The 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards has been canceled by Paramount
PARA
Global due to the “volatility of world events.”
The music event, scheduled for November 5 at Paris Nord Villepinte, will not move ahead due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.
Musical acts like BTS’ Jung Kook, Reneé Rapp, Sabrina Carpenter, Coi Leray, David Guetta, Rema, the Kid Laroi, PinkPantheress and more were scheduled to perform at the now-canceled award show, according to a recently released lineup shared by MTV.
“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,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Variety.
DUESSELDORF, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 13: Taylor Swift accepts an award onstage during the MTV Europe … [+]
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The statement continued, “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. We look forward to hosting the MTV EMAs again in November of 2024.”
The decision also comes as France has been on high alert following a stabbing incident involving a high school teacher and multiple bomb threats targeting the country’s airports. Variety also reported that at Mipcom, the annual international TV and film market in Cannes, security measures were significantly heightened.
The EMAs have been an annual event since 1994. The 2023 EMAs were scheduled to air on MTV in over 150 countries and stream on Pluto TV and Paramount+. Last year’s award show was hosted in Duesseldorf, Germany, at the PSD Bank Dome.
This is not the first major entertainment event to be canceled in light of the ongoing conflict. On October 19, organizers indefinitely postponed the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt. The festival had previously been rescheduled from its original dates of October 13 to 20 to October 27 to November 2.