Jennifer Lopez to Perform as Part of “Global Citizen Live” Concert Event

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is going global to defend the planet…

Global Citizen Live has revealed additional names of performers for its worldwide show on September 25, with the 52-year-old Puerto Rican superstar among those taking the stage.

J.Lo — who also performed as part of Vax Live in Los Angeles a few months ago — Taboo and his fellow Black Eyed Peas and Meek Mill are among the acts just added to the 24-hour event, which will feature performances on six continents.

Global Citizen, the international advocacy group behind the Vax Live concert on May 8, said next month’s event is aimed at defeating poverty, Covid and climate change.

The acts revealed today join Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Andrea Bocelli, Angélique Kidjo, Billie Eilish, BTS, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello, Christine and the Queens, Coldplay, Davido, Demi Lovato, DJ Snake, Doja Cat, Duran Duran, Ed Sheeran, Femi Kuti, Green Day, H.E.R., Hugh Jackman & Deborra-lee Furness, Keith Urban, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Lorde, Metallica, Rag’n’Bone Man, Ricky Martin, Shawn Mendes, The Lumineers, The Weeknd, Tiwa Savage and Usher.

Global Citizen’s stated goal for the event is call on world leaders, major corporations and foundations to donate at least 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to those most in need by September, help the 41 million people on the brink of famine by contributing enough meals to feed everyone for the next year and combat climate change by developing science-based targets to reach net-zero emissions.

Broadcast and streaming partners for Global Citizen Live include ABC, ABC News Live, BBC, FX, iHeartRadio, Hulu, YouTube, Time and Twitter.

Here are the full concert lineups for September 25, with more locations and performances to be announced, per Global Citizen:

NEW YORK CITY
Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Meek Mill, Shawn Mendes (with guest performances by Alessia Cara, Burna Boy, Cyndi Lauper, Jon Batiste and Lang Lang)

PARIS
Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, DJ Snake, H.E.R., Black Eyed Peas, Christine and the Queens (with a guest performance by Angélique Kidjo)

LAGOS, NIGERIA
Femi Kuti, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Made Kuti

Lin-Manuel Miranda Among Artists Offering Civic Lessons in Netflix’s Animated Series “We the People”

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is giving a civics lesson…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and playwright, the mastermind behind the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton, lends his voice to the new animated Netflix series We the People.

Created by Chris Nee and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the 10-part series provides a range of civics lessons through three-minute music videos on topics that include the Bill of Rights, immigration and the courts.

In addition to Miranda, the series also features award-winning artists H.E.R., Brandi Carlisle, Bebe Rexha and others.

Miranda took on the topic of “The Three Branches of Government” episode, writing and performing the song “Checks and Balances,” alongside Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Daveed Diggs, Brittany Howard and Robert Lopez.

With its light hip-hop bear, the catchy number explains the checks and balances of the United States government.

Meanwhile, Jorge R. Gutierrez directs the immigration-themed episode, which features the track “American Citizen,” performed by Bebe Rexha.

The 46-year-old Mexican animator, painter, writer, voice actor, and production designer helms Rexha’s pop message that lets everyone know from the second they are born, they are an “American Citizen.”

The episode is full of visual treats showing how the country is one built from a nation of immigrants, as animated versions of Sofia Vergara, Steven Chen, Anousheh Ansari and Padma Lakshmi are all featured to illustrate the point.

We the People premiered on Sunday, July 4 on Netflix.

Demi Lovato to Perform at This Year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is getting jazzed for the fall…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actor will perform at the 2021 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in October.

Lovato joins a roster of performers that includes Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys, Lizzo, H.E.R. and Brandi Carlile.

Organizers have announced that the festival, which annually celebrates the culture and heritage of New Orleans and Louisiana alongside performances by national and international artists, is scheduled over two weekends in the fall from October 8-10 and October 15-17. Approximately 50 of the artists who will take the stage have been announced, while the full lineup will be presented next month.

Lizzo, Foo Fighters, Stevie Nicks, H.E.R., Dead & Company, The Black Crowes, Norah Jones, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Wu-Tang Clan feat. The Soul Rebels, Tank and The Bangas, The Isley Brothers, Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia and PJ Morton are among the performers who were previously set for the 2020 edition of the festival, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Orleans Jazz Fest traditionally takes place at the end of April and early May for eight days and was once again scheduled for that time of year but was postponed due to COVID-19.

Additional performers include Jimmy Buffett, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ludacris, Jon Batiste, Brittany Howard, Randy Newman and Nile Rodgers & CHIC.

Three-day weekend general admission passes, VIP packages and travel packages for the 2021 New Orleans Jazz Festival are currently on sale at nojazzfest.com. Single-day passes will go on sale in July.

Those who purchased the VIP and weekend packages for the 2020 festival and held on to their tickets will receive an email from the ticketing company with instructions on how to exchange their tickets for the weekend of their choosing. Single-day ticket-holders can make their selections when information about this year’s single-day passes is available next month.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation Inc. is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The foundation uses the proceeds from Jazz Fest, and other raised funds, for year‐round activities in education, economic development and cultural enrichment. The annual event is a co‐production of Festival Productions, Inc.‐New Orleans and AEG Presents.

Christina Aguilera to Perform at the Soon-to-Reopen Hollywood Bowl This Summer

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is preparing to bowl over fans this summer…

The Hollywood Bowl has announced it’s all-star lineup for its first summer season since the pandemic shutdown, which kicks off earlier than previously expected, with the 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer set to perform.

On May 15, conductor Gustavo Dudademal and the LA Philharmonic will be the first to return to the Bowl.

Viola Davis will appear alongside Dudamel and the LA Phil on July 15, on the heels of her Best Actress Oscar nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, serving as the narrator of Sergei Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale, Peter and the Wolf.

She’ll be followed, on July 16 and 17, by five-time Grammy winner Aguilera.

Cynthia Erivo, who recently starred as Aretha Franklin in Nat Geo’s Genius: Aretha, is set to appear on July 30, performing tunes by Franklin, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and others, in addition to selections from her forthcoming debut album.

Meanwhile, recent Oscar winner H.E.R. will perform her first-ever concerts with an orchestra on August 13 and 14.

Over the course of the summer, the Bowl will also present a number of special events, including two Fireworks Spectaculars, on July 3 and 4, in observance of Independence Day. Those shows will feature appearances from disco-funk legends Kool & the Gang.

Other notable events include “The Princess Bride in concert” (July 31), “Sing-A-Long Sound of Music” (August 21), “Black Panther in concert” (September 10-12), and “Maestro of the Movies” (September 3-5). At the latter event, which serves as the Bowl’s annual celebration of film music, John Williams and David Newman will conduct the LA Phil.

Check out the full schedule for the summer by clicking here.

Selena Gomez to Host Global Citizen’s All-Star “Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World”

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is hoping to inspire people to get vaccinated…

The 28-year-old Mexican American singer/actress will host Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, an all-star concert that will be broadcast and streamed worldwide as part of a global effort to inspire confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and encourage people to be inoculated.

Sponsored by Global Citizen, the concert will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World will be pre-taped at the stadium and air on May 8 as part of a worldwide event broadcasting on ABC, CBS, Fox, YouTube and on iHeartMedia radio stations.

The event will include performances by Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin and H.E.R.

“I’m honored to be hosting Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World,” said Gomez in a statement. “This is a historic moment to encourage people around the world to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them, call on world leaders to share vaccine doses equitably and to bring people together for a night of music in a way that hasn’t felt possible in the past year. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

YouTube will stream an extended, 90-minute version of the concert on the YouTube channel of Global Citizen, international anti-poverty advocacy group. The extended version will include additional performances and appearances by various YouTube personalities.

“As a global community, we are in a race against time and the key to coming back together is the vaccine,” Global Citizen co-founder/CEO Hugh Evans said in a statement. “We need to build vaccine confidence in the U.S. and globally, and encourage people to take the vaccine as quickly as possible.

“There is a light at the end of this tunnel,” Evans added, “but getting vaccines to everyone, everywhere regardless of who they are or where they are from, is key to ensuring the end of this pandemic around the world. We must all unite to get back on track to eradicating extreme poverty.”

The broadcast will encourage donations, with the goal of ensuring vaccinations for 27 million health-care workers globally, including in the poorest countries of the world. Organizers will also advocate for “equitable distribution” of vaccines.

“Global Citizen is giving voice to a core message to Angelenos, Americans, and citizens of the world: every time someone gets vaccinated, we move another step closer to ending this pandemic,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “Vax Live will open our eyes to the future we can forge if we all do our part, follow health guidelines and get our shots as soon as we’re eligible — a return to concerts with our fellow fans, gatherings with loved ones, and the embrace of family and friends.”

Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World is hosted by the State of California, and supported by the LA County Health Department, the City of Los Angeles, the City of Inglewood, and E. Stanley Kroenke, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park Developer, and Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman.

“The State of California is thankful to Global Citizen for demonstrating what’s possible when we embrace getting vaccinated and encourage others to get immunized as well,” said Gavin Newsom, Governor of California in a statement. “Music and the arts have long brought us together to celebrate moments of hope and happiness. This concert is no exception to that. We are excited to showcase the best of California reopening in compliance with the best standards of health and safety.”

Jhené Aiko Earns Three NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jhené Aiko is enhancing her Image in a big way…

The nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards have been released, with the 32-year-old part-Spanish and part-Dominican singer earning three nods.

Aiko is nominated in the Outstanding Album category for high highly acclaimed album Chilombo, which earned a Grammy nod in the Album of the Year category.

She’s also nominated for Outstanding Soul/R&B Song and Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) for her single “B.S.,” featuring H.E.R. Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary).

Tessa Thompson is feelin’ the love…

The Afro-Panamanian and Mexican American actress/singer earned a nod in the Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special for her work in Amazon Studios’ Sylvie’s Love.

The Kid Mero is nominated in the Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special).

The 37-year-old Dominican American writer, comedian and TV personality is nominated for his work on Showtime’s Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview.

John Murillo has picked up a nod in the Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry for the half-Mexican American’s poets work Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry.

Eric Velasquez earned a nomination in the Outstanding Literary Work – Children for the half-Afro-Puerto Rican writer’s work with Katheryn Russell-Brown on Chisholm.

It’s bottom’s up for Colman Domingo

The 51-year-old half-Guatemalan/Belizean American, who recently earned his first-ever Spirit Awards nomination, picked up a nod in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture category for his acclaimed work on Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has the write stuff…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican star is up for Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special for creating/writing the filmed version of his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton.

Aurora Guerrero is getting a Little love…

The Chicana writer-director is nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for her work on the episode entitled “The Jaguar” on Apple TV+’s Little America.

Set to simulcast across all ViacomCBS Networks including BET, CBS and MTV on Saturday, March 27th at 8:00 pm ET, the 52nd NAACP Image Awards honor the accomplishments of BIPOC artists across TV, music, film and literature.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

SPECIAL AWARDS

Social Justice Impact
April Ryan
Debbie Allen
Lebron James
Stacey Abrams
Tamika Mallory

Entertainer of the Year
D-Nice
Regina King
Viola Davis
Trevor Noah
Tyler Perry

TELEVISION + STREAMING

Outstanding Comedy Series
#blackAF (Netflix)
Black-ish (ABC)
grown-ish (Freeform)
Insecure (HBO)
The Last O.G. (TBS)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish (ABC)
Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood (CBS)
Don Cheadle – Black Monday (Showtime)
Idris Elba – In the Long Run (Starz)
Tracy Morgan – The Last O.G. (TBS)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO
Folake Olowofoyeku – Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS)
Regina Hall – Black Monday (Showtime)
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish (ABC)
Yara Shahidi – Grown-ish (Freeform)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Deon Cole – Black-ish (ABC)
Jay Ellis – Insecure (HBO)
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Laurence Fishburne – Black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Jenifer Lewis – Black-ish (ABC)
Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)
Natasha Rothwell – Insecure (HBO)
Tichina Arnold – The Neighborhood (CBS)
Yvonne Orji – Insecure (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series
All Rise (CBS)
Bridgerton (Netflix)
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Keith David – Greenleaf (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Nicco Annan – P-Valley (Starz)
Regé-Jean Page – Bridgerton (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX)
Brandee Evans – P-Valley (Starz)
Jurnee Smollett – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Simone Missick – All Rise (CBS)
Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Clifford “Method Man” Smith – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Alphonse Nicholson – P-Valley (Starz)
Jeffrey Wright – Westworld (HBO)
Michael Kenneth Williams – Lovecraft Country (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Adjoa Andoh – Bridgerton (Netflix)
Aunjanue Ellis – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Lynn Whitfield – Greenleaf (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Mary J. Blige – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Hamilton (Disney+)
Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Blair Underwood – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Chris Rock – Fargo (FX)
Daveed Diggs – Hamilton (Disney+)
Leslie Odom, Jr. – Hamilton (Disney+)
Nnamdi Asomugha – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Aunjanue Ellis – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
Kerry Washington – Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You (HBO)
Octavia Spencer – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Tessa Thompson – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
AM Joy: Remembering John Lewis Special (MSNBC)
Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview (Showtime)
The Color of Covid (CNN)
The New York Times Presents “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” (FX)
The Reidout (NBC)

Outstanding Talk Series
Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
Tamron Hall (Syndicated )
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)
The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Shark Tank (ABC)
United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
Voices of Fire (Netflix)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)
8:46 (Netflix)
Black Is King (Disney+)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion (HBO Max)
VERZUZ (APPLE TV)
Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It! (HBO)

Outstanding Children’s Program
Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Netflix)
Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
Family Reunion (Netflix)
Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)
We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited–Series)
Alex R. Hibbert – The Chi (Showtime)
Lexi Underwood – Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Lyric Ross – This Is Us (NBC)
Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)
Miles Brown – Black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Don Lemon – CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (CNN)
Jada Pinkett Smith – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
Joy Reid – The Reidout (NBC)
LeBron James – The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO)
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Alfonso Ribeiro – America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Kamau Bell – United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Outstanding Guest Performance – Comedy or Drama Series
Chris Rock – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Courtney B. Vance – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Dave Chappelle – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Issa Rae – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Loretta Devine – P-Valley (Starz)

Outstanding Animated Series
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Central Park (Apple TV+)
Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix)
Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Aisha Tyler – Archer (FX)
Courtney B. Vance – Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (PBS)
Dawnn Lewis – Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access)
Deon Cole – Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Netflix)
Laya DeLeon Hayes – Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama
#FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
CripTales (BBC America)
Lazor Wulf (Adult Swim)
Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
Sincerely, Camille (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Performance in a Short Form Series
Giancarlo Esposito – The Broken and the Bad (AMC.com )
J.B. Smoove – Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
Jasmine Cephas Jones – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
Laurence Fishburne – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
Stephan James – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Reality/Nonfiction
American Masters – Unladylike2020 (PBS)
Benedict Men (Quibi)
Between The Scenes – The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
In The Making (PBS)
Inspire Change Series (NFL Network)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)
Katori Hall – P-Valley (Starz)
Keith Knight – Woke (Hulu)
Ramy Youssef – Ramy (Hulu)
Raynelle Swilling – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Teri Schaffer – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

RECORDING

Outstanding New Artist
Chika – High Rises (Warner Records)
Doja Cat – Say So (RCA Records/Kemosabe )
D Smoke – Black Habits (WoodWorks Records / EMPIRE)
Giveon – When It’s All Said And Done (Epic Records)
Skip Marley – Higher Place (Island Records/ Tuff Gong Records)

Outstanding Male Artist
Big Sean – Detroit 2 (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)
Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able (Republic Records)
Charlie Wilson – All of My Love (P Music Group/BMG)
Drake – Laugh Now, Cry Later (Republic Records)
John Legend – Bigger Love (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé – Black Parade (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
H.E.R. – I Can’t Breathe (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
Jazmine Sullivan – Lost One (RCA Records)
Ledisi – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
Alicia Keys – Alicia (RCA Records)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
Anything For You – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
Black is King – Beyonce´ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Brown Skin Girl – Beyonce’ feat WizKid, SAINt JHN, Blu Ivy Carter (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Do It – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Album
Alicia – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
b7 – Brandy (Brand Nu/eOne)
Bigger Love – John Legend (Columbia Records)
Chilombo – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
The Wild Card – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Music from the Netflix Film) – Branford Marsalis (Milan)
Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series – Various Artists (Atlantic Records)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Various Artists (Atlantic Records )
Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall (Walt Disney Records)
The First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack – Donald Lawrence (Relevé Entertainment)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
Chosen Vessel – Marvin Sapp (RCA Inspiration)
Gospel According to PJ – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
I Am – Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspiration)
Kierra – Kierra Sheard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
The Return – The Clark Sisters (Karew/Motown)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“All in His Plan” – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
“Never Lost” – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel)
“Something Has To Break” – Kierra Sheard feat. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
“Strong God” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records)
“Touch from You” – Tamela Mann (TillyMann Inc.)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental
Be Water – Christian Sands (Mack Avenue Music Group)
Music From and Inspired By Soul – Jon Batiste (Walt Disney Records)
Omega – Immanuel Wilkins (Blue Note Records)
Reciprocity – George Burton (Inner Circle Music)
The Iconoclast – Barry Stephenson (Independent)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal
Donny Duke and Wonder – Nathan Mitchell (ENM Music Group)
Holy Room – Live at Alte Oper – Somi (Salon Africana)
Pulling Off The Covers – Mike Phillips (Sono Recording Group)
Stronger – Jeff Bradshaw (Bone Deep Enterprises)
The Eddy (From The Netflix Original Series) – The Eddy (Arista Records)

Outstanding Soul/R&B Song
“I Can’t Breathe” – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
“Anything For You” – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
“S. feat. H.E.R” – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
“Black Parade” – Beyonce’ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
“Do It” – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
“Deep Reverence feat. Nipsey Hussle” – Big Sean (Brand Nu/eOne)
“Savage Remix” – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)
“Cool Off” – Missy Elliott (Atlantic Records) “Laugh Now, Cry Later” – Drake (Republic Records)
“Life Is Good” – Future & Drake (Epic Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
Alicia Keys feat. Jill Scott – Jill Scott (RCA Records)
Chloe x Halle – Wonder What She Thinks Of Me (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis feat. Babyface – He Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout It (BMG)
Kem feat. Toni Braxton – Live Out Your Love (Motown Records)
Ledisi and PJ Morton – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
Alicia Keys feat. Khalid – “So Done” (RCA Records)
Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle – “Deep Reverence” (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)
Chloe x Halle – “Do It” (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R. – “B.S”. (Def Jam Recordings)
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – “Savage Remix” (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)

Outstanding International Song
“Blessed” – Buju Banton (Roc Nation Records)
“Lockdown” – Original Koffee (Promise Land Recordings)
“Pressure (Remix)” – Original Koffee feat. Buju Banton (Promise Land Recordings)
“Tanana” – Davido feat. Tiwa Savage (RCA Records/Sony Music U.K./Davido Worldwide Entertainment)
“Temptation” – Tiwa Savage (Motown Records)

Outstanding Producer of the Year
Donald Lawrence
Hit-Boy
Jathan Wilson
Sean Keys
TM88

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
Black Bottom Saints – Alice Randall (HarperCollins Publishers)
Lakewood – Megan Giddings (HarperCollins Publishers)
Riot Baby – Tochi Onyebuchi (TorDotCom Publishing, imprint of Tom Doherty Associates)
The Awkward Black Man – Walter Mosley (Grove Atlantic)
The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett (Riverhead Books)

Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction

A Black Women’s History of the United States – Daina Berry (Beacon Press)

A Promised Land – Barack Obama (Crown)

Driving While Black – Gretchen Sorin (W. W. Norton & Company)

Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America – Michael Eric Dyson (St. Martin’s Press)

We’re Better Than This – Elijah Cummings (HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

A Knock at Midnight – Brittany Barnett (Penguin Random House)

Greyboy: Finding Blackness in a White World – Cole Brown (Skyhorse)

Lakewood – Megan Giddings (HarperCollins Publishers)

The Compton Cowboys – Walter Thompson-Hernandez (HarperCollins Publishers)

We’re Better Than This – Elijah Cummings (HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography

A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team – Arshay Cooper (Macmillan)

A Promised Land – Barack Obama (Crown)

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice – Deborah Draper (Simon & Schuster)

The Dead Are Arising – Les Payne, Tamara Payne (W. W. Norton & Company)

Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player – Willie O’Ree (Penguin Canada)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

Do Right by Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Space – Valerie Harrison (Temple University Press)

Living Lively – Haile Thomas (HarperCollins Publishers)

The Black Foster Youth Handbook – Ángela Quijada-Banks (Soulful Liberation)

The Woman God Created You to Be: Finding Success Through Faith–Spiritually, Personally, and Professionally – Kimberla Lawson Roby (Lenox Press)

Vegetable Kingdom – Bryant Terry (Penguin Random House)

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
Homie – Danez Smith (Graywolf Press)
Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry – John Murillo (Four Way Books)
Seeing the Body – Rachel Eliza Griffiths (W. W. Norton & Company)
The Age of Phillis – Honorée Jeffers (Wesleyan University Press)
Un-American – Hafizah Geter (Wesleyan University Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children
I Promise – LeBron James, Nina Mata (HarperCollins)
Just Like a Mama – Alice Faye Duncan, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Simon & Schuster)
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice – Nikki Grimes, Laura Freeman (Simon & Schuster)
She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm – Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric Velasquez (Lee & Low Books)
The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver – Gene Barretta, Frank Morrison (HarperCollins)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
Before the Ever After – Jacqueline Woodson (Penguin Random House)
Black Brother, Black Brother – Jewell Parker Rhodes (Hachette Book Group)
Dear Justyce – Nic Stone (Crown Books for Young Readers)
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning – Jason Reynolds (Hachette Book Group )
This is Your Time – Ruby Bridges (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Anthony Mackie – The Banker (Apple)
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Forest Whitaker – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Will Smith – Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Issa Rae – The Photograph (Universal Pictures)
Janelle Monáe – Antebellum (Lionsgate)
Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Tracee Ellis Ross – The High Note (Focus Features)
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Aldis Hodge – One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Clarke Peters – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Colman Domingo – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Anika Noni Rose – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Gabourey Sidibe – Antebellum (Lionsgate)
Nia Long – The Banker (Apple)
Phylicia Rashad – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Taylour Paige – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
Emperor (Universal Home Video)
Farewell Amor (IFC Films)
Miss Juneteenth (Vertical Entertainment)
The 24th (Vertical Entertainment)
The Banker (Apple)

Outstanding International Motion Picture
Ainu Mosir (ARRAY)
His House (Netflix)
Night of the Kings (Neon)
The Last Tree (ArtMattan Productions)
The Life Ahead (La vita davanti a se) (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Dayo Okeniyi – Emperor (Universal Home Video)
Dominique Fishback – Project Power (Netflix)
Jahi Di’Allo Winston – Charm City Kings (HBO Max)
Jahzir Bruno – The Witches (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
The Banker (Apple)

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
Onward (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Over the Moon (Netflix)
Scoob! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Trolls World Tour (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture
Ahmir-Khalib Thompson aka Questlove – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Angela Bassett – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Chris Rock – The Witches (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Jamie Foxx – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Phylicia Rashad – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Short Form. (Live Action)
Baldwin Beauty (Powderkeg Media)
Black Boy Joy (Film Independent Project Involve )
Gets Good Light
Home
Mr. & Mrs. Ellis (AMB Productions)

Outstanding Short Form (Animated)
Canvas (Netflix)
Cops and Robbers (Netflix)
Loop (Pixar Animation Studios)
Windup (Unity Technologies)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
Loira Limbal – Through the Night (Third Shift Media, Inc.)
Melissa Haizlip – Mr. Soul! (Shoes In The Bed Productions)
Nadia Hallgren – Becoming (A Higher Ground Productions and Big Mouth Productions Film for Netflix)
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
Remi Weekes – His House (Netflix)

DOCUMENTARY

Outstanding Documentary (Film)
All In: The Fight For Democracy (Amazon Studios)
Coded Bias (7th Empire Media)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
On the Record (HBO Max)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)
And She Could Be Next (PBS)
Black Love (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (EPIX)
The Last Dance (ESPN / Netflix)
Unsung (TV One)

WRITING

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Issa Rae – Insecure – “Lowkey Feelin’ Myself” (HBO)
Lee Eisenberg, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon – Little America – “The Rock” (Apple TV+)
Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You – “Ego Death” (HBO)
Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher – Never Have I Ever º “Pilot” (Netflix)
Rajiv Joseph – Little America – “The Manager” (Apple TV+)

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Attica Locke – Little Fires Everywhere – “The Spider Web” (Hulu)
Erika L. Johnson, Mark Richard – The Good Lord Bird – “A Wicked Plot” (Showtime)
Jessica Lamour – Little Voice – “Love Hurts” (Apple TV+)
Katori Hall – P-Valley – “Perpetratin’” (Starz)
Tanya Barfield – Mrs. America – “Shirley” (FX)

Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin, D. Rodney Carter, Emily Goldwyn, Rob Haze, Zuri Salahuddin, Bennett Webber, Evan Williams, Will Miles – Sherman’s Showcase Black History Month Spectacular (IFC)
Eugene Ashe – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
Geri Cole – The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special (HBO Max)
Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton (Disney+)
Sylvia L. Jones, Camille Tucker – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Kemp Powers – One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari (A24)
Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Mike Jones – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Mary Mazzio – A Most Beautiful Thing (Peacock)
Melissa Haizlip – Mr. Soul! (Maysles Documentary Center)
Nile Cone – The Beat Don’t Stop (TV One)
Royal Kennedy Rodgers – Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (PBS)
Yoruba Richen, Elia Gasull Balada, Valerie Thomas – The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show (Peacock)

DIRECTING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anya Adams – Black-ish – “Hair Day” (ABC)
Aurora Guerrero – Little America – “The Jaguar” (Apple TV+)
Eric Dean Seaton – Black-ish – “Our Wedding Dre” (ABC)Kabir Akhtar – Never Have I Ever – “… started a nuclear war” (Netflix)
Sam Miller, Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You – “Ego Death” (HBO)

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Cheryl Dunye – Lovecraft Country – “Strange Case” (HBO)
Hanelle Culpepper – Star Trek: Picard – “Remembrance” (CBS All Access)
Misha Green – Lovecraft Country – “Jig-a-Bobo Stewart – Little Fires Everywhere – “The Uncanny” (Hulu)
Steve McQueen – Small Axe – “Mangrove” (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Emmanuel Adeji, Blitz Bazawule, Kwasi Fordjour – Black Is King (Disney+)
Christine Swanson – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
Chuck Vinson, Alan Muraoka – The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special (HBO Max)
Eugene Ashe – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
Kamilah Forbes – Between The World And Me (HBO)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
George C. Wolfe – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Old Guard (Netflix)
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
Regina King – One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Keith McQuirter – By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
Muta’Ali – Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (HBO)
Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff – Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (Ep. 1 & 2) (HBO)
Simcha Jacobovici – Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (EPIX)
Yoruba Richen – The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show (Peacock)

Christina Aguilera to Perform at This Sunday’s Ultimate Super Bowl LV After Party

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is ready to bowl you over…

The 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer will take part in the ultimate Super Bowl LV after party.

Aguilera joins a roster of performers that includes Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Luke Bryan and more.

The Verizon Big Concert for Small Business will start a multi-year commitment to provide 1 million small businesses with resources they need to succeed by 2030. Verizon will also donate $10 million to the non-profit organization Local Initiatives Support Corp (LISC), which has been financially supporting businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans can make a one-time donation of $10 to LISC by texting SMALLBIZ to 20222 as part of Verizon’s text-to-give campaign.

Additional performers include H.E.R. and Jazmine Sullivan, who will respectively sing “America the Beautiful” and the National Anthem (alongside Eric Church) during the CBS Kick-Off Show at 6:00 pm ET, as well as Miley Cyrus, who’s set to kick off the TikTok Tailgate pre-show at 2:30 p.m. ET on TikTok and CBS.

The Weeknd is the headline performer of the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show. He recently unveiled an 18-song collection of his greatest hits called The Highlights before his highly anticipated performance, which fans can purchase here this Friday (February 5).

The Verizon Big Concert for Small Business will stream immediately after Super Bowl LV on Sunday, February 7 at 11:00 pm ET on Yahoo and Fios as well as Verizon’s Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok accounts.

Bad Bunny to Take Part in LeBron James’ “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” Special

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunnyis celebrating the Class of 2020…

The LeBron James Family Foundation announced that it’s paying tribute to the class of 2020 with a one-hour multimedia event called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, with the 26-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer joining the roster of participating artists.

James’ virtual graduation party for this year’s graduation class, who’s seen their school year cancelled because of the coronavirus, will take place on Saturday, May 16 at 8:00 pm ET simultaneously on NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox— as well as on the streaming platforms Complex Networks, Facebook app, Instagram, People TV, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

In addition to Bad Bunny, the lineup includes Kane Brown, Lana Condor, David Dobrik, Dolan Twins, Karol G, Liza Koshy, Maren Morris, National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, Olivia Wilde, Zendaya, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Chika, YBN Cordae, Loren Gray, H.E.R., the Jonas Brothers, Brandan Bmike Odums, Ben Platt, Henry Platt, Jonah Platt, Megan Rapinoe, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzaiand many more.

Working with the XQ Instituteand The Entertainment Industry Foundation, the show will allow the companies to honor the more than three million high school seniors who’ll miss out on the annual rite of passage due to the national shutdown caused by the COVID-19pandemic.

“We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics,” said James in a statement.

“It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together—students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them. With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”

The commercial-free show will be curated by high school students and educators from across the country, with support from the American Federation of Teachers, highlighted by a collection of commencement addresses, celebrity performances and inspirational vignettes.

Students, educators, and families are encouraged to submit their videos and photos online for consideration to be included in the telecast using #GraduateTogether. Artist JR is also inviting seniors to share their portraits for a national virtual yearbook celebrating the entire Class of 2020.

Local TV stations will feature custom breakaways to celebrate the achievements of high school students in their communities.

Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020will be broadcast commercial-free on May 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

Becky G to Serve as Co-Host at This Year’s Global Citizen Festival

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Becky G is thinking globally…

The 22-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper and actress will serve as a co-host at this year’s Global Citizen Festival, taking place on September 28 at Central Parkin New York City.

The event has been held in New York every year since 2012, and calls on music fans to take action on a number of important issues to earn tickets to the show.

Global Citizen, a social advocacy group, hosts the festival to drive action toward its goal to end extreme poverty by 2030.

This year, Global Citizens are urged to pressure decision-makers to help end child marriage, support family planning, promote women’s entrepreneurship and shine a light on workplace safety.

In addition to Becky G, this year’s co-host roster includes Connie Britton, Nina Dobrev, Dakota Johnson, Becky Lynch,Aasif Mandvi, Bridget Moynahan, Kal Penn,Erin Richards, Seth Rollinsand Savannah Seller.

The lineup of performers includes David Gray, NCT 127, Queen + Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, H.E.R., and Carole King, with special guests French Montana, Ben Platt, and Jon Batiste & Stay Human.

For the sixth straight year, MSNBCand Comcast NBCUniversalwill air a live simulcast of the event on MSNBC, and Ken Ehrlichand Live Nation will produce.

The festival will also be livestreamed on YouTubeand Twitter.

Ricky Martin to Perform Alongside Camila Cabello at This Year’s Grammys

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Ricky Martinis getting into the Grammy spirit…

The Recording Academy has announced that the 47-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will take the stage during this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony.

Martin, a two-time Grammy winner, will join Camila Cabelloduring her show opening number.

In addition to Martin, J Balvin, Young Thugand Arturo Sandovalare also expected to appear alongside Cabello, a two-time nominee this year.

Additionally, the show will feature a special tribute to eight-time Grammywinner, Dolly Parton, who will also take to the stage for the first time in 18 years to perform her new music.

Set to perform the iconic country star’s classic hits will be Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Townand Maren Morris. Parton will then take center stage to sing her latest tunes from her 2018 album, Dumplin’ — the soundtrack to Netflix’s original motion picture by the same name starring Jennifer Aniston.

Previously announced artists performing during the biggest night in music include Cardi B, Dan + Shay, H.E.R., Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monáe,Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Diana Ross.

Hosted by Alicia Keys, the 61st Annual Grammy Awards will take place live from the Staples Center on Sunday, February 10 at 8:00 pm ET, and will be broadcast live on CBS.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: H.E.R.