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Joy Awards Honors Stars from Around the World

Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season
Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season
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Joy Awards Honors Stars from Around the World

Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season
Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season

It was a dreamy night on which art and artists were honored in Riyadh, the capital of arts and creativity. In the 3rd edition of Joy Awards, the largest event of its kind in the region, the Saudi General Entertainment Authority celebrated stars from the Arab region and the globe, and gathered esteemed figures from the worlds of cinema, TV, and sports under one roof.

Organized by the Entertainment Authority during the Riyadh Season every year, the Joy Awards is one of the most prominent awards in the region, and an opportunity which artists take to meet, connect, talk, and exchange expertise, as well as a destination for esteemed figures to explore the kingdom and discover the young Saudi talents.

The event celebrates artists and creatives in different industries with 15 various awards and many honorary ones that appreciate the journeys of exceptional figures in the world of art.

The honorary awards

As an appreciation of their works over the past years, the Entertainment Authority honored a number of prominent names in different fields. Indian legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, one of Bollywood’s greatest stars. Among those who received the honorary awards was also Mel Gibson, one of the world’s best actors and winner of two Oscars.

Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara was honored as Personality of the Year for all her works, including her famed series ‘Modern Family’, which gained a remarkable audience in the Arab region and the Middle East. The Joy Awards also honored Kuwaiti esteemed actresses Souad Abdullah and Hayat Al Fahad for their decades-long journey as two of the most prominent TV symbols in the Gulf and the Arab region.

The honorary awards also went to Egyptian cinema couple, Ahmed Helmy and Mona Zaki, US director Michael Bay, Saudi singer Rashed Al Majid, Kuwaiti singer Nawal, Spanish actress Esther Acebo, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, chairman of MBC Group for his efforts in media and constant support of art, and Rotana CEO Salem Alhendi.

A night to appreciate local talents

Saudi artists had the biggest share of the awards in all categories. Ibrahim Al Hajjaj won Favorite Actor for his exceptional work on the Saudi drama ‘Minho Waladna?’; Ahmad Al Shugairi won Favorite Influencer; Jori Kattan won her first award, the New Voice Award, which she received with teary eyes. Abdul Majeed Abdullah won the Most Favorite Male Artist for his exceptional 50-year journey and many great albums that pleased the Arabic audience; and the Female Athlete of the Year Award went to Saudi swimmer Mariam bin Laden.

Awards for all Arabs

Many Arab artists were also honored in the Joy Awards evening including stars Ahmed Ezz and Hend Sabri with the Favorite Actor and Actress trophies for their roles in the film “Kira & El Gin”.

Star Nadine Nassib Njeim also picked up the Favorite Actress Award for her role in “Salon Zahra”; Syrian singer Assala won the Favorite Song Award for her song “Shokran”; and Lebanese influencer, Abir el-Saghir won the Favorite Female Influencer.

Salon Zahra, directed by Joe Bou Eid, won the prestigious Favorite TV Series Award; Egyptian singer Angham was honored with the Favorite Singer Award; and Moroccan player Achraf Hakimi was awarded Best Sportsman which he received with his mother.

Tribute to those who left

In a heart-warming gesture, the Entertainment Authority honored many prominent figures who passed away in 2022 including Algerian director and scriptwriter Yamina Bachir; former Kuwaiti media minister Mohammed Al-Sanousi; Egyptian sports commentator Ibrahim Hegazy; Qatari footballer Ahmed al-Malla; esteemed Lebanese actor Pierre Chamoun; and Egyptian actress Aida Abdel Aziz; in addition to Egyptian chef Osama el-Sayed; Saudi TV host Ghaleb Kamel; Saudi actor and director Ali el-Huyerini; Kuwaiti actor Ghanem al-Hamadi; Kuwaiti singer Suleiman al-Malla; Egyptian actress Rajaa Hussein; Saudi actor Khaled Sami; Kuwaiti actor Jassem Abbas; and Lebanese actor Joseph Abboud. The authority also paid tribute to Syrian singer Dhiab Mashhour; Moroccan comedian Noureddine Bikr; Lebanese singer George Rassi; Egyptian cinema producer Mohsen Alamuddin; Egyptian director Ali Abdel-Khalek; Syrian actress Antoinette Najeeb; and Egyptian director Galal el-Sharkawy.

Concluding keynote…Artists from Syria

Turki Al Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Saudi Entertainment Authority, addressed the concluding keynote, in which he thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman for their massive support to the kingdom’s entertainment industry which has witnessed a continuous progress.

Al-Sheikh congratulated the winners, and highlighted the importance of the winning and loosing culture, noting that everyone should be happy for the honoring of their colleagues. He also said he is happy to see Syria’s artists, noting that the Arabic audiences have missed the Syrian drama, the all-time favorite on Arabic TV screens.

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Eric Dane, who Played 'McSteamy' on 'Grey's Anatomy', Dies at 53

FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
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Eric Dane, who Played 'McSteamy' on 'Grey's Anatomy', Dies at 53

FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
FILE - Actor Eric Dane, left, Katherine Heigl, center, and James Pickens Jr. from the show "Grey's Anatomy" arrive at the premiere of "Dreamgirls," in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

Actor Eric ‌Dane, who played the handsome Dr. Mark Sloan on the hit television series "Grey's Anatomy," died on Thursday aged 53, his family said, less than a year after revealing that he suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

For 15 years, Dane played a plastic surgeon nicknamed "McSteamy" by female characters in the show. He also starred in the series "Euphoria," and said after the diagnosis he would still return to the set for ‌its third ‌season.

"Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon ‌following ⁠a courageous battle with ⁠ALS," his family said in a statement, according to People magazine and other media.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world."

ALS is a progressive ⁠disease in which a person’s brain ‌loses connection with the muscles. ‌It is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease after the ‌Hall of Fame baseball player who died from ‌it in 1941 at age 37.

"Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same ‌fight," Dane's family added, according to Reuters.

Dane and his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, the mother of their two ⁠children, ⁠separated in 2018 after 14 years of marriage.

But last March, just before Dane announced his diagnosis, Gayheart sought to dismiss her petition for divorce, People said, citing court documents.

Eric William Dane, the older of two brothers, was born on November 9, 1972, in San Francisco, to an architect father and homemaker mother, his biography on IMDB.com shows.

His first television role was in "The Wonder Years" in 1993, while 2005 brought his big break with "Grey's Anatomy." His big screen credits include "Marley & Me" and "X-Men: The Last Stand."

Entertainment

Taylor Swift Bags Best-selling Artist of 2025 Award

FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
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Taylor Swift Bags Best-selling Artist of 2025 Award

FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, US, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo

US pop star Taylor Swift was crowned the biggest-selling global artist of 2025, industry body IFPI announced Wednesday, the fourth consecutive year and sixth time she has claimed its annual prize.

The 36-year-old's success was turbo-charged by the October release of her latest album, "The Life of a Showgirl", which set several streaming records, as well as the release of a docuseries about her record-breaking The Eras tour.

"2025 was another landmark year (for Swift), driven by exceptional worldwide engagement across streaming, physical and digital formats with the release of her 12th album ... and the documentary of her tour," IFPI said.

The body, which represents the recorded music industry worldwide, noted Swift had now won its top annual artist prize as many times as all other artists combined over the past 10 years, AFP.

IFPI hands out the Global Artist of the Year Award after calculating an artist's or group's worldwide sales across streaming, downloads and physical music formats during the calendar year and covers their entire body of work.

Swift beat out Korean group Stray Kids, which came in second -- its highest-ever ranking and the third consecutive year in the global top five.

Fresh from his Super Bowl halftime show, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny placed fifth in the rankings, his sixth consecutive year in the chart.

American rapper Tyler, The Creator marked his first appearance on the chart, in 12th place, with IFPI noting he had "continued to generate strong vinyl sales across his catalogue".

Meanwhile Japanese rock band Mrs. Green Apple entered the rankings for the first time one place below him, following what IFPI called "the success of their anniversary album '10'".

Entertainment

Berlin Film Festival Rejects Accusation of Censorship on Gaza

Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
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Berlin Film Festival Rejects Accusation of Censorship on Gaza

Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)
Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle speaks during the Berlinale Camera award ceremony honoring British composer Max Richter during the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlin, Germany, 18 February 2026. (EPA)

The director of the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday rejected accusations from more than 80 film industry figures that the festival had helped censor artists who oppose Israel's actions in Gaza.

In an open letter published on Tuesday, Oscar-winning actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton were among dozens who criticized the Berlinale's "silence" on the issue and said they were "dismayed" at its "involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza".

In an interview with Screen Daily, the Berlinale's director, Tricia Tuttle, said the festival backs "free speech within the bounds of German law".

She said she recognized that the letter came from "the depth of anger and frustration about the suffering of people in Gaza".

However, she rejected accusations of censorship, saying that the letter contained "misinformation" and "inaccurate claims about the Berlinale" made without evidence or anonymously.

The row over Gaza has dogged this year's edition of the festival since jury president Wim Wenders answered a question on the conflict by saying: "We cannot really enter the field of politics."

The comments prompted award-winning novelist Arundhati Roy, who had been due to present a restored version of a film she wrote, to withdraw from the festival.

Tuttle said the festival represents "lots of people who have different views, including lots of people who live in Germany who want a more complex understanding of Israel's positionality than maybe the rest of the world has right now".

German politicians have been largely supportive of Israel as Germany seeks to atone for the legacy of the Holocaust.

However, German public opinion has been more critical of Israeli actions in Gaza.

Commenting on the row to the Welt TV channel, German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer defended Wenders and Tuttle from criticism, saying they were running the festival "in a very balanced way, very sensitively".

"Artists should not be told what to do when it comes to politics. The Berlinale is not an NGO with a camera and directors," Weimer said.

Gaza has frequently been a topic of controversy at the Berlinale in recent years.

In 2024, the festival's documentary award went to "No Other Land", which follows the dispossession of Palestinian communities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

German government officials criticized "one-sided" remarks about Gaza by the directors of that film and others at that year's awards ceremony.