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  • What to Know About the New ‘Stranger Things’ Show

    Stranger Things is over, but the minds behind the mega-hit Netflix series are going back in time with their forthcoming animated offering, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

    This new tale is set in Hawkins during the winter of 1985, which means it takes place between the second and third seasons of the flagship series. Stranger Things proper covered the years 1983-1987, with each season taking place in a new year.

    This series features animated versions of the show’s original characters — Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max — with one new edition: Nikki, who is described as “a tough, mohawk-wearing gal.” The gang sets out to “fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town.”

    Odessa A’zion voices Nikki (left) in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

    Netflix

    Stranger Things creators Ross and Matt Duffer executive produce Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, which releases all 10 episodes on April 23. However, the Duffers are not showrunning this one; Eric Robles (Glitch Techs, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) steps into that role. The Duffers are executive producing the Flying Bark series along with Hilary Leavitt via Upside Down Pictures, Shawn Levy via 21 Laps and Dan Cohen.

    The trailer released this week (below) shows the gang during happier times in 1985 — before the latter seasons would introduce villain Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower in the original series) and an even more insidious era of the Upside Down. The best addition to see back in the group is, of course, Elle (played by Millie Bobby Brown in the original series), given how her story ended in the series finale.

    “It’s like Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter. When you put them together, those are the kinds of creatures we have in our world,” Robles, also writer and executive producer, told Tudum about a new shark-like monster inspired by Jaws. “Underneath all that snow, there’s something lurking, and you just never know where that thing’s going to come out and grab you.”

    A new monster in Tales From ’85.

    Netflix

    Here’s the official logline: “In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days. But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins in this new story set in the Stranger Things universe.”

    The cast includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven aka “Elle,” Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, Brett Gipson as Hopper, Odessa A’zion as Nikki Baxer, Jeremy Jordan as Steve, Janeane Garofalo as Anna Baxter and Lou Diamond Phillips as Daniel Fischer. Additional voice cast includes Robert Englund as Cosmo, Alysia Reiner as Karen Wheeler, Alessandra Antonelli as Nancy Wheeler, Valeria Rodriguez as Rosario and Jack Griffo as Jeff.

    After giving Stranger Things a sendoff that included a short theatrical run for the series finale, Netflix will head back to cinemas with Tales From ’85. The show’s first two episodes (which have a total run time of about 55 minutes) will play in select AMC cinemas on April 18, five days before the show’s Netflix release date. (Details here.)

  • “Ballsy and Bold”: Series Mania Signals TV’s Quality Reset

    “Ballsy and Bold”: Series Mania Signals TV’s Quality Reset

    For an industry still recalibrating after the boom and bust of Peak TV, this year’s Series Mania offered that rarest of commodities: Hope.

    The executive side may have lacked some of its usual star power — there were no U.S. network chiefs or global streaming bosses among this year’s keynote speakers — but the festival’s official lineup ranked among its strongest in years.

    Series Mania got off to stellar start with The Testaments — Hulu‘s The Handmaiden’s Tale sequel starring One Battle After Another breakout Chase Infiniti — and never looked back, with edgy, boundary-pushing shows from around the world and across all genres. Highlights included The Audacity, AMC‘s Silicon Valley satire from Succession producer Jonathan Glatzer; The Flaws, a German office sitcom that takes its inspiration from Buster Keaton-style silent film comedy; and My Brother, a Swedish family drama that’s as dark and bleak as a Nordic winter.

    It felt like a return to the quality, if not the quantity, of shows from the Peak TV era. Networks and streamers, which have spent the past few years retrenching, may be regaining their appetite for risk.

    “There was this sense [post Peak-TV] that now everything’s conservative. It’s got to be a big IP, it’s got to be a big book. It’s got to be boring old genre,” said Steve Matthews Head of Scripted, Creative, at Banijay Entertainment. “But I’m starting to hear: ‘Can you bring us something a bit more bold?’ Buyers are saying: ‘Come on guys, lift your game.”

    “Great storytelling, great distinctive voices, are still cutting through,” agreeded Johannes Jensen, Head of Scripted, Business at Banijay. “But it’s become tougher to finance shows, it takes longer and we have to be creative in how we put the financing together. [The days] when the global streamers would come in and fund everything are gone.”

    The initial post-Peak years saw “a trend where everything started to become safe, in movies and in TV shows,” said Belgian director Adil El Arbi (Rebel, Bad Boys for Life), attending Series Mania with The Best Immigrant, a Flemish dystopian drama about the rise of the far-right in Europe, which he executive produced. “[But] nowadays, if you want to stand out, you got to be ballsy and bold. Not necessarily shock just to shock, but try to address things that makes people think, that get people talking about your TV show.”

    That risky TV can translate into real ratings seems to be born out by some of the buzzier Series Mania shows. The Spanish premiere of Anatomy of a Moment, a period drama about the failed 1981 coup d’etat that nearly toppled Spain’s neophyte democracy, was the best-ever launch for a original series on pay-TV platform Moviestar Plus+. More than a million Swedish viewers turned into the first episode of Swedish legal drama Burden of Justice on public broadcaster SVT, 163 percent above initial forecasts.

    “Our show, My Brother, had a retention rate of 98 percent in Sweden over Christmas,” said Matthews. “And it’s one of the darkest series you’ll ever see.”

    The streaming giants used Series Mania to announce there were spending money again, and willing to take big swings on original stories.

    Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content at HBO Max, announced an overall first-look deal with Domingo Corral, the Spanish producer and former Moviestar Plus+ executive whose credits include Anatomy of a Moment and the Oscar-nominated feature Sirât. Angela Jain, head of content for Disney+ across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said she was “ramping up production” and unveiled an eclectic slate of new projects including including a feature doc on Welsh soul singer Duffy, an Italian murder mystery and a Turkish comedy about a 350-year-old virgin vampire who falls in love with a human.

    “Our message today is more series, more series, more series,” Thomas Dubois, Head of French Originals at Amazon Prime Video said at a Series Mania session on Tuesday, highlighting Prime Video’s non-English-language slate, including upcoming French YA drama Campus Drivers, adapted from the C.S. Quill book series.

    Not to be outdone, on Wednesday, New8, the co-production alliance between eight northwestern European public broadcasters, unveiled their upcoming slate. It included the eco-thriller Phoenix, which featured at last month’s Berlinale Market Selects; Red Light District, an ambitious Dutch drama chronicling the rise and fall of the Jewish WWII orphan who built a sex club empire in Amsterdam; and Belgian action series Hunters, about special ops anti-terrorist teams, which Bad Boys For Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are executive producing.

    European co-producers got more good news on Wednesday when Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset unveiled a historic co-production treaty designed to help boost funding for ambitious cross-border European series.

    All of which set up a more pragmatic, but quietly bullish mood among those on the ground. There is a sense that industry contraction, rather than killing creativity, may be forcing the business to sharpen its focus.

    “If everything contracts, you can either play it safe and avoid risk — or you can double down on quality,” said Matthews. “A lot less television is being made now, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as what disappears is the weaker material. For the industry, for the art, and for audiences, it’s hard to argue that’s not a good thing.”

  • France calls IOC sex testing a ‘step backwards’ while Trump praises move

    France calls IOC sex testing a ‘step backwards’ while Trump praises move

    France’s sports minister has called the International Olympic Committee’s decision to introduce genetic testing for women’s ⁠events a “step backwards”, warning it raises major ethical, legal and scientific concerns, while US President Donald Trump praised the IOC’s new policy.

    France “takes note” of the decision to require athletes to undergo testing based on the SRY ⁠gene, but opposes any broad use of genetic screening, Marina Ferrari said in a statement on Friday.

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    “On behalf of the French government, I wish to express our deep concern regarding this decision,” she said. “We oppose a generalisation of genetic testing that raises numerous ethical, ‌legal and medical questions, particularly in light of French bioethics legislation.”

    The IOC said on Thursday that only biological female athletes would be eligible for women’s events from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics onwards, following a one-time gene test designed to identify male sex development. The move essentially bars transgender athletes from competing in the female category.

    The rule is in line with an executive order by Trump from February 2025 that banned transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

    “Congratulations to the International Olympic Committee on their decision to ban Men from Women’s Sports,” Trump said late on Thursday on the Truth Social platform.

    “This is only happening because of my powerful Executive Order, standing up for Women and Girls!”

    However, Ferrari said that: “These tests, introduced in 1967, were discontinued in 1999 ⁠due to strong reservations within the scientific community regarding ⁠their relevance. France regrets this step backwards.”

    She added that the policy risked undermining equality by specifically targeting women.

    “This decision raises major concerns, as it specifically targets women by introducing a distinction ⁠that undermines the principle of equality,” she said.

    Ferrari also warned that the approach failed to reflect biological diversity, particularly among intersex ⁠individuals.

    “It defines the female sex without taking into ⁠account the biological specificities of intersex individuals, whose sexual characteristics present natural variations, leading to a reductive and potentially stigmatising approach,” she said.

    New Zealand’s Olympic Committee said on Friday that the IOC policy would bring greater “clarity” and “fairness” to future Games.

    New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics at Tokyo in 2021.

    NZOC chief executive Nicki Nicol said the organisation recognised the “extensive consultation and expert input that has informed this policy”, particularly from athletes.

    She said it would bring “greater clarity, consistency and fairness to eligibility for the female category at the Olympic level”.

    “This is a complex and sensitive area that directly affects people, not just policy,” she added.

    After competing in 2021, Hubbard, who failed in all of her lifting attempts in Tokyo, said she was aware of the controversy surrounding her participation.

    Friday’s NZOC comments did not refer to Hubbard, who has kept a very low profile since her games appearance.

    Also reacting to Thursday’s IOC announcement, Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman said the IOC had comprehensively investigated what he called a “complex issue”.

    “Without doubt, this is a challenging and complex subject, and at the AOC we approach it with empathy and understanding.”

    He added: “This decision provides clarity for elite female athletes who compete at the highest level and demonstrates a commitment to fairness, safety and integrity in Olympic competition, all of which are fundamental principles of the Olympic Movement.

    “As the IOC has stated, at the highest level of sport, the smallest margins can determine outcomes, and clarity around eligibility is critical for female athletes to continue to compete on a level playing field.”

  • Qatari PM and US officials discuss strategic ties amid Iran war

    Qatari PM and US officials discuss strategic ties amid Iran war

    The meeting held in Washington, DC reviewed the ‘close strategic cooperation’ between Doha and Washington, Qatar’s foreign ministry said.

    Published On 27 Mar 2026

    Qatar’s prime minister has held talks with senior US officials in Washington, DC, amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran and fallout across the Gulf.

    Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar’s foreign minister, met US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary Scott Bessent, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

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    They reviewed ways to strengthen the “close strategic cooperation” between Doha and Washington, “especially the defence partnership in light of the conditions the region is experiencing”, the ministry said.

    Both sides stressed “ensuring the sustainability of energy supplies and maintaining the continued flow of liquefied natural gas from the State of Qatar to global markets”, in a way that “supports global energy security”, it added.

    Vance hailed the “robust strategic partnership”, praising Qatar’s “active role in promoting regional stability and enhancing global energy security”.

    The Gulf has been in a state of heightened tension since February 28, when the US-Israeli war on Iran began, which has killed more than 3,000 people across the region, a vast majority of them in Iran and Lebanon.

    Tehran has since launched drone and missile attacks aimed at Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states. Iran insists it is targeting US assets in the Gulf, but the region’s leaders have urged Iran to cease attacks as they endanger civilians.

    Qatar, earlier this month, said Iranian missile attacks on the Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s main gas facility, caused “significant damage”.

    The war has created an unprecedented global energy crisis as Iran has effectively closed off the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

    Meeting with Hegseth

    On Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed also held a meeting in Washington with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the Foreign Ministry said.

    “The meeting took place in Washington on Thursday and focused on ways to support and develop defence and security collaboration amid regional challenges,” it added.

    “Both sides stressed the importance of continued coordination and consultation on regional issues to promote security and stability locally and internationally.”

    On Wednesday, the Qatari Cabinet renewed its condemnation of Iranian attacks on Qatar and its neighbours, calling for an immediate halt.

  • How ‘Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette’ Ends: A Heartbreaking Finale Explained

    [This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the Love Story finale, “Search and Recovery”.]

    After seven weeks of ’90s nostalgia and an intimate look at America’s ultimate power couple — John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy — Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette concluded Thursday night. And it was an emotional watch, to say the least.

    Created by Connor Hines and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, the anthology series picks up shortly after last week’s episode, when John (Paul Anthony Kelly) left for the night. Set during the final weekend of their lives, the episode reveals that he didn’t return after leaving Carolyn (Sarah Pidgeon) during that explosive argument. Still, the two attempt to repair their relationship, visiting a marriage counselor who suggests they spend time apart.

    After leaving the session, they head to a dive bar and reminisce about the passion and excitement of their early relationship — before it was strained by relentless media attention, and before Carolyn, in particular, struggled to adjust to such a drastic change in lifestyle.

    “If only we knew then how good we had it,” Carolyn tells John.

    Though they try to stay apart, neither can follow through. Both turn to family for support — John confides in his sister Caroline (Grace Gummer), while Carolyn leans on her sister Lauren Bessette (Sydney Lemmon) — and each is encouraged to fight for the relationship.

    They do. Carolyn even makes a rare public appearance to support John at an event for George magazine. The two also recreate their first date at an Indian restaurant, where Carolyn finally explains what her “sign above her head” means, which she referenced in the pilot: “Please handle with care, not as tough as she looks.” In a rare moment of vulnerability, she opens up about why she kept her guard up early on — and John realizes she is his priority.

    About 20 minutes into the episode, it’s now July 16, 1999 — the day John, Carolyn, and Lauren died from a plane crash while en route to attend a Kennedy family wedding in Martha’s Vineyard. The series also opened with this day. Hines previously told The Hollywood Reporter why it was important to begin there, before shifting back seven years.

    “We wanted to contrast the Carolyn everybody knows from images with that very bleached blonde hair; very straight aesthetic. It’s very recognizable. We cut back in time to show who Carolyn was before everybody got to meet her. Somebody who had a different sense of style and more bohemian hair,” he said. “There was a whole person before the world got to know her who was living in a studio apartment in the East Village, throwing clothes on and running off to work. To see where she was towards the end of her life, and then cut back to the beginning of a woman just moving through New York like everybody else anonymously was really important and effective for telling the rest of the story.”

    Carolyn initially hesitates to attend the wedding in Martha’s Vineyard, but ultimately chooses to go to be with him. John also makes a call to check on the weather, which was reportedly hazy and he allegedly became disoriented.

    In their final moments, the three are shown on the plane as the weather worsens, and John’s expression says it all — a quiet, haunting suggestion that he understands what’s coming. Carolyn, seated beside him in the cockpit, senses it too, picking up on his unease. “I want to sit with you,” she says, and the two share a knowing look as he remains visibly shaken, realizing there’s nothing he can do to change the situation.

    Carolyn stays calm, as does Lauren in the back. “It’s OK, just breathe,” she tells him, trying to steady his panic. The camera then zooms in on a red light flashing across John’s face — the engine failure warning — before the screen cuts to black.

    What follows is the world’s reaction. Police officers show up to Caroline’s home to tell her and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg (Ben Shenkman), that John’s plane has been reported missing. A call in the middle of the night wakes up Carolyn and Lauren’s mother, Ann Messina Freeman (Constance Zimmer), with the news. Newsstands across New York City show a meticulously replicated New York Daily News cover that reads: “LOST.”

    As the Kennedys gather, former President Bill Clinton, called Senator Ted Kennedy (Donal Logue) and it’s clear what the conversation means, without it being said: they’ve been found, not not alive.

    Gummer then delivers a heartbreaking performance as Caroline, crying and screaming at Ed, unable to rationalize that John is gone. “Please don’t do this to me, I can’t do it again,” she says sobbing into his arms. She has already lost her mother, Jackie Kennedy Onassis (Naomi Watts) to cancer, as portrayed earlier in the season, along with her father, former President John F. Kennedy who was assassinated, and several other members of the Kennedy family.

    To access the aftermath of the deadly crash, Ann and Ed meet. He outlines burial plans for John and Carolyn, repeatedly only naming them, prompting her to respond: “You keep saying ‘Carolyn.’ May I remind you that I had not one, but two daughters on board that plane that he crashed.”

    Ahead of the series premiere, Hines and executive producer, Brad Simpson told THR that it was always important to honor Lauren as well: “We want to remind people that Carolyn’s mom lost two daughters that day.”

    Ann then goes to their Tribeca loft, where Caroline also appears. The two sit down and have a touching conversation, acknowledging their grief and regret. Caroline recalls a near-death experience from her teenage years.

    “The only thing I really gleaned from that experience was that there is no rhyme or reason as to why some of us get to stay here a little longer,” she says. “All we know, is that time doesn’t belong to us. Nothing is promised.”

    Ann expresses remorse that Carolyn was struggling so much with the exacerbated media attention toward the end of her life.

    “She said she didn’t recognize who she had become. And now that person will be immortalized forever,” Ann says crying. “I only wish she had lived long enough to be remembered for something else.”

    The two grieve together and begin to consider how to move forward — together.

    Caroline leaves John and Carolyn’s apartment — which was always hounded by paparazzi — in a moving scene, as those gathered to pay tribute, and photographers, allow her to pass without intrusion.

    The last moments of the finale show Ethel Kennedy (Jessica Harper) offering words of strength to Caroline, followed by a funeral for the three. There, includes returning cameos from John’s cousin Anthony Radzwill (Erich Bergen), Carolyn’s former boss and fashion designer Calvin Klein (Alessandro Nivola), John’s former business partner Michael Berman (Michael Nathanson). Ann delivers a reading at the service, intercut with scenes of her and Caroline scattering their ashes into the Ocean.

    The episode ends with Ann reading, “Do not stand by my grave and cry. I am not there. I did not die” alongside a final clip of John and Carolyn on the beach — a reminder that despite the couple’s most challenging moments, their story was indeed a love story.

    ***

    Check out all of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Love Story coverage here.

  • iHeartRadio Music Awards: Taylor Swift Dominates as Alex Warren Tops Winners List

    iHeartRadio Music Awards: Taylor Swift Dominates as Alex Warren Tops Winners List

    Taylor Swift was the top winner at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which took place live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

    “The Fate of Ophelia” singer went into the Ludacris-hosted ceremony, which aired on Fox and could be heard on iHeartRadio stations nationwide and the iHeartRadio app, with the most nominations, nine, leading the field for the fourth year in a row.

    And she left the night with the most wins at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, with seven total. She earned the coveted title of artist of the year, and won additional honors including best music video, pop song of the year and lyrics, among others.

    Swift stopped by the awards show, making her first awards show appearance of 2026, where her fiancé Travis Kelce also attended in support. During her acceptance speech for for pop album of the year, tied to her 2025 record The Life of a Showgirl, she sung praise toward her fiancé.

    “The album The Life of a Showgirl was really inspired by the energy that I felt looking into crowds and seeing you guys and connecting with you every single night. And so the album came out with this energy of just feeling really happy and strong and confident and free, and so I wanna say thank you to the fans for for giving me that feeling,” Swift said. “This album probably also feels very happy and confident and free because that’s the way that I get to feel every single day of my life, because of my fiancé, who’s here tonight.”

    Other top winners at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards included Alex Warren, with three awards total, including song of the year, best new pop artist and favorite debut album. Best new artists were named in various categories, including Ella Langley (country); Real Boston Richey (hip-hop); Leon Thomas (R&B); sombr (alternative); Sleep Theory (rock); Beéle (Latin Pop/Urban); Los Dos De Tamaulipas (Regional Mexican); and Cortis (K-pop).

    Sabrina Carpenter was named the pop artist of the year, as Kendrick Lamar earned the same honor in the hip-hop category. Amy Allen won songwriter of the year, as Andrew Watt took home the producer of the year title.

    Warren, Carpenter and Bad Bunny went into the night with eight nominations each, with Swift, Carpenter and Bad Bunny up for artist of the year alongside Lamar, Benson Boone, Chris Brown, Jelly Roll Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae.

    The awards show honored John Mellencamp with the iHeartRadio Icon Award along with Ludacris with the iHeartRadio Landmark Award, Miley Cyrus with the iHeartRadio Innovator Award and Warren with the iHeartRadio Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award. Ludacris and Warren also performed at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

    Additional performers included Kehlani, Lainey Wilson, Raye and, performing together for the first time, TLC, Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue. Alysa Liu, Ne-Yo, Nicole Scherzinger, Nikki Glaser, sombr and Weezer also appeared on the show.

    The 13th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2025. This year’s show was executive produced by Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannaé Rouzan-Clay for Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) as well as John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Bart Peters for iHeartMedia and Fox Entertainment Studios.

    A complete list of this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards winners follows.

    Song of the Year         

    “Anxiety” – Doechii
    “Good News” – Shaboozey
    “Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
    “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “MUTT” – Leon Thomas
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren (WINNER)
    “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” – Benson Boone
    “Stargazing” – Myles Smith
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift

    Artist of the Year

    Bad Bunny
    Benson Boone
    Chris Brown
    Jelly Roll
    Kendrick Lamar
    Lady Gaga
    Morgan Wallen
    Sabrina Carpenter
    Tate McRae
    Taylor Swift (WINNER)

    Album of the Year

    Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl” (WINNER)

    Pop Artist of the Year

    Alex Warren
    Benson Boone
    Sabrina Carpenter (WINNER)
    Tate McRae
    Taylor Swift

    Pop Song of the Year

    “Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
    “Pink Pony Club” – Chappell Roan
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift (WINNER)

    Pop Album of the Year

    Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl” (WINNER)

    Best New Artist (Pop)

    Alex Warren (WINNER)
    Jessie Murph
    Myles Smith
    Ravyn Lenae
    sombr

    Duo/Group of the Year

    HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI (WINNER)
    Linkin Park
    Maroon 5
    Shinedown
    Twenty One Pilots

    Best Collaboration

    “All The Way” – BigXthaPlug ft. Bailey Zimmerman
    “APT.” – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars (WINNER)
    “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
    “Timeless” – The Weeknd ft. Playboi Carti
    “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red

    Country Song of the Year

    “After All The Bars Are Closed” – Thomas Rhett
    “Good News” – Shaboozey (WINNER)
    “Liar” – Jelly Roll
    “Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
    “Whiskey Drink” – Jason Aldean

    Country Artist of the Year

    Jason Aldean
    Jelly Roll
    Lainey Wilson
    Luke Combs
    Morgan Wallen (WINNER)

    Best New Artist (Country)

    Chase Matthew
    Ella Langley (WINNER)
    Hudson Westbrook
    Josh Ross
    Zach Top

    Country Album of the Year

    Morgan Wallen “I’m The Problem” (WINNER)

    Hip-Hop Song of the Year

    “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA (WINNER)
    “NOKIA” – Drake
    “Outside” – Cardi B
    “The Largest” – BigXthaPlug
    “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red

    Hip-Hop Artist of the Year

    Cardi B
    GloRilla
    Kendrick Lamar (WINNER)
    Playboi Carti
    Tyler, The Creator

    Best New Artist (Hip-Hop)

    MOLIY
    PLUTO
    Real Boston Richey (WINNER)
    YKNIECE
    ZEDDY WILL

    R&B Song of the Year

    “Burning Blue” – Mariah the Scientist
    “Folded” – Kehlani (WINNER)
    “MUTT” – Leon Thomas
    “Residuals” – Chris Brown
    “SOMEBODY LOVES ME” – PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake

    R&B Artist of the Year

    Chris Brown (WINNER)
    Kehlani
    Leon Thomas
    Mariah the Scientist
    SZA

    Best New Artist (R&B)

    Jenevieve
    Kwn
    Leon Thomas (WINNER)
    Mariah the Scientist
    Sailorr

    R&B Album of the Year

    Leon Thomas, “PHOLKS” (WINNER)

    World Artist of the Year

    Ayra Starr
    Jackson Wang
    JO1
    MOLIY (WINNER)
    Tyla

    Alternative Song of the Year

    “Back To Friends” – sombr
    “Ensenada” – Sublime (WINNER)
    “One Eyed Bastard” – Green Day
    “Stargazing” – Myles Smith
    “The Contract” – Twenty One Pilots

    Alternative Artist of the Year

    Cage the Elephant
    Green Day
    Linkin Park
    Sublime
    Twenty One Pilots (WINNER)

    Best New Artist (Alternative)

    almost monday
    Gigi Perez
    Lola Young
    Role Model
    sombr (WINNER)

    Alternative Album of the Year

    sombr, “I Barely Know Her” (WINNER)

    Rock Song of the Year

    “Afterlife” – Evanescence
    “Bad Guy” – Falling In Reverse ft. Saraya
    “Dance, Kid, Dance” – Shinedown
    “Even If It Kills Me” – Papa Roach
    “Heavy Is the Crown” – Linkin Park (WINNER)

    Rock Artist of the Year

    Linkin Park
    Papa Roach
    Shinedown (WINNER)
    Sleep Token
    Three Days Grace

    Best New Artist (Rock)

    Architects
    Poppy
    Return to Dust
    Sleep Theory (WINNER)
    Spiritbox

    Dance Song of the Year

    “Blessings” – Calvin Harris feat. Clementine Douglas
    “In My Arms” – ILLENIUM & HAYLA
    “No Broke Boys” – Disco Lines & Tinashe (WINNER)
    “Save My Love” – Marshmello, Ellie Goulding and AVAION
    “Won’t Be Possible” – Tiësto, Odd Mob & Goodboys

    Dance Artist of the Year

    Calvin Harris
    David Guetta (WINNER)
    John Summit
    Martin Garrix
    Tiësto

    Dance Album of the Year

    Lady Gaga, “MAYHEM” (WINNER)

    Latin Pop/Urban Song of the Year

    “Angel” – Grupo Frontera & Romeo Santos
    “DEGENERE” – Myke Towers & benny blanco
    “DtMF” – Bad Bunny (WINNER)
    “Qué Pasaría…” – Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny
    “Soltera” – Shakira

    Latin Pop/Urban Artist of the Year

    Bad Bunny (WINNER)
    Feid
    J Balvin
    Karol G
    Shakira

    Latin Pop/Urban Album of the Year

    Bad Bunny, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (WINNER)

    Best New Artist (Latin Pop/Urban)

    Alleh Mezher
    Beéle (WINNER)
    De La Rose
    Dei V
    Louis BPM

    Regional Mexican Song of the Year

    “Amor Bonito” – Luis Angel “El Flaco” (WINNER)
    “El Amor De Mi Vida” – Calibre 50
    “Flores” – Xavi
    “Hecha Pa’ Mi” – Grupo Frontera
    “Lejos Estamos Mejor” – Eden Muñoz

    Regional Mexican Artist of the Year

    Alejandro Fernández
    Carin León
    Fuerza Regida
    Grupo Frontera (WINNER)
    Luis Angel “El Flaco”

    Best New Artist (Regional Mexican)

    Clave Especial
    Edgardo Nuñez
    Los Dos De Tamaulipas (WINNER)
    Óscar Maydon
    Oscar Ortiz

    Latin Pop/Urban Song of the Year

    Fuerza Regida “111XPANTIA” (WINNER)

    K-pop Artist of the Year

    JENNIE
    j-hope
    Jin
    LISA
    ROSÉ (WINNER)

    K-pop Group of the Year

    ATEEZ
    BLACKPINK
    ENHYPEN
    Stray Kids (WINNER)
    TWICE

    K-pop Song of the Year

    “APT.” – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
    “Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI (WINNER)
    “JUMP” – BLACKPINK
    “Killin’ It Girl” – j-hope feat. GloRilla
    “like JENNIE” – JENNIE

    Best New Artist (K-pop)

    82Major
    AllDay Project
    Cortis (WINNER)
    Hearts2Hearts
    Meovv

    K-pop Album of the Year

    Jennie, “Ruby” (WINNER)

    Songwriter of the Year

    Amy Allen (WINNER)
    Ashley Gorley
    Cal Shapiro
    Charlie Handsome
    Julia Michaels

    Producer of the Year

    Andrew Watt (WINNER)
    Dijon
    Jack Antonoff
    Max Martin & Shellback
    Sounwave

    Favorite Broadway Debut

    Ashley Graham, “Chicago”
    Cheryl Porter, “& Juliet”
    Durrell “Tank” Babbs, “Hell’s Kitchen”
    Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
    Jack Wolfe, “Hadestown”
    Kelsie Watts, “Six! The Musical”
    Lencia Kebede, “Wicked”
    Lizzy McAlpine, “Floyd Collins”
    Meg Donnelly, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
    Ne-Yo, “Hell’s Kitchen”
    Tom Felton, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” (WINNER)
    Trisha Paytas, “Beetlejuice”

    Favorite TikTok Dance

    “Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
    “Gnarly” – KATSEYE
    “GO!” – CORTIS
    “Happen To Me” – Russell Dickerson
    “JUMP” – BLACKPINK
    “like JENNIE” – JENNIE
    “Midnight Sun” – Zara Larsson
    “MONA LISA” – j-hope (WINNER)
    “Revolving Door” – Tate McRae
    “SPAGHETTI” – LE SSERAFIM, j-hope
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift

    Favorite Debut Album

    Addison Rae, “Addison”
    Alex Warren, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid” (WINNER)
    Audrey Hobert, “Who’s the Clown?”
    Calum Hood, “ORDER chaos ORDER”
    Coco Jones, “Why Not More?”
    JADE, “THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!”
    JENNIE, “Ruby”
    LISA, “Alter Ego”
    Michael Clifford, “SIDEQUEST”
    Perrie, “Perrie”
    sombr, “I Barely Know Her”
    Tucker Wetmore, “What Not To”

    Best Lyrics

    “Anxiety” – Doechii
    “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
    “Camera” – Ed Sheeran
    “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
    “DAISIES” – Justin Bieber
    “Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
    “Man I Need” – Olivia Dean
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift (WINNER)
    “undressed” – sombr
    “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” – RAYE

    Best Music Video

    “Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
    “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
    “BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE
    “Gabriela” – KATSEYE
    “JUMP” – BLACKPINK
    “like JENNIE” – JENNIE
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
    “Sapphire” – Ed Sheeran
    “Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)” – MOLIY, Shenseea, Skillibeng, Silent Addy
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift (WINNER)
    “toxic till the end” – ROSÉ

    Favorite On Screen 

    AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, Kelly Rowland, “Building the Band”
    Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good”
    Bad Bunny, “Happy Gilmore 2”
    Becky G, “REBBECA”
    Ed Sheeran, “ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran: A Musical Experience”
    Jimin and Jungkook, “Are You Sure?!” (WINNER)
    Jonas Brothers, “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie”
    Karol G, “Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful”
    Lady Gaga, “Wednesday”
    LISA, “The White Lotus”
    Taylor Swift, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era”
    Zara Larsson, “Up Close”

    Favorite Tour Photographer

    Abby Waisler for Gracie Abrams
    Adam DeGross for Post Malone
    Anna Lee for Coldplay
    baeth for Tate McRae
    Chris Cornejo for Shakira
    Cynthia Parkhurst for Katy Perry
    Henry Hwu for Billie Eilish
    Hyghly for The Weeknd
    Joshua Halling for Oasis
    Rahul Bhatt for KATSEYE (WINNER)
    Thomas Falcone for Shawn Mendes
    Tom Pallant for YUNGBLUD

    Favorite Soundtrack

    “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (Original Soundtrack)”
    “F1 the Album”
    “Frankenstein (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)”
    “KPop Demon Hunters” (WINNER)
    “Nobody Wants This Season 2: The Soundtrack”
    “Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
    “Smurfs Movie Soundtrack (Music From & Inspired By)”
    “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”
    “Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
    “Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack”
    “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (Original Soundtrack)”

    Favorite Tour Style

    Bad Bunny, “DeBí TiRaR MáS FOtoS World Tour”
    Beyoncé, “Cowboy Carter Tour”
    Billie Eilish, “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour”
    BLACKPINK, “Deadline World Tour”
    Dua Lipa, “Radical Optimism Tour”
    Ella Langley, “Still Hungover Tour”
    KATSEYE, “Beautiful Chaos Tour”
    Lady Gaga, “The Mayhem Ball”
    Sabrina Carpenter, “Short n’ Sweet Tour”
    Tate McRae, “Miss Possessive Tour”
    Taylor Swift, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” (WINNER)
    Zara Larsson, “Midnight Sun Tour”

    Favorite Tour Tradition

    Benson Boone, Cover song
    Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & Rumi on stage
    Billie Eilish, “when the party’s over” silent loop
    Coldplay, Crowd cam (WINNER)
    Dua Lipa, Surprise guest
    Jonas Brothers, Surprise guest
    KATSEYE, “Gnarly” dance break
    Lainey Wilson, Cowgirl of the night
    ROLE MODEL, Sally
    Sabrina Carpenter, Celebrity “Juno” arrest
    Tate McRae, Fan cam on stage
    Zara Larsson, “Lush Life” star

    Favorite K-pop Collab 

    “Blink” – Corbyn Besson & TZUYU of TWICE
    “BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE
    “BUCK” – Jackson Wang feat. Diljit Dosanjh
    “Confessions” – Flo Rida, HEESEUNG & JAKE of ENHYPEN, Paul Russell
    “Dirty Work” – aespa feat. Flo Milli
    “ExtraL” – JENNIE, Doechii
    “EYES CLOSED” – JISOO X ZAYN
    “Illegal + SEVENTEEN” – PinkPantheress, SEVENTEEN
    “On My Mind” – Alex Warren & ROSÉ
    “Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)” – j-hope, Miguel (WINNER)
    “TOO BAD” – G-DRAGON feat. Anderson .Paak
    “WE PRAY (TWICE Version)” – Coldplay, TWICE, Burna Boy, Elyanna, TINI, Little Simz

  • US judge weighs Trump decision to bar Venezuelan funds for Maduro’s defence

    US judge weighs Trump decision to bar Venezuelan funds for Maduro’s defence

    A United States judge has said that he will not dismiss the drug-trafficking and weapons possession charges brought against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

    But in a Thursday court hearing, Judge Alvin Hellerstein questioned whether the US government has the right to bar Venezuela from funding Maduro’s legal expenses.

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    The hearing was the first for Maduro and his wife since a brief January arraignment, where they pleaded not guilty.

    Maduro and Flores have sought to have the charges against them thrown out. Hellerstein declined to do so, but he pressed the prosecution on some of the issues Maduro’s legal team raised in its petition to dismiss the case.

    Among them was a decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump to prevent the Venezuelan government from financing Maduro’s defence.

    Federal prosecutors argued that national security reasons prevented the US from allowing such payments. They also pointed to ongoing sanctions against the Venezuelan government.

    But Hellerstein pushed back against that argument, noting that Trump had eased sanctions against Venezuela since Maduro’s abduction on January 3. He also questioned how Maduro might pose a security threat while imprisoned in New York.

    “The defendant is here. Flores is here. They present no further national security threat,” said Hellerstein. “I see no abiding interest of national security on the right to defend themselves.”

    Hellerstein emphasised that, in the US, all criminal defendants have the right to a vigorous defence, as part of the US Constitution’s Sixth Amendment.

    “The right that’s implicated, paramount over other rights, is the right to constitutional counsel,” he said.

    Maduro, who led Venezuela from 2013 to 2026, has been charged with four criminal counts, including “narco-terrorism” conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, the possession of machine guns and the conspiracy to possess machine guns and other destructive devices.

    He and his wife were taken into US custody on January 3, after Trump launched an attack on Venezuela.

    The Trump administration has framed the military operation as a “law enforcement function”, but experts say it was widely considered illegal under international law, which protects local sovereignty.

    Maduro has cited his status as the leader of a foreign country as part of his push to see the case dismissed.

    When he last appeared in court, on January 5, he told the judge, “I’m still the president of my country.”

    In a February hearing, his defence team sought to dismiss the charges on the basis that preventing Venezuela from paying his legal fees was “interfering with Mr Maduro’s ability to retain counsel and, therefore, his right under the Sixth Amendment to counsel of his choice”.

    In an interview with the news agency AFP on Thursday, Maduro’s son, Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolas Maduro Guerra, said that he trusts the US legal system but believes that his father’s trial has been mishandled.

    “This trial has vestiges of illegitimacy from the start, because of the capture, the kidnapping, of an elected president in a military operation,” Maduro Guerra said in Caracas.

    Protests and counterprotests took place in front of the New York City courthouse on Thursday, with some condemning the US’s actions and others holding signs in support of the trial with slogans like, “Maduro rot in prison.”

    Trump himself weighed in on the proceedings during a Thursday US Cabinet meeting, hinting that further charges could be brought against Maduro.

    “He emptied his prisons in Venezuela, emptied his prisons into our country,” Trump said of Maduro, reiterating an unsubstantiated claim.

    “And I hope that charge will be brought at some point. Because that was a big charge that hasn’t been brought yet. It should be brought.”

    Trump has had an adversarial relationship with Maduro since Trump’s first term in office, when he issued a bounty for the Venezuelan leader’s arrest. He has frequently repeated baseless claims that Maduro intentionally sent immigrants and drugs to the US in a bid to destabilise the country.

    Those claims have served as a pretext for Trump claiming emergency powers in realms such as immigration and national security. On Thursday, Trump emphasised that, while he expected a “fair trial”, he expected more legal action to be taken against Maduro.

    “I would imagine there are other trials coming because they’ve really sued him just at a fraction of the kind of things that he’s done,” Trump said. “Other cases are going to be brought, as you probably know.”

  • Venture Firm Founder Offers Bounty to Help Recover $42 Million in Stolen Bitcoin, Crypto

    Venture Firm Founder Offers Bounty to Help Recover $42 Million in Stolen Bitcoin, Crypto

    In brief

    • Bo Shen, founder of Fenbushi Capital, is offering a 10-20% bounty to those who can help him recover a portion of $42 million that was stolen from him in 2022.
    • The theft was allegedly due to a compromised seed phrase, leading to the loss of around $38 million in stablecoins in addition to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
    • The venture founder believes new on-chain tooling and AI can help crack the case.

    Bo Shen, the founder of crypto venture firm Fenbushi, is offering a bounty of 10-20% to any individuals able to help him recover a portion of the $42 million in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins stolen from his personal wallet in 2022. 

    The malicious actor made off with crypto assets now valued around $42 million, highlighted by $38 million in Circle’s dollar-backed stablecoin USDC, but also 1,607 Ethereum, nearly $720,000 in Tether’s stablecoin USDT, and 4.13 Bitcoin. 

    “Three years have passed. The investigation has never stopped,” said Shen in a post on X. “Our team has continued to gather critical evidence and leads. The flow of the stolen assets is becoming increasingly clear,” he added while making a public bounty offer. 

    “Any individual or organization that makes a substantive contribution to asset recovery—regardless of identity, background, or method—will receive 10%–20% of the total recovered amount, based on the level of contribution,” he added.

    About $1.2 million of the funds have been frozen to date thanks to help from notable on-chain analyst Taylor Monahan and pseudonymous sleuth ZachXBT. 

    Now, though, Shen thinks the advances in on-chain tooling and artificial intelligence (AI) can help do even more in the case. 

    “This is not just about recovering assets,” he said. “It is about opening a real case to the community, inviting collaboration, and seeing how far the tools of the AI era can push what was once impossible.” 

    The theft from Shen’s personal wallet took place in November 2022, allegedly as a result of a compromise of his seed phrase, the 12 or 24 word phrase that unlocks a wallet’s private key,  according to analysis by blockchain security firm SlowMist.

    Shortly after the theft, it was reported to local law enforcement, according to Shen, with the FBI and lawyers also involved. 

    Established in 2015, Shen’s Fenbushi Capital says it has more than $1.6 billion in assets under management. Its portfolio includes major crypto firms like exchange Bybit and stablecoin issuer Circle, alongside holdings of Ethereum and Zcash. 

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  • Wikipedia Bans AI-Generated Text in Articles Under New Editing Policy

    Wikipedia Bans AI-Generated Text in Articles Under New Editing Policy

    In brief

    • Wikipedia now prohibits editors from using large language models to generate or rewrite article content.
    • The policy still allows limited AI-assisted copyediting if editors review the changes and no new content is introduced.
    • The rule reflects growing concerns about hallucinations, fabricated sources, and accuracy in AI-generated text.

    Wikipedia editors have moved to restrict how artificial intelligence can be used on the platform, in a recent policy update banning the use of large language models to write or rewrite articles.

    The new guideline reflects growing concern within the Wikipedia community that AI-generated text can conflict with the platform’s standards, particularly around verifiability and reliable sourcing.

    “Text generated by large language models often violates several of Wikipedia’s core content policies,” the policy update reads. “For this reason, the use of LLMs to generate or rewrite article content is prohibited, save for the exceptions given below.”

    The policy still allows limited use of AI tools, including suggesting basic copy edits to an editor’s own writing, provided the system does not introduce new information. However, editors are advised to review those suggestions carefully.

    While the new policy does not mention penalties for using AI-generated content, according to Wikipedia’s guidelines around disclosure, repeating misuse forms a “pattern of disruptive editing,” and may lead to a block or ban. Wikipedia does give editors a path to reinstate their accounts following an appeal process.

    “Blocks can be reversed with the agreement of the blocking admin, an override by other admins in the case that the block was clearly unjustifiable, or (in very rare cases) on appeal to the Arbitration Committee,” Wikipedia said.

    “The Wikimedia Foundation does not determine editorial policies and guidelines on Wikipedia; volunteer editors do,” a Wikimedia Foundation spokesperson told Decrypt. “Wikipedia’s strength has been and always will be its human-centered, volunteer-driven model.”

    According to Emily M. Bender, a professor of linguistics at the University of Washington, some uses of language models in editing tools may be reasonable, but drawing a clear boundary between editing and generating text can be difficult.

    “So one of the things that you can do with a language model is build a very good spell checker, for example,” Bender told Decrypt. “I think it’s reasonable to say it’s fine to run a spell checker over edits. And if you are doing the next level up, a grammar checker, that can also be fine.”

    Bender said the challenge comes when systems move beyond correcting grammar and begin altering or generating content, noting that large language models lack the kind of accountability that human contributors bring to collaborative knowledge projects.

    “Using large language models to produce synthetic text, it is a fundamental property of these systems that there is no accountability, no connection to what someone believes or stands behind,” she said. “When we speak, we speak based on what we believe and what we are accountable for, not based on some objective notion of truth. And that’s not there for large language models.”

    Bender said widespread use of AI-generated edits could also affect the site’s reputation.

    “If people are instead taking shortcuts and making something that looks like a Wikipedia edit or article and putting it there, then that degrades the overall value and reputation of the site,” she said.

    Joseph Reagle, associate professor of communication studies at Northeastern University, who studies Wikipedia’s culture and governance, said the community’s response reflects longstanding concerns about accuracy and sourcing.

    “Wikipedia is wary of AI generated prose,” Reagle told Decrypt. “They take the accurate characterizations of what reliable sources state about a topic seriously. AI has had serious limitations on that front, such as ‘hallucinated’ claims and fabricated sources.”

    Reagle said Wikipedia’s core policies also shape how editors view AI tools, noting that many large language models have been trained on Wikipedia content. In October, the Wikimedia Foundation said human visits to Wikipedia fell about 8% year over year as search engines and chatbots increasingly provide answers directly on their platforms, rather than sending users to the site.

    In January, the Wikimedia Foundation announced agreements with AI companies, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta, allowing them to use Wikipedia material through its Enterprise product, a commercial service designed for large-scale reuse of its content.

    “While the use of Wikipedia content is permitted by Wikipedia’s licenses, there’s still some antipathy among Wikipedians about services that appropriate the content of communities and then place unwanted demands on those communities to deal with the consequent glut of AI slop,” Reagle said.

    Despite the prohibition on using LLMs, Wikipedia does permit AI tools to translate articles from other language editions into English, provided editors verify the original text. The policy also warns editors not to rely on writing style alone to identify AI-generated content and instead focus on whether the material complies with Wikipedia’s core policies and the contributor’s editing history.

    “Some editors may have similar writing styles to LLMs,” the update says. “More evidence than just stylistic or linguistic signs is needed to justify sanctions, and it is best to consider the text’s compliance with core content policies and recent edits by the editor in question.”

    Editor’s note: This article was updated after publication to include comment from the Wikipedia Foundation.

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  • Taylor Swift Takes Home Seven Awards at iHeartRadio Music Awards 2026, Extending Her Record for Most Wins

    Taylor Swift Takes Home Seven Awards at iHeartRadio Music Awards 2026, Extending Her Record for Most Wins

    Taylor Swift picked up the most trophies out of any artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night, walking away with seven wins in nine nominated categories to extend her record as iHeartRadio’s most decorated artist of all time.

    Swift was on hand with her fiancé, Travis Kelce, to first accept the award for best pop album of the year with “The Life of a Showgirl,” as presented by Raye. “I think that this album feels very happy and confident and free because that’s the way that I get to feel every single day of my life, because of my fiance who’s here tonight,” she said. “So thanks for all the vibes. I really just wanted to say thank you also to iHeart and thank you to anyone who cared about ‘The Fate of Ophelia,’ because you made that into the biggest hit of my career, which is crazy at this point. And thank you.”

    But Swiftmania kicked into full gear when figure skater Alysa Liu presented her with not one but six additional awards including artist of the year, album of the year and best lyrics, among several others, bringing her overall tally to 41 iHeartRadio Music Award wins.

    “We live in this world where there’s so much immediate feedback, constantly, like you get feedback for everything you share with the world,” she said. “Now, like everything you post, you get feedback whether it’s good or bad or whatever. I just wanna say if I had one hope for you, I would say that I hope that you get to nurture your hobby and your passion. Just between you and that craft, and you give yourself time. Give yourself time to make mistakes. Give yourself time to hone your craft. I’m a firm believer that anything you feed your mind, it will internalize. Anything you feed the internet, it will attempt to kill, and I don’t want that for your dreams. So just thank you for allowing me to turn my hobby into a love, into a passion, into a dream, into a career. Thank you for allowing me to have it this long.”

    The show, hosted by Ludacris, kicked off with performances from Lainey Wilson and Alex Warren, who was on hand to accept the award for breakthrough artist of the year. After Wilson’s performance, Miley Cyrus took the stage to accept the iHeartRadio Innovator Award.

    “This week, celebrating 20 years of ‘Hannah Montana’ has been a dream come true,” said Cyrus. “My double denim and gold star thank you because they’ve been waiting over a decade to leave the house. Hannah Montana inspired me so much in my own career. I fell in love with the idea that you can create a persona that gives you the confidence and courage to perform authentically. And that sometimes, the fake you can actually reveal the real you.”

    Elsewhere, John Mellencamp accepted the iHeartRadio Icon Award as presented by his daughter Teddy, and headed to the back of the stage after a short speech to sing “Jack & Diane” and “Pink Houses.” Kehlani hit the laundromat for a rendition of “Folded,” while Raye preempted the release of her new album, out tonight, with a performance of “Where Is My Husband!” TLC teamed up with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue for a medley of songs as a teaser for their upcoming summer tour, and Ludacris took a break from emceeing to close out the evening with “Rollout (My Business),” “My Chick Bad” and “Money Maker.”

    Check out the list of winners below:

    Pop Album of the Year
    “The Life of a Showgirl” – Taylor Swift (WINNER)

    Alternative Album of the Year
    “I Barely Know Her” – sombr     (WINNER)

    Album of the Year
    “The Life of a Showgirl” — Taylor Swift (WINNER)

    Song of the Summer
    “I Just Might” — Bruno Mars (WINNER)

    Breakthrough Artist of the Year
    Alex Warren

    iHeartRadio Innovator Award
    Miley Cyrus

    iHeartRadio Icon Award
    John Mellencamp

    iHeartRadio Landmark Award
    Ludacris

    Song of the Year:
    “Anxiety” – Doechii
    “Good News” – Shaboozey
    “Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
    “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “MUTT” – Leon Thomas
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren (WINNER)
    “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” – Benson Boone
    “Stargazing” – Myles Smith
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift

    Artist of the Year:
    Bad Bunny
    Benson Boone
    Chris Brown
    Jelly Roll
    Kendrick Lamar
    Lady Gaga
    Morgan Wallen
    Sabrina Carpenter
    Tate McRae
    Taylor Swift (WINNER)

    Pop Artist of the Year:
    Alex Warren
    Benson Boone
    Sabrina Carpenter (WINNER)
    Tate McRae
    Taylor Swift

    Pop Song of the Year:
    “Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
    “Pink Pony Club” – Chappell Roan
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift (WINNER)

    Best New Artist (Pop):
    Alex Warren (WINNER)
    Jessie Murph
    Myles Smith
    Ravyn Lenae
    sombr

    Duo/Group of the Year:
    HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI (WINNER)
    Linkin Park
    Maroon 5
    Shinedown
    Twenty One Pilots

    Best Collaboration:
    “All The Way” – BigXthaPlug ft. Bailey Zimmerman
    “APT.” – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars (WINNER)
    “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
    “Timeless” – The Weeknd ft. Playboi Carti
    “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red

    Country Song of the Year:
    “After All The Bars Are Closed” – Thomas Rhett
    “Good News” – Shaboozey (WINNER)
    “Liar” – Jelly Roll
    “Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
    “Whiskey Drink” – Jason Aldean

    Country Artist of the Year:
    Jason Aldean
    Jelly Roll
    Lainey Wilson
    Luke Combs
    Morgan Wallen (WINNER)

    Best New Artist (Country):
    Chase Matthew
    Ella Langley (WINNER)
    Hudson Westbrook
    Josh Ross
    Zach Top

    Country Album of the Year
    “I’m the Problem” — Morgan Wallen (WINNER)

    Hip-Hop Song of the Year:
    “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA (WINNER)
    “NOKIA” – Drake
    “Outside” – Cardi B
    “The Largest” – BigXthaPlug
    “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red

    Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:
    Cardi B
    GloRilla
    Kendrick Lamar (WINNER)
    Playboi Carti
    Tyler, The Creator

    Best New Artist (Hip-Hop):
    MOLIY
    PLUTO
    Real Boston Richey (WINNER)
    YKNIECE
    ZEDDY WILL

    R&B Song of the Year:
    “Burning Blue” – Mariah the Scientist
    “Folded” – Kehlani (WINNER)
    “MUTT” – Leon Thomas
    “Residuals” – Chris Brown
    “SOMEBODY LOVES ME” – PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake

    R&B Artist of the Year:
    Chris Brown (WINNER)
    Kehlani
    Leon Thomas
    Mariah the Scientist
    SZA

    Best New Artist (R&B):
    Jenevieve
    Kwn
    Leon Thomas (WINNER)
    Mariah the Scientist
    Sailorr

    R&B Album of the Year
    “PHOLKS” — Leon Thomas (WINNER)

    World Artist of the Year:
    Ayra Starr
    Jackson Wang
    JO1
    MOLIY (WINNER)
    Tyla

    Alternative Song of the Year:
    “Back To Friends” – sombr
    “Ensenada” – Sublime (WINNER)
    “One Eyed Bastard” – Green Day
    “Stargazing” – Myles Smith
    “The Contract” – Twenty One Pilots

    Alternative Artist of the Year:
    Cage the Elephant
    Green Day
    Linkin Park
    Sublime
    Twenty One Pilots (WINNER)

    Best New Artist (Alternative):
    · almost monday
    · Gigi Perez
    · Lola Young
    · Role Model
    · sombr (WINNER)

    Rock Song of the Year:
    “Afterlife” – Evanescence
    “Bad Guy” – Falling In Reverse ft. Saraya
    “Dance, Kid, Dance” – Shinedown
    “Even If It Kills Me” – Papa Roach
    “Heavy Is the Crown” – Linkin Park (WINNER)

    Rock Artist of the Year:
    Linkin Park
    Papa Roach
    Shinedown (WINNER)
    Sleep Token
    Three Days Grace

    Best New Artist (Rock):
    Architects
    Poppy
    Return to Dust
    Sleep Theory (WINNER)
    Spiritbox

    Dance Song of the Year:
    “Blessings” – Calvin Harris feat. Clementine Douglas
    “In My Arms” – ILLENIUM & HAYLA
    “No Broke Boys” – Disco Lines & Tinashe (WINNER)
    “Save My Love” – Marshmello, Ellie Goulding and AVAION
    “Won’t Be Possible” – Tiësto, Odd Mob & Goodboys

    Dance Artist of the Year:
    Calvin Harris
    David Guetta (WINNER)
    John Summit
    Martin Garrix
    Tiësto

    Dance Album of the Year
    “Mayhem” — Lady Gaga     (WINNER)

    Latin Pop/Urban Song of the Year:
    “Angel” – Grupo Frontera & Romeo Santos
    “DEGENERE” – Myke Towers & benny blanco
    “DtMF” – Bad Bunny (WINNER)
    “Qué Pasaría…” – Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny
    “Soltera” – Shakira

    Latin Pop/Urban Artist of the Year:
    Bad Bunny (WINNER)
    Feid
    J Balvin
    Karol G
    Shakira

    Best New Artist (Latin Pop/Urban):
    Alleh Mezher
    Beéle (WINNER)
    De La Rose
    Dei V
    Louis BPM

    Regional Mexican Song of the Year:
    “Amor Bonito” – Luis Angel “El Flaco” (WINNER)
    “El Amor De Mi Vida” – Calibre 50
    “Flores” – Xavi
    “Hecha Pa’ Mi” – Grupo Frontera
    “Lejos Estamos Mejor” – Eden Muñoz

    Regional Mexican Artist of the Year:
    Alejandro Fernández
    Carin León
    Fuerza Regida
    Grupo Frontera (WINNER)
    Luis Angel “El Flaco”

    Best New Artist (Regional Mexican):
    Clave Especial
    Edgardo Nuñez
    Los Dos De Tamaulipas (WINNER)
    Óscar Maydon
    Oscar Ortiz

    K-pop Artist of the Year:
    JENNIE
    j-hope
    Jin
    LISA
    ROSÉ (WINNER)

    K-pop Group of the Year:
    ATEEZ
    BLACKPINK
    ENHYPEN
    Stray Kids (WINNER)
    TWICE

    K-pop Song of the Year:
    “APT.” – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
    “Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI (WINNER)
    “JUMP” – BLACKPINK
    “Killin’ It Girl” – j-hope feat. GloRilla
    “like JENNIE” – JENNIE

    Best New Artist (K-pop):
    82Major
    AllDay Project
    Cortis (WINNER)
    Hearts2Hearts
    Meovv

    Songwriter of the Year:
    Amy Allen (WINNER)
    Ashley Gorley
    Cal Shapiro
    Charlie Handsome
    Julia Michaels

    Producer of the Year:
    Andrew Watt (WINNER)
    Dijon
    Jack Antonoff
    Max Martin & Shellback
    Sounwave

    Favorite Broadway Debut: *Socially Voted Category
    Ashley Graham, “Chicago”
    Cheryl Porter, “& Juliet”
    Durrell “Tank” Babbs, “Hell’s Kitchen”
    Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
    Jack Wolfe, “Hadestown”
    Kelsie Watts, “Six! The Musical”
    Lencia Kebede, “Wicked”
    Lizzy McAlpine, “Floyd Collins”
    Meg Donnelly, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
    Ne-Yo, “Hell’s Kitchen”
    Tom Felton, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” (WINNER)
    Trisha Paytas, “Beetlejuice”

    (New for 2026) Favorite TikTok Dance: *Socially Voted Category
    “Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
    “Gnarly” – KATSEYE
    “GO!” – CORTIS
    “Happen To Me” – Russell Dickerson
    “JUMP” – BLACKPINK
    “like JENNIE” – JENNIE
    “Midnight Sun” – Zara Larsson
    “MONA LISA” – j-hope (WINNER)
    “Revolving Door” – Tate McRae
    “SPAGHETTI” – LE SSERAFIM, j-hope
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift

    (New for 2026) Favorite Debut Album: *Socially Voted Category
    Addison Rae, “Addison”
    Alex Warren, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid” (WINNER)
    Audrey Hobert, “Who’s the Clown?”
    Calum Hood, “ORDER chaos ORDER”
    Coco Jones, “Why Not More?”
    JADE, “THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!”
    JENNIE, “Ruby”
    LISA, “Alter Ego”
    Michael Clifford, “SIDEQUEST”
    Perrie, “Perrie”
    sombr, “I Barely Know Her”
    Tucker Wetmore, “What Not To”

    Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category
    “Anxiety” – Doechii
    “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
    “Camera” – Ed Sheeran
    “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
    “DAISIES” – Justin Bieber
    “Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
    “Man I Need” – Olivia Dean
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift (WINNER)
    “undressed” – sombr
    “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” – RAYE

    Best Music Video: *Socially Voted Category
    “Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
    “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
    “BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE
    “Gabriela” – KATSEYE
    “JUMP” – BLACKPINK
    “like JENNIE” – JENNIE
    “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
    “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
    “Sapphire” – Ed Sheeran
    “Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)” – MOLIY, Shenseea, Skillibeng, Silent Addy
    “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift (WINNER)
    “toxic till the end” – ROSÉ

    Favorite On Screen: *Socially Voted Category
    AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, Kelly Rowland, “Building the Band”
    Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good”
    Bad Bunny, “Happy Gilmore 2”
    Becky G, “REBBECA”
    Ed Sheeran, “ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran: A Musical Experience”
    Jimin and Jungkook, “Are You Sure?!” (WINNER)
    Jonas Brothers, “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie”
    Karol G, “Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful”
    Lady Gaga, “Wednesday”
    LISA, “The White Lotus”
    Taylor Swift, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era”
    Zara Larsson, “Up Close”

    Favorite Tour Photographer: *Socially Voted Category
    Abby Waisler for Gracie Abrams
    Adam DeGross for Post Malone
    Anna Lee for Coldplay
    baeth for Tate McRae
    Chris Cornejo for Shakira
    Cynthia Parkhurst for Katy Perry
    Henry Hwu for Billie Eilish
    Hyghly for The Weeknd
    Joshua Halling for Oasis
    Rahul Bhatt for KATSEYE (WINNER)
    Thomas Falcone for Shawn Mendes
    Tom Pallant for YUNGBLUD

    Favorite Soundtrack: *Socially Voted Category
    “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (Original Soundtrack)”
    “F1 the Album”
    “Frankenstein (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)”
    “KPop Demon Hunters” (WINNER)
    “Nobody Wants This Season 2: The Soundtrack”
    “Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
    “Smurfs Movie Soundtrack (Music From & Inspired By)”
    “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”
    “Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
    “Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack”
    “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (Original Soundtrack)”

    Favorite Tour Style: *Socially Voted Category
    Bad Bunny, “DeBí TiRaR MáS FOtoS World Tour”
    Beyoncé, “Cowboy Carter Tour”
    Billie Eilish, “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour”
    BLACKPINK, “Deadline World Tour”
    Dua Lipa, “Radical Optimism Tour”
    Ella Langley, “Still Hungover Tour”
    KATSEYE, “Beautiful Chaos Tour”
    Lady Gaga, “The Mayhem Ball”
    Sabrina Carpenter, “Short n’ Sweet Tour”
    Tate McRae, “Miss Possessive Tour”
    Taylor Swift, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” (WINNER)
    Zara Larsson, “Midnight Sun Tour”

    Favorite Tour Tradition: *Socially Voted Category
    Benson Boone, Cover song
    Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & Rumi on stage
    Billie Eilish, “when the party’s over” silent loop
    Coldplay, Crowd cam (WINNER)
    Dua Lipa, Surprise guest
    Jonas Brothers, Surprise guest
    KATSEYE, “Gnarly” dance break
    Lainey Wilson, Cowgirl of the night
    ROLE MODEL, Sally
    Sabrina Carpenter, Celebrity “Juno” arrest
    Tate McRae, Fan cam on stage
    Zara Larsson, “Lush Life” star

    (New for 2026) Favorite K-pop Collab: *Socially Voted Category
    “Blink” – Corbyn Besson & TZUYU of TWICE
    “BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE
    “BUCK” – Jackson Wang feat. Diljit Dosanjh
    “Confessions” – Flo Rida, HEESEUNG & JAKE of ENHYPEN, Paul Russell
    “Dirty Work” – aespa feat. Flo Milli
    “ExtraL” – JENNIE, Doechii
    “EYES CLOSED” – JISOO X ZAYN
    “Illegal + SEVENTEEN” – PinkPantheress, SEVENTEEN
    “On My Mind” – Alex Warren & ROSÉ
    “Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)” – j-hope, Miguel (WINNER)
    “TOO BAD” – G-DRAGON feat. Anderson .Paak
    “WE PRAY (TWICE Version)” – Coldplay, TWICE, Burna Boy, Elyanna, TINI, Little Simz