I feel like I say this every Thursday, but there’s been sooooo much culture news this week, it was frankly impossible to cram it all in here.

The theme of the week seems to be lawsuits. A bestselling author in the U.S. is both being sued for stealing a former classmate’s story whilst also suing that classmate for defamation herself. Paris Hilton has backed two families suing a behavioural treatment centre for adolescents. Tyra’s suing Netflix (read more on that here) and Australia’s richest media personalities were back in court this week, which we’re discussing in depth in today’s two minute section.

P.S. Sydney and Melbourne theatre fans, I am ordering you to check out Mackenzie – a new play by Yve Blake that reimagines Macbeth as the story of a 13-year-old child star. It’s hilarious, silly, camp, and full of joy. It’s now playing at Bell Shakespeare in Sydney until 18 July before heading to Melbourne on 23 July.

“When I got my bipolar disorder diagnosis, I feel like I had known for the past few years, but I didn’t want to admit to it ‘cause I didn’t want to have to take medication and, I don’t know, have people think different of me… I’m doing much better… I’m feeling better. I’m creating freely. And there’s less fear in my heart.”
Lil Nas X has shared a video update with fans on social media after receiving treatment at a mental health facility following his arrest last year.

$AU1.3 billion.
How much Michael has earned at the global box office to become the highest-grossing music biopic in history (surpassing the 2018 release Bohemian Rhapsody). Despite its success, the film has been criticised for failing to address the child sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson, who died in 2009 aged 50.

Have you ever seen anyone fangirl harder than dear sweet Timothée Chalamet for his beloved New York Knicks? Here he is beaming like a kid on Christmas after the Knicks’ win against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals.

This week, The Recording Academy announced one of the biggest shakeups to Grammys eligibility in years.

Five new categories are coming to the 2027 Grammy Awards, including a dedicated award for Asian Pop Music Performance. The update brings the count to 100 categories in total.

The rules around who can win Best New Artist are also shifting, meaning people who were previously ineligible can now be nominated.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Grammy Awards are the music industry’s biggest annual honours, recognising excellence across dozens of categories and genres.

Awards are given by the Recording Academy – a membership organisation of thousands of music professionals including artists, producers, engineers, and other industry figures.

Grammys rules are updated every year based on proposals from Recording Academy members. The latest changes will apply to the 69th Grammy Awards, which are set to take place in LA on 7 February 2027.

The Grammy for Best New Artist is awarded to the best breakthrough act of the year. Recent winners include Olivia Dean and Chappell Roan.

Previously, an artist could only be submitted for Best New Artist a maximum of three times. Under the new rules, that figure is increasing to four.

Nominees in this category don’t have to be new to music, just new to mainstream recognition. Officials say the expanded eligibility window reflects “the evolving nature of artist development.”

The change means U.S. country singer Ella Langley is now considered a frontrunner for next year’s Best New Artist Grammy.

Before this week, Langley was deemed ineligible as she’d already put herself forward for consideration three times.

R&B singer Ravyn Lenae is also tipped to enter the running following the rule change.

Only performers who’ve never been nominated for a Grammy are eligible for Best New Artist. This rules out Swedish popstar Zara Larsson, after “Midnight Sun” earned her a nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording at the 2026 Grammys.

The five new Grammys categories are:

With the new group category, Best R&B Performance has been renamed Best R&B Solo Performance. Similarly, Best Folk Album has been revised/renamed Best Contemporary Folk Album.

The new categories follow a historic 2026 Grammys ceremony, when Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny became the first artist to win the coveted album of the year prize for a Spanish-language record.

“Golden” from the movie “KPop Demon Hunters” also made history as the first ever K-Pop song to win a Grammy Award.

Grammys CEO Harvey Mason jr. said next year’s awards will reflect “the extraordinary growth we’re seeing across music”.

The changes “speak to the breadth of today's music industry and the many genres, crafts and creators shaping it,” he added.

To be eligible for Best Album, 75% of an album's tracks need to be brand new recordings. That threshold is dropping to 66%, meaning albums with more previously released or live tracks can now qualify.

Until now, only producers and engineers took home a statuette alongside the performer when an album won. Songwriters and composers will now get one too.

Grammy nominations for the 69th ceremony will be announced later this year.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

Dua Lipa captures the Radical Optimism era live

3x GRAMMY and 7x BRIT Award-winning global pop powerhouse Dua Lipa releases Live From Mexico tomorrow on vinyl and CD. The release captures the electric finale of her Radical Optimism Tour, filmed during the closing shows of a 92-date global run spanning five continents.

From back-to-back sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium to more than 1.75 million tickets sold worldwide – including stops across AU and NZ last year – it’s a tour made for the history books. You can also watch the full concert film now on Dua’s YouTube channel.

Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands has reached a settlement with his ex-employer, ARN, as his former co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s court battle continues.

Sandilands launched a contract termination dispute after he was taken off ‘the Kyle and Jackie O Show’ on KIIS FM, following an on-air argument with Henderson.

On Wednesday morning, ARN Media (the parent company of KIIS) revealed it would pay Sandilands $12 million.

The figure is well below the $85 million he initially sought, but Sandilands said he’s relieved to put the ordeal behind him.

In February, Sandilands questioned Henderson’s work ethic during an on-air row, telling her she was “off with the fairies.”

The comments prompted Henderson to say she could no longer work with Sandilands.

ARN later suspended Sandilands, alleging an “act of serious misconduct,” and giving him 14 days to “remedy this breach” or have his contract cancelled.

After his suspension, ARN then terminated Sandilands’ contract.

Sandilands launched legal action against ARN in March, claiming he was wrongfully fired from The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

In a lawsuit filed in the Federal Court, Sandilands called the move “invalid” because there was no act of serious misconduct or breach of contract.

At the time, the network disputed the claims and said it “intends to defend the proceedings.“

In 2023, Sandilands and Henderson each signed a $100 million, 10-year contract – one of the largest deals in Australian radio history.

Sandilands had requested a full payout of the remainder of his contract, and compensation for any losses incurred as a result of being let go.

In an ASX announcement on Wednesday, ARN Media said it would pay Sandilands $12 million, with $3 million payable as soon as July.

In addition to the payout, Sandilands will receive $1.5 million worth of advertising services on the radio network's partner platforms.

Meanwhile, ARN will be given a 19.9% revenue share from any of his new ventures for up to three years.

Sandilands is also subject to a non-compete clause which means he cannot work for ARN’s direct competitors for up to nine months from the settlement date, potentially as late as March 2027.

"This agreement brings certainty for ARN and resolves the legal dispute," ARN chief executive officer Michael Stephenson said.

"ARN remains focused on executing its strategy, including driving a leaner, more efficient operating model, strengthening its core radio network and continuing to invest in digital capabilities and long-term growth."

Speaking to reporters outside his home on Wednesday, Sandilands claimed his team was confident of a legal victory, but that it was “quite daunting to have that hanging over your head”.

Hinting at his plans for the future, Sandilands said he just wants to “get back to work”.

“I'm just building my own platform ... I don't care if it's hugely successful or it just keeps the people that were retrenched employed."

Sandilands' former co-host, Henderson, is pursuing separate legal action against ARN.

The radio giant has confirmed those proceedings are ongoing.

Following the fight, Henderson took a leave of absence from the show. On 3 March, ARN announced she had told the network she could no longer work with Sandilands and would not continue to present the show. Henderson denies having quit or resigned.

The central issue in her legal dispute is determining who at ARN was responsible for making the decision to sack her after she said she could no longer work with her controversial co-star, according to Barrister Vanja Bulut.

Like Sandilands, Henderson has been seeking the full payout of the remainder of her 10-year, $100 million contract.

Henderson and ARN are still working towards a trial set to start on 12 October.

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.