The prestigious honor is given to the best Canadian album of the year and awards the winning artist $50,000.
WE is one of 40 albums that are included on the long list, which was whittled down from a total of 223 records that were considered. Its competition includes pop star The Weeknd‘s Dawn FM and masked country musician Orville Peck‘s Bronco.
The short list of the final 10 albums will be revealed July 14, ahead of the Polaris Gala on September 19.
Arcade Fire, which hails from Montreal, previously won the 2011 Polaris Music Prize for The Suburbs. They also made the short list with 2007’s Neon Bible and 2013’s Reflektor.
WE, Arcade Fire’s sixth studio album, was released in May. The band will launch a U.S. tour in support of the record in October.
Shortly after revealing she moved to Kentucky, Katy Perry has packed her bags and is now living Down Under with fiancé Orlando Bloom.
Marie Claire Australiareports the “Roar” singer was spotted at Sydney Airport with 13 bags of luggage. Katy reportedly donned a disguise for her big move and had daughter Daisy Dove with her. Witnesses say the family boarded a private plane to Cairns, and word on the street is they’ll be living there for the next three months.
Bloom has been cast in the movie Wizards! alongside Pete Davidson and Naomi Scott. Deadline reports the movie follows two potheads who find themselves in hot water after getting their hands on some stolen property. It is unknown what role Bloom has in the film.
Last month, Katy revealed on the Dear Chelsea podcast that she had been living in Kentucky. As with this new move to Australia, she had been in the Southern state to support her fiancé as he filmed Red Right Hand.
For those wondering how this will affect her PLAY residency in Las Vegas, the concert series picks up on July 29 — giving Katy plenty of time to enjoy the great Down Under with her family.
In an Instagram post Tuesday, guitarist Dan Donegan shared that the band was filming a video for the first single off their upcoming album.
“First single off the new album coming in the very near future,” he wrote in the caption.
Earlier this year, frontman David Draiman shared that the record, the follow-up to 2018’s Evolution, was “completed.” In a tweet earlier this month, Draiman wrote that he was “very proud” of the “amazing” album, adding that it includes a “surprise track…that’s going to blow your minds.”
Disturbed will be playing a number of U.S. festivals this summer, including Summerfest and Inkcarceration.
Chris Stapleton is the latest artist to get his own exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Called Chris Stapleton: Since 1978, the exhibit will open on July 1 and run through May 14, 2023. Museum-goers will be able to revisit Chris’ biography and song catalog, starting from his childhood in rural eastern Kentucky and chronicling his move toward songwriting and eventually, country music stardom.
The exhibit will feature a number of outfits, instruments, trophies and other personal effects from over the course of Chris’ storied career. Among those artifacts will be his 1966 Gibson Trini Lopez Standard electric guitar, which he used to record his song “Traveller.”
Fans can also check out Chris’ Waffle House Golden Waffle Award, which recognizes his status as the most-played artist on Waffle House jukeboxes in 2019, plus a LEGO model of the singer and his band, which was used to create the animated, LEGO-themed video for his song, “Second One to Know.”
Chris’ Hall of Fame exhibit is presented by Ram Trucks; the singer is a longtime partner with the brand.
Jennifer Hudsonshared a video reacting to becoming an EGOT winner after she achieved the status at the 2022 Tony Awards Sunday.
The actress, producer and singer was nominated in the best musical category as one of the producers of the hit Broadway show A Strange Loop.
Other co-producers for the show include RuPaul Charles, Alan Cumming, Ilana Glazer, Mindy Kaling and Billy Porter.
Hudson’s video showed her giving a toast to celebrate the best musical win. “As I said when I won the Oscar, look what God can do,” she shared in the video. “Well, he did it again.”
She expanded on her feelings on the win in the caption of her post. “I am overwhelmed by all the outpouring of love and support that I am Still receiving and I’m still processing this whole new ground,” she detailed. “What an honor!”
“Thank u all for being with me on this journey,” she continued. “I could not live this life without u.”
Achieving EGOT status requires winning a Grammy, an Emmy, a Tony and an Oscar.
Along with her Tony Award, Hudson’s wins that led to her achieving EGOT status include an Oscar for best supporting actress for Dreamgirls at the 2007 Academy Awards; a Daytime Emmy for executive producing the 2020 animated film Baby Yaga; and Grammy awards in 2017 for The Color Purple and in 2009 for best R&B album for her self-titled debut album.
Hudson also shared a post featuring the entire team behind A Strange Loop and wrote about how special the night was for them.
“What a night! Filled with so many memorable moments!” she captioned her post. “I am so inspired by people who are passionate about their craft! Congratulations to everyone on their well-deserved awards and their beautiful performances!”
The bill of the Foo-headlined LA event includes many artists who are also booked for the London performance, among them Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, The Police‘s Stewart Copeland, Wolfgang Van Halen, Queens of the Stone Age‘s Josh Homme, Jane’s Addiction‘s Chris Chaney, producer Mark Ronson and drummer/producer Omar Hakim.
Additionally, the lineup features a number of acts exclusive to the LA date, including Joan Jett, KISS‘ Gene Simmons, Alanis Morissette, Mötley Crüe‘s Nikki Sixx, Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Chad Smith, Miley Cyrus, The Struts‘ Luke Spiller, Rage Against the Machine‘s Brad Wilk and Weezer‘s Pat Wilson.
Artists including Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde and ex-Oasis singer Liam Gallagher are exclusive to the London lineup. Comedian Dave Chappelle will also be making a “special appearance” at the London show.
The guests will be “playing the songs that Taylor loved and created, with and alongside his [Foo Fighters] brothers Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee,” a press release says.
As previously reported, the concerts will take place September 3 at Wembley Stadium and September 27 at The Kia Forum. Tickets to both shows go on sale this Friday, June 17, at 9 a.m. local time. Proceeds will benefit charities in the U.K. and U.S. chosen by the Hawkins family. For more ticket information, join the Foo Fighters’ mailing list.
(NEW YORK) — More than 20 states are seeing dangerously hot temperatures this week, impacting nearly 100 million Americans, according to the National Weather Service.
The heat index will be over 100 degrees from the Plains to the Southeast with little relief at night.
An excessive heat warning has been issued from southern inland California to Arizona. Temperatures in this region could reach 110 degrees over the next few days.
Record temperatures also continue in the Midwest, South and the Carolinas.
In Nashville, the recorded high was 97 degrees on Tuesday. In Fayetteville, North Carolina, the mercury hit 100 degrees.
Chicago on Tuesday experienced its warmest weather since 2012, with temps reaching 98 degrees.
The temperature stayed at and above 80 degrees for 48 hours in Kansas City.
If the temperature in Detroit reaches 97 degrees on Wednesday, it will be the hottest recorded June temperature in the city since 2012.
Other cities seeing high temps are Charleston, Columbus and Pittsburgh as the heat wave continues to creep east.
A red flag warning continues in Nevada, where dry conditions and extreme heat perpetuates the opportunity for wildfires.
The National Weather Service said much of the Midwest will continue to remain above normal temperatures into the end of the week.
Such heat is dangerous and abnormal for even the hottest regions in the country.
As the heat wave continues, schools are shutting down to protect students and staff.
Five school districts in southeast Michigan are canceling classes or adjusting dismissal times as the Detroit area braces for Wednesday’s heat.
David Mustonen, director of communications and marketing for Dearborn Public Schools in Michigan, told ABC News the district will be closed for Wednesday. He said the decision to close was necessary.
“It really had to do with the heat index being so high,” Mustonen said. “It’s just not the best condition for learning.”
Mustonen said the district’s protocol is to close if the heat index reaches 105, which will likely happen on Wednesday.
“For the students and our staff, this was just the right decision,” Mustonen added.
Schools in other metropolitan areas are adjusting their schedules amid the heat.
Pittsburgh Public Schools will only be open for half days on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the district’s website. School lunches will still be provided at Pittsburgh Public Schools during the half days.
The American Heart Association has warned that temperatures over 100 degrees can be dangerous; high temperatures cause dehydration and increase stress on the heart.
The association recommends that individuals stay hydrated, avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages and avoid the outdoors during the peak sun hours of about 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
(SPOILERS)On Wednesday, the penultimate episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped on Disney+.
And as many fans had hoped since news broke Hayden Christensen was returning to the Star Wars fold after the prequels, “Part V” shows the actor in flashbacks as Anakin Skywalker — before he turned to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader.
Christensen was almost at a loss for words to ABC Audio about his return. “It’s been incredible,” the actor enthuses. “I can’t sort of tell you how meaningful it is to me.”
He adds, “You know, the fans have just been very supportive, and they’re the reason why I get to come back and play in this world again. And I can’t thank them enough.”
The new episode explores the bond between Skywalker and Kenobi as student and master, in a sequence that takes place before the events of Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
The two became battle brothers as the galaxy erupted in the Clone Wars, which were explored in detail in the Emmy-winning animated series that shares the conflict’s name.
For Christensen, the series became a great way to research the character for the flashbacks in Kenobi.
“It was really interesting to get to see these other storylines and these characters at a different time in their lives…You know, it all helps in terms of just understanding the character then and re familiarizing myself as much as I could.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi of course also allowed Christensen to step back into Darth Vader’s menacing black armor for the first time since the closing moments of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
As then, it drew a crowd on set.
“Vader definitely gets a response from people,” the actor says with a laugh. (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
(WASHINGTON) — Parents with young kids are one step closer to getting them vaccinated following a grueling wait for the last remaining group to be authorized for a vaccine.
The process for authorization and recommendation from the regulatory agencies kicked off Wednesday with a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s committee of independent experts.
The committee is scheduled to review the data on both the Moderna vaccine for kids under 6, which is a two-dose vaccine, and the Pfizer vaccine for kids under 5, which is a three-dose vaccine.
Though kids have generally had less-severe cases of COVID-19 than older adults, there have still been nearly 500 deaths in kids under 5 and over 30,000 hospitalizations in the U.S.
“We are dealing with an issue where I think we have to be careful that we don’t become numb to the number of pediatric deaths because of the overwhelming number of older deaths here. Every life is important. And vaccine-preventable deaths are ones that we would like to try to do something about,” said Dr. Peter Marks, who runs the vaccine division at the FDA.
“Granted, it’s a population that has been much less affected than the older populations, particularly the oldest population, but one nonetheless that has also been affected. And I think for those who have lost children to COVID-19, our hearts go out to them, because these are — each child that’s lost essentially fractures a family,” Marks told the committee on Wednesday.
Officials from Pfizer and Moderna stressed Wednesday that their vaccines are safe and effective at protecting young children against COVID-19.
Both companies reported mild reactions to the shots. Among young children, fevers and pain at the injection site were the most common symptoms reported following the shot, with most post-vaccination symptoms resolving in a matter of days.
“These pediatric groups represent a more vulnerable population, so it is particularly important to minimize reactions, including fever, while achieving an immune response likely to provide protection against COVID-19,” said Dr. William Gruber, senior vice president of vaccine clinical research and development at Pfizer.
Neither Moderna or Pfizer reported any cases of myocarditis among the youngest children.
And the impact spans wider than the statistics. Parents with kids too young to be vaccinated have dealt with constant child care interruptions from COVID-19 scares and two years of mitigation strategies even after most people in the country dropped their masks.
Once the FDA committee votes on Wednesday, the process moves to FDA leadership to officially authorize the vaccines. If that happens, the administration can start shipping out vaccines to states.
Then, on Friday and Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisers will meet to review the data on both vaccines.
The final step in the process is a recommendation from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, after which shots can be administered in doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and other locations.
Vaccines are expected to be available as early as the week of June 21, if the review processes find the vaccines safe and effective.
The Biden administration estimates that 85% of children under the age of 5 live within 5 miles of a potential vaccination site, an administration official said.
But it will be an uphill battle to convince parents to vaccinate their young kids, if polling is any indication. A recent survey from KFF found that just 1 in 5 parents are eager to vaccinate their kids right away.
Federal officials said they plan to lean into existing networks to get vaccine information out to families, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, mom blogs and PTAs, as well as groups specific to communities of color, like the League of United Latin American Citizens.
“We have learned from our previous campaigns, and one of the most important lessons that we’ve learned is that we know who people listen to when making decisions, and there are trusted people in their lives,” a senior administration official said.
(WASHINGTON) — The federal government will be instructing states on ways to expand access to health care and suicide prevention resources for LGBTQ people and will be releasing school policy samples that work to better include such students, among other steps in support of the community including a campaign against conversion therapy, senior administration officials said Wednesday.
President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Wednesday directing the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education to take such measures as part of what his administration said was a broader push, during Pride Month, “to stand up to the bullies targeting” the LGBTQ community.
The White House singled out hundreds of new bills, nationwide, that would impose restrictions on LGBTQ people or issues, such as a law in Florida outlawing discussion of gender and sexuality in certain classrooms and various state bans — either proposed or already passed into law — on transgender children being able to receive certain medical treatments.
“President Biden is addressing these harmful, hateful, and discriminatory attacks head-on – not only by speaking up for America’s families, but taking action,” the White House said in a statement.
The new executive order will urge additional policy guidance, increase administrative protections and make the federal government available as a partner to states; it will also raise public awareness around what the administration said were ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQ people, like the prevalence of conversion therapy that seeks to change a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
“Children who are exposed to so-called ‘conversion therapy’ face higher rates of attempted suicide and trauma,” the White House said. “[M]any people in the United States and around the world are still subjected to this practice.”
A new HHS initiative will work to reduce youth exposure to conversion therapy by clarifying that programs receiving federal funds cannot engage in the practice, as directed by the president’s order.
Spotlighting the practice’s harms is another component of the initiative, and HHS will offer guidance to health care providers through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The order also seeks to address some of the barriers before LGBTQ children and families.
The White House said that while LGBTQ parents are “7 times more likely to adopt a child,” the foster care system makes it challenging for them to adopt children.
“President Biden is charging HHS with strengthening non-discrimination protections,” according to the White House.
Another HHS initiative will work to ensure that children receive foster care placements in environments supportive of their sexual orientation, the administration said.
The president will announce his executive order at a White House Pride Month celebration in the East Room on Wednesday afternoon. He will be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses, Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff, as well as Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The White House’s focus on LGBTQ issues — specifically those affecting children — comes weeks after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a controversial ban on discussion of “sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms or in older grades if it is not “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate.”
Critics denounced the law as an overly broad “Don’t Say Gay” ban; DeSantis and its supporters said it prevented children from being exposed to what they called inappropriate content.
ABC News reports similar legislation is working its way through legislatures or already enacted into law in Alabama and Ohio.
ABC News’ Armando Garcia contributed to this report.
