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Gracie McGraw — the daughter of country superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill — would like to set the record … well, not straight, but you get it. In a since-expired post to her Instagram Stories on Monday (June 2), McGraw posted a photo with the words “everyone get more gay now” written in bold […]
Following in the footsteps of Hannah Montana and The Cheetah Girls before them, it’s time to meet your new favorite fictional Disney pop stars: Electric Bloom. The new musical comedy series Electric Bloom tells the story of how three budding BFFs — Posey (Lumi Pollack), Jade (Carmen Sanchez) and Tulip (Ruby Marino) — became “the […]
KATSEYE, which recently notched their first Billboard Hot 100 hit with “Gnarly,” is set to perform that feisty song on the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards. The show, with Tyla hosting, is set to air live on Saturday, June 21, at 8 p.m. ET/PT from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
KATSEYE, a Los Angeles-based girl group (Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae), has been steadily building its fanbase over the past two years. With members from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and the U.S., KATSEYE is often described as a “global girl group.”
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The group first formed through HYBE and Geffen Records’ The Dream Academy competition and artist development program, later chronicled in the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.
The group received two nominations at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards: favorite K-pop dance challenge for “Touch” and favorite on screen for Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.
The group made Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list for 2025 and has been named an Artist to Watch for 2025 by VEVO, DSCVR and TIDAL.
In September, KATSEYE attended New York Fashion Week for the first time. In November, joined by the L.A. Rams Cheerleaders, they performed on the MAMA Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. In December, they performed on select dates of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert. This year, they were added to the performance lineups for L.A.’s Wango Tango in May and Lollapalooza, scheduled for August in Chicago.
“Gnarly” is set to appear on KATSEYE’s second EP, Beautiful Chaos, which is due June 27 via HYBE x Geffen Records. The group’s first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong) — which featured contributions from such A-listers as Ryan Tedder, Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin — reached No. 119 on the Billboard 200.
Now, they’re the first performers announced for an awards show whose young teen fanbase will overlap to a large degree with their own EYEKON fan army.
Nickelodeon is calling the show the biggest party of the summer. It is certain to have more epic slimings than any other show. Kids’ Choice Awards 2025 will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, the Nick Jr. channel, MTV2 and CMT, and also air on Nickelodeon channels around the world.
Leading the pack with four nominations each are Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar, followed by Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, Selena Gomez and Jelly Roll with three apiece.
First-time nominees include Gracie Abrams, Zach Bryan, Jordan Chiles, Frankie Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Doechii, Keith Lee, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, Shohei Ohtani and Florence Pugh, among others.
Big Machine Label Group is set to celebrate its 20-year anniversary with a Big Machine 20 concert in downtown Nashville on Aug. 29, featuring performances from Sheryl Crow, Riley Green and Brett Young.
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The free-to-the-public celebration’s will kick off the rebranded Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR Series Championship weekend, and will include the fifth annual Freedom Friday event to honor military members, police, fire, first responders and frontline members. In 2024, the Freedom Friday event drew 118,000 attendees to Nashville prior to the NTT INDYCAR Series event.
“This year’s event has even more meaning as we celebrate 20 years of Big Machine,” said BMLG founder, chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta in a statement. “Nobody could’ve predicted our incredible success in a city we love so much. This is our thank you to Nashville and all the fans of our amazing artists and their music. This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event and one we’ll never forget!”
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Other performers on the lineup include newcomer Preston Cooper, as well as artists who have been part of Big Machine Label Group’s two-decade history, including The Band Perry, Danielle Peck, Danielle Bradbery, RaeLynn, Jimmy Wayne and Jack Ingram.
Borchetta launched Big Machine in 2005, following roles at labels including MCA Nashville and DreamWorks Universal. The label’s current roster includes Tim McGraw, Midland, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, Brantley Gilbert, Carly Pearce, RaeLynn, Jackson Dean and Lady A.
Along the way, the label has also been an advocate for artists’ rights, with Borchetta launching the “Music Has Value” campaign and working with terrestrial radio broadcasters to earn sound-recording performance royalties for the label and its artists.
The label’s biggest alum, Taylor Swift, is not named among the Big Machine 20 event’s participants. Swift has not been aligned with the label since leaving for UMG’s Republic label in 2018 and following the 2019 sale of Big Machine Label Group — including the pop superstar’s recorded catalog — to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings. In 2021, HYBE bought Ithaca Holdings. Swift recently regained ownership of her master recordings.
PRS For Music paid out £1.02 billion ($1.3 billion) in royalties to songwriters, composers and publishers in 2024, according to reports from the U.K. collection society.
That figure is up 8.1% from 2023, when royalty payouts to its members reached £943.6 million ($1.2 billion). This means that PRS For Music have delivered early on their five-year plan to achieve £1 billion in royalties paid out by 2026.
Last year, reported revenue growth was up 6.1% to £1.15 billion ($1.46 billion), marking a notable deceleration from the 12.5% increase recorded in 2023, when PRS For Music broke the billion-pound barrier for the first time.
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Elsewhere, international revenues at the end of 2024 jumped 79.6% from 2015 levels to £351.4 million ($448.8 million). The organization attributed the continued growth to “a renewed commercial mindset and investment in data and technology infrastructure.”
The society’s online royalties grew 9% in 2024 to £401.2 million ($512 million). Collections from the video games sector accounted for a significant portion of this increase, after PRS For Music secured a partnership with Sony Playstation’s streaming service to build on its long-standing download deal.
Public performance royalty collections were also a key driver of growth, increasing by 14% in 2024 primarily due to a lift in collections from the live sector, which were up 30% year-on-year.
In a statement, PRS For Music’s CEO Andrea Czapary Martin — who features in the inaugural Billboard U.K. Power Players list — said, “PRS members have the right to demand their society think differently, challenge the norms in an industry where tradition is too often an excuse for inaction. To constantly evolve to meet their changing needs and expectations.
“Indeed, it is because we recognize the need to constantly challenge ourselves that we have been able to double the royalties paid to songwriters, composers and publishers in less than a decade.”
The above figures were announced at PRS For Music’s annual general meeting, which took place in London on Tuesday (June 3) and was also where new council representatives were elected. Singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis has joined the Writer Council as a member alongside Tom Gray, chair of the Ivors Academy, and composer Philip Pope.
PRS for Music’s Publisher Council increased its membership, welcoming including Megan Hall, senior vp of business and legal affairs at Concord Music Publishing; Nigel Gilroy, global head of legal & business affairs at Novello and Company; Daniel Lang, senior vp of global society relations & digital rights at Warner Chappell Music; and Richard Paine, director of commercial rights & business affairs at Faber Music.
Julian Nott, chair of the PRS Members’ Council, said, “I’m delighted to welcome our new and re-elected Council members. The wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise that they have amassed during their careers will bring a huge amount of insight and ensure the Council continues to deliver the best possible society for members and that every part of the membership is served by the organization.”
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Apparently, one of the wealthiest men on the planet is promising to donate the overwhelming majority of his massive fortune over the next two decades, and most of the funds will go to Africa.
According to BBC, last month, Microsoft founder Bill Gates announced during an address at the African Union (AU) headquarters that most of his fortune, which he expects to exceed $200 billion (with a capital B), will be spent on improving health and education services on the continent over the next two decades.
“I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years,” he said. “The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa. By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity,” the billionaire tech innovator reportedly said.
If Gates makes good on his promise, it will be a welcome boon to the region, which will likely suffer more than it already has due to the reckless policies of a certain U.S. president whose only vested interest in the continent involves white Afrikaners suffering a fictional “white genocide.”
From BBC:
The US government has cut aid to Africa, including programmes to treat patients with HIV/Aids, as part of US President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, raising concerns about the future of healthcare on the continent.
Gates said his foundation, which has a long history of operating in Africa, would focus on improving primary healthcare.
“What we’ve learned is that helping the mother be healthy and have great nutrition before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results,” he said.
“Ensuring the child receives good nutrition in their first four years as well makes all the difference.”
Gates also had a message for young innovators in Africa, whom he urged to think more about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology can improve healthcare and other infrastructure needs, citing the advent of mobile phones, which he said revolutionized banking in Africa.
“Africa largely skipped traditional banking and now you have a chance, as you build your next generation healthcare systems, to think about how AI is built into that,” he said. He also noted that, in Rwanda, medical professionals are already improving services using AI-enabled ultrasound to identify high-risk pregnancies.
“People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,” Gates wrote in a blog post last month.
Welp, we’ll see if one of the world’s richest men will put his money where his mouth is.
We shall see.
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The hazing death of Southern University student Caleb Wilson earlier this year has stoked so many emotions, among them disappointment in the culture that surrounds fraternities. Comedian Rickey Smiley took aim at that during a recent appearance on the Spolitics podcast with Jemele Hill, speaking from his experience as a member of Omega Psi Phi, the same fraternity Wilson was pledging.“I don’t think Bishop Edgar A. Love would have punched anybody in the chest,” Smiley said. “Just, Love, Cooper and Coleman founded Omega Psi Phi at Howard University in 1911. A lot of these guys that started this culture, I don’t care if it started in the ’80s, I don’t care when it started. It is wrong. In 25 years in the frat, I have never put my hands on anybody.” Smiley has been a member of Omega Psi Phi since 2000, and has continually offered support to the Wilson family since 20-year-old Caleb’s death through his platform, relating to their grief due to the death of his own son in January 2023. But he found that the fraternity reportedly wasn’t as encouraging. “I called Caleb Wilson’s dad and offered my condolences because I’m a dad that also lost his son,” Smiley said to Hill. “You know what he said? You are the first member of your fraternity to call and offer your condolences.”
Wilson’s death, which led to the arrest of three men afterward, has sparked more conversation about Black Greek culture and the numerous hazing incidents it has dealt with in the past. Talledega College president and author of Black Greek 101 Walter Kimbrough wrote about the incident for MSNBC, focusing on the older individuals involved: “I call these individuals ‘extended adolescents,’ and they pose a particularly alarming risk to college campus safety.” He blasted the “gang-like mentality” that’s taken over in the fraternity in recent years. “I [joined] Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc, because of what it was founded on, not the culture that was created,” he explained. “Culture starts with cult. It’s gang activity…the last physical altercations that I’ve gotten into as a man was with Ques. Why?” Smiley did acknowledge that there are members who are working to break “the generational curse of hazing” and stated that he’d never give up on Omega Psi Phi.
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Raise your hand if you miss the classic Wii. We sure do.
When I was a kid, the console was a staple in my household. From Animal Crossing to Wii Sports, I distinctly remember playing on the Wii until my eyes burned. The console was and is one of the greats, in my humble opinion. With the introduction of the Wii U and Switch, however, the console became practically obsolete, and was eventually discontinued in 2013. For those of us chasing the magic and nostalgia factor of the Wii, we’ve got a deal you’re sure to love.
Wii Bundle
$112.94
$118.59
5% off
A Wii bundle equipped with controllers, charging ports, a sensor bar and more.
Right now, Amazon has a refurbished white Nintendo Wii Console available for $112.94. It comes with all the bells and whistles needed to play, including the Wii console, 2 Wii remotes, 2 nunchucks, 2 Wii remote jackets, sensor bar, Wii AC adaptor, Wii AV cable and a controller charging dock. Two rechargeable batteries for your controller are also included.
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This bundle deal is great for those looking to play on a system for cheap, especially considering some newer consoles retail for more than $500 without any inclusions.
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This console is family-friendly, amounting to endless hours of fun. The console’s age also means that finding compatible games should be pretty easy and cost-effective, too. You can play some pretty impressive titles on the Wii, from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to Mario Kart. The playable options are endless.
Hyperkin Hyper Strummer Wii Guitar Controller
$72.99
$76.99
5% off
A guitar-shaped Wii-compatible controller.
This deal comes at a perfect time, especially considering a new Wii-compatible Guitar Hero controller was just announced in January. The Hyperkin-made ultra-nostalgic guitar-shaped controller can also be purchased on Amazon and currently retails for $72.99. This controller is compatible with both Guitar Hero and Rock Band games on Wii consoles.
In other Nintendo video game console news, you can preorder the new Nintendo Switch 2 now via Walmart. The innovative setup is set for release on June 5, and currently retails for $449. The Switch 2 boasts three play modes: TV, tabletop and handheld. The console also features a larger and more vivid 7.9” LCD touchscreen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps. Plus, you can get the gaming console shipped to you for free if you’re a Walmart+ member, with delivery by 9 a.m. local time on launch day.
Nintendo Switch 2
A new Switch model with updated features.
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In Diddy’s ongoing sex trafficking case, things just got even messier.
A former hotel security guard, Eddy Garcia, says the Bad Boy mogul allegedly dropped $100K to get rid of a video showing him beating up Cassie in a hotel hallway. Garcia worked at the InterContinental Hotel, where the alleged assault happened. Garcia told the court Diddy was serious about keeping the footage secret. According to him, Diddy made sure it wasn’t saved online and said it *had to be* the only copy. Then, Diddy handed over an envelope with $100,000 in cash.
The former security guard claims money didn’t all go to him, but his boss got $50K, and the rest was split between him and another guard. In return, Garcia gave Diddy a USB drive with the footage and was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement that came with a $1 million fine if he ever spoke on it.
Garcia also said he talked to Cassie on FaceTime, and she told him she wanted the video gone too.
This comes on top of other wild accusations against Diddy. Rapper Kid Cudi says Diddy once broke into his crib and lit his car on fire. That’s not a rumor—that’s part of the court case too. All of this is painting a dark picture of one of Hip-Hop’s biggest names. What started as whispers is now turning into a courtroom drama with serious receipts. As the trial continues, more details are coming out—and they’re not looking good for Diddy.
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At the inaugural SXSW London taking place June 2-7, with nearly 900 speakers participating in some 500 sessions, one specific topic was of sharp relevance to the music industry — indeed, every industry and every attendee.
The climate crisis.
The past year saw extreme weather drive fires across the music capital of Los Angeles; a cyclone prompt cancellations of some two dozen live events in Australia in a single week; and more than 50 festivals in the U.K. either postponed or canceled due to forces including higher weather-related insurance costs.
“Climate change is not some distant threat,” said Leila Toplic, chief communications and trust officer of Carbonfuture, which provides verification of efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
“The business case for taking action is still there,” remarked Helen Clarkson, CEO of the the Climate Group, a non-profit whiich has worked with more than 500 multinational businesses in 175 markets. (She spoke during a panel provocatively entitled “Canceling Sustainabilty,” about efforts to purse a green agenda in the face of new anti-environmental rhetoric in Washington, D.C.)
SXSW London organizers tapped the Bellwethers Group, which is focused on building a green economy, as its the official sustainability partner and the company hosted several days of panels at the Nature and Cimate House.
One of those panels focused on the role that advertising and public relations agencies can play in guiding businesses which claim to be concerned about the climate. Lameya Chaudhury, head of social impact for the mission-driven creative agency Luck Generals, remarked: “The question we’re asking of clients in 2025 is — did you really f–king mean it?”
SXSW London builds on the four-decade legacy of the South By Southwest music, arts, film and tech conference and festival launched in Austin, Texas, in 1987. Two years ago, Penske Media (the owner of Billboard) took a majority interest in the company which now presents conferences in Austin; Sydney, Australia; and now in the formerly industry district of Shoreditch in East London.
The climate-focused discussion that hit closest to home for the music industry took place Wednesday morning. Billed as “The Future of Sustainable Live Events,” it was moderated by Claire O’Neill, CEO and co-founder of the international nonprofit A Greener Future and co-founder of green energy specialists, Grid Faeries.
Panel participants included Sam Booth, director of sustainability for AEG Europe; Alex Bruford, founder, managing director and agent with ATC Live, whose clients include The Lumineers and Fontaines DC; and Mark Stevenson, co-founder of CUR8, whose mission is to remove 1 billion tons of carbon a year from the atmosphere.
Here are five key takeaways from their discussion.
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