Entertainment
Everything to Know About the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards on September 14, 2023 at 11:47 pm Us Weekly

Miller Mobley/NBC
NBC is going country with the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards! The 2023 event will honor the best and brightest in the country music world.
The live awards ceremony, which will air on Thursday, September 28, plans to “lean into the rich connection between country music and the Opry through chart-topping musical performances, genre-bending collaborations, legendary tributes and surprise moments,” NBC said in a March press release.
The People’s Choice Awards is traditionally the only totally fan-voted awards show and now the People’s Choice Country Awards will follow in its footsteps. “We’re excited to partner with the Grand Ole Opry to bring the year’s biggest celebration in country music to Nashville,” Senior Vice President of live events for NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, Cassandra Tryon, said in a March statement. “Country fans are passionate about their music and there’s no better place to host this event than from country music’s biggest stage.”
Scroll down for everything to know about the 2023 awards show:
When and Where Will the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards Take Place?
The inaugural event is set for Thursday, September 28, in Nashville, Tennessee. The show will begin at 8 p.m. ET. and air live from the iconic Grand Ole Opry House.
Who Is Hosting the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards?
Little Big Town — made up of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook — will emcee the awards show.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
Who Is Taking Home the 2023 People’s Icon Award?
Toby Keith will be honored with this year’s People’s Icon Award. Keith, 62, released his first self-titled studio album in 1993 and has since dropped a whopping 18 records including 2021’s Peso in My Pocket, not including his six compilation albums and two Christmas recordings.
In June 2022, Keith announced he was diagnosed with stomach cancer one year prior. He has since taken a performance hiatus to battle the disease. The “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer gave fans an update on his health in June, telling The Oklahoman that he was still undergoing chemotherapy, but his tumor had shrunk by a third.
Who Are the Top 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards Nominees?
The biggest award of the night, The People’s Artist of 2023, is stacked full of talent, including Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Laney Wilson, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Old Dominion and Zach Bryan.
The Female Artist of 2023 category is equally as impressive with Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, Elle King, Megan Maroney, Wilson, 31, and Ballerini, 30, all vying for the trophy.
Shelton, 47, Bryan, 27, Wallen, 30, Combs, 33, and Brown, 29, are all competing for The Male Artist of 2023 awards. They will be up against Bailey Zimmerman, HARDY and Jelly Roll. Fans can vote for all 12 award categories on VotePCCA.com.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Who Is the 2023 Country Champion Honoree?
Wynonna Judd will be named the 2023 Country Champion recipient during the September event. Judd, 59, got her start in country music in the ‘80s alongside her late mother, Naomi Judd, who died in April 2022. The mother-daughter duo recorded six studio albums as The Judds from 1984 to 1990 and later two EPs.
Wynonna has had a successful solo career as well releasing nine studio albums from 1992 to 2016. In August, she announced her Back to Wy Tour, which kicks off in October. The performances will feature songs from her 1992 debut record, Wynonna, and her sophomore album, 1993’s Tell Me Why, as well as hits from her and Naomi’s catalog as The Judds.
Which Musicians Are Performing?
NBC announced in September that Dan + Shay, Shelton, Brown, Ballerini, Keith, Judd, Pearce, 33, HARDY, 33, Jelly Roll, 38, and Little Big Town will all take the stage during the show.
Where Can You Watch the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards?
Viewers can tune in live on NBC or watch a live stream of the awards show on Peacock.
Miller Mobley/NBC NBC is going country with the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards! The 2023 event will honor the best and brightest in the country music world. The live awards ceremony, which will air on Thursday, September 28, plans to “lean into the rich connection between country music and the Opry through chart-topping musical performances,
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Entertainment
Jennifer Lopez’s Ex Fires Back: “You Are the Problem”

Ojani Noa Accuses J.Lo of Cheating After “Never Been Loved” Comments
Jennifer Lopez is once again at the center of a media storm — but this time, it’s her first husband, Ojani Noa, turning up the heat. Following Lopez’s recent Howard Stern Show interview, in which she claimed she has “never been truly loved” by any of her exes, Noa has publicly accused the superstar of cheating and playing the victim.
In the viral Instagram post that has now spread across major outlets like TMZ and New York Post, Noa didn’t hold back.
“Stop putting us down. Stop putting me down with your victim card,” he wrote. “The problem is not us. Not me. The problem is you. You’re the one who couldn’t keep it in your pants.”
“You Chose Fame and Lies Over Love”
Noa and Lopez were married briefly from 1997 to 1998, before her rise to Hollywood superstardom. In his explosive statement, he accused her of being unfaithful during their marriage, claiming she prioritized fame over their relationship.
“You have been loved a few times. You’ve been married four times. And have had countless relationships in between,” Noa continued. “You decided to lie, to cheat on me. You begged me to keep the marriage intact to avoid bad press.”
Noa described himself as “faithful, honest, and loving,” saying he uprooted his life and career to support Lopez at the beginning of her entertainment journey. “I left my family, my friends, everything behind for you,” he wrote, “but once fame came calling, you left me behind.”
Lopez Silent Amid Growing Backlash
As of now, Jennifer Lopez has not publicly responded to Noa’s allegations. During her Howard Stern interview, the singer and actress claimed her former partners “weren’t capable” of loving her, saying, “It’s not that I’m not lovable… it’s that they’re not capable.”
Her remarks were widely interpreted as referencing all of her ex-husbands — including Marc Anthony, Cris Judd, and Ben Affleck — but it was Noa who reacted first and most forcefully. His comments have ignited widespread debate online, with many questioning whether Lopez’s honesty came at the expense of others’ reputations.
Public Response and Media Fallout
The online reaction has been intense, with social media users split between defending Lopez’s right to share her truth and blasting her for allegedly rewriting history. Meanwhile, entertainment analysts note that the controversy adds to an increasingly turbulent year for the singer, following canceled tours, underperforming films, and ongoing scrutiny over her marriage to Affleck.
This latest backlash has also reignited conversations about Lopez’s highly publicized romantic history. As tabloids and fans speculate whether more exes might respond, the situation underscores an old truth in celebrity culture — that every candid confession comes with consequences.
For now, Jennifer Lopez remains silent. But in the court of public opinion, the debate about who’s really at fault in her love story is only just beginning.
Entertainment
Selling Your Soul in Hollywood: The Hidden Cost of Fame

By all appearances, Hollywood is a dream factory — a place where charisma, talent, and luck collide to create stars. But behind the camera lights and red carpets lies a conversation few inside the industry speak openly about: the spiritual and moral price of ambition.

For actor Omar Gooding, the idea of “selling your soul” in Hollywood isn’t a metaphor — it’s a moral process that begins with tiny compromises. In an October 2025 interview, Gooding explained that no one in Hollywood makes a literal deal with the devil. Instead, it’s the quiet yeses, the moments when comfort overrides conviction, that mark the beginning of the trade. “They don’t say, ‘Take this or you’ll never make it,’” he said. “They just put it in front of you. You choose.”
Those choices, he argues, create a pattern. Once you show that you’ll accept something you once resisted, the industry notices. “Hollywood knows who it can get away with what,” Gooding said. “One thing always leads to another.” The phrase “selling your soul,” in this context, means losing your say — doing what you’re told rather than what you believe in.
That moral tension has long shadowed the arts. Comedians like Dave Chappelle, who famously walked away from millions to preserve his creative integrity, often serve as examples of where conviction and career collide. In resurfaced interviews, Chappelle hinted that he felt manipulated and silenced by powerful figures who sought control of his narrative, warning that “they’re trying to convince me I’m insane.”
This isn’t just about conspiracy — it’s about agency. Hollywood runs on perception. Performers are rewarded for being agreeable, moldable, entertaining. Those who question the machine or refuse the script risk exile, while those who conform are elevated — sometimes beyond what they can handle.
“We see the ‘collections’ all the time,” Gooding explained. “When the bill comes due, you can tell. They made that deal long ago.”

But the story doesn’t end in darkness. Gooding also emphasizes that in today’s entertainment landscape, artists have more control than ever. With streaming, social media, and creator‑driven platforms, performers don’t have to “play the game” to be seen. Independent creators can build their own stages, speak their own truths, and reach millions without trading authenticity for access.
Still, the temptation remains — recognition, validation, quick success. And every generation of artists must answer the same question: What are you willing to do for fame?
As Gooding put it, “You just make the best choices you can. Because once it’s gone — your name, your peace, your soul — there’s no buying it back.”
Entertainment
California Bans AI Clones from Replacing Real Talent

California just made a dramatic stand for human creativity, defeating the threat of AI actor clones with a sweeping new law that puts people—not algorithms—back in the Hollywood spotlight. With the stroke of Governor Gavin Newsom’s pen in October 2025, the state has sent a clear message to studios, tech companies, and the world: entertainment’s heart belongs to those who create and perform, not to digital facsimiles.
California Draws a Hard Line: No More AI Clones
For months, the entertainment industry has been divided over the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. Studios, lured by promises of cost-cutting and creative flexibility, have invested in software that can mimic an actor’s face, voice, and even emotional range. But for performers, this wave of synthetic reproduction has triggered alarm—encouraged by chilling stories of deepfakes, unauthorized digital doubles, and contracts that let studios reuse a star’s likeness indefinitely, sometimes without pay or approval.
The new California law, anchored by AB 2602 and AB 1836, changes everything:
- Every contract must explicitly detail how studios can use digital replicas or voice models, preventing once-common “blank check” agreements that overlooked this risk.
- No one—not studios nor streaming giants—can create or release AI-generated clones of an actor, living or dead, without clear, written consent from the performer or their estate.
- The law gives families new powers to defend loved ones from posthumous deepfake exploitation, closing painful loopholes that once let virtual versions of late icons appear in new ads, films, or games.
Actors Celebrate a Major Victory
The legislation rides the momentum of the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, where real-life talent demanded control over their own digital destinies. Leaders say these protections will empower artists to negotiate fair contracts and refuse participation in projects that cross ethical lines, restoring dignity and choice in an industry threatened by silent algorithms.
Stars, unions, and advocacy groups are hailing the law as the most robust defense yet against unwanted AI replications.
As one actor put it, “This isn’t just about money—it’s about identity, legacy, and respect for real artists in a synthetic age.”
A New Chapter for the Entertainment Industry
California’s move isn’t just a victory for local talent—it’s a warning shot to studios everywhere. Companies will now be forced to rethink production pipelines, consult legal counsel, and obtain proper clearance before digitally cloning anyone. Global entertainment platforms and tech developers will need to comply if they want to do business in the world’s entertainment capital.

These laws also set a template likely to ripple through other creative fields, from musicians whose voices can be synthesized to writers whose work could be mimicked by generative AI. For now, California performers finally have a powerful shield, ready to fight for the right to shape their own public image.
Conclusion: Human Talent Takes Center Stage
With its no-nonsense ban on AI actor clones, California draws a bold line, championing the work, likeness, and very humanity of its creative stars. It’s a landmark step that forces the entertainment industry to choose: respect real talent, or face real consequences. The age of the consentless digital double is over—human performers remain the true source of Hollywood magic.
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