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We hate to break it to you, but there’s hardly any time left to mentally prepare yourself for the MTV Movie & TV Awards. In just a few short days, we’ll finally have solid answers regarding which actors, TV shows, and movies will win their own highly coveted bucket of Golden Popcorn, and this year, the competition is steep.
With Riverdale and Game of Thrones being pitted against one another, and action-packed flicks like Avengers: Endgame up against the swoon-worthy rom-com that is Netflix’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, there’s simply no guessing what’s going to happen. Do you know what that means? Well, it basically means you have absolutely no choice but to tune in!
As per usual, the night will be full of celebrity appearances, iconic performances, and if it wasn’t fairly obvious already, tons of awards. Are you fully convinced yet that this is a can’t-miss event? We thought so! Tune in Monday, June 17 at 9 PM ET/PT to see it all go down. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about the big night.
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There’s a star-studded list of presenters
We can pretty much all agree that no awards show is complete without some serious star power, and this year, MTV’s really bringing it. In addition to a wide variety of deserving nominees, the network has lined up some of our favorite celebs to announce the evening’s biggest wins. Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Dave Bautista, David Spade, Jameela Jamil, Kiernan Shipka, Kumail Nanjiani, Maude Apatow, Mj Rodriguez, Shameik Moore, and Storm Reid are just some of this year’s presenters, but there are definitely more where those came from!
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Zachary Levi is hosting
You didn’t think the show would happen without an epic host, did you? The job truly requires a superhero to keep everything flowing smoothly, and considering Zachary Levi played one on the big screen this year, you have to admit he’s a pretty solid choice. Not to mention, the actor’s career is seriously thriving right now. In addition to making his DC universe debut as Shazam, he was also in Season 2 of the Emmy-winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Yup! It’s safe to say the show made the right choice with this one!
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There will be iconic performances by some of your favorite artists
Sure, this particular show is mainly about celebrating the best in TV and movies over the past year, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be some groundbreaking performances thrown into the mix as well. Fresh off the success of her 2019 album, Cuz I Love You, Lizzo will be taking the stage for a showstopping performance. But wait, there’s more. Bazzi will also be taking the stage at some point to sing his hit song “Paradise,” which is just another reason for you to clear your schedule on Monday night.
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Jada Pinkett Smith will be honored with the Trailblazer Award
Each year, one of the most highly anticipated awards of the evening is the Trailblazer Award, which “recognizes game-changing creators with fresh and fearless voices in entertainment.” This year, the honor will be presented to actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who rose to superstardom in the ’90s and has been on an upward trajectory ever since. In 2017, for example, she starred in the comedy flick Girls Trip, which was the highest-grossing comedy movie of the year as well as the first film produced, directed, written, and starring Black actors to gross more than $100 million at the box office. Not to mention, Jada launched her own very successful web talk show, Red Table Talk, and continues to be a champion for human rights and social justice issues. In other words, she’s extremely deserving of this award, and we can’t wait to watch her Girls Trip co-star Tiffany Haddish present her with it on June 17.
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The Rock will receive the Generation Award
Just in case you’re new here, the Generation Award celebrates beloved actors whose diverse contributions to both film and television have turned them into household names, and it’s safe to say The Rock fits the bill. The actor first scored a starring role back in 2002 with The Scorpion King, and has gone on to tackle a truly impressive variety of characters ever since. From playing a government agent in The Fast and The Furious franchise to Maui the demigod in Disney’s Moana, there’s — albeit, ironically — no stone The Rock’s left unturned. Not to mention, he has several exciting projects in the works, including a Fast and Furious spinoff and a reported collaboration with the DC Comics Universe. That being said, we think we can all agree that if anyone’s deserving of the Generation Award, it’s The Rock, and we can’t wait to see him accept the honor on Monday night.
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Some of your favorite shows and movies have earned multiple nominations
If you still find yourself suddenly weeping in a corner over the fact that Game of Thrones is over and never coming back, there is one way you can honor the show. How, you ask? By watching the MTV Movie & TV Awards, of course! The hit series is nominated for a whopping four awards this year, but it’s not the only show or movie with the potential to win big. RBG and Avengers: Endgame tied GoT with four nods each, so you’re definitely going to want to see which one winds up taking the throne (or the bucket of popcorn, in this case).
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There are several new categories this year
Jersey Shore may be “fresh to death,” but so are the MTV Movie & TV Awards! The show is keeping things fresh and exciting this year by implementing several new categories, including Reality Royalty, Most Meme-able Moment, and Best Real-Life Hero. Will The Challenge beat out Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in the reality category? And what about Most Meme-able Moment? Will Lindsay Lohan’s Mykonos dance dominate over Colton Underwood’s fence jump? Like you, we’re stoked for these new categories. And don’t worry — all the classics like Best Kiss, Best Hero, and Best Villain will remain. Phew!
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Fan involvement will be at an all-time high
Longtime viewers of the awards show know all about how much fun the event truly is. But in the past, many fans have wondered how they could get more involved from the comfort of their own couch. Great news, fam! This year, you can get more involved than ever before. Not only will you be able to follow along by joining the red carpet livestream, but you’ll also have the opportunity to join the Game Night co-viewing livestream (you know, just in case you want to fangirl out with some other enthusiastic peeps). How cool is that?!
The 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards will air Monday, June 17 at 9 PM ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
