The organisers of the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) has announced the cancelation of this year’s Award over the “devastating events in Israel and Hamas”.
The annual event was scheduled to hold in Paris on Sunday, November 5, with music stars like Nigeria’s Rema, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj among the high-profile nominees.
The cancelation was announced in a statement shared by the organizers on X on Thursday, October 19, noting that the decision was taken due to security concerns.
The network wrote, “Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life.
“The MTV EMAs are an annual celebration of global music. As we watch the devastating events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration. With thousands of lives already lost, it is a moment of mourning.”
Although the event has been called off, voting will continue while the winning artistes will still receive their MTV EMA Awards.
‘Calm Down’, a song by Rema, was nominated in the ‘Best Collaboration’ category, the singer is a nominee in the ‘Best Afrobeats’ category.
