Go ahead and add award show host to the list of career accomplishments of singer-songwriter Jhene Aiko and actress Niecy Nash.
On Tuesday (Mar. 2), Aiko was announced as the host of the official Grammy Awards’ pre-show, Grammy Premiere Ceremony, set live stream on Sunday, March 14. Not only will this be the Los Angeles bred artist’s first major gig as a host, but she’ll also be the first host to also be nominated for Album of the Year on the same night.
Aiko’s third studio Chilombo album is also nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album, while her John Legend-assisted single “Lightning & Thunder” is one of fives songs up for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance.
But Women’s History Month doesn’t end there.
Claws star Niecy Nash—who revealed her marriage to musician and long-time friend, Jessica Betts last year—will serve as the host of this year’s 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, set to air virtually on Hulu and YouTube on Thursday, April 8.
“I was not suppressing my sexuality my whole life. I love who I love,” she told People after her surprise announcement. “At one point in my life, I married twice and I love those people. And today I love this person. I’ve done everything I wanted to do on my own terms and my own way.”
This isn’t Nash’s first rodeo as a host. Nash stepped in as guest host of Season 5 of FOX’s hit show, The Masked Singer after the current host, Nick Cannon, was diagnosed with COVID-19. It’s also been revealed that Nash may serve as the host of an upcoming daytime talk show which will air on CBS if given the green light.
The Grammy Awards’ Premiere Ceremony kicks off at 12 pm PT on Sunday, March 14 on Grammy.com while the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards’ live telecast—hosted by comedian and Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah—starts at 8 pm ET on CBS.
As for the Nash-hosted GLAAD Awards—which “recognizes and honors media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ+ community and the issues that affect their lives”—you can tune into the stream on YouTube at 8 pm ET and then at 10 pm ET on Hulu.
Congratulations to both ladies!
Not for the first time, Moby is speaking out against Donald Trump’s administration with clear frustration.
“The U.S. is collapsing under a deeply corrupt and shockingly ineffective administration,” the longtime electronic musician shared on social media. “These are unbelievably dark times.”
Moby went deeper into his thoughts through a video message, where he explained that people outside the United States keep asking Americans what is actually happening in the country.
“So many of my friends outside the United States keep asking me, ‘what the hell is happening over there?’ And honestly, we don’t even know,” he said. “The country is being controlled by one of the most corrupt, dangerous and incompetent administrations imaginable. Nobody fully understands what’s happening right now. These are very dark times in America.”
Moby joins a growing list of artists publicly criticizing Trump and MAGA politics, including Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Eminem and Billie Eilish.
Earlier this year, Moby uploaded another statement to social media where he addressed how people should respond following the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis. “The real question isn’t whether people should feel horrified or outraged by what’s happening in the United States,” Moby explained in the Jan. 26 clip. “The question is what are we actually going to do about it?”
The musician and activist also encouraged people to protest, saying demonstrations are a constitutional right and something he believes Trump’s administration is attempting to weaken.
In the end, he urged people to vote regularly, “not only during the upcoming midterms, even though those matter, but also in every special election throughout the year.” He also encouraged supporters to “stop giving money to the scumbag corporations backing Trump and ICE. We all know who they are. Boycott them.”
His newest remarks arrive as the U.S. Justice Department unveils a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump allies who claim they were unfairly investigated. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz remains shut down following military action launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran in late February without approval from Congress, leading to rising gas prices across the globe.
Throughout his independent music career, Moby has earned 10 entries on the Billboard 200 along with two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and an enormous catalog of sync placements. Overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, he is viewed as one of the defining artists of his era. He scored two No. 1 albums there with Play from 1999 and 18 from 2002, alongside 18 top 40 singles and two nominations for Best International Male at the BRIT Awards.
Check out Moby’s newest social media post below.
