Audio By Carbonatix
After continued fallout from the explosive Michael Jackson documentary “Leaving Neverland,” MTV is considering cutting ties with Jackson’s name for its annual Video Music Awards in August.
“There’s a lot of heated discussion at the network about how to handle the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award this year, and it’s getting ugly,” a source told us. “There’s talk about if they should change the name, or get rid of it altogether. [There’s also talk] about who would present it and who would accept it. It’s a mess.”
HBO’s controversial documentary focused on disturbing sexual-abuse allegations by former Jackson protégés Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Both claim Jackson groomed them as kids to have a sexual relationship.
Jackson’s estate denied the allegations and filed a $100 million lawsuit against HBO for violating a clause from a 1992 contract that barred the network from making “disparaging remarks” about the King of Pop. HBO countered in court docs that the contract had expired.
But months after the film aired, there are still shock waves being felt in the industry.
“MTV [potentially] banning his name is the latest fallout. They haven’t decided yet, but they’ve been going back and forth on it. There are a lot of issues,” a source said.
The award is not given annually, which could also buy MTV time.
Jackson received the Vanguard Award in 1988, and MTV renamed it in his honour in 1991.
Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Britney Spears, U2 and Jennifer Lopez (last year’s recipient) are some of the stars to have been honoured under the name.
MTV announced its VMA nominees this week, with Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X topping the list. Grande and Swift lead the nominations with 10 each.
But while MTV announced Lopez as the MJ Vanguard recipient last July, ahead of the late August airdate, the network so far remains mum on whether there is a recipient this year.
MTV did not get back to us.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
52-year-old South African arrested with suspected heroin after arriving from Accra
3 minutes -
Shatta Wale challenges UPSA students to build entrepreneurial mindsets
38 minutes -
Finance Minister advises African governments to strengthen regional tax cooperation
2 hours -
NPP accuses NDC of master-minding demolition of Ho regional office fence
2 hours -
Ghana plans stronger regional power trade with Nigeria
2 hours -
GRA Commissioner-General calls for stronger tax cooperation to boost regional revenue mobilisation
2 hours -
NACOC needs more personnel to tackle drug trafficking – Toobu
2 hours -
Railway workers resist KMA eviction order, demand consultation
2 hours -
Legacy Leadership Africa Institute to host boardroom women’s leadership programme
2 hours -
Ghana needs a law to sustain constitutional reforms – CDD-Ghana
6 hours -
COVID fumigation audit: Auditor-General has a lot of questions to answer – Akwatia MP
6 hours -
Stranded Ghanaian medical graduates in Cuba appeal to Mahama for immediate return
6 hours -
GNFS contains fire outbreak at Teshie Lekma Road near Lekma Hospital
12 hours -
Samia Nkrumah rejects the narrative that Ghanaians were happy after Nkrumah’s overthrow
13 hours -
A Mother’s pain: Tribute by Ivan Baidoo’s mother
13 hours