The MTV European Music Awards, scheduled for November in Paris, have been canceled due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the organization announced this Thursday.
The ceremony was scheduled to take place on November 5 and include performances from artists including David Guetta, Rene Rap, Kid Laroi and BTS’s Jung Kook, but was canceled out of “precautionary measures” for the safety of everyone attending the gala. This was reported by Paramount, the group that owns the MTV channel, in a statement quoted by the North American publications Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
“Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the MTV EMAs. [Europe Music Awards, em inglês, Premios Europeus da Música, em português] 2023 as a precaution for the thousands of employees, team members, artists, fans and partners who travel from all corners of the world to make this event a reality,” the statement said.
The organization reminds that the MTV EMA is “an annual celebration of world music.”
“As we watch devastating events continue to unfold in Israel and the Gaza Strip, this does not seem to be the time for global celebration. With thousands of lives already lost, this is a time of mourning. We’re looking forward to hosting the MTV ceremony. EMA again in November 2024,” the organization emphasizes.
The MTV European Music Awards were established in the 1990s, are held annually in different European cities and include a regional award for each country in which the music and entertainment channel is broadcast.
This year, singers Barbara Tinoco, Carolina Deslandes and Marisa Liz, as well as rappers Bispo and Piruca, are nominated for the award for best Portuguese artist on MTV.
This year’s EMA nominations were once again topped by American singer Taylor Swift with seven categories, namely Best Artist, Best Song and Best Video, both for “Anti-Hero”.
The song is taken from the album “Midnights”, which Taylor Swift released in 2022 and is part of a new international tour that will pass through Lisbon in May 2024.
North American singers Olivia Rodrigo and SZA received six nominations each. American singers Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj, as well as the Italian rock band Maneskin, received four nominations each.
Last Friday, a teacher was fatally stabbed at a high school in Arras in northern France by a radicalized former student whom French authorities had flagged for suspected Islamic radicalization.
The attack, as well as the ongoing war between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas and its potential repercussions in the Middle East, prompted the French government to raise the countrywide terror threat level to its maximum level and mobilize 7,000 troops to bolster the anti-terrorism operation.
On Wednesday, the Palace of Versailles in the suburbs of Paris was evacuated due to a bomb threat for the third time since last Saturday.
On the same day, threats also affected at least eight French airports, which were also completely or partially evacuated.
The Louvre in Paris also had to be evacuated last Saturday due to a bomb threat, as did the Gare de Lyon, one of the capital’s main train stations.
The Islamist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, firing thousands of rockets and invading armed militias by land, sea and air.
In response, Israel bombed several Hamas infrastructure sites in the Gaza Strip from the air and imposed a complete blockade of the territory, cutting off supplies of water, fuel and electricity.
The attacks have already killed and injured thousands of people in both territories.
The United Nations considers the Gaza Strip and West Bank to be occupied territories.
Under international law, including the Geneva Convention, Israel as the “occupying power” can control the entry of people and goods, but has certain obligations in the Gaza Strip.
Between 2008 and 2020, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed 5,590 Palestinians and 251 Israelis.
Before this month’s attacks, more than 200 Palestinians and 30 Israelis had been killed in clashes, military operations and other incidents in 2023, already considered one of the region’s deadliest years since 2005.
The UN said the “worrying trend” showed “growing despair about the future.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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