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06 Feb 2024

Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Wants Court Order Against Alleged Rogue Location

Sammy Hagar‘s company is demanding that a federal judge shut down an allegedly unauthorized Hollywood location of his Cabo Wabo Cantina, claiming that a former franchisee has gone rogue and is damaging the rock star’s reputation.

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Attorneys for Hagar’s company (Red Head Inc.) sued last month, claiming that franchisee Robert Azinian had opened a new Cabo Wabo on Hollywood Blvd across from the TCL Chinese Theatre even though his licensing deal had been terminated. Now, in a new filing Monday, they asked for an immediate injunction blocking Azinian from continuing to use the name or any other company branding on his new eatery.

“Every day that the Cabo Wabo Cantina at the new Hollywood location continues to operate under the ‘Cabo Wabo’ brand, it soils the name, reputation, and goodwill that Red Head has developed,” the company’s lawyers write. “Defendants were instructed to discontinue any and all use of the marks, but they have ignored that request.”

Hagar and his Van Halen bandmates opened Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 1990; after buying out his partners, he later launched a line of tequila under the same name. Hagar sold the liquor brand to Gruppo Campari for $101 million, but his Red Head Inc. continues to operate the restaurant in Cabo and later franchised locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Last month, Red Head sued Azinian in California federal court, claiming he had essentially gone rogue after years of successfully running the Los Angeles location. The lawsuit claimed that Azinian had closed his original spot on Hollywood Blvd and “surreptitiously” relocated across the street, all without seeking the required approvals. They warned the new Cabo Wabo was already causing confusion with customers, citing Instagram comments like one in which a user wondered “is Sammy Hagar still affiliated?”

In Monday’s filing, Red Head echoed those arguments in asking for a preliminary injunction, which will block Azinian from continuing to use any Cabo Wabo branding while the case plays out. Without such an order, Hagar’s company warned that the unauthorized eatery could cause severe damage to Cabo Wabo’s reputation.

“Defendants’ continue to use the Cabo Wabo marks in connection with their operation of the restaurant — but Red Head has no oversight, control, or even visibility as to the quality of any one aspect of Defendants’ business, such as the quality of décor, the quality of staff, the quality of materials, or the quality of food,” the lawyers write. “Red Head currently has no control over any of it.”

Neither side immediately returned requests for comment on Tuesday.

06 Feb 2024

Grupo Frontera Makes Cameo in Nissan Super Bowl Ad Starring ‘SNL’s Marcello Hernandez: Watch

You won’t have to wait till Sunday to watch Grupo Frontera‘s cameo in Nissan’s Super Bowl ad starring Saturday Night Live breakout Marcello Hernandez.

The 60-second commercial released on Monday (Feb. 5) features Hernandez retelling the riveting story about his unexpected, yet adventurous journey while test-driving the latest Nissan Pathfinder. Just as he hits the road, Hernandez gets calls from his abuela (grandma), sister and uncle asking him — and the Nissan salesperson as his co-pilot — to pick them up. So, they do.

“From the dealership to the mountains, desert and beach, Hernandez and the salesperson make their way through this epic adventure, the Pathfinder navigates various terrains while thrilling everyone across all generations of the family,” an official description of the ad reads.

As he’s telling this nail-biting story in a diner, Grupo Frontera pops up from a booth nearby and asks Hernandez to keep narrating his epic adventure. “Qué? No, sigue, sigue (What? No, keep going, keep going),” the group orders.

The ad will air on TelevisaUnivision on Sunday, Feb. 11, as part of the networks’s Super Bowl 2024 broadcast for Spanish-language viewers. 

Univision will also broadcast a pre-kickoff performance — featuring a special performance by Puerto Rican star Myke Towers — presented by Nissan, which will air on Univision at 4 p.m. ET Sunday from the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“At Nissan, we’re always looking for ways to deeply connect with our customers,” said Marisstella Marinkovic, chief marketing Ooficer, Nissan U.S, in a statement. “We’re using the nation’s biggest game day to air an in-language spot that reignites the love of Nissan among bicultural Latinos, who comprise many of our customers. From our partnership with TelevisaUnivision, to the Latino talent and the director we casted, we brought music and sports together to create a thrilling in-language and in-culture experience.”

“This is a significant moment for TelevisaUnivision, and we’re excited for Nissan to debut their Spanish-language creative to our audience,” added John Kozack, executive vice president of multimedia sales at TelevisaUnivision. “Latinos are an economic powerhouse, and this national stage provides the perfect opportunity for brands like Nissan to reach this fast-growing demographic – and further our goal of showcasing the value and importance of in-language and in-culture advertising to this consumer base.”

Watch Nissan’s Super Bowl ad above featuring a cameo from Grupo Frontera.

06 Feb 2024

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: Amanda Tori Meating Is Ready to Move On From the Plane Jane Drama

Queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race “Wannabe” in the top every week — and with the latest episode’s girl group challenge, the contestants had to prove they were “Worth It,” begging the host not to “Say My Name.”

Friday’s episode (Feb. 2) saw the 12 remaining drag stars tasked with writing, recording, choreographing and performing in their own versions of songs off RuPaul’s Black Butta as a series of girl groups. Testing their teamwork and their ability to stand out amongst a crowd, the challenge forced the girls to flex multiple performance muscles at once in order to earn another week in the competition.

With a show-stopping rendition of “A.S.M.R. Lover,” the queens of Thicc and Stick — Mhi’ya Iman LePaige, Geneva Karr, Megami and Nymphia Wind — dominated the challenge and earned themselves a four-way win for the week. As for the bottom two, Ru selected Q, whose dancing left something to be desired, and Amanda Tori Meating, whose pussycat wig runway look fell short in the judges’ estimations.

Lip synching to guest judges Icona Pop’s “Emergency,” Q and Amanda pulled out all of the stops — dancing, emoting and selling every beat of the song to convince Ru that they deserved a second chance. Ultimately, Ru wanted to hear some more A’s from Q, granting her another week in the competition, and determined that Amanda Tori Meating could’ve just been an email, sending her home.

Below, Billboard chats with Amanda about her time on the show, coming out as trans, becoming a meme and why she’s ready for her feud with fellow contestant Plane Jane to end.



How are you doing after watching your run on Drag Race?

You know, to quote my sister Dawn, I feel so p—y right now!

Love to hear it. Before we get into the episode, I wanted to say I’m so happy for you after talking about your transition this week! How are you feeling after putting that out into the world? 

Thank you! Yeah, it’s been a mix — it’s a very personal part of my identity that I have been not necessarily sure of, until coming back from filming Drag Race. That was when I really said, “Oh, I’m trans.” To be on the show and not have a full understanding and acceptance of that, and then gaining that after filming was crazy; I felt like the Amanda that people were seeing on TV was … they were making assumptions about who that is, and what my pronouns are out of drag, so it just felt very nice to just kind of clear it up. The interactions I’ve been having with fans since then, whether it’s online or IRL, it’s just felt a lot more genuine and complete. People can just sort of see me a bit more fully. 

I also wanted to talk a bit about the look heard around the world from the premiere episode — I love that you have leaned as hard as you have into meme-ing yourself. 

Well, you know what, baby? I was like, “If people are going to clown me for this purple face, then I’d better make some money off of it so I can pay for FFS!” 

Period! What’s it been like to watch your face become a meme in real time?

You know, it was something I was kind of expecting after the day on set, and I think I was really dreading to see how it actually looked on camera. All I had were my memories on set, which can get very foggy over the months. But I ended up beating myself up about the whole purple alien situation, and I was expecting it to be so much worse. By the time I actually saw the runway, I was like, “Oh … it’s not good, but it’s not that bad!” At that point, I was like, “People can have their fun and make their jokes — I’m gonna make my coin with this.” 

Throughout this episode, things get pretty heated between you and your “affiliate,” as you called her, Plane Jane. I appreciate that you have kept it 100% real with how you’ve been feeling about it online, because sometimes the on-screen fights spill over into real life. Where are you at with the Plane drama today?

I went into this, before we left for filming, by saying that all I could do was be honest. All I know how to really do is say exactly how I feel. So I said, “If I can do that, I’ll probably be fine.” Plane and I did not really communicate much after filming, to be honest. Through the rest of the summer and the fall, the extent of our relationship was pretty much what you saw on camera. Then, in more recent weeks, we’ve been in talks, we’ve been in negotiations, we’ve been in custody battles offline.

We had a rocky moment with each other in our texts, about two weeks ago. But I do think, after that, we were able to have a dialogue where we were discussing our feelings in an open, honest, genuine way, and not trying to play anything up for cameras that weren’t there. 

I also think that the fan base needs to normalize queens on the show being co-workers, not necessarily friends. You don’t have to be friends with everyone!

Yes! It’s interesting because there has been so much discourse around our relationship. There are a lot of fans who think they can just jump online and send a bunch of random hate to people, which is not OK. The response from the girls to a lot of that is usually, “We’re all friends! We all love each other!” And I was sitting in my trailer, reading those tweets going, “Well … I don’t know that we’re all friends!” But, just because we’re not necessarily “friends” doesn’t mean we can’t be co-workers who respect each other.

So, in terms of the relationship with Plane, that’s where she and I have arrived — we might not be “friends” at the moment, though I don’t think either of us has written that off. But, we can be cordial and respectful and mature adults in the workplace, and I’m grateful for that.

I’ll be honest, I have a bone to pick with the judges in this episode, because I loved your robin’s nest look. It was conceptual, the message came across, and it fit the theme —  what were you thinking when you were receiving those critiques on the runway?

Can I be honest? 

Please be honest. 

I was standing there on that stage thinking, “Are they blind? Are they looking at what I’m looking at? This is camp, this is concept, this is cool!” I didn’t necessarily feel very pretty in it, but I thought it was cool! Yeah, I did not agree with them on the critiques. But here we are!

Before I have to let you go, we’re asking all the girls this season — what music, other than “My Kitty,” have you been listening to in recent weeks?

Well, “My Kitty” is available on Spotify and Apple Music [Laughs]. To be honest, I’m still hooked on Renaissance, I cannot and will not let it go. Because of Drag Race I had to miss the concert this summer, which was one of the devastating losses of my life. I’d give it all back! Take me off the season and put me on season 17 just so I can go see the Renaissance Tour! Every single time I get in drag, I have the album on repeat, and it’s gotten to the point where instead of checking what time it is, I can tell how long it’s been by hearing what song we’re at on the album. 

Okay, but importantly, is there any particular song on the album that you find yourself gravitating toward?

“Church Girl.” Now, I love Beyoncé because she’s an album artist, and you know she’s going to give you a body of work that should be listened to in full. Every song on that album is a banger. But there is something about “Church Girl” that just moves my spirit — when I listen to it, I’m crying, and then I am throwing my a–. 

06 Feb 2024

Everything We Know About Taylor Swift’s New Album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ So Far

Taylor Swift gave fans a lot more than they bargained for at the 2024 Grammys, dropping the bombshell news mid-acceptance speech that her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is arriving this year.

The welcome news came as the pop star was accepting best pop vocal for her 2022 record Midnights — aka, the last album she announced without warning during an awards show acceptance speech. “This is my 13th Grammy – which is my lucky number, I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that,” she teased the crowd from the stage at Crypto.com Arena Sunday (Feb. 4). “I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years …”

Swift went on to reveal the pending arrival of The Tortured Poets Department before posting the album’s sultry cover almost immediately after she left the stage. “All’s fair in love and poetry…,” she captioned the artwork. “New album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.”

Later that night, the 34-year-old singer-songwriter took home a historic fourth album of the year for Midnights, but Swifties were probably more excited for the new LP announcement, especially because most were expecting that the musician would announce her long-awaited Reputation (Taylor’s Version) at the ceremony instead — so much so that “Rep TV” was trending ahead of the Grammys. Swift has been steadily releasing re-recorded versions of her first six albums since 2021. Following Fearless, Red, Speak Now and 1989, she only has her self-titled debut and Rep left to go — but clearly, fans will just have to wait a little longer as the Tortured Poets era takes hold.

From the release date to the song titles, see everything Billboard knows about Swift’s 11th album The Tortured Poets Department below.

06 Feb 2024

Michelle Jubelirer Exits Capitol Music Group Following UMG Restructure

Capitol Music Group chair and CEO Michelle Jubelirer is exiting the company, she announced in a memo to staff this morning (Feb. 6) that was obtained by Billboard. The move comes less than a week after Universal Music Group chairman/CEO announced a restructure of the label groups at the company that would shift Capitol, among other labels, under the oversight of Interscope Geffen A&M chairman/CEO John Janick.

Jubelirer, who has held her current title since December 2021, will depart the label after today.

“I am deeply saddened that I will no longer be at the company we rebuilt and took to new heights over the past two years,” she writes. “As I’ve said before, I don’t think any label group has been able to turn things around as quickly as we have managed to, and I’m certain that we’ve set Capitol Music Group on course toward a great future.”

Jubelirer joined Capitol in early 2013 as executive vp under then-CMG CEO Steve Barnett, and quickly became his second in command at the music group, which also encompassed Motown, Blue Note, Astralwerks and, until recently, indie distributor Virgin Music. In 2015 she was promoted to COO, a role she held throughout Barnett’s reign atop the label, which ended at the end of 2020. She remained on as COO under Barnett’s successor, Jeff Vaughn, who spent a short time in the top role, before Jubelirer succeeded Vaughn at the end of 2021.

A longtime attorney who also spent time at Sony Music prior to joining Capitol, Jubelirer was part of the revitalization of the storied label following UMG’s acquisition of EMI in 2012, and has been a regular on Billboard’s Women in Music and Power 100 features in the years since. Upon her appointment in 2021 to the top job, Jubelirer became the first female executive to head Capitol in its 80-plus-year history.

In 2023, Capitol racked up a 6.66% market share in the U.S., including a 5.90% current market share — which measures releases from the past 18 months — which was fifth among all labels for the full year. Both numbers were up significantly over her first year at the helm in 2022, when Capitol’s overall market share stood at 6.40% and current market share was 4.97%.

Last week, Grainge announced a restructuring of UMG’s labels, returning the company to an operational structure more similar to the one that existed from 1999 through 2014, prior to the full integration of Capitol. Under this new configuration, which is loosely an East Coast-West Coast alignment, Janick is overseeing Interscope, Geffen, Capitol, Motown, Priority, Verve and Blue Note, while Republic Records CEO Monte Lipman will oversee Republic, Def Jam, Island and Mercury.

See her letter to staff below in full:

To my Capitol Music Group Team,

I wanted you to hear this news directly from me:  I’ve made the extremely difficult decision to leave the company that has been my home for more than a decade, and so, today will be my last as Chair & CEO of Capitol Music Group. 

I am deeply saddened that I will no longer be at the company we rebuilt and took to new heights over the past two years.  As I’ve said before, I don’t think any label group has been able to turn things around as quickly as we have managed to, and I’m certain that we’ve set Capitol Music Group on course toward a great future.

Together, we became a real team; a diverse group of individuals bonded by our love of music and passion for artistry, and whose differences in backgrounds and cultural tastes made each of us stronger advocates and champions for our artists.  In such a competitive and fast-paced world, we gave it our all—every minute of every day—so that our artists could seize the opportunity to realize their dreams and ultimately succeed.

I am so fortunate to work in a business that I love and be constantly surrounded by music and the talented people that create it. Every day, I renewed my promise to do my very best for our artists, and they have given me so much in return.  No matter where I find myself in this business, I will always approach my relationships with artists as their advocate, their protector, and their fan. 

I will let you know of my future plans as soon as I can.  

In closing, let me simply say to each of you: Thank You.  It has been my honor to be on this journey with you.

With love and appreciation,

Michelle

06 Feb 2024

Xbox Gaming Community In Shambles After Multiple Reports of Exclusives Ttitles Heading To PlayStation 5

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Xbox Reportedly Shifting Strategy With Exclusive Title

Source: JUNG YEON-JE / Getty / Xbox

The Xbox community is in shambles after several leaks over the weekend, indicating a significant shift when it comes to the company’s “exclusive” titles is coming.

Multiple reports from The Verge, XboxEra, and Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb claim Xbox will put exclusive titles like Bethesda releases, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Starfield, and even Gears of Wars are coming to the PlayStation 5, adding a lot of fuel to those Xbox going multiplatform fires.

According to The Verge’s reporting, a source close to Bethesda told the outlet that MachineGames, which is owned by Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media, is “considering” releasing the upcoming Indiana Jones game on the PS5 console after its launch on PC and Xbox Series X/S in 2024.

We got our first look at Indiana Jones and the Great Circle during the recent Developer_Direct presentation, and it met with some mixed reactions, with some excited about the game and others mum on the idea of the game being in first person.

Per XboxEra’s reporting, Starfield, the massive Xbox exclusive, is also coming to the PlayStation 5, allegedly sometime after the release of the Shattered Space DLC. The website also claims Microsoft has invested in more PlayStation 5 dev kits to make the interstellar RPG’s jump to the PS5 happen.

“The other one that I’ve heard that’s definitely under consideration—it doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen, but it’s in talks—is Gears of War,” Grubb said on a recent episode of Game Mess Mornings.

Other games like live service pirate adventure Sea of Thieves and Tango Gamework’s surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush are also rumored to jump from Xbox consoles to the PS5.

As you can imagine, the news sent the Xbox community spiraling on X, formerly Twitter, with Spaces titled, I’m not an Xbox fanboy anymore.”

We’re dead serious. Well-known Xbox enthusiast Tim Dogg started it, and we paid a visit to it, and it was A LOT, to say the least.

Phil Spencer Hears You

Hilariously, while all this was happening, Xbox Chief Phil Spencer was happily playing Diablo IV, according to Tim Dog, but he finally broke his silence on Monday, Feb 5.

In a very Spencer-like response, he wrote on X:

“We’re listening and we hear you. We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.”

Oh boy.

He honestly needs to say something now, but we’re just going to have to be patient and wait on Phil.

Justified Anger or Just Overeacting?

Until that day comes, and Phil drops the news many Xbox fans are dreading, there are plenty of reactions, some hilarious, also quite delirious.

Are these reactions to this news warranted? We guess. Listen, we get it; some people buy these consoles due to brand loyalty and love the idea you can have certain titles on them.

Believe it or not, some gamers bought a PS4 or PS5 because they want to play exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn, or God of War.

Xbox console owners were hoping to get the same thing, and hearing games they used in their arguments to prop up their consoles are now possibly heading to the competitor.

Then, some don’t care where they play their games; they want a machine that can run them flawlessly.

But if this news is accurate, it does seem that Xbox is waving the white flag, and understandably, the people who ran out and bought Xbox Series X and Series S consoles are now giving them the ultimate side-eye.

We shall see if there is any truth to these reports next week when Phil Spencer speaks on it; until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.

3. Howling

5. Did they?

06 Feb 2024

Kelsea Ballerini Brushes Off Comments About Grammy Loss Reaction, Says Face Reading Is ‘Unnecessary and Hurtful’

One of the hardest balancing acts in entertainment is appearing gracious and happy when the person on stage opens the awards envelope and doesn’t read your name. That was the spot Kelsea Ballerini was in on Sunday night at the 2024 Grammy Awards when Lainey Wilson‘s Bell Bottom Country bested her Rolling Up the Welcome Mat in the best country album category.

Here’s the thing. On Monday night (Feb. 5), Ballerini, 30, explained in an Instagram Story that what commenters and some viewers clocked as a look of disappointment or displeasure was a totally normal, healthy reaction that doesn’t deserve the harsh judgement it’s faced.

“Ohhhh yall. You can be bummed for your loss and happy for somebody else’s win at the same time. Two things can be true and both hold valid and valuable space,” Ballerini wrote. “The face reading and reaction analysis is unnecessary and hurtful to everyone.”

Most crucially, Ballerini said, “a woman’s win is a team win. Write about that instead?”

The latter was a seeming reference to the huge night female performers had at this year’s Grammys, one in which women artists swept all Big Four Awards, including Taylor Swift snagging her record fourth album of the year trophy for her Midnights album, as well as Miley Cyrus winning record of the year for “Flowers,” Billie Eilish taking song of the year for the Barbie soundtrack hit “What Was I Made For?” and Victoria Monét winning best new artist.

Wilson’s album has had a strong awards season run, previously taking album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 11 and at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 8; it’s just the 9th album to complete country music’s “triple crown” by winning all three of these top awards.

06 Feb 2024

Watch Toby Keith’s Final Television Performance

As country music fans and the country music community mourn the passing of singer, songwriter and musical iconoclast Toby Keith, who died Feb. 5 at age 62 following a battle with stomach cancer, it is notable the fortitude he possessed in his final months.

On Sept. 28, Toby Keith played what would be his final television performance when he took part in the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards held at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House. Keith was honored with the Country Icon Award during the ceremony.

During the show, Keith’s fellow country artist Blake Shelton called him a “global country superstar, award-winning singer-songwriter, devoted and beloved activist, business powerhouse … Toby Keith is a multi-dimensional artist like no other … a global megastar, a man of the people, and a genuine inspiration. Toby Keith is a true icon.”

In accepting the country icon honor, Keith’s speech was both lighthearted and heartfelt. “I bet you never thought y’all’d see me in skinny jeans,” he joked before getting serious. “I want to thank the Almighty for allowing me to be here tonight. He’s been riding shotgun with me for a little while now. I want to thank my beautiful family that’s here. A lot of people go in and make a career like this of 30 years.”

Keith also gave one of the evening’s most powerful performances as he took the stage to sing “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” a song he wrote solo, and which was included in the 2018 Clint Eastwood movie The Mule. Though the physical toll of Keith’s cancer battle was evident as he stood onstage, his voice was a strong as ever — filled with grit, refined by life — as he offered a musical tribute to living every day to its fullest. “Try to love on your wife and stay close to your friends/ Toast each sundown with wine/ Don’t let the old man in,” he sang.

Following the performance, Keith’s “Don’t Let the Old Man In” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales in October.

Keith, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, followed the performance by releasing the album 100% Songwriter — an album filled with songs he wrote — in November 2023. His final concerts came in December at the Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, when he spearheaded a trio of sold-out concerts, performing several of his hits, such as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Red Solo Cup.”

Since his career debut in 1993, Keith notched 20 No. 1 Country Airplay hits. He also earned three Billboard Music Awards during his career, including country singles artist of the year (2002), as well as country artist of the year and country albums artist of the year (both in 2005).

See Keith’s People’s Choice Country Awards performance above.

06 Feb 2024

Luminate Acquires Music Data Firm Quansic

Luminate continues in its mission to unify data with the acquisition of Quansic, a specialist music data company with a focus on artist identification services.

Announced today (Feb. 6), the arrangement is another step in Luminate’s efforts to unify data for the entertainment industry, by tapping Quansic’s expertise in the harmonization of metadata across record labels, streaming platforms, song publishers, and artist services within the music ecosystem.

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Based in France, Quansic maintains the world’s largest artist identification database which includes over 2.5 million ISNIs (artist identifiers) and 200 million asset identifiers.

Terms of the transaction weren’t disclosed.

With immediate effect, Quansic’s team will join Luminate, remaining under founder and chief scientist FX Nuttall, who now reports to Luminate CEO Rob Jonas.

“Quansic has earned the trust of many key leaders in the music data space, which is no surprise given the quality of the product and service FX and his team have built,” explains Jonas in a statement. “We warmly welcome them into the Luminate family and look forward to collaborating and taking our music data offerings to the next level, especially as we close the gap between the disparate data that labels and publishers have historically relied on to drive their businesses forward.”

In future, Quansic’s clients will have the option to access Luminate’s industry-leading streaming and sales data, and Quansic’s data will be incorporated into Luminate’s new data platform, which was announced last year and will be launched in several phases over the coming months, serving clients in the music industry and beyond.

“Combining our unique data quality with Luminate’s scale, capabilities and influence is essential for advancing our vision to unify data within the music industry,” adds Nuttall. “We are eager to scale that work with Luminate and look forward to bringing unprecedented value to the music industry.”

Luminate is an independently operated company owned by PME TopCo, a PMC subsidiary and joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge. Billboard is an independently operated company owned by PME Holdings, a subsidiary of PME TopCo.

06 Feb 2024

Tate McRae, Daniel Caesar, Charlotte Cardin & More Nominated for 2024 Juno Awards: See the Full List

Tate McRae‘s “Greedy,” which has topped the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 multiple times and has climbed as high as No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, is nominated for single of the year at the 2024 Juno Awards, where it is competing with Charlotte Cardin‘s “Confetti,” Daniel Caesar‘s “Always,” Lu Kala’s “Pretty Girl Era” and Talk‘s “A Little Bit Happy.”

Nominations were announced Tuesday (Feb. 6) in a press conference at the CBC Building in Toronto. Comeback artist Nelly Furtado, who will host as well as perform on the broadcast ceremony on March 24, was a surprise guest at the nominees announcement. She also received a nomination for “Eat Your Man,” her collaboration with Dom Dolla, for dance recording of the year.

Cardin received the most nominations for the 2024 Juno Awards. The breakthrough Montreal pop singer-songwriter got six nods, including artist of the year, album of the year and pop album of the year (99 Nights), single of the year (“Confetti”) and TikTok Fan Choice. 

Cardin previously cemented her Canadian stardom on the Junos stage in 2022, winning six awards. With her “Confetti” ubiquitous in both Quebec and the rest of Canada, it could be another big year for her. 

Caesar and Talk follow with five nods each. Allison Russell, who won her first Grammy on Sunday, Feb. 4, for “Eve Was Black,” voted best American roots performance, received three Juno nods, as did Aysanabee, Connor Price, Lauren Spencer Smith, McRae and DVBBS. 

Punjabi-Canadian artist Karan Aujla, a cover star for Billboard Canada’s inaugural digital cover, was also announced as a performer at the upcoming Junos ceremony at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. He follows fellow cover star AP Dhillon, who played the first full Punjabi performance at the awards last year. Joining Aujla as performers will be country breakout Josh Ross and singer-songwriter Talk.

Shubh, another Punjabi-Canadian artist, is nominated for the TikTok Fan Choice, a fan-voted award, along with Aujla, Cardin, Ross, Caesar, DVBBS, McRae, ThxSoMch and Walk off the Earth. 

Nominated with Cardin for album of the year are Néo-Romance by Alexandra Stréliski, Never Enough by Caesar, Mirror by Spencer Smith and Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees by Talk.

Cardin, Caesar, Smith and McRae are all nominated for artist of the year too, along with the legacy artist of the category, Shania Twain. 

International album of the year, the only category reserved for non-Canadian artists, includes hit albums by SZA, Metro Boomin, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen and Taylor Swift, who was nominated twice in the same category last year. Music executive, author and lawyer Chip Sutherland will receive the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award.

Tickets for the show, which will be broadcast live on CBC, and the JUNO Week events, are on sale at ticketmaster.ca/junos. The majority of the awards will be presented at The Juno Opening Night Awards the night before the main ceremony on March 23.

Here’s the complete list of 2024 Juno nominations:

TikTok Juno Fan Choice

Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

DVBBS, Ultra*Sony

Josh Ross, Universal

Karan Aujla, Warner

Shubh, Mass Appeal*The Orchard

Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

The Weeknd, XO*Universal

ThxSoMch, Elektra*Warner

Walk off the Earth, Golden Carrot*The Orchard

Single of the Year

“Confetti,” Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

“Always,” Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

“Pretty Girl Era,” LU KALA, LVK/Amigo Records*AWAL

“A Little Bit Happy,” TALK, Capitol*Universal

“greedy,” Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

International Album of the Year

Gettin’ Old, Luke Combs, River House/Columbia*Sony

HEROES & VILLAINS, Metro Boomin, Boominati*Universal

One Thing At A Time, Morgan Wallen, Big Loud/Republic*Universal

SOS, SZA, Top Dawg/RCA*Sony

1989 (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift*Universal

Album of the Year

Néo-Romance, Alexandra Stréliski, Secret City*F.A.B.

99 Nights, Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

NEVER ENOUGH, Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

Mirror, Lauren Spencer Smith, Universal

Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, TALK, Capitol*Universal

Artist of the Year

Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

Lauren Spencer Smith, Universal

Shania Twain, Republic*Universal

Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

Group of the Year

Arkells, Arkells Music*Universal

Loud Luxury, Armada*Sony

Nickelback, BMG*Warner/ADA

The Beaches, AWAL*Independent

Walk off the Earth, Golden Carrot*The Orchard

Breakthrough Artist of the Year

Connor Price, Independent

Karan Aujla, Warner

LU KALA, LVK/Amigo*AWAL

Shubh, Mass Appeal*The Orchard

TALK, Capitol*Universal

Breakthrough Group of the Year

Busty and the Bass, Arts & Crafts*Universal

Crash Adams, Warner

Good Kid, Good People*The Orchard

Men I Trust, Independent

New West, Republic*Universal

Songwriter of the Year

Allison Russell, Publisher: PO GIRL MUSIC / CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING

Aysanabee, Publisher: SELF PUBLISHED

Charlotte Cardin, Jason Brando & Lubalin, Publisher: BIG BOY ED

Nicholas Durocher & Connor Riddell, Publisher: SUMMER CAMP MUSIC PUBLISHING LTD. / ARTHAUS MEDIA INC. / PEER MUSIC CANADA INC.

William Prince, Publisher: SELF PUBLISHED

Country Album of the Year

The Compass Project – South Album, Brett Kissel, Big Star*Universal

Right Round Here, Dean Brody, Starseed*Stem

Do It Anyway, Jade Eagleson, Starseed*Stem

Ahead Of Our Time, James Barker Band, RECORDS/Columbia*Sony

Spillin’ My Truth, Tyler Joe Miller, MDM*Universal

Adult Alternative Album of the Year

Powder Blue, Begonia, Birthday Cake*The Orchard

Multitudes, Feist, Universal

Are We Good, Hayden, Arts & Crafts*Universal

Motewolonuwok, Jeremy Dutcher, Secret City*F.A.B.

Revolution, Shawnee Kish, Amelia*Symphonic

Alternative Album of the Year

Here and Now, Aysanabee, Ishkōdé*Universal

Dizzy, Dizzy, Royal Mountain*Universal

To Learn, Leith Ross, Republic*Universal

See You In The Dark, Softcult, Easy Life*The Orchard

Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, TALK, Capitol*Universal

Pop Album of the Year

99 Nights, Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

Mirror, Lauren Spencer Smith, Universal

Saturn Return, Rêve, 31 East*Universal

Queen Of Me, Shania Twain, Republic*Universal

Lost In Translation, Valley, Universal

Rock Album of the Year

Fearless, Crown Lands, Universal

Formentera II, Metric, Metric Music*Thirty Tigers/The Orchard

Blame My Ex, The Beaches, AWAL*Independent

Pretty Monster, The Blue Stones, MNRK*Outside

Glory, The Glorious Sons, TGS*Warner

Vocal Jazz Album of the Year

Songwriter, Alex Bird & Ewen Farncombe, Independent

You’re Alike, You Two, Caity Gyorgy & Mark Limacher, La Reserve*Independent/The Orchard

Little Bit a’ Love, Denielle Bassels, Independent

Our Roots Run Deep, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Ensoul*F.A.B./Believe

Your Requests, Laila Biali, Empress*Independent/Believe

Jazz Album of the Year (Solo)

Day Moon, Christine Jensen, Justin Time*F.A.B./Nettwerk

Walls Made of Glass, Gentiane MG, TPR*Propagande/A-Train

Sonic Bouquet, Jocelyn Gould, Independent

Twelve, Noam Lemish, TPR*Independent/A-Train

The South Detroit Connection, Russ Macklem, TQM*Independent/IDLA

Jazz Album of the Year (Group)

Migrations, Allison Au with the Migrations Ensemble, Independent

Septology-The Black Forest Session, Canadian Jazz Collective, HGBS Blue*MIG/Proper/UMV/MVD/Independent

Cry Me A River, Hilario Duran and His Latin Jazz Big Band, Alma*Universal

Recent History, Mike Murley & Mark Eisenman Quartet, Cornerstone*Outside/The Orchard

Convergence, Nick Maclean Quartet feat. Brownman Ali, Browntasauras/Independent

Instrumental Album of the Year

Néo-Romance, Alexandra Stréliski, Secret City* F.A.B.

When we were that what wept for the sea, Colin Stetson, 52 Hz

Calibrating Friction, Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis, New Amsterdam*Naxos

Fourth Album, Markus Floats, Constellation*Secretly

Tesseract, Meredith Bates, Phonometrograph*Independent

Francophone Album of the Year

Zayon, FouKi, Disques 7ième, Ciel*Believe

Dans la seconde, Karkwa, Simone*Sony/The Orchard

En concert avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (sous la direction du chef Simon Leclerc), Les Cowboys Fringants & l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande/Believe

À boire deboutte, Salebarbes, Productions Grand V.*The Orchard

Non conventionnel Souldia, Disques 7ième Ciel*Independent/Believe

Children’s Album of the Year

Big Words, ABC Singsong, Independent/The Orchard

Going Back: Remembered and Remixed Family Folk Songs, Vol. 1, Ginalina, Independent

Love-a-By, Splash’N Boots, Independent/The Orchard

Welcome to the Flea Circus, The Swinging Belles, Independent

Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro, Stick To Your Vision For Young Athletes, Young Maestro, Independent

Classical Album of the Year (Solo Artist)

Infinite Voyage, Barbara Hannigan, Alpha Classics*Naxos/Independent

Nielsen: Violin Concerto, Symphony No. 4, James Ehnes, Chandos*Naxos/The Orchard

Fauré: Nocturnes & Barcarolles, Marc-André Hamelin, Hyperion*Universal

De Hartmann: Cello Concerto, Matt Haimovitz, Pentatone/Naxos

mouvance, Suzie LeBlanc, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)

Bekah Simms: Bestiaries, Cryptid Ensemble, Ensemble Contemporain de Montreal, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

Maxime Goulet: Symphonie de la tempête de verglas, Orchestre classique de Montréal, conducted by/dirigé par Jacques Lacombe, ATMA*Universal

Sibelius 3 & 4, Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by/dirigé par Yannick Nézet-Séguin, ATMA*Universal

Mahler: Symphony No. 5, Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal, conducted by/dirigé par Rafael Payare, Pentatone*Naxos

Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3; Isle of the Dead, The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by/dirigé par Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Deutsche Grammophon*Universal

Classical Album of the Year

Mythes, Andrew Armstrong & James Ehnes, Onyx*The Orchard

Portrait: Alex Baranowski, Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà, Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard

Portrait, Cheng² Duo, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

Il Ponte di Leonardo, Constantinople, Glossa*Naxos

Basta parlare!, Les Barocudas, ATMA*Universal

Classical Composition of the Year

Simulacra, Amy Brandon, Independent

Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling, Dinuk Wijeratne, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

…and the Higher Leaves of the Trees Seemed to Shimmer in the Last of the Sunlight’s Lingering Touch of Them…, Emilie Cecilia LeBel, Redshift

Shāhīn-nāmeh, for Voice and Orchestra, Iman Habibi, Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard

Don’t Throw Your Head in Your Hands, Nicole Lizée, Redshift

Rap Album of the Year

bag or die, bbno$, Independent*Stem

Spin the Globe, Connor Price, Independent

Crying Crystals, Haviah Mighty, Mighty Gang*Foundation Media

KAYTRAMINÉ, KAYTRAMINÉ, Independent

PANIC, TOBi, RCA*Sony

Dance Recording of the Year

“Eat Your Man,” Dom Dolla & Nelly Furtado, Three Six Zero*Sony

“Crew Thang,” DVBBS, Jeremih & Sk8, Ultra*Sony

“Need Your Love,” Felix Cartal & Karen Harding, Physical Presents*Fontana North

“I Go Dancing” (feat. Ella Henderson), Frank Walker, Ultra*Sony

“Next To You” (feat. Kane Brown), Loud Luxury & DVBBS, Armada*Sony

Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year

“For the Better,” Aqyila, Sony

“Never Enough,” Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

“Heartbreak Hill,” Jon Vinyl, Vinyl*Foundation Media

“When It Blooms,” Nonso Amadi, Universal

FACETS, Shay Lia, AWAL

Reggae Recording of the Year

“Stir This Thing,” Ammoye, Donsome*Ingrooves/Virgin

“Feel Like Home,” Exco Levi, Penthouse*High Priest/ONErpm

“Roots Girl,” Jah’Mila, Independent

“Dread Kirk,” Diamond & Finn, Independent

“Rush Dem” (feat. 4Korners, Haviah Mighty), Omega Mighty, Independent*Foundation Media

Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year

Here and Now, Aysanabee, Ishkōdé*Universal

Scream, Holler & Howl, Blue Moon Marquee, Independent*IDLA

Inuktitut, Elisapie, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard

Revolution, Shawnee Kish, Amelia*Symphonic

Bekka Ma’iingan, Zoon, Paper Bag*Fontana North

Contemporary Roots Album of the Year

The Returner, Allison Russell, Fantasy*Universal

We Will Never Be The Same, Good Lovelies, Outside

Beyond The Reservoir, Julian Taylor, Howling Turtle*Warner

A Light in the Attic, Logan Staats, Red Music Rising*Believe

Stand in the Joy, William Prince, Six Shooter*The Orchard

Traditional Roots Album of the Year

Paint Horse, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Good People*The Orchard

The Breath Between, David Francey, Independent

Roses, Jackson Hollow, Mountain Fever*Syntax Creative

Second Hand, James Keelaghan, Borealis*Universal/IDLA

Resilience, Morgan Toney, Ishkōdé*Universal

Blues Album of the Year 

SoulFunkn’BLUES, Blackburn Brothers, Electro-Fi*Isotope Music/The Orchard

Scream, Holler & Howl, Blue Moon Marquee, Independent/IDLA

One Step Closer, Brandon Isaak, Independent

The Big Bottle of Joy, Matt Andersen, Sonic*Warner

Gettin’ Together, Michael Jerome Browne, Borealis*Universal/IDLA

Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year

Glory To God, Brooke Nicholls, Independent

ALL YE LEPERS, Joshua Leventhal, Independent

Arrow, K-Anthony, Independent

Where I’m Meant to Be, Stirling John, Independent

Alive, Tuzee, Independent

Global Music Album of the Year

Donte sann yo, Bel and Quinn, Independent

Kizavibe, Kizaba, Disques Nuits d’Afrique*Believe

SMS for Location Vol. 5, Moonshine, Moonshine/FORESEEN*MNRK

Okantomi, OKAN, Lulaworld*Symphonic

Soap Box, Waahli, Wyzah Musk*Lemont

Jack Richardson Producer of the Year 

Hill Kourkoutis

Jason Brando, Lubalin, Mathieu Sénéchal & Sam Avant

Joel Stouffer

Shawn Everett

Wondagurl

Recording Engineer of the Year 

Denis Tougas

George Seara

Matty Green

Serban Ghenea

Shawn Everett

Album Artwork of the Year 

Carolyne De Bellefeuille (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Jessica Ledoux (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Mali Savaria-Ille (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Veronique Lafortune (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Leeor Wild (Photographer/Photographe); INUKTITUT – Elisapie, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard

Heather Goodchild (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Colby Richardson (Designer/Concepteur), Colin Fletcher (Illustrator/Illustrateur), Sara Melvin (Photographer/Photographe), MULTITUDES – Feist, Universal

Kit King (Illustrator), Vanessa Heins (Photographer/Photographe), THE LOVE STILL HELD ME NEAR – City and Colour, Dine Alone*The Orchard

Nicolas Lemieux (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Mykaël Nelson (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Albert Zablit (Photographer/Photographe), RIOPELLE SYMPHONIQUE – Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, GSI*Independent

Quinton Nyce (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Brodie Metcalfe (Designer/Concepteur), Davis Graham (Illustrator/Illustrateur), Kaylee Smoke (Photographer/Photographe), I’M GOOD, HBU? – Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Independent*Fontana North

Music Video of the Year

“Of Woods and Seas,” Andrew De Zen, Alaskan Tapes, Nettwerk*Amped

“Demons,” Ethan Tobman, Allison Russell, Fantasy*Universal

“onetwostep” (feat. juicelover), Jordan Clarke, des hume des hume*Independent

“DAMN RIGHT,” Sterling Larose, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Distorted Muse*Fontana North

“feral canadian scaredy cat,” Sterling Larose & Zachary Vague, young friend Nettwerk

Electronic Album of the Year 

INFINITY CLUB, Bambii, Innovative Leisure*Red Eye

Birds, Bees, The Clouds & The Trees, Harrison, Last Gang*MNRK

Creatures of the Late Afternoon, Kid Koala, Envision*Amplified/Believe

Synthetic Season 2, Rich Aucoin, We Are Busy Bodies*Redeye

No Highs, Tim Hecker, Sunblind/Kranky*The Orchard

Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year 

As Gomorrah Burns, Cryptopsy, Nuclear Blast*AEC/Believe

Electric Sounds, Danko Jones, Sonic Unyon*Universal

Goliath, Kataklysm, Nuclear Blast*AEC/Believe

VOID, KEN mode, Artoffact*MVD/The Orchard

Morgöth, Tales, Voivod Century*Sony

Adult Contemporary Album of the Year 

Heavy Lifting, Amanda Marshall, Metatune*The Orchard

I Wish I Was Flawless, I’m Not, BANNERS, Nettwerk*Amped

To Be Loved, Vol. 1, Josh Sahunta, Independent*Believe

Run Where the Light Calls, Luca Fogale, Amelia*Symphonic

Wildflower, Steph La Rochelle, Independent

Comedy Album of the Year 

Life of Leisure, Derek Seguin, Independent

Never Was, Graham Clark, Independent

A Lylebility, Kyle Brownrigg, Independent

Sexiest Fish in the Lake, Laurie Elliott, Howl & Roar*Independent

SAP, Mae Martin, Independent*Netflix

Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year 

“Hello,” Aqyila, Sony

“Unbreakable,” Jhyve, Independent

“Where To Find Me,” Katie Tupper, Arts & Crafts*Universal

“9 to 5,” Luna Elle, Hot Freestyle*Independent/Believe

“Real World,” RealestK, Columbia*Sony

Rap Single of the Year 

“American Nightmare,” Belly, XO/Roc Nation*Universal

“Spinnin” (feat. Bens), Connor Price, Independent

“Honey Bun,” Haviah Mighty, Mighty Gang*Foundation Media

“Minimum Wage,” Pressa, RCA*Sony

“Someone I Knew,” TOBi, Same Plate/RCA*Sony

Underground Dance Single of the Year

“Call My Name,” BLOND:ISH, Warner

“Mad Mess,” DJ Karaba, DJ Karaba*The Orchard

“Could Be Wrong,” LOSTBOYJAY, Universal

“Eclipse,” Peach, Psychic Readings*One Eye Witness/Music Deli

“Concorde Groove,” Smalltown DJs, Fool’s Gold*Virgin Music

Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year 

Sing. Pray. Love., Joel Wood, Independent

LFS5, Nimkii & the Niniis, Independent

Mitòòdebi (For My Relatives), The Bearhead Sisters, Independent

Reverie, The Red River Ramblers, Independent

Drum Nation, Young Scouts, Independent