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While the Top Gun, Avatar and Black Panther sequels drew millions to cinemas, there are plenty of this year’s Oscar-nominated films you might not have seen yet – or even have heard of before all the awards season buzz.

Want to know your Everything Everywhere All At Once (Oscars frontrunner, with 11 nominations), from your All Quiet On The Western Front (BAFTAs frontrunner, with 14 nods)? And more importantly, how to watch them?

Here’s our guide to this year’s Oscar and BAFTA nominees – and where you can see them ahead of the ceremonies. Note, some films may be included with streaming packages, others you might have to pay extra to rent, depending on your subscription.

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Pic: A24
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Pic: A24

A word-of-mouth and critically acclaimed hit, Everything Everywhere All At Once leads the Oscars race and is the bookies’ favourite to win best picture; stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu are also up for acting gongs, too.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is billed as “a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese-American woman (Yeoh) who can’t seem to finish her taxes”. Oh, and she also discovers parallel universes and has to prevent a powerful being from destroying the multiverse.

Following its release in cinemas Everything Everywhere All At Once is now available to stream on Paramount+, Apple TV, Google Play and Amazon Prime Video.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

All Quiet On The Western Front. Pic: Netflix/ Reiner Bajo
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Pic: Netflix/ Reiner Bajo

A German-language film based on the renowned 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet On The Western Front leads the BAFTA nominations – equalling Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’s record as the most nominated foreign film in the history of the awards – and gained nine nods at the Oscars, too.

It’s a hard watch, telling the story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of the First World War; how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as he and his comrades fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches.

You can watch All Quiet On The Western Front on Netflix.

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell reunite in The Banshees of Inisherinin. Pic: 20th Century Studios
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Pic: 20th Century Studios

Set on a remote imaginary island off the Irish Coast in the 1920s, The Banshees Of Inisherin reunites In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson and tells a darkly comic story of a friendship gone wrong; Gleeson’s character decides he’s sick to the teeth of his needy friend and doesn’t want to waste any more time chatting to him – and raises the stakes by threatening to chop off a finger every time his dull pal tries to strike up a conversation.

The film has led to huge Irish success so far this awards season, with Farrell, Gleeson and their co-stars Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan all nominated for Oscars in the acting categories, and Martin McDonagh (also the man behind In Bruges) up for best director.

Following its cinema release in October 2022, The Banshees of Inisherin is now available to stream on Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.

Read more: Farrell and Gleeson on their reunion

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

JENNIFER CONNELLY PLAYS PENNY BENJAMIN AND TOM CRUISE PLAYS CAPT. PETE "MAVERICK" MITCHELL IN TOP GUN: MAVERICK FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES, SKYDANCE AND JERRY BRUCKHEIMER FILMS.
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Pic: Paramount Pictures/ Scott Garfield

A box office smash that fans had been waiting for for more than 35 years, the Top Gun sequel was one of a host of blockbusters (more below) that saw the big-hitters returning to the Academy Awards. Nominated for best picture, while it’s unlikely to take the top prize, it’s nice to see a bit more fun injected into awards season.

Of course, the sequel sees Tom Cruise return as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, back to train newbies to be as brilliant in the skies as he is. Treading a delicate balance between old and new, there are plenty of throwbacks to please fans of the original.

No doubt the big Top Gun fans will have seen it already at the cinema, but for those who haven’t, you can catch it on Sky from 5 February, as well as on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Read our review: Aviators, love interests and oiled-up bodies – get ready for a walk down memory lane

ELVIS

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in Elvis. Pic: Warner Bros
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Pic: Warner Bros

Following Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, it was only a matter of time before we got a new Elvis biopic. The 2022 film stars Austin Butler in the titular role, and tells the music icon’s story from childhood to music and movie star in the 1950s, and his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks).

Written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, it’s in the running for eight Oscars, including best actor and best picture, while Mandy Walker is the only woman nominated for cinematography.

Elvis is available on Sky, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Hulu.

TAR

Cate Blanchett  as conductor Lydia Tar: Pic: Florian Hoffmeister/Focus Features
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Pic: Florian Hoffmeister/Focus Features

Cate Blanchett stars as the fictional renowned conductor Lydia Tar, who is days away from recording the symphony that will elevate her career.

She’s favourite to win best actress – and if Oscars are given out based on hard work, after learning to play piano on screen, speak fluent German and how to lead a live orchestra, she probably deserves it. If she wins, she can add it to the two Oscars she has already – for Blue Jasmine and The Aviator.

Tar is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

Read more: Blanchett on her ‘once in a career moment’

THE FABELMANS

Michelle Williams and Paul Dano star in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. Pic: Universal Pictures
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Pic: Universal Pictures

As arguably the most famous director in the world, Steven Spielberg’s cultural impact is unmatched – from Jaws and ET to war epics Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, his films have imprinted on generation after generation for decades.

However, his latest film, The Fabelmans, is something a little different; a semi-autobiographical story loosely based on his childhood. As well as being a family drama, it portrays the anti-semitic abuse the young Spielberg faced.

The Fabelmans is available to rent or buy on Prime Video and Apple TV.

Read more: Spielberg says anti-semitism is on the rise

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Kate Winslet (L) in Avatar. Pic: 20th Century Studios
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Pic: 20th Century Studios

James Cameron’s mega-budget Avatar sequel opened in cinemas in December, 13 years after the original had us all reaching for our 3D glasses.

The film sees Sam Worthington returning to the role of Na’vi leader Jake Sully and is rooted around the family he now has with warrior Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, and the battles they face to keep each other safe. Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet also star.

No date has been given yet, but Avatar: The Way of Water will be available to stream on Disney+ following its cinema release.

Read more: Will the sequel live up to the original?

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS

Charlbi Dean in Triangle Of Sadness. Pic: Lionsgate
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Pic: Lionsgate

A Cannes Palme d’Or-winning satire from Swedish director Ruben Ostlund, Triangle Of Sadness scored three big Oscar nominations, for best picture, best director and best original screenplay.

Targeting the filthy rich, it follows a set of luxury cruise passengers with not a redeeming feature between them. However, they soon find their status undermined by unexpected events.

You can watch Triangle Of Sadness on Amazon Prime Video and Google Play.

WOMEN TALKING

(L-R): Ben Whishaw stars as August, Rooney Mara as Ona and Claire Foy as Salome in director Sarah Polley's Women Talking. Pic: Orion Pictures/ Michael Gibson
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Pic: Orion Pictures/ Michael Gibson

Based on the novel by Miriam Toews, Women Talking tells the story of a group of women in an isolated religious community as they grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith.

Starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley and Judith Ivey, with Ben Whishaw and Frances McDormand, it has a strong cast but was an outsider for the Oscars this year.

Nominated for best picture, it is the only film in the category directed by a woman, Sarah Polley – and even she didn’t expect to hear its title called out, tweeting from an unusual location as she found out the good news: “Expectations were low for today. Here I am at a routine doctor’s appointment. I really didn’t plan this day right.”

Women Talking is released in cinemas on 17 February, with previews from 10 February.

AFTERSUN

Paul Mescal in Aftersun. Pic: MUBI
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Pic: MUBI

A coming-of-age drama, Aftersun is set in the 1990s and centres on a father-daughter duo, played by Paul Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio, as they spend a summer holiday away at an all-inclusive resort in Turkey. Although Mescal’s character Calum is seen laughing with his daughter when swimming in the sea or singing karaoke, in private moments we see his struggles with his mental health.

The film is a directorial debut from Charlotte Wells and is based on her own childhood experiences. While it isn’t up for best picture, Mescal’s heavily praised performance has earned him a nomination for best actor; not bad considering his Normal People breakthrough role came less than three years ago.

Following a cinema release in November, you can now watch Aftersun on the streaming service MUBI, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.

Read more: Paul Mescal on the ‘potentially toxic’ issue of men not looking after their mental health

THE WHALE

Brendan Fraser in The Whale. Pic: A24
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Pic: A24

Enjoying a so-called “Brenaissance”, Brendan Fraser – known for leading action films including The Mummy trilogy – is firmly back in the spotlight after a pause in his career, with his performance in The Whale earning him standing ovations at film festivals.

Fraser plays an extremely obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter and struggling with his mental health, and he is now the favourite to win best actor at the Oscars in March.

You can watch The Whale in cinemas from 3 February.

Read more: Brendan Fraser on the ‘Bren-aissance’

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

(L-R): Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Danai Gurira as Okoye in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Pic: Marvel Studios
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Pic: Marvel Studios

Despite missing out on joining fellow sequels Avatar and Top Gun with an Oscars nod for best film, Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever did score a nomination for Angela Bassett, who is up for best supporting actress.

The film is a moving tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa, the Black Panther in the original film; a story of loss, grief and dealing with bereavement, with lots of action and some surprises along the way.

Not only does Bassett’s nomination mark the cinematic universe’s first acting nod, but she is also favourite to win.

You can watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Disney+ from 1 February.

Read more: Black Panther stars on doing Boseman proud

LIVING

Bill Nighy in Living. Pic: Sony Pictures
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Pic: Sony Pictures

Starring British veteran Bill Nighy and Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood, Living is written by Kazuo Ishiguro and based on a remake of the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru. It tells the story of Mr Williams, an elderly bureaucrat who is diagnosed with an incurable illness, so decides he must start living his life to the fullest.

Nighy, perhaps destined to always be known for his fabulous turn as a washed-up rocker making a comeback in Love Actually, has been praised for his understated performance, which earns him his first Oscar nomination.

Living is available on Sky, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Google Play.

CAUSEWAY

Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence in Causeway. Pic: Apple TV+
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Pic: Apple TV+

Jennifer Lawrence stars as a soldier struggling to adjust back home in New Orleans after suffering a traumatic injury while fighting in Afghanistan. The film follows her character Lynsey as she adapts once again to civilian life, and forges an unexpected bond with local mechanic James, played by Brian Tyree Henry.

It’s one that could have slipped under the radar but has been brought into the limelight thanks to a nod for Henry in the Oscars’ best supporting actor category.

You can watch Causeway on Apple TV+.

BLONDE

The movie juxtaposes Monroe's seemingly glamorous life with a sad reality. Pic: Netflix
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Pic: Netflix

Ana de Armas has received nominations for several prizes for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, including best actress at the Oscars and BAFTAs.

The film itself, however, hasn’t been so well received; it leads the nominations at this year’s Razzies, or Golden Raspberry Awards, which celebrate cinematic under-achievements and are billed as the “ugly cousin” of the Academy Awards. And despite praise for her performance, the film has polarised critics.

Watch Blonde on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

TO LESLIE

Andrea Riseborough stars in To Leslie. Pic: Momentum Pictures
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Pic: Momentum Pictures

British actress Andrea Riseborough caused a bit of a stir with her first Academy Award nomination; she is in the running for best actress thanks to her performance in To Leslie, an independent drama inspired by true events. The film sees the Made In Dagenham actress playing a single mother who turns to alcoholism after winning the lottery, before turning her life around when a motel owner offers her a job.

In the run-up to the Oscar nominations, the film had received no nods at the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice awards or the BAFTAs – but broke through with the Academy seemingly in no small part thanks to a campaign by some of the most prominent names in Hollywood.

Indeed, fellow nominee Blanchett used the opening minute of her Critics’ Choice speech to single out Riseborough, describing her performance as overlooked, while fellow Hollywood stars including (deep breath) Kate Winslet, Amy Adams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Zooey Deschanel and Helen Hunt have also raved about it.

To Leslie is available on Amazon Prime Video and Google Play.

EMPIRE OF LIGHT

Olivia Colman in Empire Of Light. Pic: Parisa Taghizadeh/Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Studios
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Pic: Parisa Taghizadeh/Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Studios

Set around a cinema in the 1980s, Sam Mendes’s Empire Of Light is a celebration of the big screen and also one of the most personal films the director has ever made. The film sees former Oscar winner Olivia Colman playing a woman struggling with mental health issues, a character based on the celebrated filmmaker’s own mother.

The drama is a love letter to cinema itself, and a timely reminder of the beauty of the big screen experience following the COVID pandemic.

The film is nominated for best cinematography at the Oscars, while at the BAFTAs it is up for outstanding British film and best supporting actor for Micheal Ward, as well as cinematography.

Following its run in cinemas, Empire Of Light is expected to be available on Disney+ some time in February.

Read more: Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Micheal Ward and Toby Jones on making Empire Of Light

BABYLON

Margot Robbie in Babylon. Pic: Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures
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Pic: Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures

Oscar-winning La La Land filmmaker Damien Chazelle takes both recollection and rumour as his inspiration for Babylon, and the outrageous excess and rampant debauchery that supposedly went on behind the scenes in Hollywood in the 1920s.

The film stars Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and newcomer Diego Calva in a three-hour story about filmmaking. It earned three Oscar nominations – for costume, original score and production design – but hopes were perhaps a bit higher given it’s a lavish, big-budget affair (although it hasn’t done particularly well at the box office, either).

If you want to see it on the big screen, Babylon is in cinemas now.

Read more: Margot Robbie says ‘liberating’ Hollywood of the 1920s ‘had no rules’

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022). Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix .. 2022.
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Pic: Netflix

Such was the success of the 2019 whodunnit hit Knives Out that Netflix picked up the franchise, reportedly paying £375m for Glass Onion and one more sequel. This time round, the ensemble cast is even more starry – featuring Kate Hudson, Edward Norton and Janelle Monae joining Daniel Craig for his return as Detective Benoit Blanc.

This time, it’s celebrities and influencers who are under suspicion, with the film taking a satirical look at the decadence of the very modern rich and famous.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is nominated for best adapted screenplay at the Oscars, and you can watch it – and the first film – on Netflix.

Read more: Daniel Craig on investigating influencers

THE BATMAN

Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle and Robert Pattinson as Batman in The Batman. Pic: Jonathan Olley/DC Comics/Warner Bros
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Pic: Jonathan Olley/DC Comics/Warner Bros

Following a long wait for The Batman to launch in cinemas, its release date pushed back twice because of COVID production delays, it finally arrived in 2022; Robert Pattinson following in the footsteps of stars including Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton and George Clooney to play the Caped Crusader on the big screen.

Another box office hit drawing people back to cinemas, it is now Oscar-nominated for best sound, best make-up and hairstyling, and best visual effects.

You can watch The Batman on Sky, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Read more: Robert Pattinson on the ‘split personality moment’ of playing the Caped Crusader

GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE

Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. Pic: Lionsgate/ Nick Wall
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Pic: Lionsgate/ Nick Wall

Not an Oscars contender but a hit with the BAFTA panel, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is up for the awards for outstanding British film and outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer at the BAFTAs, as well as acting gongs for stars Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack.

McCormack, who plays a male sex worker hired by Thompson’s retired teacher, is also in the running for the rising star trophy.

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is available on Sky and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

Read more: BAFTA nomination is ‘best birthday gift’

THE WOMAN KING

Viola Davis. Pic: Sony Pictures
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Pic: Sony Pictures

Snubbed by the Oscars, The Woman King has at least been recognised at the BAFTAs, with star Viola Davis earning a best actress nomination, and Gina Prince-Bythewood in the running for best director.

The film tells the true story of a fierce group of female warriors who protected a West African Kingdom in the 1800s, with Davis starring. She has referred to The Woman King as her magnum opus, aiming to prove to the industry that films about black women can attract cinema audiences.

You can pre-order The Woman King on Sky and watch on Amazon Prime Video from 30 January.

Read more: Viola Davis on her ‘magnum opus’

TILL

Jalyn Hall and Danielle Deadwyler (L-R) in Till. Pic: Lynsey Weatherspoon/Orion Pictures
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Pic: Lynsey Weatherspoon/Orion Pictures

Till is biographical film based on the true story of Mamie Till-Bradley, who pursued justice after the racist murder of her 14-year-old son Emmett Till in 1955 – for which star Danielle Deadwyler has been universally praised for her performance.

Despite this, it didn’t receive any Oscar nominations, but Deadwyler is recognised in the leading actress category at the BAFTAs.

You can watch Till in cinemas now.

Watch the Oscars exclusively on Sky Showcase on Sunday 12 March from midnight. Sky News will be live on the red carpet at the ceremony in Hollywood on Sunday 12 and live with the winners at the Vanity Fair party on Breakfast with Kay Burley, on Monday 13 March

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The ‘scary spotlight’ on music stars amid Kneecap terror charge

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The 'scary spotlight' on music stars amid Kneecap terror charge

Before the amps are even switched on in Brockwell Park, there’s been a lot of noise about who should or shouldn’t be performing.

It’s where Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap are set to play their first major show since band member Mo Chara was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of the terrorist group Hezbollah at one of their gigs.

Before that, there had been calls for festivals to reconsider booking the band over their political stances, and several have done, which prompted artists like Brian Eno, the Mystery Jets and CMAT to sign an open letter accusing Westminster and the British media of a campaign to “remove Kneecap from the public eye”.

They put their names to wording that said “in a democracy, no political figures… have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals.”

The band have since claimed they’re the victims of “political policing” designed to silence their views on Gaza.

So what’s the reality like for artists who are outspoken at a time when the world is so divided?

As some of the biggest names in music gathered in London for the Ivors, an annual celebration of songwriting, Self-Esteem – aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor – said the level of scrutiny can be “terrifying”.

‘The problem with the internet’

She told Sky News: “The problem with the internet is you say one thing, which gets scrutinised, and then you shit yourself, you really do… then you’re advised not to. And then you’re like ‘don’t advise me not to!’

“You second-guess anything you want to say any more… but any time I do that, I think ‘well that’s why you’ve got to say it then’.”

She said it can be frustrating that focus turns on to pop stars’ opinions instead of “the people doing the bad things”.

Read more:
Why are Kneecap controversial?

Self-Esteem - aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor - spoke to Sky News about the topic.
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Self-Esteem, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor

‘Being a pop artist isn’t just about the music’

Former Little Mix singer Jade said: “To be a pop artist these days, it’s not just about music, it’s: ‘What’s your political stance?’

“I’ve always been quite vocal about those things, but in doing so you have even more of a scary spotlight on you, constantly assessing what your thoughts are as a human…it is scary.”

Trinidad-born London artist Berwyn, whose songs depict his struggles with UK immigration, says: “Silencing freedom of speech… is a road we don’t want to walk down.

“I’m not a politician, this is a very complicated issue, but I do absolutely believe in a human’s right to express themselves freely.”

But is that freedom of speech dependent on what side you’re coming from?

Berwyn speaking to Sky News
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Berwyn speaking to Sky News

‘Unethical investments’

Soon, an event called Mighty Hoopla will take place at Brockwell Park as part of its programme of six festivals this summer.

Artists performing at that are coming under increased pressure from pro-Palestine groups to quit because it’s owned by a company called Superstruct, which has links to an American investment firm called KKR.

Critics argue that any KKR-affiliated events should be a red flag to artists as campaigners claim it “invests billions of pounds in companies” that do things like “develop Israeli underground data centres”, and they say it has shares in companies that “advertise property on illegally occupied land in the West Bank”.

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Mighty Hoopla itself has said while it “cannot control investments made in our parent companies”, it wants to “state its clear opposition to KKR’s unethical investments”.

And Superstruct – which puts on over 80 festivals around the world – says while horrified by the crisis in Gaza: “We are aware that there is a significant amount of debate… around our festivals.

“Our owners, made up of our promoters and several investment firms, support us to achieve the highest standards… fans and artists rightly expect.”

They insist that operationally, Superstruct is independently run and all its “revenue and profits… remains entirely within our business… towards the ongoing development… of our festivals.”

Read more from Sky News:
Kid Cudi says Diddy ‘messed with his dog’
Bono calls for Israel to be ‘released from Netanyahu’
Chris Brown posts message as singer is bailed

Even deciding where to perform can have political connotations for musicians these days.

As Tom Gray, a founding member of the rock band Gomez, now chair of the Ivors, explains: “The amount of commercial interest required to get a young artist into the public eye means they have to keep their head down a lot and that’s a terrible shame.

“It’s not just artistic expression, but personal human expression is one of the fundamental things that allows people to feel they have agency.”

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Kid Cudi says Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs broke into his house and ‘messed with his dog’

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Kid Cudi says Sean 'Diddy' Combs broke into his house and 'messed with his dog'

Kid Cudi has told a court Sean “Diddy” Combs broke into his home, “messed with” his dog and opened some of his Christmas presents during a break-in in December 2011.

The 41-year-old rapper was giving evidence on day nine of the trial, after briefly dating Diddy’s former girlfriend Cassie the same year.

Cassie and Diddy dated for 11 years, from 2007 to 2018, and Cassie has testified the rapper physically abused her during most of their relationship.

Cudi described Cassie phoning him early one morning, sounding “stressed, nervous and scared”, telling him Diddy had “found out about us”.

He said Diddy later called him from his home and told him, “I’m here waiting for you”.

After dropping Cassie at a West Hollywood hotel, Cudi said he returned to his home and found no one there, but said his dog had been locked in the bathroom.

He described his pet later becoming “jittery and on edge all the time”.

He also said someone had opened Christmas presents he’d bought for his family.

While Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, said he initially wanted “to fight” Diddy, he later thought through “the reality of the situation,” and called the police to report the break-in.

Earlier this week, Cassie finished giving four days of evidence, becoming emotional at times, and testifying that Combs had threatened to blow up Cudi’s car and hurt him after he learned she was dating him by looking at messages on her phone during a “freak off”.

Prosecutors say Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, forced women to take part in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances known as “Freak Offs” from 2004 to 2024, facilitated by his large retinue of staff.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty.

The rapper faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Diddy and Cassie on a red carpet in 2016. Pic: zz/JMA/STAR MAX/IPx/AP
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Diddy and Cassie on a red carpet in 2016. Pic: zz/JMA/STAR MAX/IPx/AP

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Day 9 – As it happened

The month after the break-in, Cudi’s Porsche was firebombed in his drive, with a hole cut into the roof and a Molotov cocktail dropped into the driver’s seat.

Cudi said he realised he had to talk to Diddy, before things “got out of hand,” meeting up with Diddy, who he said was weirdly “calm” and staring out the window with his hands behind his back “like a Marvel super villain”.

Cudi says Diddy told him he had still been dating Cassie during his relationship with her, with Cudi replying: “[Cassie] told me you were broke up and I took her word for it.”

Shaking hands at the end of the conversation, Cudi said he asked Diddy about “burning” his car, and Diddy replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about”. Cudi later said he believed that to be a lie.

Cudi says he saw Diddy once a few years later at Soho House in Los Angeles with his daughter, and Diddy told him: “Man, I just want to apologise for all that bullshit”.

Sean "Diddy" Combs listens as George Kaplan (not seen) testifies at Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., May 21, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
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Diddy sketched in court while listening to Kaplan’s testimony. Pic: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg

Read more:
Everything you need to know about the Sean Combs trial
The rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

During his cross-examination, the defence suggested Cassie had been “living two different lives”, and “played” both Cudi and Combs.

Cudi concluded his time on the stand, saying his relationship with Cassie ended because he wanted “to give her space” and “the drama was too out of hand”.

Celebrity make-up artist Mylah Morales also gave evidence, describing a fight between Cassie and Diddy in 2010, which she says left Cassie with a “swollen eye, busted lip, and knots on her head”.

Former make up artist for Cassie Ventura, Mylah Morales testifies on the witness stand during Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court,Thursday, May 22, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
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Celebrity make-up artist Mylah Morales. Pic: AP

Morales said while she had heard the row, she hadn’t physically seen it as she wasn’t in the room.

She told the court, “I feared for my life”, explaining that she took Cassie to her apartment for several days to recover, but that Cassie refused to go to hospital as she was afraid of Diddy’s reaction.

The defence attempted to damage Morales’s credibility by listing her TV appearances, which included programmes on CNN, and with Don Lemon and Piers Morgan, attempting to paint her as attention-seeking.

The day also saw Combs’s former assistant George Kaplan complete his testimony.

George Kaplan leaves Federal Court after testifying at the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, in New York, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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George Kaplan, former assistant to Combs. Pic: AP

He talked about two occasions when he had been asked to carry cash for Diddy, who he said never paid for things himself in the moment, recalling one time in 2015 when he looked after $50,000, and another when he was asked to pick up $10,000.

Kaplan described seeing “regular” physical violence between Cassie and Diddy, including an incident in 2015 with whisky glasses on a private plane, when he heard glass breaking and saw Diddy standing over Cassie in the plane’s central aisle.

He says he also saw Diddy hurling “decorative apples” at another of his girlfriends, Gina, late the same year, handing in his notice the following month.

Also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, Combs turned artists like Notorious BIG and Usher into household names, elevating hip-hop in American culture and becoming a billionaire in the process.

Diddy has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September and faces at least 15 years or possibly life in prison if convicted.

The trial is set to last for around six weeks in total and will go into its third week next week.

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Bono calls for Israel to be ‘released from Benjamin Netanyahu’ in plea to ‘stop war’

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Bono calls for Israel to be 'released from Benjamin Netanyahu' in plea to 'stop war'

Irish rock star Bono has called for Israel to be “released from Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right fundamentalists” during an awards ceremony.

The U2 frontman’s comments at the Ivors mark the first time the human rights activist has spoken out in public against the Israeli prime minister since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

Bono, who received the Peace Summit Award at the 2008 Nobel Peace Laureates summit, also called for Hamas to release its remaining Israeli hostages.

It comes as Western leaders have been criticising Mr Netanyahu and the Israeli authorities over the renewed offensive in the Palestinian territory and the risk of famine due to an 11-week aid blockade, which is slowly easing.

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Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, said on Thursday evening at London’s Grosvenor House: “Peace creates possibilities in the most intractable situations.

“Lord knows there’s a few of them out there right now. Hamas release the hostages. Stop the war.

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“Israel be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts.

“All of you protect our aid workers, they are the best of us.”

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Bono, 65, made the call for peace as he and fellow U2 members each received an award from pop star Ed Sheeran.

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The group became the first Irish songwriters to be awarded an academy fellowship at the 70th year of the awards.

U2 then performed their song Sunday Bloody Sunday, which references the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Londonderry, where members of the British army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire at civil rights demonstrators.

The group ended the evening with a performance of their 1988 song Angel Of Harlem.

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Netanyahu hits out at Starmer, Macron and Carney

Also on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu said UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was “on the wrong side of humanity” after he called for an end to the war in Gaza.

In a video he shared on social media, the Israeli prime minister also attacked the leaders of France and Canada for their criticism of Israel’s actions in the conflict.

Mr Netanyahu specifically linked the criticism from the UK, France and Canada to the killings in Washington DC of Israeli embassy workers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim on Wednesday night.

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