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It is official, we can now call Adele ‘Queen of Music’!!!! She is now the first person to win Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, and Song Of The Year twice.  Adele won five prizes in all, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance. When Adele picked up the Grammy award for best album she said Beyonce deserved it more. The pop star was given the night’s top honour for her multi-million selling record 25, but told the audience, “I can’t possibly accept this award. I’m very humbled and I’m very grateful, but Beyonce is the artist of my life”. Adele’s 25 was by far the biggest-seller on this year’s shortlist; outselling Beyonce’s Lemonade by a factor of 10 to 1. It is unclear if Adele will officially reject her award. Chicago’s Chance The Rapper also took three prizes, including best rap album for his self-released record Coloring Book. Rock icon David Bowie won in each of the five categories he was nominated for, including best alternative album, for Blackstar, and best rock performance, for the album’s title track. Beyonce  took home best urban contemporary album and best music video, for the politically-charged Formation. The full list of winners from the 59th annual Grammy Awards:

GENERAL FIELD
Record Of The Year: WINNER: “Hello” — Adele “Formation” — Beyoncé “7 Years” — Lukas Graham “Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake “Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots Album Of The Year: WINNER: 25 — Adele Lemonade — Beyoncé Purpose — Justin Bieber Views — Drake A Sailor’s Guide To Earth — Sturgill Simpson Song Of The Year: WINNER: “Hello” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele) “Formation” — Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II, songwriters (Beyoncé) “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” — Mike Posner, songwriter (Mike Posner) “Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Justin Bieber) “7 Years” — Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Pilegaard & Morten Ristorp, songwriters (Lukas Graham) Best New Artist: WINNER: Chance The Rapper Kelsea Ballerini The Chainsmokers Maren Morris Anderson .Paak

POP FIELD
Best Pop Solo Performance: WINNER: “Hello” — Adele “Hold Up” — Beyonce “Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber “Piece By Piece (Idol Version)” — Kelly Clarkson “Dangerous Woman” — Ariana Grande Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots “Closer” — The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “7 Years” — Lukas Graham “Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake “Cheap Thrills” — Sia Featuring Sean Paul Best Pop Vocal Album: WINNER: 25 — Adele Purpose — Justin Bieber Dangerous Woman — Ariana Grande Confident — Demi Lovato This Is Acting — Sia Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: WINNER: Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin — Willie Nelson Cinema — Andrea Bocelli Fallen Angels — Bob Dylan Stages Live — Josh Groban Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway — Barbra Streisand

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC FIELD
Best Dance Recording: WINNER: “Don’t Let Me Down” — The Chainsmokers featuring Daya “Tearing Me Up” — Bob Moses “Never Be Like You” — Flume featuring Kai “Rinse & Repeat” — Riton featuring Kah-Lo “Drinkee” — Sofi Tukker Best Dance/Electronic Album: WINNER: Skin — Flume Electronica 1: The Time Machine — Jean-Michel Jarre Epoch — Tycho Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future — Underworld Louie Vega Starring…XXVIII — Louie Vega

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FIELD
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: WINNER: Culcha Vulcha — Snarky Puppy Human Nature — Herb Alpert When You Wish Upon a Star — Bill Frisell Way Back Home: Live From Rochester, NY — Steve Gadd Band Unpsoken — Chuck Loeb

ROCK FIELD
Best Rock Performance: WINNER: “Blackstar” — David Bowie “Joe (Live From Austin City Limits)” — Alabama Shakes “Don’t Hurt Yourself” — Beyoncé Featuring Jack White “The Sound Of Silence” — Disturbed “Heathens” — Twenty One Pilots Best Metal Performance: WINNER: “Dystopia” — Megadeth “Shock Me” — Baroness “Slivera” — Gojira “Rotting in Vain” — Korn “The Price Is Wrong” — Periphery Best Rock Song: WINNER: “Blackstar” — David Bowie, songwriter (David Bowie) “Burn the Witch” —Radiohead, songwriters (Radiohead) “Hardwired” — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica) “Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots) “My Name Is Human” — Rich Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect) Best Rock Album: WINNER: Tell Me I’m Pretty — Cage The Elephant California — Blink-182 Magma — Gojira Death Of A Bachelor — Panic! At The Disco Weezer — Weezer

ALTERNATIVE FIELD
Best Alternative Music Album: WINNER: Blackstar — David Bowie 22, A Million — Bon Iver The Hope Six Demolition Project — PJ Harvey Post Pop Depression — Iggy Pop A Moon Shaped Pool — Radiohead

R&B FIELD
Best R&B Performance: WINNER: “Cranes in the Sky” — Solange “Turnin’ Me Up” — BJ The Chicago Kid “Permission” — Ro James “I Do” — Musiq Soulchild “Needed Me” — Rihanna Best Traditional R&B Performance: WINNER: “Angel” — Lalah Hathaway “The Three Of Me” — William Bell “Woman’s World” — BJ The Chicago Kid “Sleeping With The One I Love” — Fantasia “Can’t Wait” — Jill Scott Best R&B Song: WINNER: “Lake By the Ocean” — Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell) “Come and See Me” — J. Brathwaite, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters (PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake) “Exchange” — Michael Hernandez & Bryson Tiller, songwriters (Bryson Tiller) “Kiss It Better” — Jeff Bhasker, Robyn Fenty, John-Nathan Glass & Natalia Noemi, songwriters (Rihanna) “Luv” — Magnus August Høiberg, Benjamin Levin & Daystar Peterson, songwriters (Tory Lanez) Best Urban Contemporary Album: WINNER: Lemonade — Beyoncé Ology — Gallant We Are King — KING Malibu — Anderson .Paak Anti — Rihanna Best R&B Album: WINNER: Lalah Hathaway Live — Lalah Hathaway In My Mind — BJ The Chicago Kid Velvet Portraits — Terrace Martin Healing Season — Mint Condition Smoove Jones — Mya

RAP FIELD
Best Rap Performance: WINNER: “No Problem” — Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz “Panda” —Desiigner “Pop Style” — Drake Featuring The Throne “All The Way Up” — Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared “That Part” — ScHoolboy Q Featuring Kanye West Best Rap/Sung Performance: WINNER: “Hotline Bling” — Drake “Freedom” — Beyoncé Featuring Kendrick Lamar “Broccoli” — D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty “Ultralight Beam” — Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream “Famous” — Kanye West Featuring Rihanna Best Rap Song: WINNER: “Hotline Bling” — Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, songwriters (Drake) “All The Way Up” — Joseph Cartagena, Edward Davadi, Shandel Green, Karim Kharbouch, Andre Christopher Lyon, Reminisce Mackie & Marcello Valenzano, songwriters (Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared) “Famous” — Chancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Ernest Brown, Andrew Dawson, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Kejuan Muchita, Patrick Reynolds, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Rihanna) “No Problem” — Chancelor Bennett, Dwayne Carter & Tauheed Epps, songwriters (Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz) “Ultralight Beam” — Chancelor Bennett, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Kirk Franklin, Noah Goldstein, Samuel Griesemer, Terius Nash, Jerome Potter, Kelly Price, Nico “Donnie Trumpet” Segal, Derek Watkins, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream) Best Rap Album: WINNER: Coloring Book — Chance The Rapper And the Anonymous Nobody — De La Soul Major Key — DJ Khaled Views — Drake Blank Face LP — ScHoolboy Q The Life of Pablo — Kanye West

COUNTRY FIELD
Best Country Solo Performance: WINNER: “My Church” — Maren Morris “Love Can Go To Hell” — Brandy Clark “Vice” — Miranda Lambert “Church Bells” — Carrie Underwood “Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban Best Country Duo/Group Performance: WINNER: “Jolene” — Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton “Different for Girls” — Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King “21 Summer” — Brothers Osborne “Setting The World On Fire” — Kenny Chesney & P!nk “Think Of You” — Chris Young With Cassadee Pope Best Country Song: WINNER: “Humble and Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw) “Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey & Steven Lee Olsen, songwriters (Keith Urban) “Die A Happy Man” — Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett & Joe Spargur, songwriters (Thomas Rhett) “My Church” — busbee & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris) “Vice” — Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Miranda Lambert) Best Country Album: WINNER: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth — Sturgill Simpson Big Day in a Small Town — Brandy Clark Full Circle — Loretta Lynn Hero — Maren Morris Ripcord — Keith Urban

NEW AGE FIELD
Best New Age Album: WINNER: White Sun II — White Sun Orogen — John Burke Dark Sky Island — Enya Inner Passion — Peter Kater & Tina Guo Rosetta — Vangelis

JAZZ FIELD
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: WINNER: “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” — John Scofield, soloist “Countdown” — Joey Alexander, soloist “In Movement” — Ravi Coltrane, soloist “We See” — Fred Hersch, soloist “I Concentrate On You” — Brad Mehldau, soloist Best Jazz Vocal Album: WINNER: Take Me To The Alley — Gregory Porter Sound Of Red — René Marie Upward Spiral — Branford Marsalis Quartet With Special Guest Kurt Elling Harlem On My Mind — Catherine Russell The Sting Variations — The Tierney Sutton Band Best Jazz Instrumental Album: WINNER: Country for Old Men — John Scofield Book of Intuition — Kenny Barron Trio Dr. Um — Peter Erskine Sunday Night At The Vanguard — The Fred Hersch Trio Nearness — Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: WINNER: Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom — Ted Nash Big Band Real Enemies — Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Presents Monk’estra, Vol. 1 — John Beasley Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles — John Daversa All L.A. Band — Bob Mintzer Best Latin Jazz Album: WINNER: Tribute To Irakere: Live In Marciac — Chucho Valdés Entre Colegas — Andy González Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Perspective On The Music Of Woody Shaw — Brian Lynch & Various Artists Canto América — Michael Spiro/Wayne Wallace La Orquesta Sinfonietta 30 – Trio Da Paz

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC FIELD
Best Gospel Performance/Song: WINNER: “God Provides” — Tamela Mann; Kirk Franklin, songwriter “It’s Alright, It’s OK” — Shirley Caesar Featuring Anthony Hamilton; Stanley Brown & Courtney Rumble, songwriters “You’re Bigger [Live]” — Jekalyn Carr; Allundria Carr, songwriter “Made A Way [Live]” — Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter “Better” — Hezekiah Walker; Jason Clayborn, Gabriel Hatcher & Hezekiah Walker, songwriters Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: WINNER: “Thy Will” — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family; Bernie Herms, Hillary Scott & Emily Weisband, songwriters Track from: Love Remains “Trust In You” — Lauren Daigle; Lauren Daigle, Michael Farren & Paul Mabury, songwriters “Priceless” — For King & Country; Benjamin Backus, Seth Mosley, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone & Tedd Tjornhom, songwriters “King of the World” — Natalie Grant; Natalie Grant, Becca Mizell & Samuel Mizell, songwriters “Chain Breaker” — Zach Williams; Mia Fieldes, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters Best Gospel Album: WINNER: Losing My Religion — Kirk Franklin Listen —Tim Bowman Jr. Fill This House — Shirley Caesar A Worshipper’s Heart [Live] —Todd Dulaney Demonstrate [Live] —William Murphy Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: WINNER: Love Remains — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family Poets & Saints — All Sons & Daughters American Prodigal — Crowder Be One — Natalie Grant Youth Revival [Live] — Hillsong Young & Free Best Roots Gospel Album: WINNER: Hymns — Joey+Rory Better Together — Gaither Vocal Band Nature’s Symphony In 432 — The Isaacs Hymns And Songs Of Inspiration — Gordon Mote God Don’t Ever Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson — (Various Artists)

LATIN FIELD
Best Latin Pop Album: WINNER: Un Besito Mas — Jesse & Joy Ilusión — Gaby Moreno Similares — Laura Pausini Seguir Latiendo — Sanalejo Buena Vida — Diego Torres Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: WINNER: iLevitable — ile L.H.O.N. (La Humanidad O Nosotros) — Illya Kuryaki & The Valderamas Buenaventura — La Santa Cecilia Los Rakas — Los Rakas Amor Supremo — Carla Morrison Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): WINNER: Un Azteca En El Azteca, Vol. 1 (En Vivo) — Vicente Fernández Raíces — Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga Hecho A Mano — Joss Favela Generación Maquinaria Est. 2006 — La Maquinaria Norteña Tributo A Joan Sebastian Y Rigoberto Alfaro — Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea Best Tropical Latin Album: WINNER: Donde Están? — Jose Lugo & Guasábara Combo Conexión — Fonseca La Fantasia Homenaje A Juan Formell — Formell Y Los Van Van 35 Aniversario — Grupo Niche La Sonora Santanera En Su 60 Aniversario — La Sonora Santanera

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FIELD
Best American Roots Performance: WINNER: “House of Mercy” — Sarah Jarosz “Ain’t No Man” — The Avett Brothers “Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time” — Blind Boys Of Alabama “Factory Girl” — Rhiannon Giddens “Wreck You” — Lori McKenna Best American Roots Song: WINNER: “Kid Sister” — Vince Gill, songwriter (The Time Jumpers) “Alabama at Night” — Robbie Fulks, songwriter (Robbie Fulks) “City Lights” — Jack White, songwriter (Jack White) “Gulfstream” — Eric Adcock & Roddie Romero, songwriters (Roddie Romero and The Hub City All-Stars) “Wreck You” — Lori McKenna & Felix McTeigue, songwriters (Lori McKenna) Best Americana Album: WINNER: This Is Where I Live — William Bell True Sadness — The Avett Brothers The Cedar Creek Sessions — Kris Kristofferson The Bird & The Rifle — Lori McKenna Kid Sister — The Time Jumpers Best Bluegrass Album: WINNER: Coming Home — O’Connor Band With Mark O’Connor Original Traditional — Blue Highway Burden Bearer — Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver The Hazel Sessions — Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands North And South — Claire Lynch Best Traditional Blues Album: WINNER: Porcupine Meat — Bobby Rush Can’t Shake The Feeling — Lurrie Bell Live At The Greek Theatre — Joe Bonamassa Blues & Ballads (A Folksinger’s Songbook: Volumes I & II) — Luther Dickinson The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers — Vasti Jackson Best Contemporary Blues Album: WINNER: The Last Days of Oakland — Fantastic Negrito Love Wins Again — Janiva Magness Bloodline — Kenny Neal Give It Back To You — The Record Company Everybody Wants A Piece — Joe Louis Walker Best Folk Album: WINNER: Undercurrent — Sarah Jaroszh Silver Skies Blue — Judy Collins & Ari Hest Upland Stories — Robbie Fulks Factory Girl — Rhiannon Giddens Weighted Mind — Sierra Hull Best Regional Roots Music Album: WINNER: E Walea — Kalani Pe’a Broken Promised Land — Barry Jean Ancelet & Sam Broussard It’s A Cree Thing — Northern Cree Gulfstream — Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax In The Evangeline Country — (Various Artists)

REGGAE FIELD
Best Reggae Album: Ziggy Marley — Ziggy Marley Sly & Robbie Presents… Reggae For Her – Devin Di Dakta & J.L Rose Petals — J Boog Everlasting — Raging Fyah Falling Into Place — Rebelution Soja: Live In Virginia — Soja

WORLD MUSIC FIELD
Best World Music Album: WINNER: Sing Me Home — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble Destiny — Celtic Woman Walking In The Footsteps Of Our Fathers — Ladysmith Black Mambazo Land Of Gold — Anoushka Shankar Dois Amigos, Um Século De Música: Multishow Live — Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil

CHILDREN’S FIELD
Best Children’s Album: WINNER: Infinity Plus One — Secret Agent 23 Skidoo Explorer Of The World — Frances England Novelties — Recess Monkey Press Play — Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could Saddle Up — The Okee Dokee Brothers

SPOKEN WORD FIELD
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling): WINNER: In Such Good Company: Eleven Years Of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In The Sandbox — Carol Burnett The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo — Amy Schumer M Train — Patti Smith Under The Big Black Sun: A Personal History Of L.A.Punk (John Doe With Tom DeSavia) — (Various Artists) Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink — Elvis Costello

COMEDY FIELD
Best Comedy Album: WINNER: Talking For Clapping — Patton Oswalt …America…Great… — David Cross American Myth — Margaret Cho Boysih Girl Interrupted — Tig Notaro Live At The Apollo — Amy Schumer

MUSICAL THEATER
Best Musical Theater Album: WINNER: The Color Purple — Cynthia Erivo & Jennifer Hudson, principal soloists; Stephen Bray, Van Dean, Frank Filipetti, Roy Furman, Scott Sanders & Jhett Tolentino, producers (Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell & Allee Willis, composers/lyricists) (New Broadway Cast) Bright Star — Carmen Cusack, principal soloist; Jay Alix, Peter Asher & Una Jackman, producers; Steve Martin, composer; Edie Brickell, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast) Fiddler On The Roof — Danny Burstein, principal soloist; Louise Gund, David Lai & Ted Sperling, producers (Jerry Bock, composer; Sheldon Harnick, lyricist) (2016 Broadway Cast) Kinky Boots — Killian Donnelly & Matt Henry, principal soloists; Sammy James, Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus & William Wittman, producers (Cyndi Lauper, composer & lyricist) (Original West End Cast) Waitress — Jessie Mueller, principal soloist; Neal Avron, Sara Bareilles & Nadia DiGiallonardo, producers; Sara Bareilles, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA FIELD
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: WINNER: Miles Ahead — (Miles Davis & Various Artists) Amy — (Various Artists) Straight Outta Compton — (Various Artists) Suicide Squad (Collector’s Edition) — (Various Artists) Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1 — (Various Artists) Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: WINNER: Star Wars: The Force Awakens — John Williams, composer Bridge of Spies — Thomas Newman, composer Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight — Ennio Morricone, composer The Revenant — Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, composers Stranger Things Volume 1 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers Stranger Things Volume 2 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers Best Song Written For Visual Media: WINNER: “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” — Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Walt Dohrn, Ron Funches, Caroline Hjelt, Aino Jawo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Kunal Nayyar), Track from: Trolls “Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots), Track from: Suicide Squad “Just Like Fire” — Oscar Holter, Max Martin, P!nk & Shellback, songwriters (P!nk), Track from: Alice Through The Looking Glass “Purple Lamborghini” — Shamann Cooke, Sonny Moore & William Roberts, songwriters (Skrillex & Rick Ross), Track from: Suicide Squad “Try Everything” — Mikkel S. Eriksen, Sia Furler & Tor Erik Hermansen, songwriters (Shakira), Track from: Zootopia “The Veil” — Peter Gabriel, songwriter (Peter Gabriel), Track from: Snowden

COMPOSING/ARRANGING FIELD
Best Instrumental Composition: WINNER: “Spoken At Midnight” — Ted Nash, composer (Ted Nash Big Band) “Bridge of Spies (End Title)” — Thomas Newman, composer (Thomas Newman) “The Expensive Train Set (An Epic Sarahnade For Big Band)” — Tim Davies, composer (Tim Davies Big Band) “Flow” — Alan Ferber, composer (Alan Ferber Nonet) “L’Ultima Diligenza Di Red Rock – Verisione Integrale” — Ennio Morricone, composer (Ennio Morricone) Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: WINNER: “You and I” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier) “Ask Me Now” — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley) “Good ‘Swing’ Wenceslas” — Sammy Nestico, arranger (The Count Basie Orchestra) “Linus & Lucy” — Christian Jacob, arranger (The Phil Norman Tentet) “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa) “We Three Kings” — Ted Nash, arranger (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis) Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: WINNER: “Flintstones” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier) “Do You Hear What I Hear?” — Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band Featuring Take 6) “Do You Want To Know A Secret” — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa Featuring Renee Olstead) “I’m A Fool To Want You” — Alan Broadbent, arranger (Kristin Chenoweth) “Somewhere (Dirty Blvd) (Extended Version)” — Billy Childs & Larry Klein, arrangers (Lang Lang Featuring Lisa Fischer & Jeffrey Wright)

PACKAGE FIELD
Best Recording Package: WINNER: Blackstar — Jonathan Barnbrook, art director (David Bowie) Anti (Deluxe Edition) — Ciarra Pardo & Robyn Fenty, art directors (Rihanna) Human Performance — Andrew Savage, art director (Parquet Courts) Sunset Motel — Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly) 22, A Million — Eric Timothy Carlson, art director (Bon Iver) Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: WINNER: Edith Piaf 1915-2015 — Gérard Lo Monaco, art director (Edith Piaf) 401 Days — Jonathan Dagan & Mathias Høst Normark, art directors (J.Views) I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It — Samuel Burgess-Johnson & Matthew Healy, art directors (The 1975) Paper Wheels (Deluxe Limited Edition) — Matt Taylor, art director (Trey Anastasio) Tug of War (Deluxe Edition) — Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)

NOTES FIELD
Best Album Notes: WINNER: Sissle And Blake Sing Shuffle Along — Ken Bloom & Richard Carlin, album notes writers (Eubie Blake & Noble Sissle) The Complete Monument & Columbia Albums Collection — Mikal Gilmore, album notes writer (Kris Kristofferson) The Knoxville Sessions, 1929-1930: Knox County Stomp — Ted Olson & Tony Russell, album notes writers (Various Artists) Ork Records: New York, New York — Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, album notes writers (Various Artists) Waxing The Gospel: Mass Evangelism & The Phonograph, 1890-1990 — Richard Martin, album notes writer (Various Artists)

HISTORICAL FIELD
Best Historical Album: WINNER: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12 (Collector’s Edition) — Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Mark Wilder, mastering engineer (Bob Dylan) Music Of Morocco From The Library Of Congress: Recorded By Paul Bowles, 1959 — April G. Ledbetter, Steven Lance Ledbetter, Bill Nowlin & Philip D. Schuyler, compilation producers; Rick Fisher & Michael Graves, mastering engineers (Various Artists) Ork Records: New York, New York — Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton & Maria Rice, mastering engineers (Various Artists) Vladimir Horowitz: The Unreleased Live Recordings 1966-1983 — Bernard Horowitz, Andreas K. Meyer & Robert Russ, compilation producers; Andreas K. Meyer & Jeanne Montalvo, mastering engineers (Vladimir Horowitz) Waxing The Gospel: Mass Evangelism & The Phonograph, 1890 – 1900 — Michael Devecka, Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Michael Devecka, David Giovannoni, Michael Khanchalian & Richard Martin, mastering engineers (Various Artists)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL FIELD
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: WINNER: Blackstar — David Bowie, Tom Elmhirst, Kevin Killen, Tony Visconti & Joe LaPorta (David Bowie) Are You Serious — Tchad Blake & David Boucher, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Andrew Bird) Dig In Deep — Ryan Freeland, engineer; Kim Rosen, mastering engineer (Bonnie Raitt) Hit N Run Phase Two — Booker T., Dylan Dresdow, Chris James, Prince & Justin Stanley, engineers; Dylan Dresdow, mastering engineer (Prince) Undercurrent — Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Sarah Jarosz) Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: WINNER: Greg Kurstin Benny Blanco Max Martin Nineteen85 Ricky Reed Best Remixed Recording: WINNER: “Tearing Me Up (RAC Remix)” — André Allen Anjos, remixer (Bob Moses) “Cali Coast (Psionics Remix)” — Josh Williams, remixer (Soul Pacific) “Heavy Star Movin’ (staRo Remix)” — staRo, remixer (The Silver Lake Chorus) “Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five (Timo Maas & James Teej Remix)” — Timo Maas & James Teej, remixers (Paul McCartney & Wings) “Only” (Kaskade X Lipless Remix)— Ryan Raddon, remixer (Ry X) “Wide Open (Joe Goddard Remix)” — Joe Goddard, remixer (The Chemical Brothers)

SURROUND SOUND FIELD
Best Surround Sound Album: WINNER: Dutilleux: Sur La Mêe Accord; Les Citations; Mystère De L’Instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, surround mix engineers; Dmitriy Lipay, surround mastering engineer; Dmitriy Lipay, surround producer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony) Johnson: Considering Matthew Shephard — Brad Michel, surround mix engineer; Brad Michel, surround mastering engineer; Robina G. Young, surround producer (Craig Hella Johnson & Conspirare) Maja S.K. Ratkje: And Sing … — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Maja S.K. Ratkje, Cikada & Oslo Sinfonietta) Primus & The Chocolate Factory — Les Claypool, surround mix engineer; Stephen Marcussen, surround mastering engineer; Les Claypool, surround producer (Primus) Reflections — Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Øyvind Gimse, Geir Inge Lotsberg & Trondheimsolistene)

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL FIELD
Best Engineered Album, Classical: WINNER: Corigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — Mark Donahue & Fred Vogler, engineers (James Conlon, Guanqun Yu, Joshua Guerrero, Patricia Racette, Christopher Maltman, Lucy Schaufer, Lucas Meachem, LA Opera Chorus & Orchestra) Dutilleux: Sur La Mêe Accord; Les Citations; Mystère De L’Instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony) Reflections — Morten Lindberg, engineer (Øyvind Gimse, Geir Inge Lotsberg & Trondheimsolistene) Shadow of Sirius — Silas Brown & David Frost, engineers; Silas Brown, Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9 — Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons & Boston Symphony Orchestra) Producer of the Year, Classical: WINNER: David Frost Blanton Alspaugh Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin Judith Sherman Robina G. Young

CLASSICAL FIELD
Best Orchestral Performance: WINNER: Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9 — Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra) Bates: Works For Orchestra — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony) Ibert: Orchestral Works — Neeme Järvi, conductor (Orchestre De La Suisse Romande) Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, Op. 100 — Mariss Jansons, conductor (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) Rouse: Odna Zhizn; Symphonies 3 & 4; Prospero’s Rooms — Alan Gilbert, conductor (New York Philharmonic) Best Opera Recording: WINNER: Corigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — James Conlon, conductor; Joshua Guerrero, Christopher Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer & Guanqun Yu; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (LA Opera Orchestra; LA Opera Chorus) Handel: Giulio Cesare — Giovanni Antonini, conductor; Cecilia Bartoli, Philippe Jaroussky, Andreas Scholl & Anne-Sofie von Otter; Samuel Theis, producer (Il Giardino Armonico) Higdon: Cold Mountain — Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Emily Fons, Nathan Gunn, Isabel Leonard & Jay Hunter Morris; Elizabeth Ostrow, producer (The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra; Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program For Singers) Mozart: Le Nozze De Figaro — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Thomas Hampson, Christiane Karg, Luca Pisaroni & Sonya Yoncheva; Daniel Zalay, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe; Vocalensemble Rastatt) Szymanowski: Król Roger — Antonio Pappano, conductor; Georgia Jarman, Mariusz Kwiecień & Saimir Pirgu; Jonathan Allen, producer (Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus) Best Choral Performance: WINNER: Penderecki Conducts Penderecki, Volume 1 — Krzystof Penderecki, conductor; Henryk Wojnarowski, choir director (Nikolay Didenko, Agnieszka Rehlis & Johanna Rusanen; Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra; Warsaw Philharmonic Choir) Himmerland — Elisabeth Holte, conductor (Marianne Reidarsdatter Eriksen, Ragnfrid Lie & Matilda Sterby; Inger-Lise Ulsrud; Uranienborg Vokalensemble) Janáček: Glagolitic Mass — Edward Gardner, conductor; Håkon Matti Skrede, chorus master (Susan Bickley, Gábor Bretz, Sara Jakubiak & Stuart Skelton; Thomas Trotter; Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra; Bergen Cathedral Choir, Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Choir Of Collegium Musicum & Edvard Grieg Kor) Lloyd: Bonhoeffer — Donald Nally, conductor (Malavika Godbole, John Grecia, Rebecca Harris & Thomas Mesa; The Crossing) Steinberg: Passion Week — Steven Fox, conductor (The Clarion Choir) Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: WINNER: Steve Reich — Third Coast Percussion Fitelberg: Chamber Works — ARC Ensemble Reflections — Øyvind Gimse, Geir Inge Lotsberg & Trondheimsolistene Serious Business — Spektral Quartet Trios From Our Homelands — Lincoln Trio Best Classical Instrumental Solo: WINNER: Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Zuill Bailey; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony) Adams, J.: Scheherazade.2 — Leila Josefowicz; David Robertson, conductor (Chester Englander; St. Louis Symphony) Dvorák: Violin Concerto & Romance; Suk: Fantasy —Christian Tetzlaff; John Storgårds, conductor (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra) Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vols. 8 & 9 — Kristian Bezuidenhout 1930’s Violin Concertos, Vol. 2 — Gil Shaham; Stéphane Denève, conductor (The Knights & Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra) Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: TIE: Shakespeare Songs — Ian Bostridge; Antonio Pappano, accompanist (Michael Collins, Elizabeth Kenny, Lawrence Power & Adam Walker) TIE: Schumann & Berg — Dorothea Röschmann; Mitsuko Uchida, accompanist Monteverdi — Magdalena Kožená; Andrea Marcon, conductor (David Feldman, Michael Feyfar, Jakob Pilgram & Luca Tittoto; La Cetra Barockorchester Basel) Mozart: The Weber Sisters — Sabine Devieilhe; Raphaël Pichon, conductor (Pygmalion) Verismo — Anna Netrebko; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Yusif Eyvazov; Coro Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia) Best Classical Compendium WINNER: Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway; American Gothic; Once Upon A Castle — Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer Gesualdo — Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor; Manfred Eicher, producer Vaughan Williams: Discoveries — Martyn Brabbins, conductor; Andrew Walton, producer Wolfgang: Passing Through — Judith Farmer & Gernot Wolfgang, producers Zappa: 200 Motels — The Suites — Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Frank Filipetti & Gail Zappa, producers Best Contemporary Classical Composition: WINNER: Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Michael Daugherty, composer (Zuill Bailey, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony) Bates: Anthology Of Fantastic Zoology — Mason Bates, composer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra) Higdon: Cold Mountain — Jennifer Higdon, composer; Gene Scheer, librettist Theofanidis: Bassoon Concerto — Christopher Theofanidis, composer (Martin Kuuskmann, Barry Jekowsky & Northwest Sinfonia) Winger: Conversations With Nijinsky — C. F. Kip Winger, composer (Martin West & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM FIELD
Best Music Video: WINNER: “Formation” — Beyoncé “River” — Leon Bridges “Up & Up” — Coldplay “Gosh” — Jamie XX “Upside Down & Inside Out” — OK Go Best Music Film: WINNER: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years — (The Beatles) I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead — Steve Aoki Lemonade — Beyoncé The Music Of Strangers — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry — (Various Artists)  ]]>

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23 Days Until House of the Dragon Returns!

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The eight-episode second season of HBO Original drama series House of the Dragon debuts in the US on Sunday 16 June – and will be available on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) Express from the US at 3am on Monday 17 June and make its prime-time premiere at 9pm on the same day. The series will also be available on Showmax. 

 

Viewers can get ready for the dragons to soar as the official trailer for the brand-new season has been released.

 

Logline: Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” tells the story of House Targaryen.
Season two returning cast: Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Additional returning cast includes Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham.
Season two new cast: Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.
Season two credits: Co-Creator/Executive Producer, George R.R. Martin; Co-Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ryan Condal; Executive Producers Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, Vince Gerardis. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood.”

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Showmax News: Best reality shows to stream on Showmax

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When it comes to reality television in Africa, Showmax is at the forefront of it all. Whatever you like, there are hours of reality television to keep you hooked and entertained.

 

SHOWMAX ORIGINALS

 

The Real Housewives of Durban S4 Reunion Part 2 | Stream from Wednesday, 22 May 

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MaBlerh is hosting The Real Housewives of Durban reunion for the second year in a row. 

 

Going into the reunion, the ladies seemed split into two core groups: on the one side, Sorisha Naidoo, Slee Ndlovu, and newcomers Ameigh Thompson and Angel Ndlela; and on the other, Jojo Robinson, Maria Valaskatzis, Nonku Williams, and newcomer Zama Ngcobo. With the ladies from each camp not seeing eye to eye, viewers had a lot of unanswered questions. 

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In Part 1 of the reunion, we saw the ladies facing off and confronting each other on the things that have happened in the season. OG Sorisha Naidoo and newcomer Zama Ngcobo came face to face and confronted each other on why their budding friendship ended. The ladies addressed everything that viewers wanted to hear about, from age-shaming to body-shaming. Nothing was off limits. 

 

The first season of The Real Housewives of Durban set a then-record on Showmax for the most first-day views and went on to be released in 28 territories outside Africa on hayu, not to mention on Peacock and Bravo, the original home of The Real Housewives franchise. Seasons 2 and 3 were among the 10 most streamed titles on Showmax in their launch years and are currently streaming on hayu. 

 

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The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip – South Africa S1 | Mondays from 27 May

 

 

 

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip – South Africa is the spinoff that fans have been waiting for, taking eight of South Africa’s most iconic Housewives on a luxury trip to Jamaica. 

 

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The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip South Africa dream cast includes Beverley Steyn (The Real Housewives of Cape Town S1); Christall Kay (The Real Housewives of Johannesburg S1-S2); LaConco (The Real Housewives of Durban S1-S2); Lethabo Lejoy Mathatho (The Real Housewives of Johannesburg S2-S3); Liz Prins (The Real Housewives of Gqeberha S1); Londie London (The Real Housewives of Durban S2); Melany Viljoen (The Real Housewives of Pretoria S1); and the longest-serving Housewife in Africa, Nonku Williams (The Real Housewives of Durban S1-S4).

 

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip – South Africa is produced by GOAT Productions, the creative minds behind Unfollowed, one of the 10 most streamed South African shows on Showmax in 2023, and last year’s South African Film and Television Award winner Life With Kelly Khumalo S3.

 

The Real Housewives of Nairobi S2 | New episodes on Fridays

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Named Best TV Show at the 2024 Kalasha Awards, Season 1 of The Real Houses of Nairobi had all of Kenya talking on its way to becoming the biggest Showmax Original in Kenya yet, while Season 2 has trended in Kenya every Friday since its launch.

 

In Season 2, actress and entrepreneur Minne Kariuki returns, along with Vera Sidika, who’s eager to reintroduce herself, and business mogul and tastemaker Dr Catherine Masitsa. They are joined by new cast members, including lawyer and professional bodybuilder Farah Esmail, beauty and aesthetics entrepreneur Xenah Nyambu, and entrepreneur Reja Keji Ladu.

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The Real Housewives of Nairobi is produced by Eugene Mbugua’s D&R Studios (formerly Young Rich Television) and is part of The Real Housewives franchise, licensed as a format by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.

 

INTERNATIONAL REALITY TV

 

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Survivor S45 | Binge from 22 May

 

 

 

Five-time Emmy Award-winning host Jeff Probst once again welcomes 18 new castaways to the idyllic Mamanuca Islands in Fiji for Season 45 of Survivor, the mega-successful grand-daddy of reality competition shows.

 

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Now in its 24th year, the show has won seven Emmys and continues to deliver the drama as contestants are stranded in a remote location with little more than the clothes on their back. They must survive a series of gruelling challenges – and each other – for 26 days in a bid to outwit, outplay, outlast and, ultimately, become the Sole Survivor. And take home a cool $1 million, of course.

 

This season’s line-up of castaways includes singer-songwriter J. Maya and Season 44 returnee Bruce Perreault.

 

Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from 22 May

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Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show is a darkly funny reality series about the Emmy-winning comedian’s tumultuous quest for love, sex, and truth.

 

The HBO Original had its world premiere at SXSW in March 2024 and currently has a 95% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes

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Time says, “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show makes reality TV – hilariously, painfully – real again,” while The Hollywood Reporter says, “I laughed and covered my eyes in mortification in equal measure — and since I finished my screeners, I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

 

We’re Here S4 | First On Showmax | Fridays from 24 May

 

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In Season 4 of HBO’s Emmy, Peabody, and GLAAD award-winning unscripted series We’re Here, Sasha Velour, Priyanka, Jaida Essence Hall, and Latrice Royale continue the show’s mission of spreading love and connection across small-town America through the art of drag. 

This season, the queens work with participants in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as in surrounding towns, while taking an in-depth, immersive look at recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and the effect it has had on the community.

 

Season 4 got praise from Deadline for being a light in the darkness: “In a world where the shadows of intolerance loom, the spectacle of We’re Here emerges not just as a beacon of light but as a bold declaration of presence.” The Los Angeles Timeshailed it as “uniquely affirming and vital.” Wired called it “an essential reminder that queer people are fighting for justice and visibility across the US,” and Decider lauded it for managing “to find the light even in the darkest of circumstances,” proclaiming it the “most relevant reality show on television.”

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The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City S4 | First on Showmax | New episodes on Thursdays

 

 

 

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City peeks into the unconventional personal and professional lives of successful women navigating an ultra-exclusive social circle in Salt Lake City, Utah, where religion, status and perfection are praised to the highest degree.

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The 10th instalment of mega-successful Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was nominated for an MTV TV Award for Best New Unscripted Series when it debuted in 2020, and it’s been no stranger to controversy, with one cast member fired from the show for her insensitive social media posts and another now serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence in jail for wire fraud. 

 

Season 4 is off to a salty start as the Housewives dig up old feuds and start new rivalries, leading up to a shocking betrayal. Plus, there’s a new face in the Housewives’ exclusive circle, as Angie introduces Monica Garcia (who used to work for Jen Shah), in a development that the LA Times says has “made The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City unhinged, unmissable TV.”

 

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Love Undercover S1 | First On Showmax | New episodes on Thursdays

 

 

 

Today’s athletes are mega stars with extreme wealth, giant fandoms and lavish lifestyles. You could even call them royalty. And naturally, with any royal story, a fairytale is never too far away. 

 

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Love Undercover is a modern-day fairytale meets buddy comedy about an elite group of international soccer stars who come to the United States on a secret quest for true love. We’ll follow the likes of Jamie O’Hara (ex-Tottenham Hotspurs) and Ryan Babel (ex-Liverpool) on an epic journey filled with drama, heartbreak and self-discovery. 

 

Can they win over the ladies without their fame and fortune? Will they manage to keep their true identities a secret? And will any of them fall for an American princess before inviting them back to their home countries and testing their relationships on the global stage?

 

For these men, finding love is the #1 goal.

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The Bachelorette S20 | Binge now

 

 

 

In Season 20 of The Bachelorette, 27-year-old Charity Lawson, a child and family therapist from Georgia, is out to find The One. …But what if there’s more than one? 

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Our favourite romantic thrill-ride is set to bring us all the ups and downs (and a little bit of help from a secret undercover agent) as Charity finds herself falling in love – with multiple guys. And as the feelings get more intense, some men start to question whether they’re ready to give Charity what she wants. Will her love story have a happy ending?

 

The Bachelorette won the 2021 MTV TV Award for Best Dating Show, and has earned multiple nominations at both the People’s Choice and Teen Choice Awards.

 

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Bachelor in Paradise S9 | First on Showmax | Binge now

 

 

This season on Bachelor in Paradise, things get wetter and wilder than ever before as the hit reality show returns with a new cast of standouts and fan favourites from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette

 

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New arrivals shake up the status quo immediately and love triangles turn into love squares and beyond as sexy dates have some couples changing their minds every week.

 

LA Fire & Rescue | Binge now

 

 

 

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A real-life series from Emmy-winning executive producer Dick Wolf (Law & Order), LA Fire & Rescue follows the day-to-day emergencies and personal stories of the firefighters, paramedics and lifeguards of the Los Angeles County Fire Department – through wildfire suppression, medical emergencies, violent crimes, freeway accidents, house fires, industrial fires, natural disasters and more. 

 

These heroes are responsible for protecting over four million people on the ground, in the air and on the beaches in the second largest metropolitan area in the United States.

Enhance your streaming entertainment experience by adding Showmax to your DStv subscription at a discounted rate. Download the MyDStv App or visit the DStv website to sign up.

 

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Empowering tomorrow’s stars: The role of education in cultivating talent and sustainability in the African entertainment industry

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The African continent is ripe with unrealised potential. Its people, their abilities, and their powerful relationships promise a wealth of future achievements if only they can be fully actualised. The key to the people of our continent becoming all that they might be, lies in one singular intervention: education.

Fortunately, education is widely prized across our continent, and it is a shared aspiration amongst almost all Africans. In this spirit, as the continent prepares to celebrate the founding of the African Union (AU) on Africa Day on May 25, the AU has chosen “The Year of Education” as its theme for 2024.

Expressed more thoroughly, the theme is “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.” 

Given the key concern of “resilient education” in this theme, it’s useful to consider how organisations are addressing Africa’s education challenge, and how they are ensuring the skills that students gain is directly relevant to their future development, and that of the continent. 

Relevant training

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One such organisation is the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), an initiative by pan-African entertainment company MultiChoice. MTF consists of three offerings – MTF Academies in major African capitals provide hands-on, relevant training for aspiring TV and film professionals; the MTF portal, allows professionals to network and find work opportunities, while MTF masterclasses offer an ongoing programme of professional development.

Most influential of these MTF offerings are the MTF Academies in Nairobi, Lagos and Lusaka. The Academies equip aspiring industry professionals with the crucial “sustainable education” it takes to thrive in the rapidly changing film-and-television sector.

Now in its sixth year in Rest of Africa, the programme offers a comprehensive, fully paid 12-month industry-readiness course that gives participants the invaluable opportunity to learn from industry experts in fields such as scripting, directing, producing, cinematography, commissioning and editing. 

This focus on hands-on experience ensures that graduates emerge not just qualified, but with practical, proven ability to work in the sector. This focus on directly relevant skills gives the industry a pipeline of trained professionals entering the job market, and also gives the hundreds of young people emerging from MTF Academies every year, a good chance of finding careers. 

An MTF survey has found that around 92% of MTF Academy graduates go on to work in the creative sector. Many of these young professionals go on to careers at MultiChoice, which bills itself as “Africa’s most-loved storyteller”.

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Unlocking youth potential

This level of absorption demonstrates another benefit of education in the African development journey: it unlocks the massive potential of the continent’s youthful population.

MTF Academy students consistently win awards at film festivals, have their work shown on major platforms and go on to great career success. 

These successes underscore how directly relevant, industry-focused training will rapidly generate real benefits. The success that MultiChoice has found by training its own industry professionals offers an instructive case for corporates in other sectors.

This is especially true in Africa, where the continent’s enormous cohort of young people represents its greatest global opportunity – but only if this opportunity is converted through education. 

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Education is what will transform Africa’s 400 million young people aged between 15 and 35 into a generation of doctors, lawyers, financiers, engineers and media professionals. 

In the words of the African Union, “… such a youthful population calls for an increase of investment in economic and social development factors, in order to improve the development index of African nations.”

The MTF training programme is an intentional development initiative in this vein. It is designed to create careers for aspiring film and televisions professionals, but also to directly address the needs of MultiChoice, the media sector, and the African economy. 

Cultural impact

Another critical value proposition of this pipeline from training to production in the creative sector is its cultural impact. Training African creatives equips them to tell African stories. 

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As dynamic, highly skilled African creatives go on to produce content that resonates powerfully with African audiences, it drives engagement, enriches the businesses and allows Africa’s people to see themselves reflected in powerful entertainment content with world-class entertainment values. 

It’s an innovative approach to the idea of “educating Africa”, in that it equips Africans to educate other Africans – culturally and spiritually – through the telling of African stories. These African stories also allow Africa to show the rest of the world the power of its history and the talent of its people, as our productions take their rightful place on global content platforms.

As Africa Day draws near, this dual approach to African self-actualisation has never been more relevant. The continent is developing the abilities of its people through education and training; but also enhancing its standing in the world, by producing goods, services and creative output that will add value, entertain and inspire. To educate the world about the power of Africa. 

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Season Two of The HBO Original Drama Series HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Debuts June 17th on M-Net and Showmax Express from the US

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The eight-episode second season of HBO Original drama series House of the Dragon debuts in the US on Sunday 16 June – and will be available on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) Express from the US at 1am on Monday 17 June and make its prime-time premiere at 7pm on the same day. The series will also be available on Showmax.

 

Westeros is on the brink of a bloody civil war with the Green and Black Councils fighting for King Aegon and Queen Rhaenyra, respectively. As each side believes theirs to be the rightful seat on the Iron Throne, the Green and Black trailers reflect those two perspectives in separate yet complementary halves of the same story. For global audiences, “All Must Choose” their side of House Targaryen as the realm fractures in season two.
Logline: Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” tells the story of House Targaryen.
Season two returning cast: Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Additional returning cast includes Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham.
Season two new cast: Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.
Season two credits: Co-Creator/Executive Producer, George R.R. Martin; Co-Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ryan Condal; Executive Producers Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, Vince Gerardis. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood.”

 

Pick your side of House Targaryen on your DStv or stream it on Showmax, each week from Monday, 17 June 2024. 

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AMVCA: Tune In for a Night of Elegance and Achievement this Saturday on Africa Magic

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The anticipation is palpable as the 10th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, scheduled for 11 May 2024, in Lagos approaches. Viewers are invited to witness the splendour of this prestigious event, broadcasting live on Africa Magic from 3pm on DStv and GOtv.

Reflecting the rich diversity and innovation of African cinema and television, this year’s awards promise some thrilling adjustments with the introduction of exciting new categories such as Best Actor and Best Actress in leading or supporting roles. With a total of 27 categories, including 16 non-voting and 9 audience voting categories, along with two esteemed recognition awards the Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer Awards – there’s ample opportunity to honour exceptional African talent.

Kicking off the festivities with a prime view of the red carpet hosted by celebrity personalities Toke Makinwa and Uti Nwachukwu viewers can watch the continent’s biggest stars strut their stuff in dazzling creations from some of Africa’s most talented fashion designers from 3pm before settling into the prestigious awards at 6pm.

The main award will be hosted by renowned television host and current host of Nigerian Idols IK Osakioduwa and will feature musical performances from Nigeria’s popular performers Seyi Sodimu, Shaffy Bello, Adekunle Gold, KCee, Chike and Congolese soukous singer Awilo Logomba throughout the awards ceremony.

Save the date for this Saturday, 11 May, and tune in for the live broadcast across all Africa Magic Channels on DStv and GOtv. Don’t miss this remarkable celebration of African creativity and achievement!

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Keep your DStv subscription activated to ensure you don’t miss the star-studded event! To upgrade, reconnect or manage your subscription download the MyDStv app on your mobile app store or visit www.dstv.com to join in on the excitement and manage your account. You can also catch all the action while on the move. Stream all content on the DStv Stream app by downloading it from the app store. 

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The Queens of Durban are not Holding Back!

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The Real Housewives of Durban reunion will air on Showmax in two parts on 15 and 22 May 2024, following a dramatic Season 4 finale. It saw the ladies separated into two groups and tea spilt from all directions, with accusations of witchcraft, infidelity, control and alcoholism. 

We chatted with all the ladies to get a sense of how they are feeling about the reunion, which will be hosted by MaBlerh, and facing up to everything that’s happened this season.  Newcomers Ameigh Thompson, Angel Ndlela and Zama Ngcobo are all feeling nervous about their first reunion but that won’t stop them from showing up.

Zama, who has been involved in some of the biggest feuds in the season, says she won’t run away from anything that happened. “I am not a coward,” she says. “What I said on the show is how I feel. People think I won’t show up to the reunion because I am scared. I am not. I am going to go in there and speak my mind. I will not be intimidated by anyone.”

Angel says she’s looking forward to the reunion. “I am glad that I will have the chance to tell my side of the story, while providing clarity where need be,” she says. “Watching the show, I learned a lot of things about myself. It was an amazing experience.” 

Ameigh feels like the show has made her stronger and more resolute in her decisions. “Watching myself has been very interesting,” she says. “The journey has made me realise that I am the person I have always known I am. I have been through a lot as a person and a mom, and I hope that my story has helped other women who are in similar situations. There is a light at the end of every tunnel.”

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For the OG’s who have done this from the beginning, they understand better than anyone that reunions are a game-changer. Nonku Williams is very clear on what needs to be said and done. “I have been doing this for so long,” she says. “The reason why I am still here is because I understand the assignment. Some people come here, and they want to be what they are not and that is why it does not land. I will always be me and that is my superpower.”

Sorisha Naidoo is done trying to make peace where there is none. “I know what my boundaries are, especially when it comes to friendships,” she says. “I know who my friends are and I know the people who I want to move forward with. And that takes the load off me because I don’t have to please everyone.”

JoJo Robinson, who joined the show in Season 2, says this season has been her calmest yet. “Season 4 has been very relaxed for me,” she says. “I had a very intense Season 3 but just like that, things changed. I’m glad I came back.” Maria Valaskatzis and Slee Ndlovu, who both joined the show in Season 3, have been at the centre of some of the biggest conflicts this season. 

“My game plan for this reunion is just to speak the truth,” says Maria. “I am not going to tiptoe around anything and anyone.” Slee feels like she wants to get to the bottom of things that were said about her. “My biggest thing for this reunion is the witchcraft accusations,” she says. “I need the people who accused me of that to tell me what they mean by that, because I am confused and offended.”

Re-watch S4 ahead of the reunion: 

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https://www.showmax.com/za/stream/shows/the-real-housewives-of-durban/4ef50893-f8ed-3698-9cb5-683c8c06ae15

The second season of The Real Housewives of Nairobi premieres on Showmax on 10 May 2024, with new episodes every Friday. The Real Housewives of Nairobi follows the lives of the most stylish, opulent and hardworking women in Kenya as they navigate their relationships and careers. Season 2 features returning cast members Dr Catherine Masitsa, Minne Kariuki and Vera Sidika, who will be joined by newcomers Farah Esmail, Reja Keji Ladu and Zena Nyambu.

Enhance your streaming entertainment experience by adding Showmax to your DStv subscription at a discounted rate. Download the MyDStv App or visit the DStv website to sign up.

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