Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Host Nick Jonas Teases Surprise Celebrity Guests
Nick Jonas Kids Choice Awards IMAGE COURTESY OF NICKELODEON
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards is right around the corner, and the 28th annual slime-fest is set to be bigger than ever.
For the first time, the show will be simulcast across Viacom properties Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons and TV Land, in addition to live streaming on Nick.com and the Nick App. Following the live show, encores will air across said cable nets, and CMT.
"At Nickelodeon, we are really in touch with kids and this show always reflects what's going on in their lives," exec producer Jay Schmalholz tells Variety. "Having fun, making kid's laugh, staying relevant and, of course, slime" are all key components that make Kids' Choice a success year-to-year.
Hosted by Nick Jonas from the Forum in Inglewood, California, the KCAs will welcome the likes of Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Liam Hemsworth, Grant Gustin, Nick Cannon, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting and YouTuber Bethany Mota, plus tween fan-favorites including Laura Marano, Ross Lynch, Debby Ryan, Shawn Mendes and Zendaya.
"I'm really excited to see Jamie Foxx, Chris Pratt and some surprise guests I can't mention," Jonas tells Variety.
Jonas also revealed that as emcee, he gets special privileges. "As the host, I also got to send the show my wish list of celebrity slimings," he teased. "You'll have to tune in to see who it will be."
Pulling double duty, the singer will open the show with a medley performance of his double platinum smash hit "Jealous" and "Chains." Australian rock band 5 Seconds of Summer is also set to take the stage, along with Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Hudson who will play their duet "Trouble" together.
Jonas and Schmalholz tell Variety what else to expect this weekend at the Kids' Choice Awards:
What makes you the perfect Kids' Choice Awards host?
Jonas: "I grew up watching Nickelodeon and in addition to winning a couple of blimps, I had the opportunity to perform on the show while with the Jonas Brothers. I've always dreamed of hosting the show and am really excited. It will be fun."
Did you watch the KCAs when you were a kid?
Jonas: "Of course! I loved watching all of the performances, but I think my favorite part was seeing the celebrity slimings."
How are prepping for the big show?
Jonas: "I've been watching videos of previous hosts, focusing and visualizing success."
Schmalholz: "It's always hard to top yourself. But this year, we're in the biggest venue we've ever been in, so by scream volume alone, we've already topped ourselves. Our host Nick Jonas is incredibly relevant right now. He connects with kids everywhere because he's a kid himself."
What is different about the show this year?
Schmalholz: "We're incorporating our Nickelodeon stars more than ever this year. You will see cast members from 'Bella and the Bulldogs,' 'Henry Danger,' 'Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn' and 'The Thundermans' to name a few. This year we built the first-ever human slime car wash for the winner of our live voting category, and created a dancing archway of slime for our winners to walk through prior to accepting their award."
Do you have any surprises up your sleeves?
Jonas: "I can't give away any surprises — where's the fun in that?!"
Schmalholz: "Yes, but if I told you they wouldn't be surprises! What I can tell you is that we will have some unannounced special celebrity appearances and sliming spectacles that will have to be seen to believe. Also, we're using a 3D mapping technology to create multiple and unique environments in the house."
Why do celebrities love the Kids' Choice Awards?
Schmalholz: "Celebrities are always looking to connect with their audience and there's no better place than Nickelodeon for them to do that. This show is a lot of fun and winning a blimp and getting slimed is the ultimate honor in Hollywood…every A-list celebrity in Hollywood has either asked to be slimed or is waiting to be slimed."
Are you ready to get slimed?
Jonas: "Yes! To be slimed has often been described as "the ultimate honor" and who wouldn't want to be honored?"
How much slime should we expect?
Schmalholz: "Slime is always the star of the Kids' Choice Awards, and this year we are truly infusing it in every aspect of the show…For our finale, we will be using more slime than ever with 5 Second of Summer. Let's just say, it will be a slime finale of epic proportions."
Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards air Saturday, March 28 at 8:00 p.m.
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