Awards
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The ASCAP Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2025 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards. Established in 2002, the program recognizes gifted young jazz composers, defined as up to the age of 30. It carries the name of music legend and ASCAP member Herb Alpert in recognition of The Herb Alpert Foundation’s multi-year financial commitment to the program. The recipients, who receive cash awards, are selected through a juried national competition.
“With The Herb Alpert Foundation’s unwavering support, the Young Jazz Composer Awards continue to elevate emerging voices of jazz, one of our most vital art forms,” ASCAP Foundation president Paul Williams said in a statement. “These gifted young composers are the future of the genre, and we are honored to be a part of their musical journey.”
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“The ASCAP Foundation has been dedicated to nurturing the musical talent of tomorrow for 50 years,” added ASCAP Foundation executive director Nicole George-Middleton. “We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of The Herb Alpert Foundation that allows us to do what we do best — uplift the next generation of music creators.”
The 2025 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award recipients are listed below with their age, current residence and place of origin:
Jonah Barnett, 25 of Washington, D.C. (Alexandria, Va.); Eli Feingold, 27 of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Marlboro, N.J.); Michael Hilgendorf, 26 of New York (Chesterfield, Mich.); Benedict Koh, 25 of Boston (Singapore); Aditi Malhotra, 27 of Boston (New Delhi, India); Giovanni Martinez, 20 of New York (Jacksonville, Fla.); Alan Montaño, 20 of Brighton, Mass. (Concord, Calif.); Bakhari S. Nokuri, 19 of Los Angeles (Dayton, Md.); Marc Perez, 24 of Los Angeles; Artur Ponsà of Boston (Barcelona, Spain); Jahari Stampley, 25 of Chicago; Katie Webster, 24 of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Seattle); and Alejandra Williams-Maneri (Alejandra Sofia), 26 of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barre, Mass.).
The restriction that recipients need to be under age 30 keeps the focus on young talent. Alpert reached his career peak at age 30 in 1965 with the release of Whipped Cream & Other Delights, his first of five No. 1 albums (all recorded with his Tijuana Brass ensemble) on the Billboard 200. Alpert and Jerry Moss had formed A&M Records three years earlier.
Additional funding for the program is provided by The ASCAP Foundation’s Bart Howard Fund. Howard, who died in 2004, is best known as the composer of the jazz standard “Fly Me to the Moon.”
The Herb Alpert Foundation, a non-profit, private foundation established in the early 1980s, makes significant annual contributions to a range of programs in the fields of arts, arts education, and compassion and well-being. Its funding is directed toward projects in which Herb and Lani Alpert and Foundation president Rona Sebastian play an active role. [The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.]
Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education, talent development and humanitarian programs.
After winning her first Grammy and being named Billboard‘s Woman of the Year for 2025, Doechii is adding another piece of awards hardware to her shelf after Thursday night (March 27).
Doechii took home the GLAAD Media Award for outstanding music artist at the non-profit organization’s ceremony. Presented the award by former GLAAD Award recipients Lil Nas X and Maren Morris, Doechii took to the stage to express her delight.
“I am thrilled at being recognized with such a prestigious award by GLAAD and to be joining prior honorees such as Renee [Rapp], Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, Sam Smith and Janelle Monáe,” she said. “This is a huge and special moment as well because GLAAD is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, which is super fab.”
As she continued, laying out the organization’s principles of “acceptance, inclusiveness and empowerment,” Doechii took a moment to reflect on where we are in this politically charged moment for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Those are the same things I strongly believe in and advocate for and that continue to propel me forward — especially now that hard-won cultural change and rights for transgender people and the LGBTQ community have been threatened,” she said. “And I am disgusted. Disgusted. But I want to say that we are here and we are not going anywhere.”
In closing her speech, Doechii gave a special callout to up-and-coming queer artists in the audience, offering them some sage advice: “[Do] not let anyone ever block your dreams … I just want to encourage you guys to stay connected with one another. Stay passionate. Stay focused. Keep your chin up. Be kind, and be fab!”
Doechii was far from the only winner at Thursday’s ceremony. Rising R&B star Durand Burnarr took home a trophy for outstanding breakthrough music artist during the ceremony, while Cynthia Erivo was honored with the organization’s Stephen F. Kolzak award for her work in raising visibility for queer people in 2024 and beyond.
“I know this event is to celebrate the work and I am endlessly grateful for that honor and for this celebration, but the real work is making the ground we leave in our wake level enough for the next person who finds their way to the path we have made,” the Wicked actress said in her speech. “For the person who is searching and searching and has not found it yet. This room is full of people who can and will … be lanterns to light up your journey and your path on your way to showing the world who you are.”
03/28/2025
They’re all here, from Paul Anka to Drake.
03/28/2025
The inaugural Femmy Awards kicked off in high style and spirit Thursday (March 27) in Miami.
Happening amid the many (many) events of Miami Music Week, the awards were put on by Femme House, the nonprofit founded by LP Giobbi and Lauren Spalding that works to create and celebrate equity in the music industry by amplifying voices of women, femme, gender-expansive LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC creators.
The afternoon ceremony took place on the waterfront patio at Palm Tree Club, the hotel opened by Kygo and his manager and Myles Shear this past December. In the sunshine and bay breezes, LP and Spaulding presented a variety of awards honoring artists, party brands, festivals, execs and other members across the dance music industry.
The event started with moving speeches by Barbara Tucker and Crystal Waters, who were honored with the Voice of House award for the prolific contributions they’ve made to the genre over the years. So too were DJ Minx and DJ Lady D each honored with the Pioneer Award for their everything they’ve each done to break barriers, reshape the dance and electronic music industries and pave the way for femme, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ artists.
The event also presented awards to a flurry of other artists, with Kaleena Zanders and Aluna Francis winning for best live performance, Coco & Breezy winning the Carolyn Horn Trailblazer Award (named for LP Giobbi’s longtime piano teacher who passed away in 2023), TSHA winning for best producer, Xandra being honored with the Rising Star Award and Sara Landry getting the award for producer of the year.
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The ceremony also honored a number of executives, with WME’s head of electronic music Stefanie LaFera getting the Theresa Velasquez Award for Outstanding Executive award and WME’s Bailey Greenwood winning for agent of the year. Billboard was the official media sponsor of the event.
See the complete winners list below.
2025 Ally Award: Le Chev2025 Breakthrough Artist: Alleycvt2025 Most Diverse Festival: Lightning in a Bottle2025 Theresa Velasquez Award for Outstanding Executive: Stephanie LaFera2025 Ableton Instructor of the Year: Mini Bear2025 Pass the Mic Media Award: DJ Mag2025 Pass the Mic Media Award: Billboard2025 Carolyn Horn Trailblazer Award: Coco & Breezy2025 Femme House Community Member of the Year: Shak Jackson2025 Best Live Performance: Kaleena Zanders + Aluna Francis @ Planet Pride
2025 Best Radio Mix: DJ Holographic2025 Album of the Year: Sofi Tukker, Bread2025 Best Sound Designer: Tokimonsta2025 Best Producer: TSHA2025 Best Vocalist: Kaleena Zanders2025 Best Engineer: Jayda Love2025 Best Mixer: Laura Sisk2025 Sonic Innovator Award: FKA Twigs2025 Best Visual Experience: The Blessed Madonna2025 Best Visual Experience: Nora En Pure2025 Activist & Impact Award: She Is the Music2025 Culture Shifter Award: Ronny Ho2025 Best Music Journalist: Katie Bain2025 Best Record Label: HE.SHE.THEY.2025 Manager of the Year: Julia Fugazy2025 Agent of the Year: Bailey Greenwood2025 Hospitality Visionary Award: Carly Van Sickle2025 Talent Booker: Heather Church2025 Best Club: Elsewhere2025 Icon Award: Honey Dijon2025 Song of the Year: Desiree, “Khuluma Nami”2025 Creative Director of the Year: Sophie Muller2025 Best Underground Promoter: Girls Room2025 For the Culture Award: Interna$hional Bounce2025 Voice of House Honoree: Barbara Tucker2025 Voice of House Honoree: Crystal Waters2025 Rising Star Honoree: Xandra2025 Producer of the Year Honoree: Sara Landry2025 Pioneer Award Honoree: DJ Lady D2025 Pioneer Award Honoree: Minx
Fans of the ACM Awards will get super-served at this year’s ceremony as the show, which had clocked in at two hours since moving to the commercial free Amazon’s Prime Video, will expand by 30 minutes.
“It was a long discussion with Amazon because we pride ourselves on the fact that we’re the only major awards show that clocks in at two hours and that’s a big consumer benefit for our show,” says Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “However, this year there’s so many things that we want to accomplish in the show because we want to give a proper nod to our history, but we still have a lot of business to take care of in terms of the current nominees as well, so we just felt like the extra time will allow us to do some special things. I don’t think viewers are going to be unhappy that we’re giving them an extra 30 minutes of really amazing content.”
Ella Langley leads all nominees with eight nods, which Whiteside sees as a sign of how current and fresh the ACM Awards are. “To have essentially a brand-new artist lead the nominations, especially in our 60th year, it’s almost like a full-circle thing, because we really pride ourselves on often being the first organization to honor a new artist,” Whiteside says. “It speaks to the fact that we’ve always been an organization that is very new artist forward.”
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Langley is followed by Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson, all of whom received seven nominations, with Chris Stapleton garnering six nods.
Whiteside also lauds Johnson’s seven nominations as “he just continues to grow and so it’s exciting to see him get acknowledged and, obviously, Morgan Wallen continues to be a juggernaut,” he says. He also enthuses over Kelsea Ballerini’s first nomination for entertainer of the year. “I can’t say enough about her and her journey and the way she continued to grow as an artist.”
Like Langley, a number of artists, including Dasha, Shaboozey, Red Clay Strays and Zach Top landed their first nominations this year. “It does feel like a really fresh crop of artists are getting recognized,” Whiteside says.
Beyoncé received no nominations, despite winning two country Grammys in February, including for country album of the year, just weeks before first-round ACM voting opened. “Were we hoping she’d be nominated? Absolutely,” Whiteside says. “We love that Beyoncé is in the country genre. That’s fantastic for all the country artists out there. It’s fantastic for the fans. The more successful she is, the more we’re bringing more mainstream people into the genre which we want.”
Unlike Grammy voters, who span all musical genres, the more than 5,000 ACM voters primarily make a living in country music and are mostly based in Nashville. “I think, more likely, they’re going to be voting for artists that they’ve got relationships with and work with on a regular basis and that are in the country music business 365,” Whiteside says, but adds, “We’d love to have Beyoncé on the show. She has an open invitation to be on the ACM stage anytime she ever wants to.”
As Whiteside, executive producer/show runner Raj Kapoor, and show producer dick clark productions work on the show, they are trying to strike the right balance between old and new. “It’s tough because we may have a really great idea on honoring this artist from the past, but then it’s like, ‘Well, that may take away a slot from a current artist’,” Whiteside says. So far, Wilson, Blake Shelton and Eric Church have been announced as performers. The three new artist winners-male, female and duo or group- who are announced in advance will also perform.
“It’s a little bit of a past/present/future approach,” Whiteside adds. “It’s going to be a really iconic night and a great way to look back and look forward and celebrate where we are right now as an industry.”
Plans around the ACM Awards are still being firmed up but will include free shows on the Star Plaza on May 6 and 7, as well as a Top Golf tee-off tournament on May 6, and an official after party following the awards.
With the Amazon deal and the contract with the Cowboys for the Frisco location both expiring this year, Whiteside says things could look very different next year depending upon if the deals aren’t renewed.
“For 2026, we may do a major pivot again and define what’s the future of the academy. This year is a very special year, but next year is going to be kind of turning the page,” he says. “It’ll be a fresh new year. We don’t know yet where we’ll be. We don’t know what [outlet] we’re going to be on. Everything’s a new day in 2026, so it’s going to be the evolution of the ACM Awards, but we’re excited about that because it’s a blank slate.”
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.
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are set to receive the 2025 ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards Gala on June 4 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.
The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and longtime activists, who have been married since 1982, will become the second married couple to receive the award. Songwriting greats Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson received it in 2010.
The Chapin Awards Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and live music. Additional honorees will be announced in coming weeks.
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The event is a major fund-raiser for WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger. Founded in 1975 by Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to nutritious food.
“We are deeply honored to receive the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award and to stand alongside WhyHunger in their tireless fight to end hunger,” Benatar and Giraldo said in a joint statement. “Music has always been a powerful force for change, and we believe in using our voices not just to entertain, but to inspire action. WhyHunger’s mission aligns with our lifelong commitment to justice and equity, and we are proud to support their work in ensuring that nutritious food is a fundamental right for all.”
“As we celebrate WhyHunger’s 50th anniversary and reflect on our collective journey to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food, it’s important to uplift those who have helped lead the way,” Jenique Jones, WhyHunger’s executive director, said in a statement. “Honoring Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award is a testament to their unwavering commitment to social justice and their powerful influence in igniting change through music.”
Last year’s gala honored singer-songwriter Michael Franti for his music-driven activism, recognizing his work with his and his wife Sara’s non–profit, Do It for the Love.
Benatar won four consecutive Grammy Awards for best rock vocal performance, female from 1981-84 and charted 15 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She won three American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
Chapin, a singer, songwriter and social activist, made a big impact in his life, which was tragically cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1981 at age 38.
Chapin, who wrote and performed such pop/folk classics as “Cat’s in the Cradle” (a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974), “Taxi” and “W*O*L*D,” was an early music industry advocate for the world hunger movement. He co-founded WhyHunger a full decade before music industry titans came together as USA for Africa to record “We Are the World” in 1985. Chapin gave tirelessly gave of his time and talents to perform at benefits and events in support of a range of social causes. (On the afternoon he was killed, he was driving to a benefit, where he was slated to perform.)
Chapin received two Grammy nominations in his lifetime – best new artist of 1972 and best pop vocal performance, male two years later for “Cat’s in the Cradle” (which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011). In its year-end issue for 1972, Billboard gave Chapin a Trendsetter Award, which was inscribed “For devising a storytelling style of songwriting with a narrative impact rare to popular music.”
The ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award was first presented in 1987 to Kenny Rogers, who had been part of “We Are the World” two years earlier. Two subsequent recipients of the award – Harry Belafonte and Kenny Loggins – were also part of that iconic smash, which raised millions for famine relief.
Tickets to the event can be purchased here.
Here’s a full list of winners of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award. They are listed in reverse chronological order.
2025: Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo
2024: Michael Franti
2019: John Mellencamp
2018: Jason Mraz
2017: Jon Batiste
2016: Kenny Loggins
2015: Grace Potter (ASCAP Harry Chapin Vanguard Award); Felix Cavaliere (ASCAP Harry Chapin Legacy Award)
2014: The Fab Faux (Beatles tribute band founded by Will Lee, bassist for Late Show With David Letterman)
2013: Yoko Ono
2012: Darlene Love, Peter Noone and Ronnie Spector
2011: Rubén Blades
2010: Ashford & Simpson
2009: Wyclef Jean
2008: Elvis Costello
2007: Jackson Browne
2006: Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels
2005: Michael McDonald
2004: Emmylou Harris
2003: Judy Collins
2000: Harry Belafonte
1994: Barbra Streisand
1988: Peter, Paul & Mary
1987: Kenny Rogers
03/27/2025
Ella Langley leads all nominees with eight, while Kelsea Ballerini lands her first entertainer of the year nod and Beyoncé scores none.
03/27/2025
Ella Langley is the leading nominee for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. Six of her eight nods are for “you look like you love me,” her hit collaboration with Riley Green – single of the year, music event of the year, song of the year (as both artist and songwriter) and visual media of the year (as both artist and director).
The sexy duet won musical event of the year at the CMA Awards in November. It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, No. 7 on Hot Country Songs and No. 30 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Langley, 25, is also nominated for both female artist of the year and new female artist of the year.
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Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson are close behind with seven nods. Chris Stapleton has six. Green and Post Malone each have five. Kelsea Ballerini has four, including her first nod for entertainer of the year.
Other artists who break into marquee categories for the first time include Muscadine Bloodline, nominated for duo of the year, and The Red Clay Strays, nominated for group of the year. The latter act is nominated for two awards, more than any other ongoing group or duo this year.
Zach Top’s debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, is nominated for album of the year. This marks the first time a debut album has been in the running for that top honor since 2016, when Stapleton’s Traveller and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo were both nominated. (Traveller won.)
Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Wallen, is nominated for single of the year, alongside “you look like you love me.” It’s the second time in three years that two collaborative hits have been nominated in this category in the same year. “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” by Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde and “Thank God” by Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown were both nominated in 2023.
Many of last year’s winners are back to defend in those same categories, including Wilson, last year’s winner for both entertainer of the year and female artist of the year; Stapleton (male artist of the year), Dan + Shay (duo of the year), Old Dominion (group of the year) and Jessie Jo Dillon (songwriter of the year).
This is the sixth year in a row that Luke Combs has been nominated for both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year. He has yet to win in the latter category. If he finally brings it home this year, he’ll clinch the ACM’s Triple Crown Award, which consists of wins in the appropriate new artist and artist categories as well as entertainer of the year. Combs won new male artist of the year in 2019 and male artist of the year the following year. Past ACM Triple Crown Award recipients include Wilson, Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney.
Little Big Town receives its 19th nomination for group of the year, which is just one shy of tying Alabama’s long-held record for the most nods in the history of the category. Little Big Town landed its first nomination in the category in 2006, the same year Alabama landed its 20th and last. (Neither act won that year. The award went to Rascal Flatts.)
Rascal Flatts is nominated for group of the year for the 13th time, and for the first time since 2017.
Old Dominion is nominated for group of the year for the 10th consecutive year. The group has taken home the award every year for the last seven years. If they win again this year, they will surpass Rascal Flatts for the most wins in the category. (If Rascal Flatts wins, they, and not Old Dominion, will become the winningest group in the history of the category.)
Brooks & Dunn is nominated for duo of the year for the 16th time. They won in that category at the CMA Awards in November, beating recent category favorites Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne. Dan + Shay are nominated for duo of the year at the ACM Awards for the 12th year in a row. Brothers Osborne is in the running for the 11th year in a row.
Stapleton receives his 10th consecutive nomination for male artist of the year, an award he has won four times. Stapleton is also nominated for entertainer of the year for the seventh time.
Kacey Musgraves receives her ninth nomination for female artist of the year. She won in 2019. Ballerini is nominated for the eighth time. She has yet to win in that category.
Bailey Zimmerman, who was nominated for new male artist of the year two years ago, is a finalist in that category again this year. (ACM rules allow artists two tries at newcomer awards.) Kassi Ashton and Ashley Cooke are both nominated for new female artist of the year for the second year in a row. Restless Road is nominated for new duo or group of the year for the second year in a row.
Charlie Handsome is competing with himself for album of the year. He is nominated as a producer of both Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken and Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion. Similarly, Dustin Haney is competing with himself for visual media of the year, as the producer/director of Cody Johnson’s “Dirt Cheap” and the director of Johnson & Carrie Underwood’s “I’m Gonna Love You.”
Alysa Vanderheym, a songwriter and producer best known for her work with Ballerini, makes history as the first woman to receive an ACM nomination for producer of the year. Women producers are slowly but surely making inroads in this male-dominated field. At this year’s Grammys, Alissia Benveniste (who goes by just her first name), became the first woman in six years to receive a nod for producer of the year, non-classical. Her credits included work with Jamila Woods, Rae Khalil and BJ the Chicago Kid.
The eligibility period for the 60th ACM Awards was Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024. Awards are voted on by members of the Academy of Country Music, which has more than 5,000 members. In five categories, an artist may receive more than one nomination if they are also credited as a producer, director or songwriter.
Hosted by Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively 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, Tex. A limited number of tickets to the 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on Seat Geek.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
The following is the full list of nominees for the Main Awards, the Studio Recording Awards and the Industry Awards categories:
Entertainer of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
The War and Treaty
Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
New Female Artist of the Year
Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Dasha
Ella Langley
Jessie Murph
New Male Artist of the Year
Gavin Adcock
Shaboozey
Zach Top
Tucker Wetmore
Bailey Zimmerman
New Duo or Group of the Year
Restless Road
The Red Clay Strays
Treaty Oak Revival
Album of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney; producer: Kristian Bush; Columbia Records / Sony Music Nashville
Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll; producers: BazeXX, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Devin Dawson, Charlie Handsome, Ben Johnson, mgk, The Monsters & Strangerz, Austin Nivarel, SlimXX, Ryan Tedder, Isaiah Tejada, Alysa Vanderheym; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Republic Records
Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top; producer: Carson Chamberlain; Leo33
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jay Joyce; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville
Single of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey; producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; American Dogwood / EMPIRE
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mercury Nashville
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Song of the Year
Awarded to songwriter(s)/publisher(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson; publishers: Louisiana Lady; One Tooth Productions; Reservoir 416; Songs of One Riot Music; Sony/ATV Accent
“The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves; songwriters: Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne; publishers: Songs for Indy and Owl; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; songwriter: Josh Phillips; publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing; Write or Die Music; Write the Lightning Publishing
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters, Ryan Vojtesak; publishers: Bell Ear Publishing; Master of my Domain Music; Poppy’s Picks; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing; Universal Music Corporation
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere; publishers: Back 40 Publishing International; Langley Publishing; One Tooth Productions; Sony/ATV Tree; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp
Music Event of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan; producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan, Alysa Vanderheym; Black River Entertainment
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“we don’t fight anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton; producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce; Big Machine Records
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Visual Media of the Year
Awarded to producer(s)/director(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jennifer Ansell; director: Dano Cerny
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Dustin Haney; director: Dustin Haney
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry; director: Dustin Haney
“Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Wes Edwards, Angie Lorenz, Jamie Stratakis; director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Whale Tale Music; directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year
Jessi Alexander
Jessie Jo Dillon
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
Producer of the Year
Dave Cobb
Ian Fitchuk
Charlie Handsome
Jon Randall
Alysa Vanderheym
Audio Engineer of the Year
Brandon Bell
Drew Bollman
Josh Ditty
Buckley Miller
F. Reid Shippen
Bass Player of the Year
J.T. Cure
Mark Hill
Rachel Loy
Tony Lucido
Craig Young
Drummer of the Year
Fred Eltringham
Tommy Harden
Evan Hutchings
Aaron Sterling
Nir Z
Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year
Tim Galloway
Todd Lombardo
Mac McAnally
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Dave Cohen
Ian Fitchuk
Billy Justineau
Gordon Mote
Alex Wright
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Jenee Fleenor
Josh Matheny
Justin Schipper
Kristin Wilkinson
Electric Guitar Player of the Year
Kris Donegan
Jedd Hughes
Brent Mason
Sol Philcox-Littlefield
Derek Wells
Casino of the Year – Theater
Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, S.D.
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, Conn.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, N.C.
The Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas, Nev.
Yaamava’ Theater – Highland, Calif.
Casino of the Year – Arena
Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, La.
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, N.J.
Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, Nev.
Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, Minn.
Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona, N.Y.
Festival of the Year
C2C Country to Country – London
CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
Stagecoach Festival – Indio, Calif.
Two Step Inn – Georgetown, Tex.
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago
Fair/Rodeo of the Year
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, Alberta
California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, Calif.
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, Wy.
Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, Minn.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston
Club of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, Tex.
Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville
Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, Okla.
Georgia Theatre – Athens, Ga.
Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago
Theater of the Year
The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn.
MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston
The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia
The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, Wisc.
Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, Tenn.
Outdoor Venue of the Year
BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, N.H.
CMAC – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, N.Y.
Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, Fla.
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, Ala.
Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, Tex.
Arena of the Year
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Tex.
Moody Center – Austin, Tex.
TD Garden – Boston
Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center – Knoxville, Tenn.
Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Deana Baker
Bobby Clay
Gil Cunningham
Weston Hebert
Stacy Vee
Taylor Williamson
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi
Alex Maxwell
Patrick McDill
Anna-Sophie Mertens
Rich Schaefer
Aaron Spalding
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.
We’re just days away from Billboard’s 2025 Women in Music event, which is set to take place Saturday, March 29, at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. Hosted by Laverne Cox, the event will honor influential women in music, spanning artists and industry leaders, with performances, awards and tributes.
Honorees Aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Erykah Badu, Gracie Abrams, Megan Moroney, Muni Long and Tyla are also set to perform at the event.
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Tina Knowles is set to receive the Mother of the Year Award, which is entirely fitting. She’s the mother of not one, but two past Women in Music honorees. Beyoncé was Woman of the Year for 2009. Solange Knowles won the Impact Award in 2017.
The ranks of presenters at this year’s show include several women who were honorees at past Women in Music events. As part of Fifth Harmony, Lauren Jauregui won Group of the Year in 2015. Summer Walker took the Chart Topper Award in 2022. Becky G won the Impact Award in 2023. Victoria Monét won the Rising Star Award at last year’s event.
Billboard’s global partners have expanded Women in Music with new events launched around the world. ANNA, named Billboard Italy Woman of the Year at its inaugural ceremony, and Charlotte Cardin, honored as the Billboard Canada Woman of the Year, will be celebrated as Global Women of the Year.
VIZIO WatchFree+ is the exclusive home to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 live channel and on-demand collection available now through April 5, with the live show airing free on March 29 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on VIZIO TVs and in the VIZIO mobile app. The channel and on-demand collection features in-depth interviews, in-studio sessions with artists, episodic series and more.
VIZIO TV owners can watch Billboard Women in Music 2025 and the live event by opening the WatchFree+ app on their TV. For those who do not have a VIZIO TV, anyone can download the free VIZIO mobile app to their mobile device, click on the WatchFree+ button in the bottom row menu, and tune in to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 channel.
Jazzy will serve as red carpet correspondent, while backstage correspondent Drew Afualo will create behind-the-scenes content throughout the show. Girls Make Beats will host a special DJ performance during the red carpet featuring DJ Princess SC and DJ Sparkle. The red carpet will also feature appearances from Ari Lennox, Ashe, Ava Max, Bella Poarch, Heidi Montag, JoJo Siwa, Kandi Burruss, Keyshia Cole, Loren Gray, Madison Bailey, Queen Naija, Sophia Culpo, Tinashe, Victoria Justice and more.
Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 – get your tickets now! Get Tickets → HERE
Here’s the complete list of performers, presenters and honorees at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event.
Honorees
Doechii, 2025 Woman of the Year Award
aespa, Group of the Year Award
Ángela Aguilar, Breakthrough Award
ANNA, Billboard Italy Woman of the Year
Charlotte Cardin, Billboard Canada Woman of the Year
Erykah Badu, Icon Award
GloRilla, Powerhouse Award
Gracie Abrams, Songwriter of the Year Award
JENNIE, Global Force Award
Megan Moroney, Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky
Meghan Trainor, Hitmaker Award
Muni Long, Rising Star Award presented by Honda Stage
Tina Knowles, Mother of the Year Award
Tyla, Impact Award presented by Bose
Performers
Aespa
Ángela Aguilar
Erykah Badu
Gracie Abrams
Megan Moroney
Muni Long
Tyla
Presenters
Becky G
Kali Uchis
Madison Beer
Julia Michaels
Lauren Jauregui
Mickey Guyton
Suki Waterhouse
Summer Walker
Tanner Adell
Victoria Monét
Zara Larsson
The 2022 Academy Awards served as the ultimate rollercoaster ride of emotions for Will Smith, who won best actor honors for his role in King Richard, but also delivered the infamous slap across host Chris Rock’s face on stage for jokes made about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
The actor-rapper received a 10-year ban from the Oscars, and had the option to appeal. The Associated Press caught up with Smith on Monday (March 24), during which he reflected on his actions and explained how he’s planning to move forward.
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“I am looking to be the best human I can possibly be, and I’m gonna take what I get with that,” the 56-year-old said.
Smith has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has been apologetic to Rock for slapping him onstage following a G.I. Jane joke about Pinkett-Smith.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” Smith wrote in 2022. “I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.”
Rock hasn’t been open to speaking with Smith yet, but didn’t rule out returning as host for the Oscars at some point in the future.
“You never know. This is what I would say, the most miserable people on earth are people that can’t forgive,” the comedian said earlier in March. “And not just people, you have to forgive yourself sometimes, too. So, hey, you never know.”
On the music side, Smith is returning with his first album in 20 years, Based On a True Story. The LP arrives on Friday (March 28), and he’ll be hitting the road this summer for a tour across Europe and the U.K.
“A well opened up inside of me, a well of understanding of art and pain … all kinds of things that I didn’t even know were in there,” Smith told Billboard in January of his rejuvenated hunger for music. “Then after the Oscars, that spiritual investigation continued and a whole world woke up inside that I didn’t even know was there.”
Watch Will Smith talk about his Oscar ban below.