Entertainment News Roundup: Michael Buble finds a 'Higher' calling on latest album; Adele, Ed Sheeran and Dave were nominated for Ivor songwriting awards and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Michael Buble finds a 'Higher' calling on latest album

After a 20-year career singer Michael Buble found a new focus for his 11th studio album, “Higher.” “I was just so excited to, to try things to, to be things to not only to, to go to places where I might have feared to go earlier in my career or my life, but I was excited to rush in to the to the challenge.”

Adele, Ed Sheeran and Dave were nominated for Ivor songwriting awards

British singers Adele, Ed Sheeran and Raye, rapper Dave and group Coldplay will compete for songwriter of the year at the Ivors, organizers said on Thursday, announcing nominees for the annual awards honoring those penning famous lyrics. Producer Dean "Inflo" Josiah Cover, who has worked with the likes of Adele and Little Simz, leads nominations for the awards for songwriters and screen composers with four nods, three of them in the best album category, the UK-based Ivors Academy said.

Will Smith banned from attending Oscars for 10 years after slap

Hollywood's film academy on Friday banned Will Smith from attending the Oscars for 10 years after the best actor winner slapped presenter Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards ceremony 12 days ago. The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences took the action at a meeting held one week after Smith pre-emptively resigned from the group over his outburst at the live, televised event.

WarnerMedia, Discovery complete merger, become Warner Bros Discovery

AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia unit and Discovery Inc have completed their merger, the companies said on Friday. The combined company, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, will start trading on the Nasdaq on Monday under the ticker symbol "WBD".

Camila Cabello gets 'true to herself' with new album

Pop star Camila Cabello went from a bad place to a good place in the making of her third album, “Familia” set for release April 8. The 25-year-old singer said part of that happiness came from a priority shift.

Woman who accused Snoop Dogg of sexual assault withdraws lawsuit

An unidentified woman has withdrawn a civil lawsuit she filed against Snoop Dogg in which she accused the American rapper of sexual assault and battery after attending one of his concerts in 2013, according to court documents. The lawsuit was pulled on Wednesday nearly two months after it was filed in the Central District of California and days before Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, was set to perform in February's Super Bowl halftime show near Los Angeles.

Analysis: Warner Bros Discovery's Zaslav takes over as streaming bubble bursts

As David Zaslav prepares to take over as head of Hollywood's new powerhouse, the soon-to-be-formed Warner Bros Discovery, he’ll confront a challenge few anticipated last May, when the $43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc was announced -- how to make a streaming video as profitable as the old TV business it's replacing. Nearly two years after AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia division launched its HBO Max streaming service in May 2020 to challenge market-leader Netflix, Wall Street has grown skeptical of streaming’s long-term prospects, citing the significant and ongoing investments in new content and an uncertain future for even market leaders like Netflix. The reassessment came in January, as the world's largest streaming service forecast modest growth for its first quarter.

Pink Floyd joins forces with wounded Ukrainian singer in new song

British rock band Pink Floyd will release a new song on Friday to raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine, featuring the vocals of a Ukrainian singer who quit an international tour to fight for his country and was wounded. The single "Hey Hey, Rise Up" - Pink Floyd's first original new music in almost 30 years - was recorded last week and highlights singing by Andriy Khlyvnyuk from Ukrainian band Boombox, which was taken from a social media post.