New Year’s Eve specials ringing in 2019 will feature Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Sting and more

December 27, 2018

by Carla Hay

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

Carson Daly, Chrissy Teigen, Leslie Jones, Keith Urban
(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.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: The Chainsmokers, Kelsea Ballerini, Dua Lipa among Los Angeles performers to ring in 2019

November 26, 2018

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

Dick Clark Productions and ABC today announced hosts and musical performances for America’s biggest live New Year’s television broadcast, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019.” Emmy®-winning producer and television/radio personality Ryan Seacrest will return to host from Times Square for his 13th year, with live onsite reporting by actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy. Multi-platinum music superstar Ciara will return to ring in the New Year from the West Coast as the host of the Hollywood Party, joined by performances from Kelsea Ballerini, The Chainsmokers, Foster the People, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai and Charlie Puth. The festivities will also feature a performance by Macklemore with Skylar Grey presented by Planet Fitness, and a special collaboration from The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini. Also announced today, award-winning actress Lucy Hale will return to host the 3rd annual Central Time Zone celebration from New Orleans, providing viewers with exclusive performances and interviews leading up to the midnight countdown and stunning fleur-de-lis drop near Jackson Square at the dawn of the New Year.

Ranked as the #1 music special of 2017, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019” marks the 47th anniversary of America’s biggest celebration of the year and will include 5 ½ hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s festivities from around the globe. The celebrated event will take place on MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST on the ABC Television Network. Additional performances will be announced soon.

“For 47 years, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve has been America’s biggest and most watched party of the year,” said Mark Bracco, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President of Programming & Development, dick clark productions. “We’re thrilled that Ryan, Jenny, Ciara and Lucy are back to help America usher in the New Year, along with a stellar lineup of the year’s hottest musical artists.”

“With Ryan at the helm and Jenny, Ciara and Lucy hosting from coast-to-coast, we can’t wait to ring in the new year on ABC,” said Rob Mills, SVP, Alternative Series, Specials and Late Night. “We have some of the top musical acts set to perform at the Hollywood Party, with more to be announced for our Times Square and New Orleans celebrations, making ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest’ a night to remember.”

Ryan Seacrest in New York’s Times Square on December 31, 2017. (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC)

Ryan Seacrest is a creative entrepreneur and holds preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, as well as nationally syndicated and local radio. Seacrest is host and executive producer of the annual live ABC broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” He is co-host and executive producer of the Disney/ABC nationally syndicated entertainment talk show “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” He is also the host of the iconic music competition series “American Idol” on ABC. Seacrest also serves as host and executive producer of the “E! Live from the Red Carpet” award season shows. On radio, Seacrest is host of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his market-topping #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time show for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as a nationally-syndicated Top 40 radio show. Seacrest helms Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP) an Emmy-winning entertainment production company. RSP produces the E! hit cable series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and its spin-offs, “E! Live from the Red Carpet” award shows, as well as Bravo’s “Shahs of Sunset.” Additionally, RSP produces “Insatiable” for Netflix, and has scripted projects in development with ABC Studios and Amazon. The company also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” As an entrepreneur Seacrest has a burgeoning lifestyle enterprise, which includes a menswear collection, Ryan Seacrest Distinction, and a men’s skincare line, Polished by Dr. Lancer, in partnership with dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer. He has also several investments in media and technology companies including ATTN:, Headspace, Civic Entertainment Group, among others. His philanthropic efforts include serving as chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), which has ten broadcast media centers – Seacrest Studios – in pediatric hospitals in cities across the country. He also serves on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and as honorary chair of the Grammy Museum.

Jenny McCarthy in New York’s Times Square on December 31, 2017. (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC)

Jenny McCarthy is a comedian, actress, host, best-selling author and spokeswoman, who currently hosts her own talk show, “The Jenny McCarthy Show,” on Sirius XM, and will soon be seen as a panelist on the celebrity singing competition “The Masked Singer,” which premieres on FOX in January 2019. She created and launched monthly sessions of the “Inner Circle” on Sirius in 2016 which features intimate conversations with celebrity guests and experts on a variety of topics; Kelly Clarkson was featured as her first guest.  McCarthy previously co-hosted “The View,” executive-produced and starred in “Donnie Loves Jenny” and hosted late night talk show “The Jenny McCarthy Show.”  McCarthy’s comedy special, “Dirty Sexy Funny,” continues to tour the country. Major network television shows have enlisted Jenny to star in recurring guest roles, such as “Two and a Half Men,” “Just Shoot Me,” and “The Drew Carey Show,” proving Jenny continues to be a sought-after comedic actress. Jenny began her hosting career on MTV’s “Singled Out” and more recently continued on to host the second season of NBC’s adventure dating series, “Love in the Wild.”  Jenny once again joined Ryan Seacrest to report live from Times Square on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2014.”  A New York Times Best Seller, McCarthy has penned eight releases to date, and is a spokesperson for major international brands. In addition to appearing in a multitude of campaigns, including the memorable Candie’s shoe ads, Jenny has graced the covers of magazines across the world including Rolling Stone, People, six covers of Playboy, the most recent being 2012 where she celebrated her 40th birthday, and three covers of Shape. The diversity in her resume highlights her unique combination of intelligence, sex appeal and humor. Jenny, and husband Donnie Wahlberg – the couple wed in August of 2014 – entered into a production deal for their new unscripted docuseries “Donnie Loves Jenny,” that Jenny executive produced. The series premiered on A&E in early January 2015 and wrapped its third season in March 2016.  Most recently, Jenny created and launched her own mixed cocktail beverage in November 2017, appropriately branded as, “Blondies,” to much success. The vodka cocktail has been featured on an episode of Wahlburgers on A&E, alongside her husband, Donnie Wahlberg. The alcoholic beverage is a special project, and has that special Jenny touch, from the deliciousness inside to the bottle design itself. Jenny currently resides outside of Chicago with her son, Evan and husband, Donnie.

Ciara (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)

Ciara is a Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter, producer, model and actress. Over her thirteen-year career, she has sold over 23 million records and 16 million singles worldwide, including chart-topping hits “Goodies,” “Ride,” “Oh,” “1, 2 Step,” “Body Party,” and “I Bet.” Most recently, Ciara has been scorching this summer with her new song “Level Up” which has transformed into a defining moment for the culture with the subsequent movement it has incited. Beyond clocking over 100 million views on YouTube, the song spent several weeks at #1 on the iTunes Top R&B/Soul Songs Chart and top 10 on iTunes overall, and attracted Missy Elliott and Fatman Scoop for a high-profile remix which also shot up the iTunes charts. Its high-powered dance initially inspired fans to shoot their own videos with the hashtag #LevelUpChallenge—stirring up a viral buzz that has seen over 2 million posts across social media and launched the video to a #1 trending topic on YouTube. Known for her incredible visuals and stellar dance abilities, Ciara’s videos have been viewed over 1.4 billion times accurately earning her the moniker of “Queen of Dance.”  Ciara continues to captivate with her social media prowess reaching over 50 million fans across her platforms and channels. Ciara is not only known for her vocal talent and dance moves, but she is signed with IMG Models and Vogue previously named her the “new fashion icon.” Most recently, she became a Global Brand Ambassador for Revlon.  As longtime muse for several high-fashion designers, Ciara has not only been the face of various campaigns but she has graced the covers of numerous fashion and lifestyle magazines. Ciara is a devoted wife and mother of two as well as a philanthropist who is dedicated to improving the lives of children and empowering women across the globe.

Lucy Hale (Photo by Jordon Nuttall/The CW)

Multi-talented and dynamic, Lucy Hale captured the attention of millions as the star of Freeform’s smash hit series “Pretty Little Liars.” Hale was nominated for People’s Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Actress in 2017. She has also won a Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress seven times and she was presented with the 2013 Gracie Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Rising Star. Hale was recently seen starring in the thriller “Truth or Dare” from Blumhouse Productions alongside Tyler Posey which was released in April 2018. The film follows a group of friends who play a seemingly harmless game of truth or dare that turns deadly. Hale was also seen in the Netflix Original film “Dude” alongside Kathryn Prescott and Alexandra Shipp. The film was released in April 2018 and tells the story of four best girlfriends who negotiate loss and major life changes during the last two weeks of high school. Additionally, on the small screen Hale was seen starring in the CW’s drama series “Life Sentence.” The show follows her character, Stella Abbot, who finds out her terminal cancer is cured and now must learn to live with all the choices she made when deciding to live like she was dying. The series ran through June 2018. She is currently in production on the Indie Rom Com “A Nice Girl Like You” which is based on a memoir by Ayn Carrillo-Gailey and directed by Chris and Nick Riedell. The story follows Lucy Neal (Hale), a violinist who is thrown for a loop when she is accused of being too inhibited by her ex-boyfriend. In an effort to prove him wrong, Lucy creates a rather wild to-do list that sends her on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery, friendship, and new love. Hale will be serving as a co-producer on the film. Prior, she starred as the lead in CW’s critically acclaimed comedy “Privileged.” That same year, Hale starred in Warner Bros.’ coming of age comedy “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” alongside Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrera. She also starred as the lead in ABC Family’s teen musical “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song” alongside Freddie Stroma and lent her voice to Disney’s animated film “Secret of the Wings.” In addition to her thriving acting career, Hale joined forces with Rascal Flatts to release a cover of Frozen’s epic anthem “Let It Go” for the We Love Disney compilation. This followed the release of her debut album Road Between the year prior.

Praised by The New York Times as being an “elegant songwriter,” Grammy nominee Kelsea Ballerini’s latest single, “Miss Me More,” hails from her acclaimed sophomore album “Unapologetically,” The newly released deluxe edition includes four tracks: “Fun and Games,” “I Think I Fell In Love Today,” “Landslide (Live from Nashville)” (Fleetwood Mac), and her new collaboration with The Chainsmokers, “This Feeling,” plus the original 12-track compilation. Included in an all-star lineup of musical guests, Ballerini is set to perform during “The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Holiday Special,” airing December 2 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming, and on demand. Slated to join Kelly Clarkson’s Meaning of Life Tour in January 2019, she will then break out on her own for her first-ever headline arena tour – The Miss Me More Tour – with Brett Young (plus special guest Brandon Ratcliff) next spring. Continuing to blaze a trail that’s all her own, Ballerini appears on NBC’s hit music competition series, “The Voice,” as their first-ever fifth coach during the 10-part Comeback Stage series this season. In addition to being awarded high-profile accolades from ASCAP, iHeartRadio, Billboard, and Radio Disney, plus several breakthrough female artist nods from ACM and CMT, the Black River Entertainment artist remains the only female artist in the genre’s history, including female duos and groups, to claim #1 with her first three consecutive singles [platinum-certified, #1 smashes – “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs,” “Peter Pan”] from a debut album [gold-certified breakout “The First Time”].

Grammy Award-winning and Billboard Chart topping artist/producer duo, The Chainsmokers, have evolved into a dominating musical force with a diverse repertoire of songs that have led them to become one of music’s hottest recording artists.  Comprised of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, their signature sound deftly reaches across indie, progressive and pop realms and has seen them develop some of the biggest breakthrough songs over the course of the last two years. In 2016, the group catapulted to worldwide stardom with 3 Multi-Platinum certified hits – “Roses,” featuring Rozes, “Don’t Let Me Down” featuring Daya and “Closer,” featuring Halsey, which went on to become the longest running #1 single of 2016 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In April of 2017, the group released their debut album via Disruptor/Columbia Records titled “Memories…Do Not Open.” The album, which has been certified Platinum, debuted at #1 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 chart and produced Multi-Platinum certified smash hits “Paris” and “Something Just Like This” featuring Coldplay. The latest releases from the duo include “This Feeling,” featuring Kelsea Ballerini, “Siren” with French DJ Aazar, “Save Yourself,” a collaboration with dance music tastemaker NGHTMRE, “Side Effects,” featuring longtime collaborator Emily Warren, “Sick Boy,” “You Owe Me,” “Everybody Hates Me” and “Somebody,” featuring Drew Love of buzzy R&B duo THEY. Together, these tracks comprise the latest chapter in the duo’s ongoing building album entitled “Sick Boy.” Alex and Drew will continue releasing music and touring across the globe throughout 2018 and beyond.

Founded in in 2009, Foster the People achieved success with the 2011 release of their debut album “Torches,” which has sold nearly two million albums and over nine million singles worldwide. “Torches” features the #1 hit single “Pumped Up Kicks,” which was declared “the year’s anthem” by SPIN, and also spawned the chart topping singles “Don’t Stop (Color On The Walls),” “Houdini,” and “Helena Beat.” Foster the People garnered three Grammy nominations for their monumental debut, including Best Alternative Album, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Pumped Up Kicks” and Best Short Form Music Video for “Houdini.” “Supermodel” was the second full-length record from Foster the People. Influenced by frontman Mark Foster’s world travels and shifting perspective, the album was recorded in studios around the world and features fan favorites including “Coming of Age” and “Best Friend.” In 2017, the band followed with their third record, “Sacred Hearts Club,” which features multi-format, Platinum-certified hit “Sit Next To Me.” The track, described as “pure shimmering pop” by The Associated Press, hit #3 at Alternative Radio, #19 at Top 40 and reached top 10 at both AAA and Adult Pop. “Sit Next To Me” has accumulated over 200 million global streams to date and received a nomination for “Choice Rock/Alternative Song” at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards, where the band also performed the song live. They also delivered solid performances of the track on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Most recently, Foster the People has released new single “Worst Nites.” The band will continue to tour through the end of the year.

With the release of her self-titled debut album, London born, Kosovo raised Dua Lipa has won over the hearts of fans and press alike. The songs on “Dua Lipa” announced the arrival of a new force in pop—irresistible on the dance floor, thoughtful under closer inspection, constantly discovering creative possibilities. Her critically acclaimed debut made everyone’s “best of” list, from The Fader to Rolling Stone to Time Magazine. Her power anthem “New Rules” reached #1 on the Top 40 chart, and broke the longstanding record for consecutive weeks on the Billboard Pop Songs Chart. The video for the song went viral and made her the youngest female solo artist to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. She was consistently the most streamed female artist on Spotify and in the top 5 globally this past year. “Dua Lipa” sold 3 million copies, with singles reaching 32 million sold. Most recently, Lipa made BRIT Award history becoming the first woman artist to pick up five nominations, taking home the awards for British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist.

“Gemini,” Macklemore’s first solo effort in 12 years, was released in September of 2017 and is RIAA certified golf. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Independent Albums charts. The album follows two releases with producer Ryan Lewis: the multiple-Grammy award winning album ‘The Heist’ and 2016 release ‘This Unruly Mess I’ve Made’ (featuring Platinum-certified single “Downtown”). “Gemini” includes platinum singles “Glorious” (featuring Skylar Grey) and “Good Old Days” (featuring Kesha), and gold single “Marmalade” (featuring Lil Yachty). The viral video for hit single “Glorious” stars Macklemore’s 100 year old grandmother, while the video for “Marmalade” (featuring Lil Yachty) stars a Mini Macklemore and a Lil Lil Yachty with cameos by running back legend Marshawn Lynch, Lil Yachty and Macklemore. The video for third single, “Good Old Days” (featuring Kesha) stars Macklemore and Kesha, and the video for “Corner Store” (featuring Dave B and Travis Thompson) features all three of the Seattle rappers. He recently completed a North American co-headlining tour entitled “The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore,” which included stops at Jones Beach Theater in New York and The Forum in Los Angeles. Collectively Macklemore’s music videos have been viewed over 3 billion times and he is one of only two rappers to have a diamond-certified single. Macklemore’s previous solo releases include “The Language of My World” and the mixtapes “Open Your Eyes” and “The Unplanned Mixtape.” In the time between “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made,” the Seattle rapper’s 2016 album with Ryan Lewis and “Gemini,” Macklemore released two solo songs “Wednesday Morning” and “Drug Dealer,” performed on Ellen and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, was featured in an MTV special with President Obama about the opioid epidemic in America and was the first US citizen ever to participate in the Presidential Weekly Address.

Skylar Grey is a five-time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter.  She is responsible for co-writing some of the most memorable songs to light up the Billboard Hot 100 and iTunes sales charts, totaling more than 25 million in sales worldwide. Grey collaborated with Eminem on his latest record “Revival” released on December 15, 2017. She is featured on the song “Tragic Endings” and has three additional writing and producing credits on the album including “Walk On Water” featuring Beyoncé, “Like Home” featuring Alicia Keys, and “Need Me” featuring Pink. She performed “Walk On Water,” “Stan” and “Love The Way You Lie” on Saturday Night Live with Eminem on November 18. 2017, the former of which she also co-wrote. Last year, Grey featured on Macklemore’s platinum single “Glorious,” which was included on his solo album “Gemini,” released on September 22, 2017.  The song reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. For Super Bowl LII, Grey’s stirring rendition of the 1961 Ben E King classic “Stand By Me” soundtracked Budweiser’s commercial. Grey performed the song on “The Today Show” on February 2, 2018. Currently, Grey is working on her third studio album with Interscope Records/Kid In A Korner.  After years of experimentation, she is revisiting her organic style roots with her new sound.  “I’ve definitely gone on a lot of musical adventures over the past few years, working with people in hip-hop and with DJs and experimenting in all these different genres,” Grey says. “And it’s good to keep going on adventures, because you never know what you’re capable of. But this new album is very much me coming home, and doing something that’s most authentic to who I am at the core.” Grey a Wisconsin native, currently resides in Napa, California.

10 Summers and Interscope Records, Ella Mai’s awe-inspiring journey to the top of the music charts is sure to reach new heights this fall with the release of her highly anticipated, debut. Executive produced by Mustard, the throwback R&B album, simply titled “Ella Mai,” is due October 12, 2018. The British singer-songwriter continues to break long held records with her RIAA Certified Triple-Platinum single, “Boo’d Up.” The 23 year old has solidified her standing as the first U.K. artist to top the US R&B chart since 1992, she is also the first woman to top three R&B/Hip-Hop Radio charts since Beyoncé in 2012. “Boo’d Up” has also now tied Mary J Blige’s “Be Without You” as the longest running #1 by a female artist in R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart history. The breakout star who is also nominated for two American Music Awards will be joining the esteemed Bruno Mars on his 24K Magic World Tour beginning in October. Ella Mai is now available for pre-order.

At only 26 years old, multiple-GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter/producer Charlie Puth has proven to be one of the most consistent hitmakers in pop music today.  In just 3 short years, Charlie has already amassed 5 Multi-Platinum singles, three Grammy nominations, two Billboard Music Awards, one Critic’s Choice Award, and one Golden Globe nomination.  His latest album “Voicenotes” was certified gold only four days after its release, and has logged over 3.4 billion streams worldwide to date.  Written and produced by Charlie himself, “Voicenotes” has also received universal acclaim, including  the New York Times calling it “one of the year’s best pop albums.”  The album features 3x-platinum-certified “Attention,” Platinum-certified “How Long,” gold-certified “Done For Me,” and, most recently, “The Way I Am.” Charlie exploded onto the music scene writing and recording the breakout smash See You Again,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks and was the best selling song of 2015 worldwide with over 20.9 Million units sold.  The song received three Grammy nominations (including Song Of The Year) as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song.  The following year, Charlie released his full length debut, the platinum-certified Nine Track Mind, which spawned a remarkable three multi-platinum certified singles in “One Call Away,” “Marvin Gaye (feat. Meghan Trainor),” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore (feat. Selena Gomez).”
YouTube Music is the presenting sponsor of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2019.”

“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019” is produced by dick clark productions with Ryan Seacrest, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco serving as executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.

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

8:00-10:00 p.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 – Part 1”

10:00-11:00 p.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 – Part 2”

11:30 p.m.-1:09 a.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 – Part 1”

1:09-2:13 a.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 – Part 2”

For additional photos, please visit www.disneyabc.com.

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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 ABC Entertainment
ABC Entertainment airs compelling programming across all day parts, including the new dramas “A Million Little Things” and “The Rookie,” starring Nathan Fillion; new comedies “The Conners,” “The Kids Are Alright” and “Single Parents”; and the new prime-time talk show, “The Alec Baldwin Show.” The ABC Television Network is also home to the groundbreaking dramas “The Good Doctor,” “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Grey’s Anatomy”; the Emmy® Award-winning “Modern Family” and trailblazing comedy favorites “black-ish,” “American Housewife,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “The Goldbergs,” “Speechless” and “Splitting Up Together”; hit game shows “The $100,000 Pyramid,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Match Game” and “To Tell the Truth”; star-making sensation “American Idol”; reality phenomenon “Shark Tank,” iconic “The Bachelor” franchise, long-running hits “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos”; “General Hospital,” which has aired for over 50 years on the network; and late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The network also boasts some of television’s most prestigious awards shows, including “The Oscars®,” “The CMA Awards” and “The American Music Awards.”

ABC’s multiplatform business initiative also allows viewers to watch current episodes of their favorite ABC shows anytime, anywhere on ABC.com and the ABC app for desktop, smartphone, tablet or connected TV devices.

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.

2018 Billboard Music Awards: presenters announced; Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Khalid, Kesha, Macklemore, Salt N Pepa, En Vogue, Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey added to performer lineup

May 17, 2018

Billboard Music Awards

The following are excerpts from press releases from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:

Dick Clark Productions and NBC announced today the full line-up of presenters for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.” The film, television and music stars slated to take the stage throughout the night include Hailey Baldwin, Tyra Banks, Alison Brie, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Andy Cohen, Simon Cowell, Darren Criss, Halsey, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Justin Hartley & Chrissy Metz, Nick Jonas & Mustard, Chloe Kim, Mila Kunis, Padma Lakshmi, Des Linden, Julia Michaels, French Montana, Ne-Yo, Derek Hough & Jenna Dewan, Evan Ross & Ashlee Simpson, Grace VanderWaal and Rebel Wilson.

They join host, performer and “The Voice” coach Kelly Clarkson, plus previously announced performances by BTS, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Khalid, John Legend, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez and Shawn Mendes, plus collaborations by Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato, Macklemore and Kesha, Salt-N-Pepa featuring En Vogue and Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey on a night filled with music’s biggest names. Global superstar Janet Jackson will receive this year’s Billboard Music Awards ICON Award and will also take the stage for a highly anticipated performance of her greatest hits, marking her first performance on television in nine years.

Macklemore and Kesha will perform their heartfelt single, “Good Old Days,” together in a special performance presented by T-Mobile, as part of the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.” The duo will perform their feel-good hit – which debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart – just down the Strip from the main show on Toshiba Plaza outside of T-Mobile Arena. T-Mobile will provide fans exclusive, behind-the-scenes content with Macklemore and Kesha in addition to an inside look at the BBMAs throughout the evening. Fans can keep up with and join the conversation by using #AreYouWithUs and following T-Mobile’s social channels.

Khalid and Mendes will take the stage for a special collaboration and the world television premiere of Mendes’ new single, “Youth,” immediately following Mendes’ performance of his hit single ”In My Blood.”

Female rap trio Salt-N-Pepa will shoop onto the stage to perform several of their monster hits at the “2018 Billboard Music Awards!” Joining them for this one-of-a-kind special performance will be the highly celebrated female vocal group En Vogue. Salt-N-Pepa’s “2018 Billboard Music Awards” performance marks the 30th anniversary of them becoming the first female rappers to crack the Top 20 on Billboard Hot 100. The renowned group burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1987 with their debut Billboard chart hit “My Mike Sounds Nice,” and then notched their first crossover pop smash with “Push It” the following year.

“Thirty years later, we’re still Pushing It all over the world and we’re still loved and celebrated by fans we grew up with as well as new fans,” said Salt-N-Pepa. “Looking back at all the barriers we’ve broken as women in this very male dominated genre of music, being the first two female rappers to break the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 is right up there as one of the best moments of our amazing career. We are blessed.”

[May 18, 2018 UPDATE: Khalid and Normani will be teaming up for the Pepsi® Generations summer performance of their Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Love Lies.”]
The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC. The three-hour telecast will feature performances from this year’s hottest musical acts, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy moments that celebrate 60 years of the Billboard Hot 100.

Nominations for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” were announced last month on NBC’s “Today” and on a livestream from Billboard’s New York office. Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran tie for the most nominations this year with 15 each.

Voting for the Billboard Chart Achievement Award and Top Social Artist is open. Fans can vote online and/or on Twitter through May 20, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT (half an hour into the live broadcast).

“Billboard Music Awards” nominees and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the chart period of April 8, 2017 through March 31, 2018. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.

For additional information on the “2018 Billboard Music Awards,” visit us at www.billboardmusicawards.com or check out the Billboard hub at www.billboard.com/bbma.

About the Artists

Ed Sheeran

Multi-platinum, multiple Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has established himself as one of the world’s biggest musical artists with over 26 million albums sold, universal acclaim, and performing to sold out audiences around the globe.  His third studio album “÷” (pronounced divide) entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 upon its March 2017 release, and went on to be the year’s biggest album in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, with equivalent album units exceeding 2.764 million units.  “Shape Of You” – the album’s 8x-Platinum lead single – debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2017, held the top spot for a remarkable 12 weeks, and remained in the top 10 for 33 consecutive weeks, the most ever in the chart’s 59-year history.  Sheeran dominated Billboard’s Year In Review, standing at #1 on 16 of their year-end charts including Top Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Song of the Year for “Shape Of You,” taking the honor for the second consecutive year  (Sheeran co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself,” 2016’s Hot 100 Song of the Year). With his 2x-Platinum certified single “Castle on the Hill” also debuting at #6 on the Hot 100 after being released in tandem with “Shape Of You,” Sheeran also became the only artist in chart history to have two singles simultaneously debut in the Top 10.   One of the planet’s most popular live performers, Ed has sold out countless headline shows at some of the biggest and most iconic venues around the world, including his upcoming stand at London’s Wembley Stadium where he’s set to perform in front of 320,000 fans over 4 nights.  Last year, all 60 dates of the North American leg of his world arena tour in support of “÷” sold out in a matter of minutes, and, this summer, he’ll return for a cross-country stadium tour, kicking off at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, on August 18.

Macklemore

Two-time Billboard Music Award winner Macklemore has collected seven hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including a pair of No. 1s: “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us.” The tracks — recorded alongside Ryan Lewis and featuring Wanz and Ray Dalton, respectively — ranked as 2013’s Nos. 1 and 5 biggest songs of the year on the Hot 100 chart. Most recently, Macklemore topped the Rap Albums chart with his 2017 solo effort “Gemini,” which spun off a pair of Top 20-charting hits on both the Hot Rap Songs and Pop Songs charts: “Glorious,” featuring Skylar Grey, and “Good Old Days,” featuring Kesha. In total, as a solo artist and with Lewis, Macklemore’s albums have earned 5.2 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, while his songs have sold 23 million downloads and have tallied over 2.5 billion on-demand streams.

Collectively, Macklemore’s music videos have been viewed over 2.7 billion times and he is one of only two rappers to have a diamond-certified single. His breakthrough album “The Heist,” with producing partner Ryan Lewis, earned the duo 4 Grammy Awards, 5 MTV Awards, 2 American Music Awards and 1 BET Award. In 2016, Macklemore was featured in an MTV special with President Obama about the opioid epidemic in America and was the first US citizen ever to participate in the Presidential Weekly Address. In 2017, Macklemore released “Gemini,” his first solo album in 12 years.

Kesha

Singer/songwriter Kesha has achieved more than 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, including three No. 1s. Among those leaders is her breakout debut single “Tik Tok,” which spent nine weeks atop the list and was named 2010’s year-end top Hot 100 song. Her first album, “Animal,” opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, a feat matched by her most recent release, 2017’s “Rainbow.” The latter set launched the Top 10 Pop Songs hit “Praying” and the No. 1 Dance Club Songs single “Woman,” featuring The Dap-King Horns. Kesha’s catalog of albums have earned 6.7 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, and her songs have sold more than 33 million downloads and garnered 1.8 billion on-demand streams.

Kesha’s latest album, “Rainbow” was praised by The New York Times, Billboard, Vanity Fair and more, and was ranked No. 4 in Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2017. ’Rainbow’ earned Kesha the first GRAMMY nominations of her career earlier this year, with “Rainbow” up for Best Pop Vocal Album and “Praying” getting a nod for Best Pop Solo Performance. She was recently named one of Time magazine’s Time 100, their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kesha will also embark on “The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore” co-headlining North American tour with Macklemore (along with several solo shows) on June 6 in Phoenix, AZ. The nine-week, 30-market tour pairs the two trailblazing artists for an epic summer trek of North American amphitheaters and arenas.

Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes recently released new tracks “In My Blood” and “Lost in Japan” from his highly anticipated third album. Both tracks have already experienced massive success, soaring to Nos. 22 and 64, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 and No. 2 on the overall iTunes chart in the U.S, Top 5 on iTunes in 50 countries, and holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” playlist. The tracks have received critical acclaim from outlets including Rolling Stone, Billboard, Idolator, Variety and Paste, with “In My Blood” topping Time magazine’s “5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week” and The New York Times’ “The Playlist.” “In My Blood” and “Lost in Japan” are the first new songs released by Mendes since his 3x platinum hit “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” in April 2017. The track scored Mendes his second No. 1 single on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, joining 6x platinum single “Stitches.” With “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” Mendes also became the first artist to ever have three No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart before the age of 20. Throughout his career, Mendes has achieved two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 with platinum albums “Handwritten” (2015) and “Illuminate” (2016),  and seven consecutive platinum and multi-platinum singles. Worldwide, he has sold over 10 million albums, 100 million singles, and has amassed over 11 billion song streams and 4 billion YouTube views. Mendes has completed two sold-out world tours with over one million tickets sold, selling out legendary arenas, including NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre and London’s O2 Arena in minutes. He topped Billboard’s “21 Under 21” in 2017 and has been featured on Forbes “30 Under 30,” Spotify’s “25 Under 25,” and Time’s “Most Influential Teens” for 4 consecutive years. In February 2018, ROI Influencer Media recognized Mendes as the #1 Most Influential Artist and #1 Most Influential Teen across all social media platforms. Shawn Mendes BBMA Giphy stickers are available and can be found within Instagram Stories by clicking the GIF button and searching for “BBMAs.”

Khalid

Five-time Billboard Music Award nominee 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 as it stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for more than 60 weeks, peaked at No. 4 and stayed in the Top 30 of the chart for its first 60 weeks on that list. The singer-songwriter has over one billion streams worldwide across all partners, his first single “Location” is certified 4x platinum by the RIAA, and his previous single “Young Dumb & Broke” is certified 3X platinum. Since the album’s debut, Khalid has garnered five 2018 Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and landed on the cover of Billboard’s 2018 Grammy Preview issue. He was also nominated for 2017 BET Award for Best New Artist, a 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 Best New Artist at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and an MTV’s Woodie to Watch Award. 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 megahits 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,” a duet with Normani, and “OTW” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack are burning up the airwaves. Khalid is currently on this third sold-out North American headlining tour.

Salt-N-Pepa

With truck gold ropes around their necks and a fire in their hearts to entertain, inspire, and slay the competition— three feminine figures emerged from the shadows and kicked in the door of the male dominated Hip-Hop industry. The legend of Salt-N-Pepa was born. Long before the days of high profile social media platforms, Salt-N-Pepa commanded the attention of millions of followers with their airtight rhyme flow, mass pop appeal, fashion, fun, and unapologetic femininity. They are the first female rap group to attain platinum status. They have sold more than 12 million albums. Their brand of girl power and strong feminine artistry changed the Hip-Hop landscape and blazed a trail for numerous female artists and groups in pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop genres. Included in their catalog of hits from five studio albums are such classics as Push ItShoopWhatta ManLet’s Talk About SexExpressionIndependent, and the Grammy Award winning hit None of Your Business.

In recent years Salt-N-Pepa has reunited for several successful tours in the United States and abroad. In 2018, in the aftermath of a successful 30th Anniversary of the influential group, the ladies are still headlining the “I Love the 90’s Tour” and prepping for their Las Vegas residency. Salt-N-Pepa’s residency is not only a first for them it is also the first Hip-Hop residency in Las Vegas. With the success of N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton, interest has resurfaced from Hollywood executives in telling the epic story of Salt-N-Pepa. There will be a Salt-N-Pepa movie, and a documentary with both deals in development.  And what is sure to be sweet music to the ears of old and new fans alike, they are finally back in the studio working on new music.

Also, in 2018, C.E.O James” Jimmy” Maynes and Chief Operations officer, Tommaso Giuseppe have partnered with the legendary ladies of hip hop, Salt-N-Pepa on Eastwind Media Group (EMG!). Jimmy Maynes is a Grammy award winning music producer with a 30+ year history as an A/R executive hailing from the iconic record companies, Uptown Records, Def Jam, Jive Records and others. Tommaso Giuseppe is a former NY Nightlife promoter turned right hand to Jimmy Maynes. Powered by Salt-N-Pepa, EMG! not only manages the careers and brands of iconic pop/ hip hop & R&B artists such as Naughty By Nature, Kid N Play, ALL4ONE, Blackstreet & Case; EMG! also co-produces the hugely successful worldwide “I Love The 90s Tour” that is currently in its third year with no signs of slowing down.

En Vogue

En Vogue, currently consisting of Cindy Heron-Braggs, Terry Ellis and Rhona Bennett, has sold over 20 million albums and effortlessly transitioned into the digital age, amassing over 30 million streams and over 26 million YouTube views on their top six hit singles alone: the R&B and Pop smashes “Hold On,” “Free Your Mind,” “Never Gonna Get It,” “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” “Don’t Let Go,” and “Whatta Man” feat. Salt N Pepa).  The group has won seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Soul Train Awards, two American Music Awards, and received seven Grammy nominations.   After 14 years En Vogue is back with their first studio album “Electric Café” that spawn the Top 10 Adult R&B Songs hit single “Rocket.”

Zedd

Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist/DJ/producer Zedd made his debut with “Clarity” after signing with Interscope in 2012 and has been breaking down barriers surrounding music genres ever since. His latest single, “The Middle” with Maren Morris and Grey, was declared “catchy as hell” by MTV and Rolling Stone called it “an infectious earworm.” The track has already amassed over 500 million streams and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart. “The Middle” is his follow up to his 2017 hit singles “Get Low” with Liam Payne and “Stay” with Alessia Cara. “Stay” earned Zedd his first No. 1 on the Pop Songs chart and his second Grammy nomination. In 2015, Zedd released “True “Colors, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Throughout his career, Zedd has worked with a diverse range of artists to create hits, including Hayley Williams on platinum hit “Stay The Night,” which racked up more than 400 million streams, and Selena Gomez on platinum track “I Want You To Know,” which spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Maren Morris

Twenty-eight year old singer/songwriter Maren Morris has quickly established herself with vocal stylings that reflect her country, folk and pop influences. Armed with sheer talent, honest lyrics and a completely magnetic presence, Morris’ label-debut album, the gold-certified “Hero,” released via Columbia Nashville on June 3, 2016. One week after it was available, “Hero” entered the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at No. 1 and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, which spans across all genres. With this, the Arlington, Texas native became the first artist in the history of Columbia Nashville to open at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart with a debut album in the Nielsen Music era. Morris’ debut single from “Hero,” “My Church,” set a record at country radio by having the most chart reporting stations to play a debut single by a country artist with 107 stations the week it hit the airwaves, in addition to being certified Platinum by the RIAA. Later in 2016 Morris tied for the most nominations with five at the 50th CMA Awards, including Album of the Year (“Hero”), Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“My Church”), Song of the Year (“My Church”) and New Artist of the Year, which she won, marking her first CMA Award. She was tapped by Billboard magazine to receive the Billboard Breakthrough Artist Award at the 11th annual Billboard Women in Music Gala, as well as being awarded the Breakthrough Artist Award by the Music Business Association at Music Biz 2017. Kicking off 2017 Morris took home the Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance for “My Church” at the 59th Grammy Awards, in addition to having the most nominations for a country music artist with four to her credit, including Best New Artist, Best Country Album (“Hero”) and Best Country Song as the songwriter and performer (“My Church”). She received six nominations at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, New Female Vocalist of the Year, which she took home the trophy for, Album of the Year (as artist and producer) for “Hero,” and Single Record of the Year (as artist and producer) for “My Church.” Morris was also named Radio Disney’s Best New Country Artist at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. Morris wrapped 2017 with the conclusion of her first-ever headlining “Hero Tour 2017,” which also included dates in the U.K. Looking ahead at 2018 Maren received her fifth career Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance (“I Could Use a Love Song”) for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. In addition “I Could Use a Love Song” was Morris’ first No. 1 country radio single, as both the performer and songwriter, reaching the top of both Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase Country charts the week of Jan. 15, 2018. Morris’ current single for country radio is the fun fan favorite song “Rich.” Though rooted deeply in country music, Morris has acquired a global, non-genre specific, fan base. It’s that global fan base’s appetite that Morris will satisfy in 2018 by collaborating with electronic house DJ and producer Zedd, along with electronic duo, Grey, for the smash hit, “The Middle,” in addition to joining Niall Horan on the “Flicker World Tour 2018” with dates in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA.

Grey

Since launching in late 2014, Grey—the Los Angeles-based production duo composed of brothers Kyle and Michael Trewartha—have quickly taken the music world by storm with their viral hit singles “Starving” and “I Miss You.” Grey stepped into the big leagues with their first original release, “Starving,” a collaboration with Hailee Steinfeld featuring their mentor, Zedd, released July 2016. The breakthrough track marks Grey’s crossover into the mainstream milieu as their first platinum-certified single. A bona fide hit, “Starving” reached No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, and also went Top 10 in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Online, the track’s video counts over 250 million views on YouTube, with an additional 563 million streams on Spotify. With the success of “Starving” on deck, Grey followed up with “I Miss You,” their first official solo single. Released at the beginning of 2017 via Interscope Records, “I Miss You” delivers an emotionally intense romp through heartbreak and heartache, led by a seductive vocal performance from Southern California trio Bahari. The Top 40 track already claims impressive figures, with more than 30 million streams to date, including over 28 million plays on Spotify alone. Grey is now at the helm of their next artistic evolution with Chameleon, their debut EP released this fall. On Chameleon, a modern, freeform approach to production, no sound is off limits, no genre is taboo. For proof, take a spin through the title track “Chameleon” featuring vocalist Asia Whitacre. Structured atop a moving crescendo, the track dives headfirst into a matrix of filtered guitars and synthed-out bleeps. “Crime” feat. Skott, the first single off Chameleon, was called a “dreamy floor filler with a surprisingly huge drop” by Idolator. Grey go for the jugular on “Wings Clipped,” featuring special guest Avril Lavigne and Anthony Green, lead singer of Circa Survive and Saosin, Continuing their artistic evolution, Grey followed up their debut EP with “Crown,” a collaboration with Camila Cabello featured on the soundtrack to Netflix’s original film “Bright.” The New York Times described the track as “Bollywood-goes-trap mode” while Billboard heralded, “Grey smashed it with Middle Eastern drums and Arabic strumming.” As Grey readies new music in 2018, they reunited with Zedd for his hit single “The Middle,” featuring Grammy Award winning artist, Maren Morris.

Normani

Best-known as one of the four members in the multi-platinum group Fifth Harmony, Normani explores a new musical direction on “Love Lies” with Khalid. Since its release, the “slow-burning R&B ballad” (The FADER) has been streamed over 300 million times while the song’s official video has over 44 million views on YouTube. With over 195 million streams on Spotify alone, the song broke the Top 5 on the streaming platform’s US (#2) and Global (#3) Viral Charts. Featured as Zane Lowe’s World Record, “Love Lies” also went #2 on iTunes’ R&B/Soul Top Songs chart and #9 on the Top Songs chart across all genres. Born in Atlanta, Normani grew up in New Orleans before moving to Houston at 9 years old with her family after Hurricane Katrina.  Always excited about music, Normani began dancing at the age of 3 and grew up idolizing entertainers like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Beyoncé.  Inspired by her love for pop and R&B, “Love Lies” offers a closer look to Normani’s personal style as an artist and demonstrates her “smooth vocals” (Billboard) and “velvety range” (Vulture). Outside of the recording studio, Normani is the Global Ambassador to the American Cancer Society and works with A Place Called Home, lending her name and time to various events. She is also a Diversity Ambassador for The CyberSmile Foundation, a multi-award winning anti cyberbullying non-profit organization.

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