MTV Movie and TV Awards: Pedro Pascal and other stars stick up for striking writers in last minute pre-recorded show
Stars including Jennifer Coolidge and Pedro Pascal have voiced their support for striking Hollywood writers at the pre-recorded MTV Movie and TV Awards.
The annual event had been due to return to LA’s famous Barker Hangar in Santa Monica live on Sunday night but the live show and red carpet were scrapped at the last minute in favour of a pre-recorded programme.
Scroll down for a full list of 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards winners
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Why are Hollywood writers striking?
Drew Barrymore had been due to host the ceremony, but pulled out in solidarity with those on strike, saying without television and film writers there would be no award shows.
Show bosses said they were “pivoting away from a live show” as they “carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan first awards’ show we envisioned”.
The writers’ strike began on Tuesday after 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) stopped working after negotiations between them and the studios failed to establish a new contract before their current deal expired.
Before the event was cancelled, the WGA had said it was planning to picket the awards.
The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and less exclusivity on single projects.
Writers say they have suffered financially during the streaming TV boom, in part due to shorter seasons and smaller residual payments.
Half of the writers for TV series now work at minimum salary levels, compared with one-third in the 2013-14 season, according to Guild statistics.
Artificial intelligence is another issue at the bargaining table. The WGA wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from writers’ previous work.
The strike is impacting some of America’s biggest shows, with Late-night US talk shows the first to suffer due to the need for their scripts to reference current events.
Daytime soap operas will follow, with primetime comedies and dramas the last to be affected due to their longer lead time.
Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus. Pic: Fabio Lovino/HBO
Speaking on the pre-recorded MTV show as she accepted the comedic genius award, White Lotus star Coolidge said she stood “side by side” with those on strike, saying they were “fighting for the rights of artists everywhere”.
She went on: “You know, almost all great comedy starts with great writers.
“As a proud member of SAG (Screen Actors Guild), I stand here before you tonight, side by side with my sisters and brothers from the WGA (Writers Guild of America), that are fighting right now, fighting for the rights of artists everywhere.”
Pascal, who stars in the video-game adaptation The Last Of Us, acknowledged those “fighting very hard” for fair wages, as he accepted one of his trio of MTV awards on the night.
The hit show, written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, won best show, while Pascal took best hero and best duo, for his performance alongside his British co-star Bella Ramsey.
Paying tribute to the writers, Pascal said: “Craig and Neil can’t be here. We are all… standing in solidarity with the WGA that is fighting very hard for fair wages. We thank you, we love you.”
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British actor James Quinn, who won the award for breakthrough performance for his role in season four of Stranger Things, also hailed the striking writers.
He said: “I don’t think that people would connect with a character like Eddie or others in the Stranger Things universe without compassionate, intelligent, quality writing.
“Being a writer is a hard job. It deserves respect. If we respect each other, we can cultivate a kinder, more inclusive, more collaborative environment for everyone… that’d be nice.”
Elsewhere, the show’s top prize – best movie – went to the slasher film Scream VI.
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Cruise juggles his MTV award acceptance with a message to the King
Tom Cruise was awarded best performance in a movie for his high-octane sequel Top Gun: Maverick, sending a message to fans from the cockpit of a plane.
The last WGA strike, in 2007 and 2008, lasted 100 days. The action cost the California economy an estimated $2.1bn (£1.68bn) as productions shut down and out-of-work writers, actors and producers cut back spending.
Full list of 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards winners
Best Hero: Pedro Pascal (The Last Of Us)
Best Performance in a Movie: Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick)
Best Docu-Reality Series: The Kardashians
Breakthrough Performance: Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things)
Best Reality On-Screen Team: Katie Maloney, Ariana Madix, Scheana Shay and Lala Kent (Vanderpump Rules)
Best Comedic Performance: Adam Sandler (Murder Mystery 2)
Best Duo: Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey (The Last Of Us)
Best Fight: Gale Weathers vs. Ghostface (Scream VI)
Most Frightened Performance: Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus)
Best Competition Series: RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars
Best Kiss: Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow (Outer Banks)
Best Music Documentary: Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
Best Show: The Last Of Us
Best Musical Moment: Purple Hearts, “Come Back Home”
Best Performance in a Show: Jenna Ortega (Wednesday)
Best Villain: Elisabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness)
Best Kick-Ass Cast: Stranger Things
Best Song: “Carolina” by Taylor Swift (Where The Crawdads Sing)
Best Host: Drew Barrymore (The Drew Barrymore Show)
Best Movie: Scream VI
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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