State Champ Radio Blog
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Sydney hardcore punk band SPEED has collected the NSW Music Prize, Australia’s most lucrative music awards, presented for the first time this week, while BARKAA and Ninajirachi continued their respective winning streaks.
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Established by the Minns Labor government of New South Wales to “celebrate and inspire local musicians” and strengthen the music industry “in the face of increasing competition from overseas,” the A$160,000 ($104,000) prize pool is split among three categories.
SPEED nabbed top honors for Only One Mode via Last Ride Records (AANZ) and Flatspot Records (worldwide), their debut album from 2024, which impacted the top 10 on the ARIA Albums Chart, debuting at No. 10.
The group, led by Jem Siow (vocals), Aaron Siow (bass), Josh Clayton (guitar), Dennis Vichidvongsa (guitar), and Kane Vardon (drums), has since released the three-track EP All My Angles, with live shows rocking across Australia this December.
An expert panel decided Only One Mode was the release that had “the most significant impact” during the voting period.
“Respectfully,” reads a statement from the band, which bags the A$80,000 ($52,000) winner’s check, “our culture has never been a game nor a competition. But we are honored to receive this recognition and see this as acknowledgment of the values cultivated by the passionate souls around us.”
Meanwhile, BARKAA was awarded the NSW First Nations Music Prize for Big Tidda (Big Apples Music/Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia). Just last week, BARKAA scooped best hip hop/rap release at the 2025 ARIA Awards, becoming the first Indigenous female artist to do so.
After bagging a hattrick of pointy trophies last week at the ARIAs, Ninajirachi backed it up with the NSW breakthrough artist of the year award for “girl EDM” (NLV Records), a salute to an emerging NSW-based artist or act who has had “a groundbreaking 12 months”. The homegrown EDM producer, songwriter and artist has been shining on the awards circuit in recent weeks and months, winning the Australian Music Prize, triple j’s J Award for album of the year, and more.
Recipients of the First Nations and breakthrough artist prizes are each awarded A$40,000 ($26,000).
“These talented and hard-working NSW musicians deserve this recognition,” comments NSW Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham. “These awards are about putting the spotlight on NSW, so fans have a chance to celebrate the local music scene. This will give these artists a big career boost, and I also hope it will inspire the next generation to aim high.”
Adds Graham, “the streaming revolution is pushing more American music to Australian listeners. This award is part of our effort support local musicians to cut through and build a fan base.”
All told, 15 acts were nominated for the prize, delivered by Sound NSW, with winners announced Monday, Nov. 24 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney.
NSW Music Prize 2025 finalists and winners:
3% – Kill the Dead
BARKAA – Big Tidda
Kobie Dee – Chapter 26
Ninajirachi- girl EDM
ONEFOUR- Look At Me Now
Party Dozen- Crime in Australia
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Inhale / Exhale
Shady Nasty – Trek
SPEED – Only One Mode (WINNER)
Vv Pete & Utility – Varvie World
NSW Breakthrough Artist of Year 2025
Don West
Ninajirachi (WINNER)
Royel Otis
Shady Nasty
SPEED
NSW First Nations Music Prize 2025
3% – Kill the Dead
BARKAA – Big Tidda (WINNER)
Djanaba – Did I Stutter?
Stiff Gins – Crossroads
Ziggy Ramo – Human?
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While many of us are kicking back, feet up and chomping down on roast turkey with all the trimmings, Bunnie Xo is on a different type of mission this Thanksgiving.
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Bunnie is knuckling down to help women escaping domestic violence.
The podcaster and her team are providing Thanksgiving dinner and care packages for women in transitional housing at the Mary Parrish Center, in search of a fresh start, a safer life.
“Thanksgiving is about giving back. And that’s exactly what we’re doing today,” Bunnie tells Extra.
Bunnie tells Extra she knows from experience how tough it can be out there. “Going through a situation personally around 2013 to 2016 with my own domestic violence relationship has just made this mission for myself,” she remarks, “even more of wanting to give back and wanting to be there for the women and the children that are going through this because I know how hard it is to get out.”
Now happily married now to country star Jelly Roll, Bunnie hasn’t forgotten those harrowing days, which she recounts in her new book “Stripped Down.”
As Thanksgiving approaches, Bunnie shared a stark image of spousal abuse — a photo of her with a swollen black eye. The intention of posting the shocking photo, she says, is “that women could see like, ‘Okay, she’s been where I’m at and she gets it.’ I want somebody that I can relate to, and I hope that these women know that I have been exactly where they are and I just want to lift them up and just make them feel so good and loved and know that they’re doing the right thing.”
She adds, “I just want them to keep going. Don’t ever look back. Smash the rearview mirror.”
Just a week ago, Bunnie put up her hand and confessed to some past errors of her own, which could result in jail time. Speaking on her Dumb Blonde podcast, the host admitted that she has to turn herself in to serve time for unknowingly driving for years with a suspended license, those issues apparently tying back to a minor driving incident from half a decade ago.
“I got my lawyer on it, whatever,” she explained. “It looks like your girl is gonna have to go book herself in. If I do — you guys have seen all my past mug shots — I’m going in glammed the f–k up, baby, and I’m going to vlog it.”
Watch the full piece on Bunnie’s Thanksgiving mission below on Extra, now in its 32nd with host Derek Hough.
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Billboard News went straight to the rides with some of the coolest artists at Camp Flog Gnaw 2025. Hang out with Malcolm Todd, Paris Texas, AG Club, Alemeda, PARTYOF2 and Deb Never as they joined us on the ultimate CFG adventure. Get a taste of those limited-edition burgers, watch the gravity-defying rides, and check out the best festival fashion. Which ride was the wildest? Watch to find out!
Jerah Milligan:
Who are you excited to see?
Alemeda:
I literally told my team, “Once Geezer goes on, I’m out.”
Partyof2:
Definitely Doechii, and I gotta see my fashion icon, bro, A$AP Rocky.
AGClub:
Childish Gambino for me. I’m so used to seeing him, but I never seen him live. I loved his music for a long time, like. I’m tryna see T-Pain.
Jerah Milligan:
Yo, I’m ready for both. And you know he has so much joy when he performs. He’s about to be spinning and s–t.
Partyof2:
After this interview I’m gonna run and see Teezo. I saw him walking out of his trailer with a like a BBL thing goin’ on with a, with a surge, like, I don’t know what he’s about to do. I’m so interested to see that.
Jerah Milligan:
What’s up, folks? It’s your boy Jerah here. I’m at Camp Flog Gnaw. I’m hype. It’s my first time being here. We’re talking to artists, your favorite artists’ favorite artists. We’re going on rides. We getting snacks. I’mma win this bear right now and I’m super hype. Let’s go. Yeah, y’all got me out here at Camp Flog Gnaw. Y’all had a good year, two albums a week apart. What was the idea behind that?
Paris Texas:
Uh, you know, just moving different.That’s it, is just moving different, that’s all we wanna do.
Jerah Milligan:
Now let me ask y’all though, that’s two albums. That’s a lot of songs. Y’all got, like, your favorite child on one of the albums?
Keep watching for more!
Beni
Image Credit: Billboard Korea
You’re the youngest in the group, yet you trained the longest. But in the documentary, you said your trainee years weren’t only difficult.
I became a trainee when I was 11, so I don’t have many “typical” school memories. While other kids went to playgrounds or cram classes, I went to the company. But I think that’s why going to the company felt like going somewhere fun. I was so young, and everyone took good care of me — I received a lot of love.
After debuting, what changed in your mindset?
Before debut, I was terrified of making mistakes. But when I actually got on stage, I realized what matters isn’t whether you make a mistake, but how much you enjoy the moment. Because of that, I feel less pressure now — I think I’ve learned how to enjoy it.
For your comeback “I DONT CARE,” you open the stage with a powerful intro performance that instantly grabs attention. What was it like taking on that role?
I’ve always loved dancing so I’m very ambitious when it comes to choreography. When I was assigned the intro, I practiced just that part for three to four weeks with our performance director. The movement was different from the style I usually danced, so I had to study every detail and figure out exactly where to add emphasis.
How do you usually handle moments where you have to try something completely new?
Seeing my weaknesses during practice is a bit stressful, but the final result is usually not bad at all. When I see the outcome, I feel proud — like, I got through that. Of course, even when I gain confidence, when a similar situation comes again, I sometimes go back to blaming myself.
It’s funny — you’d never know that from watching you on stage. You almost seem like the member who embodies BDC’s message most naturally.
I try to be like that in real life too — to carry myself with confidence, just like the message we want to share.
What feedback gives you confidence?
Recently I heard something that made me so happy. I’ve been focusing a lot on my facial expressions, but when I watched myself, I felt like they were all kind of similar. Then someone complimented me, saying my expressions were actually really diverse — and that surprised me so much.
What kind of music were you dancing to when you first started?
When I was little — even before elementary school — it was all K-pop. I watched and listened to Apink and GFRIEND a lot. Then when I started dreaming of becoming a dancer, I focused more on hip-hop and locking, and listened mostly to pop. After that, I fell deeply back into K-pop again.
How would you describe yourself?
I have big ambitions and I really want to do well. Even though I look confident on stage, I have a shy side in real life. I feel like I’m still getting to know myself.
Is there something you learned about yourself only after debut?
That I’m better at expressing myself than I thought. I originally dreamed of becoming a K-pop idol because I loved dancing and singing and wanted to be on stage — but after debuting and having people who support me, I realized I can communicate with them and genuinely express my feelings.
What’s the moment in your life when you were the bravest?
There were times at school when the teacher asked a question, and even if I knew the answer, I wouldn’t raise my hand because I was scared of being wrong. Afterward I always regretted it — I could’ve answered that. One day, I decided to be brave. I raised my hand, got the answers right, and realized, If you want to gain something, you have to try. It’s better to act than to regret not acting.
If you could redefine the “F” in “F Girl”, as a new word that represents you — what would you choose?
“Famous.” Because… we’re going to be famous girls! [Laughs]
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The estate of Johnny Cash has brought a lawsuit accusing Coca-Cola of illegally hiring a tribute singer to mimic the country legend’s voice in a college football advertisement.
The federal court complaint, filed on Tuesday (Nov. 25) in Nashville, is the first high-profile case to be brought under Tennessee’s recently enacted ELVIS Act. Effective last summer, the novel statute expanded the state’s right of publicity to explicitly protect a person’s voice from nonconsensual exploitation.
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The John R. Cash Revocable Trust, which manages the estate of the singer who died in 2003, takes issue with a new song in a Coca-Cola commercial that’s been airing during college football games since August. The lawsuit claims the voice behind the jingle sounds “remarkably” similar to Cash’s signature bass-baritone — and that, in fact, it’s the voice of a professional Cash tribute performer named Shawn Barker.
“Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity,” wrote a lawyer for the Cash estate, Tim Warnock of Loeb & Loeb. “The trust brings this lawsuit to protect the voice of Johnny Cash — and to send a message that protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.”
According to the lawsuit, the Cash estate regularly licenses out the legendary performer’s intellectual property. For example, his songs “Ragged Old Flag” and “Personal Jesus” have both been featured in Super Bowl telecasts. But the estate says Coca-Cola “never even bothered to ask the trust for a license” before using a voice soundalike in its commercial.
“This case arises from Coca-Cola’s pirating Johnny Cash’s voice in a nationwide advertising campaign to enrich itself — without asking for permission or providing any compensation to the humble man and artist who created the goodwill from which Coca-Cola now profits,” reads the complaint.
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The estate is asking for a court injunction that would take the ad off screens, plus financial damages for Coca-Cola’s alleged violation of Cash’s rights of publicity under the ELVIS Act. Damages are also sought for supposed violations of a Tennessee consumer protection statute and a federal law against false endorsements.
Coca-Cola did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday (Nov. 26). A rep for Barker, who is not a defendant in the lawsuit, told Billboard the tribute singer’s team was “thrilled when we were approached to have Shawn sing vocals for this commercial.”
“Shawn Barker has been performing with his Cash tribute ‘The Man in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash’ for over two decades, touring the world sharing his love of Johnny Cash’s music and stories with fans both old and new,” added Barker’s manager, Joey Waterman.
This is the first major lawsuit to take advantage of Tennessee’s new voice protections under the ELVIS Act, short for the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act of 2024. It’s worth noting, though, that there is no allegation of artificial intelligence-powered voice mimicking in the Coca-Cola commercial, which Tennessee lawmakers were vocal about curbing when they expanded the state’s right of publicity law last year.
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Rather, the Cash estate’s lawsuit follows in the footsteps of historic litigation brought by artists over sound-alike singers mimicking their voices. Bette Midler famously sued Ford over a series of commercials featuring impersonator vocals in the 1980s, winning a precedent-setting victory that established voices as protectable rights of publicity in California.
Midler’s case limited these enforcement rights to the commercial advertising context — that is, advertisements that use a celebrity’s likeness to make it appear they’re endorsing a product. This same limitation applies to most laws in the patchwork of state-level publicity rights throughout the United States. However, the newly minted ELVIS Act is different: It expands liability so that one can sue any individual for trampling their publicity rights in Tennessee.
The Cash estate’s Coca-Cola lawsuit stays in the traditional commercial lane. But now that the ELVIS Act is in effect, it’s possible we’ll see more novel right of publicity lawsuits brought over soundalikes in recorded songs.
Rick Astley waded into this area in 2023, before the ELVIS Act was passed, by suing Yung Gravy for mimicking his voice in the rapper’s breakout hit “Betty (Get Money).” That case, which sparked debate about the commercial limits of publicity rights, settled before a judge could rule on its merits.
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Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne is mourning the loss of his son Ethan, who died Nov. 25 at age 52.
On Wednesday (Nov. 26), the singer-songwriter revealed the death of his son in a Facebook post, writing, “It is with deep sorrow that we share that on the morning of November 25, 2025, Ethan Browne, the son of Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major, was found unresponsive in his home and has passed away. We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment.”
Ethan Browne was born Nov. 2, 1973. He was known as a model, musician and an actor, with roles in the films Raising Helen (alongside actress/singer Kate Hudson), Hackers, and the television series Birds of Prey. As a musician, Browne also teamed with Cat Colbert to form the duo Alain Zane. They released the 2022 album Right Before Your Eyes and issued songs including “CA State of Mind” and “Kite.”
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In 1974, just six months after he was born, Ethan appeared with his father on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
Phyllis Major and Jackson Browne were wed in 1975; the following year, Major died at age 30 due to an overdose. Jackson Browne wed Lynne Sweeney in 1981 and they welcomed son Ryan in 1982; the couple divorced in 1983.
Jackson Browne is an eight-time Grammy nominee, with his 1977 album Running on Empty earning an overall album of the year Grammy nomination (the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever would take home the trophy). Among Browne’s other Grammy nominations over the years are nods for best Americana album (Downhill From Everywhere) and best rock vocal performance, male (for “Boulevard”). As a songwriter, he’s seen artists ranging from the Eagles to Nico record his songs.
In 2004, Browne was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen. Three years later, Browne was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His 1980 album Hold Out topped the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, while he also earned top five albums on that same chart with 1976’s The Pretender and 1977’s Running on Empty. He earned top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100 with 1972’s “Doctor My Eyes” and 1982’s “Somebody’s Baby.” The latter was recorded for the soundtrack of the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Trending on Billboard Cam’ron and Mase are always roasting someone on It Is What It Is, and on the latest episode of their talk show, the pair of Harlem rappers playfully clowned each other’s wardrobe choices of the past. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Murda brought up Cam’s Epic Records debut album cover, […]
Trending on Billboard Mike Stoller, who co-wrote such legendary songs as “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Charlie Brown” and “Poison Ivy” with songwriting partner Jerry Lieber, has taken another step to ensure his musical legacy lives on. Stoller and his wife, jazz harpist and pianist Corky Stoller, are celebrating the dedication of the Mike & Corky […]
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Shakira continues to break her own record for concerts in Mexico with her historic Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour. Mexican promoter OCESA announced on Wednesday (Nov. 26) that the Colombian superstar has added three more dates to her tour for February 2026, bringing the total to 31 shows for her highly-successful tour in the Latin American country.
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The three new concerts on the tour—the highest-grossing tour by a Latin woman in history—include one at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City on February 27. The Barranquilla native set a milestone this year by performing 12 shows, the most of any single tour at the iconic venue formerly known as Foro Sol, where she sold 65,000 tickets per night, according to OCESA, for a total of 780,000.
Before that, the singer will perform at the Víctor Manuel Reyna Stadium in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, on February 21, and at the Carlos Iturralde Stadium in Mérida, Yucatán, on February 24.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer kicked off the Mexican leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour in March with seven dates at the GNP Seguros Stadium. In a second leg, she added five concerts between August and September at the same venue in Mexico City. It’s the biggest tour in the country’s history, with performances that broke all-time records for attendance, ticket sales, and number of consecutive stadium shows.
In July, Shakira reached another milestone by selling one million tickets in Mexico as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, according to figures from OCESA, out of a total of 28 dates completed by September 24.
Currently, the singer-songwriter is completing the South American leg of her tour, with stops in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina until December 15, before traveling to Hollywood, Florida, where she has three dates scheduled at the Hard Rock Live from the 27th to the 29th.
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Missy Elliott says fans have been urging her to get her song from the Shark Tale soundtrack on streaming.
In a post on X, Missy tagged both Universal Music Group and Geffen Records and pleaded with them to put “Car Wash” — the closing song from the 2004 Dreamworks animated film Shark Tale — up on streaming. The rap legend had responded to a fan who appeared devastated that the song wasn’t available to listen to.
“@UMG @GeffenRecords the fans tagged me wanting to know why the song ‘Car Wash’ on #Sharktale soundtrack not on streaming sites,” she wrote. “Can you please help out because many of them have been asking as you can see and miss it.”
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“Car Wash” closed out the film, and was sung by Christina Aguilera and featured Missy. Most of her bars were of course shark related, including, “Y’all can make your bets, y’all small tuna fish, I’m one big catch/ Shark slayer, bow down player.”
In other news, Victoria Monet recently praised Missy, and said it was beyond time to give the rapper her flowers.
When asked why, Monet explained that Missy can still rock out when she needs to.
“Her show is incredible,” Monet said while walking the red carpet at the Femme It Forward Give Her FlowHERS Gala. “She’s still performing, like, she’s in her 20s, and I feel like we haven’t given her her moment, like, the tribute show and the, you know, events like this where she can get her flowers…I feel like we just need a few more of those for her, because she’s incredible, and she’s done so much, and influenced a lot of our childhoods.”
Check out the tweet below.
.@UMG .@GeffenRecords the fans tagged me wanting to know why the song “Car Wash” on #Sharktale soundtrack not on some streaming sites…Can you please help out because many of them have been asking as you can see and miss it🙏🏾☺️— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) November 25, 2025
