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Peoples Choice Awards

Host Kenan Thompson predicts a good night for 2021 People's Choice Awards: What to know

Elise Brisco
USA TODAY

Nobody can stop Kenan Thompson's shine, not even the pressure of entertaining an audience in one of the largest venues on the West Coast. 

The 43-year-old comedian is getting ready to host the 2021 People's Choice Awards for the first time in his career, and Thompson is predicting the show to be "one big party." Taking place with an in-person audience at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, the show will honor the best in entertainment and pop culture (on NBC and E! Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. PST).

"You need a lot of energy to fill up an airport hangar, I’m thinking," Thompson says of the 35,000-square-foot venue. "I really think the people are going to do that. Just having an audience is just going to help all that energy lift itself up throughout the night."

Kenan Thompson is ready to host the People's Choice Awards for the first time.

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How can I watch the People's Choice Awards? 

NBC and E! will simultaneously broadcast the show Tuesday, preceded by the live red carpet show on E! starting at 7 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. PST. The show begins at 9 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. PST and can be streamed on apps that offer live TV such as Hulu +, Paramount + and YouTube TV. 

Missed the live show? E! will run it back again Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. EST/ 6 a.m. PST. 

Who is nominated?

With over 40 categories across TV, movies, music and more, there are many big names carrying nominations.

Justin Bieber has the most nominations this year with 10 nods in categories including male artist of 2021 and song of 2021 for "Peaches." Movie favorites like "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and "Dune" are among the nominees for the movie of 2021. NBC drama series "This is Us" is nominated five times, including show of 2021 and drama show of 2021.

In addition to being the host, Thompson has even more reason to celebrate: He's nominated in the best comedy TV star category and best male TV star category.   

"When it rains it pours: My first time ever going there, and I’m hosting and I’m nominated twice and then also two more times with my involvement in 'SNL,' " says Thompson, the longest-running "Saturday Night Live" cast member. "It’s going to be a good night for me even if I stumble every word.”

Who is being honored as People's Choice Award icons? 

Though Thompson hosted Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar in March, the show was mostly remote. The in-person People's Choice Awards guest list, by contrast, is stacked with celebrities, several of whom are being honored as icons.

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Cardi B will present the People's Icon award to Halle Berry, who recently made her directorial debut with Netflix's "Bruised." Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will receive The People's Champion award,  Christina Aguilera will receive the inaugural Music Icon award and Kim Kardashian West will receive the Fashion Icon award. 

Kardashian West had a memorable "SNL" hosting debut in October, but a little more than a week after the Skims creator took the stage, another star put in her bid to join the show: Dionne Warwick. 

"She apparently was like ‘why haven't I been up there, I wanna come up there,' " Thompson recalls. "(I was like) ‘Mama Warwick calling y’all, y’all don't hear her? Y’all better bring her up here.’ "

The 80-year-old songstress has won millennial and Gen-Z hearts with her candid exploration of today's pop culture on Twitter, and she called out Thompson and his "SNL" boss Lorne Michaels on the social media app for not having had her on the show. 

She eventually made it to the Studio 8H stage in New York City in November and starred alongside cast member Ego Nwodim, which Thompson considered the "ultimate" experience.

The host is looking forward to more candid moments like that for Tuesday's show.

"It’ll just be nice to have people back in front of each other … putting talented people in a room and seeing what comes out of it,” Thompson says.

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