• Taylor Swift won her third consecutive artist of the year prize at the American Music Awards, but she missed the show for a good reason: She said she's busy re-recording her early music after her catalog was sold. In a video that aired during Sunday's awards show, the pop star said "the reason I'm not there tonight is I'm actually re-recording all of my old music in the studio where we originally recorded it. So it's been amazing. And I can't wait for you to hear it." Last year, music manager Scooter Braun -- who manages Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande -- announced that his Ithaca Holdings company had acquired Big Machine Label Group, the home to Swift's first six albums. This month, Braun sold the master rights to Swift's first six albums to an investment company. Swift acknowledged the sale on social media and said she would not work with the new buyers because Braun was still involved. During Sunday's ceremony, Swift beat out Bieber, Post Malone and Roddy Ricch to win the top award. She also won favorite music video and favorite pop/rock female artist, winning three honors and tying Bieber, Dan + Shay and the Weeknd for most wins Sunday. The Weeknd, named the winner for favorite soul/R&B male artist, favorite soul/R&B album for "After Hours" and favorite soul/R&B song for "Heartless," was one of several artists who appeared live at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles for the fan-voted awards show. Host Taraji P. Henson -- who appeared live from the venue -- said the few audience members sitting in the mezzanine practiced social distancing, wore masks and were tested for the virus.
• One of the five teens wrongly imprisoned for the assault on a Central Park jogger has a memoir coming out in the spring. Grand Central Publishing announced Monday that it had acquired Yusef Salaam's "Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice." Salaam is one of the so-called Central Park Five, now also known as the Exonerated Five. The five Black and Latino teens were coerced into confessing to a rape they didn't commit in 1989. All served prison time before being exonerated in 2002. They later received a multimillion-dollar settlement from New York City. Ken Burns made a documentary about them and Ava DuVernay directed a Netflix series. Salaam, an activist and motivational speaker, recently published a young adult novel based on his experiences. "Punching the Air," co-written by Ibi Zoboi, came out in September. "Through 'Better, Not Bitter,' I hope to share these lessons with people around the world who -- in these unprecedented times -- are dealing with rage, anger and bitterness directed at a criminal system of injustice that has plagued our country for centuries," Salaam said in a statement.