Super Bowl XLIX halftime show
The Super Bowl XLIX halftime show took place on February 1, 2015, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as part of Super Bowl XLIX. It featured American singer Katy Perry, with singer Lenny Kravitz and rapper Missy Elliott as special guests. The halftime show was critically acclaimed, and its broadcast on NBC attracted over 118 million viewers according to Nielsen.
The show won two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special and Outstanding Costumes for a Variety Program or Special. The halftime show was also nominated for Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program.[3]
Background[edit]
In August 2014, it was reported that the NFL had a shortlist of three potential acts for the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, which were Coldplay, Katy Perry, and Rihanna. However, The Wall Street Journal also reported that league representatives asked representatives of potential acts if they would be willing to provide financial compensation to the NFL in exchange for their appearance, in the form of either an up-front fee, or a cut of revenue from concert performances made following the Super Bowl. While these reports were denied by an NFL spokeswoman, the request had, according to the Journal, received a "chilly" response from those involved.[4][5]
Fans of "Weird Al" Yankovic launched an unsuccessful campaign to have Yankovic perform the halftime show to promote his album Mandatory Fun.[6][7][8] On October 9, 2014, Billboard announced that Katy Perry would perform at halftime, and the NFL confirmed the announcement on November 23, 2014.[9][10]