MTA EMA trophies. Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images
The 2023 MTV European Music Awards (EMAs) have been canceled. Paramount Global cited “volatility of world events” in a statement announcing the decision, an allusion to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The show was scheduled to take place on November 5 at the Paris Nord Villepinte in France.
The statement reads: “Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life.
“The MTV EMAs are an annual celebration of global music. As we watch the devastating events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration. With thousands of lives already lost, it is a moment of mourning.”
France has been in a state of heightened terror alert since a school teacher was stabbed last week in a suspected terror incident. Fourteen airports received bomb threats on October 9, leading eight of them to evacuate.