Month: May 2023

The MTV Movie & TV Awards will still air on Sunday, but the show will not air live as planned from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Instead, it will be a pre-taped show filled with pre-taped acceptance speeches and comedy bits.

Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming and events at Paramount Global, and an executive producer of the show, released a statement Friday (May 5), saying: “As we carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan-first awards show we envisioned that our team has worked so hard to create, we’re pivoting away from a live event that still enables us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive sneak peaks, irreverent categories our audience has come to expect, and countless moments that will both surprise and delight as we honor the best of film and TV over the past year.”

The show, now in its 31st year, had seemed to be headed for a big night when it booked Drew Barrymore as host and corralled Jennifer Coolidge to receive its Comedic Genius Award. But when members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike on Tuesday, after negotiations with studios and streamers had collapsed the previous night, the show was thrown into chaos.

The first setback came on Thursday, when Barrymore pulled out as host in solidarity with the striking writers, which include the writing staff of her hit daytime talk show. “I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike,” Barrymore said in a statement.

While losing a big-name host just three days before a live show is a tough break, there were no hard feelings on MTV’s part. “Drew, without question, she’s been incredible,” Gillmer told Variety. “…She is not surprisingly, standing in solidarity with the writers, which we have full respect for. She has our full support.”

Also on Thursday, MTV called off the red carpet for the event, so celebrities would not have to face questions about the strike. But the plan at that time was still to have a live show. The WGA said on Friday that it was planning to picket the show, which made holding a live show increasingly problematic.

The MTV Movie Awards, the forerunner of the MTV Movie & TV Awards, were once pre-taped, so this is not unprecedented.

The MTV Movie & TV Awards will still air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on MTV, with simulcasts on BET, BET Her, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1.

Executive producers for the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, who are becoming battle-tested in the challenges of live television, are MTV’s Gillmer, Wendy Plaut and Vanessa Whitewolf, along with Den of Thieves’ Jesse Ignjatovic and Barb Bialkowski. Jackie Barba and Alicia Portugal are executives in charge of production and Lisa Lauricella serves as the music talent executive.

Is it possible for producers to put on a fun, entertaining show with so much working against them? You’ll just have to tune in Sunday night and find out.

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The 149th Kentucky Derby is coming up this weekend, and Carly Pearce is set to sing the national anthem.

“This will be the first time that I’ve actually gotten to go,” the country star told People. “Being from Kentucky, this is definitely a really cool thing to get to be a part of.”

The first leg of the Triple Crown renowned for the often wild fashions sported by attendees will be taking over Louisville’s Churchill Downs for the annual tradition. If you want to watch the Kentucky Derby live, you can do catch the Derby on TV or stream it on your computer, phone and other compatible devices.

Catch the main event on Saturday (May 6) 6:57 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Earlier races will start at 10:30 a.m. ET. For online viewers, NBC is available to stream on Sling, Hulu with Live TV and FuboTV. Most of the services offer a free trial that you can use to watch the Kentucky Derby free online (stream internationally on ExpressVPN).

Need a drink to pair with your watch party? Woodford Reserve is the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby and just released its 2023 commemorative Derby bottle.

Created by Kentucky artist Jamie Corum, the bottle commemorates the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s 1973 Derby win and depicts a painting of the horse on the front. The limited-edition Kentucky Derby bottle of Woodford Reserve Bourbon retails for $48.99 and is available to order online at ReserveBar.com.

Ed Sheeran unveiled his sixth studio album Subtract on Friday (May 5), but he had one more surprise later in the day for his fans: a full visual album to accompany the emotional studio set.

Featuring a music video for each of the 14 songs on the album’s standard track list, the 12 new visuals join the previously released ones for singles “Eyes Closed” and “Boat” to tell the story of Subtract.

After being sent plunging off a cliff into the ocean in the “Boat” video, the visual album unfolds chapter by chapter as Sheeran performs vulnerable highlights “Life Goes On,” which finds him dragging a giant anchor chained to his ankle as a stark representation of the loss of his best friend Jamal Edwards in February 2022, and “End of Youth,” where he’s surrounded by children playing in a schoolyard as he sorrowfully rues, “It’s been a long year/ And we’re not even halfway there/ Is this the ending of youth/ When pain starts taking over?”

While all of the videos were directed by Mia Barnes in Sheeran’s hometown of Suffolk, England, one of the most powerful visuals of the bunch is the one for “Sycamore,” a subdued ballad revisiting the panic and helplessness the pop star felt in the wake of his wife, Cherry Seaborn, being diagnosed with cancer while six months pregnant with their second daughter. (Thankfully, Seaborn is now cancer-free, as the singer revealed at the premiere for his new Disney+ documentary Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All.)

Ultimately, Subtract is a story of Sheeran working through his grief and healing process, as demonstrated in the closing mini-movie for “The Hills of Aberfeldy.” “So when I’m home/ I’ll hold you like I’m supposed to/ Yet I know/ I have never told you/ Darling, we fall in love with the hills of Aberfeldy,” the hitmaker sings as he emerges from the ocean, soaked and damaged but ultimately in tact.

Watch Sheeran’s Subtract visual album in full below.

Several fashionable felines left their scent on the 2023 Met Gala red carpet on Monday (May 1), but Doja Cat was easily the pick of the litter. The singer-rapper’s dazzling Oscar de la Renta gown – complete with a cat-eared hood and complemented by a prosthetic cat face – was an homage to Choupette, the beloved kitty of the late Karl Lagerfeld. (This year’s gala theme was “in honor of Karl.”)

Although Doja was far from the only Choupette on the red carpet – Lil Nas X drew upon the famous feline, as did Jared Leto in a rather literal interpretation –the “Need to Know” star’s knockout look left us needing to know more about how it came together.

According to Oscar de la Renta co-creative directors Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, the ODLR/Doja Cat collab loosely traces back to Doja’s Billboard Hot 100 top 10 “Vegas.” In the music video for the Elvis soundtrack hit, Doja rocked a floral Monse dress, which Kim and Garcia (Monse founders) “loved.”

“Since then we had wanted to find a special, collaborative moment with Oscar de la Renta,” Kim tells Billboard. “She’s fashion’s ‘it-girl,’ so we are thrilled to have been able to dress her for her first Met.”

Given the 2023 gala’s theme and “Kiss Me More” artist’s moniker, the look was probably inevitable. “When we found out about the theme for this year’s Met Gala, it was very clear to us all within a day or two that she had to be Choupette,” Garcia says. “We worked with a comfortable amount of time — around five months, which allowed us to consider multiple swatches and conduct proper fittings. Having an ample amount of time led to the success and beauty of this gown.”

Even though the two are experienced fashion pros, this gown was a first for both. “We have created hooded gowns in the past,” Garcia says, “But this is the first hooded gown with cat ears we have ever done, so we wanted it to be super refined and feel elegant.”

Considering Doja made the lion’s share of ‘best dressed’ lists, it seems the rest of the world was feline it, too.

will.i.am‘s love for auto racing is colliding with his passion for music. The Black Eyed Peas frontman has teamed up with rapper Lil Wayne on the new song “The Formula,” made for this weekend’s Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.

The high-energy track fittingly features fast-paced trap beats, as well as instrumentals from Formula 1 cars racing in a dash to finish first. “This my recipe, watch me go top speed (Zoom)/ Go that full capacity, I got energy (Woo)/ My ability is zoom through your vicinity (Zoom)/ Here’s an FYI, you need to F your insecurities, ayy,” will.i.am raps on the first verse of the track.

Tunechi then chimes in on the second verse of the track, reminding listeners that he’s always a winner, no matter the format. “Engine soundin’ like harmony, baby/ Yeah, fast lane, godspeed/ Lil Wayne, victory lane/ Got champagne on me, gone,” he concludes his braggadocious verse.

“It’s a thrill to merge my passions – high-performance auto racing and music – in this pioneering alliance,” will.i.am said in a press release about his role in the Global Artist In Residence program with Formula 1. “Our goal is to shatter traditional boundaries by fusing music and racing, creating unforgettable experiences that introduce new fans to the excitement of F1 and showcasing the world’s finest artists and performers.”

The 2023 Formula 1 championship season will include more F1-inspired tracks as part of a Global Artist in Residence alliance, ending in a will.i.am solo album slated for the fall.

“The Formula” will be featured on the broadcast on Sunday, with a music video to follow.

Listen to “The Formula” in the video above.

Today announced the lineup for its 2023 Citi Concert Series on Friday (May 5) including Kelly Clarkson, Kim Petras, TWICE and more.

While the date for The Kelly Clarkson Show host’s show has yet to be formally scheduled, Petras will perform June 23 just ahead of New York City Pride and TWICE will play July 5, just one day before they take over MetLife Stadium on their Ready to Be World Tour.

Other artists set to hit Rockefeller Plaza over the next few months include Big Time Rush (June 2), Niall Horan (June 9), Chance The Rapper (June 15) and Karol G (June 30) as well as Dan + Shay (July 21), Reneé Rapp (July 28), Kelsea Ballerini (Aug. 11) and Darius Rucker (Sept. 1). Jon Batiste is also scheduled to headline his own show with the date to be announced soon. Additional performers are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

As previously announced, the Jonas Brothers will kick off the seasonlong series with a special concert celebrating the May 12 release of their sixth studio set The Album. The trio’s stop at Today will serve as a precursor to their upcoming nationwide trek The Tour, which will begin in August with back-to-back shows at Yankee Stadium.

To attend any of the concerts outside Rockefeller Center, fans can register for Fan Passes now via the Today Concerts website. Lucky hopefuls who receive the Fan Passes will receive priority access to the show ahead of general admission. In the event fans don’t receive a Fan Pass, they can still join the general admission line the morning of the show.

Check out TODAY’s Summer Concert Series announcement below.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced on Thursday (May 4) that Post Malone will receive the Hal David Starlight Award at its 2023 Induction and Awards Dinner, which is slated for Thursday, June 15, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

According to the SHOF, Hal David Starlight Award recipients are “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.” The award, named after the lyricist who is best known for the many classic hits he co-wrote with Burt Bacharach, was introduced in 2004. Rob Thomas was the first recipient.

None of the Starlight honorees have yet been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, but many are expected to be as they become eligible. Songwriters become eligible 20 years after their first song gained wide exposure. Five early recipients of the Starlight Award – Thomas, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, John Rzeznik and Jason Mraz – are already eligible. (Mraz’s breakthrough hit first made the Billboard Hot 100 20 years ago this week.)

Most of the Starlight Award honorees are best known for their solo work, but a handful are also known for their work with groups – Thomas (Matchbox Twenty), Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons), Nate Ruess (Fun.) and Nick Jonas (Jonas Brothers).

One Starlight recipient, Benny Blanco, is best-known for songs he has written for other artists. Blanco didn’t hit the Hot 100 as an artist until 2018, when he scored with “Eastside,” a collab with Halsey (another Starlight recipient) and Khalid.

Three of the Starlight Award recipients — Keys, John Legend and Ruess (as a member of Fun.) won the Grammy Award for best new artist, which is a similar vote of confidence in a promising young talent.

The SHOF’s ballot nominating committee, comprised of inductees, creators, journalists, music executives and board members, selects the nominees for each year’s induction class. The final choices are made by the Hall’s voting members. But you could give the SHOF a little guidance on which recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award you would most like to see voted in. Are you pulling for Keys, who was the first woman to receive the honor? Legend, who went on to become an EGOT? Drake, the first hip-hop artist/writer to be honored? Ed Sheeran, the only Brit to receive the honor? Taylor Swift, who was mostly known as a country artist when she got the honor in 2010, but has since made a spectacular transition to pop?

Here’s a complete list of winners of the Hal David Starlight Award (with the year they received the honor). Who do you think is most deserving of a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame? Vote!