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2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame: Missy Elliott, Cat Stevens, Dallas Austin, John Prine among inductees

June 12, 2019

Songwriters Hall of Fame

The following is a press release from the Songwriters Hall of Fame:

Musical titans Dallas Austin, Missy Elliott, Tom T. Hall, John Prine, Jack Tempchin & Yusuf / Cat Stevens will become the latest inductees of the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization’s 50th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner. These legendary songwriters wrote mega-hits such as, “The Boy Is Mine”, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” “Angel From Montgomery,” “Ballad of Forty Dollars,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Moonshadow.” The star-studded induction event is slated for Thursday, June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.

SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers said, “The first thing you need to know is it’s about the song, the second thing you need to know is it’s about the song, the third thing you need to know is it’s about the song. That’s true now more than ever but It has always been about the song so I’m very proud that in my first year as Chairman of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame that we are recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time. The 2019 slate of inductees represents diversity and unity across genres and gender, highlighting our dedicated mission to honor music creators who have enriched our lives. These are writers who in their time literally transformed music and helped make what’s happening today possible”.

Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) serves as a vital bridge between music’s past and future.  In the Hall, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organization’s outreach to the music community grooms the next generation of troubadours. To qualify for induction, a songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Dallas Austin

Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin (Photo by Mr. Watson)

Since the late 80s, Dallas Austin has written over 50 hit singles which have debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 list with 17 songs spending numerous weeks in the Top 10 list.  From the 80’s to present, he has written multiple  Billboard  number one hits, including “The Boy is Mine” from Brandy and Monica, and TLC’s “Creep.” Additionally, Austin’s work with TLC garnered such songs as “Ain’t too Proud to Beg,” “Hat 2 da Back,” and “Unpretty” which appeared on the group’s critically acclaimed “Fanmail” album and resulted in a Grammy for “Best R&B Album” at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1999.

Another Bad Creation’s “Playground,” “lesha,” Boys II Men’s “Motownphilly,” Monica “Don’t Take it Personal,” Pink “Just Like a Pill” and TLC  “What about Your Friends” are key projects whose inaugural albums or initial hit singles were written and produced by Austin. They exemplify his role as an innovator, creator and developer of what we know as Pop and R&B music today and have broadened his own vision for the future.

Not many other artists can claim to write songs for the variety of talent or music genre that Austin has experienced. He has had the joy of working and writing songs with the legendary “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, the P-Funk man himself George Clinton, the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson and one of the biggest selling female artists in history, Madonna “Secret”. He has also written with Santana, After 7, Erick Sermon, Johnny Gill, Bjork, Brand New Heavies, Fishbone, Grace Jones, Tricky, Usher, Shakira, Janet Jackson, Macy Gray, Gwen Stefani, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie and Natalie Cole.

Missy Elliott 

Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott (Photo by Derek Blanks)

One of the most significant female artists in contemporary music history, Missy Elliott is a groundbreaking solo superstar, pioneering songwriter-producer, and across-the-board cultural icon. The five-time GRAMMY® Award winner – with nominations spanning three decades – has attained unprecedented success, including U.S. sales in excess of 30 million. Missy’s six studio albums have each been RIAA platinum certified or better, marking her as the only female rapper to achieve that remarkable accomplishment.

Born in Portsmouth, VA, Missy first made waves for her inventive songwriting and production work, becoming a certified hitmaker.  Elliott’s milestone solo debut, 1997’s RIAA platinum certified Supa Dupa Fly proved to be a landmark debut. Immediately acclaimed upon release as a boundary-shattering masterpiece, Supa Dupa Fly spawned a string of blockbuster Missy penned hit singles, including “Sock It 2 Me,” “Hit Em Wit Da Hee,” “Beep Me 911,” and of course groundbreaking “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” Da Real World followed in 1999, showcasing the record-breaking #1 hit, “Hot Boyz (Remix) (Feat. Lil’ Mo, Nas, Eve & Q-Tip).”

2001’s Miss E…So Addictive was yet another platinum certified milestone, a worldwide sensation that established Elliott as hip-hop’s preeminent female artist. With its six note undeniable hook, the album’s “Get Ur Freak On” redefined contemporary pop and hip hop, earning Missy her first-ever Grammy Award (for “Best Rap Performance”).” Her album Under Construction debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 upon its 2002 release and has since been certified 2x platinum for 2.5 million sales in the U.S. alone. The iconic song “Work It,” the album’s lead single made history by spending an incredible 10 weeks at #2 on Billboard’s “Hot 100.”  Missy’s sixth studio album, 2005’s The Cookbook featured the Grammy-nominated “We Run This” and the chartbusting and beloved anthem “Lose Control (featuring Ciara & Fatman Scoop).”

Missy’s massive accomplishments extended far beyond her own solo works, including innumerable guest appearances on singles and remixes by a truly diverse span of musical artists. As one of modern pop’s definitive songwriters and producers, Elliott’s star-studded list of songwriting credits continues to grow, including collaborations with Beyoncé (“Signs”), Whitney Houston (“In My Business”), Ciara (“One Two Step”), Monica (“So Gone”), Destiny’s Child (“Confessions”),  SWV (“Can We”), Fantasia (“Free Yourself” and “Bump What Your Friends Say”),  Mary J Blige (“I Never Been”), Aaliyah (“One In A Million,” “If Only Your Girl Knew,” and “Hot Like Fire”), Tweet (“Call Me”), Jennifer Hudson (“I’m His Only Woman”),  Nicole Wray (“Make It Hot”), Mya (“My Love Is Like Whoa”), Total (“What About Us” and “Trippin”), and 702 (“Where My Girls At?” and “Stello”) among others.

Recent years have seen a series of surprise event appearances like her unforgettable performance at 2015’s Super Bowl XLIX. In 2016, Elliott united with former First Lady Michelle Obama for “This Is For My Girls,” an all-star anthem to female empowerment.

 

John Prine

John Prine (Photo by Danny Clinch)

Two-time Grammy-winner John Prine is among the English language’s premier phrase-turners. Almost 50 years into a remarkable career, Prine has drawn effusive praise from the likes of Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and more. With music relevant to any age, Prine’s iconic songs like “Sam Stone,” “Angel From Montgomery,” “Paradise,” “Hello In There,” “Illegal Smile,” “That’s The Way The World Goes ‘Round,” “Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness,” “In Spite of Ourselves,” “I Just Want To Dance With You,” and many more have established him as a legendary singer, songwriter and performer.

He is a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member, a PEN New England Lyrics Award recipient, and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee. His work has been recognized as part of the Recording Academy’s Grammy Hall of Fame and his songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band and many others.

Prine’s first album featuring new material in 13 years, The Tree Of Forgiveness, was released last year to overwhelming acclaim garnering three nominations at this year’s 61st Grammy Awards including Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song (for the album track “Summer’s End”). In addition, his inaugural music festival, All The Best, will take place Nov 11-15 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Tom T. Hall

Tom T. Hall (Photo by Rebecca Lawrence)

Born May 25, 1936 in Olive Hill, KY, Tom T. Hall wrote music that elevated and enriched American culture, giving voice to the experiential intricacies of common people and exemplifying compassionate honesty.

“He’s a master of deceptive simplicity,” said new-century troubadour Jason Isbell. “The American songbook would be greatly lacking without his contributions.”

President Jimmy Carter said Country Music Hall of Fame member Hall, known as “The Storyteller,” was “As well qualified as anyone I know to tell the history of our country and love and hate and achievement and disappointment and happiness and tears among the people who have made our country, and who still exemplify its finest merits.”

Johnny Cash wrote to Hall, “You are my all-time favorite songwriter.”

Hall recorded 33 Top 20 country hits, including masterworks “Ballad of Forty Dollars,” “A Week in a Country Jail,” “The Year Clayton Delaney Died,” “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine,” and “I Love.” He also penned the Jeannie C. Riley smash “Harper Valley, P.T.A.,” the Alan Jackson chart-topper “Little Bitty,” and “That’s How I Got To Memphis,” recorded by greats including Bobby Bare, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Bill Haley, and Buddy Miller.

His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Duane Eddy, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, George Jones, Gram Parsons, and many more.

“Songwriters aren’t good songwriters, people are good songwriters,” he said. “You sit down as a person and write a song. If you’ve written a song by the time you stand back up, you’re a songwriter. But the person comes first. You can’t look at the thing from somewhere up above, or from some place of supposed knowledge.”

In later life, Tom T. collaborated with his wife, Dixie Hall, in composing hundreds of bluegrass music standards. The Hall’s songs placed them in the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

Jack Tempchin

Jack Tempchin (Photo by Joel Piper)

Jack Tempchin is a legendary California hit songwriter whose best known compositions, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone”. Both are on ‘EAGLES Their Greatest Hits: 1971-1975’, awarded *Best-Selling U.S. Album of the 20th Century* by the RIAA. Tempchin has five Eagles contributions total, including co-writes “The Girl From Yesterday” from the Eagles ‘Hell Freezes Over’ 1994 release, plus co-writes “It’s Your World Now” and “Somebody”, from Eagles 2007 ‘Long Road Out Of Eden’ release.

In 1976, Jack Tempchin was first signed by Clive Davis to Arista Records along with Jules Shear and Richard Stekol in a band known as The Funky Kings. Classic-rocker Johnny Rivers heard the Funky Kings’ Jack Tempchin track, “Slow Dancing (Swayin’ To the Music)” recorded the song, and made it a Billboard Top 10 hit in 1977. Later that same year, country crooner Johnny Duncan took it Top 10 on the Country charts.

In 1980, the Eagles took a 14 year vacation. Tempchin then occupied the vacant writer’s seat next to Glenn Frey. Together, they co-wrote a dozen radio hits for Glenn Frey’s solo career including, “True Love”, “The One You Love”, “Party Town”, “Sexy Girl”, “I Found Somebody”, “Soul Searchin”, “Livin’ Right”, and “Part Of You, Part Of Me”… the official soundtrack song for Oscar-winning movie ‘Thelma & Louise’. Tempchin and Frey also co-composed “Smuggler’s Blues” & “You Belong to The City” specifically for the original ‘Miami Vice’ TV show soundtrack, which reached Number 1 on the Billboard 200 in both 1985 and 1986.

Jack Tempchin songs have been performed live or recorded by many artists of note, including: George Jones, Tom Waits, Buck Owens, Emmylou Harris, John Fogerty, Glen Campbell, Chris Hillman, Jackson Browne, Dwight Yoakam, Linda Ronstadt, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, Tanya Tucker, Jim Lauderdale, Johnny Duncan, Richie Havens, Taj Mahal, Randy Meisner, Sammy Kershaw, Kate Wolf, Tom Rush, Little Texas, The Paladins, New Riders Of the Purple Sage, Olivia Newton-John, Wilson-Philips, Brett Dennen, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) and Jim James (My Morning Jacket), among other greats.

 

Yusuf Islam/ Cat Stevens

Yusuf Islam, also known as Cat Stevens (Photo by Danny Clinch)

Cat Stevens came of age amid the creativity and excitement of London’s West End with its many theatres, cinemas, and folk clubs. Musical success came quickly both as a performer and as a songwriter. Singles such as “I Love My Dog” and “Matthew & Son” established Cat as a pop star, however, his songs were also hits for other artists such as The Tremeloes with “Here Comes My Baby” and P.P. Arnold with “The First Cut is the Deepest” – the latter going on to be a massive hit across five decades for artists including Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, and Keith Hampshire.

In 1968 Cat emerged from a near fatal bout of Tuberculosis as a spiritual seeker with a new stripped-down style. Albums such as Tea for the Tillerman, and Teaser and the Firecat saw him ascend to the top echelons of superstardom with fans worldwide captivated by iconic songs such as “Wild World”, “Father & Son”, “Oh Very Young” and “Moonshadow”. Set to honest and intimate acoustic arrangements, the lyrics of his songs reflected aspirations of a better world using some of the most imaginative symbolism of his or any generation. Cat’s success continued through the 70s where he would also show himself to be a musical innovator. His experimental techno-pop instrumental “Was Dog A Doughnut?” has been hailed by the likes of The Roots’ Questlove and Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA as having had a profound influence on the birth of hip-hop and electro genres.

1977 saw Cat embrace Islam and a year later he changed his name to Yusuf. He spent almost three decades dedicated to charity, education, raising a family, and exploring his faith. He wasn’t completely absent from music, however, as he became a pioneer of the English Nasheed (devotional) genre in the West, releasing spoken word recordings as well as much loved albums for children including A is for Allah and I Look, I See.

In 2006, Yusuf / Cat Stevens made his full return to the music industry and he has recorded a further four albums to date including 2017’s GRAMMY nominated The Laughing Apple. The universality of his message of peace has resulted in his songs being absorbed into the public consciousness and the timelessness of his music is perhaps best summed up “Peace Train”, a seminal anthem of hope and unity which is as relevant today as it was in the 70s.  

In addition to his music, Yusuf / Cat Stevens is the recipient of numerous international humanitarian awards. He has also received some of the most prestigious awards for a songwriter including ASCAP Songwriter of the Year in 2005 (also Song of the Year) and again in 2006 for “The First Cut is the Deepest,” the 2007 Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

About The Songwriters Hall of Fame:

The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements, and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases, scholarships and Master Sessions at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, University of North Carolina and at Stuyvesant High School. West Coast educational activities are held at The GRAMMY Museum, which hosts the permanent Songwriters Hall of Fame Gallery, and at the University of Southern California. Out of the tens of thousands of songwriters of our era, there are approximately 400 inductees who make up the impressive roster enshrined in the Hall of Fame. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. The list of inductees include Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier & Brian Holland, Smokey Robinson, Paul Williams, Hal David & Burt Bacharach, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly, Bob Dylan, Isaac Hayes & David Porter, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Don Schlitz, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Webb, Van Morrison, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Diane Warren, Carole Bayer Sager, Stevie Wonder, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Mac Davis, Leonard Cohen, Ray Davies, Cyndi Lauper,  Desmond Child, Mick Jones & Lou Gramm, Elvis Costello, Marvin Gaye, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond, Jay Z, Tom Petty, Toby Keith, Max Martin, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Berry Gordy, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Robert Lamm & James Pankow, Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff, Jermaine Dupri, Alan Jackson, Kool & The Gang, John Mellencamp and Allee Willis, among many others.

Full biographies and a complete list of inductees are available on the Songwriters Hall of Fame website at https://www.songhall.org. Joining online is quick and easy: https://www.songhall.org/join.

Ticket Information: 

Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1,500 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, 914-579-1000. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.  Songwriters Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 organization.  The non-deductible portion of each ticket is $170. Contributions, for which no goods or services are received in exchange, are fully tax-deductible as provided by law.

2019 Athena Film Festival: programming lineup announced

January 9, 2019

by Carla Hay

Athena Film Festival

The ninth annual Athena Film Festival—which takes place at New York City’s Barnard College from February 28 to March 3, 2019—continues its tradition of offering an intelligently curated and diverse lineup of female-focused programming. Most of the feature-length films are those that have already been released in theaters or have premiered at other events, but the Athena Film Festival has such a unique focus that it’s worth attending for people who haven’t seen these movies yet, want to see the movies again, and/or are interested in checking out the panel discussions or short films. The event always has some gems to offer that catch on later with the general public. (In 2017, for example, Athena Film Festival had one of the first public screenings of clips from the first season of the Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” long before the show would go on to win several major awards.) In most cases, the films’ directors attend the festival and do intros or Q&As at the screenings.

The 2019 Athena Film Festival’s opening-night film, closing-night film and the narrative and documentary centerpiece films will all have their New York or U.S. premieres at the event. The film that is probably getting the most buzz is Rachel Lears’ “Knock Down the House,”  a documentary about four very different female candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2018 mid-term elections. One of candidates in the film is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who made history by becoming the youngest woman (at age 29)  to serve in Congress. The opening-night film is “Fast Color,” directed by Julia Hart, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a superhero forced to go into hiding. The narrative centerpiece film is the detective thriller “Out of Blue,” directed by Carol Morley and starring the always-great Patricia Clarkson. The documentary centerpiece film is Amy Berg’s “This Is Personal,” which takes a look at the modern women’s movement.

For those on the lookout for movies originally released in 2018 that are getting awards buzz, the clear standout film is “The Favourite”—starring Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone—which has been collecting prizes at pretty much every major awards show. Also noteworthy is “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” which has been garnering a lot of praise and awards for co-stars Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant, as well as screenwriters Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty. The performances of Regina Hall in “Support the Girls” and Rosamund Pike in “A Private War” have been getting notable recognition. For their respective roles in this films, Hall was named Best Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle, while Pike received a Golden Globe nomination. Meanwhile, the documentary “On Her Shoulders” made it on the Oscars shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. (The nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on January 22, 2019.)

Here is the programming lineup for the 2019 Athena Film Festival. More information can be found at the official festival website. (All descriptions listed below are courtesy of the festival.)

 

NARRATIVE FEATURES

A Private War

Director: Matthew Heineman

Writers: Marie Brenner and Arash Amel

One of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontlines of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless.

 

Ask for Jane

Director: Rachel Carey

Writers: Rachel Carey and Cait Cortelyou ‘09

The true story of determined women in the 1960s who quietly provided the phone number of reliable abortion doctors to women in need. Operating like a spy network, using blindfolds, code names, and secret locations, the Jane Collective helped over 11,000 women receive safe, illegal abortions until they were legalized in 1973.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Director: Marielle Heller

Writers: Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

Based on a true story, Melissa McCarthy stars as Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer who makes her living profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Tallulah Bankhead. Unable to get a new publishing gig, Lee turns to artistic deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack.

 

Don’t Talk To Irene

Director and writer: Pat Mills

When an overweight and unpopular teenager is suspended from school, she must endure two weeks of community service at a nearby retirement home. She secretly signs up the residents for a dance-themed reality show to prove that you don’t have to be perfect to be perfectly awesome.

 

Fast Color – OPENING NIGHT FILM & NEW YORK PREMIERE

Director: Julia Hart

Writers: Julia Hart and Jordan Horowitz

This fantasy, superhero re-mix stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a hero forced to run when her superhuman abilities are discovered. Years after abandoning her family, the only place she has left to hide is home. Lorraine Toussaint and David Strathairn co-star.

*February 12, 2019 UPDATE:

I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story

Director: Janice Cooke

Writer: Camille Thomasson

“I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story” tells the journey of a young African-American girl who navigated over 30 foster homes and psychiatric facilities before age 18, and the one woman, Jeanne, who believed in her. After 25 years, Jeanne is finally able to adopt Regina in the same courthouse that denied them previously.

Jinn

Director and writer: Nijla Mu’min

In writer-director Nijla Mu’min’s debut feature, an African-American teenager’s world is turned upside down when her mother, a popular TV meteorologist, abruptly converts to Islam, prompting both mother and daughter to reevaluate their identities.

On the Basis of Sex

Director: Mimi Leder

Writer: Daniel Stiepleman

The compelling story of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s early years, as she crafts a national legal strategy to win equal rights for women and fights to succeed in a profession notably hostile to women. The screenplay was a 2014 Athena List winner.

 

Out Of Blue – NARRATIVE CENTERPIECE AND U.S. PREMIERE

Director and Writer: Carol Morley
Detective Mike Hoolihan (Patricia Clarkson) is called to investigate the shooting of a leading astrophysicist. As Mike tumbles down the rabbit hole of the disturbing case, she finds herself grappling with cosmic secrets that may hold the key to unraveling the crime, while throwing into doubt her very understanding of reality.

 

Rafiki

Director and writer: Wanuri Kahiu

In their community “good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,” but Kena and Ziki long for something more. When love blossoms between them, the two girls are forced to choose between happiness and safety.

 

Saint Judy – NEW YORK PREMIERE

Director: Sean Hanish

Writer: Dmitry Portnoy

Based on a remarkable true story, when an Afghan woman flees her home after being persecuted by the Taliban, immigration attorney Judy Wood (Michelle Monaghan) takes her case. In the process, she changes U.S. asylum law and saves the lives of countless people.

Support the Girls

Director and writer: Andrew Bujalski

The general manager at a highway-side ”sports bar with curves” who has incurable optimism and faith in her girls, her customers, and herself, is tested over the course of a long, strange day.

The Favourite

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Writers: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara

Set in early 18th-century England, this award winning comedy-drama stars Olivia Colman as Queen Anne and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone as cousins whose quarreling take center stage as each jockeys to be the court favourite of a frail and mercurial Queen Anne.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Director: Desiree Akhavan

Writers: Desiree Akhavan and Cecilia Frugiuele

In this drama directed by Desiree Akhavan, Chloë Grace Moretz plays a teenager sent away to a remote “treatment center” after being caught in the backseat with the prom queen. As she is subjected to questionable gay conversion therapies, she finds both challenges from and solace in fellow residents.

 

Working Woman

Director: Michal Aviad

Writers: Michal Aviad, Sharon Azulay Eyal, Michal Vinik

Orna’s life at work becomes unbearable when her boss, a major Israeli developer, makes inappropriate advances. Caught between the need to support her family and the increasingly disturbing behavior of her boss, Orna fights for her job and her sense of self-worth.

 

DOCUMENTARIES

93Queen

Director: Paula Eiselt

Set in the Hasidic enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn, a tenacious group of Hasidic women challenge stereotypes and power structures in their tight-knit community by creating the first all-female volunteer ambulance corps in New York City. This film was a 2015 Athena Work in Progress film.

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

Director: Pamela B. Green

In 1896, Alice Guy-Blaché was the first female film director at age 23. She went on to write, direct, produce, or edit more than 1000 films and became one of the early film industry’s biggest stars. Then she vanished from history.

 

Dykes, Camera, Action!

Director: Caroline Berler

Stonewall, the feminist movement, and the experimental cinema of the 1970s, set the stage for lesbian filmmakers to transform how society views queerness. In this moving and often hilarious film, lesbian filmmakers share their stories and discuss how they express their queer identity through film.

Knock Down The House – CLOSING NIGHT FILM & NEW YORK PREMIERE

Director: Rachel Lears

A young bartender in the Bronx, a coal miner’s daughter in West Virginia, a grieving mother in Nevada and a registered nurse in Missouri build a movement of insurgent candidates challenging powerful incumbents in Congress. One of their races will become the most surprising political upset in recent American history.

Lady Parts Justice in the New World Order

Director: Ruth Leitman

Led by The Daily Show’s co-creator Lizz Winstead, the Lady Parts Justice League barnstorms the country to support abortion providers and defend women’s reproductive rights. Using comedy as the ultimate weapon to mobilize voters for the 2018 elections, they use a boots-on-the-ground strategy to protect bodily autonomy for all.

Life Without Basketball

Directors: Tim O’Donnell, Jon Mercer

After the International Basketball Federation forbids head coverings, making it impossible for Muslim women to maintain their religious convictions while on the court, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir fights to change the rules. With her victory, she becomes the first Division I basketball player to play wearing the hijab and inspires the young Muslim women she coaches.

 

Netizens

Director: Cynthia Lowen

The proliferation of cyber harassment spreads from the web to the most intimate corners of women’s lives. As the internet becomes the next frontier of civil rights, three women who are targets of harassment confront digital abuse and strive for equality and justice online. The film was a 2017 Athena Work in Progress film.

 

Nothing Without Us: The Women Who Will End AIDS

Director: Harriet Hirshorn

A compelling portrait of the inspiring and remarkable women at the forefront of the global AIDS movement who work tirelessly to end the 30-year old pandemic and help women around the world at risk of HIV and AIDS.

On Her Shoulders

Director: Alexandria Bombach

With deep compassion and an elegance that matches her calm and steely demeanor, 23 year-old Nadia Murad survives the 2014 genocide of the Yazidis in Northern Iraq and escapes ISIS to become a relentless beacon of hope for her people.

 

The Feminist

Director: Hampus Linder

This personal and compelling portrait follows Gudrun Schyman, spokesperson of Sweden’s Feminist Initiative political party as she moves between small towns, refugee camps, and the corridors of power. In the process, she inspires women across the globe and becomes one of Sweden’s most influential politicians.

The Great Mother

Directors: Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker

When two U.S. born children share that their mother is being deported, immigration activist Nora Sandigo steps up to become their legal guardian, saving them from the fate of  “immigration orphans’’ trapped in the foster care system. Six years later, Nora’s charges have grown to nearly 1,000 children.

 

This is Personal – DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE

Director: Amy Berg

While the 2016 election catalyzed the Women’s March and a new era of feminist activism, Tamika Mallory and Erika Andiola have been fighting for their communities for years. Their stories expose the fundamental connection between the personal and the political, and asks: how can intersectionality birth a new social justice movement?

Warrior Women

Directors: Elizabeth A. Castle and Christina D. King

Madonna Thunder Hawk, unapologetic organizer of the American Indian Movement,  has cultivated a ragtag gang of activist children—including her daughter Marcy—into the We Will Remember survival group. Through their story, the film highlights the struggle for native rights and how activists pass their legacies from generation to generation.

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

Director: Rob Garver

This nuanced portrait of Pauline Kael, among the most famous and divisive film critics of all time, uses never-before-seen archival film, wide-ranging interviews and her own writings voiced by Sarah Jessica Parker, to capture her complexity while revisiting late-twentieth-century cinema through her lens.

 

Whispering Truth to Power

Director: Shameela Seedat

After her appointment as South Africa’s Public Protector in 2009, Thuli Madonsela immediately faces violent protests, court interdicts, political and personal attacks, and death threats, as this remarkably steadfast woman seeks justice in a country still coming to terms with its apartheid past.

Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin

Director: Arwen Curry

Explore the remarkable life and legacy of the late feminist author Ursula K. Le Guin. She holds her ground on the margins of “respectable” literature until the sheer excellence of her work forces the mainstream to embrace her science fiction and fantastic writings.

 

2019 Governors Ball: The Strokes, Florence + The Machine, Tyler The Creator are headliners

January 7, 2019

The following is a press release from Founders Entertainment:

Founders Entertainment is proud to announce the lineup for the 2019 Governors Ball Music Festival. The ninth annual edition of New York City’s very own homegrown fest will take place from Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2 on beautiful Randall’s Island Park. Featuring performances from Florence + The Machine, Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes, Lil Wayne, SZA, Nas, The 1975, Kacey Musgraves, Major Lazer, Brockhampton,  Louis The Child, Mitski, and many more, Governors Ball will showcase 70 artists throughout the weekend. Full festival lineup and poster below.
Three–day GA and VIP tickets (including payment plan options) will be available via GovBall.com beginning today at 8:00 AM ET at special “Announce Day” pricing until 11:59:59 PM ET. Regular pricing begins on January 8 at 12:00 AM ET. At the time of purchase, Gov Ball ticket buyers will have the option to add a limited edition, festival branded phone charger to their order, so attendees can ensure their mobile remains juiced from the first note played at the festival until the rideshare home from an epic Gov Ball After Dark show later that night.

For full pricing breakdown including VIP packages and payment plan options visit: GovBall.com

This year Governors Ball will celebrate its ninth consecutive running as “New York’s biggest summer bash” (Rolling Stone), and one of the premier live music events on the planet. Last June, over 10 million worldwide viewers tuned in to the live broadcast of the internationally renowned festival, which was praised by performers and press alike. Pharrell proclaimed it “one of the best shows N.E.R.D had ever had in New York City,” and Vic Mensa was enamored by the “really special” and “uniquely strong” energy brought by the crowd. Stereogum noted that the festival has consistently set itself apart from the crowd, writing that “Governors Ball has always strived to have a bit more of a personality than most high-profile festivals, adding in touches you just wouldn’t get anywhere else.”

Founders Entertainment is honored to once again bring those special touches and attention to detail to Governors Ball patrons at the festival grounds on Randall’s Island Park (supported, maintained and programmed by the Randall’s Island Park Alliance www.randallsisland.org). The 2019 festival will feature a signature lineup of the best food NYC has to offer, as well as craft coctails and a brand new beer experience. Between sets, attendees can take in and enjoy surprise pop up performances, play lawn games, explore street art from internationally known artists, and enjoy the relaxing and restorative 21+ Best Kept Secret area. Late night, music fans disperse throughout the city to take in intimate performances from Governors Ball artists as part of the After Dark concert series. All of these elements come together to create the “only in New York” experience “Gov Ball” has become known and loved for.

Patrons looking to take their festival experience to the next level have many options for the weekend. VIP ticket holders can take advantage of a separate fast lane at each festival entrance, and access to all 21+ VIP Viewing Areas, which feature up-close prime viewing, comfy seating, shade tents, flushable bathrooms, specialty food vendors, cell phone charging stations, for hire massage services, and a beer, wine and liquor bar. VIP Plus tickets (only 125 available) go a step beyond the traditional VIP experience, with access to a very exclusive, elevated viewing platform with incredible views of the main stage that comes with comfortable lounge seating, and all-inclusive beer, cocktails, and wines and waiter service. And the Platinum VIP program treats ticket holders as if they were an artist performing at the festival, with a personal festival concierge, exclusive on-stage viewing (restrictions may apply), access to a very exclusive Front of House viewing area at the festival’s four stages, a plush backstage open bar and lounge, and more. Full details on VIP options can be found here.

In addition to being accessible by MTA bus, bike, cab, and ferry service from Mid-Town Manhattan to and from the festival grounds, the festival is accessible to pedestrians via the RFK Bridge, the 103rd street footbridge, and Bronx Randall’s Island Connector. The 2019 festival will also have a robust Brooklyn shuttle program to bring patrons to and from the festival.

Governors Ball 2019

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

December 27, 2018

by Carla Hay

Watching a New Year’s Eve special on TV is a tradition for millions of people around the world. After taking a break from a New Year’s Eve Special in 2017, NBC is back with its star-studded party in New York City’s Times Square. Here’s what is planned for the four biggest New Year’s TV specials in the United States:

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 

Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC)

Celebrating its 47th year, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” (which is produced by Dick Clark Productions and airs in the U.S. on ABC) is still the most high-profile televised New Year’s Eve event. Mariah Carey headlined the show from New York City’s Times Square in 2018 and 2017. In 2018, another Grammy-winning diva—Christina Aguilera—is taking the headlining spot. Ryan Seacrest will once again host the show, which begins airing from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, followed by 11:30 p.m. to 2:13 a.m. ET. Jenny McCarthy will provide on-site reporting. Other performers in Times Square include Bastille, Dan + Shay and New Kids on the Block. Airing just after midnight Eastern Time, Post Malone will perform from a stop on his current tour in Brooklyn, New York, marking the first television performance of the new year. Meanwhile, the special has partnered with YouTube Music for the first time this year for cross-promotional programming.

Ciara will once again host the Los Angeles segments of the show that will feature performances that were mostly previously recorded. Artists in the show’s Los Angeles segments will include Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini, Bazzi, Kane Brown, Camila Cabello, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Foster the People, Halsey, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth and Weezer, as well as collaborations from Brown featuring Alaina; Macklemore with Skylar Grey; and The Chainsmokers featuring Ballerini.

Meanwhile, actress Lucy Hale (former star of “Pretty Little Liars”) will host the show’s second annual Central Time Zone celebration from New Orleans. Florida Georgia Line and Maren Morris will perform from the Allstate Fan Fest, leading up to the midnight countdown and fleur-de-lis drop near Jackson Square.  “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019” is produced by Dick Clark Productions with Seacrest, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco serving as executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.

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

Steve Harvey (Photo by Brian Bowen Smith/Fox)

After televising its New Year’s Eve show (hosted by Pitbull) in Miami from 2014 to 2016, Fox changed locations and hosts in 2017, with the show now taking place at New York City’s Times Square with comedian/talk-show host Steve Harvey and former E! News personality Maria Menounous. This year, Harvey and Menounous return to co-host the show, which airs on Fox from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET live; CT/MT/PT tape-delayed. Performers will include Sting, Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, Florence + the Machine, Jason Aldean, Juanes and Why Don’t We. Additionally, the special will include celebrity cameo appearances by comedians Ken Jeong and Kenan Thompson, as well as “Fox NFL Sunday” commentators Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jimmy Johnson. “Fox’s New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey: Live From Times Square” is produced by IMG Original Content and Done + Dusted. Guy Carrington, Katy Mullan, Mike Antinoro, Dave Chamberlin and Orly Anderson serve as executive producers; and Eddie Delbridge serves as co-executive producer. IMG also produces Harvey’s self-titled talk show, as well as the Miss Universe Pageant and “It’s Showtime at the Apollo,” which have been hosted by Harvey over the past several years.

[December 30, 2018 UPDATE: Dierks Bentley has been added to the lineup performing in Times Square.]

NBC’s New Year’s Eve

Carson Daly, Chrissy Teigen, Leslie Jones, Keith Urban
(Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal)

Stars from NBC’s “The Voice” are all over “NBC’s New Year’s Eve” special, which begins airing at 10 p.m. ET from New York City’s Times Square. Not only is “The Voice” host Carson Daly hosting the New Year’s Eve show (with Chrissy Teigen and assistance from Leslie Jones), but “The Voice” coaches Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and John Legend are also performing on the special. Other performers include Jennifer Lopez, Bebe Rexha, Diana Ross and Andy Grammer.  Keith Urban and  Brett Young will perform at Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville. “NBC Nightly News” and “Dateline NBC” anchor Lester Holt will also appear on stage before the iconic ball drop. “NBC’s New Year’s Eve” will be televised from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, followed by the New Year’s countdown segment 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET. “NBC’s New Year’s Eve” is executive produced by Daly, Teigen and John Irwin through NBCUniversal Television Studio and Irwin Entertainment. It is co-executive produced by Casey Spira.

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

Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper (Photo courtesy of CNN)

For the second year in a row, longtime friends Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will co-host CNN’s New Year’s Eve celebration, which begins at 8 p.m. ET. CNN’s 11th annual New Year’s Eve Show, which is telecast live from New York City’s Times Square has a more star-studded lineup this year than in previous years. Gwen Stefani is scheduled to perform from her Las Vegas residency, while Keith Urban (who also appears on NBC’s New Year’s Eve Special), Dave Chappelle, Patti LaBelle and Jack Black also round out the show’s celebrity lineup.  New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will also spotlight Broadway musicals such as “The Band’s Visit,” “Wicked,” “Tootsie” and “Come From Away.” CNN’s New Year’s Eve Show begins at 8 p.m. ET, and will end at approximately 1:05 p.m. ET. CNN anchors Don Lemon and Brooke Baldwin will host a countdown from New Orleans at 12:30 a.m. ET. In 2017, Cohen replaced Kathy Griffin, who was notoriously fired from the show in May of that year for publicly posting a photo of herself holding up a fake bloody head of President Donald Trump. Griffin and Cooper had co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve Show since 2007, but the Cooper/Cohen duo brought in the show’s highest ratings so far. Cooper and Cohen have an established rapport, since they have done numerous speaking engagements together.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Christina Aguilera headlines Times Square 2019 celebration; New Kids on the Block, Bastille, Dan + Shay added to lineup

December 13, 2018

Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera (Photo by Luke Gilford)

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

Dick Clark Productions and ABC today announced one of the world’s best-selling pop music icons, Christina Aguilera will perform for a live audience of more than one million people, just minutes before the ball drops on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019.” Aguilera last performed on the show in 2007, and this year she will be joined by Bastille, Dan + Shay and New Kids On The Block in the hours leading up to the 2019 countdown. This marks multiplatinum artists Dan + Shay’s first appearance on the show and Bastille’s second, while pop super group New Kids On The Block will take the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve stage for the second time – having last performed in 2011 with Backstreet Boys. America’s biggest celebration of the year will take place on MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST on the ABC Television Network.

Ranked as the #1 music special of last year, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019” marks the 47th anniversary of America’s biggest celebration of the year and will include 5 ½ hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s celebrations from around the globe.  Ryan Seacrest will host the primetime festivities and lead the traditional countdown to midnight from Times Square in New York City, as he has for the last 13 years, with live onsite reporting from actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg. Multi-platinum music superstar Ciara will ring in the New Year from the West Coast as the host of the Hollywood Party, joined by performances from Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini, Bazzi, Kane Brown, Camila Cabello, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Foster the People, Halsey, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth and Weezer, as well as collaborations from Kane Brown featuring Lauren Alaina, Macklemore with Skylar Grey presented by Planet Fitness and The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini. Airing just after midnight, Post Malone will perform from a stop on his current tour in Brooklyn, New York, marking the first television performance of the New Year. Award-winning actress Lucy Hale will return to host the 3rd annual Central Time Zone celebration from New Orleans, providing viewers with exclusive performances and celebrity and fan interviews leading up to the midnight countdown and stunning fleur-de-lis drop near Jackson Square at the dawn of the New Year. Florida Georgia Line and Maren Morris will perform live from the Allstate® Fan Fest in New Orleans, where locals and tourists gather each year to celebrate the New Year in advance of the annual Allstate® Sugar Bowl®.

“We have an incredible lineup in store for Times Square and are thrilled to welcome Christina back as our headliner for the first time since 2007,” said Mark Bracco, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President of Programming & Development, dick clark productions. “As one of the greatest voices in pop music, Christina’s performance right before the ball drops is sure to end 2018 with a bang!”

“‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest’ always boasts the most iconic musical acts, and this year is no different,” said Rob Mills, Senior Vice President, Alternative Series, Specials and Late Night, ABC. “Christina’s out of this world talent, combined with the powerhouse strength of Bastille, Dan + Shay and New Kids on The Block, will leave 2018 ending on a high note.”

Bastille members Dan Smith, Kyle Simmons, Chris ‘Woody’ Wood and Will Farquarson (Photo by James Gillham/Netflix)

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “Britpop’s new crown princes,” Bastille was introduced internationally with the single “Pompeii,” which is now 6x Platinum in the U.S. alone. “Pompeii” and subsequent hits “Good Grief” (2016) and “Quarter Past Midnight” (2018) each topped the Mediabase Alternative chart in the States. Marshmello and Bastille’s hit single, “Happier,” has topped charts around the world, with one billion cumulative streams. Certified Platinum in the U.S., “Happier” held the No. 1 position for four weeks on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart. It also recently topped Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs chart and Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart. Cumulative streams across all platforms exceed three billion. The Grammy-nominated band – comprising Dan Smith, keyboardist Kyle Simmons, bassist/guitarist Will Farquarson, and drummer Chris Wood  –  has sold upwards of 15 million adjusted singles and six million adjusted albums. Last year, Bastille moved into the world of film soundtracks, contributing “World Gone Mad” to the Netflix film “Bright.” Starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton, the film is one of the site’s most streamed programs ever. Bastille will kick off 2019 with a sold-out U.K. and European tour.

Christina Aguilera at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Todd Williamson/NBC)

Christina Aguilera is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter renowned for her powerful voice and hit songs. Throughout her career, she has sold more than 43 million records worldwide. Aguilera has achieved five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart making her the fourth female artist to top the chart over three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s). She has won six Grammy Awards including one Latin Grammy Award. She has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and holds the prestigious honor of being the only artist under the age of 30 included in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest singers of all time. In 2011 she entered the world of television as a coach on NBC’s Emmy Award nominated show The Voice. Aguilera continues to use her voice for good. She has served as global spokesperson for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief effort since 2009 and has helped raise over $150 million for the World Food Program and other hunger relief agencies.

Dan + Shay

Grammy-nominated duo Dan + Shay debuted atop Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with their self-titled third studio album the same week that its lead single “Tequila” reached No.1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, marking the first time since 2009 that a duo or group debuted atop Top Country Albums during the same frame that its single hit No. 1 on Country Airplay. The project’s achievements include the highest debut-week stream-total of any new country release in 2018 and the only country album released this year to have all 11 tracks hit Nielsen’s Country On-Demand Streaming chart, including the Gold-certified current single “Speechless.” The romantic tune was most-added at country radio upon impact and, as it nears Top 5, has already earned more than 142 million streams. “Speechless” follows the Platinum-certified global smash “Tequila,” written by Smyers, Jordan Reynolds and Nicolle Galyon, which became their first multi-week country radio No. 1 and is currently nominated for the Grammy Awards’ “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” and “Best Country Song.” The track has accumulated a staggering 325+ million on-demand streams, making it the most-streamed country song released in 2018. They’ve performed it on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Ellen,” the CMA Fest concert special, the 53rd ACM Awards, “Today” Summer Concert Series, the CMT Music Awards and the 52nd CMA Awards. Dan + Shay made history as the first new country duo to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart with their Gold-certified first album, “Where It All Began,” featuring the No. 1 Country Airplay single “Nothin’ Like You” and the Platinum-certified “19 You + Me.” The breakout duo followed up with 2016’s “Obsessed,” which produced two more Country Airplay No. 1 hits with the Gold-certified “How Not To” and the Platinum-certified “From The Ground Up.” In addition to national TV appearances, they have shared the stage with some of country music’s biggest superstars, spanning Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt and Keith Urban. Dan + Shay spent the summer on the road with Rascal Flatts and joined Chris Young for the fall leg of his “Losing Sleep” run; they will kick off their own “Dan + Shay The Tour” in March 2019.

New Kids on the Block

New Kids On The Block have sold more than 80 million albums worldwide — including back-to-back international #1 songs, 1988’s Hangin’ Tough and 1990’s Step By Step — and a series of crossover smash R&B, pop hits like “You Got It (The Right Stuff),”  “Cover Girl,” “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” “Hangin’ Tough,” “I’ll Be Loving You,” “Step By Step” and “Tonight.”  The group shattered concert box office records playing an estimated 200 concerts a year, in sold out shows throughout the world.  This year they celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Hangin’ Tough,” their breakout album that spawned these hits, as well as the ten year anniversary of their reunion which has seen the group touring sold out stadiums year after year and releasing several albums, songs and EPs. Their two most recent full-length albums, “The Block” and “10” landed the group back in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. Following 2017’s hugely-successful The Total Package Tour, the group is set to embark alongside very special guests Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Naughty by Nature on the aptly-titled The MixTape Tour.  Kicking off May 4 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and continuing through over 50 North American cities, the tour will also include stops in Boston, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and LA’s famed Hollywood Bowl.

YouTube Music is the presenting sponsor of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2019.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

YouTube: YouTube.com/NYRE
Facebook: Facebook.com/NewYearsRockinEve
Twitter: @NYRE
Instagram: @rockineve
Snapchat: officialnyre
Hashtag: #RockinEve
Website: https://www.newyearsrockineve.com/

About Dick Clark Productions 
Dick Clark Productions (DCP) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and DCP. DCP also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. DCP is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

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

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

About YouTube Music 
YouTube Music is a completely reimagined streaming music service with music videos, official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, covers and hard-to-find music you can only get on YouTube. It’s ALL here! YouTube Music serves music based on your tastes and what’s moving the community around you. Discover something new or keep up with what’s trending. Basic functions such as playing music and watching videos are totally free, but you can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium to explore the world of music ad-free, offline, and with the screen locked. Available on mobile and desktop.  For additional information, visit www.youtube.com/musicpremium.

2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Radiohead, Stevie Nicks, Janet Jackson, The Cure, Def Leppard, Roxy Music, The Zombies are the inductees

December 13, 2018

by Carla Hay

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2019 Inductees in the performer category:

The Cure

Def Leppard

Janet Jackson

Stevie Nicks

Radiohead

Roxy Music

The Zombies

The 34th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Klipsch Audio, will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on March 29, 2019. Information on general ticket sales will be announced in January 2019. A limited number of pre-sale tickets are available for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members who have current membership as of December 31, 2018. The show will have a live radio broadcast on SiriusXM, and HBO will have a special televising highlights from the show on a date to be announced. Exhibits showcasing the new inductees will be on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in conjunction with the induction ceremony.

Performers eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are those whose first single or first album was released at least 25 years before the artist can be inducted. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voting members (which number about 1,000 people), as well online voting from the public, determine who will be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Artists who were nominated for the 2019 induction but didn’t make the cut were Devo, John Prine, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, MC5, Rage Against the Machine, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan and Todd Rundgren.  Six out of the 15 nominees were on the ballot for the first time: Def Leppard, Devo, John Prine, Roxy Music, Nicks and Rundgren.

With her induction as a solo artist, Nicks has made Rock and Roll Hall of Fame history for being the first woman to receive two inductions. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, Nicks was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. She launched her solo career in 1981.

Nicks commented on her solo Hall of Fame induction in this statement: “I have a lot to say about this, but I will save those words for later. For now I will just say, I have been in a band since 1968. To be recognized for my solo work makes me take a deep breath and smile. It’s a glorious feeling.”

Radiohead released this statement: “The members of Radiohead have been surprised to learn of the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2019. The band thanks the Hall of Fame voting body and extends congratulations to this year’s fellow inductees.”

Jackson commented in a statement: “Thank you Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am truly honored and I am happy to be in there with my brothers.”

Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry tweeted: “We are delighted to accept this prestigious award on behalf of everyone who has been involved in the world of Roxy Music – musicians, engineers, producers, designers and numerous people behind the scenes… and of course our loyal fans.”

Zombies lead singer Colin Blunstone tweeted: “This is a career-defining [and] life-defining moment,” while Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent tweeted: “This time to turn the corner and get inducted, feels fantastic … I’m just so delighted.”

Def Leppard tweeted: “It’s official, we are 2019 @rockhall Inductees. THANK YOU to all of our fans & the Rock Hall committee! What a way to wrap up an incredible year.”

 

NBC’s New Year’s Eve: Diana Ross, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Brett Young, Andy Grammer added to lineup to ring in 2019

December 7, 2018


The following is a press release from NBC:

NBC begins 2019 with music’s biggest names in an evening that can’t be missed. “NBC’s New Year’s Eve” will feature performances by the incredible Diana Ross, Kelly Clarkson, Andy Grammer, John Legend and Blake Shelton. Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen will host live from the heart of Times Square along with Leslie Jones.

Meanwhile, Keith Urban will join the telecast live from the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville event with a show-stopping performance of his own as well as an amazing performance by Brett Young. The 10th annual Nashville New Year’s Eve event will take place near the Tennessee State Capitol at Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. The music-filled evening caps off with a Music Note Drop and fireworks to ring in the new year.

The special will air Monday, Dec. 31 from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT, will break for local news and return for the final countdown from 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Prior to “NBC’S New Year’s Eve,” Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will ring in the new year with “A Toast to 2018,” a star-studded New Year’s Eve primetime special highlighting the year’s biggest pop culture moments, videos and trends. An all-star cast of celebrities – from Michael Bublé and Ellie Kemper to Kenan Thompson and Busy Philipps – will dish on the most talked-about stories that made for an unforgettable 2018. The two-hour special airs at from 8-10 p.m., and will also feature interviews with Chrissy Metz, Jaimie Alexander, Howie Mandel, Melissa Rivers, Ryan Eggold, Savannah Guthrie, Giuliana Rancic, Jason Kennedy, Wanda Sykes, Johnny Weir, Carson Kressley, Al Roker, Lester Holt, Willie Geist, Natalie Morales, Craig Melvin, Keith Morrison, Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Dennis Murphy, Dylan Dreyer, Brad Goreski, Chris D’Elia, Brent Morin, Loni Love, and many more.

ABOUT DIANA ROSS

Diana Ross is an American singer, actress and record producer. Born and raised in Detroit, Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, which became Motown’s most successful act in the 1960s and one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross released her debut solo album, which contained the Top 20 pop hit “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” and the #1 pop hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” She later released the album “Touch Me in the Morning” in 1973; its title track reached #1, as her second solo #1 hit. That same year, her album “Lady Sings the Blues,” which was the original soundtrack of her film based on the life of jazz singer Billie Holiday, went to #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, selling more than 300,000 copies within its first eight days of release. By 1976, the “Mahogany” soundtrack included her third #1 hit, “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To).” Her 1976 album included her fourth #1 hit, “Love Hangover.” In 1979, Ross released the album “The Boss.” Her 1980 semi-eponymous album “Diana” reached #2 on the Billboard Albums chart and spawned the #1 hit “Upside Down,” and the Top 5 international hit “I’m Coming Out.” Ross’ final single with Motown Records during her initial run with the company achieved her sixth and final #1 pop hit, the duet “Endless Love.” She is the recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Ross has also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award-nominated performance for her performance in the film “Lady Sings the Blues.” She also starred in two other feature films, “Mahogany” and “The Wiz,” later acting in the television films “Out of Darkness,” for which she also was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and “Double Platinum.” Ross was named “Female Entertainer of the Century” by Billboard. In 1993, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Ross the most successful female music artist in history. She will be performing songs off her new holiday collection, “Wonderful Christmas Time.”

ABOUT KELLY CLARKSON

After winning season 14, Kelly Clarkson returned as coach for season 15 of NBC’s four-time Emmy Award-winning music competition series “The Voice.” Clarkson, who recently released her critically acclaimed eighth studio album, “Meaning of Life,” is among the most popular artists of this era with total worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles. The Texas-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of “American Idol.” Clarkson’s debut single, “A Moment Like This,” followed and quickly went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, ultimately ranking as the year’s best-selling single in the U.S. Further, Clarkson is, without doubt, one of pop’s top singles artists, with 17 singles boasting multi-platinum, platinum and gold certifications around the world, including such global favorites as “Miss Independent” and “Because of You.” Clarkson has released eight studio albums (“Thankful,” “Breakaway,” “My December,” All I Ever Wanted,” “Stronger,” “Wrapped in Red,” “Piece By Piece,” “Meaning of Life”), one greatest hits album and two children’s books (New York Times Top 10 best seller “River Rose and the Magical Lullaby” as well as the recent follow up “River Rose and the Magical Christmas”). She is the recipient of an array of awards, including three Grammys, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards and a Country Music Association Award. She is also the first artist to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult contemporary, country and dance charts. In addition, this past year Clarkson hosted the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.”

ABOUT ANDY GRAMMER

Acclaimed multi-platinum pop singer and songwriter Andy Grammer is all about inspiring and empowering the world by communicating his truths through his music. Grammer has taken the music world by storm with a succession of anthemic pop hits, six of which are certified gold or better. His debut album featured the platinum singles “Keep Your Head Up” and “Fine By Me.” Grammer’s second album, “Magazines or Novels,” featured the triple platinum worldwide hit “Honey, I’m Good,” which was one of the best-selling songs of 2015, and the certified gold anthem “Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah).” Grammer’s third full-length album, “The Good Parts,” was released in December 2017 and includes his global smash hit “Fresh Eyes,” which has become a global streaming phenomenon with over 350 million total streams.

ABOUT JOHN LEGEND

EGOT-winning, critically acclaimed, multi-platinum singer-songwriter John Legend has garnered 10 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award among others. Legend is the first African-American man to earn an EGOT and one of only 15 people in the prestigious EGOT club. In 2016, Legend released his fifth studio album, “Darkness and Light,” to rave reviews and toured to sold-out audiences across the globe. Beyond his music career, he is a principle partner in Get Lifted Film Co., a film and television production company based in Los Angeles. Get Lifted Film Co. served as executive producers on NBC’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!,” the HBO documentary “Southern Rites,” 2018 Tribeca Audience Award winner documentary “United Skates,” WGN America’s series “Underground,” and films such as “Southside With You” and “La La Land.” In 2015, Legend initiated the #FREEAMERICA campaign in an effort to change the national conversation surrounding our country’s misguided criminal justice policies and to end mass incarceration. In April 2018, Legend released a new track, “A Good Night” featuring Blood Pop, and was Emmy nominated as Jesus Christ in NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live!” He also won an Emmy as producer of the telecast.

ABOUT BLAKE SHELTON

Blake Shelton returned to “The Voice” for the 15th season with the incredible accomplishment of being the coach for six champions over the course of the series, including season 13 winner Chloe Kohanski. Shelton’s other winners are Sundance Head, Craig Wayne Boyd, Danielle Bradbery, Cassadee Pope and Jermaine Paul. Shelton has a storied career laden with wins of his own. Shelton earned his latest honors with the 2018 CMT Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year awards for his recent chart-topping single “I’ll Name the Dogs.” He was named Top Country Artist of the Year at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards and ended the year as Billboard’s Most Played Country Artist. He is a 20-time ACM nominee and has taken home five CMA Male Vocalist of the Year trophies. His most recent album, “Texoma Shore,” was his sixth record to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and marked his 11th all-genre Top 10. “I’ll Name the Dogs,” the first single from the project, became Shelton’s 25th #1 song, a streak that began in 2001 with “Austin” from his debut album. His current single, “Turnin’ Me On,” is currently climbing the charts at country radio. Shelton was born, raised and lives in Oklahoma, where he has strong community ties. In response to the devastating tornadoes of 2013, Shelton and NBC teamed up on the telethon “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert.” With the help of Reba, Usher, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic among others, the telethon raised more than $6 million for United Way of Central Oklahoma. He recently donated $500,000 to the Jimmy Everest Center, an Oklahoma University hospital for children with blood cancer and blood disorders. In association with Ryman Hospitality, Shelton has opened a string of entertainment-themed restaurants and bars called Ole Red. The first venue opened in 2017 in his hometown of Tishomingo, Okla., with the Nashville location following in June and another in Gatlinburg, Tenn., due this fall.

ABOUT KEITH URBAN

Keith Urban, 2018 CMA Entertainer of the Year and Grammy Award winner, recently released his new album, “Graffiti U,” in conjunction with his “Graffiti U World Tour 2018.” The album, which upon its debut on April 27, hit #1 on charts in the United States, Canada and Australia, and is Urban’s ninth. He’s had an album atop the all-genre charts in the U.S., Canada and Australia twice and is the only male country artist to have achieved the mark even once. He now stands at #8 on Billboard’s All-Time Country Airplay Chart as the artist with the most consecutive top 10 songs on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart (38) – a streak that started in 2000. Besides four Grammys, Urban has won 12 Country Music Assn. Awards, 11 Academy of Country Music Awards, four People’s Choice Awards and four American Music Awards. He is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He’s long supported numerous charities, including the CMA Foundation, for which he is the first Ambassador, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, for which he is an advisory board member, the Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and the Grammy Foundation.

ABOUT BRETT YOUNG

Academy of Country Music’s New Male Vocalist of the Year Brett Young’s sophomore album, “Ticket to L.A.,” is due Dec. 7 on BMLG Records, and its lead single “Here Tonight” is quickly rising on radio. The highly anticipated release follows his self-titled debut album, which became an instant success in 2017. The release dominated the Top 20 on the Country Albums chart for 37 weeks and quickly reached RIAA platinum certification. Delivering four consecutive #1 platinum-certified hits, Young became one of country music’s new class of hitmakers as each single climbed to the top of the charts, distinguishing himself with “In Case You Didn’t Know” as the first debut country artist since 2014 to garner 3x-platinum certification. The smash hit’s official music video has surpassed 200 million views, while Young was the only artist of 2017 with two efforts listed on VEVO’s Top Country Videos list. Young continues to impress the genre and beyond with nominations from Billboard, Teen Choice, CMT and CMA. He was recently named ASCAP’s 2018 Country Songwriter-Artist of the Year and awarded BMI’s 2018 Song of the Year for “In Case You Didn’t Know.” Above the industry successes, his relationship with fans found Young selling out every single stop on his debut headlining tour in 2017 and earning new followers on the road with Thomas Rhett. Young is currently on his headlining “CMT on Tour: Here Tonight” through the end of the year.

“NBC’s New Year’s Eve” is executive produced by Daly, Teigen and John Irwin through NBCUniversal Television Studio and Irwin Entertainment. It is co-executive produced by Casey Spira and directed by Ryan Polito.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Post Malone set for special 2019 performance in Brooklyn

December 7, 2018

Post Malone
Post Malone at the 2018 American Music Awards (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For dcp via ABC/AMA2018)

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

Dick Clark Productions and ABC today announced multi-platinum selling artist Post Malone will perform from a stop on his current tour in Brooklyn, NY as part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019.” Airing just after the midnight countdown, Malone will be the first television performance of 2019. It will also mark Malone’s first time performing on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” America’s biggest celebration of the year will take place on MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST on the ABC Television Network.

Ranked as the #1 music special of last year, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019” marks the 47th anniversary of America’s largest celebration of the year and will include 5 ½ hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s celebrations from around the globe.  Ryan Seacrest will host the primetime festivities and lead the traditional countdown to midnight from Times Square in New York City, as he has for the last 13 years, with live onsite reporting from actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy. Multi-platinum music superstar Ciara will ring in the New Year from the West Coast as the host of the Hollywood Party, joined by performances from Kelsea Ballerini, The Chainsmokers, Foster the People, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai and Charlie Puth, as well as collaborations from Macklemore with Skylar Grey presented by Planet Fitness and The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini. Award-winning actress Lucy Hale will return to host the 3rd annual Central Time Zone celebration from New Orleans, providing viewers with exclusive performances and celebrity and fan interviews leading up to the midnight countdown and stunning fleur-de-lis drop near Jackson Square at the dawn of the New Year.

Post Malone stirs a mix of genres into his own sonic sound that’s both intoxicating and invigorating. His RIAA Platinum certified debut album, Stoney, led the genre-bending Dallas, TX artist to his first Top 10 on the Billboard 200 and first #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2018, his sophomore album, beerbongs & bentleys, debuted on the Billboard 200 at #1 and achieved one of the year’s biggest streaming weeks ever for an album. Concurrent with beerbongs’ No. 1 debut, Post charted a then-record nine songs simultaneously in the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. The same week, he also set a then-record for the most simultaneous Top 40 Hot 100 hits with 14. Additionally, Post Malone charted in over 30 countries on the YouTube Charts. More recently, Post Malone won Best Pop/Rock Male Artist and Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album at the American Music Awards of 2018. He also won the 2018 MTV Video Music Award for Song of the Year as well as Top Rap Song at the Billboard Music Awards.

YouTube Music is the presenting sponsor of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019.”

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

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

08:00-10:00 p.m. ET – “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 – Part 1”

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

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

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

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

YouTube: YouTube.com/NYRE
Facebook: Facebook.com/NewYearsRockinEve
Twitter: @NYRE
Instagram: @rockineve
Snapchat: officialnyre
Hashtag: #RockinEve
Website: https://www.newyearsrockineve.com/

About Dick Clark Productions 
Dick Clark Productions (DCP) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and DCP. DCP also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. DCP is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

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

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

About YouTube Music 
YouTube Music is a completely reimagined streaming music service with music videos, official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, covers and hard-to-find music you can only get on YouTube. It’s ALL here! YouTube Music serves music based on your tastes and what’s moving the community around you. Discover something new or keep up with what’s trending. Basic functions such as playing music and watching videos are totally free, but you can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium to explore the world of music ad-free, offline, and with the screen locked. Available on mobile and desktop.  For additional information, visit  www.youtube.com/musicpremium.

Fox’s New Year’s Eve: Steve Harvey returns as host to ring in 2019; Sting, Robin Thicke, Florence + the Machine, Jason Aldean among musical performers

December 5, 2018

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

The following is a press release from Fox:

Emmy® Award-winning personality, producer and talk show host Steve Harvey returns this holiday season to host FOX’S NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH STEVE HARVEY: LIVE FROM TIMES SQUARE, once again alongside Emmy® Award-winning journalist and TV personality Maria Menounos. The second annual live broadcast special, airing from the heart of New York City’s famed Times Square, airs Monday, Dec. 31 (8:00-10:00 PM and 11:00 PM-12:30 AM ET LIVE CT/MT/PT tape-delayed), on FOX.

Harvey will count down to 2019 with an unmatched, star-studded three-and-a-half-hour primetime celebration, featuring an electrifying musical performance by 16-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Sting. The live event also will feature performances by hit artists Robin Thicke, Florence + the Machine, Jason Aldean, Juanes and Why Don’t We. Additionally, the special will include celebrity cameo appearances by THE MASKED SINGER’s Ken Jeong, comedian Kenan Thompson and FOX NFL SUNDAY commentators Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jimmy Johnson. Additional performers and celebrity guests to be announced.

[December 20, 2018 UPDATE: Snoop Dogg has been added to the lineup of performers.]

Last year, Harvey led an incredible countdown to the New Year, which included performances by music legends Neil Diamond and Celine Dion, hit artists Maroon 5, Macklemore with Skylar Grey, Backstreet Boys, Flo Rida and many more. Harvey also officiated a surprise live wedding for Menounos. The special marked an all-time high for a FOX New Year’s special, averaging 8.5 million total viewers.

FOX’S NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH STEVE HARVEY: LIVE FROM TIMES SQUARE is produced by IMG Original Content and Done + Dusted. Guy Carrington, Katy Mullan, Mike Antinoro, Dave Chamberlin and Orly Anderson serve as executive producers; and Eddie Delbridge serves as co-executive producer. Recent IMG productions that air on FOX include the annual MISS UNIVERSE® contests, currently hosted by Steve Harvey. IMG also produces Harvey’s daytime talk show, “Steve.” “Like” Steve Harvey at facebook.com/SteveHarvey and follow him on Twitter @IAmSteveHarvey or Instagram @IAmSteveHarveyTV.

About Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey is a TV personality, talk show host, actor and comedian who currently hosts several popular TV shows: Emmy® Award-winning daytime talk show “Steve”; breakout hit “Little Big Shots”; game show “Family Feud,” which has achieved the highest ratings in the franchise’s history since Harvey began to host; and “Celebrity Family Feud.” He also hosts the top-rated, nationally syndicated radio show “The Steve Harvey Morning Show.” Additionally, he hosts the MISS UNIVERSE® contests, which have aired on FOX since 2015.

Harvey began his career doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. His success as a comedian eventually led to a long stint as host of “It’s Showtime at the Apollo,” as well as various acting, hosting, writing and producing roles. His entertainment credits include the extremely popular “Kings of Comedy” and “Think Like a Man.” In addition, Harvey is a New York Times No. 1 best-selling author and motivational speaker. Harvey’s business imprint, Steve Harvey Global, also successfully produces broadcast television projects, events/festivals and digital content.  Harvey’s philanthropic efforts, which include mentoring camps for boys and girls, are achieved through the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation. For more about Harvey, visit www.steveharvey.com.

About Maria Menounos

An Emmy® Award-winning journalist, TV personality, motivational speaker, New York Times best-selling author, host of the Noovie cinema pre-show and Founder/CEO of the AfterBuzz TV Networks, Maria Menounos has gained numerous achievements throughout her career in the news and entertainment industry. One of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful, Menounos holds the distinct honor of having conducted the only sit-down interview with the entire Obama family –

an interview ABC News heralded as a deciding factor in President Obama’s historic victory. Currently, Menounos hosts the Noovie cinema pre-show seen daily in 70% of America’s movie theaters. As one of the only female CEOs in the world of tech, Menounos heads the AfterBuzz TV digital broadcast network which produces over 150 hours of weekly programming for over 120 countries worldwide. Menounos’ AfterBuzz TV mentorship program has helped launch hundreds of Hollywood careers, including Eboni K. Williams, WWE superstars Sonia Deville and Cathy Kelly and “Entertainment Tonight’s” Courtney Tezano, Deidre Behart and Jason Carter.

About Sting

Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author and activist Sting has sold close to 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as one of the world’s most distinctive solo artists. Throughout his illustrious career, he has received 16 Grammy Awards, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, four Academy Award nominations, a Tony Award nomination, Billboard Magazine’s Century Award and the MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year Award. He also is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he has been awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, The American Music Award of Merit and The Polar Music Prize. His film and stage work include appearances in more than 15 films, an executive producer credit on the critically acclaimed “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and a starring role in “The Threepenny Opera” on Broadway in 1989. His most recent theater project is the Tony-nominated musical “The Last Ship,” for which he wrote both the music and lyrics, inspired by his memories of the shipbuilding community in northeast England where he was born and raised. In February and March 2019, he will star in the Toronto-based production of the show. Next summer, Sting will tour Europe with a rollicking, dynamic show, performing the most beloved and classic songs he’s written throughout his prolific career. Sting’s support for human rights organizations includes Amnesty International, Live Aid and The Rainforest Fund, which he co-founded with his wife, Trudie Styler in 1989.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media, operating in more than 30 countries. The company manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in sports training and league development, as well as marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. IMG is part of the Endeavor network.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nDcqbfP6wE

2018 New York Film Critics Circle Awards: ‘Roma’ is the top winner

November 29, 2018

by Carla Hay

With three prizes, including Best Picture, “Roma” was the top winner of the 2018 New York Film Critics Circle Awards, which were announced on November 29.  The movie, which is inspired by writer/director Alfonso Cuarón’s childhood in Mexico, also won the awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography. Cuarón is also the movie’s cinematographer and one of the producers. The awards will be presented at New York City’s Tao Downtown on January 7, 2019.

The New York Film Critics Circle tends to award independent art-house movies instead of movies from major studios. That might explain why the New York Film Critics Circle completely snubbed Warner Bros. Pictures’ “A Star Is Born” and Universal Pictures’ “Green Book,” which have been racking up awards elsewhere, such as the National Board of Review Awards. In fact, the only movie from a major studio that the New York Film Critics Circle  awarded for 2018 is Sony/Columbia Pictures’ “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which won the prize of Best Animated Film. The “Spider-Man” victory is somewhat of an upset for Pixar’s “Incredibles 2,” which has been the presumed frontrunner in all the awards for animated films released in 2018.

Other big surprises: “Support the Girls” star Regina Hall won for Best Actress, in a race that many people have predicted would be dominated by Lady Gaga for “A Star Is Born.” The NYFCC Award is the first big prize for Hall’s role in “Support the Girls,” a little-seen comedy in which she portrays the no-nonsense manager of a Hooters-style restaurant. Richard E. Grant, who plays a charming con artist in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” won the prize for Best Supporting Actor. It’s his first major award for his role in the movie, and the prize comes at a time when many Oscar pundits have named “Green Book’s” Mahershala Ali as a Best Supporting Actor frontrunner. Although Hall and Grant were nominated for IFP Gotham Awards for their respective movies, they didn’t win at that award show.

“First Reformed,” a drama about a clergyman and his secrets, won two prizes: Best Actor (for Ethan Hakwe) and Best Screenplay (for writer/director Paul Schrader). Other winners of the 2018 NYFCC Awards include “If Beale Street Could Talk” co-star Regina King (Best Supporting Actress); writer/director Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade” (Best First Feature); and director Bing Liu’s skateboarder documentary “Minding the Gap” (Best Nonfiction Film).

Click here for an updated tally of major awards won by movies that have a 2018 U.S. release date.

2018 returning NYFCC chairman Eric Kohn, who is IndieWire’s chief film critic, commented in a press release: “Our membership expanded this year and so did the sheer volume of great movies worth voting on. We’re so thrilled to spread the love with these terrific films and performances, all of which deliver fresh, exciting visions of the world. From the poetic heights of ‘Roma’ to the haunting paranoia of ‘First Reformed’ and the mind-bending visual sophistication of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ every single winner this year features a complex, unpredictable vision. Conventionality is for conventional awards shows. Our January dinner will certainly not fall into that category.”

Founded in 1935, the New York Film Critics Circle consists of critics from several media outlets. The organization meets in New York every year to vote for its awards, which honor films that were released in the U.S. in that calendar year.

A full list of voting members is below:

Eric Kohn (Chair)
IndieWire

Alison Willmore (Vice Chair)
BuzzFeed

Marshall Fine (General Manager)
Freelance

MEMBERS:

Sam Adams
Slate

John Anderson
Freelance

Melissa Anderson
FourFrames

Michael Atkinson
The Village Voice

Richard Brody
The New Yorker

Dwight Brown
NNPA Syndication

Kameron Austin Collins
Vanity Fair

Bilge Ebiri
The Village Voice

David Edelstein
New York Magazine

David Ehrlich
IndieWire

Kate Erbland 
IndieWire

David Fear
Rolling Stone

Graham Fuller
Culture Trip

Owen Gleiberman
Variety

Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

Steven Greydanus
The National Catholic Register

Rafer Guzman
Newsday

Jordan Hoffman
The Guardian

Caryn James
BBC

Stuart Klawans
The Nation 

Richard Lawson
Vanity Fair

Tomris Laffly 
Time Out New York

Violet Lucca
Film Comment

Joe Morgenstern
The Wall Street Journal

Sheila O’Malley
Rogerebert.com

Nick Pinkerton
Freelance

Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor

Rex Reed
New York Observer

Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York

Alan Scherstuhl
The Village Voice

Matt Zoller Seitz
Rogerebert.com

David Sims
The Atlantic

Matt Singer
ScreenCrush

Kyle Smith
National Review

Dana Stevens
Slate

Sara Stewart
New York Post

Amy Taubin
Artforum

Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

Keith Uhlich
Freelance

Elizabeth Weitzman
The Wrap

Stephen Whitty
The Star-Ledger

Alissa Wilkinson
Vox

Emily Yoshida 
New York Magazine 

Stephanie Zacharek
Time Magazine

Here is the complete list of winners of the 2018 New York Film Critics Circle Awards:

Best Film: “Roma”

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma”)

Best First Film: “Eighth Grade” (Bo Burnham)

Best Actor: Ethan Hawke (“First Reformed”)

Best Actress: Regina Hall (“Support the Girls”)

Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”)

Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”)

Best Non-Fiction Film: “Minding the Gap” (Bing Liu)

Best Screenplay: “First Reformed” (Paul Schrader)

Best Cinematography: “Roma” (Alfonso Cuarón)

Best Foreign Language Film: “Cold War” (Pawel Pawlikowski)

Best Animated Film: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman)

Special Award: Kino Classics Box Set “Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers”

Special Award: David Schwartz, stepping down as Chief Film Curator at Museum of the Moving Image after 33 years

 

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