Jaafar Jackson has picked up another award nomination for “Michael,” and this week’s is a little different.
If you’re just catching up, Jaafar is Michael’s nephew. He’s the son of Michael’s brother Jermaine, and he played his famous uncle in the big-screen story of Michael’s life.
On Monday, Nov 2, the Hollywood Music in Media Awards announced the nominees for their 17th show. This isn’t the Oscars or the Grammys. It’s a separate awards show, and the ceremony takes place in Hollywood later this month.
“Michael” picked up three nominations in all. Director Antoine Fuqua’s film is up for Music-Themed Film, Biopic or Musical, where it faces “Behemoth!,” “Brother Verses Brother,” “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland” and “The Muppet Show.” John Warhurst is nominated for Music Supervision, Film.
The third one belongs to Jaafar alone.
He’s nominated for Song, Onscreen Performance (Film). In plain words, it’s an award for an onscreen song performance in a movie. So which Michael Jackson song got him there?
It’s “Bad.”
Jaafar performs it in the movie’s big closing number, a recreation of Michael’s concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1988. It’s the film’s climactic sequence, and here’s the scene that earned the nomination.
Jaafar Jackson performs “Bad” in “Michael”
Here’s the full list he’s up against:
Ethan Gold, “Brothers Keep Goin’ Anyway” from “Brother Verses Brother.” Jaafar Jackson, “Bad” from “Michael.” Julianne Moore, “This City May Have Chewed Me Up (But It Hasn’t Spit Me Out)” from “The Debut.” Linda Perry, “What Lies With You” from her own documentary. Nick Jonas, “How To Write A Song Without You” from “Power Ballad.”
That means Jaafar is sharing the category with a Jonas Brother and an Oscar winner. Not bad company for an actor playing his own uncle.
The scene has a story of its own, too. Fuqua chose to film the Wembley “Bad” sequence on the very first day of production. That’s a lot of pressure for a first day on set, and Fuqua said Jaafar walked out in front of more than 400 extras. This behind-the-scenes piece digs into why shooting it first was such a gamble.
Why the “Bad” scene was filmed on day one
Of course, every recreation starts with the real thing. Long before it was a movie showstopper, “Bad” was Michael’s own song with its own music video, and it’s fun to watch Michael’s moves right after Jaafar’s.
Michael’s own “Bad” music video
The concert moment the movie recreates came from Michael’s 1988 “Bad” world tour. His official channel carries the full show from Wembley Stadium on July 16, 1988. “Bad” is the closing number, so skip ahead toward the end to see the original.
Michael live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988
The winners will be named on Wednesday, Nov 18, at the Avalon in Hollywood.
Until then, Jaafar’s “Bad” is one of five performances in the running. Try watching his version and Michael’s back to back. It’s a fun way to spend a few minutes, and you’ll get a feel for how big a job that first day on set really was.