Entertainment
‘SNL50’ Tops Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar to Win Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
SNL50: The Anniversary Special won outstanding variety special (live) at the 2025 Primetime Emmys, beating an exceptionally high-powered field of nominees — The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé Bowl, SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and The Oscars. The awards were held on Sunday (Sept. 14) at the Ovation Theater at L.A. Live. Comedian Nate Bargatze served as host.
Lorne Michaels, the show’s longtime executive producer, accepted the award by saying, “I won this award for the first time 50 years ago, in 1975. I was younger and I had a lot of dreams — and not one of those dreams was that I’d still be doing the same show for the next 50 years, however here we are. I want to thank NBC and Comcast for their support. The show was two years in the making.” [Editor’s Note: Michaels first won 49 years ago, in 1976.]
This was the 106th Primetime Emmy that SNL has won in competition, combining the flagship series and anniversary specials. That’s nearly twice as many Emmys as the runner-up show in total Emmy wins, Game of Thrones, with 59 awards. (SNL’s total does not count Hall of Fame citations to the show and its first-season cast.)
This was the third SNL anniversary special to win a top program Emmy. Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special won outstanding variety, music or comedy special in 2000. The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special won outstanding variety special in 2015.
It’s rare for a special based on a regular TV program to win a top program Emmy. Three “Carpool Karaoke” specials based on the popular segment on The Late Late Show Starring James Corden won outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) from 2016 to 2019. In addition, five “Carpool Karaoke” specials won outstanding short-form program awards. The West Wing Documentary Special won outstanding special class program in 2002. Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons won outstanding variety special (live) in 2019. A similar special, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times, won in the same category the following year.
Lorne Michaels was executive producer of SNL50: The Anniversary Special; it was his 24th Primetime Emmy (not counting his induction into the TV Hall of Fame in 1999).
Though she lost in the highest-profile variety category, Beyoncé won her first Primetime Emmy for Beyoncé Bowl prior to the main telecast — a juried award for outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction or reality programming.
Likewise, though Kendrick Lamar lost in the highest-profile variety category, he won at the Creative Arts Emmys for outstanding music direction. He won in tandem with Tony Russell.
SNL50: The Anniversary Special featured several musical performances. Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter performed Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound” as a cold open. Other performances were Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard teaming on the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U” (a song also famously recorded by Sinéad O’Connor), Adam Sandler playing “50 Years” (which received an Emmy nod for outstanding music and lyrics at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys), Lil Wayne and The Roots performing a hip-hop medley, and Paul McCartney performing the prized closing sequence from The Beatles’ 1969 masterwork Abbey Road.
Though the anniversary special won eight awards, SNL lost outstanding scripted variety series to Last Week Tonight With John Oliver for the third year in a row. John Oliver’s program has won an outstanding series award for 10 consecutive years. It won outstanding variety talk series for seven years before being moved to its current category, where it has won for three straight years.
Entertainment
‘Saturday Night Live UK’: Where to Watch the British Version of the Sketch Comedy Show Online for Free
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“Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!” After more than 50 seasons of TV, Saturday Night Live expands outside of the United States to England with Saturday Night Live UK. The new sketch comedy show has tapped Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan to host, while English rock band Wolf Alice is set to perform as musical guest.
Although SNL UK broadcasts live on Saturday, March 28 at 10 p.m. GMT on British broadcaster Sky UK, it drops in the United States the following day on Sunday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Peacock.
Peacock
Want to watch SNL UK online for free? Your easiest bet is to sign up a 30-day free trial to Walmart+, which features access to Peacock as one of its member’s perks, to stream the sketch comedy show online without needing a pay for a subscription service. Learn more about Walmart+ here.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to Peacock directly, which is the official NBCUniversal streamer, starting at $10.99 per month. Peacock gives you access to NBC, Bravo, USA Network, CNBC, NBC Sports and Peacock Originals, like SNL UK.
Meanwhile, Jamie Dornan has taken a few years away from starring on the big screen with his last appearance in A Haunting in Venice in 2023. However, he’s due to star in Michael Cera’s feature film directorial debut Love Is Not the Answer later in 2026 or 2027.
As for Wolf Alice, the band is coming off the release of their album The Clearing in August 2025, while they are set to tour the world starting at the Pepsi Center in Mexico City, Mexico on Wednesday, May 20.
SNL UK features a cast of British comedy actors and comedians, including:
- Hammed Animashaun
- Ayoade Bamgboye
- Larry Dean
- Celeste Dring
- George Fouracres
- Ania Magliano
- Annabel Marlow
- Al Nash
- Jack Shep
- Emma Sidi
- Paddy Young
In the meantime, watch a promo reel for this weekend’s episode below:
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Entertainment
Bad Bunny’s Adidas Collaborations Sell Out in Minutes: Here’s How to Get His Latest Sneaker Drop Online
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Bad Bunny’s new Adidas sneaker collaboration is one fans have been itching for.
The market for the “NUEVAYoL” singer’s footwear collaboration is insane, with his past Adidas silhouettes selling out mere minutes post-release. We’re willing to bet that this new BADBO 1.0 model is going to be a hit as well, because it expands upon his collaborative line by introducing a versatile colorway not previously seen before. The shoe retails for $160 and dropped Saturday (March 28). It is available to shop on the Adidas website now.
Like his first Adidas BADBO 1.0, this style is chunky and high-top-esque. Departing from the monochrome colorscheme, this shoe comes in black and beige, a stylish and wearable option with pops of blue throughout. The shoe features textural suede paneling, an EVA midsole that makes the soles flexible and cushioned, and a unique translucent rubber outsole.
Bad Bunny x Adidas BADBO 1.0
A new Adidas footwear collaboration with Bad Bunny. The style features suede panelling and a black, white and taupe color scheme.
Harkening back to the musician’s Puerto Rican roots is the BadBo signature logo — a star affixed to each heel — drawing direct inspiration from the Puerto Rican flag. According to Adidas, the design choice “symbolizes origin, joy and the limitless possibilities that come from staying true to where you’re from.”
Along with the shoe drop, Adidas and Bad Bunny also collaborated on an accompanying BadBo apparel capsule that includes pieces such as track jackets, sweatshirts, sweatsuits, hats and more, all inspired by Benito’s personal style. Our favorite has to be the comfy sweatsuit, which offers the perfect mix of style and function. Like the shoes, the apparel collection went live on March 28.
Bad Bunny Heavy Crew Neck & Hooded Balaclava Sweatshirt
This is a gray crew neck sweatshirt with Adidas’ three-striped detailing throughout. The hoodie has a unique handkerchief construction on the front.
Bad Bunny Tapered Heavy Sweat Pant
These are gray slouchy sweatpants with Adidas’ iconic three stripes on the sides. The pants have a drawstring closure and a comfy composition.
The first iteration of the Adidas BadBo 1.0, a cream color scheme with pops of blue, sold out in the blink of an eye. Resellers on Farfetch, Stadium Goods, Fight Club and Goat have the shoe marked up for up to $230, a hefty jump in price from its original listing of $160. Bad Bunny wore these shoes during his 2026 Super Bowl performance, reigniting the hype around the style.
The duo first partnered up in March 2021 with an inaugural launch of The First Cafe, a coffee-inspired Adidas Forum Buckle Low. Since then, the two have come together on numerous occasions to give fans and followers styles all inspired by Bad Bunny’s style, music and swagger, including the Adidas AdiRacer GT, Adidas Forum Powerphase and, our personal favorite, the Adidas Gazelle Indoor.
Bad Bunny Crew Sock 3-Pack
This is a pack of three Bad Bunny x Adidas crew socks in white. The socks have blue stitching that is reminiscent of the same detailing on the musician’s shoes.
Entertainment
Paul McCartney’s Fonda Setlist: Every Song From the First Night of His Two-Night Hollywood Stand
Friday night (March 27) may have officially been billed as Paul McCartney Rocks the Fonda!, but it could have just as easily been called Paul McCartney Makes Everything Better!
Even if it was just for a little while (one hour and 40 minutes to be exact), it felt like the former Beatle made all the world’s troubles disappear within the tiny confines of the Fonda, where he is playing two nights to celebrate the 100th birthday of the 1,100-capacity Hollywood club (the series concluded March 28).
The set was a truncated version of the 2025 Got Back tour, even down to the song order, slimmed down from 33 songs to a tight 21.
McCartney, dressed in a casual black suit with a vest, took the stage at 8:30 p.m., looking delighted to be back on stage even though it had only been four months since the North American tour ended. What followed was a trip back in time, with the spry McCartney serving as the congenial master of ceremonies, surrounded by elite musicians who have now played with him longer than his bandmates in either The Beatles or Wings: keyboardist Paul “Wix” Wickens, lead guitarist Rusty Anderson, drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and guitarist/bassist Brian Ray. They are a ridiculously tight unit, but more than anything they are a fun, infectiously exuberant one.
As McCartney, 83, touched on almost every facet of his musical career, he seemingly delighted in playing such a small gig, joking it was “good to see the whites of your eyes” to the audience. He convivially bantered with the first few rows, including giving a shoutout to fan attending his 146th show, and good-naturedly shut down a loud balcony attendee getting a little too boisterous. He was loose throughout the show, breaking into short stories (including a humorous Tony Bennett anecdote) and just generally seeming to enjoy the audience as much as they enjoyed him.
But the focus was on the music, and the music soared throughout much of the night. McCartney’s band may be a five piece (with the occasional welcome addition of the three-piece Hot City Horns), but they sound fuller than a configuration at least twice that size, especially when they are locked into a solid, propulsive groove on such songs as “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five,” “Lady Madonna” and “Get Back.”
On Thursday (March 28), McCartney released a new song, the tenderly nostalgic “Days We Left Behind,” which is featured on his forthcoming 18th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane — but the tune went left undone at the show, with McCartney saying they were still learning how to play it. Instead, he opted to play two songs from solo albums not featured during the Got Back tour and ones that are seldom trotted out: “Every Night” and “Flaming Pie.”
The no-phones policy and no-frills production (there was no projection of any kind, just a few overhead lighting trusses) allowed the audience to be as in the moment as the band and a communal feeling of peace and joy felt like it spread from the stage all the way through the rear of the balcony, especially on late-show singalongs/anthems “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude.”
McCartney and band returned for his standard encore, closing with Abbey Road’s monumental medley of “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End.” The words are so familiar now, but still ring true like a beautiful benediction, as he sent the audience out into the night with “the love you take is equal to the love you make” echoing in their ears.
Below are all the songs McCartney performed on the first night of his two-night Fonda stand.
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