MTV VMAs are back in New York City this year

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Andrea Tuccillo

The MTV Video Music Awards are back in New York this year.

The annual awards show will air live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday, September 12.

MTV and Barclays Center say they are working closely with state and local officials to implement health and safety protocols to bring fans together for the event. The show promises to be packed with epic performances.

MTV is also partnering with 9/11 Day, the nonprofit that both began and leads the federally recognized September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. In honor of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the partnership will encourage participation in a series of charitable service activities during the week leading up to the VMAs.

Additional details on the VMAs are still to come.

Eight “iconic” stars will perform at “Official NYC Homecoming Concert in Central Park” in August

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Andrea Dresdale

As the pandemic eases there, New York City is reopening. And to celebrate, some big music stars are being tapped to perform at a blowout concert on the Great Lawn of the city’s famed Central Park.

The New York Times reports that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is working with legendary music mogul Clive Davis to stage the event, tentatively set for August 21. Although no artists have been confirmed yet, Davis tells the Times that he’s aiming for eight “iconic” stars to headline what will be a three-hour show. It’ll be televised and take place in front of a live audience of 60,000.

Mayor de Blasio said the concert would be part of a “Homecoming Week” of celebrations that will show the world that New York City is open for business. “This concert is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “It’s going to be an amazing lineup. The whole week is going to be like nothing you’ve ever seen before in New York City.”

Davis added, “I can’t think of a better place than the Great Lawn of Central Park to be the place where you say that New York is reopening.

Most of the tickets will be free, according to Davis, though there will be paid V.I.P. seating. There will also be vaccinated and unvaccinated sections for spectators, but 70% of the tickets will go to those who’ve gotten the COVID-19 shot.

Over the years, Central Park’s Great Lawn has hosted many major concerts, including the star-studded Global Citizen Festivals, and shows from Dave Matthews Band, Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross and Elton John.

Watermelon Sugar palette: Is Harry Styles launching a beauty brand?

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Andrea Dresdale

JMEnternational/JMEnternational for BRIT Awards/Getty Images

Move over, Rihanna: Harry Styles may soon be launching his own beauty brand.

Newsweek reports that the Vogue cover boy has filed paperwork in the U.K. incorporating a company called Pleased As Holding, with himself and longtime associate Emma Spring as directors. The paperwork listed the “nature of business” as “wholesale of perfume and cosmetics.”

Considering Harry’s current status as a fashion icon, it’s not surprising he’d want to follow in the footsteps of stars like Rihanna and Lady Gaga in launching a beauty brand. In fact, given Harry’s love for blurring gender lines when it comes to his clothing, it also wouldn’t be surprising if he launched a unisex makeup line. After all, according to the New York Times, makeup for men is definitely a thing these days.

Lately, Harry’s been in the U.K. filming his upcoming movie My Policeman, in which he plays Tom, a gay policeman in 1950s Britain. Tom marries Marion, played by The Crown‘s Emma Corrin, despite the fact that he’s in love with a museum curator named Patrick, played by David Dawson.

Coachella confirms dates for 2022

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Josh Johnson

It’s official: Coachella will return in 2022.

The much-anticipated, celebrity-attracting festival, held in the desert of Indio, California, is set to take place over two weekends next spring: April 15-17, and April 22-24.

Coachella hasn’t taken place since 2019 — its planned 2020 festival was one of the first big events to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers had initially planned to move it from its April dates to October of 2020 before canceling Coachella for the year altogether.

In January of this year, California’s Riverside County nixed any planned return for Coachella in April 2021. Reports claimed that that organizers were postponing to October 2021, but those dates were never officially announced.

Advance tickets for Coachella 2022 go on sale this Friday, June 4 — you can register for access to the sale now via Coachella.com.

Coachella 2020’s headliners included the reunited Rage Against the Machine, as well as Travis Scott and Frank Ocean. The 2022 lineup has yet to be announced.

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2021 ‘Billboard’ Music Awards complete winners list

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Megan Stone

The Billboard Music Awards winners were revealed in ceremonies Sunday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and broadcast live on NBC. The Weeknd was the night’s top winner, taking home 10 trophies in total. Nick Jonas served as the host of this year’s ceremony. Here’s the complete list of winners:

Top Artist
The Weeknd

Top New Artist
Pop Smoke

Artist of the Decade
Drake

Icon Award
Pink

Change Maker Award
Trae Tha Truth

Top Male Artist
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group
BTS

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist
The Weeknd

Top Streaming Songs Artist
Drake

Top Song Sales Artist
BTS

Top Radio Songs Artist
The Weeknd

Top Social Artist
BTS

Top R&B Artist
The Weeknd

Top R&B Male Artist
The Weeknd

Top R&B Female Artist
Doja Cat

Top Rap Artist
Pop Smoke

Top Rap Male Artist
Pop Smoke

Top Rap Female Artist
Megan Thee Stallion

Top Country Artist
Morgan Wallen

Top Country Male Artist
Morgan Wallen

Top Country Female Artist
Gabby Barrett

Top Country Duo/Group
Florida Georgia Line

Top Rock Artist
Machine Gun Kelly

Top Latin Artist
Bad Bunny

Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny

Top Latin Artist
Karol G

Top Latin Duo/Group
Eslabón Armado

Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Lady Gaga

Top Christian Artist
Elevation Worship

Top Gospel Artist
Kanye West

ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album
Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon

Top R&B Album
The Weeknd, After Hours

Top Rap Album
Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon

Top Country Album
Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album

Top Rock Album
Machine Gun Kelly, Tickets to My Downfall

Top Latin Album
Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG

Top Dance/Electronic Album
Lady Gaga, Chromatica

Top Christian Album
Carrie Underwood, My Gift

Top Gospel Album
Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Top Streaming Song
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch, “ROCKSTAR”

Top-Selling Song
BTS, “Dynamite”

Top Radio Song
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Top Collaboration
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth, “I Hope”

Top R&B Song
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Top Rap Song
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch, “ROCKSTAR”

Top Country Song
Gabby Barrett, “I Hope”

Top Rock Song
AJR, “Bang!”

Top Latin Song
Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez, “Dákiti”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
SAINt JHN, “Roses (Imanbek Remix)”

Top Christian Song
Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake, “Graves Into Gardens”

Top Gospel Song
Kanye West ft. Travis Scott, “Wash Us In The Blood”

Report: Coachella canceled for 2021; set to return in 2022

Posted on March 18, 2021 by ABC Audio

Rich Fury/Getty Images for CoachellaCoachella won’t be returning until 2022, Variety reports.

The famed California festival, which is usually held in April, was first canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Coachella organizers originally postponed it to October 2020 before scrapping it for the year altogether and setting sights on April 2021.

In January of this year, Riverside County health officials canceled the April 2021 dates. Reports claimed that organizers were postponing to October 2021, but those dates were never officially announced. That might be just as well, since Variety‘s report cites “two industry sources with knowledge” who say that Coachella will not be happening at all this year. The festival is now expected to return in April 2022.

Coachella has not yet made an official announcement, and Variety‘s requests for comment from the festival promoter and its parent company were either declined or unanswered.

Before it was canceled, Coachella was set to feature headlining sets from the reunited Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean and Travis Scott.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Grammys 2021: The complete winners list

Posted on March 14, 2021 by ABC Audio

The Recording AcademyThe 63rd Annual Grammy Awards aired Sunday night on CBS, hosted by Trevor Noah.

Here is the complete list of winners in the major categories:

Record of the Year
“Everything I Wanted” by Billie Eilish

Album of the Year
Folklore by Taylor Swift

Song of the Year
“I Can’t Breathe” by Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)

Best New Artist
Megan Thee Stallion

POP

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
American Standard by James Taylor

Best Pop Vocal Album
Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

ROCK/ALTERNATIVE

Best Rock Performance
“Shameika” by Fiona Apple

Best Metal Performance
“Bum-Rush” by Body Count

Best Rock Song
“Stay High” by Brittany Howard

Best Rock Performance
“Shameika” by Fiona Apple

Best Rock Song
“Stay High” by Brittany Howard

Best Rock Album
The New Abnormal by The Strokes Alternative

Best Alternative Music Album
Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

R&B/RAP

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
“Black Parade” by Beyoncé

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Anything For You” by Ledisi

Best R&B Song
“Better Than I Imagined” by Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper feat. H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)

Best Progressive R&B Album
It Is What It Is by Thundercat

Best R&B Album
Bigger Love by John Legend

Best Rap Performance
“Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé

Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Lockdown” by Anderson .Paak

Best Rap Song
“Savage” by Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)

Best Rap Album
King’s Disease by Nas

COUNTRY

Best Country Solo Performance
“When My Amy Prays” by Vince Gill

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber

Best Country Song
“Crowded Table” by Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)

Best Country Album
Wildcard by Miranda Lambert

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Best Dance Recording
“10%” by Kaytranada feat. Kali Uchis

Best Dance/Electronic Album
BUBBA by Kaytranada

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters

Best Gospel Album
Gospel According to PJ by PJ Morton

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Jesus Is King by Kanye West

Best Roots Gospel Album
Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album) by Fisk Jubilee Singers

LATIN

Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
YHLQMDLG by Bad Bunny

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
La Conquista del Espacio by Fito Paez

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Un Canto Por Mexico, Vol. 1 by Natalia Lafourcade

Best Tropical Latin Album
40 by Grupo Niche

COMEDY

Best Comedy Album
Black Mitzvah by Tiffany Haddish

MUSICAL THEATER

Best Musical Theater Album
Jagged Little Pill (Glen Ballard, composer; Alanis Morissette, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Jojo Rabbit (Various Artists) Taika Waititi, compilation producer

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
Joker by Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media
“No Time to Die” by Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) Track from: No Time to Die

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

Best Music Video
“Brown Skin Girl” Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & WizKid
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Astrid Edwards, Aya Kaida, Jean Mougin, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers

Best Music Film
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
Linda Ronstadt Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Grammy Awards to be held outdoors, with no audience

Posted on February 2, 2021 by ABC Audio

Recording AcademyThe Grammy Awards were moved from January 31 to March 14 due to the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles, and now more details are emerging about how the show will be staged.

Sources tell Variety that everything is subject to change, but right now, the plan is to hold the ceremony in the outdoor part of the Los Angeles Convention Center, using the Staples Center — which is where the show is usually held — as a backdrop. There won’t be an audience, though there will be some kind of red carpet broadcast with performers and presenters.

Many of the performances are likely to be pre-recorded, Variety adds, but there will be a few live performances. In December, the show’s executive producer, Ben Winston, said that he wanted to stage performances in independent venues around the city, but so far there are no details on that.

As previously reported, Beyoncé is this year’s leading nominee with nine nods, while Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and rapper Roddy Ricch each have six.

By Andrea Dresdale
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Coachella & Stagecoach 2021 have officially been canceled

Posted on January 29, 2021 by ABC Audio

Rich Fury/Getty ImagesAfter missing out last year, fans who were hoping to enjoy Coachella this April are out of luck again.

The festival, as well as its sister country event, Stagecoach, have been officially canceled due to a public health order. Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the Public Health Officer of Riverside County, CA, issued the order due to the likelihood of the festivals becoming super-spreader events, and because of the concern that there will be a fall resurgence of COVID-19 within the country and worldwide.

Kaiser’s order notes that both events attract “hundreds of thousands of attendees from many countries, including several disproportionately afflicted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.”

“If COVID-19 were detected at these festivals, the scope and number of attendees and the nature of the venue would make it infeasible, if not impossible to track those who may be placed at risk,” the order continues.

Coachella 2020, which had originally been postponed from April to October of last year, was canceled outright in June of 2020. It was to have been headlined by a reunited Rage Against the Machine, Frank Ocean and Travis Scott. Stagecoach 2020, canceled that same month, was to have been headlined by Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church.

By Andrea Dresdale
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Congress certifies Biden/Harris election win; Trump promises “orderly transition on January 20th”

Posted on January 7, 2021 by ABC Audio

J. Scott Applewhite – Pool/Getty ImagesHours after a pro-Trump mob broke into the U.S. Capitol to protest the results of the 2020 election, Congress ratified the electoral votes cast in the general election and certified the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

The announcement was made by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar at 3:39 a.m. Thursday. Vice President Mike Pence then repeated the totals at 3:40 a.m., first for president, then for vice president.

Biden will take Trump’s place in the White House on Jan. 20.

Rep. Louie Gohmert and other House Republicans attempted to object to Wisconsin’s electoral votes but did not have a senator join the objection. Gohmert said a senator had withdrawn his objection.

Biden and Harris finished with 306 electoral votes, while Trump and Pence finished with 232. A minimum 270 electoral votes are needed to win the White House.

In a statement tweeted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino following the news, President Trump said: “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!”

The statement marks the first time Trump has publicly acknowledged Biden’s victory and agreed to a peaceful transfer of power.

Following Wednesday’s protest and storming of the Capitol, four people are dead, according to Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee. One woman and two men suffered “medical emergencies” at the protests, and have subsequently died, Contee said during a press conference Wednesday night.

Another woman was shot and killed during a standoff inside the U.S. Capitol between law enforcement and pro-Trump rioters. The unidentified woman was shot by a Capitol police officer after “multiple individuals forced entry into the Capitol building, and attempted to gain access to the house and attempted to gain access to the house, room, which was still in session,” Contee said Wednesday. She was transported to a local hospital where after all lifesaving efforts failed, and she was pronounced dead.

By Libby Cathey, Catherine Thorbecke, Morgan Winsor, and Rosa Sanchez
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.