Mike Lands Eight LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Nominations

Variety reporters, photographers and designers scored 107 nominations for the Los Angeles Press Club‘s 18th National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, and I am proud to reveal that I have landed eight of them! Here are the categories where I've been nominated -- for several stories, as well as host/producer of the Variety Awards Circuit podcast:

G4. Business, TV/Streaming 

*  Michael Schneider, Variety, “Inside the Cable TV Hospice: Can NBCUniversal’s 

Divorce From MSNBC, Syfy, E! and More Prolong the Life of Once-Popular 

Channels?” 

G26. Commentary Analysis/Trend, Film 

*  Michael Schneider, Variety, “A24’s Doc ‘The Sixth,’ About the Terror of Jan. 6, Is 

Essential Viewing. So Why Are the Directors Struggling to Get It Seen?” 

J1. Anchor/Host  

*  Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle 

Riley, Variety, “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast” 

J5. One-on-One Interview, TV/Streaming Personalities

*  Michael Schneider, Variety, “‘The Daily Show’s’ Ronny Chieng on Recently 

Becoming a U.S. Citizen: ‘It’s a Weird Time to Do It’” 

J9. Best Arts or Entertainment Regular Podcast 

*  Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle 

Riley, Variety, “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast” 

K2. Hard News, TV/Streaming

*  Michael Schneider, Variety, “L.A. Reporters Cover Devastation in Their Own 

Neighborhoods During Wildfires: ‘Feels Like a Nightmare’ and ‘Fatigue Is Setting In’” 

K23A. TV/Streaming Feature, Creatives 

* Kate Aurthur, Michael Schneider, Variety, “Variety TV Editors Recount What It Was Like Shooting a Cameo for the ‘Hacks’ Premiere: ‘I Went Into a Fugue State’” 

K31. Commentary Analysis/Trend, TV 

*  Michael Schneider, Variety, “The L.A. Fires Proved the Urgent Need for Local News in an Age of Social Media Conspiracies and Outright Lies” 

The Arts and Entertainment Awards gala is set for Dec. 7.

‘Married With Children’ Stars to Gather at the Wiltern Theatre In One-Night-Only Cast Reunion That Won’t Be Televised

The stars of hit 1980s Fox sitcom “Married…. With Children” are reuniting in January for a live event that will serve as a benefit for the Race to Erase MS organization.

“Married… With Children” stars Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino are set to gather on stage at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, to celebrate and reminisce about their 11-season sitcom, which ran from April 1987 to June 1997, ultimately filming 259 episodes.

According to the announcement for “An Evening with The Bundys: The Married with Children Cast Reunion,” attendees “can expect never-before-heard stories, rare behind-the-scenes moments, and plenty of laughs as the Bundys relive their most outrageous and iconic memories together.” There are no plans to film the reunion, which means the only chance to see the Bundy clan gathering will be in person at the Wiltern.

Race to Erase MS, which is dedicated to the treatment and cure of Multiple Sclerosis, will receive $2 from every ticket sold. Applegate revealed in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with MS, said in May 2023 that she likely wouldn’t appear on-camera anymore due to the autoimmune disease. Last year she spoke to Good Morning America about the news.

Tickets for the reunion, which is being produced by Live Nation Concerts with Blunt Mgmt.’s Ben Brucato, begin Thursday, Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. PT at ticketmaster.com.

Read more here.

KCRW Announces New Batch of DJs

A week after KCRW pink slipped long-running DJs Jason Kramer, Jeremy Sole, José Galvan, Travis Holcombe and Valida in a cost-cutting move, the station has announced shows from three new hosts.

Joining the station are Luxxury, John Tejada and Peanut Butter Wolf, who premiere the weekend of Oct. 31. “They’re not just incredible DJs; they’re artists with their own creative worlds and communities, and they’re bringing that energy straight to KCRW,” said KCRW music director Alejandro Cohen in an email to listeners.

Luxxury — real name Blake Robin — hosts the popular podcast “One Song” with Diallo Riddle. (He’s also known for whispering “INTERPOLATION” on TikTok.) The artist, producer and DJ is “known for blending classic songwriting with modern production,” KCRW noted. His show will air on a more rock-focused Friday night, which also includes a continuing show from legendary rocker Henry Rollins.

Tejada is described as “a globally respected DJ, producer, and composer” who “brings decades of influence in techno and electronic music. His refined style bridges the experimental and the familiar, connecting underground innovation with sounds that move listeners.” His show will air on Saturdays, along with DJ Silva and Jason Bentley’s “Metropolis,” as that night focuses on dance music.

Peanut Butter Wolf, real name Chris Manak, is the founder of Stones Throw Records. His show will air on Sunday nights, which will be focused on soul, R&B, hip-hop and jazz. Manak’s Sunday show will air along with one from LeRoy Downs.

Holcombe had hosted the weeknight show “Freaks Only”; with his departure, the station said Monday through Thursday nights will include rebroadcasts of some of the weekend shows mentioned above.

KCRW president Jennifer Ferro had hinted at a change in another email to listeners last week: “These decisions were made after careful consideration of how best to position us against the twin challenges of needing to adapt to how people consume media today as well as the loss of federal dollars. You’ll notice some programming changes too,” she said. “Look for a new on-air music schedule in the coming weeks with new DJs and a new lineup.”

Read more here.

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Singers to Perform First Concert Appearance at KIIS-FM’s Jingle Ball

The “KPop Demon Hunters” singing voices of Huntr/x — EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — will make their first live public concert appearance in December at this year’s edition of KIIS-FM’s Jingle Ball.

As announced Wednesday by KIIS-FM (102.7) owner iHeartRadio, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami will appear as part of the lineup for the the annual concert on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami’s performance will join a previously announced lineup that includes Alex Warren, Audrey Hobert, Conan Gray, Feid, Jackson Wang, Jessie Murph, The Kid Laroi, Leon Thomas, Renee Rapp and Zara Larsson.

The KIIS-FM appearance reps the latest in an ongoing media tour for the “KPop Demon Hunters” singers. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami recently made their first full live appearance performing the movie’s hit song “Golden” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” On Oct. 4, the group appeared on “Saturday Night Live,” appearing as themselves alongside host and musical guest Bad Bunny. During that stint, they performed an abbreviated version of “Golden.”

EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami sing for the roles of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), respectively, in “KPop Demon Hunters.” The animated film was released on June 20, and by late August, it was the streamer’s most-watched movie of all time. Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, the film follows a K-pop supergroup who must balance their lives as world-famous pop stars with their secret side hustle as demon slayers.

Read more here.

Josh Groban, Jamie Lee Curtis Among Stars to Appear on PBS SoCal Telethon Supporting Public TV In Wake of Trump’s Elimination of Funding

In the wake of the Trump administration’s defunding of public broadcasting, local stations PBS SoCal (KOCE and KCET) are planning a telethon next week from the PBS outfit’s Burbank Studios home. “We ❤ Public Television!” is billed as a live, three hour telethon “honoring 55 remarkable years of public television – America’s trusted, free public media service that reaches every city, town and rural community across the nation.​.. This program celebrates the extraordinary musical artists and personalities who have graced PBS stages and screens, showcasing the cultural richness that public media and local PBS stations offer all Americans.”

Set to take place on Saturday, Nov, 8 at 4 p.m. PT, Rickey Minor will serve as music director for the telecast. Guests right now are scheduled to include Josh Groban, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ken Burns, Ziggy Marley, Lily Tomlin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Marlee Matlin, Nicholas Ralph, Noel Paul Stookey, Rick Steves, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Adam Arkin, Courtney Vance, Martha Plimpton, Joe Bonamassa, Sheléa, Jesse Cook, Judy Blume, Celtic Woman, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Mychal the Librarian, Lindsey Stirling and more.

The telethon will also feature performances from Nashville PBS including Kathy Mattea, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle and Ketch Secor.

After its initial broadcast on PBS SoCal, “We ❤ Public Television” will air on PBS stations across the country on Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving night). It will also be available on the PBS app from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24. Additionally, PBS SoCal will rebroadcast the event on Thanksgiving night at 7 p.m. PT.

Read more here.

KCRW Cuts 10% of Staff in Wake of Public Media Funding Cuts; DJs Jason Kramer, Jeremy Sole, José Galván Among Exits

Faced with further budget cuts following the Trump administration’s elimination of federal funding for public media, local public radio outlet KCRW has trimmed an additional 10% of its staff. Included in the cuts were several of the station’s most well-known music DJs, including Jason Kramer, Jeremy Sole and José Galván. Also as part of the changes, host Elvis Mitchell’s long-running interview series “The Treatment” will now run inside “Weekend Edition.”

KCRW president Jennifer Ferro revealed some of the changes in a letter to the station’s subscribers and supporters on Friday.

“Like so many other public media organizations, KCRW is restructuring parts of the organization in response to our new budget reality,” Ferro wrote in the memo. “The result of this restructuring is a 10% reduction in our staff. These decisions were made after careful consideration of how best to position us against the twin challenges of needing to adapt to how people consume media today as well as the loss of federal dollars.”

Ferro added: “While this moment is challenging, we believe these changes are necessary to ensure KCRW is positioned for the long term.”

In Friday’s letter, Ferro noted that “you’ll notice some programming changes too. Look for a new on-air music schedule in the coming weeks with new DJs and a new lineup.” She didn’t name the departing DJs by name, but Kramer, Sole and Galvan confirmed their exits on social media.

“After 27 years, I have unfortunately been let go from KCRW. Along with some other of the best DJs in the world,” Kramer wrote. “The station will always have a place in my heart, and every artist that I play I will still be there in another way.”

Wrote Galván: “For the past 14 years, I have contributed my musical taste and unique perspective to KCRW. For the first six, I creared and curated a feature called ‘Pan Caliente’ on the music blog, and for the past 8.5 years I was lucky enough to be an on-air host. Growing up in LA, it was a dream come trye to be a part of the elite DJs of KCRW. Sadly as of this morning, I am no longer living that dream. I was let go, along with some other staples of the station. Throughout my time at KCRW, it was never lost on me that it was a privilege and a pleasure to be able to share music and artists with the world week after week. Radio is my passion, and there will be other opportunities for me to share my taste at better run institutions. Thank you to those who supported me on this particular journey… Stick a fork in me, I’m done at 89.9 FM.”

Read more here.

Get Ready for The Great Los Angeles Walk 20, Back on Wilshire!

The Great Los Angeles Walk is back for its 20th edition on November 22, 2025! Sign up at greatlawalk@mail.com, check your emails (or Spam filters!) and stay tuned for more details!

How Diane Keaton Tirelessly Campaigned to Preserve Los Angeles’ Architectural History

On a brisk February evening in 2006, around a hundred people gathered in the venerable Koreatown watering hole HMS Bounty to pay their last respects to Los Angeles’ historic Ambassador Hotel. Despite the best efforts of the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Ambassador had been torn down — and among the speakers decrying the fate of the legendary institution that evening was Diane Keaton.

Keaton, who died Saturday at 79, is of course known the world over for her on-screen credits, from “Annie Hall” to “The Godfather,” “Father of the Bride” and so much more. But in Los Angeles, she was also known for her passionate work in trying to preserve the city’s history. Keaton spent nearly two decades on the board of the L.A. Conservancy, and lent her voice to the org in countless campaigns to save some of the city’s historic and culturally significant homes and buildings.

“The more I got to know her, the more I understood where that passion came from,” said former L.A. Conservancy president Linda Dishman, who retired after 31 years with the org in 2023. “A lot of that came from her family and growing up in Los Angeles. Really having a connection to the stories and places that make L.A. the city that it is. She had a very genuine passion for historic preservation, not only for the buildings or the cultural landscapes, but for what they mean to people and what they would mean in the future. She definitely got the relationship with how we’re doing this for future generations.”

Keaton first became involved through her interest in historic homes — one of which, built by famed architect Lloyd Wright, she called her own. Her association with the group started when she was curious about the Spanish house owned by one of the Conservancy board members — but soon she got deeply involved with the org, speaking at one of its benefits and then joining its board.

“She was just charming, and it was great being with her, because we shared a passion for historic places,” Dishman said. “Houses were her first interest, and she bought historic houses and restored them, like the Lloyd Wright. But she very much cared about the whole architectural landscaoem and so the fight that she probably was most engaged with, because it took so long, was the Ambassador Hotel.”

Read more here.