Awards
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She’s better than all the rest — even if she forgets a lyric now and then. Patti LaBelle paid tribute to the late, great Tina Turner during the live Sunday (June 25) BET Awards held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, but in the midst of her performance, a few of the lyrics escaped her as she performed Turner’s hit “The Best.”
The two-time Grammy winner started off strong and confident, grooving to the music as her vocals soared. But as she finished the second half of the first verse, she started humming before telling the audience during the live telecast, “I’m trying, y’all.” Then like a pro, she launched into the chorus like nothing was wrong.
A little later in the performance, LaBelle ad-libbed a few lyrics and shared what the issue was. “I get … whatever. I can’t see the words I don’t know!” she sang before yelling again, “I’m trying, y’all!”
Though she may have flubbed the lyrics a few times, the singer continued with her performance before ending with ““God bless you, Tina Turner, BET, hip-hop!”
According to one attendee who shared video from the moment of where the audience member was seated, LaBelle might not have been able to see the teleprompter because the section in front of it was standing, blocking the singer’s view.
BET confirmed that this was the case in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “It was an extraordinary privilege to celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Tina Turner at BET Awards 2023. Having the incomparable Ms. Patti LaBelle on our stage honoring one of her contemporaries was an equal privilege,” a spokesperson told the publication. “Due to the crowd’s enthusiasm, the teleprompter was obstructed, obscuring Ms. LaBelle’s view of the lyrics. Nonetheless, we couldn’t be more grateful to Ms. LaBelle for lending her incredible talent to this moment.”
Rock n’ roll trailblazer Tina Turner died at age 83 in May. Her hit “The Best” peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1989, and remained on the all-genre tally for 14 weeks.
Watch moments from LaBelle’s BET performance below:
The BET Awards likes to call itself “Culture’s Biggest Night.” The 2023 edition, which aired on BET from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday (June 25), may also have been Culture’s Longest Night. The show ran nearly four hours, with a well-deserved but overlong tribute to lifetime achievement award winner Busta Rhymes taking […]
The 2023 BET Awards, held at the Micosoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday (June 25), was an awards show that was heavy on “show” and very light on awards. Just six awards were presented during a show that ran nearly four hours. And just two winners – Latto and Coco Jones — were in the house to accept their awards.
The award for video director Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor was accepted by her mother, who called Teyana to give her the good news and showed her image on the phone to the camera. So, you could say three winners accepted their awards. Beyoncé wasn’t present to accept the two awards she won on-air, nor was Burna Boy to accept his one award. Nor did either global star accept via video.
As a result, it’s hard to know what a win on this show will mean in terms of artists’ careers, which has long been one of the main benefits of winning at awards shows. Jones was present to accept her award for best new artist and to perform her hit “ICU,” which could make a meaningful difference in her hopes to secure a Grammy nomination for best new artist.
But none of SZA’s three awards were so much as mentioned on the show. Her blockbuster SOS tied with Beyoncé’s Renaissance for album of the year. She beat Beyoncé to win best female R&B/pop artist for the first time. And her “Kill Bill” won video of the year. If one or more of those awards had been part of the show, and she had accepted and performed, she might have boosted her chances of winning one or more Grammys next February. Without any presence on this show, it’s hard to see a boost for her coming out of this show.
For the record, Beyoncé and SZA tied for most awards on the night with three each, followed by Drake with two.
Beyoncé won two awards for “Break My Soul,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. She won the BET Her Award and the viewer’s choice award. These awards extended her lead as the artist with the most wins in BET Awards history. Bey is the first three-time winner of the BET Her Award, which honors motivational and empowering songs that center on women. She previously won for “Formation” and “Brown Skin Girl” (featuring Blue Ivy, Wizkid and Saint Jhn).
To win the viewer’s choice award, Bey prevailed in a field that included six other Hot 100-topping smashes as well as Burna Boy’s global hit “Last Last,” which reached No. 44 on the Hot 100. This was Beyoncé’s fourth win in the fan-voted category, which puts her in a tie with Lil Wayne for most wins (combining lead and featured credits). Bey’s previous wins in the category were for “Formation,” “Sorry” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” on which she was featured.
Drake, who led the field of nominees with seven nods, won two awards. He won best group for his collab with 21 Savage and best collaboration for Future’s “Wait for You,” on which he was featured along with Tems. This was Drake’s second win for best group. He won seven years ago for his collab with Future.
There was a second tie among the 21 categories (in addition to album of the year). Chris Brown and Usher tied for best male R&B/pop artist. This was Brown’s record-extending seventh win in the category; and Usher’s fourth (which puts him in second place for most wins in the category.)
Latto, last year’s best new artist winner, won best female hip hop artist for the first time. She beat a field that included three past winners in the category – Nicki Minaj, a seven-time winner; Megan Thee Stallion, a three-time winner; and Cardi B, a two-time winner.
Coco Jones won best new artist, prevailing in an all-female field that included GloRilla and Ice Spice. Jones is the first female R&B singer (as opposed to rapper) to win in this category since SZA five years ago. This boosts Jones’ chances of landing a Grammy nomination for best new artist this year. Latto was nominated in that category at the Grammys (though she lost to jazz singer Samara Joy).
Kendrick Lamar won best male hip-hop artist for a record-extending sixth time.
Kirk Franklin won best gospel/inspirational artist for a record-extending seventh time, this time for a collab with Maverick City Music.
Burna Boy won best international act for the fourth time in the past five years. The winner last year was Tems, who also hails from Nigeria.
Teyana “Spice Tey” Taylor won video director of the year for the second time in four years. Taylor is just the third repeat winner in that category, following Beyoncé, who has won three times, and Benny Boom, who, like Taylor, has won twice.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won best movie, five years after the original Black Panther won in that category. This marks the first time that a sequel has won in this category. Angela Bassett, who played Ramonda in that film, won best actress here, a few months after she lost the Oscar for best supporting actress to Jamie Lee Curtis. Surprisingly, this is Bassett’s first win in that category.
The emotional heart of the show was the presentation of the annual lifetime achievement award to Busta Rhymes, with video tributes from such A-listers as Dave Chappelle, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. Busta is precisely the kind of artist the BET Awards should be giving flowers to – a giant in his field who has been under-recognized elsewhere. Busta has gone 0-12 at the Grammys over the years.
Offset and Quavo reunited at Sunday night’s (June 25) 2023 BET Awards to perform a Migos classic and pay tribute to their late bandmate Takeoff. The unannounced performance came about an hour into Sunday’s show, when a floor-to-ceiling rocket appeared on the big screens and the two remaining members of Migos walked into a spotlight […]
The 2023 BET Awards have arrived!
Drake and GloRilla enter the night as this year’s leading nominees — with seven and six nods each, respectively — but who will be the night’s big winner?
Stick with Billboard all Sunday night for our updating list of winners, below.
Album of the YearAnyways, Life’s Great, GloRillaBreezy, Chris BrownGod Did, DJ KhaledHer Loss, Drake & 21 Savage Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick LamarRenaissance, BeyoncéSOS, SZA
Best Female R&B/Pop ArtistAri LennoxBeyoncéCoco JonesH.E.R.LizzoSZATems
Best Male R&B/Pop ArtistBlxstBrent FaiyazBurna BoyChris BrownDrakeThe WeekndUsher
Best GroupCity GirlsDrake & 21 SavageDvsnFLOMaverick City Music & Kirk FranklinQuavo & TakeoffWanmor
Best Collaboration“Big Energy (Remix),” Latto & Mariah Carey feat. DJ Khaled“Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,” Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice“Call Me Every Day,” Chris Brown feat. Wizkid“Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,” King Combs feat. Kodak Black“Creepin’,” Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage“F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” Hitkidd & GloRilla“Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla & Cardi B“Wait For U,” Future feat. Drake & Tems
Best Female Hip Hop Artist Cardi B Coi LerayGloRillaIce SpiceWINNER: LattoMegan Thee StallionNicki Minaj
Best Male Hip Hop Artist21 SavageDrakeFutureJ. ColeJack HarlowKendrick LamarLil Baby
Video of the Year“We (Warm Embrace),” Chris Brown“2 Million Up,” Peezy, Jeezy & Real Boston Richey feat. Rob49“About Damn Time,” Lizzo“Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy“First Class,” Harlow“Kill Bill,” SZA“Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla & Cardi B
Video Director of the YearA$AP Rocky for AWGEBenny BoomBurna BoyCole BennettDave Free & Kendrick LamarDirector XWINNER: Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor
Best New ArtistAmbréWINNER: Coco JonesDoechiiFLOGloRillaIce SpiceLola Brooke
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award“Bless Me,” Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin“Finished (Live),” Tamela Mann“I’ve Got Joy,” CeCe Winans“Kingdom,” Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin feat. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore“New,” Tye Tribbett“One Moment From Glory,” Yolanda Adams“The Better Benediction (Pt.2),” PJ Morton feat. Lisa Knowles-Smith, Le’andria Johnson, Keke Wyatt, Kierra Sheard & Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Viewer’s Choice Award“About Damn Time,” Lizzo“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé“First Class,” Jack Harlow“Jimmy Cooks,” Drake feat 21 Savage“Kill Bill,” SZA“Last Last,” Burna Boy“Super Freaky Girl,” Nicki Minaj“Wait For U,” Future feat. Drake & Tems
Best International ActAya Nakamura (France)Ayra Starr (Nigeria)Burna Boy (Nigeria)Central Cee (UK)Ella Mai (UK)Ko (South Africa)L7nnon (Brazil)Stormzy (UK)Tiakola (France)Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Viewer’s Choice: Best New International ActAsake (Nigeria)Camidoh (Ghana)Flo (UK)Libianca (Cameroon)Maureen (France)MC Ryan SP (Brazil)Pabi Cooper (South Africa)Raye (UK)Werenoi (France)
BET Her“About Damn Time,” Lizzo“Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,” Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé“Her,” Megan Thee Stallion“Lift Me Up,” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From And Inspired By – Rihanna & Ludwig Göransson“Players,” Coi Leray“Special,” Lizzo
Best MovieBlack Panther: Wakanda ForeverCreed 3EmancipationNopeThe Woman KingTillWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Best ActorAmin JosephBrian Tyree HenryDamson IdrisDaniel KaluuyaDemetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Jr.Donald GloverMichael B. Jordan
Best ActressAngela BassettCoco JonesJanelle JamesJanelle MonáeKeke PalmerViola DavisZendaya
Youngstars AwardAkira AkbarAlaya HighDemi SingletonGenesis DeniseMarsai MartinThaddeus J. Mixson Young Dylan
Sportswoman of the Year AwardAlexis MorrisAllyson Felix Angel ReeseCandace ParkerNaomi Osaka Serena WilliamsSha’carri Richardson
Sportsman of the Year AwardAaron Judge Bubba WallaceGervonta DavisJalen HurtsLebron JamesPatrick MahomesStephen Curry
Busta Rhymes is set to receive the lifetime achievement award at the 2023 BET Awards on Sunday, June 25. Bia, Coi Leray, Cutty Ranks, Dexta Daps, M.O.P., Rah Digga, ScarLip, Spice, Supercat, Swizz Beatz and more will take the stage to celebrate the rapper and his 30-plus year musical legacy.
The show, which calls itself “culture’s biggest night,” will air on BET from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. The show airs live on the East Coast at 8 p.m., and on tape delay on the West Coast at 8 p.m. PT.
This is the third year in a row that the lifetime achievement award has gone to a rapper. Queen Latifah, who started out as a rapper before diversifying into many areas of entertainment, was the honoree two years ago. Sean Combs was the honoree last year. Previous recipients were artists in mainstream R&B, from Whitney Houston, the first recipient in 2001, to Mary J. Blige, the 2019 honoree.
“Busta Rhymes is a multifaceted, award-winning artist who has mesmerized audiences for decades with his original hip-hop sound and one-of-a-kind visuals,” Scott Mills, CEO of BET, said in a statement. “He continues to leave an indelible mark on the culture that we hold dear, and it is with great pride that we present this year’s lifetime achievement award to a visionary, a master of rhyme and a true pioneer.”
Busta Rhymes, 51, has received six awards at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, but he has gone 0-12 at the Grammys.
The rapper topped the Billboard 200 in 2006 with The Big Bang. He has climbed as high as No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 twice, with “What’s It Gonna Be?!,” a 1999 collab with Janet Jackson; and “I Know What You Want,” a 2003 collab with Mariah Carey that featured The Flipmode Squad.
In addition to his musical achievements, Busta Rhymes, who was born Trevor Smith Jr., has acted in several movies, including Higher Learning (1995), Shaft (2000) and Halloween: Resurrection (2002).
This year’s BET Awards will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Dem Franchize Boyz, D-Nice, Erick Sermon, Fabolous, Jeezy, Redman, Styles P and YG were added to the performance lineup for this segment, joining the previously announced 69 Boyz, Big Daddy Kane, Chief Keef, DJ Unk, E-40, Fast Life Yungstaz & Easton (F.L.Y.), Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Kid ‘N Play, MC Lyte, Percy “Master P” Miller, Remy Ma, Soulja Boy, The Sugarhill Gang, Trick Daddy, Trina, Tyga, Uncle Luke, Warren G, Ying Yang Twins and Yo-Yo.
Apart from that anniversary salute, 2023 BET Awards nominees Ice Spice and Latto, and hip-hop artist Mad Lion are set to perform live on the show, joining the previously announced Coco Jones, Doechii, GloRilla and Lil Uzi Vert.
Kaliii and 2023 BET Awards nominee Lola Brooke will perform on the BET Amplified stage.
The BET Awards has been the No. 1 cable award show among all adults 18-49 for the last two years, and is the No. 1 cable award show among Black adults 18-49 for the 21st consecutive year (CY02-CY22).
Voting for BET Awards 2023 Viewer’s Choice Award, which began on June 8, ends June 25 at 6:30 p.m. PT/ 9:30 p.m. ET. Cast your vote at BET.com.
Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy, will oversee and executive produce the annual show, with Jamal Noisette, VP, specials, music programming & music strategy to co-executive produce for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company for the show, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as executive producers.
The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has approved new requirements for Oscar eligibility in the best picture category. The new requirements, announced Wednesday (June 21), are designed to to broaden the public theatrical exhibition criteria. They take effect with the 97th Academy Awards, which will be presented in […]
From an NCAA women’s national championship, to a Cardi B lyrical shout-out and Latto music video cameo, and now a 2023 ESPY Award nomination — LSU’s Angel Reese is having an unstoppable year.
Reese is among the newly announced 2023 nominees for ESPN’s ESPY Awards, nabbing a best breakthrough athlete nod for her starmaking turn leading the Louisiana State University women’s basketball team to the college title this past spring. And the championship was just the beginning: Reese recently made a cameo in Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” music video, in which featured act Cardi B raps, “I been ballin’ so damn hard could’ve went to LSU.”
Reese will once again face off against Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark, her NCAA finals foe, in the best breakthrough athlete category, as well as the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy and the Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez. (In addition to the individual nom, Reese’s Louisiana State Tigers are also up for best team at the awards show.)
In the top two fields, Nikola Jokić of reigning NBA champs the Denver Nuggets will compete against New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Argentinean soccer superstar Lionel Messi for the best athlete, men’s sports prize; while the best athlete, women’s sports category is between Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin, Portland Thorns soccer star Sophia Smith, Polish tennis champ Iga Świątek, and Las Vegas Aces WNBA player A’ja Wilson.
The 2023 ESPYs will broadcast live on Wednesday, July 12, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC from Los Angeles. Recipients of the ESPYs’ three pillar awards — the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service — will be announced next week.
BEST ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTSNikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsAaron Judge, New York YankeesPatrick Mahomes, Kansas City ChiefsLionel Messi, Argentina
BEST ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTSMikaela Shiffrin, SkiSophia Smith, Portland ThornsIga Świątek, TennisA’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETECaitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s BasketballBrock Purdy, San Francisco 49ersAngel Reese, LSU Women’s BasketballJulio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE–Novak Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title, defeating Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Breaking a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis, which dates to the 1800s–LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record–Mikaela Shiffrin breaks the record for the most World Cup victories with her 87th win–Max Verstappen wins the Mexican Grand Prix, breaking the record for most wins in a season
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE–Leon Edwards, UFC – defeats Kamaru Usman by 5th-round KO to win UFC welterweight title, handing Usman his first UFC loss–Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets – 2023 NBA Finals MVP–Lionel Messi, Argentina – 2022 World Cup Final – scored 2 goals and scored in the penalty shootout to win Man of the Match and he won the Golden Ball as FIFA’s best player of the tournament–Rose Zhang, LPGA – defeated Jennifer Kupcho in a two-hole sudden death playoff, making history by winning by becoming the first woman in 72 years to win her first professional start.
BEST COMEBACK ATHLETE–Jon Jones, UFC – Jones’ first fight in the UFC since 2020. He was last seen in action against Dominick Reyes, where he defended his light-heavyweight championship at UFC 247. While Jon Jones was plotting a move to the heavyweight division, he and the UFC president did not see eye-to-eye over fighter pay. Jones felt that he needed to be paid more for a move up to the heavyweight division, which resulted in him delaying his return.–Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets – Murray missed the entirety of last season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered the injury in a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2021, and didn’t play in the 18 months since then.–Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun – 2022 WNBA Comeback Player of the Year. Thomas missed all but six games last season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. The eight-year veteran has started all 36 of Connecticut’s games in 2022, and was an All- Star earlier this season. She leads the team in assists (6.1), steals (1.7) and minutes played (32.1).–Justin Verlander, Current New York Mets / Houston Astros – 2022 NL Comeback Player of the Year, after being limited to only six innings in 2020 and missing the entire ’21 season due to Tommy John surgery, the Astros’ ace returned this season to go 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA — the lowest by any AL pitcher since Pedro Martinez posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000.
BEST PLAYMichael Block Hole-in-One! GOLFJustin Jefferson with the Catch of the Century NFLAlly Lemos with the perfect corner to tie the National Championship game NCAATrinity Thomas Perfect 10 Tying the All-Time NCAA Record NCAA
BEST TEAMDenver Nuggets, NBAGeorgia Bulldogs, NCAA FootballKansas City Chiefs, NFLLas Vegas Aces, WNBALouisiana State Tigers, NCAA Women’s BasketballOklahoma Sooners, NCAA SoftballVegas Golden Knights, NHL
BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTSZach Edey, Purdue Men’s BasketballDuncan McGuire, Creighton SoccerBrennan O’Neill, Duke LacrosseCaleb Williams, USC Football
BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTSJordy Bahl, Oklahoma SoftballCaitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s BasketballIzzy Scane, Northwestern LacrosseTrinity Thomas, Florida Gators Gymnastics
BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITYErica McKee, Sled Hockey TeamZach Miller, SnowboardingAaron Pike, Wheelchair Racing & Cross-Country SkiingSusannah Scaroni, Wheelchair Racing
BEST NFL PLAYERNick Bosa, San Francisco 49ersJalen Hurts, Philadelphia EaglesJustin Jefferson, Minnesota VikingsPatrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
BEST MLB PLAYERPaul Goldschmidt, St. Louis CardinalsAaron Judge, New York YankeesShohei Ohtani, Los Angeles AngelsJustin Verlander, Houston Astros
BEST NHL PLAYERJonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden KnightsConnor McDavid, Edmonton OilersDavid Pastrňák, Boston BruinsLinus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
BEST NBA PLAYERJimmy Butler, Miami HeatJoel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ersNikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsJayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
BEST WNBA PLAYERSkylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix MercuryCandace Parker, Chicago Sky (Current Las Vegas Aces)Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Current New York Liberty)A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
BEST DRIVERBrittany Force, NHRAKyle Larson, NASCARJosef Newgarden, IndyCarMax Verstappen, F1
BEST UFC FIGHTERLeon EdwardsJon JonesIslam MakhachevAmanda Nunes
BEST BOXERGervonta DavisDevin HaneyClaressa ShieldsShakur Stevenson
BEST SOCCER PLAYERAitana Bonmatí, Spain/BarcelonaErling Haaland, Norway/Manchester CityLionel Messi, Argentina/PSGSophia Smith, USWNT/Portland Thorns
BEST GOLFERWyndham ClarkNelly KordaJon RahmScottie Scheffler
BEST TENNIS PLAYERCarlos AlcarazNovak DjokovicAryna SabalenkaIga Świątek
The Recording Academy sent invitations to more than 2,800 new voting members on Wednesday (June 21). That’s more than the 2,000 invitations to new voting members it sent out last year. Of those, nearly 1,300 invitees accepted, according to the Academy. This is having a major impact on the composition of the Academy, which has more than 11,000 total voting members.
To participate in the entire 66th Annual Grammy Awards process, invitees must accept their invitations by July 14.
In addition, the Academy sent invitations to more than 850 professional (non-voting) members today. This is also more than last year, when it sent invitations to more than 600 professional members, of whom more than 500 accepted, according to the Academy.
The Academy currently has more than 2,700 professional members.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. today sent an email to all members of the Academy saying: “Members are the foundation of the Recording Academy. And today, we’re privileged to extend invitations to a remarkable group of close to 3,700 creators and professionals spanning various genres, crafts, backgrounds, and regions to join our mission to cultivate a more enriching world for creators.”
Today at 11 a.m. PT, the Academy is hosting an Instagram Live with selected members of this year’s new class. They include Tony winner and Grammy nominee Myles Frost (MJ: The Musical), Emmy nominee Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) and rapper Rap-Unzel, who got her big break in 2017 when she competed on Jermaine Dupri’s reality TV series The Rap Game. The session will be moderated by Ashley Thomas, the Academy’s senior director of member outreach & systems.
In a recent video which was posted in the Academy’s site, Mason shed light on the fairly recent practice of actively reaching out to prospective new members rather than waiting for them to approach the Academy, which was the way it used to work.
“As of three years ago, we started going out into genres, into communities and saying ‘We need more banjo players, we need more rap artists, we need more women, we need more people of this genre’ and we started inviting people in. That’s how we started to change our membership. We’ve still got a long way to go. That’s how we’re going to get better results.”
The Academy will release data about the demographic breakdown of this year’s class of new inductees after the enrollment period ends on July 14.
It’s a gloriously sunny afternoon in June, and Elton John, sharply dressed in a salmon-pink pinstripe suit bedazzled with his name, is hobnobbing with his longtime band, his crew and his tour promoters in the garden of his elegant, expansive estate in Windsor, just 15 shows away from the end of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour that began five years ago.
But this isn’t just another pre-show soiree: it’s a special gathering organized by AEG’s chairman/CEO Jay Marciano to celebrate some historic chart milestones that Elton and his band have recently set.
The first is that the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour has grossed more than $887 million and sold 5.7 million tickets, with over 300 shows in 20 countries, becoming the top-grossing tour of all time, according to Billboard Boxscore.
The second is that Elton John has become the highest-grossing solo artist and top ticket-selling solo artist ever, grossing nearly $2 billion and selling over 20 million tickets since Billboard Boxscore started tracking data 40 years ago.
“When I started out, I just wanted to play music…I didn’t set out to have the highest-grossing tour of all time,” John told the crowd as he accepted the two awards from Billboard’s editorial director, Hannah Karp, and Billboard’s evp of charts and data partnerships, Silvio Pietroluongo. “Ed Sheeran will be very upset,” the Rocketman added drily, tipping to the fact that his tour surpassed the previous Billboard Boxscore record set by his pal and mentee’s Divide Tour.
John’s generosity extends well beyond inviting everyone to a garden gathering at his home with husband and manager David Furnish. He lauds the many behind-the-scenes players who made the record-setting trek possible, from Marciano to tour director Keith Bradley to longtime agent Howard Rose. And he insists on a standing ovation for head chef Tony Liddell, declaring that the “food on this tour has been the best food ever” in his half century-plus of globetrotting. The audience, which includes tattooed guitar techs, chic designers and some neatly dressed business folk, seems to heartily agree, at least judging by the thunderous clapping.
And, of course, his band – Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Matt Bissonette, John Mahon, Kim Bullard and Ray Cooper – get their fair share of props, in addition to receiving their own sleek, individualized awards for being part of the top-grossing tour in Billboard Boxscore history. His longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin, is also given an award for his contributions to John’s achievements.
“It’s quite a wonderful thing to see people rewarded and to see the band get the plaques as well. I couldn’t have done it without the band. They so deserve this,” John says. “I have the best crew and the best band in the world – and that means you, Bruce Springsteen,” he adds with a wink.
Silvio Pietroluongo, Elton John and Hannah Karp
Ben Gibson
The rock icon also had kind words for Billboard, of which he’s remained an avid reader for decades. “Billboard, you know you’re my bible,” he says to Karp and Pietroluongo, also hailing Billboard’s executive editor Melinda Newman – whom he’s been interviewed by numerous times over the years – as a “great person.”
When Sir Elton takes his seat, Marciano assumes the role of emcee with relish (earlier in the show, he quipped, “you never give the concert promoter the mic – now it’s too late”). Marciano surprises John with a lush commemorative tour book that everyone who worked on the trek will receive (“no eBay!” John jokes to his band and crew) before Marciano announces, “And there’s more.” Sir Elton cuts in: “Are you gonna tell them I’m gay now? Sh-t.”
After hailing Furnish as the man with the “master plan of the tour” who overdelivered on his commitments (“I wish there were more like you”), Marciano announces he’s holding a $1 million check for the Elton John AIDS Foundation from Phil Anschutz, Jay Marciano and AEG Presents.
Ben Gibson
Following that, prizes are doled out – because what is a garden party if there aren’t prizes? And these ones were worth their weight in gold, quite literally. In the vein of the famed yellow brick road, gold bricks — custom designed by Dominic Jones, whose jewelry has been worn by everyone from Amy Winehouse to Beyoncé — were handed out as trivia rewards (each one was made of sustainable gold and minted by the Royal Mint). Earlier in the afternoon, while noshing and mingling, crew members were invited to answer a variety of EJ-related questions on digital kiosks. “How many shows has Elton John played in London over the years?”; “How many notes does Elton play on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour?”; “What does the DC stand for in DC Parmet?” [Parmet is John’s longtime tour manager]. The answers: 177, 82,500 and… well, perhaps it stands for “Deeply Confidential.” While someone got a prize for the most creative answer, Parmet teased that maybe, just maybe, the truth of that mystery will be unveiled on July 8, when the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour rolls into Sweden for its final show.
“Most remarkable of all to us at Billboard, even as [Elton John] moves such massive, record-setting audiences from the stage, is the support and mentorship and love that he’s given so many people in his life on the most personal of levels,” said Billboard’s Karp. “Billboard doesn’t have a chart to track such data, yet. But if we did, we’re pretty certain he’d be at the top of that one, too.”