The MTV EMA 2023 (Europe Music Awards) has been canceled. The organization behind these renowned European awards made the announcement on Thursday, October 19th, that the music awards ceremony originally scheduled for November 5th will not take place. This decision was made due to the ‘volatility’ of global events, with the main objective of extreme caution, as reported by Variety.
Variety had the opportunity to interview a spokesperson from Paramount, the group to which MTV belongs, to gain further insight into this decision: “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.”
This year’s MTV EMAs have been cancelled due to current Israel-Gaza events. pic.twitter.com/ZcFTmSgBEh
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 19, 2023
The spokesperson further elaborated, expressing their belief that the current circumstances are not conducive to hosting such an event: “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.” The spokesperson concluded by expressing their hope for the awards to make a comeback in November 2024.
The conflict in Israel and Gaza is not the only reason for heightened concerns in France. This week, there was a distressing incident involving the stabbing of a high school teacher and multiple threats targeting airports.
The MTV EMA 2023 had initially announced a lineup of artists, including Manuel Turizo, Sabrina Carpenter, Kid Laroi, Rema, David Guetta, and Jung Kook. We hope that next year, the MTV EMA awards will return with even greater vigor and can be celebrated without any reservations. In the meantime, voting for various categories can continue, as the awards will still be presented to their deserving winners, despite the absence of a formal ceremony.
Yes, you read that right! @ManuelTurizoMTZ is a 2023 #MTVEMA performer 🙌
Watch his FIRST #MTVEMA performance on 5 November!! pic.twitter.com/MN3JJTbdq4
— MTV EMA (@mtvema) October 17, 2023