Event of Interest
Jan 6 Dakota Fanning receives the Rising Star Award at the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival
Dakota Fanning
Film and TV Awards
Jan 7 35th People's Choice Awards: Will Smith & Reese Witherspoon win (Movie Star) and Hugh Laurie & Christina Applegate win (TV)
- Jan 8 14th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Film
Film and TV Awards
Jan 11 66th Golden Globes: Slumdog Millionaire, Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslet win
Kate Winslet
- Jan 25 25th Sundance Film Festival: "Precious" based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
Music Single
Jan 26 "Blame It (On the Alcohol)" single released by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain (Billboard Song of the Year 2009)
Jamie Foxx
- Feb 5 59th Berlin International Film Festival: "The Milk of Sorrow" wins the Golden Bear
- Feb 8 62nd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAS): "Slumdog Millionaire" Best Film, Danny Boyle Best Director
- Feb 12 40th NAACP Image Awards: "The Secret Life of Bees" wins Outstanding Motion Picture
- Feb 21 29th Golden Raspberry Awards: "The Love Guru" wins
- Feb 22 81st Academy Awards: "Slumdog Millionaire", Sean Penn & Kate Winslet win
Event of Interest
Feb 22 Heath Ledger posthumously wins Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor, for his performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight"
Heath Ledger
Film Premier
Apr 6 "Star Trek" film reboot directed by J.J. Abrams, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto premieres in Austin, Texas
J. J. Abrams
- Apr 9 Mockumentary "Parks and Recreation" starring Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman and Aziz Ansari debuts on NBC in the US
Event of Interest
Apr 25 Elijah Wood is honored with the Midnight Award by the San Francisco International Film Festival
Elijah Wood
- Apr 26 55th British Academy Television Awards: "Harry and Paul" Best Comedy, "Wallander" Best Drama
Event of Interest
May 15 "Farrah's Story" documentary following Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer airs on NBC in the US
Farrah Fawcett
Film Release
Jun 19 "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" directed by Michael Bay and starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox is released
Megan Fox
Shia LaBeouf
Film Release
Jul 1 Animated film "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" directed by Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeieris with voices by Ray Romano and John Leguizamo is released
Ray Romano
Film Release
Jul 15 "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the 6th film based on the books by J. K. Rowling is released worldwide
Event of Interest
Sep 14 David Attenborough and Prince William officially open the Darwin Centre at the National History Museum London, in what is the Museum's most significant expansion since 1881
David Attenborough
Prince William
- Sep 18 The 72 year run of the soap opera The Guiding Light ends as its final episode is broadcast.
Event of Interest
Sep 19 34th Toronto International Film Festival: "Precious" directed by Lee Daniels wins the People's Choice Award
Lee Daniels
Television Awards
Sep 20 61st Emmy Awards: Mad Men, 30 Rock, Bryan Cranston & Glenn Close win
Bryan Cranston
Television Premiere
Sep 22 Crime drama "NCIS LA" starring Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Daniela Ruah premieres on CBS
Chris O'Donnell
LL Cool J
Film Premier
Nov 16 "The Twilight Saga: New Moon", based on the book by Stephenie Meyer, directed by Chris Weitz, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, premieres in Los Angeles
Event of Interest
Dec 6 Final Broadway performance of "A Steady Rain", starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig
Hugh Jackman
Film Release
Dec 18 James Cameron's "Avatar" starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, released in the US, becomes highest-grossing film of all time
Theater Premiere
Dec 28 Scarlett Johansson makes her debut on Broadway in the Arthur Miller play "A View from the Bridge"
Scarlett Johansson
Arthur Miller