Latest news with #musicawards
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
AMA comments due to frustration at performance's politicisation
music politics 36 minutes ago Senior government minister Chris Bishop said his comments directed at a performance at the Aotearoa Music Awards were due to his frustration at its politicisation. The minister was heard saying "what a load of crap' during Stan Walker's performance on Thursday, and while he says he should've kept his thoughts to himself, he's not going to apologise the musician. One of his Cabinet colleagues said he disagrees with the comments, while the opposition are pointing to the history of politics in music. Political reporter Giles Dexter has more.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala Expands Into Major Fundraiser
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MAY 16: John Mellencamp performs onstage during the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame ... More Gala at The Beverly Hilton on May 16, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo byfor The Recording Academy) As NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) CEO Harvey Mason told me a few years ago, one of the biggest issues the organization behind the Grammy Awards needs to fix is making people aware they are active year-round. The Grammy Awards are just part of what NARAS does. Holding a gala in May with an awards worthy lineup of performers, including John Mellencamp, Jon Batiste, Conan Gray, Susanna Hoffs, Emmylou Harris with Daniel Lanois and many others, is one sure way to attract attention. The Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, celebrated a diverse selection of works – JAY-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Cat Stevens' Tea For The Tillerman, Santana's Supernatural, and classics from Big Star, Clara Ward, Eddie Floyd, Emmylou Harris, Fela Kuti & Afrika 70, Geeshie Wiley, Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Linda Martell, and Luther Vandross – inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, as well as honored Batiste with the first annual Ray Charles Architect of Sound award and honored Republic Records, which is what brought out Mellencamp and Gray. The Grammy Hall of Fame was created in 1973 and now currently includes over 1100 records, from Steely Dan, Kraftwerk and the Grateful Dead to Cole Porter, Louis Armstrong and the Budapest String Quartet, but the gala is a new endeavor, begun recently. This year saw it expand in size and scope to the Beverly Hilton as a fundraiser for the Grammy Museum. Given the success of this year's event, the talent involved, and attention this one garnered, plans are already underway to continue the gala in 2026. Like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where artists are eligible 25 years after their debut effort, the Grammy Hall of Fame also has a 25-year waiting period for eligibility. One thing the Grammys have always done right is atone for past errors in judgement by presenting lifetime achievement awards and hall of fame honors to deserving records and artists overlooked the first time. So, yeah, as much as I love Steely Dan, if you felt Eminem deserved that Album of the Year, there is a damn good chance his work will be in the Grammy Hall of Fame sooner or later.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Behind the scenes videos show truly lame reality of major award show
Barely any A-listers, barely any awards, barely any musical performances by anyone who's had a hit this century … there's no denying yesterday's resurrected American Music Awards was a bit lame for viewers. Turns out, it was even worse for those watching it live. Once one of the biggest award shows on the American entertainment calendar, yesterday's awards – the first held since 2022 – were marred by no-shows and a bizarre decision not to air most of the major actual awards. Almost all of the major nominees – Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone, Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Morgan Wallen – were absent. That led producers to take drastic action, skipping key awards like Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Artist, lest the night turn into a repetitive string of pre-recorded video messages (especially since Billie Eilish won all three). What did we get instead? Performances from Gloria Estefan (performing a medley of hits from the mid-to-late 80s), Janet Jackson (singing two 2001-era bops) and an 80-year-old Sir Rod Stewart, closing the entire show with a performance of his 1988 single Forever Young. Uh … sure, why not? Keeping with the retro theme, Gwen Stefani was one of the night's early performers, singing a mash-up of her early noughties hits The Sweet Escape and Hollaback Girl (with one of her new 'I heart Blake Shelton' country-lite tracks jammed in too, just to make you realise how far the mighty has fallen). Weird, then, that she didn't walk the red carpet outside the show? But a behind-the-scenes fan video from inside the arena has exposed why: Stefani's performance was actually pre-recorded, and was shown on a video screen above the darkened stage. Other BTS videos show Stefani's husband Blake Shelton opted for the same prerecord for his performance (which begs the question, how did it still turn out so terribly?). They were two of the night's biggest performers, but Mr and Mrs Shelton weren't actually there. Where did it all go wrong? Only a few short years ago, the AMAs line-up looked very different: The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish were among the performers at the 2020 ceremony, while a year earlier, Taylor Swift bashed out a career-spanning medley of her biggest hits. Speaking of: There was much buzz among Swifties early yesterday that Swift, who has been keeping an uncharacteristically low profile this year, would break cover and use an appearance at the awards to announce the next entry in her(Taylor's Version) re-record slog. As the red carpet wore on, with Heidi Montag and Zac Efron's Brother amid the biggest names in attendance, it was clear Swifties' hopes were misplaced. Seriously – not even Rita Ora was there. But can we please raise a glass for the AMAs' social media team, vainly trying to drum up some hype in the absence of almost any actual musical A-listers? 'The stars are all here and ready for a night celebrating music!' the AMAs' official social media accounts trumpeted in the minutes before the show began, showing we truly do live in an era of fake news. In the video they posted as evidence of said 'stars,' he camera panned across a front row filled with … influencers? TikTokers? Seat fillers? … until finally, a bored-looking Sir Rod Stewart came into view, slumped in his seat and visibly questioning his life choices.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
American Music Awards 2025: Who won at the AMAs?
The red carpet was out in the US city of Las Vegas, where this year's American Music Awards (AMAs) took place. The biggest prize of the night went to Billie Eilish, who picked up album of the year. She beat the likes of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams to scoop the fact, it was a huge night for Eilish, who won all seven of the categories in which she was reading to find out who else were the big winners at the AMAs. Who won at the AMAs? Billie Eilish had a night to remember as she picked up seven prizes at the fan-voted awards won artist of the year, as well as album of the year AND song of the year, for her hit Birds of a 23-year-old also scooped the award for favourite touring artist, favourite female pop artist, favourite pop album and pop song. However, she was unable to collect her awards in person, as the singer is currently busy on her European a video message, Eilish said she couldn't believe her huge achievement."This is so crazy. I feel speechless. "I wish I could be there tonight", she added. Other big winners on the night included Gracie Abrams, who picked up new artist of the year. She thanked her fans in her acceptance speech, who she said she had "been lucky enough to learn from."It was a special night for Beyoncé, who won two awards, for favourite female country artist and favourite country album for Cowboy Carter. Although the popstar has won AMAs in the past, this was the first time that she had picked up trophies in the country Lamar took home favourite hip-hop song for Not Like Us, and SZA scooped two awards for favourite R&B song and favourite female R&B music legend Sir Rod Stewart got a huge surprise when he was presented with the lifetime achievement award by his own children on stage.
The Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald
Billie Eilish takes top prize at American Music Awards
'They have reminded me of the light that exists out there,' Abrams said. SZA took home AMA accolades for female R&B artist and for R&B song for Saturn . Becky G was named favourite female Latin artist. Many big names on the nominees' list did not attend the show, which was broadcast live on CBS from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel. One absentee was Beyoncé, who took favourite female country artist and favourite country album for Cowboy Carter , her first AMA wins in country categories. Post Malone was named favourite male country artist. Other no-shows included Swift and Lamar. Lamar went into the ceremony with a leading 10 nominations. He earned one award, favourite hip-hop song, for Not Like Us . The festivities opened with host Jennifer Lopez singing and dancing to a six-minute medley of 23 hits by the nominees. The songs included Eilish's Birds of a Feather , Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso and Beyoncé's Texas Hold 'Em . Janet Jackson was honoured with the Icon award, a tribute for artists with global influence. 'I don't consider myself an icon,' Jackson said on stage. 'The one thing I hope for is that I'm an inspiration for others to follow their dreams and succeed.' Rod Stewart, 80, received a lifetime achievement honour and danced and sang to his pop hit Forever Young , which was released in 1984. Stewart said when he started his career 'I had this burning ambition to sing'. 'That's all I wanted to do. I didn't want to be rich or famous.' Reuters
