This photo gallery, curated by AP photo editors, features highlights from the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The 68th Grammys red carpet was filled with music’s biggest stars delivering fresh new takes on red carpet style, with Addison Rae, Sabrina Carpenter and FKA twigs and others leadin the way.

The Grammys are a night of rule-breaking looks and memorable fashion statements where artists shed the traditional playbook of red carpet dressing and take style risks.

Stars respectfully toned down their attire last year, choosing instead to go with more subdued or all black looks in light of the destruction left by the Los Angeles wildfires.

This year, some stars embodied their on-stage music personas on the carpet and played around with new looks while others stuck with more traditional evening wear looks.

Tyla may have a song titled “Chanel,” but she went with Dsquared² for the red carpet. The South African singer wore low-cut cream look that featured a long-feathered train and gold beaded detailing. She styled the look with a loose updo and braids.

Stars take playful approach

Red carpet attendees took playful approaches to their looks Sunday.

The British rising stars Lola Young and PinkPantheress who are shaking up the music industry with their individual sounds both opted for vastly different Vivienne Westwood looks Sunday. Best new artist nominee Young, who is back after taking a brief hiatus last year, sported an army green sweatsuit printed with children’s toys on the carpet. PinkPantheress opted for a signature corseted off-the-shoulder gown draped with the Union Jack symbol.

Zara Larsson glowed on the carpet in her sunny yellow bra top and maxi skirt sequined set. The “Midnight Sun” singer made reference to the song with her radiating look. In keeping with her theme, the Swedish singer wore a circular ray around her skirt while performing at the Grammy’s Premiere Ceremony before removing the rays for her walk down the carpet.

FKA twigs brought her album “Eusexua” to life on the carpet wearing a beige sheer flowy Paolo Carzana dress which she paired with a book and an orchid. The artist told Variety that the book is part of the lore of her “Eusexua” album for which she won best dance/electronic album early in the night.

Coordinating on the carpet

British girl group Flo, a first-time nominee, paid homage to Destiny’s Child with their matching sets. Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downer each wore coordinated beaded black and royal blue ensembles. Destiny’s Child famously wore matching green lace cut-out looks at the 2001 Grammys where the group won two awards for “Say My Name.”

Flo brought back that synergy with their unified aesthetic.

“We actually have a sixth sense and a lot of things we just agree on,” Quaresma told The Associated Press.

Former Destiny Child member Michelle Williams arrived on the carpet in a black sheer gown embellished with gold leaves and a black satin train from Jean-Louis Sabaji.

Love bugs Yungblud and Jesse Jo Stark took a risqué approach to their coordinated attire. Yungblud showed off his bare chest under a leather Chrome hearts jacket with a detachable animal print collar. Stark wore a leather halter dress. Yungblud won his first Grammy for best rock performance for “Changes,” alongside Nuno Bettencourt and Frank Bello.

Some stars accidentally took coordinating too far by wearing the same looks. Two stars had a fashion face-off at the start of the night with singer Ledisi and TV host Jasmine Simpkins both flaunting the same off-the-shoulder pink peach dress with sparkly tinsel.

Rising stars take center stage

This year, a fashionable bunch of artists make up the hotly contested best new artist category. Rising star Rae aptly has a song titled “High Fashion.” The newcomer wore a structured white custom Alaia dress with a neckline that plunged down to her navel.

Rae appeared in the “12 to 12″ music video for another nominee in the category, Sombr. Sombr sparkled on the carpet in a shimmering silver Valentino suit paired with a lace undershirt.

Carpenter also paid tribute to designer who died in January. Carpenter once again brought Old Hollywood glamour to the carpet with her chic custom Valentino white shimmering gown fitted with a sheer bolo jacket.

Unlike the tuxedos at other award shows, male Grammy nominees often shake things up. Singer-songwriter Darren Criss was one of the first to arrive shortly after the carpet opened. Criss, who is hosting the Grammys premiere ceremony, donned a shimmering lace suit from Tanner Fletcher with an off-white silk cravat shaped into a bow. He paired it with his signature painted nails.

Chappell Roan, who won best new artist last year, donned a yellow tulle archival Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown printed with Degas’ famous ballerinas on the carpet. She later wore several other looks throughout the ceremony.

The showstopping getups don’t stop once the carpet closes for the night. Some celebrities debut new looks inside. In 2024, Miley Cyrus stunned in a shimmery silver Bob Mackie number while performing her hit song “Flowers” onstage.

Here are some of the standout fashion moments from the 2026 Grammys red carpet:

Sequels again soared to the top of the box office — unless, of course, there was a “Tron” attached to the title. But many of the film world’s “sure things” proved fallible in 2025, including a Pixar film — “Elio” — that crashed and burned at the box office. Sad, that.

Add the cold-water-to-the-face reality that the bulk of major Oscar contenders got released prior to the awards-seeking sprint common December, and you have what could be considered either a head-scratching year or a game-changing one.

And with the potentially disruptive Warner Bros.-Netflix deal hanging in the balance, and already sending ripples through the industry, anything might go on in the future. 

This quiet December has elicited a collective year-end sigh among moviegoers ready to feast on cerebral and substantial fare during what is normally a critical period in the awards-hype cycle. 

But wait one doggone one minute there, it’s a little premature to start in with the woe is Hollywood bit. For one thing, there is a dark horse chomping at the bit in the starting gates, and, based on knockout early screenings, “Marty Supreme” might well be, um, supreme. You can unwrap that great film on Christmas Day.

And never discount the might of cinematic showman James Cameron. His latest “Avatar” installment is a work of staggering visual, if not storytelling, genius and is generating Oscar buzz too.

Actually, it’s overall been a very good year at the movies even if the box office doesn’t entirely reflect that, with many of the best films arriving from outside of America.

Here, then, are my Top 10 films of 2025 — and the dish on when and where you can see them. 

1. ‘Sinners’

Oakland native Ryan Coogler cooked up one of the spiciest genre gumbos ever, a mix of horror film, musical and intricately detailed historical piece. With the spirit of an indie film, and fire in its belly, Coogler’s epic triumphed as a musical celebration of Black America and as a sexy, sinewy vampire tale with a 24-hour storyline that takes sharp bites at cultural appropriation and racism. It’s a masterpiece of visual storytelling and casts an intense visceral and visual spell from its opening seconds. The cast is too good to be true too with charismatic Michael B. Jordan giving two dandy performances as twins who are setting up a 1932 Southern juke joint that gets unwanted toothy visitors. Coogler and company shake up genre filmmaking here, and “Sinners” is all the better for it. So are viewers. When & where to watch it: Available on a several subscription services.

2. ‘Train Dreams’

What is the true measure of one person’s life? Director/co-screenwriter Clint Bentley’s gorgeous meditation on that question gets told from the rare perspective of a 20th-century Pacific Northwest logger and railroad worker. Bentley’s cinematic miracle speaks softly but says something profound and elemental about the sweeping changes that surround a man of few words but much passion, who played a pivotal role in the environment and the people around him. Joel Edgerton’s internalized performance is a master class in acting. This is a visual poem that touches you with its graceful intent and genuine emotion. When & where to watch it: Now available on Netflix.

3. ‘The Secret Agent’

NEON deserves the MVP trophy this year for accumulating the best international features. Case in point: Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian epic, which is remarkable in the same vein of  Coogler’s “Sinners” in that it refuses to be pigeonholed into one genre. A soulful Wagner Moura gives one of the year’s best, most in-sync-with-the-material performances as the enigmatic Marcelo, a man leading a tricky double life in late ‘70s Brazil, a dangerous and volatile time. Filho’s serpentine film moves through its plot like a snake, surprising us at every turn. It even celebrates the magic of moviemaking. Its final moments gave us one the best endings of 2025 too. When & where to watch it: In theaters now.

4. ‘It Was Just an Accident’

Few contemporary artists have suffered for their art to the extent of Jafar Panahi. The Iranian filmmaker has not only been jailed for his thoughtful, thought-provoking work, but was exiled and even banned from making movies for awhile. He recently got slapped with a one-year prison sentence and a travel ban while out on his first U.S. promo tour. For all those reasons, you’d expect Panahi’s films would be roiling in anger and fury. They’re not, but, oh, how do they ever make their point while even making you laugh. His latest does that even as it revolves around the kidnapping of a family man who might be an abusive interrogator. The final moments of “Accident” sear into your psyche. Panahi’s neorealist style and reverence for Hitchcock is present in every precise scene (the opening segment is brilliant), in a moral story about the fallacy of vengeance and the legacy and fallout of trauma where a sound, a person, a smell holds the power to haunt you for a lifetime. This film seeps into your pores. When & where to watch it: Playing at Orinda Theatre through Dc. 23; available to rent or stream on several platforms.

5. ‘Marty Supreme’

Director Josh Safdie takes a torch to the placid sports underdog story via a fictional portrait of 1950s New York ping-pong player extraordinaire and big-time hustler Marty Mauser (a never-been better Timothée Chalamet). The “Uncut Gems” co-filmmaker throws out the valorous, nice-guy schematic and goes on to trigger outright panic attacks in audiences.  And we mean that as the highest compliment. Invigorating and even exhausting (in a good way), this wild, brazen film sticks audiences into the desperate skin of sweaty, anti-hero Marty as he tries to make it big but gets every roadblock thrown in his path (including several of his own doing). Boosted by an era-inappropriate soundtrack and strong supporting performances, “Marty” is a supreme throwback to those gritty, gutsy and grand 1970s films, as it takes on one man’s full-throttle quest to be the Best. When & where to watch it: Coming to theaters like a bullet train on Christmas Day.

6. ‘Sirāt’

Critics sometimes spout off that a film is unlike anything they’ve seen, a pronouncement that turns out to be heat-of-the-moment hyperbole. Not so Oliver Laxe’s trance-like experience. This spiritual and metaphysical mindblower is ostensibly about a Moroccan desert odyssey on which a concerned father and his young son embark to find their missing daughter/sister, a fan of raves. But that doesn’t even begin to describe what befalls this duo and a pack of intrepid ravers in this visual and auditory boundary-pusher from an adventurous filmmaker who isn’t afraid of the Big Picture and then some. The techno soundtrack from Kangding Ray is revolutionary. When & where to watch it: Coming to the Bay Area in January.

7. ‘Sorry, Baby’

First-time filmmaker Eva Victor walked one of the most precarious tonal tightropes of the year with their dramedy that shifts from past to present to chart the before and after of a sexual assault on a New England literary grad student and, later, professor. Victor’s screenplay is without a doubt one of the year’s best and it’s filled with quirky characters you’ll fall in love with and a sincere, warm-hearted sense about surviving in the aftermath of a traumatic event. The scenes between lead character Agnes (played by Victor) and her best friend Lydie (Naomi Ackie) are like wrapping yourself up in an electric blanket on a cold winter night. And the beautiful ending had me blubbering.  When & where to watch it: Available to rent and stream now on several platforms.

8. ‘Black Bag’

There’s an art to crafting, rather than just merely assembly-lining, a genre film. Veteran director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp nailed it and brought some class to movie theaters by emulating the witty banter and duplicitous spy shenanigans that used to be the staples of the films of yesteryear. As a sexy spy couple who smell a rat, Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett heat up the screen. “Black Bag” turns the tables on not just all of its characters (a dinner table scene is priceless and delicious) but on us. What a smart and efficient piece of old-school entertainment this is. When & where to watch it: Available to rent and stream now on several platforms.

9 ‘One Battle After Another’

Paul Thomas Anderson in this film created two of the most memorable, certain-to-become-iconic scenes of 2025 — one an undulating car chase played out on small hills that will take your breath away, and the other a rooftop chase featuring star Leonardo DiCaprio. For the most part, the stuff in between was remarkable in this hyperactive comedy/drama that leads to a showdown of a psycho military goon and tool for the government (Sean Penn) a former revolutionary (DiCaprio) and his more put together daughter (Chase Infiniti). “Battle” has its faults — the absence of one of its strongest characters in the second half — but it was exceptional in many other ways. When & where to watch it: Available to rent and stream now on several platforms.

10. ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’

In one of the gutsiest cinematic moves of they year, director and co-screenwriter Mona Fastvold brings to light the18th-century life of the founder of the Shaker movement through drama, mesmerizing choreographed movements and impassioned songs. It’s a daring harmonic convergence that heightens and defines Fastvold’s period film that travels from England to America and doesn’t make Lee a saint or a sinner. Amanda Seyfried’s bravura performance is a wide-eyed wonder too; she sings and she soars. The same applies to this movie. When & where to watch it: Opens in January in Bay Area theaters.

“Bubbling just under the Top 10:”Twinless,” “Dead Man’s Wire,”  “The Life of Chuck,” “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” “Come See Me in the Good Light,” ”Dust Bunny,” “Bugonia,” “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” “Sentimental Value,”  “Rental Family,” “Lurker,” “Watchers,” “Hamnet,” “The Paper Bag Plan,” “No Other Choice,” “Bring Her Back,”  “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com. 

Presidents from the three host countries attended the event, with President Donald Trump receiving FIFA’s first peace prize. Trump thanked the leaders of fellow host countries, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors:

Democrats won high-profile races in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City Tuesday as millions of voters cast ballots in U.S. state and local elections. Abigail Spanberger was elected Virginia governor, Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey gubernatorial contest and Zohran Mamdani triumphed in the New York City mayor’s race.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

WASHINGTON (AP) — New satellite images taken Thursday show the scale of the demolition of the White House East Wing as President Donald Trump moves forward with the construction of a new ballroom at the White House.

See the change in images from Oct. 23 and Sept. 26, 2025 in images from Planet Labs PBC:

East Wing demolished, photos show

The East Wing, where first ladies created history, planned state dinners and promoted causes, is now history itself. The two-story structure of drawing rooms and offices, including workspace for first ladies and their staffs, has been turned into rubble, demolished as part of the Republican president’s plan to build what he said is now a $300 million ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House.

Trump said Wednesday that keeping the East Wing would have “hurt a very, very expensive, beautiful building” that he said presidents have wanted for years. He said “me and some friends of mine” will pay for the ballroom at no cost to taxpayers.

Trump allowed the demolition to begin this week despite not yet having approval from the relevant government agencies with jurisdiction over construction on federal property.

Preservationists have also urged the Trump administration to halt the demolition until plans for the 90,000-square-foot (8,361-square-meter) ballroom can go through the required public review process.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation said the review process, including time for members of the public to comment on plans for the ballroom, would “provide a crucial opportunity for transparency and broad engagement — values that have guided preservation of the White House under every administration going back to the public competition in 1792 that produced the building’s original design.”

The Trust also expressed concern to the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service and the Commission of Fine Arts that the size of the proposed ballroom will overwhelm the Executive Mansion, which stands at 55,000 square feet “and may permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House.”

Both commissions have jurisdiction over changes to the White House. The park service manages the White House grounds and has a role in the process as several trees on the South Lawn have been cut down as part of the construction. Both agencies currently are closed because of the government shutdown. Trump installed top aide Will Scharf as chairman of the planning commission.

The National Park Service said in August, after the White House announced the ballroom project, that it had provided historic preservation guidance and support as part of a broader consultation process. It said final decisions are made by the Executive Office of the President.

WASHINGTON (AP) — New satellite images taken Thursday show the scale of the demolition of the White House East Wing as President Donald Trump moves forward with the construction of a new ballroom at the White House.

See the change in images from Oct. 23 and Sept. 26, 2025 in images from Planet Labs PBC:

East Wing demolished, photos show

The East Wing, where first ladies created history, planned state dinners and promoted causes, is now history itself. The two-story structure of drawing rooms and offices, including workspace for first ladies and their staffs, has been turned into rubble, demolished as part of the Republican president’s plan to build what he said is now a $300 million ballroom nearly twice the size of the White House.

Trump said Wednesday that keeping the East Wing would have “hurt a very, very expensive, beautiful building” that he said presidents have wanted for years. He said “me and some friends of mine” will pay for the ballroom at no cost to taxpayers.

Trump allowed the demolition to begin this week despite not yet having approval from the relevant government agencies with jurisdiction over construction on federal property.

Preservationists have also urged the Trump administration to halt the demolition until plans for the 90,000-square-foot (8,361-square-meter) ballroom can go through the required public review process.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation said the review process, including time for members of the public to comment on plans for the ballroom, would “provide a crucial opportunity for transparency and broad engagement — values that have guided preservation of the White House under every administration going back to the public competition in 1792 that produced the building’s original design.”

The Trust also expressed concern to the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service and the Commission of Fine Arts that the size of the proposed ballroom will overwhelm the Executive Mansion, which stands at 55,000 square feet “and may permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House.”

Both commissions have jurisdiction over changes to the White House. The park service manages the White House grounds and has a role in the process as several trees on the South Lawn have been cut down as part of the construction. Both agencies currently are closed because of the government shutdown. Trump installed top aide Will Scharf as chairman of the planning commission.

The National Park Service said in August, after the White House announced the ballroom project, that it had provided historic preservation guidance and support as part of a broader consultation process. It said final decisions are made by the Executive Office of the President.

Splashes of red, blue and green punctuated a carpet heavy on black. Then there was Justine Lupe. She nabbed a low-cut, silvery sparkler off a Carolina Herrera runway for a classic awards show look.

“It’s so fun. I’m so glad they let me wear it,” Lupe told E!

Molly Gordon from “The Bear” did what few dare: She wore horizontal stripes, and the gown was a stunner. Her strapless look alternated wide black stripes with white ones, a Giorgio Armani from his fall-winter 1996 collection. The legendary designer died Sept. 4 at 91.

In another ode to the late Armani, Leslie Bibb of “The White Lotus” did justice to a black velvet look from a recent collection of the late designer. The statuesque Bibb wore it well. The body-hugger was backless with silver detailing below a chest featuring boxy pieces covering what needs covering.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” was nominated in the reality competition program, and Season 17’s stars dressed to impress with eye-catching attire ranging from the Labubu-inspired to Michael Jackson and Miss Piggy.

Megan Stalter of “Hacks” showed off a black handbag with a message: “Cease fire.” She was dressed in loose jeans and a white T-shirt as she made sure photographers didn’t miss the bag.

Javier Bardem wore a keffiyeh in the colors of the Palestinian flag — red, green, black and white — to show solidarity with people in Gaza.

Nominee Walton Goggins stole a couple of smooches from wife Nadia Conners as arrivals got under way. Both wore white. Goggins went that extra mile on the unbuttoning for a bare chest moment.

Even Apple CEO Tim Cook walked the red carpet, saying he was there to support the night’s two top nominees, “Severance” and “The Studio,” both of which are created by Apple TV+. Cook said it’s remarkable the fanbase and theories that have developed around “Severance,” a sci-fi workplace drama. Asked if Apple is influenced by the show, Cook said: “It influences culture, so obviously it influences Apple as well.”

Here are photos of the fashion on the 2025 Emmy Awards red carpet:

Contributing: Associated Press

Splashes of red, blue and green punctuated a carpet heavy on black. Then there was Justine Lupe. She nabbed a low-cut, silvery sparkler off a Carolina Herrera runway for a classic awards show look.

“It’s so fun. I’m so glad they let me wear it,” Lupe told E!

Molly Gordon from “The Bear” did what few dare: She wore horizontal stripes, and the gown was a stunner. Her strapless look alternated wide black stripes with white ones, a Giorgio Armani from his fall-winter 1996 collection. The legendary designer died Sept. 4 at 91.

In another ode to the late Armani, Leslie Bibb of “The White Lotus” did justice to a black velvet look from a recent collection of the late designer. The statuesque Bibb wore it well. The body-hugger was backless with silver detailing below a chest featuring boxy pieces covering what needs covering.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” was nominated in the reality competition program, and Season 17’s stars dressed to impress with eye-catching attire ranging from the Labubu-inspired to Michael Jackson and Miss Piggy.

Megan Stalter of “Hacks” showed off a black handbag with a message: “Cease fire.” She was dressed in loose jeans and a white T-shirt as she made sure photographers didn’t miss the bag.

Javier Bardem wore a keffiyeh in the colors of the Palestinian flag — red, green, black and white — to show solidarity with people in Gaza.

Nominee Walton Goggins stole a couple of smooches from wife Nadia Conners as arrivals got under way. Both wore white. Goggins went that extra mile on the unbuttoning for a bare chest moment.

Even Apple CEO Tim Cook walked the red carpet, saying he was there to support the night’s two top nominees, “Severance” and “The Studio,” both of which are created by Apple TV+. Cook said it’s remarkable the fanbase and theories that have developed around “Severance,” a sci-fi workplace drama. Asked if Apple is influenced by the show, Cook said: “It influences culture, so obviously it influences Apple as well.”

Here are photos of the fashion on the 2025 Emmy Awards red carpet:

Contributing: Associated Press

This is a photo gallery curated by Associated Press photo editors.