“Frankenstein,” One Battle After Another” and ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps” won top film honors at the 30th Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) Excellence in Production Design Awards.
The awards were handed out on Saturday night at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
TV winners included “Andor,” “Severance” and “The Studio.”
The event celebrated the visionary production design teams behind the year’s most visually ambitious films, television series, and music projects, recognizing outstanding achievement in the art of cinematic and episodic world-building.
Martin also won a second award for her work on the Prada “Galleria Bag” commercial.
As Oscar voting is open, Deverell and Martin are both nominated in the production design category. The other nominees are for “Hamnet” (Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton), “Marty Supreme” (Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis) and “Sinners” (Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne).
“Kpop Demon Hunters” continued its winning streak, collecting the ADG Award in feature animation. This past week it won 10 Annie Awards including best feature and three Visual Effects Society trophies. It also won the Producers Guild award.
The guild handed out special honors tonight to filmmaker Jon M. Chu, whoreceived the Cinematic Imagery Award. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) was presented with the set for the President’s Award. Production designer Thomas E. Sanders, (”Saving Private Ryan” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”) was inducted posthumously into the ADG Hall of Fame. The guild handed out four Lifetime Achievement Awards. Honorees included set designer and art director Jann Engel. Production designer Bo Welch. Production designer Tom Southwell and scenic artist Stephen McNally.
Welch whose credits include “Men in Black,” “The Birdcage” and “Beetlejuice” dedicated his award to “my brilliant beautiful wife Catherine O’Hara and our sons Matthew and Luke, who all inspire me daily and are my greatest lifetime achievement.” O’Hara died on last month at her Los Angeles home, and was married to Welch.
During her speech Friedman vowed to defend the film and television industry. Friedman who has been fighting for a national film credit, started her speech by talking about how films show the world what America is. “It’s why people was in immigrate here in the first place. It’s why people in other countries that don’t enjoy those freedoms understand what that would mean to their lives and to the lives of their children. So what you do does move hearts and minds.”
Friedman told the room she had stopped reading from the teleprompter, and was speaking from the heart. She said, “We are going to finish the job of having a national film tax credit, because Hollywood is worth fighting for. The film industry is worth fighting for.”
She said, “I will defend this industry. I will defend it from offshoring productions. I will defend it as much as I can from corporate consolidation. I will absolutely defend it from AI taking away the work of artists.” Friedman continued, “We’re going to fight for it in Georgia, New York, New Jersey, all across this country, because when we have a strong film and TV industry, America succeeds. So we are going to continue working on this tax credit. I have great faith that we are going to deliver for you.”
Chu was mourning the end of his “Wicked” journey. As he accepted his award, he said, “Have you ever put so much love into something like true love that you never wanted it to end like it hurts, like it physically hurts your stomach to think about your life without it.” He said, “That’s where I’m at right now with ‘Wicked.’ That’s what it feels like for me to say goodbye to ‘Wicked,’ because this may be one of the last times I get to celebrate it.” He talked about the craft of production design and called on those who he had worked with throughout his career from Nelson Coates (“In the Heights”) to Nathan Crowley (“Wicked”). Chu called filmmaking “an empathy exercise built into our culture for generations, and design is what makes it possible. It is the official language of this connection.” He told the room of production designer and set decorators, “You are not simply designers. I think you are explorers.”
Full list of 30th ADG Awards winners below:
FEATURE FILM NOMINEES:
PERIOD FEATURE FILM
“Frankenstein” Production Designer: Tamara Deverell
FANTASY FEATURE FILM
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Production Designer: Kasra Farahani
CONTEMPORARY FEATURE FILM
“One Battle After Another” Production Designer: Florencia Martin
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“KPop Demon Hunters” Production Designers: Mingjue Helen Chen, Dave Bleich
TELEVISION NOMINEES:
ONE-HOUR PERIOD SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Palm Royale: “Maxine Drinks Martini’s Now,” “Maxine Serves a Swerve” Production Designer: Jon Carlos
ONE-HOUR FANTASY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Andor: “Who Are You?” Production Designer: Luke Hull
ONE-HOUR CONTEMPORARY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Severance: “Chikhai Bardo” Production Designer: Jeremy Hindle
TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Monster: The Ed Gein Story Production Designer: Matthew Flood Ferguson
HALF-HOUR SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
The Studio: “The Note” Production Designer: Julie Berghoff
MULTI-CAMERA SERIES
Mid-Century Modern: “Bye, George” Production Designer: Glenda Rovello
VARIETY OR REALITY SERIES
Saturday Night Live: “Lady Gaga Host” Production Designers: Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood, N. Joseph De Tullio, Andrea Purcigliotti
VARIETY SPECIAL
SNL50: The Anniversary Special Production Designers: Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood, N. Joseph De Tullio
COMMERCIALS
Prada: “Galleria Bag” Production Designer: Florencia Martin
SHORT FORMAT & MUSIC VIDEOS
Apple – Someday by Spike Jonze: “AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelation” Production Designer: Shane Valentino
The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) is supporting the ongoing attacks by the U.S. and Israel in Iran that have caused the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei prompting the possibility of seismic political changes.
“The Islamic regime in Iran, following the national uprising and tragic massacre of January 2025, has left its defenseless citizens with no option but to seek urgent humanitarian intervention from the international community,” the organization – which claims to represent hundreds of members of Iran’s dissident film community – said in a statement.
Over 40,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Jan. 8-9 crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests.
“In this context, the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) calls upon the international community to uphold Iran’s sovereignty and to prioritize the protection of tens of millions of citizens held hostage by the Islamic regime,” the statement added.
“We advocate for targeted actions against government officials and oppressive agents while avoiding harm to innocent civilians,” it continued. “It is essential to put an end to this archaic cycle of patriarchal violence.”
Top Iranian auteurs such as Jafar Panahi, Asghar Farhadi and Mohamed Rasoulof have yet to weigh in with public statements on the joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran. Besides Khamanei, the air strikes have also killed Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister, according to Iran’s state state-run IRNA news agency and other news outlets.
Iran has retaliated to the air strikes by launching missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
The effects of the attacks on Iranian civilians were not immediately clear. HRANA, a Washington-based Iranian rights group, said late Saturday that at least 133 civilians had been killed and that 200 others had been injured. The U.S. and Israeli militaries have not immediately commented.
Meanwhile massive explosions are being reported on Sunday in the Iranian capital of Tehran where on Saturday celebrations for the supreme leader’s death with fireworks and dancing in the streets reportedly took place but there were also protests on the part of Khamenei supporters.
Iranian regime change is considered a complicated matter due to the regime’s deep roots in the country despite widespread opposition. The political vacuum could evolve in unpredictable ways.
Dedicated to honoring the best achievements in music supervision and songwriting, winners on the TV side included the music supervisors of “The Lowdown” and “The Studio.”
Raphael Saadiq’s “I Lied To You” (co-written with Ludwig Göransson), from Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” won for Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film. Saadiq was also awarded the Icon Award for his contributions to the music and film industry.
Robin Kaye, a music producer, supervisor and former Vice President of the Guild of Music Supervisors, was honored posthumously with the Legacy Award. “American Idol’s” Alejandro Aranda honored Kaye with a touching tribute performance.
The evening featured a number of live performances, including Saadiq’s rendition of “I Lied To You” alongside Ludwig Göransson and special guest Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes on guitars. From “Diane Warren: Relentless,” Diane Warren, Sharon Farber and Eden Kontesz performed the Oscar and GMS Award–nominated “Dear Me,” and from “Dark Winds,” Keith Secola performed the GMS Award–nominated “NDN Kars.” Cris Chil debuted her new song “15K.”
John Legend, Kate Hudson and Flavor Flav all made appearances at the award ceremony.
The event is produced by the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Production Committee: President Lindsay Wolfington, Vice President Heather Guibert, Janet Lopez, Priya Autrey, and Joel C High. Show Production is handled by Angelia Shepperd from ABS Collective with Talent Producer Julie Donsky and Technical Production by Nick Urbom from Big Push Media Group.
See the complete winners list below.
FILM
Best Music Supervision in Major Budget Films
Niki Sherrod, “Sinners”
Best Music Supervision in Mid-Level Budget Films
Gabe Hilfer, “Marty Supreme”
Best Music Supervision in Low Budget Films
Sarah Bromberg, Stephanie Diaz-Matos, “One of Them Days”
Best Music Supervision in a Non-Theatrically Released Film
Frankie Pine, “Nonnas”
Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film
“I Lied to You” from Sinners, Music Supervisor: Niki Sherrod, Performer: Miles Caton , Songwriters: Ludwig Göransson, Raphael Saadiq
TELEVISION
Best Music Supervision in a Television Drama
Tiffany Anders, “The Lowdown” (Season 1)
Best Music Supervision in a Television Comedy
Gabe Hilfer, “The Studio” (Season 1)
Best Music Supervision in Reality Television
Meryl Ginsberg, Sara Torres, Jordan Young, “Love Island USA” (Season 7)
Best Song Written and/or Recorded for Television
“Dialing In” from “Smoke” (Season 1), Music Supervisor: Mary Ramos, Performer: Thom Yorke, Songwriter: Thom Yorke
DOCUMENTARIES
Best Music Supervision in a Documentary Film
Amanda Clemens, Jody Colero, “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery”
Best Music Supervision in a Docuseries
Deborah Mannis-Gardner, “Hip Hop Was Born Here” (Season 1)
ADVERTISING
Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Synch)
Nellie Rajabi, Jonathan Wellbelove, Apple – “iPhone 17 Pro | The Ultimate Pro”
Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Original Music)
Patrick Lawrence Zappia, Gap – “Give Your Gift. (2025)”
Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Long-Form)
Julian Drucker, Yogi Tea – “The Theory of Spice”
TRAILERS
Best Music Supervision in a Trailer (Film)
Adam Konger, Sanaz Lavaedian, Marina Polites, “One Battle After Another” (Official Trailer 2)
Best Music Supervision in a Trailer (Series)
Scenery Samundra, Gregory Sweeney, “The White Lotus: Season 3” (Official Trailer)
Best Music Supervision in a Trailer (Video Game & Interactive)
“Heated Rivalry” costars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams reunited on “Saturday Night Live” on Feb. 28. During a sketch filmed outside the Rink at Rockefeller Center, Storrie played a guy on a bachelor party, ice skating and having fun with his friends.
Meanwhile, a couple (Tommy Brennan and Veronika Slowikowska) discussed their relationship — he proposed, she said no, and they got into a fight. However, he couldn’t help but get distracted by the group having fun — Storrie, Mikey Day and Ben Marshall.
Around midway through the sketch, Hudson then came skating out on the ice to an excited Storrie. “Sorry I’m late, fellas, but I have a serious question: Who’s read the skate their butts off?” he asked.
Later, the group skated in a four-person train, and Williams says it’s the most fun he’s ever had. At the end of the sketch, Brennan hopped into the rink, ditching his now-ex to celebrate with the guys he didn’t know.
A few moments later on “SNL,” Williams came back out to introduce Mumford and Sons, alongside Storrie.
Storrie is best known for playing Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov on the steamy Crave series “Heated Rivalry,” opposite Williams, who plays his love interest/rival Shane Hollander.
“Now, some of you may have seen literally all of me on my show. It’s a show that has taught a lot of people about hockey, and it’s taught a lot of straight women that their sexuality is actually gay guy,” Storrie said when he opened the show. He later brought out both the women’s and men’s Olympic hockey teams.
“I got my teeth knocked out in the finals. Does that happen in your show?” Jack Hughes asked Storrie, who cheekily responded, “Metaphorically.”
Taskovski Films has come on board as the sales agent for “We Have to Survive,” which has its world premiere at the Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival, which runs March 5-15.
The film, written and directed by Tomáš Krupa, reveals the challenges of a changing world, and the quiet strength of those living through it, illustrated with a number of character-driven stories.
The film travels from the fragile Outer Banks of the U.S., where the ocean slowly reclaims the land, to the vast Mongolian desert, where a family plants trees against the wind, and on to the underground town of Coober Pedy in Australia, where people build their lives beneath the burning earth, and the icy shores of Greenland, where ancient fishing traditions have new beginnings.
Irena Taskovski, head of acquisitions at Taskovski Films, says: “ ‘We Have to Survive’ brings us face to face with lives already reshaped by a changing climate. But it is not just the scale of the crisis, but the human dignity, and care that emerge within it. These stories remind us that climate change is not distant, it is lived, shared, and deeply human. At a time when the future can feel uncertain, Tomáš Krupa’s film offers something essential: a sense of connection, responsibility, and a reminder that we are all under the same sky.”
The film is produced by Krupa for Hailstone. The co-producers are Christian Popp (Yuzu Productions), Peter Drössler (Golden Girls Film), and Arash T. Riahi (Golden Girls Film). Cinematography is by Martin Čech and Ondřej Szollos.
Krupa was the recipient of the Sun in a Net National Film Award, the IGRIC Film and TV National Award, and the Slovak Film Critics’ Award for his feature documentary “The Good Death” (2018).
In 2013, he founded his production company, Hailstone, which focuses on creative documentaries and art-house feature films.
His profile was recognized internationally when he was selected for the Emerging Producers 2020 program, presented at Ji.hlava Intl. Documentary Festival. Most recently, he co-produced the Austrian-Slovak historical drama “Perla,” which won Best Austrian Film at Viennale in 2025.
Joey Bueno Breese has been named the recipient of the $10,000 2026 Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award for his film “El Rio Nuestro.” At the same time, Devin O’Guinn received the $2,500 Audience Award for his film “Julian.” Both winners were presented with their prizes during a special ceremony on Friday at Frieze Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Airport.
Now in its seventh year, the Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film supports early-career filmmakers in Los Angeles and is produced in collaboration with Ghetto Film School.
Jury award jurors included Emmy- and Golden Globe–nominated actor and producer Connie Britton; Claudio de Sanctis, Head of Private Bank and member of the Management Board at Deutsche Bank; Ché Chisholm, Chief Executive Officer of Ghetto Film School; Oscar–winning director Orlando von Einsiedel; and Jorge Villon, founder of Grace Lab.
“In its seventh year, the Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award continues to spotlight filmmakers whose work reflects the courage and imagination of this city,” Americas, Frieze director Christine Messineo said. “This year, the films respond to the theme of Renewal and Resilience in deeply personal and socially aware ways – from confronting histories to finding new purpose. The fellows remind us that storytelling is a vital tool for transformation, both for the artist and the community.”
“Julian”
The shortlisted films were presented online and at the fair. Since its launch in 2019, the Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award has supported more than 40 fellows, serving as an incubator for next-generation talent within the industry.
“In celebrating the 2026 Deutsche Bank Frieze LA Film Awards, I extend my warmest congratulations to Joey Bueno Breese, this year’s Jury Award recipient, and to Devin O’Guinn, honored with the Audience Award,” de Sanctis said. “Their work leaves a lasting impression on all who engage with it. At Deutsche Bank, we are proud to champion artists whose creativity challenges and enriches cinematic expression.”
“Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” took home the live action feature awards at the 76th ACE Eddie Awards.
“Sinners” editor Michael Shawver said, “Ryan Coogler took a big risk, and I think gave audiences something that maybe they didn’t even know they were hungry for something new, different, fun, and total experience.”
“KPop Demon Hunters” took home the award for best edited animated feature film.
The awards were handed out Friday night at UCLA’s Royce Hall, and to Oscar watchers provided insight into the Oscars race for best editing. The winners in best film drama editing and best film comedy/musical editing has gone on to match the best editing Oscar 17 times in the past 26 years.
“The Perfect Neighbor” took home the award for best edited documentary. The Netflix documentary is also nominated for an Oscar in the best documentary category.
Damian Rodriguez who won best edited documentary series for “Pee-wee as Himself” – Part One dedicated his win to team and Paul Reuben. Rodriguez said, “We wouldn’t be here without him. He was such an amazing artist, and he influenced so many people, including myself. I wish he was here.”
On the TV side, “The Studio” and “The Pitt” won in their respective categories for best edited comedy and best edited drama.
The ACE Eddies recognize outstanding editing in film, television, documentaries, shorts and digital content. Ang Lee received the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award. Kim Larson & YouTube Will were honored with the ACE Visionary Award, and Film Editors Arthur Forney, ACE, and Robert Leighton were given ACE Career Achievement Awards.
Lee dedicated his award to his go-to editor Tim Squyres. “When you give me this award, you actually give me it to Tim Squyres.” Lee shared how Squyres had cut all his movies except “Brokeback Mountain.” “He missed that one because I told him, after ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ I’m retiring, I said ‘I had enough.’ So he took another movie.” Lee said he had stuck with Squyres for over 35 years.
Speaking about what editing means to Lee, he said, “It’s very hard to say, but let me put this way, my wife said, I can only do two things, right, making movies and cooking. So let me use cooking as a metaphor. Shooting is like buying groceries, and the real cooking is on the editing table. That’s how I feel about editing. I’ve feel I have this editing machine in my head when I’m making movies, every section, every setup, editing is at the center of my consciousness. Every working day I have to answer, hundreds of questions about what I want. The only reason I can give directions and put the whole movie together is because I have that editing table in my head.” Lee added, “We’re in a particularly difficult moment, challenging moment, in our life of cinema. But I do believe, as long as there is as long as there are moving images, there will be editors.”
Erin Casper who won best edited short for “All The Empty Rooms” that goes into the bedrooms of children killed in US school shootings, dedicated her win to the victims and the families “who opened their doors to us and welcomed us into their sacred spaces of their child’s bedroom preserved just as it was since the last day they saw their child alive.” She went on to say, “The word gun is never mentioned in our film, and this was intentional on our part, because we’ve all grown so numb to this epidemic.”
She said their goal was to center the humanity and “the life that was in these rooms.”
“South Park’s” Twisted Christian episode won best edited animated series. During his acceptance speech, editor David List said, “It was especially gratifying to work on these last 10 episodes because Trey and Matt really, really went for it. They challenged the boundaries of censorship and how far all of us can exercise our First Amendment rights, whether it’s political commentary, mocking celebrity or that expertly timed fart joke.” He added, “Our freedom of speech should ultimately be protected and celebrated regardless of political party affiliation.”
Full list of winners below.
EDITED FEATURE FILM (Drama, Theatrical) “Sinners” Michael P. Shawver
BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (Comedy, Theatrical) “One Battle After Another” Andy Jurgensen
BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM “KPop Demon Hunters” Nathan Schauf
BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY FEATURE “The Perfect Neighbor” Viridiana Lieberman
BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES “Pee-wee as Himself – Part One” Damian Rodriguez
BEST EDITED MULTI-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES “Frasier” (Murder Most Finch) Russell Griffin, ACE
BEST EDITED SINGLE CAMERA COMEDY SERIES “The Studio” (The Promotion) Eric Kissack, ACE
BEST EDITED DRAMA SERIES “The Pitt” (6pm) Mark Strand, ACE
BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (NON-THEATRICAL) “A Winter’s Song” Yvette M. Amirian, ACE
BEST EDITED LIMITED SERIES “The Penguin” (A Great or Little Thing) Henk van Eeghen, ACE
BEST EDITED REALITY SERIES “Conan O’Brien Must Go” (Austria) Matthew Shaw, ACE Brad Roelandt
BEST EDITED VARIETY TALK/SKETCH SHOW OR SPECIAL “Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special” Paul Del Gesso Christopher Salerno Ryan Spears Sean Mcilraith, ACE Ryan Mcilraith Daniel Garcia
BEST EDITED ANIMATED SERIES “South Park” (Twisted Christian) David List Nate Pellettieri
BEST EDITED SHORT “All The Empty Rooms” Erin Casper, ACE Stephen Maing Jeremy Medoff
ANNE V. COATES AWARD FOR STUDENT EDITING Luis Barragan – California State University, Fullerton
Is the 1977 album “The Beach Boys Love You” a classic and essential part of this great American band’s catalog, or a lark? It’s so different from virtually every other album the group ever recorded over a nearly 50-year period, there will always be some split over that — maybe even internally, because even core member Al Jardine says he wasn’t that high on the record until relatively recently. But it’s fair to say that if you are really, really, really into the recorded output of Brian Wilson, there’s an outstanding chance you have consumed whatever Kool-Aid is necessary to have joined the choir of fans who have been singing the praises of “Love You” ever since it came out and flopped.
Now, it’s getting its due and then some. Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band — which is essentially the group that toured with Brian Wilson as a solo artist for many years — have been doing tour dates where they’ve performed most of the “Love You” album live. On Friday night, for the very first time ever, the ensemble will play the entire record, not leaving out a single track. Anyone who has heard them perform any of this material live will know it’s well worth the pilgrimage… as is any set of theirs that’s mostly limited to the core canon, given how faithfully they have been bringing any Brian song to full-fleshed life for decades before and months since the pop genius’ death.
Before a different SoCal show recently, Variety caught up backstage with Jardine and one of the key architects of the Brian Wilson/Pet Sounds Band, Darian Sahanaja, who was known as a member of the L.A. group the Wondermints before he began training virtually all his passion onto the Wilson ouevre. Following is an edited version of that conversation.
In the meantime, for anyone reading this before Friday night’s show, it takes place at the United Theater on Broadway in downtown L.A. at 8 p.m. Tickets can be found here. For an itinerary of other upcoming shows, in which a good chunk of “Love You” might still be played, check here.
(For those who can’t make it to a show — or those who can — there is also a new boxed set out from UMe that focuses on the “Love You” album and its outtakes, along with material from right before and after that project. Read more about that collection in Variety‘s previous coverage here.)
Al Jardine: We should bring in some of the fellas in the band, because it’s fascinating from their point of view. They’re the ones that talked me into doing this “Love You” album. It’s a pretty big deal. They call Darian the librarian. He’s got all this stuff in the back of his head, and he wanted to do this in a bad way. And I thought it was a great way to put the band back together, after Brian passed. Well, even before Brian passed, we’d been trying to get the band back together.
Did it help, in reforming Brian’s band, to have kind of an excuse to do something different than what you were doing when he was around?
Jardine: Yeah, it gave us a focus a priority, this long-awaited completion of the idea to do the “Love You” album and bring it to the forefront of our activity, musically. The band hadn’t worked since ’22, and I just wanted to to get it back together. Thanks to Darian, we’d been sharing this idea for quite a while, but for some reason, it just never happened while Brian was with us, even though it was a very personal thing for him, especially. Who knows why. But it’s happening. [To Darian] I’m so glad you convinced me, because we kept going back and forth. He said, “If you do this, if we accomplish this, people are gonna come out of the cities, they’re gonna come out of the woods, Al…”
Darian Sahanaja: Yeah, you were doubtful. I think you were kind of like, “Really? People like that album?”
Jardine: Well, it was very, very understated, and my participation in it was (just) as a vocalist, coming out of the woods in Big Sur to come down to do a session. It was a major thing in itself, just physically and mentally getting into the process of recording it, and it didn’t sound like a Beach Boy album to me. It was great, but it seemed like more of a Brian project, which of course it was. It was dedicated to him by his brothers, and particularly Carl (Wilson). Carl was the de facto producer, really, and pulled us all together so that Brian would be at ease, writing these songs.
Sahanaja: He was coming out of an era when he was sort of hiding out in his room and not really doing much. Well, there was that whole “Brian’s back” campaign, right?
Jardine: With “15 Big Ones” [the album immediately preceding “The Beach Boys Love You”]. And he wasn’t really entirely back. It was a big promotion that Mike (Love) put together with his brother, trying to make something out of nothing, quite honestly.
Sahanaja: But the way you described how Brian put this music together and brought you guys in sort of in the late stage to sing on it, I don’t know why, but I see that as a very similar — maybe in a completely different context —to the way you did “Pet Sounds” [in the mid-‘60s]. Because in the same way, you guys were on tour, so it was very personal for Brian at the time. He put all the tracks together, and then the guys came into town and you laid down the tracks. I almost see that as a similar approach for Brian. And that’s why I consider “Love You” probably Brian’s second-most-personal album, after “Pet Sounds,” because basically, he wrote all the songs. I mean, even more personal in a way, because he wrote most of the lyrics. With “Pet Sounds,” he had Tony (Asher as lyricist), as you know.
Jardine: Of course, Mike and I did write a couple songs, but they pale in comparison to his personal stuff. It’s just remarkable. And I admit I didn’t really appreciate it, because we were in the hit mode. We were on tour all the time. We were like, “We gotta have another hit. We gotta have another single.” And this wasn’t about that.
Sahanaja: Well, that’s why Brian is an artist. He takes risks, he does things… If they fail, they fail. If they’re successful, they’re successful.
Jardine: I mean, I don’t even remember singing some of this stuff. I don’t remember singing on “Solar System,” for instance.
Sahanaja: You are in that vocal stack.
Jardine: Am I? Are you sure? You would know. He (Sahanaja) knows how to pull this stuff out. But who writes a song with that kind of context, about the planets? t’s just beautiful.
Sahanaja: Very sincere, very childlike.
Jardine: You know, “Airplane.” Oh my God. “Airplane” is one of my favorites of all time.Now I’m completely…
Sahanaja: Well, this was my favorite thing in the process of all this, is how he was skeptical at first, and just to watch him become reoriented with this music again and discovering it… maybe because the first time, it wasn’t successful, so onto the next… I love seeing him getting really, really into the music and realizing, “God, these are really, really beautiful songs.” And of course, in the wake of us losing Brian, it’s just his soul and his spirit are with us…
Jardine: He’s right there. He’s right there.
Sahanaja: That’s how we feel on stage. Every time we play these songs. I’m just like, ahhh, you can feel Brian’s soul.
Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band at Cerritos Center
Chris Willman/Variety
Jardine: The guys in the band carry these leads really well, and do it justice. You carry Carl’s leads amazingly. How you do that? “God, please let us go on this way…” You won’t believe that, his performance, how he carries the spirit of Carl. Dennis (Wilson)…
Sahanaja: I don’t do Dennis. “I Want to Pick You Up”… I can’t really sing that like Dennis. … To be fair, I’ve met people who maybe are not big fans of the record for one reason or another, but I would imagine a lot of it is because the way it’s executed is very raw…
Jardine: Well, the amazing thing, it’s a synth-driven record, right? And your peers relate to that. Brian was in the forefront of all that stuff. He didn’t use bass guitars on this. He had a Moog synthesizer [as the bass]. It was a different style of production than the Beach Boys were accustomed to. And he literally brought that world to us, and so I’m sitting there with a guitar and going, “What the hell am I supposed to do?” So I really didn’t relate in that sense musically to it at first. Now I get it, because it’s so cleverly written.
Sahanaja: With all the synths and really odd sort of production decision-making on it, I think it appealed to that next generation, especially going into the ‘80s and beyond, because it’s got that synth-pop thing going on. But, typical Brian: he wasn’t intellectualizing it at all. He wasn’t calculating it. He was like, “This sounds good to me and I could do this. I can just grab a keyboard and play these notes, and there it is. I’m happy.” But the way it all came together in that sort of DIY approach, little did he know…
Jardine: But at the same time, he writes a song called “Roller Skating Child,” which is totally Beach Boys. That almost harkens back to the days. And “Honkin’ Down the Highway,” those two that are like that, I could relate to, and I sing the lead on (“Honkin’”). It just feels natural to me when you feel Brian’s.ability to go backwards and forwards, or retro and future. Amazing. I learned a new chord, by the way, the other day, in my book. Did you know there’s a sus4 in “Roller Skating Child”?
Sahanaja: Is there?
Jardine: That’s what it says. I found a little book in my stack of memorabilia called “The Beach Boys: Volume One.” It’s got all the songs that we wrote, and “The Beach Boys Love You” is in it, of all things. So, look at me. showing him some new chords.
Sahanaja: I’ve gotta take a look.I’ll have to check that. Because Brian didn’t like sus; he didn’t like sustained chords.
Jardine: Well, maybe the book’s wrong, then!
Darian Sahanaja
Scott Dudelson
When you guys are playing the “Love You” songs now, have you rearranged it to fit in a little more with the other classic Beach Boys stuff that doesn’t sound anything like that, or are you trying to recreate the original synthy sounds?
Sahanaja: It’s one thing is to say recreating. Another thing is just to embody the spirit and feel of the record, the original sensibilities of the record, which was Brian’s … It’s like when we do “Pet Sounds.” You can cut corners and simplify the chords and all that, but that’s not what Brian wrote, and that’s not what he came up with in the studio. So you can say, “Yeah, let’s get the exact paint-by-numbers thing,” but if you do paint by numbers but if it’s not done with the right feel and the spirit of it…
Jardine: They nail it. This band, they nail it.
Paul Von Mertens (multi-instrumentalist and musical director): I remember during “Pet Sounds” (on a tour performing that entire album), we would even debate in rehearsal … There’s a funny banjo entrance. You know, is that a mistake or intentional? “No, let’s keep it because it’s on there.”
Sahanaja: And even one in this record. How about “Johnny Carson”? It’s so clearly a mistake. There’s this errant symbol crash that’s completely not (right), and we just love it, because, again, I picture Brian just going, “Pssssh, that’s it! That sounds great.Keep it.”
Jardine: Well, how about in the third verse? Is it the third verse where he goes “da-da-da” and he does the resolve.
Sahanaja: Yes, yes, you’re right.
Jardine: And Bob (in the Pet Sounds Band) plays it just like it! He plays the mistake, perfectly.
Sahanaja: I gives it an out-of-the-box feel. It’s just like, what? But when you listen back to even the golden-era Beach Boys recordings of Brian conducting the studio musicians (in the mid-‘60s), many times they’ll play something and say, “Is that right?” And Brian will go, “Yeah, that’s great. Just keep that,” because he just loves the vibe of it.
Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band joined by Weird Al Yankovic and Eric Idle in concert in Cerritos, Calif, with Rob Bonfiglio.
Scott Dudelson
It feels like there might be different audiences coming to shows like this. There are some people coming who really just want to hear “The Beach Boys Love You.” And then at most of these shows, there will be people who don’t know the albu at all. Do you feel like there’s kinda like two audiences that you’re playing for?
Jardine: Probably, I’m sure.
Sahanaja: I don’t know. In the spirit of Brian Wilson, I like the idea that we just forge ahead and be bold.
Von Mertens: I think that the idea is partly to bring the audience along with us. I can remember on the “Smile” tour, we were playing a festival in Belgium, and it was kind of drizzling on a soccer field, and there were beer stands encircling the entire field where the audience was. We hadn’t been playing “Smile” for very long. and we’re playing this outdoor festival and people are sliding around in the mud. And I remember the whole band — Jeff (Foskett) in particular — was like, “We can’t do ‘Smile.’ They’re gonna kill us! They’re gonna hate it.” And finally we just like bit the bullet and said, “OK, we’re gonna do it and we’re just gonna throw down like we always do.” When we finished the set, we left the stage and the audience was singing that soccer chant that they do that’s like an audio equivalent of a standing ovation. They were all going, “Ohhh-wayyyy-ooh,” and we were like, “OK. I guess, I guess it worked.”
Sahanaja: Exactly. I always believe that if the material is really good and it’s performed well with love and care, it doesn’t matter if an audience is familiar with the music. I think they walk away feeling like, “Wow, that was really good.”
Jardine: But I do like the first note of the show… It’s an anthem, “California Girls,” and as soon as you hit that first ding.
Sahanaja: You’re making me sentimental because, because our dearly departed guitarist, Nick Walusko, I remember when I met him in 1983. And Nick would always say, “What Brian could do with just one note. Like the intro of ‘California Girls,’ listen, I know it’s one note, but it’s like a whole atmosphere in that one note.” And I totally understood that.
How many members of the Brian Wilson Band have carried over to this band now?
Jardine: There’s 12 on stage. All of us.
Sahanaja: Almost everybody; one of us, Probyn (Gregory), couldn’t do this tour because he was out with “Weird Al” Yankovic on that incredible, successful tour. So we have another fellow filling in for him named Emeen Zarookian, who plays with Micky Dolenz. It’s been really fun. … Just to go back really quickly to the audiences: I love that this new music, us performing the “Love You” material, is just because of its kind of DIY approach in the synths, and we’re getting a lot of young people coming out to the shows, and freaking out. We just see them chanting and jamming along and jumping and up and down. It’s insane. It’s great, because I know what they’re excited about: Brian being Brian, which is somebody eccentric…
Jardine: The big sing-along is a tune called “Ding Dang.” You know the album. It’s 52 seconds long, right? But it gets the audience; they go crazy immediately with the biggest reaction, and they start going “woo” with this, just carrying on like a bunch of kids. It’s really a childlike experience. We add a little extra, actually, at the end. We actually have a chord change now. We will surprise you with it.
The official “Survivor” podcast is hitting pause for Season 50.
“‘Survivor’ 50 was designed as a celebration, and it features one of the most exciting game designs we’ve ever done,” Probst said in a statement to Variety. “Because of that, we made a conscious decision not to immediately pull back the curtain while it was happening. We wanted fans to discover it on their own and experience it in real time. Then at the live finale, we’ll have the opportunity to reflect on all parts of the season together.”
“On Fire With Jeff Probst” debuted at the start of Season 44 in 2023. Each week, directly after a new episode aired on CBS, a new episode would reveal Probst giving listeners a look behind the curtain at the making of “Survivor,” sharing his view as the executive producer, showrunner and host.
Rick Devens joined Probst and producer Jay Wolff as co-host for Season 45; Dee Valladares co-hosted for 46; Charlie Davis joined for Season 47; Rachel LaMont took over for 48; and Jeremy Collins joined for 49.
“Survivor” 50 premiered on Feb. 25 and averaged 5.06 million viewers over its three-hour debut — the biggest same-day audience for Season 45’s penultimate episode in December 2023. It became CBS’ best Wednesday night performance since the Season 42 finale of “Survivor” in 2022.
The milestone “Survivor” is a huge one for CBS and Probst, as they introduce new twists, fan voting and celebrity twists. During the premiere, a Billie Eilish idol was revealed; a Jimmy Fallon twist and integration of Zac Brown and Mr. Beast will come later in the season — but the game won’t change, Probst promises.
“I think it’s a legitimate concern when you start adding layers like celebrities, that they can overshadow the game and take it off course,” he told Variety. “Our job was to make sure that we stayed true to what we’re doing on ‘Survivor,’ which is exploring this continuous social experiment. And now we’re adding another layer.”
Neil Sedaka, legendary singer-songwriter behind hits like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Bad Blood,” “Laughter in the Rain” and “Calendar Girl,” has died, a rep confirms to Variety. He was 86.
“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” a statement from the family reads. “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.”
A Brooklyn native and a veteran of the legendary “Brill Building” hit factory of the early ’60s, Sedaka scored three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and nine in the Top 10, primarily during his peak years in the early 1960s and a mid-’70s comeback assisted by Elton John (who performed with him on the 1975 No. 1 “Bad Blood”).
Sedaka also wrote many songs that were hits for other artists, most notably Connie Francis’ 1958 hit “Stupid Cupid” and, 17 years later, the Captain and Tennille’s breakthrough chart-topper “Love Will Keep Us Together.” He continued to tour and record for many years after his commercial peak.
Over the course of his six-decade-plus career, Sedaka was nominated for five Grammy awards (including one at the second-ever edition of the show in 1959). In 1983, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 1978 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“This is a gift I was born with,” Sedaka wrote on his website. “My main objective is to always top the last collection, raise the bar and reinvent Neil Sedaka.”
A member of the same Brooklyn generation that produced Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Carole King and many others, Sedaka was born on March 13, 1939 and grew up in the borough’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. He showed early musical aptitude and his second-grade teacher recommended piano lessons; within a couple of years he had successfully auditioned for a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music’s Preparatory Division for Children, which he continued to attend.
While he initially pursued classical music, he was bitten by the pop music bug as a teen. At the age of 13, a neighbor heard him playing piano and introduced him to her son, Howard Greenfield, who was three years older. However, the pair began a songwriting partnership that was to take them to the top of the pop charts multiple times over the following 25 years.
More to come…
Sedaka is survived by his wife, Leba Strassberg, whom he married in 1962, and his two children, Marc and Dara Sedaka.
