Paramount "optimizes" CMT Music Awards, MTV EMAs out of 2025

As of right now, the 2025 MTV VMAs is still on the schedule.

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The folks over at Paramount have been quite busy tidying up to welcome their new overlords from Skydance Media. The deal, which was more or less finalized in July 2024, is expected to close in the near future, and the company has made major cuts and done some restructuring in preparation. Skydance (owned by David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison, who was on hand for President Donald Trump’s AI initiative announcement last month), has identified $2 billion in cuts coming into the studio. All to say, the season of shake-ups is far from over at Paramount, so it’s not a surprise that some of its events are on the chopping block this year. 

This is according to The Hollywood Reporter, which obtained a memo from the office of Bruce Gillmer, Paramount’s president, music, music talent, programming and events, media networks and chief content officer, music, Paramount+. In it, Gillmer says the company won’t be putting on country music’s CMT Music Awards or the MTV European Music Awards (EMAs), among other shows, in 2025. The full memo reads:

“Team,  

We want to share some news. We are pausing a few events for 2025, as we look to reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward. These include the MTV EMAs, MTV MIAWs, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in Mexico, and CMT Music Awards.

Our world-class events remain a key component of Paramount’s music offering as we continue to raise the bar in delivering iconic, unforgettable performances and moments that drive pop culture. We have the best team in the business, and we are grateful for your hard work and dedication in bringing these events to life.   

Thank you, 
Bruce”

Obviously, this scant memo doesn’t indicate what the future of these events will be; perhaps the current Paramount bosses are waiting for the new guys to make those decisions. The CMT Awards are typically held in April and the MTV MIAWs (hosted by MTV Latin America) are usually held in July, while the EMAs and Mexican Kids’ Choice Awards are held in the fall. Unless we hear otherwise, we’ll assume the 2025 VMAs (also held in the fall) and U.S. Kids’ Choice Awards (held in the spring) are moving forward as usual. Paramount already hosted the Golden Globes and the Grammys this year. 

CMT is among the Paramount divisions hit with extensive layoffs in 2024. Meanwhile, cable networks like Nickelodeon and MTV are reportedly not priorities for Skydance. Amid the company’s competitors shedding or restructuring cable networks, it’s possible those brands will be dropped from the Paramount portfolio altogether. 

 
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