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NBC will air two-hour Toby Keith tribute concert special this August, with a guest line-up to include Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Carrie Underwood and more.

Toby Keith: American Icon also will feature Parker McCollum, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson, The War And Treaty, with artists performing the late Keith’s hits as well as original songs.

The special airs Wednesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.

The concert will be filmed at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with a portion of ticket sales to benefit The Toby Keith Foundation’s Ok Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children dealing with critical illnesses, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals and the top rated in the Southeast.

Keith died Feb. 5 following a three-year battle with stomach cancer. Throughout his career, the country music superstar scored 42 top-10 hits,...

NBC will air a musical special in honor of Toby Keith, singer of country hits like “Should Have Been a Cowboy” and “Red Solo Cup,” who died at age 62 in February.

Titled “Toby Keith: American Icon,” the special will feature covers and original songs performed by country artists Carrie Underwood, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Darius Rucker, the War And Treaty and more.

The two-hour special will air on Aug. 28 at 9 p.m. Tickets for the live show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena will go on sale on June 28, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Toby Keith Foundation’s Ok Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children dealing with critical illnesses, as well as the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Throughout his career, Keith released 42 Top 10 tracks, 33 making No. 1, and was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame,...

The MTV VMAs is considered one of music's biggest (and most unpredictable) nights of the year, and ever since the first show kicked off in 1984, the award ceremony has been the source of some of the most jaw-dropping moments in pop culture history. Surprise reunions, shocking feuds, political/fashion statements, and, yes, even shocking kisses go down at the VMAs - nothing is off limits. From Kanye West's infamous mic grab in 2009 to Beyoncé's baby-bump reveal in 2011, there's always something exciting going on both on and off the stage.

In an August interview with Popsugar, Alex Coletti, who was one of the show's producers at the time of Britney Spears and Madonna's infamous 2003 kiss, recalled the powerful creative synergy that helped launch some of the iconic moments the show has become known for. "It was a time where that show in particular was taking all of pop culture,...

Former MTV president Van Toffler had the history books on his mind when he asked Madonna to open the 2003 Video Music Awards. Toffler wanted to honor the VMAs’ nearly two-decade legacy with a callback to its inaugural 1984 edition. A lot had happened since Madonna rolled around in a wedding dress during “Like a Virgin” at that first awards show, but she remained the video era’s flagship star. Toffler hoped a plum spot on the program would motivate the Queen of Pop to outdo herself.

“I don’t have to encourage Madonna to go over-the-top,...

In the hours that directly followed the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28 in New York City, Madonna was on a plane to Scotland. Earlier in the evening, she had opened the show with a performance of her new single "Hollywood," accompanied by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Madonna dressed as a groom, while Spears and Aguilera were her brides. Madonna shared a kiss with each pop star in the middle of the performance. And then she went to Scotland.

A few weeks later, Madonna went on Oprah Winfrey's talk show and expressed being surprised by how much attention the kiss had gotten. "I've been oblivious until this moment," she said. "I had no idea that it was going to cause the ruckus that it caused. It was just a friendly kiss." Wearing a houndstooth skirt suit, she claimed, "I don't know why people are making such a big deal about it.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Emmys Hub

To see old predictions and commentary,...

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix released a trailer for “Song Exploder Volume 2,” and Starz debuted a first look at its upcoming original series, “Run the World.”

Dates

HBO Sports and Major League Baseball are teaming up to produce “Under the Grapefruit Tree: The Cc Sabathia Story,” set to debut Dec. 22 on HBO. The documentary film follows the personal story of New York Yankees pitcher Carsten Charles Sabathia, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of his final season with the team in 2019 and narration from Sabathia. The movie chronicles the athlete’s humble beginnings in Vallejo, Calif., where he honed his skills by throwing grapefruits in his grandmother’s yard, to the ups and downs of his career, including his longtime battle with addiction. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

As part of its 50th anniversary crowdsourced storytelling project PBS American Portrait, PBS announced a four-part documentary series...

In-person Pride events may have been put on paucse, but that is not stopping the Lgtbq+ community from celebrating. P&g and iHeartMedia have teamed for “Can’t Cancel Pride: A Covid-19 Relief Benefit for the LGBTQ+ Community.” The special will raise funds for Lgtbq+ communities most impacted by Covid-19. It will stream June 25 at 9 pm Pt on iHeartRadio’s Facebook and Instagram, PrideRadio.com and broadcast on iHeartMedia stations nationwide.

The event will feature Billy Porter, Big Freedia, Ricky Martin, Adam Lambert, Melissa Etheridge, Katy Perry, Kim Petras, Sia among others. The celebration will culminate with a one-hour special hosted by leading iHeartMedia on-air personality Elvis Duran and actress and LGBTQ+ advocate Laverne Cox.

“There’s no question Covid-19 has impacted the LGBTQ+ community in a variety of ways, and at this time in the U.S., the struggle for equality and inclusion has never been more important,” said Gayle Troberman,...

Tina Fey will host virtual telethon Rise Up New York! next Monday, May 11, raising money for New Yorkers hit by Covid-19 and the shutdown, with telethon guests set to include Governor Andrew Cuomo, Bette Midler, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert De Niro, Spike Lee, among many others.

Presented by the anti-poverty organization Robin Hood along with iHeartMedia, Rise Up New York! will include musical performances by Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Sting and others to be announced.

“New York City is at the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Robin Hood CEO Wes Moore in a statement. “This crisis has created a whole new set of challenges for the millions of New Yorkers who already struggled to make ends meet. This is a moment where we must all come together and rise up together as a community in support of our neighbors and in support of one another.”

Other scheduled guests include Michael Strahan,...

Tony Hale is celebrating the holidays with a grand comedy and music event for IFC, “Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special.” The affair will be taped in front of a live audience at the iconic Joe’s Pub inside the Public Theater in downtown Manhattan on November 30, and air as a one-hour special in December.

The special will include a variety of holiday themed performances from comics, singers and actors including Bridget Everett, Jo Firestone, Jen Kirkman and Nick Thune, with many more artists to be announced shortly. The funk and soul group The Dap-Kings will be the house band for the night.

“A Holiday Special” is the first collaboration between IFC and Show Shop, who serve as producers. Executive producers are Frank Garritano and Alex Coletti, with Coletti directing.

Read More: ‘Veep’s’ Tony Hale Says Show’s Producers Give Actors Freedom to ‘Play With the Material’ During...

Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy will co-host alongside Jonas and Nick Cannon, while "Twilight's" Nikki Reed has come aboard as a presenter for the Nov. 17 event.

Kevin Jonas and Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy have been tapped to co-host the TeenNick Halo Awards, joining regular emcee Nick Cannon.

Singer Enrique Iglesias also has been added to the bill for the fifth annual event, which takes place Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Hollywood Palladium and will be broadcast live on Nickelodeon beginning at 8 p.m. Et (tape-delayed on the West Coast). He joins previously announced performers Fall Out Boy and Austin Mahone.

"I'm excited about performing my new single 'Heart Attack' on the TeenNick Halo Awards," Iglesias said. "This award show is special to me because we get to honor real teens who have earned their way on the show by doing community service."

Additionally, Twilight star Nikki Reed has been confirmed as a presenter,...

NBC has renewed .Last Call with Carson Daly. (Monday-Friday, 1:35 a.m.-2:05 a.m. Et) for a 10th season and also has named Emmy Award nominee Alex Coletti (MTV.s .Unplugged.) as the new executive producer of the network.s annual .NBC.s New Year.s Eve with Carson Daly. 10-11 p.m. Et, and continuing at 11:30 p.m. Et. .Last Call. will continue with the ethos of .no desk, no ties, no rules. -- and will shoot at various locations around Los Angeles and other cities, which allows the audience to experience each guest in a unique and intimate setting. Daly will continue the tradition of giving music artists a platform for their music to be heard nationwide. .I really feel that 'Last...

It is the often-forgotten member of the NBC late-night lineup that stayed clear of the network's recent late-night shakeups. But quietly, Last Call with Carson Daly will reach a decade on the air after NBC announced today that it is renewing the daily 1:35 Am-2:05 Am show for a 10th season with Stewart Bailey returning as executive producer. Additionally, Alex Coletti (MTV’s Unplugged) as the new executive producer of the network’s annual NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly. “I really feel that Last Call has hit its stride," said former MTV star Daly. “I am glad Stewart is coming back because he is incredibly smart and he owes me 35 dollars. Likewise, Alex is great, he produced MTV's 'Unplugged.' He assures me we will have electricity for the New Years Eve show.” Coletti's credits also include the halftime shows for Super Bowls Xxxviii and Xxxv.

Another year of Carson Daly and his late-night show are on the way. Last Call with Carson Daly has been renewed for a 10th season by NBC.

For the second year, Daly will be an executive producer on the program with Guy Oseary. Of the renewal, Daly said, "I really feel that Last Call has hit its stride. It took 10 years, but it feels brand new and great."

NBC's head of night-time, Rick Ludwin, added, "Last Call has been a trend-setter in late-night since it began, but particularly in its most recent two seasons. Carson and Stewart continue to give viewers a series that's distinctive, cool and entertaining."

In addition, Daly will continue as the host of the peacock network's annual New Year's Eve special. Alex Coletti has been named as the new executive producer of NBC's New Year's...

In 1999, MTV News’ Alex Coletti sat down with Michael Jackson in New York to talk about the creative inspirations behind his songwriting and music video concepts. One of the more fascinating facts uprooted by the interview was the fact that one of the driving forces behind Jackson’s video concepts was the work of an unlikely trio. “My dream was to always make short little films, because I’m a big fan of the Three Stooges, and I love watching Curly, who I think is wonderful. They make these 15-minute shorts, and I said, ‘I’d love to do something like that some day,’ and ["Thriller"] was my opportunity.”

Check out the rest of the interview here — including Jackson’s thoughts on the videos for “Bad,” “Beat It” and “Black or White.”...