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Nekesa Mumbi Moody

Editorial Director

Nekesa Mumbi Moody is the editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, leading a dynamic team of journalists expertly covering the business of Hollywood, its personalities and its culture across platforms, from its print magazine to its website and video products. Nekesa came to THR after more than two decades of covering entertainment at The Associated Press, including eight years as its Global Entertainment & Lifestyles Editor. There, she managed a multiformat team of dozens of journalists, and oversaw coverage of major entertainment events including the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival and the Grammys. She also interviewed a who’s who of the industry’s top names, from Beyonce to Taylor Swift to Prince, and broke the news of Whitney Houston’s death to the world. Her essays can be found in the anthologies “Where Did Our Love Go: Essays on Love & Relationships in the African American Community” and “An Illustrated History of Women Who Rock.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Sustainability Issue: Creating Hollywood’s Greener Future

Explore The Hollywood Reporter’s Sustainability Issue: Creating Hollywood’s Greener Future *** The dire situation regarding climate change can lead to inertia when it comes to taking action — that nothing we do can alter the cataclysmic fate that headlines constantly warn about. There’s the study that says we have less than a decade to prevent […]

Oscars: Will Smith Holds Court at Vanity Fair Party After Chris Rock Slap: “It’s Been a Beautiful Night”

Oscar winner Will Smith took a victory lap at the Vanity Fair Oscar party after Sunday’s awards ceremony, dancing to his own hits as wife Jada Pinkett Smith cheered him on and telling The Hollywood Reporter: “It’s been a beautiful night.” Smith seemed unbothered by the drama that happened on the Oscar stage earlier Sunday […]

THR’s Blackfamous Roundtable: Revered and Underrecognized at the Same Time — The Duality of Fame in Black Hollywood

When you survey the landscape of the world’s most recognizable faces, you’ll find the likes of Beyoncé, Oprah, Will Smith, Michael Jordan, Rihanna, Denzel Washington and more. Black. Famous. Blackfamous, however, has come to represent something different: an example of how the perspective of celebrity shifts depending on which world you inhabit. It can mean […]

Hollywood’s Most Powerful Stylists 2021

Law Roach is The Hollywood Reporter’s Top Stylist of the Year, and even Mother Nature knows that it’s his moment. As his client Zendaya walked the Oscars red carpet in a midriff-baring, canary yellow Valentino gown, a gust seemed to appear out of nowhere, giving dramatic effect to her long-flowing locks and allowing the layers […]

THR Talks: Andra Day and Roxane Gay in Conversation About Suffering in Art and Racism in Addiction

The 'United States vs. Billie Holiday' best actress nominee and the 'Bad Feminist' author and cultural critic engage in a deep, intense discussion that included the Derek Chauvin trial and why faith precludes competitiveness: "It just thrashes this idea that you and I are in competition, especially when it comes to Black women."

Songwriters Roundtable: Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr. and Justin Timberlake Talk Politics, Pandemic and Keeping Hope Alive

Some of the industry's biggest musicians reflect on the songs they composed for awards contenders, personal truths revealed by the pandemic, their younger selves and missing the stage: "It’s a little sad, because we really need that more than anything."

Spike Lee Preps Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ Documentary

The director and friend of the late pop star is in the process of compiling footage of the singer's iconic album.

Aretha Franklin Reuniting With Clive Davis for New Album

The Queen of Soul celebrated her 70th birthday Saturday and announced she is working with Davis, one of her musical mentors, on a new album.

Grammy Controversy: Rev. Jesse Jackson Enters Fray Over Cut Categories

The civil rights activist is calling for a meeting with the Recording Academy over its 2011 decision to cut the kudos from 109 to 78 awards.

Janet Jackson Cancels Shows to Be With Family During Conrad Murray Trial

The prosecution will wrap their case this week, as the defense prepares to present.