Members of the coronavirus-compliant audience will also include first responders and frontline workers
Ariana Grande is set to make her first on-stage look as a married woman when she joins The Weeknd to open the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards reside from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
Last year, FOX presented at-home audiences with the iHeart Living Room Concert for America and provided fans a unique glimpse into the homes of a few of their favorite artists.
In addition to bringing nearly 9 million viewers across FOX television properties, the showcase also raised more than $8 million for coronavirus relief.
This season is a”yield to live shows” and fans are going to want to listen in eloquent because the awards, hosted by Usher, will observe a chilly open from newlywed Grande and The Weeknd when the pair play a remix for their hit album,”Save Your sanity”
The showing will be Grande’s first television appearance in nearly two years.
IHeartMedia president of entertainment enterprises, John Sykes spoke with Fox News from Dolby Theatre dress rehearsals and the executive, who is also heavily involved with artist inductions in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, touted the infectious enthusiasm and vitality felt between audience members and educated talent that he said has musicians over prepared to get back to the street.
“Usher said to me,’I’ve been traveling for 20 years and I forgot this energy that this audience has. I forgot why I do this on stage. God, I can not wait to go on tour,'” said Sykes, including,”I believe what you’ll see tomorrow is that the reconnection between musicians and fans.”
Members of this coronavirus-compliant audience will also include first responders and frontline workers and Sykes said was a paramount choice to honor these first responders and health care workers.
“Without them, we wouldn’t be here now and we wouldn’t have this series,” he said. “It had been their bravery, their devotion to help people that enabled us to pull out of this outbreak and return to regular life so we figured that the least we can do is invite them to come participate in this celebration of the reopening of music in our nation.”
Other featured performances include the likes of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak (AKA Silk Sonic), Dan + Shay and Doja Cat. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, twenty one pilots and Megan Thee Stallion are also supposed to appear during the show.
“We really are going to have complete vaccinated audience of fans equally in the room and they’re all mixed together and they will see the yield to live,” Sykes raved of their production. “That’s really what tomorrow is a return to reside — and if you have missed live music for the last 16 months, it is definitely going to be there tomorrow night on FOX.”
Chris Martin and Lil Nas X will also present Elton John with all the 2021 iHeartRadio Icon Award while the app will issue a particular tribute to the”Rocketman,” honoring John’s longevity and global effect on pop culture.