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Recording Academy Sets 2026 Special Merit Awards Honoring Santana, Khan, Cher and More

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The Recording Academy will honor a group of music legends at its 2026 Special Merit Awards Ceremony during GRAMMY Week, returning to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on January 31.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon and Whitney Houston. Trustees Awards will be presented to songwriter Bernie Taupin, pianist and bandleader Eddie Palmieri, and music executive Sylvia Rhone. Composer and technologist John Chowning will receive the Technical Grammy Award.

The annual ceremony recognizes artists, executives and innovators whose contributions have had a lasting impact on the recording industry. The Special Merit Awards are presented by vote of the Recording Academy’s National Trustees, with the Technical Grammy selected by the Producers & Engineers Wing advisory committees.

The event takes place on the eve of the 2026 GRAMMY Awards and is part of the Academy’s GRAMMY Week programming.

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Oscars to Move to YouTube in 2029 Under New Multiyear Deal

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oscarsThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has reached a multiyear agreement with YouTube that will make the platform the exclusive global home of the Oscars beginning in 2029. The deal will launch with the 101st Academy Awards and run through 2033, ending the ceremony’s decades-long run on ABC.

Under the agreement, the Oscars will stream live and free worldwide on YouTube, including red carpet coverage and behind-the-scenes programming. In the U.S., the ceremony will also be available to YouTube TV subscribers. ABC will continue to air the show through the 100th ceremony in 2028.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said the move is aimed at expanding the show’s global reach, calling YouTube “the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming.”

The partnership marks a significant shift for Hollywood’s most prominent awards show as viewing habits continue to move toward digital platforms. In addition to the annual ceremony, the deal includes year-round Academy content on YouTube, including awards events and educational programming.

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Steven Spielberg Returns to Alien Sci-Fi With First Teaser for “Disclosure Day”

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Steven Spielberg is returning to familiar science-fiction territory with Disclosure Day, his next feature film, as Universal Pictures released the first teaser for the project this week. The film marks Spielberg’s first time directing since The Fabelmans and signals a renewed focus on extraterrestrial themes long associated with his work.

The teaser offers cryptic glimpses of a world on the brink of a global revelation, centering on characters played by Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor. Blunt appears as a television meteorologist who experiences a disturbing on-air episode, while O’Connor portrays a man determined to reveal proof of alien life to the public. The footage hints at unexplained phenomena, shifting identities, and the possibility that humanity is no longer alone.

Disclosure Day stars Blunt, O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes. Spielberg directs from a screenplay by longtime collaborator David Koepp, based on an original story by Spielberg. The film is produced by Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger through Amblin Entertainment.

The sci-fi thriller is scheduled for theatrical release on June 12, 2026.

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Patrick Kindlon and EPHK Team for New Image Comics Series Tigress Island

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tigress-islandImage Comics will release Tigress Island, a new five-issue comic series from writer Patrick Kindlon (Gehenna, Stringer) and artist EPHK (Harpy), launching in March 2026. The series blends pulp action and exploitation-inspired storytelling, drawing from the aesthetic of 1980s and 1990s genre cinema.

Tigress Island follows a group of former Hollywood actresses who are abducted and imprisoned on a remote island controlled by a ruthless female warden. Forced into captivity, the women must navigate shifting alliances, betrayal, and escalating danger as they attempt to escape the island and reclaim their freedom.

The debut issue will feature multiple cover variants, including artwork by EPHK, Luana Vecchio, and Kaladen. In addition to print release through comic book stores, the series will be available digitally on platforms such as Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Tigress Island #1 arrives in comic shops on March 11, 2026.

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2026 Sundance Film Festival Reveals Short Film Program

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Top L–R: La Tierra Del Valor (The Home of the Brave), Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawer of Rocks), Luigi, The Bird’s Placebo
Center Row L–R: Candy Bar, Taga, DON’T TELL MAMA, The Boys and the Bees
Bottom L–R: Jazz Infernal, Albatross, I’m Glad You’re Dead Now, Busy Bodies

The Sundance Film Festival has announced the 54 short films selected for its 2026 edition, spotlighting new work across fiction, nonfiction, and animation from filmmakers around the world. The shorts will screen in eight curated programs as part of the festival’s official lineup.

The 2026 festival will take place January 22–February 1 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, with an online at-home program running January 29–February 1. In addition to the new selections, Sundance will present a Park City Legacy short film program featuring films from past editions.

This year’s short film lineup was chosen from more than 11,000 submissions, representing 22 countries and territories. The program continues Sundance’s long-standing role as a launchpad for emerging filmmakers, many of whom have gone on to shape contemporary independent cinema.

Individual tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale January 14.

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Films are:

U.S. FICTION SHORT FILMS

Albatross / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Amandine Thomas, Screenwriter and Producer: Gerardo Coello Escalante, Producers: Zach Wechter, Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Glenn Kiser, Amanda Schneider). Maria, burdened with caregiving for her sick husband, gets invited to a party. Cast: Georgina Saldaña Wonchee, Patrick O’Brien, Ciro Suárez. World Premiere. Available online for public.
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Recording Academy to Honor Jimmy Douglass at Producers & Engineers Wing 25th Anniversary Celebration

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jimmy-douglassThe Recording Academy will mark the 25th anniversary of its Producers & Engineers Wing during GRAMMY Week 2026 by honoring five-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy “The Senator” Douglass. The celebration will take place on January 28, just days ahead of the 2026 GRAMMY Awards.

Douglass, a veteran producer, engineer, and mixer, is being recognized for a career spanning more than four decades and collaborations across multiple genres. His credits range from early work with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Foreigner, and Led Zeppelin to later collaborations with Timbaland on projects by JAY-Z, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, and others.

Originally scheduled to be honored in 2025, Douglass’ recognition was postponed following changes to GRAMMY Week programming amid Los Angeles wildfire response efforts. The 2026 event will now coincide with the Producers & Engineers Wing’s milestone anniversary.

Founded in 2001, the Producers & Engineers Wing represents thousands of music creators working behind the scenes in recording, mixing, production, and audio technology. The group has played a key role in shaping technical standards, education initiatives, and innovation within the recording industry.

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Lion Forge Unveils First Look at Iyanu Season 2 and Feature-Length Movie

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Iyanu-Season-2Lion Forge Entertainment has revealed new footage from the upcoming second season of Iyanu, along with a first look at the feature-length film Iyanu: The War of Twin Princes. Both projects are slated to premiere in the U.S. in 2026, with releases planned for Cartoon Network and HBO Max.

Season 2 expands the animated series’ mythology as new threats emerge across Yorubaland. The newly revealed opening title sequence hints at a looming conflict with the People of the Deep and their queen, Adura, while highlighting Iyanu’s growing powers and the strengthening bond of Team Chosen. New footage also previews Iyanu’s first encounter with Adura, setting the tone for the season’s escalating stakes.

The upcoming movie event, Iyanu: The War of Twin Princes, introduces award-winning actress Stella Damasus as Oloye, a warrior who trains Prince Laja in The Way of the Golden Leaf, a martial art unique to the Iyanu universe.


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Wregas Bhanuteja’s Levitating Set for World Premiere in Sundance World Cinema Competition

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levitatingLevitating (Para Perasuk), the latest film from award-winning Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja (Photocopier, Andragogy), will world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. A teaser trailer and poster for the film have been released ahead of the festival.

The film stars Angga Yunanda as Bayu, a young man living in Latas Village, a suburban community known for its traditional trance rituals passed down through generations. When the village’s sacred spring—central to its spiritual practices, faces eviction, Bayu sets out to become a lead spirit channeler in hopes of raising funds to save it. His journey forces him to confront the limits of ambition and the deeper meaning of spiritual responsibility.

Levitating features a prominent Indonesian cast including international music icon Anggun in her acting debut, Maudy Ayunda in her first film role since Losmen Bu Broto, as well as Bryan Domani, Chicco Kurniawan, and veteran actor Indra Birowo.

Blending cultural ritual with coming-of-age drama, Levitating continues Bhanuteja’s exploration of identity, belief, and social pressure within contemporary Indonesian life.

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“We Shall Not Be Moved” Recognized as One of the Year’s Top International Films

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we-shall-not-be-movedWe Shall Not Be Moved (No nos moverán), Mexico’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards®, has been named one of the year’s Best International Films by New York Film Critics Online. The recognition comes as the acclaimed debut feature from Mexican filmmaker Pierre Saint Martin continues its U.S. theatrical rollout.

Following a strong run in New York through Cinema Tropical, the dark dramedy will screen for one week at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco beginning December 18, before heading to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in January. A U.S. streaming release is expected to be announced soon.

Shot in black and white, the film follows Socorro, a 67-year-old retired lawyer played by Luisa Huertas, whose decades-long pursuit of the soldier responsible for her brother’s death during Mexico’s 1968 Tlatelolco massacre has consumed her life and fractured her family. When a new lead emerges, she risks everything to confront the past.

The film premiered at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, winning Best Mexican Film and the Audience Award, and went on to receive four Ariel Awards, including Best First Feature and Best Actress. It has screened at more than 40 international festivals and will also represent Mexico at Spain’s Goya Awards.

Saint Martin’s debut blends dark humor with an intimate exploration of memory, trauma, and political reckoning, offering a personal lens on one of Mexico’s most painful historical chapters.

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Slamdance Sets Alexandre Rockwell’s The Projectionist as Opening Night Film for 2026 Festival

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slamdance-film-festivalThe Slamdance Film Festival has named Alexandre Rockwell’s The Projectionist as the opening night film for its 32nd edition, marking the film’s world premiere. The artist-led festival returns to Los Angeles for a second year, running in person from February 19–25, 2026, with virtual screenings continuing through March 6 on the Slamdance Channel.

Produced by Quentin Tarantino and Jack Auen, The Projectionist centers on a reclusive cinema projectionist haunted by a wrongful conviction and personal loss, living in isolation inside a fading arthouse theater until his past resurfaces. The film stars Vondie Curtis-Hall, Karyn Parsons, Kasi Lemmons, David Proval, Kevin Corrigan, and Michael Buscemi.

The festival also announced a new partnership with independent studio Utopia, which will offer theatrical distribution to at least one 2026 Slamdance Grand Prize winner. Additional distribution and digital aggregation opportunities will be made available to competition films through Utopia’s platform.

Also screening in the festival’s Spotlight section is The Untitled Ruby Slippers Documentary, directed by Seth Gordon and Nikki Calabrese, a long-gestating project tied to Gordon’s early Slamdance roots.

Slamdance will once again host Market Monday on February 23, featuring panels and workshops focused on filmmaking, distribution, and audience development. The full festival lineup will be announced at a later date.

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