Entertainment
U2 Are First Irish Songwriters to Be Named Fellows of the Ivors Academy

It’s a few days late to tie in with St. Patrick’s Day, but U2 are the first Irish songwriters to be named Ivors Academy Fellows. They are the second group to receive the honor, following Bee Gees.
Ivors Academy Fellows is the highest honor that the organization, best known for their annual Ivor Novello Awards, bestows. The award will be presented at this year’s The Ivors with Amazon Music event at Grosvenor House in London on Thursday May 22. This year’s Ivor Novello Award nominees will be announced on Wednesday April 23.
With U2’s inclusion, the total number of Fellows rises to 32. This counts U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.) as four individuals and Bees Gees (Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb) as three. Most of the honorees (see full list at the end of this story) have hailed from Britain, though the roster also includes American composer/conductor John Adams, American rock singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen and French composer/conductor Pierre Boulez.
Formed in Dublin in 1978, U2 is one of the greatest songwriting partnerships and most influential bands of all time. The band has amassed eight No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. U2 is the only band to have a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 in four consecutive decades (the 1980s through the 2010s).
U2 has won 22 Grammy Awards, far more than any other group in history. This tally includes four wins in songwriting categories: two for song of the year (for “Beautiful Day” and “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own”) and two for best rock song (for “Vertigo” and “City of Blinding Lights”).
In addition, the band members have received two Oscar nominations for best original song, for “The Hands That Built America” (from Gangs of New York) and “Ordinary Love” (from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom).
U2 has won four Ivor Novello Awards – the Special Award for International Achievement in 1994, Best Song Musically and Lyrically for “Walk On” in 2002, Outstanding Song Collection in 2003 and International Hit of the Year for “Vertigo” in 2005.
Other prized songs by U2 include “I Will Follow,” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “With or Without You” and “One.”
“To be recognised in this way by The Ivors Academy feels very special indeed,” U2’s Adam Clayton said in a statement. “The appreciation of one’s peers is a humbling honour and we are immensely grateful. We’ve been playing our songs in this country for over 45 years, thank you to all those who have not just supported us, but carried us… producers, engineers, crew, fans, management, label.”
Bandmate Larry Mullen Jr. added: “Making music collectively, as we’ve done for close to 50 years, has been an incredible experience and privilege for the four of us and I believe it’s a testament to a band that values individual creativity and independence of mind. We are grateful to each other and very grateful to The Ivors Academy for recognising us with this award.”
Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy said in a statement: “With fearless poetic lyricism always centre-stage in panoramic musical vistas, the sound of U2 has redefined the fabric of popular music. Their songs are sweeping catalysts: hymnals and rallying cries. U2’s induction into Fellowship honours their seminal contributions to music through exceptional songwriting craft.”
Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, added: “We are proud to welcome U2 to Fellowship of The Ivors Academy as era-defining songwriters whose legacy continues to propel musical innovation and inspire social progress. As U2’s politically charged anthems have sparked global change, The Ivors Academy is committed to championing creative integrity with the same unwavering passion. At a time when AI threatens to undermine human creativity, U2’s Fellowship stands as a testament to the irreplaceable role of songwriters and composers in shaping culture and inspiring change.”
U2’s many other awards include the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022 and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience award.
Here’s a full, updated list of Fellows of the Ivors Academy. Notes: Multiple honorees in a single year are listed alphabetically.
2000: Paul McCartney
2001: Sir Malcolm Arnold CBE, John Barry OBE
2004: John Adams, Sir Elton John
2005: David Arnold, Pierre Boulez CBE, Sir John Dankworth CBE, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE
2006: Sir Barry Gibb CBE, Maurice Gibb CBE, Robin Gibb CBE
2007: George Fenton
2009: Don Black OBE, David Ferguson
2010: Sir Tim Rice
2012: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber
2015: Annie Lennox OBE
2020: Joan Armatrading CBE, Julian Joseph OBE
2021: Kate Bush CBE
2022: Peter Gabriel, Judith Weir CBE
2023: John Rutter CBE, Sting
2024: Sir James Macmillan, Bruce Springsteen, Errollyn Wallen
2025: Bono (Paul Hewson), Adam Clayton, The Edge (Dave Evans), Larry Mullen Jr.
Entertainment
No ‘Good’ Deed Goes Unpunished for Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Final ‘Wicked: For Good’ Trailer

In the final trailer for Wicked: For Good, Ariana Grande‘s character learns that a big price comes with being Glinda the Good.
Released on Wednesday (Sept. 24) — about two months before the Wicked sequel finally premieres in theaters on Nov. 21 — the preview shows how the blonde leading lady wrestles with her new role as Oz’s spokeswoman, as Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba attempts to expose the Wizard’s evil agenda while living in hiding. At first, Glinda is “obsess-ulated” with the gorgeous gown, tiara and mechanical flying bubble her public-facing life affords her — but everything quickly comes crashing down when she realizes that she’s on the wrong side of history, and that she just might be too late to save her former schoolmate from the wrath of Oz’s brainwashed citizens.
“I’m a public figure now, people expect me to …,” Glinda tells Elphaba at one point, with Dorothy’s fallen house and the Yellow Brick Road visible in the background.
“Lie?” the green-skinned witch cuts in, to which Glinda says defensively, “Be encouraging.”
Grande’s character is less sure of herself when she is confronted by Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero, who accuses, “You can’t resist this.”
“Who could?” Glinda asks, to which the Winkie prince replies, “You know who could.”
Arriving one year after the first Wicked hit theaters and shattered movie-musical box-office records, For Good will serve as the film adaptation of the second act of the Broadway musical on which the live-actions are based. The soundtrack will also drop on Nov. 21, complete with two brand new songs sung by Grande and Erivo.
As revealed when the tracklist dropped a week prior to the new trailer, the title of Glinda’s bonus song is “The Girl in the Bubble,” while Elphaba’s added balled is called “No Place Like Home.”
Watch the final trailer for Wicked: For Good above.
Entertainment
Priscilla Presley Says That Leaving Elvis Presley Was ‘The Only Way to Survive’ in New Memoir ‘Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis’

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Priscilla Presley was with Elvis Presley for around 14 years before they split; however, the pair had known each other for years before they wed in 1967.
The time in between and following Priscilla and Elvis’ divorce was a tough spot for Priscilla, and one she wasn’t super open about — that is, until now. In her new memoir Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis, the actress shares the difficult but inspiring journey beyond the walls of Graceland post-split with the King, choosing to put herself and her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, first.
A hardcover version of the book is now on sale and can be purchased now on Amazon for $22.38, while paperback will run you $32. A Kindle version retails for $15.99. If you’re a superfan of Priscilla and the Presley family, you can also snag a signed version of the memoir via Barnes & Noble for $32. The piece makes a great gift for the avid Elvis collector in your life. If you’d rather listen to the memoir, we won’t judge, you can do so with Audible via a subscription which costs $7.95 a month, a price tag less than a physical copy.
Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis
A new memoir by Priscilla Presley.
If you didn’t know, Priscilla met Elvis when she was just 14 and he was 24. The singer was serving in the U.S. Army in 1959 in Germany. The pair remained romantically connected for years, even with distance between them and in 1967, they were wed in a simple and very secret ceremony in Las Vegas. While their separation in 1973 was painful for Priscilla, this novel highlights why it was so important for the Naked Gun star to leave.
It seems that Priscilla lost touch with herself throughout her relationship with Elvis. Leaving allowed her to find herself again. Through the book, we are treated to snippets of Priscilla’s life pre- and post-Elvis and how she had to reinvent herself a second time as the single mother after the performer’s death in 1977.
Today, we are taken through how Priscilla was able to transform Graceland into an international destination and helped guide the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises, turning the King’s legacy into a full-on business. If you are an Elvis fan, this gives readers a unique perspective on his life, as told by his ex-wife. It also gives Priscilla’s story more context for those who aren’t too familiar with her life and career.
Entertainment
Calvin Harris’ Ex-Business Manager Denies $22M Fraud Claims: ‘Categorically False’

Calvin Harris‘ former longtime business manager is firing back against bombshell fraud claims, saying he never stole from anybody and that the Scottish DJ willingly agreed to invest in his Los Angeles real estate development project.
Thomas St. John, an entertainment industry-focused accountant who runs the eponymous firm Thomas St. John Group, is currently wrapped up in thorny arbitration proceedings with his former client Harris (Adam Wiles). He’s accused of abusing his access to Harris’ accounts in order to fund his side venture: the construction of a recording studio and office space complex in Hollywood.
Harris claims that St. John tricked him into investing $22.5 million in the project, known as CMNTY Culture Campus, which he says turned out to be a “complete boondoggle” that he “has not received a single penny in return for” — while suggesting that St. John pocketed much of the money for himself.
However, a representative for St. John says in a new statement that the allegations are “categorically false.” The rep denies that St. John engaged in any self-dealing, adding that Harris is one of nine above-board investors who “knowingly signed investment agreements” to get involved in CMNTY Culture.
“Not a single dollar has been misappropriated, all investor entitlements remain intact, and the project continues to advance within the normal entitlement timeline,” says St. John’s rep in the Tuesday (Sept. 23) statement. “We will continue to take every necessary step to set the record straight and to ensure that these malicious, bad-faith attacks are recognized for what they are: entirely without merit.”
While CMNTY Culture was initially designed to house a recording studio and office space, St. John has since shifted the plans and is now developing a residential apartment complex on the same tract of land in Hollywood. According to his rep, the project is proceeding apace and “is expected to approach a $1 billion valuation” upon completion.
“While the entitlement process has naturally taken longer than initially projected due to unprecedented interest, macroeconomic conditions and significant city red tape, it remains firmly within its promised schedule and is now on the verge of securing final entitlements, an important milestone that will unlock substantial value,” adds St. John’s rep.
Thomas St. John Group has offices in Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam and Stockholm. The management firm’s U.S. arm recently filed for bankruptcy, citing hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent in L.A. and multiple pending legal actions.
One creditor listed in the firm’s bankruptcy papers is Philip Lawrence, a songwriter and producer who made his name collaborating with Bruno Mars. Lawrence used to be a client of St. John’s and at one point invested $10 million from the sale of his catalog into CMNTY Culture Campus, according to court filings in Lawrence’s own personal bankruptcy case.
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