With its shimmering forest and its plunge into darkness and destruction, this fairytale romp bagged an Olivier for its lighting – and, reveals designer Aideen Malone, it wasn’t even finished

For a minute I worry that Aideen Malone might return her Olivier award. “It’s funny that I won an award for it, because I would say Into the Woods is one of the most unfinished pieces I have ever done,” declares the lighting designer. “There was a lot of detail we never got a chance to finish. We ran out of time – big time!”

Luckily, the judges and audiences disagreed. If you want to see enchantment, take yourself to Stephen Sondheim’s musical set in the twisted world of fairytale. Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and others bounce into the forest, which shimmers in a weave of powdery, gleaming branches and light angling through all the trees. Now transferred to the West End from London’s Bridge theatre, it’s a breathtaking piece of design for a seriously playful musical.

Madonna and Swift take home four of six prizes given out during ceremony telecast, alongside K-pop star Lisa and British newcomer Sienna Spiro

• MTV VMAs 2026 red carpet: Taylor Swift, Charli xcx, Troye Sivan and more – in pictures

Madonna and Taylor Swift triumphed at the 2026 MTV Video Music awards, with the former winning three trophies and the latter winning the night’s top honor, extending her run as the most-awarded artist in VMAs history.

In a ceremony that largely awarded female artists, Madonna entered the evening as the most nominated artist of the year with 13 nods and won seven, including three during the telecast: for best collaboration (with Sabrina Carpenter), best dance, and artist of the year.

At this year’s Video Music Awards, pop’s biggest stars opted for gaudy and extravagant fashion, with plenty of fur, feathers and big silhouettes

Marri Ngarr artist takes home Australia’s most prestigious First Nations art prize for Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed – a ‘dreamscape’ that challenges colonial modes of representation

An Indigenous artist’s painting that “presents a recomposed view of the past” and challenges the western canon, especially Renaissance art, has won the $100,000 top prize at the 43rd National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander awards (Natsiaa).

The Marri Ngarr artist Dr Ryan Presley received the award on Friday evening for his 2.8 square metre oil on polyester painting, titled Our lifestyle of tranquillity undisturbed.

Das Paar hat sicherheitshalber seinen Bauernhof in Südfrankreich verlassen. Der Vater von Amy Winehouse muss Geld an Freundinnen seiner Tochter zahlen. Und BTS will keine Grammys.

Joe Mantello’s stark revival of Arthur Miller’s classic drama takes home six awards, while Ragtime and Schmigadoon! pick up musical wins

• Tony awards 2026: red carpet looks and the best of the show – in pictures

• Tony awards 2026: full list of winners

A stripped-back take on Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman dominated this year’s Tonys, winning six awards, while Lesley Manville and John Lithgow took home lead acting trophies.

Death of a Salesman was named best revival of a play, with the award-winning director Joe Mantello praising Miller’s story as one that “still talks to us through time”. Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, and called it a play that “continues to teach us who we are as humans and Americans”.

Rose Byrne, Sarah Paulson, Daniel Radcliffe, Adrien Brody and others gather to celebrate Broadway’s biggest awards night. The 79th annual Tony awards are hosted by Pink at Radio City Music Hall in New York

• Tony awards 2026: full list of winners

This year’s Tony awards have already seen wins for John Lithgow, Laurie Metcalf and Lesley Manville

Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ragtime – WINNER!
The Rocky Horror Show

Musician wins rising star and best song musically and lyrically, continuing their success after Brit award win and Mercury prize nomination

Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon was the big winner at the 2026 Ivor Novello awards, which acknowledge the best in British and Irish songwriting and screen composition.

Alon, 25, has captivated audiences with their swooping voice and imaginative alt-folk arrangements, showcased on debut album In Limerence which was released in May 2025. They won the Ivor Novello award for rising star – the second such win for Alon this year, having won the equivalent prize at the 2026 Brit awards in February, called the critics’ choice award.

The actor commands the stage in Tom Morris’s striking production of Shakespeare’s tragedy, while Rachel Zegler and Ben Platt unite for The Last Five Years

When David Harewood was offered the lead in Othello in a new West End production, he found he still knew his lines from almost 30 years earlier, when he became the first black actor to play the role at the National Theatre. Harewood brings profound depth to the part, alongside Toby Jones as Iago and Caitlin FitzGerald as Desdemona, in Tom Morris’s striking staging, now on Marquee TV. Harewood’s documentary on blackface, with observations on Othello, is on iPlayer.

Role-playing adventure and superhero comedy among big winners on a varied night in London

With 12 nominations, acclaimed role-playing adventure Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was expected to be the runaway success at the 2026 Bafta games awards, held in London on Friday evening.

And while it couldn’t quite match its nine wins at the Game Awards back in December, it was still the joint biggest winner on the night, taking best game and debut game as well as the performer in a leading role award for Jennifer English.

The Sony world photography awards announce the four overall winners of the 2026 competitions: professional, open, student and youth. Citlali Fabián receives the prestigious photographer of the year title, and 10 category winners for the professional competition are announced, whilst Joel Meyerowitz is honoured as 2026 outstanding contribution to photography recipient

• Exhibition at Somerset House, London from 17 April - 4 May 2026

Guardian photographer David Levene was at the Royal Albert Hall to photograph the stars and the special performances at London’s biggest night of theatre

• No need for hard stares as Paddington: The Musical triumphs at Olivier awards

• Olivier awards 2026: full list of winners

• ‘I want to thank my amazing husband, who doesn’t exist!’ – Olivier awards’ best quotes

West End spectacular about beloved bear wins seven prizes, while Rachel Zegler, Rosamund Pike and Paapa Essiedu all recognised

• Olivier awards 2026: full list of winners

It was a night of sweet victory for Michael Bond’s marmalade-loving bear as Paddington: The Musical dominated the Olivier awards on Sunday. Amid the tuxes and gowns of a glittering ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the duffle coat-wearing bear got his sticky paws all over seven prizes including best new musical.

The award for best actor in a musical went to the duo who play Paddington: James Hameed provides the lovable hero’s voice and is the remote puppeteer, while Arti Shah performs in the furry costume. The show’s baddies, Tom Edden (as the busybody Mr Curry) and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (as Millicent Clyde, who wants Paddington to literally get stuffed), won best supporting actor and best supporting actress in a musical respectively. Luke Sheppard was named best director for the production, which also picked up awards for costume design (Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar) and set design (Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward).

On productions ranging from Les Liaisons Dangereuses to John Proctor Is the Villain, an army of technical wizards help ensure London’s stage productions are believable and spectacular

What does it take to create a giant chandelier on stage, decked out with more than 100 perfectly balanced, flickering candles? What about a disco floor that dazzles the audience in a play’s final moments but is hidden from view until then? On the eve of the 50th Olivier awards, we meet the artists, apprentices, engineers and designers behind some of London’s most memorable theatrical moments this year.

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Aidan Turner, Lucia Chocarro and Monica Barbaro in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre, London

The artist will follow in the footsteps of Ariana DeBose, Cynthia Erivo and Kevin Spacey this June

The Tony awards have turned to a singer with a reputation for a high-energy, physical live show to be the next telecast host – Pink.

The three-time Grammy award winner will make her debut as emcee for the awards on 7 June at its familiar home of Radio City Music Hall.

‘I asked them the secret to a happy life. “Good genes,” replied Magdolna, who was 87. “Avoid borrowing money,” added Irén, 86’

When I saw these two elderly ladies dressed as bride and groom in a retirement home in Páty, near Budapest, my first thought was to wonder why they had chosen those particular costumes. I took their picture in the home’s lounge and afterwards we had a long conversation. I asked them about their lives, what they believed was the secret to a long life, and how to preserve a love of life in old age. They both emphasised a long and happy marriage. Magdolna, 87, on the left, lived with her husband for more than 50 years, and 86-year-old Irén for 62, until their spouses died.

In Hungary, the average pension is the equivalent of about £500 a month. It takes the talents of a magician for a pensioner to stretch that beyond basic needs and make any room for leisure, culture or travel. The health of Hungarian pensioners also falls short of what is typical in the west. And it’s really hard to get into a retirement home in Hungary. You have to wait for years for a good place.