The Weeknd shares snippet of new song in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ trailer

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The Weeknd has teased a brand new song set to be included on the soundtrack for Avatar: The Way Of Water. A snippet of “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” can be heard in the film’s final trailer, which The Weeknd also posted to Instagram on Wednesday, December 7, along with the caption: “#AvatarTheWayofWater THE MOTION PICTURE EVENT OF A GENERATION. Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) Music Dec 15 + Film Dec 16″

The song, produced by Swedish House Mafia and the film’s composer Simon Franglen, is due for release on December 15 at 12 pm PT. The film itself will hit theaters the following day on December 16.

The Weeknd previously teased his connection to the upcoming sequel, leading to speculation about his role in the film’s soundtrack. The movie’s producer Jon Landau also shared a snapshot with The Weeknd on Twitter and wrote: “As the Na’vi say, ‘Zola’u nìprrte’ soaiane Avatar’… Welcome to the Avatar family.”

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Noah Cyrus shares unreleased song “Set For Life”

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A deluxe edition of Noah Cyrus’ debut album, The Hardest Part, will include alternative versions, stripped-back re-imaginings, and an all-new songs.  The 16-track The Hardest Part (Deluxe) includes the songs “I Burned LA Down” and “Noah (Stand Still)” as they’ve never been heard before. The project also features the previously unreleased track, “Set for Life.”

Cyrus said of the album in a statement upon its release: “These songs all mean so much to me … They’re straight from my heart, my brain, and my body. Every song is important to the story, and for the first time I’m revealing my complete and honest truth.”

Listen to “Set for Life” – here.

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2022 People’s Choice Awards: See the full list of winners

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The 2022 People’s Choice Awards was held on Tuesday, December 6, hosted by Kenan Thompson and airing on NBC and E! The fan-voted awards show was held at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, featuring nominees from over 40 categories. The ceremony honored some of the biggest stars of the year with Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, and Lizzo taking home top prizes.

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness won The Movie of 2022, with star Elizabeth Olsen taking home the awards for Female Movie Star and Action Movie Star. Sandler was named Comedy Movie Star and Styles Male Artist of 2022. Gomez received the Comedy TV Star award for her work in Only Murders in the Building, as well as the award for Social Celebrity of the year. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift won the Female Artist, the Album of 2022 for Midnights, and the Music Video of the year for “Anti-Hero.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar presented Selma Blair the award for Competition Contestant of the year for her appearance on Dancing With the Stars.  Honorary awards went to Ryan Reynolds, recipient of the ‘People’s Icon Award;’ Lizzo, who received the ‘People’s Champion Award’ (and also won the Song of 2022 for “About Damn Time”); and Shania Twain, who was honored with the ‘Music Icon Award’ and performed a medley of some of her biggest hits.

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28th Annual Critics Choice Awards: ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Better Call Saul’ lead the list of nominations

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The ABC comedy “Abbott Elementary” leads the nominations for the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards, announced on Tuesday morning by the Critics Choice Association.  The Emmy-winning show nabbed six nominations overall, including best comedy series and acting nods for stars Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chris Perfetti and Tyler James Williams. In the drama category, the final season of AMC’s “Better Call Saul” led with 5 nominations including best drama series and acting nods for stars Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito and Carol Burnett.

Other series with multiple nominations included “Gaslit” (Starz), “Reservation Dogs” (FX), and “The Good Fight” (Paramount+), tied with four nominations each.  This year the CCA categorized “The White Lotus” as a drama series, with leading star Jennifer Coolidge nominated for drama supporting actress. Other notable mentions include posthumous nods for Leslie Jordan (“Call Me Kat”), Ray Liotta (“Black Bird”) and Norm Macdonald (“Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special”)

Nominations for the Critics Choice Awards film categories will be announced on December 14 at 9 a.m. PT.  The 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards ceremony will take  place Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023 at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel. The CW will broadcast the ceremony at 7 pm. ET.

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Lil Nas X, Lizzo and more to headline Madrid’s Mad Cool Festival 2023

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Madrid’s Mad Cool Festival 2023 has announced its initial lineup. The annual festival is set to take place from July 6 to July 8, 2023 and will feature headliners Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Liam Gallagher and Robbie Williams, along with performances from Machine Gun Kely, Jacob Collier, Jamie xx, Rina Sawayama, Queens of the Stone Age and more. Two more headliners and more performers will be shared soon.

The festival posted on Instagram with the following information: 💥Welcome to Mad Cool 2023💥
See you on July 6-8Th in MADRID with @chilipeppers @lizzobeeating @robbiewilliams @rinasonline and many more 🤩 👉 Pre Sale by @santandersmart available on 12/12 for three-day tickets and 26/12 for one day tickets 👉 General ticket sales on 15/12 for three-day ticket and 29/12 for one day tickets 👉 General tickets for Mad Cool Members only available on 15/12 for three-day ticket and 29/12 for one day tickets”

Three-day tickets are available starting December 15 while one-day tickets go on sale on December 29. Head to www.madcoolfestival.es for more information.

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Paramore announce album release show at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry

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Paramore has announced they will be playing an album release show in their home state of Tennessee on February 6th, 2023, set to take place at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.The band’s long-awaited sixth studio album, This Is Why, is set to arrive on February 10th, 2023.

The band shared the news on Instagram and also revealed that fellow Nashville-based artist Louis Prince will be opening the show. According to Opry.com, tickets will go on sale on Friday, December 9th at 10:00 A.M. Fans can register starting now until December 6th at 10:00 P.M. CST for the Fair AXS Ticketing in which “a limited number of fans will be emailed on Dec 7 with instructions on how to purchase tickets via the Fair AXS ticket offer that happens on Dec 8.”

Registration for pre-sale tickets is open:  HERE. Pre-sale starts on Thursday (Dec. 8) at 10 a.m. CT, while general on-sale begins on Friday (Dec. 9) at 10 a.m. CT.

Paramore announces Grand Ole Opry album release show

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‘GMA3’ hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes benched after romantic relationship goes public

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‘GMA3’ co-hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes were benched from their anchoring duties while the ABC news division weighs the effect their recent disclosure of a romantic relationship might have on the program and the company.  ABC News President Kim Godwin informed staffers Monday during an editorial call that Robach and Holmes had not violated any company policy, but indicated ABC News felt the matter had become “an internal and external disruption,” and “wanted to do what’s best for the organization.”

The duo have made headlines since the revelation last week that they had been involved romantically for some time, even though it is believed they were each still in committed marriages. The pair has been the focus of tabloid reports, with viewers analyzing their every word on camera to see if either was making reference to the discovery of the relationship.

Gio Benitez and Stephanie Ramos co-hosted Monday’s broadcast, merely noting that “T.J. and Amy were off for the day.” There is no official word on how the program will be staffed for the rest of the week, or when Robach and Holmes might return. Last week, Robach and Holmes were on-air serving up news and banter that are a regular part of the afternoon showcase.

“GMA3,” an afternoon extension of “Good Morning America,” has been successful for the network. In 2021, the program generated nearly $43.4 million in advertising, a jump of 26.1% from the nearly $34.4 million it captured in the previous year.  The show was originally created for light celebrity news and conversation, hosted by Michael Strahan and Sara Haines. However, when the coronavirus pandemic hit the program moved more toward news, with Robach (a veteran of “Good Morning America” and “20/20”), along with medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, co-hosting the hour-long program.

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Mariah Carey coming to Roblox for ‘Mariah Carey’s Winter Wonderland’

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The self-proclaimed “Queen of Christmas” Mariah Carey is bringing the holiday spirit to Roblox – a global online platform connecting millions of people through immersive 3D experiences.  For the month of December, one of Roblox’s most popular experiences, Livetopia, will feature Mariah Carey’s Winter Wonderland — giving Mariah Carey fans and users on Roblox a unique way to connect with the artist and enjoy her music with friends and family.  Said Carey: “Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! This year, I wanted to do something different to ring in the holiday season. My kids and I live for Roblox, and we couldn’t be more excited to be creating this festive metaverse experience for everyone!”

A holiday-themed treasure hunt created in conjunction with Mariah’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe, will take place throughout December. In addition, special virtual item drops, and decked out ‘Livetopia’ homes will be available, along with special virtual performances. Carey will perform a mix of her old and new hits, including the iconic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” as the grand finale in this innovative and fully immersive experience.

The first of four consecutive nights of the virtual performance starts at 7 pm EST on Wednesday, December 21st, with additional showings at 7 pm EST on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th.

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Kirstie Alley dies at age 71 after battling cancer

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Actress Kirstie Alley has died at age 71 after a battle with cancer.

Alley’s family and her manager announced the news Monday night, with Alley’s children True and Lillie Parker writing a statement on Alley’s social media pages: To all our friends, far and wide around the world…We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered. She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother. We are grateful to the incredible team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care. Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did. We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time. With love always, True and Lillie Parker

Alley first appeared in the 1982 film “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” playing the Vulcan Starfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik. Then in 1987 Alley landed her breakout role, joining the cast of the sitcom “Cheers” to replace Shelley Long, where she remained until the series finale in 1993. Alley’s performance as Rebecca Howe earned her an Emmy Award in 1991 for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series. The actress also starred in 1989’s Look Who’s Talking as well as two sequels, opposite her close friend John Travolta. The 68-year-old Travolta honored his friend on Instagram following the news of her passing, sharing a photo of himself with Alley along with the caption: “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”

Alley is survived by grandson Waylon, 6, as well as her two children, William True Stevenson, 30, and Lillie Stevenson, 28, who she shared with ex-husband Parker Stevenson.

Kirstie Alley Dead at 71 After Cancer Battle

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Dave Matthews Band, Imagine Dragons, Paramore and more to perform at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Festival

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The NFL and Bud Light shared news of the 4th Annual Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest. The event is scheduled to take place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Feb. 9-11.

Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest will kick-off on Thursday, Feb. 9, with a headlining performance by Paramore, who are slated to bring unannounced guests to the stage during their festival set. The following day will present a performance by Dave Matthews Band, which is slated to include accompaniment by DJ Pee .Wee – otherwise known as Anderson .Paak – who will spin a set of music during the Friday night show. On Feb. 11, the final day of the festival, Imagine Dragons and Kane Brown will perform. In addition to premiere music, the festival also features surprise appearances by celebrities and athletes.

Tickets for Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest are on sale now. For more information, visit superbowlmusicfest.com.

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