John Boyega for GQ UK - Jan/Feb 2021!
During Britain’s Black Lives Matter rallies in June, John Boyega wrote his name in the history of racial justice. And here, in his first interview since finishing Star Wars and that unguarded address from a Hyde Park stage, he explains how both platforms inspired him to make a stand, but for very different reasons. Now, starring in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe as a Met policeman in the depths of institutional racism and breaking his industry’s expectation of silence, actor and activist is speaking with one voice
If you really want to know what shaped John Boyega’s attitude to high-pressure situations – if you want the creation myth that perhaps explains why he reacts the way he does when he is cornered or challenged or merely required to stand up and be counted – then you probably need to know about the time he was stranded at sea in Nigeria. It was eight years ago now, in the soupy, grey-skied heat of the country’s 2012 rainy season. He was 20 years old, fresh from his film debut in Attack The Block and back in his ancestral motherland to appear in the screen adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Half Of A Yellow Sun.
He was, in other words, not yet the John Boyega he is now – not the performer coveted by directors as varied as JJ Abrams, Kathryn Bigelow and Steve McQueen – but he was well on his way. And it was around this time that, following a catalogue of filming-related calamities (a protective plug getting accidentally lodged in his ear during an action scene; a frantic dash to find something approximating a specialist doctor to aid its careful removal; a driver depositing him in an unfamiliar dock so he could make his way back to set), Boyega found himself stumbling aboard the wrong commuter vessel.
It was only meant to be a 45-minute journey, scudding slowly out from the port city of Calabar to the production hub in a nearby riverside outpost called Creek Town. But then, suddenly, out on the water, the boatman cut the engine and turned his attention to Boyega. Whether it was something in Boyega’s demeanour or his Western dress, this enterprising captain, in a country where a degree of cheerful extortion is generally a daily fact of life, scented an opportunity to make some cash. So he laid it out simply: if Boyega wanted him to start the engine again, then he needed to hand over some more money. Fast. Here, miles away from a camera or craft services table, the actor found himself involved in the sort of damp-browed, character-defining standoff that is the hallmark of any great thriller.
‘SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO BE MAD. SOMETIMES YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PLAY THE GAME’
“I felt very fearful,” says Boyega, remembering the expectant glances of the other passengers, the lapping sound of the water, the tense sway of the becalmed boat. “But I think it was the first time that I went into fight-or-flight mode and was just like, ‘OK, well, both of us are going to die today, then, because I’m definitely not going to back down.’ I told him, ‘I’m going to pay you the money that’s owed, but we’ll both be dying in the sea here if you think I’m going out like this or that you can get more from me.’”
Of course, it did not come to a physical confrontation and two watery graves in the Atlantic (after 15 minutes or so of noisy back-and-forth, Boyega heard the approaching growl of a police boat, manned by AK-47-toting officers sent by the film’s production staff to look for him; history sadly does not record just how quickly the boat’s would-be hostage taker soiled his pants). But the point of this skilfully relayed, typically Boyega-ish story is not really its dramatic resolution. No, it is the conduct of its protagonist. It is the fact that, alongside the other tales he will tell me about a childhood punctuated by incidents of racism and police profiling – about how when he first went to Nigeria as a ten-year-old he witnessed his uncles slaughtering a cow and fought the shiver down his spine to help heft buckets of still-warm blood – it is offered up to better illuminate exactly what this 28-year-old has been through and what he is made of. It is part of the accumulative origin story that, as he faces a Star Wars-free future for the first time in six years and takes a lead role in the BBC’s forthcoming Windrush generation saga Small Axe, is animating his choices both on screen and off it.
And it is, ultimately, one way to obliquely explain exactly what happened at the Black Lives Matter protest in London on 3 June, when Boyega was handed a megaphone with little warning and ended up indelibly writing his name into the history of the racial justice movement that will come to define this year just as much as Covid-19 and interminable Zoom quizzes.
The plan on that overcast, emotionally charged day in London, he notes with a wry smile, had been for him to “protest quietly”. Energised but not fully sated by the online debate that had followed George Floyd’s death, he and his older sister, Grace, pulled on their masks, hopped in an Uber and spent three hours mingling anonymously with the thousands of protesters flowing towards Hyde Park. Then, after they had arrived, Boyega reconnected with organisers at the Justice For Black Lives protest, whom he had been in touch with on Instagram earlier that week. Would he be willing, the organisers wondered, to climb up an improvised stepladder dais and say a few words to the crowd while they waited for the next scheduled speaker?
‘WHAT I SAY TO DISNEY IS DO NOT MARKET A BLACK CHARACTER AS IMPORTANT AND THEN PUSH THEM ASIDE’
Though widely shared now (one Twitter clip has been viewed 3.6 million times), what happened next still has the power to quicken the pulse. For almost five minutes, Boyega – sounding every inch the literal son of a preacher – rallies the crowd with a visceral, personal and profane account of what it’s like to be black in the same societies that gave us the barbaric deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Stephen Lawrence and the countless others like them. “I need you guys to understand how painful this shit is,” he tells the mass of raised fists and camera phones, his voice cracking. “I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing! That isn’t the case any more. That is never the case any more.” Voices whoop and spur him on. “We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland... for Stephen Lawrence, for Mark Duggan!”
He is angry, of course, screaming himself as hoarse as a pro-wrestling heel and letting emotion spring from him like a burst pipe. But he is almost transgressively vulnerable too, open and tearful and scared in a way that black men – and incredibly famous black men, at that – are rarely seen publicly.
For Steve McQueen, the Oscar-winning director who cast Boyega in Small Axe, this was the most striking aspect of his speech. “I think of myself as a warrior, because I’m all about battles, but all of a sudden [it was like] he had just taken off his armour and said, ‘Here it is,’” he tells me, over the phone. “It was kind of frightening in a way. You’re thinking, ‘Get your sword up.’ But there’s strength in vulnerability and being naked. He shone very brightly and I rang him a few days after to say thank you.”
Boyega himself stresses there was nothing planned or calculated about the speech, its sentiment and delivery was something he had been building towards. “I feel like, especially as celebrities, we have to talk through this filter of professionalism and emotional intelligence,” he says. “Sometimes you just need to be mad. You need to lay down what it is that’s on your mind. Sometimes you don’t have enough time to play the game.” The rawness, he says, came from looking out into the crowd that day and seeing his own fear and weariness mirrored in the eyes of the other black men present. “That just made me cry,” he adds. “Because you don’t get to see that.”
Well, now, enough is enough. After almost a decade in the business, after the life-changing, overwhelming and at times stifling reality of operating within the sprawling Death Star of franchise filmmaking, he is just about done abiding by any old rules. As a certain Nigerian boat captain can grimly attest, John Boyega is not really the man that you think he is. And now he is finally ready to let the world know.
Get more at GQ!
#RHOA: Cynthia Bailey’s No-Makeup Photo Has Fans In Awe!
Cynthia Bailey shared a no-makeup photo on her social media account and managed to impress her fans and followers.
‘last year this time I was on a flight to LA to spend the Thanksgiving Holidays with my family, (then fiancé & now husband) @itsmikehill. so much to thankful for them & even more to be thankful for now.
wow, what a difference a year makes. Happy Thanksgiving Holidays Everyone!🦃*still no eyelashes!🙈*for skincare & makeup, click on the link in my bio.www.cynthiabaileyholiday.com’ Cynthia captioned her post.
A commenter wrote: ‘God is great hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving,’ and someone else said: ‘Now serving natural beautiful face, a real I woke up like this ❤️’
Someone else posted this: ‘Awww thank you im so happy now. Thank you @cynthiabailey I love rhoa and its just @kandi and @porsha4real and @thekenyamoore all the only left to show me some love… Omg, thank you so much.. 😍😘love u.’
A commenter posted this: ‘Girl, keep your head up, you will be blessed in your relationship .’
A fan said: ‘Baby let’s tighten up that bod show these bit*hes what a real beauty look like!’
Speaking of Cynthia’s amazing skin, not too long ago it’s been revealed that she shared some of the skin products that help her look amazing throughout the day.
Fans were impressed, and they appreciated the fact that she posted this after they’ve been asking her for advice for a really long time.
#MusicNews: Tinashe Has A New Holiday EP 'Comfort & Joy'!
As a well-time surprise for fans during a particularly grueling year, Tinashe has released a new holiday-themed EP.
The EP, titled Comfort & Joy, hit streaming services at midnight and sees Tinashe celebrating the season despite it all across a seven-track running time. Mere hours ahead of the surprise drop, Tinashe told fans she wanted to share this project due to the fact that—as the title makes clear—it was crafted in the spirit of a pair of feelings that have been hard to find in 2020.
Earlier this month, Songs for You—Tinashe's first album as an independent artist—celebrated its first anniversary. In a note to fans, Tinashe thanked those who supported this "vulnerable" collection of songs. As for being independent, Tinashe acknowledged the difficulties but noted that she’s ultimately better off.
"Being independent is noooot easy, especially after being at a major label for almost a decade," she said. "Sometimes I miss feeling like part of the 'machine' ... but navigating the industry on my own terms has made me insufferably happy. [And] every move I make in life is because I simply followed my heart-and-gut instincts."
STREAM IT!
Back in August, Tinashe liked up with Buddy for "Glitch." That same month, she reconnected with Iggy Azalea for the single "Dance Like Nobody's Watching." An official video for the latter is expected to arrive soon.
#HipHopNews: Young Thug Faces Backlash For Disrespectful Andre 3000 Comment!
Young Thug is being dragged on Twitter, and Andre 3000 fans are leading the charge.
An interview with Thugger has gone viral on social media after OutKast followers caught wind of what many took as disrespect toward Dre. While speaking on T.I.’s Expeditiously podcast earlier this week, the 29-year-old rapper seemingly downplayed Dre’s impact on hip-hop and went as far as to imply that the 45-year-old icon is stuck up.
The conversation began when Tip asked the “Hot” musician whether his infamous Jeffrey dress was inspired by Andre 3000 — who made similarly eccentric fashion statements during his prime — to which Thugger responded: ”I only did that for my generation, though. I can't rap you two Andre 3000 songs. I ain't never paid attention to him. Never in my life."
Taken aback by the slight, T.I. challenged Slime’s dismissal of Dre’s influence and likened his greatness to that of Elton John, with whom the Atlanta native has also collaborated.
Young Thug’s reply was even more bizarre: "But the difference between Elton John and Andre is – to simplify it – Elton John likes to kiss a—, and Dre likes his a— kissed.”
Worse, Thugger based his disinterest in working with Andre 3000 on the uneducated claim that Dre doesn’t embrace the new generation of rappers. This struck many fans as odd, especially considering a particular moment in 2016 when Dre name-dropped Thugger himself as being among the genre’s new guard.
“Back in 2016 at Phife Dawg’s funeral, Andre 3000 personally shouted out Young Thug when talking about the new generation of rappers changing the tide of music,” one user captioned a tweet with the footage. “Let this show that EGO is the death of men.”
Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr. Fight To A Draw In Boxing Controversy!
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. battled to a draw in an exhibition fight Saturday night in Los Angeles but put on an entertaining show that drew many eyeballs and had people clamoring for the “Iron Mike” days.
The 54-year-old Tyson and the 51-year-old Jones went the full eight rounds at the Staples Center in a fight that wouldn’t be charged to their official records.
While the fight may have been ruled a draw, fans on Twitter weighed in with their opinions on the bout.
For many, Snoop Dogg -- who was a part of the commentary team -- had the line of the night.
Some even were hoping that the hip-hop star would pursue other commentating ventures.
Tyson compiled a 50-6 record during his career. But he hasn’t fought since June 2005 when he lost to Kevin McBride via a corner stoppage. Tyson said after the fight that he didn’t have “the guts to be in this sport anymore.” His last win came against Clifford Etienne in February 2003.
Jones finished his boxing career 66-9 with 47 knockouts. His last fight was February 2018 against Scott Sigmon in which he won via unanimous decision.
The fight was a part of Tyson’s Legends Only League, which aims to offer past star athletes a way to play once again.
The California State Athletic Commission sanctioned the bout but with several rules. DAZN pointed out that the fight will go eight, 2-minute rounds, the fight will stop if there's a cut and there are no knockouts. The WBC scored the fight.
Earlier in the night, Jake Paul knocked out Nate Robinson.
Toni Braxton Stuns Her Fans With New Blond Hair!
Toni Braxton is shutting it down on Instagram after debuting her ash-blond pixie cut. The singer posted the dashing photos on her page on Thanksgiving, and her fans were dazzled.
Braxton wore a sheer black top that she complemented with red lipstick and sunglasses in the post’s two snapshots. The first image depicted the singer seemingly gazing toward the horizon with the sunlight hitting her face, while in the second she held her shades in one hand and fixed a direct stare at the camera.
The 53-year-old’s fans flocked to the comments to respond to her caption and compliment her new look.
Braxton has never been shy about switching up her hairstyles and trying new looks, but she almost always reverts back to her signature low-cut hair.
In the early months of 2019, Braxton wore long jet-black wigs for a few months while she traveled and performed for her “As Long As I Live” tour. By August of that year the “Breathe Again” singer was asking her fans on Instagram if she should “go back to the short cut.”
Fans encouraged her to go ahead and big chop her hair once more and, a month later, in September, she revealed in a video on Instagram that she had granted her fans’ wishes.
The video shows the “Braxton Family Values” star lying in bed as she tells her followers that it is time to get up.
In the caption she wrote that she got a “fresh new cut” and wished her fans “HAPPY SUNday.”
Mo’Nique Becomes the Latest Celeb to Join OnlyFans!
*Mo’Nique recently took to Instagram to announce that she’ll be joining the popular app, OnlyFans!
The 52-year-old actress and comedian uploaded a video to IG, sharing how she was given the wrong impression at first. But after someone let her know it’s a platform to connect closer to fans, she was all in.
Mo’Nique said she will not be sharing adult content like some influencers and celebs have been doing. Instead of showing her “special treats,” Mo’Nique said her “OnlyFamily” will be filled with workout and cooking content. She said it will also be a space where “everyone can give each other love.”
Mo now joins a lengthy list of stars who have joined the community including Michael B Jordan, Chris Brown, Jordyn Woods, and more
Kevin Hart Defends Joking That His Teen Daughter Is Showing Signs of ‘Ho Activity’!
Kevin Hart found himself in the hot seat and forced to defend a joke in his current Netflix special about his daughter engaging in “ho activity,” insisting to critics that his comment wasn’t a degradation of Black women.
The actor-comedian joined a live chat room conversation on the social app Clubhouse that asked the question, “Is Kevin Hart funny?” The topic was chosen to discuss, among many things, Hart’s joke in his Netlfix special “No F***s Given” that he’s seeing “ho activity” in his 15-year-old “boy crazy” daughter, who said “I want him” of a male classmate.
The Clubhouse chatters questioned that particular story and what the implications might be of labeling his daughter and a woman he used to know as hoes. The conversation quickly devolved from there, with four-letter words flying around and people talking over each other. One woman in the group accused the men on hand of backing Hart to get his “validation” with disregard for the other women in the space. Another participant decried the conversation turning into a “man vs. woman thing.”
Hart attempted to cool everyone’s jets. “Ask yourself one question: Why is this turning to this?” he said. “Guys, we were in a great vibe. We were in a great space. Don’t let it turn left.” None the less, the angry vibe prevailed.
Hart later posted a video on Instagram with one very strong message: “Stop it.”
“Stop with the false narrative,” he said. “It’s a false narrative that’s being created. If you were in the Clubhouse and part of the conversation, this wasn’t about Black women, it wasn’t about me goin’ against Black… stop.”
He joked, “I called three former hoes that I know and asked them, ‘Is this hoe-like activity?’ We had a conversation about it. A good back and forth.”
Getting serious, he explained why he popped up in the Clubhouse chat in the first place.
“Understand, guys, there is no other way to market or promote because we’re in a pandemic. I can’t go and do the talk shows that I once did, or go out and do the public stunts. I have no other way to market and promote except to go viral. I have to create conversations, generate back and forth,” he said. “It’s common sense here, guys. Marketing. Promotion. That’s why I was in Clubhouse.”
Lifetime Unveils Release Date For Salt-N-Pepa Biopic!
Salt-N-Pepa are the latest Hip Hop icons to receive the biopic treatment.
Queen Latifah is co-producing the Lifetime project which stars G.G. Townson as Cheryl “Salt” James, Laila Odom as Sandra “Pepa” Denton and Monique Paul plays Deidra Roper aka DJ Spinderella.
The miniseries is set to chronicle the duo’s groundbreaking career as they broke barriers for the women in Hip Hop to come after them.
On January 23, 2021 the documentary will premiere followed by an interview with Salt-N-Pepa.
The project also features Jermel Howard as Naughty By Nature’s Treach and Cleveland Berto as the group’s producer, Hurby Azor.
Bill Cosby’s Rep Announces Livestream Of Upcoming Appeal Hearing!
Bill Cosby: “Bill Cosby’s Upcoming PA Supreme Court Appeal. On this Black Friday, let’s use our dollars to create unity amongst all races, genders and faith based groups. Thank you for your continued support and please watch this powerful video promoting oral arguments for my upcoming appeal with the PA State Supreme Court on 12/1/2020 @ 9:30am/EST. (https://www.youtube.com/c/SupremeCtofPAOfficial ) #OralArgumentsDecember1st #OralArgumentsLiveOnYoutube #JusticeForAll #LegacyWillLiveForever #ThankYouForYourSupport
#TruthAndFactsAllowed #ThankYouPASupremeCourt“
Just when you thought 2020 was enough and hoping for a quiet ending, the disgraced comedian and actor’s representative made an unprecedented move.
Andrew Wyatt took to Cosby’s Instagram to post a short video promoting the upcoming YouTube livestream of the appeal.
The hearing in question is for the appeal of his 2018 conviction which will be on December 1st at 9:30 AM ET.
Wyatt added that Cosby is a victim of an “unjust conviction and incarceration” and even compared him to the countless unarmed Black men who were killed by the hand of police.
“In this 21st century, we have witnessed the senseless murders of black men and women at the hands of a few bad law enforcement officers — but not all. We have witnessed the unjust conviction and incarceration of a true American treasure and citizen, actor-comedian Bill Cosby, and we are witnessing a pandemic unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime.”
Will you be watching Bill Cosby’s appeal hearing?
Tony Hsieh, Former Zappos CEO And “Tremendous Visionary,” Dies At 46!
Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos, died peacefully on Friday surrounded by family, according to a statement sent out by a spokesperson for DTP Companies, a Las Vegas-based enterprise for which Hsieh served as visionary.
According to CNN, Hsieh,46, died from injuries he sustained in a house fire that occurred in Connecticut while he was visiting family, the spokesperson, Megan Fazio, said.
“Tony’s kindness and generosity touched the lives of everyone around him, and forever brightened the world,” the statement from his family read. “Instead of mourning his transition, we ask you to join us in celebrating his life,” their statement added.
Known to many as “Downtown Tony,” Hsieh was well known for his leadership of online shoe and clothing retailer “Zappos.” After spending 20 years with the company, he had recently retired, Zappos CEO Kedar Deshpande wrote in a statement on Friday.
“The world has lost a tremendous visionary and an incredible human being,” Deshpande wrote. “We recognize that not only have we lost our inspiring former leader, but many of you have also lost a mentor and a friend.”
‘Saved By The Bell’ Is Under Fire For Mocking Selena Gomez’s Kidney Transplant!
Peacock is under fire for mocking Selena Gomez’s lupus diagnosis and kidney transplant in a recent episode of the “Saved By the Bell” reboot.
In the new series, which launched on the streaming service Thursday, Bayside High students argue over Gomez’s health history, according to The Wrap.
Two teens debate who donated a kidney to the 28-year-old — Pattie Mallette, the mother of her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber or her ex-best friend, Demi Lovato when one student quips, “Does Selena Gomez even have kidneys?”
Gomez went under the knife in 2017 after being diagnosed with lupus. Her friend, actress Francia Raisa, donated her organ to Gomez.
On Saturday the star’s name and “RESPECT SELENA GOMEZ” trended on Twitter, as fans rushed to her defense, with many asking for the episode to be taken down.
One user wrote how the “Saved By the Bell” jokes brought her dad “to tears,” after their grandmother passed away from lupus. “This is something that affects me a lot,” the person wrote.
“Who in their right state of mind would even think that it was OKAY to joke about this!” wrote another Twitter user, posting an interview Gomez and Rasia did with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie after the operation.
“Freaking disgusting and disrespectful!!”
“Using what selena gomez went through for entertainment is blatantly insensitive and wrong. what she went through was real and it wasn’t easy,” posted another. “it’s so incredibly disgusting seeing it be used as a joke for entertainment.”
As of press time, more than 3,000 fans had signed a Change.org petition asking for “Saved By the Bell” to be canceled, citing the insensitive Gomez comments.
Peacock issued a mea culpa and said it will be donating to the mogul’s Rare Beauty foundation.
Kodak Black Vows to Donate $1 Million to Charity If Trump Pardons Him!
Kodak Black is begging President Donald Trump to pardon him.
The 23-year-old rapper took to Twitter on Friday (November 27) vowing to make a $1 million donation to charity if he is issued a presidential pardon.
“If The President Them Free Me , I’m Gonna Spend 1 million on Charity within The First Year I’m Out. That’s on Everything ‼️” Kodak‘s team tweeted on his behalf.
Kodak is currently serving his 46 months sentence in at a federal prison for making false statements on federal forms when he purchased firearms at a weapons store.
According to TMZ, Kodak‘s legal team reportedly reached out to Trump back in September, arguing that the facility he is in is stricter than his crimes called for, adding that they found his sentence to be particularly harsh.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Actress Daphne Reid Doesn’t Mind Being Called The “Second Aunt Viv”!
Social media has been loving Will Smith‘s The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Reunion that is currently streaming on HBO MAX.
During the reunion, Daphne Reid, also known as “2nd Aunt Viv” met the original “Aunt Viv,” Janet Hubert, for the first time. She says that she has always honored Janet Hubert as the woman who started the show.
“She was a woman who I honor for having started this wonderful show, so all I could do is treat her as I would treat anybody when I first met them. And mostly with a big hug.”
Daphne Reid also adds that she didn’t know any specific details about the friction between Will Smith and Janet Hubert.
“I didn’t know anything about the friction between Will and Janet. They never spoke about it, I didn’t know about it, all I knew was what social media was saying, and I didn’t know her so I don’t pay any attention to that.”
She added that it really made her happy to see both Janet Hubert and Will Smith come to terms about they’re respective parts in the friction, and be able to move on after all of these years.
“To see him reunite for me was, such a growth of spirit for that young man, to be able to say, ‘yea I didn’t know, I’m sorry.’ For her to be able to say, ‘yea we were mean to each other, through the press, and I’m sorry.’ To see that was the best part of the reunion for me. But I had nothing to do with it, so I had no anticipation of how that was going to go, because I knew nothing about the situation.”
Daphne Reid has been called “2nd Aunt Viv” for many years, but she says that it doesn’t bother her. She explains that the magic created during The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air cannot be re-created.
“I was so happy to have a job that I didn’t care whether the public called me the second Aunt Viv, or the clown who came in after. I didn’t care what they called me, I don’t pay much attention in my life, to what the social media folk are saying. And I hope that they realize, that you cannot recreate the same magic that we had 30 years ago. And we will not attempt to do that. You can’t catch lightning in a bottle twice.”
What are your thoughts on Daphne Reid not being offended that she is called “2ndAunt Viv?”
The Weeknd Was Planning A Grammys Performance Before He Got Snubbed!
When the 2021 Grammy nominations were unveiled earlier this week, there was a notable name absent from the list — The Weeknd — and he was just as surprised as fans were about the snub. On Wednesday (November 25), the R&B star called out the Recording Academy for leaving his latest album After Hours, along with its many hits, out of the running for a golden gramophone. "The Grammys remain corrupt," he wrote in a social media post. "You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency..."
While sources close to the singer claimed the reason for the snub was because he ultimately chose to perform at the Super Bowl over the awards ceremony, The Weeknd shared a subsequent message on social media revealing he'd been working with the Grammys on a performance before the shut out. "Collaboratively planning a performance for weeks to not being invited?" he tweeted. "In my opinion zero nominations = you’re not invited!"
In a statement via ET, Recording Academy Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. spoke about The Weeknd's lack of nominations. "We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he’s feeling. His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone’s admiration," he said.
"We were thrilled when we found out he would be performing at the upcoming Super Bowl and we would have loved to have him also perform on the GRAMMY stage the weekend before," Mason continued. "Unfortunately, every year, there are fewer nominations than the number of deserving artists. But as the only peer-voted music award, we will continue to recognize and celebrate excellence in music while shining a light on the many amazing artists that make up our global community. To be clear, voting in all categories ended well before The Weeknd’s performance at the Super Bowl was announced, so in no way could it have affected the nomination process. All GRAMMY nominees are recognized by the voting body for their excellence, and we congratulate them all."
Though The Weeknd may not be hitting the Grammys stage, he will be performing at the 2020 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball, along with Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Lewis Capaldi, Sam Smith, Shawn Mendes and more.
Fans can tune in to watch the 2020 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball presented by Capital One on Thursday, December 10th at 9pm ET/6pm PT on The CW App and CWTV.com, as well as listen across 95 iHeartMedia CHR radio stations nationwide and the iHeartRadio App. The CW will also broadcast the event as an exclusive TV special on Monday, December 14th at 8pm ET/PT.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘SOOOO CUTE!’
Congratulations, you’ve won at parenting. I love you.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!!!
EFREM
