‘Nomadland’ wins PGA Award, cementing front-runner status
NEW YORK >> Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” cemented its Oscar front-runner status Wednesday night, winning the top award at the 32nd annual Producers Guild of America Awards.
“Nomadland,” Zhao’s recession-era portrait of itinerant people in the American West, is only the second film directed by a woman to win the producers’ Darryl F. Zanuck award for outstanding producer of a motion picture. The other was Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” in 2010.
In a delayed, virtual and very long awards season that has marched along during the pandemic with little of the usual pomp, declaring a clear front-runner has been challenging. But if any film could claim that mantle, it’s “Nomadland,” winner of the Golden Globe best picture award for drama. Zhao, too, is considered the favorite for best director. If she does win, she would only the second female director to do so, again after Bigelow.
Taylor Swift announces first unreleased single off ‘Fearless’
NEW YORK >> Taylor Swift is taking it back to 2008.
The 31-year-old singer announced Wednesday that she would release the first new “Fearless” single from the vault at midnight Thursday, titled “You All Over Me.”
“One thing I’ve been loving about these From The Vault songs is that they’ve never been heard, so I can experiment, play and even include some of my favorite artists,” Swift tweeted.
Country singer Maren Morris, who joined Swift onstage in Dallas in October 2018 during her “Reputation” tour, will provide background vocals.
Last month, Swift announced that she had completely rerecorded “Fearless,” complete with six never-before-heard songs, during her ongoing battle with former manager Scooter Braun over her masters. In November, Braun sold Swift’s master recordings to a private equity firm, Shamrock Holdings; the deal allows him to profit from album sales, music videos and artwork for the six albums, from her self-titled 2006 debut to the 2017 “Reputation.” The rerecorded “Love Story” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart in late February.
Today’s birthdays
Actor Alan Arkin is 87. Actor James Caan is 81. Author Erica Jong is 79. Journalist Bob Woodward is 78. Singer Diana Ross is 77. Rock singer Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) is 73. Actor Jennifer Grey is 61. College and pro football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen is 61. Country singer Kenny Chesney is 53. Actor Sterling Sulieman is 37. Actor Keira Knightley is 36.