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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Grammys EP Ben Winston on the risks of producing live TV: ‘I always never know quite why we do it'
If you've enjoyed a live TV music special in recent years, chances are Ben Winston produced it. Since signing off The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2023, which he executive produced, he's more than had his hands full with his company Fulwell Entertainment, bringing a slew of music specials to the screen — with Dua Lipa, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile this year alone — along with Carpool Karaoke Christmas, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, The Kardashians, to name a few. More from GoldDerby 'Ballerina' stumbles at the box office while 'Lilo & Stitch' surfs to another $32.5M Brian Tyree Henry on how 'Dope Thief' let him 'reclaim' his name: 'I was just Paper Boi to people,' and now 'I became Brian again' Emmy experts debate Comedy Series race: 'Hacks' will compete against 'a bunch of new kids on the block' He also took on his own Mission: Impossible when he orchestrated Tom Cruise's jump off the stadium roof as part of the Olympic torch handoff from Paris to L.A. as part of the closing ceremony. And then there was this year's Grammy Awards — held in the wake of the devastating fires that ravaged Los Angeles. Here, Winston opens up to Gold Derby about his life as a producer: Yes, he still gets nervous before going live; no, he doesn't want to tackle the Oscars — and as for the 2028 Olympics, he's waiting for the phone to ring. Gold Derby: Do you miss the late-night days? Ben Winston: Oh, I miss it so much. But it's given us the opportunity to do other things, and we never wanted to overstay our welcome. We never wanted to be irrelevant. We always wanted to be in the zeitgeist. So I think that we left the stage at the right time, as much as I miss it. What does it take for content to break through these days? I think really compelling storytelling is always the way. Whether we're making an episode of The Kardashians or whether we're launching the LA28 games, I think it's about how do you make something that surprises and delights and gets people talking. I think in this environment where there is so much out there that it's hard to find your audience, I think if we can do something, whether that be Benson Boone and Doechii at the Grammys or whether it be Tom Cruise jumping off a plane or jumping off the roof at the Paris Stadium or whether it be Kim and Kourtney going to India for an episode of The Kardashians, if we can create real big moments of content that get people talking and discussing and sharing, then I think we're winning. But it's harder and harder. So when a project lands on your desk like the Grammys or the Olympics, how do you approach it? I think, 'What's the idea? What do I want to say?' The biggest one I would say of this last year would have been the LA28 special. Because usually the handover is kind of a nothing moment in a closing ceremony. I remember in London, I was at the closing ceremony. I think the next Olympics was Brazil. It was just some Brazilian dancers and a musician. So when I sat down with Casey Wasserman and the LA28 team, literally two years before we did it, it was like, what can we do for ten minutes in the closing ceremony that really grabs attention and makes a statement about L.A.? I was really keen to do something big that embraced the Hollywood of L.A., that embraced music because I think music is a huge part of the culture here. I wanted to show off the city because, yes, we don't have the Eiffel Tower and the Seine and the Notre Dame, but we do have beautiful beaches. We have really iconic symbols, whether it be the Griffith Park Observatory or the Hollywood Sign. But more than that, what I had to think about with L.A. was the theme. What is the Olympics? The Olympics is a thing that people from all over the world go to, and they try and achieve their dreams there. And Los Angeles is a city where people from all over the world come to, and they try and achieve their dreams here. Linking all of those things together suddenly got me thinking. I'd worked with Tom Cruise quite a bit over The Late Late Show days. We've done lots of sketches with James [Corden], whether it would him being Pumbaa and Timon in Lion King or jumping out of a plane or flying those Top Gun planes with James, and I've gotten to know Tom well. And I had this idea that maybe he jumps off the roof, shocks everybody, grabs the flag, and then takes that flag out of the stadium and drives from Paris to his airplane, jumps out of the airplane, lands in Hollywood and takes over the sign. And then we showcase some real sporting icons of L.A. who then take that flag and land at the beach, and then we just do a huge beach concert. I love how you start with a really small idea. Gotta think big! It was difficult to do. But it was such a fun, bold, ambitious idea. And everyone was in. So in the end, it became a one-hour special that encompassed all of those ideas that was a real celebration of L.A. What was beautiful about it for L.A. and for me is that the next day of the closing ceremony, the image that was around the globe was Dre and Snoop in front of the LA28 sign and Tom jumping off the roof. So we'd achieved our goal of announcing and launching LA28 in a really great way. So going back to the other question, how do you get attention? That is a great example where I think unscripted television really gripped the world and made an impact. You had to have been worried about pulling all of that off. What was your biggest concern? There were so many. The fact that the biggest movie star in the world is standing on a roof and about to jump off it, that is always a concern. We lost our beach with about four weeks to go, for various reasons. And then it's just all those elements coming together. I was really excited when NBC loved the idea so much that they gave us a special for it, though that meant that what was a 16 minute idea that was live could then become like an hour's special with more music and more Tom could breathe a little bit more in prime time. But that was a very nerve wracking on the day because although it was pre-taped it was live in the ceremony. That was the most nervous I think I've ever been, of anything I've done. You still get nervous? Live television is always nerve-wracking. I always never quite know why we do it. As it gets towards 5 p.m. on Grammy Sunday, I have this sort of sick feeling in my stomach where I'm always like, why on earth did I agree to do this again? We only have six weeks to make that show because the nominations come out around Thanksgiving. Nobody will do anything before they're nominated. You can't even pick up the phone to ask them. And this year with the fires, most of our team were evacuated. Some of our team lost their homes. And suddenly, we were making a show for Feb. 2 with all of that going on as well. The way I always think about it is you're climbing this mountain, you get to the top of that mountain at 5 on Grammy Sunday, and you jump off. And you just hope the parachute opens and you have a really nice flight. But you also know that it's live television. Anything could happen, and you could smack your head on the way down. Luckily, I think this year was probably the show I'm most proud of. Why is that? Because I think that the fact that we were making it around the time of the fires, the fact that there were murmurs of people saying you shouldn't be doing the Grammys a month after the fires have broken out, the fact that I had a real passion to do it and was really feeling that we could actually do something really beautiful for the city of L.A. I worked out that 6,000 people earn a living in some way from the Grammys happening. Now that doesn't mean I employ 6,000 people. That means florists or local car companies or staging companies or removal vans or venue security — 6,000 people earn a living from the Grammys, and they live in Los Angeles. And the worst thing you could possibly say to 6,000 people is because of our concern for you right now, we're not going to employ you at the Grammys. I just thought it was such a ridiculous mentality. I was very passionate as an LA guy that we wanted the show to happen, but I also felt like we could do good. We raised nearly $30 million that night. What changes did you make to the show to address the fires? Every ad break, we gave a commercial to a local business. It was a local florist, and we had Doja Cat doing a commercial for them. Or we had Charlie Puth at the local karate den that got burned down or Avril Lavigne at the skate park in the Palisades. And I just thought it was a really lovely idea of showcasing local businesses who had lost so much in the fires and partnering them with a Grammys artist. And then there was also the question of who starts the show. I was having a conversation with Brandi Carlisle, and we were talking about the song 'I Love L.A.' And interestingly, I was playing that in my car as I was driving from my hotel into the office, because I was evacuated. I thought, well, actually, that's a really beautiful way of starting the show, but then who plays it? And then Brandi said to me, do you know the band Dawes? They lost their homes and their studio in the fires. Allowing them to open the Grammys with a supergroup of artists, John Legend and Brittany Howard and all these incredible artists, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley — that could be an amazing way to open the show. Everything from the way we reacted to the fires all the way to featuring the best new artists for the time in the history of the Grammys. We didn't stop the music. It just went one after the other after the other after the other. And I love the way we did that in that Trevor went in the audience. He walked through and he introduced each one of them, and you just thought he was going to throw to the package. And he says, oh, let's take a look at the music from these best new artists. And then Benson Boone gets out his microphone and the suit rips off, and that started that was the trigger, and then all the other artists run to their corners, Shaboozey and Doechii and Raye, bringing down the house. And so that was a really lovely moment that was technically incredibly hard. Hamish Hamilton did an amazing job directing that, but staging it where the music never stopped. I love the idea of music never stopping. You also had the added pressure as the first award show back to make it OK for there to be award shows again. Whether it be the commercials for the local businesses, whether it be the fire department presenting the Grammy award for album of the year to Beyoncé, whether it be Dawes opening, which I thought was really powerful. We love this show, and we love music, and we love television. Yes, the fires were brutal for all of us, but they actually made us they made us sharpen our lens. They made us go, OK. How do we make this OK, and how do we pay tribute this city, and how do we make a love letter to this city? And in a way, I think it was an advantage going first because everyone could follow our lead. You've done so many kinds of live TV. What's on your wish list? What do you still want to do? We've been really lucky. We've done a few really wonderful music specials. I love working with artists. I love the challenge of live television. There's a big thing happening in three years in this city, so hopefully, I'll be a little bit involved in that. I'm not after doing more award shows. I really like the one that I make. I love the Grammys. I'm proud of the Grammys. It's become part of me. I don't have a burning desire to suddenly start running other award shows. So no Oscars for you? Nope. Definitely not. I think Raj [Kapoor] does a great job on that, and that's one for him, not me. We're developing a reality show right now in Calabasas, to partner with our Kardashian show, and I'm really enjoying the casting process of that. I'm looking at doing a kids' show with a streaming platform right now, which I've never done before, but it could be quite impactful. As a dad of a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old, if you'd asked me 10 years ago about a kids' show, I'd be like, what are you on about? (Laughs.) I think about what could I be doing at the World Cup next year? I love working with Trevor Noah — what is the next form of variety show that we could do together? I'm really excited about the opportunities that we have over here at Fulwell, and just really want to make things that I'm proud of and I love and I'm passionate about. So what do you have up your sleeve for the 2028 Olympics in LA? I don't know right now, because nothing's been announced. But if I had the opportunity of being involved in LA28, I would love that. I think it's going to be a phenomenal Olympics, and I'd be honored to be involved. I hope they call me! Best of GoldDerby Marlon Wayans on laughing through tragedy in 'Good Grief' and why social media has made comedy 'toxic' Minha Kim 'confronted all new emotions that I had never anticipated' in Season 2 of 'Pachinko' 'Étoile': Exclusive 4-part conversation with creators, star Luke Kirby, cinematographer, and choreographer Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
StockX Taps Frequent Nike, LeBron James Collaborator Daniel De Jesus Krueger as Head of Creative
StockX has named Daniel De Jesus Krueger as its new vice president and head of creative. In this role, the company said he will lead its global creative direction, defining the evolving StockX brand and its application through brand design, imagery, tone of voice, and overall storytelling. More from WWD EXCLUSIVE: Kizik Names Former Nike Exec Gareth Hosford as Its New CEO Dr. Martens Looks to Adidas For New Chief Brand Officer Dr. Martens Names Former Nike Exec Paul Zadoff as President of Americas Region Krueger joins StockX from entertainment group Fulwell Entertainment (formerly The Springhill Company, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter), where he led creative, storytelling, and branding for The Shop, the Emmy-nominated show co-created by Paul Rivera and Randy Mims. While at Fulwell, he helped it expand beyond a talk show on HBO to a global, consumer-facing brand that now includes live shows and tours, a men's grooming line, product merchandise — including a collaboration with Nike on a LeBron 21 x The Shop sneaker — and social media properties. Krueger also created and directed the first spinoff from The Shop, a pilot called House Calls. Before Fulwell Entertainment, Krueger led the Nike Brand Studio at Uninterrupted — a media company founded in 2014 by LeBron James and Maverick Carter — and oversaw work across the LeBron and Kobe brands as well as Sabrina Ionescu campaigns. Prior to that, during his time at Laundry Service (now Wasserman), he led art direction for T-Mobile's partnership with MLB and helped launch House of Hoops, a collaboration between Foot Locker and Nike. Over the course of his career, he has worked on projects with athletes including Shaquem Griffin, Mal Swanson, Andrew McCutchen, Bianca Andreescu, Diamond DeShields, Arike Ogunbowale, Darius Garland, Dina Asher-Smith, Sam Kerr, Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James, among others. Nick Karrat, chief marketing officer at StockX, said in a statement that Krueger's track record 'speaks for itself.' 'He understands the power of brand storytelling and knows what it takes to get a project over the line without sacrificing creative integrity,' Karrat said. 'His passion for sneaker and streetwear communities and his deep work with influential voices in culture, sports, and music make him a perfect fit for the team. We're thrilled to have him on board for this next chapter of the StockX brand story.' Krueger added that he has been 'fortunate' to spend his career working with brands and people he genuinely believes in. 'I've followed it from the start and watched it grow into a global force,' Krueger noted. 'As a Chicago native, it's especially meaningful to help shape the next creative chapter of a Midwest-born brand. StockX sits at the intersection of sports, music, and entertainment — that kind of cultural relevance doesn't happen by accident, and being part of what's next is incredibly exciting.' Best of WWD All the Retailers That Nike Left and Then Went Back Mikey Madison's Elegant Red Carpet Shoe Style [PHOTOS] Julia Fox's Sleekest and Boldest Shoe Looks Over the Years [Photos] Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fashion Network
02-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
StockX names new creative head
U.S. resale platform StockX announced on Monday the appointment of Daniel De Jesus Krueger to the role of vice president and head of creative. In his new role, Krueger will lead the Michigan-based company's global creative direction, defining its brand ethos and its application through design, imagery, tone of voice, and overall storytelling, according to a press release. An award-winning creative director with a career that spans over a decade across culture, sports, and music, Krueger joins StockX from entertainment group Fulwell Entertainment (formerly The Springhill Company, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter), where he led creative, storytelling, and branding for "The Shop", the Emmy-nominated show co-created by Paul Rivera and Randy Mims. Prior to that, Krueger led The Nike Brand Studio at Uninterrupted — a media company founded in 2014 by LeBron James and Maverick Carter — and oversaw work across the LeBron and Kobe brands as well as Sabrina Ionescu campaigns. Before that, he served at Laundry Service (now Wasserman), where he led art direction for T-Mobile's partnership with MLB and helped launch House of Hoops, a collaboration between Foot Locker and Nike. During his career, the creative has also worked on projects with major athletes including Shaquem Griffin, Mal Swanson, Andrew McCutchen, Bianca Andreescu, Diamond DeShields, Arike Ogunbowale, Darius Garland, Dina Asher-Smith, Sam Kerr, Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James, among others. 'Daniel's track record speaks for itself — he understands the power of brand storytelling and knows what it takes to get a project over the line without sacrificing creative integrity,' said Stock CMO, Nick Karrat. 'His passion for sneaker and streetwear communities and his deep work with influential voices in culture, sports, and music make him a perfect fit for the team. We're thrilled to have him on board for this next chapter of the StockX brand story.' For the role, Krueger wil travel regularly to the resale firm's headquarters in Detroit. "I've been fortunate to spend my career working with brands and people I genuinely believe in — and StockX is no exception. I've followed it from the start and watched it grow into a global force," said Krueger. "As a Chicago native, it's especially meaningful to help shape the next creative chapter of a Midwest-born brand. StockX sits at the intersection of sports, music, and entertainment — that kind of cultural relevance doesn't happen by accident, and being part of what's next is incredibly exciting." Krueger's appointment comes just six months after StockX's top management reshuffle which saw the company's CEO Scott Cutler step down, effective December 31. The former chief was replaced by Greg Schwartz, the platform's co-founder, and president and COO, at the time.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC accused of giving Gary Lineker ‘hero's farewell' with Match of the Day swansong
The BBC has been accused of giving Gary Lineker a 'hero's farewell' by allowing him a Match of the Day 'swansong' on Sunday. Lineker's departure has been confirmed after mounting pressure within the corporation and beyond over an 'anti-Semitic' social media post last week. However, corporation chiefs have allowed the former England football captain to host this Sunday's coverage of the last matches of the Premier League season. Campaigners and BBC insiders are now questioning why he was not dismissed with immediate effect given the levels of offence caused by the now-deleted Instagram post showing an anti-Semitic rat emoji. Among television executives to express fresh concern are Leo Pearlman, chief executive at Fulwell Entertainment, and Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television. 'The BBC's decision to allow Lineker a final appearance on Match of the Day, effectively offering him a hero's farewell, despite the fact that he is leaving the corporation because of his use of an anti-Semitic trope comparing Jews to vermin, is deeply disturbing,' Pearlman told Telegraph Sport. 'At a time when anti-Semitism in Britain is rising at an alarming rate, the BBC's choice to honour Lineker in this way sends an appalling message to the Jewish community.' Cohen added: 'The BBC has made the right decision to part ways with Gary Lineker, but he should not be allowed a final swansong this weekend. And why the BBC's statement does not even mention anti-Semitism is hard to understand. Given the Nazi echoes of the content shared it will be very hard for many in the Jewish community to see Mr Lineker present Match of the Day again on Sunday. 'If the racist content had been directed at another community, I do not believe a presenter would be allowed to carry on for another week. The BBC has a serious and wide-ranging problem with anti-Semitism. Only much stronger executive leadership can change that.' Jane Lush, the former controller of BBC Entertainment and Comedy, added: 'No person, however popular, is bigger or more important than the BBC. I say this as the person who personally fired Angus Deayton from Have I Got News For You. When many predicted it would see the demise of the programme, 23 years later the show is going as strongly as ever. The lesson the BBC should learn is that it cannot allow anyone – however well known or influential – to damage its reputation in this way again.' Lineker will lose out on an estimated £800,000 after being forced to leave without a pay-off. Sources close to the corporation say the decision to drop him was made primarily by BBC chiefs who had run out of patience with his outspoken political views. The latest controversy was set in motion on Monday last week when the Match of the Day presenter used Instagram to promote a pro-Palestinian video featuring a rat emoji – an icon used by the Nazis as a slur against Jewish people. Lineker apologised and removed the video but calls to remove him from the BBC grew louder on Thursday when Telegraph Sport published an explosive interview with Lineker in which he went further than ever in his comments about Israel and also criticised his boss at the BBC. It was confirmed at noon on Monday that this Sunday's Match of the Day will be Lineker's last BBC outing. An anonymous BBC member of staff said in response on Monday: 'It's not just about the rat, the video itself contained anti-Semitic tropes and yet it seems like BBC bosses have done the bare minimum of damage limitation. As a Jewish member of staff, that feels like a betrayal.' Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: 'It is unacceptable that the BBC is permitting Gary Lineker to host Match of the Day as a presenter for one more show given his reposting of offensive content which played into ancient anti-Semitic tropes. Such a decision not only undermines the seriousness of anti-Semitism but also calls into question the BBC's commitment to being impartial.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
BBC accused of giving Gary Lineker ‘hero's farewell' with Match of the Day swansong
The BBC has been accused of giving Gary Lineker a 'hero's farewell' by allowing him a Match of the Day 'swansong' on Sunday. Lineker's departure has been confirmed after mounting pressure within the corporation and beyond over an 'anti-Semitic' social media post last week. However, corporation chiefs have allowed the former England football captain to host this Sunday's coverage of the last matches of the Premier League season. Campaigners and BBC insiders are now questioning why he was not dismissed with immediate effect given the levels of offence caused by the now-deleted Instagram post showing an anti-Semitic rat emoji. Among television executives to express fresh concern are Leo Pearlman, chief executive at Fulwell Entertainment, and Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television. 'The BBC's decision to allow Lineker a final appearance on Match of the Day, effectively offering him a hero's farewell, despite the fact that he is leaving the corporation because of his use of an anti-Semitic trope comparing Jews to vermin, is deeply disturbing,' Pearlman told Telegraph Sport. 'At a time when anti-Semitism in Britain is rising at an alarming rate, the BBC's choice to honour Lineker in this way sends an appalling message to the Jewish community.' Cohen added: 'The BBC has made the right decision to part ways with Gary Lineker, but he should not be allowed a final swansong this weekend. And why the BBC's statement does not even mention anti-Semitism is hard to understand. Given the Nazi echoes of the content shared it will be very hard for many in the Jewish community to see Mr Lineker present Match of the Day again on Sunday. 'If the racist content had been directed at another community, I do not believe a presenter would be allowed to carry on for another week. The BBC has a serious and wide-ranging problem with anti-Semitism. Only much stronger executive leadership can change that.' Jane Lush, the former controller of BBC Entertainment and Comedy, added: 'No person, however popular, is bigger or more important than the BBC. I say this as the person who personally fired Angus Deayton from Have I Got News For You. When many predicted it would see the demise of the programme, 23 years later the show is going as strongly as ever. The lesson the BBC should learn is that it cannot allow anyone – however well known or influential – to damage its reputation in this way again.' Lineker will lose out on an estimated £800,000 after being forced to leave without a pay-off. Sources close to the corporation say the decision to drop him was made primarily by BBC chiefs who had run out of patience with his outspoken political views. The latest controversy was set in motion on Monday last week when the Match of the Day presenter used Instagram to promote a pro-Palestinian video featuring a rat emoji – an icon used by the Nazis as a slur against Jewish people. Lineker apologised and removed the video but calls to remove him from the BBC grew louder on Thursday when Telegraph Sport published an explosive interview with Lineker in which he went further than ever in his comments about Israel and also criticised his boss at the BBC. It was confirmed at noon on Monday that this Sunday's Match of the Day will be Lineker's last BBC outing. An anonymous BBC member of staff said in response on Monday: 'It's not just about the rat, the video itself contained anti-Semitic tropes and yet it seems like BBC bosses have done the bare minimum of damage limitation. As a Jewish member of staff, that feels like a betrayal.'
