December 19, 2018
The following is a press release from NBC:
“NBC’s New Year’s Eve” will kick off 2019 with the biggest names in music as Jennifer Lopez and Bebe Rexha join the previously announced line-up that includes Diana Ross, Kelly Clarkson, Andy Grammer, John Legend and Blake Shelton, as well as Keith Urban and Brett Young, who will perform live from Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville.
In addition to the incredible musical slate, Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen will host live from Times Square along with Leslie Jones. Lester Holt, from “NBC Nightly News” and “Dateline NBC,” will also appear on stage before the iconic ball drop.
Lopez will perform “Limitless,” the anthem from her upcoming comedy feature film, “Second Act,” which arrives in theaters Dec. 21. Rexha will perform “Imagine” in Times Square at midnight.
The special will air Monday, Dec. 31 from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT, will break for local news and return for the final countdown from 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Prior to “NBC’S New Year’s Eve,” Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will ring in the new year with “A Toast to 2018,” a star-studded New Year’s Eve primetime special highlighting the year’s biggest pop culture moments, videos and trends. An all-star cast of celebrities – from Michael Bublé and Ellie Kemper to Kenan Thompson and Busy Philipps – will dish on the most talked-about stories that made for an unforgettable 2018.
The two-hour special airs from 8-10 p.m. and will also feature interviews with Chrissy Metz, Jaimie Alexander, Howie Mandel, Melissa Rivers, Ryan Eggold, Savannah Guthrie, Giuliana Rancic, Jason Kennedy, Wanda Sykes, Johnny Weir, Carson Kressley, Al Roker, Lester Holt, Willie Geist, Natalie Morales, Craig Melvin, Keith Morrison, Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Dennis Murphy, Dylan Dreyer, Brad Goreski, Chris D’Elia, Brent Morin, Loni Love and many more.
About Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is an award-winning singer, actress, producer, and entertainer who has established herself in both music and film. She is a successful recording and touring artist who has sold over 75 million records and has a cumulative worldwide box-office gross of more than $3 billion. Lopez is one of the most influential female artists in history. As an artist, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and a philanthropist, Jennifer Lopez has been named to the TIME 100 list, Forbes magazine’s most powerful celebrity, and People magazine’s first “Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” in addition to receiving the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Without a doubt, Lopez is a global icon and the ultimate multihyphenate. She can next be seen starring in the upcoming comedy feature film, “Second Act.”
About Bebe Rexha
Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha has accumulated more than 12 million overall single sales, 6 billion total global streams and a radio audience of more than 10 billion. Her highly anticipated debut album, “Expectations,” was released June 22 on Warner Bros. Records and features her massive single, “I’m a Mess,” as well as her global #1 smash “Meant to Be” with Florida Georgia Line, which remained on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for a record-breaking 50 straight weeks. Rexha was nominated in two categories for the 61st annual Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Meant to Be.” Rexha, whom Billboard calls “one of the most daring artists of 2017,” burst onto the scene in 2013 when she penned the song “Monster,” which became a worldwide hit for Eminem and Rihanna and went RIAA 6x-platinum stateside. Since then, Rexha co-wrote and carried the instantly recognizable hook for the 3x-platinum “Hey Mama,” by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, which was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song. She also hit #1 both on the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with her platinum-selling smash single, “Me, Myself & I” with G-Eazy. Her single “I Got You” has more than 265 million views, “No Broken Hearts,” featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 253 million views and she is featured on Martin Garrix’s single, “In the Name of Love,” which has amassed more than 414 million views. Rexha released her second EP, “All Your Fault: Part 1,” and the follow-up, “All Your Fault: Part 2,” in 2017 to rave reviews.
About Lester Holt
Lester Holt is an award-winning journalist and anchor of both “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” and “Dateline NBC.” Holt also leads NBC News’ special reports, breaking news and primetime political coverage. Holt was named to the role of “NBC Nightly News” anchor in June 2015 after eight years as anchor of “NBC Nightly News” weekend editions and 12 years as co-anchor of “Weekend Today.” In addition, Holt has served as principal anchor of “Dateline NBC” since September 2011. Holt joined NBC News in 2000 and is known for his outstanding work in the field, reporting and anchoring from breaking news events across the globe. He traveled to PyeongChang in February to cover his ninth Olympic games after returning home from a trip to North Korea where he reported on the growing tensions between the United States and the totalitarian state. Over the past several years, he has crisscrossed the globe covering the terrorist attacks in Europe, Nelson Mandela’s funeral in South Africa, the civil unrest in Egypt during the Arab Spring, and the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti. As a preeminent broadcast journalist, Holt was selected to moderate the first presidential debate of 2016, which was the most-watched debate in American history. Holt’s one-on-one with President Trump in May 2017 stands as the most consequential interview of the Trump presidency after Trump told Holt the firing of former FBI head James Comey was tied to the Russia investigation. As a preeminent broadcast journalist, Holt was selected to moderate the first presidential debate of 2016, which was the most-watched debate in American history.