Winter Olympics and NAACP Image Awards Draw Big Audiences

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina have come to a close, with Team USA taking home 12 gold medals, their best performance ever at a Winter Games. NBCUniversal's coverage of the event also saw a significant boost in viewership, with 23.5 million people tuning in across NBCUniversal and Versant outlets, making it the most-watched Winter Olympics in the US since 2014 (Source 1).

Meanwhile, the 57th NAACP Image Awards kicked off on Monday with a virtual pre-show, announcing winners in the literary, short-form, and creator categories. Former First Lady Michelle Obama won the award for outstanding literary work in the biography/autobiography category for her book "The Look", which explores her style evolution during and after her time in the White House (Sources 2, 3, and 4).

Rapper Kendrick Lamar also took home an award for outstanding short-form series or special for his Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. Lamar received a total of six nominations, including entertainer of the year, and had the most nominations in the music recording categories (Sources 2, 3, and 4).

The NAACP Image Awards will continue to announce winners throughout the week, with the main program airing on Saturday. The awards recognize outstanding achievements and contributions of people of color in the arts, literature, media, and entertainment.

In other news, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, a former Dancing with the Stars pro, has been cast as the lead in a new vertical drama series called "Wild Silence" for the Holywater Tech platform My Drama. This marks Chmerkovskiy's first leading role in a scripted vertical series and is also the first US vertical series to feature a reality TV star in a leading role (Source 5).

These recent developments highlight the significant impact and influence of the entertainment industry, from the Olympics to awards shows and new series premieres. As the NAACP Image Awards continue to celebrate outstanding achievements, and new series like "Wild Silence" premiere, audiences are eagerly tuning in to see what's next.

Sources:
(1) Milan Cortina Olympics Attracts 23.5 Million Viewers Across NBCUniversal and Versant Outlets, Best Winter Games Since 2014
(2) Michelle Obama, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Win on Night 1 of NAACP Image Awards’ Virtual Pre-Show
(3) NAACP Image Awards: Michelle Obama, Will Packer and Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Among Night One Non-Televised Winners
(4) NAACP Image Awards: Michelle Obama, Will Packer, Kendrick Lamar Among Night 1 Winners
(5) Maksim Chmerkovskiy To Lead Vertical Series ‘Wild Silence’ For Holywater Microdrama Platform My Drama