TODAY’S PEOPLE
Lainey Wilson leads CMT nominees
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country singer Lainey Wilson is a fan favorite at this year’s CMT Music Awards, where she is the leading nominee.
The “Heart Like a Truck” singer earned four nominations when nominees were announced Wednesday, including for “Video of the Year.”
Brown and Kelsea Ballerini return to host the April 2 show from Austin, Texas, that will air live on CBS.
Wynonna Judd earned two nominations this year, one with her mother Naomi and one for her performance during a memorial show after her mother’s death.
End of an era for Southern rock
NORFOLK, Va. — Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington made it big when rock ’n’ roll was still a defining cultural force on par with today’s TikTok trends and superhero movies.
The iconic band’s last surviving co-founder was also perhaps the last flagpole in a once-powerful part of American music: Southern rock. Or at least a rebellious version of it that later became loosely tied to conservative politics and didn’t shy away from some of the problematic symbols of the South.
The original version of Lynyrd Skynyrd ended following a 1977 plane crash.
It was this reconstituted version of the band that seemed to really embrace a more conservative image.
Oscar nominee on love after hate
Angry and filled with hate for Muslims, Richard McKinney once wanted to plant an explosive device outside the Islamic Center of Muncie in Indiana.
The interactions with congregation members and the kindness that the tattooed veteran has encountered helped change not just his plans, but his life’s course.
That story of transformation and improbable bonds is chronicled in “Stranger at the Gate,” which is nominated for best documentary short film for the 95th Academy Awards.
Director Joshua Seftel calls it a story of love conquering hate.
Seftel says his inspiration for telling tales about Muslim Americans that defy negative stereotypes is rooted in his memories of the antisemitism he’s encountered, especially while growing up.
Actress: Support Iran women protests
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Actor Nazanin Boniadi is urging the world to back the protests in her native Iran calling for women’s rights and political change, saying despots fear nothing “more than a free and politically active woman.”
Boniadi told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she hopes people would sign a petition she’s supporting accusing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and Iran of committing “gender apartheid” with their policies targeting women.
She also highlighted the ongoing suspected poisonings targeting Iranian schoolgirls across the country.
Adidas: What to do with Yeezy shoes?
FRANKFURT, Germany — Adidas is still wrestling with how to dispose of $1.3 billion worth of Yeezy shoes after its breakup with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
The split forced the German sportswear maker into a big loss at the end of last year and expectations of more pain ahead.
The company’s CEO said Wednesday that selling the popular line of shoes would mean paying royalties to Ye. Donating them would likely mean a resurgence of the shoes “so that’s not really an option.”
The breakup helped drive the company to a net loss of 513 million euros in the fourth quarter.