Olivia Rodrigo leads AMA nominees
Olivia Rodrigo is having a sweet year as the leading nominee at the American Music Awards in the first year she’s eligible.
The Disney actor and singer-songwriter broke out with hits from her 2021 debut record “Sour,” which led to seven nominations at the AMAs, including artist of the year and new artist of the year. The nominations were announced Thursday for the fan-voted awards show that will air Nov. 21 on ABC.
Five-time winner The Weeknd has six nominations, going up against Rodrigo in the artist of the year category along with BTS, Ariana Grande, Drake and Taylor Swift.
Reggaeton star Bad Bunny, R&B newcomer Giveon and Doja Cat each have five nominations. In the new artist of the year category, Rodrigo joins Giveon, 24KGoldn, Masked Wolf and The Kid LAROI.
Swift, who holds the record for the most awarded artist in AMA history, could further extend her streak. She is nominated for three awards total, including favorite pop album for “evermore.”
Rapper Pop Smoke, who was killed in 2020, is nominated in three categories, including favorite hip-hop album and favorite hip-hop artist, and could win his first award posthumously.
Country star Morgan Wallen earned two nominations in country categories, but his recognition comes with an asterisk from MRC Live & Alternative, which produces the AMA Awards.
Wallen was caught on video using a racial slur at the beginning of the year, leading to other awards shows to disqualify him entirely or from certain categories. MRC
Live & Alternative noted that his nominations were based on Billboard charts, but that he would not be included in the awards show, because “his conduct does not align with our core values.”
Court won’t hear Pitt appeal:
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to consider Brad Pitt’s appeal of a court ruling that disqualified the judge in his custody battle with Angelina Jolie.
The court denied a review of a June appeals court decision that said the private judge hearing the case should be disqualified for failing to sufficiently disclose his business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys.
The state Supreme Court’s decision finalizes that ruling. It means the fight over the couple’s five minor children — which was nearing an end — could just be getting started.
Pitt’s attorney had previously argued that Jolie’s effort to disqualify the judge was aimed at preventing his tentative custody decision, which was favorable to Pitt, from taking effect.
Jolie, 46, and Pitt, 57, were ruled divorced in 2019, but the child custody issues were separated.
The couple have six children: Maddox, 20; Pax, 17; Zahara, 16; Shiloh, 15; Vivienne, 13; and Knox, 13. The five minors are subject to custody decisions.