Jussie Smollett News

As a centerpiece to its yearlong Ailey Ascending 60th Anniversary celebration and a kickoff to its five-week holiday season, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will host a star-studded gala benefit on Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm, complete with a performance for the ages at New York City Center and party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. The Honorary Chairs for the evening are screen icons Angela Bassett and Cicely Tyson. Bassett, a Golden Globe Award winner, stars in the hit television series 9-1-1, and was most recently featured in the 2018 blockbusters Black Panther and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Tyson - known for a myriad of roles across television and film, including Roots, Fried Green Tomatoes, and most recently How to Get Away With Murder - has received three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and on November 18th will make history as the first black woman to receive an Honorary Academy Award.

The Tribeca TV Festival presents the trailer for the 2018 festival. The Tribeca TV Festival's lineup includes recently announced additions to its 2018 line-up. The Festival will celebrate 10 years of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City with a one-time-only conversation for fans between Executive Producers Andy Cohen and Lisa Shannon along with cast members Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley, and Tinsley Mortimer. The program will also expand with the 5th season premiere of FOX's Empire, followed by a conversation with star Jussie Smollett. The Tribeca TV Festival will take place September 20-23 at Spring Studios in New York City.

The Tribeca TV Festival is bringing fans even more special moments with new additions to its 2018 line-up. The Festival will celebrate 10 years of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City with a one-time-only conversation for fans between Executive Producers Andy Cohen and Lisa Shannon along with cast members Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley, and Tinsley Mortimer. The program will also expand with the 5th season premiere of FOX's Empire, followed by a conversation with star Jussie Smollett. The Tribeca TV Festival will take place September 20-23 at Spring Studios in New York City.

Last night, BMI® (Broadcast Music, Inc)® celebrated the songwriters, producers and publishers of the year's most-performed R&B/hip-hop songs during the 2018 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards held at The Woodruff Arts Center's Symphony Hall in Atlanta. Multiple award-winning superstar Janet Jackson took home the night's highest honor of BMI Icon in recognition of her groundbreaking career as one of the most influential entertainers of all time.

Tune in to your local PBS station tonight, August 10th, at 10 PM ET to catch Great Performances: Chicago Voices, the gala held at Chicago's Lyric Opera in 2017. The evening was hosted by Renee Fleming who will be joined on stage by Carousel co-star Jessie Mueller, Greatest Showman star Michelle Williams and more!

A star-studded array of vocal talent with deep ties to Chicago gathers on stage at Lyric Opera to pay tribute to the city's wide-reaching influence across blues, jazz, rock, folk, hip-hop, gospel, opera and classical music in Great Performances: Chicago Voices, premiering nationwide Friday, August 10 at 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and streaming the following day on pbs.org/gperf and PBS apps. Hosted by four-time Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming, the multi-genre concert special features performances by Fleming, Tony-winner Jessie Mueller (Waitress, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Grammy-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco, three-time Grammy-winning folk legend John Prine, Grammy-winning pop and gospel singer Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child), Grammy-winning jazz singer Kurt Elling and many more in a celebration of Chicago's rich and diverse vocal music legacy.

LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T reached its goal of raising $1,000,000 Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT.  This year the LOVELOUD Foundation is donating its proceeds from the festival to LGBTQ+ organizations including Encircle, the Tegan and Sara Foundation and the Trevor Project.  The SOLD-OUT festival saw people coming from all corners of country, and Lt. Governor Spencer Cox read an official proclamation from Governor Gary Herbert that declared July 28, 2018 'LOVELOUD Day' in Utah.  

VH1's Emmy-nominated series 'Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner party' season two returns with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, August 1st at 9PM and 9:30PM ET/PT. The dynamic duo continue to light up THE KITCHEN by putting a personal spin on favorite dishes to create a themed meal with celebrity friends. Remaining episodes include:

Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2018 Lincoln Center engagement continued last night with the star-studded Ailey Spirit Gala. The one-night-only benefit performance and party featured Honorary Chair Jussie Smollett, who stars on Fox's Empire and recently released his debut album, Sum of My Music. The evening honored Vikas Kapoor and Ailey Trustee Jaishri Kapoor for their remarkable support of the Ailey organization and their dedication to Ailey's educational initiatives. Gala Co-Chairs were Stephen Meringoff & Kim Charlton, Almaz & Marc S. Strachan, and Daria L. & Eric. J. Wallach; and Vice Chairs were Michele & Timothy Barakett, Robyn & N. Anthony Coles, Leslie & Tom Maheras, and Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer. Over $1 million was raised to support Ailey's extensive educational and training programs for young people, including AileyCamp and scholarships to The Ailey School.

TEEN CHOICE 2018, the summer's hottest LIVE show, is back with a brand-new wave of nominees.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, will return to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for a five-day, seven-performance engagement at the David H. Koch Theater from June 13-17.

After three weeks of stunning competitive dancing, the final three couples advanced to the finals of “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes,” live on MONDAY, MAY 21 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand. It's been a very close race this season, and each and every couple stepped up to the plate and gave their all on the ballroom floor.

Artistic Director Robert Battle has announced exciting highlights to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center season at the David H. Koch Theater June 13 - 17. In addition to three diverse programs - Celebrate Women, Ailey, Then & Now, and Musical Icons - the engagement also includes The Ailey Spirit Gala benefit; three new Company dancers; and a series of activities for all as Ailey enters its sixth decade.

The centerpiece of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center engagement is The Ailey Spirit Gala on Thursday, June 14. This one-night-only benefit performance and party honors Jaishri Kapoor and Vikas Kapoor for their remarkable support of the Ailey organization, their dedication to Ailey's educational initiatives, and Jaishri's leadership as an Ailey Trustee. The evening's Honorary Chair is actor, singer, and activist Jussie Smollett, who stars on Fox's Empire and recently released his debut album, Sum of My Music.

On the Season Four premiere, Lucious makes his first public appearance after the explosion in Las Vegas, while all members of the Lyon family have their own interests in Lucious regaining his physical and mental faculties. Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor, director and producer Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland,” “Arrival,” “Lee Daniels' The Butler”) will guest-star in a multi-episode arc on EMPIRE, beginning this fall on FOX. Whitaker will play “Uncle Eddie,” a charismatic music icon and bonafide hitmaker, who gave an unknown Lucious (Terrence Howard) his first radio airplay. Decades later, Eddie steps up for Lucious at a critical moment during his rehabilitation, and a grateful Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) invites him to produce a song in celebration of Empire Entertainment's 20th anniversary.

FOX has renewed the hit drama EMPIRE for a fifth season, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

On the Season Four premiere, Lucious makes his first public appearance after the explosion in Las Vegas, while all members of the Lyon family have their own interests in Lucious regaining his physical and mental faculties. Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor, director and producer Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland,” “Arrival,” “Lee Daniels' The Butler”) will guest-star in a multi-episode arc on EMPIRE, beginning this fall on FOX. Whitaker will play “Uncle Eddie,” a charismatic music icon and bonafide hitmaker, who gave an unknown Lucious (Terrence Howard) his first radio airplay. Decades later, Eddie steps up for Lucious at a critical moment during his rehabilitation, and a grateful Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) invites him to produce a song in celebration of Empire Entertainment's 20th anniversary.

Check out the official music video for Jussie Smollett's HURT PEOPLE, which will be featured on tonight's episode of EMPIRE on Fox.