New Year’s Eve specials ringing in 2018 will feature Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and more

December 26, 2017

by Carla Hay

Watching a New Year’s Eve special on TV is a tradition for millions of people around the world. For the first time in several years, NBC won’t be having a New Year’s Eve special this year. However, other networks are continuing the tradition. Here’s what is planned for the three biggest New Year’s TV specials in the United States:

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 

Ryan Seacrest (center) and Mariah Carey (far right) on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017"
Ryan Seacrest (center) and Mariah Carey (far right) on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017” (Photo by Ida Mae Astute/ABC)

Celebrating its 46th year, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” (which is produced by Dick Clark Productions and airs in the U.S. on ABC) is still the most high-profile televised New Year’s Eve event. Mariah Carey wants a do-over of her embarrassing New Year’s Eve performance in the previous year, when she cut short her set after blaming technical difficulties on the show’s producers, who denied that they did anything wrong. Carey is back to try and redeem herself by headlining the show again this year in New York City’s Times Square. Ryan Seacrest will once again host the show, which begins airing at 8 p.m. ET. Jenny McCarthy will provide on-site reporting. Other performers in Times Square include Camila Cabello, Nick Jonas and Sugarland.

Ciara will host the Los Angeles segments of the show that will feature performances that were mostly previously recorded. Artists in the show’s Los Angeles segments will include Kane Brown, BTS, Kelly Clarkson, Fitz & The Tantrums, Florida Georgia Line, Halsey, Khalid, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, Portugal. The Man and Hailee Steinfeld, and all-star collaborations from Alessia Cara and Zedd, G-Eazy and Halsey, Khalid with Marshmello, Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line, and Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and watt. Also in the Pacific Time Zone, Britney Spears will perform from The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. It will be her final show of her Planet Hollywood residency, which began in 2013.

Meanwhile, actress Lucy Hale (former star of “Pretty Little Liars”) will host the show’s second annual Central Time Zone celebration from New Orleans. Imagine Dragons will perform from the Allstate Fan Fest, while Walk the Moon will do a performance leading up to the midnight countdown and fleur-de-lis drop near Jackson Square.

Fox’s New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey: Live From Times Square

Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey (Photo by Brian Bowen Smith/Fox)

After televising its New Year’s Eve show (hosted by Pitbull) from Miami for the previous three years, Fox is changing locations and hosts this year. On site at New York City’s Times Square, comedian/talk-show host Steve Harvey and former E! personality Maria Menounous will co-host the show, which airs on Fox from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET live; CT/MT/PT tape-delayed. Performers will include Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys, Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey, Flo Rida, Neil Diamond, Andra Day, Maroon 5 and the Zac Brown Band. “Fox’s New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey: Live From Times Square” is produced by IMG, which also produces Harvey’s self-titled talk show, as well as the Miss Universe Pageant and “It’s Showtime at the Apollo,” which have been hosted by Harvey over the past few years.

December 28, 2017 UPDATE: Actor/comedian Rob Riggle has joined the lineup of celebrities appearing on Fox’s New Year’s Eve show, while “Beat Shazam” host Jamie Foxx will be featured on the show to announce a special surprise.

New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen

Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper (Photo courtesy of CNN)

Longtime friends Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will co-host CNN’s New Year’s Eve celebration, which begins at 8 p.m. ET. CNN’s New Year’s Eve show, which is telecast live from New York City’s Times Square, focuses more on news and comedic commentary instead of on-site, live musical performances that are found on America’s broadcast networks.  However, there will be performances of Keith Urban in Nashville and Celine Dion in Las Vegas. This year, Cohen replaces Kathy Griffin, who was notoriously fired from the show in May 2017, for publicly posting a photo of herself holding up a fake bloody head of President Donald Trump. Griffin and Cooper had co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve Show since 2007. Cooper and Cohen have an established rapport, since they have done numerous speaking engagements together. New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen has not announced if any other celebrities will be guests on the show, so expect the possibility of surprise guests.

Mariah Carey set to headline ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018’

December 22, 2017

The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions  and ABC:

Mariah Carey on "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017"
Mariah Carey on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017”  (Photo by Lou Rocco/ABC)

Dick Clark Productions and ABC today announced that multi-platinum music superstar Mariah Carey will return to Times Square to perform for a live audience of more than one million people, just minutes before the ball drops on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018.” Carey first appeared on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in 2005 when she became the very first artist to perform live from Times Square on the program. She returned in 2016 and will once again headline this year’s festivities. Carey joins previously announced Times Square performers including chart-topping singer/songwriter Camila Cabello, multi-platinum singer/songwriter and actor Nick Jonas and award-winning duo Sugarland. America’s largest celebration of the year will take place on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31 beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST on the ABC Television Network.

We can all agree that last year didn’t go exactly as planned and we are thrilled to move forward together to provide America with an incredible night of music and celebration on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018. See you in Times Square!”
-Mariah Carey & dick clark productions

“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018” marks the 46th anniversary of America’s largest celebration of the year and will include 5 ½ hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s celebrations from around the globe.  Ryan Seacrest will host the primetime festivities and lead the traditional countdown to midnight from Times Square in New York City, as he has for the last 12 years, with live onsite reporting from actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy. Ciara will host the Los Angeles festivities which will feature additional performances by Kane Brown, BTS, Kelly Clarkson, Fitz & The Tantrums, Florida Georgia Line, Halsey, Khalid, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, Portugal. The Man and Hailee Steinfeld, and all-star collaborations from Alessia Cara and Zedd, G-Eazy and Halsey, Khalid with Marshmello, Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line, and Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and watt. Additionally, Lucy Hale will return to host the 2nd annual Central Time Zone countdown celebration from New Orleans, where multi-platinum selling band Imagine Dragons is slated to perform from the Allstate® Fan Fest, and WALK THE MOON will take the stage leading up to the midnight countdown and stunning fleur-de-lis drop near Jackson Square. Pop music icon, Britney Spears will perform from The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, making it the first television performance of 2018 and the end to her record-breaking residency.

Mariah Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and 18 Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles (17 self-penned), more than any solo artist in history. Mariah is a singer/song­writer/producer recognized with multiple Grammy Awards, 21 American Music Awards, Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” Award, the World Music Award for “World’s Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium,” and BMI’s “Icon Award” for her outstanding achievements in songwriting, to name a few – with her distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific songwriting, and producing talent, Mariah is truly the template of the modern pop performance. Mariah’s ongoing impact has transcended the music industry to leave an indelible imprint upon the world at large.  She made her entry into the world of independent film with her landmark performance in “WiseGirls” starring alongside Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters. In 2009, Mariah was recognized with the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Spring International Film Festival for her critically acclaimed role in Lee Daniels’ “Precious.” Mariah went on to appear in Daniels’ stellar ensemble piece “The Butler” (2013). A Congressional Award recipient, Mariah has generously donated her time and energy to a range of philanthropic causes near to her heart including Save the Music, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, World Hunger Relief, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, among many others. A tremendous supporter of children’s charities, both domestic and international, Mariah founded Camp Mariah in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund, a retreat for inner city children to explore career development.  Mariah is represented by Roc Nation, UTA and Imprint PR.
“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018” is produced by dick clark productions with Ryan Seacrest, Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan serving as executive producers and Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco as co-executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.

The complete lineup airing Sunday, December 31 on ABC is:

8:00-10:00 p.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 – Part 1”

10:00-11:00 p.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 – Part 2”

11:30 p.m.-1:09 a.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 – Part 1”

1:09-2:13 a.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 – Part 2”

ABOUT DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS
dick clark productions (dcp) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” “Hollywood Film Awards” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

ABOUT ABC ENTERTAINMENT
ABC Entertainment airs compelling programming across all day parts, with new shows including fall’s No. 1 new drama, “The Good Doctor”; as well as “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” and “The Mayor”; and current hits such as groundbreaking dramas “Designated Survivor,” “Quantico,” “Scandal” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Once Upon a Time.” The ABC Television Network is also home to the Emmy® Award-winning “Modern Family” and trailblazing comedy favorites “black-ish,” “American Housewife,” “Fresh Off the Boat,”  “The Goldbergs,” “The Middle” and “Speechless”; hit game shows “$100,000 Pyramid,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Match Game” and “To Tell the Truth”; reality phenomenon “Shark Tank,” iconic “The Bachelor” franchise, long-running hits “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” and the return of “American Idol”; “General Hospital,” which has aired for over 50 years on the network, along with daytime talk show “The Chew”; and late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The network also boasts some of television’s most prestigious awards shows, including “The Oscars®,” “The CMA Awards,” and “The American Music Awards.”

Johnny Iuzzini scandal: ABC cancels ‘The Great American Baking Show’ after he’s accused of sexual harassment

December 13, 2017

by Colleen McGregor

The Great American Baking Show
“The Great American Baking Show” 2017 contestants, judges and hosts. Pictured from left to right in front row: Johnny Iuzzini, Ayesha Curry, Paul Hollywood and Anthony Adams. (Photo by Mark Bourdillion/ABC)

ABC has abruptly cancelled “The Great American Baking Show” after several female ex-subordinates of Johnny Iuzzini (one of the show’s judges) accused him of sexual harassment and sexual assault. “The Great American Baking Show” (originally titled “The Great Holiday Baking Show”) is the U.S. version of “The Great British Bake Off.” Iuzzini had been with the American show since its debut in 2015. The third season premiered on ABC on December 7, 2017, and featured new hosts Ayesha Curry and Anthony Adams, as well has new judge Paul Hollywood, who is one of the original judges of “The Great British Bake Off.”

The allegations against Iuzzini were first published by the news website Mic in incidents that the accusers say took place between 2009 and 2011, when Iuzzini was a pastry chef at Jean-Georges restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in New York. Iuzzini left Jean-Georges in 2011.

In an article published by Mic on November 29, 2017, four women (who did not reveal their identities for fear of retaliation) describe Iuzzini as boss of a mostly female staff who would frequently abuse his power in a sexually aggressive way. Iuzzini would allegedly demand shoulder massages from his female employees, grope female employees without their consent, simulate sex on their bodies or in their presence, and make sexual and other abusive comments. One of the women also said that Iuzzini would stick his tongue in her ear without her consent, and that it happened many times.

One of the women admitted to having a consensual, on-again/off-again sexual relationship with Iuzzini, but says that she felt pressured into the relationship, which began around the time that Iuzzini interviewed her to work at the restaurant. The other women did not have sexual relationships with Iuzzini, and say that he made the working environment so toxic that they eventually quit because of him. All of them said that they did not file formal complaints out of fear, but that they told many people at the time these alleged incidents occurred.

Iuzzini released this statement to Mic: “I am shattered and heartbroken at the thought that any of my actions left members of my team feeling hurt or degraded. More importantly, I am deeply sorry to those who felt hurt. I certainly deny the allegations, as presented to me, that I ever had a drug problem, threw an empty nitrogen canister at anyone or that I left Jean-Georges on anything other than good terms (I provided three months’ notice and maintain a good relationship with chef and mentor Jean-Georges to this day). Many of the other allegations are inaccurate, others I do not recall and none were meant to hurt people. Nonetheless, I must take responsibility if any of the members of my team felt uncomfortable by my words or actions, regardless of my intent or recollection. I must hear that what the women making the accusations are telling me and recognize I caused pain. I have strived to be a good mentor over the course of my career, and I now understand that I failed some people. To me, that is unacceptable.”

Iuzzini then went on to say in his statement that he learned this type of “unacceptable” behavior when he was a boy, and that for years, he thought that acting that way “was deemed permissible since four-star kitchens are high-stress jobs.”

On December 12, 2017, Mic published another article in which four more women came forward to say that they witnessed sexual harassment perpetrated by Iuzzini at Jean-Georges. One of the witnesses said that the restaurant’s management was aware of Iuzzini’s behavior as far back as 2004 but did nothing to stop the alleged harassment. The ex-employees of the alleged harassment said that they did not file formal complaints because they feared retaliation and felt that the restaurant’s management would protect Iuzzini. However, a lawsuit (which did not go to court) alleged that Iuzzini hired a female stripper to perform at an after-hours party at the restaurant, and that several attendees of the party were deeply offended because they did not know a stripper would be performing.

ABC released this statement: “In light of allegations that recently came to our attention, ABC has ended its relationship with Johnny Iuzzini and will not be airing the remainder of The Great American Baking Show episodes. ABC takes matters such as those described in the allegations very seriously and has come to the conclusion that they violate our standards of conduct.”

This is the second major sexual-harassment scandal to hit a celebrity chef with a show on ABC. On December 11, 2017, Mario Batali was ousted as co-host of “The Chew” after he admitted to and made a public apology for sexual harassment of female employees and other female colleagues. The allegations, made by unidentified women in an Eater article, accused Batali of sexually harassing females through unwanted groping of their private parts, as well as making crude sexual comments. The report also alleged that 57-year-old Batali had been acting this way for at least 25 years. In addition to losing his hosting gig at “The Chew,” Batali has agreed to step down from his multiple businesses.

December 21, 2017 UPDATE: ABC announced on its website that Vallery Lomas had won the third season of “The Great American Baking Show.” The announcement was made on the day that the season finale would have aired.

2017 American Music Awards: Kelly Clarkson and Pink team up to open the show

November 16, 2017

American Music Awards AMAs logo

The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions and ABC:

dick clark productions and ABC today announced that multi-platinum music superstars Kelly Clarkson and P!NK will perform together for the very first time to open the “2017 American Music Awards,” which will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 8:00pm ET on ABC.

As previously announced, music legend Diana Ross will also take the stage for a rare performance at the “2017 American Music Awards” and will be honored with the “American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement.” Christina Aguilera will pay tribute to Whitney Houston and music from “The Bodyguard” with a performance in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, which falls on the same week as the awards ceremony. Other previously announced performers include BTS, Alessia Cara & Zedd, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Niall Horan, Imagine Dragons & Khalid, Nick Jonas, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Shawn Mendes, P!NK, Portugal. The Man, and Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso ft. Florida Georgia Line & watt. Additionally, Bebe Rexha will combine with Florida Georgia Line to treat American Music Awards fans to an encore performance for Xfinity TV customers, which will be available following the show on Xfinity On Demand.

Nominations for the “2017 American Music Awards” were announced last month. Bruno Mars leads with eight nominations, including Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock. The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd tied with five nominations each, while Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi received four nominations each. Additionally, Keith Urban earned three nominations, and Rihanna and Halsey earned two nominations each.

The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Voting is now closed in all categories other than Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile and Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity. Fans are able to vote for these awards using the following methods:

  • Via web at billboard.com/amas and theamas.com/vote
  • Posting a tweet on Twitter that includes the nominee’s name or Twitter handle, the category name and #AMAs within the tweet

For New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile and Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity, fans can vote for each award 100 times per day, per voting platform in one or both of the ways above. For Artist of the Year, fans may vote once per day, per voting platform.

The Artist of the Year nominees are Bruno Mars, The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Ed Sheeran. Voting for Artist of the Year will close on Thursday, November 16 at 8:59:59pm PT. Voting for New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile and Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity will close on Sunday, November 19 at 5:59:59pm PT, one hour into the live broadcast.

American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected in Billboard Magazine and on Billboard.com, including album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The eligibility period for the “2017 American Music Awards” was September 9, 2016 to September 14, 2017.

Sponsors for the “2017 American Music Awards” include Comcast’s Xfinity, Security Benefit and T-Mobile. Media partners include Cumulus Media/Westwood One and Music Choice.

The “2017 American Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan are Executive Producers. Larry Klein, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are Producers.

For the latest American Music Awards news, exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the AMAs on social and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #AMAs.

Facebook: Facebook.com/AMAs

Twitter: @AMAs

Instagram: @AMAs

Snapchat: TheAMAs

Tumblr: amas.tumblr.com

Tickets are now on sale at www.axs.com.

About the American Music Awards

The American Music Awards, the world’s largest fan-voted award show, features performances from today’s hottest artists and presents fan-voted awards in the music genres of Pop/Rock, Alternative Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Inspirational, Latin, EDM and Soundtrack, and the categories of Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile, Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity, Tour of The Year and Video of the Year. The American Music Awards pays tribute to today’s most influential and iconic artists.  The show is produced by dick clark productions and is seen in more than 200 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.theamas.com, www.dickclark.com or abc.go.com/shows/american-music-awards.

About dick clark productions

dick clark productions (dcp) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” “Hollywood Film Awards” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

2017 CMA Awards: Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton among the winners

November 8, 2017

by Carla Hay

Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton were among the winners at the 51st Annual CMA Awards, which took place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 8, 2017. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood hosted the show for the 10th year. ABC had the U.S. telecast of the show, which is a production of the Country Music Association.

Brooks took the prize for Entertainer of the Year, making it the sixth time he has won this prize at the CMA Awards. He is the most-awarded artist in this CMA Awards category. Lambert was named Female Vocalist of the Year. Stapleton won two awards: Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year (for “From a Room: Volume 1”). All three artists performed on the show.

Other 2017 CMA Awards performers included Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Lambert, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Chris Stapleton, Thomas Rhett, Underwood and Alan Jackson.

Winners of the 51st Annual CMA Awards were determined in a final round of voting by eligible CMA members. Ballots were tabulated by the professional services organization Deloitte & Touche LLP. Robert Deaton was the executive producer and Gary Halvorson was the director of the awards telecast.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 51st Annual CMA Awards:

** = winner

Entertainer of the Year

Garth Brooks**
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Male Vocalist of the Year

Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton**
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year

Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert**
Reba McEntire
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Group of the Year

Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town**
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo of the Year

Brothers Osborne**
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LoCash
Maddie & Tae

New Artist of the Year

Lauren Alaina
Luke Combs
Old Dominion
Jon Pardi**
Brett Young

Musician of the Year

Jerry Douglas (dobro)
Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
Dann Huff (guitar)
Mac McAnally (guitar)**
Derek Wells (guitar)

Album of the Year

Little Big Town – “The Breaker”
Lady Antebellum – “Heart Break”
Jason Isbell – “The Nashville Sound”
Miranda Lambert – “The Weight of These Wings”
Chris Stapleton – “From A Room: Volume 1″**   

Single of the Year  

Little Big Town – “Better Man ”
Sam Hunt – “Body Like a Back Road”
Jon Pardi – “Dirt on My Boots”
Miranda Lambert – “Tin Man”
Keith Urban – “Blue Ain’t Your Color”**     

Song of the Year

Taylor Swift – “Better Man”**
Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, Steven Lee Olsen – “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne – “Body Like a Back Road”
Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley – “Dirt on My Boots”
Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall – “Tin Man”

Vocal Event of the Year

Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris – “Craving You”
Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell – “Funny How Time Slips Away”**
Eric Church and Rhiannon Giddens – “Kill a Word”
Kenny Chesney and P!nk – “Setting the World on Fire”
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill – “Speak to a Girl”

Video of the Year

Brothers Osborne – “It Ain’t My Fault”**  
Little Big Town – “Better Man”
Keith Urban – “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris – “Craving You”
Miranda Lambert – “Vice”

2017 CMA Awards: Performers include Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert

October 18, 2017

The following is a press release from the Country Music Association (CMA) and ABC:

Excitement continues to build as the first round of performers are announced for “The 51st Annual CMA Awards,” hosted for the 10th year by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, and airing live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 8, 2017 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST).

Fans will enjoy special performances by CMA Awards nominees Garth Brooks, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Chris Stapleton, Thomas Rhett and Underwood. Alan Jackson, 2017 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee and 16-time CMA Award winner, will also take center stage during Country Music’s Biggest Night.

Reigning Entertainer of the Year Brooks returns this year with his 12th career nomination for CMA Entertainer of the Year, a title he has won five times (1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2016). He is the most awarded artist in this category.

Current CMA Vocal Duo Brothers Osborne received their first Music Video nod for “It Ain’t My Fault” and will once again vie for Vocal Duo, their third nomination in the category.

Bryan is a two-time consecutive Entertainer of the Year (2014, 2015), returning to compete for his fifth nomination in the category. He has garnered 15 CMA Award nominations since 2010.

Up for three nominations this year, Church is a three-time CMA Award winner with 25 total career nods. He returns this year with recognition in the Entertainer of the Year category, in addition to Musical Event and his sixth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist.

With five nominations under her belt this year, Lambert tops the list of finalists with nods in the Single and Song of the Year categories for “Tin Man,” Album with “The Weight of These Wings,” Music Video of the Year for “Vice,” and her 11th nomination for Female Vocalist, a category she has won six times consecutively (2010-2015). She has a career total of 44 CMA Award nominations and is the most awarded female in CMA Awards history, nabbing 12 trophies since 2010.

Little Big Town claims four nominations this year including Vocal Group, Album for The Breaker, and Single and Music Video for “Better Man.” They are seven-time CMA Award winners with a career total of 26 CMA Award nominations.

Old Dominion receives their second nominations in both Vocal Group and New Artist of the Year, securing four career CMA Award nods.

First-time nominee Pardi vies for two categories with nominations for New Artist of the Year and Single for “Dirt On My Boots,” which he co-produced. He receives one nomination for Single of the Year, but can receive an additional trophy as producer.

Stapleton is a five-time CMA Award winner nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, and Album for “From A Room: Volume 1.” He receives one nomination for Album but can receive an additional trophy as producer. This is his third consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist, which he has won the past two years. He was also nominated for Entertainer of the Year last year and won Album for “Traveller” in 2015. He is an 11-time CMA Award nominee.

Thomas Rhett receives first-time nominations in three categories – Musical Event and Music Video for “Craving You,” featuring Maren Morris, and Male Vocalist. He took home his first CMA Award last year, securing Single of the Year with “Die A Happy Man.”

With six CMA Awards to her name, co-host Underwood returns to vie for Female Vocalist, a category she has won four times (2006-2008, 2016) and nominated for consecutively since 2006.

With 81 career nominations, Jackson is the second most nominated artist in CMA Awards history. This year marks Jackson’s 24th CMA Awards performance since debuting in 1990 with “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.” He will receive Country Music’s highest honor, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, on Sunday, Oct. 22, during the official Medallion Ceremony at the CMA Theater.

Winners of “The 51st Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible CMA members. The third and final ballot closes Wednesday, Oct. 25 (6:00 p.m. CST). Ballots will be tabulated by the professional services organization Deloitte & Touche LLP.

“The 51st Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer and Gary Halvorson is the director.

2017 American Music Awards: Bruno Mars is the top nominee

October 12, 2017

The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions:

The 2017 American Music Awards will mark the 45th anniversary of the legendary music awards show that has brought fans the biggest musical superstars and most compelling live performances over the last four decades.  As the kick-off to this year’s highly anticipated show, international music sensation Ciara today announced six categories from the 2017 American Music Awards nominees live on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” followed by a full reveal of all nominees via Facebook Live on the American Music Awards and Billboard pages.

The 2017 American Music Awards will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 8:00pm ET on ABC. The American Music Awards, the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, is where music enthusiasts watch their favorite artists and pop culture icons come together to honor idols, newcomers and record-breakers in the contemporary music scene.  From Pop and Rock, to Country, Hip Hop and beyond, this year’s show will celebrate 45 years of the best moments in music with appearances by today’s brightest stars and live performances from the biggest names in music.

Bruno Mars leads with eight nominations, including Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock. The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd tied with five nominations each. Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi received four nominations each. Additionally, Keith Urban earned three nominations.

The Artist of the Year nominees are Bruno Mars, The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Ed Sheeran. Voting for Artist of the Year opened today and will close on Thursday, November 16 at 8:59:59pm PT. Voting for all other editorial categories closes on Monday, November 13 at 8:59:59am PT.

American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected in Billboard Magazine and on Billboard.com, including album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound.

The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Voting opened today in all categories except New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile and Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity, which will both open on Wednesday, November 1.
For New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile and Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity, fans can vote for each award 100 times per day, per voting platform in one or both of the ways below. Fans can vote for all other awards once per day, per voting platform.

2017 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS TOP NOMINATED ARTISTS CHART FACTS:
  • Celebrated musician Bruno Mars’ third full-length studio album, 24K Magic, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, granting the performer his third top 10 effort. The album spun off a trio of top 40-charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100, so far: “24K Magic,” “That’s What I Like” and “Versace On the Floor.” In 2017, “That’s What I Like” became Mars’ seventh No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, following his previous leaders “Uptown Funk!” (Mark Ronson featuring Mars), “When I Was Your Man,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Grenade,” “Just the Way You Are” and “Nothin’ On You” (B.o.B featuring Mars).
  • Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in December of 2016, The Weeknd’s Starboy album marked his second straight No. 1, following 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness. Starboy yielded a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit with its title track, as well as a No. 4 smash with “I Feel It Coming.” Both tracks feature Daft Punk. All 18 songs from Starboy charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • R&B singer Drake’s More Life was his seventh straight album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. More Life became the first album to earn over 375 million on-demand U.S. audio streams of its tracks in a single week, according to Nielsen Music. The album set the record in the week ending March 24. Drake wrapped a record 431 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in August, which dates back to his first appearance in 2009. The streak is the longest among all artists in Hot 100 history. Drake placed a record 24 titles on the Hot 100 at once, on the chart dated April 8, 2017. Drake linked 51 straight weeks in the Hot 100’s top 10, the longest streak by a male act. His run began on Oct. 3, 2015 with “Hotline Bling” and ended on Sept. 24, 2016, when “One Dance” fell from the tier. Drake has placed a record 157 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in his career.
  • Rapper and song-writer Kendrick Lamar earned his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit as a lead act with “Humble.” in 2017. He scored his second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with DAMN., which had the best first-sales week of his career (353,000 copies sold in its first week, according to Nielsen Music). Lamar was the first artist of 2017 to post two concurrent titles in the Hot 100’s top five with “Humble.” and “DNA.” on May 6.
  • Ed Sheeran scored his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 in 2017 with “Shape of You,” which debuted at No. 1 and reigned for 12 weeks. “Shape of You” broke the record for the most time spent in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10: 33 weeks. Sheeran became the first artist to debut two titles in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 simultaneously, with “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill.” Sheeran earned his second Billboard 200 No. 1 album with ÷ (Divide). Upon its No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, ÷ (Divide) generated 13 simultaneous entries on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
  • Music duo of Drew Taggart and Andrew Pall, The Chainsmokers, charted three songs in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 in the past year, including the chart-topping “Closer,” featuring Halsey. “Closer” became just the 17th song in the Hot 100’s history to spend at least 12 weeks at No. 1. “Closer” spent 27 weeks at No. 1 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, breaking the 26-week record previously held by Avicii’s “Wake Me Up!” The Chainsmokers earned three No. 1 hits on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart over the past year: “Closer,” “Paris” and “Something Just Like This,” with Coldplay. Their debut full-length set Memories…Do Not Open opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was the first No. 1 for a dance/electronic album in three-and-a-half years.
  • Pop superstar Justin Bieber joined Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee on the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Despacito.” It tied the record for the longest run at No. 1 — 16 weeks. With “Despacito,” Bieber jumped to his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart. Bieber banked his first No. 1 on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts as featured on DJ Khaled’s all-star “I’m the One.” Bieber became the first artist ever to tally new No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 in back-to-back weeks, with “I’m the One” and “Despacito” (on charts May 20 and 27). Bieber has spent more than three years cumulatively at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Social 50 chart, easily the most among all acts since the list’s inception at the start of the decade.
  • Daddy Yankee claimed his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Despacito” (Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber), which tied the record for most weeks spent at No. 1: 16 weeks. “Despacito” spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 – tying the record for the longest run at No. 1 in the chart’s history. He has tallied more than 50 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including top 40-charting singles in the past year like “Hula Hoop” and “La Rompe Corazones,” with Ozuna.
  • Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” with Daddy Yankee and featuring Justin Bieber, spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 – tying the record for the longest run at No. 1 in the chart’s history. “Despacito” marked Fonsi’s third hit on the Hot 100, but he’s been charting hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart since 1998, where he’s notched 30 hits. Overall, on Hot Latin Songs, Fonsi has collected 11 top 10 hits, seven of which reached No. 1 (including “Despacito”).
  • Premier country musician Keith Urban’s “The Fighter,” featuring Carrie Underwood, marked the former’s 38th straight top 10 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Urban’s hit “Blue Ain’t Your Color” topped Hot Country Songs for 12 weeks from Nov. 19, 2016 – Feb. 4, 2017. His latest album, 2016’s Ripcord, became his fifth Top Country Albums No. 1 and sixth top 10 on the Billboard 200. “The Fighter” reached No. 40 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs airplay chart, his first hit on the chart since 2009’s “Kiss a Girl.” Further, the crossover track climbed to No. 15 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.
  • Pop superstar Rihanna notched her 60th hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Wild Thoughts” (DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller). “Wild Thoughts” became the diva’s 31st top 10 hit on the Hot 100 and seventh No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. She added three new No. 1s on the Rhythmic Songs airplay chart in the past year: “Too Good” (Drake featuring Rihanna), “Loyalty.” (Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna) and “Wild Thoughts.”

Sponsors for the 2017 American Music Awards include Comcast’s Xfinity and T-Mobile. Media partners include Cumulus Media/ Westwood One and Music Choice.

The “2017 American Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan are Executive Producers. Larry Klein, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are Producers.

Below please find the full list of nominations for the 2017 American Music Awards®:

2017 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS® NOMINEES

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • Bruno Mars
  • The Chainsmokers
  • Drake
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Ed Sheeran
  • James Arthur
  • Niall Horan
  • Julia Michaels
  • Post Malone
  • Rae Sremmurd
  • The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey “Closer”
  • DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber “Despacito”
  • Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar “Don’t Wanna Know”
  • The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk “Starboy”
  • Garth Brooks
  • Coldplay
  • U2
  • Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
  • Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee “Despacito”
  • Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
  • Bruno Mars
  • Drake
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Alessia Cara
  • Lady Gaga
  • Rihanna
  • The Chainsmokers
  • Coldplay
  • Imagine Dragons
  • Bruno Mars “24K Magic”
  • Drake “More Life”
  • The Weeknd “Starboy”
  • The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey “Closer”
  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber “Despacito”
  • Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
  • Sam Hunt
  • Thomas Rhett
  • Keith Urban
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Maren Morris
  • Carrie Underwood
  • Florida Georgia Line
  • Little Big Town
  • Old Dominion
  • Jason Aldean “They Don’t Know”
  • Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1”
  • Keith Urban “Ripcord”
  • Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”
  • Jon Pardi “Dirt On My Boots”
  • Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
  • Drake
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Migos
  • Drake “More Life”
  • Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
  • Migos “Culture”
  • DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
  • Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
  • Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane “Black Beatles”
  • Bruno Mars
  • Childish Gambino
  • The Weeknd
  • Beyoncé
  • Kehlani
  • Rihanna
  • Bruno Mars “24K Magic”
  • Childish Gambino “Awaken, My Love!”
  • The Weeknd “Starboy”
  • Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
  • Khalid “Location”
  • The Weeknd “Starboy”
  • Imagine Dragons
  • Linkin Park
  • twenty one pilots
  • Bruno Mars
  • Shawn Mendes
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Daddy Yankee
  • Luis Fonsi
  • Shakira
  • Lauren Daigle
  • MercyMe
  • Chris Tomlin
  • The Chainsmokers
  • DJ Snake
  • Calvin Harris
  • Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2
  • Moana
  • Trolls

Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie join ‘American Idol’ as judges

September 29, 2017

Luke Bryan (Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS)
Lionel Richie (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC)

The following is a press release from ABC:

Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have signed on as judges for the beloved music competition series “American Idol” for its first season on ABC. They round out the panel of judges, alongside judge Katy Perry. Ryan Seacrest will return to host the series. The panel will make their debut appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, October 4.

“I’m excited at the chance to help some deserving artists reach their dreams,” said Bryan. “To be in a position in my career to help facilitate this along with the other judges is just a complete honor. It’s gonna be a blast!”

“I am very excited to be joining Katy, Luke and Ryan on ‘American Idol,’” said Richie. “As a singer, songwriter and producer, I feel I can bring a great deal of experience to the table. It’s going to be so much fun!”

“Luke and Lionel are the perfect additions to round out our panel of judges for ‘American Idol’ on ABC,” said Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment. “In their respective genres of music, both Luke and Lionel possess insurmountable popularity and award-winning talent that are undeniable, and we are lucky that they will help in paving the way for hopefuls pursuing their dreams on our stage.”

Trish Kinane, president of Entertainment Programming, FremantleMedia North America, executive producer and showrunner of “American Idol,” said, “We have taken our time to get the right mix of amazing talent for the new Idol judging panel. Our viewers expect musical credibility, passion and a true concern for the contestants; and with Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie joining the brilliant Katy Perry, we have two more world-class musical powerhouses eager to get to work and identify the next generation of superstars.”

Peter Hurwitz, CEO and president of 19 Entertainment-parent Core Media Group, said, “This extraordinary panel of judges speaks volumes about the continued power of the iconic ‘American Idol’ brand. We are thrilled to have Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan join Katy Perry and, ultimately, millions of viewers as we begin this new era on ABC.”

Yesterday, Bryan kicked off his ninth annual Farm Tour performing in six cities through October 7. Since the tour’s inception in 2009, Bryan has awarded 50 scholarships to a local student from a farming family within the communities the tour has played. Bryan will also continue his Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day Tour through October.

Bryan is a two-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, a five-time host of the ACM Awards and the 2017 Super Bowl LI national anthem performer. Luke has placed 18 singles at No.1, sold over 10 million albums and more than 40 million tracks with three billion music streams, and has performed for millions of fans on tour. He recently debuted a new single, “Light It Up,” which is the first song off a new album due out later this year.

Singer-songwriter, record producer and international superstar Lionel Richie has a discography of albums and singles that are second to none. His music is part of the fabric of pop music; in fact, Richie is one of only two songwriters in history to achieve the honor of having No. 1 records for nine consecutive years. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, four Grammy Awards®, the distinction of MusicCares person of the year in 2016, and Kennedy Center Honoree in 2017, the Tuskegee, Alabama, native is a true music icon.

Richie is known for his mega-hits such as “Endless Love,” “Lady,” “Truly,” “All Night Long,” “Penny Lover,” “Stuck on You,” “Hello,” “Say You, Say Me,” “Dancing on the Ceiling,” and one of the most important pop songs in history, “We Are the World,” written with Michael Jackson for USA for Africa. His song catalog also includes his early work with The Commodores, where he developed a groundbreaking style that defied genre categories, penning smashes such as “Three Times a Lady,” “Still” and “Easy.”

Richie launched his Las Vegas headlining residency show, Lionel Richie – All the Hits, at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in April 2016. In an unforgettable evening featuring his brightest and best anthems which have defined the music icon’s unparalleled career, Richie takes his fans on a spectacular musical journey, performing a variety of his seminal hits. With his most recent All the Hits, All Night Long Tour, Richie sold out arenas worldwide with a set list of his brightest and best anthems. In recent years, he also headlined festivals including Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Glastonbury, drawing the festival’s biggest crowd ever with more than 200,000 attendees.

When “American Idol” debuted in the U.S., the series revolutionized television, pioneering the reality-competition genre and holding an unmatched record for being the highest-rated series for nearly a decade. The series also ushered in second-screen audience participation, being the first to introduce text-based and mobile voting. The “Idol” format has taken on original versions in 55 countries around the world, and “American Idol” itself has played to a worldwide audience of over 460 million across 53 countries. At its new home on ABC, “American Idol” will continue to be a force in the television landscape, reaching every corner of the country in its search for the next great music sensation.

“American Idol” is produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group. Executive producers include FremantleMedia North America’s Trish Kinane and Jennifer Mullin along with co-executive producer, Megan Wolflick. FremantleMedia International distributes the series worldwide.

2017 Billboard Music Awards: Drake wins a record 13 prizes

May 21, 2017

Billboard Music Awards 2017

 

Drake at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards
Drake at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 21, 2017. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images via ABC)

With 13 prizes (including Top Artist), hip-hop artist Drake was the top winner at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, which took place May 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. ABC had the U.S. telecast at 8 p.m. Eastern Time/5 p.m. Pacific Time. Drake now holds the record for the most Billboard Music Awards won in a single year. (Adele was the previous record holder, with 12 Billboard Music Awards.) Drake and the Chainsmokers went into the ceremony with 22 nominations each. The Chainsmokers ended up winning four Billboard Music Awards. Other multiple winners included Twenty-One Pilots and Beyoncé, whowon five awards each. Wizkid and Kyla received three awards each. Desiigner,  Juan Gabriel and Kenny Chesney won two awards each.

According to a press release, the Billboard Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the reporting period of March 18, 2016 through March 16, 2017. The Billboard Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions.

Rapper/actorLudacris and actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens hosted the show. Presenters included Kate Beckinsale, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Mark Cuban, Noah Cyrus, Alexandra Daddario, DJ Khaled, Josh Duhamel, Ansel Elgort, Sara Foster, G-Eazy, Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Prince Michael Jackson, Rachel Lindsay, Lea Michele, Olivia Munn, Rita Ora, Logan Paul, Rachel Platten, Bebe Rexha, Nicole Scherzinger, Miss America 2017 Savvy Shields, Jussie Smollett, Hailee Steinfeld, Lindsey Stirling, and Ashley Tisdale.

Performers included Camila Cabello, the Chainsmokers, Miley Cyrus, jason Derulo, Celine Dion, Drake, Florida Georgia Line, David Guetta Halsey, Sam Hunt, Imagine Dragons, John Legend, lil Wayne, Lorde, Bruno Mars, Julia Michaels, Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran and 2017 Billboard Music Awards ICON Award recipient Cher.

During her acceptance speech, Cher thanked several people. particularly her mother: “When I was young, my mom said, ‘You’re not going to be the smartest, you’re not going to be the prettiest, you’re not going to be the most talent, but you’re going to be special.”

Here is an excerpt from a Billboard Music Awards press release:

The show was filled with iconic moments, with performances and celebrations for every generation. Fresh artists like Julia Michaels and Camila Cabello won over fans with performances of their new singles, as did the legends. Giving her first award show performance in 15 years, Cher had the audience on their feet, delivering electrifying renditions of her classic hits “Believe” and “If I Could Turn Back Time.”  She graciously accepted the ICON Award, presented to her by Gwen Stefani, and gave a powerful speech about her unparalleled career and how she has been able to live out her childhood dream for the past fifty-three years. Cher told the audience, “I have wanted to do what I do since I was 4 years old, and I’ve been doing this for 53 years.” Last year’s ICON Award recipient, Celine Dion, sparkled beneath an elaborate chandelier, belting out her hit single “My Heart Will Go On,” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Titanic.

Making a very special appearance, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Biggie’s son, Christopher Wallace, on what would have been the 45th birthday of Notorious B.I.G., introduced a clip of the 1997 Billboard Music Awards when Diddy presented Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, with the “Best R&B Album” trophy won by her late son. Following the clip, Diddy unveiled a never-before-seen trailer for his new Apple Music documentary “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story.”

Nicki Minaj, having recently just broken Aretha Franklin’s record for female artist with the most Billboard Hot 100 Hits, opened the show with an explosive 10-minute performance and was joined on stage by Lil Wayne, David Guetta, and Jason Derulo as she performed a medley of “No Frauds,” “Light My Body Up,” Swalla,” and “Regret In Your Tears.”  Later in the evening, against a peaceful ocean background, Miley Cyrus performed her popular new single “Malibu” for the first time to a worldwide television audience.

Perhaps the most unique performance came from the evening’s biggest winner, Drake, who performed live from the middle of the Bellagio fountains, surrounded by the world-famous water displays and equally powerful pyrotechnics.  Audiences in the arena, and on the Vegas strip, were mesmerized as he navigated the scene while rapping “Gyalchester” off his new album “More Life.”

Lorde’s intimate rendition of “Green Light” had the crowd dancing and singing along, while Halsey’s “Now or Never” performance was filled with both flower and fire power.  Ed Sheeran delivered a heartfelt rendition of his new song “Castle on the Hill” from a sold-out performance in Santiago, Chile.

Imagine Dragons delivered touching remarks in memory of the late Soundgarden and Audioslave Frontman Chris Cornell, before giving a powerful performance of their new song, “Believer.”  Fellow rock artists, and multi-nominees, The Chainsmokers also took to the stage to perform their hit “Young.”

Country music was also well represented throughout the evening, with Sam Hunt giving a stunning performance of “Body Like a Back Road” and Florida Georgia Line being joined by John Legend for a unique melding of their songs “Surefire” and “H.O.L.Y.”

The final performance of the evening came from Bruno Mars, who gave a sultry delivery of his single “Versace on the Floor” from the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam.

Here is the complete list of nominees and winners of the 2017 Billboard Music Awards:

Top Artist:
Adele
Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
Drake***
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top New Artist:
Alessia Cara
Desiigner
Lil Uzi Vert
Lukas Graham
Zayn***

Billboard Chart Achievement Award Presented by Xfinity (Fan Voted Category):
Luke Bryan
The Chainsmokers
Nicki Minaj
Twenty One Pilots***
The Weeknd

Top Male Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake***
Future
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist:
Adele
Beyoncé***
Ariana Grande
Rihanna
Sia

Top Duo/Group:
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Florida Georgia Line
Guns N’ Roses
Twenty One Pilots***

Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Beyoncé
Drake***
Prince
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top Hot 100 Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Drake***
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Drake***
Prince
Justin Timberlake
Twenty One Pilots

Top Radio Songs Artist:
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots***

Top Streaming Songs Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Desiigner
Drake***
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots

Top Social Artist (Fan Voted Category):
Justin Bieber
BTS***
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes

Top Touring Artist:
Justin Bieber
Beyoncé***
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Top R&B Artist:
Beyoncé***
Bruno Mars
Frank Ocean
Rihanna
The Weeknd

Top R&B Tour:
Beyoncé***
Lionel Richie
Rihanna

Top Rap Artist:
J. Cole
Desiigner
Drake***
Future
Rae Sremmurd

Top Rap Tour:
Drake***
Future
Kanye West

Top Country Artist:
Florida Georgia Line
Blake Shelton***
Keith Urban
Chris Stapleton
Jason Aldean

Top Country Tour:
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney***
Dixie Chicks

Top Rock Artist:
Coldplay
The Lumineers
Metallica
Twenty One Pilots***
X Ambassadors

Top Rock Tour:
Coldplay***
Guns N’ Roses
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Top Latin Artist:
J Balvin
Juan Gabriel***
Los Plebes Del Rancho De Ariel Camacho
Maluma
Nicky Jam

Top Dance/Electronic Artist:
The Chainsmokers***
Calvin Harris
Major Lazer
DJ Snake
Lindsey Stirling

Top Christian Artist:
Lauren Daigle***
Hillsong Worship
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Skillet
Chris Tomlin

Top Gospel Artist:
Jekalyn Carr
Kirk Franklin***
Travis Greene
Tamela Mann
Hezekiah Walker

ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album:
Beyoncé “Lemonade”
Drake “Views”***
Rihanna “Anti”
Twenty One Pilots “Blurryface”
The Weeknd “Starboy”

Top Soundtrack/Cast Album:
“Hamilton: An American Musical”***
“Moana”
“Purple Rain”
“Suicide Squad: The Album”
“Trolls”

Top R&B Album:
Beyoncé “Lemonade”***
Bruno Mars “24K Magic”
Frank Ocean “Blonde”
Rihanna “Anti”
The Weeknd “Starboy”

Top Rap Album:
J. Cole “4 Your Eyez Only”
Drake “Views”***
Kevin Gates “Islah”
DJ Khaled “Major Key”
A Tribe Called Quest “We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service”

Top Country Album:
Jason Aldean “They Don’t Know”
Florida Georgia Line “Dig Your Roots”
Blake Shelton “If I’m Honest”
Chris Stapleton “Traveller”***
Keith Urban “Ripcord”

Top Rock Album:
The Lumineers “Cleopatra”
Metallica “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct”***
Radiohead “A Moon Shaped Pool”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “The Getaway”
Twenty One Pilots “Blurryface”

Top Latin Album:
J Balvin “Energia”
CNCO “Primera Cita”
Juan Gabriel “Los Dúo 2”***
Juan Gabriel “Vestido De Etiqueta: Por Eduardo Magallanes”
Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho “Recuerden Mi Estilo”

Top Dance/Electronic Album:
The Chainsmokers “Bouquet (EP)”
The Chainsmokers “Collage (EP)”
Flume “Skin”
Kygo “Cloud Nine”
Lindsey Stirling “Brave Enough”***

Top Christian Album:
Casting Crowns “The Very Next Thing”
Lauren Daigle “How Can It Be”***
Joey + Rory “Hymns”
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family “Love Remains”
Skillet “Unleashed”

Top Gospel Album:
Tamela Mann “One Way”***
Kirk Franklin “Losing My Religion”
Travis Greene “The Hill”
Tasha Cobbs “One Place: Live”
Hezekiah Walker “Better: Azusa – The Next Generation 2”

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song:
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”***
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”
Justin Timberlake “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”
Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”

Top Selling Song:
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”
Justin Timberlake “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”***
Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”

Top Radio Song:
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”
Sia Featuring Sean Paul “Cheap Thrills”
Justin Timberlake “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”***

Top Streaming Song (Audio):
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”***
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty “Broccoli”
Rihanna “Needed Me”
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk “Starboy”

Top Streaming Song (Video):
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”
Desiigner “Panda”***
Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall “JuJu On That Beat (TZ Anthem)”
Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane “Black Beatles”
Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”

Top Collaboration:
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”***
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”
Sia Featuring Sean Paul “Cheap Thrills”
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk “Starboy”

Top R&B Song:
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”***
Bruno Mars “24K Magic”
Rihanna “Needed Me”
Rihanna Featuring Drake “Work”
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk “Starboy”

Top R&B Collaboration:
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”***
PARTYNEXTDOOR Featuring Drake “Come And See Me”
Rihanna Featuring Drake “Work”
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk “I Feel It Coming”
The Weeknd Featuring Daft Punk “Starboy”

Top Rap Song:
Desiigner “Panda”***
Drake “Fake Love”
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty “Broccoli”
Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert “Bad And Boujee”
Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane “Black Beatles”

Top Rap Collaboration:
D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty “Broccoli”
Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall “JuJu On That Beat (TZ Anthem)”
Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello “Bad Things”
Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert “Bad and Boujee”
Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane “Black Beatles”***

Top Country Song:
Kenny Chesney Featuring P!NK “Setting The World On Fire”
Florida Georgia Line “H.O.L.Y.”***
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw “May We All”
Little Big Town “Better Man”
Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

Top Country Collaboration:
Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King “Different For Girls”
Kenny Chesney Featuring P!NK “Setting The World On Fire”**
Eric Church Featuring Rhiannon Giddens “Kill A Word”
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Tim McGraw “May We All”
Chris Young Featuring Vince Gill “Sober Saturday Night”

Top Rock Song:
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons with Logic & Ty Dolla $ign Feat. X Ambassadors “Sucker For Pain”
Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”***
Twenty One Pilots “Ride”
Twenty One Pilots “Stressed Out”
X Ambassadors “Unsteady”

Top Latin Song:
Daddy Yankee “Shaky Shaky”
Enrique Iglesias Featuring Wisin “Duele El Corazon”
Nicky Jam “Hasta El Amanecer”***
Shakira Featuring Maluma “Chantaje”
Carlos Vives & Shakira “La Bicicleta”

Top Dance/Electronic Song:
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey “Closer”***
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya “Don’t Let Me Down”
Calvin Harris Featuring Rihanna “This Is What You Came For”
Major Lazer Featuring Justin Bieber & MØ “Cold Water”
DJ Snake Featuring Justin Bieber “Let Me Love You”

Top Christian Song:
Lauren Daigle “Trust In You”
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family “Thy Will”***
Skillet “Feel Invincible”
Ryan Stevenson Featuring GabeReal “Eye Of The Storm”
Zach Williams “Chain Breaker”

Top Gospel Song:
Jekalyn Carr “You’re Bigger”
Tasha Cobbs Featuring Kierra Sheard “Put A Praise On It”
Kirk Franklin “Wanna Be Happy?”
Travis Greene “Made A Way”***
Hezekiah Walker “Better”

2017 Billboard Music Awards Photo Highlights

Vanessa Hudgens Fashion at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards

Co-host Vanessa Hudgens changed her outfits several times during the show. Here’s a roundup of her different looks.

2017 TV Upfronts: ABC announces 2017-2018 schedule; see photos and videos

May 16, 2017

by Carla Hay

Freddie Highmore in “The Good Doctor” (Photo courtesy of ABC)

ABC officially announced its 2017-2018 schedule during the network’s upfront presentation at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York City on May 16, 2017. Most of the existing shows had previously been announced as renewed. However, the upfront presentation made it official that “Toy Box” has been cancelled.

ABC is also reviving its Emmy-winning comedy “Roseanne” for eight episodes in 2018, with all of the show’s original stars back on board: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman and Lecy Goranson. Sarah Chalke, who played the character Becky in later seasons, will also appear in another role.

New scripted shows include “Alex, Inc.,” “The Crossing,” “Deception,” “For The People,” “The Good Doctor,””The Gospel of Kevin,”  “Marvel’s Inhumans,” “The Mayor” and “Splitting Up Together,” “Ten Days in The Valley.” New reality shows are  “American Idol,” “The Bachelor Winter Games” and “Dancing With the Stars Junior.” Some of actors starring in these shows are known for being in past long-running hit shows. Kyra Sedgwick of “Ten Days in the Valley” formerly starred in “The Closer.” Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”) previously starred in “Bates Motel.” Zach Braff (“Alex, Inc.”), who used to star in “Scrubs,” returns to a starring role on a TV series. Jenna Fischer (“Splitting Up Together”) is best known for being on the U.S. version of “The Office.” Jason Ritter (“The Gospel of Jason”) was a co-star of “Parenthood.”

There will be two new live musical event specials: “The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!’  and “Rolling Stone 50.”

Fall premiere dates will be announced at a later time. Please note that shows picked up but not listed on the schedule below will debut later in the 2017-18 season.

The following is an excerpt from an ABC press release:

ABC FALL 2017-18 SCHEDULE

All times listed are Eastern/Pacific Time.

MONDAY

8-10 p.m.        “Dancing with the Stars”
10-11 p.m.      “The Good Doctor”

TUESDAY

8-8:30 p.m.        “The Middle”
8:30-9 p.m.        “Fresh Off the Boat”**
9-9:30 p.m.        “Black-ish”***
9:30-10 p.m.       “The Mayor”
10-11 p.m.              “The Gospel of Kevin”

WEDNESDAY

8-830 p.m.        “The Goldbergs”
8:30-9 p.m.        “Speechless”
9:30-10 p.m.       “Modern Family”
9:30-10 p.m.       “American Housewife”***
10-11 p.m.              “Designated Survivor”

THURSDAY 

8-9 p.m.        “Grey’s Anatomy”
9-10 p.m.       “Scandal”
10-11 p.m.      “How to Get Away with Murder”

FRIDAY 

8-9 p.m.        “Once Upon a Time”***
9-10 p.m.      “Marvel’s Inhumans”
10-11 p.m.      “20/20”

SATURDAY 

8 p.m.        “Saturday Night Football”

SUNDAY 

7-8 p.m.        “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8-9 p.m.        “To Tell the Truth” ***
9-10 p.m.      “Shark Tank”***
10-11 p.m.     “Ten Days in the Valley”

** = new time period

*** = new day and time period

NEW DRAMA SERIES

“THE CROSSING”

Sandrine Holt, Steve Zahn and Natalie Martinez in “The Crossing” (Photo/Bob D’Amico/ABC)

Refugees from a war-torn country seek asylum in a small American fishing town, only the country these people are from is America—and the war they are fleeing hasn’t happened yet. As the government tries to uncover the truth behind this mysterious migration only one thing is certain: The lives of the people here—both the townspeople and these newcomers—will never be the same.  Writers Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie executive produce with Jason Reed.

“The Crossing” stars Steve Zahn as Jude Miller, Natalie Martinez as Reece, Sandrine Holt as Emma Ren, Rick Gomez as Nestor, Jay Karnes as Craig Lindauer, Marcuis Harris as Caleb, Simone Kessel as Rebecca, Kelly Missal as Hannah, Rob Campbell as Paul, Grant Harvey as Roy, Bailey Skodje as Leah, Jon D’Leo as Will, Luc Roderique as Bryce and Tommy Bastow as Marshall.

The pilot is directed by Rob Bowman. The series is from ABC Studios.

“DECEPTION”

Jack Cutmore-Scott in "Deception" (Photo by Giovanni Rufino/ABC)
Jack Cutmore-Scott in “Deception” (Photo by Giovanni Rufino/ABC)

When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion—the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career.  The series is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (“Chuck”) and executive producers Greg Berlanti, Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter.  Illusionist David Kwong (“Now You See Me”) will co-produce.

“Deception” stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Cameron Black/Jonathan Black, Ilfenesh Hadera as Kay Daniels, Lenora Crichlow as Dina Clark, Amaury Nolasco as Mike Alvarez, Justin Chon as Jordan Kwon, Laila Robins as Special Agent Deakins and Vinnie Jones as Gunter Gustafsen.

The series is from Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television. “Deception” is directed by David Nutter, who is also executive producer.

“FOR THE PEOPLE”

Susannah Flood, Ben Rappaport and Rege Jean Page in “For the People” (Photo by Eric McCandless/ABC)

Set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, aka “The Mother Court,” this new Shondaland drama follows brand-new lawyers working for both the defense and the prosecution handling the most high-profile and high-stakes federal cases in the country – all as their lives intersect in and out of the courtroom. The series is created by Shondaland’s Paul William Davies and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.

The series, from ABC Studios, stars Ben Rappaport as Seth Oliver, Susannah Flood as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh as Jay Simmons, Regé-Jean Page as Leonard Knox, Ben Shenkman as Roger Gunn, Hope Davis as Jill Carlan, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Judge Nicholas Byrne and Anna Deavere Smith as Tina Krissman.

“THE GOOD DOCTOR”

Freddie Highmore in “The Good Doctor”(Photo by Liane Hentscher/ABC)

Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, “Bates Motel”), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital’s surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues. The series is from David Shore (“House”), and “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-O” star Daniel Dae Kim.

The series stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Brown, Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neal Melendez, Chuku Modu as Dr. Jared Kalu, Beau Garrett as Jessica Preston, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews and Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman.

The series is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. David Shore is writer and executive producer. Daniel Dae Kim, David Kim and Sebastian Lee are also executive producers. Seth Gordon directed the pilot and is also an executive producer.

“THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN”

Jason Ritter in “The Gospel of Kevin” (Photo by Ryan Green/ABC)

Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter, “Parenthood”), a cluelessly self-serving person, is on a dangerous path to despair. In a downward spiral, Kevin returns home to stay with his widowed twin sister (JoAnna Garcia Swisher, “Once Upon a Time”) and niece.  On his first night there, an unlikely celestial being named Yvette appears to him and presents him with a mission: to save the world.  A light drama from executive producers Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (“Marvel’s Agent Carter,” “Resurrection,” “Reaper”).

“The Gospel of Kevin” stars Jason Ritter as Kevin Finn, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Amy, J. August Richards as Nate, Chloe East as Reese, Dustin Ybarra as Tyler and India de Beaufort as Kristin.

The pilot is directed by Paul McGuigan. The series is from ABC Studios.

“MARVEL’S INHUMANS”

Eme Ikwuakor, Ken Leung, Anson Mount, Serinda Swan, Isabelle Cornish and Iwan Rheon. (Photo by Michael Muller/ABC)

“Marvel’s Inhumans” explores the never-before-told epic adventure of the royal family including Black Bolt, the enigmatic, commanding King of the Inhumans, with a voice so powerful that the slightest whisper can destroy a city. After the Royal Family of Inhumans is splintered by a military coup, they barely escape to Hawaii where their surprising interactions with the lush world and humanity around them may prove to not only save them, but Earth itself. The legendary comic book series will be brought to life in a way that has never been done before, as a version of the first two episodes will be shown globally in IMAX theaters for a two-week period beginning September 1, 2017. ABC will then air the entirety of the series on the network, with additional exclusive content that can only been seen on ABC.

“Marvel’s Inhumans” stars Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Ken Leung as Karnak, Ellen Woglom as an undisclosed character, Sonya Balmores as Auran and Mike Moh as Triton.

The series is executive produced by Scott Buck, along with Marvel’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory with Buck serving as showrunner.  Roel Reiné will direct the first two episodes. This series is a Marvel and IMAX project and is co-produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios.

“TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY”

Kick Gurry, Kyra Sedgwick and Erika Christensen in “Ten Days in the Valley” (Photo by Eric McCandless/ABC)

“Ten Days in the Valley” stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, an overworked television producer and single mother in the middle of a separation whose life is turned upside down when her young daughter goes missing in the middle of the night. Just like her controversial police TV show, everything is a mystery, everyone has a secret and no one can be trusted.

“Ten Days in the Valley” stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as John Bird, Kick Gurry as Pete Greene, Erika Christensen as Ali Petrovich, Felix Solis as David Gomez, Josh Randall as Tom Petrovich, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Matt, Abigail Pniowsky as Lake and Francois Battiste as Gus.

“Ten Days in the Valley” is from Skydance Television. It is created and written by Tassie Cameron. Executive producers are Tassie Cameron, Kyra Sedgwick, Jill Littman, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison and Marcy Ross.

NEW COMEDY SERIES

“ALEX, INC.”

Audyssie Jame,, Elisha Henign, Tiya Sircar, Zach Braff, Hillary Anne Matthews and Michael Imperioli in “Alex, Inc.” (Photo by Craig Sjodin/ABC)

Based on the podcast StartUp, Alex Schuman (Zach Braff, “Scrubs”) is a brilliant radio journalist, husband and father of two who is about to do something crazy – quit his job and start his own company. He quickly discovers it’s going to be a lot harder than he thought. Zach Braff stars, directs and is executive producer with Matt Tarses (“Scrubs”) and Davis Entertainment (“Dr. Ken,” “Blacklist”).

Matt Tarses is writer and executive producer. Zach Braff is director and executive producer. John Davis and John Fox are executive producers of the series, from Davis Entertainment, as are Alex Blumberg, Chris Gilberti  and Matt Lieber (Gimlet Media) in association with Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.

“THE MAYOR”

Brandon Micheal Hall, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bernard David Jones, Marcel Spears and Lea Michele in “The Mayor” (Photo by Craig Sjodin/ABC)

Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years he’s toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Tired of waiting for opportunity, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century—running for mayor of his hometown in California to generate buzz for his music career. Unfortunately for Courtney, his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying of outcomes: an election victory. With the help of his mother (Yvette Nicole Brown, “Community”) and friends, including Valentina (“Glee’s” Lea Michele), Courtney will have to overcome his hubris if he wants to transform the struggling city he loves.

The series stars Brandon Micheal Hall as Courtney Rose, Lea Michele as Valentina, Bernard David Jones as Jermaine Hardaway, Marcel Spears as TK and Yvette Nicole Brown as Dina.

From executive producer Daveed Diggs (Tony winner for Broadway’s “Hamilton”), writer/executive producer Jeremy Bronson (“Speechless,” “The Mindy Project,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) and executive producer Jamie Tarses (“Happy Endings”), the series is from ABC Studios. The pilot is directed by executive producer James Griffiths (“black-ish”).

“SPLITTING UP TOGETHER”

Van Crosby, Jenna Fischer, Sander Thomas, Oliver Hudson and Olivia Keville in “Splitting Up Together” (Photo by Craig Sjodin/ABC)

Based on the Danish series, “Splitting Up Together” is the story of a couple (Jenna Fischer, “The Office,” Oliver Hudson, “Scream Queens”) whose marriage is reignited by their divorce. Emily Kapnek (“Suburgatory”) writes and serves as executive producer of this new comedy, along with Ellen DeGeneres.

The series stars Jenna Fischer as Lena, Oliver Hudson as Martin, Bobby Lee as Arthur, Diane Farr as Maya, Lindsay Price as Camille, Olivia Keville as Mae, Van Crosby as Mason and Sander Thomas as Milo.

Jeff Kleeman, Mette Heeno, Mie Andreasen and Hella Joof are also executive producers of “Splitting Up Together,” which is based on the original series created by Heeno. It is produced by A Very Good Production and Piece of Pie Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Dean Holland directed the pilot.

NEW ALTERNATIVE SERIES

“AMERICAN IDOL”

ABC is bringing back “American Idol.” The network, along with producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, will revive television’s most successful and recognized music competition series for the 2017-2018 season, bringing back the fan-favorite and making more dreams come true. A host and judges will be announced at a later time.

“American Idol”‘s profound effect on the music industry is far-reaching and continually growing, launching the careers of superstars Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry, among many others.  “American Idol” contestants have sold more than 60 million albums, resulting in more than 80 Platinum records and 95 Gold records. Its participants have generated more than 450 Billboard No. 1 hits and sold more than 260 million digital downloads.

“American Idol” is produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group. Executive producers include FremantleMedia North America’s Trish Kinane and Jennifer Mullin. FremantleMedia International distributes the series worldwide.

“THE BACHELOR WINTER GAMES”

America’s favorite participants from past seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” from arch rivals to villains, will take competitive dating to a chilling new level. In an ode to the Winter Olympic Games and slated to premiere in February 2018, “The Bachelor Winter Games” will reunite the all-stars at a luxurious winter resort, where they will go head-to-head in winter-themed athletic challenges, including the toughest sport of all—love.

“The Bachelor Winter Games” is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton to executive produce.

“DANCING WITH THE STARS JUNIOR”

A fresh new take on an established favorite, “Dancing with the Stars Junior” will pair celebrity kids and kids of celebrities with professional junior ballroom dancers to perform choreographed routines, which will be judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, to be announced at a later date.

Slated to debut in Spring 2018, “Dancing with the Stars Junior” is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions.

NEW SPECIALS

“THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!”

In a two-hour special event, ABC will take the iconic “The Little Mermaid” animated feature film and intertwine it with show stopping LIVE musical performances via cutting-edge technology for an explosive evening honoring one of Walt Disney’s most celebrated classics. Fans of “The Little Mermaid” and Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Oscar-winning songs will enjoy this never-before-seen live action/animation hybrid television experience featuring a soon-to-be announced roster of some of their favorite celebrity artists, whose performances will weave seamlessly throughout the original animated film.

“The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!” is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 3. The special is produced by Done + Dusted with Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, David Jammy, Katy Mullan, and Richard Kraft, of Kraft-Engel Productions, serving as executive producers.

“ROLLING STONE 50”

For half a century, Rolling Stone has remained an iconic and important voice in American music, culture and politics. Now, the people who have told their stories through the Rolling Stone lens are coming together to reflect on the last 50 years. “Rolling Stone 50” will pay homage to the brand’s influence and impact through a curated journey of its most seminal moments. Live from New York City, the three-hour special television event, set to debut Wednesday, February 7, 2018, will showcase live performances, short films, iconic on-stage moments, never-before-seen musical pairings, and celebrities that have shaped pop culture, music and politics.

The special is a production of Done + Dusted and Wenner Media. Jann Wenner and Gus Wenner of Wenner Media and Ian Stewart, David Jammy and Katy Mullan of Done + Dusted serve as executive producers.

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