Category Entertainment News

Veteran filmmaker and producer Wale Adenuga has responded to claims by comic actor Abiodun Ayoyinka that he is experiencing financial hardship despite decades in the entertainment industry.

Ayoyinka, popularly known for his role as Papa Ajasco, earlier disclosed in an interview with media personality Lucky Udu, where he appealed to fans to continue supporting Papa Ajasco and Company.

The 65-year-old actor noted that the once-popular sitcom has struggled to retain its prominence in the era of social media and digital streaming, adding that he owns neither a personal car nor a house and earns modest fees when new episodes are produced.

In a statement issued in response, Adenuga described much of the reaction to the interview as driven by “misinformation and emotional commentary”, while affirming that he maintains a cordial relationship with the actor.

“My first impression when I watched the Papa Ajasco video now trending on the internet, and local TV channels was: ‘Okay, so this guy has taken Papa Ajasco comedy into the public space.’

“It is all well and good. I am happy for him, as his money-making strategy using social media has apparently worked for him,” he said.

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Adenuga added that Ayoyinka had played the role successfully for many years and remained close to him.

“He is very close to me, and so far there has been no irreconcilable difference between us,” he said.

Addressing claims of financial hardship, the producer stated that the actor had benefited from various forms of support during his time on the show.

“On the car issue, we once gave him a car and Pa James as well. He has also used not less than five cars, including a Mercedes-Benz, at different times,” he said, adding that, to the best of his knowledge, Ayoyinka owns a house in Ogun State.

Adenuga also clarified that Papa Ajasco is a registered trademark, which restricts its independent use for personal ventures.

“He cannot use the copyrighted brand name Papa Ajasco for personal ventures because it is our duty to protect the brand from inappropriate usage that could damage its reputation,” he said.

He, however, noted that the actor is not barred from taking advertising jobs, provided he obtains official approval from Wale Adenuga Productions.

“As he himself stated, all that is required is to seek official approval from WAP. This is part of brand protection,” he added.

The producer further dismissed suggestions that actors on the sitcom are restricted from pursuing other opportunities, noting that several cast members regularly feature in other productions using their personal names.

According to him, cast members typically spend about six weeks annually on set, during which sufficient episodes are recorded for an entire broadcast cycle.

“This clearly shows that artistes working with us are not restricted from taking other roles,” he said.

Papa Ajasco and Company, created by Adenuga, remains one of Nigeria’s most recognisable television comedies, gaining widespread popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Adenuga said the programme continues to air on platforms, maintaining that the company adheres to professional standards in its dealings with actors and crew.

“The organisation pays according to industry standards and ensures all financial obligations are fulfilled as and when due.

Nigerian artistes generated more than ₦60 billion in revenue from music streaming on Spotify in 2025, according to the platform’s latest Loud & Clear annual report released to mark its 20th anniversary.

The report, which offers insights into how musicians earn income from streaming, shows that earnings by Nigerian artistes on the platform have grown rapidly in recent years, reflecting the expanding global reach of the country’s music industry.

According to the data, revenue generated by Nigerian artistes on Spotify increased by more than 140 per cent over the past two years, signalling rising global demand for Nigerian music and improved financial opportunities for creators.

Audience engagement also recorded significant growth. In 2025 alone, Nigerian artistes accumulated about 30.3 billion streams and 1.6 billion listening hours on the platform. During the same period, their songs were discovered by more than 1.3 billion first-time listeners, representing a 26 per cent increase compared with 2024.

Despite the international success of Nigerian music, the report indicates that its popularity within the country is also growing.

READ ALSO: [FULL LIST:] ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ Dominate 2026 Oscars

In 2025, Nigerian artistes accounted for more than 80 per cent of songs featured on Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Top 50 chart, highlighting the dominance of local talent in shaping listening habits among Nigerian audiences.

Local consumption of Nigerian music on the platform also rose sharply, recording a 170 per cent year-on-year increase.

Commenting on the findings, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director of Spotify in Africa, said the figures underscore the global cultural influence of Nigerian music.

“Nigeria’s music story continues to be one of creativity, innovation and global cultural influence. What we’re seeing is a market where talent is not only reaching new audiences around the world, but also building deeper connections at home.

“For us, Loud & Clear is an opportunity to spotlight the evolving pathways artistes are taking to build sustainable careers, and to show the many ways Nigerian creators are shaping the future of music.”

The report also highlights rising performance across different segments of the industry, particularly among female and independent artistes.

Local streams of Nigerian female artistes increased by 55 per cent year-on-year, while streams of independent Nigerian artistes grew by 75 per cent over the same period.

Independent creators and labels generated a substantial share of earnings, accounting for about 58 per cent of all royalties earned by Nigerian artistes on Spotify in 2025.

Spotify’s editorial playlists also contributed to expanding the reach of Nigerian music. Nearly 2,000 Nigerian artistes were featured on the platform’s editorial playlists during the year, helping them connect with wider audiences.

Globally, Nigerian artistes appeared in almost 320 million user-generated playlists, while more than 12 million playlists were created in Nigeria alone. Overall, more than 60 million playlists featuring Nigerian artistes were created on Spotify in 2025.

The report further suggests that Nigeria’s listening culture is diversifying beyond Afrobeats. Over the past five years, the fastest-growing genres on Spotify in the country include pop urbaine, alternative pop, anime, emo and drill, reflecting changing tastes among younger audiences.

The Loud & Clear report also shows that streaming is becoming an increasingly important source of income for Nigerian artistes.

In 2024, Nigerian artistes generated over ₦58 billion in royalties from Spotify, more than double the ₦25 billion recorded in 2023 and about five times the estimated ₦11 billion earned in 2022.

Streaming activity within Nigeria has also surged significantly, with local listening increasing by 206 per cent year-on-year in 2024 and by 782 per cent over three years. International streams of Nigerian music also rose by 49 per cent during the same period.

The number of Nigerian artistes earning at least ₦10 million annually from Spotify has also grown sharply, more than doubling since 2023 and tripling compared with 2022.

Globally, Spotify reported paying more than $11 billion in royalties in 2025, bringing its cumulative payouts to nearly $70 billion to the music industry. About 13,800 artistes earned at least $100,000, while more than 1,500 artistes generated over $1 million from streams on the platform.

The report also notes that opportunities are expanding for more musicians. The 100,000th highest-earning artiste on Spotify earned about $7,300 in 2025, compared with roughly $350 a decade earlier.

Around half of all royalties were paid to independent and DIY artistes, while more than 50 per cent of earnings came from international listeners. Spotify also helped generate more than $1.5 billion in global concert ticket sales.

Nigeria’s Streaming Stars

Although Spotify does not disclose individual royalty payments, streaming figures offer insights into the country’s most popular artistes on the platform.

Among the most-streamed Nigerian artistes are Wizkid, Seyi Vibez, Asake, Burna Boy, Odumodublvck, BNXN, Davido, Rema and Olamide.

Among female artistes, Ayra Starr ranks as the most-streamed female act in Nigeria, alongside globally recognised stars such as Tems.

Internationally, Nigerian artistes including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Ayra Starr continue to dominate streaming charts worldwide.

Rema’s hit song Calm Down featuring Selena Gomez remains the most-exported Nigerian song globally, holding that position for three consecutive years.

In terms of cumulative Spotify streams, Wizkid leads Nigerian artistes with approximately 7.1 billion streams, followed by Burna Boy with about 6.7 billion streams.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made history after becoming the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography at the 98th Academy Awards, marking a major milestone in the film industry.

Arkapaw won the award for her work on the film “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler.

Her victory also made her the first woman of colour to claim the prize in the category, which has existed for nearly a century and has long been dominated by male cinematographers.

Taking the stage to accept the award, Arkapaw acknowledged the women who supported her journey in filmmaking and encouraged them to stand in recognition of their contributions to the industry.

READ ALSO: FULL LIST: ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ Dominate 2026 Oscars

“I’m so honoured to be here, and I really want all the women in the room to stand up because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys.

“I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and gotten to meet so many people, and I just feel like moments like this happen because of you guys, and I want to thank you for that,” Arkapaw said.

The win is particularly significant given the category’s history.

Prior to Arkapaw’s victory, only three women had ever been nominated for Best Cinematography: Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound,” Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog,” and Mandy Walker for “Elvis.”

Arkapaw, whose previous credits include “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” also made history as the first female cinematographer to shoot on IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision for “Sinners.”

During her thank-you speech, she thanked director Ryan Coogler and said, “Thank you for believing in me and thank you for trusting me, and that’s the kind of guy I get to make films with.”

The 2026 Oscars ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, featured several major wins for “Sinners”, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan and Best Original Screenplay for Coogler.

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s win also placed him in the history books as only the second Black writer to win the Best Original Screenplay category, after Jordan Peele won for Get Out in 2018.

While Michael B. Jordan joins a small circle of Black actors who have won the prestigious Best Actor Oscar, after Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.

The movie Sinners entered the ceremony with 16 nominations, the highest number ever received by a single film in Oscar history, and left the night with four Oscar wins.

Beyond its awards recognition, Sinners has also proven a major commercial success, grossing approximately $368 million worldwide. The film’s blend of genre storytelling, social history, and cinematic spectacle has drawn widespread critical praise.

Netflix’s smash hit “KPop Demon Hunters” — a tale of good and evil incorporating traditional Korean mythology and set to a thumping soundtrack — on Sunday won the Oscar for best animated feature.

It snapped up a second Academy Award for best original song for “Golden,” the film’s infectious anthem about empowerment, self-reliance and personal growth. It was the first K-pop song to win the category.

The movie — co-produced with Sony Pictures Animation — premiered on Netflix in June 2025, but quickly found a massive global following and is currently the streaming giant’s most-watched original film of all time.

READ ALSO: ‘One Battle After Another’ Wins Oscar For Best Picture

When a special singalong version was released in North American theaters for one weekend only, it easily topped the box office chart.

“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” co-director Maggie Kang told the audience, with co-director Chris Appelhans and producer Michelle Wong at her side.

South Korean news channel YTN praised Kang’s “heartfelt message to Korea” and the Hankook Ilbo newspaper featured the quote in a headline.

The movie tells the tale of HUNTR/X, a popular K-pop girl group whose members live double lives as weapons-wielding demon slayers. Their songs help create a magical barrier called the Honmoon that protects humanity.

The role of demon hunter is passed down over the generations.

The current trio — Rumi, Mira and Zoey — are sassy women who dress well but also are goofy and wolf down Korean food between performances and hunting missions.

They must square off against a demon boy band, the Saja Boys, who are sent by the demon lord Gwi-ma to weaken the Honmoon. A battle for humanity ensues.

The film borrows from the idea of shamanism — the tradition of having intermediaries to interact with the spiritual world, and features sweeping recreations of Seoul’s skyline.

Kang has explained the project was years in the making.

“This silly K-pop movie idea could represent so many aspects of my culture. Once I realized that, it was full force, making the most Korean movie I could make,” she told The New York Times in an interview published in January.

“I wrote a lot of things in Korean first, in my head, and thought about what is the best way to translate this emotion or dialogue into English?”

The main cast is made up mostly of Korean actors.

‘Golden’

Developing the music was a years-long process.

“This concept is so wackadoo, the songs had to be fantastic for it to be accepted,” Kang told the Times.

“Golden” — which topped the charts in more than two dozen countries — is the movie’s musical centerpiece, featuring lyrics in English and Korean.

It is Rumi’s battle cry, as she reveals to the world that she is also a half-demon.

“I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be,” says the song, which was written by a team including Korean-American singer EJAE, who is Rumi’s singing voice.

“We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment / You know together we’re glowin’ / Gonna be, gonna be golden.”

The tune also has won a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for best original song in a motion picture, and a Grammy for best song written for visual media.

The best original song Oscar is sweet revenge for EJAE, who has said in multiple interviews that her dreams of being a K-pop star were dashed after a decade of training when she was told she wouldn’t cut it.

“Rejection is redirection. And so never give up. It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be,” EJAE said in January as she accepted her Golden Globe, borrowing from her own lyrics.

In South Korea, fans hailed their latest cultural product to infect the world with “K-syndrome” — the irresistible surrender to the country’s movies, music, books, fashion and cuisine.

Irish actress Jessie Buckley capped her spectacular rise to Hollywood stardom on Sunday, winning a best actress Oscar for her searing portrait of motherhood and love undone by loss in “Hamnet” .

The 36-year-old actress from a small town in Ireland’s remote southwest received the award for her work as William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes, devastated by the death of their son, the eponymous child in director Chloe Zhao’s acclaimed film.

Her expressive intensity as the grieving heart of the story — an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 bestselling novel of the same name — captivated audiences, moving many moviegoers to tears.

“This is really something,” an emotional Buckley said, hailing her fellow nominees and saying she wanted to work with all of them.

The bewitching Agnes has “a strong, wide open heart and a mother with an epic landscape inside her”, Buckley told The Irish Times, underscoring the emotional depth of the role.

In February, on becoming the first Irish woman to win a BAFTA best actress award for her performance, she dedicated it to “the women past, present and future that have taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently”.

“You brought the mother out of the shadows, and you stood her in absolution beside the giant that is Shakespeare”, she said to O’Farrell in the audience.

Buckley was the closest thing to a shoo-in this awards season, sweeping the precursor prizes including the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards.

On Sunday, she bested Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”), Renate Reinsve (“Sentimental Value”), Emma Stone (“Bugonia”) and Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”).

Buckley didn’t have a child when she took on the role of Agnes.

But she became pregnant “a week” after finishing “Hamnet”, she told The New York Times, and gave birth to a baby girl in autumn 2025.

‘Nurtured And Respected’

Born on December 28, 1989 to a poet, Tim Buckley, and Marina, a former opera singer and vocal coach, the actress was encouraged to join school theatre productions from a young age.

Growing up in Killarney, County Kerry with four siblings, she credits her upbringing for shaping her artistic instincts.

At home, “music, writing and expressing yourself was really nurtured and respected,” she told The Irish Times.

Buckley first made waves as a reality TV hopeful in 2008’s “I’d Do Anything”, a BBC talent show scouting for a production of “Oliver” in London’s West End.

Although she lost in the final, judges urged her to pursue formal dramatic training.

She graduated from London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2013 and immersed herself in the works of The Bard.

That same year, she secured roles in adaptations of “Henry V” and “The Winter’s Tale” in London.

Television roles followed including in a BBC dramatisation of “War and Peace” (2016), and the HBO hit miniseries “Chernobyl” (2019).

Buckley made her film debut in “Beast” (2017), a psychological thriller set on Jersey in the Channel Islands, and earned a BAFTA nomination for her lead role in the 2018 film “Wild Rose” about an aspiring country singer and ex-convict from Glasgow.

She has often returned to her Shakespearean theatrical roots, playing Juliet at the National Theatre in 2021 with another rising star, Josh O’Connor.

She earned her first Oscar nomination in 2022 for best supporting actress for her portrayal of a tormented mother in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s tense psychological drama “The Lost Daughter”.

An accomplished singer, she won an Olivier Award in 2022 for best actress in a musical for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the West End revival of “Cabaret”.

That same year, she released a folk album with Bernard Butler, former guitarist of the band Suede.

Buckley lives in the English countryside in Norfolk with her husband, a mental health worker, who she married in 2023.

She has spoken openly about previous struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, and said therapy helped her learn to feel rather than repress her emotions.

Her current project, in theatres now, is Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride!” — a genre-hopping take on the bride of Frankenstein’s monster in which she co-stars opposite fellow Oscar winner Christian Bale.

Paul Thomas Anderson on Sunday won the Oscar for best director for “One Battle After Another.”

The 55-year-old Anderson bested Chloe Zhao for “Hamnet,” Josh Safdie for “Marty Supreme,” Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value” and Ryan Coogler for “Sinners.”