Keke Palmer (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for IFP)
Miley Cyrus is set to perform her new single, “Midnight Sky,” which she released to rave reviews.
Lady Gaga will bring her chart-topping album, Chromatica, to life at this year’s 2020 “VMAs” for the world premiere televised performance of her latest release. This marks her first return to the “VMAs” stage since 2013.
Ariana Grande to join Lady Gaga for performance of “Rain on Me.”
First-time performances from BTS and Roddy Ricch; second-ever appearance from The Weeknd, who last took the “VMAs” stage in 2015.
This will be BTS’ TV debut of their new, English-only single, “Dynamite,” set to be released on August 21.
The following performers are also 2020 “VMAs” nominees:
Ariana Grande: 9 nominations (Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Collaboration [“Rain on Me”], Best Collaboration [“Stuck with U”]. Best Pop, Best Music Video From Home, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Choreography)
Lady Gaga: 9 nominations (Video of the Year, Artist of the Year Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Pop, Best Quarantine Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Choreography)
The Weeknd:6 nominations (Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best R&B Video, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing)
J Balvin: 4 nominations (Best Collaboration, Best Latin x3)
BTS: 3 nominations (Best Pop, Best K-Pop, Best Choreography)
Roddy Ricch: 3 nominations (Song of the Year, PUSH Best New Artist, Best Hip-Hop Video)
Doja Cat: 3 nominations (Song of the Year, PUSH Best New Artist, Best Direction
CNCO: 2 nominations (Best Quarantine Performance, Best Choreography)
Maluma: 1 nomination (Best Latin Video)
Chloe x Halle, Jack Harlow, Lewis Capaldi, Tate McRae and Machine Gun Kelly featuring Travis Barker and Blackbear, are set to perform during the 2020 “VMAs” Pre-Show airing on Sunday, August 30 at 6:30pm ET/PT. Hosted by Nessa and Jamila Mustafa, the 90-minute event will include jaw-dropping performances, celebrity interviews and coast-to-coast coverage from celebrity correspondents, Kevan Kenney and Travis Mills.
This year’s show will honor “Everyday Heroes: Frontline Medical Workers,” brought to you by EXTRA® Gum, celebrating the best performances by first responders – doctors, nurses, and other frontline medical workers – who kept everyone going with their impromptu and off-the-cuff performances. Nominees include:
Dr. Elvis Francois and Dr. William Robinson – “Imagine”
Dr. Nate Wood – “Lean on Me”
Jefferson University Hospital’s Swab Squad – “Level Up”
Jason “Tik Tok Doc” Campbell
Lori Marie Key – “Amazing Grace”
PUSH Best New Artist, presented by Chime Banking: The top three finalists include: Doja Cat, Lewis Capaldi and YUNGBLUD. Fans can vote for their favorite artist by direct messaging @VMAs on Twitter until August 28.
Social Categories:
BEST GROUP: Fans can vote until August 26 for “Best Group” by swiping up on MTV’s Instagram Story. Nominees include:
5 Seconds of Summer
The 1975
BLACKPINK
BTS
Chloe x Halle
CNCO
Little Mix
MONSTA X
Now United
Twenty One Pilots
SONG OF THE SUMMER: Starting August 26, fans can vote for the “Song of the Summer” in a bracket-style voting on MTV’s Instagram Story. Nominees include:
Pop Smoke featuring 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – “The Woo”
SAINt JHN – “Roses”
Saweetie – “Tap In”
Taylor Swift – “Cardigan”
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”
NOMINATIONS: Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga lead this year’s nominations with nine nods each, closely followed by Billie Eilish and The Weeknd with six nominations. Full nominee list here.
VOTING: Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories, including “Video of the Year,” “Artist of the Year,” “Best Quarantine Performance,” and more by visiting vma.mtv.com through August 23, 2020. Voting for “PUSH Best New Artist, Presented by Chime Banking,” will remain open until August 28.
PRODUCTION CREDITS: Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are Executive Producers for the 2020 “VMAs.” Barb Bialkowski is Co-Executive Producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as Executives in Charge of Production. Wendy Plaut is Executive in Charge of Celebrity Talent. Lisa Lauricella is Music Talent Executive.
SPONSORS: Official sponsors of the 2020 “MTV Video Music Awards” include Burger King®, Chime Banking, Coors Light, EXTRA® Gum, and PEPSI® .
Culture Representation: This animated film sequel to 2016’s “Trolls” has a racially diverse cast (white, African American, Latino and Asian) voicing characters based on troll dolls.
Culture Clash: The trolls live in different territories based on the music of their lifestyles, and the queen of the rock territory wants to take over everything.
Culture Audience: “Trolls World Tour” is a family-friendly film that will appeal mostly to kids, adults who young at heart and people who like a variety of hit songs.
Barb (voiced by Rachel Bloom) in “Trolls World Tour” (Image courtesy of DreamWorks Animation)
On Broadway, there are jukebox musicals that string together a plot in between the performance of hit songs. And now, the jukebox musical trend has reached animated films with “Trolls World Tour,” which is a showcase for some original songs but mostly retro hits from various genres of music. This sequel to 2016’s “Trolls” packs in even more stars in the voice cast than its predecessor movie. The result is an energetic and vibrant ride that is utterly predictable but should be a crowd-pleaser for its intended audience.
Even though the plot of “Trolls World Tour” is pretty simple, there are five people who are credited with writing the screenplay: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky and Elizabeth Tippet. The large writing team for this movie is also a reflection of the huge increase in the size of the “Trolls World” voice cast, compared to the first “Trolls” movie. Walt Dohrn, who co-directed “Trolls” with Mike Mitchell, returns as a director on “Trolls World Tour,” but this time with David P. Smith as co-director. Dohrn voices several of the supporting characters in both movies.
Viewers of “Trolls World Tour” don’t need to see the first “Trolls” movie to understand what’s going on in this sequel, but it helps if more of a backstory is needed for the two central characters in both films: Princess Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick) and her best friend/love interest Bark (voiced by Justin Timberlake). In “Trolls,” Bark (who tends to be overly pessimistic) became a reluctant ally and then eventual best friend to Poppy (who tends to be overly optimistic) in the Trolls’ quest to defeat the sad and angry creatures known as Bergens, whose goal was to make everyone in the world as miserable as they are.
In “Trolls World Tour,” the chief villain is Princess Barb (voiced by Rachel Bloom) a rocker girl who leads the Trolls whose music of choice is hard rock/heavy metal. Ozzy Osbourne is perfectly cast for the voice of King Thrash, Barb’s father. Barb’s goal is to have rock music take over all six territories in the Troll Kingdom. Each territory represents the music that embodies the Trolls’ lifestyle in each territory.
The other five territories represent the music genres of pop, techno, country, funk and classical. In the beginning of the movie, Barb and her minions arrive in a fleet of sharks to take over the techno territory. She takes a valuable guitar string from the Techno trolls and then she and her army of rock Trolls then move on to conquer the next territory.
When news of the invasion hits the pop territory, Poppy thinks that Barb has good intentions to unite all of the Trolls. But her father King Peppy (voiced by Dohrn) reveals a secret from the Trolls’ historical past: The Trolls almost had a civil war over their different tastes in music, so the music territories were created so Trolls who liked the same genre of music could live together in harmony. Each territory was bestowed with a magical guitar string that has the power to control that territory.
Barb is on a mission to collect all six of the magical strings to put them on a guitar. Once the guitar has the six strings on it, she’ll play an “ultimate power chord” that will give her and rock music complete control over all the Troll territories. Since “Trolls World Tour” is an animated jukebox musical, Barb belts out several rock songs along the way, including Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” and Heart’s “Barracuda.”
“Trolls World Tour” has several jokes about clichés and criticisms that go with certain music genres. The movie pokes fun at pop for being simple, repetitive “earworm” music. Rock is parodied for attracting low-life burnouts who wear mullets or mohawks and do “devil horn” signs. Country music has a stereotype of being full of sad songs and fans who act like rednecks or country bumpkins.
Classical music is labeled as “boring.” Techno gets criticism for its artists not playing “real” instruments. And funk (whose territory is populated with African American voice actors) calls out rap and pop for over-using funk samples. The original song “It’s All Love (History of Funk)” is a clap back to all the music that lifted funk riffs to make hit songs and funk artists not being paid properly for these samples.
Not for nothing, George Clinton (co-founder of Parliament-Funkadelic, one of the most-sampled groups of all time) is cast as new Trolls character King Quincy, who rules the funk territory Vibe City with Queen Essence (voiced by Mary J. Blige). The funk royals have a son named Prince D, voiced by hip-hop star Anderson .Paak, who performs the original song “Don’t Slack” with Timberlake in the film. And returning Trolls character Cooper (voiced by Ron Funches) from the pop territory finds out that he has a connection to the funk territory.
“Trolls World Tour” once again has Poppy convincing a reluctant and wary Branch to go with her to help stop the chief villain before it’s too late. “Trolls” characters that are also in “Trolls World Tour” are loyal Biggie (voiced by James Corden) and wisecracking Guy Diamond (voiced by Kunal Nayyar), who provide some of the comic relief in the film
But there are so many new characters in “Trolls World Tour” that the movie could feel overstuffed for people who have short attention spans and might have trouble keeping track of them all. Guy now has a son named Tiny Diamond (voiced by Kenan Thompson). Delta Dawn (voiced by Kelly Clarkson) is a sassy, big-haired redhead who is a singer and leader of the country music territory.
Also in the country music territory is Hickory (voiced by Sam Rockwell), a multitalented and brave cowboy who befriends Poppy, much to Branch’s chagrin. Branch has been trying to tell Poppy that he loves her but is afraid to do it, so he gets jealous when it looks like Hickory is winning Poppy’s admiration. Hickory is the biggest standout new character in “Trolls World Tour” since he and his “yee-haw” can-do personality get a lot of screen time.
Some other supporting characters in the movie are the bounty hunters that Barb hires to help her track down the elusive pop guitar string that Poppy has in her possession. The bounty hunters are smooth jazz musician Chaz (voiced by Jamie Dornan), a clarinet-playing Kenny G type who plays hypnotic music that gets on people’s nerves. The other bounty hunters are musical groups representing reggaeton, K-Pop and yodelers. J Balvin has a cameo as the reggaeton leader, and his song “Mi Gente” is in the movie.
There are several familiar hits that get the medley treatment in “Trolls World Tour,” including Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch’s “Good Vibrations,” Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out” and LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem.” Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” has the lyrics reworked with the word “trolls” replacing the word “girls.” Dierks Bentley’s song “Leaving Lonesome Flats” (written for “Trolls World Tour”) is featured in a country music segment. And an electronic-dance music concert in the movie’s opening scene has the DJ playing Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”
“Trolls World Tour” music directors are Timberlake and Ludwig Goransson, the musician who won an Oscar and a Grammy for the “Black Panther” score, as well as Grammys for co-writing and producing Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” Timberlake and Goransson co-wrote and produced the majority of the original songs in “Trolls World Tour,” such as the ballad “Perfect for Me,” “Don’t Slack” and “Just Sing (Trolls World Tour),” which is the movie’s obvious signature anthem. The music is very catchy, but won’t be as huge as Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling!,” the Oscar-nominated song from the first “Trolls” movie.
In its plot about Barb the villain trying to make all the Trolls conform to the way she wants them to be, “Trolls World Tour” has a message that people can live peacefully while respecting each other’s differences. It’s a message that comes wrapped in a lot of musical numbers and action sequences, but it’s something that audiences can take to heart. And along the way, some people might learn more about music genres that they might have previously dismissed because of certain prejudices.
Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Animation released “Trolls World Tour” for rental only on digital and VOD on April 10, 2020.
Building on the success of the digital series “One World: Together at Home,” Global Citizen and the World Health Organization (WHO) are partnering for a special one-night event of the same name to air across NBC, ABC, CBS and other global networks and platforms on Saturday, April 18, 2020 (8:00-10:00 p.m. PT/ET).
“One World: Together at Home” is not a telethon – but rather a global broad entertainment special to celebrate the heroic efforts of community health workers and support the World Health Organization and the global fight to end COVID-19. The event is curated by Lady Gaga and will feature exclusive appearances by Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, David Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong, J Balvin, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Maluma, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan and Stevie Wonder. Friends of Sesame Street will also be on hand to help unify and inspire people around the world.
The two-hour program will be hosted by a trio of network late-night hosts: Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert and will include performances from the world’s biggest artists with multimillion-dollar pledges to the WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund. Audrey Morrissey (“The Voice,” “Songland”) and Live Animals will produce the special in partnership with Global Citizen.
The show will lift viewer’s spirits with exclusive, special cameos from the worlds of music and arts, sports superstars, and comedic sketches, while always drawing back to its core purpose – to educate and inform on COVID-19 risks, prevention and response. The broadcast will feature interviews with experts from WHO as well as stories of frontline healthcare workers from around the world – their courage and sacrifice a reminder of the urgency of this moment.
The special will connect artists with audiences on a global scale, airing on the following networks and platforms:
· NBCUniversal: NBC, Bravo, E!, MSNBC, MSNBC.com, NBCSN, NBC News, NBCNews.com, NBC News on YouTube, Peacock, SYFY and USA.
· Walt Disney Television: ABC, ABC News, ABC News Live, Freeform and Nat Geo.
· ViacomCBS: CBS, Channel 5 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia, and Telefe in Argentina; BET and MTV globally across 180+ countries; and CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1 in the U.S.
· Bell Media platforms in Canada, MultiChoice, and RTE.
· BBC One will broadcast an edited version of the event for UK audiences on Sunday, April 19.
“One World: Together At Home” will also be a multi-hour digital broadcast streaming online on multiple global platforms, including Alibaba, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Facebook, Hulu, Instagram, LiveXLive, Tencent, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, TIDAL, TuneIn, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo and YouTube. This digital special will include additional artists and performances from all over the globe as well as unique stories from the world’s healthcare heroes. For information about how to tune in and take action, visit www.globalcitizen.org/togetherathome.
Commitments from supporters and corporate partners will go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, powered by the UN Foundation, to support and equip healthcare workers around the world, and to local charities that provide food, shelter, and healthcare to those that need it most. These local groups have been vetted to ensure they are helping communities impacted by COVID-19.
April 14, 2020 UPDATE: International advocacy organization Global Citizen today announced an expanded list of artists that will appear in the “One World: Together at Home” global broadcast special, being held in support of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic being led by the World Health Organization.
The newly announced artists include Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler, Awkwafina, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, LL COOL J, Lupita Nyong’o, Matthew McConaughey, Oprah Winfrey, Pharrell Williams, Sam Smith, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, Usher and Victoria Beckham. Curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, the artists announced today join a lineup of entertainers who were unveiled last week that includes Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, David Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Maluma, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan and Stevie Wonder.
“One World: Together at Home” will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Jimmy Kimmel of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and Stephen Colbert of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Friends from Sesame Street will also be on hand to help unify and inspire people around the world to take meaningful actions that increase support for the global COVID-19 response.
Leading up to the global broadcast special, there will be a six-hour streamed event, curated from around the world, to support brave healthcare workers doing life-saving work on the front lines. The “One World: Together at Home” streamed event will reach millions around the world digitally and will include performances and appearances from Adam Lambert, Andra Day, Angèle, Anitta, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Ben Platt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Black Coffee, Bridget Moynahan, Burna Boy, Cassper Nyovest, Charlie Puth, Christine and the Queens, Common, Connie Britton, Danai Gurira, Delta Goodrem, Don Cheadle, Eason Chan, Ellie Goulding, Erin Richards, FINNEAS, Heidi Klum, Hozier, Hussain Al Jasmi, Jack Black, Jacky Cheung, Jack Johnson, Jameela Jamil, James McAvoy, Jason Segel, Jennifer Hudson, Jess Glynne, Jessie J, Jessie Reyez, John Legend, Juanes, Kesha, Lady Antebellum, Lang Lang, Leslie Odom Jr., Lewis Hamilton, Liam Payne, Lili Reinhart, Lilly Singh, Lindsey Vonn, Lisa Mishra, Lola Lennox, Luis Fonsi, Maren Morris, Matt Bomer, Megan Rapinoe, Michael Bublé, Milky Chance, Naomi Osaka, Natti Natasha, Niall Horan, Nomzamo Mbatha, P.K. Subban, Picture This, Rita Ora, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sebastián Yatra, Sheryl Crow, Sho Madjozi, SOFI TUKKER, SuperM, The Killers, Tim Gunn, Vishal Mishra and Zucchero. The digital stream will be available on Alibaba, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, LiveXLive, Tencent, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, TIDAL, TuneIn, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo and YouTube.
As part of the “One World: Together at Home” campaign, brands including Analog Devices, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, State Farm(R), Target, Teneo, Verizon, Vodafone and WW International, Inc. have supported the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO and regional charities that are working to meet immediate COVID-19-related needs locally.
“We are grateful to the private sector who have listened to the public’s call for action and come together to support the global response to COVID19. This pandemic is too large for governments to tackle alone,” said Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen. “We are also incredibly grateful for the continued support from the artist community to make ‘One World: Together at Home’ a moment of global unity. Our hope for the special is that everyone will come away believing that we, as a shared humanity, can emerge from this moment forever grateful for the work of doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store workers and all those who are the backbone of our communities.”
“One World: Together at Home” will air on Saturday, April 18, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 p.m. EDT, appearing on ABC, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks, The CW, iHeartMedia and Bell Media networks and platforms in Canada. Internationally, BBC One will run the program on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Additional international broadcasters include AXS TV, beIN Media Group, MultiChoice Group and RTE. The digital stream will begin at 11:00 a.m. PDT/2:00 p.m. EDT and will inspire unity among all people who are affected by COVID-19.
At this critical moment in history, Global Citizen is also calling on individuals, governments and philanthropists to join and support immediate COVID-19 response efforts. Changemakers, investors and foundation leaders are being urged to actualize their giving and invest quickly in related efforts, like stronger health systems and vaccine development.
Last month in response to the global pandemic, Global Citizen launched an urgent campaign in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO. Calling on individuals to take action and asking world leaders and corporations to support the response with sufficient resources, Global Citizens from over 150 countries around the world have taken hundreds of thousands of actions in support of the response fund. For information about how to tune in and take action, visit globalcitizen.org/togetherathome.
For more information about Global Citizen and their campaign to support the WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund, please visit globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtzn Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #GlobalCitizen.
To learn more about WHO’s response to the pandemic and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, please go to www.who.int/COVID-19 and follow @WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
Camila Cabello at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 10, 2019. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Lizzo at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards’ and Elle Present Women in Music At YouTube Space LA at YouTube Space LA in Los Angeles on May 16, 2017. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for dick clark productions)
Shawn Mendes at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 22, 2018. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
The following is a press release from MTV:
MTV today announced that Bad Bunny, Camila Cabello, J Balvin, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Rosalía and Shawn Mendes will take the stage at the 2019 VMAs, airing live globally from Newark, N.J. on Monday, August 26 at 8:00 p.m.ET/PT.
The 2019 VMAs will be hosted by comedian, actor and best-selling author Sebastian Maniscalco, and will air live from Prudential Center across MTV’s global footprint in more than 180 countries, reaching more than half a billion households around the world. Music’s biggest stars and fans will celebrate the year’s most iconic videos with electrifying performances, viral moments and a new, first-of-its-kind immersive fan experience.
The full list of nominees for the 2019 VMAs, including, Cardi B, Drake, H.E.R., Khalid, Jonas Brothers, and more, is available here. Additional performers will be announced at a later date.
Latin music’s rising star Bad Bunny, originally from Puerto Rico, is one of the top Latin urban artists of the moment and one of the pioneers of the Latin Trap movement. His unmistakable voice and rhythm have led him to transition to the general market, where he’s already created waves of revolution with his participation in “I Like It” alongside Cardi B and J Balvin and his hit collaboration with Drake, “Mia,” part of his debut album “X 100PRE.” Bad Bunny is widely recognized for breaking cultural boundaries and language barriers and seamlessly transcending into the American market as a full-fledged urban artist of his own right.
Cuban born multi-platinum singer/songwriter Camila Cabello released her debut solo album, “CAMILA” in January 2018 to rave reviews. By the end of 2018, Cabello took home “Artist of the Year” and “Video of the Year” at the 2018 VMAs, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, “Best Pop Vocal Album” and “Best Pop Solo Performance” for “Havana,” her multi-platinum smash hit which became the most streamed song of all time by a female artist. Most recently, Cabello released her new single “Senorita” with Shawn Mendes which debuted at number one on iTunes worldwide and broke Spotify’s record for the biggest debut from a male/female duet in its history. Camila is currently the most listened to female artist on Spotify worldwide.
J Balvin, originally from Medellin, Colombia, is one of the top streaming music artists in the world. J Balvin developed a distinctive musical style all his own that pays reverence to the first-wave of Reggaeton stars from Puerto Rico, while fusing wider influences of hip-hop, mainstream pop, Dance Music and innovative global rhythms tied with lyrical inclusivity. Between his game-changing major-label debut album “La Familia,” multi-platinum successor “Energia” and several landmark singles such as “Mi Gente,” “Safari,” “Ginza” and more, J Balvin has won three Latin Grammy Awards, numerous Billboard Latin Music Awards, a Guinness World Record for the longest #1 run for a solo Latin single, and collected over twenty billion YouTube views.
Record-shattering artist Lil Nas X is known for the inescapable song of the year, “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, which has completely taken over the internet and broken boundaries in the industry. The song first took flight on TikTok, with fans across the world posting videos dancing to the song and memes where they transform into cowboys. Propelled by many moments and Lil Nas X’s charming, hilarious online presence, the record-breaking song has become the longest running number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 after nineteen weeks atop the chart.
Platinum selling, genre-bending, Lizzo channels boundless self-confidence through a downright earth-quaking voice, colorful persona, and undeniable star power. Lizzo has stormed the charts around the world with an upbeat, positive, high energy tracks like “Juice,” “Good As Hell” and “Tempo” ft. Missy Elliott. Her highly praised Atlantic debut album, Cuz I Love You, is an instant classic that showcases her phenomenal talents as a vocalist, rapper, songwriter, and flutist. The critically acclaimed album reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. as well as breaking into the top of the charts in Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and the UK stamping her as one of 2019’s biggest and brightest stars. Her 2019 takeover continues as her smash single “Truth Hurts” continues to take the industry by storm and has been a definitive and inescapable anthem of the Summer.
Spanish singer/songwriter, Rosalía is making a global splash with her interpretations of flamenco music. Her landmark album “El Mal Querer” was released to immediate critical and commercial success last fall. The album’s groundbreaking fusion of classic Flamenco with R&B and electronic beats, coupled with Rosalía’s nod to the visual arts, fashion and choreography was strongly embraced by fans across the globe. The album’s lead single “Malamente” garnered six Latin Grammy nominations, and took home the award for Best Alternative Song and Best Urban Fusion Performance. This year has seen three more releases from Rosalía with the recent double track “Milionària & “Dio$ No$ Libre Del Dinero,”“Aute Cuture” and her #1 Global video streaming hit and wide ‘Song of the Summer’ pick “Con Altura” with J Balvin and featuring El Guincho.
Toronto born, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes has become one of the biggest voices in mainstream media, with three consecutive album debuts, two platinum albums, and eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum singles. Most recently he launched two new singles “If I Can’t Have You” and a Camila Cabello collaboration “Senorita.” Mendes has completed two sold-out world tours with over one million tickets sold, selling out legendary stadiums and arenas including NYC’s Madison Square Garden and London’s O2 Arena in minutes. His current tour, “Shawn Mendes: The Tour,” began in March 2019, with over 100 dates announced across the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Australia/New Zealand.
As previously announced, Missy Elliott will be honored with the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award” and is set to hit the VMAs main stage. Taylor Swift will also perform following the release of her highly anticipated album, “Lover.”
Fans can vote for their favorites across 14 gender-neutral VMA categories, including “Video of the Year,” “Artist of the Year,” “Best Collaboration” and more by visiting vma.mtv.com until Thursday, August 15. Voting for the “Best New Artist” award, presented by Taco Bell®, will remain active until the VMA broadcast. Fans on Twitter and Facebook Messenger can also slide into VMAs’ DMs to cast an additional vote for “Video of the Year,” “Song of the Year,” and more. Fans will also be able to ask Alexa to “vote for the VMAs” for “Artist of the Year” within the MTV skill on Alexa-enabled devices.
This year, for the first time ever, MTV is rewarding fans for voting through VMA Power Hour on vma.mtv.com, where their votes are doubled from 1-2pm ET daily. Superfans can come back each day within this voting window beginning tomorrow to show double the love for their favorite artists.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are Executive Producers for the 2019 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is Co-Executive Producer. Jackie Barba, Joe Buoye and Alicia Portugal serve as Executive in Charge of Production. Amani Duncan is Executive in Charge of Music. Wendy Plaut is Executive in Charge of Celebrity Talent.
Official sponsors of the 2019 “MTV Video Music Awards” include Extra® Refreshers Gum, PEPSI®, Taco Bell®, the 2020 Toyota Corolla, and truth®.
Follow @MTV and @VMAs on social to keep up with all-things #VMAs.
About MTV:
MTV is the leading global youth media brand in 180 countries, reaching 450 million households in nearly 30 different languages across every platform. A unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, theatrical films and MTV Studios.
Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons at the 2017 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 19, 2017. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Image Group LA)
Cardi B in Cosmopolitan’s April 2018 issue (Photo by Kai Z Feng)
Mariah Carey on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ruan Seacrest” in New York City on December 31, 2017. (Photo by Heidi Gutman/ABC)
The following are press release excerpts from Dick Clark Productions and ABC:
Dick Clark Productions and ABC have announced that multi-platinum rapper, singer and songwriter, Cardi B will perform at the “2018 American Music Awards,” marking her very first televised awards show performance since the birth of her child in July. Cardi B ties for top-nominated AMA artist this year with a total of eight nominations, including New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One® Savor® Card and Favorite Artist – Rap/Hip-Hop. Joining Cardi B on stage will be multi-platinum selling Latin singers Bad Bunny and J Balvin.
There will also be performances from 10-time American Music Award-winning icon Mariah Carey, as well as a collaboration from award-winning record producer and songwriter, benny blanco with multiplatinum artist Halsey and global superstar Khalid, who is up for four AMAs this year. These artists join previously announced performers Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Carrie Underwood. Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the “2018 American Music Awards,” the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, on ABC.
Multi-platinum songstress, Cardi B will take the stage to perform the genre-bending, Latin-trap hit “I Like It,” alongside Bad Bunny and 2018 AMA-nominated artist J Balvin (Favorite Artist – Latin). The track earned Cardi B her second No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (now totaling three No. 1s) – the most for a female rapper in the chart’s history. “I Like It,” which also marks the first No. 1 for both Bad Bunny and J Balvin – landed the No. 3 spot on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart, and went on to earn the No. 1 spots on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic Airplay charts. This will be Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin’s first performance on the American Music Awards stage.
Mariah Carey, who first performed at the AMAs in 1991 for a rendition of her dance-pop hit “Someday,” will make her world television debut of “With You,” the first single from her new album, returning to the AMA stage for the first time since 2008. benny blanco will take the American Music Awards stage for the very first time, joined by multiplatinum artists and AMAs performance veterans Halsey and Khalid, to perform their nostalgic love song, “Eastside,” which is already in the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Pop Songs Airplay charts with more than 300 million streams to date.
Carrie Underwood and multi-platinum selling band Imagine Dragons as part of the first round of performers at the “2018 American Music Awards.” Additionally, multi-platinum selling artists Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign will team up for their first-ever AMA performance. Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the “2018 American Music Awards,” the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
Twelve-time American Music Award winning artist and 2018 nominee in the Favorite Female Artist – Country category, Carrie Underwood returns to the AMAs stage for the first time since 2015 to perform a song hot off her recently released sixth studio album, Cry Pretty. The album follows Underwood’s six earlier No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Three-time American Music Award winning band, and 2018 nominees, Imagine Dragons will take the stage to perform their standalone single and Billboard Hot 100 track, “Natural,” which has earned the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Rock Airplay and Alternative Songs charts since its debut. Chart-topping musician, and seven-time AMA nominee, Post Malone will make his American Music Awards stage debut, joined by acclaimed singer/songwriter/producer and previous AMA nominee Ty Dolla $ign, to perform the #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Psycho” from Post Malone’s second studio album, beerbongs & bentleys. Additionally, Post Malone will treat fans to a solo performance of a track off the same album.
CardiB’s rambunctious spirit and brave tongue garnered instant online popularity, rapidly increasing her fan base. She has evolved into an entertainer and actress and a renowned rapper in just a short time. Cardi has also risen to rap success and fame, releasing her debut studio album “Invasion Of Privacy” in 2018. Cardi B is currently at the top of her game as the first woman with five simultaneous Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well as the first female rapper with two Billboard Hot 100 #1s (“I Like It” and “Bodak Yellow”). Now a GRAMMY-nominated rap superstar, Cardi B released her Platinum-certified debut album “Invasion Of Privacy,” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. “Invasion Of Privacy” – includes the 6x RIAA platinum certified classic, “Bodak Yellow,” alongside the 2x platinum certified smash, “Bartier Cardi (feat. 21 Savage),” standout favorites like platinum certified “Be Careful” and 2x platinum certified “I Like It,” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin and a spectacular lineup of featured appearances from Chance The Rapper, SZA (Gold certified “I Do”), Kehlani (Gold certified “Ring”), Migos, and YG. Breakout single, “Bodak Yellow,” which is now certified 6x platinum, had an astronomical rise – earning the coveted #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for three consecutive weeks, making Cardi B the first female rapper to reach #1 without any accompanying acts since Lauryn Hill in 1998. Cardi B has been nominated for numerous prestigious awards including – 2 GRAMMY nominations, 8 AMAs, 9 BET Hip-Hop Awards (2018), 10 VMAs, 7 Teen Choice Awards, 7 BET Awards (2018), 1 Kid’s Choice Award, 2 BET Awards (2017), 9 BET Hip Hop Awards (2017). Cardi has graced the covers of Rolling Stone, Billboard, The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, CR Fashion Book, i-D Magazine, and The Fader. Additionally, Cardi B was named on Forbes “30 Under 30” list. 2017 saw Cardi make a seemingly unstoppable series of appearances and live events including memorable performance of “Bodak Yellow” on Jimmy Kimmel Live in Brooklyn, during the MTV Video Music Awards pre-show ceremonies, the BET Awards post show. Cardi has since made appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she was the first ever co-host, The GRAMMY Awards, The Ellen DeGeneres show, Saturday Night Live, The VMAs, and more.
Bad Bunny, originally from Puerto Rico, is most recognized for his explosive and infectious trap songs. Rollingstone magazine has named him “The Four-Billion-Stream Man leading the Latin Trap Explosion.” This talented artist has demonstrated his already overwhelming power, influence and demand with completely sold-out concerts for his “La Nueva Religión Tour” (The New Religion Tour) all over Europe, Latin America and the U.S. His unmistakable voice and rhythm have led him to transitioned to the general market, where he is already creating waves of revolution with his participation in “I Like It” alongside Cardi B and J Balvin, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has continued dominated the chart in the top 3 position. He has been nominated to the iHeart Radio Music Award, MTV VMA’s, Latin AMAs, Latin GRAMMYs, and E! People Choice Awards. Currently, Bad Bunny celebrates being the face of the cover of FADER magazine for the fall issue. The artist boasts a feature story that perfectly recaps his story and properly introduces him to the American market as the Latin trap superstar he has become. He also adds yet another major accomplishment to his book of accolades by appearing on the cover of COMPLEX magazine, along with J Balvin. This is a historic moment, as it is the first time in the magazine’s history that Latin Urban artists are featured in the cover, showing the extent of Bad Bunny’s reach across the globe, breaking cultural boundaries and language barriers and seamlessly transcending into the American market as a full-fledged urban artist of his own right.
Hailing from Medellín, Colombia, José Álvaro Osorio Balvin – better known to a legion of global fans as J BALVIN – has been praised by Billboard as “the biggest breakout act Latin music has seen in many years.” With a distinctive style all his own that pays reverence to the first-wave of Reggaeton stars from Puerto Rico, but fused with additional Colombian and mainstream hip-hop rhythms, more seductive than boastful lyrics, and a strong passion for fashion, J Balvin has become the undeniable leader of a second-generation Reggaeton revolution propelling Urban music back to the forefront of Latin music worldwide. Between his game-changing major-label debut album LA FAMILA, multiplatinum ENERGIA and recent landmark singles such as Mi Gente, and Machika, J Balvin quickly notched ten #1 Latin singles, Over 50 million social media followers, and over TEN BILLION Total YouTube Views. With his distinctive style and chart success, J Balvin has also become one of Latin music’s most in-demand collaborators, having now worked with artists, such as Beyoncé,Justin Bieber, Cardi B, Liam Payne, Nicky Jam, Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande, Major Lazer, Poo Bear, Juanes, Daddy Yankee, Camilla Cabelo, and more. Major award recognition has also followed, as J Balvin holds a Guinness World Record for the longest #1 run for a solo Latin single, has won back-to-back Latin Grammy Awards, multiple Billboard Latin Awards, and Premio Lo Nuestro ARTIST OF THE YEAR recognition two years in a row. J Balvin’s recently released new album VIBRAS has been hailed by TIME. Rolling Stone, Billboard and more as: “One of the Best Albums of 2018” while also propelling the Colombian star to #1 rankings on both YouTube & Spotify’s global charts as this summer’s #1 streaming artist in the world. As a result, J Balvin is now the leading nominee for this year’s Latin Grammy and Latin AMA Awards.
MariahCarey 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, numerous 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.
Benjamin Levin, known professionally as BennyBlanco, is a Grammy-winning American record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a five-time BMI Songwriter of the Year award winner and 2017 iHeartRadio Producer of the Year award winner. As a producer and songwriter, blanco is responsible for more than 100 million album sales worldwide due to his work with artists including Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Kesha, Sia, The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, Wiz Khalifa, Kanye West among others. He is also the founder of two labels in collaboration with Interscope Records, Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets. In 2016, his work was nominated for a Golden Globe® Award in the category Best Original Song for “Faith” (Stevie Wonder featuring Ariana Grande). In July 2018, blanco released the song “Eastside” under his own name, a collaboration with Halsey and Khalid, which is climbing Top 40 radio charts in the U.S. and is #1 in the U.K.
GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum alternative pop maverick Halsey claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 with her second release, “hopeless fountain kingdom,” an album Rolling Stone called “bold” in a four-star review, claiming that “Halsey could go anywhere from here.” Indeed, since storming on the music scene in 2015, she has garnered over 7 billion stream globally and nearly 6 million global sales, graced the covers of magazines from Nylon to Billboard to Forbes, among others – a far cry from the New Jersey teen who’d escaped her suburban existence for New York, writing poetry, and scrounging money for concerts and her next slice of pizza. Halsey shows no signs of slowing down. This summer she joined benny blanco and Khalid for the song “Eastside,” which has garnered 300 million streams worldwide in just 2 months. The track was the follow-up to the platinum-certified smash with G-Eazy “Him & I,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart and No. 1 at Top 40 radio – marking her second No. 1 since accompanying The Chainsmokers on “Closer,” which dominated for 11 weeks and has been certified diamond by the RIAA. “Him & I” has accrued over 750 million streams worldwide and been certified platinum in several countries. In addition, her own two double-platinum-certified singles, “Bad At Love” and “Now Or Never,” also peaked in the Top 3 on the Pop Songs chart. In addition, Halsey pushes creative boundaries expanding her influence and impact beyond music. Earlier this year, Halsey spoke at the 2018 women’s march advocating for equality. Her speech has been viewed millions of times and has moved people from around the world. As her star continues to rise, Halsey uses her voice to speak up for causes she passionately believes in, including disenfranchised youth, women’s rights, mental health and the LGBTQ community, proving that both she and her music can affect meaningful change, and that, yes, the 23-year-old can go anywhere from here.
Five-time Grammy® nominated artist Khalid has seen great success since he released his first single “Location” right before his high school graduation. The song’s domination led to Khalid’s major label deal with Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records followed by the release of his debut album American Teen. The album received mass critical acclaim with Rolling Stone calling Khalid a “pop prodigy” and TIME Magazine stating, “His thoughtful, relatable reflections on modern youth culture and the limitations of love are just as pitch-perfect as his soulful, measured delivery.”American Teen shattered expectations, spending more than 80 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at #4, and has stayed in the top 20 for more than 50 weeks. The singer-songwriter has over one billion streams worldwide across all partners, his first single “Location” is certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA, his previous single “Young Dumb & Broke” is certified 3X Platinum, and his album is now certified 2x Platinum. Since the American Teen’s debut, Khalid has garnered five 2018 Grammy® nominations including Best New Artist and landed on the cover of Billboard’s 2018 Grammy® Preview issue. He won two 2018 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Artist and Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song for “Love Lies.” He was also nominated for 2017 BET Award for Best New Artist, a 2017 Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song for “Location”, and a 2017 American Music Award for Favorite Song-Soul/R&B for “Location.” Khalid also won Top New Artist at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, Best New Artist at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and an MTV’s Woodie To Watch Award. He has recently been nominated for four 2018 American Music Awards including New Artist of the Year, Favorite Male Artist – Soul/R&B, Favorite Album – Soul R&B, and Favorite Song – Soul/R&B for “Young Dumb & Broke.” In addition to American Teen, Khalid has collaborated with some of music’s biggest stars. He has been featured on a number of songs including mega hits like Calvin Harris’s “Rollin” with Future, “1-800-273-8255” with Logic and Alessia Cara, “Silence” with Marshmello, “Lovely” with Billie Eilish, “Youth” with Shawn Mendes, and many more. Khalid’s current singles “Love Lies”, duet with Normani, and “OTW” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack are burning up the airwaves. “Love Lies” hit #1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart and “OTW” is #14 and climbing on the Rhythmic Airplay chart. Khalid just wrapped up his third sold-out North American headlining tour and recently, the Mayor and Council of the city of El Paso honored him with a “Key To The City” marking September 13th, 2018 “Khalid Day.” While in his hometown, Khalid performed two sold-out arena shows and dropped a new track entitled “Better” dedicated to his fans and the city of El Paso.
CarrieUnderwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has sold 64 million records worldwide and recorded 26 #1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote. She released Cry Pretty, her first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville on September 14, marking the first time she has co-produced her own album. The title track and lead single – co-written by Carrie – was released worldwide in April and topped the iTunes Top Songs charts in 12 countries. Cry Pretty’s second single, “Love Wins,” and its accompanying vibrant and hopeful music video directed by Shane Drake, were released in August to rave reviews. In spring 2019, Carrie will launch The Cry Pretty Tour 360, which will kick off in May and will play 55 arenas across the U.S. and Canada. Earlier this year, she released the hit event anthem she co-wrote, “The Champion” featuring Ludacris, which opened NBC’s Super Bowl LII and was incorporated into the network’s coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. “The Champion” has been certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. In 2013, Carrie starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s three-hour holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live!, whose airings attracted 44 million viewers. She is lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, which launched in 2015 and is exclusively available at DICK’S Sporting Goods nationwide and online. This spring, Carrie celebrated her 10th anniversary as a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and returns this fall for her sixth season as the voice of primetime television’s #1 program, Sunday Night Football.
Formed in 2009 and featuring lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman, ImagineDragons earned a grassroots following by independently releasing a series of EPs. After Alex Da Kid signed them to his KIDinaKORNER/Interscope label, the band made its major-label debut with the release of Continued Silence, a 2012 EP featuring the 2x platinum breakthrough single “It’s Time.” Night Visions arrived later that year and Imagine Dragons found themselves on a skyward trajectory that saw the album debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and became the No. 1 album on Spotify Worldwide for 2013. Night Visions has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. The album’s second single, the 9x-platinum “Radioactive,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart and earned the band a 2014 Grammy for “Best Rock Performance.” The third single, “Demons,” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart and has sold 3.9 million copies in the U.S. Imagine Dragons’ platinum-selling second album, Smoke + Mirrors, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and has sold 1.1 million copies worldwide. Imagine Dragons’ third studio album, Evolve, has been certified double-platinum within a year of its June 2017 release. Evolve has spent 63 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The album is 10th in the world on Spotify with over 38 million monthly listeners.
PostMalone stirs a mix of genres into his own sonic sound that’s both intoxicating and invigorating. His RIAA Platinum certified debut album, Stoney, led the genre-bending Dallas, TX artist to his first Top 10 on the Billboard 200 and first #1 R&B/Hip-Hop Album. In 2018, his sophomore album, beerbongs & bentleys, debuted on the Billboard 200 at #1 with the then-largest streaming week ever for an album in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music. Additionally, Post charted nine songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 100, notching a then-record for the most concurrent songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 100. Moreover, he set a then-record for most simultaneous Top 40 Hot 100 hits with 14. As beerbongs & bentleysreturned to #1 for the second consecutive week on the Top 200, his domination shows no sign of slowing down.
Los Angeles-bred singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, TY DOLLA $IGN has been one of the most acclaimed singers and in-demand writers, producers, and featured artists since helming YG’s 2010 smash, “Toot It and Boot It.” Ty Dolla $ign made a major splash with 2014’s critically-acclaimed BEACH HOUSE EP, highlighted by the RIAA platinum certified “Paranoid (Feat. B.o.B)” and 3x platinum smash, “Or Nah (Feat. Wiz Khalifa & The Weeknd).” He released his debut album FREE TC in November 2015, which has since gone on to become RIAA-certified Gold & features the multi-platinum hits “Blasé (feat. Future & Rae Sremmurd) and “Saved (feat. E-40).” Ty’s second studio album, BEACH HOUSE 3, was released in October 2017 followed by the deluxe release in May of this year. Ty undoubtedly took over Summer 2018 as both a writer and featured artist. In addition to receiving his first Billboard Hot 100 #1 with Post Malone’s “Psycho,” the Grammy-nominated phenom’s talents were featured on Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s EVERYTHING IS LOVE (“Boss”,) Drake’s SCORPION (“Jaded” and “After Dark”), Kanye West and Kid Cudi’s KIDS SEE GHOSTS (“Freee Ghost Town Pt. 2”,) Christina Aguilera (“Accelerate”,) Khalid (“OTW”,) 6lack (“Switch”,) Teyana Taylor (“3way”) and Kanye West’s ye, where Ty is featured on 3 out of 7 songs (“All Mine,” “Wouldn’t Leave,” Violent Crimes”.) He’s also been credited with writing several hits such including Rihanna’s 3X platinum hit “FourFiveSeconds” with Kanye West and Paul McCartney and Chris Brown’s “Loyal,” to name a few. Ty also just finished a blockbuster summer on G Eazy’s The Endless Summer Tour.
Nominations for the “2018 American Music Awards” were announced live by Kane Brown, Ella Mai, Normani and Bebe Rexha on Wednesday, Sept. 12, from YouTube Space LA. Cardi B and Drake lead this year’s nominees, with eight possible wins for each. Ed Sheeran and Post Malone each earned six nominations. Camila Cabello, nominated five times this year, could win her first AMA as a solo artist.
The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Voting is now open in all categories.
For New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One® Savor® Card, Favorite Social Artist presented by Xfinity and Collaboration of the Year, 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.
Posting a tweet on Twitter that includes the nominee’s name or Twitter handle, the category name and #AMAs within the tweet
Voting for New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One Savor Card and Collaboration of the Year will close on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 5:59:59 p.m. PDT, one hour into the live broadcast. Voting for all other categories will close on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 11:59:59 p.m. PDT. American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected on Billboard.com, including streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, and reflect the time period of Sept. 15, 2017, through Aug. 9, 2018.
YouTube Music is the presenting sponsor of the “2018 American Music Awards.”
Capital One Savor Card and Subaru of America, Inc. are sponsors of the “2018 American Music Awards.” Media partner is Cumulus Media/Westwood One.
The “2018 American Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Barry Adelman, Mark Bracco and Tracee Ellis Ross are executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.
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.
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 Capital One Savor Card, Collaboration of the Year, Tour of The Year, Favorite Social Artist presented by Xfinity and Favorite Music Video. 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 and territories 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” 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. dcp is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.
About YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a completely reimagined streaming music service with music videos, official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, covers and hard-to-find music you can only get on YouTube. It’s ALL here! YouTube Music serves music based on your tastes and what’s moving the community around you. Discover something new or keep up with what’s trending. Basic functions such as playing music and watching videos are totally free, but you can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium to explore the world of music ad-free, offline, and with the screen locked. Available on mobile and desktop. For additional information, visit www.youtube.com/musicpremium.
