Variety Nominated for 98 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards

Metallica have announced that their annual ‘Metallica Night’ event with the San Francisco Giants baseball team will be returning for an eighth year.The event, which has previously seen Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield perform the national anthem and drummer Lars Ulrich throw out the ceremonial first pitch, has been cancelled for the past two seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic.This year’s ‘Metallica Night’ will take place on May 24 at Oracle Park – formerly AT&T Park – in San Francisco, as the Giants take on the New York Mets. Tickets are on sale here.“It’s a tradition that we’ve missed the last two seasons, so we’re really excited for the return of Metallica Night at Oracle Park with our hometown baseball team, the San Francisco Giants,” the band said in a statement.“This year marks the eighth time we’ll take the field for the National Anthem, first pitch, and a few other pre-game shenanigans, and it all takes place on Tuesday, May 24th against the New York Mets.”A post shared by Metallica (@metallica)Special packages for the event include a ticket to the game and a limited-edition Metallica/Giants T-shirt; a portion of the proceeds from every Metallica Night Special Event ticket sold will benefit the band’s All Within My Hands foundation.In 2020, Metallica‘s All Within My Hands Foundation donated $350,000 to a series of charities providing aid and care during the coronavirus crisis.“In the wake of the spread of the coronavirus, the most vulnerable people in our communities need help now more than ever,” Metallica said in a statement at the time.

Now only is Mikhail Baryshnikov one of the leading dancers of the 20th century, he is also a celebrated actor! Born in Riga, Latvia, on January 27, 1948, Mikhail began dazzling audiences with his ballet artistry throughout his teens. Despite his fame in Soviet Russia, Mikhail decided to defect to Canada in 1974 to explore other dance companies, eventually landing in the United States with the American Ballet Company, where he became the artistic director in 1980. In the decades following, he became a leader in organizing dance troupes and companies throughout the world. In 2000, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Claudia Eller Co-Editor-in-ChiefCall me skeptical but are we really to take seriously last week’s pronouncement that a full-blown movie production studio and sports arena are going to be built in space? Seems so ludicrous and way too sci-fi to me, but then maybe I’m just not space-wonk enough to buy it. We ran a story on Jan.

Guillermo del Toro, Jane Campion and Jeymes Samuel are among the honorees for this year’s Final Draft Awards recognizing achievements in screenwriting. Also being recognized at the 17th annual awards ceremony will be Nicole Holofcener, Danny Strong, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson.

Apple is among three double winners at the 73rd annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards, which the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences revealed today.

Brenda Robinson, an entertainment attorney, producer and partner at film financing and development company Gamechanger Films, has been elected the new chair of the board of directors at Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization behind the Spirit Awards.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorFilm editors Lillian E. Benson and Richard Chew will receive Career Achievement Awards for their outstanding contributions to film editing at the 72nd Annual ACE Eddie Awards, taking place on March 5 at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.“Lillian and Richard are rock star editors and represent the very best of our craft and profession,” said ACE president Kevin Tent.

stories along with best-in-class gameplay across different genres and we are looking forward to bringing more amazing experiences to the galaxy far, far away.” “Building on the previous successes of our EA relationship, this new collaboration highlights the trust and mutual respect shared between the world-class teams at EA, Respawn and Lucasfilm Games,” said Sean Shoptaw, SVP, Walt Disney Games. “Fostered by the expertise and passion within each team, we will create thrilling original games for diverse audiences across the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy.” “Working with Lucasfilm Games on a new FPS in the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy is a dream come true for me, as this is a story I have always wanted to tell,” said Peter Hirschmann, game director at Respawn.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLongtime film distribution executive Melvin “Duffy” Stanley Maron died Jan. 13 in Atlanta.

APA has signed Jana Morrison, the Canadian actress  who stars in the new Syfy comedy series, Astrid and Lilly Save the World, in a competitive situation.

The Art Directors Guild has announced nominations for the 26th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos and animation features, with nominees in the top categories including Licorice Pizza, Cruella, Dune, In The Heights, The White Lotus and Encanto.

Feature Film categories:PERIOD FEATURE FILM  The French Dispatch         Production Designer: Adam StockhausenLicorice Pizza         Production Designer: Florencia MartinNightmare Alley         Production Designer: Tamara DeverellThe Tragedy of Macbeth Production Designer:Stefan DechantWest Side Story        Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen FANTASY FEATURE FILM  Cruella Production Designer: Fiona CrombieDune Production Designer: Patrice VermetteGhostbusters: Afterlife Production Designer: François AudouyThe Green Knight  Production Designer: Jade HealyShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings   Production Designer: Sue Chan          CONTEMPORARY FEATURE FILM Candyman Production Designer: Cara BrowerDon’t Look Up     Production Designer: Clayton HartleyIn the Heights Production Designer: Nelson CoatesThe Lost Daughter Production Designer:Inbal WeinbergNo Time to Die Production Designer: Mark Tildesley           ANIMATED FEATURE FILM Encanto Production Designers: Ian Gooding, Lorelay BovéLuca Production Designer: Daniela StrijlevaThe Mitchells vs. the Machines Production Designer: Lindsey OlivaresRaya and the Last Dragon Production Designers: Paul Felix, Mingjue Helen Chen, Cory LoftisSing 2 Art Director: Olivier AdamTelevision categories:ONE-HOUR PERIOD OR FANTASY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIESFoundation: “The Emperor’s Peace” Production Designer: Rory CheyneThe Great: “Dickhead,” “Seven Days,” “Wedding” Designer: Francesca di MottolaLoki: “Glorious Purpose”                   Production Designer: Kasra FarahaniLost In Space: “Three Little Birds”  Production Designer: Alec HammondThe Witcher: “A Grain of Truth”  Production Designer: Andrew LawsONE-HOUR CONTEMPORARY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIESThe Handmaid’s Tale: “Chicago”     

J. Kim Murphy Manfred Thierry Mugler, a French fashion designer whose work was worn by some of the most prominent figures in entertainment, died on Sunday. He was 73 years old.Mugler’s death was confirmed through a post on his official Instagram.“We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr.

UPDATED with latest: There was a glut of great TV, movies and music to celebrate in 2021, but 2022 isn’t allowing much room for celebration.

After huge success on its first outing in 2020, HOME’s biennial Manchester Open Exhibition is back and bigger than before.

EXCLUSIVE: Jane Campion will have some new hardware on her mantel come March. The Power of the Dog writer-director and Oscar-winning The Piano scribe is set to receive the Art Directors Guild’s 2022 Cinematic Imagery Award.

The AFL-CIO’s Department for Professional Employees is urging Congress to increase federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to $565 million in fiscal year 2022 and the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities to $201 million each – funding levels that were passed by the House of Representatives in July.

HanWay Boards UK Debut

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentEgyptian producer, director, writer and mentor Marianne Khoury is being honored with the Legion of Honor, France’s highest prize.Khoury, who is the niece of late great Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, is a managing partner in prominent Cairo-based Misr International Films, which Chahine founded. She has directed several documentaries, most recently “Let’s Talk,” which premiered at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam in 2019 and interweaves a treasure trove of archive material with cinematic conversations between four women from different generations in her family.Besides having worked closely with Chahine, who was one of Arab cinema’s leading lights, Khoury –– who holds economic degrees from Cairo and Oxford Universities –– has shepherded some 30 Arab films and docs, many of which are centered around themes of identity, memory, marginalization and womanhood, and launched Zawya, which is Egypt’s first art house cinema circuit.

Advocates for the creative economy — from the head of a performing arts center to a venue owner, an actor and an Actors’ Equity exec — lobbied Congress today to shore up the industry before it’s too late amid an ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorLaura Miele knows that video gaming is having a big moment.The industry veteran, who was named chief operating officer of gaming giant Electronic Arts in September, also knows that well-heeled competitors are ready to barrel into the sector that is becoming ever-more intertwined with Hollywood’s core businesses.On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Miele says EA is fortified for heightened competition from streaming platforms by its 40-year history of creating game franchises ranging from “The Sims” to “Madden NFL” to its partnership with Lucasfilm on “Star Wars” titles. (And this conversation was held before Microsoft unveiled its blockbuster $69 billion bid on Jan.

Tam McManus revealed Aberdeen Scott Brown had gone 'fishing' after his exploits in the draw with Rangers.

Claudia Eller Co-Editor-in-ChiefHollywood insiders and movie fans are still scratching their heads over Kristen Stewart being shunned by the Screen Actors Guild last week for her ballyhooed performance as Princess Diana in “Spencer.”I too am totally mystified as to why one of the best performances of the year was ignored by Stewart’s actor peers.From the moment “Spencer” premiered to great fanfare at the Venice and Telluride film festivals, Stewart was considered the hands-down favorite to win the Oscar. I can’t imagine that she won’t score an Oscar nomination on Feb.

King Of The Hill creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge are teaming up for a reboot.The two producers recently announced the creation of their new animation company Bandera Entertainment, and explained the collaborative venture came after a number of King Of The Hill reunion panels.“We were very excited to go into different tones and different styles and try to expand the animation art form,” Daniels told The Hollywood Reporter of the new project. “We’re in a golden age for content, right? That’s animation, too.

Spike Lee will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction at this year’s DGA Awards, Directors Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter announced today.

Naman Ramachandran Flamboyant Indian filmmaker Subhash Ghai, known for several big Bollywood hits from the 1970s through the 2000s, has entered the world of streaming with film “36 Farmhouse.”The film is produced by ZEE Studios (“Thalaivi,” “Khaali Peeli”) and Ghai’s Mukta Arts, the company behind iconic films “Karz” (1980), “Hero” (1983), “Karma” (1986), “Ram Lakhan” (1989), “Saudagar” (1991), “Khalnayak” (1993), “Pardes” (1997) and “Taal” (1999), all directed and produced by Ghai.In his pomp, Ghai directed a virtual who’s who of Bollywood including Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Nutan.In “36 Farmhouse” Ghai tackles a topical tale born out of the several COVID-19 induced lockdowns India has endured over the past 18 months. It follows a father-son pair of migrant workers who on the way back to their native village during the pandemic shutdown find jobs at a lavish farmhouse owned by a rich lady.

A Kilmarnock butchers has said that making award winning black pudding isn't too dissimilar to crafting a great whisky.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe Set Decorators Society of America announced its nominations for the upcoming SDSA Awards Film-2021 with “Dune,” “West Side Story” and “The Power of the Dog” all landing nominations.The SDSA nominations celebrate décor, design and excellence in the art of Set Decoration for Film.“Coda,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Hand of God, “No Time to Die” and “The Lost Daughter are nominated for Best Achievement In Decor/design Of A Contemporary Feature Film.“Being the Ricardos,” “House of Gucci,” Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley and “The Power of the Dog” landed Best Achievement In Decor/design Of A Period Feature Film, while “Dune,” “The King’s Man,” “Matrix Resurections,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth” earned nominations in Best Achievement In Decor/design Of A Fantasy Or Science Fiction. Best Achievement In Decor/design Of A Musical Or Comedy Feature Film nominations went to “Cruella,” Cyrano,” “The French Dispatch,” “Tick, Tick, Boom!” and “West Side Story.”Voting for the winners begins Feb.

The NEP Group announced today the appointment of entertainment industry veteran Barbara Ford Grant to President of its newly formed NEP Prysm Stages business unit. 

Tickets are on sale now for a new vaudeville-inspired Opera Highlights show that is coming to a Highland Perthshire venue next month.

The Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA), which celebrates excellence in the art of Set Decoration for Film, announced its nominees. The Decor/Design categories are highlighting feature-length films of the 2021 season, which were  voted  on by the members of the SDSA.

The Sundance Institute has been named as the recipient of the American Cinema Editors’ 2022 Golden Eddie Award—breaking ground as the first film organization ever to earn the ACE Eddie Awards’ top honor.

HBO Max has further bolstered its European offering by signing up Arte France Drama Commissioning Editor Clémentine Bobin to oversee the development and creative production of originals in France.

Vincent J. Sainato, a visual designer whose ad campaigns for Rent and Avenue Q helped launch those musicals as long-running Broadway stalwarts, died Jan. 8 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, following a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 55.