This week, the Academy of Country Music is sharing details about its 14th annual ACM Honors ceremony, which will take place on August 25 and be hosted by two-time ACM Award winner Carly Pearce.
Each year, the ACM Honors celebrates special honorees and winners from the ACM Awards. This year’s show will focus on both the awards show that took place in 2021 and last year’s event, since the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the ACM Honors from taking place in person in 2020.
Additionally, the first round of performers for the show have been announced. Lady A, Hardy, Chris Janson and Ashley McBryde are just a few of the acts who’ll take the stage. Other performers include Lauren Alaina, Devin Dawson, Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack and RaeLynn.
The ACM previously announced a list of Special Award recipients who will be honored in August. Those include Loretta Lynn, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Lady A and others.
More special guests and performers will be announced in the weeks ahead. The ACM Honors will return to its usual venue home, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. VIP and general admission tickets are available now, and you can also watch the event via livestream on the Circle Network’s social channels.
(AUSTIN) — While the focus in Texas politics is on state legislators and a stalled special session, the speculation over Matthew McConaughey’s possible run for governor of Texas continues to garner steady interest.
The Academy Award-winning actor has teased the idea of a potential 2022 gubernatorial run for months but more recently called it “an honest consideration.”
“What an awesome privilege, an awesome responsibility, awesome position of sacrifice and service,” McConaughey said about the potential run while featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in May. “It’s something I’m trying to look in the eye and give honest consideration.”
In March, he told GMA3’s T.J. Holmes simply that it’s a “consideration.”
“It’s consideration until it’s anything else. I’m weighing my options again about what is my role going forward,” he said.
The buzz around McConaughey’s entrance into politics comes as his state of Texas was thrust into the spotlight this week over Republican-backed efforts to revise the state’s election and voting laws, causing a large group of state Democratic Representatives to flee the state in an effort to block the bill by breaking quorum.
But even if McConaughey were to run, questions remain about the type of politician he might be. According to reporting by ABC Austin affiliate KVUE, the actor has only voted twice in Texas since 2012 — in the 2018 and 2020 general elections, as indictated by state voting records — and there is no record of him making campaign donations at the state or national level. He has also declined to say whether he would run as a Democrat or a Republican, the affiliate reported.
Although he lacks political experience, McConaughey has taught film production at his alma mater, the University of Texas, Austin, since 2015. During the pandemic, he created a tutorial on how to make a DIY face-mask. And when a deadly ice storm tore through Texas, McConaughey hosted a virtual benefit, enlisting help from his Hollywood friends to raise millions through his Just Keep Livin’ Foundation.
McConaughey wouldn’t be the first person to make the transition from the world of entertainment to politics. Former President Donald Trump and Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ran successful bids, but star status, while helpful, doesn’t ensure victory. Olympic Gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner is seeking to use her celebrity status to oust California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election but has failed to gain momentum. In 2018, Soap opera star Antonio Sabato Jr. was unsuccessful in his bid for a California congressional seat as was Cynthia Nixon when she tried to unseat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Still, politicians have been closely looking out for McConaughey’s next move. The incumbent, Gov. Greg Abbott, said during an appearance on Fox News last week that he’s not dismissing McConaughey as a competitor. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is also taking McConaughey’s potential bid seriously, saying on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show last month that “a good-looking, charming, affable movie star can be a really formidable candidate on the ballot.”
“And I hope that doesn’t happen, but you know what? He’s going to have to make his own decision whether he’s going to run or not,” Cruz said.
The 2022 Texas gubernatorial election will take place on Nov. 8, 2022, with Abbott seeking reelection for a third term.
While it is unclear whether McConaughey will jump into the race, he would need to file a candidate declaration of intent by Dec. 13.
Celine Dionis pushing back the remaining North American dates on her Courage World Tour.
The shows, which had previously been rescheduled to August and September of this year, will now be postponed to March and April of 2022 due to continued COVID-19 concerns.
“I know how frustrating it is for my fans, with all the postponements that have taken place these past 18 months,” Celine says in a statement. “My team and I are still concerned about everyone’s safety this summer even though the situation has dramatically improved.”
“We all feel 100% comfortable that things will be very safe next spring, and I want my fans to feel the same way, without any worries,” she adds. “I hope everyone understands.”
The rescheduled dates kick off March 9 in Denver, CO, and wrap April 22 in Washington, D.C.
Tickets purchased for the original 2020 and 2021 tour dates will be honored for the rescheduled 2022 dates.
Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella for Def Jam Recordings
Summer Walker has finally revealed the face of her daughter, Princess Bubblegum.
On Wednesday, the Over It singer shared four adorable photos of her four-month-old on Instagram, with the caption, “Baby bubbles.”
One image shows the infant smiling in a Burberry dress and lying on a changing table with a pacifier in her mouth. In other photos, Princess is seen wearing hand mittens and sleeping with a stuffed unicorn.
Princess’ father, producer London On Da Track, shared a similar photo of Princess on his Instagram with two snake emojis and a green heart in the caption.
Summer Walker and London On Da Track have been on-and-off for years and welcomed their daughter in late March. In May, the singer said she would not share photos of Princess due to fans criticizing her daughter’s physical appearance in a now-deleted photo on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Walker shared a sexy photo of herself in a bra and panties on her Instagram page, @galactawhore. In the caption, she reworked the lyrics from Aaliyah‘s song, “Try Again.”
“Dust ya self off & try his friend or whatever Aaliyah said,” Walker wrote.
Journey‘s classic seventh studio album, 1981’s Escape, has just been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales and equivalent units of 10 million copies in the U.S.
Escape, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this Saturday, July 17, is the band’s only album to top the Billboard 200. It yielded some of Journey’s most enduring hits, including the anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’,” plus “Open Arms” and “Who’s Crying Now,” as well as the classic-rock-radio staple “Stone in Love.”
Impressively, “Don’t Stop Believin'” has amassed more than a billion streams on Spotify alone.
“This is such a truly gratifying achievement for all the work we did together,” declares guitarist Neal Schon. “Congratulations to all.”
Adds keyboardist Jonathan Cain, “On behalf of all that helped to make our album Escape a Diamond award achievement, we say thank you. To our fans, to our bandmates who took part in recording this album, to our label, to all in radio and finally to the distributors who believed in this music; we are deeply humbled and honored to accept this prestigious award.”
Escape becomes Journey’s second RIAA Diamond-certified album, following the band’s 1988 Greatest Hits compilation, which has sold over 15 million copies or album equivalent units.
Journey recently released a brand-new song, “The Way We Used to Be,” the group’s first new music since 2011, and its first with its three recently added members — bassist Randy Jackson, drummer Narada Michael Walden and keyboardist Jason Derlatka. Jackson previously was a member of Journey during the mid-1980s.
Meanwhile, the band has several concerts on its 2021 itinerary, including a July 31 performance at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and a July 29 Lollapalooza “Aftershow” event at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom.
Iliza Shlesinger‘s new movie, Good on Paper, is not only based on her real-life dating horror story — it’s also a commentary on women being vilified for having standards.
In the Netflix comedy, Iliza’s character, Andrea Singer, meets a seemingly decent man that she’s neither physically nor sexually attracted to, but she succumbs to the pressure to “give him a chance.” She learns soon after their relationship is built on a web of his lies.
Shlesinger tells ABC Audio that society frowns upon women who turn down prospective suitors.
“It’s easy to vilify women because our voices have been so underrepresented… It’s easy to make us into the enemy,” she said. “Women are supposed to be grateful and we’re supposed to just like whatever we’re given.”
Shlesinger continued, “Only in our society do we say to women, ‘Give him a chance, he’s nice to you.’ You never hear a mother say to her son, ‘Give this hideous girl a chance. I know you find her repulsive, but if you could just put your mouth on hers…’ It’s a power dynamic.”
The stand-up comic also delved into why women are sometimes deemed “picky.”
“It’s code for — God forbid — a woman knows what she wants. It’s just an attempt to make women doubt themselves,” Shlesinger expressed, noting that cultural mentality emphasizes the so-called “societal shelf-life women are told that they have.”
Good on Paper is a prime example of Shlesinger’s comedy, which tackles hot-button relationship issues while conducting “some real sociological digging.”
“I believe whatever you go through, you can make fun of,” she explained. “It all comes from an analytical place. But, more importantly, it comes from a funny place because — if it’s not funny, it’s just a TED talk.”
Fellow artists are continuing to speak out in support of Britney Spears, following the pop star’s latest conservatorship hearing on Wednesday.
Backstreet Boys’AJ McLean is among those offering up his “thoughts and prayers.” During an appearance on Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live, the singer detailed his most recent heartbreaking encounter with the star. He says the two live close to each other and he often sees Britney at a cupcake shop they both frequent.
“The last time I saw her, it broke my heart,” AJ said. “Last time I saw her, she was with a gentleman. I’m assuming it was security or maybe a driver.”
“Went in, she was there, she looked right at me and I was like, ‘Hey, it’s AJ,'” he recalled. “And she just kind of had this glass face. Like, she just didn’t know who was there. It took her a minute. And then she realized it was me, and we hugged and we talked for a brief moment, but I could just see that this wasn’t her. Like, I’m not looking at the person I knew from years and years ago.”
AJ slammed the conservatorship, calling it “asinine,” “insane” and “completely brutal,” and declared himself “100 percent Team Britney.”
Ariana Grande also showed her support in a comment on Britney’s latest Instagram post. “YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED AND SUPPORTED,” she wrote.
Zendaya was only a few months old when the first Space Jam movie, starring Michael Jordan, hit theaters in 1996. That said, a lot has changed since the Looney Tunes dribbled across the court — with fans seemingly being the most divided over Lola Bunny’s sporty redesign in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Lola traded in the crop top she wore in the first film for a basketball jersey, with movie execs saying they didn’t want to sexualize the cartoon character. While the move was applauded by some fans, others were outraged.
Zendaya, who voices Lola in the new film, tells Entertainment Weekly that when she was first offered to play Lola, she “didn’t know” people would be upset over the character’s updated look.
“I didn’t know it was going to be as much of a focus as it was,” she laughed. “But I understand, because she’s a lovable character. She’s very important, so I get it.”
Zendaya, 24, who said she grew up watching the original film because of her family’s love of basketball, explained that Lola’s character resonated with her because of what she stood for, and not because of what she looked like.
“I’ve always appreciated Lola because she’s the only girl on the team, kind of holding it down for the ladies — and she’s also an incredible player,” the Euphoria star expressed. “I think in this reimagining of who she is, it just leans into that a little bit more, the fact that she’s got these skills and she’s an MVP.”
Space Jam: New Legacy — also starring LeBron James, Don Cheadle and, of course, the rest of the Looney Tunes squad — hits theaters on Friday.
(NEW YORK) — Blue Origin revealed Thursday that the fourth member of its first crewed flight will be the youngest person ever to fly to space.
Oliver Daemen, 18, will join Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos (Jeff’s brother) and 82-year-old Wally Funk on a spaceflight set to launch next Tuesday from west Texas. Funk, a pioneering pilot who dreamed of being an astronaut in the 1960s, will become the oldest person to travel to space.
Blue Origin auctioned the final seat on its inaugural crewed flight for a whopping $28 million.
In a surprise announcement Thursday, however, the company said the anonymous auction winner will not be able to join the historic spaceflight due to “scheduling conflicts.” The bidder, who seeks to remain anonymous, will join a future mission, the company said.
Daemen will now earn the tile of the first paying customer to board the space tourism firm’s New Shepard spacecraft. The company did not reveal how much Daemen paid for his seat.
“This marks the beginning of commercial operations for New Shepard, and Oliver represents a new generation of people who will help us build a road to space,” Bob Smith, the CEO of Blue Origin, said in a statement Thursday.
Daemen, who graduated from high school in 2020, has been besotted by space travel since he was four. He will attend the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands starting this September, and is set to study “physics and innovation management,” Blue Origin said.
The inaugural crewed flight for Blue Origin is scheduled for July 20. In total, the flight is only about 11 minutes, and approximately four minutes will be spent above the so-called Karman line that is defined as the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
It comes on the heels of a brief, successful spaceflight from Sir Richard Branson’s firm Virgin Galactic last weekend. The back-to-back missions are seen as ushering in a new era of space tourism that has been propelled by an emerging, billionaire-backed commercial space industry.
If you feel the need to Power Up with alcohol, AC/DC‘s got you covered.
The band has teamed with the high-end collectible company KnuckleBonz and the CaliCraft Brewing Company to introduce two new beers: AC/DC PWR UP Juicy IPA and AC/DC TNT Double IPA. They’ll be coming to select retail outlets in mid-September, but you can pre-order them now; depending on where you live, direct-to-consumer shipping starts July 26.
The 6.6% ABV PWR UP Juicy IPA is inspired by AC/DC’s most recent album, and features “massive flavors of bright passionfruit, ripe peaches, and juicy mandarin.” The TNT Double IPA is 8.2% ABV, and is described as “big and bold,” with flavors of “fresh cut grapefruit, sweet mango, and fresh pine.”
If you happen to be in California, there is a series of release events for the beers on July 23, 24 and 25 at the CaliCraft Brewing Company at 2700 Mitchell Dr. in Walnut Creek, CA.
CaliCraft says that AC/DC had final approval over all the details of the beer, including the designs on the cans, and these two brews are the first in what will be a series of AC/DC-branded beers.
