The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards are here; newcomer Ella Langley leads the nominations

NEW YORK (AP) — The 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards will take place Thursday at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas. This year marks the 60th annual edition of the ceremony and Reba McEntire will once again host. Performances will feature a few duets, including the Backstreet Boys with Rascal Flatts, Jelly Roll with Shaboozey and Brooks & Dunn with Cody Johnson. The ACM Awards will stream on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch Live on May 8 at 8 p.m. EDT, 7 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. PT. No Prime membership is required to view the live stream.

Man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston and vandalism after crashing car through her front gate

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors say a Mississippi man who harassed Jennifer Aniston for two years then crashed his vehicle through the front gate of her home has been charged with felony stalking and felony vandalism. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges Wednesday against 48-year-old Jimmy Wayne Carwyle. He is set to be arraigned Thursday. Prosecutors say he harassed the “Friends” star through voicemail, email and social media messages starting in 2023 before crashing into the gate at her home in the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles on Monday. It is not clear whether Carwyle has retained an attorney.

Trump administration will provide programming from conservative network OAN for Voice of America

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration has sought to dismantle government-run news outlets like the Voice of America, in part because it believes the services that provide news to other countries operate with a liberal bias. Now, Kari Lake, President Donald Trump's  representative at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, says that the conservative One America News Network has agreed to provide its news and video feeds free of charge. Lake portrays it as a boon to taxpayers while critics say it ensures steady pro-Trump coverage. Court cases on the future of Voice of America and similar services Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have left them in limbo.

Movie Review: Dark bromance 'Friendship' hysterically explores modern men's awkward embrace

Andrew DeYoung’s auspicious debut feature “Friendship,” which tackles modern masculinity and male loneliness with biting satire and humor, taking detours into horror and the surreal. It involves the meeting of a lonely suburban dad and a charismatic neighbor. Tim Robinson plays the uncool guy and Paul Rudd shines as the cool neighbor. Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy says movie explores the slippery notions of masculinity, both tender and muscular, and the difficulty of joining a circle of guys with their own idiosyncratic and iron laws. A A24 release, “Friendship” is in select theaters Friday and goes wider May 23.

The Met Gala is over, but dandyism isn't. Here's how to dress like a dandy in everyday life

NEW YORK (AP) — Dandyism was at the heart of Monday’s Met Gala, where many of the world’s most famous and influential tastemakers donned their luxury best to kick off the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit. But Black dandyism isn’t limited to expensive couture. It’s displayed daily. Its foundation rests upon tenants such as striking colors, stylish accessories and fine tailoring, but there’s no singular look or guide. Everyday dandies create their own unique styles and consider it a lifestyle, with many saying the key to the Black dandy look is confidence and creativity in a world that has embraced comfort over style.

Judge at Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial scolds lawyer for calling prosecutors 'six pack of white women'

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge has warned a lawyer for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to tame his public comments now that the rapper's sex trafficking trial is underway, saying it was “outrageous” that he referred to prosecutors as a “six-pack of white women.” A transcript of a robing room meeting on Tuesday contained the conversation between Judge Arun Subramanian and attorney Mark Geragos. Meanwhile, the judge on Wednesday said he will finish seating a jury on Friday. Opening statements are scheduled for Monday. The trial in Manhattan federal court comes after the 55-year-old hip-hop promoter pleaded not guilty to racketeering and sex trafficking charges after his September arrest.

Music Review: PinkPantheress' club pop mixtape 'Fancy That' is a lighthearted level up

Internet pop sensation PinkPantheress will release her sophomore mixtape on Friday. It is titled “Fancy That.” Trendy and perpetually online listeners have already embraced the 24-year-old British singer-songwriter's latest singles on TikTok. That's where she's come up significantly in the past few years with hits like the U.K. garage “Break it Off” and “Boy’s a Liar PT. 2,” featuring New York rapper Ice Spice. In their review, The Associated Press' Kiana Doyle writes that “Fancy That” is uncomplicated. It is anything but overdone and a fun start to summer. Doyle says album highlights include “Tonight” and “Stateside.”

The 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards are Thursday. Here's who's performing and presenting

NEW YORK (AP) — The 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards are just around the corner. Stars like Ella Langley, Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton and many more will be celebrated. The 2025 awards ceremony will take place May 8 at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. That's just north of Dallas. Reba McEntire will once again host. Langley leads the nominees with eight. Johnson, Wilson and Wallen closely follow Langley’s nominations with seven each. There are no nods for Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” which won the Grammy for both album of the year and country album of the year. Lainey Wilson, Blake Shelton and Eric Church are scheduled to perform.

Movie Review: The sweep of history courses through Jia Zhangke's 'Caught By the Tides'

Jia Zhangke’s “Caught by the Tides” is less than two hours long and yet contains nearly a quarter century of time’s relentless march forward. Few films course with history the way it does in the Chinese master’s latest, an epic collage that spans 21 years. Jia assembled a mix of fiction and documentary, including images from his earlier films and newly shot scenes. That might sound like a mishmash. But for the preeminent cinematic chronicler of 21st century China, it’s a remarkably cohesive, even profound vessel for capturing what has most interested him as a filmmaker. That's the tidal wave-sized currents of technological progress and social transmutation that wash over a lifetime.