Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for December, 2021

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions

4:30 PM:
The Shawshank Redemption movie on Paramount Network

5 PM:
Kingsman: The Secret Service movie on FX

5:45 PM:
Man of Steel movie on BBC America

6 PM:
Sister Swap: Christmas in the City movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Meet Me at Christmas on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
The Blind Side movie on Bravo

6:25 PM:
The Greatest Showman movie on FXM

6:30 PM:
Doctor Strange movie on Syfy
Captain Marvel movie on TNT

6:55 PM:
Ever After movie on Encore

7 PM:
Pretty Woman movie on E!
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie on HBO
The Rock movie on Sundance TV

7:30 PM:
Call the Midwife Holiday Special on PBS (Encore)

8 PM:
Yellowstone on Paramount Network (NEW)
My Christmas Family Tree movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
A Gift to Remember movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
The Equalizer on CBS (Reair)

9 PM:
Condor on EPIX (NEW – Finale)
1883 on Paramount Network (NEW) [Check your local listings for details, as the show will air the remainder of its debut season on Paramount+]
The Equalizer on CBS (Reair)
All Creatures Great and Small on PBS (Reair)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day movie on BBC America
The Blind Side movie on Bravo
1917 movie on Showtime 2
Captain America: Civil War movie on Syfy

10 PM:
Yellowjackets on Showtime (NEW)
Condor on EPIX (Encore of Finale)
Yellowstone on Paramount Network (Encore)
A Kiss Before Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
The Equalizer on CBS (Reair)
All Creatures Great and Small on PBS (Reair)
The Rock movie on Sundance TV

10:10 PM:
Made in Italy movie on TMC

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Every year there are lots of awards shows, some important, some just fun and numerous just plain silly or nonsensical, but the list featured below – despite the continued pandemic – showcases just some of the top winners over the course of 2021.

But first, let’s salute Ruth E. Carter, the first Black costume designer who, in February, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He costuming has been featured in the box office movies Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Black Panther, Amistad, What’s Love Got To Do With It and Coming 2 America [just to name a few].

CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS (January)

Best Animated Movie – Soul (Disney+)
Best Superhero Movie – The Old Guard (Netflix)
Best Action Series – Vikings (History)
Best Actor, Action Series – Daveed Diggs, Snowpiercer (TNT)
Best Actress, Action Series – Angela Bassett, 9-1-1 (FOX)
Best Actor, Horror Series – Jensen Ackles, Supernatural (The CW)
Best Actress, Horror Series – Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Best Villain in a Series – Anthony Starr, The Boys (Amazon)

THE GOTHAM AWARDS (January)

Best Feature – Nomadland
Best Actor – Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Best Actress – Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth
Breakthrough Actor – Kingsley Ben-Adir, One Night in Miami…

GOLDEN GLOBES (February)

Best Actress, Motion Picture – Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Director, Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
Best TV Series, Drama – The Crown (Netflix)
Best Limited TV Series – The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
Best Actor TV Series – Josh O’Connor, The Crown (Netflix)
Best Actress TV Series – Emma Corrin, The Crown (Netflix)
Best Actor, Supporting Role, Motion Picture – Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS (March)

Best Supporting Actress, TV Drama – Gillian Anderson, The Crown (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country (HBO)

Best Acting Ensemble – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Best Movie Made for TV – Hamilton (Disney+)
Best Actor – Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Best Actress – Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

GRAMMY AWARDS (March)

Record of the Year – Everything I Wanted, Billie Eilish
Album of the Year – folklore, Taylor Swift
Best New Artist – Megan Thee Stallion
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – Rain On Me, Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
Best Pop Solo Performance – Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles
Best Pop Vocal Album – Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Best R&B Album – Bigger Love, John Legend
Best Country Song – Crowded Table, The Highwomen
Best Musical Theater Album – Jagged Little Pill

NAACP IMAGE AWARDS (March)

Social Justice Impact – Stacey Abrams
Outstanding Actor, TV Drama – Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton (Netflix)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture – The Banker” (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Motion Picture – Madalen Mills, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Outstanding Actor, TV Comedy – Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC)
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special – Octavia Spencer, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Outstanding Female Artist – Beyoncé, Black Parade
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration – Chloe x Halle, Wonder What She Thinks Of Me
Outstanding Writing, TV Comedy – Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You, Ego Death (HBO)

SAG AWARDS (April)

Outstanding Supporting Actress – Youn Yuh-Jung, Minari
Outstanding Performance, Ensemble Cast, TV Comedy – Schitt’s Creek
Outstanding Actor in TV Movie or Mini-Series – Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True

BAFTA (April)

Leading Actress – Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Leading Actor – Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Outstanding British Film – Promising Young Woman
Outstanding Screenplay – Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell

FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS (April)

Best Actor, New Scripted Series – Amit Rahav, Unorthodox
Best Actress, New Scripted Series – Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Robert Altman Award – One Night in Miami
Best Supporting Female – Yuh-jung Youn, Minari

RAZZIE AWARDS (April)

Worst Picture – Absolute Proof
Worst Actress – Kate Hudson – Music
Worst Director – Sia, Music
Worst Screenplay – 365 Days

OSCARS (April)

Best Actor – Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Best Actress – Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Best Picture – Nomadland
Best Original Song – “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah [Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas]
Best Director – Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Best Support Actor – Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Best Original Screenplay – Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell

MTV MUSIC AND TV AWARDS (May)

Best Show – WandaVision (Disney+)
Best Movie – To All the Boys: Always and Forever (Netflix)
Best Musical Moment – “Edge of Great” from Julie and the Phantoms (Netflix)
Best Villain – Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision (Disney+)
Best Duo – Falcon & Winter Soldier [Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan], The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+)
Breakthrough Performance – Rege-Jean Page, Bridgerton (Netflix)
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision (Disney+)

BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS (May)

Top Artist – The Weeknd
Top Female Artist – Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group – BTS
Top R&B Female Artist – Doja Cat
Top Country Female Artist – Gabby Barrett
Top Christian Album – Carrie Underwood, My Gift
Top Rock Song – “Bang!” by AJR

DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS (June)

Outstanding Drama Series – General Hospital (ABC)
Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Maurice Benard, General Hospital (ABC)
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Marla Adams, The Young and the Restless (CBS)
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Max Gail, General Hospital (ABC)
Younger Performer in a Drama Series – Victoria Konefal, Days of Our Lives (NBC)
Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show – The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)

BET AWARDS (June)

Album of the Year – “Heaux Tales” by Jazmine Sullivan
Best Female R&B / Pop Artis – H.E.R.
Best Group – Silk Sonic
Best Female Hip Hop Artist – Megan Thee Stallion
Video Director of the Year – Bruno Mars And Florent Déchard
Best Movie – Judas And The Black Messiah
Best Actress – Andra Day
Best Actor – Chadwick Boseman
Youngstars Award – Marsai Martin

HOLLYWOOD CRITICS ASSOCIATION TV AWARDS (August)

Best Broadcast Network Series, Drama – New Amsterdam (NBC)
Best Streaming Series, Drama – The Mandalorian (Disne+)
Best Cable Series, Comedy – Resident Alien (Syfy)
Best Broadcast Network or Cable Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Live-Action Television Movie – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Best Streaming Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Live-Action Television Movie – WandaVision (Disney+)
Best Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama – Billy Porter, Pose (FX)
Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama – Josh O’Connor, The Crown (Netflix)
Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama – Mj Rodriguez, Pose (FX)
Best Actress in a Streaming Series, Drama – Emma Corrin, The Crown”(Netflix)
Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie – Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama – Rupert Grint, Servant (Apple TV+)
Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama – Tatiana Maslany, Perry Mason (HBO)
Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy – Mary Steenburgen, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC)
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie – Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown (HBO)

Special Honorary Awards:
Legacy Award – Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Spotlight Award – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC)
Impact Award – New Amsterdam (NBC)
Pop Culture Icon Award – Tom Ellis, Lucifer (Netflix)

CREATIVE ARTS EMMYS (September)

Television Movie – Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square (Netflix)
Outstanding Stunt Performance AND Stunt Coordination – The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics – WandaVision (Disney+)
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series – The Crown (Netflix)
Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes – WandaVision (Disney+)
Outstanding Period And/Or Character Hairstyling – Bridgerton (Netflix)

TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION (September)

Individual Achievement In Drama – Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You (HBO)
Individual Achievement In Comedy – Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)
Outstanding Achievement In Youth Programming – The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix)

EMMY AWARDS (September)

Limited Series – The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
Drama Series – The Crown (Netflix)
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie – Ewan McGregor, Halston (Netflix)
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie – Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Tobias Menzies, The Crown (Netflix)
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie – Julianne Nicholson, Mare Of Easttown (HBO)

TONY AWARDS (September)

Best Musical – Moulin Rouge: The Musical
Best Play – The Inheritance
Best Revival of a Play – A Soldier’s Play
Best Book of a Musical – Jagged Little Pill, Diablo Cody
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play – Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play – Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical – Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical – Adrienne Warren, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play – David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical – Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (November)

Artist of the Year – BTX
New Artist of the Year – Olivia Rodrigo
Favorite Male Pop Artist – Ed Sheeran
Favorite Female Pop Artist – Taylor Swift
Favorite Male Country Artist – Luke Bryan
Favorite Female Country Artist – Carrie Underwood
Favorite R&B Song – “Leave The Door Open” by Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS (December)

The Movie of 2021 – Black Widow
The Comedy Movie of 2021 – Free Guy
The Action Movie of 2021 – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The Drama Movie of 2021 – Cruella
The Female Movie Star of 2021 – Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)
The Comedy Movie Star of 2021 – Dwayne Johnson (Jungle Cruise)
The Action Movie Star of 2021 – Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
The Comedy Show of 2021 – Never Have I Ever
The Male TV Star of 2021 – Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
The Drama TV Star of 2021 – Chase Stokes (Outer Banks)
The Comedy TV Star of 2021 – Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building)
The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2021 – Lucifer
The Female Artist of 2021 – Adele
The Song of 2021 – “Butter” (BTS)
The New Artist of 2021 – Olivia Rodrigo

BLACK FILM CRITICS AWARDS (December)

Best Picture – King Richard
Actor – Will Smith (King Richard)
Actress – Tessa Thompson (Passing)
Supporting Actress – Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)
Ensemble – The Harder They Fall

Congratulations to all of the above winners (and the countless others who won awards) this year. Are any of the above your favorites? Do you think there was an actor or actress who was overlooked this year? Please share your thoughts.

TOMORROW: Condolences

Read Full Post »

While we have a few more months to go until season 6 of Outlander premieres (its back on March 6), a new video clip from the much-anticipated season has been released by its home network, Starz. In addition, the cable network has been releasing promo pictures for the new season, and it seemed only right – since it’s Christmas Day – to share all of those pictures along with the video clip.

First, here are the season 6 promo pictures:

And, here is the clip from season 6:

Mark your calendars for the return of Outlander on Starz on Sunday, March 6.

Read Full Post »

On December 29, the debut of The Book of Boba Fett will air on Disney+ online.

On the sands of Tatoonie, bounty hunter Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) navigate the Galaxy’s underworld and fight for Jabba the Hutt’s old territory.

Here is a trailer for The Book of Boba Fett:

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

5 PM:
John Wick 2 movie on A&E

6 PM:
Coyote Creek Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
A Christmas Promise movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas movie on Lifetime (Encore)
A Sisterly Christmas movie on OWN (Encore)
It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on E!

6:30 PM:
Tombstone movie on Sundance TV

6:45 PM:
White House Down movie on Encore

7 PM:
Little Women on Masterpiece on PBS (Reair)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 movie on USA Network

7:55 PM:
Pitch Perfect movie on HBO 2

8 PM:
Writing Around the Christmas Tree movie on Lifetime (DEBUT)
A Royal Queens Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Christmas in My Heart movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)
NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS (Reair)
Little Women on Masterpiece on PBS (Reair)
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum movie on A&E
Knives Out movie on Bravo
The Lion King (animated) movie on FX
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle movie on Starz

9 PM:
Call the Midwife Holiday Special on PBS (DEBUT)
It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on E!
Iron Man 3 movie on Encore

9:23 PM:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 movie on USA Network

10 PM:
Eight Gifts of Hanukkah movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore)

10:01 PM:
Jumanji: The Next Level movie on Starz

10:03 PM:
Mistletoe in Montana movie on Lifetime (Encore)

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Merry Christmas 2021!!!

Much like last year, the world has gone through another difficult year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is my hope that this holiday season, while you gather together with friends and family, that you do so carefully.

I know we are all tired of wearing masks, social distancing, travel restrictions and the like; but these practices are an important way to show that you care about those you come in contact with every day.

Please enjoy your holiday – no matter how you are spending the day – and thank you SO VERY MUCH for visiting Rueben’s Ramblings (it’s been 11 years now!).

Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas Day, and I hope you will continue to visit as often as you can!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Read Full Post »

Movie fans were finally able to return to their local Cineplexes starting this past May – with COVID restrictions in place, of course, and I was able to see about a dozen movies over the past 6 months or so. Most were superhero related (Black Widow, Eternals and Shang-Chi) with a little James Bond (No Time to Die) stirred [not shaken] in too; but my favorites were Jungle Cruise, In the Heights and Free Guy (Ryan Reynolds was hysterical!)

Among the much buzzed about news items in the world of box office movies have been former Twilight leading lady Kristen Stewart get rave reviews for her portrayal of the late Princess Diana in the film Spencer; legends Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci receiving their own share of rave reviews for their roles in the indie flick Supernova. And, Chloe Zhao is now the hottest director in Hollywood, coming off her win at the Golden Globes (she’s the second woman to win Best Director in 78 years) and at the Oscars as well. She was the Director for this year’s Eternals and her next project will be the sci-fi Western spin on Dracula.

Now let’s take a look at the top 30 box office winners from this year (up through Sunday, December 19 that is):

1. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 224 million
2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage – 212 million
3. Black Widow – 184 million
4. F9: The Fast Saga – 173 million
5. Eternals – 163 million
6. No Time to Die – 161 million
7. A Quiet Place Part II – 160 million
8. Free Guy – 121.6 million
9. Spider-Man: No Way Home -121.5 million
10. Jungle Cruise – 117 million
11. Ghostbusters: Afterlife – 115 million
12. Godzilla vs. Kong – 99 million
13. Dune – 93 million
14. Halloween Kills – 92 million
15. Cruella – 86 million
16. Encanto – 77 million
17. Space Jam: A New Legacy – 67 million
18. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – 66 million
19. Candyman – 61 million
20. The Boss Baby: Family Business – 57 million
21. The Addams Family 2 – 56.4 million
22. The Suicide Squad – 55.7 million
23. Raya and the Last Dragon – 54.7 million
24. Clifford the Big Red Dog – 49 million
25. Old – 48 million
26. Tom and Jerry – 46 million
27. The Forever Purge – 45 million
28. House of Gucci – 44 million
29. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway – 40.3 million
30. PAW Patrol: The Movie – 40.1 million

NOTE: This list does not include Spider-Man: No Way Home, as the movie was released on December 17; however, this latest version of the webslinger’s tale is set to cross the $1 billion mark WORLDWIDE on Christmas Day.

On the other spectrum are the movies that were either a disappointment in the box office due to poor ticket sales or, more importantly, had a horrible trailer that made me completely uninterested in seeing them. While several of the below were in the top 30 for ticket sales, they still weren’t very good (at least to me).

They appear in alphabetical order below:

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Don’t Breathe 2
Godzilla vs. Kong
Jackass Forever
Halloween Kills
Malignant
Music
Old
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin
Spiral: For the Book of Saw
Separation
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The Forever Purge
The Last Duel
Venom: Let There Be Carnage

What movies did you most enjoy seeing this year? Which movies were disappointments to you? Please share your thoughts and comments.

TOMORROW: Awards of 2021

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

NOTE: The new movie Don’t Look Up will debut online on Netflix today while the series finale of Dickinson will air online on Apple TV+. And, the finale of The Wheel of Time will air online on Amazon.

5 PM:
The Preacher’s Wife movie on OWN

5:30 PM:
Pretty Woman movie on Bravo

5:45 PM:
White Christmas (classic) movie on Sundance TV

6 PM:
Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune movie on Lifetime (Encore)
‘Tis the Season to Be Merry movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
The Christmas Thief movie on ION (Encore)
Christmas Bells movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Sister Act movie on BET

6:30 PM:
Raiders of the Lost Ark movie on Paramount Network

6:40 PM:
Landscapers on HBO (Encore)

6:45 PM:
Die Hard movie on Syfy

7:44 PM:
Outlander on Starz (Reair)

8 PM:
Hot Chocolate Holiday movie on Lifetime (DEBUT)
Christmas…Again?! movie on Disney (Encore)
The Nine Kittens of Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Landscapers on HBO 2 (Encore)
Return to Christmas Creek movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
The Christmas Sitter movie on ION (Reair)
Baking Christmas movie on OWN (Reair)
It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on NBC
Sweet Home Alabama movie on Bravo
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie on USA Network

8:30 PM:
White Christmas (classic) movie on Sundance TV

9 PM:
Yellowjackets on Showtime 2 (Encore)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie on Paramount Network

9:30 PM:
The Christmas Contest movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)

9:45 PM:
Serendipity movie on EPIX
Die Hard 2 movie on Syfy

10 PM:
Holiday in Santa Fe movie on Lifetime (Encore)
A Sisterly Christmas movie on OWN (Encore)
Miracles Across 125th Street movie on VH1 (Encore)
Marry Me at Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Christmas in Palm Springs movie on ION (Reair)

10:30 PM:
Sweet Home Alabama movie on Bravo

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Music has always been an important part of my life ever since I was a child listening to music while sitting in the middle of my big brothers’ shared bedroom on the their old 1970’s turntable then listening to my big boom box and later the Walkman I had in the 1980’s all the way through to my iPod in the 2000’s to now my Pandora and Spotify accounts.

I wake up to music every morning rather than a buzzing alarm; and then I go to bed with music on my phone [again, thank you Pandora!]. Music may not mean to everyone what it means to me, but it does play a crucial part in television, Broadway, theatres and the box office.

The following are my choices for top performers for 2021:

Female Artist of the Year: H.E.R.

H.E.R. (born Gabriella Wilson) was my choice for The Jimi Hendrix-Alicia Keyes Combo, aka Best R&B performer, last year. This time around she is the Female Artist of the Year as throughout 2021, she performed “America the Beautiful during the pre-game festivities for Super Bowl LV; she co-wrote, co-composed and co-produced the song “Fight for You” for the movie Judas and the Black Messiah, which won Best Original Song for the 2020-2021 Academy Awards; her single “Damage” topped the R&B radio charts; and her debut album ‘Back of My Mind’ was released in the summer. Additionally, she will make her feature film debut in the upcoming adaptation of The Color Purple in the role of Squeak.

Here is the video for “Fight for You”:

She is Back! (The Most Welcome Return): Adele

Adele has been a top performer since her debut studio album entitled “19” [the age she was when the album was released] came out in 2008 and garnered her Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She followed that up with a new album entitled “21” two years later; that album became the world’s best-selling album of the 21st century. Her next album “25” came four years later; and the lead single “Hello” became the first song in the US to sell over one million digital copies within a week of its release. Five years later, her new album “30” was released in November 2021. A week after her new single “Easy on Me” was released, it surged to number one on the Hot 100, becoming her 5th chart-topping single. The album has since become the biggest album debut of 2021; and she recently performed at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for the first time on American TV. And, starting in January 2022 she will have a Vegas residency at Caesar’s Palace; Weekends With Adele will find the singer performing two shows every weekend from January through April.

Here is the video for “Easy on Me”:

New Artist of the Year: Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo is a teen phenom singer-songwriter and actress, who got her start at the ripe young age of 13 in the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark for which she starred for three years. She then moved on to be part of the ensemble cast of the Disney+ mockumentary series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She signed with Interscope and Geffen Records in 2020 and her debut single “Drivers License” was released in 2021, which quickly topped the charts. Her debut studio album ‘Sour’ received critical acclaim and has earned her 7 Grammy nominations. She had three consecutive number 1 songs, making her the first artist ever to accomplish this feat and ‘Sour’ broke Spotify’s global records for biggest opening week by a female artist ever.

Here is the video for “Driver’s License”:

Best Musical Theater Duo: Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear

Abigail Barlow, 23, and Emily Bear, 20, are the new “It girl” millennials, making waves thanks to their much-buzzed about concept album ‘The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical’ they created together. Abigail is a singer, cover artist and TikTok Star while Emily is child piano prodigy, who has gone on to become a composer, songwriter and singer.

After bingeing the Netflix series Bridgerton (like the millions of other viewers) at the end of 2020, Abigail knew it was meant for the stage. She wrote the beginning of two songs, put them up at TikTok and the response was astonishing, which included responses by cast members of the series and countless Broadway stars. Abigail reached out to Emily, her writing partner for the previous year and a half, and they finished those two songs and quickly began working on translating the period piece drama into a musical, prolifically composing, orchestrating and producing 15 original songs in 6 weeks, in real time, live on Instagram and sharing them on TikTok. They have since made countless appearances on TV, podcasts and even performed on the stage at the Kennedy Center at 50 alongside Glee alum Darren Criss. Their concept album has also earned them a 2022 Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

You can listen to all of the songs (15 in total) from “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” here [make sure to use the pull down menu to the right of the video to listen to each song]:

Top Rock Song: “Bang!” by AJR

The song “Bang!” by the American indie pop trio AJR is composed of multi-instrumentalist brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met may have been released in February of 2020, but it became their highest-charting song, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 by January of 2021. The trio have been nominated for Favorie Pop Duo/Group by the American Music Awards, Top Duo/Group and Top Rock Artist by the Billboard Music Awards and Alternative Rock Artist of the Year by the iHeartRadio Music Awards. The single “Bang!” won for Top Rock Song” at this year’s Billboard Music Awards.

Here is the video for “Bang!”:

Favorite (but Over-Hyped) Pop Group: BTS

The Korean pop group BTS was formed back in 2010 but they didn’t debut until 2013. They originally started as a hip hop group, but their music style has evolved over the years. The septet consists of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook. They co-write and co-produce much of their own music. Their hit single “Dynamite” came out last summer, and this year’s hit summer single “Butter” became THE song of the summer.

Here is the video for “Butter”:

Music for Real Life: Nurse Lori Marie Key

The 29-year-old Michigan nurse, Lori Marie Key, who worked in a COVID unit, was captured on video during a daily huddle for a shift change belting out the somber song “Amazing Grace” on the floor of St. Mary Mercy Hospital at the height of the pandemic last April. That song brought a moment of relief and teary smiles to the faces of her co-workers; and, of course, the video went viral.

Because of that exposure, Key was invited to perform the song at a memorial, held at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool that was augmented with 400 lights to represent the (then) 4000,000 American lives lost to COVID-19, which was ahead of the Inauguration of then President-elect Joe Biden

You can see the original video of Lori Marie Key signing “Amazing Grace” at St. Mary Mercy Hospital that went viral below:

And here Key sings “Amazing Grace” at the COVID Memorial on January 19:

Favorite New R&B Duo: Silk Sonic

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, who was Mars’s opening act in 2017, have joined together to form the new R&B Duo Silk Sonic. They released their debut single “Leave the Door Open” in March of this year and their debut album ‘An Evening with Silk Sonic’ was released in November. The duo made their TV debut at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and performed at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards. They went on to win Best Group at the BET Awards 2021 and they won Favorite R&B Song at the American Music Awards. Their musical style is very reminiscent of 1960’s/1970’s funk-retro.

Here is the video to “Leave the Door Open”:

Top Male R&B Artist: Jon Batiste

Jon Batiste is a veteran jazz keyboardist, who is also the musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, is considered a musical genius and just so happens to be a member of one of New Orleans’ legendary musical dynasties. He served as a co-composer alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the 2020 animated movie Soul, earning an Oscar as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. His 5th solo studio album ‘WE ARE’ came out in March of this year on Verve Records; and his live EP ‘Live at Electric Lady’ was released exclusively to Spotify this summer. He has earned an impressive 11 nominations (more than any other artist) for the 2022 Grammy Awards; eight for ‘WE ARE’ and three for Soul.

Here is the video for his single “Freedom”:

Best Duo Performance: Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan

Country star Eric Church, who has been on the music scene since 2006, and R&B singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, who has received 15 Grammy nominations [tying Bjork as the female artist with the most Grammy nominations without winning] ,joined forces at Super Bowl LV this past February to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” According to one review (https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-super-bowl-national-anthem-eric-church-review-20210208-yhjrzxtjf5cvpcj2wjnz6q35je-story.html) they “blended their vocals beautifully to create a memorable, enjoyable rendition” of the National Anthem.

Check out the video of Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan at the Super Bowl via YouTube here.

Top Country Artist: Gabby Barrett and Mickey Guyton {Tie}

Pennsylvania native Gabby Barrett competed in the 16th season of American Idol in 2018 at the age of 18, coming in third place. This led her to signing a deal with Warner Music Nashville, with her debut single “I Hope” being released in July of 2019, which came from her debut studio album ‘Goldmine.’ This single went on to become an international crossover hit for Gabby, but it took a wild two-year journey to get there. As of this summer, the single had become the biggest song of 2021, dominating country radio.

Here is the video for “I Hope”:

Texas native Mickey Guyton has been part of the music world since 2011, but has been singing since she was a little girl. She did audition for American Idol, but was cut just before the live shows for the top 24. Last year, she made an impression on the world of country music by being the first black woman to ever perform solo at the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards. Her debut studio album ‘Remember Her Name’ came out this September, and that album includes the single “All American,” which is a unifying anthem that Guyton says “embodies everything that makes America special.”

Here is the video for “All American”:

What singer or band has been your “go-to” music during the pandemic? Which singles were the stand-outs for you this year? What song did you get sick of hearing on the radio? What was the top album in your opinion? Please share your thoughts on the music of 2021 below.

TOMORROW: Box Office Standings

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions.

NOTE: The finale of Anne Boleyn will air online on AMC+ today; and the holiday movie Christmas for Sale will debut online on BET+.

5:30 PM:
Mission: Impossible – Fallout movie on FXM

5:55 PM:
Greenland movie on HBO 2

6 PM:
The Christmas Ball on Lifetime (Encore)
A Nashville Christmas Carol movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair)
The Christmas Bow movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
Titanic movie on Paramount Network
Mean Girls movie on VH1

6:30 PM:
Red movie on Syfy

7:30 PM:
Bad Boys (original) movie on WE TV

8 PM:
Fantasy Island on FOX (DEBUT – Two-Hour Holiday Special) [Relocated from December 21]
Rebuilding a Dream Christmas movie on Lifetime (DEBUT)
Soul Santa movie on BET (Encore)
The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore)
Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
In the Heights movie on HBO
The Last of the Mohicans movie on TMC

8:20 PM:
Mission: Impossible – Fallout movie on FXM

9 PM:
The Green Mile movie on Syfy

10 PM:
The Holiday Fix Up movie on Lifetime (Encore)
Cross Country Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair)
A Christmas Love Story movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
The Polar Express (animated) movie on AMC
My Best Friend’s Wedding movie on EPIX
Tenet movie on HBO 2

10:30 PM:
The Notebook movie on Paramount Network

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »