State Champ Radio Blog
Page: 550
Luminate has announced a new partnership with Epic Games that will see the entertainment data company begin tracking music usage from Fortnite’s Jam Tracks inside its Connect platform, marking a notable shift in how the music industry monitors fan engagement across gaming platforms.
Announced Wednesday (April 30), the agreement adds Fortnite Jam Tracks to Luminate’s growing “Interactive On-Demand” category, offering labels, managers, and rights holders deeper insight into how music is being experienced and consumed inside Epic Games’ massively popular title.
While the integration reflects growing industry interest in transmedia fan behaviour, particularly in the gaming space, Luminate has confirmed that Jam Tracks streaming data from Fortnite will not be counted toward Billboard charts.
Trending on Billboard
The new feature builds on Luminate’s 2024 mid-year report, which found that tracks featured in Fortnite Festival announcements saw an average 8.7% lift in on-demand audio streams the day after being announced. The company’s 2024 year-end report also highlighted streaming gains for Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and Juice WRLD, following their involvement in Fortnite Remix, a month-long music activation held in November 2024.
“Luminate is committed to serving the entire entertainment ecosystem with valuable data and insights,” said Luminate CEO Rob Jonas in a statement.
“In today’s increasingly transmedia landscape, where technology is blurring the lines of content and fan experiences across platforms, it’s more important than ever to understand engagement and audience trends in the gaming space and how they overlap with music consumption.”
“We’re witnessing the rise of interconnected experiences, and understanding how audiences interact with these across games, music, and other mediums is crucial. We’re delighted that our new partners at Epic Games understand this need, and we look forward to developing this partnership as the convergence of music and gaming evolves.”
Emily Levy, director of music, talent and influencer at Epic Games, said the partnership will help creators and artists better understand the impact of in-game music experiences.
“Music in Fortnite gives players an authentic way to experience iconic songs through self-expression, creation, discovery and play,” she said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the music industry to tap into unique and immersive ways to connect with new and existing fans.”
Interactive On-Demand streams from Fortnite’s Jam Tracks are currently not a Billboard chart-eligible metric.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
In a recent appearance on Nick Cannon’s podcast, Birdman revealed that Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj, often referred to as his “Big 3,” have collectively generated over $2 billion for Cash Money Records.
Birdman emphasized the massive cultural and financial impact these artists have had on the label and the music industry as a whole. He credited Wayne as the catalyst, not only for his own groundbreaking success, but for discovering and mentoring both Drake and Nicki Minaj, who each went on to become global superstars in their own right.
Baby also highlighted his broader influence in the rap game, naming artists like Future, Young Thug, and NBA YoungBoy as talents he supported early in their careers. He sees his role not just as a label executive, but as a builder of legacies, someone who has helped shape the sound and direction of Hip-Hop over the last two decades.
Cash Money Records, founded in 1991 by brothers Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams in New Orleans, quickly rose to prominence in the late ’90s with acts like Juvenile, B.G., and the Hot Boys, which included a young Lil Wayne.
The label became known for its Southern bounce sound and aggressive business strategy. After partnering with Universal Music Group, Cash Money solidified itself as a powerhouse. With Wayne, Drake, and Nicki leading the charge in the 2000s and 2010s, Cash Money transformed from a regional label into a global brand with a lasting legacy in Hip-Hop.
Prymax Media & Technology Group has acquired all the remaining masters from the estate of music industry pioneer Stan Lewis, founder of the legendary labels Jewel Records, Paula Records and Ronn Records. While Prymax Media declined to reveal the purchase price, Billboard can exclusively report that the New York-based private investment firm’s acquisition encompasses more than 1,600 songs. Those include recordings by Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Willie Nelson, Ike & Tina Turner, Albertina Walker and Lightnin’ Hopkins, among other iconic artists representing America’s golden era of blues, R&B, soul, rock & roll, gospel and country.
Prior to co-founding Prymax Media in 2020, Tyrone Holmes worked primarily as a music and film producer who collaborated with Grammy-winning artist Faith Evans and late Stellar Award-winning artist LaShun Pace, among others. In a statement announcing his firm’s acquisition, Holmes said, “This is about more than just reclaiming music. It’s about preserving cultural heritage and sharing stories that have long been silenced. With the release of this vault, we’re not only honoring the legacy of the artists involved but also opening the door for new interpretations and collaborations in the future. These recordings were hidden treasures, and now we can introduce them to the world.”
Trending on Billboard
Added Beverly Paige, a member of the Prymax team, “This isn’t just an acquisition it’s the recovery of a cultural legacy. We look forward to seeing how this music resonates with lifelong fans as well as invite newcomers to discover the rich legacy of music that has shaped the industry. We’re also excited for the conversations it will spark around the significance and impact of gospel music in our lives.”
In addition to the aforementioned Albertina Walker — aka “The Queen of Gospel Music”— Prymax’s acquisition features released and unreleased recordings by fellow gospel artists Shirley Caesar and Dorothy Norwood, Jimmy Reed, Bobby Rush, John Lee Hooker and Malcolm X. Among the song titles now under new ownership are “Judy in Disguise,” the 1967 No. 1 hit by John Fred and His Playboy Band, “I Feel Good” by John Lee Hooker, “Knock on Wood” by Ike & Tina Turner and “A Message for You” by Curtis Mayfield.
Beyond fully finished tracks, the catalog cache includes rare studio sessions and alternate takes.
Lewis’ industry career began with the opening of Stan’s Record Shop in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1948 (a frequent customer was the yet-unknown Elvis Presley) from money earned selling newspapers. From there at age 20, he established what became the South’s largest independent record distribution network. In addition to Chess Records, where he also worked for a time, Lewis represented several other independent labels such as Atlantic, Checker and Specialty. Moving back to Shreveport after his Chess stint in Chicago, Lewis founded Jewel Records in 1963. Its roster and catalog holdings included Big Joe Turner, John Lee Hooker, Ike & Tina Turner, Aretha Frankline, B.B. King and Fats Domino. Prior to establishing Jewel, he had begun producing music artists while also co-writing with Dale Hawkins the 1957 rock & roll classic “Susie Q.”
Lewis later bought the masters of Chicago blues label Cobra Records in the late ‘60s (home to Buddy Guy). Then came the founding of the Paula (named after his wife Pauline) and Ronn imprints. The former sported a roster headed by The Uniques (led by Joe Stampley), Toussaint McCall, John Fred and His Playboy Band and others.
It was Garland Jones, owner of record store Garland Super Sounds and a longtime Lewis mentee, who helped the latter’s son Lenny outline all the music assets in Lewis’ vault before his death in 2018.
“After a decade-long legal battle, I finally obtained the rights to Stan Lewis’s succession and successfully sold this extraordinary, once forgotten collection of music to Prymax Media,” said Jones. “This partnership now can resonate with and inspire a new generation. The collection also includes the complete unreleased vault from the legendary Q Records and Gramercy Records.”
Attorney Jeffrey D. Garfin oversaw the transaction for Prymax Media. “The material derived from the estate of Stan ‘The Record Man’ Lewis represents a literal time capsule containing hundreds of unknown recordings from incredibly well-known artists,” commented Garfin. “Many of these iconic performers are no longer with us. So to be able to hear alternate takes on their hits and even new material is just fantastic. I’m honored to be shepherding these recordings into the 21st century.”
The 2025 Roskilde Festival in Denmark will feature four nights of pop, rock, hip-hop and world beat with a little something for everyone. The massive weekend will kick off on July 2 with a headlining set from Charli xcx, who will be joined by the Deftones, Fontaines D.C., Annika, Slimo, Shaboozey, Wet Leg, Tierra Whack, Meridian Brothers and more.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Night two will be toplined by British grime rapper Stormzy, who will share the stage with Arca, Beabadoobee, D1ma, FKA Twigs, Anton Westerlin, Beth Gibbons, Bright Eyes, Horsegirl, Knocked Loose, Seu Jorge, Thee Sacred Souls, Couch Slut, Wisp, Maureen, Tanner Adell and more.
Friday (July 4) will feature Olivia Rodrigo along with Doechii, Artigeardit, Jamie XX, Schoolboy Q, Electric Callboy, Faye Webster, The Hu, Magdalena Bay, Saint Levant, Big Fan, Allie X, Neckbreakker, Show Strippers and more. The final night’s topliner, Nine Inch Nails, will also feature Tyla, Africa Express, Anohni and the Johnsons, Kenny, Lola Young, A.G. Cook, Anoushka Shankar, BigXthaplug, Flo, Lucy Dacus, Noah Carter, Rachel Chinouriri, The Raveonettes, School of X, The Chisel, Hitech, Lambrini Girls and more.
Trending on Billboard
This year’s show will feature 185 acts from 45 countries beginning with the “First Days” warm-up nights kicking off on June 29 and lasting through May 1, with sets from Aman Naseer, Andachan, Bette, Betty Bass, Biji, Boy with Apple, Bye Bye Brenda, Baench, Carlloyaboy, Casket Spray, DJ G2G, Fakethias, Groa, Hillari, J. Ludvig III and many more.
“Every summer, 130,000 participants and volunteers come together at Roskilde Festival to celebrate music, art, and community in a way that few other places can match,” said Roskilde’s head of music Thomas Sønderby Jepsen in a statement. “Our 2025 lineup presents 185 acts from 45 countries – a reflection of the energy, creativity, and global spirit that make Roskilde Festival one of the most vital festivals anywhere and offer not only a reflection of the present moment, but also a window into the sounds, trends, and expressions that will shape our future.”
Click here for ticket information and check out the full 2025 Roskilde Festival poster below.
The Red Clay Strays were notified that they had won the ACM Award for new duo or group of the year on Monday (April 28) while recording with producer Dave Cobb in Savannah, Ga. Cobb also produced their first major-label album, Made by These Moments, which reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 29 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
The news was revealed to the band by the winningest artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert, via a congratulatory phone call. Lambert previously informed Ella Langley of her win for new female artist of the year.
Trending on Billboard
Restless Road and Treaty Oak Revival were the other nominees for new duo or group of the year. This was the second nomination in the category for Restless Road, which means they cannot compete in this category again. Because the major country music awards shows allow artists two nominations in new artist categories, Treaty Oak Revival can.
The Red Clay Strays are also nominated for group of the year, where they are squaring off with Flatland Cavalry and three past winners in the category – Little Big Town, Old Dominion and Rascal Flatts.
The Red Clay Strays won emerging artist of the year at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards. They were nominated for vocal group of the year at the 2024 CMA Awards.
The group has had some big breaks, including having a song (“Caddo County”) on the best-selling Twisters: The Album, and opening selected dates on The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds tour.
Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, the band is comprised of Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar), Drew Nix (guitar and vocals), Zach Rishel (guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), and Sevans Henderson (keys).
Langley and Zach Top, the winner for new male artist of the year, are set to perform on the 60th ACM Awards. The Red Clay Strays will probably also join the line-up of performers, though for now we are told only that they “will be celebrated” on the show.
The 60th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream live exclusively for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A limited number of tickets to the landmark 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Country-rocker Cody Jinks is set to release a new album, titled In My Blood, on July 25.
He recorded the upcoming project, which will come out on his own Late August Records, at famed The Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, and worked alongside musicians David Colvin, Joshua Thompson (also a co-producer on the album), Jake Lentner, Chris Claridy, Austin Tripp, Matt Nolen, Drew Harakal and Lenny Castro.
Produced by Thompson and Charles Godfrey, In My Blood follows his 2024 album Change the Game which landed in the top 30 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and featured songs such as “Outlaws and Mustangs.”
“I think that Change the Game was the final chapter in part one of my writing and I just opened up part two,” Jinks told Billboard via email. “Kind of like how an author like Stephen King has part one that has 10 chapters, and then there’s part two. So, I think In My Blood starts part two. That’s how I feel about this record. It’s a very, very reflective record, and hopefully optimistic about the future as well.”
Trending on Billboard
While Change the Game centered on lessons learned through his journey of sobriety and maturity, the new album finds him in a further reflective mood on songs such as the road-dog song “In My Blood,” the nostalgic “When Time Didn’t Fly” and the hopeful “Found.”
The album features a mix of songs written solo by Jinks, as well as songs he co-wrote Ward Davis, Tennessee Jet, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr, among others. Each song features Jinks’s fearless, unapologetically honest style of songwriting and hard-charging musical style, adding to his storied canon of music.
His debut single from the album, “Found,” will be out May 2, while he is also slated to launch his headlining Hippies & Cowboys Tour in Columbia, Missouri later this month.
Below, Jinks details the making of In My Blood to Billboard.
Cody Jinks
c
You recorded this project at The Sonic Ranch. What do you love about recording there?
I fell in love with the Sonic Ranch during the recording process of [2015’s] Adobe Sessions. I love having nowhere else to go but to the studio to make music, because there’s nothing out there. You’re completely isolated in the desert, and it’s 45 minutes to the next town. I’ve recorded a lot of work out there because of that very thing, and Tony [Rancich] has created a magical place like no other that will ever exist.
Was there a particular song that really sparked the beginning for this project?
Not really. There was a song [“Better Than the Bottle”] that was one of the last ones written that became the first track, because it really set the tone for what the record was going to be. So that was fun. I love how records take shape like that on their own often time.
The title song was co-written with and features Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr. How did this song come about?
Charlie and I wrote this song while we were on tour together, last year, and debuted it the day we finished it in Canandaigua, New York. Obviously, since then, we recorded it, he came out to the studio and sang and played on it. We just got done doing a bunch of promo for it in Nashville, as well. He’s a great human being, and it’s the perfect song for him and I to have written together.
There seems to be such a synergy between what you do and what the guys in Blackberry Smoke do. Why do you love performing and creating with them?
That’s how that song really came to be. I love those guys because they aren’t in the music business. Blackberry Smoke is just a kick-ass band that’s been doing it the right way, the honest way, the hard way, the pure way, for a very long time. They are a very important piece of American music, and I’m thankful that we get to play with them. The friendship is more me and Charlie having hung out more than anybody else. When we were playing with those guys, there was always some of their guys watching our show and vice versa.
So, I think the mutual respect was there, and we see everybody in catering, and hang out, and guys would chat here and there. I think Charlie and I have found out we have a whole lot of things in common in just doing it the old school way, just the get in the van and go. And being thankful to still having a place in music.
“When Time Didn’t Fly” is really poignant. What is the backstory?
I wrote that song with Channing Wilson and Kendall Marvel on a Zoom write, four years ago or so, during COVID. I think at that time a lot of people were given time to reflect. All being at the age that we’re at, and given time to think about time… where did it go? Just the joys of childhood, how fun was it to do those things? The true joy that seems to not happen as much, the older you get. It’s a beautiful song, my mom loves that song, it’s the best on this new album. I really, really love that song. It’s a longing for innocence that only the youth are capable of having.
What is the story behind “The Others”?
We are the others. Everybody’s the others, actually. We all like the same things as everybody else, and we all like different things than everybody else. I wrote it with Ray Wylie Hubbard and Tennessee Jed. [After we were all at a festival], we ended up writing a song via text. “The Others” is just a cool tune written by two really, really cool guys and me. It’s one that we’re going to make a music video for. We’re really, really excited about this one being a single because at the end of the day, everybody’s just everybody. We’re all just people.
What do you most hope fans take away from this project?
I hope that if you really dive into the lyrics of this record, you find yourself, you find people, and you find letting go of the past and the things that hold you down, and looking forward to the things that are good for you. It’s about finding yourself, about being thankful, about becoming more reserved, and growing up. It’s a pretty wild ride, so the record reflects that. Our band made this record sound like it does.
They did a great job taking the simple songs that I brought them and making amazing pieces of music out of it. Josh Thompson, producing with Charles Godfrey, and our band having the freedom and the leeway to go in there with thoughtful and creative pieces that weren’t just laid down because they sounded all right, they were really crafted. It’s as pure a piece of art as we can possibly put out, as any band could ever possibly hope to put out. This is as pure as it gets, and I’ve often said that I’m thankful that the fans have grown up with us, and grown up with me, and here’s to looking forward and making it better.
In My Blood tracklist:
Better Than the Bottle
Lost Highway
The Others
In My Blood
Something Wicked This Way Comes
See the Man
When You Can’t Remember
Lonely Man
Monster
Found
When Time Didn’t Fly
Eddie Vedder, Hozier and Green Day will headline this fall’s edition of the Ohana Festival on Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. The three-day fest (Sept. 26-28) will also feature support on the Vedder-topped first night from Kings of Leon, Garbage, Stereophonics, Lukas Nelson, Kim Deal, Deep Sea Diver, Hinds, Girl and Girl and more.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Night two will feature Hozier atop a bill with Leon Bridges, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Tedeshi Trucks Band, Royel Otis, Margo Price, Mdou Moctar, Mon Rovia, Chaparelle, David Duchovny and the Alain Johannes Band.
Trending on Billboard
The final night will pair pop punk veterans Green Day with Cage the Elephant, Wet Leg, Jams, Mannequin Pussy, the Chats, Lambrini Girls, The Murder Capital, The Criticals and Skating Polly.
A pre-sale begins on Thursday (May 1) at 10 a.m. PT, followed by a public on-sale at 12 p.m. PT if any tickets remain.
One of the highlights of last year’s Ohana fest was founder and Pearl Jam singer Vedder bringing out his 16-year-old daughter Harper to sing a mash-up of PJ’s signature cover of Wayne Cochran’s 1961 car crash tragic love song “Last Kiss” with the second-generation Vedder taking over to slip in the first verse from Taylor Swift’s Fearless song “The Best Day.” The 2024 version also featured sets from Maren Morris, Devo, Dogstar, Sting, Black Pumas and Alanis Morissette, among others.
Before that, Pearl Jam will take the stage to headline at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Saturday night (May 3) and Vedder will be on hand at the Tribeca Festival on June 12 for the premiere of his documentary about the devastating childhood skin disorder epidermolysis bullosa, Matter of Time.
Check out the full poster for the 2025 Ohana Festival below.
Metallica will revisit their 1996 album Load with a sprawling 301-track box set that will feature 245 unreleased tracks as well las demos, rarities and outtakes. The massive set due out on June 13 will be released in a number of formats, including a 2LP 180G vinyl package, as well as CD, cassette and digital, in addition to an expanded 3CD version and what they are calling a “mammoth” deluxe box set.
The “ambitious and comprehensive time capsule of 1995-1997 era Metallica” will feature the entire remastered Load album on 180g double vinyl, the extended version of “The Outlaw Torn,” which was originally edited for release due to the running time limits on CDs at the time, as well as a “Mama Said” picture disc and Loadapalooza ’96, a 140g triple album recorded live during their headlining Lollapalooza show at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on Aug. 4, 1996.
Also included in the 15-CD set are 245 never-before-released tracks, including “riffs, floor takes, demos and rough mixes, B-sides and rarities,” as well as “tons” of live material. The box will also come with four DVDs including behind-the-scenes, in-studio and live footage, as well as on-air and TV appearances and their Polar Beach Party visit to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada.
Trending on Billboard
The massive 10 pound, 1,800-minute box remastered by Reuben Cohen chronicling the group’s second LP to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart will be filled out with special goodies, including 14 Rorschach Test cards, a Pushead patch, an 11×17 Lollapalooza poster, a reproduction of their Rolling Stone cover from the time, a five-pack of guitar/bass picks, lyric sheets, two laminated tour passes and a deluxe 128-page book featuring unreleased photos and stories from the era.
Click here to see all the formats and to pre-order the set; fans who pre-order the deluxe box set now will receive a handful of instant free tracks: “Until It Sleeps (Remastered),” “Until It Sleeps (Herman Melville Mix),” “F.O.B.D. (‘Until It Sleeps’ Rough Chorus Vocal Idea Mix)” and “Until It Sleeps (Live at Slim’s, San Francisco, CA – June 10th, 1996).”
The band released a new lyric video for “Until It Sleeps” in advance of the set’s release, check it out below.
Eighteen months ago, Barbra Streisand released My Name Is Barbra, an anecdote-rich memoir about her 60-plus years of blazing trails in music, film, Broadway, activism and beyond. But the story isn’t over. On Wednesday (April 30), the eight-time Grammy winner and five-time Billboard Hot 100 topper announced a new studio album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, is coming out on her longtime label Columbia Records on June 27.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
A sequel to 2014’s Billboard 200-topping album Partners, this new project also features a cross-genre, cross-generational list of duet partners. And some of the names on this tracklist are likely to leave more than a few jaws on the floor.
Trending on Billboard
There are duets with classic rock royalty, including Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, James Taylor and Sting (separately); Irish rocker Hozier; Icelandic jazz singer-songwriter Laufey; English crooner Sam Smith; country hitmaker Tim McGraw; Josh Groban, fresh off his celebrated Broadway stint in Sweeney Todd; and British soul mainstay Seal. Plus, there’s a duet with not just one but two vocally dynamic divas – Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande — that is sure to set the Internet aflame when it lands.
The first taste of the album, Streisand’s duet with Hozier, is already here. Listen to their take on Roberta Flack’s 1972 Hot 100 No. 1, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” out now.
“Barbra Streisand is one of the most enduring and iconic vocalists of our time, and somebody who defined an era with the sheer force of her voice, her talent, charisma and vision. To be asked to join her on a duet was a huge honor and came as a wonderful and welcome surprise,” Hozier said in a statement. “Ewan MacColl’s ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, made famous by the stunning Roberta Flack recording, has always mystified me. It is, to me, one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. Like so many, I was deeply saddened to hear of her recent passing. Along with the honor I have to sing on this record with Barbra, I hope this duet offers something of a gesture to Roberta Flack’s incredible legacy.”
“I’ve always loved singing duets with gifted artists. They inspire me in unique and different ways…and make our time in the studio a joy,” Streisand said in a statement. “My new album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, gave me the chance to work and play with some of my old friends, label mates, and new artists too. I admire all of them… and I hope that you’ll enjoy listening to our collaborations as much as I enjoyed recording with all of my wonderful partners.”
Check out the full tracklist for The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two below. The album is produced by Walter Afanasieff and Peter Asher, with orchestrations provided by William Ross and David Campbell. Streisand and Jay Landers, her longtime A&R executive, are the album’s executive producers.
Barbra Streisand
Kathryn Boyd Brolin
THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE with Hozier
MY VALENTINE with Paul McCartney
TO LOSE YOU AGAIN with Sam Smith
THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU with Bob Dylan
LETTER TO MY 13 YEAR OLD SELF with Laufey
ONE HEART, ONE VOICE with Mariah Carey & Ariana Grande
I LOVE US with Tim McGraw
SECRET O’ LIFE with James Taylor
FRAGILE with Sting
WHERE DO I GO FROM YOU? with Josh Groban
LOVE WILL SURVIVE with Seal
Australian punks Amyl and The Sniffers have taken out the song of the year at the 2025 APRA Music Awards, held Wednesday (April 30) at Melbourne Town Hall.
The Melbourne group received the coveted peer-voted award for their track “U Should Not Be Doing That,” which was released as the lead single for their 2024 album Cartoon Darkness. The record itself became the group’s second consecutive release to hit No. 2 on the ARIA charts, while the single received a nomination for best video at the 2024 ARIA Awards.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The award caps off an impressive run for the four-piece, having recently wrapped up two weekends at Coachella as part of their North American tour, and taking out both best live act and best LP/EP at the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards.
Trending on Billboard
Troye Sivan, meanwhile, was named songwriter of the year, just shy of the one-year anniversary of “Rush” being named song of the year at the 2024 ceremony.
“Songwriting is my favorite thing that I get to do. I think it’ll be something that I do for the rest of my life,” Sivan said of his win. “I feel like it’s, one of the greatest gifts that I was born with. Not even the ability to write a good song, just the ability to create at all.”
While Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell of Royel Otis received the emerging songwriter of the year award just months after winning four trophies at the ARIA Awards, Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker emerged as the night’s big winner, being honored in the categories of most performed Australian work and most performed pop work.
In both instances, Parker’s win was for Dua Lipa‘s “Houdini,” which he co-wrote alongside Lipa and international writers Caroline Ailin, Danny Harle and Tobias Jesso Jr. Released in November 2023, the single topped the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, and reached a respectable No. 11 on the Hot 100.
Sia‘s “Unstoppable” was named most performed Australian work overseas, while Tate McRae’s “Greedy” took out most performed international work. King Stingray, Ziggy Alberts, Make Them Suffer, Kaiit, Lithe, and Dom Dolla also emerged victorious in their respective genre categories, while Kylie Minogue took out the previously-announced Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.
The 2025 edition of the APRAs cemented “another huge year for Australian music, both at home and overseas,” comments APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston.
“It’s heartwarming to see so many first-time winners this year, showcasing the incredible breadth of talent Australia produces, and it’s a testament to the opportunity of Australia becoming a global songwriting powerhouse,” he added.
“With an election just days away, we hope that both sides of government can see the immense talent we have here, and the opportunities to build a stronger, fairer, more vibrant future for Australian music, recognising our music as the global cultural powerhouse and valuable export that it so clearly is.”
Established in 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association’s annual songwriters’ ceremony is one of the Australian music industry’s most treasured events, a worthy counterpart to Britain’s Ivor Novello Awards.
Full List of 2025 APRA Music Awards winners:
Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Title: U Should Not Be Doing ThatArtist: Amyl and The SniffersWriters: Declan Mehrtens / Fergus Romer / Amy Taylor / Bryce Wilson
Songwriter of the Year
Writer: Troye SivanPublisher: Universal Music Publishing
Emerging Songwriter of the Year
Writers: Otis Pavlovic & Royel Maddell (Royel Otis)Publishers: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Ourness Songs
International Recognition Award
Keanu Torres (Keanu Beats)
Most Performed Australian Work
Title: HoudiniArtist: Dua LipaWriters: Kevin Parker / Dua Lipa*^ / Caroline Ailin / Daniel Harle / Tobias Jesso Jr.^Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music* / Universal Music Publishing^
Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Title: UnstoppableArtist: SiaWriter: Sia Furler / Christopher Braide*Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Concord Music Publishing ANZ*
Most Performed Alternative Work
Title: ParadiseArtist: CoterieWriters: Brandford Fisher / Conrad Fisher / Joshua Fisher / Tyler Fisher / Robby De Sa*Publishers: Concord Music Publishing ANZ / Sony Music Publishing*
Most Performed Blues & Roots Work
Title: New LoveArtist: Ziggy AlbertsWriter: Ziggy AlbertsPublisher: Kobalt Music Publishing
Most Performed Country Work
Title: Take Forever (Hally’s Song)Artist: Cooper AlanWriters: Kylie Sackley* / Timothy Cooper^ / Justin Morgan+Publishers: I Love You More Music Worldwide* / BMG^ / SHOUT! Music Publishing+
Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work
Title: Saving UpArtist: Dom DollaWriters: Dominic Matheson / Clementine Douglas* / Toby Scott^ / Caitlin Stubbs^Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Mushroom Music Publishing* / Kobalt Music Publishing^
Most Performed Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work
Title: EpitaphArtist: Make Them SufferWriters: Sean Harmanis / Nicholas McLernon / Jordan Mather / Alexandra Reade / Jeff DunneCooking Vinyl Publishing
Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
Title: Fall BackArtist: LitheWriters: Josiah Ramel* / Omid KhasrawyPublisher: Concord Music Publishing ANZ obo Boss Level*
Most Performed International Work
Title: Greedy Artist: Tate McRae Writers: Tate McRae / Amy Allen* / Jasper Harris^ / Ryan TedderPublishers: Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music* / Concord Music Publishing ANZ^
Most Performed Pop Work
Title: HoudiniArtist: Dua LipaWriters: Kevin Parker / Dua Lipa*^ / Caroline Ailin / Daniel Harle / Tobias Jesso Jr.^Publishers: Sony Music Publishing / Warner Chappell Music* / Universal Music Publishing^
Most Performed R&B / Soul Work
Title: SpaceArtist: KaiitWriters: Kaiit Waup / Jake Amy / Anthony Liddell / Jaydean Miranda / Justin Smith
Most Performed Rock Work
Title: Through The TreesArtist: King StingrayWriters: Theo Dimathaya Burarrwanga / Roy Kellaway* / Campbell Messer / Yirrŋa Gotjiringu Yunupingu* / Yimila Gurruwiwi / Lewis StilesPublisher: Sony Music Publishing*
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music
Kylie Minogue
Licensee of the Year
Lazybones Lounge Restaurant & Bar
