Entertainment News Roundup: South Korea's BTS scoops top two positions in 2020 album chart; 'We're not racist', says Prince William after Meghan and Harry interview and more

South Korea's BTS scoops top two positions in 2020 album chart South Korea's K-pop sensation BTS dominated world music sales in 2020 by putting out the year's best-, and second-best selling albums, the music industry body IFPI said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

South Korea's BTS scoops top two positions in 2020 album chart

South Korea's K-pop sensation BTS dominated world music sales in 2020 by putting out the year's best-, and second-best selling albums, the music industry body IFPI said on Thursday. The band's "Map of the Soul:7" came in at number one in the IFPI 2020 Global Album Sales Chart, followed by its release "BE (Deluxe Edition)" at number two.

Reinventing the Grammys: 'It's not pandemicky,' promises host

The only sure bets about the Grammy Awards on Sunday are that it will not resemble the shows of past years, and it will not be a Zoom fest. Postponed from January because of the coronavirus pandemic, the highest awards in the music business have had to rethink every aspect of a ceremony that is watched as much for its performances as for who takes home the prizes.

Singer Sawayama, who pushed for rules change, among BRITs Rising Star nominees

Rina Sawayama, a Japanese-born singer who has lived in Britain for 26 years, is among the three contenders for the Rising Star prize at this year's BRIT Awards after she successfully pushed to change eligibility rules. Singer Griff and rapper Pa Salieu were also nominated for the prize, previously called the BRITs Critics' Choice award, organizers of Britain's pop music honours said on Thursday.

Fighting through the pain: Lady Gaga sends message of support to Japan

Lady Gaga sent a message of support to Japan on the 10th anniversary of its massive earthquake and tsunami, saying the resilience of its people offers hope in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic. "Through the years, seeing and hearing about the vast recovery of your beautiful cities, I have so much respect to the people of Japan for your strength, kindness and love for each other," the American singer-songwriter and actress said in a video posted on her Twitter account.

NHS workers, Osaka and Westwood among women honoured at Glamour Awards

Frontline workers for Britain's National Health Service, tennis player Naomi Osaka and designer Vivienne Westwood were among those honoured at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards on Thursday, in a virtual event which paid tribute to those who have sought to incite change. Hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan and streamed on the UK magazine's website, the event was renamed Glamour's Women of the Year Awards 2021: The Gamechangers, with winners swapping the usual red carpet for acceptance speeches by video.

Actors Mirren and Lewis record album for Queen Elizabeth's birthday

Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth on the silver screen, has recorded an album with fellow actor Damian Lewis to mark the British monarch's upcoming 95th birthday. "The Music of Kings & Queens" features music composed by Debbie Wiseman, with Mirren and Lewis narrating the story of Britain through 12 monarchs, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth, who ascended the throne in 1952.

A Minute With: the 'Bulletproof' cops on filming in South Africa and bigger stunts

"Bulletproof" police pals Pike and Bishop swap London for Cape Town in the third series of the British television show, where a holiday abroad soon turns into a kidnapping case. Actors Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters reunite as the popular characters for the three-part "Bulletproof: South Africa", which hits U.S. screens next week.

Dumped British TV host Morgan pours more scorn on Meghan suicide, racism claims

Piers Morgan, the pugnacious British TV presenter who lost his job over his attacks on Prince Harry's wife Meghan, said on Wednesday he still did not believe what she had said during her Oprah Winfrey interview. Morgan, 55, left ITV's Good Morning Britain on Tuesday after a backlash against his comments on Meghan's interview with Winfrey, in which she revealed she had felt suicidal while living as a royal in Britain.

Wagner with half an orchestra? An English festival's thorny COVID choices

Can you do justice to Wagner with only 30 musicians in the orchestra pit because of social distancing? That was one of countless questions facing the managers of Glyndebourne, an opera house set in idyllic countryside in southern England, as they planned the 2021 summer festival whilst under COVID-19 lockdown.

'We're not racist', says Prince William after Meghan and Harry interview

Prince William denied on Thursday that Britain's royals were racist after Meghan, wife of his younger brother Harry, said one unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their son Archie's skin might be. Meghan, 39, made the allegation during an explosive tell-all interview that she and Harry, 36, gave to Oprah Winfrey and which was aired on Sunday, plunging the British monarchy into its biggest crisis since the 1997 death of Princess Diana, William and Harry's mother.