2021 Billboard Music Awards: The Weeknd is the top nominee, Nick Jonas is the host

April 30, 2021

(Photo courtesy of NBC)

The following is a combination of press releases from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:

Dick Clark Productions and NBC announced the finalists for the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMA), which honor the year’s most successful artists in 51 categories across all genres of music. The annual live broadcast showcases spectacular performances, unexpected collaborations, buzzworthy pop culture moments that keeps fans talking all year, and the prestigious ICON Award, which honors record-breaking artists and their impact on music. The BBMAs will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC. Multi-platinum recording artist, actor and current “Voice” coach Nick Jonas is set to host the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMA).

“The List Live” Finalist Announcement:

  • Finalists were revealed during the exclusive live stream “The List Live,” hosted by Access Hollywood’s Zuri Hall and comedian LaLa Milan, and aired on BBMAs, Billboard, E!, and NBC social media pages earlier this morning.
  • Some of the biggest names in music, pop culture, and fashion stopped by to announce this year’s finalists.
  • Presenters included: Anitta, FINNEAS, Luis Fonsi, Rob Gronkowski, Paris Hilton, Leslie Jordan, Tate McRae, and Jay Pharoah. Watch the replay HERE.

2021 BBMA Finalist Highlights:

  • The Weeknd leads the pack as a finalist in 16 categories, including Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, and Top Song Sales Artist. His 2020 album After Hours received multiple nods, including Top Billboard 200 Album and Top R&B Album, with the hit single “Blinding Lights” recognized in five categories.
  • DaBaby is the second-top finalist (11), including recognition for the Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rap Artist, and Top Rap Album categories. He is also a multi-finalist in the Top Streaming Song category for “Rockstar” and “Whats Poppin,” and could take home his first BBMA trophy.
  • Late rappers Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD received multiple honors, marking the first time in a decade that two of the top ten finalists received posthumous recognition. Pop Smoke is a finalist in 10 categories, including Top Billboard 200 Album for his posthumously released debut album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon; while Juice WRLD is a finalist in seven categories, including Top Rap Album for Legends Never Die.
  • “I Hope” singer Gabby Barrett is a first-time finalist and achieved nods in nine categories, including Top New Artist, becoming the female artist with the most nods this year.
  • Megan Thee Stallion is the female artist with the second-most nods this year with seven, including Top Female Artist and Top Rap Female Artist. She could receive her first ever BBMA at this year’s show.

This year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020 through April 3, 2021. “Billboard Music Awards” finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data. Fan-voted categories include Top Social Artist and Top Collaboration.

For more than 30 years, the BBMAs has celebrated music’s greatest achievements, honoring the hottest names in music today. Unique among music awards shows, finalists are determined by performance on the Billboard Charts. 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.

The “2021 Billboard Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton are executive producers.

For the latest news on the Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) visit billboardmusicawards.com and www.billboard.com/bbma. For exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the BBMAs on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube) and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #BBMAs.

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 extensive and unique entertainment archive libraries with more than 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. dcp is part of MRC Live & Alternative, a division of diversified global entertainment company MRC. For additional information, visit www.mrcentertainment.com.

THE “2021 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS” FINALISTS:

FINALISTS BY CATEGORY

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top New Artist
Gabby Barrett
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Pop Smoke
Rod Wave

Top Male Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Dua Lipa
Megan Thee Stallion
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group
AC/DC
AJR
BTS
Dan + Shay
Maroon 5

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Dua Lipa
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd

Top Streaming Songs Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist
Justin Bieber
BTS
Megan Thee Stallion
*Morgan Wallen
The Weeknd

Top Radio Songs Artist
Justin Bieber
Lewis Capaldi
Dua Lipa
Harry Styles
The Weeknd

Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
BLACKPINK
BTS
Ariana Grande
SB19
Seventeen

Top R&B Artist
Jhené Aiko
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
Doja Cat
The Weeknd

Top R&B Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
The Weeknd

Top R&B Female Artist
Jhené Aiko
Doja Cat
SZA

Top Rap Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke

Top Rap Male Artist
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke

Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Megan Thee Stallion
Saweetie

Top Country Artist
Gabby Barrett
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
*Morgan Wallen

Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
*Morgan Wallen

Top Country Female Artist
Gabby Barrett
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae

Top Rock Artist
AC/DC
AJR
Five Finger Death Punch
Machine Gun Kelly
twenty one pilots

Top Latin Artist
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Maluma
Ozuna

Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna

Top Latin Female Artist
Becky G
Karol G
Rosalía

Top Latin Duo/Group
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Eslabón Armado
Los Dos Carnales

Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Chainsmokers
Kygo
Lady Gaga
Marshmello
Surf Mesa

Top Christian Artist
Casting Crowns
Elevation Worship
for KING & COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood
Zach Williams

Top Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Maverick City Music
Kanye West


ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album
Juice WRLD “Legends Never Die”
Lil Baby “My Turn”
Pop Smoke “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon”
Taylor Swift “folklore”
The Weeknd “After Hours”

Top R&B Album
Jhené Aiko “Chilombo”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Slime & B”
Doja Cat “Hot Pink”
Kehlani “It Was Good Until It Wasn’t”
The Weeknd “After Hours”

Top Rap Album
DaBaby “BLAME IT ON BABY”
Juice WRLD “Legends Never Die”
Lil Baby “My Turn”
Lil Uzi Vert “Eternal Atake”
Pop Smoke “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon”

Top Country Album
Gabby Barrett “Goldmine”
Sam Hunt “SOUTHSIDE”
Chris Stapleton “Starting Over”
Carrie Underwood “My Gift”
*Morgan Wallen “Dangerous: The Double Album”

Top Rock Album
AC/DC “Power Up”
Miley Cyrus “Plastic Hearts”
Glass Animals “Dreamland”
Machine Gun Kelly “Tickets to My Downfall”
Bruce Springsteen “Letter to You”

Top Latin Album
Anuel AA “Emmanuel”
Bad Bunny “El Último Tour Del Mundo”
Bad Bunny “Las que no iban a salir”
Bad Bunny “YHLQMDLG”
J Balvin “Colores”

Top Dance/Electronic Album
DJ Snake “Carte Blanche”
Gryffin “Gravity”
Kygo “Golden Hour”
Lady Gaga “Chromatica”
Kylie Minogue “Disco”

Top Christian Album
Bethel Music “Peace”
Elevation Worship “Grave Into Gardens”
Carrie Underwood “My Gift”
We The Kingdom “Holy Water”
Zach Williams “Rescue Story”

Top Gospel Album
Koryn Hawthorne “I AM”
Tasha Cobbs Leonard “Royalty: Live at the Ryman”
Maverick City Music “Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1”
Maverick City Music “Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 2”
Kierra Sheard “Kierra”

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar
24kGoldn ft. iann dior “Mood”
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Streaming Song
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
Future ft. Drake “Life Is Good”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne “WHATS POPPIN”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Selling Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
BTS “Dynamite”
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
Megan Thee Stallion “Savage”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Radio Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
Dua Lipa “Don’t Start Now”
Harry Styles “Adore You”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
24kGoldn ft. iann dior “Mood”
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne “WHATS POPPIN”

Top R&B Song
Jhené Aiko ft. H.E.R. “B.S.”
Justin Bieber ft. Quavo “Intentions”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
Doja Cat “Say So”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Rap Song
24kGoldn ft. iann dior “Mood”
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne “WHATS POPPIN”
Megan Thee Stallion “Savage”

Top Country Song
Jason Aldean “Got What I Got”
Gabby Barrett “I Hope”
Lee Brice “One of Them Girls”
*Morgan Wallen “Chasin’ You”
*Morgan Wallen “More Than My Hometown”

Top Rock Song
AJR “Bang!”
All Time Low ft. blackbear “Monsters”
Glass Animals “Heat Waves”
Machine Gun Kelly ft. blackbear “my ex’s best friend”
twenty one pilots “Level of Concern”

Top Latin Song
Bad Bunny “Yo Perreo Sola”
Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez “Dákiti”
Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)”
Maluma & The Weeknd “Hawái”
Ozuna x Karol G x Myke Towers “Caramelo”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Lady Gaga “Stupid Love”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande “Rain on Me”
SAINt JHN “Roses (Imanbek Remix)”
Surf Mesa ft. Emilee “ily (i love you baby)”
Topic & A7S “Breaking Me”

Top Christian Song
Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake “Graves Into Gardens”
for KING & COUNTRY, Kirk Franklin & Tori Kelly “TOGETHER”
Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, & Elevation Worship “The Blessing (Live)”
Tauren Wells ft. Jenn Johnson “Famous For (I Believe)”
Zach Williams & Dolly Parton “There Was Jesus”

Top Gospel Song
Koryn Hawthorne “Speak To Me”
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music “Movin’ On”
Marvin Sapp “Thank You For It All”
Tye Tribbett “We Gon’ Be Alright”
Kanye West ft. Travis Scott “Wash Us In The Blood”

FINALISTS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (BY FIRST NAME):

24kGoldn (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
A7S (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
AC/DC (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album
AJR (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
All Time Low (1): Top Rock Song
Anuel AA (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Album
Ariana Grande (3): Top Female Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Dance/Electronic Song
Bad Bunny (7): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album (x3); Top Latin Song (x2)
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Becky G (1): Top Latin Female Artist
Bethel Music (1): Top Christian Album
Billie Eilish (1): Top Female Artist
Black Eyed Peas (1): Top Latin Song
blackbear (2): Top Rock Song (x2)
BLACKPINK (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Brandon Lake (1): Top Christian Song
Bruce Springsteen (1): Top Rock Album
BTS (4): Top Duo/Group; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Selling Song
Cardi B (4): Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song
Carrie Underwood (4): Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Artist
Casting Crowns (1): Top Christian Artist
Charlie Puth (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
Chris Brown (7): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
Chris Stapleton (3): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album
Cody Carnes (1): Top Christian Song
DaBaby (11): Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song (x2); Top Collaboration (Fan Voted) (x2); Top Rap Song; Top R&B Song
Dan + Shay (2): Top Duo/Group; Top Country Duo/Group
DJ Snake (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album        
Doja Cat (5): Top New Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Dolly Parton (1): Top Christian Song
Drake (7): Top Radio Song; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Streaming Song
Dua Lipa (4): Top Female Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
Elevation Worship (4): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song (x2)
Emilee (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Eslabón Armado (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Five Finger Death Punch (1): Top Rock Artist
Florida Georgia Line (1): Top Country Duo/Group
for KING & COUNTRY (2): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Song
Future (1): Top Streaming Song
Gabby Barrett (9): Top New Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Country Song
Glass Animals (2): Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Gryffin (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
H.E.R. (1): Top R&B Song
Harry Styles (2): Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
iann dior (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
J Balvin (4): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album; Top Latin Song
Jack Harlow (4): Top New Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Jason Aldean (1): Top Country Song
Jenn Johnson (1): Top Christian Song
Jhay Cortez (1): Top Latin Song
Jhené Aiko (4): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Jonathan McReynolds (1): Top Gospel Song
Juice WRLD (7): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Justin Bieber (5): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Song
Kane Brown (1): Top Country Artist
Kanye West (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Song
Kari Jobe (1): Top Christian Song
Karol G (2): Top Latin Female Artist; Top Latin Song
Kehlani (1): Top R&B Album
Kierra Sheard (1): Top Gospel Album
Kirk Franklin (1): Top Gospel Artist
Koryn Hawthorne (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album; Top Gospel Song
Kygo (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album
Kylie Minogue (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
Lady Gaga (4): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album; Top Dance/Electronic Song (x2)
Lee Brice (1): Top Country Song
Lewis Capaldi (1): Top Radio Songs Artist
Lil Baby (6): Top Male Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Lil Uzi Vert (1): Top Rap Album
Lil Wayne (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Los Dos Carnales (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Luke Combs (2): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist
Machine Gun Kelly (3): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Maddie & Tae (1): Top Country Duo/Group
Mali Music (1): Top Gospel Song
Maluma (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Song
Maren Morris (1): Top Country Female Artist
Maroon 5 (1): Top Duo/Group
Marshmello (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Marvin Sapp (1): Top Gospel Song
Maverick City Music (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album (x2)
Megan Thee Stallion (7): Top Female Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song (x2)
Miley Cyrus (1): Top Rock Album
*Morgan Wallen (6): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album; Top Country Song (x2)
Myke Towers (1): Top Latin Song
Ozuna (3): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Song
Pop Smoke (10): Top Artist; Top New Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Post Malone (1): Top Billboard 200 Artist
Quavo (1): Top R&B Song
Rod Wave (1): Top New Artist
Roddy Ricch (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Rosalía (1): Top Latin Female Artist
SAINt JHN (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Sam Hunt (1): Top Country Album
Saweetie (1): Top Rap Female Artist
SB19 (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Seventeen (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Surf Mesa (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Song
SZA (1): Top R&B Female Artist
Tasha Cobbs Leonard (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album
Tauren Wells (1): Top Christian Song
Taylor Swift (4): Top Artist; Top Female Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album
The Chainsmokers (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Weeknd (16): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top R&B Song; Top Latin Song
Topic (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Tori Kelly (1): Top Christian Song
Tory Lanez (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Travis Scott (1): Top Gospel Song
twenty one pilots (2): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
Tye Tribbett (1): Top Gospel Song
We The Kingdom (1): Top Christian Album
Young Thug (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
Zach Williams (3): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song

FINALISTS BY NUMERICAL ORDER:

The Weeknd (16): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top R&B Song; Top Latin Song
DaBaby (11): Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song (x2); Top Collaboration (Fan Voted) (x2); Top Rap Song; Top R&B Song
Pop Smoke (10): Top Artist; Top New Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Gabby Barrett (9): Top New Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Country Song
Bad Bunny (7): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album (x3); Top Latin Song (x2)
Chris Brown (7): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
Drake (7): Top Radio Song; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Streaming Song
Juice WRLD (7): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Megan Thee Stallion (7): Top Female Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song (x2)
Lil Baby (6): Top Male Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
*Morgan Wallen (6): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album; Top Country Song (x2)
Doja Cat (5): Top New Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Justin Bieber (5): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Song
BTS (4): Top Duo/Group; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Selling Song
Cardi B (4): Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song
Carrie Underwood (4): Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Artist
Charlie Puth (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
Dua Lipa (4): Top Female Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
Elevation Worship (4): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song (x2)
J Balvin (4): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album; Top Latin Song
Jack Harlow (4): Top New Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Jhené Aiko (4): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Lady Gaga (4): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album; Top Dance/Electronic Song (x2)
Roddy Ricch (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Taylor Swift (4): Top Artist; Top Female Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album
Young Thug (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
24kGoldn (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
AC/DC (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album
AJR (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
Ariana Grande (3): Top Female Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Dance/Electronic Song
Chris Stapleton (3): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album
iann dior (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Koryn Hawthorne (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album; Top Gospel Song
Lil Wayne (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Machine Gun Kelly (3): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Maverick City Music (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album (x2)
Ozuna (3): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Song
Tory Lanez (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Zach Williams (3): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song
Anuel AA (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Album
blackbear (2): Top Rock Song (x2)
Dan + Shay (2): Top Duo/Group; Top Country Duo/Group
for KING & COUNTRY (2): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Song
Glass Animals (2): Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Harry Styles (2): Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
Kanye West (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Song
Karol G (2): Top Latin Female Artist; Top Latin Song
Kygo (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album
Luke Combs (2): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist
Maluma (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Song
Surf Mesa (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Song
Tasha Cobbs Leonard (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album
twenty one pilots (2): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
A7S (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
All Time Low (1): Top Rock Song
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Becky G (1): Top Latin Female Artist
Bethel Music (1): Top Christian Album
Billie Eilish (1): Top Female Artist
Black Eyed Peas (1): Top Latin Song
BLACKPINK (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Brandon Lake (1): Top Christian Song
Bruce Springsteen (1): Top Rock Album
Casting Crowns (1): Top Christian Artist
Cody Carnes (1): Top Christian Song
DJ Snake (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album        
Dolly Parton (1): Top Christian Song
Emilee (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Eslabón Armado (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Five Finger Death Punch (1): Top Rock Artist
Florida Georgia Line (1): Top Country Duo/Group
Future (1): Top Streaming Song
Gryffin (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
H.E.R. (1): Top R&B Song
Jason Aldean (1): Top Country Song
Jenn Johnson (1): Top Christian Song
Jhay Cortez (1): Top Latin Song
Jonathan McReynolds (1): Top Gospel Song
Kane Brown (1): Top Country Artist
Kari Jobe (1): Top Christian Song
Kehlani (1): Top R&B Album
Kierra Sheard (1): Top Gospel Album
Kirk Franklin (1): Top Gospel Artist
Kylie Minogue (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
Lee Brice (1): Top Country Song
Lewis Capaldi (1): Top Radio Songs Artist
Lil Uzi Vert (1): Top Rap Album
Los Dos Carnales (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Maddie & Tae (1): Top Country Duo/Group
Mali Music (1): Top Gospel Song
Maren Morris (1): Top Country Female Artist
Maroon 5 (1): Top Duo/Group
Marshmello (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Marvin Sapp (1): Top Gospel Song
Miley Cyrus (1): Top Rock Album
Myke Towers (1): Top Latin Song
Post Malone (1): Top Billboard 200 Artist
Quavo (1): Top R&B Song
Rod Wave (1): Top New Artist
Rosalía (1): Top Latin Female Artist
SAINt JHN (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Sam Hunt (1): Top Country Album
Saweetie (1): Top Rap Female Artist
SB19 (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Seventeen (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
SZA (1): Top R&B Female Artist
Tauren Wells (1): Top Christian Song
The Chainsmokers (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Topic (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Tori Kelly (1): Top Christian Song
Travis Scott (1): Top Gospel Song
Tye Tribbett (1): Top Gospel Song
We The Kingdom (1): Top Christian Album                                


*Statement on behalf of dick clark productions

Unique among awards shows, Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) finalists are determined by performance on the Billboard Charts, and are not chosen by a voting committee or membership organization. BBMA finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music (including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, social engagement), tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data. 

With our content reaching millions of viewers, dcp and MRC have the privilege and responsibility to effect change by creating a more inclusive dialogue in our productions and across the industry. 

Morgan Wallen is a finalist this year based on charting. As his recent conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity (performing, presenting, accepting).

It is heartening and encouraging to hear that Morgan is taking steps in his anti-racist journey and starting to do some meaningful work. We plan to evaluate his progress and will consider his participation in future shows.

Billboard.com – Morgan Wallen Is a Billboard Music Awards Finalist But Won’t Be Included on the Show
###



2021 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS FINALIST STATISTICS

 • 2021 FINALIST FAST FACTS
• ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDERS BY CATEGORY
• TOP BBMA WINNERS OF ALL TIME (1990–2020)

2021 FINALIST FAST FACTS“THE WEEKND LEADS AS FINALIST IN 16 CATEGORIES, THE MOST OF ANY ARTIST THIS YEAR”

  • In addition to receiving the most nods (16), singer/songwriter The Weeknd is also a finalist in more categories than any other artist this year, including Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Hot 100 Artist.

“AS A FINALIST IN SEVEN CATEGORIES THIS YEAR, DRAKE COULD BREAK HIS OWN RECORD FOR MOST WINS OF ALL TIME (27)”

  • After achieving 12 wins in 2019, including the coveted Top Artist category, rap superstar Drake could break his own record for most wins of all time, keeping his title and staying ahead of Taylor Swift (23), Justin Bieber (21) and Garth Brooks (20).

“TAYLOR SWIFT COULD TIE WITH DRAKE FOR MOST WINS OF ALL TIME (27) SHOULD SHE WIN IN ALL HER CATEGORIES”

  • Taylor Swift is a finalist in 4 categories this year, including Top Artist, Top Female Artist and Top Billboard 200 Artist. If she takes home awards in all of her categories, she would tie with Drake in the #1 spot for most wins of all time.

“IF THE WEEKND OR JUSTIN BIEBER SWEEP IN ALL OF THEIR CATEGORIES, THEY COULD SURPASS TAYLOR SWIFT AND TAKE THE #2 SPOT FOR MOST WINS OF ALL TIME”

  • The Weeknd, 2019 BBMA winner for Top R&B Artist, could beat Taylor Swift’s record and take the #2 spot for most wins of all time if he takes home the trophies in all his categories this year. Drake still holds the record for most wins of all time (27).

“FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE, TWO OF THE TOP 10 FINALISTS RECEIVED POSTHUMOUS HONORS – POP SMOKE (10) AND JUICE WRLD (7)”

  • Rappers Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD, who both passed away in 2020, received multiple honors this year. Pop Smoke is a finalist in 10 categories, including Top Billboard 200 Album for his posthumously released debut album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon,” while Juice WRLD is a finalist in 7 categories, including Top Rap Album for “Legends Never Die.”

“THE WEEKND COULD BREAK DRAKE’S RECORD FOR MOST WINS IN A SINGLE NIGHT”

  • The Weeknd leads the list this year as a finalist in 16 categories. He has the chance to surpass or tie Drake’s 2017 record (13) for the artist with the most wins in a single night.

“GABBY BARRETT IS A FIRST-TIME FINALIST AND THE FEMALE ARTIST WITH THE MOST NODS THIS YEAR (9)”

  • The “I Hope” singer is a first-time BBMA finalist and contender in 9 categories, including Top New Artist, becoming the female artist with the most nods this year.

“DABABY, MEGAN THEE STALLION, LIL BABY, DOJA CAT and DUA LIPA COULD ALL WIN THEIR FIRST-EVER BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARD”

  • DaBaby is the second-top finalist this year (11), including nods in the Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rap Artist and Top Rap Album categories. He is also a multi-finalist in the Top Streaming Song category for “ROCKSTAR” and “WHATS POPPIN.”
  • Megan Thee Stallion is the female artist with the second-most nods this year (7), including Top Female Artist and Top Rap Female Artist. She could receive her first ever BBMA at this year’s show.
  • Lil Baby is a contender in 6 categories this year, including Top Male Artist, Top Rap Artist and Top Rap Album.
  • Doja Cat – The “Say So” singer is a finalist in 5 categories this year including Top New Artist, and could finally take home her first BBMA trophy. 
  • Dua Lipa could ‘levitate’ her way to her first-ever BBMA trophy this year should she win in any of the 4 categories she’s competing in: Top Female Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song.

“BAD BUNNY IS THE FIRST LATIN ARTIST TO BECOME A FINALIST THREE TIMES IN THE SAME CATEGORY”

  • Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is a finalist in seven categories this year. He received three honors in the same category (Top Latin Album) for “El Último Tour Del Mundo,” “Las que no iban a salir” and “YHLQMDLG.”

“BTS COULD WIN THEIR 5TH CONSECUTIVE AWARD IN THE TOP SOCIAL ARTIST CATEGORY”

  • BTS previously won in this category in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The K-Pop group could achieve their 5th win should they take home the award this year. Justin Bieber currently holds the record for most wins in this category (2011-2016).

ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDERS BY CATEGORY:

TOP ARTIST
50 Cent, Adele, Drake, Garth Brooks, Destiny’s Child, Taylor Swift and Usher are tied for the most wins in this category with 2 wins. Both Drake and Taylor Swift are finalists in this category again this year, giving them both the chance to have the most wins in this category should either of them take home the trophy.

TOP MALE ARTIST
Justin Bieber and Drake are tied for most wins (2) in this category after Drake took home his second trophy in 2019. He is a finalist again this year, giving him the chance to surpass Bieber.

TOP FEMALE ARTIST
Taylor Swift leads with 3 wins in this category. Taylor is up for the award again this year and will become the most decorated Top Female Artist with 4 wins in this category should she take home the trophy. Ariana Grande took home her first Top Female Artist trophy in 2019 and is a finalist again this year, along with Billie Eilish, who took home the trophy in 2020. If either of them win, they would tie with Adele with 2 awards in this category.

TOP DUO OR GROUP
One Direction holds the record for most wins in this category (3), followed by Imagine Dragons (2). BTS won this category for the first time in 2019 and they are finalists again this year. They would tie with Imagine Dragons with 2 wins for Top Duo or Group should they win. Dan + Shay, Maroon 5, AC/DC and AJR are also finalists this year and could be first-time winners in this category should any take home the trophy. 

TOP R&B ARTIST
R. Kelly has the most wins (4) for Top R&B Artist. He won the category in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2001. Usher follows with 3 wins in 1998, 2004 and most recently in 2011. This year, Jhené Aiko, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Doja Cat and The Weeknd are finalists in this category.

TOP RAP ARTIST
Drake took home this award in 2016, 2017, and leads for most wins in this category with 3, after his 2019 win. Eminem and protégé 50 Cent are tied in this category with 2 wins each. Eminem won Top Rap Artist in 2011 and 2014, while 50 Cent won the award twice, years before his mentor, in 2003 and 2005. This year, Drake is up for the award again and could take home his 4th trophy in this category should he win. It could be the first win in this category for finalists DaBaby, Juice WRLD, Lil Baby and Pop Smoke.

TOP COUNTRY ARTIST
Garth Brooks has won this award three times in 1991, 1993 and 1998. Luke Combs became a first time Top Country Artist winner after taking home the trophy in 2019, and then again in 2020. He is a finalist again this year, giving him the chance to tie with Brooks for most wins in this category.

TOP ROCK ARTIST
twenty one pilots and Imagine Dragons were tied for the most wins with 2 each, but the latter became the record holder for most wins in this category after their 2019 win. This year, twenty one pilots have the chance to tie again should they win. AC/DC, AJR, Five Finger Death Punch and Machine Gun Kelly are also up for the award this year.

TOP LATIN ARTIST
Ozuna and Romeo Santos are currently tied with 2 wins each. Romeo Santos previously won Top Latin Artist back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. Ozuna took home the award for Top Latin Artist in 2018 and again in 2019. He is a finalist again this year, after having lost to Bad Bunny in 2020, and could claim the record for most wins in this category should he win.

TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST
LaurenDaigle is currently the Top Christian Artist with the most wins of all time with 3 in this category after taking home the trophy in 2020. Up for the award this year are Casting Crowns, Elevation Worship, for KING & COUNTRY, Carrie Underwood and Zach Williams.

TOP GOSPEL ARTIST
Kirk Franklin and Tasha Cobbs Leonard are tied with 2 wins each in this category. Franklin won in 2016 and 2017, while Cobbs Leonard won in 2018 and 2019. Kanye West became a first time winner in this category in 2020. Franklin, Cobbs Leonard and West are all finalists again this year, giving West the chance to tie for most wins of all time. They are up against Koryn Hawthorne and Maverick City Music.

TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST
The Chainsmokers held on to their record for most wins in this category. The duo took home their fourth award and broke their own record after their 2020 win. They are finalists again this year and could win a fifth trophy. Other finalists in this category are Kygo, Lady Gaga, Marshmello and Surf Mesa.


TOP BBMA WINNERS OF ALL TIME (1990–2020):

1. Drake – 27 wins total; Top Rap Artist (2016); Top Artist (2017); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2017); Top Billboard 200 Album (2017); Top Rap Artist (2017); Top Male Artist (2017); Top Rap Album (2017); Top Hot 100 Artist (2017); Top Song Sales Artist (2017); Top Streaming Songs Artist (2017); Top Rap Tour (2017); Top Streaming Song [Audio] (2017); Top R&B Song (2017), Top R&B Collaboration (2017); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2018), Top Artist (2019), Top Male Artist (2019), Top Billboard 200 Artist (2019), Top Hot 100 Artist (2019), Top Streaming Songs Artist (2019), Top Song Sales Artist (2019), Top Radio Songs Artist (2019), Top Rap Artist (2019), Top Rap Male Artist (2019), Top Billboard 200 Album (2019), Top Rap Album (2019), Top Streaming Song (Video) (2019)

2. Taylor Swift – 23 wins total; Top Billboard 200 Artist (2011); Top Country Artist (2011); Top Country Album (2011); Woman of the Year (2012); Top Artist (2013); Top Female Artist (2013); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2013); Top Digital Songs Artist (2013); Top Country Artist (2013); Top Billboard 200 Album (2013); Top Country Album (2013); Top Country Song (2013); Top Artist (2015); Top Female Artist (2015); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2015); Top Hot 100 Artist (2015); Top Digital Songs Artist (2015); Top Billboard 200 Album (2015); Top Streaming Song [Video] (2015); Billboard Chart Achievement Award (2015); Top Touring Artist (2016); Top Female Artist (2018); Top Selling Album (2018)

3. Justin Bieber – 21 wins total; Top New Artist (2011); Top Social Artist (2011); Top Streaming Artist (2011); Top Digital Artist (2011); Top Pop Album (2011); Top Streaming Song, [Video] (2011); Billboard.com Fan Favorite Award (2011); Top Social Artist (2012); Milestone Award (2013); Top Male Artist (2013); Top Social Artist (2013); Top Social Artist (2014); Top Social Artist (2015); Top Male Artist (2016); Top Social Media Artist (2016); Top Hot 100 Song (2018); Top Streaming Song [Video] (2018); Top Selling Song (2018); Top Collaboration (2018); Top Latin Song (2018); Top Country Song (2020)

4. Garth Brooks – 20 wins total; #1 Albums Artist (1991); #1 Country Album (1991); #1 Country Singles Artists (1991); #1 Country Artist (1991); #1 Country Albums Artist (1991); # 1 Pop Artist (1992); #1 Country Artist (1993); #1 Pop Artist (1993); #1 Country Singles Artist (1993); #1 Country Albums Artist (1993); Country Album of the Year (1995); Artist Achievement Award (1997); Country Artist of the Year (1998); Country Album of the Year (1998); Male Album of the Year (1998); Male Albums Artist of the Year (1998); Country Singles Artist of the Year (1998); Country Albums Artist of the Year (1998); Male Artist of the Decade (1999); ICON Award (2020)

5. Adele – 18 wins total; Top Billboard 200 Album (2012); Top Pop Album (2012); Top Artist (2012); Top Female Artist (2012); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2012); Top Hot 100 Artist (2012); Top Digital Songs Artist (2012); Top Radio Songs Artist (2012); Top Digital Media Artist (2012); Top Pop Artist (2012); Top Streaming Song [Audio] (2012); Top Alternative Song (2012); Top Pop Album (2013); Top Artist (2016); Top Female Artist (2016); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2016); Top Billboard 200 Album (2016); Top Selling Song (2016)

Usher – 18 wins total; Artist of the Year (1998); R&B Artist of the Year (1998); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (1998); Artist of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Single of the Year (2004); Mainstream Top 40 Artist of the Year (2004); Mainstream Top 40 Single of the Year (2004); Billboard 200 Album of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year (2004); Billboard 200 Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Airplay Single of the Year (2004); Rap Song of the Year (2005); Top R&B Artist (2011); Top R&B Song (2011); Top R&B Album (2011)

6. Whitney Houston – 16 wins total; #1 R&B Singles Artist (1991); #1 R&B Albums Artist (1991); #1 R&B Artist (1991); #1 R&B Album (1991); #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1993); #1 Hot 100 Single (1993); Single With Most Weeks at #1 (1993); #1 R&B Single (1993); #1 R&B Singles Artist (1993); #1 R&B Album (1993); #1 World Artist (1993); #1 World Single (1993); #1 Album (1993); #1 Soundtrack Album (1993); #1 Album With Most Weeks at No. 1 (1993); Billboard Millennium Award (2012)

7. Mariah Carey – 15 wins total; #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1991); #1 Album (1991); #1 Adult Contemporary Artist (1991); #1 Pop Artist (1991); #1 Female Artist (1994); Special Hot 100 Singles Award – Most Weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 (1996); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (1996); Special Billboard Hot 100 Award for the most No.1s ever by a female artist (1998); Female Artist of the Decade (1999); Hot 100 Song of the Year (2005); Hot 100 Airplay of the Year (2005); Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2005); Female Billboard 200 Album Artist of the Year (2005); Rhythmic Top 40 Title of the Year (2005), ICON Award (2019)

8. Beyoncé – 13 wins total; Hot 100 Female Artist of the Year (2003); New R&B Artist of the Year (2003); New Female Artist of the Year (2003); Special Hot 100 Award for Most Weeks at No. 1 (2003); Billboard Millennium Award (2011); Top R&B Album (2012); Top Female Artist (2017); Top Touring Artist (2017); Top R&B Artist (2017); Top R&B Tour (2017); Top R&B Album (2017), Top R&B Tour (2019), Top Rap Tour (2019)

9. R. Kelly – 12 wins total; #1 R&B Artist (1994); R&B Artist of the Year (1996); R&B Artist of the Year (1999); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year (2001); Hot 100 Producer of the Year (2003); R&B Producer of the Year (2003); Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year (2003); R&B Songwriter of the Year (2003)

Rihanna – 12 wins total; Female Artist of the Year (2006); Female Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2006); Pop 100 Artist of the Year (2006); Top Female Artist (2011); Top Radio Songs Artist (2011); Top Rap Song (2011); Top Streaming Artist (2012); Top Radio Songs Artist (2013); Top R&B Artist (2013); Top R&B Album (2013); Top R&B Song (2013); Billboard Chart Achievement Award (2016)

10. Janet Jackson – 11 wins total; #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1990); #1 R&B Artist (1990); #1 R&B Singles Artist (1990); #1 R&B Albums Artist (1990); #1 Dance Club Play Artist (1990); #1 Hot Dance 12-inch Singles Sales Artist (1990); #1 R&B Album (1990); #1 Pop Album (1990); Artist Achievement Award (1995); Artist Achievement Award (2001); ICON Award (2018)

Carrie Underwood – 11 wins total; Country Single Sales Artist of the Year (2005), Top-Selling Country Single of the Year (2005), Top-Selling Hot 100 Song of the Year (2005), Album of the Year (2006), Country Album of the Year (2006), Female Billboard 200 Albums Artist of the Year (2006), Female Country Artist of the Year (2006), New Country Artist of the Year (2006), Milestone Award (2014), Top Christian Song (2015), Top Country Female Artist (2019)

11. 50 Cent – 10 wins total; Artist of the Year (2003); R&B Artist of the Year (2003); Rap Artist of the Year (2003); Ringtone of the Year (2004); Album of the Year (2005); Artist of the Year (2005); Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2005); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2005), Rap Artist of the Year (2005); Ringtone of the Year (2005);

Destiny’s Child – 10 wins total; Artist of the Year (2000); Duo/Group of the Year (2000); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (2000); Hot 100 Singles Duo or Group of the Year (2000); Artist of the Year (2001); Artist of the Year – Duo/Group (2001); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (2001); Soundtrack Single of the Year (2001); Artist Achievement Award (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Group of the Year (2005)

Eminem – 10 wins total; Album of the Year (2002); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2002); Top Artist (2011); Top Billboard 200 Album (2011); Top Male Artist (2011); Top Rap Album (2011); Top Rap Artist (2011); Top Rap Song (2011); Top Rap Album (2014); Top Rap Artist (2014)

Mary J. Blige – 10 wins total; R&B Album of the Year (1995); Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2006); Hot 100 Airplay Song of the Year (2006); R&B Albums Artist of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Song Airplay of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Artist of the Year (2006); Videoclip of the Year (2006)

May 4, 2021 UPDATE: P!nk will receive the distinguished ICON Award at the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMAs). The three-time BBMA winner, who joins only nine other artists to ever receive the honor, will also take the stage for a spectacular performance.

May 11, 2011 UPDATE: Drake will receive the prestigious Artist of the Decade Award at the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMAs). 

Review: ‘Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos,’ starring Rob Zombie, Ice-T, Duff McKagan, Lars Ulrich, Tom Morello and Lzzy Hale

April 24, 2021

by Carla Hay

Fever 333 singer Jason Aalon Butler in “Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos” (Photo by Jordan Wrenner/Abramorama)

“Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos”

Directed by Jonathan McHugh

Culture Representation: The documentary “Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos” features a predominantly white, mostly American group of people (with some African Americans and a few Asians and Latinos) who are musicians, fans and industry people discussing the impact of hard rock/heavy metal music in their lives and in other people’s lives.

Culture Clash: Hard rock/heavy metal often has a reputation for violence at concerts and in song lyrics, while musicians in the genre who aren’t white males face discrimination barriers. 

Culture Audience: “Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos” will appeal primarily to people interested in watching a documentary that gives a broad but not-very-revealing overview of hard rock/heavy metal fandom in the United States.

Rock fans at a concert in “Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos” (Photo by Jordan Wrenner/Abramorama)

There have been many documentaries that have tried to capture the essence of hard rock/heavy metal culture, but few have truly succeeded. “Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos” is like a rambling ad campaign for hard rock/heavy metal’s die-hard fandom. The documentary doesn’t reveal anything new, the editing is horribly unfocused, and the movie often comes across as a long infomercial for rock concert festivals.

And there are parts of the documentary where the sound mixing is so amateurish, it’s embarrassing. For example, the sound levels are sometimes mismatched and uneven in the same interview. You know it’s bad when a music documentary can’t even get the sound right.

Directed by Jonathan McHugh, “Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos” gives a lot of screen time to fans who are devoted to seeing their favorite artists in concert and meeting up with other fans at big rock festivals. There are entire segments of the movie about concert rituals such as crowd surfing, mosh pits and the wall of death. It’s mentioned that a wall of death can be security personnel’s biggest nightmare because it simulates a war battle with large numbers of people on one side charging into large groups of people on the other side.

But it begs the question: Why is a documentary that’s meant for hard rock/heavy metal fans spending so much time on basic things that they already know about these concerts? The segments on crowd surfing, mosh pits and the wall of death all look like they were filmed as instructional videos for people training to work in concert security, not for people who are in the audiences at these concerts. If you think it’s fascinating that some concert promoters hire college football players for audience security at rock concerts, then “Long Live Rock” is your kind of movie. The documentary has an entire segment on that too, with Urbana University head football coach Tyler Haines introducing his team members who do concert security, and showing how they interact with the crowds at concerts.

And there’s a lot of contradictory statements in the documentary. Although several people in the move talk about friendly and welcoming communities at these concerts, they also acknowledge there’s disturbing violence at these shows. The general consensus is that people who choose to participate in a mosh pit and a wall of death should expect to get bloodied and some other type of physical injury. Crowd surfing can also be hazardous, especially for women, who are more at risk than men of being sexually groped and assaulted while crowd surfing.

But then in the documentary, concertgoers and artists pipe in with comments that even if people get physically hurt at these concerts, there are always other people who will help anyone who gets injured. Here’s an idea: How about just not hurting each other in the first place?

Although most people who go to hard rock/heavy metal concerts have a great time and don’t get physically injured, the movie has a bizarre and borderline irresponsible tone of glossing over the serious injuries that do occur. The violence is described as all in “good fun” and people just letting off steam when they go to these concerts. But maybe trying to justify and endorse this violence should be no surprise from a documentary whose subtitle is “Celebrate the Chaos.”

One of the best things about the documentary is the concert festival footage that effectively captures the positive aspects of the shows, such as the adrenaline and excitement of safely being in the audience of a big music festival. Some of the artists also talk about the rush that they get from being on stage, but it’s the type of commentary that artists have said countless times. This is not a movie about bands struggling in tiny clubs. The live concert experiences presented in the documentary are mostly about the spectacle of being at a festival that can attract at least 10,000 people per show.

As such, all of the artists interviewed in the documentary are those who are at the career level of performing at major festivals. The artists in the movie span a few generations, but most are artists who first hit it big in the 1980s, 1990s or early 2000s. They include Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich; Rob Zombie; Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello; Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell; Guns N’Roses bassist Duff McKagan, Body Count vocalist Ice-T; Zakk Wylde; Korn singer Jonathan Davis; Stone Temple Pilots members Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz; Slipknot singer Corey Taylor; Avenged Sevenfold singer M. Shadows; Godsmack singer Sully Erna; Shinedown singer Brent Smith; Papa Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix; Myles Kennedy; Skillet spouses John Cooper and Korey Cooper; Live singer Ed Kowalczyk; Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon; Mastodon singer/drummer Brann Dailor; Steel Panther members Stix Zadinia and Michael Starr; and The Offspring members Dexter Holland and Noodles.

Younger musicians (those who released their first albums in the mid-to-late 2000s and 2010s) are also interviewed in the documentary. They include Machine Gun Kelly; Greta Van Fleet twins Josh Kiszka and Jake Kiszka; Halestorm members Lzzy Hale and Arejay Hale; Dorothy singer Dorothy Martin; Radkey; Beartooth singer Caleb Shomo; In This Moment singer Maria Brink; Fever 333 guitarist Stephen Harrison; The Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen; Fire From the Gods singer AJ Channer; and Black Veil Brides singer Andy Biersack.

In addition, other people from the music industry weigh in with their comments. They include concert promoter Gary Spivack (one of the documentary’s producers), Spotify global head of rock Allison Hagendorf, record company executive Jason Flom, manager/producer Andy Gould, Halestorm manager Bill McGathy, artist manager Rick Sales, concert security staffer Seyth Boardman, artist manager/addiction counselor Jeff Jampol and MusiCares senior director Harold Owens. Media people who are interviewed include radio personalities Eddie Trunk, Matt Pinfield, Bob Lefsetz, Dr. Drew Pinsky and Jose Mangin.

Republican politician John Kasich, the former Ohio governor and congressman who was a candidate in the 2000 and 2016 U.S. presidential elections, is one of the people interviewed. However, his time on screen is reduced to one soundbite. He comments, “Whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat, a liberal, or a conservative, when the music catches you, we’re all one.”

The documentary has no explanation for what Kasich is doing in this movie. Is he really a hard rock/heavy metal fan? And if so, who are his favorite artists? How does he feel about laws that affect the music industry? The documentary never bothers to ask and answer these questions. It’s an example of how this movie has substandard filmmaking. “Long Live Rock” helmer McHugh makes his feature-film directorial debut with this movie. Maybe a more experienced feature-film director would have done a better job.

There’s even an interview with a psychotherapist named Kevin Stolper, whose specialty is in treating adolescents. Stolper explains how hard rock/heavy metal appeals to people who want to have a youthful, party mentality. Hard rock/heavy metal fans, who often describe themselves as misfits when they were in school, find the fandom appealing because it’s a community where they feel like they belong.

Metallica drummer Ulrich describes heavy metal fandom this way: “All the disenfranchised feel like they belong to something that’s much bigger than themselves.” In fact, many of the comments in “Long Live Rock” are about how hard rock/heavy metal fandom is about this strong sense of community. The words “tribe,” “tribalism,” “community” and “finding your people” come up a lot when people in the documentary describe the main reasons why they love the music and going to concerts.

And many of the interviewees mention that even though hard rock/heavy metal isn’t as popular as it was in the 1980s, there’s an adoring appreciation for the music that gets handed down through generations. The die-hard fans admirably don’t care if the music is trendy or not. “I don’t listen to reviews. Anyone who says rock is dead is ‘out’ for me,” Guns N’Roses bassist McKagan comments, as he flicks his hand in a “tossing out” motion.

The stereotypical image of a hard rock/heavy metal fan is of a white male stoner, but the fandom is a lot more diverse than people might think. SiriusXM host Trunk comments: “I never liked the clichés and stereotypes that came with this music. People think you can pick out who is or isn’t into this music by how they look. Doctors, lawyers, brain surgeons love this music. The music is way wider-reaching than people give it credit for.”

The documentary includes segments about gender and racial diversity in hard rock/heavy metal. The general consensus is that although a male majority still exists in hard rock/heavy metal, the numbers of females who are musicians and fans have increased over the years, compared to how it was in the 20th century. New Year’s Day lead singer Ash Costello comments on female participation in the hard rock/heavy metal scene: “Females have always been there. Now, it’s more of an equality than a separation.”

However, the documentary completely ignores any #MeToo stories in hard rock/heavy metal. It’s as if the filmmakers don’t want to acknowledge hard rock/heavy metal’s reputation for glorifying toxic masculinity. If you were to believe this documentary, sexual abuse and sexual harassment don’t exist in hard rock/heavy metal. The closest that someone comes to describing gender discrimination is when Halestorm lead singer Lzzy Hale mentions that sometimes she meets people while on tour who assume that she’s the girlfriend of a band member instead of a member of the band.

Black people and other people of color are still very much a minority in hard rock/heavy metal. And although no one denies that racism exists, black artists such as Ice-T believe that most hard rock/metal fans don’t care what color an artist is if that artist has talent. However, he adds that there are still misconceptions some people might have about his heavy metal band Body Count, because the band members are black.

Ice-T says in the documentary: “When we got in trouble for [Body Count’s 1992 song] ‘Cop Killer,’ they called it a rap record, That was a racist way of saying it because they didn’t want to call it rock. Maybe [‘Cop Killer’] was a protest record.”

Fever 333 guitarist Harrison mentions that it isn’t just the subset of white racists who have a problem with black people being hard rock/heavy metal fans. He says that some black people have a hard time understanding why any black person would be a fan of hard rock/heavy metal. But on the plus side, Harrison thinks that most music fans have this belief about hard rock/heavy metal: “It isn’t a white thing. It’s for everyone.”

That belief might be true for most music fans. But, for whatever reason, the filmmakers of “Long Live Rock” only chose to feature white American fans in the documentary’s interview segments on people who love to go to hard rock/heavy metal concerts. The main diversity that they have is in their jobs. The documentary gives no mention of the loyal hard rock/heavy metal fandom that exists outside of North America, particularly in Europe, Japan and South America, where certain hard rock/heavy metal artists can headline shows at arenas and stadiums.

The interviewed fans include medical billing manager Andrea Rickord, a married mother of two children who were about 7 to 9 years old when she was interviewed for this documentary. Rickord (who’s from Springfield, Ohio) describes what going to concerts means to her: “It’s definitely like therapy.” And when she goes to a big festival, she calls it her “mom trip” that she enjoys for herself, because her kids and husband don’t have the same passion for hard rock/heavy metal that she does.

Ex-con Josh Guikey, his nurse wife Jami Guikey, and corrections officer Scott Prince (who met and befriended former burglar Josh Guikey when Josh was sent to prison) also talk about the therapeutic benefits of hard rock/heavy metal. Dental technician Sarah J. Kazan and dentist Dr. Gytis R. Udrys, who are a couple and co-workers, say that part of their initial attraction to each other was their mutual love of the same music. Dr. Udrys says he also likes going to hard rock/heavy metal concerts because he can let loose and not have the straight-laced image that’s required for for his dentist job.

Justin “G” Griffin (an architect) and his wife Tiffany Griffin (an elementary school teacher) discuss his passion for building an online community for hard rock/heavy metal fans, going all the way back to the days when MySpace was the top social media platform. Tiffany says that she knew that she and Justin would be a good match for each other when he said that he had to listen to Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album (also known as “The Black Album”) every night before he went to sleep. One of their first dates was a Shinedown concert.

“Long Live Rock” gives a lot of screen time to the fans who consider themselves to be expert crowd surfers. They include crowd-surfing married couple Etienne Sabate and Michelle Sabate, who are shown going into a festival crowd while encased in giant plastic bubbles. Abby McCormick, a mother of two who lives in Georgia, is probably the most memorable fan in the documentary because she likes to crowd surf in her wheelchair. The documentary has plenty of clips showing her doing that.

McCormick lost her one of her legs in a motorcycle accident that killed her fiancé. She has a prosthetic leg, and she also likes to be in mosh pits at concerts. McCormick has a lively personality and she’s hilarious when she tells some of her stories, such has an experience she had when her prosthetic leg got ripped off while she was crowd surfing at a concert. The leg was eventually returned to her, with a unopened bottle of beer placed inside the leg. She also proudly says of crowd surfing in a wheelchair: “I’ve never been dropped.”

Although these fan anecdotes can be entertaining, “Long Live Rock” has such atrocious editing, that the fan segments sometimes abruptly appear in random moments throughout the film, resulting in clumsy tonal shifts. For example, toward the end of the documentary, the tone gets dark and depressing when it covers the topic of rock stars with alcoholism and drug addiction. The documentary then segues into discussing mental-health issues and the untimely, tragic deaths of Soundgarden/Audioslave singer Chris Cornell and Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, who died just two months apart in 2017. (Both of their deaths were ruled as suicides.) But then, after all this talk of addiction and death, the documentary cheerfully goes back to the crowd-surfing married couple to show them in their plastic bubbles. It’s an awkward editing transition, to say the least.

And the fan segments sometimes have unnecessary footage that shouldn’t have been in the documentary. For example, the documentary shows a fan named Jessie Shrewsburry, who is a rehab trauma nurse, going fishing in a creek because she says fishing, just like going to concerts, helps her reduce stress. Dr. Udrys is shown piloting a small plane in another scene. It’s meant to show that these fans have additional hobbies, but it’s an example of how the documentary has a tendency to lose focus by going in these off-topic tangents.

“Long Live Rock” should have had more behind-the-scenes stories from the musicians instead of mostly fluffy soundbites from them. Most of the artist interviews are reduced to short quips that don’t say anything new that they haven’t already talked about in other interviews over the years. For a documentary about hard rock/heavy metal fandom, it’s lacking in unique fan interaction stories from the artists’ perspectives.

For example, Rob Zombie says in the documentary, “I’ll be at something like Comic-Con. And the actors will be like, ‘Oh my God, this is insane with all these fans and having so much interaction!’ And I’m like, ‘This is every fucking day on the tour.”

Zombie has said this before many times in other interviews, so this documentary should have had more insight into how Zombie interacts with fans or how he prepares for a show, to explain why the interaction is so “insane” on tour. Several people in the documentary praise how he blends horror movie concepts with his music. But that’s not news to anyone who knows anything about Zombie.

The closest that “Long Live Rock” comes to showing what it’s like to be a rock band on tour is when Skillet spouses John Cooper and Korey Cooper show the inside of their tour bus and talk about how their son and daughter go on tour with them. There’s also a brief segment with Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale doing a meet-and-greet session with the rest of Halestorm at a music store, where Halestorm superfans Dave Rumohr and Lizzy Gravelle gush about how much they love the band.

Although “Long Live Rock” has interviews with some of the biggest stars in hard rock and heavy metal, there’s a shortage of perspectives from artists who are not from U.S.-based bands. How could there be a documentary about heavy metal without anything from the bands of the highly influential New Wave of British Heavy Metal? (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Def Leppard, for example.) It’s a glaring omission.

X Japan lead singer Yoshiki is the only musician interviewed in the documentary who’s from a band that’s not based in the United States. Five Finger Death Punch co-founder Zoltan Bathory, who is originally from Hungary, is also interviewed, but Fiver Finger Death Punch is primarily an American band, based in Las Vegas. Metallica drummer Ulrich is originally from Denmark, but he’s also in a U.S.-based band consisting primarily of Americans.

And this movie almost completely ignores the impact that non-American musicians have had on hard rock/heavy metal. A few people mention Black Sabbath’s influence, but that’s about it. No one mentions Led Zeppelin, the first superstar hard rock band to sell out arenas around the world. No one mentions AC/DC, Rush or Scorpions, who were breakthrough hard rock bands for Australia, Canada and Germany, respectively.

Maybe this documentary’s American bias is because “Long Live Rock” producer Spivack works for American concert promotion company Danny Wimmer Presents, which produces U.S. hard rock/heavy metal festivals that include Louder Than Life, Epicenter and Sonic Temple. But the simple fact is that you can’t do a credible documentary about hard rock/heavy metal fandom by not including fans and more musicians from other countries.

As the popularity of hard rock/metal declined after its peak in the 1980s, many bands were able to sustain themselves because of their fandom outside of the United States. The band joke “We’re big in Japan” is rooted in hard rock/heavy metal bands’ real-life experiences of making a huge chunk of their income outside the United States. And whenever hard rock/heavy metal artists talk about which places in the world are their favorites to perform, there will be mention of places in and outside the U.S.

Although well-intentioned, “Long Live Rock” missed an opportunity to be a revealing documentary that shows how artists’ interactions with fans are the necessary fuel that keeps the fire of hard rock/heavy metal burning at a time when this genre of music has been declared “dead” but is still very much alive. And by “artist interactions,” that doesn’t just mean showing the artists saying a few words on stage to the audience. People can see concert footage for free on the Internet.

There’s a whole other level of promotion and marketing that a lot of these artists have to do, especially when they’re not played on mainstream commercial radio. The Internet and social media are barely mentioned in this movie. “Long Live Rock” had a documentary concept that needed to go beyond what’s seen on stage and give more personal and interesting stories about artist experiences with fans while on tour, not just in the U.S. but also in other parts of the world.

The filmmakers had the right idea to include the perspectives of fans, but this idea was executed sloppily. There’s tailgate concert footage in other films that’s more interesting than a lot of the fan footage that’s in “Long Live Rock.” (See the 1986 documentary “Heavy Metal Parking Lot.”) Unfortunately, what viewers get in “Long Live Rock” is a jumbled mishmash of an electronic press kit for concert festivals, rehashed comments from artists, and fan interviews that talk more about crowd surfing and moshing than what they saw on stage.

Abramorama released “Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos” in U.S. virtual cinemas on March 12, 2021. Amazon Prime Video’s Coda Collection (a spinoff subscription available to Amazon Prime members at an additional cost) will premiere the movie on May 1, 2021. The movie’s VOD premiere date is June 1, 2021.

2021 ACM Awards: Maren Morris is the top winner

April 18, 2021

Maren Morris at the 56th Annual ACM Awards in Nashville (Photo by Brent Harrington/CBS)

The following is a press release from the Academy of Country Music:

Winners have been announced for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards. Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton hosted the show featuring three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe, as well as performances at legendary locations across the city including the Station Inn, Bridge Building and on Broadway. The 56th ACM Awards was broadcast live on CBS and is available on demand on Paramount+.

The Academy’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, was awarded to Luke Bryan making this his tenth win overall and third for Entertainer of the Year. This year’s 56th ACM Awards featured an all-star lineup of collaborations and memorable performances featuring 25 performances, 31 artists, and 31 hit songs. 

Show performance highlights included: 
●      Kicking off the show, Miranda Lambert and Elle King rolled up to the Grand Ole Opry House in style, wearing fringe-laced black leather motorcycle jackets and taking over the stage with the world television premiere of their party anthem, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).”

●      Chris Young and Kane Brown rocked the Ryman stage with their hometown anthem “Famous Friends.” 

●      Thomas Rhett performed “Country Again” and followed up with the premiere of “What’s Your Country Song.”

●      Chris Stapleton performed “Maggie’s Song” and was joined on The Bluebird Cafe stage by Miranda Lambert.

●      Married artists, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd sang, “Chasing After You,” for their first duet together and Hurd’s television award show performance debut.


●      Lady A rocked Nashville’s Bridge Building with their song “Like a Lady,” and Ashley McBryde performed “Martha Divine.”

●      Jimmie Allen was surprised by Brad Paisley for a duet of “Freedom Was a Highway,” while New Female Artist of the Year Gabby Barrett performed her single “The Good Ones” from the intimate Bluebird Cafe.

●      Dierks Bentley and duo The War and Treaty performed U2’s poignant classic “Pride (In The Name of Love)” at The Station Inn.

●      Introduced by the legendary Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood performed a medley from her new album of gospel hymns, “My Savior,” starting with “Amazing Grace” and featuring a duet with CeCe Winans to sing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and “The Old Rugged Cross.” To finish the set, they were joined by the Belmont University Choir for “How Great Thou Art.”

●      Eric Church gave an energetic performance of his song “Bunch Of Nothing” at the Ryman. 

●      Dan + Shay debuted their latest release “Glad You Exist” from the Bluebird Cafe with a smooth acoustic ballad performance.

●      Backed by a socially-distanced string orchestra, Luke Combs gave a passionate performance of “Forever After All” from the Grand Ole Opry House.

●      Most nominated and awarded ACM Artist, Miranda Lambert also performed and played along with her guitar to “In His Arms” with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall.

●      Kenny Chesney returned to the ACM Awards stage for the world television premiere of “Knowing You.”

●      The Academy also paid tribute to the lives lost in the Country community during the past year.

●      Alan Jackson performed two back-to-back hits, a special mashup of “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” and “You’ll Always Be My Baby.”

●      Blake Shelton celebrated the 20th anniversary of his first single “Austin,” and followed up with a performance of his latest single “Minimum Wage.”

●      Following their double win with Single of the Year Award and Music Event of the Year, Carly Pearce and Lee Brice performed their collaborated song “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”

●      56th ACM Awards host, Mickey Guyton gave a soulful performance of “Hold On” from the Grand Ole Opry House.

●      Following his fellow host, 56th ACM Awards host, Keith Urban lit up the Grand Ole Opry House stage with a high energy set “Tumbleweed.” 

●      Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney gave a touching performance of “half of my hometown” to honor their shared hometown of Knoxville, TN.

●      Little Big Town gave a dynamic, sleek drumline performance on Broadway of “Wine, Beer, Whiskey.”

●      After performing, “I’m Not For Everyone,” at the Ryman, Brothers Osborne closed out the show with a heart thumping performance of “Dead Man’s Curve.”

Winner Highlights of the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards:


●      Maren Morris won Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “The Bones.” Morris now has six ACM Award career wins, making this her second Female Artist of the Year  win and a first category win for Song of the Year, awarding her both artist and songwriter credits. Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz each received songwriter credits.

●      Thomas Rhett won Male Artist of the Year, marking his third win, eighth win overall.

●      Chris Stapleton won Album of the Year, with an additional win for producer for “Starting Over.” Stapleton has had twelve ACM wins overall.

●      Old Dominion won Group of the Year, making this their fourth consecutive win.

●      Dan + Shay won Duo of the Year, making this their third consecutive win, fifth win overall. 

●      Previously announced, Jimmie Allen won New Male Artist of the Year marking his first ACM Award win and the first Black artist to win within the category. 

●      Gabby Barrett won New Female Artist of the Year. This marks Barrett’s first ACM Award win. 

●      Carly Pearce and Lee Brice won Single of the Year for “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” already winning Music Event of the Year for their collaboration this past week. This marks Pearce’s first time wins in two separate categories, and Brice’s third win for Single of the Year making this his seventh overall ACM Award win. 

●      Kane Brown won his first ACM Award in Video of the Year category for “Worldwide Beautiful.” Brown is the first Black solo artist to win Video of the Year. 

●      The late producer busbee was awarded posthumously with Single of the Year and Music Event of the Year.

Tonight’s presenters included Ingrid Andress, Blanco Brown, Amy Grant, Leslie Jordan, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton, Darius Rucker and Clay Walker.

During the live telecast, ACM Lifting Lives® the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music® featured special bumpers which included the National Museum of African American Music during Black History Month to learn more about Country Music’s roots, check out the moment here. Jimmie Allen, Chrissy Metz, Kip Moore and Tenille Townes sat down with Ashley Eicher to discuss how the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund has and continues to support music industry professionals who have been financially impacted by the pandemic, watch here. ACM, Ad Council and COVID Collaborative along with Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Darius Rucker were featured in a COVID-19 vaccine PSA as part of the national campaign, “It’s Up to You,” to emphasize the important role education about COVID-19 vaccinations plays in returning to live music here. Additionally, Dolly Parton was also featured in a vaccine PSA here. Official 56th ACM Awards Playlist: Stream for a Cause initiative to benefit the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund is available on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube Music.

Studio Recording Awards and Songwriter of the Year will be announced at this year’s ACM Honors, more information to be announced in coming weeks.  

For a complete list of past and present wins and nominations, please visit ACMcountry.com and search the ACM Awards Database located on the Homepage. To watch performances, visit ACMcountry.com. Official 56th ACM Awards sponsors include 1000 Stories® Bourbon Barrel-Aged Wine, Ford, Security Benefit and T-Mobile. Getty Images is the official photographer for the Academy of Country Music Awards and photos can be accessed at GettyImages.com.

The health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners involved in the ACM Awards is the number one priority. All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by Dick Clark Productions and the Academy of Country Music.

For more information, visit ACMcountry.com. You can also like Academy of Country Music on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @ACMawards, follow on Instagram at @ACMawards and sign up for the free ACM A-List for more immediate updates.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards

The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the Country Music industry. The show was produced for television by Dick Clark Productions was broadcast live on Sunday, April 18, 2021 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and was available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Linda Gierahn are executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

Following is the full list of winners in the 12 categories voted on by Academy members:

*=winner

MAIN AWARDS

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Luke Bryan*
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris*
Carly Pearce

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett*
Chris Stapleton

DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay*
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae

GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Old Dominion*
The Cadillac Three
The Highwomen

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ingrid Andress
Tenille Arts
Gabby Barrett*
Mickey Guyton
Caylee Hammack

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jimmie Allen*
Travis Denning
HARDY
Cody Johnson
Parker McCollum

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

Born Here Live Here Die Here – Luke Bryan
Producers: Jeff Stevens, Jody Stevens
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Mixtape Vol. 1 – Kane Brown
Producers: Andrew Goldstein, Charlie Handsome, Dann Huff, Lindsay Rimes
Record Label: RCA Nashville

Never Will – Ashley McBryde
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

Skeletons – Brothers Osborne
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: EMI Records Nashville

Starting Over – Chris Stapleton*
Producers: Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb
Record Label: Mercury Nashville

SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

Bluebird – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville

I Hope – Gabby Barrett
Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

I Hope You’re Happy Now – Carly Pearce & Lee Brice*
Producers: busbee
Record Label: Big Machine Records / Curb Records

More Hearts Than Mine – Ingrid Andress
Producers: Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

The Bones – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Record Label: Columbia Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

Bluebird – Miranda Lambert
Songwriter(s): Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby
Publishers: Emileson Songs; Little Louder Songs; Pink Dog Publishing; Songs of Universal, INC; Sony ATV Tree Publishing; Wrucke for You Publishing

One Night Standards – Ashley McBryde
Songwriter(s): Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally
Publishers: Canned Biscuit Songs; Smackworks Music; Smack Blue, LLC; Smackstreet Music; Tempo Investments; Warner Geo Met Ric Music; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp

Some People Do – Old Dominion
Songwriter(s): Jesse Frasure, Matt Ramsey, Thomas Rhett, Shane McAnally
Publishers: Carrot Seed Songs; EMI Blackwood Music INC; Smackville Music; Songs of ROC Nation; Teremitry Rhythm House Music; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp; Smack Hits; Tempo Investments; Warner Gro Met Ric Music

Starting Over – Chris Stapleton
Songwriter(s): Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson
Publishers: I Wrote These Songs; Straight Six Music; WC Music Corp

The Bones – Maren Morris*
Songwriter(s): Jimmy Robbins, Maren Morris, Laura Veltz
Publishers: Big Machine Music, LLC; Extraordinary Alien Publishing; International Dog Music; Oh Denise Publishing; Round Hill Songs; Warner-Tamerlane
Publishing Corp.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

Better Than We Found It – Maren Morris
Director: Gabrielle Woodland
Producers: Sarah Kunin, Jennifer Pepke

Bluebird – Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy
Producer: Heather Levenstone

Gone – Dierks Bentley
Directors: Wes Edwards, Ed Pryor, Travis Nicholson, Running Bear and Sam Siske, with animation by Skylar Wilson
Producer: David Garcia

Hallelujah – Carrie Underwood and John Legend
Director: Randee St. Nicholas
Producer: Greg Wells

Worldwide Beautiful – Kane Brown*
Director: Alex Alvga
Producer: Christen Pinkston

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR (Tie Within Category Increased Nominees) [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]

Be A Light – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
Producer: Dann Huff
Record Label: The Valory Music Co.

Does To Me – Luke Combs featuring Eric Church
Producer: Scott Moffatt
Record Label: River House Artists/Columbia Nashville

I Hope You’re Happy Now – Carly Pearce & Lee Brice*
Producer: busbee
Record Label: Big Machine Records / Curb Records

Nobody But You – Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

One Beer – HARDY featuring Lauren Alaina & Devin Dawson
Producers: Derek Wells, Joey Moi
Record Label: Big Loud Records

One Too Many – Keith Urban, P!nk
Producers: Cutfather, Dan McCarroll, Keith Urban, PhD
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Harry Styles, Roddy Ricch are the top nominees

April 7, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE: Harry Styles and Roddy Ricch lead the list of nominees, with seven nods each. Following close behind is The Weekend, with six nominations.

The following is a press release from iHeartRadio and Fox:

 iHeartMedia and FOX announced today the nominees for the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, airing LIVE from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Thursday, May 27 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live / PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The event also will be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.

Now in its eighth year, the iHeartRadio Music Awards will celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2020, while also offering a preview of the upcoming hits of 2021. The show will feature award presentations in multiple categories, live performances from the biggest artists in music, surprise stage moments and will tell the stories of the winning artists’ road to #1.  Since the Awards’ inception in 2013, the show has included live performances and appearances by superstar artists, such as Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, Garth Brooks, Rihanna, Halsey, Justin Bieber, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Martin, Bon Jovi, Maroon 5, Camila Cabello, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Big Sean, Sam Smith, Madonna, Blake Shelton, Pharrell, Pitbull and many others.

“The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a true awards show recognizing the artists and songs fans have listened to and loved all year long,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia. “We are excited to be continuing our partnership with FOX on this unforgettable evening of music and stories.”

Artists receiving multiple nominations include 24kGoldn, AC/DC, AJR, All Time Low, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, blackbear, BLACKPINK, Blake Shelton, BTS, Calibre 50, Cardi B, Charlie Puth, Chris Brown, Christian Nodal, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Drake, Dua Lipa, Future, Gabby Barrett, H.E.R., Harry Styles, J Balvin, Jhené Aiko, JP Saxe, Justin Bieber, KAROL G, Lady Gaga, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Maluma, Maren Morris, Megan Thee Stallion, Ozuna, Ozzy Osbourne, Pop Smoke, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Shawn Mendes, Snoh Aalegra, Summer Walker, Surf Mesa, Taylor Swift, The Pretty Reckless, The Weeknd, twenty one pilots and Young Thug. All nominees are listed below. For a full list of categories, visit iHeartRadio.com/awards.

“We couldn’t be more excited for this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards,” said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia. “This year’s awards will be a can’t-miss music event.  We are looking forward to celebrating these top artists and their accomplishments, especially after a year that brought unprecedented challenges to the music industry and live events.”

In addition to paying tribute to music and artists, the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards will again celebrate the fans, giving iHeartRadio listeners the opportunity to decide winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Best Fan Army, Best Lyrics, Best Cover Song, Best Music Video, the Social Star Award, Favorite Music Video Choreography Award and the first-ever TikTok Bop of the Year Award.

Social voting begins today, April 7, and will close on May 19 at 11:59 PM ET for all categories. Fans can vote on Twitter using the appropriate category and nominee hashtags or by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards. 

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 live TV broadcast event of the iHeartRadio Music Awards on FOX was cancelled and winners were revealed for the first time on-air throughout Labor Day weekend across iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio App. Among the many winners of the 2020 Awards were Lizzo for Song of the Year, Billie Eilish for Female Artist of the Year, Post Malone for Male Artist of the Year and Jonas Brothers for Best Duo/Group of the Year. The 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards also honored Elton John with the Tour of the Year Award for his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

This year’s awards will once again feature a broad array of categories — finalists (by alphabetical order) are:

Song of the Year:

  • “Blinding Lights” – The Weeknd
  • “Circles” – Post Malone
  • “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa
  • “ROCKSTAR” – DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
  • “Watermelon Sugar” – Harry Styles

Female Artist of the Year:  

  • Ariana Grande
  • Billie Eilish
  • Dua Lipa
  • Megan Thee Stallion
  • Taylor Swift

Male Artist of the Year: 

  • Harry Styles
  • Justin Bieber
  • Post Malone
  • Roddy Ricch
  • The Weeknd

Best Duo/Group of the Year: 

  • BTS
  • Dan + Shay
  • Jonas Brothers
  • Maroon 5
  • twenty one pilots

Best Collaboration:

  • “Go Crazy” – Chris Brown & Young Thug
  • “Holy” – Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper
  • “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett featuring Charlie Puth
  • “Mood” – 24kGoldn featuring iann dior
  • “Savage” (Remix) – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé

Best New Pop Artist: 

  • 24kGoldn
  • blackbear
  • Doja Cat
  • JP Saxe
  • Pop Smoke

Alternative Rock Song of the Year:

  • “Bang!” – AJR
  • “Bloody Valentine” – Machine Gun Kelly
  • “everything i wanted” – Billie Eilish
  • “Level Of Concern” – twenty one pilots
  • “Monsters” – All Time Low featuring blackbear

Alternative Rock Artist of the Year:

  • AJR
  • All Time Low
  • Billie Eilish
  • Cage the Elephant
  • twenty one pilots

Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist:

  • Ashe
  • Dayglow
  • Powfu
  • Royal & The Serpent
  • Wallows

Rock Song of the Year:

  • “Death By Rock And Roll” – The Pretty Reckless
  • “Patience” – Chris Cornell
  • “Shame Shame” – Foo Fighters
  • “Shot In The Dark” – AC/DC
  • “Under The Graveyard” – Ozzy Osbourne

Rock Artist of the Year:

  • AC/DC
  • Five Finger Death Punch
  • Ozzy Osbourne
  • Shinedown
  • The Pretty Reckless

Country Song of the Year:

  • “Even Though I’m Leaving” – Luke Combs
  • “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett
  • “Nobody But You” – Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani
  • “One Margarita” – Luke Bryan
  • “The Bones” – Maren Morris

Country Artist of the Year:

  • Blake Shelton
  • Luke Bryan
  • Luke Combs
  • Maren Morris
  • Thomas Rhett

Best New Country Artist:

  • Ashley McBryde
  • Gabby Barrett
  • HARDY
  • Ingrid Andress
  • Jameson Rodgers

Dance Song of the Year:

  • “Head & Heart” – Joel Corry x MNEK
  • “ily (i love you baby)” – Surf Mesa featuring Emilee
  • “Lasting Lover” – Sigala & James Arthur
  • “Rain On Me” – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
  • “Roses” (Imanbek Remix) – SAINt JHN

Dance Artist of the Year: 

  • Anabel Englund
  • Diplo
  • Marshmello
  • Surf Mesa
  • Tiësto

Hip-Hop Song of the Year: 

  • “High Fashion” – Roddy Ricch featuring Mustard
  • “Life Is Good” – Future featuring Drake
  • “ROCKSTAR” – DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch             
  • “Savage” (Remix) – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
  • “The Box” – Roddy Ricch

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year: 

  • DaBaby
  • Lil Baby
  • Megan Thee Stallion
  • Pop Smoke
  • Roddy Ricch

Best New Hip-Hop Artist:

  • Jack Harlow
  • Moneybagg Yo
  • Pop Smoke
  • Rod Wave
  • Roddy Ricch

R&B Song of the Year: 

  • “B.S.” – Jhené Aiko featuring H.E.R.    
  • “Go Crazy” – Chris Brown & Young Thug
  • “Heat” Chris Brown featuring Gunna
  • “Playing Games” – Summer Walker
  • “Slide” – H.E.R. featuring YG

R&B Artist of the Year: 

  • Chris Brown
  • H.E.R.
  • Jhené Aiko
  • Snoh Aalegra
  • Summer Walker

Best New R&B Artist: 

  • Chloe x Halle  
  • Lonr.
  • Mahalia
  • Skip Marley
  • Snoh Aalegra

Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song of the Year:  

  • “Caramelo” – Ozuna
  • “Dákiti” – Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez
  • “Hawái” (Remix) – Maluma & The Weeknd
  • “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)” – Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin
  • “Tusa” – KAROL G & Nicki Minaj

Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist of the Year: 

  • Bad Bunny 
  • J Balvin
  • KAROL G
  • Maluma
  • Ozuna

Best New Latin Artist: 

  • Chesca
  • Jay Wheeler
  • Natanael Cano
  • Neto Bernal
  • Rauw Alejandro

Regional Mexican Song of the Year:

  • “Palabra De Hombre” – El Fantasma
  • “Se Me Olvidó” – Christian Nodal
  • “Sólo Tú” – Calibre 50
  • “Te Volvería A Elegir” – Calibre 50
  • “Yo Ya No Vuelvo Contigo” – Lenin Ramírez featuring Grupo Firme  

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year:  

  • Banda Los Sebastianes
  • Calibre 50
  • Christian Nodal
  • Edwin Luna y La Trakalosa de Monterrey
  • Gerardo Ortíz

Producer of the Year: 

  • Andrew Watt
  • Dr Luke
  • Frank Dukes
  • Louis Bell
  • Max Martin

Songwriter of the Year:

  • Ali Tamposi
  • Amy Allen
  • Ashley Gorley
  • Dan Nigro
  • Finneas

Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category

  • “Adore You” – Harry Styles
  • “Before You Go” – Lewis Capaldi
  • “Blinding Lights” – The Weeknd
  • “cardigan” – Taylor Swift
  • “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa
  • “everything i wanted” – Billie Eilish
  • “I Hope” – Gabby Barrett featuring Charlie Puth
  • “If The World Was Ending” – JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels
  • “Intentions” – Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
  • “Life Is Good” – Future featuring Drake

Best Cover Song: *Socially Voted Category

  • “Adore You” (Harry Styles) – Lizzo cover
  • “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons) – Shawn Mendes cover
  • “Fix You” (Coldplay) – Sam Smith cover
  • “Heart Of Glass” (Blondie) – Miley Cyrus cover
  • “Juice” (Lizzo) – Harry Styles cover

Best Fan Army: *Socially Voted Category

  • #Agnation – Agnez Mo
  • #Arianators – Ariana Grande
  • #Beliebers – Justin Bieber
  • #BLINK – BLACKPINK
  • #BTSARMY – BTS
  • #Harries – Harry Styles
  • #Limelights – Why Don’t We
  • #Louies – Louis Tomlinson
  • #MendesArmy – Shawn Mendes
  • #NCTzens – NCT 127
  • #Selenators – Selena Gomez
  • #Swifties – Taylor Swift

Best Music Video: *Socially Voted Category

  • “Blinding Lights” – The Weeknd
  • “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa
  • “Dynamite” – BTS
  • “Hawái” – Maluma
  • “How You Like That” – BLACKPINK
  • “Life Is Good” – Future featuring Drake
  • “Rain On Me” – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
  • “WAP” – Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
  • “Watermelon Sugar” – Harry Styles
  • “Yummy” – Justin Bieber

Social Star Award: *Socially Voted Category

  • Dixie D’Amelio
  • Jaden Hossler
  • LILHUDDY
  • Nessa Barrett
  • Olivia Rodrigo
  • Tate McRae

Favorite Music Video Choreography: *Socially Voted Category

  • BTS – Son Sung Deuk
  • “34+35” (Ariana Grande) – Scott & Brian Nicholson
  • “Do It” (Chloe x Halle) – Kendra Bracy & Ashanti Ledon
  • “Honey Boo” (CNCO & Natti Natasha) – Kyle Hanagami
  • “Physical” (Dua Lipa) – Charm La’Donna
  • “Rain On Me” (Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande) – Richy Jackson
  • “Say So” (Doja Cat) –    Cortland Brown
  • WAP” (Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion) – JaQuel Knight
  • “Bop” (DaBaby) – Coach Cherry & DaniLeigh

TikTok Bop of the Year (New Category): *Socially Voted Category 

  • “Blinding Lights” – The Weeknd
  • “Lottery (Renegade)” – K CAMP
  • “Savage” – Megan Thee Stallion
  • “Savage Love” (Laxed-Siren Beat) – Jawsh 685, Jason Derulo
  • “Say So” – Doja Cat
  • “WAP” – Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion

Additional categories include Label of the Year, Titanium Song of the Year and Titanium Artist of the Year, and individual winners for Album of the Year in music’s biggest genres, including Pop, Country, Alternative Rock, Rock, Dance, Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin Pop/Reggaeton and Regional Mexican formats. Nominations are based on consumption data, including streaming, album sales, song sales and radio airplay.

For a full list of categories visit iHeartRadio.com/awards.

Proud partners of the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards include Taco Bell® and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar, with more to be announced.

iHeartRadio and Taco Bell are once again teaming up to celebrate the fans, artists and music that kept us all connected over the past year. Fans can tune in to a memorable moment in the show, compliments of iHeartRadio and Taco Bell.

Executive producers for the “iHeartRadio Music Awards” are Joel Gallen for Tenth Planet and John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Bart Peters for iHeartMedia. 

For breaking news and exclusive iHeartRadio Music Awards content visit iHeartRadio.com/awards or follow the social buzz on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, reaching over 250 million people each month.  It is number one in broadcast and streaming radio as well as podcasting and audio ad tech, and includes three segments: The iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group; the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group; and the Audio and Media Services Group.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

About FOX Entertainment

FOX Entertainment’s 30-year legacy of innovative, hit programming includes 9-1-1, 9-1-1: LONE STAR, THE MASKED SINGER, LEGO MASTERS, PRODIGAL SON, LAST MAN STANDING, THE SIMPSONS, “Empire,” “24,” “The X-Files” and “American Idol.” Delivering high-quality scripted, non-scripted, animation, live content and major sports, FOX won the 2019-2020 broadcast season for the first time in eight years and was the only major network to post year-over-year growth among Adults 18-49 and Total Viewers. In addition to its broadcast network, FOX Entertainment oversees the operations of FOX Alternative Entertainment, its in-house unscripted studio that produces THE MASKED SINGER, I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE and THE MASKED DANCER, among other series; and the award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, which produces animated content for FOX, including the Emmy Award-winning hit BOB’S BURGERS and DUNCANVILLE, THE GREAT NORTH and HOUSEBROKEN, as well as programming for other broadcast, streaming and cable platforms.  Tubi, FOX Entertainment’s fast-growing ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) service, features more than 30,000 movies and television series, and news content that’s available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australia.

2021 ACM Awards: performers announced

April 5, 2021

The following is a press release from the Academy of Country Music, CBS and Dick Clark Productions:

CBS, The Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions announced today the full superstar performance lineup for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, airing live on Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.

The artists include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Ryan Hurd, Jack Ingram, Alan Jackson, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, Jon Randall, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, The War and Treaty, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Cece Winans and Chris Young.

Over 30 performances from more than 25 artists will take place from three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. Additional details on the exciting performances including unprecedented collaborations and surprising moments will be announced in the coming weeks.

Hosted by 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban and New Female Artist of the Year nominee Mickey Guyton, the 56th ACM Awards honor and showcase the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music. Official 56th ACM Awards sponsors include 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel-Aged Wine, Ford, Security Benefit and T-Mobile.

The health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners involved in the ACM Awards is the number one priority. All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by dick clark productions and the Academy of Country Music.

For more information, visit ACMcountry.com. You can also like Academy of Country Music on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @ACMawards, follow on Instagram at @ACMawards and sign up for the FREE ACM A-List for more immediate updates.

About the Academy of Country Music Awards(TM)

The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the Country Music industry. The show is produced for television by Dick Clark Productions. R.A. Clark, Barry Adelman and Linda Gierahn are executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the Academy of Country Music.

April 13, 2021 UPDATE:

CBS, The Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions announced today the exciting collaborations and must-see moments that will take center stage at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards. Hosted by Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, the 56th ACM Awards will air live on Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The 56th ACM Awards will feature an unprecedented number of world television premiere performances, including Elle King and Miranda Lambert opening the show with “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”; Dierks Bentley performing U2’s poignant classic “Pride (In The Name of Love)” with husband and wife duo The War and Treaty; Brothers Osborne (“I’m Not For Everyone”); Kenny Chesney (“Knowing You”); Eric Church (“Bunch Of Nothing”); Luke Combs (“Forever After All”); Dan + Shay (“Glad You Exist”); Mickey Guyton (“Hold On”); Alan Jackson with “You’ll Always Be My Baby” and a special mashup for “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”; Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall (“In His Arms”); Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd (“Chasing After You”); Thomas Rhett premiering “What’s Your Country Song” while also performing “Country Again”; Blake Shelton celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his first hit single “Austin” as well as “Minimum Wage”; Chris Stapleton (“Maggie’s Song”); and Chris Young and Kane Brown (“Famous Friends”).

Additional powerful collaborations include Carly Pearce and Lee Brice duetting on “I Hope You’re Happy Now”; Carrie Underwood performing a medley from her new album of gospel hymns, My Savior, which will also feature a duet with CeCe Winans; and Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney performing together for “half of my hometown.”

Also, it was announced today that Lady A will join the lineup with recently revealed New Male Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen and New Female Artist of the Year Gabby Barrett, who will all perform on this year’s show. Previously announced performers include Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde and Keith Urban. Additional details on these performances, this year’s presenters and more will be announced in the coming days.

The unforgettable evening showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music will take place from three iconic Country Music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe and also feature performances at legendary locations across the city including the Station Inn, Bridge Building and on Broadway.

Coronavirus cancellations and postponements in the entertainment industry

March 6, 2020

by Carla Hay

Updated April 9, 2021

Daniel Craig as 007 spy James Bond in “No Time to Die.” The movie’s April 2020 release was postponed to October 2021 because of coronavirus concerns in key territories where the movie will be released. (Photo by Nicola Dove)

Concerns about the coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) pandemic have led to numerous cancellations or postponements in the entertainment industry. The way things are going in the United States and many other countries, any public gathering of at least 50 people per gathering is probably going to be cancelled or postponed until further notice. Shutdowns are occurring at public places for sports and entertainment.

Here’s a list of what’s been cancelled or postponed so far. This list will be updated as more cancellations and postponements are announced.

NOTE: This list does not include individual TV series, movies, plays or musicals that have shut down production until further notice. (There are too many of them to list.)

Academy Awards

The annual Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) in Los Angeles (originally scheduled for February 28, 2021) has been postponed and rescheduled. The Academy Awards (televised in the U.S. on ABC) will now take place on April 25, 2021. (Updated June 15, 2020.)

Academy of Country Music Awards

The annual ACM Awards (originally scheduled for April 5, 2020) and its related ACM Party for a Cause events in have been postponed and rescheduled. The ACM Awards (televised in the U.S. by CBS) will now take place on September 16, 2020, and has moved from Las Vegas to Nashville. ACM Party for a Cause events will occur around this date in Nashville. Keith Urban was announced as host of the 2020 ACM Awards, which will take place in Nashville for the first time in the show’s 55-year history. (Updated April 27, 2020.)

ACE Comic Con Northeast

ACE Comic Con Northeast was scheduled to take place in Boston from March 20 to March 22, 2020, but the event has been cancelled.

AEG Presents

Live-events promotion company AEG Presents has cancelled or postponed almost all of its events for 2020. (Updated May 24, 2020)

All Points East

The annual All Points East for alternative rock music has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in London) was scheduled for May 22 to May 24 and May 29 to May 31, 2020. ‎Tame Impala, Caribou, ‎Glass Animals and ‎Kelly Lee Owens were among performers. (Updated March 27, 2020)

Anime Expo

The annual Japanese animation convention in Los Angeles has been cancelled as an in-person event and will now be a virtual/online event called Anime Expo Light, which will take place on July 3 and July 4, 2020. (Updated April 21, 2020.

“Antebellum”

Lionsgate has postponed and rescheduled the release of the drama “Antebellum,” starring Janelle Monáe. Originally set for release April 24, 2020, “Antebellum” will now be released on September 18, 2020. In the U.S., “Antebellum” will be released on VOD, while outside the U.S., the movie will be released in theaters that are open for business.(Updated August 6, 2020)

“Antlers”

Searchlight Pictures has postponed until further notice the release of the horror movie “Antlers,” originally set for April 17, 2020. The movie stars Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons. (Updated March 12, 2020)

The Apollo

The world-famous Apollo Theater in New York’s Harlem neighborhood has cancelled all in-person events until further notice. (Updated April 5, 2020)

Apple

The computer corporation is shutting down all Apple retail stores outside of China for two weeks, from March 14 to March 27, 2020. The re-opening date is subject to change. Apple did a similar shutdown of its retail stores in China. (Updated March 12, 2020)

“Artemis Fowl”

Disney’s sci-fi film “Artemis Fowl” (starring Ferdia Shaw, Judi Dench and Colin Farrell) was set for a theatrical release on May 24, 2020, but will instead forgo a theatrical release and go directly to the Disney+ streaming service on June 12, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)

“The Artist’s Wife”

Strand Releasing and Water’s End Productions have postponed and rescheduled the release the dramatic film “The Artist’s Wife,” starring Lena Olin and Bruce Dern. The film was originally scheduled to be released in New York City on April 3, 2020, in Los Angeles on April 10, 2020, and in the San Francisco Bay Area on April 17, 2020. The movie is now set for release in select U.S. theaters and on VOD on September 25, 2020. (Updated August 28, 2020)

ASCAP Experience

The annual Los Angeles networking event for ASCAP songwriters and publishers is now cancelled. ASCAP Experience, formerly known as the ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo, was scheduled for April 1 to April 3, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)

Austin City Limits Festival

The annual music festival in Austin, Texas, has been cancelled. The festival was scheduled for October 2 to October 4 and October 9 to October 11, 2020. Artists on the festival bill included Eminem, Fleetwood Mac, Rage Against the Machine, Chris Stapleton, STS9, Twenty One Pilots and Common. (Updated March 26, 2020)

“The Batman”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this superhero reboot, starring Robert Pattinson. “The Batman” was originally set for June 25, 2021, was postponed to October 1, 2021, and is now scheduled for release on March 4, 2022. (Updated October 6, 2020)

Beale Street Music Festival

The annual music festival in Memphis, Tennessee, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for May 1 to May 3, 2020, the event was then postponed to October 16 to October 18, 2020. Artists who had been scheduled to perform at the 2020 Beale Street Music Festival included the Lumineers, Lil Wayne, Three 6 Mafia, the Avett Brothers and the Smashing Pumpkins. (Updated June 18, 2020)

Beijing International Film Festival

The annual event in China has been postponed. The  Beijing International Film Festival was set for April 19 to April 26, 2020.

Justin Bieber

The Grammy-winning pop star has postponed until further notice the North American concerts for his “Changes” Tour. The tour dates were scheduled to begin in Seattle on May 14, 2020, and end in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 26, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)

Big Ears Festival

The annual music and film event in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for March 26 to March 29, 2020, the Big Ears Festival’s announced performers this year included Devendra Banhart, Anthony Braxton, Kronos Quartet and Patti Smith. (March 11, 2020)

Billboard Music Awards

The annual award show was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on April 29, 2020, but the ceremony has been postponed and rescheduled for October 14, 2020. NBC has the U.S. telecast of the Billboard Music Awards. Kelly Clarkson has hosted the show since 2018. (Updated August 14, 2020)

“Black Widow”

Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Black Widow,” which was set for May 1, 2020. The movie was then postponed to May 7, 2021, and is now set for release on Disney+ (at an extra premium price for Disney+ subscribers) and in theaters on July 9, 2021. The stars of “Black Widow” include Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour and Florence Pugh. (Updated March 23, 2021)

“Blue Story”

Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this crime drama, starring Stephen Odubola and Micheal Ward. “Blue Story” was due in U.S. theaters on March 20, 2020, and will now be released direct-to-video on May 5, 2020. The movie was already released in the United Kingdom in November 2019. (Updated March 12, 2020)

BMI Latin Awards

The annual BMI Latin Music Awards ceremony has been postponed. The show had been scheduled for March 31 in Los Angeles. The rescheduled date is to be announced. (Updated March 10, 2020)

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi’s summer 2020 North American tour has been cancelled. The New Jersey rock band’s tour had been scheduled to begin in Tacoma, Washington, on June 10, 2020, and end in New York City on July 28, 2020. (Updated April 20, 2020)

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival

The annual festival in Manchester, Tennessee, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled to take place June 11 to June 14, 2020, the event had been rescheduled for September 24 to September 27, 2020. Before the cancellation, the announced lineup included Tame Impala, Tool, Lizzo, Vampire Weekend, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Run the Jewels and Brittany Howard. (Updated June 25, 2020)

BookCon

The annual book fan event in New York City has been cancelled. Originally set for May 30 and May 31, 2020, BookCon had been rescheduled to place on July 25 and July 26, 2020. The event has now been completely scrapped for 2020. (Updated April 14, 2020)

Boston Calling

The annual rock festival in Boston has been cancelled.  Boston Calling had been scheduled for May 22 to May 24, 2020. The festival’s performers this year would have included Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run the Jewels, Jason Isbell and The 1975. (Updated March 31, 2020)

Boston Symphony Orchestra

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has cancelled its tour of Asia. The trek had scheduled shows in South Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong from February 6 to February 16, 2020.

BottleRock Napa Valley

The annual music and arts festival in Napa, California, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled to take place May 22 to May 24, 2020, the event was rescheduled for October 2 to October 4, 2020, but now has been completely cancelled. Artists announced for the festival included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, Khalid, Zedd, and Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals. (Updated July 16, 2020)

Bourbon and Beyond Festival

The annual rock music festival in Louisville, Kentucky, has been cancelled. The Bourbon and Beyond Festival was scheduled to take place from September 25 to September 27, 2020. The lineup of artists had not been announced. (Updated April 24, 2020)

Broadway and off-Broadway shows in New York City

All Broadway and off-Broadway shows in New York City have been cancelled until May 30, 2021, but that date could change, depending on the circumstances. (Updated October 7, 2020)

BST Hyde Park

The annual music festival in London has been cancelled. BST Hyde Park was scheduled for July 4 to July 11, 2020. The artists who were announced as performers included Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Rita Ora, Kesha, Zara Larsson, Pixies, James Blake and Little Mix. (Updated April 8, 2020)

BTS

The South Korean boy band has cancelled all of its concerts in Seoul for its “Map of the Soul” tour. The cancelled BTS shows were scheduled for April 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2020. (Updated March 10, 2020)

Bushfire Relief Charity Concert

The benefit show to help victims of Australia’s wildfires has been cancelled, after being scheduled to take place in Melbourne on March 13, 2020. Miley Cyrus was the headliner, while other artists announced for the show were Lil Nas X, the Veronicas and DJ Seb Fontaine. (Updated March 10, 2020)

Burning Man

The annual music and arts festival that takes place in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert has been cancelled for the second year in a row. For 2021, instead of an in-person event, a virtual Burning Man will be held from August 21 to September 5. (Updated April 27, 2021)

Byron Bay Bluesfest

The annual festival in Australia was abruptly cancelled just hours before it was set to begin on April 1, 2021, because a local man tested positive for a COVID-19 variant. (And this wasn’t an April Fool’s Day joke.) The 2021 edition of Byron Bay Bluesfest had been scheduled to run until April 5. Artists who were supposed to perform at the event included Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, Courtney Barnett, Mo’Ju & Birdz and Kate Miller. (Updated April 1, 2021)

CAAMFest

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) in San Francisco has postponed CAAMFest 38 until further notice. The Asian American festival of film, music and food was originally scheduled for May 14 to May 24, 2020. CAAMFest was formerly known as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. (Updated March 19, 2020)

Camila Cabello

The former Fifth Harmony pop star has postponed her Romance world tour, which was set to begin in Oslo on May 26, 2020 and end in Miami September 26, 2020. A concert that was supposed to take place in Dundee, Scotland, on May 24, 2020, has been completely cancelled. (Updated March 24, 2020)

Canadian Music Week

The annual showcase event in Toronto has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for May 19 to May 23, 2020, Canadian Music Week will now take place September 8 to September 13, 2020. (Updated March 18, 2020)

“Candyman”

Universal Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of the horror-movie reboot “Candyman,” starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. “Candyman” was originally scheduled for release on June 12, 2020. The new release date is September 25, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)

Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place May 12 to 23, 2020. (Updated May 10, 2020)

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

The annual networking event for creative marketers was set to take place in Cannes, France, from June 22 to June 26, 2020. The event is postponed until further notice. (Updated March 18, 2020)

Canneseries

The annual drama event in Cannes, France, has been postponed and rescheduled. It was originally scheduled to take place March 27 to April 1, 2020, and will now take place October 9 to October 14, 2020.

Mariah Carey

The Grammy-winning superstar has postponed her March 10, 2020, concert in Honolulu and will reschedule it for sometime in November 2020.

“Charm City Kings”

Sony Pictures Classics has dropped the release of this drama, starring Jahi Di’Allo Winston and Meek Mill. “Charm City Kings” had been scheduled for release in select theaters on April 10, 2020. Instead, the streaming service HBO Max will premiere “Charm City Kings” (under the Warner Max label) on a date to be announced. (Updated May 6, 2020)

Ciara

The R&B singer has cancelled her Fort Hood USO show in Texas that was scheduled for March 19, 2020.

CineEurope

The annual cinema convention in Barcelona has cancelled. CineEurope was originally set for June 22 to June 25, 2020, and was rescheduled to take place August 3 to August 5, 2020. However, CineEurope was officially nixed after it became obvious that Spain would not be ready to host large-scale events during the rescheduled dates. (Updated May 12, 2020)

CinemaCon

CinemaCon, the National Association of Theatre Owners’ annual convention in Las Vegas, has been cancelled. The event was scheduled to take place from March 30 to April 2, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

Cirque du Soleil

The international acrobatic dance company has cancelled all of its performances worldwide until further notice, as of March 15, 2020. (Updated March 14, 2020)

Kelly Clarkson

The Grammy-winning original “American Idol” winner has postponed until further notice her “Invincible” Las Vegas residency, which had been set to begin on April 1, 2020. In addition, her NBCUniversal-syndicated daytime talk show “The Kelly Clarkson Show” has temporarily shut down production. (Updated March 16, 2020)

“The Climb”

Sony Pictures Classics has postponed and rescheduled the release of this buddy comedy, starring Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin. “The Climb” had been scheduled for release in New York City and Los Angeles on March 20, 2020. The movie will, now open in select U.S. theaters on November 13, 2020. (Updated October 21, 2020)

CMA Fest

The Country Music Association’s annual fan festival in Nashville has been cancelled. CMA Fest had been scheduled to take place June 4 to June 7, 2020. The lineup of performers had not been announced. Because CMA Fest will not happen this year, there also won’t be an ABC TV special for CMA Fest in 2020. (Updated March 31, 2020)

CMT Music Awards

The annual CMT Music Awards in Nashville has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set to take place on June 3, 2020, this award show for country music will now take place on October 14, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

The world’s biggest annual music festival (in terms of ticket sales) has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for April 10 to April 12 and April 17 to April 19, Coachella was rescheduled for October 9 to October 11 and October 16 to October 18, 2020. The Coachella Festival (which takes place in Indio, California) has also been cancelled for 2021. Artists who were announced for the 2020 Coachella Festival included Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean, as well as Calvin Harris, Big Sean, Lewis Capaldi, Lana Del Rey, Flume, Lil Nas X, 21 Savage and Charlie XCX. (Updated March 11, 2021)

Comic-Con International

The annual comic-book/sci-fi/fantasy entertainment fan convention in San Diego (also known as San Diego Comic-Con) has been cancelled for the first time in its 50-year history. Comic-Con International had been set for July 23 to July 26, 2020, with preview night taking place on July 22. Instead of an in-person event for the 2020 edition of Comic-Con, there will be a virtual online event called Comic-Con@Home, which will take place from July 22 to July 26, 2020. Click here for more details. Comic-Con in 2021 will also not be an in-person event and instead will be the online virtual event Comic-Con@Home, which will take place from July 22 to July 25, 2021. (Updated March 10, 2021)

“Cruella”

Walt Disney Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of the origin story “Cruella” (starring Emma Stone as the “101 Dalmatians” villain), which moves from December 23, 2020, to May 28, 2021. The movie will be released on Disney+ (at an extra premium price for Disney+ subscribers) and in theaters on the same date. (Updated March 23, 2021) 

DC Entertainment

DC Entertainment (the company behind Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the Suicide Squad) has cancelled all participation in comic conventions taking place in March 2020, including Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle. In addition, DC has cancelled the New York City premiere of its animated film “Superman: Red Sun,” which had been scheduled for March 16, 2020.

Dead and Company

The Grateful Dead spinoff group has cancelled its 2020 U.S. tour. Dead and Company had been scheduled to begin the tour in Boulder, Colorado, on July 10, 2020, and conclude the tour in Boston on August 8, 2020.  These were the only concerts that the band was going to perform in 2020. (Updated April 21, 2020)

“Death on the Nile”

Disney’s 20th Century Studios has postponed until further notice the release of the Agatha Christie mystery thriller “Death on the Nile,” the sequel to 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” “Death on the Nile” was set for release on October 23, 2020 and then rescheduled for December 18, 2020. The stars of “Death on the Nile” include Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer and Letitia Wright. The movie’s new release date is February 11, 2022. (Updated March 23, 2021)

“Deep Water”

Disney’s Twentieth Century Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the thriller movie “Deep Water,” which was set for November 13, 2020. The movie was then postponed to August 13, 2021, and is now set for release on January 14, 2022. The stars of “Deep Water” include Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas. (Updated March 23, 2021)

“Deerskin”

Greenwich Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of the French horror-comedy film “Deerskin,” starring Jean Dujardin. “Deerskin” was originally set for a U.S. release in select theaters on March 20, 2020. The new U.S. release date (on digital and VOD) is June 26, 2020. “Deerskin” was already released in France in 2019. (Updated March 30, 2020)

“Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy”

Greenwich Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the release of the documentary “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy.” The movie was originally set for release on April 22, 2020. In the U.S., the movie will be released in virtual cinemas on May 22, 2020, on digital/VOD on June 19, 2020, and on DVD on June 23, 2020. (Updated March 23, 2020)

“Dino Dana: The Movie”

Amazon Prime Video and Fathom Events have postponed and rescheduled the release of this movie spinoff of the “Dino Dana” children’s series. The movie was originally scheduled for a one-day-only release in theaters on March 21, 2020. Amazon Prime Video will now release the movie on September 4, 2020. (Updated July 23, 2020)

Disney

Disney has cancelled its launch event for its streaming service Disney+ Europe, which had been scheduled to take place in London on March 24, 2020. In addition, all Disney theme parks—which were supposed to re-open on March 31, 2020—have different re-opening dates. Disney World in Orlando, Florida, re-opened on July 11, 2020. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, is set to re-open on April 30, 2021. (Updated March 15, 2021)

“Doctor Strange 2”

Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Doctor Strange 2,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch. “Doctor Strange 2” was originally scheduled for release on May 7, 2021. The new release date is November 5, 2021. (Updated April 3, 2020)

Doha Film Institute’s Qumra Event

The Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event for mentor networking with upcoming talent in the movie industry has been cancelled. The conference was supposed to be from March 20 to March 25 in Doha, Qatar.

Dollywood

Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has temporarily closed until further notice, as of March 14, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)

Download Festival

The annual Download Festival for hard rock/heavy metal has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Derby, England) was scheduled for June 12 to June 14, 2020. Kiss, Iron Maiden, System of a Down, Deftones, Gojira and Korn were among the performers. (Updated March 26, 2020)

Dreamville Festival

The annual music festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been cancelled. Dreamville Festival, which is from hip-hop artist J. Cole, had originally been scheduled for April 4, 2020, and was postponed to August 29, 2020, until the event was shuttered altogether for 2020. The event’s lineup had not been announced. (Updated May 16, 2020)

“Dune”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this sci-fi remake, starring Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa and Rebecca Ferguson. “Dune” was originally set for December 18, 2020, and is now scheduled for release on October 1, 2021. (Updated October 6, 2020)

East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference

Canada’s East Coast Music Association has cancelled the 2020 East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference. The event was scheduled to take place in St. John’s from April 29 to May 3, 2020. (Updated March 17, 2020)

Ebertfest

The annual film festival founded by the late film critic Roger Ebert was scheduled for April 15 to April 18, 2020, in Champaign, Illinois, but the event is now cancelled. The next Ebertfest will take place in Champaign from April 14 to April 17, 2021. (Updated March 15, 2020)

Edinburgh Art Festival

The annual event in Scotland has been cancelled. The Edinburgh Art Festival had been scheduled for August 7 to August 29, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The annual performing-arts event in Scotland has been cancelled. The Edinburgh Art Festival had been scheduled for August 7 to August 31, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)

Edinburgh International Film Festival

The United Kingdom’s longest-running film festival has been postponed until further notice. The Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland had been scheduled to take place June 17 to June 28, 2020. The festival’s main programming slate for 2020 has not been announced yet.(Updated April 1, 2020)

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas has been cancelled. Originally set for May 15 to May 17, 2020, EDC Las Vegas was rescheduled for October 2 to October 4, 2020, and then completely scrapped. The lineup was supposed to include The Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Carl Cox, Alison Wonderland, Martin Garrix, Tiësto, DJ Snake and Major Lazer. EDC Las Vegas is set to return from May 21 to May 23, 2021. (Updated August 2, 2020)

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)

The annual consumer event in Los Angeles for electronic entertainment has been cancelled. Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, had been scheduled to take place from June 9 to June 11, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)

Electric Forest

The annual music and arts festival in Rothbury, Michigan, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for June 25 to June 28, 2020. Artists who were scheduled to perform included Major Lazer,  Duke Dumont, the String Cheese Incident and  Big Gigantic. (Updated April 21, 2020)

“Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things”

Eagle Rock Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the theatrical release of this Ella Fitzgerald documentary, which was set for a one-night-only release on April 3, 2020. The movie will now be released in virtual cinemas on June 26, 2020. (Updated June 4, 2020)

Emerald City Comic Con

Scheduled to take place March 12 to March 15, 2020, the annual comic-book convention in Seattle has been postponed. The event will be rescheduled for the summer; the exact dates are to be announced. Before the postponement, Emerald City Comic Con experienced several cancelled appearances. DC Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, Penguin Random House, as well as individual speakers and panelists, cancelled their participation this year.

Emmy Awards

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has postponed the Daytime Emmy Awards until further notice. The Daytime Emmy Awards had been scheduled to take place in Pasadena, California from June 12 to June 14, 2020. The show’s host and nominations haven’t been announced yet. The Daytime Emmy ceremonies have not been televised in several years. Instead, the live ceremonies can be seen via webcast. (Updated on March 19, 2020)

The National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences has also postponed the annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards (originally scheduled for April 19, 2020, in Las Vegas) and the Sports Emmy Awards, originally scheduled for April 28, 2020, in New York. The rescheduled dates for the ceremonies are to be announced. (Updated March 13, 2020)

“Emperor”

Universal Home Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the release of the dramatic film “Emperor,” starring Dayo Okeniyi, Brad Carter, James Cromwell and Bruce Dern. The movie was set to be released on March 27, 2020, and will now be released on DVD, digital and VOD on August 18, 2020. (Updated July 16, 2020)

Epicenter

Concert promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has cancelled the annual Epicenter festival, which was scheduled to take in place in Concord, North Carolina, from May 1 to May 3, 2020. The lineup of performers included Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deftones, Godsmack, Volbeat, Staind, Papa Roach, David Lee Roth, Gojira, Chevelle, Cypress Hill and Rancid.  Many of the artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival will instead perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky (another Danny Wimmer Presents event), which has expanded to four days (September 17 to September 20, 2020), with Metallica headlining on September 17. Louder Than Life pass holders will not be charged extra for the fourth day. Ticket/pass holders for the cancelled festival have three options: get a refund, use their purchase for the same festival in 2021, or exchange the purchase for another Danny Wimmer Presents event in 2020. (Updated March 23, 2020)

Essence Festival

The annual music and culture festival presented by Essence magazine in New Orleans has been cancelled. The Essence Festival, which was scheduled to include headliners Bruno Mars and Janet Jackson, had been set for July 1 to July 6, 2020. (Updated April 15, 2020)

“Eternals”

Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Eternals,” starring Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry and Gemma Chan. “Eternals” was originally scheduled for release on November 6, 2020, then moved to February 12, 2021. The new release date is November 5, 2021. (Updated September 23, 2020)

Eurovision Song Contest

The annual music event was supposed to take place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from May 12 and 14, 2020 (for semi-final rounds) and on May 16, 2020 (for the final round), but Eurovision Song Contest has been cancelled. It’s the first time in the event’s 64-year history that it has been shut down. (Updated March 18, 2020)

“Fast & Furious 9”

Universal Pictures has postponed the release of this action sequel to April 2021. (The U.S. release will be on April 2, 2021.) “Fast &  Furious 9,” starring Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, was originally scheduled for release on May 22, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

Festival d’été de Québec

The annual music festival Québec Cityhas been cancelled. Festival d’été de Québec was scheduled for July 9 to July 19, 2020. Artists were announced as performers included Imagine Dragons, Jack Johnson, The National, Marshmello, Alanis Morissette, G-Eazy, 5 Seconds of Summer and Halsey. (Updated April 9, 2020) 

Film at Lincoln Center

The membership-funded organization Film at Lincoln Center in New York City became one of the first in the U.S. to close its movie theaters, as of March 12, 2020, until further notice. Film at Lincoln Center operates the Walter Reade Theater and the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center. Film at Lincoln Center has also postponed the New Directors/New Films Festival (which had been scheduled to run from March 25, to April 5, 2020) and the Chaplin Award Gala honoring Spike Lee, which was set for April 27, 2020. The rescheduled dates are to be announced. In addition, Film at Lincoln Center’s membership magazine Film Comment (which has been published since 1962) is going on an indefinite hiatus after the May/June 2020 issue, which will be published in digital form only. (Updated March 28, 2020)

Film Independent Spirit Awards

The annual Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, (originally scheduled for February 27, 2021) has been postponed and rescheduled. The Film Independent Spirit Awards (televised in the U.S. by IFC) will now take place on April 24, 2021. (Updated June 16, 2020.)

Firefly Festival

The annual music festival in Dover, Delaware, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place from June 18 to June 21, 2020. Artists who were announced for the event included Rage Against the Machine, Billie Eilish, Halsey, Khalid, Blink-182, Maggie Rogers, Cage the Elephant, Illenium, Diplo and Run the Jewels. (Updated March 26, 2020)

FlameCon

The annual LGBTQ comic-book/sci-fi convention in New York City has been cancelled as an in-person event but has pivoted to being a online virtual event. FlameCon had been scheduled to take place August 15 and August 16, 2020. The virtual FlameCon is set for August 15, 2020. The next FlameCon will take place August 21 and August 22, 2021. (Updated July 24, 2020)

Foo Fighters

The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed April 2020 U.S. concerts for its Van Tour. Some of the concerts have already been rescheduled for December 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)

Fox Entertainment

Fox Entertainment has cancelled all development presentations at industry events until further notice. Fox Broadcasting Company’s “WWE Smackdown Live” will not have live audiences until further notice. (Updated March 12, 2020.)

Fox News

Fox News has cancelled its upfront presentation that was scheduled to take place in New York City on March 24, 2020. In addition, Fox News’ “The Greg Gutfeld Show” will not have live audiences until further notice. (Updated March 12, 2020.)

“Free Guy”

Disney-owned 20th Century Pictures (formerly known as 20th Century Fox) has postponed and rescheduled the release of the action flick “Free Guy” (starring Ryan Reynolds), which moved from July 3, 2020 to December 11, 2020. The movie’s current release date is August 13, 2021. (Updated March 23, 2021)

“The French Dispatch”

Searchlight Pictures has postponed until further notice the comedy “The French Dispatch,” starring Benicio del Toro, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand and Timothée Chalamet. “The French Dispatch” was originally set for release on July 24, 2020 and then postponed to October 16, 2020, before being shelved again. The movie’s new release date is to be announced.

Frozen Dead Guy Days

Frozen Dead Guys Days in Nederland, Colorado, was scheduled to take place from March 13 to March 15, 2020, but has been cancelled. The annual event celebrates “frosty merriment featuring live bands and outrageous events—paying homage to Bredo Morstol, frozen in a Tuff Shed,” according to a statement on the event’s website.

Full Frame Documentary Festival

The annual Full Frame Documentary Festival in Durham, North Carolina, has been cancelled. The event had been set for April 2 to April 5, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)

Game Developers Conference

The annual video-game industry conference in San Francisco was scheduled to take place March 16 to Mach 20, 2020, but the event has now been postponed. The new dates for the event are to be announced.

“The Ghost of Peter Sellers”

Film Movement has postponed and rescheduled the release of this documentary, which chronicles the ill-fated production of the Peter Sellers movie “Ghost of the Noonday Sun.” “The Ghost of Peter Sellers” had been scheduled for release in New York City on March 27, 2020. The movie’s VOD release is on June 23, 2020. (Updated May 1, 2020)

“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”

Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this “Ghostbusters” sequel. “Ghosbusters: Afterlife,” starring original “Ghostbusters” headliners Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, was due out in cinemas on July 10, 2020, and has been rescheduled to open on March 5, 2021. (Updated March 30, 2020)

Gibson

The world-famous guitar manufacturer has temporarily closed its headquarters in Nashville and its facility in Bozemon, Montana, as of March 20, 2020. The operations will re-open on a date to be announced. (Updated March 20, 2020)

GLAAD Media Awards

The GLAAD Media Awards have been cancelled. The bi-coastal ceremonies for LGBTQ people in entertainment/media had been set for New York City on March 19, 2020, and Beverly Hills, California, on April 16, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)

Glastonbury Festival

The Glastonbury Festival, one of Europe’s largest annual music events, has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Glastonbury, England) was scheduled for June 24 to June 28, 2020. Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Diana Ross were among the headliners. The 2021 edition of the Glastonbury Festival has also been cancelled before any artists were announced for the event. (Updated January 21, 2021)

Global Media Summit

The annual Global Media Summit (GMS) in Carrollton, Texas, has been cancelled. Described by organizers as “a Christian alliance uniting media professionals globally,” the event, which includes the GMS Music Awards, was scheduled to take place from April 22 to April 25, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)

“Godzilla vs. Kong”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled “Godzilla vs. Kong,” starring Millie Bobby Brown, Alexander Skarsgård and Rebecca Hall. “Godzilla vs. Kong” was originally set to premiere on November 20, 2020, and is now set for release on March 31, 2021. (Updated June 11, 2020)

Google I/O and Google Cloud Next events

Google has cancelled Google I/O. The annual event for Google developers to announce consumer products was scheduled to take place in Mountain View, California, from May 12 to May 14, 2020. Meanwhile, the Google Cloud Next event that was supposed to happen in San Francisco from April 6 to April 8, 2020, will shift from a physical event to a virtual online event, where attendees will be participate through digital resources.

Governors Ball

The annual Governors Ball music festival in New York City has been cancelled. The festival was scheduled for June 5 to June 7, 2020. Artists on the festival bill included Stevie Nicks, Missy Elliott, Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, Solange, Miley Cyrus, Flume, Maren Morris, Ellie Goulding, H.E.R., Banks, Of Monsters and Men, Milky Chance, Bleachers and Swae Lee. (Updated March 26, 2020)

Grammy Awards

The 63rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles has been postponed to March 14, 2021. CBS will have the U.S. telecast of the show, which was originally scheduled to take place on January 31, 2021. (Updated January 4, 2021)

Great Escape Festival

The annual Great Escape Festival for alternative rock has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Brighton and Hove, England) was scheduled for May 13 to May 16, 2020. Balming Tiger, House of Pharaohs and Amber Van Day were among performers. (Updated March 23, 2020)

Green Day

The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed all of its concerts in Asia for the band’s Hella Mega Tour. The shows have not been rescheduled yet. The postponed concerts were scheduled to take place from March 8 to March 27, 2020, in Singapore, The Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.

“The Grizzlies”

Mongrel Media had planned to release this Canadian lacrosse movie in the U.S. on March 20, 2020, but the movie’s U.S. release has been rescheduled to be on digital and VOD on September 15, 2020. “The Grizzlies,” whose cast includes Ben Schnetzer and Booboo Stewart, was already released in Canada in 2019. (Updated August 28, 2020)

“The High Note”

Focus Features has postponed and rescheduled the release of the comedy film “The High Note” starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson. “The High Note” was originally scheduled for release in theaters on May 8, 2020. The new release will be direct-to-video on May 29, 2020, with a premium rental price. (Updated May 4, 2020)

HistoryCon

The History Channel’s annual fan convention in Pasadena, California, has been postponed until further notice. HistoryCon was originally scheduled to take place April 3 to April 5, 2020. (Updated March 20, 2020)

Hometown Rising

The annual country music festival in Louisville, Kentucky, has been cancelled. Hometown Rising was scheduled to take place on September 12 and September 13, 2020. The lineup of artists had not been announced. (Updated April 24, 2020)

Hot Docs

The annual documentary festival in Toronto has been postponed until further notice. The event had been scheduled for April 30 to May 10, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)

“I Am Not Alone”

Avalanche Entertainment has postponed until further notice the release of this documentary about Armenian activist Nikol Pashinyan. The movie had originally been scheduled for release in New York City on April 10, 2020 and in Los Angeles on April 17, 2020. (Updated March 18, 2020)

“I Know This Much Is True”

HBO has postponed and rescheduled the TV premiere of the limited drama series “I Know This Much Is True,” starring Mark Ruffalo. “I Know This Much is True” was originally set to premiere on April 27, 2020, and will now premiere on May 10, 2020. (Updated March 31, 2020)

iHeartRadio Music Awards

The iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles (originally scheduled for March 29, 2020) has been postponed, and the rescheduled date is to be announced. Fox has the U.S. telecast of the annual award show. (Updated March 14, 2020)

“In the Heights”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this musical movie, starring Anthony Ramos. The “In the Heights” movie, which is based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical, was originally scheduled to be released on June 26, 2020. The new release date is June 18, 2021. (Updated on March 24, 2020) 

Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles

The annual event has been postponed until further notice. The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles was originally scheduled for April 1 to April 5, 2020. (Updated March 14, 2020)

Isle of Wight Festival

The annual Isle of Wight Festival for rock and pop music has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Newport, England) was scheduled for June 11 to June 14, 2020. Lionel Richie, Lewis Capaldi, Snow Patrol, the Chemical Brothers and Duran Duran were among the performers. (Updated March 26, 2020)

Ivors With Apple Music Awards

The annual award show in London has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for May 21, 2020, the ceremony will now take place on September 2, 2020. (Updated March 19, 2020)

Elton John

The Grammy-and-Oscar-winning superstar has postponed all of his North American concerts that were scheduled to take place from March 25 to May 2, 2020. The shows are going to be rescheduled for 2021, on dates to be announced. (Updated March 16, 2020)

Jonas Brothers

Sibling pop trio the Jonas Brothers have cancelled their Las Vegas residency, which had been scheduled to run April 1 to April 18, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)

“Judy & Punch”

Samuel Goldwyn Films has postponed and rescheduled the release of the drama “Judy & Punch,” starring Mia Wasikowska andDamon Herriman. Originally scheduled for release on April 24, 2020, “Judy & Punch” will now be released in select U.S. theaters (if they’re open) and on VOD on June 5, 2020. (Updated April 6, 2020)

“Jungle Cruise”

Disney has postponed and rescheduled the release of the action-adventure flick “Jungle Cruise,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The movie’s release date moves from July 24, 2020, to July 20, 2021. (Updated April 3, 2020)

Just for Laughs

The annual comedy festival in Montreal has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for  July 15 to July 26, 2020, Just for Laughs will now take place from September 29 to October 11,  2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)

“King Richard”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this drama, starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, father to tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams. “King Richard” was originally set for November 25, 2020, but will now be released on November 19, 2021. (Updated April 20, 2020)

“The King’s Man”

Twentieth Century Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the action flick “The King’s Man,” starring Ralph Fiennes. “The King’s Man” was originally set to be released on November 15, 2019, then postponed to February 14, 2020, and then to September 18, 2020. The current release date is December 22, 2021. (Updated March 23, 2021)

“Koko-Di Koko-Da”

Dark Star Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this Swedish horror film. “Koko-Di Koko-Da” (starring Peter Belli, Leif Edlund and Ylva Gallon) had been scheduled for release in New York City on March 27, 2020, with more U.S. cities to follow in subsequent weeks. The movie is now scheduled for a U.S. release in virtual cinemas on November 6, 2020, and on digital and VOD on December 8, 2020. (Updated September 30, 2020)

Lady Gaga

The Grammy-and-Oscar-winning pop star has postponed until further notice the release of her album “Chromatica,” which was originally due out on April 10, 2020. In addition, Lady Gaga’s Las Vegas shows that were set for April 30 to May 11, 2020, have been postponed. (Updated March 24, 2020)

Avril Lavigne

The Grammy-winning pop star has postponed the Asian leg of her “Head Above Water” world tour. The concerts (which were to take place from April 23 to May 24, 2020) were scheduled for China, Japan, The Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The rescheduled dates are to be announced.

“The Library That Dolly Built”

Abramorama has postponed and rescheduled the release of this Dolly Parton documentary, which was originally scheduled to be released in U.S. cinemas for one night only on April 2, 2020. The one-night-only release will now take place on September 21, 2020. (Updated March 30, 2020)

Life Is Beautiful

The annual music and arts festival in Las Vegas has been cancelled. Life Is Beautiful had been scheduled for September 18 to September 20, 2020. The event’s lineup had not been announced. (Updated April 21, 2020)

Live Nation

Live Nation, the world’s largest live-events promotion company, has cancelled or postponed almost all of its events for 2020. (Updated May 24, 2020)

Locarno Film Festival

The annual event in Switzerland has been cancelled. The Locarno Film Festival had been scheduled for August 5 to August 15, 2020. Instead, the festival will launch Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films, an online program to promote independent films. (Updated April 29, 2020)

Lollapalooza Festival

The annual music festival in Chicago has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for July 30 to August 2, 2020. The  2020 Lollapalooza lineup had not been announced. (Updated June 9, 2020)

London Book Fair

The annual London Book Fair has been cancelled. The event was scheduled for March 10 to March 12, 2020.

Louder Than Life

The annual heavy-metal festival in Louisville, Kentucky, has been cancelled. Louder Than Life was scheduled to take place between September 18 and September 20, 2020. Metallica had been announced as the headliner. (Updated April 24, 2020)

“The Lovebirds”

Paramount Pictures has dumped the release of this comedy, starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. The movie was supposed to have its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, which was also cancelled. “The Lovebirds” was due in U.S. theaters on April 3, 2020, but will now be released on Netflix on May 22, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

Lovebox Festival

The annual Lovebox Festival for electronica dance music has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in London) was scheduled for June 12 to June 14, 2020. Fatboy Slim, DJ Harvey and Annie Mac were among the performers. (Updated March 27, 2020)

“Luca”

Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Luca,” which was set for May 1, 2020. The movie was then postponed to May 7, 2021, and is now set for release on Disney+ (at an extra premium price for Disney+ subscribers) and in theaters on July 9, 2021. The stars of “Black Widow” include Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour and Florence Pugh. (Updated March 23, 2021)

Made in America Festival

The annual music festival in Philadelphia has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for September 5 and September 6, 2020. The 2020 Made in America Festival lineup had not been announced.  (Updated July 1, 2020)

“Malignant”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed until further notice this thriller, starring Annabelle Wallis. “Malignant” was originally scheduled to be released on August 14, 2020. (Updated on March 24, 2020) 

Mammoth Lakes Film Festival

The annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival in California has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for May 20 to May 24, 2020. (Updated March 26, 2020)

“The Many Saints of Newark”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this prequel to “The Sopranos,” starring Michael Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Vera Farmiga. “The Many Saints of Newark” was originally set for September 25, 2020, but will now be released on March 12, 2021. (Updated April 20, 2020)

“The Matrix 4”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the fourth “Matrix” movie, whose official title is to be announced. The sci-fi sequel was originally due out on May 21, 2021, and is now set for release on April 1, 2022. (Updated June 11, 2020)

Melbourne International Film Festival

The annual Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for August 6 to August 23, 2020. (Updated April 7, 2020)

Method Fest Independent Film Festival

The annual festival for independent film actors has been postponed and rescheduled. It had been originally scheduled to take place in Beverly Hills, California, from March 20 to March 26, 2020. The new dates for the event are May 29 to June 4, 2020. (Updated March 18, 2020)

Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera in New York City has cancelled all performances until December 31, 2020. (Updated June 2, 2020)

Miami Film Festival

The annual event began on March 6, 2020, and was scheduled to end on March 15, 2020, but was abruptly cancelled on March 12, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

MIDEM

The annual music-industry conference in Cannes, Frances, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for June 2  to June 5, 2020. MIDEM officials have announced that some of the previously announced keynote speakers will still deliver their speeches, but will do so online. Previously announced keynote speakers include singer/songwriter Akon, SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainor, the Raine Group partner Fred Davis, and Downtown Music Holdings CEO Justin Kalifowitz. (Updated March 30, 2020)

“Minions: The Rise of Gru”

Universal Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated sequel. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” had originally been due out in late June 2020 (in some countries) and on July 8, 2020 in the United States. The movie, includes voice actor Steve Carell, is now set to be released on July 2, 2021. (Updated April 1, 2020)

MIPDoc

The annual documentary industry event in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. It was scheduled to take place March 28 and March 29, 2020.

MIPFormats

The annual producer/buyer event in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. It was scheduled to take place March 28 and March 29, 2020.

MIPTV

The annual TV industry event in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. It was scheduled to take place March 30 to April 3, 2020.

MobMovieCon

The annual event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that focuses on mobster movies and related entertainment has been postponed and rescheduled. The inaugural Mob Movie Awards will still be part of the event, which has moved from April 18 and April 19, 2020 to August 22 and August 23, 2020. In addition, SopranosCon Part II will be incorporated into MobMovieCon this year. (Updated March 13, 2020.) 

Montclair Film Festival

The annual festival in Montclair, New Jersey, has been postponed until further notice. The Montclair Film Festival had been originally scheduled to take place from March 20 to March 26, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

Montreaux Jazz Festival

The annual Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland has been cancelled, for the first time in the event’s 53-year history. The festival had been scheduled for July 3 to 18, 2020. Artists (Updated April 17, 2020)

“Morbius”

Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this vampire flick, based on the Marvel Comics character. “Morbius,” starring Jared Leto as the title character, was originally due in cinemas on July 31, 2020, was rescheduled to open on March 19, 2021, and has now been delayed to open on October 8, 2021. (Updated January 11, 2021)

Movie theaters

In March 2020, movie theaters were shut down in several countries, with each country having various policies on when they would re-open. Drive-in theaters are remaining open. In the United States, each individual state is deciding when movies theaters can re-open. Most U.S. theaters re-opened in August 2020. If there are any indoor movie theaters in the U.S. that are open, most have pledged to not book theater rooms at more than 50% capacity. But given the huge dropoff in moviegoing since the coronavirus outbreak was classified as a pandemic, attendance at movie theaters was reaching well below 50% anyway. Cineworld (which owns Regal Cinemas in the U.S., and Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas in the U.K.) announced that it’s once again shutting down all locations until further notice, as of October 8, 2020. (Updated October 5, 2020)

“Mulan”

Disney has postponed and rescheduled the release of its live-action remake of “Mulan,” starring  Liu Yifei as the title character. The movie was originally scheduled to be released on March 27, 2020, was postponed to July 24, 2020, and will now be released on September 4, 2020. In the U.S., “Mulan” will be available to Disney+ subscribers for an additional $29.99 until December 3, 2020. As of December 4, 2020, there will be no extra charge for Disney+ subscribers to watch the movie. “Mulan” will be released in theaters in countries outside the U.S. where theaters are open for business. Premieres for the movie were already held in Los Angeles on March 9, 2020, and in London on March 12, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)

Music Biz

The Music Business Association’s annual Music Biz conference in Nashville has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally scheduled for May 11 to May 14, 2020, the event is now set for August 16 to August 19, 2020. (Updated March 20, 2020)

“My Spy”

STX Films has dumped the comedy “I Spy,” which was supposed to be released in U.S. theaters on April 17, 2020. The movie’s U.S. release will now be on Amazon Prime Video on June 26, 2020. “My Spy,” starring Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman, was already released in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Croatia, Germany and the Netherlands. (Updated June 11, 2020)

NAACP Image Awards

The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards in Pasadena, California, has been postponed. The ceremony was originally set for February 20, 2021, and has been rescheduled for Match 27, 2021. BET will have the U.S. telecast of the ceremony. (Updated January 20, 2021)

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas has been cancelled. The annual convention had been scheduled to take place from April 19 to April 22, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)

National Symphony Orchestra

The U.S. ensemble has cancelled its tour of China and Japan. The National Symphony Orchestra concerts were scheduled for March 6 to March 17, 2020.

Netflix Is a Joke Fest

Netflix has postponed until further notice its inaugural comedy festival in Los Angeles. Netflix Is a Joke Fest had been set for April 27 to May 3, 2020. Announced stand-up comedy performers included Dave Chappelle, Ali Wong, Marlon Wayans, Amy Schumer, Pete Davidson, Taylor Tomlinson, Iliza Shlesinger, Deon Cole and Ken Jeong. (Updated March 17, 2020)

New York Comic Con

The annual sci-fi/fantasy/comic book fan convention in New York City has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place October 8 to October 11, 2020. For people who want to experience something related to the event that weekend, New York Comic Con has teamed up with sister event MCM Comic Con in London to bring New York Comic Con’s Metaverse, a new online portal, which will be available October 8 to October 11, 2020 at YouTube.com/NYCC and FindtheMetaverse.com.(Updated April 21, 2020)

“The New Mutants”

20th Century Pictures (formerly known as 20th Century Fox) has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero flick “The New Mutants,” originally set for April 3, 2020. The new release date in theaters is August 28, 2020. The movie’s ensemble cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton. (Updated August 12, 2020)

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

The annual music and arts event has been cancelled in 2020 and postponed and rescheduled in 2021. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival had been scheduled for April 23 to May 3, 2020. The performers would have included The Who, Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Lionel Richie and Lizzo. The 2021 edition of the event was originally set for April 22 to May 1, 2021, and has been rescheduled for October 8 to October 17, 2021. (Updated January 20, 2021)

Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards

The annual award show in Los Angeles has been postponed and rescheduled as a virtual ceremony. The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards had been set for March 22, 2020 but the virtual ceremony will take place on May 2, 2020. Chance the Rapper had been announced as the ceremony’s host, but the virtual ceremony will be hosted by Victoria Justice. (Updated April 24, 2020)

Nightclubs

Even if there are cities that allow gatherings of less than 50 people per gathering, several cities are still mandating the closure of all nightclubs and bars in the cities until further notice. In the United States, New York City and Los Angeles were among the first big cities that have ordered these closures. (Updated March 15, 2020)

“Nina Wu”

Film Movement has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this Chinese drama, starring Ke-Xi Wu as the title character. Originally scheduled for a U.S. release on March 20, 2020, the new U.S. release date for “Nina Wu” is by virtual cinema in New York City (at the Museum of the Moving Image) on March 26, 2021. The movie expands to more cities via virtual cinemas and will be released on VOD on April 2, 2021. (Updated March 13, 2020.)

“No Time to Die”

The release of this James Bond 007 movie, starring Daniel Craig, has been postponed and rescheduled. MGM Pictures’ “No Time to Die” had been scheduled to be released in the U.K. and other territories on April 2, 2020. The movie was postponed to November 2020 and then rescheduled for April 2, 2021. The movie’s release date was then changed again and is now set for October 8, 2021. (Updated January 21, 2021)

Olivier Awards

The annual award show in London for West End stage shows has been cancelled. The Olivier Awards had been scheduled for April 5, 2020. The winners will be announced in another way, most likely online. (Updated March 17, 2020)

Orange Warsaw Festival

The annual music and arts festival in Poland has been cancelled. The Orange Warsaw Festival had been scheduled for June 5 and June 6, 2020. (Updated March 24, 2020)

Outside Lands

The annual Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco has been cancelled. The festival was scheduled for August 7 to August 9, 2020. The festival will return on August 6 to August 8, 2021, with most of the same artists who were scheduled for the 2020 Outside Lands event. Artists on the 2021 Outside Lands bill include Tame Impala, Lizzo, The Strokes, Tyler, the Creator, The 1975, J Balvin, Kehlani, Vampire Weekend, Young Thug and Zhu. (Updated June 24, 2020)

PaleyFest

PaleyFest in Los Angeles has been postponed until further notice. The event, which showcases TV programs and TV stars, had been scheduled to take place from March 13 to March 21, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)

Pearl Jam

The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed the North American leg of its “Gigaton” tour. The tour dates consisted of U.S. and Canadian concerts that were scheduled to begin on March 18 in Toronto and run through April 19 in Oakland, California. There’s no word yet on when these Pearl Jam shows will be rescheduled. In addition, Pearl Jam has cancelled the “Gigaton Listening Experience,” which was supposed to take place March 25, 2020, as a one-night-only listening event at numerous Dolby movie theaters worldwide for the band’s “Gigaton” album. (Updated March 17, 2020)

PEN America Literary Gala

The annual PEN America Literary Gala has been postponed and rescheduled. The event was originally set for May 19, 2020, and will now take place on September 15, 2020. (Updated March 20, 2020)

“The Personal History of David Copperfield”

20th Century Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of the drama “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” originally set for May 8, 2020. The new U.S. release date is August 28, 2020. The movie, which was already released in the United Kingdom in January 2020, stars Dev Patel. (Updated August 11, 2020)

“Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway”

Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this live-action/animated sequel. “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” was originally due in cinemas on April 3, 2020, was postponed to August 7, 2020, then January 14, 2021, and will now be released on April 2, 2021. The cast of “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” includes Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and David Oyelowo as live actors and Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki as voice actors. (Updated October 22, 2020)

Pilmgrimage Music and Cultural Festival

The annual music festival in Franklin, Tennessee, has been cancelled. The event had been set to take place September 26 and September 27, 2020. (Updated May 19, 2020)

“Praise This”

Universal Pictures has postponed until further notice the release of the music-choir drama “Praise This,” which was originally scheduled for release on September 25, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)

Primavera Sound Festival

The annual music festival in Barcelona has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for June 4 to June 7, 2020, the festival will now take place August 26 to August 30, 2020. The artists announced for the event include Massive Attack, Disclosure, Kacey Musgraves, the Strokes, Lana Del Rey, Beck, Bikini Kill, Iggy Pop, Bauhaus, Bad Bunny, Jesus and Mary Chain and Tyler, the Creator.

Premios Platino

The annual film and TV awards event has been cancelled. Premios Platino had been scheduled to take place in Riviera Maya, Mexico, from May 1 to May 3, 2020.

“A Quiet Place Part II”

Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this horror sequel, starring Emily Blunt, which was originally scheduled to be released from March 18 to March 20, 2020, depending on the territory. (The U.S. release was supposed to on March 20.) The movie was then postponed to September 4, 2020. The movie’s new release date is now April 23, 2021. “A Quiet Place Part II” already had its world premiere in New York City on March 8, 2020. (Updated October 22, 2020)

“Radium Girls”

Juno Films has postponed and rescheduled the release of the drama “Radium Girls,” which is about a group of young female labor activists in the 1920s. The movie, which stars Joey King and Abby Quinn, was originally scheduled for release on April 3, 2020. The new release date is October 23, 2020. (Updated September 22, 2020)

Rage Against the Machine

The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed until further notice the first two months of its Public Service Announcement reunion tour that was set begin March 26, 2020 in El Paso, Texas, and continue to May 23, 2020, in Boston. (Updated March 13, 2020)

Record Store Day

Record Store Day, which takes place at various retail music stores around the world, has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for April 4, 2020, Record Store Day is now set for June 20, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)

Red Sea Film Festival

The inaugural event (which was scheduled to take place March 12 to March 21, 2020 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) has now been postponed until further notice. Oscar-winning filmmakers Oliver Stone and Spike Lee had been announced to attend the event. Stone was selected as a jury member, while Lee was supposed to present a special screening of his 1992 film “Malcolm X.”

“Rewind”

FilmRise has postponed and rescheduled the theatrical release of director Sasha Joseph Neulinger’s autobiographical documentary about abuse that he experienced as a child. “Rewind” had been set to be released in New York City on March 27, 2020, and in Los Angeles on April 3, 2020. The movie will now be released on digital and VOD on May 8, 2020. “Rewind” will also be shown on the PBS series “Independent Lens” on May 11, 2020. (Updated April 16, 2020)

Ride for Ronnie Motorcycle Ride and Concert

The Ride for Ronnie Motorcycle Ride and Concert (which was planned for May 17, 2020) has been postponed until further notice. The annual event benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is comprised of a motorcycle ride originating at Harley-Davidson of Glendale, California, followed by an afternoon of live music at Los Encinos Park in Encino, California. (Updated March 17, 2020)

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which was supposed to take place on May 2 in Cleveland, was postponed to November 7, 2020, but has now been cancelled. The performers who were to be inducted in the live ceremony were Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G. and T. Rex. Instead of a live telecast of the show, HBO will televise a pre-recorded special to honor the inductees. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland temporarily closed for a few months, as of March 14, 2020, but it has now re-opened. (Updated July 8, 2020)

Rolling Loud Festival

The Rolling Loud festival in Miami has been postponed and rescheduled with the same lineup. The festival was originally set for May 8 to May 10, 2020, and will now take place February 12 to 14, 2021. The artists who are scheduled to perform include Post Malone, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Rick Ross, Big Sean, Megan Thee Stallion, Swae Lee, Juicy J, A$AP Ferg, Tyga, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, T-Pain, YG, Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty and Young M.A. (Updated April 1, 2020)

Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones have postponed until further notice the 2020 North American leg of their “No Filter” tour. The 15 concerts were scheduled to begin May 8 in San Diego and end July 9 in Atlanta. (Updated March 18, 2020)

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The annual event in Scotland has been cancelled. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo had been scheduled for August 7 to August 29, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)

“Run”

Lionsgate has dropped the release of the horror film “Run,” originally set for release in theaters May 8, 2020. Hulu will now release “Run” on November 20, 2020. The movie stars Sarah Paulson. (Updated September 22, 2020)

RuPaul’s DragCon LA

This annual Los Angeles event celebrating the culture of drag queens has been cancelled. RuPaul’s DragCon LA had been scheduled to take place May 1 to May 3, 2020. (Updated March 10, 2020)

San Francisco Silent Film Festival

The annual event has been cancelled. Originally set to take place from April 29 to May 3, 2020, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival was rescheduled for November 11 to November 15, 2020. However, the festival has now been cancelled for 2020, and is set to from May 5 to May 9, 2021. (June 3, 2020)

“Scoob!”

Warner Bros. Pictures will release directly to home video this animated film, based on the “Scooby-Doo” TV series. “Scoob!” was originally scheduled to be released in theaters on May 15, 2020. The release date is still the same, but it will now be on digital and VOD. The movie’s voice cast includes Frank Welker, Will Forte, Gina Rodriguez, Amanda Seyfried and Zac Efron. (Updated on April 21, 2020) 

Screen Actors Guild Awards

The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles has been rescheduled to April 4, 2021. The original date for the show (which will be televised in the U.S. on TNT and TBS) was March 14, 2021, but had to move when the 2021 Grammy Awards was postponed to this date. (Updated on January 13, 2021) 

“The Secret: Dare to Dream”

Roadside Attractions has postponed and rescheduled the release of this dramatic film, starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas. “The Secret: Dare to Dream” was due in U.S. theaters on April 17, 2020, and is now set for release on digital and PVOD (premium video on demand) on July 31, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

Series Mania

The annual TV festival in Lille, France, has been cancelled. Series Mania was supposed to take place from March 20 to March 28, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” starring Simu Liu and Tony Leung. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was originally scheduled to be released on February 12, 2021, was postponed to May 7, 2021, and will now be released on September 3, 2021. (Updated March 23, 2021)

“Sing 2”

Universal Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated sequel. “Sing 2,” which includes voice actors Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey, was originally set to open July 2, 2021, and will now be released on December 22, 2021. (Updated April 1, 2020)

“Slay the Dragon”

This critically acclaimed documentary about gerrymandering in U.S. politics had been scheduled for a limited U.S. theatrical release on March 13, 2020. Magnolia Pictures will now release “Slay the Dragon” on VOD and on other digital platforms on April 3, 2020. (Updated March 10, 2020)

“Sometimes Always Never”

Blue Fox Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this British thriller, starring Bill Nighy and Sam Riley. “Sometimes Always Never” had been rescheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on April 15, 2020, after being postponed from March 6, 2020. The movie will now be released in virtual cinemas on June 12, 2020, and on VOD on July 10, 2020. The movie was already released in 2019 in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Hungary. (Updated June 1, 2020)

Songwriters Hall of Fame

The annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony in New York City has been postponed and rescheduled for 2021, and the show will award the previously announced honorees. Originally set for June 11, 2020, the ceremony will now take place on June 10, 2021. The previously announced honorees are Mariah Carey; Eurythmics co-founders Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart; the Isley Brothers members Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, O’Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley,  Rudolph Isley and Chris Jasper; Steve Miller; the Neptunes founders Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo; Rick Nowels; and William “Mickey” Stevenson. Paul Williams will receive the Johnny Mercer Award. Universal Music Publishing chairman/CEO Jody Gerson will receive the Abe Olman Publisher Award. (Updated March 31, 2020)

Sonic Temple Arts + Music Festival

Concert promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has cancelled the annual Sonic Temple Arts + Music Festival, which was scheduled to take in place in Columbus, Ohio, from May 15 to May 17, 2020. The lineup of performers included Metallica, Slipknot, Deftones, Bring Me the Horizon, Evanescence, and Staind. Many of the artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival were going to perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky (another Danny Wimmer Presents event), which has expanded to four days (September 17 to September 20, 2020), with Metallica headlining on September 17. However, the 2020 edition of Louder Than Life has now also been cancelled. (Updated April 24, 2020)

“Soul”

Disney’s Pixar Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated film, which is the first Pixar movie to have an African American character in the lead role. The voice cast of “Soul” includes Jamie Foxx, Daveed Diggs, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, Questlove and Graham Norton. “Soul” was originally scheduled to be released in theaters on November 19, 2020, and will now be released on December 25, 2020. “Soul” will be available to Disney+ subscribers in countries where Disney+ is available, while the movie will be released in theaters in countries where Disney+ is not available. (Updated October 9, 2020.)

South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals

The 2020 edition of SXSW has been cancelled for the first time in the event’s 34-year history. The event was scheduled to take place from March 13 to 22 in Austin, Texas. A public health state of emergency has also been declared in the city of Austin. SXSW includes festivals for music, film and live comedy, as well as conferences for technology, education and gaming. Days before the cancellation, several companies pulled of out participating in the event this year, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel, Lionsgate, Starz, TikTok, Twitter, Vevo and WarnerMedia. The SXSW Film Festival announced that it will still give awards this year in the jury-voted categories. The films in competition are being made available online to jurors. Winners will be announced online and not at an awards ceremony. Click here for the full story of the SXSW event cancellation. On April 2, it was announced that the 2020 SXSW Film Festival has partnered with Amazon Prime Video to make select films from the cancelled festival available for free on Amazon Prime Video for a limited time. Click here for more details. (Updated April 2, 2020)

“Spiral”

Lionsgate has postponed until further notice the release of the horror movie “Spiral,” originally set for May 15, 2020. The movie, which is a reboot of the “Saw” franchise, stars Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. (Updated March 17, 2020)

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”

Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated sequel, starring voice actor Tom Kenney, which was originally scheduled to be released May 22, 2020. “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”was then pushed back to July 17 and then July 31, 2020. The movie’s new U.S. release date will be sometime in early 2021, where it will be released on premium VOD (PVOD). After being released on PVOD, the movie will be available on CBS All Access, which is changing its name to Paramount+ in 2021. (Updated July 8, 2020)

Stagecoach Music  Festival

The annual country music festival has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for April 24 to April 26, 2020, Stagecoach (which takes place in Indio, California) was rescheduled for October 23 to October 25, 2020, but now the event will not take place in 2020. Artists who had been announced to perform included headliners Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church, as well as Brett Young, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Dan + Shay, Alan Jackson, Jon Pardi and Bryan Adams. (Updated June 11, 2020)

Harry Styles

The former One Direction star has postponed and rescheduled the U.K. and continental European dates of his Love on Tour. The shows were originally scheduled to begin April 15, 2020 in Birmingham, England, and end June 3, 2020, in Moscow. The concerts will now take place in 2021, beginning February 12 in Bologna, Italy, and end March 30 in Moscow. (Updated March 25, 2020)

Taylor Swift

The Grammy-winning superstar has postponed all of her tour dates for the remainder of 2020. The rescheduled dates for the concerts are to be announced. Unlike other artists’ tour dates that have been postponed, refunds will be available for Swift’s postponed tour dates. (Updated April 17, 2020)

Summerfest

The annual music festival in Milwaukee has been postponed and rescheduled. The event was originally set for June 24 to July 5 to the weekends of September 3 to September 5, September 10 to September 12, and September 17 to September 19, 2020. Performers include Justin Bieber, Guns N’Roses, Dave Matthews Band, Luke Bryan, Khalid, Halsey, Sam Hunt and Jessie Reyez. (Updated March 23, 2020)

Sun Valley Film Festival

The annual festival in Sun Valley, Idaho, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place from March 18 to March 22, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

Sydney Film Festival

The annual film festival in Australia had been scheduled for June 3 to June 14, 2020, but the event has been cancelled. The Sydney Film Festival plans to return in 2021. (Updated March 17, 2020)

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The annual event in Telluride, Colorado, has been cancelled. The Telluride Film Festival had been scheduled for September 3 to September 7, 2020. (Updated July 14, 2020)

“Tenet”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the thriller “Tenet,” starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. “Tenet” was originally set to premiere on July 17, 2020, was postponed to July 31, 2020, and then August 12, 2020. Theatrical release dates for the movie will now vary by country. The new U.S. release date for “Tenet” is September 3, 2020. In Canada, the movie will be released on August 26, 2020. (Updated August 2, 2020)

“The Third Day”

HBO has postponed the TV premiere of the limited drama series “The Third Day,” starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris. “The Third Day” was originally set to premiere on May 11, 2020, and will now premiere on September 14, 2020. (Updated July 22, 2020)

“Thor: Love and Thunder”

Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Thor: Love and Thunder,” starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman. “Thor: Love and Thunder” was originally scheduled for release on November 5, 2021. The new release date is February 8, 2022. (Updated April 3, 2020)

“Tom & Jerry”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the live-action animated film “Tom & Jerry,” starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Ken Jeong and Rob Delaney. The film was originally due out on December 23, 2020, and is now set for release on March 5, 2021. (Updated June 11, 2020)

Tomorrowland 

The annual electronic-music festival Tomorrowland in Alpe d’Huez, France, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for March 14 to March 21, 2020.

“Tomorrow War”

Paramount Pictures has postponed until further notice the release of this sci-fi/fantasy film, starring Chris Pratt, which was originally scheduled to be released December 25, 2020.  (Updated April 2, 2020)

Tony Awards

The Tony Awards, an annual ceremony in New York City for Broadway shows, has been postponed until further notice. The ceremony had originally been scheduled for June 7, 2020. The show will be webcast, not televised, on a date to be announced. (Updated October 8, 2020)

“Top Gun: Maverick”

Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this action sequel, starring Tom Cruise, which was originally scheduled to be released June 24, 2020. The movie’s release date was changed to December 23, 2020, and then postponed to July 2, 2021. The movie’s new release date is November 19, 2021. (Updated April 9, 2021)

Toronto Comic Arts Festival

The annual comic-book convention has been cancelled. The Toronto Comic Arts Festival had been scheduled for May 8 to May 10, 2020. (Updated March 19, 2020)

Treefort Music Fest

The annual festival in Boise, Idaho, for emerging talent has been postponed. Treefort Music Fest had originally been scheduled to take place from March 25 to 29, 2020, and will now take place from September 23 to September 27, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)

Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival in New York City has been turned into a semi-open virtual event, with industry people and the media being able to access certain films online from April 15 to May 15, 2020. The annual event had been scheduled for to be open to the public from April 15 to April 26, 2020. Winners of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival’s jury awards were announced on April 29, 2020. (Updated April 29, 2020)

“The Truth”

IFC Films has postponed the U.S. release of this French drama, starring Catherine Denueve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke. Originally scheduled for a U.S. release on March 20, 2020, the new U.S. release date for “The Truth” is on July 3, 2020. The movie was already released in France and in Japan in 2019. (Updated June 20, 2020.)

TV Network Upfront Presentations

TV networks’ annual upfront presentations for advertisers take place in New York City, mostly in April and May. In 2020, all of these events have now been cancelled or switched to being online presentations only. (Updated March 15, 2020)

TV Shows With Live Audiences

Almost all nationally televised series that are known to have live audiences have announced that they will continue without live audiences or they are temporarily shutting down production. These include talk shows, game shows, talent shows and variety shows. Some of these shows have already taped episodes with audiences, before bans on large gatherings went into effect. (Updated March 16, 2020)

Ultra Music Festival

The annual electronica-dance music event in Miami has been cancelled and will return in 2021. Ultra Music Festival had been scheduled to take place March 20 to March 22, 2020. Performers at the 2020 Ultra Music Festival would have included David Guetta, DJ Snake, Major Lazer, Above & Beyond, Afrojack and Martin Garrix.

“Uncharted”

Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this video-game-based movie. “Uncharted,” starring Tom Holland and Bryan Cranston, was due out in cinemas on March 5, 2021, and has been rescheduled to open on October 8, 2021. (Updated March 30, 2020)

Universal Studios

Universal Studios Hollywood will be closed until further notice, as of March 14, 2020. Universal Studios in Florida closed on March 16, 2020 and re-opened on June 5, 2020.  (Updated April 1, 2020)

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage”

Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of the sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” starring Tom Hardy. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” was originally scheduled to be released on October 2, 2020, was postponed to June 25, 2021, and then delayed to September 21, 2021. (Updated March 19, 2021)

 VidCon

VidCon, the annual networking event for video-based media influencers, has postponed all of its conferences. The flagship VidCon in Anaheim, California, was supposed to take place from June 17 to June 20, 2020, but the event will be rescheduled on dates to be announced. The inaugural VidCon Mexico in Mexico City was scheduled for April 30 to May 3, 2020, and has been rescheduled for September 17 to September 20, 2020. The inaugural VidCon Abu Dhabi was scheduled for March 25 to March 28, 2020, and has been rescheduled for December 16 to December 19, 2020. (Updated March 23, 2020)

Wango Tango

The annual star-studded music concert, hosted by Los Angeles pop radio station KIIS-FM, has been cancelled. The show was set for June 5, 2020, in Carson, California. The 2020 Wango Tango lineup included headliner Harry Styles. (Updated March 24, 2020)

Webby Awards

The annual award show in New York City honoring World Wide Web content and creators has been postponed until further notice and will be changed from an in-person event to an online event. The original date for this year’s Webby Awards was May 11, 2020. (Updated March 19, 2020)

Welcome to Rockville

Concert promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has cancelled the annual Welcome to Rockville festival, which was scheduled to take in place in Daytona Beach, Florida, from May 8 to May 10, 2020. The lineup of performers included Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Godsmack, Deftones,Social Distortion, The Offspring, Staind, Lamb of God, Rancid.  Many of the artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival were going to perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky (another Danny Wimmer Presents event), which has expanded to four days (September 17 to September 20, 2020), with Metallica headlining on September 17. However, the 2020 edition of Louder Than Life has now also been cancelled. (Updated April 24, 2020)

“West Side Story”

Disney’s 20th Century Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the musical remake of “West Side Story,” which was set for December 18, 2020. The movie’s new release date is December 10, 2021. The stars of “West Side Story” include Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler and Rita Moreno. (Updated September 23, 2020)

WhedonCon

The annual convention in Los Angeles celebrating the work of writer/director Joss Whedon (who’s best known for the first two “Avengers” movies and the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series) has been postponed, rescheduled and turned into an online-only event. WhedonCon was originally scheduled for June 5 to June 7, 2020, then postponed to October 30 to November 1, 2020. The event will now be online only on October 24, 2020. (Updated August 19, 2020)

“Wicked”

Universal Pictures has postponed until further notice the release of this movie adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical. “Wicked,” starring Katie Rose Clark and Jessica Vosk, had originally been set for release on December 22, 2021. (Updated April 1, 2020)

Winter Music Conference

The annual convention in Miami for electronica-dance music was scheduled to take place March 16 to March 19, 2020, but has been postponed and will be rescheduled on dates to be announced.

“The Witches”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the horror/fantasy film “The Witches,” starring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer. “The Witches” was originally set to be released in theaters on October 9, 2020, and will now go directly to streaming on HBO Max on October 22, 2020. (Updated October 2, 2020)

“The Wolf House”

Independent movie distributor KimStim has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this Chilean animated film, which tells the story of Colonia Dignidad, a German émigré-run colony in post-WWII Chile that was revealed to have been used to imprison, torture and murder dissidents during the Pinochet regime. “The Wolf House” is now set for release in virtual cinemas on May 15, 2020. The movie was originally scheduled for release in New York City on March 20, 2020, and in Los Angeles on March 27, 2020.  (Updated May 1, 2020.)

WOMAD Festival

The annual World of Music and Dance (WOMAD) Festival in Wiltshire, England, has been cancelled. The festival (founded by Peter Gabriel) was scheduled for July 23 to July 26, 2020. Artists on the festival bill included the Flaming Lips, Angélique Kidjo, Kate Tempest and Fatoumata Diawara. (Updated June 8, 2020)

“The Woman in the Window”

20th Century Pictures has sold the thriller “The Woman in the Window” to Netflix. Originally set for release in theaters on April 18, 2020, “The Woman in the Window” (which stars Amy Adams) will have a release date to be announced. (Updated November 3, 2020)

WonderCon

The annual comic-book/sci-fi/fantasy entertainment fan convention in Anaheim, California, has been cancelled. WonderCon had been set for April 10 to April 12, 2020.The event will return on March 26 to March 28, 2021. (Updated April 17, 2020)

“Wonder Woman 1984”

Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this superhero sequel, starring Gal Gadot. “Wonder Woman 1984” was originally set for June 5, 2020, then rescheduled for August 14, 2020, and then October 2, 2020. The movie’s current theatrical release dates are December 16, 2020, in countries outside of the U.S. and Canada, and on December 25, 2020 in the U.S. and Canada. “Wonder Woman 1984” will also be available on HBO Max at no additional charge to subscribers on December 25, 2020. (Updated November 18, 2020)

YouTube

The London edition of YouTube on Stage, an event to showcase YouTube talent, was cancelled just hours before the event was supposed to happen on March 11, 2020. In addition, YouTube has switched its annual Brandcast marketing presentation (set for April 30, 2020) to be an online event instead of an in-person event. (Updated March 16, 2020)

Review: ‘Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free,’ starring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

March 18, 2021

by Carla Hay

Rick Rubin and Tom Petty in “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” (Photo courtesy of Tom Petty Legacy, LLC/Warner Music Group)

“Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free”

Directed by Mary Wharton

Culture Representation: Taking place primarily in Los Angeles, the documentary film “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” features an almost all-white group of people (and one black person) in the music industry, in this chronicle of the making of Tom Petty’s 1994 album “Wildflowers.”

Culture Clash: While recording the album, Petty was going through personal problems (such as a failing marriage), he battled with Warner Bros. Records over songs that he wanted on the album, and he fired longtime Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch.

Culture Audience: Fans of Petty are the obvious target audience, but “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” will also appeal to people who like classic rock music and behind-the-scenes stories about making albums.

Tom Petty in “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” (Photo courtesy of Tom Petty Legacy, LLC/Warner Music Group)

“Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” has the look and feel of many other documentaries that focus on the making of a specific album. There’s nothing really groundbreaking about this documentary, and it’s not the type of movie that people should feel like they need to see in movie theaters. The documentary is a must-see for Tom Petty’s fans and other people who are inclined to like classic rock. And it could be entertaining to people who are interested in the art of creating songs. Everyone else might think this movie is a little boring.

“Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” chronicles the making of Petty’s 1994 “Wildflowers” album, which he said in many interviews was the best album he ever made. The album was recorded at the Los Angeles recording studios Sound City and Ocean Way Recording. And musically, it was a departure for Petty because it didn’t have as much of the signature jangly guitar sound that’s on his previous albums. Instead, “Wildflowers” included a full classical orchestra and had songs with a more somber or pensive mood than his previously released tunes.

Petty died of an opioid drug overdose at age 66 in 2017. Years earlier, he revealed that he was addicted to heroin from 1996 to 1998. Therefore, Petty’s drug addiction is not an issue that’s brought up on this documentary, since the most serious years of his addiction happened after “Wildflowers” was made. In the documentary, there is some mention in Petty’s own words about how unhappy he was in his marriage to his first wife Jane at the time he made “Wildflowers.” The former spouses were married from 1974 to 1996.

Directed by Mary Wharton, “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” (which premiered at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival) consists primarily of archival footage of Petty in the recording studio that was originally filmed in color but is, for the most part, presented in black and white in the documentary. A prologue in the documentary explains that the archival footage from these “Wildflowers” recording sessions and the subsequent tour were filmed on 16mm film between 1993 and 1995 by Petty’s longtime videographer Martyn Atkins. The footage was discovered in an archive in early 2020.

Also in black and white is more current documentary interview footage of surviving members of Petty’s band The Heartbreakers, as well as music producer Rick Rubin, who all worked on “Wildflowers” and share their fond memories of those recording sessions. The documentary mostly sticks to celebrating Petty’s music and the camaraderie that he had with his band members, Rubin and other people involved in making the album. There is some but not a great deal of insight into the drama that went on behind the scenes with Petty battling MCA Records (his former record label) and starting fresh with Warner Bros. Records, with “Wildflowers” as his first album released by Warner Bros.

“Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” is at its best when viewers get to see how the “Wildflowers” songs were crafted and recorded. There are the hits, of course, such as “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” “You Wreck Me” and “It’s Good to Be King.” But there are also several album tracks (including “Harry Green” and “Climb That Hill Blues”) that didn’t make it on to the original release of the 15-song “Wildflowers,” because Warner Bros. disagreed with Petty’s wishes to release “Wildflowers” as a 25-song double album. In 2020, the deluxe package album “Wildflowers & All the Rest” was released with the original “Wildflowers” album, plus previously unreleased studio tracks and live recordings from the “Wildflowers” era.

Even though the Heartbreakers were part of the recording sessions for “Wildflowers,” the album was officially a Petty solo record, and it was the follow-up to his wildly successful 1989 solo debut album, “Full Moon Fever.” Jeff Lynne, the mastermind of Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), produced “Full Moon Fever” and the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1991 album “Into the Great Wide Open,” as well as several albums from other artists. Lynne was also a bandmate of Petty’s in their all-star supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, whose other members were George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison.

In the documentary, Rubin talks about how he was flatly turned down by MCA when he offered to produce Petty’s second solo album. “I was told that Tom worked exclusively with Jeff Lynne, and there was no chance that I’d ever get to work with him [Tom Petty]. It was a cold brush-off.”

Up until that point, Rubin was mostly known in the music business for working in hip-hop (he co-founded Def Jam Records) or producing rock artists who were younger than Petty, such as Red Hot Chili Peppers. In the late 1980s, Rubin left Def Jam and founded Def American Recordings, later renamed American Recordings. Def American’s biggest successes in the early 1990s were the bluesy rock band the Black Crowes and the thrash metal band Slayer.

And so, by the early 1990s, Rubin wasn’t exactly the first person people had in mind to produce Petty’s second solo album. By his own admission, Rubin says in the documentary that he wasn’t even a fan of Petty’s music until he heard the “Full Moon Fever” album and became obsessed with it.

But three things happened that helped Rubin to become the producer of the “Wildflowers” album.

  • (1) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers left MCA Records and signed to Warner Bros. Records, the record company for Red Hot Chili Peppers, a funk-influenced rock band had its first major breakthrough success with the Rubin-produced 1991 album “Blood Sugar Sex Magik.”
  • (2) Petty, as he says in the documentary, was ready to make some big musical changes.
  • (3) Heartbreakers lead guitarist Mike Campbell recommended Rubin to Petty, and they all genuinely liked each other from the start. Rubin, Petty and Campbell are all credited with producing the “Wildflowers” album.

As Petty describes it in the documentary’s archival footage: “I love Jeff Lynne dearly, but I thought I should do something else. Mike Campbell suggested Rick. He said, ‘I think you’ll like him.’ So I called him [Rubin] up.”

It’s mentioned more than once in the documentary that Rubin and Lynne couldn’t be more different from each other as producers. Lynne is a multi-instrumentalist and a meticulous recording craftsman who likes to take pieces of songs and build them in layers. Rubin barely knew how to play guitar during the “Wildflowers” sessions, and he prefers to make records with all the band members present at the same time and recording live.

Petty explains Rubin’s producing style in the documentary: “Rick Rubin really loves music, and that’s why I decided to work with him. It’s not because of his technical skill. He plays no instrument, really. He’s learning to play guitar … He’s not a corporate man … In a way, he’s guided me back to a musical place where I feel comfortable.”

In an archival interview from the “Wildflowers” recording sessions, Rubin says, “What I have to offer is as a fan. I can come in and say what I like and what I don’t like. And I don’t necessarily know why, but just trying to be true to [Petty’s] own taste and try to steer it in a direction that feels natural and good to me.”

The documentary also has a more current interview with Rubin, Campbell and Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench sitting down together. They further discuss the contrast between Lynne and Rubin as producers. Tench comments, “The records with Jeff are beautiful pop records. And my participation was minimal on both the records. Because, you know, Jeff had an idea, and there’s a keyboard, and he’s going to play it, and that’s great.”

Tench states how Rubin’s style of producing affected the “Wildflowers” recording sessions: “This is almost like taking what you learned from Jeff and setting it free. It’s very focused on song craft and record craft, but there’s also a freedom in it that’s very cool.” Campbell adds that Rubin put more emphasis on live performances in the recording studio and by recording songs as “organic tracks and not one thing at a time.”

Also present for these recording sessions were orchestrator/conductor Michael Kamen (who died of a heart attack in 2003, at the age of 55) and George Drakoulias, a music producer who made a name for himself working as a producer and A&R executive for Def American acts such as the Black Crowes. At the time of the “Wildflowers” recording sessions, Drakoulias was still doing A&R for Def American. Unlike his then-boss Rubin, Drakoulias was a longtime fan of Petty’s by the time Drakoulias was included in the recording sessions for “Wildflowers.”

In the documentary, Drakoulias (who’s described as a “musical contributor” to “Wildflowers”) remembers with a laugh his experiences with Petty during those recording sessions: “He tolerated me. He found me amusing. Tom was a hero, and idol. ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ [the 1979 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album] was the record that really changed my life.”

Also interviewed in the documentary is Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone, a Brit who replaced original Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch in the “Wildflowers” recording sessions. Ferrone later became an official member of the Heartbreakers and remained in the band until the group broke up after Petty’s death in 2017. In 1994, Ferrone was living in New York City as a session musician when he got a call about a “top-secret” audition. He didn’t know it was for the Heartbreakers until he arrived at the studio and saw Petty and Campbell there. Just like Rubin, Ferrone was recommended by Campbell to be brought into Petty’s musical inner circle.

Tench comments on how Ferrone was crucial to helping Petty achieve the sound that’s on “Wildflowers,” as exemplified by the bluesy cadence that the drums have on “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” “Ferrone was the key to cracking the code to sound different,” Tench says. In archival footage, Petty says why he decided Ferrone should be in the band: “He played instinctually. He played perfectly the first time through. And I liked him.”

As for Lynch’s ouster from the band, Petty says in voiceover commentary that it was because Lynch wasn’t fully on board with Petty’s new musical direction, and Petty got tired of what he describes as Lynch’s mercurial temperament: “He had a real explosive personality. He could be really sweet and very loving, and then he could be the biggest problem.”

Campbell says of Lynch parting ways with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: “We were in a quagmire of disharmony, like a marriage. It happens.” Lynch is shown briefly in archival footage, but he is not in the documentary for any new interviews.

Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein (who died of a heroin overdose in 2003, at the age of 47) is also seen in archival footage. Epstein comments in archival footage: “Tom and I get along real good. I’ve never had one weird moment with him.” Meanwhile, Petty says about Epstein in footage from the Wildflowers” sessions: “I really appreciate him being my friend. It’s so hard to find people like Howie in the world who are so pure of spirit.”

Even though the Heartbreakers played on “Wildflowers,” why was it labeled a solo album from Petty instead of a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album? Petty explained it years ago, but it’s repeated in the documentary. As he puts it: “I wanted the freedom. I really wanted to be free of the democratic process, but I think it was time to turn the corner and find another place to go. And that was ‘Wildflowers.'”

Just like on a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album, Petty wrote the majority of the “Wildflowers” songs himself, with Campbell getting co-songwriting credit on a few songs. Petty might not be remembered as the greatest singer or guitarist, but there’s no question that he’s considered one of the greatest American rock songwriters in music history. In new interviews in the documentary, Tench and Campbell share their thoughts on Petty’s songwriting talent.

Campbell says, “I’ve worked with a lot of people—good writers and great singers—but I’ve never seen anybody who could do that like he could. He could just pull things out of the air in the moment.” Tench adds, “Tom was a great songwriter. I had always appreciated it and know that this is incredible to be in this band. But you almost take it for granted that Tom is going to come in with a great song.”

Two of the more personal songs on “Wildflowers” is “To Find a Friend” and “Don’t Fade on Me,” which Petty says were about his crumbling marriage. “I was becoming disenchanted in my marriage at the time,” which he says in a voiceover from archival footage. At the time, he says that he didn’t consciously write about this disintegrating relationship. “But when I hear [the ‘Wildflowers’ album], I can see it was working in the back of my mind somewhere.”

Petty and Jane’s daughter Adria Petty, who is an executive producer of the documentary, comments in an interview: “At the time that ‘Wildflowers’ was being written, he was definitely going through therapy for the first time. And that was an interesting door of perception that was opening.”

Adria Petty adds, “I think that feeling of confidence and self-examination at that time made him make a lot of different decisions about his life. He did it slowly, methodically and carefully. And they were painful for him.”

One of the big changes was Tom Petty’s split from MCA. Alan “Bugs” Weidel, the equipment/clubhouse manager for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, says that Petty was “never really happy with MCA. He really wanted to be on Warner Bros., and when that opportunity presented itself, he jumped on it.” The documentary includes new footage of Weidel reuniting with Campbell at the “clubhouse,” where the band’s instruments were kept.

And there’s archival footage of Petty, Rubin and Kamen in a room together and eating a small cake with a Warner Bros. logo on it. As they dig into the cake, Petty remarks jokingly, “We like to record for Warner Bros. because they taste good.” Rubin and Kamen are smiling and they seem amused too.

In a separate footage, Petty is heard saying in a voiceover about parting ways with MCA and moving on to Warner Bros.: “We had a long run at MCA and a very successful one. It just felt like time in life … I really just went to work for people I know. And I trust their instincts.”

However, the disputes that Petty had with Warner Bros. over how many songs should be on the “Wildflowers” album are mostly alluded to but not completely exposed in the documentary. The movie doesn’t show any screaming arguments with record company executives or lawyers. In fact, there are no “suits” shown or interviewed in this movie. And keeping out the corporate types from being in this film is probably the way that Petty would’ve wanted it.

Rather than getting into all the recording contract issues involved with the length of the “Wildflowers” album, the documentary footage puts more emphasis on Petty having a hard time deciding which songs he wanted on the album in the first place. The feeling that the documentary wants to convey is that Petty and the rest of the musical team ended up recording a lot more songs than originally expected because of Petty’s creative output and because they were having such a great time recording the album.

In new interviews for the documentary, Campbell chokes up a little when he says that listening to the songs on “Wildflowers” after Petty’s death is “emotionally hard … but other times it’s joyous. This is a whole plethora of experiences on the record.” Tench adds, “When you lose a great artist, you appreciate them more.”

“Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” shares part of its title with Christopher McKittrick’s unauthorized biography “Somewhere You Feel Free: Tom Petty and Los Angeles,” which was published in 2020. In the documentary, it’s mentioned that the “Wildflowers” song “California” best summed up how Petty (who was a Florida native) felt about how California (specifically the Los Angeles area) changed his life. His daughter Adria says that after he moved to California, Petty was able to reinvent himself early in his career and became a success with the Heartbreakers.

People watching the documentary might feel that the black and white imagery makes the movie look dull and washed-out. Others might think having the movie in black and white gives it a classic look. There’s only one part of the documentary where it changes from black and white to color in the middle of the song. And that’s in studio footage of “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” which was recorded during the “Wildflowers” sessions but was not on the album. Instead, the song (the last Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song recorded with drummer Lynch) was released on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1993 “Greatest Hits” album.

The documentary’s color footage (mostly of the band performing on stage) definitely livens up the movie, but the black and white palette probably gives the movie a more consistent look and the ability to hide some of the color footage’s flaws. One of the constant themes in the movie is how much fun it was to record the album. But for anyone who knows what it’s like to record an album, it’s not the same energy as doing a live performance.

Creativity in a recording studio is captured in stops and starts, so people watching this documentary should not expect the movie to be like a non-stop adrenaline rush. It’s more like a respectful stroll into the dynamics of Petty and his musical team. It’s not going to interest people who like to see band conflicts in music documentaries. But for people who appreciate Petty’s music and talent, this documentary gives a worthwhile peek into his creative process.

Review: ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,’ starring Demi Lovato

March 17, 2021

by Carla Hay

Demi Lovato in “Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil” (Photo courtesy of OBB Media)

“Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil”

Directed by Michael D. Ratner

Culture Representation: The four-part docuseries “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” features a racially diverse group of people (Latino, white and African American) of mostly people in the entertainment industry, including Demi Lovato, discussing her life and career, particularly from 2018 to 2020.

Culture Clash: Lovato, who is a recovering drug addict, relapsed and had a near-fatal overdose in 2018, and she says that she no longer believes that complete drug abstinence is the best method of recovery for her.

Culture Audience: “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in stories about how celebrities cope with addiction and trauma.

Demi Lovato in “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” (Photo courtesy of YouTube Originals)

Singer/actress Demi Lovato is well-known for revealing a lot of painful and unflattering aspects of her life, so it should come as no surprise that her four-part YouTube docuseries “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” has a confessional tone to it. The docuseries had its world premiere at the 2021 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival. Among other things, Lovato goes into details about what she experienced before and after her near-fatal drug overdose at her Los Angeles home in July 2018. (She has since moved from that house because of the bad memories.) She also reveals publicly for the first time that she’s a rape survivor and how the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine led to her very quick and ultimately failed engagement to actor Max Ehrich.

Directed by Michael D. Ratner, “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” has much more disturbing revelations than Lovato’s 2017 YouTube documentary film “Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated.” There’s a trigger warning at the beginning of “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” because it contains graphic talk of sexual assault, her drug use and eating disorders. She goes into details about what happened before and after her overdose of heroin laced with Fentanyl.

Lovato says that the drug dealer who supplied the drugs also sexually assaulted her and left her for dead. She also reveals that when she was 15, she lost her virginity by being raped by someone she worked with in her Disney Channel days. Lovato doesn’t name either of her alleged rapists, but she says that when she reported her underage rape to adults, nothing happened to her alleged rapist. And she claims that she’s managing her addiction problems by drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. That’s not a good sign that she’s on the road to a healthy recovery.

It’s a big contrast to “Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated,” where her most personal revelation was that she’s openly living her life as a member of the LGTBQ community. (The movie had scenes of her discussing her attempts to find love on online dating sites.) Lovato refuses to label her sexuality, and she will only describe herself as “queer” or “not straight.” “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” shows that although Lovato claims to be in a much better emotional place than she was in 2018, she’s still struggling with the idea that her recovery from addiction means that she has to completely abstain from drugs and alcohol.

She admits to drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana “in moderation,” even though she’s said in many interviews that she’s an alcoholic and drug addict. Although she talks a lot about the drugs that she’s used and/or been addicted to over the years, in “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” she leaves out any mention of her alcoholism. And that omission is probably because she keeps repeating in the documentary that she’s tired of other people controlling her life and telling her what she can and cannot put in her body.

Ever since former Disney Channel star Lovato first went to rehab in 2010, at the age 18, she has publicly talked about her recovery from a variety of issues, including drug addiction, alcoholism, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), self-harming (cutting) and bipolar disorder. In “Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated,” she repeated the claim that she was clean and sober since 2012. And in 2018, during her “Tell Me You Love Me” tour, she was filming another documentary about herself, until her drug overdose resulted in shutting down production of that untitled documentary, which was permanently shelved.

“Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” has some clips from that never-seen-before 2018 documentary that shows a seemingly happy Lovato on tour. But as is often the case with entertainers who are drug addicts, they are very skilled at hiding dark sides of their lives. In “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,” Lovato says of her shelved 2018 biographical film: “In that documentary, I was allowing the cameras to see the tip of the iceberg.”

“Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” opens with Lovato backstage during that 2018 tour, in footage that was taken one month before her overdose. She’s on the phone with her mother, Dianna De La Garza. Her mother gushes, “Demi, that was the best show you’ve ever done! It’s only going to get better from here.” Lovato gives a small smile but there’s some sadness in her eyes.

There’s also a clip from that a concert earlier on that 2018 tour, with the footage showing Demi being congratulated on stage by opening acts DJ Khaled and Kehlani for her sixth “sober birthday,” to celebrate her being clean and sober for the past six years. On the surface, Lovato looked healthy and happy. But in “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,” she now confesses that she relapsed later that night.

Lovato says, “I picked up a bottle of red wine that night and it wasn’t even 30 minutes before I called someone that had drugs on them … I’m surprised that I didn’t OD that night. I ended up at a party and ran into my old drug dealer from six years before. That night I did drugs I had never done before.”

According to Lovato, she did a dangerous mix of methamphetamine, Ecstasy, alcohol and OxyContin. “That alone should’ve killed me,” Lovato adds. She also confesses that during this relapse that lasted for months, she tried crack cocaine and heroin for the first time.

The first time she went to rehab in 2010, Lovato says that she was addicted to cocaine and Xanax. Years later, when she turned to crack cocaine and heroin (which she usually smoked, not injected), Lovato says in the documentary that she was trying to get the same “upper/downer” combination feeling that she had with cocaine and Xanax. “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” includes a photo identified as Lovato on crack for the first time and a photo of her while she was smoking heroin.

Lovato says she quickly became addicted to crack and heroin, but she was able to hide these addictions from most of the people who were close to her. Her immediate family members are interviewed in the documentary: mother Dianna De La Garza; stepfather Eddie De La Garza; older sister Dallas Lovato; and younger half-sister Madison De LaGarza. All of them say some variation of how Lovato is very good at keeping secrets and pretending that everything is just fine. “There’s a lot that the public don’t know,” says her stepfather Eddie, who is interviewed while sitting on a couch with his wife Dianna.

Demi’s parents got divorced when she was 2 years old. For years, she has been open about how her biological father Patrick Lovato struggled with mental illness (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) and drug addiction, and their relationship was fractured for a very long time. Patrick died of cancer in 2013.

In “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,” she talks about how she still feels trauma over her troubled relationship with her father, whom she says abused her mother Dianna. Demi also says that she feels terrible about how her father died alone. His body, which wasn’t discovered for several days, was so decomposed that there couldn’t be an open casket at his funeral. Demi says that her biggest fear was that he would die alone, and she says she’s still haunted by guilt over it.

As for what led to her relapse and overdose in 2018, Demi comments: “Anytime you suppress a part of yourself, it’s going to overflow. Ultimately, that’s what happened to me in a lot of areas of my life. And it led to my overdose, for sure.” She adds later in the documentary: “I was miserable. I snapped.”

In addition to the issues of abandonment that she had with her father, Demi says she believes that the beauty pageants she entered as a child also had a negative effect on her: “My self-esteem was completely damaged by those beauty pageants.” Demi says that her eating disorders began as a direct result of the pressure she felt to be thin and pretty for the pageants.

Her mother Dianna says in the documentary about Demi’s childhood traumas: “I didn’t know that she needed to work with a professional to work through some of that.” In a separate interview, Demi says, “I crossed the line in the world of addiction. It’s interesting that it took a quarantine to work on this trauma stuff I’ve never really taken the time to dig deep and do the work on.”

To her credit, Demi doesn’t sugarcoat the very real and permanent health damage that her overdose caused: “I had three strokes. I had a heart attack. I suffered brain damage from the strokes. I can’t drive anymore. I have blind spots in my vision. When I pour a glass of water, I’ll totally miss the cup because I can’t see it anymore. I’ve also had pneumonia because I asphyxiated and multiple organ failure.”

What happened the night of the overdose has been reported in many media outlets, but the story in this documentary is told by Demi and some other people who were with her in the 24-hour period before and after her overdose. On the evening of July 23, 2018, Demi had been celebrating the birthday of Dani Vitale, who was Demi’s choreographer/creative director at the time.

Demi, Vitale and some other friends went out to nightclubs before heading back to Demi’s house. (The documentary includes phone footage of Vitale and Demi doing a choreographed dance routine on the rooftop.) Vitale, who is interviewed in the documentary, says that she didn’t know that Demi had been using drugs at that time.

That night, Demi begged Vitale to stay overnight at the house, but Vitale declined because she had to go home and feed her dogs and had to get up early the next morning. However, Vitale says as she was driving away from the house with a friend, she told the friend that she had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right. Ultimately, Vitale says that she didn’t stay because of her other obligations and she didn’t want to treat Demi like a child who needed a babysitter.

Demi says that when she was alone in the house, she called her drug dealer and spent the rest of the night doing drugs with him. The documentary includes blurry video surveillance footage of him leaving her house that morning, a few hours before Demi was found unconscious and the ambulance was called. Police later decided not to arrest him for his involvement in this overdose.

Jordan Jackson, a woman who was Demi’s assistant at the time, was the one who found Demi naked, unconscious and surrounded by vomit in Demi’s bed the next morning on July 24, 2018. “There was one point where she turned blue. Her whole body turned blue. I was like, ‘She’s dead for sure,'” Jackson says in the documentary. “It was the craziest thing I had ever seen.”

When Demi woke up at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, she was legally blind for a short period of time. She didn’t even recognize her younger sister Madison, who chokes up with emotion in the documentary when she remembers that moment: “She looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘Who is that?’ That’s something you never want to hear your sister say.”

Cedars-Sinai neurologist Dr. Shouri Lahiri, who sits next to Demi while he’s interviewed in the documentary, remembers that her oxygen levels were “dangerously low and trending down.” Demi also was put on dialysis to clean her blood, and the tubing had to be stuck through her neck. “It was like a horror movie,” as Dianna De La Garza describes it.

Demi is seated next to Dr. Lahiri when he talks about her hospital treatment. He says he didn’t know she why she was famous until about a week after he became her doctor, when he looked her up on the Internet. In the documentary, Dr. Lahiri mentions that he avoided looking up the information earlier because he didn’t want Demi’s celebrity status to affect his medical decisions about her. It’s kind of hard to believe that while she was in the hospital, he didn’t know for the first several days why she was famous, considering all the media coverage about her overdose.

Demi’s stepfather Eddie De La Garza gives a lot of praise to the hospital doctors who helped Demi with her recovery. But no one (not even Demi) is seen or heard in the documentary explicitly thanking Jackson, the person who found Demi and made the crucially important decision to call 911. Jackson admits in her documentary interview that she was afraid that calling 911 would bring a lot of negative publicity for Demi, but Jackson did the right thing and called anyway. Part of the 911 call is played in the documentary, and Jackson is heard asking the 911 operator if the ambulance could not turn on any sirens when it arrived at the house. However, the operator said that there would be ambulance sirens, and 911 operators have no control over that.

Demi says in the documentary, “I’m really lucky to be alive. My doctors said that I had five to 10 minutes [to live before I was found]. Had my assistant not come in, I wouldn’t be here today.” It would’ve been nice for Demi to directly and publicly thank Jackson in the documentary. If Demi did thank her while filming this documentary, it didn’t make it into the movie. And based on the “bare it all” tone of this film, a moment like that wouldn’t be edited out of the film if this thank you really happened while filming.

The documentary also shows that Vitale’s career and reputation were damaged by this overdose, because she was wrongfully blamed for it and wrongfully identified as being a drug buddy of Demi’s. Vitale says she doesn’t do drugs, but she was bullied and harassed by many of Demi’s fans who believed that Vitale was the one who supplied the drugs that Demi took that night. Vitale lost clients because of the overdose scandal. Demi says that her fans who harassed Vitale went too far.

In the documentary, while Vitale is getting her hair and makeup done for the interview, Demi is shown going into the room, hugging Vitale, and telling her that she’s sorry that she didn’t come forward sooner to clear Vitale’s name, but she was still in recovery at the time. Demi also says that she hopes that the documentary will help Vitale set the record straight that Vitale had nothing to do with Demi’s overdose. They seem to be friendly with each other, but it’s clear that Vitale doesn’t want to risk going through this experience with Demi again.

During her interview, Vitale tears up with emotion when she talks about the fallout from Demi’s overdose: “It was the hardest thing I ever had to deal with in my life. I just wanted [Demi] to live … I lost all my teaching jobs. No one wanted to bring their kid to an apparent heroin dealer teacher. I lost all the artists I was working with. No one wanted to deal with the drama … I had to rethink my whole future, all because of someone else’s decision.”

After recovering from her overdose, Demi says she decided she no longer wanted to have a team of people controlling what she ate or people checking up on her as if she would relapse at any moment. As an example, she says that for her birthdays, her previous management team would only allow her to have watermelon cake. After she fired that management team, Demi says one of the ways she celebrated her freedom from other people telling her what to eat was by having three cakes on her birthday.

After getting rid of her previous management, Demi asked Scooter Braun (who’s most famous for being Justin Bieber’s manager) to become her personal manager. Braun, who is an executive producer of “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,” is interviewed in the documentary and says that he was skeptical about representing Demi until he met her in person and she won him over. During contract negotiations, Demi says she relapsed and was truthful about it to Braun. Demi says she was sure that after this confession, Braun wouldn’t want to represent her.

But the opposite happened. Braun says that rather than distancing himself from Demi because of the relapse, he wanted to help her. He says his reaction was, “As long as you tell me the truth, we’ll work through it.” Braun also says, “She didn’t need a manager. She needed a friend.”

Demi didn’t get rid of everyone on her business team after the overdose. She gives a lot of credit to her longtime business manager Glenn Nordlinger and head of security/chief of staff Max Lea for helping her through tough times. Nordlinger and Lea are both interviewed in the documentary. Nordlinger says it was his idea to get Demi checked into the Cirque Lodge addiction treatment center in Orem, Utah, for her post-overdose rehab. Demi is seated next to Lea and Nordlinger during some of her interviews, and she often keeps her head lowered, as if she’s still ashamed of what they know about her.

Two other people who’ve remained in Demi’s inner circle and are interviewed in the documentary are Sirah Mitchell (a hip-hop artist) and Matthew Scott Montgomery (an actor), who are each described in the documentary as Demi’s “best friend.” Mitchell is also described as Demi’s “former sober coach.” Mitchell and Montgomery, who were not with Demi on the night that she overdosed, profess unwavering loyalty to Demi. They both say that they knew that Demi was doing heroin and other drugs in the weeks leading up to the overdose, but they say that Demi ignored their concerns and there was nothing they could do about it.

Mitchell and Montgomery seem to be among Demi’s biggest cheerleaders, but they also come across as enablers who will say what she wants to hear so she won’t cut them out of her life. For example, Mitchell and Montgomery make vague excuses for why they’re going along with Demi’s plan to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana as part of her “recovery” from alcoholism and drug addiction. By now, these friends should know that when drug addicts/alcoholics think they can handle drugs and alcohol, that’s still being in the sickness of denial.

As for Demi’s family members, they all say that based on their experiences with Demi, they know that an addict can only truly recover when the addict is willing to stop what’s causing their addiction of their own free will, not because other people are pressuring them to do it. Demi says that the first time she went to rehab, she was forced to go because she was told that she wouldn’t be able to see her sister Madison again if Demi didn’t get rehab treatment. In the documentary, Demi notes the “full circle” irony that after she woke up from her overdose, she literally couldn’t see Madison because of Demi’s temporary blindness.

Demi’s case manager Charles Cook is the one of the few people interviewed in the movie to warn viewers that Demi’s way of handling her addiction is not going to work for everyone. He chooses his words carefully, so as not to offend her, but it’s pretty obvious that he’s conflicted in endorsing Demi’s decision to continue to drink alcohol and use marijuana. Cook and Demi both say that addiction recovery doesn’t have a “one size fits all” solution, and Demi is trying to figure out what works best for her.

The documentary includes interviews with some celebrities who know Demi and have worked with her, including recovering addict/alcoholic Elton John. He is blunt when he comments on addicts/alcoholics who think they can still use their addiction substances as part of their recovery: “Moderation doesn’t work.” However, he praises Demi by saying: “She’s human and she’s adorable and she’s brave.”

Christina Aguilera and Will Ferrell also say good things about Demi. Aguilera says, “She’s just no bullshit when it comes to her spirit and her energy and her laughter.” Lovato and Aguilera teamed up for the duet “Fall in Line,” which was on Aguilera’s 2018 album “Liberation.” The song was also released as a single.

Ferrell says he was inspired to put Demi in his 2020 Netflix comedy movie “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” after seeing her emotionally perform “Anyone” at the 2020 Grammy Awards. The Grammy show was her first high-profile performance after her overdose, and she followed it up with another critically acclaimed performance at Super Bowl LIV, where she sang a powerful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Clips of both performances are in the movie, as well as snippets of her performing on tour in 2018 and in the recording studio. Demi says that she wrote and recorded “Sober” while she was in the throes of addiction to crack and heroin. And she mentions that her song “Dancing With the Devil” is one of the rawest, soul-baring songs she’s ever written about her addiction. Braun says, “In the studio, Demi is in her happy place.”

Demi describes her brief engagement to Ehrich in 2020 as part of their whirlwind and unconventional romance. Most of their courtship happened when they moved in with her mother and stepfather to quarantine with them during the coronavirus pandemic. Demi and Ehrich dated for just six months before calling it quits. After the breakup, he went on social media and gave interviews saying that he was blindsided and treated unfairly by Demi.

In the documentary, Demi says that she and Ehrich probably wouldn’t have gotten engaged so quickly if they hadn’t quarantined together. And although she doesn’t divulge the full details of their breakup, Demi reiterates what she’s already said publicly: She says she found out that Ehrich didn’t have the right intentions in their relationship. The documentary has selfie video footage of a forlorn-looking Demi after the breakup, fretting to the camera that she won’t find anyone to love her.

Demi has this to say about her love life at the time she filmed this documentary: “I feel like I’m too queer in my life to marry a man right now.” She describes her outlook: “Life is fluid, and I’m fluid, and that’s all I know.”

In addition to dealing with her physical health problems as a result of the overdose, Demi says she has the psychological trauma of being sexually assaulted. She has this to say about the sexual violation from her drug dealer: “When they found me, I was naked, blue. I was literally left for dead after he took advantage of me. I was literally discarded and abandoned.”

“When I woke up in the hospital, they asked if I had consensual sex,” Demi says in one of her documentary interviews. “There was one flash that I had of him on top of me. I saw the flash, and I said, ‘Yes’ [in answer to the question if the sex was consensual]. It wasn’t until a month after my overdose that I realized, ‘Hey, you weren’t in any state of mind to make a consensual decision.’ That kind of trauma doesn’t go away overnight, and it doesn’t go away in the first few months of rehab either.”

Demi reveals that instead of staying away from the drug dealer that she says raped her, she actually contacted him again when she relapsed after her overdose. And she says that when they had sex again, she wanted to be the one in control. Instead, Demi says this “revenge sex” made her feel worse.

And she also says it was history repeating itself because something similar happened with the person she says raped her when she was 15: “When I was a teenager, I was in a very similar situation. I lost my virginity in rape. I called that person back a month later and tried to make it right by being in control. All it did was make me feel worse.”

In the documentary, Demi doesn’t name her alleged rapists, but the drug dealer who admitted he was the one who supplied the drugs on the night of the overdose already gave tabloid interviews after he found out that he wouldn’t be arrested for supplying her the drugs. His name is already out there in the public. And in at least one of his interviews, he claimed that Demi was his sex partner in a “friends with benefits” situation.

As for the guy whom Demi says raped her when she was 15, she drops some big hints about who he is. “I was part of that Disney crowd that publicly said they were waiting until marriage.” She says in the documentary that this virginity image was a lie for her and her alleged rapist, which obviously implies that he was part of that “Disney crowd” too.

Commenting on how she lost her virginity, Demi says: “I didn’t have the romantic first time. That was not it for me. That sucked. Then I had to see this person all the time so I stopped eating and coped in other ways.”

Then she takes a breath and says, “Fuck it. I’m gonna say it.” She says that her #MeToo moment came when she reported the rape to adults (whom she does not name in the documentary), but her alleged rapist “never got in trouble for it. They never got taken out of the movie they were in. I always kept it quiet because I’ve always had something to say. I don’t know, I’m tired of opening my mouth. Here’s the tea.”

Just like many people with #MeToo stories, Demi says she’s going public with her truth to help give other people the courage to do the same. “I’m coming forward with what happened to me because everyone it happens to should absolutely speak their voice.” She also says, “At the end of the day, I’m responsible for my life choices and only hold myself accountable. And the last two years have been about me doing the work to identify and confront those traumas, so I can be my best self and truly be happy.”

The problem with these types of “confessions of a famous addict” is that they usually have the celebrity confessing that in the past, they put on a fake front of being happy and/or sober in public, but they were really miserable and/or relapsing in private. Then they usually end the documentary by saying they’re doing much better now. But it can be hard for people to believe that, when the celebrity has already admitted that they’re skilled at pretending that their life is better than it really is.

Demi says in the “Dancing With the Devil” documentary that when she made the “Simply Complicated” documentary, she was really miserable and pretended at the time that she happy. Is there eventually going to be another “confession” from Demi where she will say that she was lying in this “Dancing With the Devil” documentary too? It’s a vicious cycle where people aren’t going to know what to believe.

Another problem that people tend to have with these celebrity “tell-alls” is they usually come out at around the same time that the celebrity has a new project to promote. And it makes people wonder how much of this pain is being used to market something that the celebrity wants to sell. Sure enough, the documentary includes studio footage and video clips to promote Demi’s seventh studio album “Dancing with the Devil … The Art of Starting Over,” which is due out on April 2, 2021, the same week as when this docuseries’ last episode is released on YouTube.

Most addicts and alcoholics don’t get to profit from selling their stories. And there’s a lot of denial going on in the documentary when Demi, who spent years telling the world that she’s an alcoholic, now says she can handle drinking alcohol in moderation. Did she not learn anything in rehab?

Although there are website addresses and hotline phone numbers listed in the documentary as resources for people who want to get more information on how to get help for addiction or surviving sexual trauma, the mixed messages that Demi gives in her “Dancing With the Devil” documentary can actually confuse people. She does briefly acknowledge that she’s luckier than most addicts, because she can afford top-notch rehab treatment and a team of people who can get her whatever she asks for because she’s paying them to do it. But that acknowledgement rings hollow because she’s basically saying, “I know I can afford to go to the highest-priced rehab centers in the world, but I’m going to indulge in my addictive substances anyway, just because I feel like it.”

However, people who are not gullible fans can see the documentary for what it is: It shows the difficulty of overcoming addiction and how celebrities are surrounded by “yes” people who will say what the celebrity wants to hear so that they can stay in the celebrity’s inner circle. If there’s any meaningful takeaway from “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” it’s that if celebrities want to tell the world their truth, they should summon the courage to have people in their lives who will tell them the truth. And when it comes to addiction to alcohol and drugs, they can start with the basic fundamentals of rehab, which is that an alcoholic/drug addict isn’t doing enough real work to get clean and sober if that alcoholic/drug addict is still drinking and drugging.

YouTube Originals will premiere “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil” on Demi Lovato’s YouTube channel on March 23, 2021.

2021 Grammy Awards: Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé among the top winners

March 14, 2021

by Carla Hay

Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé were among the top winners at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, which were presented in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. The show was originally scheduled to take place at the Staples Center, but due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, performances were held inside an unnamed alternate building, while the awards were given at an outside location directly across from the Staples Center. Trevor Noah hosted the show, which was televised in the U.S. on CBS and Paramount+.

Swift won Album of the Year for “Folklore,” and she became the first artist in Grammy history to win three Grammys for Album of the Year. It was the only award that she won at the 2021 Grammy ceremony. Swift previously won Grammys for Album of the Year for 2008’s “Fearless” and 2014’s “1989.”

Eilish received two prizes at the 2021 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year (for “Everything I Wanted”) and Best Song Written for Visual Media (for “No Time to Die”). These wins came a year after Eilish swept all four of the General Field categories (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist) at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

Beyoncé had the most nominations (nine) at the 2021 Grammy Awards. She ended up winning four: “Black Parade” won for Best R&B Performance; “Brown Skin Girl” won for Best Music Video/Film (an award she shares with her daughter Blue Ivy and rapper WizKid); and as a featured artist and co-writer on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” Beyoncé won for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Beyoncé’s Grammy haul brought her total to 28 Grammys in her career so far. Beyoncé now holds the record as the female artist with the most Grammys, breaking the previous record held by Alison Krauss, who has 27 Grammys.

Other winners in major categories included H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” (Song of the Year); Megan Thee Stallion (Best New Artist); Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” (Best Pop Vocal Album); Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” (Best Pop Vocal Performance); and Lady Gaga With Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me” (Best Pop/Duo Vocal Performance).

The performers at the 2021 Grammy Awards included Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Bruno Mars, Roddy Ricch, Styles and Swift.

The Grammy nominations and awards are voted for by the Recording Academy. The 2021 Grammy Awards ceremony was produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston was executive producer, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor were co-executive producers; and Fatima Robinson, Josie Cliff and David Wild were producers, Patrick Menton was talent producer, and Hamish Hamilton was director.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards:

*=winner

General Field

Record of the Year

“Black Parade” — Beyoncé — Beyoncé & Derek Dixie, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

“Colors” — Black Pumas — Adrian Quesada, producer; Adrian Quesada, engineer/mixer; JJ Golden, mastering engineer

“Rockstar” —DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch — SethinTheKitchen, producer; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, Chris Dennis & Liz Robson, engineers/mixers; Susan Tabor, mastering engineer

“Say So” — Doja Cat — Tyson Trax, producer; Clint Gibbs, engineer/mixer; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish — Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer*

“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa — Caroline Ailin & Ian Kirkpatrick, producers; Josh Gudwin, Drew Jurecka & Ian Kirkpatrick, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer

“Circles” — Post Malone — Louis Bell, Frank Dukes & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé — Beyoncé & J. White Did It, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

Album of the Year

“Chilombo” — Jhené Aiko — Fisticuffs & Julian-Quán Việt Lê, producers; Fisticuffs, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Zeke Mishanec, Christian Plata & Gregg Rominiecki, engineers/mixers; Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Maclean Robinson & Brian Keith Warfield, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

“Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition)” — Black Pumas — Jon Kaplan & Adrian Quesada, producers; Adrian Quesada, Jacob Sciba, Stuart Sikes & Erik Wofford, engineers/mixers; Eric Burton & Adrian Quesada, songwriters; JJ Golden, mastering engineer

“Everyday Life” — Coldplay — Daniel Green, Bill Rahko & Rik Simpson, producers; Mark “Spike” Stent, engineer/mixer; Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer

“Djesse Vol.3” — Jacob Collier — Jacob Collier, producer; Ben Bloomberg & Jacob Collier, engineers/mixers; Jacob Collier, songwriter; Chris Allgood & Emily Lazar, mastering engineers

“Women in Music Pt. III” — HAIM — Rostam Batmanglij, Danielle Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, producers; Rostam Batmanglij, Jasmine Chen, John DeBold, Matt DiMona, Tom Elmhirst, Joey Messina-Doerning & Ariel Rechtshaid, engineers/mixers; Rostam Batmanglij, Alana Haim, Danielle Haim, Este Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer

“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa — Koz, producer; Josh Gudwin & Cameron Gower Poole, engineers/mixers; Clarence Coffee Jr. & Dua Lipa, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer

“Hollywood’s Bleeding” — Post Malone — Louis Bell & Frank Dukes, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

“Folklore” — Taylor Swift — Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer*

Song of the Year

“Black Parade” — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)

“The Box” — Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)

“Cardigan” — Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Circles Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)

“Don’t Start Now” — Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)

“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

“I Can’t Breathe” — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)*

“If the World Was Ending” — Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels)

Best New Artist

Ingrid Andress

Phoebe Bridgers

Chika

Noah Cyrus

D Smoke

Doja Cat

Kaytranada

Megan Thee Stallion*

Field 1 – Pop

Best Pop Solo Performance

“Yummy” — Justin Bieber

“Say So” — Doja Cat

“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish

“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa

“Watermelon Sugar” — Harry Styles*

“Cardigan” — Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Un Dia (One Day)” J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy

“Intentions” — Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo

“Dynamite” — BTS

“Rain on Me” — Lady Gaga With Ariana Grande*

“Exile” — Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

“Blue Umbrella” — Burt Bacharach & Daniel Tashian

“True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter” — Harry Connick, Jr.

“American Standard” — James Taylor*

“Unfollow the Rules” — Rufus Wainwright

“Judy” — Renée Zellweger

Best Pop Vocal Album

“Changes” — Justin Bieber

“Chromatica” — Lady Gaga

“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa*

“Fine Line” — Harry Styles

“Folklore” — Taylor Swift

Field 2 – Dance/Electronic Music

Best Dance Recording

“On My Mind” — Diplo & Sidepiece

“My High” — Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai

“The Difference” — Flume Featuring Toro Y Moi

“Both of Us” — Jayda G

“10%” — Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis*

Best Dance/Electronic Album

“Kick” — I Arca

“Planet’s Mad” — Baauer

“Energy” — Disclosure

“Bubba” — Kaytranada*

“Good Faith” — Madeon

Field 3 – Contemporary Instrumental Music

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

“Axiom” — Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah

“Chronology of a Dream: Live At The Village Vanguard” — Jon Batiste

“Take the Stairs” — Black Violin

“Americana Grégoire” — Maret, Romain Collin & Bill Frisell

“Live at the Royal Albert Hall” — Snarky Puppy*

Field 4 – Rock

Best Rock Performance

“Shameika” — Fiona Apple*

“Not” — Big Thief

“Kyoto” — Phoebe Bridgers

“The Steps” — HAIM

“Stay High” — Brittany Howard

“Daylight” — Grace Potter

Best Metal Performance

“Bum-Rush” — Body Count*

“Underneath” — Code Orange

“The In-Between” — In This Moment

“Bloodmoney” — Poppy

“Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe) – Live” — Power Trip

Best Rock Album

“A Hero’s Death” — Fontaines D.C.

“Kiwanuka” — Michael Kiwanuka

“Daylight” — Grace Potter

“Sound & Fury” — Sturgill Simpson

“The New Abnormal” — The Strokes*

Best Rock Song

“Kyoto” — Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler & Marshall Vore, Songwriters (Phoebe Bridgers)

“Lost in Yesterday” — Kevin Parker, Songwriter (Tame Impala)

“Not” — Adrianne Lenker, Songwriter (Big Thief)

“Shameika” — Fiona Apple, Songwriter (Fiona Apple)

“Stay High” — Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)*

Field 5 – Alternative

Best Alternative Music Album

“Fetch the Bolt Cutters” — Fiona Apple*

“Hyperspace” — Beck

“Punisher” — Phoebe Bridgers

“Jaime” — Brittany Howard

“The Slow Rush” — Tame Impala

Field 6 – R&B

Best R&B Performance

“Lightning & Thunder” — Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend

“Black Parade” — Beyoncé*

“All I Need” — Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $Ign

“Goat Head” — Brittany Howard

“See Me” — Emily King

Best Traditional R&B Performance

“Sit On Down” — The Baylor Project Featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor

“Wonder What She Thinks of Me” — Chloe X Halle

“Let Me Go” — Mykal Kilgore

“Anything For You” — Ledisi*

“Distance” — Yebba

Best Progressive R&B Album

“Chilombo” — Jhené Aiko

“Ungodly Hour” — Chloe X Halle

“Free Nationals” — Free Nationals

“F*** Yo Feelings” — Robert Glasper

“It Is What It Is” — Thundercat*

Best R&B Song

“Better Than I Imagine” — Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)*

“Black Parade” — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)

“Collide” — Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi, songwriters (Tiana Major9 & Earthgang)

“Do It” — Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende, songwriters (Chloe X Halle)

“Slow Down” — Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Skip Marley & H.E.R.)

Best R&B Album

“Happy 2 Be Here” — Ant Clemons

“Take Time” — Giveon

“Bigger Love” — John Legend*

“To Feel Love/D” — Luke James

“All Rise” — Gregory Porter

Field 7 – Rap

Best Rap Performance

“Deep Reverence” — Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle

“Bop” — Dababy

“What’s Poppin” — Jack Harlow

“The Bigger Picture” — Lil Baby

“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé*

“Dior” — Pop Smoke

Best Melodic Rap Performance

“Rockstar” — Dababy Featuring Roddy Ricch

“Laugh Now, Cry Later” — Drake Featuring Lil Durk

“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak*

“The Box” — Roddy Ricch

“Highest in the Room” — Travis Scott

Best Rap Album

“Black Habits” — D Smoke

“Alfredo” — Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

“A Written Testimony” — Jay Electronica

“King’s Disease” — Nas*

“The Allegory Royce” — Da 5’9″

Best Rap Song

“The Bigger Picture” — Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams, Songwriters (Lil Baby)

“The Box” — Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, Songwriters (Roddy Ricch)

“Laugh Now, Cry Later” — Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron Latour & Ryan Martinez, Songwriters (Drake Featuring Lil Durk)

“Rockstar” — Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro Iv & Rodrick Moore, Songwriters (Dababy Featuring Roddy Ricch)

“Savage” — Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)*

Field 8 – Country

Best Country Solo Performance

“Stick That In Your Country Song” — Eric Church

“Who You Thought I Was” — Brandy Clark

“When My Amy Prays” — Vince Gill*

“Black Like Me” — Mickey Guyton

“Bluebird” — Miranda Lambert

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“All Night” — Brothers Osborne

“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber*

“Ocean” — Lady A

“Sugar Coat” — Little Big Town

“Some People Do” — Old Dominion

Best Country Album

“Lady Like” — Ingrid Andress

“Your Life Is a Record” — Brandy Clark

“Wildcard” — Miranda Lambert*

“Nightfall” — Little Big Town

“Never Will” — Ashley McBryde

Best Country Song

“Bluebird” — Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, Songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

“The Bones” — Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, Songwriters (Maren Morris)

“Crowded Table” — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, Songwriters (The Highwomen)*

“More Hearts Than Mine” — Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, Songwriters (Ingrid Andress)

“Some People Do” — Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)

Field 9 – New Age

Best New Age Album

“Songs From the Bardo” — Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal & Jesse Paris Smith

“Periphery” — Priya Darshini

“Form//Less” — Superposition

“More Guitar Stories” — Jim “Kimo” West*

“Meditations” — Cory Wong & Jon Batiste

Field 10 – Jazz

Best Jazz Vocal Album

“Ona” — Thana Alexa

“Secrets Are the Best Stories” — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez*

“Modern Ancestors” — Carmen Lundy

“Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper” — Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band

“What’s the Hurry” — Kenny Washington

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

“Guinevere” — Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, Soloist Track From: Axiom

“Pachamama” — Regina Carter, Soloist Track From: Ona (Thana Alexa)

Celia Gerald Clayton, Soloist

“All Blues” — Chick Corea, Soloist Track From: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian Mcbride & Brian Blade)*

“Moe Honk” — Joshua Redman, soloist Track from: RoundAgain (Redman Mehldau McBride Blade)

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

“On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment” — Ambrose Akinmusire

“Waiting Game” — Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science

“Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard” — Gerald Clayton

“Trilogy 2” — Chick Corea, Christian Mcbride & Brian Blade*

“Roundagain” — Redman Mehldau McBride Blade

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

“Dialogues on Race” — Gregg August

“Monk’estra Plays John Beasley” — John Beasley

“The Intangible Between” — Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band

“Songs You Like a Lot” — John Hollenbeck with Theo Bleckmann, Kate Mcgarry, Gary Versace and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band

“Data Lords” — Maria Schneider Orchestra*

Best Latin Jazz Album

“Tradiciones” — Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra*

“Four Questions” — Arturo O’farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

“City of Dreams” — Chico Pinheiro

“Viento y Tiempo – Live at Blue Note Tokyo” — Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola

“Trane’s Delight” — Poncho Sanchez

Field 11 – Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music

Best Gospel Performance/Song

“Wonderful Is Your Name” — Melvin Crispell III

“Release (Live)” — Ricky Dillard Featuring Tiff Joy; David Frazier, songwriter “Come Together” — Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins Presents: The Good News; Lashawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Lecrae Moore & Jazz Nixon, songwriters

“Won’t Let Go” — Travis Greene; Travis Greene, songwriter

“Movin’ On” — Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters*

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

“The Blessing (Live)” — Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship; Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters

“Sunday Morning” — Lecrae Featuring Kirk Franklin; Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, songwriters “Holy Water” — We The Kingdom; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters

“Famous For (I Believe)” — Tauren Wells Featuring Jenn Johnson; Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters

“There Was Jesus” — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters*

Best Gospel Album

“2econd Wind: Ready” — Anthony Brown & Group Therapy

“My Tribute” — Myron Butler

“Choirmaster” — Ricky Dillard

“Gospel According to PJ” — PJ Morton*

“Kierra” — Kierra Sheard

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

“Run to the Father” — Cody Carnes

All of My Best Friends” — Hillsong Young & Free

“Holy Water” — We the Kingdom

“Citizen of Heaven” — Tauren Wells

“Jesus Is King” — Kanye West*

Best Roots Gospel Album

“Beautiful Day” — Mark Bishop

“20/20” — The Crabb Family

“What Christmas Really Means” — The Erwins

“Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album)” — Fisk Jubilee Singers*

“Something Beautiful” — Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Field 12 – Latin

Best Latin Pop or Urban Album

“YHLQMDLG” — Bad Bunny*

“Por Primera Vez” — Camilo

“Mesa Para Dos” — Kany García

“Pausa” — Ricky Martin

“3:33” — Debi Nova

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

“Aura” — Bajofondo

“Monstruo” — Cami

“Sobrevolando” — Cultura Profética

“La Conquista Del Espacio” — Fito Paez*

“Miss Colombia” — Lido Pimienta

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

“Hecho En México” — Alejandro Fernández

“La Serenata” — Lupita Infante

“Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1” — Natalia Lafourcade*

“Bailando Sones Y Huapangos Con Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez” — Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez

“Ayayay!” — Christian Nodal

Best Tropical Latin Album

“Mi Tumbao” — José Alberto “El Ruiseñor”

“Infinito” — Edwin Bonilla

“Sigo Cantando Al Amor (Deluxe)” — Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis

“40” — Grupo Niche*

“Memorias De Navidad” — Víctor Manuelle

Field 13 – American Roots Music

Best American Roots Performance

“Colors” — Black Pumas

“Deep in Love” — Bonny Light Horseman

“Short and Sweet” — Brittany Howard

“I’ll Be Gone” — Norah Jones & Mavis Staples

“I Remember Everything” — John Prine*

Best American Roots Song

“Cabin” — Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)

“Ceiling to the Floor” — Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)

“Hometown” — Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)

“I Remember Everything” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)*

“Man Without a Soul” — Tom Overby & Lucinda Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)

Best Americana Album

“Old Flowers” — Courtney Marie Andrews

“Terms of Surrender” — Hiss Golden Messenger

“World on the Ground” — Sarah Jarosz*

“El Dorado” — Marcus King

“Good Souls Better Angels” — Lucinda Williams

Best Bluegrass Album

“Man on Fire” — Danny Barnes

“To Live in Two Worlds, Vol. 1” — Thomm Jutz

“North Carolina Songbook” — Steep Canyon Rangers

“Home” — Billy Strings*

“The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1” (Various Artists)

Best Traditional Blues Album

“All My Dues Are Paid” — Frank Bey

“You Make Me Feel” — Don Bryant

“That’s What I Heard” — Robert Cray Band

“Cypress Grove” — Jimmy “Duck” Holmes

“Rawer Than Raw” — Bobby Rush*

Best Contemporary Blues Album 

“Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?” — Fantastic Negrito*

“Live at the Paramount” — Ruthie Foster Big Band

“The Juice” — G. Love

“Blackbirds” — Bettye Lavette

“Up and Rolling” — North Mississippi Allstars

Best Folk Album

“Bonny Light Horseman” — Bonny Light Horseman

“Thanks for the Dance” — Leonard Cohen

“Song for Our Daughter” — Laura Marling

“Saturn Return” — The Secret Sisters

“All the Good Times” — Gillian Welch & David Rawlings*

Best Regional Roots Music Album

“My Relatives” — “Nikso Kowaiks” Black Lodge Singers

“Cameron Dupuy and the Cajun Troubadours” — Cameron Dupuy And The Cajun Troubadours

“Lovely Sunrise” — Nā Wai ʽehā

“Atmosphere” — New Orleans Nightcrawlers*

“A Tribute to Al Berard” — Sweet Cecilia

Field 14 – Reggae

Best Reggae Album

“Upside Down 2020” — Buju Banton

“Higher Place” — Skip Marley

“It All Comes Back to Love” — Maxi Priest

“Got to Be Tough” — Toots & the Maytals*

“One World” — The Wailers

Field 15 – Global Music

Best Global Music Album

“Fu Chronicles” — Antibalas

“Twice As Tall” — Burna Boy*

“Agora” — Bebel Gilberto

“Love Letters” — Anoushka Shankar

“Amadjar” — Tinariwen

Field 16 – Children’s

Best Children’s Music Album

“All the Ladies” — Joanie Leeds*

“Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders” — Alastair Moock And Friends

“I’m an Optimist” — Dog On Fleas

“Songs for Singin’” — The Okee Dokee Brothers

“Wild Life” — Justin Roberts

Field 17 – Spoken Word

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

“Acid for the Children: A Memoir” — Flea

“Alex Trebek – The Answer Is…” — Ken Jennings

“Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth” — Rachel Maddow*

“Catch and Kill” — Ronan Farrow

“Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)” — Meryl Streep (& Full cast)

Field 18 – Comedy

Best Comedy Album

“Black Mitzvah” — Tiffany Haddish*

“I Love Everything” — Patton Oswalt

“The Pale Tourist” — Jim Gaffigan

“Paper Tiger” — Bill Burr

“23 Hours to Kill” — Jerry Seinfeld

Field 19 – Musical Theater

Best Musical Theater Album

“Amélie” — Audrey Brisson, Chris Jared, Caolan McCarthy & Jez Unwin, principal soloists; Michael Fentiman, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Barnaby Race & Nathan Tysen, producers; Nathan Tysen, lyricist; Daniel Messe, composer & lyricist (Original London Cast)

“American Utopia on Broadway” — David Byrne, principal soloist; David Byrne, producer (David Byrne, composer & lyricist) (Original Cast)

“Jagged Little Pill” — Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard & Alanis Morissette, lyricists) (Original Broadway Cast)*

“Little Shop of Horrors” — Tammy Blanchard, Jonathan Groff & Tom Alan Robbins, principal soloists; Will Van Dyke, Michael Mayer, Alan Menken & Frank Wolf, producers (Alan Menken, composer; Howard Ashman, lyricist) (The New Off-Broadway Cast)

“The Prince of Egypt” — Christine Allado, Luke Brady, Alexia Khadime & Liam Tamne, principal soloists; Dominick Amendum & Stephen Schwartz, producers; Stephen Schwartz, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

“Soft Power” — Francis Jue, Austin Ku, Alyse Alan Louis & Conrad Ricamora, principal soloists; Matt Stine, producer; David Henry Hwang, lyricist; Jeanine Tesori, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

Field 20 – Music for Visual Media

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (Various Artists)

“Bill & Ted Face the Music” (Various Artists)

“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga” (Various Artists)

“Frozen 2” (Various Artists)

“Jojo Rabbit” (Various Artists)*

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

“Ad Astra” — Max Richter, composer

“Becoming” — Kamasi Washington, composer

“Joker” — Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer*

“1917” — Thomas Newman, composer

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — John Williams, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media Category

“Beautiful Ghosts” (from “Cats”) — Andrew Lloyd Webber & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

“Carried Me With You” (from “Onward”) — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)

“Into the Unknown” (from “Frozen 2”) — Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel & Aurora)

“No Time to Die” (from “No Time to Die”) — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)*

“Stand Up” (from “Harriet”) — Joshuah Brian Campbell & Cynthia Erivo, songwriters (Cynthia Erivo)

Field 21 – Composing/Arranging

Best Instrumental Composition

“Baby Jack” — Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra)

“Be Water II” — Christian Sands, composer (Christian Sands)

“Plumfield” — Alexandre Desplat, composer (Alexandre Desplat)

“Sputnik” — Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)*

“Strata” — Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows Featuring Anna Webber & Eric Miller)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

“Bathroom Dance” — Hildur Guðnadóttir, arranger (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

“Donna Lee” — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)*

“Honeymooners” — Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows)

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” — Alvin Chea & Jarrett Johnson, Arrangers (Jarrett Johnson Featuring Alvin Chea)

“Uranus: The Magician” — Jeremy Levy, arranger (Jeremy Levy Jazz Orchestra)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

“Asas Fechadas” — John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Orkest Metropole)

“Desert Song” — Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Säje)

“From This Place” — Alan Broadbent & Pat Metheny, arrangers (Pat Metheny Featuring Meshell Ndegeocello)

“He Won’t Hold You” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody)*

“Slow Burn” — Talia Billig, Nic Hard & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens Featuring Jacob Collier, Mark Lettieri, Justin Stanton, Jordan Perlson, Nic Hard, Keita Ogawa, Marcelo Woloski & Nate Werth)

Field 22 – Package

Best Recording Package

“Everyday Life” — Pilar Zeta, art director (Coldplay)

“Funeral” — Kyle Goen, art director (Lil Wayne)

“Healer” — Julian Gross & Hannah Hooper, art directors (Grouplove)

“On Circles” — Jordan Butcher, art director (Caspian)

“Vols. 11 & 12” — Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)*

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

“Flaming Pie (Collector’s Edition)” — Linn Wie Andersen, Simon Earith, Paul McCartney & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)

“Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991” — Lisa Glines & Doran Tyson, art directors (Grateful Dead)

“Mode” — Jeff Schulz, art director (Depeche Mode)

“Ode to Joy” — Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)*

“The Story of Ghostly International” — Michael Cina & Molly Smith, art directors (Various Artists)

Field 23 – Notes

Best Album Notes

“At the Minstrel Show: Minstrel Routines From the Studio, 1894-1926” — Tim Brooks, album notes writer (Various Artists)

“The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital of the West, 1940-1974” — Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists)

“Dead Man’s Pop” — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)*

“The Missing Link: How Gus Haenschen Got Us From Joplin to Jazz and Shaped the Music Business” — Colin Hancock, album notes writer (Various Artists)

“Out of a Clear Blue Sky” — David Sager, album notes writer (Nat Brusiloff)

Field 24 – Historical

Best Historical Album

“Celebrated, 1895-1896” — Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Unique Quartette)

“Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936 – 1943)” — Zev Feldman, Will Friedwald & George Klabin, compilation producers; Matthew Lutthans, mastering engineer (Nat King Cole)

“It’s Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers” — Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)*

“1999 Super Deluxe Edition” — Michael Howe, compilation producer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)

“Souvenir” — Carolyn Agger, compilation producer; Miles Showell, mastering engineer (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)

“Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions” — Béla Fleck, compilation producer; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer (Béla Fleck)

Field 25 – Production, Non-Classical

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

“Black Hole Rainbow” — Shawn Everett & Ivan Wayman, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Devon Gilfillian)

“Expectations” — Gary Paczosa & Mike Robinson, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Katie Pruitt)

“Hyperspace” — Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua & Mike Larson, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)*

“Jaime” — Shawn Everett, engineer; Shawn Everett, mastering engineer (Brittany Howard)

“25 Trips” — Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Adam Grover, mastering engineer (Sierra Hull)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Jack Antonoff — “August” (Taylor Swift), “Gaslighter” (The Chicks), “Holy Terrain” (FKA Twigs Featuring Future), “Mirrorball” (Taylor Swift), “This Is Me Trying” (Taylor Swift), “Together” (Sia)

Dan Auerbach — “Cypress Grove” (Jimmy “Duck” Holmes), “El Dorado” (Marcus King), “Is Thomas Callaway” (CeeLo Green), “Singing For My Supper” (Early James), “Solid Gold Sounds” (Kendell Marvel), “Years” (John Anderson)

Dave Cobb — “Backbone” (Kaleo), “The Balladeer” (Lori McKenna), “Boneshaker” (Airbourne), “Down Home Christmas” (Oak Ridge Boys), “The Highwomen” (The Highwomen), “I Remember Everything” (John Prine), “Reunions” (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit), “The Spark” (William Prince), “You’re Still The One” (Teddy Swims)

Flying Lotus — “It Is What It Is” (Thundercat)

Andrew Watt — “Break My Heart” (Dua Lipa), “Me And My Guitar” (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie), “Midnight Sky” (Miley Cyrus), “Old Me” (5 Seconds Of Summer), “Ordinary Man” (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John), “Take What You Want” (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott), “Under The Graveyard” (Ozzy Osbourne)*

Best Remixed Recording

“Do You Ever (Rac Mix)” — Rac, Remixer (Phil Good)

“Imaginary Friends (Morgan Page Remix)” — Morgan Page, Remixer (Deadmau5)

“Praying for You (Louie Vega Main Remix)” — Louie Vega, Remixer (Jasper Street Co.)

“Roses (Imanbek Remix)” — Imanbek Zeikenov, Remixer (Saint Jhn)*

“Young & Alive (Bazzi Vs. Haywyre Remix)” — Haywyre, remixer (Bazzi)

Field 26 – Production, Immersive Audio

Best Immersive Audio Album

N/A: Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft “Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members.”

Field 27 – Production, Classical

Best Engineered Album, Classical

“Danielpour: The Passion Of Yeshua” — Bernd Gottinger, engineer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)

“Gershwin: Porgy And Bess” — David Frost & John Kerswell, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)

“Hynes: Fields” — Kyle Pyke, engineer; Jesse Lewis & Kyle Pyke, mastering engineers (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)

“Ives: Complete Symphonies” — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

“Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’” — David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)*

Producer of the Year, Classical

Blanton Alspaugh

David Frost*

Jesse Lewis

Dmitriy Lipay

Elaine Martone

Field 28 – Classical

Best Orchestral Performance

“Aspects of America – Pulitzer Edition” Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)

“Concurrence” — Daníel Bjarnason, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)

“Copland: Symphony No. 3” — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

“Ives: Complete Symphonies” — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)*

“Lutosławski: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3” — Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording

“Dello Joio: The Trial at Rouen” — Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)

“Floyd, C.: Prince of Players” — William Boggs, conductor; Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)

“Gershwin: Porgy and Bess” — David Robertson, conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)*

“Handel: Agrippina” — Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Joyce DiDonato; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D’Oro)

“Zemlinsky: Der Zwerg” — Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)

Best Choral Performance

“Carthage” — Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)

“Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua” — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)

“Kastalsky: Requiem” — Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke’s; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)

“Moravec: Sanctuary Road” — Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)

“Once Upon a Time” — Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

“Contemporary Voices” — Pacifica Quartet*

“Healing Modes” — Brooklyn Rider

“Hearne, T.: Place” — Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra

“Hynes: Fields” — Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion

“The Schumann Quartets” — Dover Quartet

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

“Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” — Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

“Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas” — Igor Levit

“Bohemian Tales” — Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)

“Destination Rachmaninov – Arrival” Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

“Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra” — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)*

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

“American Composers at Play” — William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)

“Clairières – Songs by Lili & Nadia Boulanger” — Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist

“Farinelli” — Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)  “A Lad’s Love” — Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)

“Smyth: The Prison” — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)*

Best Classical Compendium

“Adès Conducts Adès” — Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer

“Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map; Neiges; Vers Toi Qui Es Si Loin” — Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer

“Serebrier: Symphonic Bach Variations; Laments And Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto” — José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer

“Thomas, M.T.: From The Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke” — Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer*

“Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood” — Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

“Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” — Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)

“Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua” — Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)

“Floyd, C.: Prince of Players” — Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)

“Hearne, T.: Place” — Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)

“Rouse: Symphony No. 5” — Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)*

Field 29 – Music Video/Film

Best Music Video

“Brown Skin Girl” — Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & WizKid — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, Video Directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, Video Producers*

“Life Is Good” — Future Featuring Drake — Julien Christian Lutz, Video Director; Harv Glazer, Video Producer

“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak — Dave Meyers, Video Director; Nathan Scherrer, Video Producer

“Adore You” — Harry Styles — Dave Meyers, Video Director; Nathan Scherrer, Video Producer

“Goliath” — Woodkid — Yoann Lemoine, video director

Best Music Film

“Beastie Boys Story” — Beastie Boys — Spike Jonze, video director; Amanda Adelson, Jason Baum & Spike Jonze, video producers

“Black Is King” — Beyoncé

“We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” — Freestyle Love Supreme — Andrew Fried, Video Director; Andrew Fried, Jill Furman, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarina Roma, Jenny Steingart & Jon Steingart, video producers

“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” — Linda Ronstadt — Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers*

“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” — ZZ Top — Sam Dunn, video director; Scot McFadyen, video producer

2021 Grammy Awards: performers announced

March 7, 2021

The following is a press release from CBS and the Recording Academy:

CBS and the Recording Academy(R) announced the full lineup of performers for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Hosted by Trevor Noah, CBS presents the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards live, Sunday, March 14, (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/5:00-8:00 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The performers include Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. Artists will come together, while still safely apart, to play music for each other as a community and celebrate the music that unites us.

Additionally, Music’s Biggest Night will pay tribute to independent venues, that have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. From bartenders to box office managers, the people who work day-to-day at the Troubadour (Los Angeles), Hotel Café (Los Angeles), the Apollo Theater (New York City) and The Station Inn (Nashville) will present awards for various categories throughout the night.

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston is executive producer, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor are co-executive producers, Fatima Robinson, Josie Cliff and David Wild are producers, Patrick Menton is talent producer, and Hamish Hamilton is director.

About the Recording Academy

The Recording Academy(R) represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music’s history while investing in its future through the Grammy Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares, and celebrates artistic excellence through the Grammy Awards — music’s only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world’s leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.