MTV Keeps EMAs in Hungary in Solidarity With Marginalized LGBTQ+ Community

Naman Ramachandran

October 19, 2021 at 7:12 a.m.·2 min read

MTV is forging ahead with the annual European Music Awards (EMAs) in Hungary in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, despite the country passing laws in June that ban content deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change on primetime television.

If enforced, the legislation could force the likes of Harry Potter and series like “Modern Family” and “Friends” into late-night TV slots. The move has been roundly condemned by leading global companies, including MTV’s parent company ViacomCBS.

More from Variety

“I have to be honest with you, as a gay man, my personal emotions got the better of me,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, MTV Entertainment Group Worldwide, in a heartfelt memo sent internally to staff, explaining that the Hungary venue was set two years ago.

“After learning this legislation passed, my knee-jerk reaction was that we should move the event to another country. However, after my emotions cooled down, I picked up the phone to connect with global LGBTQ+ advocates like All Out, got feedback from LGBTQ+ advocates in Hungary, spoke with Raffaele, Bruce and other team members from around the world, and consulted our LGBTQ+ employee resource group, Emerge.”

“The decision was very clear to all of us,” McCarthy wrote. “We should not move the event. Instead, we should move forward, using the show as an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary and around the world as we continue to fight for equality for all.”

Consequently, the 2021 MTV EMAs will return live from the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna in Hungary on Nov. 14.

“With a global footprint spanning 180 countries and countless cultures, the 2021 MTV EMAs will be an incredible moment for every member of our audience to come together to celebrate music and the power it has to transcend borders,” said Raffaele Annecchino, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International. “After such a long period, I couldn’t be happier for the EMAs to land in Budapest for what’s sure to be an extraordinary night that will resonate globally.”

The show’s host, nominees, performers and presenters will be announced at a later date.

Best of Variety

WWD
Kering Beauté Names President and CEO, Americas
L’Oréal alum Alexandre Choueiri will “help write the next chapter of the business,” according to a memo sent to retailers.
2 minutes ago
Lexington Herald-Leader
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr: National security package will protect American interests. | Opinion
OpEd: Every day that Ukrainian soldiers are fighting Russians is a day that American troops are not.
4 minutes ago
USA TODAY Sports
Tom Brady accused of ruining collectibles with shoddy autograph at $3,600 event: 'It's horrible'
Tom Brady memorabilia collectors are mad after they paid $3,600 for an event ticket that promoted autograph opportunities with the former NFL QB.
5 minutes ago
Yahoo Finance Video
Pending home sales rise more than expected in March
Pending home sales rose 3.4% in March, much more than the 0.4% economists had been expecting. According to the National Association of Realtors, sales in the Midwest fell month-over-month, while they rose elsewhere. In the release, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says "Meaningful gains will only occur with declining mortgage rates and rising inventory." Yahoo Finance's Seana Smith and Brad Smith report the breaking data. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode. This post was written by Stephanie Mikulich.
5 minutes ago
Local Journalism Initiative
Grande Prairie Police Service reveals new uniforms, vehicles
The Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS) unveiled its uniforms and first vehicles on April 17. GPPS officers will be on the streets as early as this summer, said GPPS chief Dwayne Lakusta. “You'll start seeing our officers riding with RCMP officers in the short order, probably in the summer months,” he said. “Public safety is the number one top priority, so as we go through this transition we want the public to be aware that we're still responsive, we're still available, the RCMP are available,
5 minutes ago
Miami Herald
Bob Graham will lie in state Friday in old Capitol. Here’s how to go and where to watch
You can view the ceremony live online or visit in person in Tallahassee.
5 minutes ago
BBC
How climate change worsens heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods
Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more intense in many places because of climate change.
6 minutes ago
Investor's Business Daily
IBD 50 Asset Manager's Earnings Report Will Gauge Its Turnaround
This investment company stock is in a flat base ahead as its upcoming earnings report. The results may be pivotal for the stock's next move.
6 minutes ago
Local Journalism Initiative
Topsy Farms: A Legacy of Love
Favourite places --- we all have them. Some places make you feel a little bit better when you’re there: more relaxed, more connected, more free to be yourself, maybe even more alive. Sometimes we share that place with special people. For many people in Ontario, Topsy Farms on Amherst Island is one of those places. The story of Topsy Farms began on New Year’s Eve, 1971. A group of hippies purchased a farm on the northwest corner of Amherst Island, intending to form 'Headlands Community,' a commun
6 minutes ago
Insider Monkey
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript April 23, 2024 Quest Diagnostics Incorporated beats earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $2.04, expectations were $1.86. DGX isn’t one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Welcome to the Quest Diagnostics First […]
6 minutes ago
Yahoo Canada Style
Montréal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki announces engagement to Caitlin Fitzgerald in heartwarming Instagram post
The 24-year-old London, Ont. natives connected through social media in 2016.
6 minutes ago
The Canadian Press
Chinese automakers redefine the car as a living space at Beijing Auto Show
BEIJING (AP) — How about turning a car's front bucket seats 180 degrees so they face the rear seats and extending out a table so the occupants can play cards or eat a meal? Or a 43-inch (109 centimeter) screen for the passengers in the back seat? The seemingly never-ending efforts of China's electric car makers to redefine the automobile went on display Thursday at the opening of the nation's largest annual auto show. They are forcing established makers such as Volkswagen and Nissan to change th
7 minutes ago
HuffPost UK
Jonathan Bailey Just Confirmed He's In Heartstopper Season 3 – And He's Not The Only Star Joining The Show
As if we needed one more reason to be excited for the hit Netflix teen drama's return.
7 minutes ago
People
Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Next Movie Together Is in the Works: 'We Have a Script Being Written'
Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger previously costarred in hit movies like 'Twins' and 'Junior' in the '80s and '90s
7 minutes ago
The Canadian Press
Quebec family reimbursed $10,000 for being shipped wrong body after death in Cuba
MONTREAL — A Montreal-area family that was sent the wrong body after a loved one's death in Cuba has received a $10,000 reimbursement and an apology from the Caribbean country. Miriam Jarjour says her family was refunded the money paid to repatriate her father's remains but still doesn't know what happened to his body. Laval, Que., resident Faraj Allah Jarjour had a heart attack and died on March 22 while vacationing with his family near Varadero, Cuba. But the casket that was sent to Canada las
7 minutes ago
Local Journalism Initiative
New fire chief appointed to Burk's Falls and District Fire Department
Joe Readman has been spending April settling into his position as the new fire chief of the Burk's Falls and District Fire Department. Readman officially took over on April 2, a day after former fire chief Dave McNay retired. At 36, Readman has already spent half his life in firefighting service. Born and raised in nearby Gravenhurst, the day he turned 18, Readman submitted his application to join the Gravenhurst Fire Department (GFD) in 2006. It shouldn't come as a surprise that he joined a fir
7 minutes ago
Reuters
UPDATE 1-Boeing's credit rating under pressure as S&P revises outlook to 'negative'
Boeing's credit rating was under pressure for the second time this week as S&P revised its rating outlook on Thursday after a mid-air blowout of a cabin panel in January prompted the planemaker to slow production of its best-selling jets. The rating agency changed its outlook on the company to "negative" from "stable" to reflect an increased potential for Boeing to face further delays in expected recovery of its cash flow and credit ratios.
7 minutes ago
GuruFocus.com
Pool Corp (POOL) Q1 2024 Earnings: A Detailed Review Against Analyst Expectations
Unveiling the Financial Dynamics and Strategic Movements
7 minutes ago
GuruFocus.com
Gorman-Rupp Co (GRC) Q1 2024 Earnings: Misses Revenue Estimates, Aligns with EPS Projections
Insights into Gorman-Rupp's Financial Performance and Strategic Positioning
8 minutes ago
Associated Press
High schooler accused of killing fellow student on campus in Arlington, Texas
Police say a 17-year-old has been arrested on a murder warrant after fatally shooting a schoolmate on the campus of an Arlington, Texas, high school. The slain student was identified as 18-year-old Etavian Barnes by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office. Barnes was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds Wednesday afternoon outside portable buildings on the campus of Bowie High School, according to Arlington Police Chief Al Jones.
8 minutes ago

Latest Stories