Culture Representation: Taking place from 2006 to 2011, mostly in Arizona, the dramatic film “Unstopabble” (a biopic of disabled champion wrestler Anthony Robles) features a predominantly Latin and black cast of characters (with some white people) representing the working-class and middle-class.
Culture Clash: Anthony Robles goes from being a champion wrestler in high school to having the odds stacked against him when he experiences rejections and tougher competition in college-level wrestling.
Culture Audience: “Unstoppable” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners, wrestling movies, and biopics about people who overcome major challenges.
Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez in “Unstoppable” (Photo by Ana Carballosa/Amazon Content Services)
“Unstoppable” tells the unique and inspiring story of disabled champion wrestler Anthony Robles, but this biopic is bogged down by formulaic writing and directing. Good performances from the cast members are the movie’s saving graces. It’s not a bad movie, but the quality of the filmmaking isn’t quite up to the level of “award-worthy” that the filmmakers clearly intended. “Unstoppable” had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and made the rounds at other film festivals in 2024, such as AFI Fest and the Urbanworld Film Festival.
Directed by William Goldenberg, “Unstoppable” was written by Eric Champnella, Alex Harris and John Hindman. The screenplay is adapted from the 2013 memoir “From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion,” written by Robles and Austin Murphy. The book’s title was changed to “Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion” because of this movie, whose producers include Robles and Ben Affleck. For the purposes of this review, the real Anthony Robles (who was born in 1988) will be referred to as Robles, while the Anthony Robles character in the movie will be referred to as Anthony.
“Unstoppable” (which takes place from 2006 to 2011) begins by showing Anthony (played Jharrel Jerome) in his senior year at Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona. Anthony (who is humble but determined) was born without a right leg, for unknown reasons. It hasn’t stopped him from being a national champion wrestler while he’s a senior in high school.
This type of accomplishment would automatically lead to many college scholarship offerings for non-disabled wrestlers. However, the only university to offer Anthony a scholarship is Drexel University in Philadelphia, which has a lower-level wrestling program that hasn’t resulted in any national champions. Several people in Anthony’s life, including his cranky and aggressive stepfather Rick Robles (played by Bobby Cannavale), advise Anthony to take Drexel’s scholarship offer.
Anthony’s biological father is not seen in the movie and was not involved in raising Anthony. Anthony’s loyal and spirited mother Judy Robles (played by Jennifer Lopez) is Anthony’s biggest fan. Judy and Rick (who married Judy when Anthony was a pre-teen) have four biological children together: son Nicholas (played by Noen Perez), son Andrew (played by Carlos Solorzano), daughter Ronnie (played by Julianna Gamiz), and son Joshua (played by Elijah James), nicknamed Bo. All four of Anthony’s half-siblings look up to him with great admiration.
Rick, who works as a prison guard, is somewhat of a tyrant who thinks his way is the only correct way to do things. It’s later revealed that Rick is physically abusive to Judy. Rick and Judy both think that Anthony should get a college education, but Rick discourages Anthony’s dream to become a professional wrestler after college. Anthony’s first-choice university is the University of Iowa, which has a stellar track record of winning national wrestling competitions. However, the University of Iowa hasn’t shown any interest in Anthony.
Through a series of circumstances that won’t be revealed in this review, Anthony has no choice but to enroll at Arizona State University, which is in Tempe, Arizona, about seven miles west of Mesa. One of the reasons why Anthony becomes an Arizona State University student has to do with Anthony feeling obligated to stay close to home so he can help his family out financially. He has a part-time job as an airplane cleaner at an airport.
Anthony doesn’t make it onto the Arizona State University wrestling team easily. The team’s coach Shawn Charles (played by Don Cheadle) refuses to give Anthony special treatment because of Anthony’s missing leg. Anthony doesn’t want special treatment or pity and goes through various obstacles to make it onto the team. Along the way, Anthony gets occasional advice from Bobby Williams (played by Michael Peña), who was Anthony’s wrestling coach at Mesa High School.
The Robles family members go through some tough times, including the possibility of losing their home due to financial problems. Meanwhile, Anthony is determined to win a national wrestling championship as a student at Arizona State University. He has a predictable showdown with Matt McDonough (played by Johnni DiJulius), the star champion wrestler from the University of Iowa, one of the schools that rejected Anthony. (None of this is spoiler information, since it’s all shown in the “Unstoppable” trailer.)
“Unstoppable” follows many of the same beats as other sports movies about underdog athletes. Jerome, Lopez and Cannavale give the movie’s best performances, with Jerome being an obvious standout as the central character. (Robles was Jerome’s wrestling stand-in for many of the wrestling scenes.) To its credit, “Unstoppable” is exactly what it appears to be: a feel-good movie about overcoming seemingly impossible odds. It’s too bad that this movie about a real-life athlete who took big risks ultimately has filmmaking that plays it too safe and doesn’t offer anything innovative.
Amazon MGM Studios will release “Unstoppable” in U.S. cinemas on December 6, 2024. Prime Video will premiere the movie on January 16, 2025.
Culture Representation: Taking place primarily in New York City and briefly in Peoria, Illinois, the romantic comedy film “Marry Me” features a racially diverse cast of characters (white, Latino, African American and Asian) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.
Culture Clash: Superstar music diva Kat Valdez impulsively marries a mathematics teacher—who is a socially awkward stranger she picked out from her concert audience and wed on the night they met—and they both try to make the marriage work.
Culture Audience: “Marry Me” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of star Jennifer Lopez and anyone who likes formulaic and unimaginative romantic comedies.
Jennifer Lopez. Michelle Buteau, Khalil Middleton (back row, third from left), Maluma, John Bradley and Owen Wilson in “Marry Me” (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)
“Marry Me” is just an extended music video for Jennifer Lopez to sing songs that she wants to sell in a hackneyed story with no surprises. She and a bland Owen Wilson have no believable chemistry together, even though they star in the movie as an unlikely couple who are supposed to fall in love with each other. The entire movie looks as fake as the myriad of wigs and hair extensions that a superstar diva would wear.
Directed by Kat Coiro, “Marry Me” starts out with a somewhat intriguing concept that asks these questions: What if two famous singers were supposed to get married on a concert stage with a televised audience of millions, but the bride-to-be-finds out minutes before the wedding that her groom-to-be cheated on her? And what if she impulsively decided to marry a “regular guy” stranger in the audience instead? And what if this diva and this “regular guy” actually tried to make their marriage work?
That’s the entire story in “Marry Me,” but the movie does absolutely nothing original with this idea, which might have worked well with a genuinely hilarious screenplay and the right people cast in the roles. Unfortunately, “Marry Me” (written by Harper Dill, John Rogers and Tami Sagher) takes the lazy and unimaginative route, by cramming in cliché after cliché seen in many other romantic comedies until the movie comes to a very underwhelming and formulaic end. The screenplay is based on author Bobby Crosby’s 2020 graphic novel “Marry Me.” The movie “Marry Me” tries too hard to be sweet and likable, but it all comes across as cloying and pandering, especially when this movie is actually designed to peddle Lopez’s music and anything else that got product-placement deals for this movie.
In “Marry Me,” Kat Valdez (played by Lopez) is the heartbroken diva who rebounds quicker than you can say “rom-com garbage.” On the night of her lavish wedding, which takes place at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, she finds out just a few minutes before the ceremony that her heartthrob singer fiancé Bastian (played Maluma) cheated on her with her assistant Tyra (played by Katrina Cunningham). A tabloid website has posted a video of Bastian and Tyra having a sexual tryst, and the video has instantly gone viral. Kat and Bastian have a duet called “Marry Me” that they were going to sing to each other during the wedding, which is expected to have a global audience of about 20 million people. As soon as Kat finds out about Bastian’s infidelity, she breaks up with him backstage.
Instead of canceling the wedding, Kat sees mathematics teacher Charlie Gilbert (played by Wilson) in the audience, while he’s holding a sign that says “Marry Me.” Charlie is a mild-mannered divorcé who’s in the audience with his 12-year-old daughter Lou (played by Chloe Coleman) and Charlie’s school counselor co-worker Parker Debbs (played by Sarah Silverman), who was the one who convinced Charlie to go to this event since she had two extra tickets. Lou and Parker are big fans of Kat’s, but Charlie doesn’t really know who Kat is. He’s only holding the “Marry Me” sign because “Marry Me” is the name of this wedding event, and Parker (who’s a lovelorn lesbian) made the sign.
The next thing you know, Charlie is called up on stage, and he and Kat get “married.” This on-stage wedding isn’t legal, because Charlie never signed any marriage documents before he exchanged vows with Kat. The wedding officiator didn’t even say Charlie’s name during the ceremony. He just said “some guy” instead of Charlie’s name.
However, Kat decides with her annoying manager Colin Calloway (played by John Bradley) that she might as well get some publicity out of this fiasco, so she comes up with the idea to make the marriage legal. And if the marriage doesn’t work out in a few months, so be it. With this cavalier attitude toward marriage, it should come as no surprise that Charlie is Kat’s fourth husband. Her three previous marriages ended in divorce. (It might have been a nod to Lopez’s real-life failed marriages, because when Lopez made this movie, she had already been divorced three times.)
Since Charlie doesn’t know anything about Kat when they first meet, she gives him a brief summary of two of her previous failed marriages. Kat mentions that she was married to her first husband for 48 hours. (Sounds a lot like Britney Spears.) Kat also says that her second husband was a music producer who sold a private sex video they did together. (It’s probably a reference to when Lopez in real life sued her first ex-husband, Ojani Noa, for $10 million in 2009, when he tried to sell private sex videos that they made during their honeymoon.)
Kat then says that she and Bastian were together for about a year-and-a-half, and they got together after the breakup from her second ex-husband. There’s no mention of the third ex-husband and where he fits into the timeline of Kat’s train-wreck love life. Kat self-servingly makes it sound like bad things happen to her in her romantic relationships, yet she takes no responsibility for anything that she might have done wrong too that caused the relationships to fail.
At first, Charlie is reluctant to have his marriage to Kat be legal. “I have a daughter. I don’t want to drag her into a circus,” he tells Colin. This shady manager then blatantly lies and says that Lou won’t be affected by the publicity of Charlie being married to Kat. Colin says that the spin on this hasty marriage is that it’s a “break from tradition.” Charlie’s co-worker Parker then convinces Charlie to make the marriage legal, so that Charlie can get Kat to donate some money to the school where Charlie and Parker work.
It’s all so crass and cringeworthy. And this marriage doesn’t make Charlie look like he’s thinking of what’s best for his daughter Lou, who already has a tense relationship with Charlie because she thinks he’s boring, out-of-touch and a more than a little embarrassing. Charlie and his ex-wife (who has remarried and is never seen in the movie) share custody of Lou, who stays with Charlie three days a week. Lou is also a student at the middle school where Charlie teaches. Charlie is Lou’s math teacher and the leader of the school’s math club, where Lou is a reluctant member.
After this spontaneous wedding, Charlie gets thrust into the public spotlight, as he and Kat try to make their marriage work. Cue the expected scenes of Charlie not fitting in well with Kat’s superstar lifestyle. He is shocked and irritated when he’s hounded by paparazzi. Kat is someone who has 250 million followers on Instagram, but Charlie is someone who hates social media. Charlie doesn’t even have a smartphone. He still uses an outdated flip phone.
Charlie also has problems adjusting to the fact that Kat constantly has a camera operator with her to film her life for her social media channels. His name is Kofi (played by Khalil Middleton), who doesn’t say much, but Charlie thinks it’s intrusive and unnecessary for Kat to document her life in this way. Did Charlie forget that he married a superstar?
And there’s more of Charlie’s ignorance on display: Charlie finds it surprising and distasteful that Kat has signed several endorsement deals. “Her whole life is sponsored,” Charlie gripes. How do you think she makes much of her fortune, Charlie?
It’s not through selling recorded music (in real life, music superstars make most of their money through other means, such as touring and sponsorship deals), although “Marry Me” has blatant shilling of Lopez’s forgettable tunes in scenes that are really music video clips. There’s also some very over-the-top product placement in the movie. These products and song titles won’t be mentioned in this review because “Marry Me” does more than enough over-selling of what it’s trying to sell.
One of the corniest things about “Marry Me” is when Kat spouts some of her platitudes to try to explain why she’s so flaky in love and marriage, even though she has no credibility in giving advice on how to have a healthy and loving marriage that doesn’t end in divorce. In one scene, she tells Charlie: “I believe in marriage. It’s like math. If you get a problem wrong, you keep trying until you get it right.”
And immediately after Kat singles out Charlie in the audience with the intent to get him to marry her, she gives this semi-rambling speech: “If you want something different, you do something different. So this time, for the first time, you make a different choice. You jump off a cliff so high, you don’t even see the fall, and you just say yes.”
Even worse: “Marry Me” has a misguided way of trying to make Kat’s bad romantic judgment look like she’s a modern feminist. In reality, she’s an emotionally immature person who has some very outdated views on being single: She’s so afraid of being without a man, she pressures a total stranger to marry her. Confident and independent women don’t use marriage as a way to prove their self-worth, but as a way to share a committed relationship with another person.
Kat admits in one part of the movie that her impulsive wedding to Charlie was so she could save face after being humiliated by Bastian. In other words, the marriage to Charlie was more of a reaction than an independent-minded action. And you can bet there’s a part of the movie where Kat tries to make Bastian jealous and makes it obvious that she has lingering feelings for him. These mind games make Charlie insecure, of course, and you know where this is going in the “boy loses girl” part of the rom-com formula.
During their first press conference as spouses, Kat uses feminist-speak to try to justify using Charlie to boost her ego: “The rules, as they exist, pretty much suck for women. I mean, why do we have to wait until men propose? Why is everything on his terms? I think it’s time to shake things up!”
Kat continues, “How about this? We pick the guy, we keep our name, and let him earn the right to stay.” It sounds like a rousing feminist speech, except that Kat forgot that when she was on stage and saw Charlie, she actually did things the “old-fashioned” way with the man proposing. She saw Charlie’s “Marry Me” sign, and declared to him in front of the crowd, “Yes, I’ll marry you!” The filmmakers of this mindless movie expect viewers to forget that part too.
At the press conference, Charlie sounds even less convincing than Kat when trying to say that their marriage is a good idea. He awkwardly mentions that marriage has a history of being transactional, because in the old days, women were basically treated as property to be bought and sold into marriage. (He doesn’t mention that arranged marriages are still prevalent in many cultures.)
Charlie reminds the assembled reporters that a woman’s marital worth used to be based on her dowry in the old days, and how it’s so great that women have made progress since then. And yet, Charlie forgets to mention that this progress includes being a wealthy divorcée who can choose to marry a man who wants her money for his own personal agenda, such as making a large donation to his workplace. Hey, Charlie, what did you just say about a dowry being outdated?
And just who did Kat marry as her fourth husband? Charlie is a loner whose closest companion is his bulldog Tank. Not much is said about Charlie’s love life before he met Kat, except that Charlie and his ex-wife split up when Lou was too young to even remember when they were together. Predictably, Lou thinks her stepfather Steve (who is never seen in the movie) is a lot cooler than Charlie is, so Charlie feels inadequate and jealous. Guess who’s going to be the cool stepmother who will bring Charlie and Lou closer together?
You can almost do a countdown to when Kat shows up as a “surprise guest” in Charlie’s classroom, where she teaches the students how to correlate learning how to solve complicated math problems with learning how to dance like Kat Valdez. Later in the movie, Charlie’s math club students go to a big math competition in Peoria, Illinois, so you know exactly what that means in this cornball movie. Kat is completely unbelievable as someone who would be an attentive stepmother to Lou, unless it involves a photo op or self-serving video that Kat can put on her social media.
Lopez, who is one of the producers of “Marry Me,” is basically playing a version of herself as Kat Valdez in “Marry Me,” so the role really isn’t much of an acting stretch for her. Wilson just goes through the motions as dreadfully drab Charlie, who married a superstar, and then spends too much time whining about how famous Kat is. One of the most grating things about Charlie is that he acts personally offended when Kat does things to maintain her fame and fortune and fulfill her celebrity obligations, as if she’s suddenly supposed to change her lifestyle in the way that he sees fit.
Coleman is playing another in her long list of kid characters who are precocious, bratty or both. Silverman does her usual sarcastic schtick with a character who mouths off to people. Maluma doesn’t have much to do in this movie except sing and play a smooth-talking sex symbol. Michelle Buteau has an empty and superficial role as Kat’s image-conscious and sycophantic personal assistant Melissa, who doesn’t think too highly of nerdy Charlie. Utkarsh Ambudkar hams it up in a brief appearance as Coach Manny, the mean-spirited leader of the math competition’s arrogant reigning championship team.
“Marry Me” is a continuous pile-on of silly schmaltz and stereotypes, including the over-used “race to the airport” rom-com scene, because someone has to make a grand gesture that shows a commitment to love “before it’s too late.” And the movie’s 112-minute run time is too long, considering a lot of it is music video filler and rehashing of the same story arcs that have already been in hundreds of other romantic comedies. The movie’s pace drags in too many places, and the last third of “Marry Me” gets more and more ridiculous. “Marry Me” is not only a movie divorced from reality, but it’s also a movie divorced from any real wit and creativity.
Universal Pictures released “Marry Me” in U.S. cinemas and on Peacock on February 11, 2022.
BTS at the 2021 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 21, 2021. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
With three prizes each, BTS, Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion were the top winners at the 2021 American Music Awards, which were presented November 21 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Cardi B was the host of the ceremony. ABC had the U.S. telecast of the show. The American Music Awards are voted for online by fans.
BTS won the American Music Awards for Artist of the Year; Favorite Pop Song (for “Butter”); and Favorite Pop Duo or Group. Doja Cat received the prizes for Collaboration of the Year (for her “Kiss Me More” duet with SZA); Favorite R&B Album (for “Planet Her”); and Favorite Female R&B Artist. Megan Thee Stallion won the awards for Favorite Trending Song (“for Body”); Favorite Hip-Hop Album (for “Good News”); and Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist.
Several artists won two awards each, such as Olivio Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Cardi B, Carrie Underwood and Gabby Barrett. (See the complete list of winners at the end of the article.) Rodrigo went into the ceremony with the most nomnations (seven), followed by The Weeknd with six nods. The Weeknd ended up winning the award for Favorite Male R&B Artist. New categories this year were Favorite Trending Song (with nominees from TikTok on the year’s most viral songs); Favorite Gospel Artist; and Favorite Latin Duo or Group.
According to a press release from ABC: “Nominees are based on key fan interactions—as reflected on the Billboard charts—including streaming, album sales, song sales and radio airplay. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partner MRC Data, and cover the time period September 25, 2020, through September 23, 2021.” The 2021 American Music Awards ceremony was produced by MRC Live & Alternative and Jesse Collins Entertainment.
The following is from an ABC press release:
Show performance highlights included:
Multiple Grammy Award winners Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak, who just dropped their debut album as Silk Sonic, kicked off the night with an energetic opening performance of their recently released hit “Smokin Out The Window.”
It was a night of AMA debut performances, with Olivia Rodrigo taking the stage for a powerful performance of “Traitor,” the fourth single from her record-smashing album, “Sour.”
Pop megastars BTS joined legendary British band Coldplay for the world television premiere performance of “My Universe.”
Tyler, The Creator performed “Massa” off his sixth studio album, “Call Me If You Get Lost.”
This year’s new “My Hometown” segments included spectacular performances byCarrie Underwood and Jason Aldean and an epic “Battle of Boston” as iconic boy bands New Edition and New Kids On The Block shared the stage together for the very first time and had everyone on their feet.
Italian rock band and first-time AMA nominee Måneskin made their U.S. awards show debut when they performed their global No. 1 hit “Beggin.’”
Three-time AMA winner Jennifer Lopez delivered a magical performance of her newly released song “On My Way” from the soundtrack of her upcoming film “Marry Me.”
Country music star Mickey Guyton wowed audiences with her performance of her newest single “All American.”
Chlöemade her AMA performance debut from the Xfinity Stage with her debut single, “Have Mercy.”
Walker Hayes marked his AMAs debut with a fun performance of his viral song “Fancy Like.”
This year’s “AMA Song of the Soul” segment honored German singer/songwriter Zoe Wees for her powerhouse performance of “Girls Like Us.”
Five-time AMA winner Kane Brown performed his hit “One Mississippi” at Tennessee State University (TSU), a notable HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Brown also gave fans a look into his Tennessee and Georgia roots leading into his performance.
Diplo took on a special role and served as the first-ever AMAs musical curator, DJing his iconic tunes throughout the night.
Winner Highlights of the “2020 American Music Awards”:
Tonight, BTS made history at the AMAs as the first Asian group to win in the Artist of the Year category and won Favorite Pop Duo or Group and Favorite Pop Song for their record-breaking hit “Butter.” The group now has nine AMAs.
Now 34-time AMA winner Taylor Swift took home the awards for Favorite Female Pop Artist and Favorite Pop Album for her No. 1 album “Evermore.”
Following her breathtaking debut performance on the AMAs stage, Olivia Rodrigo won her first-ever AMA with New Artist of the Year.
Bad Bunnywas named Favorite Male Latin Artist at this year’s AMAs and won Favorite Latin Album for “EL ÚLTIMO TOUR DEL MUNDO.”
Kali Uchis, now first-time AMA winner, won Favorite Latin Song with her hit single “telepatía.”
Presenters included Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Anthony Ramos, Billy Porter, Brandy, JB Smoove, JoJo Siwa, Liza Koshy, Machine Gun Kelly, Marsai Martin, Madelyn Cline and Winnie Harlow.
The following is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 2021 American Music Awards:
*=winner
ARTIST OF THE YEAR Ariana Grande BTS* Drake Olivia Rodrigo Taylor Swift The Weeknd
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 24kGoldn Giveon Masked Wolf Olivia Rodrigo* The Kid LAROI
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR 24kGoldn ft. iann dior “Mood” Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez “DÁKITI” Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy” Doja Cat ft. SZA “Kiss Me More”* Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Giveon “Peaches”
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) “Leave The Door Open” Cardi B “Up” Lil Nas X “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)”* Olivia Rodrigo “drivers license” The Weeknd “Save Your Tears”
FAVORITE MALE POP ARTIST Drake Ed Sheeran* Justin Bieber Lil Nas X The Weeknd
FAVORITE FEMALE POP ARTIST Ariana Grande Doja Cat Dua Lipa Olivia Rodrigo Taylor Swift*
FAVORITE POP DUO OR GROUP AJR BTS* Glass Animals Maroon 5 Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
FAVORITE POP ALBUM Ariana Grande “Positions” Dua Lipa “Future Nostalgia” Olivia Rodrigo “SOUR” Taylor Swift “evermore”* The Kid LAROI “F*CK LOVE”
FAVORITE POP SONG BTS “Butter”* Doja Cat ft. SZA “Kiss Me More” Dua Lipa “Levitating” Olivia Rodrigo “drivers license” The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Save Your Tears (Remix)”
FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST Chris Stapleton Jason Aldean Luke Bryan* Luke Combs Morgan Wallen
FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST Carrie Underwood* Gabby Barrett Kacey Musgraves Maren Morris Miranda Lambert
FAVORITE COUNTRY DUO OR GROUP Dan + Shay* Florida Georgia Line Lady A Old Dominion Zac Brown Band
FAVORITE COUNTRY ALBUM Chris Stapleton “Starting Over” Gabby Barrett “Goldmine”* Lee Brice “Hey World” Luke Bryan “Born Here Live Here Die Here” Morgan Wallen “Dangerous: The Double Album”
FAVORITE COUNTRY SONG Chris Stapleton “Starting Over” Chris Young & Kane Brown “Famous Friends” Gabby Barrett “The Good Ones”* Luke Combs “Forever After All” Walker Hayes “Fancy Like”
FAVORITE MALE HIP-HOP ARTIST Drake* Lil Baby Moneybagg Yo Polo G Pop Smoke
FAVORITE FEMALE HIP-HOP ARTIST Cardi B Coi Leray Erica Banks Megan Thee Stallion* Saweetie
FAVORITE HIP-HOP ALBUM Drake “Certified Lover Boy” Juice WRLD “Legends Never Die” Megan Thee Stallion “Good News”* Pop Smoke “Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon” Rod Wave “SoulFly”
FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONG Cardi B “Up”* Internet Money ft. Gunna, Don Toliver & NAV “Lemonade” Lil Tjay ft. 6LACK “Calling My Phone” Polo G “RAPSTAR” Pop Smoke “What You Know Bout Love”
FAVORITE MALE R&B ARTIST Chris Brown Giveon Tank The Weeknd* Usher
FAVORITE R&B ALBUM Doja Cat “Planet Her”* Giveon “When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time” H.E.R. “Back of My Mind” Jazmine Sullivan “Heaux Tales” Queen Naija “missunderstood”
FAVORITE R&B SONG Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) “Leave The Door Open”* Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy” Giveon “Heartbreak Anniversary” H.E.R. “Damage” Jazmine Sullivan “Pick Up Your Feelings”
FAVORITE MALE LATIN ARTIST Bad Bunny* J Balvin Maluma Ozuna Rauw Alejandro
FAVORITE FEMALE LATIN ARTIST Becky G* Kali Uchis KAROL G Natti Natasha ROSALÍA
FAVORITE LATIN DUO OR GROUP Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga* Calibre 50 Eslabon Armado La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De Rene Camacho Los Dos Carnales
FAVORITE LATIN ALBUM Bad Bunny “EL ÚLTIMO TOUR DEL MUNDO”* Kali Uchis “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)” KAROL G “KG0516” Maluma “PAPI JUANCHO” Rauw Alejandro “Afrodisíaco”
FAVORITE LATIN SONG Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez “DÁKITI” Bad Bunny x ROSALÍA “LA NOCHE DE ANOCHE” Farruko “Pepas” Kali Uchis “telepatía”* Maluma & The Weeknd “Hawái (Remix)”
FAVORITE ROCK ARTIST AJR All Time Low Foo Fighters Glass Animals Machine Gun Kelly*
FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST CAIN Carrie Underwood* Elevation Worship Lauren Daigle Zach Williams
FAVORITE GOSPEL ARTIST Kanye West* Kirk Franklin Koryn Hawthorne Maverick City Music Tasha Cobbs Leonard
FAVORITE DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST David Guetta ILLENIUM Marshmello* Regard Tiësto
With four prizes, BTS, including the Group of 2020, was the top winner at the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards, which were presented on November 15 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. BTS also won the awards for the Song of 2020 (“Dynamite”); the Music Video of 2020 (“Dynamite”); and the Album of 2020 (“Map of the Soul: 7”). BTS did not attend the ceremony. E! Entertainment Television had the U.S. telecast of the ceremony, which was hosted b y Demi Lovato.
There were three non-competitive awards that were announced in advance: Tyler Perry received the People’s Champions Award; Tracee Ellis Ross received the Fashion Icon Award; and Jennifer Lopez received the People’s Icon of 2020. Justin Bieber and Chloe x Halle were the show’s performers.
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — Pictured: Tyler Perry, winner of People’s Champion Award, backstage during the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on November 15, 2020 — (Photo by: Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — In this image released on November 15, Jennifer Lopez, People’s Icon of 2020, accepts the award onstage for the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and on broadcast on Sunday, November 15, 2020. (Photo by: Christopher Polk/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — Pictured: Tracee Ellis Ross, winner of the Fashion Icon Award, backstage during the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on November 15, 2020 — (Photo by: Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — In this image released on November 15, Sofía Vergara, The Comedy TV Star of 2020, accepts the award onstage for the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and on broadcast on Sunday, November 15, 2020. (Photo by: Christopher Polk/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — Pictured: Joey King, The Comedy Movie Star of 2020, backstage during the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on November 15, 2020 — (Photo by: Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — Pictured: Ellen Pompeo, The Female TV Star of 2020, backstage during the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on November 15, 2020 — (Photo by: Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — In this image released on November 15, Tiffany Haddish, The Female Movie Star of 2020, accepts the award onstage during the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and on broadcast on Sunday, November 15, 2020. (Photo by: Christopher Polk/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — Pictured: Leslie Jones, The Comedy Act of 2020, backstage during the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on November 15, 2020 — (Photo by: Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — In this image released on November 15, Mandy Moore, The Drama TV Star of 2020, accepts the award onstage for the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and on broadcast on Sunday, November 15, 2020. (Photo by: Christopher Polk/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — In this image released on November 15, Demi Lovato speaks onstage for the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and on broadcast on Sunday, November 15, 2020. (Photo by: Christopher Polk/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — Pictured: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan of “Never Have I Ever”, The Comedy Show of 2020, backstage during the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on November 15, 2020 — (Photo by: Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment)
2020 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — In this image released on November 15, Demi Lovato speaks onstage for the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and on broadcast on Sunday, November 15, 2020. (Photo by: Christopher Polk/E! Entertainment)
Here is the complete list of nominees and winners at the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards:
*=winner
MOVIES
THE MOVIE OF 2020
Bad Boys for Life*
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Extraction
Hamilton
Project Power
The Invisible Man
The Old Guard
Trolls World Tour
THE DRAMA MOVIE OF 2020
Hamilton*
Dangerous Lies
Greyhound
I Still Believe
Invisible Man
The High Note
The Photograph
The Way Back
THE COMEDY MOVIE OF 2020
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Like A Boss
The Kissing Booth 2*
The King of Staten Island
The Lovebirds
The Wrong Missy
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
Bill & Ted Face the Music
THE ACTION MOVIE OF 2020
Bad Boys for Life
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Bloodshot
Extraction
Mulan*
Power Project
Tenet
The Old Guard
THE FAMILY MOVIE OF 2020
Dolittle
My Spy
Onward*
Scoob!
Sonic the Hedgehog
The Call of the Wild
The Willoughbys
Trolls World Tour
THE MALE MOVIE STAR OF 2020
Chris Hemsworth, Extraction
Jamie Foxx, Project Power
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Mark Wahlberg, Spenser Confidential
Robert Downey Jr., Dolittle
Tom Hanks, Greyhound
Vin Diesel, Bloodshot
Will Smith, Bad Boys for Life*
THE FEMALE MOVIE STAR OF 2020
Camila Mendes, Dangerous Lies
Charlize Theron, The Old Guard
Elisabeth Moss, The Invisible Man
Issa Rae, The Lovebirds
Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Salma Hayek, Like a Boss
Tiffany Haddish, Like a Boss*
Vanessa Hudgens, Bad Boys for Life
THE COMEDY MOVIE STAR OF 2020
David Spade, The Wrong Missy
Issa Rae, The Lovebirds
Joey King, The Kissing Booth 2*
Keanu Reeves, Bill & Ted Face the Music
Noah Centineo, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
Pete Davidson, The King of Staten Island
Salma Hayek, Like a Boss
Will Ferrell, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
THE ACTION MOVIE STAR OF 2020
Charlize Theron, The Old Guard
Chris Hemsworth, Extraction*
Jamie Foxx, Project Power
John David Washington, Tenet
Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Vanessa Hudgens, Bad Boys for Life
Vin Diesel, Bloodshot
Will Smith, Bad Boys for Life
THE DRAMA MOVIE STAR OF 2020
Ben Affleck, The Way Back
Elisabeth Moss, The Invisible Man
Issa Rae, The Photograph
KJ Apa, I Still Believe
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton*
Russell Crowe, Unhinged
Tom Hanks, Greyhound
Tracee Ellis Ross, The High Note
TV
THE SHOW OF 2020
Grey’s Anatomy*
Never Have I Ever
Outer Banks
The Bachelor
The Last Dance
The Masked Singer
This Is Us
Tiger King
THE DRAMA SHOW OF 2020
Grey’s Anatomy
Law & Order: SVU
Outer Banks
Ozark
Power
Riverdale*
The Walking Dead
This Is Us
THE COMEDY SHOW OF 2020
Dead To Me
Grown-ish
Insecure
Modern Family
Never Have I Ever*
Saturday Night Live
Schitt’s Creek
The Good Place
THE REALITY SHOW OF 2020
90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?
Below Deck Mediterranean
Keeping Up with the Kardashians*
Love & Hip Hop: New York
Love Is Blind
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Queer Eye
THE COMPETITION SHOW OF 2020
American Idol
America’s Got Talent
Top Chef
RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Bachelor
The Challenge: Total Madness
The Masked Singer
The Voice*
THE MALE TV STAR OF 2020
Chase Stokes, Outer Banks
Cole Sprouse, Riverdale*
Dan Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Jesse Williams, Grey’s Anatomy
Norman Reedus, The Walking Dead
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, Space Force
THE FEMALE TV STAR OF 2020
Christina Applegate, Dead To Me
Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead
Ellen Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy*
Lili Reinhart, Riverdale
Mandy Moore, This Is Us
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Sofía Vergara, Modern Family
THE DRAMA TV STAR OF 2020
Cole Sprouse, Riverdale
Chase Stokes, Outer Banks
Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead
Ellen Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy
Mandy Moore, This Is Us*
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
THE COMEDY TV STAR OF 2020
Christina Applegate, Dead To Me
Dan Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Jameela Jamil, The Good Place
Kate McKinnon, SNL
Kristen Bell, The Good Place
Sofía Vergara, Modern Family*
Yara Shahidi, Grown-ish
THE DAYTIME TALK SHOW OF 2020
Good Morning America
Live With Kelly & Ryan
Red Table Talk
The Ellen DeGeneres Show*
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The View
The Wendy Williams Show
Today
THE NIGHTTIME TALK SHOW OF 2020
Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
The Late Late Show with James Corden
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*
THE COMPETITION CONTESTANT OF 2020
Gigi Goode, RuPaul’s Drag Race*
Hannah Ann Sluss, The Bachelor
Jaida Essence Hall, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Just Sam, American Idol
Madison Prewett, The Bachelor
Kandi Burruss, The Masked Singer
Rob Gronkowski , The Masked Singer
Sammie Cimarelli, The Circle
THE REALITY STAR OF 2020
Antoni Porowski, Queer Eye
Darcey and Stacey Silva, Darcey & Stacey
Jonathan Van Ness, Queer Eye
Kandi Burruss, The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Kim Kardashian West, Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Khloe Kardashian, Keeping Up with the Kardashians*
Jennifer Lopez in Coach’s “Originals Go Their Own Way” Spring 2020 campaign (Photos courtesy of Coach)
Michael B. Jordan in Coach’s “Originals Go Their Own Way” Spring 2020 campaign (Photos courtesy of Coach)
The following is a press release from Coach:
Coach launches “Originals Go Their Own Way,” its campaign for Spring 2020. Starring award-winning actor, singer, producer and new face of Coach Jennifer Lopez in her first campaign for the house and global face of Coach menswear, actor and producer Michael B. Jordan, the campaign tells the story of authentic self-expression through the lens of its powerful cast.
Set in New York City, Coach’s home since 1941, “Originals Go Their Own Way” communicates Creative Director Stuart Vevers‘ evolved vision for the house. Spontaneous, real and playful to reflect the inclusive and optimistic spirit of the house and New York City, it celebrates authenticity, individuality and those who forge their own unique way in life. Emphasized by the inspiring stories of Lopez and Jordan, both known as courageously independent individuals who have paved new paths while staying true to themselves, the campaign advocates for doing things your own way and expressing yourself through purpose and style.
To bring the campaign to life, Vevers worked with photographer Juergen Teller, whose partnership with Coach began in the fall of 2019 and has continued through its holiday and spring campaigns. Shot in iconic locations around the city, including the Edge at Hudson Yards and the High Line, where Coach held its show for the Spring collection, the images also feature the sculpture “Brick House” by the artist Simone Leigh. The public artwork, a 16-foot tall bronze bust of a Black woman which references numerous architectural styles, is a symbol of inclusion, optimism and strength that sits beneath the house’s headquarters, and was featured in its recent show.
“At the start of a new decade, I felt instinctively that it was right to celebrate the color, energy and optimism of New York, our hometown and inspiration as a house,” said Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers. “I loved working with Juergen to bring my vision for Spring to life, and to tell the stories of Jennifer and Michael in a unique and authentic way.”
“I have a unique history with Coach that dates back to ‘All I Have,'” said Lopez. “It is a brand that embodies the essence of being born and bred in New York and I, of course, deeply relate to that. In all it creates, Coach promotes individuality and optimism in its style as well as a sense of authenticity and inclusion. Like me, we’re both New York originals, who create a unique mix of high-fashion with street edge. With Stuart’s designs and Juergen’s photography, we captured special and unique visual moments for this campaign with the iconic New York City skyline as the perfectly tailored backdrop.”
“I’m proud to be part of the new spring campaign,” said Jordan. “The story of what makes an original is very meaningful to me for many reasons, and it was a great experience working with Stuart and Juergen to tell that story in a way that feels fresh and powerful.”
“Originals Go Their Own Way” spotlights the house’s new Spring bags, including the Hutton, the Rambler, and the men’s Pacer Backpack and Belt Bag—and a ready-to-wear collection featuring a bold new statement in leather, a reference to the house’s roots.
ABOUT COACH Coach is a global design house of modern luxury leather goods, apparel, footwear, fragrance, eyewear and a full range of lifestyle accessories. Founded in 1941, Coach has a longstanding reputation built on quality craftsmanship and is defined by its confident New York style. The brand approaches design with a modern vision, reimagining luxury for today with an authenticity and innovation that is uniquely Coach. Coach products are available in approximately 55 countries through its network of directly operated stores, travel retail shops and sales to wholesale customers and independent third party distributors, as well as through coach.com.
Jennifer Lopez at the 2018 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on October 9, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/ABC/FilmMagic for DCP)
Shakira
The following is a press release from the National Football League:
Today, Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation announced cultural icons Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show on FOX at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, February 2, 2020. Pepsi and the NFL collaborated with Roc Nation to bring these two icons together for the first time ever, for what will be an unforgettable performance on the world’s biggest stage.
“Ever since I saw Diana Ross fly off into the sky at the Halftime Show, I dreamed of performing at the Super Bowl,” said Lopez. “And now it’s made even more special not only because it’s the NFL’s 100th season, but also because I am performing with a fellow Latina. I can’t wait to show what us girls can do on the world’s biggest stage.”
“I’m so honored to be taking on one of the world’s biggest stages in the company of a fellow female artist to represent Latinos and Latinas from the U.S. and all over the world — and to top it off, on my birthday!” said Shakira. “This is a true American dream and we are going to bring the show of a lifetime!”
Jennifer Lopez is an award-winning singer, actress, producer, and entertainer who has established herself in music, film, and television. She is a successful recording and touring artist who has sold over 75 million records and has a cumulative worldwide box-office gross of over $3 billion. As an artist, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and a philanthropist, Jennifer Lopez has been named to the TIME 100 list, Forbes’ Most Powerful Celebrity, and People’s first “Most Beautiful Woman in the World”, in addition to being nominated for both Golden Globe and GRAMMY awards and receiving the MTV Video Vanguard Award. Most recently, Lopez spent Summer 2019 touring the globe with her electrifying sold-out It’s My Party tour. She can currently be seen on the big screen as the notorious Ramona in the critically-acclaimed box office smash, Hustlers. As one of most influential female artists in history, Jennifer Lopez defines what it means to be a global icon and the ultimate multi-hyphenate.
Shakira is a Colombian singer-songwriter and multi-GRAMMY® award winner. She has sold over 75 million records worldwide and has won numerous awards including three GRAMMYs®, eleven Latin GRAMMYs®, and several World Music Awards, American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards, to name a few. She is the only artist from South America to have a number one song in the U.S., has had four of the 20 top-selling hits of the last decade, and is one of the top-5 YouTube artists of all time. Shakira’s last album “El Dorado” charted #1 on iTunes in 37 Countries, won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2017 Latin GRAMMY® Awards, and Best Latin Pop Album at the 2018 GRAMMY® Awards. With over 10 billion streams, it is one of the most-streamed female albums of all time. In November 2018 she wrapped her hugely successful El Dorado World Tour.
Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Announcement
The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is the most-watched musical performance of the year, with nearly 100 million viewers tuning in to last year’s show. Super Bowl LIV marks Pepsi’s eighth year as title sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and 18th year as an NFL partner. Past halftime performances include Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Prince, Madonna and more.
The Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show telecast will be produced by NFL Network with Ricky Kirshner serving as executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Roc Nation will serve as producers and strategic entertainment advisors of the live performance.
Viewers can expect unprecedented access to the making of pop culture’s biggest event and should stay tuned for more details. For ongoing updates on the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, follow @Pepsi on Instagram and Twitter.
The first exclusive interview between Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will air tonight on NFL Thursday Night Football during halftime of the 8:20p.m. ET game.
Jennifer Lopez at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
The following is a press release from Council of Fashion Designers of America:
On June 3, 2019, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) celebrated the winners and honorees of the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Hasan Minhaj and Jessica Williams joined the evening’s presenter lineup, which also included Yara Shahidi, Bernadette Peters, and Tom Ford.
Jessica Williams presented the evening’s Womenswear Designer of the Year award to Brandon Maxwell, and the Accessory Designer of the Year award to Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row. Hasan Minhaj presented the Menswear Designer of the Year award to Rick Owens, and the Emerging Designer of the Year award to Emily Adams Bode for Bode.
Jennifer Lopez was named Fashion Icon, presented by Tom Ford.
Harold Koda presented Lynn Yaeger with the Media Award.
Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen was recognized with the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti International Award, presented by Anna Wintour.
Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti are generously underwriting the International Award through their foundation, the non-profit Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti which is focused on charity and the promotion of culture and art.
The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Bob Mackie by Bernadette Peters.
The Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert was presented to Carine Roitfeld by Tom Ford.
Barbie received the Board of Directors’ Tribute, which was presented by Yara Shahidi.
The Positive Change Award was presented to Eileen Fisher by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne.
In one of the highlights of the evening, Michael Kors surprised outgoing CFDA Chairwoman Diane von Furstenberg with a tribute before she handed over the organization’s Chairmanship to Tom Ford.
“I have been privileged to lead the CFDA for the last 13 years,” said Diane von Furstenberg. “In fashion, we are about glamorous entrances, but beautiful exits are equally important. I could not have wished for a better exit, a more glamorous upgrade, and a better successor than Tom Ford.”
“I am honored to be the new Chairman of the CFDA and excited about all the opportunities I see in the future of American fashion,” said Tom Ford, the new Chairman of the CFDA. I have spent most of my career living and working in Europe, but I am an American fashion designer at heart who started here on Seventh Avenue. When I was asked to take on this new role, I felt a sense of duty to give back to our industry and to support our designers and the American fashion system in any way that I can, and in particular to help the next generation of talent succeed.”
“Tonight, at the Brooklyn Museum, designers, business partners, friends, supporters and muses have come together to celebrate our industry,” said Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA. “You have built American fashion into a cultural influence that drives our economy.”
The 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards red carpet was broadcast live on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Coverage of the ceremony was featured on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter as well as on www.cfda.com.
CFDA Diane von Furstenberg, Tom Ford, Steven Kolb
AWARDS PRESENTERS: Dao-Yi Chow, Tom Ford, Harold Koda, Hasan Minhaj, Maxwell Osborne, Bernadette Peters, Yara Shahidi, Jessica Williams, Anna Wintour
CFDA FASHION AWARDS NOMINEES: Womenswear Designer of the Year:Brandon Maxwell, Marc Jacobs, Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte, Rosie Assoulin, and Sander Lak for Sies Marjan. Menswear Designer of the Year:Mike Amiri for Amiri, Virgil Abloh for Off-White, Kerby Jean-Raymond for Pyer Moss, Rick Owens, and Thom Browne. Accessory Designer of the Year:Jennifer Fisher for Jennifer Fisher Jewelry, Virgil Abloh for Off-White, Tabitha Simmons, Telfar Clemens for Telfar, and Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row. Emerging Designer of the Year:Emily Adams Bode for Bode, Beth Bugdaycay for Foundrae, Heron Preston, Catherine Holstein for Khaite, and Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto for Staud.
HONOREES: Barbie, Sarah Burton, Eileen Fisher, Jennifer Lopez, Bob Mackie, Carine Roitfeld
DESIGNERS: Joseph Altuzarra, Fernando Garcia, Laura Kim, Giles Mendel, Jason Wu, Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez, Michael Kors, Nicola Glass, Rachel Zoe, Stacey Bendet, Stuart Vevers, Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch, Wes Gordon, Zac Posen, Christian Siriano, LaQuan Smith, Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Thom Browne
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The CFDA Remembers segment honored the passing of Kate Spade, Oribe, Blake Nordstrom, Babs Simpson, Michael Vollbracht, Ruth Finley, Ira Neimark, Kevin Krier, Bud Konheim, Max Azria, Tony Staffieri, Frank Rizzo, Patrick McCarthy, Lee Radziwill, Karl Lagerfeld
Amanda Harlech gave a special tribute to Karl Lagerfeld.
As part of the CFDA’s commitment to design education, CFDA member Christian Siriano and Ashley Graham acknowledged the following scholarships and post-graduate opportunities and their recipients.
CFDA Scholarship Awards: Yimey Hu, Rhode Island School of Design; Jacques Agbobly, Parsons School of Design Geoffrey Beene Design Scholarship Award: Samantha Diorio, Parsons School of Design Liz Claiborne Design Scholarship Award: Isabel Holden, Marist College Kenneth Cole Footwear Innovation Award: Sloan Fox, Kent State University
ABOUT THE 2019 CFDA FASHION AWARDS Nominees, honorees, and winners were determined by the CFDA Awards Guild which is comprised of CFDA members, leading fashion journalists, stylists, and top retail executives.
KCD was Executive Producer of the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards. STUDIO DE-YAN provided the Ceremony Creative Direction, Graphics, Video Production & Experiential Design.
The official partners of the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards include: Official Hydration Partner, LIFEWTR Official Airline Partner, American Airlines Official Wine Partner, Ecco Domani Official Carpet Partner, ECONYL® Official Ride Share Partner, Lyft Official Spirit Sponsor, Maestro Dobel Tequila Official Champagne Partner, Perrier-Jouët Official Hotel Partner, The Standard
Yara Shahidi at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Tom Ford at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Tom Ford and Carine Roitfeld at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Jessica Williams at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Jennifer Lopez at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Hasan Minhaj and wife Beena Patel at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Harold Koda and Lynn Yaeger at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Gigi Hadid at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Eileen Fisher at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Diane von Furstenberg at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Ciara at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Brandon Maxwell at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Carine Roitfeld at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Bella Hadid at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Ashley Graham at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo courtesy of BFA)
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez at the 36th annual CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga at the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 6, 2019. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced several entertainers who will be performers and presenters at the 91st Annual Academy Awards ceremony, which will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. ABC will have the U.S. telecast of the show, which will not have a host. As previously reported, comedian/actor Kevin Hart was going to host the show, but he backed out after the show’s producers demanded that he make a public apology for homophobic remarks that he made several years ago. After getting a firestorm of backlash for the homophobic remarks, Hart later made several public apologies but remained adamant that he would still not host the Oscars this year.
The celebrities who will be on stage at the Oscars this year are several of those whose songs are nominated for Best Original Song. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will perform their duet “Shallow” from their movie remake of “A Star Is Born.” Jennifer Hudson will perform “I’ll Fight” from the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary “RBG.” David Rawlings and Gillian Welch will team up for the duet “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from the Western film “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” It has not yet been announced who will perform “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from the Disney musical sequel “Mary Poppins Returns.”** It also hasn’t been announced yet if Kendrick Lamar and SZA will take the stage for “All the Stars” from the superhero flick “Black Panther.”
Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic do the music for the “In Memoriam” segment, which spotlights notable people in the film industry who have died in the year since the previous Oscar ceremony.
Meanwhile, the following celebrities have been announced as presenters at the ceremony: Whoopi Goldberg (who has hosted the Oscars twice in the past), Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Tessa Thompson Constance Wu, Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson. Goldberg and Bardem are previous Oscar winners.
Other previous Oscar winners taking the stage will be Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney, who won the actor and actress prizes at the 2018 Academy Awards.
Donna Gigliotti (who won an Oscar for Best Picture for 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love) and Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss are the producers of the 2019 Academy Awards. This will be the first time that Gigliotti is producing the Oscar ceremony. Weiss has directed several major award shows, including the Oscars and the Tonys. He will direct the Oscar ceremony again in 2019.
**February 18, 2019 UPDATE: Bette Midler will perform “The Place Where Los Things Go,” the Oscar-nominated song from “Mary Poppins Returns.” British rock band Queen, whose official biopic is the Oscar-nominated film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” will also perform on the show with lead singer Adam Lambert. It has not been revealed which song(s) Queen will perform at the Oscars.
February 19, 2019 UPDATE: These presenters have been added to the Oscar telecast: Elsie Fisher, Danai Gurira, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Helen Mirren, John Mulaney, Tyler Perry, Pharrell Williams, Krysten Ritter, Paul Rudd and Michelle Yeoh.
February 21, 2019 UPDATE: These celebrities will present the Best Picture nominees: José Andrés, Dana Carvey, Queen Latifah, Congressman John Lewis, Diego Luna, Tom Morello, Mike Myers, Trevor Noah, Amandla Stenberg, Barbra Streisand and Serena Williams.
Watching a New Year’s Eve special on TV is a tradition for millions of people around the world. After taking a break from a New Year’s Eve Special in 2017, NBC is back with its star-studded party in New York City’s Times Square. Here’s what is planned for the four biggest New Year’s TV specials in the United States:
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019
Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC)
Celebrating its 47th 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 headlined the show from New York City’s Times Square in 2018 and 2017. In 2018, another Grammy-winning diva—Christina Aguilera—is taking the headlining spot. Ryan Seacrest will once again host the show, which begins airing from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, followed by 11:30 p.m. to 2:13 a.m. ET. Jenny McCarthy will provide on-site reporting. Other performers in Times Square include Bastille, Dan + Shay and New Kids on the Block. Airing just after midnight Eastern Time, Post Malone will perform from a stop on his current tour in Brooklyn, New York, marking the first television performance of the new year. Meanwhile, the special has partnered with YouTube Music for the first time this year for cross-promotional programming.
Ciara will once again 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 Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini, Bazzi, Kane Brown, Camila Cabello, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Foster the People, Halsey, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth and Weezer, as well as collaborations from Brown featuring Alaina; Macklemore with Skylar Grey; and The Chainsmokers featuring Ballerini.
Meanwhile, actress Lucy Hale (former star of “Pretty Little Liars”) will host the show’s second annual Central Time Zone celebration from New Orleans. Florida Georgia Line and Maren Morris will perform from the Allstate Fan Fest, leading up to the midnight countdown and fleur-de-lis drop near Jackson Square. “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019” is produced by Dick Clark Productions with Seacrest, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco serving as executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.
Fox’s New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey: Live From Times Square
Steve Harvey (Photo by Brian Bowen Smith/Fox)
After televising its New Year’s Eve show (hosted by Pitbull) in Miami from 2014 to 2016, Fox changed locations and hosts in 2017, with the show now taking place at New York City’s Times Square with comedian/talk-show host Steve Harvey and former E! News personality Maria Menounous. This year, Harvey and Menounous return to co-host the show, which airs on Fox from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET live; CT/MT/PT tape-delayed. Performers will include Sting, Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, Florence + the Machine, Jason Aldean, Juanes and Why Don’t We. Additionally, the special will include celebrity cameo appearances by comedians Ken Jeong and Kenan Thompson, as well as “Fox NFL Sunday” commentators Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jimmy Johnson. “Fox’s New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey: Live From Times Square” is produced by IMG Original Content and Done + Dusted. Guy Carrington, Katy Mullan, Mike Antinoro, Dave Chamberlin and Orly Anderson serve as executive producers; and Eddie Delbridge serves as co-executive producer. IMG 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 several years.
[December 30, 2018 UPDATE: Dierks Bentley has been added to the lineup performing in Times Square.]
NBC’s New Year’s Eve
(Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal)
Stars from NBC’s “The Voice” are all over “NBC’s New Year’s Eve” special, which begins airing at 10 p.m. ET from New York City’s Times Square. Not only is “The Voice” host Carson Daly hosting the New Year’s Eve show (with Chrissy Teigen and assistance from Leslie Jones), but “The Voice” coaches Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and John Legend are also performing on the special. Other performers include Jennifer Lopez, Bebe Rexha, Diana Ross and Andy Grammer. Keith Urban and Brett Young will perform at Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville. “NBC Nightly News” and “Dateline NBC” anchor Lester Holt will also appear on stage before the iconic ball drop. “NBC’s New Year’s Eve” will be televised from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, followed by the New Year’s countdown segment 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET. “NBC’s New Year’s Eve” is executive produced by Daly, Teigen and John Irwin through NBCUniversal Television Studio and Irwin Entertainment. It is co-executive produced by Casey Spira.
New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper (Photo courtesy of CNN)
For the second year in a row, 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 11th annual New Year’s Eve Show, which is telecast live from New York City’s Times Square has a more star-studded lineup this year than in previous years. Gwen Stefani is scheduled to perform from her Las Vegas residency, while Keith Urban (who also appears on NBC’s New Year’s Eve Special), Dave Chappelle, Patti LaBelle and Jack Black also round out the show’s celebrity lineup. New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will also spotlight Broadway musicals such as “The Band’s Visit,” “Wicked,” “Tootsie” and “Come From Away.” CNN’s New Year’s Eve Show begins at 8 p.m. ET, and will end at approximately 1:05 p.m. ET. CNN anchors Don Lemon and Brooke Baldwin will host a countdown from New Orleans at 12:30 a.m. ET.In 2017, Cohen replaced Kathy Griffin, who was notoriously fired from the show in May of that year 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, but the Cooper/Cohen duo brought in the show’s highest ratings so far. Cooper and Cohen have an established rapport, since they have done numerous speaking engagements together.
Beeb Rexha and Jennifer Lopez at the 2018 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on October 9, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/AMA2018/Getty Images for DCP via ABC)
The following is a press release from NBC:
“NBC’s New Year’s Eve” will kick off 2019 with the biggest names in music as Jennifer Lopez and Bebe Rexha join the previously announced line-up that includes Diana Ross, Kelly Clarkson, Andy Grammer, John Legend and Blake Shelton, as well as Keith Urban and Brett Young, who will perform live from Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville.
In addition to the incredible musical slate, Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen will host live from Times Square along with Leslie Jones. Lester Holt, from “NBC Nightly News” and “Dateline NBC,” will also appear on stage before the iconic ball drop.
Lopez will perform “Limitless,” the anthem from her upcoming comedy feature film, “Second Act,” which arrives in theaters Dec. 21. Rexha will perform “Imagine” in Times Square at midnight.
The special will air Monday, Dec. 31 from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT, will break for local news and return for the final countdown from 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Prior to “NBC’S New Year’s Eve,” Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will ring in the new year with “A Toast to 2018,” a star-studded New Year’s Eve primetime special highlighting the year’s biggest pop culture moments, videos and trends. An all-star cast of celebrities – from Michael Bublé and Ellie Kemper to Kenan Thompson and Busy Philipps – will dish on the most talked-about stories that made for an unforgettable 2018.
The two-hour special airs from 8-10 p.m. and will also feature interviews with Chrissy Metz, Jaimie Alexander, Howie Mandel, Melissa Rivers, Ryan Eggold, Savannah Guthrie, Giuliana Rancic, Jason Kennedy, Wanda Sykes, Johnny Weir, Carson Kressley, Al Roker, Lester Holt, Willie Geist, Natalie Morales, Craig Melvin, Keith Morrison, Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Dennis Murphy, Dylan Dreyer, Brad Goreski, Chris D’Elia, Brent Morin, Loni Love and many more.
About Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is an award-winning singer, actress, producer, and entertainer who has established herself in both music and film. She is a successful recording and touring artist who has sold over 75 million records and has a cumulative worldwide box-office gross of more than $3 billion. Lopez is one of the most influential female artists in history. As an artist, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and a philanthropist, Jennifer Lopez has been named to the TIME 100 list, Forbes magazine’s most powerful celebrity, and People magazine’s first “Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” in addition to receiving the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Without a doubt, Lopez is a global icon and the ultimate multihyphenate. She can next be seen starring in the upcoming comedy feature film, “Second Act.”
About Bebe Rexha
Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha has accumulated more than 12 million overall single sales, 6 billion total global streams and a radio audience of more than 10 billion. Her highly anticipated debut album, “Expectations,” was released June 22 on Warner Bros. Records and features her massive single, “I’m a Mess,” as well as her global #1 smash “Meant to Be” with Florida Georgia Line, which remained on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for a record-breaking 50 straight weeks. Rexha was nominated in two categories for the 61st annual Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Meant to Be.” Rexha, whom Billboard calls “one of the most daring artists of 2017,” burst onto the scene in 2013 when she penned the song “Monster,” which became a worldwide hit for Eminem and Rihanna and went RIAA 6x-platinum stateside. Since then, Rexha co-wrote and carried the instantly recognizable hook for the 3x-platinum “Hey Mama,” by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, which was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song. She also hit #1 both on the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with her platinum-selling smash single, “Me, Myself & I” with G-Eazy. Her single “I Got You” has more than 265 million views, “No Broken Hearts,” featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 253 million views and she is featured on Martin Garrix’s single, “In the Name of Love,” which has amassed more than 414 million views. Rexha released her second EP, “All Your Fault: Part 1,” and the follow-up, “All Your Fault: Part 2,” in 2017 to rave reviews.
About Lester Holt
Lester Holt is an award-winning journalist and anchor of both “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” and “Dateline NBC.” Holt also leads NBC News’ special reports, breaking news and primetime political coverage. Holt was named to the role of “NBC Nightly News” anchor in June 2015 after eight years as anchor of “NBC Nightly News” weekend editions and 12 years as co-anchor of “Weekend Today.” In addition, Holt has served as principal anchor of “Dateline NBC” since September 2011. Holt joined NBC News in 2000 and is known for his outstanding work in the field, reporting and anchoring from breaking news events across the globe. He traveled to PyeongChang in February to cover his ninth Olympic games after returning home from a trip to North Korea where he reported on the growing tensions between the United States and the totalitarian state. Over the past several years, he has crisscrossed the globe covering the terrorist attacks in Europe, Nelson Mandela’s funeral in South Africa, the civil unrest in Egypt during the Arab Spring, and the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti. As a preeminent broadcast journalist, Holt was selected to moderate the first presidential debate of 2016, which was the most-watched debate in American history. Holt’s one-on-one with President Trump in May 2017 stands as the most consequential interview of the Trump presidency after Trump told Holt the firing of former FBI head James Comey was tied to the Russia investigation. As a preeminent broadcast journalist, Holt was selected to moderate the first presidential debate of 2016, which was the most-watched debate in American history.
