Author: Rap Hooks

Nominations for the 2026 Humanitas Prize, which honors TV and film writers for work that explores the human condition, have been announced. KPop Demon Hunters, which spawned a Billboard 200-topping soundtrack album, is competing for family feature, alongside Elio, Grow and Hoppers.

Song Sung Blue, the drama about a Neil Diamond tribute performer and his wife, who experiences a life-altering accident, is nominated for drama feature. Craig Brewer wrote the screenplay for the film, for which Kate Hudson received an Oscar nomination for best actress. The other nominees in the category are All That’s Left of You, Preparation for the Next Life and Train Dreams.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes (“Part Two”), written by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, is nominated for documentary (docuseries, single episode). Part Two of the HBO documentary covers Billy Joel’s pivot to socially conscious music (1982’s The Nylon Curtain) and his struggles with depression and alcoholism. It features candid commentary from his wife, his ex-wives and his daughter. The other nominees in the category are Katrina: Come Hell and High Water, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Rise of the 49ers.

Since 1974, the Humanitas Prizes have been awarded to film and TV writers “whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way,” according to the organization’s website. Past winners include All in the Family, ER, Hidden Figures, black-ish, Encanto, Good Will Hunting, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Hacks, The Bernie Mac Show and NYPD Blue.

This year’s awards will be held Sept. 9 at Avalon Hollywood and hosted by writer-comedian Ashley Nicole Black. My So-Called Life creator and Wicked co-writer Winnie Holzman will receive the Kieser Award, which recognizes writers who have devoted their work to stories that celebrate common humanity.

Here’s the complete list of 2026 Humanitas Prize nominees.

Drama Teleplay
Chicago Med (“The Book of Charles”): Allen MacDonald
Grey’s Anatomy (“Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”): Jess Righthand
Paradise (“Graceland”): Dan Fogelman, Eric Wen
The Testaments (“Stadium”): Gianna Sobol

Comedy Teleplay
Abbott Elementary (“Goofgirl”): Justin Tan
Long Story Short (“Yoshi’s Bar Mitzvah”): Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Resident Alien (“The End is Here”): Chris Sheridan
Shrinking (“My Bad”): Brian Gallivan

Limited Series Teleplay
Beef (“Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort”): Lee Sung Jin, Madeleine Pron
DTF St. Louis (“No One’s Normal. It Just Looks That Way from Across the Street”): Steven Conrad
Hal & Harper (“Are You Watching?”): Cooper Raiff
Washington Black (“The Flying Man & the Musician”): Selwyn Hinds

Children’s Teleplay
E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web (“Part 3”): Levi Abrino
My Brother the Minotaur (“Lunacy and Lorcan”): Mark B. Hodkinson
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (“The Shade of It All”): Tiffany Thomas
Tab Time (“When We Lose Someone”): Sean Presant

Drama Feature
All That’s Left of You: Cherien Dabis
Preparation for the Next Life: Martyna Majok
Song Sung Blue: Craig Brewer
Train Dreams: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar

Comedy Feature
A Nice Indian Boy: Eric Randall
Rental Family: Hikari, Stephen Blahut
The Invite: Will McCormack, Rashida Jones
The Baltimorons: Jay Duplass, Michael Strassner

Family Feature
Elio: Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones, Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi
Grow: Nick Güthe, Christos N. Gage, Ruth Fletcher Gage
Hoppers: Jesse Andrews, Daniel Chong
KPop Demon Hunters: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan

Short Film
Beyond Unstoppable: Valerie Alexander
Double Happiness: Shari Albert, Laura LeeLun
The Birthday Gift: Stephanie Alison Walker, Paula Pizzi
Vital: Amir Zargara, Gabe Berry

Documentary (Feature)
Come See Me in the Good Light: Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen
The Tale of Silyan: Tamara Kotevska
Life After: Reid Davenport, Colleen Cassingham
Shuffle: Benjamin Flaherty

Documentary (Docuseries, Single Episode)
Billy Joel: And So It Goes (“Part Two”): Susan Lacy, Jessica Levin
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water (“Shelter of Last Resort”): Samantha Knowles
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (“Part Two”): Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, Joe Beshenkovsky
Rise of the 49ers (“We Built This City”): Ryan Kelly, Nick Mascolo

Drake pulled up to celebrate NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 28th birthday on Sunday (July 12), and even dished out a brief freestyle showing love to the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar.

SGA posted the clip of Drizzy toasting his fellow Toronto native and rapping a few bars dedicated to the Canadian hooper.

“To everybody here/ To many more nights/ To the ones that loved and to the ones that hated/ And to the ones that are here to celebrate the greatest/ Too many nights/ We’ve had too much fun/ 2 on the jersey/ But we’re here for the one,” he rapped, which drew applause from others at the party.

Gilgeous-Alexander is somewhat of a poet when crafting his own Instagram captions, which he’s been known to turn into a few rhyming bars. “Another trip around the sun gotta step carefully now i can’t trip around my son,” he captioned his birthday post.

Drake and SGA, who were both raised in Toronto, have been tight for years. Gilgeous-Alexander’s manager, Simon “Steez” Gebrelul, is also cool with Drake and manages several producers affiliated with the 6 God.

Drizzy has often been present courtside whenever SGA’s Thunder visits the Toronto Raptors, and he even covered up his LeBron James tattoo with ink dedicated to the NBA’s second-leading scorer.

“I understand why it might seem crazy that Drake tattooed me on his arm. But to me, that’s just the homie,” SGA told GQ in October about Drake getting a tattoo of his Thunder No. 2 jersey.

Alongside Giveon and his manager, Steez, SGA graced the cover of Billboard‘s Sports & Music issue in February, in which he named Drake as one of the four artists he listens to “religiously.”

“I listen to four artists religiously: [Giveon], Drake, [Lil] Yachty and Justin Bieber. Two rappers and two singers,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Those are my defaults. And then I just mix rappers in every now and then. If we’re on the plane, the vibes are a little different. So I have to work the room and not just play what I want to play.”

Drake is coming off his trifecta of albums in May, which debuted simultaneously in the top three slots of the Billboard 200. Drizzy also name-dropped SGA on HABIBTI‘s “HURRR NOR THURRR” featuring Sexyy Red. “You flew out and Drake gave your boyfriend a 30-piece all in your face,” he croons in the song.

The night before Confessions II officially became Madonna’s 10th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, the Queen of Pop transformed Queens’ Knockdown Center into the New York City edition of Club Confessions on Saturday (July 11) night to celebrate her latest album.

Despite being nowhere near a subway stop (or much else, unless you’re in the market for a chandelier), Knockdown Center plays host to some of the hottest dance music tickets in town, so it’s not a surprise to see big crowds outside the sizable venue. Even so, the lines for Madonna were beyond the norm, extending several blocks down the street. But for a free (yes, free) party boasting Madonna, Stuart Price (who co-produced Confessions II and 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor), Honey Dijon (a frequent Madge remixer who contributed to the Confessions II: Afterhours Edition release), Fcukers, Junior Sanchez and Sam-E, what the hell do you expect?

As on Club Confession’s previous London stop, entrance to the affair involved walking through a giant inflatable of a woman’s lower torso, legs spread, with speakers subbing in for the NSFW anatomy. After that, you strolled through a green laser-laden forest, evocative of the “Good for the Soul” portion of Madonna’s Confessions II short film (directed by TORSO), both of which served up TikTok/Instagram fodder for attendees.

A fantastic Fcukers set had the fashion-forward crowd (which, over the course of the night, included Kim Petras, Pabllo Vittar, Sky Ferreira, Christian Sirano, Julio Torres, Bob the Drag Queen and Plane Jane) moving, but when Stuart Price took the boards to usher in the entrance everyone was waiting for, the temperature in the room shifted. Madonna hit the stage at 1:10 a.m. (fairly early, considering the doors didn’t even open until 10 p.m.) with a declaration and a challenge: “New York, I love you so much – but are you ready?!”

Fans, many of whom stood in line for an hour, responded with a roar of love and a sea of cellphones. “It’s mother” intoned a deep voice over a thumping beat. Between Price’s deft ability to keep a crowd moving and Madonna’s larger-than-life aura, school was indeed in session at Club Confessions thanks to the seasoned dance club faculty on stage — including Honey Dijon, who took the decks toward the end of Madonna’s appearance.

Confessions II songs occupied most of the setlist, with “Get Together” from the O.G. Confessions and a few choice vintage cuts (“Thief of Hearts” from Erotica and “Physical Attraction” from her self-titled debut) making appearances. Highlights included hundreds of people singing (and feeling) the chorus of “I Feel So Free”; Madonna head-banging next to Honey Dijon during a “Love Sensation” remix; and the Queen of Pop gyrating her hips and mouthing along to the 1983 throwback “Physical Attraction.” But “Danceteria” was the standout cut. Even though the album has been out just over a week, it seemed like everyone at Club Confessions knew the lyrics to “Danceteria,” right down to the pointed pauses (“He’s the DJ / hide the cocaine”) and her laundry list of early ‘80s scenesters. Beyond that, the experience of listening to the autobiographical “Danceteria” while dancing in front of Madonna herself was a surreal treat.

After Madonna and Price left the stage, Dijon delivered a phenomenal set that led the room through ecstatic release – sure, Madonna was the main attraction, but when she left the building, so did just enough people that you could truly dance on the dance floor. (As opposed to body bumping — not that there’s anything wrong with a little body bumpin’.)

Less than 12 hours after Club Confessions New York City closed up, Billboard reported that Madonna’s Confessions II had debuted atop the Billboard 200, marking her 10th No. 1 on the chart and her biggest streaming week ever. That win also puts the Club Confessions host in an exclusive club of artists with 10 or more albums to their name – something only 11 acts, Madonna included, can boast.

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The Love Island USA villa is preparing to close its doors for another summer, with just six couples still in the running for the $100,000 grand prize.

Hosted by Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix, the hit Peacock dating series returned in early June with a new group of singles hoping to find love. Weeks of bombshell arrivals, dramatic re-couplings and the show’s signature Casa Amor twist have reshaped the competition, leaving only a handful of Islanders standing ahead of the season 8 finale.

Watch Love Island USA Season 8 Finale Online, at a Glance:

Before America crowns its favorite couple, one more round of eliminations will narrow the field from six couples to four. Those finalists will be revealed during tonight’s episode before heading into the final weekend of the season.

The Love Island USA season 8 finale on Sunday, July 12, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, when viewers will finally learn which couple walks away with the title and the $100,000 prize. The reality dating show streams on Peacock.

How to Watch Love Island USA Season 8 Online

Peacock exclusively streams Love Island USA. For Peacock subscribers, you can tune-in to the live event at no extra cost. Just log into your account once the event begins, and you’ll have access.

The streaming platform doesn’t offer a free trial, but does come with a couple of affordable plans starting at $10.99 per month. In addition, you can get 30 days of access to Peacock for as low as $1 with Walmart+, as one of the service’s benefits and perks. Learn more about Walmart+ and Peacock here.

There are two different plans offered on Peacock: The Premium Plan for $10.99 per month or the Premium Plus Plan for $16.99 per month. If you’re looking to save, you can save 17% off when you do the annual plan for $109.99 per year or $169.99 per year. With the Premium Plan, it’s ad-supported and you’ll receive access to a wide range of movies, TV shows, originals, live sports from NBC Sports and live news from NBC News.

Peacock’s Premium Plus plan comes with everything in the Premium plan, no ads, your local NBC channel live and the ability to download and stream offline.

Alongside Love Island USA, you’ll have access to the entire Peacock library, including Wicked: For Good, Yellowstone, Five Nights At Freddy’s, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Poker Face, Saturday Night Live and others.

The streaming service also offers a number of music documentaries and specials, such as Toby Keith: An American Icon, Bowie: The Man Who Changed The World, Bob Dylan: The Folk Years, Stevie Nicks: Through The Looking Glass, Katy Perry: Main Square, Welcome To The A: 50 Years of Hip-Hop in Atlanta and more.

Meanwhile, those who want to watch internationally can access the streaming service with a VPN, such as ExpressVPN with prices starting at $2.79 per month for 28 months, paired with Peacock.

What to Expect From the Love Island USA Season 8 Finale

Filmed at a private luxury villa in Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands, the finale gives the remaining couples one last chance to celebrate their relationships before returning to the real world.

As in previous seasons, the finalists will head out on romantic final dates, which have included scenic boat rides, candlelit dinners and intimate picnics. The dates often give Islanders the opportunity to discuss what life outside the villa could look like and whether their connections can survive beyond the show.

Afterward, the couples will dress for the season’s final ceremony, where Ariana Madix will reveal America’s vote and crown the winning couple. Following weeks of dramatic challenges, unexpected romances and emotional twists, the finale will determine which pair formed the strongest connection and earns the $100,000 prize.

From couples who have stayed together since the beginning to Islanders who found love after Casa Amor shook up the villa, season 8 has delivered plenty of memorable moments. Now, only one couple will leave Fiji as this summer’s Love Island USA champions.

Love Island USA Season 8 Cast

The cast of Love Island USA season 8 features the brother of Charlie Georgiou from season 7, the daughter of a retired-NBA player and others. However, cast member Vasana Montgomery was removed from season 8 due to a scandal over the use of a racial slur. See the list of the cast participating in the new season below.

In the meantime, watch a Love Island USA first look at the conclusion below.

As Madonna’s new studio album, CONFESSIONS II, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated July 18), the Queen of Pop joins the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in the top 10. Jackson’s former 1983-84 No. 1 Thriller falls 7-8 on the latest chart. Perhaps surprisingly, this is only the second time that the pair has appeared in the top 10 at the same time, and it last happened nearly 25 years ago. (All July 18-dated charts will refresh to Billboard’s website on Tuesday, July 14.)

Madonna and Jackson previously shared space in the top 10 on the Dec. 1, 2001-dated chart. That week, Jackson’s chart-topping Invincible fell 3-4 in its third week on the list, while Madonna’s compilation GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2 debuted at No. 7. The next week both albums dropped out of the top 10 – although they remained in the top 15 together.

The two icons almost met up in the top 10 in the 1980s — when they spent a combined 57 weeks at No. 1 — but missed one another by a single week. On the Sept. 19, 1987-dated chart, the Madonna-led Who’s That Girl film soundtrack spent its third and final week in the top 10, at No. 7. The following week Who’s That Girl fell to No. 11, while Michael Jackson’s Bad debuted at No. 1. Then, on the Oct. 3-dated chart, Who’s That Girl remained at No. 11, while Bad held at No. 1.

Who’s That Girl and Bad may have never shared time in the top 10, but they did both appear in the top 15 of the chart for four straight weeks (Sept. 26 – Oct. 17, 1987 charts).

Madonna and Jackson had another close encounter on the Jan. 23, 1988-dated Billboard 200, when they were both in the top 15. Madonna’s remix album You Can Dance climbed 17-14 (to its peak), while Bad held at No. 4.

Considering Madonna and Jackson’s potent chart histories, how is it that they have barely crossed paths in the top 10, especially in the ‘80s when they spent a combined 57 weeks at No. 1 (16 and 41, respectively)? Madonna hit the top 10 for the first time on the Oct. 6, 1984-dated chart, with her self-titled debut. By that point, Jackson’s mega-hit Thriller had already departed the top 10 (where it had been lodged from January 1983 through June 1984). 

Following Thriller, Jackson would chart four more top 10s before his death in 2009. After his passing, he notched another four top 10s. Meanwhile, Madonna was much more prolific in her output, as her self-titled set was her first of 24 top 10s, through CONFESSIONS II.

Also factoring into the pair missing each other through the years: their major new albums were often not released in close proximity to one another. Scrolling back in time, there were only four instances in which Madonna and Jackson released top 10-charting albums within six months of each other. It happened in 1987 with Who’s That Girl and Bad; in 1995 with Madonna’s ballads compilation Something To Remember and Jackson’s half-studio album/half-hits set HIStory; in 2001 with GHV2 and Invincible; and in 2009 with Madonna’s best-of Celebration and the posthumous Michael Jackson’s This Is It film soundtrack.