Observer Department: Arts and Entertainment


The Academy Awards 2024: A night filled with exciting moments

The 96th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 10, celebrated the best of the film industry after a stellar year for movies. As it did all throughout last year since it’s release, Oppenheimer dominated the Oscars, taking home 7 Oscars wins. These wins were…


The People’s Choice Awards: Memorable moments with viral video from Billie Eilish

The People’s Choice Awards were held in Santa Monica, California on February 18th, with many stars including Margot Robbie, Luke Combs, Lenny Kravitz and Taylor Swift taking home big awards. The 2024 awards, hosted by Simu Liu, aired live on NBC, Peacock and E! with the number of categories expanding…


Music Thrives at NECC

For a few years now, the Northern Essex Haverhill Campus has been graced with the sound of music.  The hills are alive… well, Haver-hill!   Upon entering the Spurk building’s front doors, students and faculty are greeted with the vibrant colors of this beautiful piano and if they’re lucky enough,…

A piano in the Spurk building lobby on the Haverhill campus.


Hurricane Diane play revival takes NECC by storm

In a dazzling display of talent and creativity, the Northern Essex Community College  theater scene was electrified by the remarkable production of “Hurricane Diane.” The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) selected the production as a finalist for the Region 1 Festival, taking place from Jan. 30 to Feb.…


Usher’s Super Bowl performance exceeds expectations

Thousands of football fans attend the Super Bowl every year as they cheer on their favorite team in hopes for their team to win the championship but what about the fans who stay home?  Not thousands but millions of fans back home gather around their tv, tablet, iPad, or iPhone…


How women dominated the 2024 Grammys: Are awards shows finally moving in a new direction?

Award season is in full swing, an exciting time for enjoyers of all things entertainment. The 66th Annual Grammy Awards were held on Sunday, February 4th, and proved to be an important night in the music world.  Of all discourse surrounding the award show, one of the most prevalent topics…


“Hurricane Diane” competes at festival, will return to NECC

The spring semester started with a bang for Northern Essex Community College theater students and professor Brianne Beatrice. They went right back into the theater to start re-rehearsing last spring’s production, Hurricane Diane.Beatrice learned just before the holiday break that representatives from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF)…


From Dreamhouse to drama: “Barbie” film snubbed at the Oscars

Barbie had a stellar year getting eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and being the highest-grossing film of 2023 making more than $1.4 billion worldwide, yet somehow two of the most pivotal parts of the movie failed to be recognized. Back on Jan. 23, social media were in a frenzy…


The ups and downs of the 66th annual Grammy Awards

The 66th annual Grammy Awards took place on February 4, 2024, celebrating the best in music of 2023. It was a night filled with amazing performances, memorable moments, and it raised some eyebrows.   Miley Cyrus gave an iconic performance of her hit song “Flowers” at the award show, the same…


Jay Z criticizes the Grammys, sparking debate about award issue

American rapper Jay-Z, who went on stage to accept the Dr. Dr Global Impact Award, called out the Grammys for their snubs against his wife, famous singer Beyoncé. During the televised event, Jay-Z was presented with the award, which honors Black musicians who have influenced the industry, celebrating his achievements…