Celeb roundup: From Hayden Panettiere’s death to Angélique Kidjo’s historic honour

Nomathamsanqa Sithathu

20 AUG 2026, 07:00

7 min read

There was a lot going on this week, but not all of it came with a red carpet or a carefully staged Instagram post. Hayden Panettiere died, a long-overdue Hollywood Walk of Fame first for Angélique Kidjo, a celebrity wedding, an international performance in New York and one of South Africa’s most talked-about couples marking five years of marriage.

Additionally, Dawn Thandeka King is set to honoured for her work, Hungani Ndlovu is taking on a new role behind the scenes, while Minnie Dlamini returns to the Miss South Africa scene.

A look into some of the stories that took over headlines this week:

1. Hayden Panettiere dies at 36

The actress, known for "Heroes" and "Nashville", has died at the age of 36.

Her father confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News, describing her as “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought love and joy to those who knew her and to audiences who watched her onscreen.

Details surrounding her death were not immediately made public, although TMZ reported that there was an open investigation into the cause.

Panettiere became a familiar face long before adulthood, moving from child stardom into a career that included “Remember the Titans”, “Ice Princess”, “Scream 4” and “Scream VI”.

Earlier this year, she released her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning”, in which she wrote about the pressures of growing up in the industry and her experiences with addiction and recovery.

2. Angélique Kidjo makes history in Hollywood

Five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo has made history after becoming the first African musician and first Black African to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The 66-year-old Nigerian singer was honoured at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where she unveiled her star on Hollywood Boulevard.

The Beninese-French singer, actress and activist has enjoyed an international career spanning more than four decades. Along with her five Grammys, she has won the Polar Music Prize and performed at the 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Tokyo.

In 2021, TIME named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Recording Academy chief executive Harvey Mason Jr praised Kidjo for using music to connect people around the world.

Actor Willem Dafoe, who attended the ceremony, also praised her live performances and dedication to her craft.

The television personality is set to host the Miss South Africa 2026 Top 19 announcement. She will reveal the contestants who have made it through to the next stage of the competition when the announcement is streamed live on the Miss South Africa YouTube channel at 2pm on Wednesday, August 19.

The organisation announced Dlamini as the host on social media, describing her as an award-winning international TV host, executive producer, actress and businesswoman.

The Top 19 announcement follows the reveal of the Top 24 in June. The contestants come from a range of backgrounds, including medicine, law, engineering, accounting and entrepreneurship.

4. Unathi takes New York by storm

Unathi Nkayi has added another international performance to her growing list of career milestones after taking the stage in New York City.

The singer and radio personality performed at the Loud In Africa Concert Series at Racket NYC. Nigerian highlife star Flavour headlined the concert, with Unathi performing alongside Naomi Achu, Prince Bright of Buk Bak, Bruck Up and 2Cent.

The event brought African artists and music fans together in Manhattan as part of Loud In Africa’s efforts to showcase African talent internationally.

Unathi later shared moments from her performance with her followers and reflected on what it meant to perform for the African diaspora. The event was sold out, adding to the excitement around the concert.

5. Musa and Liesl mark five years of marriage

The actor and dancer is adding another title to his CV with his directorial debut in "Musical Chairs".

He will be directing the production during its Cape Town run, while also serving as executive producer and appearing in the cast.

The two-time Naledi Award-nominated production runs at Magnet Theatre from Wednesday, August 19, to August 23, following its Johannesburg season.

Musical Chairs uses the childhood game as a metaphor to explore identity, belonging and the pressure to be seen and accepted in an increasingly digital world.

The production combines South African dance styles, including iPanstula, with hip hop and contemporary theatre.

7. Wonder Ndlovu and Chaunees Bokaba are married

Actor Wonder Ndlovu and media personality Chaunees Bokaba have tied the knot.

The couple exchanged vows at New Hope International Ministries on Saturday in a ceremony attended by family, friends and actor Thandolwethu Zondi.

They also shared pictures from their lobola celebrations and church ceremony on social media. Chaunees described the period leading up to the wedding as an experience of walking into something she believed God had ordained.

Wonder and Chaunees got engaged in October 2024 after seven years together. The couple share two children, Ollanna and Attarah.

8. Dawn Thandeka King to receive Lifetime Shero Award

Actress Dawn Thandeka King is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Shero Award at this year’s Gagasi FM Shero Awards.

The award will recognise her contribution to the arts and her influence on South Africa’s entertainment industry. The ceremony takes place on Saturday, August 22, at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Oceans Mall in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal.

King has been part of the local television industry since making her acting debut in 2012. She became a household name playing Lindiwe “MaNgcobo” Xulu on "Uzalo" before taking on roles in "Lockdown", "DiepCity", "Queendom" and "Shaka iLembe".

The 2026 ceremony marks the 10th anniversary of the Gagasi FM Shero Awards and takes place during Women’s Month under the theme “Pretty in Pink”.

9. MTV VMAs drop Best Afrobeats category

The Best Afrobeats category has been left out of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations. The category was introduced in 2023, with Rema and Selena Gomez taking the first award for “Calm Down”. Tyla then won in 2024 for “Water” and again in 2025 for “Push 2 Start”.

Her back-to-back wins were met with criticism from some music fans and critics, particularly in Nigeria, who accused the organisers of misrepresenting the genre by giving the award to a South African artist who is not an Afrobeats musician.

The organisers have not said why the category has been discontinued. Best Rock and Best Group are also missing from the latest nominations, while categories such as Best R&B, Best Hip-Hop, Best Latin, Best K-Pop and Best Country remain.

African artists have not been left out completely. Burna Boy is nominated with Shakira for “Dai Dai” in Best Collaboration, while Tems and British rapper Dave are nominated in Best R&B for “Raindance”.