Next year’s Joy Awards are set to be cancelled amid a reassessment of spending on major entertainment events in Saudi Arabia.
The televised gala event, normally held in Riyadh in January, will not take place in 2027, Reuters reported.
The event’s organisers, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and MBC Group, have not issued a statement confirming the cancellation.
The Joy Awards trace their roots to the Joy Forum in 2019, when Shah Rukh Khan, Jackie Chan, Jason Momoa and Jean-Claude Van Damme were among the international figures recognised in Riyadh.
The awards returned three years later as part of Riyadh Season, the annual programme of concerts, theatre, sport and entertainment staged across the Saudi capital, and have since become a major fixture in the Arab entertainment calendar.
Most Joy Awards categories are decided by public vote across film, television, music, sport and social media, while separate honours include Lifetime Achievement and Personality of the Year awards. The show is broadcast on MBC channels and Shahid.
The 2022 awards featured John Travolta, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Salman Khan, who was named Personality of the Year, while Mohammed Abdu, Kadim Al Sahir and Hany Shaker performed.
Since then, honorees have included Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Bocelli and Hans Zimmer, alongside leading Arab actors and musicians.
This year’s awards, held in January, included wins for Egyptian singer Angham and Lebanese singer Fadel Shaker, who took Best Male Artist and Best Song for Sahak Al Shawq. Mohammed Fadl Shaker was named Best New Music Artist.
Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker and former Egyptian culture minister Farouk Hosny received Lifetime Achievement awards, while Millie Bobby Brown was named Personality of the Year.
Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Il Divo performed, while Shah Rukh Khan, Oscar Isaac, Jeremy Piven, Heather Graham and Travis Fimmel were among the international stars attending.
If confirmed, the decision would follow the postponement of the Red Sea International Film Festival, due to take place in Jeddah from December 3 to 12, and the cancellation of this year’s Soundstorm, an annual music festival scheduled for December 3 and 4 in Riyadh.
Organisers of the Red Sea International Film Festival said it would now take place in late 2027 following a review of logistics. The foundation did not link the decision to regional conflict or budget cuts, and said its year-round programmes, including the Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Labs, would continue.
Soundstorm organiser MDL Beast gave no reason for the cancellation and said the music festival would be staged again in 2027.
The seventh Riyadh Season is scheduled to begin on October 21. The General Entertainment Authority has announced a 10-week programme that features concerts, theatre, comedy, family entertainment and sport.
Joy Award winner Fadel Chaker is among the first major music acts announced and will perform at Abu Bakr Salem Theatre on October 22.
The season will also include the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament, alongside boxing, wrestling and UFC competitions. Boulevard World, Boulevard City, Wonder Garden and The Groves are also returning.
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