Awards
Angie Stone, Ramsey Lewis & More to Receive 2021 Black Music Honors
Stone will receive the soul music icon award; Ginuwine, the urban music icon award; Sapp, the gospel music icon award; and Lewis, the legends award. The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville will be honored with the Legacy Award. The museum, established in 2019, showcases the musical genres inspired, created or influenced by African Americans. Chicago-based television production company Central City Productions will present the show. This year marks the first time that the program, now in its sixth year, will air in June. Don Jackson, the show’s founder and executive producer, said in a statement: “In addition to the amazing honorees and exciting performances this year, we are also announcing that the Black Music Honors will now be held in the month of June. This is an imp...
What New Grammy Rules Mean for Latin Music & The Latin Grammys: Analysis
The notion of a Latin committee was born precisely from the desire to showcase material that was exquisite but perhaps not commercial, and to avoid a default win for big crossover names. But as Latin music has become increasingly mainstream in the United States — and let’s remember that the Grammys honor U.S. releases — the need for a small committee to determine the fate of the music is less urgent. What remains to be seen is how this empowered voting body will act with Latin releases. Will they take the easy way out, voting primarily for those names they recognize? Our hope is that those who end up voting in the Latin categories are those who work within the genre and know its players. The reduction in the number of categories that can be voted on — from 15 to 10 —...
Recording Academy Votes to End Grammy Nomination Review Committees
“It’s been a year of unprecedented, transformational change for the Recording Academy, and I’m immensely proud to be able to continue our journey of growth with these latest updates to our Awards process,” said Harvey Mason Jr., chair & interim president/CEO of the Recording Academy. “This is a new Academy, one that is driven to action and that has doubled down on the commitment to meeting the needs of the music community.” Ruby Marchand, the Academy’s chief industry officer, added: “As we continue to build a more active and vibrant membership community, we are confident in the expertise of our voting members to recognize excellence in music each year.” The biggest change is the elimination of nominations review committees in general and genre fields. (The gener...
Nick Jonas Set to Host 2021 Billboard Music Awards
Jonas Brothers won three Billboard Music Awards last year: top duo/group, top radio songs artist and top radio song for “Sucker,” their first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. They were also nominated for top artist. Jonas Brothers had great success as a teen pop act from 2007-10, landing a pair of No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and a Grammy nomination for best new artist. Remarkably, they have come back even stronger in the past two years with a third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 and another Grammy nomination, best pop duo/group performance for “Sucker.” Jonas has also had success as a solo artist, notably with “Jealous,” a top 10 hit on the Hot 100. Jonas teamed with Nick Monson and Justin Tranter to co-write the Golden Globe-nominated song “Home” for the 2017 movie Ferdinand. A...
Will Harry Styles & Dua Lipa Win Brit Awards to Go Along With Their Recent Grammys?
Three other 2021 Grammy winners are nominated for Brits this year. Taylor Swift, who won album of the year for Folklore, and Billie Eilish, who won two awards, including record of the year for “Everything I Wanted,” are competing for the Brit for international female solo artist. Swift won in that category six years ago. Eilish won last year. (Eilish is vying to become the first artist to win in that category two years running since Rihanna in 2011-12.) Burna Boy, who won a Grammy for best global music album for Twice as Tall, is nominated for a Brit for international male solo artist. If any of these artists win at the Brits, they’ll receive a uniquely designed award that is meant for sharing. The award was redesigned by Es Devlin and Yinka Ilori in what the Brits call a “collaborative do...
The Weeknd Leads All Finalists for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards: See the Full List
Gabby Barrett is a nine-time finalist and the female artist with the most nods, including top new artist. And although Morgan Wallen is a finalist six times across five categories, the country star — who was caught saying the N-Word on video — won’t be appearing at this year’s ceremony. “Morgan Wallen is a finalist this year based on charting. As his recent conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity (performing, presenting, accepting),” dick clark productions said in a statement. See the full list of finalists below: Top ArtistDrakeJuice WRLDPop SmokeTaylor SwiftThe Weeknd Top New ArtistGabby BarrettDoja CatJack HarlowPop SmokeRod Wave Top Male ArtistDrakeJuice WRLDLil BabyPop SmokeThe Weeknd Top Femal...
Lee Brice’s ‘One of Them Girls’ Named Song of the Year by Nashville Independent Music Publishers
The AIMP event featured live performances by McBryde, Pearce, HARDY, Jon Pardi, Maddie & Tae, and Tennille Arts & Adam Hambrick and video performances by Brice and Ryan Hurd. But the producers deliberately changed things up to make it more interesting. Hurd performed Brice’s “One of Them Girls.” Brice performed HARDY’s “Give Heaven Some Hell.” HARDY performed Jameson Rodgers’ “Some Girls.” “Last night was a reaffirmation of the Nashville independent music community and the powerful work they have done to get us through this past year,” said Ree Guyer, vice president of the AIMP Nashville chapter and co-chair of the AIMP Nashville awards. “As we approach the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited about the return of in-person songwriting sessions, writers’ rounds, and live per...
Live Twitter Spaces Discussion Will Break Down 2021 Billboard Music Awards Finalists
Selected finalists for the 2021 BBMAs will be announced Wednesday: NBC’s Today show will reveal finalists in the top Hot 100 artist category live in the Pop Start segment in the 8 a.m. hour ET/PT, while E!’s Daily Pop will reveal finalists in the top Latin male artist category starting in the 11 a.m. hour ET/PT and Access Hollywood will reveal finalists in the top rap female artist category live starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Finneas and Maggie Baird, Luis Fonsi, Jon Batiste, Tate McRae and Verzuz creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland will help announce all the 2021 BBMAs finalists during Billboard Music Awards – The List Live, which will stream Thursday starting at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT on both Billb...
2021 Helpmann Awards Canceled Due to Pandemic
LPA chief executive Evelyn Richardson says it’s simply “not feasible to proceed” with presenting the 2021 edition, after the industry’s nightmarish experience over the past 12 months, “Our industry is only now getting back to work and there is still more to be done to ensure we can fully operate in every state and territory at 100 percent capacity in all indoor and outdoor venues,” she continues. “For our live music sector in particular, some significant challenges remain before it can fully reactivate.” Richardson says the organization will use this gap-year to “take a step back and reimagine the Helpmann Awards for 2022 onwards.” The Helpmann Awards were established by LPA in 2001, and in 2018 expanded its program into a two-evening s...
Earth, Wind & Fire, Ludacris & More to Be Honored at 2nd ‘Saluting Our Culture’ Virtual Event
On June 6, Café Mocha Radio will stream their 2021 Salute THEM Awards show. The ceremony will honor individuals selected by Café Mocha in the areas of music, television, film, fashion and dance. The honorees are Sly Stone, June Ambrose, Jamal Josef, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bille Woodruff, Dr. Bobby Jones, Patrice Rushen, Ludacris and Darlene Love. The Salute THEM Awards will be co-hosted by Yo-Yo, Café Mocha Radio host and Grammy-nominated rapper, and Broadway actor Saint Aubyn (Ain’t Too Proud). It will stream from the new National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville, taking attendees on a historical journey of Black music curated by the museum. In celebration of Black Music Month, the event will be the second show in Café Mocha’s “Saluting Ou...
P!nk to Join Rag’n’Bone Man For 2021 BRIT Awards Performance
P!nk will join Rag’n’Bone Man for a performance of their emotional duet “Anywhere Away From Here” at this year’s Brit Awards. The duo will take the stage together at the May 11 event alongside the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir. The 2021 Brits recently announced that the show will include a live audience of around 2.500, with free tickets being offered to front-line workers. P!nk and Bone Man join a line-up of performers slated for the show that includes Dua Lipa, Arlo Parks, Griff and this year’s Rising Star winner, Headie One. “Having people attend this special evening makes me really excited for touring to come! I’m grateful that P!nk is able to join from across the pond, to my band as ever and the NHS Choir are sounding amazing!,” Bone ...
Diddy Feels ‘Incredibly Blessed’ After Second Oscar Win
The Bad Boy boss was a producer of the best live-action short winner “Two Distant Strangers” on Sunday night (Apr. 25). As of Sunday night (April 25), Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs has as many Oscars as Brad Pitt. The Revolt Media chairman was in a celebratory mood after the 93rd Academy Awards when the film he executive produced, Two Distant Strangers, won the Oscar for best live-action short. “I’m incredibly blessed to WIN MY SECOND OSCAR as a producer for UNDEFEATED and…. @TwoDistantFilm !!” tweeted Diddy alongside a video of him and his team watching actor Riz Ahmed make the Oscar announcement on a big screen in a studio together. “Words can’t describe how I feel right now winning alongside my brothers @JoeyBadass @VanLathan @Travon @iJesseWill...
