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Kevin Hart is set to host the 2025 BET Awards.
Airing live on BET on the East Coast (and tape-delayed on the West Coast) on Monday, June 9, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the show will again be held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. It will be Hart’s second time hosting the show. He previously hosted in 2011. And it’s the 25th anniversary of what BET likes to call “Culture’s Biggest Night.”
“I love a celebration!,” Hart said in a statement. “I’m truly honored to host the 25th BET Awards and celebrate the culture’s biggest night. This year marks the 25th anniversary, and my partners at Hartbeat, BET, and JCE are pulling out all the stops to make it a night to remember. It’s a Black-Tie affair, and you’re all invited. Tune in live on June 9th, only on BET.”
Hart has received four Primetime Emmy nominations and two Grammy nominations. In 2023, he topped Billboard Boxscore’s list of top 10 highest-grossing comedy tours of the year.
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In 2024, he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Those who turned out to honor Hart included Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, J.B. Smoove, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Chelsea Handler, Nick Cannon and Keith Robinson.
Hart has a robust history with BET, beginning as host of stand-up comedy showcase Comic View: One Night Stand in 2008. Hart also executive produced and starred in Real Husbands of Hollywood, the scripted parody series that premiered in 2013. On March 6, BET+ launched Lil Kev, the streamer’s first adult animated comedy series, based on Hart’s childhood and family, and produced by Hart’s entertainment company, Hartbeat.
“Kevin Hart is a powerhouse of an entertainer,” said Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy at BET. “His impact spans comedy, film, television, and beyond. As we celebrate 25 years of the BET Awards, we couldn’t think of a more dynamic host to lead this historic night. Kevin’s unmatched charisma, comedic brilliance, and deep-rooted connection to our culture make him the perfect choice to commemorate this milestone event.”
“For over a decade, Kevin Hart has been a beloved part of the BET family, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him return to host the 25th anniversary BET Awards,” said Scott Mills, president and CEO of BET. “His unparalleled talent, infectious energy, and deep connection to our audience make him the perfect host for this historic celebration.”
Orlando serves as the executive producer for the 2025 BET Awards, in tandem with Jamal Noisette, SVP of tentpoles & music community engagement, for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company for the show, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as executive producers.
As previously reported, The BET Experience 2025 (BETX) returns June 5–8 in Los Angeles with four days of immersive fan events, leading up to the BET Awards on June 9.
Tina Knowles has revealed that she recently battled breast cancer — but with Beyoncé and Solange by her side, she had all the support she needed until she finished her treatment.
On the day of her memoir Matriarch‘s launch Tuesday (April 22), Billboard‘s 2025 Mother of the Year exclusively revealed to People that she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer last July. She received the news after missing a scheduled mammogram two years prior, which could have helped her catch the tumor sooner.
“I forgot that I didn’t go to get my test two years before I thought I had, because COVID came, and they called me and canceled me, and they said, ‘We’ll call you when we start testing again,’” she told the publication. “And I just thought I had done it. So you cannot play around with that.”
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“It’s important not to slack on your mammograms,” she added. “I think as women, sometimes we get so busy, and we get so wrapped up and running around, but you must go get your test. Because if I had not gotten my test early, I mean, I shudder to think what could have happened to me.”
To treat the cancer, Knowles underwent surgery late last year to remove a tumor in her left breast. Throughout her treatment, the designer says that her two daughters — plus bonus daughter Kelly Rowland — were unified as her support system, writing in Matriarch, “My girls became my team.”
Knowles also shared in the book how her daughters reacted when she first received her diagnosis. While the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer “took it well, staying positive … I could already feel her mind racing, focusing on this as a task to tackle with precision,” Knowles says Solange told her, “We are going to take care of this.”
Now, the Cécred co-owner tells People she’s “doing great” — “cancer-free and incredibly blessed that God allowed me to find it early” — and enjoying everything that’s happening this month, from the memoir’s launch to the April 28 kickoff of Bey’s highly anticipated Cowboy Carter Tour. She also revealed that she’s currently dating, sharing coyly, “Uh, I … I am spending time with a friend, yes.”
“A very nice gentleman,” added Knowles, who was previously married to Bey and Solange’s father, Mathew Knowles, and Richard Lawson, from whom she split in 2023. “We’ll see what happens.”
Nearly three decades into his Hall of Fame career, Lil Wayne is set to headline NYC’s Madison Square Garden for the first time on June 6. It’s going to be a celebratory night at one of the world’s most famous arenas, as Weezy will be releasing his anticipated Tha Carter VI album the same day. […]
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Jordan Peele is continuing to innovate the horror genre by producing films that platform Black actors and tell stories in a realm where they’re either rarely seen or offed far too quickly. HIM, produced by Peele, stars Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers, examines the high cost of fame and the sacrifices some would make to obtain greatness.
Produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, HIM stars Wayans as Isaiah White, a star professional quarterback in his waning years who mentors rising quarterback Cameron Cade, played by Withers, who some might remember from the “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga” episode of Atlanta from show creator Donald Glover.
In a trailer for HIM delivered last Friday (April 18), White is the top quarterback of his team and takes in Cade to train him in an isolated compound. What Cade discovers in his journey is that the price of sports excellence will cost him dearly, and it appears White is attempting to cast his curse onto his young protege.
HIM, which was initially titled GOAT, is directed by Justin Tipping, who was the director and writer for 2016’s Kicks and was the director and producer for the television show Flatbush Misdemeanors, among other works.
The film is slated for a September 19 release. Check out the trailer below.
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Photo: Universal Pictures / HIM
On Tuesday (April 21), Disney unveiled the first teaser for ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires, the latest installment of the popular musical movie series.
In the new movie — premiering July 10 on Disney Channel and streaming July 11 on Disney+ — Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim return as Addison and Zed, the “zombie-cheerleader power couple” at the heart of the franchise. The actors are also credited as executive producers of the Disney Channel Original Movie, in which they star alongside new castmates Freya Skye as Nova, a “fierce Daywalker,” and Malachi Barton as Victor, a “proud vampire.”
According to a release announcing the film, Addison and Zed’s summer road trip “takes an unexpected detour, landing them in the middle of yet another monster rivalry: Daywalkers vs. Vampires.” As we see in the teaser, Donnelly and Manheim become de facto camp counselors at “the most dangerous summer camp on Earth,” according to Kylee Russell’s Eliza, part of the ensemble that also includes Chandler Kinney as Willa, Julian Lerner as Ray, Swayam Bhatia as Vera, Mekonnen Knife as Vargas, Lisa Chappell as Vampire Eldress and Jonno Roberts as Commander Bright.
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ZOMBIES 3 will feature nine new original songs and reprises of two previous hits: “Someday” and “Ain’t No Doubt About It.” The film has an original score composed by Tom Howe and dance sequences choreographed by choreographed by Dondraico Johnson.
The soundtracks for the first three ZOMBIES movies all hit the top five on both Billboard‘s Kid Albums and Soundtracks charts, with the original film’s album spending 10 weeks at No. 1 on Kid Albums and the most recent soundtrack spending two weeks atop the chart.
After helming the first three installments, director Paul Hoen is back for ZOMBIES 3, which has a screenplay by David Light, Joseph Raso and Josh Cagan and is executive produced by Hoen, Manheim, Donnelly, Light, Raso, Jane Fleming and Mark Ordesky. Mahita P. Simpson serves as co-executive producer alongside co-producer Josh Cagan and producer Skot Bright. ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires is a production from Night Zone Productions Limited.
Watch the brand-new teaser below, and catch the premiere of ZOMBIES 3 coming to Disney Channel on July 10.
The first time Chiquis felt that she was making an impact with her music was with the release of her fourth studio album, Abeja Reina, in 2022 — eight years into her career.
“I felt confident by that time. I felt like this is what I was meant to do,” she tells Billboard. “I went to perform at El Lunario with that album. My fans in Mexico hadn’t seen me in a long time, and a lot of people were saying that I looked and sounded different on stage. Bringing the songs to the stage gave me that push of, ‘This is who I am and I’m finally here!’ It was an album where I was kind of unapologetically being myself, and I think that resonated with people. They felt that.”
The set earned Chiquis her second Latin Grammy Award for best banda album in 2022. She first won the same award with Playlist in 2020 and is the current titleholder with Diamantes (2024), making history as is the first and only solo female singer to date to win the award.
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As the eldest daughter of the late Jenni Rivera, Chiquis (real name: Janney Marín Rivera) embarked on her own singing career in 2014, two years after her mother’s passing in a plane crash in 2012. Her debut single, “Paloma Blanca,” was a tribute to La Diva de la Banda, earning her first top 10 Billboard hit on the Latin Digital Song Sales chart. The heartfelt song also became her breakthrough on Hot Latin Songs, debuting and peaking at No. 36 that same year.
Over the course of her 10-year career, the Mexican-American singer has earned 12 entries on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, with three of those reaching the top 10. Notably, her highest-charting single, “Mi Problema,” climbed to No. 7 in December 2021. She also dominated the Top Regional Mexican Albums chart, securing two No. 1 albums: Ahora in 2015 and Entre Botellas in 2018.
But her accomplishments extend far beyond music. She’s also a philanthropist and entrepreneur, who will be honored with the Impact Award at 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music event on Thursday, April 24 for her “professional endeavors in the music industry and society at large,” and for pushing boundaries and sparking change in both music and culture.
“I have to use my voice, not just to sing, but to send light and radiate love, and talk about the things that really matter to me,” says Chiquis, who in tandem with her musical career also launched her Boss Bee Nation initiative in 2014, to help those in need. “A lot of artists are afraid to speak their truth or stand behind what they believe in because it might affect and trickle their streams, but I don’t like to worry about that. I feel that if I’m my authentic self and use my platform for things that I believe in, and my heart is in the right place, you’re not going to lose the people who are important to you.”
Chiquis Rivera poses in the press room with the award for Best Banda Album “Diamantes” during the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on November 14, 2024.
ZAK BENNETT/AFP via Getty Images
Her platform became key to continue elevating the Latino community.
“We began giving out scholarships because I’m a huge advocate for education. Knowledge is power,” she elaborates. “Then, I adopted families for Christmas. If they couldn’t afford a nice holiday, we started doing that. We’ve also taken music, gifts, and donations to the farm workers in the fields. Anything that my heart points me to, that’s where I go.”
Below, Chiquis shares more on how she’s forging her own path.
Which artist made you believe you could have an impact outside of music?
The only person I can think of is my mom because she was a businesswoman. Business was my first love, and I saw that she did it well. That’s one thing I want artists to know about, the business side of music, and I’m so grateful to have that school with my mom. For sure, she was the person who made me believe, 100%, that I could do both things — be in music and a business owner.
Besides my mother, the artists who have impacted my music career have been, of course, Shakira, Ana Gabriel, Celia Cruz, Selena, even Karol G. Seeing everything that Karol’s been doing completely inspires me to this day. Carla Morrison, how vulnerable she can be in her lyrics — it’s helped me to write differently, especially in the moment I’m in right now.
How has your experience been as a woman in regional Mexican music, which is still a still male-dominated genre?
I love to see how our genre has grown so much, and how the men are more accepting of women in the space. I was there when it was a big taboo. I saw it since I was very little with my mom — her wanting to sing, and people questioning her. Now I have so much compassion for my mom, but that’s exactly who we needed: the women who are daring. It still is very male-dominated but not as much as before, and I love that we can push through. Someone like Jenni Rivera really paved the way. Today, I see more unity among women in regional Mexican, and the more united we are, the more powerful we’ll be. I love to be able to represent women and be a voice in this genre, because las mujeres pueden … abso-freaking-lutely!
What does your state of mind look like going into 2025, and how do you plan to make this year more impactful than 2024?
I took a little bit of soul space to reconnect with myself and what I wanted to write about. I think it’s very important to get passionate and fall in love all over again with my art. This time I’ve taken for myself has helped me to get inspired. Last November, I felt something shifting in me. I didn’t know what was going on, but I felt different. I think winning the third Latin Grammy marked a turning point in my career. I feel a different type of confidence. In early February, I felt the epiphany and began to understand the change in my life. I had my creativity blocked, and I didn’t know what was happening, but then I realized that I needed to look inward. I did a spiritual retreat for three weeks, and it helped me tremendously, to the point that I want to sing things I never sang about.
This year, I have my new series called Foodie on the Go; my Chiquis Sin Filtro show on VIX is in its second season; my podcast Chiquis and Chill is in its fourth season; I have my first children’s book called The Girl Who Sings to Bees coming out in July, which I’m very excited about; and I’m already going to the studio to start music. A lot of different music is coming, but still with that special Chiquis sauce. Also, I think I’m going to start touring towards the end of the year. Sometimes you need to take a step back and look in to get inspired again.
What does receiving the Impact Award mean to you?
I’m so grateful I can cry. It means so much because for a long time, I thought I believed in myself, but it was superficial in a way. Now, I can tell you that I really believe in myself, and to know that it’s had an impact and inspired other people, that is why I’m here and part of my mission. Everything that I’ve been through, all the adversities and criticism, has been worth it, because if I can inspire one person and impact their life so that they can follow their dreams, that to me is worth every tear and every late night. I’m so honored and grateful to get this award. It’s been tough, and moments like this make me feel like people are recognizing my hard work. It’s truly an effort.
The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.
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Source: Getty Images / Ben Stiller / Sinners
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners is without a doubt a hit, but based on a post from Variety, you would think otherwise, and Ben Stiller and everyone else on X see the jig.
Coogler’s 1930’s vampire flick that stars Jordan as two twins, Smoke and Stack, that return home to open up a juke joint, only to encounter a pack of blood sucking gouls took a significant bite out of the box office during its opening weekend, earning an impressive $61 million and dethroning A Minecraft Movie.
Variety, the well-established publication that reports on all things Hollywood, dropped a shady post on X, speaking about the film’s success, while also pointing out itit’still short of breaking even and returning a profit for the studio.
The tweet (yes, we still call them that) is hilariously still up and it reads:
“Sinners” has amassed $61 million in its global debut. It’s great result for an original, R-rated horror film, yet the Warner Bros. release has a $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses, so profitability remains a ways away.”
Ben Stiller Was Not Feeling Variety’s Shade Towards Sinners
The post, which was also slapped with a well-timed community note calling Variety’s headline misleading, sparked plenty of outrage, with some of Hollywood’s biggest names like Ben Stiller coming to the defense of the hit film.
In a quote reply, Stiller wrote, “In what universe does a 60 million dollar opening for an original studio movie warrant this headline?”
Patrick Schwarzenegger (The White Lotus) also chimed in on the matter, reminding folks that “It’s opening weekend…”
“I wonder if @variety covered Once Upon A Time in Hollywood – which made 10% less at the domestic box office on 10% more theaters prepandemic and at the same budget with a similar deal structure – in the same way,” Franklin Leonard, a film producer and creator of The Black List said on X.
The rest of the world who have been praising the film after seeing it in theaters have also been sounding off on Variety. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
Chris Janson has returned to his former label home of Warner Music via a partnership with the country singer-songwriter’s Harpeth 60 Records imprint. Clay Hunnicutt leads Harpeth 60 Records’ radio promotion staff, with team members including Ray Vaughn and Lauren Bartlett. Janson previously released his first three albums through Warner, earning hits including “Buy Me a Boat” and “Good Vibes.” — Jessica Nicholson
Emerging singer-songwriter Esaú Ortiz signed with Sony Music Latin. The música mexicana artist from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, first gained traction on social media with songs like “Triple Lavada,” which was featured on playlists such as Apple Music’s Hits 2025 and Spotify’s Éxitos México. His first official project under Sony Music Latin is said to feature “an explosive remix and heavyweight collaborations,” according to a press release. “I know I have the best team to take my music to the next level and to the ears of everyone,” Ortiz said in a statement. ” I believe we will do great things together, which makes me very happy.” — Griselda Flores
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Big Wild, a project of producer, singer, songwriter and engineer Jackson Stell, signed a label deal with Giant Music and a management deal with Ceremony Music Group. His first release under Giant was the single “You Belong Here,” which dropped April 11.
Jasmine Amy Rogers, the singer and actor who plays Betty Boop in Boop! The Musical on Broadway, signed a record deal with Nashville-based label Melody Place for the release of new original music at the end of 2025. According to a press release, the music will be “somewhere in the mainstream pop/urban world.” Rogers is also featured on the Boop! The Musical cast album set for release later this spring.
Metalcore band Wind Walkers signed with Fearless Records, which released the group’s new single and video “The End Aesthetic.” Wind Walkers just kicked off its Shapeshifter Tour on April 16 in Little Rock, Ark.
Indie-rock/dream-pop band Yumi Zouma signed with Nettwerk, which released its new single, “Bashville on the Sugar,” on Friday (April 18). Yumi Zouma is managed by Phil Jones at Tuesday’s Artists Management and booked by Alisa Preisler at Ground Control, Beckie Sugden at CAA and Sam Wald at WME. The band was previously signed with Polyvinyl Record Co.
Nettwerk also signed Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter BEL and will release her forthcoming single, “Fresh Start,” on Friday (April 25). BEL is managed by Justin Little and Chad Heimann at Brilliant Corners.
TAMLA Records and Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG) signed Peech. to their artist roster. In 2024, Peech. broke through with the single “Snowfall” and the mixtape L.I.V.E. On Friday (April 18), he released his latest single, “Don’t Miss Your Moment.” — Jessica Nicholson
Riser House Records signed indie-pop group The Wldlfe and will release the band’s new single, “Make Me Cry,” on Friday (April 25). The band is composed of Jansen Hogan, Carson Hogan, and Jack Crane.
Scotland-born, Texas-raised country singer Callum Kerr signed with ONErpm and Huff Co. Kerr also works as a model and actor. His new single, “Cold Beer Cold,” is out now.
Sony Classical signed Berlin-based pianist Alexander Malofeev, who will release his debut album for the label in the fall. Malofeev first rose to prominence in 2014 at the age of 13, when he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. He has since performed with leading orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala.
Asher White signed to Joyful Noise, which released her latest single, “Kratom Headache Girls Night,” on Tuesday (April 15). White’s most recent album, Home Constellation Study, was released on Ba Da Bing! in 2024.
Oakland-based punk band The Lucky Eejits signed with Southern California indie label HEY!FEVER Records. The group recently won a spot at this year’s San Francisco Punk in the Park Festival on May 3. Lucky Eejits is set to release new music by the end of this year.
Horst Weidenmüller, founder of the pioneering Berlin-based label !K7 Music, will posthumously be presented with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Libera Awards on June 9 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
Weidenmüller died in February at age 60 following what was only described as “a long illness.” The award recognizes his visionary leadership, decades-long contributions to independent music, and his role in shaping the global electronic and experimental music landscape.
The Foundation for Independent Music (FIM) and The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) also announced the host and performers for the 2025 Libera Awards, which are presented by Merlin. The show will be hosted by Delisa Shannon, Billboard’s shortform content director, while performers include Latin pop artist Reyna Tropical, American music trailblazer Swamp Dogg, art-rock punk trio Ekko Astral and genre-bending singer-songwriter serpentwithfeet.
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But the posthumous presentation to Weidenmüller will likely be the emotional highlight of the event.
“Horst was a true trailblazer whose influence transcended borders and genres,” Dr. Richard James Burgess, president/CEO of A2IM, said in a statement. “Through !K7, he not only championed innovative and genre-defying music but also helped build the very infrastructure that so many independents rely on today. We’re honored to recognize his extraordinary legacy with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Through his work, both as an entrepreneur and as a long-standing board member of Merlin and IMPALA, Weidenmüller shaped and strengthened the global indie community. One of his proudest achievements was seeing !K7 become a certified B Corp last year.
“This Lifetime Achievement Award is not only a recognition of his extraordinary work — it’s a tribute to his spirit,” added Tom Nieuweboer, managing director at !K7. “It’s now our task to carry his legacy forward, with the same courage, clarity, and love for music that defined him.”
The accolade coincides with the upcoming 40th anniversary of !K7 Music, which Weidenmüller established in 1985. It’s his second major award in recent months. In December, prior to his death, Weidenmüller was recognized with the IMPALA Outstanding Contribution Award for his work in the European independent music sector.
The 14th annual Libera Awards ceremony features 28 categories celebrating the best in independent music, including leading artist nominees such as MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee and Jessica Pratt. Here’s the full nominations list.
Tickets are on sale now and open to the public.
The 2025 Libera Awards Presented by Merlin kicks off the annual Indie Week conference, which runs from June 10 to June 12 at the InterContinental New York Times Square.
Kesha is celebrating being a “free f–king woman.” The singer sat on the couch on the Kelly Clarkson Show on Tuesday (April 22) for a chat about her upcoming album and her new(ish) status as the owner of the independent label Kesha Records. “My first release is . [Period],” Kesha, 38, said of her upcoming […]