Taylor Swift, Pink to Be Honored at 2023 iHeartRadio Awards

Taylor Swift arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP)
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Taylor Swift, Pink to Be Honored at 2023 iHeartRadio Awards

Taylor Swift arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP)

Taylor Swift will receive the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards later this month, which will feature performances by Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Muni Long, Cody Johnson, Coldplay and Pink, who is this year’s Icon Award recipient.

The Innovator Award is presented to an artist who has “impacted global pop culture throughout their career.” Past recipients include Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, U2 and Alicia Keys.

Pink will receive the Icon Award honoring her “impact on pop culture, longevity and continued relevance as a touring and radio force with a loyal fan base worldwide.”

The iHeartRadio Music Awards will be aired March 27 on Fox from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and aired on iHeartRadio stations and the app.

Lizzo, Swift and Harry Styles lead the awards nominations with seven nods each, and Jack Harlow and Drake are close behind with six each.

For top song of the year, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” faces off against Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” Styles’ “As It Was,” Justin Bieber’s “Ghost,” Doja Cat’s “Woman,” Glass Animals’ “Heat Wave,” Latto’s “Big Energy,” Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby,” Harlow’s “First Class,” and Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy.”

Fans can vote in several categories including best fan army, best lyrics, best cover song, best sample and best music video. Voting on Twitter begins Wednesday using the appropriate category and nominee hashtags and will close March 20.

With five nominations each are Doja Cat, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Tems, Bad Bunny and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Silk Sonic, Future, Latto, Imagine Dragons, The Weeknd, BLACKPINK, Karol G and Nicki Minaj have four each.

Artist of the year pits Beyoncé against Doja Cat, Drake, Dua Lipa, Styles, Harlow, Bieber, Lizzo, Swift and The Weeknd for the crown. Best duo or group nominees are AJR, Black Eyed Peas, BLACKPINK, Silk Sonic, Glass Animals, Imagine Dragons, Måneskin, OneRepublic, Parmalee and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Country artist of the year nominees are Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen. Hip-hop artist of the year nominees are Drake, Future, Kodak Black, Lil Baby and Moneybagg Yo.

Nominees for alternative artist of the year are Imagine Dragons, Måneskin, Twenty One Pilots, Weezer and Red Hot Chili Peppers, the last of whom also are on the list of rock artists of the year, along with Ghost, Papa Roach, Shinedown and Three Days Grace.

The Latin pop/reggaeton artist of the year nominees are Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Farruko, Karol G and Rauw Alejandro. And nominees for best R&B artist are Blxst, Bleu, Silk Sonic, Muni Long and SZA.



Disney to Build Its 7th Theme Park, This One in the United Arab Emirates

Disney cast members take part in a parade during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, held at Disneyland Paris, in Marne-la-Vallee, east of Paris, on October 16, 2023. (AFP)
Disney cast members take part in a parade during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, held at Disneyland Paris, in Marne-la-Vallee, east of Paris, on October 16, 2023. (AFP)
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Disney to Build Its 7th Theme Park, This One in the United Arab Emirates

Disney cast members take part in a parade during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, held at Disneyland Paris, in Marne-la-Vallee, east of Paris, on October 16, 2023. (AFP)
Disney cast members take part in a parade during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, held at Disneyland Paris, in Marne-la-Vallee, east of Paris, on October 16, 2023. (AFP)

Disney will build its seventh theme park, this one in the United Arab Emirates, the entertainment company said Wednesday.

The waterfront resort will be built on Yas Island on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, already home to Formula One’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Ferrari and Warner Bros. amusement parks, SeaWorld and a waterpark.

Disney and Miral, the Abu Dhabi developer overseeing the project, hope to capitalize on the 120 million airline passengers that travel through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.

Abu Dhabi also is home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and there are more museums currently under construction.

The theme park announcement is being made ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump to the region next week. Trump has promised a series of business deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

The theme park will be built and operated by Miral, but Disney will handle the design and development. Disney will also license its intellectual property and provide development and management services, according to a regulatory filing.

The California company will not be providing any capital for the project. It will earn royalties based on the resort’s revenues. It will also earn service fees.

Miral has been involved in the development of almost all of the entertainment complexes built on the island.

A projected opening date has not been announced.

Shares of Disney, which also reported second-quarter financial results on Wednesday that beat Wall Street's expectations, jumped more than 9% in morning trading.