Waking up to the smell of coffee and the familiar faces of Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan is a ritual for millions. But if you hit the snooze button one too many times this morning, you missed a fairly jam-packed broadcast. Honestly, today felt like a whirlwind of high-stakes Hollywood news mixed with some genuinely heartwarming local stories from the Sunshine State.
What happened on GMA today? The big headline that everyone is going to be talking about at the water cooler—or the Slack channel—is the official reveal of who will be leading the charge for the 98th Academy Awards nominations.
The Road to the 2026 Oscars Starts Here
It is officially awards season. Danielle Brooks, who basically stole our hearts in The Color Purple, and Lewis Pullman, who you probably recognize from Top Gun: Maverick, were announced as the hosts for the upcoming Oscar nominations.
They shared the news right there on the show. Mark your calendars for Thursday, January 22, because that’s when the actual list drops. It’s kinda wild to think we’re already at the point where a "Best Casting" category is a thing, but 2026 is full of surprises. Brooks and Pullman have this easy chemistry that made the segment feel less like a formal announcement and more like two friends sharing a big secret.
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Florida Takes Center Stage: 50 States in 50 Weeks
If you’ve been following the "50 States in 50 Weeks: America the Beautiful" series, today was Florida’s time to shine. It’s all part of the lead-up to the U.S. 250th birthday.
The crew headed down to New Smyrna Beach, specifically the Apollo Beach Visitor Center at Canaveral National Seashore. Victor Oquendo was live on the scene, and things got pretty emotional. They did a live sea turtle release. There’s something about watching a rehabilitated turtle finally hit the Atlantic surf that just hits different.
Ginger Zee also gave us a look at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon and—in a much sweeter segment—profiled Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shop. If you haven't had a slice of frozen key lime pie on a stick dipped in Belgian chocolate, are you even living?
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Brandon Lake Brings the Soul
Music fans got a treat when Grammy winner Brandon Lake showed up. He performed "Hard Fought Hallelujah," a song that’s been everywhere lately since his collaboration with Jelly Roll.
The best part?
Lake actually shared the stage in the same episode with Maury Povich. He cracked a joke that they both "tell people who the Father is," which caught Lara Spencer totally off guard. It was one of those unscripted, genuine moments that makes live TV worth watching. Lake talked about how the song is basically about finding a way to praise even when life feels like it's falling apart. Deep stuff for 8:00 AM, but he pulled it off beautifully.
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Headlines and Tech Woes
Outside of the fluff and the music, there was some "real world" news that’s going to affect a lot of people's bank accounts.
- Verizon Credits: After that massive 10-hour outage yesterday that left half the country staring at "SOS" on their phones, Verizon is officially offering a $20 credit. You have to go through their app to claim it.
- NHL Hype: The league unveiled the fan festival details for the Stadium Series in Tampa. If you’re a Lightning or Bruins fan, Raymond James Stadium is going to be the place to be on February 1st.
- The Robach-Holmes Saga: In the "celebrity gossip" corner, reports surfaced that Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes are planning a very small wedding—only about 50 people—and surprisingly, none of their former GMA colleagues are on the guest list. Ouch.
Basically, today was a mix of "celebrating America," Hollywood anticipation, and a little bit of petty drama. It’s exactly the kind of variety that keeps the show at the top of the morning ratings.
If you're looking to capitalize on what happened on GMA today, your best bet is to check your Verizon app for that $20 credit immediately before the window closes. Also, if you're an Oscar buff, start your "Best Casting" predictions now—it's the first year for the category, and the competition is already looking fierce.