The conflict between Israel and Gaza has been ongoing for decades, however the latest escalation occurred recently on October 7th, when Hamas, an Islamic Resistance Movement governing the Gaza strip of the Palestinian territories, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel killing 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel retaliated by launching air strikes, and as it stands, the United Nations have reported 4,200 deaths in Gaza over the last 10 days.

The MTV EMAs, which were set to be held in Paris on November 5th, have now been cancelled “out of an abundance of caution”, according to a BBC statement from the event’s organisers Paramount.

Paramount describes the annual event as “an annual celebration of global music”, but said as “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”.

In a social media post from Paramount, the event organisers issued a declaration saying “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.”

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.

— MTV EMA (@mtvema) October 19, 2023

MTV announced the list of performers for the awards show previously this week. Acts on the line up include the likes of Anne Marie, David Guetta and Thirty Seconds To Mars, all of which are also 2023 MTV EMA nominees. You can view the full list of performers and nominees here. The EMAs were set to broadcast on MTV in more than 150 countries, as well as stream on Pluto TV and Paramount+.

Paramount have announced that voting for the awards show will continue, and the event will be rescheduled to November 2024 with all the original performers.

Voting is continuing and the winning artists will receive their MTV EMA Awards.

We look forward to hosting the MTV EMAs again in November of 2024.

— MTV EMA (@mtvema) October 19, 2023

As Styles is currently on tour, he was unable to attend the event in person; at the time of the ceremony, the “Watermelon Sugar” singer was performing at New York’s Maddison Square Gardens. In lieu of a physical presence, Styles sent in a pre-recorded video. Within the footage, the singer said, “I’m sorry I can’t be there with you tonight, I hope you’re having a wonderful evening, and thank you so much.“

During the video, Styles revealed the reason for his absence and told of his upcoming performance that night. Whilst accepting the award, the singer can be seen holding his trophy and thanking those involved in the album’s completion. Styles went on to praise producers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson for their “brilliance” in creating something “worthy of the love fans have shown“. Styles concluded his heartfelt statement with a special thank you to his fans; he said, “I know this is a fan-voted award. I would like to say thank you to all my fans who voted, I wouldn’t be holding this if it wasn’t for you.”

In addition to Album Of The Year, Styles also walked away with two further trophies for his single “As it Was“, the beloved track sired a win for Best Pop and Best Cinematography. Alongside his three wins, Styles’ “As It Was” was also nominated for Video Of The Year, Best Direction and Best Choreography. The 28 year old singer also received a nod for “Late Night Talking”, the track was nominated for the Song Of The Summer. Styles was also included in the list of nominees for the coveted Artist Of The Year.

Styles was not the only British artist to be recognised by the MTV Video Music Awards; many other homegrown acts were included within the list of nominees. Fellow British singer Ed Sheeran was nominated in multiple award categories, including Video of the year for his single “Shivers“. The “Bad Habits” singer was also up against Styles for Artist Of The Year, Best Direction for “Shivers” and a mention in Styles’ winning category Best Pop.

British pop singer Dua Lipa also received multiple nods within the list of nominations, receiving mentions for her work with Sir Elton John and Megan Thee Stallion. Lip’s collaboration with Sir John “Cold Heart (PANU Remix)” received nominations for Song of The Year and Best Collaboration. Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion released their hit “Sweetest Pie” earlier this spring; the track sired a nomination for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects and gave Lipa her second mention in the category of Best Collaboration.

Styles is currently conducting his residency at Madison Square Garden; after nine remaining dates, the hugely popular concert series will conclude on 21st September 2022. After the final New York date, Styles’ Love On Tour continues in the US and ends with a fifteen-date residency at California’s Kia Forum. The award winning artist is set to return to the UK next year for a string of live performances; the singer’s tour schedule includes two dates at Wembley Stadium, on 13th and 14th June 2023, with support from Wet Leg.

Harry Styles UK tour dates

22/05/2023 – Building Society Arena – Coventry
26/05 – BT Murrayfield Stadium – Edinburgh
10/06 – Slane Castle – Slane
13/06 – Wembley Stadium – London
14/06 – Wembley Stadium – London
20/06 – Principality Stadium – Cardiff

Click here to purchase tickets.

British nominees also include Anne-Marie, the young singer-songwriter from Essex who reached the very top of the UK Single Chart with many hits, including Clean Bandit’s ‘Rockabye’. Anne-Marie has disclosed that she is part of the community herself, taking an active part inside the community to raise awareness on the LGTBQ+ issues. As she sings in her hit single ‘Perfect’: ‘I’ll love who I love, because this love is gender-free’. Sam Smith is also nominated – indeed, identifying as non-binary, he says: ‘Non-binary genderqueer is that you do not identify in a gender. You are a mixture of different things, you are your own special creation. I’m not male or female.’

Artists who are proponents of LGBTQ+ issues are also nominated. Harry Styles’ approach to gender fluidity, along with his transparent view on gender inclusivity within the music industry, got him a nomination for this award. Similarly, British pop band The 1975, especially their lead singer Matt Healy, has always been keen on merging members of the LGBTQ+ community throughout his career. The band is also been active in protests to protect the community, in particular against Dubai’s recent laws punishing the gay community.

Sarah Garrett, founder of the British LGBT Awards, said: ‘These awards shine a light on those who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the LGBT+ community, during what has been an extremely challenging 12 months. The nominees, which include an exciting mix of famous LGBT+ faces, allies and organisations have all demonstrated a commitment to advancing LGBT+ rights. The awards on 27 August, which will take place after lockdown restrictions are eased, will be a huge celebration that’s needed more than ever.’

You can see the full list of nominees here.