On April 23 2013, Madonna was listed as a nominee in 3 different categories for the 2013 Billboard Music Awards:
The 2013 Billboard Music Awards were later held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 19 2013. Madonna won all 3 categories she was nominated in.
On February 27 2012, the tickets for Madonna’s MDNA Tour stop in Abu Dhabi (June 3) went on sale and all 22,000 tickets for her first-ever United Arab Emirates show were sold-out immediately.
“The moment you’ve all been waiting for, here’s your chance to witness the concert of the decade as Madonna, the world’s top-selling female recording artist, makes her appearance on our shores,” announced the Flash Entertainment website, before replacing the picture on their site with a sold-out banner.
Mira Sadek from Flash entertainment said: “We are proud and delighted that the UAE will host Madonna’s first concert in the Gulf region. We were surprised with the speed at which the tickets were sold out, although we were expecting such a huge fan base.”
On October 29 2012, Madonna was the special guest on The Ellen Show.
During the show, Ellen told the story of how Madonna sent her an inspiring quote from Martha Graham when Ellen was in the process of coming out on her show. Below is the full quote that Madonna sent her:
There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open… No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
On October 19 2012, Madonna was forced to cancel her Saturday October 20 MDNA concert at Dallas’ American Airlines Center due to severe laryngitis.
The press release issued by Live Nation included the following information:
Under doctor’s orders, the Material Girl has been put on “complete vocal rest” for the next 36 hours. All tickets for the October 20th show to be refunded at the point of purchase. Tickets purchased online will refunded directly. Madonna regrets any inconvenience to her fans. The second scheduled show in Dallas on Sunday, October 21st is expected to go on. There are a very limited number of seats currently available for that show.
On September 30 2012, Madonna performed the second sold out MDNA Tour stop at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Madonna had this to say to the audience of just over 14,000 die-hard fans:
“Come on Vancouver, you stoned motherfuckers!“
On September 6 2013, MDNA World Tour was released in Germany and Australia by Live Nation Entertainment and Interscope Records. The complete show was included on the live album which was issued as a digital download and as a 2-CD set in some countries, while the concert film was issued in various configurations including DVD, Blu-ray and as a 2-CD+DVD set.
Madonna served as producer for the project and spent several months editing the concert film with directors by Danny B. Tull and Stephane Sennour. The show was primarily recorded over two nights the previous November in Miami, Florida, although additional audience footage shot by Guy Oseary over the course of the tour was also interspersed throughout the film.
On August 27 2012, Madonna released a statement through her website in response to the controversy that had been sparked by some members of the American press who opposed her use of fake artillery as props in the MDNA Tour. The obvious irony being that the United States was potentially the only country her tour visited where real handguns are legally accessible to the general public.
My show
Is a journey.
The journey of a soul from darkness to light
It is part cinematic musical theatre.
Part spectacle and sometimes intimate Performance art.But above all its a journey
From darkness to light
From anger to love
from chaos to order.It’s true there is a lot of violence in the beginning of the show and sometimes the use of fake guns – but they are used as metaphors.
I do not condone violence or the use of guns.
Rather they are symbols of wanting to appear strong and wanting to find a way to stop feelings that I find hurtful or damaging. In my case it’s wanting to stop the lies and hypocrisy of the church, the intolerance of many narrow-minded cultures and societies I have experienced throughout my life and in some cases the pain I have felt from having my heart broken.Ultimately as we follow through the journey of my story, the audience can see quite clearly what I see –
That the enemy is within and the only way to survive Disappointment Disapproval Judgment Heartbreak Jealousy Envy And Hatred Is with Love – not with revenge – not with guns and not with violence.In spite of all the chaos and darkness and intolerance we seem to be encountering more and more in the world,
We cannot allow our anger or bitterness to swallow us up.
We come to understand that
There is an innate and pure love inside us all and we have to find a way to tap into it.And we can’t do it by being victims or placing the blame or pointing the finger at others.
But by recognizing that the enemy is within
And when we come to terms with it
And accept it
And struggle to change ourselves,
Then we can change the world without hurting anyone and we can inspire others to do the same.
When you watch a film there are usually good guys and bad guys to help illustrate this point, Sometimes I play both.
I enjoy acting out this journey.
For none of us are perfect and we all have our own journey of growth to go on.
I know people can relate to it.
It’s very important to me as an artist that my show not be taken out of context.It must be watched with an open heart from beginning to end. I am sure if it is viewed this way, the viewer will walk away feeling inspired, Invigorated and will want to make the world a better place.
And this of course was always my intention.”
– Madonna
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