NEWS
MRC Live & Alternative and ABC have announced the first set of performers for the 2021 American Music Awards, airing live on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Olivia Rodrigo will make her AMAs debut performance as the most nominated artist of the night with seven nominations. Bad Bunny, who snagged five nominations, will take the stage for the first time since 2018 for the world premiere performance of the Tainy and Julieta Venegas-assisted single “Lo Siento BB:/.”
Megan Thee Stallion will be teaming up with BTS for the debut live performance of “Butter” in its newer form.
Hosted by Cardi B, the American Music Awards will air live from Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater and will arrive on streaming on Nov. 22. Voting for all categories is open now via TikTok and accessible to participants globally by searching for “AMAs” in the app.
American Music Award nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected on the Billboard charts, including streaming, album and song sales, and radio airplay. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partner MRC Data. The nominees reflect the time period of Sept. 25 2020 through Sept. 23, 2021.
NEWS
Lola Young has joined forces with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to release a new T shirt for the charity’s Lifelines collection.
The shirt supports CALM’s suicide prevention work, with proceeds helping to fund vital resources such as its helpline and CALMzone mental health app.
CALM introduced the Lifelines range last year, with Fontaines D.C., Blossoms and Inhaler also contributing their own designs to the collection.
Young’s design includes the words, “There’s a flicker of light. There’s always morning after the night”, taken from her track ‘Flicker Of Light’.
“I wrote this song about realising there is hope. I have often felt like there isn’t, but there is always a reason to keep going,” Young said. “That’s even when you don’t want to get out of bed, you do, and that is amazing, and you’re still here, and you’re still alive, and if anything, that’s something to be proud of.”
CALM CEO Simon Gunning also shared his appreciation for the collaboration, saying: “We couldn’t be more grateful to Lola for supporting ‘Lifelines’ and showing just how powerful music can be as a force for good.”
Priced at £30, the T shirts come in both standard and boxy fits and are available to purchase here.
Young has regularly spoken about her experiences with mental health. She returned to performing earlier this year after calling off her 2025 tour because of exhaustion. The decision followed her collapse during a performance in New York City. During her time away, she later discussed receiving support for addiction and attending AA meetings as part of her recovery.
In an interview with NME in May, Young explained that she believes “all healing journeys are never ending”, although she is now “definitely in a much better place”. She also said she feels “excited and ready to perform and to release music”.
Reflecting on the encouragement she received after publicly discussing those challenges, Young said: “My fans inspire me in the same way I hope to inspire them. I feel like I’ve never tried to be especially honest… it just comes very naturally to me.”
“I don’t really have any other choice but to be honest, so if people connect to that, and that’s amazing.”
Several musicians have also applauded the ‘Messy’ singer for honestly addressing the pressure placed on touring performers. Lily Allen said she was “in awe” of the BRIT and Grammy winner, while Victoria Canal credited Young with bringing greater attention to the damaging impact demanding tour schedules can have on artists’ mental wellbeing.
When NME asked whether musicians were beginning to establish firmer boundaries around their health, Young replied: “I never intended it to start a movement, but I hope that it does in some way.”
