On December 2, NBC continued its tradition of adapting some of Broadway’s most memorable musicals to live television programming via a reimagined version of the TONY Award-winning production ‘Annie.’

With singing sensation Celina Smith assuming the role of the titular character and award-winning entertainers Taraji P. Henson, Tituss Burgess, Nicole Scherzinger, and Harry Connick Jr. delivering updated takes on the rest of the play’s beloved characters, the all-star cast charged to screens last Thursday to enter a ratings showdown against the likes of Thursday Night Football, wildly popular ABC sitcom ‘Young Sheldon,’ and more.

Hop inside to see exactly how it fared:

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Just weeks after the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Tina Turner, JAY-Z, LL Cool J, and the rest of its 2021 class to historic measure (as we reported here), the National R&B Hall of Fame has unveiled its official list of 2022 nominees.

And while only six to eight inductee slots for are available for next year’s ceremony, a whopping 60 names have been listed on the ballot for fan voting to deem who will see their names printed in the hall.

Among those already garnering buzz for their prospective entry are GRAMMY-winning divas Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker, Toni Braxton, and Sade.

See the full list inside:

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John Legend is no stranger to seeing his name atop Billboard’s Holiday charts as he rose to the tally’s summit in 2018 with his inaugural yuletide effort, ‘A Legendary Christmas.’

Now, he’s looking to repeat the feat by teaming up with electronics giant LG to get his fans in the Christmas spirit again with new song ‘You Deserve It All.’

The romantic tune, which has been given the video treatment thanks to director Drew Kirsch, sees the EGOT winner croon about the many reasons his lady love deserves everything her heart desires this holiday.

“You deserve it all / I’ll shower you with more than you’ll ever need / It’s all good with me / ‘Cause you deserve it all / You give of yourself so unselfishly / So I, I wanna give with all the finest things,” he sings on the Meghan Trainor-penned bop.

Watch the new visual in full inside:

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“Star-studded” doesn’t even begin to define the jam-packed cast list for Netflix’s forthcoming movie venture, ‘Don’t Look Up.’

Written and directed by Adam McKay, the dark comedy – which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as well as Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Kid Cudi, Ariana Grande, and many other big names – chronicles the happenings of two astronomers who must warn mankind about a comet set to collide with and destroy the Earth.

Ahead of its December 10 premiere in theaters (and December 24 rollout on Netflix), ‘Up’ has seen its original teaser extended for your viewing pleasure.   Look inside for a refreshed tease.

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Self-proclaimed King of R&B Jacquees reigned over Twitter as a trending topic for all the wrong reasons recently after music lovers got a load of his unique take on ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’

Opening up the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers game Friday (December 3), ‘Quees took to the court to show off his vocal prowess with a rendition of the historical tune full of embellishments and vocal acrobatics.

Needless to say, some critics weren’t exactly pleased with his adventurous interpretation.  Watch the performance inside and see some responses:

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Octavia Spencer has long been renowned for wowing in any role she takes on and her appearance in Sci-Fi thriller ‘Encounter’ is no different.

The Academy Award winner stars alongside Riz Ahmed, who leads as Malik in the Amazon Studios production.

Your thoughts?

As rising stars go, few are burning as bright as Bree Runway. 

It’s fitting, then, that the London bred stage blazer has been shortlisted for the BRITs 2022 Rising Star honor.

To commemorate the honor, Bree was invited to perform her scintillating single ‘HOT HOT’ in a special live session.

The performance follows her show-stopping offering at the MOBOs 2021, where she was nominated for two awards.

Watch Bree wow after the jump…

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Riz Ahmed takes the lead in Amazon Studios‘ hotly-anticipated Sc-Fi thriller ‘Encounter.’

Set to storm onto Amazon’s Prime Video platform on December 10, the film sees the revered actor star as Malik – a  decorated Marine.

Directed by Michael Pearce and co-starring Octavia Spencer, the action-packed title chronicles his mission to rescue his young sons (played by Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddad) from an inhuman threat.

With the path to safety marred by a myriad of twists and turns, the youngsters quickly learn that life as they know it may never be the same.

That Grape Juice‘s Patrick Buchanan sat down with the cast, who dished on the film in earnest. Ahmed, who is renowned for being vocal about representation and equality, also shared what he’d like to see more of in Hollywood moving forward.

Check out TGJ’s cast interview above and our chat with director Pearce after the jump…

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Be it for the good, bad, ugly, or downright shocking, 2021 was full of memorable moments!

Now, as the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on the occasions that rocked – and to some degree maybe even reshaped – the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.

Next, we’ll revisit the shocking announcement that GRAMMY-nominated femcee Iggy Azalea was hanging up her mic forever.

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In tragic news, Nick Cannon has announced that his five-month-old son, Zen Cannon, has died.

Full story below…

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With ‘Pose’ as a potent springboard, Dyllón Burnside is now flying and sky truly is the limit.

The 32-year-old rose to prominence in the role of Ricky Evangelista on the groundbreaking ballroom series. Across the show’s three seasons, he shone as a character that – much like ‘Pose’ at large – defined layered and served as a mirror to the marginalized.

Having waved goodbye to the FX show, Burnside has marched forward with his career by starring in ‘American Horror Story,’ blazing Broadway in ‘Thoughts of a Colored Man,’ and amplifying his musical output. The latter is of particular focus and has seen the multi-hyphenate talent team with Daley for his new single ‘Heaven.’

That Grape Juice‘s Chet Kincaid sat down with Burnside, who opened up about his journey, latest projects, LGBTQ representation, and much more.

Check out the interview above and be sure to watch the video for ‘Heaven’ after the jump…

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‘Insecure’ has returned for its fifth and final season. And while it’s hard for fans to say goodbye, they’re undoubtedly in for a treat.

The HBO comedy has struck a chord with millions thanks to its wonderfully witty and immersive take on the story of two friends – Issa and Molly.

Led by Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji, the series is set in Los Angeles and follows the ladies as they navigate love, life, and all else in between.

This final chapter will give viewers a front seat to the penultimate fate of characters they’ve come to know and love over the last five years.

With season 5 underway, check out a sneak peek of episode 8 below…

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