Author: Uponent

New York — On a quiet winter weekend at the box office, DreamWorks Animation’s “Dog Man” chased its own tail, repeating as the top movie in theaters. 

The animated Universal Pictures release, adapted from Dav Pilkey’s popular graphic novel series, collected $13.7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Both new releases — the Ke Huy Quan action movie “Love Hurts” and the Valentine’s Day-themed slasher “Heart Eyes”— were left nipping at the heels of “Dog Man.” 

Hollywood often largely punts Super Bowl weekend to the small screen. Last year, Apple’s much-derided “Argylle” debuted on the same weekend. Instead, the movie industry spends more energy pitching its blockbusters in trailers for the huge football audience on TV. 

It wasn’t a banner weekend for “Dog Man.” It fell steeply, dropping 62% in it second weekend. But with a production budget of $40 million, “Dog Man” has already tallied $54.1 million domestically in two weeks. 

Coming in second was Spyglass Media Group’s “Heart Eyes,” released by Sony. The horror-rom-com mashup earned $8.5 million from 3,102 locations. Reviews have been good for the film, directed by Josh Ruben and starring Oliva Holt and Mason Gooding, though audiences were less impressed. Moviegoers gave it a “B-” CinemaScore. Spyglass made “Heart Eyes” for $18 million. 

“Love Hurts,” the action comedy from 87North Productions (“John Wick,” “The Fall Guy”), debuted with a paltry $5.8 million in 3,055 theaters. In his first big movie role since his Oscar-winning comeback in “Everything All at Once,” Ke Huy Quan stars as a mild-mannered realtor with a hitman past. Ariana DeBose co-stars. It, too, was modestly budgeted at $18 million. Audiences, however, mostly rejected the movie, giving “Love Hurts” a “C+” CinemaScore. 

Next weekend should bring Hollywood its biggest box-office weekend of the year with the release of Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” and Sony’s “Paddington in Peru.” 

Final domestic figures will be released Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 

1. “Dog Man,” $13.7 million. 

2. “Heart Eyes,” $8.5 million. 

3. “Love Hurts,” $5.8 million. 

4. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $3.9 million. 

5. “Companion,” $3 million. 

6. “One of Them Days,” $3 million. 

7. “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” $2.6 million. 

8. “Flight Risk,” $2.6 million. 

9. “Sonic the Hedgehog,” $1.8 million. 

10. “Moana 3,” $1.5 million.
    …

GRANADA, SPAIN — Narco-musical Emilia Perez won best European film at Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars on Saturday, after social media posts by the movie’s star prompted a backlash in the middle of awards season. 

The mostly Spanish-language musical tells the story of a Mexican drug cartel boss who transitions to life as a woman and turns her back on crime.

Before the scandal broke, the film earned 13 Oscar nods, picked up four Golden Globes in January and won multiple prizes at last year’s Cannes Film Festival.

But old social media posts by star Karla Sofia Gascon, in which she denigrates Islam, China and African American George Floyd, unleashed a scandal that has harmed her reputation and the film.

Voting for the Goya awards closed on Jan. 24, days before the posts were uncovered.

Spaniard Gascon, the first transgender woman nominated for an Oscar for best actress, has apologized for her posts and distanced herself from publicity for the film.

She lives near Madrid but did not attend the Goya awards ceremony in Granada.

The movie’s French director Jacques Audiard has called the posts “inexcusable” and “absolutely hateful.” 
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NEW YORK — A violin made in 1714 by the legendary luthier Antonio Stradivari sold for $11.3 million at an auction in New York on Friday, short of estimates that would have made it the most expensive instrument ever sold. 

Sotheby’s auction house had estimated that the “Joachim-Ma Stradivarius” violin could sell for between $12 million and $18 million, with the higher end of the range potentially eclipsing the record-breaking $15.9 million someone paid for another Stradivari violin at auction more than a decade ago. 

The “Joachim-Ma Stradivarius” is regarded as one of Stradivari’s best works, built during his “Golden Period” at the height of his craftsmanship and acoustic mastery, according to the auction house. 

Adding to the intrigue, the violin is believed to have influenced legendary composer Johannes Brahms when he wrote the famed “Violin Concerto in D Major” and was actually played during the concerto’s 1879 premiere. 

“This extraordinary violin represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship and classical music history, its unparalleled sound and storied provenance captivating collectors and musicians alike,” Mari-Claudia Jimenez, chair at Sotheby’s. “The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius garnered global attention, achieving one of the highest prices ever for a musical instrument — an acknowledgment of its rarity and historical importance.” 

$2M increase in seconds

Bidding at Sotheby’s began at $8 million and within seconds shot up to $10 million, as auctioneer Phyllis Kao scanned the room, looking for someone to put up $10.5 million. 

“Am I selling? At $10 million,” she said, looking to potential bidders. 

The room was quiet. 

“Last chance, at $10 million,” she said. “I can sell, and I will, at $10 million, unless you go on.” 

“Sold. $10 million,” she said, banging a gavel. 

The final price includes auction house fees. 

Sale funds scholarships

The name of the instrument comes from two of its famous violin virtuoso owners, Joseph Joachim of Hungary and Si-Hon Ma of China. Ma’s estate gifted the violin to the New England Conservatory in Boston after his death. 

The conservatory will use the proceeds to fund student scholarships. 

“The sale is transformational for future students, and proceeds will establish the largest named endowed scholarship at New England Conservatory,” said Andrea Kalyn, president of New England Conservatory. “It has been an honor to have the Joachim-Ma Stradivari on campus, and we are eager to watch its legacy continue on the world stage.” 
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JUNEAU, ALASKA — The Alaska Legislature passed a resolution Friday urging President Donald Trump to reverse course and retain the name of North America’s tallest peak as Denali rather than change it to Mount McKinley.

Trump, on his first day in office, signed an executive order calling for the name to revert to Mount McKinley, an identifier inspired by President William McKinley, who was from Ohio and never set foot in Alaska.

He said he planned to “restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent.”

The 19-0 vote in the state Senate came just over a week after the House passed the measure 31-8.

The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Maxine Dibert, a Democrat who is Koyukon Athabascan. Members of that tribe bestowed the name Denali, or “the high one,” on the mountain in interior Alaska.

“Denali is more than a mountain,” Dibert of Fairbanks said in a news release. “It’s a cornerstone of Alaska’s history, a tribute to our diverse culture and a testament to the people who have cherished this land for millennia.”

The Interior Department late last month announced efforts were underway to implement Trump’s renaming order, even though state leaders haven’t seen the matter as settled. An Interior spokesperson, J. Elizabeth Peace, earlier this week said the agency did not have any further updates.

According to the National Park Service, a prospector in 1896 dubbed the peak Mount McKinley for William McKinley, who was elected president that year. Although there were challenges to the McKinley name at the time it was announced, maps had already been circulated with the mountain’s name in place.

The name was formally recognized by the U.S. government until it was changed in 2015 by the Obama administration to Denali.

The name change reflected the traditions of Alaska Natives and the preference of many Alaskans, underscored by a push by state leaders decades earlier. The 6,190-meter mountain in Denali National Park and Preserve on clear days can be see from hundreds of kilometers away.

“Denali is the name of our mountain; a name of great importance to Alaska Natives and everyone across our state,” House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, an independent from Dillingham, said in the news release. “It is clear from the bipartisan support in the legislature that Alaskans should decide.”
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Ukrainian culture is booming amid the war with Russia. That’s despite the constant rocket attacks and damage to almost 500 heritage sites, according to UNESCO. Experts say Ukrainians have never been as interested in their own culture as they are now. As Lesia Bakalets reports from Kyiv, almost any event is sold out, especially in the capital. (Videographer: Vladyslav Smilianets )
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NEW YORK — A violin made by the famed Antonio Stradivari in 1714 has the potential to become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold when it goes up for auction Friday at Sotheby’s in New York.

The auction house is estimating the value of the “Joachim-Ma Stradivarius” at $12 million to $18 million. If it sells at the top end of that range, it could best the $15.9 million paid in 2011 for another Stradivarius, the “Lady Blunt,” made in 1721 and named by Guinness World Records as the most expensive instrument ever sold at auction.

Mari-Claudia Jimenez, Sotheby’s Americas president and head of global business, said Stradivari made the violin during his “Golden Period,” which began around 1700 and was marked by an improvement in his craftmanship.

“So, this is the peak of his output,” Jimenez said. “This is the best violin of this era.”

Sotheby’s says the violin’s preservation is remarkable, and its ownership history extraordinary.

It’s named for two of its famed owners — violin virtuosos Joseph Joachim of Hungary, who lived from 1831 to 1907, and Si-Hon Ma, who was born in China in 1926, moved to the U.S. in 1948 and died 2009.

It is believed that legendary composer Johannes Brahms was influenced by the Joachim-Ma when he wrote his “Violin Concerto in D Major” because of its rich, resonant tone, and that Joachim played that violin during the concerto’s 1879 premiere, according to Sotheby’s.

Ma acquired the violin in 1969, and his estate gifted it to the New England Conservatory in Boston after his death. Ma attended the conservatory, where he earned a master’s degree in 1950. The conservatory is now putting the violin up for auction, with all the proceeds going to student scholarships.
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LOS ANGELES — The Super Bowl isn’t just a game on Sunday, it’ll involve a nearly weeklong spectacle taking over New Orleans with non-stop entertainment leading up to the big showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. 

While the Chiefs and Eagles gear up for their championship rematch, the Big Easy will be the epicenter for star-studded concerts, exclusive parties, a comedy show, and guest lists filled with A-listers. From Post Malone, Cardi B to Shaquille O’Neal, the city will be buzzing long before Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs attempt a monumental three-peat. 

“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be different than other Super Bowls,” said O’Neal, who will host his popular carnival-themed Shaq’s Fun House on Friday night. It’s a hot ticket — starting at $199 — for the NBA legend’s over-the-top festival event featuring headline performances from Ludacris, John Summit and O’Neal under his stage name DJ Diesel. 

O’Neal’s event will feature several attractions including a Ferris wheel, circus performers and premium bar. This will be somewhat of a homecoming week for O’Neal, who played college hoops at Louisiana State University and visits Louisiana about four times a year. 

For Flavor Flav, he wants to help lift morale in New Orleans following the aftermath of the terror attack that killed 14 people on New Year’s Day. 

“This is going to be special. I’m here to uplift spirits,” said Flav, who will perform at Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate along with Diplo and Cowboy Mouth on Sunday afternoon. It’s free for general admission with paid upgraded experiences for $49.99 and $349 for a VIP ticket. 

“I’m getting on the turntables to make people party and have a good time,” he said. 

Along with those events, here’s a look at some of the invite-only and public events during a busy Super Bowl week: 

Fanatics party 

Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl party is impossible to get into without an invite. The star-studded affair on Saturday afternoon is strictly for the who’s who of sports and entertainment. 

Rubin, the founder and CEO of Fanatics, will likely be front and center, taking in performances from Post Malone, Travis Scott, Don Tolliver and many more. 

The expected attendees include big names such as Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Lil Baby, Tiffany Haddish and Tom Brady. 

Madden Bowl 

Just like EA Sports’ iconic phrase, “It’s in the game,” Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Shaboozey will literally be in the game at the Madden Bowl. 

The trio is set to separately take the stage Friday night, bringing the hype before the competition kicks off. 

“I can’t wait to keep this party going,” Shaboozey said. 

Along with performances, the event will include the Madden NFL 25 Championship Series in front of a live audience — where two of the world’s best players will travel to New Orleans for their share of the $1 million prize pool. 

Double up for some, triple duties for others 

The Madden Bowl won’t be the only stage where Stapleton will showcase his powerhouse vocals. The country star is set to headline the SiriusXM and Pandora concert Thursday night. 

Stapleton’s performance will air on SiriusXM’s Chris Stapleton Radio, an exclusive channel curated and presented by him and his band. Pandora listeners can access the Chris Stapleton Radio station. 

After Ludacris takes the stage at Shaq’s Fun House on Friday, the rapper will perform Sunday at On Location’s Super Bowl pregame party. He’ll be joined by rock band The Revivalists at the Club 67 and Touchdown Club just outside the Caesars Superdome for One Location — a premium hospitality provider of the NFL. 

Post Malone will be making moves too. He’s scheduled to perform at three different events. Along with Fanatics, the superstar artist will hit the stage at the Bud Light Backyard Tour on Friday, then he’s set to headline the YouTube Tailgate Concert on Sunday near the Superdome. 

Diplo will perform at parties for Sports Illustrated and Maxim along with Guy Fieri’s tailgate event. 

Gospel celebration 

Bill Bellamy and Rocsi Diaz will bring some gospel flavor to the Big Easy. 

The tandem will host the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration on Wednesday night. The lineup includes some of music’s best from The Isley Brothers, Muni Long, Yolanda Adams, Tori Kelly and Jonathan McReynolds. 

Other performances include New Orleans natives Master P, Big Freedia, Lucky Daye and Trombone Shorty. The NFL Players Choir will also participate. 

“Hosting the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration is like hitting the trifecta: music, faith, and football all in one show,” Bellamy said. “I’m excited to bring some laughs, some energy and to be part of this incredible night with an amazing lineup.” 

Michael Strahan, an NFL Hall of Famer and Good Morning America co-anchor, will receive the Lifetime of Inspiration award. He called the honor “truly special.” 

New Orleans Saints player Cameron Jordan will be given the community award while Los Angeles Rams star rookie Jared Verse will be honored with the rising star award. 

Timbaland and Maxim 

Super producer Timbaland will bring his massive hits into New Orleans with the help of Maxim. 

Timbaland will perform at a special concert at the Maxim Saints & Sinners Big Game Party on Saturday. The show will include performances from DJ Loud Luxury, Plastik Funk, DJ unKommon and former NFL player Le’Veon Bell. 

DJ unKommon and Diplo will be featured performers at a pregame party Friday. 

Other concerts  

Captain Morgan will transform Bourbon Street into Rum Street with the help of T-Pain, who will headline a concert Saturday night. 

On the same night, Cardi B is expected to perform at the “Cardi Gras,” 50 Cent will hold the Super Bold Comedy Block Party with standups from Bill Bellamy, Chico Bean and DC Young Fly. 

Dom Dolla and Diplo will perform at the Sports Illustrated Party. 

On Friday, Nelly and the Chainsmokers are set to perform at h.wood Homecoming and the Draft Kings event. Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochosinco” Johnson will do an in-person podcast called the Nightcap NSFW Tour. 
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Paris — A Paris court found a filmmaker guilty of sexual assault on French actor Adèle Haenel when she was between 12 and 15 in the early 2000s, in the country’s first big #MeToo trial.

Filmmaker Christophe Ruggia was sentenced Monday to two years under house arrest with an electronic bracelet plus a two-year suspended sentence. Ruggia had denied any wrongdoing.

Haenel, now 35, was the first top actor in France to accuse the film industry of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse after the #MeToo movement broke out. In 2019, she accused Ruggia of having repeatedly touched her inappropriately during and after filming of the movie “Les Diables,” or “The Devils,” in the early 2000s.

Haenel appeared relieved, breathing deeply, as Monday’s verdict was being released. She was applauded by some women’s rights activists as she left the courtroom.

The court ruled that Ruggia “took advantage of the dominant position” he had on Haenel at the time. “During quasi-weekly meetings at your home for over three years you had sexualized gestures and attitudes,” as Haenel was “gradually isolated” from her loved ones, the court said in a statement.

Ruggia’s lawyer said her client would appeal.

He “maintains that he has never touched Adele Haenel,” the lawyer, Fanny Colin, said. “Sentenced in these conditions and on the sole basis of her words seems to us not only unjustified but dangerous.”

Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” has in recent years vocally protested what she’s called an insufficient response to sexual abuse in French filmmaking.

At the Cesar Awards in 2020, she walked out of the ceremony after Roman Polanski won best director. Polanski is still wanted in the United States decades after he was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

In 2023, Haenel, announced she was quitting the French film industry that she denounced for “complacency toward sexual aggressors.” She published an open letter in which she said Cannes and other pillars of the French film industry are “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.”

While #MeToo initially struggled to find traction in France, some other actors and film industry workers have since spoken out.

French renowned actor Judith Godreche attended Monday’s verdict at the Paris courthouse. “It was a very moving and a very important moment that reminded me of things that, in my case, may go unpunished,” she told reporters with tears in her eyes.

Last year, Godreche accused film director Benoit Jacquot of having raped and physically abused her in a six-year relationship that began when she was 14 years old. Jacquot, who has more than 50 director credits in film and television, was handed preliminary charges of rape, sexual assault and violence in July 2024.

Godreche is also accusing another film director, Jacques Doillon, of sexual abuse while he was directing a film when she was 15.

Both Jacquot and Doillon have denied the allegations.

In a separate case, French actor Gerard Depardieu is to go on trial in March on charges of sexually assaulting two women on a film set.

Depardieu, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threat” in the alleged sexual assaults that prosecutors say took place in 2021 on the set of “Les Volets verts,” or “The Green Shutters.”
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LOS ANGELES — Chappell Roan was named best new artist at the 2025 Grammys.

She read a speech from a notebook, beginning by addressing her fellow nominees. “BRAT was the best night of my life this year,” she said, as her hat fell off her head, referencing Charli xcx.

Then her speech changed course. She directed her attention to major labels and the music industry, instructing them to “offer a living wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists.” Then she described getting signed as a minor, getting dropped and entering the workforce during COVID-19 with no work experience and no health care. She asked them to treat artists like “valuable employees.”

“Labels, we got you, but do you got us?” she concluded her speech. “Thank you.”

In one of the biggest moments of the evening so far, Taylor Swift presented the award for best country album at the 2025 Grammys to Beyoncé for her groundbreaking “Cowboy Carter.”

“I really was not expecting this. Wow,” she started her speech. “Genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists … I’m still in shock. Thank you so much for this honor.”

A little bit of the wild west, a little bit of West Hollywood. Chappell Roan brought a rocking version of her “Pink Pony Club” to the 2025 Grammy stage. Joined by a posse of dancing clown cowboys, she sang from atop a giant pink horse.

The Grammys are airing live on CBS and Paramount+. Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers can also watch live and on demand.

The first televised award of the 2025 Grammy Awards went to Doechii for best rap album for “Alligator Bites Never Heal.”

The tears were immediate. “This category was introduced in 1989. Two women have won, Lauryn Hill —” she said, correcting herself. “Three women have won. Lauryn Hill, Cardi B and Doechii.”

It was Doechii’s first Grammy. Her heartfelt speech came after the show opened with several references to the Los Angeles-area wildfires that have devastated the city but put the spotlight on the city’s resiliency. The Grammys kicked off Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in high spirits, drawing attention to first responders and the resilience of the music community.

Host Trevor Noah’s opening speech was dedicated to those affected by the fires, promising a show that not only celebrates them, but one that also celebrates “the city that brought us so much of that music.” The Grammys have also allotted ad time to be used by local businesses affected by the fires.

On a stage set up to look like the mountains of Los Angeles, the LA born-and-raised Billie Eilish and her brother/collaborator Finneas performed her hit “Birds of a Feather.” It was one of a number of ways the show seeks to salute the city. “We love you LA,” she told the crowd at the end of the set.

The show kicked off with a powerful opening performance of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” by Dawes — whose members were directly affected by the Eaton fire — backed by John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.

Later, Sabrina Carpenter launched into a medley of her biggest singles of the last year — a jazzy rendition of “Espresso” into “Please, Please, Please,” with a brief “Espresso” reprise.

Most of the best new artist nominees took part in a medley performance: Khruangbin with “May Ninth,” Benson Boone with “Beautiful Things,” Doechii launching “Catfish” into “Denial Is a River,” Teddy Swims doing “Lose Control,” Shaboozey with “Good News” into “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and RAYE with “Oscar Winning Tears.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith led the crowd in a short singalong of their hit “Under the Bridge,” reminding the crowd to “support their friends and neighbors as they rebuild their lives,” said Kiedis. Then they presented the best pop vocal album award to Carpenter for “Short n’ Sweet.”

“I really wasn’t expecting this,” she said. “This is, woo, my first Grammy so I’m going to cry.” (She’s now won two, but the earlier award was handed out a pre-telecast ceremony that many artists don’t attend.)

First time winners were abundant

An exciting, early theme of the 67th Grammy Awards? First time winners.

During Sunday’s Premiere Ceremony, a pre-telecast show hosted by songwriter Justin Tranter, some of the biggest names in pop like Carpenter and Charli xcx won their first Grammys, as did Música Mexicana star Carin León, French metal band Gojira and country folk artist Sierra Ferrell.

They weren’t the only ones: Veterans took home trophies, as did former President Jimmy Carter. He won a posthumous Grammy Award for narrating “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” recordings from his final Sunday School lessons delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in Georgia. It was his fourth Grammy win.

Soon afterward, Charli xcx also won her first two Grammys, in the best pop dance recording category for “Von Dutch” and best dance/electronic album for “BRAT.”

Amy Allen won the songwriter of the year, non-classical, a Grammy category that has only existed for three years. She is the first woman to ever win. Tobias Jesso Jr. won in 2023 and Theron Thomas won in 2024.

“The child in me … is screaming and crying and laughing at the absurdity of this moment,” Allen started her speech. “We are the engine that fuels the entire music industry,” she said of songwriters past and present.

Ferrell won her first Grammys for Americana performance, Americana roots song, Americana album, and American roots performance. She pulled an acceptance speech out of scepter. “Honestly this is kind of hilarious,” she joked after returning to the stage for a third time. “Yikes!” she started her fourth acceptance speech.

Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and other music giants recognized

Leading nominee Beyoncé won her first award of the day for her song featuring Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted.” It took home the country duo/group performance during the Grammy’s Premiere Ceremony, where a whopping 85 awards will be handed out. It marks Beyoncé’s first win in a country category.

Kenrick Lamar’s ubiquitous “Not Like Us” was an early winner, receiving trophies for music video, rap song and rap performance. It marks his seventh time winning in the latter category.

The Beatles’ “Now and Then,” which used AI technology, took home best rock performance. Sean Lennon accepted the award on behalf of his father John Lennon. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best band of all time,” he said of the Beatles. “Play the Beatles’ music for your kids. I feel like the world can’t afford to forget.”

Who’s nominated at the 2025 Grammys

Beyoncé leads the Grammy nods with 11 thanks to her acclaimed “Cowboy Carter” album, bringing her career total to 99 nominations. She’s also been the most decorated artist, having earned 32 trophies across her career.

Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Charli xcx follow with seven nominations.

Taylor Swift and first-time nominees Carpenter and Roan boast six nominations each.
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Los Angeles — Former President Jimmy Carter has won a posthumous Grammy award. 

Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, died in December at age 100. Prior to his passing, Carter was nominated in the audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category at the 2025 Grammys for “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” recordings from his final Sunday School lessons delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in Georgia. Musicians Darius Rucker, Lee Ann Rimes and Jon Batiste are featured on the record. 

It’s Carter’s fourth Grammy. His posthumous Grammy joins his three previous ones for spoken word album. 

If the former president won before his death, he would’ve become the oldest Grammy award winner in history. 

Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s grandson, received the award on his behalf. “Having his words captured in this way for my family and for the world is truly remarkable,” he said in an acceptance speech. “Thank you to the academy.” 

In the category, Jimmy Carter beat out Barbra Streisand, George Clinton, Dolly Parton and producer Guy Oldfield. 

If Streisand had won instead of Carter, it would have been her first Grammy win in 38 years. 

Currently, the oldest person to win a Grammy was 97-year-old Pinetop Perkins in 2011. 
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New York — DreamWorks Animation’s “Dog Man” fetched $36 million in ticket sales at the weekend box office, according to studio estimates Sunday, making it the biggest debut yet in 2025.

It was a big opening for the Universal Pictures release adapted from the popular graphic novel series by author Dav Pilkey. The big-screen launch for the cartoon canine was produced for a modest $40 million, meaning it will easily coast through a profitable run. Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore.

Only one animated film before has had a better January launch: 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3.” “Dog Man,” though, was soft overseas, collecting $4.2 million from 29 international markets. The voice cast of the Peter Hastings-directed movie is led by Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery and Isla Fisher.

Family movies last year buoyed the box office, with PG-rated films accounting for $2.9 billion, or 33% of all ticket revenue, according to data firm Comscore. So far, they’re lifting 2025, too. The Walt Disney Co.’s December release “Mufasa: The Lion King” topped the weekend box office three times in January. In its seventh week of release, “Mufasa” held in third place with another $6.1 million, bringing its global tally to $653 million.

“The PG animation family film wave that was so prevalent in ’24 continues in ’25,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore.

The horror comedy “Companion,” from Warner Bros. and New Line, also opened well, with $9.5 million in 3,285 locations. Drew Hancock’s sci-fi tinged film set in the near future is about a group of friends on a weekend lakeside getaway.

“Companion,” starring Sophie Thatcher (“Heretic”), was lightly marketed and made for just $10 million. It will depend on glowing reviews (94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong word of mouth (a “B+” CinemaScore) to keep drawing moviegoers in the coming weeks.

Last week’s top film, Mel Gibson’s “Flight Risk,” dropped steeply in its second weekend. The action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg fell to fifth place with $5.6 million. Domestically, it has collected $20.9 million for Lionsgate.

One of the early year’s standout successes has been Sony Pictures’ “One of Them Days,” the R-rated comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA. Though comedies have had a hard time in theaters in recent years, “One of Them Days” has proven the exception. The well-reviewed movie earned $5.6 million over the weekend, bringing its three-week total to $34.5 million – a stellar result for a movie that cost $14 million to make.

Final domestic figures will be released Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Dog Man,” $36 million.

2. “Companion,” $9.5 million.

3. “Mufasa,” $6.1 million.

4. “One of Them Days,” $6 million.

5. “Flight Risk” $5.6 million.

6. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” $3.2 million.

7. “Moana 2,” $2.8 million.

8. “A Complete Unknown,” $2.2 million.

9. “The Brutalist,” $1.9 million.

10. “Den of Thieves: Pantera,” $1.6 million.
    …

LOS ANGELES — The Grammy Awards take center stage in Los Angeles on Sunday at a celebration that will honor the best of music while acknowledging the deadly wildfires that scarred a hub of the industry. 

Beyonce will compete for the top Grammy prize of album of the year with her country record “Cowboy Carter.” The superstar singer has never won the album trophy despite winning 32 career Grammys, more than any other musician. 

Also in the running for album of the year are megastar Taylor Swift for “The Tortured Poets Department” and Billie Eilish for “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” 

The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS starting at 8 p.m. ET (0100 GMT on Monday) from the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. Comedian Trevor Noah returns to host the telecast, which will be part awards show, part fundraiser for musicians and others impacted by the recent fires. Hundreds of people in the music business were among those who lost homes in the disaster. 

“It will be a little tricky to pull off, but I’m starting to think they’re going to be able to do it,” said Paul Grein, awards editor at music publication Billboard. With the fires under control, “people can take a breather and express gratitude and relief that we made it through that.” 

Eilish and best new artist nominees Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone and Teddy Swims are among the night’s scheduled performers. The show will feature a tribute to Quincy Jones, the prolific music producer who died in November. 

At last year’s Grammys, Beyonce’s husband and rapper Jay-Z argued that voters had not given proper recognition to Black artists including his wife. Grammy winners are chosen by the 13,000 singers, songwriters, producers, engineers and others who make up the Recording Academy. 

“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work,” Jay-Z said on stage. 

“Cowboy Carter” was viewed by experts and fans as a reclamation and homage to an overlooked legacy of Black Americans within country music and culture. It became the first album by a Black woman to land at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart when it was released last spring. 

The Beyonce album was snubbed, however, by voters for the Country Music Awards in their nominations in September. 

The “Cowboy Carter” nomination is Beyonce’s fifth entry in the album of the year category. Swift has won the honor a record four times, including last year for “Midnights.” 

Beyonce leads all Grammy nominees this year with 11 nods, followed by Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone with seven nominations each. Swift landed six nominations and will present one of the night’s awards. 

Beyonce’s other Grammy nods include record and song of the year for single “Texas Hold ‘Em.” 

Competitors for song of the year, an award for songwriters, are Eilish for “Birds of a Feather,” Carpenter for “Please Please Please” and Roan for “Good Luck, Babe!” 

In record of the year, nominees include Carpenter’s “Espresso” and Swift’s duet with Post Malone, “Fortnight.” 
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ROME — Pope Francis has long urged couples to marry and have babies rather than dogs. And he has long championed the rights of workers and held up labor itself as the foundation of human dignity. So it has come as something of a surprise to many in the Holy See that the Vatican bank fired a newlywed couple, with three young children between them, after a new internal bank regulation went into effect barring workplace marriages.

The apparent contradiction between what the pope preaches and what his Vatican practices isn’t lost on Silvia Carlucci and Domenico Fabiani, who on Thursday challenged the ban in a wrongful termination lawsuit before the Vatican tribunal.

During the hearing, presiding Judge Venerando Marano asked if the two sides would consider a settlement. The couple is open to a deal but the bank refused, said the couple’s attorney Laura Sgro. A new hearing was scheduled for March 14.

Ahead of Thursday’s hearing, the couple told The Associated Press this week that they never once considered calling off their Aug. 31, 2024, nuptials after learning of the new regulation. And they said they couldn’t contemplate the bank’s suggestion that one of them quit to avoid running afoul of the new rule, because of financial obligations to their children, former spouses and new mortgage.

“I thought for sure there might have been an intervention by the Holy Father, who rightly gives so much emphasis and value to the role of the family,” Fabiani said in the office of his lawyer, with Carlucci by his side. “And yet here we find a family that works there and now finds itself on the street.”

Grasping for her husband’s hand, Carlucci was more blunt: “There’s a great contrast between what truly happens (in the Vatican) and what is promoted.”

A tipping point in employee discontent

The plight of the 41-year-olds, who between them worked for 25 years at the Institute for Religious Works, as the bank is known, has captured the attention of many in the Vatican, where employment has long been a coveted mark of status in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy.

A Vatican job comes with real benefits: tax-free income, access to a duty-free gas station, supermarket, pharmacy and department store and if lucky, access to below-market rents in some of the Holy See’s palazzi in Rome.

But for the past several years, amid a financial crisis that has resulted in hiring freezes, cuts to overtime, seniority bonuses and other benefits, employee discontent seems to be on the rise, with the Carlucci-Fabiani case something of a tipping point in a system where truly independent legal recourse doesn’t exist.

The Association of Lay Vatican Employees, the closest thing the Vatican has to a labor union, has taken up the couple’s cause, issuing an online solidarity appeal on their behalf. It has asserted that the new rule violates basic human rights as well as the Vatican’s fundamental laws and the church’s canon law, which in the Vatican take legal precedence over internal regulations.

“While we are confident that God will provide for them and their children, we cannot silence the voice of our conscience that recognizes the traits of injustice and lack of charity in the measure that affected these two former colleagues,” the online appeal reads. “The application of a regulation, while necessary in the governance of any institution, cannot fail to take into account the fact that any institution is made up of people and stands by virtue of the activity and professionalism of these same people.”

The unusual role of the Vatican bank The Institute for Religious Works, or IOR as it is known, is a peculiar institution, created in 1942 to help the church carry out its charitable mission while enabling Vatican embassies and religious orders in far-flung parts of the world to send and receive money when commercial banking might be problematic.

Located in a tower just steps inside Vatican City, the bank was long mired in scandal but spent over a decade cleaning up its books and ridding itself of its reputation as an offshore tax haven.

The reforms slimmed down its client base to around 12,300 customers among Vatican offices, employees, religious orders and embassies, who are served by a staff of around 100 at its lone Vatican branch.

According to the couple, the bank management announced a new personnel policy on May 2, laying out criteria for employment that said marriage between an IOR employee and another bank employee, or anyone else who works in the Vatican City State, was cause for termination.

The change shocked them: Three months earlier, they had told bank management of their plans to wed after securing the Catholic decrees of nullity for their previous marriages.

Carlucci got an advance on her yearly bonus to help secure their mortgage. They had formally publicized their pending nuptials in Rome city hall and their respective parishes. “They congratulated us, ‘A wedding, how wonderful this marriage. Great job, you made it,'” Carlucci recalls her superiors telling her.

But now, the couple doesn’t even have access to Italian unemployment benefits because of the nature of their termination, she said.

Couple’s employment terminated

The bank has strongly defended its policy as being consistent with best bank practices to promote transparency and impartiality and avoid conflicts of interest. It says it actually delayed implementing the policy until the last of five married couples in its workforce had retired in March.

With such a small staff and one branch, “this rule is in fact essential to prevent both inevitable professional conflicts of interest between the aspiring spouses concerned, as well as the emergence of possible familistic management doubts among its customers or the general public,” it said in a statement.

And yet anyone familiar with the Vatican knows plenty of married partners who work in the city state, not necessarily in the same department but among the 4,500 people employed by the Holy See.

While expressing “deep regret,” the bank said it had “reached the difficult decision” to terminate the couple’s employment on Oct. 1, a month after their church wedding. It is unclear why the bank didn’t just terminate one of the two. A transfer to an unrelated Vatican office wasn’t possible under the terms of the new regulation.

The pope seems aware morale is low

The couple had written to Francis personally, hoping he might intervene, but received no reply. Francis though seems keenly aware that employee morale is low and that times are tough for families. He recently approved the opening of the Vatican’s first day-care center, as well as a “baby bonus” of an extra 300 euros a month for Vatican employees with three or more children.

During his annual Christmas greetings to Vatican personnel last month, dedicated to the theme of family and work, Francis urged employees to talk to their managers if they have problems.

“If anyone has any special difficulties, please speak up, tell the people in charge, because we want to solve all difficulties,” Francis told the Dec. 21 audience, attended by far fewer people than in past years. “And this is done by dialogue and not by shouting or being silent.”

Carlucci would like her job back but says her new marriage and blended family matter more. “For us, family is at the basis of our entire lives, so no matter what happens and despite everything, we have won,” she said. 
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WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — A mountain in New Zealand considered an ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday after a new law granted it all the rights and responsibilities of a human being.

Mount Taranaki — now known as Taranaki Maunga, its Maori name — is the latest natural feature to be granted personhood in New Zealand, which has ruled that a river and a stretch of sacred land are people before. The pristine, snow-capped dormant volcano is the second highest on New Zealand’s North Island at 2,518 meters and a popular spot for tourism, hiking and snow sports.

The legal recognition acknowledges the mountain’s theft from the Māori of the Taranaki region after New Zealand was colonized. It fulfills an agreement of redress from the country’s government to Indigenous people for harms perpetrated against the land since.

How can a mountain be a person?

The law passed Thursday gives Taranaki Maunga all the rights, powers, duties, responsibilities and liabilities of a person. Its legal personality has a name: Te Kahui Tupua, which the law views as “a living and indivisible whole.” It includes Taranaki and its surrounding peaks and land, “incorporating all their physical and metaphysical elements.”

A newly created entity will be “the face and voice” of the mountain, the law says, with four members from local Maori iwi, or tribes, and four members appointed by the country’s conservation minister.

Why is this mountain special?

“The mountain has long been an honored ancestor, a source of physical, cultural and spiritual sustenance and a final resting place,” Paul Goldsmith, the lawmaker responsible for the settlements between the government and Maori tribes, told Parliament in a speech on Thursday.

But colonizers of New Zealand in the 18th and 19th centuries took first the name of Taranaki and then the mountain itself. In 1770, the British explorer Captain James Cook spotted the peak from his ship and named it Mount Egmont.

In 1840, Maori tribes and representatives of the British crown signed the Treaty of Waitangi — New Zealand’s founding document — in which the Crown promised Maori would retain rights to their land and resources. But the Maori and English versions of the treaty differed — and Crown breaches of both began immediately.

In 1865, a vast swathe of Taranaki land, including the mountain, was confiscated to punish Maori for rebelling against the Crown. Over the next century hunting and sports groups had a say in the mountain’s management — but Maori did not.

“Traditional Maori practices associated with the mountain were banned while tourism was promoted,” Goldsmith said. But a Maori protest movement of the 1970s and ’80s has led to a surge of recognition for the Maori language, culture and rights in New Zealand law.

Redress has included billions of dollars in Treaty of Waitangi settlements — such as the agreement with the eight tribes of Taranaki, signed in 2023.

How will the mountain use its rights?

“Today, Taranaki, our maunga, our maunga tupuna, is released from the shackles, the shackles of injustice, of ignorance, of hate,” said Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, a co-leader of the political party Te Pati Maori and a descendant of the Taranaki tribes, using a phrase that means ancestral mountain.

“We grew up knowing there was nothing anyone could do to make us any less connected,” she added.

The mountain’s legal rights are intended to uphold its health and wellbeing. They will be employed to stop forced sales, restore its traditional uses and allow conservation work to protect the native wildlife that flourishes there. Public access will remain.

Do other parts of New Zealand have personhood?

New Zealand was the first country in the world to recognize natural features as people when a law passed in 2014 granted personhood to Te Urewera, a vast native forest on the North Island. Government ownership ceased and the tribe Tuhoe became its guardian.

“Te Urewera is ancient and enduring, a fortress of nature, alive with history; its scenery is abundant with mystery, adventure, and remote beauty,” the law begins, before describing its spiritual significance to Maori. In 2017, New Zealand recognized the Whanganui River as human, as part of a settlement with its local iwi.

How much support did the law receive?

The bill recognizing the mountain’s personhood was affirmed unanimously by Parliament’s 123 lawmakers. The vote was greeted by a ringing waiata — a Maori song — from the public gallery, packed with dozens who had traveled to the capital, Wellington, from Taranaki.

The unity provided brief respite in a tense period for race relations in New Zealand. In November, tens of thousands of people marched to Parliament to protest a law that would reshape the Treaty of Waitangi by setting rigid legal definitions for each clause. Detractors say the law — which is not expected to pass — would strip Maori of legal rights and dramatically reverse progress from the past five decades. 
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NEW YORK — Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men’s figure skater in history. He was one of his sport’s greatest innovators and promoters.

Button, winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, died Thursday, said his son, Edward, who did not provide a cause. He was 95.

As an entrepreneur and broadcaster, Button promoted skating and its athletes, transforming a niche sport into the showpiece of every Winter Olympics.

“Dick was one of the most important figures in our sport,” Scott Hamilton said. “There wasn’t a skater after Dick who wasn’t helped by him in some way.”

Button’s impact began after World War II. He was the first U.S. men’s champion — and his country’s youngest at age 16 — when that competition returned in 1946. Two years later, he took the title at the St. Moritz Olympics, competing outdoors. He performed the first double axel in any competition and became the first American to win the men’s event.

“By the way, that jump had a cheat on it,” Button told the U.S. Olympic Committee website. “But listen, I did it and that was what counted.”

That began his dominance of international skating, and U.S. amateur sports. He was the first figure skater to win the prestigious Sullivan Award in 1949 — no other figure skater won it until Michelle Kwan in 2001.

In 1952, while a Harvard student, he won a second gold at the Oslo Games, making more history with the first triple jump (a loop) in competition. Soon after, he won a fifth world title, then gave up his eligibility as an amateur. All Olympic sports were subject to an amateur/professional division at the time.

“I had achieved everything I could have dreamed of doing as a skater,” said Button, who earned a law degree from Harvard in 1956. “I was able to enjoy the Ice Capades (show) and keep my hand in skating, and that was very important to me.”

With the Emmy Award-winning Button as the TV analyst, viewers got to learn not only the basics but the nuances of a sport foreign to many as he frankly broke down the performances. He became as much a fixture on ABC’s Wide World of Sports as Jim McKay and the hapless ski jumper tumbling down the slope.

“Dick Button is the custodian of the history of figure skating and its quintessential voice,” 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano said in Button’s autobiography. “He made the words ‘lutz’ and ‘salchow’ part of our everyday vocabulary.”

After a 1961 plane crash killed the entire U.S. figure skating team on the way to the world championships, which then were canceled, Button persuaded ABC Sports executive Roone Arledge to televise the 1962 event on Wide World. That’s when he joined the network as a commentator.

Button’s death coincided with another tragedy in the skating world, Wednesday night’s crash of an American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter and plummeted into the Potomac River outside Washington, D.C., killing everyone on board. Two teenage figure skaters, their mothers, and two former world champions who were coaching at the Skating Club of Boston were among the 14 people killed from the skating community.

Button skated for the Boston club and remained close to it for the rest of his life. The trophy room at the club is named in his honor.

He also provided opportunities for skaters to make money after their competitive careers. He ran professional events he created for TV for years, attracting many top names in the sport — Hamilton, Torvill and Dean, Kristi Yamaguchi, Kurt Browning and Katarina Witt.

Button’s Candid Productions, formed 1959, also produced such made-for-TV programs as Battle of the Network Stars. He also dabbled in acting, but the rink was his realm.

“Dick Button created an open and honest space in figure skating broadcasting where no topic or moment was off-limits,” said Johnny Weir, the three-time U.S. champion and current NBC Sports figure skating analyst. “He told it like it was, even when his opinion wasn’t a popular one. His zingers were always in my mind when I would perform for him, and I wanted to make him as happy and proud as I would my coaches.

“I think that is something very special about commentating figure skating. As an athlete, we rarely have an opportunity to speak, and we rely on the TV voices to tell our story for us. Nobody could do it like Mr. Button.” 
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PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA — At least 30 people were killed and many more injured in a stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering early Wednesday, police said, as millions of pilgrims rushed to dip in sacred waters during the Maha Kumbh festival in northern India.

Police officer Vaibhav Krishna in Prayagraj city said another 60 injured were rushed to hospitals.

Wednesday was a sacred day in the six-week Hindu festival, and authorities expected a record 100 million devotees to engage in a ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Hindus believe that a dip at the holy site can cleanse them of past sins and end the process of reincarnation.

The stampede happened when pilgrims tried to jump barricades erected for a procession of holy men, Uttar Pradesh state’s top elected official, Yogi Adityanath, said in a televised statement.

The event’s main draw is the thousands of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who make massive processions toward the confluence to bathe.

Indian authorities took more than 16 hours to release casualty figures, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the loss of lives, calling the incident “extremely sad” and extending his condolences.

“Suddenly there was pushing in the crowd, and we got trapped. A lot of us fell down and the crowd went uncontrolled,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted pilgrim Sarojini as saying. “There was no chance for escape, there was pushing from all sides,” she said.

Distressed families lined up outside a makeshift hospital, desperate for news of missing loved ones. Clothes, blankets and backpacks were strewn around the site of the stampede.

Millions continued to throng the 4,000-hectare pilgrimage site despite the stampede, even as police urged them over megaphones to avoid the confluence. Adityanath urged people to take baths at other riverbanks instead.

“The situation is now under control, but there is a massive crowd of pilgrims,” Adityanath said, adding that 90 million to 100 million pilgrims were at the site.

About 30 million people had taken the holy bath by 8 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

The Maha Kumbh festival, held every 12 years, started on Jan. 13. Authorities expect more than 400 million people to throng the pilgrimage site in total. Nearly 150 million people have already attended, including Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah and celebrities like Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

A sprawling tent city has been built on the riverbanks to accommodate the millions of visitors, with roads, electricity and water, 3,000 kitchens and 11 hospitals.

About 50,000 security personnel are stationed in the city to maintain law and order and manage crowds, and more than 2,500 cameras monitor crowd movement and density so officials can try to prevent such crushes.

Several opposition leaders criticized the federal and the state government, both led by Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party, and blamed the stampede on “mismanagement” and “VIP culture” — the latter referring to what they say is preferential treatment for politicians and celebrities.

“The government should make better arrangements to meet the needs of common devotees,” Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on social platform X.

The 45-day festival is a significant cultural event for India’s Hindus, who make up nearly 80% of the country’s more than 1.4 billion people. It’s also a prestige event for Modi, whose ruling party boasts of promoting Hindu cultural symbols.

The Maha Kumbh festival has had stampedes in the past. In 2013, at least 40 pilgrims who were taking part in the festival were killed in a stampede at a train station in Prayagraj.

Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas. In July at least 116 people died, most of them women and children, when thousands at a religious gathering in northern India stampeded at a tent camp in Hathras town. 
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BEIJING — Lunar New Year festivals and prayers marked the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield on Wednesday — including in Moscow.

Hundreds of people lined up in the hours before midnight at the Wong Tai Sin Taoist temple in Hong Kong in a bid to be among the first to put incense sticks in the stands in front of the temple’s main hall.

“I wish my family will be blessed. I hope my business will run well. I pray for my country and wish people peace. I hope this coming year is a better year,” said Ming So, who visits the temple annually on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

The holiday — known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea — is a major festival celebrated by diaspora communities around the world. The snake, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, follows the just-ended Year of the Dragon.

The pop-pop-pop of firecrackers greeted the new year outside Guan Di temple in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, followed by lion dances to the rhythmic beat of drums and small cymbals.

Ethnic Chinese holding incense sticks in front of them bowed several times inside the temple before sticking the incense into elaborate gold-colored pots, the smoke rising from the burning tips.

Many Chinese who work in bigger cities return home during the eight-day national holiday in what is described as the world’s biggest annual movement of humanity. Beijing, China’s capital, has turned into a bit of a ghost town, with many shops closed and normally crowded roads and subways empty.

Traditionally, Chinese have a family dinner at home on New Year’s Eve and visit “temple fairs” on the Lunar New Year to watch performances and buy snacks, toys and other trinkets from booths.

Many Chinese take advantage of the extended holiday to travel in the country and abroad. Ctrip, an online booking agency that operates Trip.com, said the most popular overseas destinations this year are Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the United States, South Korea, Macao and Vietnam.

Russians cheered, waved and took smartphone photos of a colorful procession with drummers, costumed dancers and large dragon and snake figures held aloft that kicked off a 10-day Lunar New Year festival in Moscow on Tuesday night.

Visitors shouted “Happy New Year” in Russian and expressed delight at being able to experience Chinese food and culture in Moscow, including folk performances and booths selling snacks and artwork.
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TAIPEI, TAIWAN — As pet parents in China usher in the Year of the Snake and host Lunar New Year’s Eve dinners with their loved ones, some are also making sure that their fur babies, or “mao hai zi,” are not left out.

Over the past month, a growing number of consumers have been ordering pet-friendly versions of the traditional New Year’s Eve reunion dinner, ranging from freshly made meals to gift boxes of dried food.

A search for “dogs’ and cats’ Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner” on Douyin, the Chinese version of Tiktok and the most popular short-video app in China, lists dozens of choices.

‘Lucky’ dumplings

Some vendors even tout traditional Chinese delicacy dishes such as “Buddha jumps over the wall,” which includes seafood and meats, and “eight treasures duck rice” in addition to common ones such “lucky” dumplings and rice cake, adapted for dog palates.

The prices range from 19.9 to 168 yuan ($2.8 to $24) per set.

One vendor on Douyin, LAOTOU Pet Bakery, told VOA in a written reply Monday that it sold out of the special holiday pet meals more than a week before the Lunar New Year, which starts on Wednesday this year.

Lou Yu, vice president of Favor Pets Company in Beijing, also that the pet service firm has seen a boom year in holiday sales of pet food.

Business peaked during the Dragon Boat Festival in June, Mid-Autumn Festival in September and the Christmas holidays in December, when, respectively, rice dumplings, moon cakes and special Christmas treats were offered for pets, he said.

Booming holiday sales

“For [pets’] reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, we’ve probably seen a 45% to 50% growth in sales this year, compared to a year ago, when sales were still tepid,” Lou told VOA by phone on Monday.

The company ran out of stock before the eight-day-long holiday began this week as a growing number of owners splurge on their pets.

Festive Fido and feline food have become an emerging and “under-supplied” niche market that is bucking the trend despite China’s economic slowdown. China’s “cat and dog parents” total more than 120 million, more than double from a decade ago, according to Lou.

Last year, there were some 9.54 million babies born in China. Pets are expected to outnumber children under 4 years of age by a ratio of 2 to 1 by 2030 — a shift that will likely create a substantial $12 billion market for pet food in China, U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs forecasted in a report late last year.

Authorities in China ended the country’s one-child policy in 2016 and started encouraging young couples to have three children in 2021 as the country’s population ages and the number of newborns declines.

Pets over kids

By contrast, many couples who find it too expensive to raise children are instead choosing pets over kids.

On Saturday, 11 dogs were treated with plates of shredded chicken and lettuce — a special Lunar New Year meal — in a Shanghai restaurant. Their owners were all female.

“He’s my soulmate! He gives me a lot of emotional support … and he’s a good friend that I’d like to be with and enjoy the New Year atmosphere together,” attendee Momo Ni told Reuters news agency, referring to her border collie, Yakult.

Daisy Xu, another 28-year-old owner, said her dog, named Niu Niu, is already a beloved member of the family.

“We will make her another dog meal. … When it comes to New Year gifts, I think my parents will probably give their granddaughter a red envelope,” Xu told Reuters. Adults traditionally give red envelopes containing money to children during the Lunar New Year.

Rich people’s world

While some Chinese social media users share postings of their pets’ special holiday treats, some users were not as enthusiastic, with several complaining that “these dogs and cats are better fed than I am.”

A Guizhou province-based Weibo user named “magnolia0526” said, “The luxurious lifestyle of cats and dogs highlights the uneven distribution of resources in human society, which is not cute at all.” The post was in response to the hashtag “sales of reunion dinner and dumplings for pets has seen a 480% growth.”

Another Shandong province-based user mocked the trend, saying “this is the world of the rich people.”

Aside from pet food, Favor Pet’s Lou said China has experienced a booming pet economy in recent years with growing business opportunities from pet grooming and sitting services, especially during holiday seasons.

He said that a growing number of job seekers have signed up for the company’s training programs as they shift career paths to find opportunities in the pet service sector.

This article originated in VOA’s Mandarin Service.
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