And the Academy nomination goes to... | Pop Recap #26

Happy Sunday and Happy New Year everyone! I’ve been on a bit of a holiday break, but I’m back and ready for more weekly pop news fun. I am so excited for what’s in store for Fan Fave Media this year and I can’t wait to share more with you all soon! Of course, we’re starting with the return of this newsletter and we have A LOT to talk about today.

🗞️ Making Headlines

Nominations for the 97th Annual Academy Awards have finally been revealed! Leading the nominees is the Netflix film Emilia Pérez, which received 13 nods. Wicked and The Brutalist follow closely behind, with 10 nominations each. Check out the nominations here:

Best Picture 

• Anora

• The Brutalist

• A Complete Unknown

• Conclave

• Dune: Part Two

• Emilia Pérez

• I’m Still Here

• Nickel Boys

• The Substance

• Wicked

Best Actor in a Leading Role

• Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

• Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

• Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

• Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

• Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Actress in a Leading Role

• Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

• Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

• Mikey Madison, Anora

• Demi Moore, The Substance

• Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• Yura Borisov, Anora

• Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

• Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

• Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

• Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown

• Ariana Grande, Wicked

• Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

• Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

• Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

For a full list of the nominees, read here. The ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, is set to air on March 2.

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards are taking place on February 2, and performers have now been announced! Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Doechii, RAYE, Sabrina Carpenter, Shakira & Teddy Swims are all taking the stage at Crypto.com arena next Sunday.

This Thursday, over 25 musicians will perform at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome for the Fire Aid Benefit Concert. The show, which will raise money to support the rebuilding of communities destroyed by the devastating California wildfires, will stream live on Amazon Music/Prime Video, Apple Music, the AppleTV app, Disney+/Hulu, Facebook/Instagram, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Max, Netflix/Tudum, Paramount+, Peacock/NBC News Now, SiriusXM’s exclusive “LIFE with John Mayer” channel, SoundCloud, Veeps, and YouTube. Select AMC Theatre locations will also host screenings of the event.

You can donate to FireAid to help those displaced by the fires here.

Pop Fact of the Week: Last night, Timothée Chalamet pulled double duty as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Chalamet, who recently portrayed Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, performed songs by the singer-songwriter onstage. But did you know that in doing this, he became the first non-musician to also have a musical performance in 30 years? Prior to last night’s performance, no non-musician had done a musical performance (outside of a sketch) since Deion Sanders in 1995. Prior to that, the only other non-musician musical guests were Lily Tomlin in 1975 and Gary Busey in 1979. Check out his performance here, and read Sunday Morning Live for a full recap of last night’s episode.

In this edition...

• 🎥 On Screen

• 🎭 On Stage

• 🎵 In Music

• 💗 Pick of the Week

🎥 On Screen

• The White Lotus has been renewed for Season 4 ahead of the premiere of its third season on Max.

• Sonic the Hedgehog is headed back to the big screen, as the fourth installment of the film franchise has been set for March 19, 2027.

• High Potential has been renewed for Season 2 at ABC.

• A24 has released a trailer for Opus, a horror-musical starring Ayo Edebiri. The film is set to release on March 14. Check out the trailer here.

🎭 On Stage

• A new Elphaba/Glinda duo is headed to Broadway! The New York City production of Wicked has revealed that Lencia Kebede will take on the role of Elphaba, and Allie Trimm will play Glinda, beginning on March 4. Kebede will make history in the role, as the first black actress to play Elphaba in Wicked full-time on Broadway.

• The full cast for Trisha Pastas’ Big Broadway Dream has been revealed. Sutton Foster, Ben Platt, Rachel Zegler and Joy Woods are among those joining the internet star on February 3 at the St. James Theater for her one-night-only stint on Broadway.

• The Broadway production of The Great Gatsby has revealed it will be launching a national tour, kicking off in Baltimore, MD in January 2026.

• A Wonderful World has announced it will play its final performance on Broadway on February 23.

🎵 In Music

• The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its 2025 inductees. George Clinton, The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkins and Tony Macaulay will all be honored this year.

• SZA is officially joining Kendrick Lamar as a special guest at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. The two, who have collaborated several times over the years, are set to tour together later this Spring.

💗 Pick of the Week

Every year, I do a marathon where I try to watch as many Oscar nominated movies as possible. Best Picture nominees are always mandatory viewing, but then I’ll typically throw in some other films that were recognized in other categories. So far this year, I’ve only seen one Best Picture nominee (Wicked), but this week I decided to kick off my marathon with a non-BP pick. A Real Pain, stars Kieran Culkin (nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role) and Jesse Eisenberg (nominated for Best Original Screenplay), as two disconnected cousins who travel to Poland to reconnect with their family’s history after the passing of their grandmother. It’s a beautiful film that explores the complexities of familial connections. It’s a slow journey, so if you’re looking for twists and turns, it’s not that kind of film. But I enjoyed the story it told and felt it even had some great comedic moments in it. A Real Pain is currently streaming on Hulu. Check out the trailer here.

I also have to shout out Zayn, whose concert I attended earlier this week. After nine years, Zayn has officially embarked on his first solo tour, The Stairway to the Sky Tour, following a long hiatus from touring. Over the years, Zayn has released four incredible albums, which I feel have been under appreciated. But the star has shared in the past about his struggles with anxiety that have preventing him from touring and lead him to have a pretty low-key music career. It’s this journey that makes the tour feel so significant.

When this tour was announced, I was way too excited and immediately bought tickets. Despite being a fan since 2013, I had never gotten the opportunity to see One Direction together in concert. But over the years, I had managed to see every member solo - except Zayn. Tickets were in high demand, with the handful of North American dates selling out quickly. Zayn even had to add a second night in Washington D.C., where I saw him. I was lucky enough to attend the very first night of the North American leg and had such a phenomenal time! Zayn is an incredible vocalist who has always been known for his high range and runs, and he did not disappoint. The setlist leaned heavily on his latest album, Room Under the Stairs, which showcases a more laid-back and soulful vibe compared to his earlier RnB/pop sound. Zayn did also mix in a few fan favorites, however, including “Sweat,” which he shared that his dad told him to sing on the show.

What stood out to me most was the clarity of Zayn’s vision for the show. The stage design complemented the tone of Room Under the Stairs, with vibey aesthetics, including fake trees planted in every corner. Even the older tracks he performed felt carefully curated or reimagined to fit the cohesive feel of the set. For example, his debut single “Pillowtalk” was stripped down, trading its heavy bass for a melodic, more soulful arrangement.

While the setlist didn’t include any One Direction songs, Zayn teased that he might perform something from the band’s catalog in the future. I’ve always loved how each of the members weaves their One Direction journey into their solo shows, so I’m excited to see how Zayn approaches this when the time comes.

The tour itself was originally scheduled to begin last October but was understandably delayed following the tragic passing of Zayn’s bandmate Liam Payne. At the end of the show, Zayn paid tribute to Liam with an onscreen message that made everyone emotional.

Overall, the show was a blast. Zayn seemed very comfortable onstage, and I think the thoughtfully crafted setlist contributed to that. Personally, my favorite songs to hear live were “Alienated,” “iT’s YoU,” and “Birds on a Cloud.” I’ve posted some clips of the show on social media, so be sure to check them out here! 

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the Pop Recap newsletter! If you enjoyed it, make sure to share with a friend. Stay connected with the Pop Recap and Fan Fave community on social media.

xx Kat