Scotty McCreery to Serve as Presenter at People’s Choice Country Music Awards

Scotty McCreery is headed to the People’s Choice Country Music Awards

The 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion has been added as a presenter for the awards show, which will air on Thursday, September 26, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.

Scotty McCreeryMcCreery is among a list of just-added presenters that includes Ashley Cooke, Bailey Zimmerman, Chase Rice, Cody Rhodes, Dasha, Orville Peck, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Shaboozey and Tanner Adell.

Meantime, Brad Paisley and rapper mgk have been added as performers for the show.

Hosted by Shania Twain, the People’s Choice Country Awards will honor the biggest names in country music, as chosen entirely by fans.

The show will feature previously-announced performances from Country Icon recipient Miranda Lambert, Country Champion recipient Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady A, Parker McCollum and The War And Treaty.

The 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards kicks off with Live From E!: People’s Choice Country Awards at 6:00 pm ET/PT on E!.

Additionally, the People’s Choice Country Awards Pre-Show will air live at 7:00 pm ET/4 p.m. PT on Peacock, E! Online, YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

Marcello Hernández to Compete in 2024 MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game

Marcello Hernández is ready to play ball…

Major League Baseball (MLB) officials have revealed the names of some of the celebrities who’ll be taking part in the 2024 MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, including the 26-year-old Cuban American stand-up comedian, actor and Saturday Night Live cast member.

Marcello HernandezThe game, which is set to take place on July 13th, is part of the All-Star Saturday festivities taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Hernández will be joined by 30-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer Myke Towers. Both recently celebrated Latino culture in baseball in a campaign with Remezcla Creative Agency titled “El Béisbol es Otra Cosa.” The campain highlighted the great Latino starss in themajor leagues, as well as the many ways Latino communities relate to them.

Other celebrities who are set to participate in the game include actress Gina Rodriguez, singers Eladio Carrion, Payo Solis & Julian Peña, Jr of Grupo Frontera, TV & radio personality Bobby Bones, reality TV personalities West Wilson and Matt James, country music star Kane Brown and influences Dani Austin and Nicky Cass.

Also participating will be former pitcher Pedro Martínez, and former NFL wider receiver Terrell Owens, as well as former NBA point guard Tyrese Maxey and softball legends Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley, and Lauren Gipson (Chamberlain).

Tickets for the All-Star Saturday festivities are now available at allstargame.com, starting from $35 and include all three events on Saturday, including the 2024 All-Star Futures Game, featuring the top Minor League prospects and the MLB Futures Skills Showcase as well as the 2024 All-Star Celebrity Softball Game.

Nicky Jam to Perform as Part of Good Morning America’s Annual Summer Concert Series

Nicky Jam is helping to wake up America this summer…

Good Morning America‘s annual Summer Concert Series is returning in July, with the The 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American urban singer-songwriter part of the lineup.

Nicky JamNicky Jam will appear from Central Park on the ABC morning show on Friday, August 9.

This year’s genre-spanning lineup also includes rockers Green Day celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dookie and the 20th anniversary of “American Idiot,” country star Carrie Underwood and more.

The annual concert series kicks off its run of eight shows on July 19 with Kane Brown in New York City’s Central Park, and includes rapper G-Eazy on August 16 at the show’s Times Square studio, and closes September 6 with country band Old Dominion, also at GMA‘s studio.

Here’s the full list of GMA‘s Summer Concert Series shows:

July 19: Kane Brown, Central Park
July 26: Green Day, Central Park
Aug. 2: Carrie Underwood, Central Park
Aug. 9: Nicky Jam, Central Park
Aug. 16: G-Eazy, Times Square studio
Aug. 23: Sofi Tukker, Times Square studio
Aug. 30: Megan Moroney, Times Square studio
Sept. 6: Old Dominion, Times Square studio

The performances set for Central Park will take place at Rumsey Playfield. For those interested in the shows in the park — which will be free and open to the public — information on how to attend is available on Good Morning America‘s website.

The concerts held at the Times Square studio will not have a live audience.

All of the performances will air between 7:00 and 9:00 am ET during the morning show’s broadcast, though some will air at 1:00 pm ET on GMA3: What You Need to Know, as well as 4:00 pm ET and 6:00 pm ET during ABC News Live.

Last year’s concert series kicked off with BTS superstar Jung Kook in Central Park. Carly Rae Jepson; Fat Joe with Busta Rhymes, Remy Ma and Bia; Tim McGraw and more also performed for the morning show.

Enrique Iglesias Teaming Up with Miranda Lambert for New Single “Space in My Heart”

Enrique Iglesias is making a little space for country-tinged music…

The 48-year-old Spanish superstar is joining voices with country music star Miranda Lambert for the upcoming single “Space in My Heart.”

Enrique IglesiasOn Monday, February 12, Lambert posted a snippet of the upcoming single, which will be released in full on February 22.

On Instagram, Lambert noted, “Texas meets Spain! Can’t wait for y’all to hear this one.”

The snippet offers up a sultry come-on, with the two singing, “You don’t love me yet, but I know you will/ If you ever go I will never change/ There’s a space in my heart and it’s just your shape.”

Iglesias — known for his Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Bailamos” and “Be With You,” as well as songs like “Hero” and the Whitney Houston collaboration “Could I Have This Kiss Forever?” — was named one of Billboard‘Top-Grossing Latin Artists of All Time.

He’s notched eight chart-topping albums on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart, including Vivir (15 weeks at the chart pinnacle) and Sex and Love (16 weeks).

In collaborating with Iglesias, Lambert continues a lengthy linage of country-Latin collaborations.

In the 1980s, Enrique’s father, Latin music icon Julio Iglesias, earned country hits on collaborations with Willie Nelson, including the CMA Award-winning “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” as well as “Spanish Eyes.” Country trio Midland teamed with Jay De La Cueva for a Spanish-language version of its hit “Drinkin’ Problem.” Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood performed with Latin artist David Bisbal for the bilingual song “Tears of Gold,” while Kane Brown teamed with Becky G for a Spanish remix of “Lost in the Middle of Nowhere.” In celebrating the 25th anniversary of his 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart,” Billy Ray Cyrus collaborated with Caballo Dorado on a bilingual version of the song.

Feid to Perform as Part of Post-Thursday Night Football Concert Series “Amazon Music Live”

It’s a touchdown for Feid.

Amazon Music Live will return for season 2 with performances from several artists, including the 31-yea-old Colombian singer and songwriter.

FeidHosted by 2 Chainz, Amazon Music’s weekly livestreamed concert series, which is broadcast after Thursday Night Football will have performances starting September 21 at 9:00 pm PT with artists including Feid, Ed Sheeran, Lil Durk and more.

Amazon Music Live will broadcast live from Los Angeles and air on Prime Video and Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.

Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Kane Brown, Lil Wayne, Anuel AA, A$AP Rocky, Anitta and 21 Savage performed during season 1 of Amazon Music Live.

“We created Amazon Music Live to bring sports and music fans together on Thursday nights for a brand-new, can’t-miss event celebrating new music after the biggest game of the week,” said Ryan Redington, GM of Amazon Music. “Available to fans around the world on Prime Video and Twitch, AML became a massive new stage for artists to share their culture-defining new music after Thursday Night Football, and this year we’re going even bigger.”

Sheeran will kick off season 2 on September 21, just a week before he releases his seventh studio album Autumn Variations, due September 29. \

Feid will perform September 28, the night before he drops his new album Mor No Le Temas a la Oscuridad.

And Lil Durk will perform on Oct. 5.

More artists across all genres will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Join me each week when I’m turning Thursday night into music’s main stage with Amazon Music Live,” 2 Chainz said. “We’re returning to your screens live after Thursday Night Football with even more new music, more album drops and more wild performances than ever before. Amazon Music Live is the only place to be after the big game. Tune in and turn up.”

Alex Alvga Wins Video of the Year at CMT Music Awards for Directing Kane Brown’s “Thank God”

Alex Alvga is thanking God for his latest award…

The Spanish award-winning music video director and photographer, Kane Brown’s go-to creative director, picked up the evening’s biggest prize at the CMT Music Awards, which were held in Austin on Sunday evening.

Alex Alvga, Kane Brown, Katelyn Brown, Thank GodBrown and wife Katelyn Brown’s official music clip for “Thank God,” directed by Alvga was named Video of the Year, beating out Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton for the honor.

The video was filmed over two days in Oahu, Hawaii.

“That was an idea that Kane and Katelyn had,” Alvga says. “They wanted tropical, beach vibes for the video. They have a beautiful family with two kids, and are so young and amazing together. When you see them and spend time with them backstage, you can see that connection. I felt like the best way to do this to show them just having fun and letting them be them.”

So how did Alvga become Brown’s go-to creative director?

While on tour in the U.K. and the U.S. with singer-songwriter Jacob Whitesides, the artist’s tour manager introduced Alvga to Brown’s manager — who was seeking a videographer/photographer for CMA Fest that year. As a trial run, Alvga was invited to capture Brown’s CMT Music Awards performance (which, at the time, was held the day before the fest). “The next day, I was offered the job full time,” says Alvga. “I moved to the States with a work visa permanently two months later, and it started from there.”

Beyond Brown, Alvga has worked with various artists across genres including Khalid, Swae Lee, Becky G, White Lies, Foals, The Weeknd, Years and Years, among others.

Here’s a look at this year’s CMT Music Awards winner:

2023 CMT MUSIC AWARD WINNERS

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson – “Heart Like A Truck”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”

GROUP/DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Zac Brown Band – “Out In The Middle”

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange”

BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)

CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Son of A Sinner” (from CMT All Access)

Anuel AA to Compete in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

Anuel AA is ready to play ball…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican rapper/singer will compete in next week’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Anuel AA

Anuel AA, who is a sponsor of Women’s National Superior Basketball League in Puerto Rico, will join Machine Gun Kelly, Jack Harlow and Quavo to showcase their ball skills.

Others set to compete include Kane Brown, Jimmie Allen, Tiffany Haddish, Ranveer Singh, Nyjah Huston, and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

Quavo, a founding member of rap trio Migos, is a veteran of the run-and-gun “Celebrity” game, with four previous appearances under his belt.

The two teams will line up next Friday (Feb. 18) at Wolstein Center in Cleveland, and are respectively coached by retired NBA superstars Dominique Wilkins and Bill Walton.

The all-celebrity exhibition game has been regular fixture in the annual NBA All-Star Weekend since 2003, and will be televised and streamed by ESPN from 7 p.m. ET.

DJ Khaled and friends will headline the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night performances, with his support crew to be unveiled in the days ahead.

The All-Star Celebrity Game lineups are below:

Team Walton
Jimmie Allen (singer, songwriter)
Noah Carlock (Fanatics All-In Challenge Winner)
Brittney Elena (host, actress, athlete and model)
Machine Gun Kelly (singer, songwriter)
Dearica Hamby (Las Vegas Aces forward)
Nyjah Huston (Olympian, professional skateboarder)
Matt James (ABC’s The Bachelor)
Quavo (rapper, recording artist)
Ranveer Singh (actor)
Alex Toussaint (Peloton instructor)

Team Nique
Anuel AA (rapper)
Mayor Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland)
Kane Brown (singer, songwriter)
Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns defensive end)
Booby Gibson (Cleveland Cavaliers legend)
Tiffany Haddish (comedian, actress and author)
Jack Harlow (rapper, recording artist)
Crissa Jackson (Harlem Globetrotters player)
Anjali Ranadivé (singer, songwriter)
Gianmarco Tamberi (Olympic high jump champion)

Bad Bunny Wins His First-Ever American Music Awards Trophies

Bad Bunny’s America’s choice…

The American Music Awards aired live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, with the 27-year-old Puerto Rican superstar taking home his first-ever AMAs trophies.

Bad BunnyBad Bunny was named Favorite Male Artist – Latin, and he claimed the Favorite Album – Latin prize for his chart-topping album El Último Tour Del Mundo.

Cardi B, who hosted the star-studded awards show, won the award for Favorite Hip Hop Song for her chart-topping single “Up.” It’s her second consecutive win in the category after she took home the same award in 2020 for her single “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion.

The awards show featured performances from BTS with Coldplay, Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler the Creator, Måneskin, Walker Hayes, Mickey Guyton, Bad Bunny, Tainy with Julieta Venegas, Carrie Underwood with Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, New Edition and New Kids on the Block. Diplo was on DJ duty for the ceremony.

Bruno Mars won the Favorite R&B Song for “Leave the Door Open,” his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 track “Leave The Door Open,” his single with Silk Sonic co-bandmate Anderson .Paak.

Becky G was named Favorite Female Artist – Latin for the second year in a row, Band MS was named Favorite Latin Duo or Group, and Kali Uchis won her first-ever AMAs trophy for Favorite Latin Song for “Telepatía.”

Here’s a look at the night’s winners:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: BTS
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Olivia Rodrigo
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR: Doja Cat ft. SZA “Kiss Me More”
FAVORITE TRENDING SONG: Megan Thee Stallion “Body”
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO: Lil Nas X “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)”
FAVORITE MALE POP ARTIST: Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE FEMALE POP ARTIST: Taylor Swift
FAVORITE POP DUO OR GROUP: BTS
FAVORITE POP ALBUM: Taylor Swift “evermore”
FAVORITE POP SONG: BTS “Butter”
FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST: Luke Bryan
FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST: Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE COUNTRY DUO OR GROUP: Dan + Shay
FAVORITE COUNTRY ALBUM: Gabby Barrett “Goldmine”
FAVORITE COUNTRY SONG: Gabby Barrett “The Good Ones”
FAVORITE MALE HIP-HOP ARTIST: Drake
FAVORITE FEMALE HIP-HOP ARTIST: Megan Thee Stallion
FAVORITE HIP-HOP ALBUM: Megan Thee Stallion “Good News”
FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONG: Cardi B “Up”
FAVORITE MALE R&B ARTIST: The Weeknd
FAVORITE FEMALE R&B ARTIST: Doja Cat
FAVORITE R&B ALBUM: Doja Cat “Planet Her”
FAVORITE R&B SONG: Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) “Leave The Door Open”
FAVORITE MALE LATIN ARTIST: Bad Bunny
FAVORITE FEMALE LATIN ARTIST: Becky G
FAVORITE LATIN DUO OR GROUP: Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
FAVORITE LATIN ALBUM: Bad Bunny “EL ÚLTIMO TOUR DEL MUNDO”
FAVORITE LATIN SONG: Kali Uchis “telepatía”
FAVORITE ROCK ARTIST: Machine Gun Kelly
FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST: Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE GOSPEL ARTIST: Kanye West
FAVORITE DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST: Marshmello

Carlos Santana to Perform Alongside Rob Thomas at “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert”

There’s more than a walk in the (Central) park in Carlos Santana’s future…

Amid concern over the Delta coronavirus variant, a mega-concert in Central Park to celebrate New York City’s reopening will go forward as planned next month, with performers including the 74-year-old Mexican-American guitarist/musician.

Carlos Santana

Santana, considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, will perform alongside Rob Thomas. The pair teamed up in 1999 for Smooth“, a dynamic cha-cha stop-start number co-written and sung by Thomas of Matchbox Twenty and laced throughout with Santana’s guitar fills and runs. “Smooth” spent twelve weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming in the process the last No. 1 single of the 1990s.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined music industry legend Clive Davis, who is co-producing the concert, for a press conference to unveil the details of what de Blasio promised will be a “historic,” “blockbuster” event. Officially titled “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” the event is set for August 21 at 5:00 p.m., it will be broadcast live globally on CNN and 80% of tickets will be free.

While de Blasio initially proposed having vaccinated and unvaccinated sections, he said that attendees will be required to present proof of vaccination.

“New York City is back,” de Blasio said. “You can see it, you can feel it, and it’s time to celebrate on the Great Lawn.”

The lineup, which includes many New York natives, so far spans Jon BatisteAndrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Elvis Costello, Earth, Wind & Fire joined by Lucky Daye and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Hudson, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, Carlos Santana joined by Rob Thomas, Paul Simon and Patti Smith duetting with Bruce Springsteen.

“As a born, bred and true New Yorker, I well know how resilient we are and how New York always comes back,” Davis said. “I cannot think of a more appropriate way to celebrate this than an unforgettable concert in the most special venue in the world: the Great Lawn at Central Park. My team, along with our partners at Live Nation, has been hard at work for weeks curating what I submit to you will be a once-in a lifetime event […] It will celebrate a spectacular range of musical genres, styles and eras while including some of the most iconic artists in the history of modern music.”

Davis, who was raised in Brooklyn, is co-producing alongside Live Nation. Restauranteur Danny Meyer, the recently-appointed chairman of the New York City Economic Development Corporation board of directors, is also involved, as is Universal Hip-Hop Museum executive director Rocky Bucano.

“We’re so honored to be part of this event,” added Live Nation regional president Geoff Gordon. “I too have goosebumps after hearing that, even though we’ve been involved in lining this up. Live music has the unique ability to bring us all together, which is really what we’re doing. There’s nothing like a live music experience.”

Tickets for the concert go on sale on Monday, August 2 at 10:00 a.m. EST on the new NYC Homecoming Week website, and the Great Lawn has a capacity of 60,000. The 20% of tickets not designated as free are VIP tickets available for purchase. De Blasio said that event workers will be checking for proof of vaccination as attendees enter, with more details to come. Asked by a reporter whether the vaccination requirement means the concert is for attendees aged 12 and over only, de Blasio said, “right now, that’s a fair assumption.”

The event will cap off a reopening celebration dubbed NYC Homecoming Week, during which the City of New York will host concerts in each of the five boroughs starting August 14, leading up to the Great Lawn spectacle on the 21st. The lead-up concerts will be held Aug. 16 at Orchard Beach in The Bronx; Aug. 17 at Richmond County Bank Park in Staten Island; Aug. 19 at Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn; and Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

Demi Lovato Taking Part in YouTube’s Global Celebration Video “Hello 2021”

Demi Lovato is gearing up to ring in the New Year online…

YouTube will launch the New Year alongside a number of Hollywood names, including the 28-year-old half-Mexican singer/actress, with its global celebration video Hello 2021.

Demi Lovato

In addition to Lovato, the video will feature appearances by Matthew McConaugheyRuPaul and Storm Reid, Dua Lipa, J Balvin and more.

The video will premiere in the Americas, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan and India.

“With the world ready to move past an extremely challenging year, YouTube will use its global reach to celebrate the hope and promise of 2021,” said Susanne Daniels, YouTube’s Global Head of Original Content. “We look forward to closing the book on 2020 and throwing a worldwide celebration that our YouTube community can safely enjoy from home.”

Set to feature speeches, musical performances and dance parties, Hello 2021 has a lineup of five different shows and will celebrate the year’s most notable videos across the globe, from the David Blaine Ascension to HBCU Homecoming.

The Hello 2021 announcement comes nearly a month after YouTube announced that it would not go forward with its annual Rewind video.

Rewind was always meant to be a celebration of you. But 2020 has been different,” an official YouTube statement said. “And it doesn’t feel right to carry on as if it weren’t. So, we’re taking a break from Rewind this year.”

The global countdown spectacular is produced by Fremantle and will air at various times on Decemnber 31. See the details for each showing below.

“Hello 2021: Americas” – It’s a virtual New Year’s Eve bash across the Americas only YouTube can throw. Hosts Juanpa Zurita and Storm Reid welcome celebrity guests including Matthew McConaughey, Demi Lovato, RuPaul, Emma Chamberlain and the D’Amelio Family; one-of-a-kind musical performances from Dua Lipa, J Balvin, YG, Karol G and Kane Brown; YouTube stars Larray, Marques Brownlee, Dude Perfect, Brad Mondo, ZHC and the Dolan Twins; and more as the clock runs out on a year we’ll never forget, and we say “Hello 2021.” More names to be announced soon. The celebration premieres Thursday, December 31 at 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT on the YouTube Originals channel.

“Hello 2021: UK” – At 10:30pm GMT on December 31 on the YouTube Originals Channel, make sure and join the UK’s favorite YouTube creators, artists and comedians for a party worth staying in for. The guest list includes Behzinga, Big Narstie, Katherine Ryan, Michael Coel, Kurupt FM, Yammy, WillNE, Holly H, Natasia Demetriou and many more. The event will also feature the biggest tunes of 2020 performed live as musical guests Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie, MNEK w/ Joel Corry and Aitch & AJ Tracey get the party started with some exclusive live performances.

“Hello 2021: Korea” – At 11:00pm KST on December 31 on YouTube Korea Spotlight Channel, YouTube creators and artists in South Korea will join their hosts Sechan Yang and Jesung Hwang in an intimate celebration to recognize and thank creators and artists who helped Korean audiences to stay happy and healthy during the unprecedented year. Lineup includes top and rising creators and artists, including GGILGGIL Market, Tester Hoon, Balming Tiger, and more.

“Hello 2021: Japan” – At 11:45pm JST on December 31, tune into never-before-seen special edition quiz show from Japan to test your knowledge on 2020 YouTube trends and trivias, joining top creators Tokai On Air, Puritto Channel, Emirin, Paparapys, Skypeace, Vamyun, Dekakin, Hanaodengan, M.S.S Project, along with hosts Orutana Channel and Mochizuki Rie on YouTube Japan Spotlight Channel.

Hello 2021: India” – Starting at 11pm IST on December 3 on YouTube India Spotlight Channel,  “Hello 2021: India” will bring together the biggest and most buzzworthy music, comedy and Bollywood talent as part of the 60-minute countdown to the New Year, including a performance from Dua Lipa. Some of India’s biggest names including Tiger Shroff, Badshah, Zakir Khan, Jonita Gandhi, Benny Dayal, Aastha Gill and more will bring together a fun-filled New Year’s Eve party.