Oscars & BRITs Nominees, Taylor Swift Makes History, Grammy's Performers

Sinners, Frankenstein, and a History-Making Chalamet Lead the 2026 Oscar Noms

The 2026 Oscar nominations have officially arrived, with Ryan Coogler’s Sinners leading the pack at 16 nods and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein close behind with 15. Amid this genre dominance, Timothée Chalamet hit a major milestone for Marty Supreme, becoming at 30 the youngest actor since Marlon Brando in 1954 to earn three Best Lead Actor nominations; a career-defining moment that cements him as the leading man of his generation alongside veterans like Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke.

The morning wasn’t without its "wicked" shocks. In a blow to theater fans and critics, both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were shut out of the acting categories for Wicked: For Good, despite the film’s cultural footprint. The Academy instead favored the haunting turns in Hamnet and the international success of Sentimental Value, while genre titles like Bugonia (10 nominations) and KPop Demon Hunters scored solidly. With nearly two full months until the March 15 ceremony, this unusually long awards season is only just heating up, and the road to the Dolby Theatre promises to be a wild ride.

Olivia Dean and Lola Young Lead a Record-Breaking, Female-Forward BRITs 2026

British pop has a new guard as Olivia Dean and Lola Young lead the 2026 BRIT Awards with five nominations each, including Artist and Album of the Year. Dean’s chart-topping The Art of Loving and Young’s gritty I’m Only F**king Myself have both signaled a massive breakthrough year for the singer-songwriters. In a historic shift for the ceremony, which moves to Manchester’s Co-op Live on February 28, 70% of this year's nominees are female, non-binary, or mixed-gender acts.

The nominations also celebrate a raw return for Lily Allen, who earned three nods for her candid comeback West End Girl, alongside multiple nominations for Sam Fender and underground-turned-mainstream star Jim Legxacy. However, global superstars like Ed Sheeran and Florence + the Machine were largely shut out of the major fields.

ICYMI:

• Arctic Monkeys lead “HELP (2),” a new collaborative charity album for War Child, featuring Olivia Rodrigo, Fontaines D.C., Damon Albarn, and Pulp. The project follows the 1995 landmark release to raise vital funds for children currently living through global conflict.

• Season 2 of ‘Wednesday’ was the most-watched show on Netflix in the second half of 2025, with 123.9 million views. ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ was the most-watched movie with 481.6 million views.

Taylor Swift Becomes Youngest Female Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee

Taylor Swift has set a new record as the youngest female artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, joining a prestigious 2026 class that includes Alanis Morissette and Walter Afanasieff. The honor follows the massive success of her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, further cementing her status as one of the most influential songwriters in pop history.

Chairman Nile Rodgers noted that this year's inductees represent a profound global impact, celebrating unity across musical genres. Swift will be officially honored at a private ceremony in New York, joining an elite group of fewer than 500 members recognized since the organization’s founding in 1969.

POP FACT: On this day in 1985, Madonna released her single ‘Material Girl.’

GRAMMY’s Performers Revealed

The 68th Grammy Awards will feature a major spotlight on the Best New Artist class, with Leon Thomas, KATSEYE, and Olivia Dean confirmed to take the stage for a special category medley. Thomas enters the night as a major force with six nominations, including Album of the Year for MUTT, while fellow performers like Addison Rae, Lola Young, and The Marías round out the showcase. Joining them on the performance slate is Sabrina Carpenter, returning for her second consecutive year as the ceremony celebrates the industry's most impactful rising stars.

ICYMI:

• The ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series, ‘Elle,’ has begun production on Season 2; the first season is set to premiere on Amazon Prime this July. 

• Noah Kahan is set to release his new single, ‘The Great Divide,’ next Friday, January 30th.

• Sunita Williams, one of the astronauts who was stranded in Space for 9 months, has announced that she is retiring from NASA. 

• Dame Prue Leith has announced that she is stepping down as a judge for ‘The Great British Bake Off.’

Best New Track: “Aperture” by Harry Styles

Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally might as well be the motto for the year.

Harry Styles uploaded an eight-minute video called “Forever, Forever” to YouTube, teasing the refrain “we belong together,” which now appears as lyrics on his newest single. “Aperture” leads his next album.

The title is clever enough; most artists get one long-title moment. See also: The 1975’s I Like It When You Sleep… and Fiona Apple’s hard-to-miss When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right.

“Aperture” begins in a sleek disco-tech mode, like this alone-on-the-dancefloor feeling that really calls back to Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.” A hint of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” sneaks in, too. We’ve already heard it in the club, and it hits.

At five minutes long, it’s a strange pick for a lead single but post-Harry’s House Album of the Year win, he’s clearly operating with a longer leash. We’ll give him time to settle into the new era. In the meantime, we’ll be kissing.

—Dawson Therre

— Katie Macbeth

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