Names and faces
■ R.E.M. will be among those inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The inducted members — Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe — are behind altrock hits such as “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” Steely Dan — co-founded by Donald Fagan and the late Walter Becker — finally get into the hall. The class of 2024 also includes Dean Pitchford, who helped Kenny Loggins with the megahit “Footloose” and also co-wrote “Fame” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” and producer-writer Timbaland, the mastermind behind Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” and Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On.” Eligible voting members turned in ballots with their choices of three nominees from the songwriter category and three from the performing-songwriter category. The induction ceremony will be held June 13 in New York. The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating the popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.
■ Anthony Anderson is tossing his hat in the ring to host the Oscars after successfully emceeing the 75th Primetime Emmys on Monday — which came on the heels of Jo Koy’s widely panned Golden Globes hosting gig a week prior. The 53-year-old “black-ish” star, who boasts 11 Emmy nominations, told TMZ of his aspirations to host the Academy Awards when he spoke to the outlet after the Emmys. Fellow funnymen Colin Jost, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers concurred that Anderson proved himself at Monday’s awards show. Anderson steered clear of mocking his fellow celebrities. Anderson stuck to the script of paying tribute to iconic TV series — such as “Good Times,” “The Facts of Life,” and “Miami Vice” — that set the stage for the art form in present day. “Welcome to our Emmys neighborhood, on this beautiful MLK Day. I love television and tonight we celebrate 75 years of Emmys. We’re going to commemorate the greatest shows of today,” he told the audience, adding that nostalgic classics would also be highlighted throughout the evening. “Television has helped shape the world, and more importantly, it helped shape me.”