Ego Nwodim playfully mocks Cher's Luther Vandross flub at Indie Spirit Awards

LOS ANGELES — The2026 Independent Spirit Awardshost, comedianEgo Nwodim, wantsCherto try pronouncing her name on the awards stage next.

"SNL" alum Nwodimmade fun ofCher's Grammy Awards flub whenthe music legend presented the record of the year award mistakenly to Luther Vandross, who died in 2005, and pronounced the late singer's last name as"Grandross."

"I'm going to make a movie called 'Ego Nwodim's Day,'" Nwodim said during the Indie Spirit Awards opening monologue. "It's just going to be me in an epsom salt bubble bath listening to LutherGrandross.And when y'all give me my award, I hope Cher presents it to me, because I'd love to hear her try to say my name."

Nwodim was the first-time host of the annual awards show for independent films, streamed onYouTubeone month before the 98th Academy Awards onMarch 15.The Indie Spirit Awards are traditionally held in a tent on the Santa Monica beach. However, because the2028 Summer Olympicsactivities are being planned near the beach, the awards were moved to Hollywood's Palladium for the first time in 32 years.

"In the spirit of independent filmmaking, we don't have a permit. So stay alert, act casual, and move fast," Nwodim told the audience, which included actorsKeke Palmer,Jesse Plemons,Kirsten DunstandTessa Thompson. "It turns out that being indoors at the Palladium in Hollywood is just as expensive as being in a tent in Santa Monica."

Ego Nwodim honors what filmmakers can 'achieve with just a little bit of empathy'

Nwodim did get serious, thanking the filmmakers for working during "incredibly heartbreaking times."

"It may feel impossible to see the light right now, but I'm deeply grateful to all of you for helping us understand who we are in the midst of chaos," Nwodim said. "And for reminding us of what we can achieve with just a little bit of empathy and bravery."

Advertisement

Hollywood applauded indie filmmaking at the 2026 Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 15 at the Hollywood Palladium on Sunset Boulevard. Scroll through for all the best photos from the carpet, starting with Rose Byrne ("If I Had Legs I'd Kick You").

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rose Byrne

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Keke Palmer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Keke Palmer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tessa Thompson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Regina King

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Wunmi Mosaku

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Delroy Lindo

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Joel Edgerton

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Wagner Moura

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amy Madigan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Host Ego Nwodim

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dylan O'Brien

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eva Victor

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jenny Slate

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nina Hoss

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Mark Hamill

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Judy Greer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nina Dobrev

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Zoey Deutch

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jane Levy

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Xosha Roquemore

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> David Dastmalchian

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kaia Gerber

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Poorna Jagannathan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Taylor Dearden

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lovie Simone

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dylan O'Brien (left) and James Sweeney

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Annie Gonzalez

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Supriya Ganesh

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Francesca Scorsese

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Frances Turner

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kari Fischer and Ben Leonberg with Indy, the star of "Good Boy."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Natasha Rothwell

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amirah J

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Michael Cimino

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Keke Palmer, Tessa Thompson step out for the Spirit Awards red carpet

Hollywood applauded indie filmmaking at the 2026 Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 15 at the Hollywood Palladium on Sunset Boulevard. Scroll through for all the best photos from the carpet, starting with Rose Byrne ("If I Had Legs I'd Kick You").

Political statements during 2026 Spirit Awards

While Nwodim stayed out of politics during the award show, political statements were still made at the Indie Spirits Awards.

"White Lotus" star Natasha Rothwell went off script when presenting the best ensemble award to criticizeU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Hi, everyone. I'm going to go to the teleprompter, but I just want to say 'F--- ICE,'" Rothwell said, staring into the camera, before calmly going back to the award presentation for the Apple TV series"Chief of War."

Who won at the Indie Spirit Awards?

"Adolescence"star Stephen Graham beat out a crowded field, including Noah Wylie of "The Pitt" and Seth Rogen of "The Studio," to win best lead performance in a new scripted series.

The 2026 Oscar nominees basked in their moment at a celebratory luncheon held Feb. 10 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The winners will be announced at the live show on March 15. See who walked the red carpet, starring with Emma Stone, a best actress nominee for "Bugonia."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Emma Stone

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Leonardo DiCaprio, best actor nominee for "One Battle After Another."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kate Hudson, best actress nominee for "Song Sung Blue."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kate Hudson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Michael B. Jordan, best actor nominee for "Sinners."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Timothee Chalamet, best actor nominee for "Marty Supreme."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jessie Buckley, best actress nominee for "Hamnet."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rose Byrne, best actress nominee for "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jacob Elordi, best supporting actor nominee for "Frankenstein."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Teyana Taylor, best supporting actress nominee for "One Battle After Another."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Wagner Moura, best actor nominee for "The Secret Agent."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ethan Hawke, best actor nominee for "Blue Moon."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Elle Fanning, best supporting actress nominee for "Sentimental Value."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Benicio Del Toro, best supporting actor nominee for "One Battle After Another."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Delroy Lindo, best supporting actor nominee for "Sinners."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Stellan Skarsgard, best supporting actor nominee for "Sentimental Value."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amy Madigan, best supporting actress nominee for "Weapons."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, best supporting actress nominee for "Sentimental Value."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Emma Stone and "Bugonia" director and screenwriter Yorgos Lanthimos.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chloe Zhao, best director nominee for "Hamnet."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> EJAE, best original song nominee for "Golden" from "KPop Demon Hunters."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Marty Supreme" director Josh Safdie

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paul Thomas Anderson, best director nominee for "One Battle After Another."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Filmmaker Steven Spielberg

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Diane Warren, nominated for best original song for "Dear Me."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Producer Jerry Bruckheimer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Clint Bentley, director of "Train Dreams"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Costume designer Ruth E. Carter

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Emma Stone, Leo DiCaprio, more stars at the Oscar nominees luncheon

The2026 Oscar nomineesbasked in their moment at a celebratory luncheon held Feb. 10 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The winners will be announced at the live show on March 15. See who walked the red carpet, starring with Emma Stone, a best actress nominee for "Bugonia."

Rose Byrne,Oscar-nominated for her role in "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," won for best lead performance in a movie, beating out a field that included Oscar-nominated Joel Edgerton from "Train Dreams."

Byrne said from the stage that the drama could only have been an independent film because her character "is fierce, she's ferocious and she's a middle-aged woman."

"Train Dreams," which is nominated for the best picture Oscar, won the top prize, best feature, at the Indie Spirits Awards.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ego Nwodim mocks Cher's Grammys flub, more Indie Spirit Awards moments

byAndy Corry

in

February 15, 2026

Ego Nwodim playfully mocks Cher's Luther Vandross flub at Indie Spirit Awards

LOS ANGELES — The2026 Independent Spirit Awardshost, comedianEgo Nwodim, wantsCherto try pronouncing her name on the awa...

Read More

Japan's economy limps back to scant growth in Q4, raises test for Takaichi

By Makiko Yamazaki and Chang-Ran Kim

TOKYO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Japan's economy limped back to meagre growth in the fourth quarter, significantly missing market expectations in a key test for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government as cost-of-living pressures ‌drag on confidence and domestic demand.

Fresh off a sweeping election victory, Takaichi's administration is preparing to ramp up investment through ‌targeted public spending in sectors seen as vital to economic security.

Monday's data bring sharp focus to the challenge at hand for policymakers at a time when the ​Bank of Japan has reiterated its pledge to keep raising interest rates and normalise monetary settings from years of ultra-low borrowing costs.

"It shows that the economy's recovery momentum is not very strong," Meiji Yasuda Research Institute economist Kazutaka Maeda said. "Consumption, capital expenditure and exports - areas we hoped would drive the economy - just haven't been as strong as we expected."

Gross domestic product in the world's fourth-largest economy increased an annualised 0.2% ‌in the October-December quarter, government data showed, well ⁠short of a median market estimate of a 1.6% gain in a Reuters poll. It barely scraped back to growth from a larger revised 2.6% contraction in the previous quarter.

The reading translates into a quarterly ⁠rise of 0.1%, also weaker than the median estimate of a 0.4% uptick.

Economists project Japan will continue to expand at a gradual pace in coming months, though the fourth quarter's weak outcome suggests the economy might struggle to fire on all cylinders.

"Whether the economy can achieve sustainable growth ​really depends ​on whether real wages can firmly return to positive growth," Shinichiro Kobayashi, ​principal economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting, said. "In ‌that sense, the key will be the outcome of this year's wage negotiations in the coming months."

A survey this month by the Japan Center for Economic Research showed 38 economists forecast an average annualised growth of 1.04% in the first quarter and 1.12% in the second quarter this year.

Kobayashi said the GDP report is unlikely to affect the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decisions. "Rather than this rate hike causing the economy to stall, the BOJ's focus is likely to be on how to contain inflation," he said.

Private consumption, which ‌accounts for more than half of economic output, rose 0.1% in October-December, matching ​market estimates.

It cooled from the 0.4% rise in the previous quarter, indicating that ​persistently high food costs remain a drag on household spending.

Capital ​spending, a key driver of private demand-led growth, also rose at a slow pace of 0.2% in ‌the fourth quarter, versus a rise of 0.8% in ​the Reuters poll.

Net external demand, or ​exports minus imports, contributed nothing to growth, versus a 0.3 point drag in the July-September period.

Exports posted a milder drop after the United States formalised a baseline 15% tariff on nearly all Japanese imports, down from 27.5% on autos and initially ​threatened 25% on most other goods.

"The impact ‌of tariffs appears to have peaked in July-September, but judging from the latest results, there is at least some ​possibility that firms will continue to take a somewhat cautious stance going forward," Meiji Yasuda's Maeda said.

(Reporting by Makiko ​Yamazaki and Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Sam Holmes and Shri Navaratnam)

byAndy Corry

in

February 15, 2026

Japan's economy limps back to scant growth in Q4, raises test for Takaichi

By Makiko Yamazaki and Chang-Ran Kim TOKYO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Japan's economy limped back to meagre growt...

Read More

More Than 20,000 Peanut Butter Items Recalled Across 40 States by the FDA: What to Know

More than 20,000 peanut butter items have been recalled across 40 states by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

NEED TO KNOW

• The U.S. federal agency has classified the recall as Class II

• Ventura Foods LLC, which initiated the recall, "found pieces of blue plastic in a filter," per the FDA

Thousands ofpeanut butteritems have been recalled across dozens of states by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The U.S. federal agency has classified the recall asClass II, which means use of or exposure to affected products "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote."

The recall was initiated on April 30, and the FDA assigned the Class II classification on Feb. 12. The agency has not listed an end date.

The recall covers various peanut butter products that were produced by Ventura Foods LLC. The company, which initiated the recall, "found pieces of blue plastic in a filter," per the FDA.

More than 20,000 single-serve peanut butter items and peanut butter-and-jelly combo packs are affected. Some were distributed by DYMA Brands, Inc., US Foods, Sysco Corporation, Gordon Food Service and Independent Marketing Alliance, among others, the FDA said.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

According to the FDA, the recalled peanut butter products were shipped to 40 states total: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Advertisement

A spokesperson for Ventura Foods LLC said in a statement, perNewsweek, "Ten months ago, DYMA Brands initiated a voluntary recall on various single-use peanut butter products due to the potential presence of a foreign material (plastic)."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

"While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation and classification process is thorough and can take time to complete, that timeline did not impact our actions. At the time the recall was initiated ... we acted with urgency to remove all potentially impacted product from the marketplace. This includes urging our customers, their distributors and retailers to immediately review their inventory, segregate and stop the further sale and distribution of any products subject to the recall," the statement continued.

"Protecting consumers remains our top priority, and we will continue to act swiftly and transparently as the FDA review progresses," added the Ventura Foods LLC spokesperson.

The company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday, Feb. 15.

A full list of items affected by the recall, which the FDA will continue to update, can be foundhere.

Read the original article onPeople

byAndy Corry

in

February 15, 2026

More Than 20,000 Peanut Butter Items Recalled Across 40 States by the FDA: What to Know

More than 20,000 peanut butter items have been recalled across 40 states by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...

Read More