Awards
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When the Oscars announced that this year’s nominees for best original song would not be performed on the telecast, but that there would instead be a single spot focused on the songwriters of those songs, some feared that music would get short shrift on the annual awards show, which airs Sunday, March 2, from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Subsequent announcements have proved that this is not the case.
Six powerhouse women – Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, LISA of BLACKPINK, Queen Latifah and RAYE – will perform on the telecast. The show also will feature a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Erivo and Grande, who are both nominated for their roles in Wicked, are expected to open the telecast with one or more songs from that blockbuster musical. Queen Latifah is set to take part in a tribute to Quincy Jones, who died in November at age 91. Latifah, a longtime friend of the music and film titan, performed on two tracks on his 1995 album Q’s Jook Joint.
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The other women are expected to participate in “performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends.”
“There are special moments that are planned and it’s about music, it’s about celebration, it’s about celebrating some really amazing pieces of film and even a Governor’s Award with Quincy Jones,” the show’s executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor said in a Zoom press conference with the creative team on Wednesday (Feb. 26). “The music performances are just really special and curated this year. And I think they speak to this year in film, and they also speak to icons and legends.”
But Kapoor didn’t want to divulge too much about the show. “I mean we absolutely love the element of surprise. What I can say is [that even with] every presenter and every performer that’s already been announced, there’s still more to come. There are people that are not going to be announced,” he teased. “You will have to keep a sharp eye out for a few different cameos that happen throughout the evening.”
Kapoor said the show will have a couple of themes. “One is that we are honoring the city of Los Angeles. … We really wanted to create some really beautiful moments on stage that celebrate this amazing city that we live in, all the amazing films that have been filmed here, and just have a really uplifting and beautiful message that we hope really touches everybody who watches the show.
Supervising choreographer Mandy Moore said they will aim to recapture some of the excitement of last year’s show-stopping Ryan Gosling performance of “I’m Just Ken.” “I can definitely say if you liked Kenergy, you’re going to love everything we’re doing this year because it’s in the same vein of joy and celebration.”
RAYE performed her song “Oscar Winning Tears,” from her album My 21st Century Blues, on the Grammy telecast on Feb. 2, where she was a best new artist nominee. Kapoor was an executive producer of that show as well.
Last year’s Oscar winners in the four acting categories – Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph – were the first presenters announced for this year’s show.
Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, two of the stars of Emilia Pérez; Ben Stiller; and Joe Alwyn, one of the stars of The Brutalist (though probably still best known as Taylor Swift’s ex) have since been added to the list of presenters. This will be Gomez’s first appearance on the Oscars stage. Other presenters range from 25-year-old starlet Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) to 95-year old character actress June Squibb.
Conan O’Brien will host the telecast for the first time. Nick Offerman will serve as announcer.
The 2025 Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official live red carpet show airing at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
Here are the performers and presenters for the 2025 Oscars.
Performers
Doja Cat
Cynthia Erivo
Ariana Grande
LISA of Blackpink
Queen Latifah (Quincy Jones tribute)
RAYE
Presenters
Joe Alwyn
Dave Bautista
Halle Berry
Sterling K. Brown
Penélope Cruz
Willem Dafoe
Ana de Armas
Lily-Rose Depp
Robert Downey Jr.
Elle Fanning
Harrison Ford
Gal Gadot
Andrew Garfield
Whoopi Goldberg
Selena Gomez
Goldie Hawn
Samuel L. Jackson
Scarlett Johansson
John Lithgow
Cillian Murphy
Connie Nielsen
Amy Poehler
Margaret Qualley
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Alba Rohrwacher
Zoe Saldaña
June Squibb
Ben Stiller
Emma Stone
Oprah Winfrey
Bowen Yang
Rachel Zegler
Queen Latifah is set to take part in a tribute to Quincy Jones on the 2025 Oscars, which is set to air on Sunday (March 2) from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The actor and musician performed on two tracks on Jones’ 1995 album Q’s Jook Joint.
The news was announced by Raj Kapoor, the telecast’s executive producer and showrunner, during a press conference on Zoom with the creative team. “One of the most exciting things that we’ve worked on this year is a musical performance that will tribute Quincy Jones,” he said.
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“We’ve planned and curated this beautiful moment that we hope will uplift the room, that will celebrate the spirit of Quincy and all of his greatness,” said Kapoor, who is co-executive producing the show for the second year in a row (and is part of the Oscars team for the ninth time). “It’s a beautiful moment, and we think it will be very celebratory and make everybody feel really good.”
It’s no surprise that Jones will be receive a special tribute on the show. The producer and musician, who died in November at age 91, made Oscar history many times. He was the first Black musician to be hired as music director on the annual Oscar telecast. In 1967, he became the first Black composer to receive an Oscar nomination for best original song. Jones is, to this day, the only Black composer with three nods in scoring categories, for his work on In Cold Blood (1967), The Wiz (1978) and The Color Purple (1985).
Will Smith, who starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones executive produced, would have been a natural for the Jones tribute, but he was banned from all Academy Award events for 10 years in 2023 following his misbehavior on that year’s telecast.
Smith was part of the tribute to Jones on the Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. He shared memories of working with Jones on the show, which Kapoor also executive produced. The Grammys also featured musical tributes to the beloved musician by Herbie Hanock, Cynthia Erivo, Stevie Wonder, Lainey Wilson, Jacob Collier and Janelle Monáe.
In the Zoom conference, the Oscars’ first-time music director Michael Bearden said he has long walked in Jones’ footsteps. Both men were born on the south side of Chicago, moved to New York, and then moved to Los Angeles. “Quincy is really the blueprint of what I’m able to do,” he said.
While the creative team was reluctant to spoil surprises, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are expected to perform a Wicked medley to kick off the Oscars ceremony. Other performers on the show are Doja Cat, Raye and BLACKPINK’S LISA. The 97th Oscars will also feature a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
First-time show host Conan O’Brien explained the team’s reluctance. “You don’t tell people what you’re going to do. A magician told me that.”
O’Brien has hosted the Primetime Emmys twice (in 2002 and 2006) and the MTV Movie Awards (in 2014). But as he said, the Oscars are on another level. “The Oscars feels it’s all of that on steroids,” he said. “The Oscars team is incredibly professional. It’s like for the first time getting to drive a Ferrari. … I wanted to be part of this magical machine.”
O’Brien said he reached out to past hosts Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel for advice. Crystal has hosted the show nine times; Kimmel, four times.
Kapoor announced there will be a charitable component to the show, as there was on the Grammys. “People will be able to interact, and they are free to donate if they would like to.”
Kapoor, Bearden and O’Brien were joined on the Zoom call by executive producer Katy Mullan, co-executive producer Rob Paine, producer and writer Mike Sweeney, writer Jon Macks, production designer Alana Billingsley and supervising choreographer Mandy Moore.
Brooks & Dunn are set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the 64th Western Heritage Awards, which will be presented at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Saturday, April 12. Each year, the museum recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Western heritage through works in film, […]
Gospel music pioneer and pastor John P. Kee will be honored as a Trailblazer of Gospel at the 2025 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, to be held at Flourish Atlanta on Thursday, April 3.
Throughout the ceremony, BMI will also recognize the songwriters, producers and music publishers of the past year’s 25 most performed gospel songs in the United States. The private event will be hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI president & CEO, and Catherine Brewton, BMI vp, creative, Atlanta.
“John P. Kee is a true visionary in the genre, and his music continues to have an impact in gospel music for over 40 years and counting,” Brewton said in a statement. “It’s an honor to recognize his dedication and the unwavering commitment he’s made through his artistry and evangelism.”
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Kee, known as the Prince of Gospel Music, is widely recognized for his contributions to contemporary gospel music. In the mid 1980s, he started a community choir in Charlotte, N.C., that eventually became known as the New Life Community Choir (NLCC). Over the course of his professional career spanning almost four decades, he has written music for Hallmark, Inc., The Hawkins Family, Daryl Coley, Billy Preston, Dorinda Clark Cole, Rev. James Cleveland, Bishop Rance Allen, Florida Mass Choir, Mississippi Mass Choir, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and for the legendary Dr. James Cleveland’s Gospel Music Workshop of America, among others.
His music has been featured in film, television, commercials and on Saturday Night Live. Throughout his solo career and his work with NLCC, he has amassed 37 GMWA Excellence Awards, 27 Stellar Awards, three BMI Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, a Soul Train Music Award, a Trailblazer Award from former President Bill Clinton and received eight Grammy nominations. Adding to his list of accolades, Kee was inducted into the International Gospel Hall of Fame in 2005 and was previously honored at the BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards in 2001 and 2005.
In addition, Kee has been the full-time pastor of the New Life Fellowship Center in Charlotte since its inception in 1995.
Billboard‘s Women in Music event wouldn’t be complete without a lineup of powerhouse musical performances, nor would the awards be nearly as meaningful without a slate of accomplished women on hand to present them. And on Wednesday (Feb. 26), the list of names for both were announced ahead of the 2025 ceremony. Among the performers […]
Rema, Ayra Starr and Tems are among the top nominees for the 2025 Headies Awards, a pan-African music awards event set for April 5 in Lagos, Nigeria. This will mark the show’s return to Africa after holding its last two ceremonies in Atlanta. The Headies Awards will be livestreamed on YouTube (U.S.) and Hip TV (Nigeria).
Odumodublvck is the top nominee with eight nods. Rema and Ayra Starr each received seven. Tems, Shallipopi and Kizz Daniel each have six.
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Wale, Skepta, Chris Brown, Travis Scott and Chloe Bailey are vying for international artist of the year.
“We are so excited about this year’s Headies Awards,” Ayo Animashaun, executive producer and founder of The Headies, said in a statement. “Our stellar lineup features dynamic artists from around the globe who have impacted their audience and the industry.”
To mark its return to Africa, The Headies Awards introduces The Headies Festival with a series of activities showcasing the best of Afrobeats and hip-hop music, entertainment and culture. The event schedule will commence on March 29, featuring events such as The Headies Stakeholder Brunch, Official Nominees Party, U.S. Consulate Reception and Afrobeats Conference and will climax with the Headies Awards ceremony.
The Headies Awards, originally called the Hip Hop World Awards, was established in 2006 by the Hip Hop World magazine of Nigeria to recognize outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industry.
Only music materials released and distributed on digital streaming platforms, and physical music media within the eligibility period (April 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024) were considered for nominations.
Here’s the complete list of nominations for the 2025 Headies Awards. For more details, visit https://theheadies.com.
Artiste of the year
Davido
Ayra Starr
Asake
Rema
Tems
Burna
Song of the year
“Showa” – Kizz Daniel
“Commas” – Ayra Starr
“Egwu” – Chike and Mohbad
“Lonely at the Top” – Asake
“Ozeba” – Rema
“Big Baller” – Flavour
Album of the year
Born in the Wild – Tems
Heis – Rema
The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr
Stubborn – Victony
Work of Art – Asake
Rookie of the year
Zerry Dl
Taves
Kaestyle
Llona
Best recording of the year
Tems – “Burning”
Seyi Vibez – “Different Pattern”
Burna Boy – “Higher”
Ayra Starr & Giveon – “Last Heartbreak Song”
Sarz featuring Lojay – “Billions”
Best vocal performance (female)
Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song”
Niniola – “Level”
Simi – “Stranger”
Liya – “I’m Done”
Tomorrow – “Yemi Alade”
Best vocal performance (male)
Lojay – “Billions”
Omah Lay – “Moving”
Anendlessocean – “Gratitude”
Johnny Drille – “For You”
Timi Dakolo – “Ke Na Ke So”
Best collaboration
“Emotions” – Tiwa Savage Feat. Asa
“Blood on the Dance Floor” Odumodublvck, Bloody Civilian and Wale
“Cast” – Shallipopi feat. Odumodublvck
“Egwu” – Chike and Mohbad
“Ole” – Qing Madi and Bnxn
“Twe Twe” Remix – Kizz Daniel and Davido
“IDK” – Wizkid feat. Zlatan
International artiste of the year
Wale – “Blood on the Dance Floor” (Odumodublvck)
Skepta – “Tony Montana” (feat. Portable)
Chris Brown – “Hmmm” (feat. Davido)
Travis Scott – “Active” (Asake)
Chloe Bailey – “Vision” remix (Qing Madi)
Music video of the year
“Charm” – Rema (Rema X Perliks X Folarin Oludare)
“Metaverse” – Olamide (Jyde Ajala)
“Like Ice Spice” – Blaqbonez (Perliks & Emeka Shine Shine)
“Ojapiano” – Kcee (Mattmax)
“Egwu” – Chike & Mohbad (Director Pink)
“Showa” – Kizz Daniel (Tg Omori)
“Na Money” – Davido feat. Cavemen, Angelique Kidjo (Dammy Twitch)
Songwriter of the year
Simisola Kosoko – “Stranger” (Simi)
Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma – “Vision” (Qing Madi)
Michael Ajuma Attah – “Can’t Breathe” (Llona)
Emoseh Khamofu – “Family Meeting (Bloody Civilian)
Fuayefika Maxwell – Stages of Life” (Wizard Chan)
Producer of the year
Sarz – “Happiness”
London – “Ozeba”
Magicstick – “Basquiat”
Rema/Producer X/Cubeatz/Deatz/Kilmberboy – “Hehehe”
Dibs – “Different Pattern”
Best R&B single
Qing Madi – “Vision”
Johnny Drille – “For You”
Simi – “Stranger”
Tems – “Burning”
Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song” feat. Giveon
Best rap single
“Cast” feat. Odumodublvck – Shallipoppi
“Blood on the Dance Floor” feat. Bloody Civilian & Wale – Odumodublvck
“Hallelujah” – Ladipoe, Rozzz & Morrelo
“Canada” – Magnito
“Ije Nwoke” – Jeriq
Best street-hop artiste
Seyi Vibez – “Different Patterns”
Ayo Maff – “Dealer” (feat. Fireboy Dl)
Shallipopi – “Cast” (feat. Odumodublvck)
Zhus Jdo – “Johnbull”
Mohbad – “Ask About Me”
Afrobeats single of the year
“Big Big Things” – Young Jonn feat. Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez
“Twe Twe Remix” – Kizz Daniel
“Egwu” feat. Mohbad – Chike
“Remember” – Asake
“Ogechi” remix – Hyce, Boypee, and Brown Joel feat. Davido
“Big Baller” – Flavor
Lyricist on the roll
Mogadishu – A-Q
Chocolate City Cypher – M.I Abaga
Chocolate City Cypher – Blaqbonez
Hallelujah – Ladipoe
Efeleme – Alpha Ojini
Best inspirational single
“Gratitude” – Anendlessocean
“Worthy of My Praise” – Dunsin Oyekan feat. Lawrence Oyor
“Good God 2” – Limoblaze feat. Naomi Raine
“Particularly” – Gaise Baba feat. Tope Alabi
“You Do This One” – Mercy Chinwo
Headies’ viewers’ choice
“Big Big Things” feat. Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez – Young Jonn
“Ogechi” remix feat. Davido – Hyce, Boypee, And Brown Joel
“Egwu” – Chike & Mohbad
“Showa” – Kizz Daniel
“Different Pattern” – Seyi Vibez
“Ozeba” – Rema
“Love Me Jeje” – Tems
“Cast” feat. Odumodublvck – Shallipopi
“Dealer” feat. Fireboy Dml – Ayo Maff
“Big Baller” – Flavour
Best West African artiste of the year
Black Sherif (Ghana) – “January 9th”
King Promise (Ghana) – “Terminator”
Himra (Ivory Coast) – “Coulibaly & Diabaté”
Josey (Ivory Coast) – “Venez Bouger”
Toofan (Togo) – “Tone”
Best East African artiste of the year
Bien (Kenya) – “Wahala”
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) – “Mapoz”
Juma Jux (Tanzania) – “Enjoy”
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda) – “When She’s Around”
Azawi (Uganda) – “Masavu”
Best North African artiste of the year
Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt) – “Arabi”
Elgrande Toto (Morocco) – “Maghribi”
Soolking (Algeria) – “Tiki Taka”
Balti (Tunisia) – “Dima Mechi”
Abu (Eygpt) – “Hollela”
Best Southern African artiste of the year
Titom (South Africa) –“Tshwala Bam”
Yuppe (South Africa) – “Tshwala Bam”
Tyla (South Africa) – “Water”
Kelly Kay (Malawi) – “Bana Pwanya”
Plutonio (Mozambique) – “Acordar”
Zee Nxumalo (South Africa) – “Thula Mabota”
Best Central African artiste of the year
Innoss’b (DRC) – “Sete”
Gaz Mawete (DRC) – “Dendisa”
Emma’a (Gabon) – “Biso Mibale”
Eboloko (Gabon) – “Satanana”
Singuila. (Central African Republic) – “Sin Saison”
Kocee (Cameroun) – “Credit Alert”
Best rap album
Sideh Kai – Illbliss
Eziokwu – Odumodublvck
Alaye Toh Se Gogo Vol. 1 – Reminisce
Family Time – Erigga
Shiny Object Syndrome – Modenine
Soundtrack of the year
Eledumare – Teledalese (Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre)
Lose to Gain – Kaline (Breath of Life)
Kill Boro – Native Filmworks & Wizard Chan (Kill Boro)
Orisa – Beriola (Orisa)
Emotions – Tiwa Savage & Asa (Water and Garri)
Tribe Called Judah soundtrack – TCJ & Abbey Wonder (A Tribe Called Judah)
Next rated
Qing Madi
Shallipopi
Odumodublvck
Ayo Maff
Nasboi
Afrobeats album of the year
Stubborn – Victony
Work of Art – Asake
The Year I Turn 21 – Ayra Starr
Heis – Rema
Jiggy Forever – Young Jonn
Best performer (live)
Rema – Ravage Uprising: Rema Live From The O2, London
Omah Lay – Live at L’olympia Paris
Flavour – Celebrating You 2023
Wizard Chan – Live in Concert Port Harcourt
Burna Boy – African Giant Live From London
Femi Kuti & The Positive Force – Nuits De Fourvière (Arte Concert)
Digital artiste of the year
Ayra Starr
Rema
Shallipopi
Tems
Davido
Kizz Daniel
Asake
Special recognition
Kingsley Chinweike Okonkwo A.K.A Kcee
Charli XCX will collect the songwriter of the year award at the upcoming BRIT Awards. The Brat star is the recipient of the honorary prize, which has previously been won by British acts Ed Sheeran (2022), Kid Harpoon (2023) and most recently, Raye (2024).
The BRIT Awards ceremony will take place Saturday (March 1) at London’s O2 Arena, and will be hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. Performances on the night will come from Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and more.
Charli is also competing in five additional categories on the night, including album of the year and British artist of the year. The songwriter of the year prize gives Charli her first-ever BRIT Award win, having been nominated four times previously in 2015, 2020, 2023 and 2024.
Brat was named Billboard staff’s album of the year, with Kristin Robinson writing that the LP had “most exciting and culturally significant album launches in modern memory,” and catapulted “the longtime music maker into a new stratosphere of stardom.” The record peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
On Monday (Feb. 24), it was announced that A.G. Cook, Charli’s close collaborator and an executive producer on Brat, would collect the producer of the year prize. The trophy was first awarded in 1977 to Beatles producer George Martin, and in recent years has been won by Fred again.. (2020), Inflo (2022), David Guetta (2023) and Chase & Status (2024).
Speaking to Variety in 2020, Charli described her working relationship with Cook. “We really trust each other, and challenge and push each other in the right ways. And we’re also very smart and equally dumb, and I think that’s really important in pop music,” she shared. “A.G. will make a beat in a few minutes and I’ll yell over it, and even if it sounds crazy, we’re not afraid of sounding stupid because we know we can get there eventually.”
She continued, “We enjoy twisting formats and breaking rules but we also kind of like some rules; we’re a bit winky but we’re also very serious; we’re both fans of pop music but equally fans of wanting to disrupt things; and we like to dance around what people think we should be doing. So there’s enough tension and push and pull to make really interesting music.”
The BRIT Awards will be broadcast live on ITV and on streaming service ITV X from 8:15 p.m. GMT.
With the 97th Oscars coming up on Sunday March 2, we’re looking back at past Oscar ceremonies, and specifically, who presented the Oscar for best original song each year.
The late, great song and dance man Gene Kelly did the honors four times, more than anyone else in Oscar history. That’s fitting: Kelly starred in Singin’ in the Rain, which topped the American Film Institute’s 2006 list of AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals. Kelly presented best original song in 1951, in 1975 (in tandem with Shirley MacLaine), in 1980 (with Olivia Newton-John, with whom he starred in the soon-to-be-released, ill-fated musical Xanadu) and in 1986 (with his Singin’ in the Rain costars Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor).
Six people are tied as runner-up, having presented best original song three times: They are Burt Bacharach, Angie Dickinson, Gregory Hines, Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah and John Travolta. J.Lo presented three times within four years (1999-2002), a record for most presenter assignments in the shortest time. (Not coincidentally, J.Lo landed three of her four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in those years.)
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Bacharach and Dickinson, Hollywood’s golden couple of the era, teamed to present the award in 1971 and 1976. Bacharach teamed with Ann-Margret to present the award in 1974. Dickinson teamed with Luciano Pavarotti to present it in 1981.
Six people who won Oscars for best original song also served as presenters in the category (obviously not in the same year they won). They are Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Barbra Streisand, Bacharach, and the team of Common and John Legend. The latter team presented in 2016, the year after their win for “Glory” from Selma. Prince, who presented in 2005, never won for best original song, but he did win for his song score to Purple Rain.
The reunion of the Singin’ in the Rain cast wasn’t the only cast reunion that Oscar show producers arranged in connection with this category. In 2013, 10 years after Chicago became the first musical in more than four decades to win best picture, that film’s stars, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah and Catharine Zeta-Jones, presented best original song.
In 1988, seven years after they teamed in the box-office hit Arthur, Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli co-presented the award (which had gone, in 1982, to “Arthur’s Theme”). In 1993, a decade after their collaboration on the Broadway cast album Lena Horne: A Lady and Her Music, Quincy Jones and Lena Horne co-presented the award. In 1996, a few years after they co-starred in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne co-presented the award.
In some cases, Oscar producers had people co-present to plug an upcoming movie in which they were to co-star. Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda co-presented in 2018, months before the release of Mary Poppins Returns. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande co-presented in 2024, months ahead of their teaming in Wicked.
In 2015, Idina Menzel and John Travolta teamed to present the award – one year after Travolta inexplicably mangled Menzel’s name on the Oscar stage while attempting to introduce her performance of “Let It Go” from Frozen. (He called her Adele Dazeem.) In this presentation teaming, Menzel jokingly introduced him as Glom Gazingo – and they gracefully put it to rest.
Some presenter pairings held symbolic meaning. In 1989, singer/dancer/actor Gregory Hines co-presented with Sammy Davis Jr., the top song and dance man of a previous generation. Davis began to develop symptoms of cancer five months after this appearance. He died of complications from throat cancer in May 1990.
In 1944, Dinah Shore became the first woman to present in this category. In 1984, the biracial Jennifer Beals, star of the previous year’s smash Flashdance, became the first person of color to present in this category. The youngest presenter was Miley Cyrus, who was just 17 in 2010 when she co-presented with Amanda Seyfried.
Bacharach and Dickinson weren’t the only married couple to present in the category. Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows presented in 1961, followed by Sonny & Cher in 1973. One parent and child separately presented in this category: In 1997, Goldie Hawn co-presented with her The First Wives Club co-stars Bette Midler and Diane Keaton. In 2023, Hawn’s daughter, Kate Hudson, co-presented with Janelle Monáe.
Pavarotti was the second classical star to present in the category. The first was conductor Leopold Stokowski in 1937.
Here is the presenter of the Oscar for best original song from the first year it was presented, 1935, to the present. The years shown are the year of the ceremony. Brief identifications are shown in the early years to help our younger readers. After that, you’re on your own.
1935: Irvin S. Cobb (author)
1936: Frank Capra (director)
1937: Leopold Stokowski (conductor)
1938: Irving Berlin (songwriter)
1939: Jerome Kern (songwriter)
1940: Gene Buck (president of ASCAP)
1941: B.G. DeSylva (songwriter, film producer, co-founder of Capitol Records)
1942: B.G DeSylva
1943: Irving Berlin
1944: Dinah Shore (singer)
1945: Bob Hope (comedian)
1947: Van Johnson (actor)
1948: Dinah Shore
1949: Kathryn Grayson (actress)
1950: Cole Porter (songwriter)
1951: Gene Kelly (actor)
1952: Donald O’Connor (actor)
1953: Walt Disney (film producer and entertainment mogul)
1954: Arthur Freed (lyricist and film producer)
1955: Bing Crosby (singer)
1956: Maurice Chevalier (singer)
1957: Carroll Baker (actress)
1958: Maurice Chevalier
1959: Sophia Loren & Dean Martin
1960: Doris Day
1961: Steve Allen & Jayne Meadows
1962: Debbie Reynolds
1963: Frank Sinatra
1964: Shirley Jones
1965: Fred Astaire
1966: Natalie Wood
1967: Dean Martin
1968: Barbra Streisand
1969: Frank Sinatra
1970: Candice Bergen
1971: Burt Bacharach & Angie Dickinson
1972: Joel Grey
1973: Sonny & Cher
1974: Burt Bacharach & Ann-Margret
1975: Gene Kelly & Shirley MacLaine
1976: Burt Bacharach & Angie Dickinson
1977: Neil Diamond
1978: Fred Astaire
1979: Ruby Keeler & Kris Kristofferson
1980: Gene Kelly & Olivia Newton-John
1981: Angie Dickinson & Luciano Pavarotti
1982: Bette Midler
1983: Olivia Newton-John
1984: Jennifer Beals, Matthew Broderick
1985: Gregory Hines
1986: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor & Debbie Reynolds
1987: Bernadette Peters
1988: Liza Minnelli & Dudley Moore
1989: Sammy Davis Jr. & Gregory Hines
1990: Paula Abdul & Dudley Moore
1991: Gregory Hines & Ann-Margret
1992: Shirley MacLaine & Liza Minnelli
1993: Lena Horne & Quincy Jones
1994: Whitney Houston
1995: Sylvester Stallone
1996: Angela Bassett & Laurence Fishburne
1997: Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton & Bette Midler
1998: Madonna
1999: Jennifer Lopez
2000: Cher
2001: Jennifer Lopez
2002: Jennifer Lopez
2003: Barbra Streisand
2004: Jack Black & Will Ferrell
2005: Prince
2006: Queen Latifah
2007: John Travolta & Queen Latifah
2008: John Travolta
2009: Zac Efron & Alicia Keys
2010: Miley Cyrus & Amanda Seyfried
2011: Jennifer Hudson
2012: Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis
2013: Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger & Catherine Zeta-Jones
2014: Jessica Beal & Jamie Foxx
2015: Idina Menzel & John Travolta
2016: Common & John Legend
2017: Scarlett Johansson
2018: Emily Blunt & Lin-Manuel Miranda
2019: Gal Gadot, Brie Larson & Sigourney Weaver
2021: Zendaya
2022: Jake Gyllenhaal & Zoë Kravitz
2023: Kate Hudson & Janelle Monáe
2024: Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
Gracie Abrams is set to receive the Hal David Starlight Award at the 54th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 12, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
The award, created in 2004, is presented to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs,” according to the announcement. The award was named after the late Oscar- and Grammy-winning lyricist and SHOF chairman emeritus, best-known for his long, hit-studded collaboration with Burt Bacharach.
Abrams, 25, has received Grammy nominations in each of the year two years. In 2024, she competed for best new artist. This year, she competed for best pop duo/group performance for “Us.” (featuring Taylor Swift, the 2010 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award).
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Abrams’ sophomore album, The Secret of Us, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It spawned a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” The deluxe edition of the album spawned a top 10 hit, “That’s So True.”
Abrams, the daughter of celebrated filmmaker J.J. Abrams, is a Universal Music Publishing Group writer.
The Hal David Starlight Award is meant as a balance to the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization’s top award, which is a career-capping honor. This year’s Mercer recipient has not yet been announced. (This is a reversal from last year, when Diane Warren was announced as the Mercer recipient on Feb. 22, nearly two months before SZA was announced as the Hal David recipient.)
Previously announced 2025 SHOF inductees are George Clinton, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Mike Love, Tony Macaulay and three members of The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons).
Here’s the complete list of recipients of the Hal David Starlight Award:
2004: Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty)
2005: Alicia Keys
2006: John Mayer
2007: John Legend
2008: John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls)
2009: Jason Mraz
2010: Taylor Swift
2011: Drake
2012: Ne-Yo
2013: Benny Blanco
2014: Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons)
2015: Nate Ruess (Fun.)
2016: Nick Jonas (Jonas Brothers)
2017: Ed Sheeran
2018: Sara Bareilles
2019: Halsey
2022: Lil Nas X
2023: Post Malone
2024: SZA
2025: Gracie Abrams
The BRIT Awards has announced that A.G. Cook is the recipient of this year’s producer of the year award.
The British musician was an executive producer for Charli XCX’s Brat LP, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
Cook has had co-writing and co-producer credits on a number of albums, including Beyoncé’s Renaissance in 2020, but he is best known for his working relationship with Charli XCX. Cook has played executive producer on several of Charli’s projects: 2017 mixtapes Number 1 Angel and Pop 2; 2019 LP Charli; and 2020’s How I’m Feeling Now.
Speaking on the news, Cook said, “As someone who’s always felt like a bit of an outsider, I’m very flattered to be recognized by The BRITs. From the early PC Music days to the Charli mixtapes and beyond, I’ve been lucky to work on so much music that I truly believe in. In particular, I’d like to dedicate this moment to Sophie, whose vision and artistry is still a driving force for producers everywhere.”
The honorary producer of the year prize was first awarded in 1977 to The Beatles producer George Martin, and in recent years has been won by Fred Again.. (2020), Inflo (2022), David Guetta (2023) and Chase & Status (2024). Cook was selected for the prize by a panel of expert judges.
Cook has been a key player in the British and international pop scene for the past decade. In 2013, he established the influential PC Music record label, which is credited with spearheading the hyperpop sound. In 2024, he released his third studio album, Britpop, which appeared on Billboard U.K.’s albums of the year list, with Sophie Williams writing that the LP “felt like a safe, uplifting, candy-striped wonderland where one could hide from growing global anxiety.”
The BRIT Awards ceremony will take place Saturday (March 1) at London’s O2 Arena, and will be hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. Performances on the night will come from Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and more, and the ceremony will be broadcast live on ITV and on streaming service ITV X from 8:15 p.m. GMT.