BBC News - Entertainment & Arts

31 December 2014 Last updated at 14:42

Knighthood for actor John Hurt

Veteran actor John Hurt receives a knighthood and Joan Collins and Esther Rantzen are made dames in the New Year Honours.

Voice of Babe and Rugrats dies at 51

Voice actress Christine Cavanaugh, who brought to life characters including Babe and Chuckie on Rugrats, dies aged 51.

McCartney: Beatles course ridiculous

Sir Paul McCartney calls popular music courses focussing on The Beatles "ridiculous, yet very flattering".

Other Top Stories

Chart sees debut artist onslaught

A record total of 14 artists saw their first single go to number one in the Official Chart this year. Newsbeat
Actress Luise Rainer dies aged 104

Actress Luise Rainer, who became the first winner of consecutive Oscars in the 1930s, dies aged 104.
Actor Diamond in court over stabbing
Writer plays down Prince Harry row Newsbeat
Kobke's romantic sunset is sunny day
Thatcher considered adverts on BBC
X Factor 'damaging for songwriters' Newsbeat
Sony's Interview makes $15m online
Wolf 'most pirated film of 2014'

Also in the News

Our Experts

Arts & culture

University opens Magna Carta centre

A centre to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta is to open to examine issues of personal freedom in the digital age.
Angela Lansbury returns to US stage
WW1 poet Owen's home to be listed

Film

Actor David Ryall dies aged 79

Actor David Ryall, known for playing Elphias Doge in the first Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie dies aged 79, after a career spanning five decades in film, theatre and TV.
Egypt bans 'inaccurate' Exodus film
Burton and Bonham Carter split up

Music

Classical pianist Frank dies aged 89

Renowned US classical pianist Claude Frank dies at the age of 89 at his home in New York.
Ronson single reclaims number one
Jazz star Buddy DeFranco dies at 91

TV & radio

Happy Valley tops Radio Times poll

BBC One's police drama Happy Valley was the best TV show of 2014, according to Radio Times' team of critics.
Edmondson takes War and Peace role
Queen tops Christmas Day ratings

Entertainment around the BBC Now

Mapp and Lucia Anna Chancellor on the great battle of Tilling

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures Robot orchestra plays the Doctor Who theme

Features & Analysis

Art in 2015

Will Gompertz on his pick of the best exhibitions
In memoriam

Some of the entertainment figures we lost in 2014
The new knight

A look at the career of actor John Hurt
Theatre 2015

What theatres around the UK have to offer in the coming year
Is the media diverse?

Plans to increase ethnic minorities in the media
Music quiz of 2014

How much do you remember about the past 12 months?
Out on a Limb

Sony's 'black Bond' idea enrages US radio host
Music in 2015

Concerts, albums and events to anticipate
David Sillito

Do celebrities get you easy headlines?
Kermode Uncut

Mark's top 10 films of 2014 - part two

The Big Picture

Alan Cumming portrait by Christian Hook

Reveal picture

Quote of the day

“It's not to do with age, it's to do with the engine. As long as you keep it going, you won't fall over”

Dame Judi Dench, star of romantic comedy Esio Trot, with some advice on avoiding the perils of getting older

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