Harry & Doechii at the Grammys, Ye's Public Letter, BAFTA Nominees

Harry Styles and Doechii Lead Presenter Lineup for the 2026 Grammys

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards have just leveled up, naming past winners Harry Styles and Doechii as the first official presenters for the big night. Styles, a three-time winner including Album of the Year for Harry’s House, returns to the stage alongside reigning Best Rap Album winner Doechii, who is currently riding high with five nominations for her breakout hit "Anxiety." They join a massive roster of talent, including performers Sabrina Carpenter, Pharrell Williams, and a powerhouse Best New Artist medley featuring the likes of Leon Thomas and KATSEYE.

This year’s ceremony also marks the end of an era as Trevor Noah returns to host for his sixth and final consecutive year, a feat not seen since the 1970s. With "Anxiety" up for Record and Song of the Year, Doechii could be making several trips to the podium, while Styles adds some serious star power to the telecast. The show airs live on Sunday, Feb. 1, on CBS and Paramount+.

One Battle After Another and Sinners Lead 2026 BAFTA Nominations

Warner Bros. dominated this year's BAFTA Film Award nominations, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s political satire One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners emerging as clear frontrunners. Anderson’s film scored 14 nods, nearing the all-time record held by Gandhi, while Coogler’s historical horror earned 13, the most ever for a Black director in BAFTA history. Both will compete for Best Film alongside Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and Sentimental Value, which brought 74-year-old Stellan Skarsgård his first-ever BAFTA nomination.

Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet secured 11 nominations, making it the most-recognized film from a female director in the academy’s history, though Zhao is the only woman in the Best Director race. Timothée Chalamet picked up a second consecutive Leading Actor nod for Marty Supreme, and Josh Safdie earned his first directing nomination. Still, there were surprises: despite eight nominations, Frankenstein missed out on the top categories, and the musical epic Wicked: For Good managed just two technical mentions.

ICYMI:

• Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala has revealed that ICE agents are not welcome in his city during the Winter Olympics. 

• TikTok now censors the word “Epstein” when mentioned in DMs by users in the U.S.

Ye Issues Public Apology via Wall Street Journal Following Global Backlash

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has taken out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal to publicly apologize for his history of antisemitic remarks. In the open letter, titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” he attributes his behavior to a combination of untreated bipolar disorder and a previously undiagnosed brain injury from his 2002 car accident. He says he spent early 2025 in a four-month manic episode that fueled what he calls “psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior,” admitting he had completely lost his grip on reality even as he believed he was seeing the world more clearly.

The apology follows a chaotic 2025 in which Ye released a song called “Heil Hitler,” which was banned from major streaming services and contributed to his being denied a travel visa to Australia. While insisting his mental health struggles do not excuse his actions, he uses the ad to formally renounce his praise of Adolf Hitler and his use of swastika imagery, declaring, “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.” 

POP FACT: On this day in 2008, Adele released her debut album ‘19.’

Sydney Sweeney Faces Backlash Over Unauthorized Lingerie Stunt on Hollywood Sign

Sydney Sweeney is facing backlash from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce after a stunt promoting her lingerie brand, Syrn, saw dozens of bras draped over the Hollywood sign. Although her team reportedly obtained a general filming permit, the Chamber says the activation was unauthorized and required specific licensing. Footage suggesting Sweeney’s group may have breached a wire fence and trespassed on restricted land could prompt a police investigation.

ICYMI:

• Harry Styles has added even more dates to his “Together, Together” tour in London and Amsterdam. 

• Bella Hadid and Adam Banuelos have broken up after 2 years together, ET reports. 

• Melanie Martinez has released her new single, ‘possession.’ 

• ‘I Just Might’ by Bruno Mars is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second consecutive week. 

— Katie Macbeth

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