Paramount Pauses Some Events, Including CMT Music Awards and MTV EMAs – Hollywood Reporter
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Benson Boone performs on stage during the MTV EMAs 2024 held at Co-op Live on November 10, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Paramount)
Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSubscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter”We look to reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward,” reads a staff memo obtained by THR. “Our world-class events remain a key component of Paramount’s music offering.”
By
Georg Szalai
Global Business Editor
Paramount Global — which has agreed to a merger with David Ellison’s Skydance Media that is expected to close in the first half of this year — is hitting pause on select events in 2025, including the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and the CMT Music Awards, to reimagine what they might look like in the future and “optimize” its tentpole strategy.
Also affected are the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Mexico and the MTV MIAWs, formerly known as the MTV Millennial Awards, an annual ceremony honoring Latin American music and youth culture, according to an internal memo, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. The memo came from the office of Bruce Gillmer, Paramount’s president, music, music talent, programming and events, media networks and chief content officer, music, Paramount+.
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The pause will not affect the VMAs and the Kids’ Choice Awards in the U.S., as well as such local events as Isle of MTV Malta and the VMAJs, according to sources familiar with the situation. It wasn’t immediately clear when a decision about the future of the events affected by the move would be made.
Paramount has been slimming down in several regards over the past year. In August, the conglomerate’s co-CEOs George Cheeks, Brian Robbins, and Chris McCarthy unveiled a sweeping plan to cut 15 percent of the company’s U.S. workforce in pursuit of $500 million in cost savings. The first of three rounds of layoffs took place shortly after that. Among the changes back then was the shuttering of Paramount TV Studios, as well as the departure of a number of high-profile execs. The second phase in the fall affected such parts of the business as CBS News.
Read the full memo on the pausing of select Paramount events below.
Team,
We want to share some news. We are pausing a few events for 2025, as we look to reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward. These include the MTV EMAs, MTV MIAWs, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in Mexico, and CMT Music Awards.
Our world-class events remain a key component of Paramount’s music offering as we continue to raise the bar in delivering iconic, unforgettable performances and moments that drive pop culture. We have the best team in the business, and we are grateful for your hard work and dedication in bringing these events to life.
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