Hollywood
AP names Jennifer Lawrence ‘Entertainer of the Year’
MUMBAI: The battle for the Associated Press (AP) entertainer of the year came down to the Girl on Fire and the Queen of Twerk.
Jennifer Lawrence edged out Miley Cyrus by one vote in the Associated Press annual survey of its newspaper and broadcast members and subscribers for “Entertainer of the Year”.
There were 70 ballots submitted by US editors and news directors. Voters were asked to consider who was the most influential on entertainment and cultural front in 2013. Lawrence won 15 votes, Cyrus had 14, Netflix was a close third, earning 13 votes for altering the TV landscape with its on-demand format and hit original series.
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However, Lawrence, who started the year with an Academy Award for best actress, hit it big all through the year first with The Hunger Games Catching Fire and wrapped 2013 with a critically acclaimed performance in David O. Russell’s American Hustle that has just earned Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Lawrence was a favourite of many because of her diverse roles as well as her Academy Award for Best Actress. She has since been nominated for both a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for American Hustle.
The second in the list – Miley Cyrus also made headlines in 2013, but for many different reasons. She made her first splash in August during the MTV Video Music Awards, but kept her twerking ways for the rest of the year. Cyrus later smoked pot onstage in Europe, continued to undress in many different situations and went through a very public break up with fiancé Liam Hemsworth.
She also made fashion headlines with her pixie haircut.
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
