and Sombr were the big winners at the AMAs. Patrick Paolini will be the new CEO of Tegna. The Writers Guild of Canada is grumbling about the so-called "Netflix tax." And Samantha Bee is getting her own CBC sitcom. — Abid Rahman
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American Music Awards 2026
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►Back with a bang. BTS made a triumphant return to the American Music Awards Monday night. In their first appearance at an awards show in four years, the superstar K-pop group won all three awards for which they were nominated, including the top prize of artist of the year, taking the stage to screaming fans. Elsewhere at the Queen Latifah-hosted, fan-voted AMAs, which aired live on CBS and Paramount+ from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas, Sombr won two televised awards and delivered an intense performance of “Homewrecker,” filled with flashing lights that ended with him getting caught in a rain storm. The winners.
—"We were doing it for the love and because music was the only thing that gave us a sort of feeling of freedom, a sense of freedom." Billy Idol was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the AMAs. The “White Wedding” singer and bona fide ‘80s rock icon gave an empowering acceptance speech and soon mesmerized the crowd with a medley of “Eyes Without a Face” and “Dancing With Myself.” The recap.
—All the big names. THR has put together a gallery of all the music stars who appeared on Monday night's AMAs, including Queen Latifah, Ludacris, Hilary Duff, Nikki Glaser, KATSEYE, New Kids on the Block, Busta Rhymes, Jason Derulo, Karol G and more. The gallery.
More from the AMAs...
—BTS greeted by screaming fans in AMAs return
—New Kids on the Block rock Vegas with “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”
—The Pussycat Dolls deliver explosive medley
—KATSEYE deliver dance-heavy “Pinky Up” performance
—Darius Rucker honored with Veterans Voice Award
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Musk's Media Plans a Threat to Major Players
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►Ominous. It turns out that Elon Musk‘s “go fuck yourself” moment was a pivot point for X. THR's Alex Weprin reports that SpaceX's IPO filing reveals ad revenue for X is still below what it was when Musk acquired Twitter, but it is growing again. Meanwhile, Grok is producing 2b AI videos per month, while SpaceX's nascent connectivity business threatens the likes of Comcast and AT&T. The story.
—In the big chair. TV station company Tegna Inc. has named Patrick Paolini its new CEO, effective June 1. The news comes after fellow station giant Nexstar Media Group closed its acquisition of Tegna in March. Paolini joins the company from Fox Television Stations, where he has served as executive vp of advertising sales since 2023. The story.
—Domestic grumbles. After American studios criticized Canada for raising its cash call on large U.S. streamers, the so-called "Netflix tax," skeptical local creative guilds and unions have raised questions around the CRTC’s latest Online Streaming Act ruling to triple the levy to 15 percent. The Writers Guild of Canada said the decision was “a significant step forward” in the years-in-the-making OSA legislation, first made law in 2023 and now held up in the Federal Court of Appeals due to a legal challenge by foreign media players. The story.
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Best Drama Schools in the World
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►Uncertain times. THR returns with its annual list of the world's best drama schools. Amid a changing arts environment, drama schools are continuing to evolve to meet the moment. That means adding more courses on how actors can create their own work, how to prepare for the realities of AI as well as building into curriculums’ increased industry outreach to give students as many inroads to a career as possible. THR's Caitlin Huston spoke with educators and industry insiders to determine their ranking of the best schools for an acting degree, while weighing overall training, cost, facilities, alumni success, industry connections and more. The list.
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The Actors Behind Emmy Season's Most Talked-About Shows |
►A supportive bunch. THR's Brande Victorian writes that shows in their first and even fifth season are in the Emmy conversation this year, thanks to strong showcases from their supporting casts, be it Jamie Campbell Bower’s double duty as Henry Creel/Vecna in the final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things after a decade-long run, or Karolina Wydra’s charming portrayal of the all-knowing hivemind representative Zosia in season one of Pluribus. In this list, THR’s 2026 Supporting Class gives their hot takes on their characters and the actors they hope make a guest star appearance on their series one day (Hint: Viola Davis is in high demand). The list.
—🎭 Heading home. 🎭 Samantha Bee is getting her own sitcom north of the border. CBC's The Ambassador is a workplace comedy will see the Canadian-born former host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee play Olivia Winters, an actor-turned-scrappy diplomat in Canada’s embassy in Bulgaria. She will star alongside comedian and actress Allana Harkin. The half-hour series from showrunner Terry McAuliffe will be part of the CBC’s winter 2026-27 schedule. The story.
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'Testaments' Star on That Violent Penultimate Episode
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►"She spirals. I didn’t even recognize her." THR's queen of chat Jackie Strause spoke to The Testaments star Mattea Conforti about Becca's bloody actions being driven by her love for Chase Infiniti's Agnes, and the questions she has after the season finale now that The Handmaid's Tale sequel series has been renewed for season two. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"From the very beginning, Sam has been so collaborative." THR's David Canfield spoke to Colman Domingo about the latest episode of HBO's Euphoria. The Emmy-winner talks his big return to the show, and how it will lead into next week's finale: "It’s going to smack people in the face." Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"There’s this kind of funny thing where I know what the audience wants in terms of justice or karma." In a new interview, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson spoke about episode 7 of the latest season of the much-talked about HBO drama. Levinson unpacked his decision to kill off one of the show's main characters and explained that he had always known it was their fate. Warning: Spoilers! The story.
—"I feel like you could see Mia Farrow as Elsbeth’s mother." David spoke to Carrie Preston on her CBS procedural dramedy Elsbeth. The Emmy winner goes deep on her career-defining role, as she starts thinking about what season four might look like. The interview.
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How Tracy Morgan Scored Another Touchdown With 'Reggie Dinkins'
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►"We’d been watching The Last Dance and Beckham and all those shows where athletes are trying to rewrite history and fix their narrative." THR's Seija Rankin spoke to Tracey Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe and the producers of the hit NBC sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. The creative team behind the mockumentary, the brainchild of 30 Rock creator Robert Carlock, his longtime collaborator Sam Means and executive producer Tina Fey, discuss the making of the show, getting a make-or-break buy-in from the NFL and the recurring gag straight from Fey herself. The interview.
—"Not a dry eye in the house." THR's McKinley Franklin spoke to Karen Fukuhara about the The Boys finale. The actress who plays Kimiko in the Amazon Prime Video superhero show reflects on the bond she formed with co-star Tomer Capone, and why it "meant a lot" that his character appeared in the show's last episode to give their character's romance "the proper send-off." Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"His full story was regaining his life, making it home to his family and not passing on the trauma that he’s carried on for so many years." McKinley also spoke to The Boys' Laz Alonso about the series finale. The actor opens up about how creator Eric Kripke “blew me away” with his character Mother’s Milk’s arc and how it feeds into spinoff Vought Rising. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"You can’t let these people be side characters in a season [even if] they’re technically not mentioned as much in the books because that just doesn’t make sense." THR's Nicole Fell spoke to Mika Abdalla about her buzzy new Amazon Prime Video college-set drama Off Campus. The actress unpacks all things season one, from Allie realizing what she wants as a character to getting to showcase a lot more of the cast than expected. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"Dean always gets what he wants, but Allie puts him in his place." Nicole also spoke to Off Campus star Stephen Kalyn. The 28-year-old actor digs into where viewers find his character, Dean, coming into season one and how Mika Abdalla’s Allie turns everything upside down. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
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Tom Hanks Just Can't Quit World War II
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►"The question is, have we learned the lessons of World War II enough to have them permeate our decisions and our moral choices today?" THR's Julian Sancton spoke to Hollywood legend Tom Hanks and Pulitzer-winning historian Jon Meacham about their new History Channel docuseries, World War II With Tom Hanks. The duo discuss bringing "the largest event in human history" to television, Hanks' fascination with the war period, and the significance of the docuseries in this current polarized political moment. The interview.
—"I knew it would stick with audiences." THR's Lexi Carson spoke to actress Megan Lawless about her latest film, the buzzy horror Obsession. Lawless, who plays Sarah in Curry Barker's film, discusses her character's most memorable, and horrifying, scene, opens up about her character's unresolved feelings for Bear (Michael Johnston), Nikki (Inde Navarrette) and the discourse surrounding Obsession's true villain. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.
—"I saw this pattern of conflict between conservative values and progressive values, and it’s more obvious to see happening in the Nordic countries." THR's Scott Roxborough spoke to now two-time Cannes Palme d'Or-winner Cristian Mungiu. The Romanian auteur talks about working with Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve on his critically-acclaimed feature Fjord, the rise of “left-wing fundamentalism” and why democracy requires empathy and self-criticism. The interview.
—"It feels strange to be in a fancy place and to dress up and go on the red carpet when your country is at war." For THR, Jada Yuan spoke to Iranian director Pegah Ahangarani about her film Rehearsals for a Revolution, which won Cannes' top documentary prize. The U.K.-based Ahangarani discusses making a film about Iranian freedom fighters in exile, finishing it as bombs fell in her home country. The interview.
—"The good thing about the incredible ineptitude and stupidity of the American healthcare system is that it can be a good foil for dramatic narratives." THR's Brian Davids spoke to Navalny filmmaker Daniel Roher about his first narrative feature, Tuner. Roher discusses the genesis of the film, about how he shadowed a man who tunes pianos for a living and came up with the idea of a movie that is part Good Will Hunting, part crime thriller. The interview.
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THR Critics Pick the 20 Best Films of Cannes 2026
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►Crème de la crème. Cannes is over for another year, and as always THR's cadre of critics — David Rooney, Leslie Felperin, Lovia Gyarkye, Richard Lawson, Sheri Linden and Jordan Mintzer — have come together to pick out the festival's best for 2026. A gripping melodrama from James Gray, flashy vehicles for Rami Malek and Sandra Hüller, a stunning French coming-of-age saga, a bonkers Korean monster flick and the portrait of a reformed gay party boy were among our critics’ faves. The list.
In other news...
—23 of the most shocking character deaths in TV history
—Stephen Colbert’s best Late Show moments
—Pawel Pawlikowski, Ruben Östlund set for Slano Film Days
What else we're reading...
—With rising public anger at the AI industry, John Herrman writes that Republicans have a big problem after going all-in on the issue [Intelligencer]
—Economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman make a compelling case for a billionaire wealth tax in California [NYT]
—Adam Chandle looks at the "ice cold war" between Diet Coke and Coke Zero drinkers [WSJ]
—Zac Anderson reports that an ailing and aging Trump faces increasing health questions ahead of his annual physical [USA Today]
—Steve Rose spoke to music icon Barry Manilow about turning 82, coming out as gay and his famously committed fans [Guardian]
Today...
...in 1982, Steven Spielberg unveiled E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial at the Cannes Film Festival. The sci-fi classic would become a summer smash en route to four Oscar wins at the 55th Academy Awards. The original review.
Today's birthdays...
Lauryn Hill (51), Pam Grier (77), Lenny Kravitz (62), Alex Garland (56), Helena Bonham Carter (60), Margaret Colin (68), Philip Michael Thomas (77), Tarsem Singh (65), Matt Stone (55), Adam Curtis (71), Astrid Bergès-Frisbey (40), Bobcat Goldthwait (64), Alexander Karim (50), Elisabeth Harnois (47), Elizabeth Tabish (40), Kevin Gage (67), Musetta Vander (63), Genie Francis (64), Lola Flanery (21), Richa Moorjani (37), Oliver Hermanus (43), Julianna Rose Mauriello (35), Selenis Leyva (54), Lisa Niemi (70), Kiran Sonia Sawar (35), Barbara Stock (70), Joe Chrest (63), Rochelle Okoye (41), Georgie Farmer (24), Kerry Ingram (27), Molly-Mae Hague (27), T.J. Ramini (51), Taylor Ortega (37), Martyn Ford (44)
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Sonny Rollins, the powerful and personal jazz tenor saxophonist whose improvisational sessions became legend and his compositions “St. Thomas,” “Oleo,” “Doxy,” “Rent-Up House” and “Airegin” standards, died Monday. He was 95. The obituary.
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