awards show
The third annual Gold Gala event will take place at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles on May 11 and feature appearances from Saweetie, Lucy Liu, Cynthia Erivo, Padma Lakshmi and the cast of Beef.
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The definitive annual gathering of top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders will bring together more than 600 guests to celebrate the 2024 A100 list — which will be announced on May 1 — which counts down the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year.
With 2024’s theme of A Gold New World, the event will imagine “a tomorrow for all, built by all,” according to a release announcing the event’s details, with award-winning fashion designer Prabal Gurung bringing the theme to life as the event’s first-ever creative director. Guests will dine on a Michelin-level three-course dinner from OpenTable, with a menu designed by Lakshmi and Gold Gala executive chief Vijay Kumar and his team from the Michelin-starred New York restaurant Semma.
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The night will close out with a performance from 2023 A100 honoree Saweetie, who will receive the first-ever Billboard Gold Music Honor recognizing her boundary-pushing musical accomplishments at the event. In addition, the cast and creators of Emmy-winning Beef will receive the Gold Icon Honor for their groundbreaking representation of the Asian American experience, while Wicked star Erivo will be given the Gold Ally Honor for her work to advance inclusive representation in front of and behind the camera.
“Gold House and Gold Gala have become a beacon for the Asian Pacific community to unite, invest in, and celebrate our inventiveness and impact. This year, I’ve focused on making Gold Gala look truly global while feeling local, balancing the breadth of our expansive diaspora with its bold, unified heart,” said Gurung in a statement. “From the organic and towering arboreal growths to our centerpiece spheres that shape us — the sun, the moon, our Earth — we envisage a new, more holistic, more centered world that enables all of us to bloom.”
HYBE founder and chairman bang Si-Hyuk will be bestowed with the lifetime achievement Gold Legend Honor and Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated with the Gold Generation Award.
The Gold Gala will be followed by the inaugural Billboard x Gold House Founders Party, which will feature a headlining set from producer/DJ Steve Aoki, as well as a special performance from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 winner Nymphia Wind, a karaoke room presented by Rakuten Viki and an additional set from DJ Hu Dat.
The Heat Latin Music Awards will take place July 11 at Cap Cana in The Dominican Republic, Billboard can announce.
The 2024 Heat Latin Music Awards will include 10 new categories this year: producer of the year; music video director of the year; album of the year; best viral song; composer of the year; best song for video games, series, movies; best tropical artist; best salsa artist, fan club of the year; and best religious song.
This year’s full nominees will be announced on May 9.
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Founded 10 years ago by Colombian music executive Diana Montes, the awards show (popularly known as Premio Heat), recognizes renowned and up-and-coming artists who are making a buzz in the Caribbean and Latin American regions.
Every year, the awards show—which officially launched in 2015 via the HTV and TBS networks and counted on the support of artists such as Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Nicky Jam and a then-rising J Balvin—is celebrated on the beach, offering the ultimate “summer experience” to artists, media, and attendees.
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“It’s the musical platform where you can make a real connection—the beach gives us that feeling of closeness,” Montes, a 2023 Billboard Latin Power Player, previously told Billboard. “What was clear to me when we did the treatment of the awards is that I did not want to do them in the United States for various reasons, beginning with that we did not have the resources to compete with the larger awards show. Initially, we spoke with Cartagena de Indias but for some reason, we arrived in Cap Cana, and we’ve been hosting the awards here for nine years now. That’s the difference from a traditional award, here you see everyone working and networking but in a bathing suit and with a beer in hand.”
In celebration of the award’s 10-year anniversary, Billboard will celebrate with a special edition of Premios Heat and the Dominican Republic in the April-May print issue of Billboard.
Thirteen past Grammy winners, ranging from Amy Grant to Kim Petras, will help announce the 66th Annual Grammy Award nominees in a livestream event on Nov. 10. The announcement will be accessible on live.Grammy.com and YouTube.
Other Grammy winners on board for the event include: Arooj Aftab, Vince Gill, Jimmy Jam, Jon Bon Jovi, Samara Joy, Muni Long, Cheryl Pawelski, Judith Sherman, St. Vincent, Jeff Tweedy and “Weird Al” Yankovic. They will be joined by CBS Mornings co-hosts Gayle King, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr.
Joy was the surprise winner for best new artist last year. Jon Bon Jovi will be the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree.
The nominations event will kick off with a special presentation announcing the nominees in the general field and select other categories. There will be two changes in general field categories this year. There will be just eight nominations, down from 10 the last two years, for album, record and song of the year, plus best new artist, which have always comprised the general field. Also, two additional categories are being bumped up to the general field for the first time – producer of the year, non-classical and songwriter of the year, non-classical.
Video announcements of the nominees in the remaining categories will also be published on live.Grammy.com and YouTube while the event is underway. The full list of nominees will be published on Grammy.com immediately following the presentation.
Here’s the timeline for when these events will occur on Nov. 10. All times are approximate and subject to change.
10:45 a.m. ET / 7:45 a.m. PT: Grammy nominations pre-show
11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT: Nominations livestream event
11:25 a.m. ET / 8:25 a.m. PT: Nominations livestream event ends: Full nominations list posted on Grammy.com
11:25 a.m. ET / 8:25 a.m. PT: Grammy nominations wrap-up show
Taylor Swift leads all nominees for the 2023 MTV EMAs with seven nods, including best artist, best song and best video, the latter for her single “Anti-Hero.” This year’s nominations were announced Wednesday morning (Oct. 4) and they find Olivia Rodrigo and SZA just behind Taylor with six noms each — including for best artist, best song and best video — with Doja Cat, Måneskin, Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj each garnering four.
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This year’s event will be broadcast live to more than 150 countries on Nov. 5 from the Paris Nord, marking the first time the ceremony has returned to the City of Light since 1995; the show will also be available in a number of international territories on Pluto TV and on-demand on Paramount+.
This year’s list of honorees also includes 26 first-time nominees, including BTS’ Jung Kook — his first EMA noms as a solo artist — as well as Central Cee, FLO, Ice Spice, PinkPanthress with three each and Asake, Coi Leray, Metro Boomin’, The Weeknd (who now goes by his birth name, Abel Tesfaye), NewJeans, Peso Pluma and Reneé Rapp with two each.
The 2023 EMAs will also add a new best Afrobeats category this year, with Asake, Aya Nakamura, Arya Starr, Burna Boy, Davido and Rema in the running. Fans can start voting for their favorite categories starting today here; voting will be open through 11:59 p.m. CET on Oct. 31. Fans in 24 regions around the world will be able to vote for their favorite performers in the best local act category.
Check out the complete list of 2023 MTV EMA nominees below.
Best Song
Doja Cat – “Paint The Town Red”
Jung Kook feat. Latto – “Seven”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Rema, Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Best Video
Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion – “Bongos”
Doja Cat – “Paint The Town Red”
Little Simz – “Gorilla”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best Artist
Doja Cat
Miley Cyrus
Nicki Minaj
Olivia Rodrigo
SZA
Taylor Swift
Best Collaboration
Central Cee x Dave – “Sprinter”
David Guetta, Anne-Marie, Coi Leray – “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”
KAROL G, Shakira – “TQG”
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage – “Creepin’”
PinkPantheress, Ice Spice – “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2”
Rema, Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Best New
Coi Leray
FLO
Ice Spice
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
Best Pop
Billie Eilish
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Miley Cyrus
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
Best Afrobeats
Asake
Aya Nakamura
Ayra Starr
Burna Boy
Davido
Rema
Best Rock
Arctic Monkeys
Foo Fighters
Måneskin
Metallica
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Killers
Best Latin
Anitta
Bad Bunny
KAROL G
Peso Pluma
ROSALÍA
Shakira
Best K-pop
FIFTY FIFTY
Jung Kook
NewJeans
SEVENTEEN
Stray Kids
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Best Alternative
Blur
Fall Out Boy
Lana Del Rey
Paramore
Thirty Seconds To Mars
YUNGBLUD
Best Electronic
Alesso
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Swedish House Mafia
Peggy Gou
Tiësto
Best Hip-Hop
Cardi B
Central Cee
Lil Wayne
Lil Uzi Vert
Metro Boomin
Nicki Minaj
Travis Scott
Best R&B
Chlöe
Chris Brown
Steve Lacy
Summer Walker
SZA
Usher
Best Live
Beyoncé
Burna Boy
Ed Sheeran
Måneskin
SZA
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Best Push
November 2022: Flo Milli
December 2022: Reneé Rapp
January 2023: Sam Ryder
February 2023: Armani White
March 2023: FLETCHER
April 2023: TOMORROW X TOGETHER
May 2023: Ice Spice
June 2023: FLO
July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith
August 2023: Kaliii
September 2023: GloRilla
October 2023: Benson Boone
Biggest Fans
Anitta
Billie Eilish
BLACKPINK
Jung Kook
Nicki Minaj
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Selena Gomez
Taylor Swift
Best Group
aespa
FLO
Jonas Brothers
Måneskin
NewJeans
OneRepublic
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
2023 MTV EMA Best Local Act Nominees:
Best African Act
Asake
Burna Boy
Libianca
Tyler ICU
Diamond Platnumz
Best Asia Act
BE:FIRST
BRIGHT
Moria
Tiara Andini
TREASURE
Best Australian Act
Budjerah
G Flip
Kylie Minogue
The Kid LAROI
Troye Sivan
Best Brasilian Act
Anavitoria
Kevin O Chris
Luisa Sonza
Manu Gavassi
Matue
Best Canadian Act
Charlotte Cardin
Drake
Jamie Fine
Shania Twain
The Beaches
Best Caribbean Act
Eladio Carrion
Mora
Myke Towers
Rauw Alejandro
Young Miko
Best Dutch Act
FLEMMING
Idaly
Kriss Kross Amsterdam
S10
Zoë Tauran
Best French Act
Aime Simone
Aya Nakamura
Bigflo & Oli
Louane
Ninho
Slimane
Best German Act
Apache 207
AYLIVA
Kontra K
Luciano
Nina Chuba
Ski Aggu
Best Hungarian Act
ajsa luna
Analog Balaton
Beton.Hofi
Co Lee
Hundred Sins
Best India Act
Dee MC
DIVINE
Mali
Tsymyoki
When Chai Met Toast
Best Italian Act
Annalisa
Elodie
Lazza
Måneskin
The Kolors
Best Israeli Act
Anna Zak
Liad Meir
Noa Kirel
Nunu
Shira Margalit
Best Lat Am Central Act
Blessd
Feid
Manuel Turizo
Ryan Castro
Sebastian Yatra
Best Lat Am North Act
Danna Paola
Kenia Os
Kevin Kaarl
Siddhartha
Natanael Cano
Best Lat Am South Act
Bizarrap
Duki
Fito Paez
Lali
Nicki Nicole
Best New Zealand Act
BENEE
JessB
Jolyon Petch
L.A.B.
SIX60
Best Nordic Act
Alessandra
Käärijä
Loreen
Swedish House Mafia
Zara Larsson
Best Polish Act
Doda
Kasia Nosowska
Mrozu
Sanah
Vito Bambino
Best Portuguese Act
Bárbara Bandeira
Bispo
Carolina Deslandes
Marisa Liz
PIRUKA
Best Spanish Act
Abraham Mateo
Álvaro de Luna
Lola Índigo
Quevedo
Samantha Hudson
Best Swiss Act
Danitsa
Gjon’s Tears
KT Gorique
Monet192
Stress
Best UK & Ireland Act
Calvin Harris
Central Cee
PinkPantheress
Raye
Sam Smith
Tom Grennan
Best US Act
Doja Cat
Nicki Minaj
Olivia Rodrigo
SZA
Taylor Swift
*NSYNC set Tuesday night’s 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on fire when they reunited during the broadcast and presented Taylor Swift with the best pop Moon Person for her Midnights hit “Anti-Hero.” The group — consisting of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass — spent their time onstage reminiscing about their MTV salad days, basking in the glow of the adoring audience, and getting some serious love from a gobsmacked Swift.
But after Swift admitted she was “not doing well” pivoting from hugging her childhood pop crushes to accepting the award, she also said the thing that was probably on everyone else’s mind: “Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now?”
And then… nothing else happened.
The timing of the reunion was fitting, since less than 48 hours later, *NSYNC announced their first new song since 2002, “Better Place,” their boppy contribution to the upcoming Trolls Band Together threequel starring Timberlake; the song is due Sept. 29. In the lead-up to the awards show, longtime fans were freaking out over posters around New York that appeared to tease the iconic *NSYNC logo that led to this site. That led to rampant speculation that, as Swift suggested, “something” would happen during the prime VMA spot at the top of the nearly four-hour program.
The band did not, however, mention the movie, nor the song, during their appearance, which came in the midst of the the ongoing Hollywood writers and actors strike that began in May when members of the Writers Guild of America walked out, followed by SAG-AFTRA members joining them in July, effectively shutting down Hollywood.
*NSYNC did end up promoting the song in an Instagram post first shared on JT’s feed Thursday (Sept. 14), in which the quintet shared their emotional studio reunion (though there were no tags relating to the film, soundtrack or studio on the post). “So many stars aligned, that’s why I hit y’all,” Timberlake tells his bandmates in the video. “If we do this song, it’s a love letter to our fans. I would be honored to have the group on this song. Who’s ready for a reunion?” The clip then shifts to Timberlake behind the boards giving the rest of the group direction on their vocal tracks while recording his own vocals.
The post begged the question: Did *NYSNC break the rules regarding the promotion of movies and/or soundtracks during the strike?
Earlier this summer, SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland broke down the strike rules about promotion of new or previously completed projects, noting that artists are expected to avoid promoting music created for TV, film or streaming under the old contract during the strike.
“Musicians who are members of SAG-AFTRA are equally subject to the rules around the strike — we cover vocalists in the music industry, as well as vocalists in the film/TV/streaming side and some broadcast journalists — and when any member is working on a project as an actor, then the rules mean that they are not in a position to promote that project, even if they are more generally known as a singer or recording artist,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland previously told Billboard.
At the time, however, Crabtree-Ireland also said that members cannot enter into any new music licensing agreements or approve any new tracks for film or TV projects and must cease promoting songs already licensed for the duration of the strike.
However, when reached following the VMAs — without specifically mentioning the band or the song — a spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA told Billboard in a statement that: “While some songs are made for a movie under our Theatrical CBA, others are made under our Sound Recording Contract and acquired via a license deal. Songs that are not made under our Theatrical CBA are not subject to the strike order and promotional rules.”
At press time, spokespeople for Timberlake and Trolls studio DreamWorks Animation could not be reached for comment on the promotion of the song, though a source confirmed to Billboard that the track was covered under the Sound Recording Contract.
The 2023 VMAs were noticeably light on the usual parade of A-list and up-and-coming Hollywood actors taking the stage to introduce acts or musicians plugging their latest acting gigs as promotion has ground to a dead halt while the dual strike by actors and writers enters the fall with no end in sight.
The *NSYNC exception is different from the one governing Swift’s recent announcement and promotion of her Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film. After that project was announced, a source close to the film confirmed to Billboard that the Eras doc obtained clearance under an interim agreement struck by SAG-AFTRA covering individual non-AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) productions that meet the same standards the unions are seeking in their negotiations with the studios; the source added that the clearance was nailed down before the Eras doc was shot in Inglewood, California, during the first three nights of the singer’s six-night run at SoFi Stadium.
Billboard also confirmed that the Swift film is included under an assumed name on the list of approved interim agreement projects.
For now, it’s unclear how much, if any, further promotion *NSYNC will do for the song that appears in Trolls Band Together, in which Timberlake’s Branch reunites with his brothers to get their childhood boy band, BroZone, back together. Though *NSYNC got back together to record the song — and fans are predictably freaking out — in the film, Timberlake’s bandmate brothers are voiced by Troye Sivan, Eric André, Daveed Diggs and Kid Cudi.
06/26/2023
From Quavo and Offset reuniting for a Takeoff tribute to Sexxy Redd performing “Pound Town” in the aisle, check out the best moments from the 2023 BET Awards.
06/26/2023
When Nicki Minaj first took home the BET Award for best female hip-hop artist, the 2010s had just begun, Barack Obama was enjoying the halfway point of his presidential term, and the Queens rapper was mere months away from unleashing Pink Friday, her much-anticipated debut studio album, upon the world.
The 2010 race was Minaj’s to lose; her fellow nominees — while all talented in their own rights — simply could not match the “Bedrock” breakout star’s momentum. Ester Dean, an instrumental collaborator on Minaj’s 2011 hit “Super Bass,” could only boast the Chris Brown-featuring “Drop It Low” as her sole single as a lead artist going into the June 2010 ceremony. Lil’ Kim, who picked up three prior nominations in this category between 2001 and 2006, had not released a studio album in five years, due to her finishing out her prison sentence. Rasheeda was coming off her first Billboard 200-charting album, Certified Hot Chick (No. 89), but she was nowhere near the burgeoning crossover sensation that Minaj was at the time. Finally, Trina headed into the race off the strength of her No. 13-peaking Amazin’ album, and she had not placed a single as a lead artist on the Hot 100 in half a decade. Minaj, who was riding high on massively successful singles like Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad” and her own “Your Love,” was the inevitable victor.
Nicki Minaj’s 2010 best female hip-hop artist victory was the beginning of seven consecutive years of domination. While she faced formidable opponents in some of those years (Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea, Young M.A., and DeJ Loaf among them), Minaj just as often faced competitors that were laughably out of her league in terms of commercial and cultural impact. Take her 2011 victory against “B.B. (Boss Bitch)” rapper LoLa Monroe, or her triumph the following year over “Shake It to the Ground” rapper Rye Rye. Nicki’s victories became so predictable that her “fake surprised” reactions to her wins became a running jokeon social media.
Even before Nicki’s streak began, however, the best female hip-hop artist category was in something of a drought. The category was suspended for the 2007 ceremony, and the 2009 ceremony boasted just three nominees in the category. In the years following her streak, Minaj remained a fixture in the category, but faced heartier competition from the likes of Remy Ma (who won in 2017), Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion (both of whom have bested Minaj twice in the past five years).
This year’s lineup, which features seven of the most successful and defining women in contemporary hip-hop — the largest number of nominees the category has seen in its 22-year existence — is a far cry from the uneven playing field of 2010. In fact, it is a lineup where, for the first time in some years, every nominee is a genuinely plausible winner. Comprised of Minaj, Cardi B, Coi Leray, Ice Spice, GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion and Latto, this year’s best female hip-hop artist lineup boasts a rising generation of female rap talent, as well as the two now-iconic artists who helped paved the way for them.
The bulk of this year’s nominees are the progeny of a combination of Minaj’s Top 40 navigation skills and Cardi B’s social media savvy, making them worthy competitors to the two previous victors. Moreover, this year’s lineup reveals the ways in which hip-hop’s emphasis on regionality has helped bolster the simultaneous sustained mainstream success of multiple female rappers, after so many years where a single artist towered over the conversation, for better or for worse.
Ahead of this Sunday’s BET Awards, Billboard breaks down the resumes of this historic group of best female hip-hop artist nominees and their respective cases for taking home this award.
GloRilla
Image Credit: Aviva Klein
Jimmy Kimmel has seen, heard and, let’s be honest, told way too many Will Smith–Chris Rock 2022 Academy Award slap jokes. But on Sunday night (March 12), the late night talker will be back on the Oscars stage for his third go-round as the night’s host and in his first one-on-one interview promoting the show he assured Good Morning America‘s Lara Spencer on Thursday (March 9) that there will be no such incidents on his watch.
“I’ll tell you what, nobody got hit when I hosted the show,” Kimmel joked about his 2017 and 2018 stints keeping the trains running on movie’s biggest night. Kimmel said he’s given it a lot of thought and he knows that “a million jokes have been made about it, a million think pieces have been written on it… There has been a lot said about it, so whatever I say has to be I think — you know, it has to be good.”
So rest assured that Kimmel has plenty to say about the thing that will undoubtedly be on everyone’s mind. “Everybody’s gonna be waiting for that moment. And that will be part of the show, but certainly not the focus of the show,” he said of the notorious incident that birthed a million headlines after Smith shocked viewers by storming the stage and slapping comedian Rock across the face after the stand-up made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Besides, Kimmel knows what happens when things go sideways at the Oscars, as they did in 2017 when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway presented the best picture award and accidentally said La La Land instead of the correct winner, Moonlight.
“We had a little envelope problem the first time,” Kimmel said. “That was that. And then — but I’ll tell you what, nobody got hit when I hosted the show. Everybody was well-behaved at my Oscars.”
Kimmel said he’s also really excited for Rihanna‘s performance of her Oscar-nominated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ballad “Lift Me Up.” After the singer revealed that she is pregnant with her second child during this year’s Super Bowl LVII halftime performance, Kimmel said Sunday’s set should be equally dramatic.
“Rihanna is more pregnant than the Super Bowl,” he said. “She’s bigger, it’s bigger. Come see Rihanna have a baby!” And as for Kimmel’s long-time A-list nemesis, actor Matt Damon, you can surely imagine what Jimmy had to say about that. “Matt Damon… was not invited, was not nominated, and I hope he’s never invited or nominated again.”
Watch Kimmel on GMA here.
CMA Fest returns to downtown Nashville on June 8-11 and organizers revealed the initial artist performer lineup for the festival’s 50th anniversary on Tuesday (March 7), including entertainers set for the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium as well as the lineups for multiple outdoor daytime stages including Chevy Riverfront Stage and Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park. Outdoor daytime stages are free and open to the public.
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“We are so excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of CMA Fest this year!” said CMA chief executive officer Sarah Trahern in a statement. “A lot has changed since our early days of Fan Fair but all these years later, the heart of the festival remains that special connection between the fans and the artists. We are truly grateful to everyone who has supported us throughout the years and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with all of our attendees in June. Stay tuned for much more!”
See below for the performer lineups, listed by stage:
Nissan Stadium: Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson
Nissan Stadium Platform Stage: Ashley Cooke, Dalton Dover, Megan Moroney, Ian Munsick, RVSHVD, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen, Hailey Whitters
Chevy Riverfront Stage: Lauren Alaina, Cooper Alan, Ingrid Andress, Tenille Arts, Chayce Beckham, Priscilla Block, Danielle Bradbery, Tyler Braden, BRELAND, Cooke, Jackson Dean, Travis Denning, Madeline Edwards, Morgan Evans, Caylee Hammack, Corey Kent, Jon Langston, Maddie & Tae, Kameron Marlowe, Chase Matthew, Drake Milligan, Niko Moon, Kylie Morgan, Megan Moroney, Munsick, Parmalee, MacKenzie Porter, Restless Road, Jameson Rodgers, Lily Rose, Runaway June, Dylan Scott, Elvie Shane, Conner Smith, Smith, Matt Stell, Whitters, Wilson, Warren Zeiders
Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park: A Thousand Horses, Avery Anna, Kassi Ashton, Rodney Atkins, Frankie Ballard, Blanco Brown, Craig Campbell, Mackenzie Carpenter, Callista Clark, Ashland Craft, Tyler Farr, Josh Gracin, Kidd G, Erin Kinsey, Love and Theft, Alexander Ludwig, Dylan Marlowe, Chrissy Metz, William Michael Morgan, David Nail, Jamie O’Neal, Frank Ray, Seaforth, Shenandoah, Caitlyn Smith, Springsteen, The Frontmen, The Red Clay Strays, Pam Tillis, Uncle Kracker, Chancey Williams and Rita Wilson.
Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park: Tyler Booth, Dillon Carmichael, Spencer Crandall, Adam Doleac, Dalton Dover, Hannah Ellis, Carter Faith, Ryan Griffin, Chapel Hart, Home Free, Kat & Alex, Halle Kearns, Tiera Kennedy, Brett Kissel, Ella Langley, Jerrod Niemann, Catie Offerman, Drew Parker, Meghan Patrick, Kimberly Perry, Shane Profitt, Tyler Rich, Josh Ross, RVSHVD, Dylan Schneider, Canaan Smith, Noah Thompson, Thompson Square, Kasey Tyndall, Georgia Webster, Mark Wills, Anne Wilson
Maui Jim Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza: Tanner Adell, Casey Barnes, Justin Champagne, Ben Chapman, Kyle Clark, Abbey Cone, Melanie Dyer, Taylor Edwards, Drew Green, Jonathan Hutcherson, David J, Willie Jones, Thomas Mac, Bryan Martin, Chase McDaniel, Meg McRee, Madeline Merlo, Logan Michael, David Morris, Patrick Murphy, Neon Union, Griffen Palmer, Pillbox Patti, Peytan Porter, Brandon Ratcliff, Riley Roth, Matt Schuster, Austin Snell, Tigirlily Gold, Anna Vaus, Lathan Warlick, Lauren Watkins, Sam Williams, Stephen Wilson Jr.
Additional stage lineups for Ascend Amphitheater, Fan Fair X activities inside Music City Center and more are set to be revealed in coming weeks. Once again, portions of the country music festival will be filmed for the annual CMA Fest television special set to air on ABC.
A limited number of four-night stadium passes are currently on sale, while fans can access several new ticket options beginning Tuesday (March 7) at 10 a.m. CT here.
Single night tickets for the nightly Nissan Stadium concerts are available beginning at $85.70 per night. Four-day and single day tickets will be available to Fan Fair X inside Music City Center (which features meet-and-greet events, music, merchandise and more in an air-conditioned environment).
Four-day tickets will also be available for Riverside Retreat, located along the Cumberland River. Riverside Retreat offers early admission to the Chevy Riverfront Stage, as well as shaded areas, misting stations, charging for mobile device, air-conditioned restrooms, discounts on select beverages and online merchandise and more.
The producer of Sunday night’s 2023 BAFTA Awards hit back at the Twitter criticism heaped on singer/actress Ariana DeBose‘s show-opening musical medley after the West Side Story star came under fire for the bit that mixed a classic 1980s hit with an original rap.
“We wanted to open the show with some energy, some fun, and also lay out straight away that this was hopefully going to feel like a different night, but with a familiarity as well, and what Ariana did was exactly that,” producer Nick Bullen told Variety the morning after the telecast. He said that DeBose and her team put the entire bit together in close consultation with the show’s musical director and choreographer and that he didn’t think she deserved the biting backlash.
Bullen said the criticism was “incredibly unfair” and that despite the awkwardness on the telecast, the mood in the room was “more celebratory.”
“I think a lot of people don’t like change, and there’s a view that the BAFTAs have to be this slightly stiff, traditional British, middle-England messaging,” said Bullen. “But American awards shows have much more razzmatazz, much more showbiz, and perhaps a broader range of people being involved. We felt we’re not about revolution, we’re about evolution.”
The highly choreographed bit opened with DeBose singing a high-energy version of the Eurythmics’ “Sisters Are Doing it For Themselves,” as a group of dancers pulled at her dress and removed long pieces of fabric. The performance then flipped into a solo rap in which DeBose did call-outs to a variety of nominated actors and celebs in the audience.
It was the latter bit — specifically her awkward Angela Bassett and Viola Davis shout-outs — that got the Twitterverse revved up. “Angela Bassett did the thing/ Viola Davis my ‘Woman King’/ Blanchett Cate you’re a genius/ Jamie Lee you are all of us,” rapped DeBose in a clip that quickly went viral after the show thanks to what looked like less-than-enthusiastic looks on the faces of the actresses she mentioned.
“I think it’s incredibly unfair, to be frank. I absolutely loved it,” Bullen told Variety of the pile-on. “Everybody I’ve spoken to who was in the room absolutely loved it. She’s a huge star, she was amazing. The songs she was singing are very familiar songs, the room was clapping, and people were sort of dancing to the music. That rap section in the middle, mentioning the women in the room, was because it’s been a great year for women in film, and we wanted to celebrate that. And here is a woman of color who is at the absolute top of her game.”
Oscar winner DeBose deactivated her Twitter account after the online backlash to the performance and at press time had not made a public statement about the divided reaction.
Watch DeBose’s performance and check out some of the responses below.