1. ALICIA KEYS TO HOST 62ND ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS: Singer, songwriter, and producer Alicia Keys will host the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, set to take place January 26, 2020 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The musician successfully led the broadcast last year. Broadway World: “Last year's ceremony, which was Keys's first hosting duty for any awards program, was met with praise from fans and critics alike. She wowed audiences with standout moments such as simultaneously playing two pianos in tribute to pianist Hazel Scott, which was a top social moment according to Facebook. She also brought the house to its feet with an uplifting opening monologue with dynamic and influential women including former first lady Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Jada Pinkett Smith.”
2. AFI FEST 2019 DELIVERS BIGGER THAN EVER PLATFORM FOR DOCUMENTARIES: Much like the current trend in film, documentaries are playing a bigger role than ever at AFI Fest 2019, which began yesterday. Last year’s festival included 15 such true life features, in various categories, but this year, 22 feature documentaries will be shown, 16 of which will screen in the new documentary section of the event. Variety: "AFI Fest director of programming Lane Kneedler adds that the nonfiction genre’s recent big-ticket acquisitions and impressive box-office receipts made the addition of the section a no-brainer. ‘Just a few years ago, audiences were hesitant to buy tickets to a documentary,’ Kneedler says. ‘But in recent years when we look at our audience award ballots, documentaries are always the films that get the biggest reaction.’"
3. TEAM USA REVEALED FOR THE NEXT BOCUSE D’OR: Preparations are underway for the 2021 Bocuse d’Or, a prestigious culinary competition. Ment'or, the organization that supports and oversees the training of the U.S. national team, revealed that chef Jeffery Hayashi of Senia Restaurant in Honolulu will be head chef, while William Barrera, who worked for the highly regarded Roy's in Honolulu, will be his commis. Hayashi competed for Team USA earlier this year. The 2021 team president will be chef Gavin Kaysen, who takes over for chef Thomas Keller. Food & Wine: “Hayashi and Barrera beat out two other finalist teams in a preliminary competition hosted at the Culinary Institute of America's Copia campus in Napa, California. The event lasted five hours and 35 minutes, and was modeled after the actual Bocuse d'Or competition—the plate theme was Ratatouille, and the platter theme was ‘Whole Chicken’ from Palisades Ranch in California... Team USA has been competing in the Bocuse d'Or since 1987—they took home silver in 2015, and gold in 2017. Hopefully, Hayashi and Barrera will be able to add another gold to those wins in 2021."