Awards / Awards Shows

The MTV Movie & TV Awards are going on without a host ... and now there won't be a live audience anymore either.

The upcoming award show, set to air Sunday on a bunch of TV channels, is pivoting away from a live audience ... according to Paramount Global exec Bruce Gillmer.

Bruce, who is also executive producing the award show, tells TMZ ... "As we carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan first awards show we envisioned that our team has worked so hard to create, we're pivoting away from a live event that still enables us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive sneak peaks, irreverent categories our audience has come to expect, and countless moments that will both surprise and delight as we honor the best of film and TV over the past year."

The change comes on the heels of Drew Barrymore bowing out as host in a show of solidarity with striking Hollywood writers.

Sources at MTV tell TMZ ... the show is not live, but it's still happening, there just won't be a live audience.

The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards are scheduled to air Sunday at 8 PM ET on MTV ... with simulcasts on BET, BET Her, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1.

Billie Lourd is calling out her aunts and uncles -- Carrie Fisher's siblings -- saying "they know why" they didn't get invited to Carrie's Walk of Fame ceremony ... and it's all about money and alleged exploitation.

Billie tells TMZ ... she's seen what her mom's brother and sister -- Todd Fisher and Joely Fisher -- have said recently and feels she has to speak up after being blasted by them for not inviting them to Thursday's ceremony.

She says her mom's death showed her all she needed to know. The way Billie sees it, they "chose to process their grief publicly and capitalize on my mother's death." She recognizes they're entitled to do what they please, but adds it hurt her a lot when they did interviews and wrote books about Carrie soon after her 2016 death, without consulting or considering how it would affect her.

Billie bluntly says there's "no feud" between them because "we have no relationship." She says she made the decision to not include them on the Walk of Fame guest list to "break a cycle" -- and thinks their public complaints about missing the ceremony back her up.

As we reported, Todd told us it was "heartbreaking" he was left off the guest list ... and he joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to tell us more about why he should've been included.

Billie responded just a couple hours after Todd's interview.

Carrie's sisters -- Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher -- called out Billie, calling their disinvite "deeply shocking."

Billie clearly doesn't care, and is putting it all out on the table now.

Joel Embiid's first Most Valuable Player selection just got a lot sweeter ... 'cause his Sixers teammate, James Harden, gifted him a Rolex in honor of the award!!

The Philadelphia center beat out former MVP winners Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo for the nod Tuesday night ... and when the man of the hour showed up at the arena to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Beard came bearing gifts.

Embiid was clearly thrilled over the gesture ... thanking Harden and hugging it out in the tunnel after receiving the expensive watch.

What's funny -- the timepiece didn't fit the 7'0" giant's hand ... but Uno assured the MVP he'll hook him up with some more links soon.

The watch also has a special message engraved on the back ... which reads "'23 MVP."

Embiid -- who said it is his first Rolex -- couldn't help but show off his gift with reporters earlier Wednesday ... smiling as he put it in front of the cameras.

If Embiid suits up for Philly in a few hours (he's been out with a knee sprain), and the watch gives him a bit more motivation, it could be bad news for the Cs -- 'cause the Sixers are currently leading the series, 1-0.

Missy Elliott is basking in yet another historic moment in her storied career ... as the first female rapper inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame!!!

The Misdemeanor couldn't contain her excitement on Wednesday when the news broke ... admitting she's been crying tears of joy all morning as she thanked the committee.

Missy feels the honor will kick down barriers for other women in hip hop culture to get noticed by the Rock Hall, but it'll take a lot of talent and hard work to match the veteran artist's career catalog.

After getting her start producing alongside Timbaland and writing for Diddy, Ginuwine, and the late Aaliyah, she released 5 consecutive platinum albums that still impact music to this day.

The Spinners, Chaka Khan (via the Musical Excellence Award) and Zach De La Rocha and Tom Morello's Rage Against the Machine also got the nod on Wednesday -- but sadly, for deep-rooted hip hop fans, A Tribe Called Quest will NOT be joining the fold ... after getting the cold shoulder for the 2nd year in a row.

We reached out to ATCQ reps to see if they even care!!!

Consequence is buggin' out over A Tribe Called Quest's 2nd consecutive snub from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and says he and the group won't be disrespected a third time!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Cons Wednesday as he stood outside the famed ATCQ mural in Queens, NY ... on the group's Linden Boulevard stomping grounds.

The veteran rapper acknowledged the newest inductees -- including a history-making Missy Elliott -- but blasted the HOF committee for embarrassing the group's legacy, and seems to feel a bit of race-baiting is at play ... with ATCQ dangling on the hook.

Cons also took exception with Billboard's take that Tribe needs to make a bigger fuss to get the committee's rock-minded and majorly white voting base on its side.

Always the team player, Cons tells us he's willing to lead any public campaign necessary to secure the Rock Hall nod and will go to bat for his cousin Q-Tip and the late Phife Dawg any day of the year.

Carrie Fisher's brother won't be the only family member missing at the late actress' Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony -- her sisters, Joely, and Tricia Leigh Fisher say they too weren't invited -- blaming the snub on their niece, Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd.

Joely and Tricia took to Instagram on Wednesday with a joint statement, "In response to all of you asking whether or not we will be part of the celebration ... Strangely we won’t be in attendance to celebrate our sister, whom we adored."

They continued, "For some bizarre, misguided reason our niece has chosen not to include us in this epic moment in our sister’s career. This is something Carrie would have definitely wanted her siblings to be present for. The fact that her only brother and two sisters were intentionally and deliberately excluded is deeply shocking. We have all been grieving the loss of our favorite human for some years now…we have given Billie the space to do that in her own way. We have been nothing but loving and open, consistently."

They ended the post by saying ... "This isn’t about a photo op on Hollywood Blvd…this is about celebrating the permanency of Carrie’s legacy in this industry, taking her place with a star on the iconic Walk of Fame alongside our parents. We thank the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for honoring our sister in this way. May the Fourth Be with you Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher".

As we reported, Carrie's only brother Todd Fisher -- son of late singer Eddie Fisher and Late actress Debbie Reynolds -- told us he was heartbroken he was intentionally omitted from attending the ceremony... adding he was the one who got the ball rolling for Carrie to get her star.

Todd says Disney told him Carrie's family was in charge of the final guest list, and they had filled all the 30 seats given ... adding he was told not to stress Billie Lourd over the whole ordeal.

Kelsea Ballerini's CMT Music Awards performance with drag queens had social media, and some country music fans, up in arms -- but, turns out, it was barely a blip on the FCC's radar.

You'll recall, the country singer had 4 queens from "RuPaul's Drag Race" share the stage with her at this year's awards ceremony -- and she was facing a lot of online backlash for involving them in her number.

However, TMZ has obtained the complaints filed with the Federal Communications Commission regarding Kelsea's moment ... and there were only two. For comparison, the FCC received 103 complaints about Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show.

One came from Texas, complaining about "drag queens on a family show." The other came from Alaska, saying children shouldn't be exposed to drag, adding ... "We are no longer able to watch this station. We have children in our home that have no business being exposed to this filth."

As we reported, sources told us Kelsea stood by her performance despite all the flak she caught for it. We're told the appearances were fully planned, and it was Kelsea's idea to call in the drag backup.

Nicki Minaj is on a musical tear like grraah at the moment ... even without a new album out on the market!!!

On Tuesday, her recent single, the Lumidee-sampling "Red Ruby Da Sleeze," crossed the 500k sales mark ... which makes it eligible for a shiny Gold-plated plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America!!!

The track has been lighting up the charts and actively competing with her Ice Spice collaboration ... the "Princess Diana (Remix)" — which shot to No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, making it the first song by the duo to reach that milestone!!!

Matter of fact, the new "Princess Diana" is so popular, it's been outselling the next 13 top-selling songs COMBINED ... according to a new Forbes report.

Morgan Wallen's "Last Night," Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" and Post Malone's greatest hits track "Chemical" are just a few of the heaters Nicki and Ice have been topping as of late.

"White Lotus" star Lukas Gage and celeb hairstylist Chris Appleton are legally united now ... the duo tied the knot over the weekend with one of their special friends in tow.

TMZ has confirmed ... Lukas and Chris got their marriage license on Saturday, according to Clark County Clerk records.

Lukas and Chris got hitched over the weekend during a secret wedding ceremony at the Little White Chapel in Vegas ... according to Page Six, which first reported the marriage.

It was reportedly a very intimate affair, with only a handful of guests ... one of whom was their pal Kim Kardashian!

Lukas and Chris reportedly got engaged this month, weeks after confirming their romance on "The Drew Barrymore Show". They went public with their relationship back in February while vacationing in Punta Mita, Mexico.

It's not exactly clear when they started officially dating, but they're definitely not wasting any time ... for better or worse.

Busy weekend for them -- they went with Kim to see Usher's Vegas residency, and she also presented the "Hair Artist of the Year" award to Chris Sunday in L.A. at the Daily Front Row Fashion Awards.

Koko Da Doll, one of the memorable subjects from the recent documentary "Kokomo City," is dead ... and the film's director says she was shot and killed as a result of trans violence.

D. Smith -- director of the moving, award-winning doc featured this year at Sundance -- shared the sad news Friday, saying Koko, AKA Rasheeda Williams, "was shot and killed in Atlanta" Tuesday night.

She added, Williams' death makes her "the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women," -- but says she will "inspire generations to come and will never be forgotten."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Atlanta PD says cops responded to reports of a shooting just before 11 PM, and investigators found a woman who had been shot -- she was pronounced dead on the scene.

For those unaware, "Kokomo City" took home 2 awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival -- following Black transgender sex workers, including Williams, as they lived and worked in New York and ATL.

Williams, along with Daniella Carter, Liyah Mitchell, and Dominique Silver, accurately put a spotlight on the horrendous threats women like them face on a daily basis.

Sundance is also paying respects, saying "We were honored to have her at the Festival this year with KOKOMO CITY, where she reminded Black trans women, 'we can do anything, we can be whatever we want to be.' It is a tragic loss."

Williams was 35.

It's Good Friday, and one thing we didn't give up for Lent was these killer snapshots of Meagan Good -- so take a look at the actress in all her glory!

The "Think Like a Man" and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" star has been in the game since the early '90s ... and this collection of pics is giving some seriously good vibes!

Meagan might be known for living in the city as Camille Parks on Amazon's "Harlem," but she really loves soaking in the sun at the beach -- like she's doin' in this hot shot.

And, when she isn't stomping the yard, Meagan's posin' for the camera in her green workout fit. Watch out for those geese, though!

Kelsea Ballerini doesn't regret her groundbreaking performance alongside drag queens on national television, and it definitely wasn't a surprise to showrunners ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the backlash Kelsea's getting for Sunday's CMT Music Awards moment -- having four "RuPaul’s Drag Race" queens come on stage during one of her performances -- is falling on deaf ears ... 'cause she doesn't regret it one bit.

We're told Kelsea fully stands by her decision to feature the drag queens ... which some folks in conservative circles have gone ballistic over -- accusing CMT of going woke.

FWIW, the drag queens' appearance was fully planned. Production sources tell TMZ ... both CMT and CBS were extremely supportive of the cameo and knew about it from the get-go ... we're also told they'd been part of rehearsals since Friday.

One of the drag queens, Manila Luzon, says it was actually Kelsea's idea to involve them -- and she did so cause she's an ally. Manila says the drag queens were super happy with how things went and appreciate the network heads for giving them a platform in front of a new type of audience.

ML adds ... country music is moving forward with the rest of the world. The performance was a celebration of love and a celebration of artistry.

Kelsea Ballerini opened up the CMT Music Awards with a powerful speech ... a very personal tribute to the victims of the Nashville Covenant School shooting, and one that brought her to tears.

The country music star got emotional Sunday night as she opened the award show in Austin, Texas ... calling out the names of the 6 victims of Audrey Hale's rampage.

Kelsea started to break down when she added, "The community of sorrow over this and the 130 mass shootings in the U.S. this year alone stretches from coast to coast."

And, then she shared her own up close experience with gun violence in schools -- Kelsea recalled, "I wanted to personally stand up here and share this moment because on Aug. 21, 2008, I watched Ryan McDonald, my 15-year-old classmate at Central High School, lose his life to a gun in our cafeteria."

McDonald was fatally shot by a classmate at Kelsea's high school in Knoxville, TN -- it happened in a crowded cafeteria, in full view of several other students ... including Kelsea.

She hosted the CMTs with Kane Brown, and went on to dedicate the broadcast to the growing list of families, friends, survivors, witnesses and responders whose lives have been changed by such violence.

The 34th annual GLAAD Media Awards had a huge turnout ... with some of the biggest names in Hollywood coming out and even taking home honors.

This year's show went down Thursday night at the Beverly Hilton ... and it was all about honoring those in media who have been exemplary in highlighting the LGBTQ+ community and its issues.

The L.A. ceremony was hosted by actress/comedian Margaret Cho, and familiar faces in the crowd included Zaya Wade and her stepmom Gabrielle Union, Lisa Ann Walter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Geena Davis and Vanessa Williams.

Other attendees included Diplo, Orville Peck, Michelle Visage, Billy Eichner, Lance Bass, Jennifer Coolidge, Frankie Grande, Jane Lynch, Chrishell Stause and G Flip.

As far as big winners on the night ... Christina Aguilera, Bad Bunny and Jeremy Pope were among the celebs to take home awards for their efforts.

During the evening, recipients for 15 of 33 categories were announced ... with series like "What We Do in the Shadows" and "The White Lotus" among top winners, along with films such as "Bros" and "A League of Their Own."

Taylor Swift took home top honors during iHeartRadio's big award show -- and while her acceptance speeches were touching ... it was her wardrobe that really drew eyes.

The pop star won Song of the Year and the Innovator Award Monday night, and in both instances ... she delivered some powerful remarks about what it takes to stand out and succeed in the music biz -- noting that the formula of a hit song isn't cut and dry.

Of course, she was talking about her fan fave track "Anti-Hero" -- picking out certain lyrics, words like "narcissism" and "altruism," as examples that not everything has to be so catchy and cookie-cuter ... arguing that artists can be real with their art.

Her Innovator Award speech was similar ... TayTay said she'd made a lot of bad choices in her life, but those had led her to make good ones ... including some that have spurred her to activism in the LGBT community and elsewhere, which was highlighted in the lead-up.

Now, we're sorta burying the lead here ... namely, TS was rocking an interesting getup for Monday's ceremony. It was a sparkly jumpsuit that was complete with a hood over her head that kinda made her look like a hip teen stuck in their backpack hip-hop phase.

Okay, maybe the fashion isn't the lead, but she looked cool in the hood. Hell, Lenny Kravitz was impressed.

Mike WiLL Made-It’s 34th birthday is one for the record books, literally ... at least in the ATL, where he's earned the city's Outstanding Citizen Award!!

T.I. and Philiana Williams, the director of mayor’s office of film & entertainment, presented the rap superproducer with a proclamation making March 23 "Mike WiLL Made-IT Day" in Atlanta … and plenty of his friends and fam were there to celebrate.

Rae Sremmurd, DJ Greg Street, Outkast’s Big Boi, Xscape’s Tiny, Sonny Digital, Tricky Stewart, ATL Jacob, Spence Lee and Soulex all rounded out the guest list Thursday at Hal’s Steakhouse.

The occasion also served as a birthday party for WiLL, so, appropriately, his parents Shirley and Michael Williams Sr. were also there to celebrate ... along with former City Councilman Kwanza Hall.

Mike just scored a couple of tracks on Miley Cyrus’ new album and is prepping his own project with features from Pharrell, Future and J. Cole ... just for starters.