iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar to stream 94th Academy Awards on 28 March
Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar is set to stream the 94th Academy Awards on 28 March, starting at 5 a.m IST. The Oscars, one of cinema’s most prestigious awards, will take place at Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles.
This year, the event will see the biggest names in world cinema in attendance who will honour the best movies, filmmakers and performances of 2021. Actors Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall will walk the live audience and viewers through the ceremony as hosts.
The event will witness the presence of popular stars like Halle Bailey, Ruth E Carter, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Kevin Costner, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Hopkins, Samuel L Jackson, Lily James, Daniel Kaluuya, Zoë Kravitz, Mila Kunis, Lady Gaga, John Leguizamo, Simu Liu, Rami Malek, Shawn Mendes, Lupita Nyong’o, Rosie Perez, Tyler Perry, Chris Rock, Tracee Ellis Ross, Naomi Scott, Wesley Snipes, Uma Thurman, John Travolta and Yuh-Jung Youn, Stephanie Beatriz, DJ Khaled, Jennifer Garner, HER, Tiffany Haddish, Tony Hawk, Bill Murray, Elliot Page, Kelly Slater and Shaun White and several others as they present the award to winners of different categories.
There will also be musical performances by Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Reba McEntire and Sebastián Yatra. They will perform this year’s nominated songs at the event.
This year audiences will be able to vote for their favourite movie in new category called ‘Favourite Movie of 2021’ The Academy Awards will declare a winner for this category based on votes submitted on Twitter and the Oscars ‘Fan Favourite’ website.
iWorld
Spotify rolls out ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge for artists
New badge and profile details aim to boost transparency in AI-driven music era.
MUMBAI: In a world where even playlists can have imposters, Spotify is adding a badge of trust. The streaming platform has begun rolling out a new ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge, alongside expanded artist profile details, as it looks to bring greater clarity to listeners navigating an increasingly complex mix of human and AI-generated music. The badge, currently in beta, will appear on artist profiles that meet Spotify’s internal criteria for authenticity. These include consistent listener engagement, adherence to platform policies and signs of a real-world presence such as live performances, merchandise or active social media profiles. Notably, profiles representing primarily AI-generated artists will not be eligible for verification at launch.
Spotify says the verification process will combine automated systems with human review, prioritising artists with sustained audience interest over those driven by short-term spikes. The rollout will be gradual, with the badge appearing across profiles and search results over the coming weeks. The company noted that more than 99 per cent of artists users actively search for are already included in the initial phase.
Alongside the badge, Spotify is also introducing a new artist details section within profiles. Available even for non-verified artists, the feature will highlight career milestones, release activity and touring history, offering listeners a more comprehensive view of an artist’s journey and output.
The move builds on Spotify’s broader push towards transparency, complementing existing features such as SongDNA, expanded song credits and AI attribution tools. Together, these updates aim to give users more context about what they are listening to and who is behind it.
As generative AI continues to blur the lines between creator and creation, Spotify’s latest update signals a clear intent: in the streaming era, authenticity is becoming just as important as accessibility.
