Beyonce leads the nominations for Sunday's Grammy Awards with nods in nine categories, including three of the most prestigious.

More than 13,000 music professionals in the Recording Academy vote to determine winners of the Grammys, to be announced in a televised gala in Los Angeles.

The music world gathers Sunday for the Grammys with the top awards a choice between a new, edgier Beyonce and the time-tested heartache ballads of Adele.

The televised bash from Los Angeles, which kicks off at 5 pm (0100 GMT Monday), could also have political fireworks as many artists are outspoken critics of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tom Petty got his band the Heartbreakers back together for a high-class gig to launch Grammy weekend.

Foo Fighters, Don Henley, Norah Jones, Gary Clark Jr., Jackson Browne, the Head and the Heart, and George Strait were among those honoring the 66-year-old singer-songwriter as MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday night.

Amal Clooney, the prominent Lebanese-British human rights lawyer and wife of American actor George, is pregnant with twins, a family friend said on Wednesday.

"She's pregnant with twins," the friend said, asking to remain anonymous and without providing any further details about the sexes of the babies or due date.

U.S. pop superstar Madonna felt "compelled" to adopt four-year-old twin girls from an orphanage in Malawi after hearing of their plight through her charity work, court papers revealed Wednesday.

New York Fashion Week will offer slimmer pickings than usual when it kicks off Thursday as big names decamp to Paris or Los Angeles and fashionistas search for renewed meaning in the Donald Trump era.

More than 230,000 people will flood into America's biggest city and cultural capital to attend the bi-annual style bonanza held in September and February, where hundreds of shows, deals and parties rake in nearly $900 million.

Supermodel Christie Brinkley, 63, has become the oldest woman to appear in the famous Swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, posing in a red bikini and black one-piece alongside her daughters.

US superstar Madonna adopted two four-year-old twin girls from Malawi on Tuesday, a court official in Lilongwe told AFP, taking the number of children she has adopted from the country to four.

Lady Gaga dazzled the Super Bowl on Sunday with a high-tech, tightly choreographed halftime show celebrating American diversity and unity as she chose the power of showbiz over direct provocation. 

Performing at American football's title match -- generally the most watched US television event of the year -- the pop diva electrified NRG Stadium in Houston with a pulsating medley of her greatest hits.

The Berlin film festival, one of Europe's top cinema showcases, gets under way Thursday, bringing a parade of stars to its famed red carpet.

Nearly 400 movies will be screened during the 11-day gathering. Here's a preview of highlights from the Berlinale, now in its 67th year, that are already generating a buzz.