Awards

06 Jun 2023

A Closer Look at the 3 Broadway Songs That Won Grammys for Song of the Year

The Tony Awards have never had a best song category, honoring the year’s best song from a Broadway musical. The Grammys have presented a song of the year award every year since they were founded in 1958. Three times, the award has gone to a Broadway song.

We’ll take a closer look at those three songs, but first, just think of some of the treasured songs that might have won (or at least been nominated) if the Tonys had had a best song category since they got underway in 1947. To name just a few: “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific, “Shall We Dance” from The King and I,  “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady, “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man, “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, “Being Alive” from Company, “I’m Still Here” from Follies, “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz, “One” from A Chorus Line, “Tomorrow” from Annie, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Evita, “Memory” from Cats, “Seasons of Love” from Rent, “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray and “My Shot” from Hamilton.

The Tonys – which are set to air on CBS on Sunday June 11 — include two related categories – best musical and best original score. This year’s nominees for best musical are & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, New York, New York, Shucked and Some Like It Hot. Kimberly Akimbo, Shucked and Some Like It Hot are also nominated for best original score, along with Almost Famous and KPOP.

Let’s take a closer look at the three Broadway songs that have won the Grammy for song of the year.

05 Jun 2023

Josh Groban, Linda Ronstadt & More Billboard 200-Topping Artists Who Received Tony Nods for Musicals

Josh Groban is nominated in a marquee category at the 2023 Tony Awards on Sunday June 11. The singer/actor is nominated for best leading actor in a musical for his performance in a revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This is his second nod in that category.

Groban has also notched three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Groban is just the sixth person to accomplish both of these feats — to top the Billboard 200 with an album of their own and land a Tony nomination for performing in a musical.

Before we look at the full list, here’s a little fine print: Tony winner Jackie Gleason (Take Me Along, 1960) and Tony nominee Sammy Davis. Jr. (Golden Boy, 1965) both topped a Billboard albums chart prior to the March 1956 inception of the Billboard 200 (which was the first regular, weekly album chart).

Several more Tony-nominated (or Tony-winning) performers have had top five albums on the Billboard 200, though they have yet to reach No. 1. These include Bette Midler (a winner for Hello, Dolly!, 2017), Harry Connick Jr. (a nominee for The Pajama Game, 2006), Heather Headley (a winner for Aida, 2000), Al Green (a nominee for Your Arms Too Short to Box With God, 1983) and Robert Goulet (a winner for The Happy Time, 1968).

While Groban is a strong contender in his category, he faces stiff competition from Ben Platt for Parade and J. Harrison Ghee for Some Like It Hot. The category is rounded out by Christian Borle, also for Some Like It Hot; Brian d’Arcy James for Into the Woods and Colton Ryan for New York, New York.

Here’s a complete list of the six performers who have both topped the Billboard 200 and landed a Tony nomination for performing in a musical. They are listed in reverse chronological order.

05 Jun 2023

2023 ACM Awards Reports 87% Year-Over-Year Audience Growth

The 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards reports 87% year-over-year audience growth, as compared to 2022. The show also saw record increases in viewership and interactions across its owned-and-operated sites and social media platforms, as well as Harmony, Penske Media’s proprietary livestreaming platform.

The 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards was the No. 1 program across all social media platforms for TV and streaming on May 11 (excluding sports), according to Talkwalker, which monitors social content ratings.

This year’s ACM Awards amassed 60.6 million video views across the ACM’s official Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok from May 11 through May 22, marking a record increase of 94% in year-over-year social media views, per ListenFirst.

The Official ACM Awards Red Carpet Show garnered 3.2 million live and video-on-demand views in the first 24 hours on Harmony, which livestreams PMC’s portfolio of live entertainment shows and industry experiences across all of Penske Media’s owned and operated websites and PMC social media accounts.

As of June 2, there are more than 7.1 million views across all 18 full show performances on ACM Award performers’ YouTube channels since May 12.

Keith Urban, Ed Sheeran with Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert all saw streaming increases of 200% or more following live performances on the ACM Awards stage. 

Urban’s performance of his 2018 song “Texas Time” — in honor of the ACM Awards’ return to Texas — was followed by a 428% increase in total on-demand streams on the day following the show and consistent streams through the weekend post-show (+337%), according to data from Luminate.

Sheeran and Combs performed “Life Goes On” live together for the first time on the show. Following this performance, there was a 281% increase of total on-demand streams on the day following the show and consistent streams through the weekend (+210%), per Luminate.

Also according to data from Luminate, Wilson’s performance of “Grease” was followed by an increase in total on-demand streams on the day following the show (+221%) and saw an average increase of 206% through the weekend post-show.

Lambert’s “Carousel,” released in April 2022, saw a 209% increase in total on-demand streams on the day following the ACM Awards and consistent streams through the weekend post-show (+142%), per data from Luminate.

Also, Jelly Roll — who is the cover star of Billboard‘s latest issue — and Wilson performed a new duet version of “Save Me,” which landed at No. 4 on Country Digital Song Sales following the show.

58th ACM Awards co-host Dolly Parton’s “World on Fire,” the lead single from her highly anticipated rock album Rockstar, landed at No. 1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart as well as No. 3 on the Country Digital Song Sales chart.

Notes: For the day following the show, the percent change was measured from May 11 to May 12. For the weekend stats, a three-day average of May 12, May 13 and May 14 was compared to stats from May 11.

This marked the second year on Prime Video for the ACM Awards, which in 2022 became the first major awards show to stream live exclusively for a global audience. Co-hosted by Parton and Garth Brooks, the two-hour, commercial-free concert event streamed live for an international audience on May 11 across 240+ countries and territories exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, from The Star in Frisco, Texas.

The show featured 18 performances from 24 artists, including Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Combs, Jordan Davis, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Lambert, Parton, Jelly Roll, Urban, The War And Treaty, Wilson, and Bailey Zimmerman. Collaborations included Sheeran and Combs; Carly Pearce and Trisha Yearwood; Cole Swindell and Jo Dee Messina; and Ashley McBryde featuring Brandy Clark, Caylee Hammack, Pillbox Patti, and John Osborne.

The full rebroadcast is now available to watch on Prime Video, the Amazon Music App, and for free on Amazon Freevee.

The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards was produced by Dick Clark Productions, with Raj Kapoor, Barry Adelman, and Fonda Anita serving as executive producers, and Damon Whiteside serving as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music. Patrick Menton was co-executive producer.

The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard. 

02 Jun 2023

Brandon Lake Leads K-LOVE Fan Awards With Three Wins

Brandon Lake, for King & Country, Lauren Daigle and MercyMe were among the evening’s big winners on Friday evening (June 2), when the K-LOVE Fan Awards aired on TBN, having previously been taped at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House on May 28.

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Lake led this year’s winners, taking home three honors, including male artist. He also earned song of the year and worship song of the year, both for “Gratitude.”

Sibling duo for King & Country earned artist of the year, while Daigle took home female artist of the year, and MercyMe earned their first K-LOVE Fan Award, for group of the year.

The evening also featured an array of powerful performances, as Colton Dixon was joined by Gabby Barrett for their duet “Build a Boat.” A plethora of collaborations filled the evening, including MercyMe with David Leonard on “Then Christ Came,” Katy Nichole and Big Daddy Weave on “God Is in This Story,” Lake teamed with Benjamin William Hastings for “Gratitude,” while Mac Powell and Jason Crabb performed “New Creation.” Tasha Layton offered “How Far,” while Jon Reddick performed “I Believe It.”

In one of the evening’s most affecting moments, Blessing Offor had students from Nashville’s Covenant School join him for a performance of Offor’s “Brighter Days.” Steven Curtis Chapman, who was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018, was honored for his lengthy history of enduring songs, as he was joined by Bart Millard, Matthew West and Mac Powell.

See the full list of K-LOVE Fan Awards winners for 2023 below:

Artist of the Year
for KING & COUNTRY

Male artist
Brandon Lake

Female artist
Lauren Daigle

Group of the year
MercyMe

Worship song of the year
Brandon Lake
“Gratitude”

Song of the year
Brandon Lake
“Gratitude”

Breakout single
“Perfectly Loved”
Rachael Lampa ft. TobyMac

Film & television impact
The Chosen
Season Three Finale

Book impact
On Our Knees
Phil Wickham

Podcast impact
UNASHAMED
Phil & Jase Robertson

01 Jun 2023

Walt ‘Baby’ Love, Nelson George & More to Be Honored by Living Legends Foundation

Walt “Baby” Love, a 2022 inductee into the Radio Hall of Fame, will receive another honor in October as he’s one of eight individuals slated to be recognized by the Living Legends Foundation at its annual awards dinner and gala. Love will receive the Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s event.

Love has hosted three long-running radio programs — The Countdown with Walt “Baby” Love, Gospel Traxx and The Urban AC Countdown. For 21 years, Love worked at Radio & Records as its urban radio and music editor while simultaneously hosting his syndicated radio shows.

Nelson George, who likewise first made his mark in music trade journalism before broadening his focus, will also be honored. George, who wrote for Billboard in the 1980s before becoming a noted author and filmmaker, will receive the Media Icon Award.

The other honorees are Ed Lover, star of The Ed Lover Show with Monie Love (Jerry Boulding Radio Award); Lionel Ridenour, founder/CEO of Anchor Promotions (Music Executive Award); Tracey Jordan, partner of Lazin/Jordan Productions (Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award); Rocky Bucano, executive director of the Universal Hip Hop Museum (Hip Hop Visionary Award); Vernon Brown, Esq., founder of V. Brown & Company (Entertainment Advocate Award); and Shanti Das, former music executive and founder of Silence The Shame (A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award).

“This year is particularly special because, in addition to our annual awards ceremony, we are also celebrating 50 years of hip-hop,” said Living Legends Foundation chairman David C. Linton in a statement. “We are the first generation of music executives to help break and recognize hip-hop as a global music art form. Most of our board and advisory members were responsible for signing many of today’s hip-hop legends and icons to recording contracts and record label imprint deals, ultimately creating the phenomenon known to the world as ‘hip-hop culture.’ Additionally, for the past three to four decades, many of our board members have guided the careers of these legends and icons via management, marketing, radio promotions, publicity, sales, and A&R.”

This year’s awards dinner and gala will be held on Friday, Oct. 6 at Taglyan Cultural Complex, 1201 N. Vine Street, Hollywood. The red carpet and cocktail reception begin at 6:30 p.m. with the awards dinner starting at 7:30 p.m.

This year’s dinner chairs are Skip Dillard, brand manager and program director for Audacy’s WXBK/94.7, the Block, New York City; and Lady B, on-air personality at Classix 107.9 in Philadelphia.

Founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1992, the Living Legends Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization and has been funded primarily by corporate contributions and individual donations. The organization has expanded its mission to assist those who have served the music industry and who have what it calls “a confirmable need.”

Over the past 30 years, the foundation has honored more than 100 leaders in the areas of broadcasting, film, recorded music, media, publishing, radio, publicity and marketing.

For more information, visit the organization’s website.

31 May 2023

‘Some Like It Hot’ Tops 2023 Drama Desk Awards With 8 Wins

A musical based on the classic 1959 Billy Wilder film Some Like It Hot was the top winner at the 67th Annual Drama Desk Awards, which were announced on Wednesday (May 31). The show — for which Mariah Carey is one of the producers — won eight awards, including outstanding musical and outstanding lyrics for Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman.

Two other musicals, a revival of Stephen Sondheim‘s Sweeney Todd and the new Shucked, also won multiple awards. Sweeney Todd won three awards – though, curiously, it lost outstanding revival of a musical to Parade, which won no other awards.

Shucked won two awards – outstanding music for country hit-makers Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally and outstanding featured performance in a musical for Alex Newell.

Musicals winning one award each — apart from Parade — were New York, New York and a revival of Into the Woods.

The 2023 Drama Desk Awards will take place at Sardi’s Restaurant in New York on Tuesday, June 6, from 3 to 6 p.m. ET. Tony and Emmy winner Mandy Patinkin and two-time Obie Award winner Kathryn Grody will co-host the ceremony.

The Drama Desk Awards will be presented five days before the Tony Awards are broadcast on CBS. The Drama Desk Awards differ from the Tonys in several respects.

  • All four performance categories are “gender-free” – their term for “gender-neutral.” Each of these categories had twice as many nominees as the former gendered categories; each have two winners.
  • The Drama Desk Awards are the only major New York City theater awards for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway compete against each other in the same categories.
  • The Drama Desk Awards are bestowed by critics, journalists, editors and publishers covering theater.

Shows with 21 or more unique live performances were eligible.

The Drama Desk was founded in 1949 to bring together critics and writers in an organization to support the ongoing development of theater in New York. The organization began presenting awards in 1955.

Here are all the nominees in musical categories – as well as the nominees in one category dedicated to plays – outstanding music in a play. Winners are marked.

Outstanding musical

  • & Juliet
  • Between the Lines
  • F*ck7thGrade, The Wild Project
  • Shucked
  • WINNER: Some Like it Hot
  • White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater

Outstanding revival of a musical

  • A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company
  • Into the Woods
  • Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
  • WINNER: Parade
  • Sweeney Todd

Outstanding lead performance in a musical

  • WINNER: Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd
  • Nicholas Barasch, The Butcher Boy, Irish Repertory Theatre
  • Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
  • Andrew Burnap, Camelot
  • Micaela Diamond, Parade
  • Andrew Durand, Shucked
  • Callum Francis, Kinky Boots, Stage 42
  • WINNER: J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like it Hot
  • Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
  • Somi Kakoma, Dreaming Zenzile, New York Theatre Workshop
  • Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
  • Anna Uzele, New York, New York

Outstanding featured performance in a musical

  • Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
  • WINNER: Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like it Hot
  • Robyn Hurder, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
  • Mark Jacoby, A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
  • Tarra Conner Jones, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
  • Julia Lester, Into the Woods
  • WINNER: Alex Newell, Shucked
  • Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
  • Phillipa Soo, Into the Woods
  • Mare Winningham, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company

Outstanding direction of a musical

  • Jeff Calhoun, Between the Lines
  • John Doyle, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company
  • Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along, New York Theatre Workshop
  • WINNER: Thomas Kail, Sweeney Todd
  • Jack O’Brien, Shucked

Outstanding choreography

  • Andy Blankenbuehler, Only Gold, MCC Theater
  • Tislarm Bouie, the bandaged place
  • Edgar Godineaux, The Harder They Come, The Public Theater
  • WINNER: Casey Nicholaw, Some Like it Hot
  • Susan Stroman, New York, New York
  • Jennifer Weber, KPOP

Outstanding music

  • WINNER: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked
  • Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
  • Tom Kitt and AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer), Almost Famous
  • Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, Between the Lines
  • The Kilbanes, Weightless, WP Theater

Outstanding lyrics

  • Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked
  • Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
  • Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre and Second Stage Theater
  • Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman, The Bedwetter, Atlantic Theater Company
  • WINNER: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Some Like it Hot

Outstanding book of a musical

  • Jonathan Hogue, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
  • Robert Horn, Shucked
  • WINNER: Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, Some Like it Hot
  • Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue, Titanique
  • David West Read, & Juliet

Outstanding orchestrations

  • Bruce Coughlin, A Man of No Importance, Classic Stage Company
  • Jason Howland, Shucked
  • WINNER: Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, Some Like it Hot
  • Kenny Seymour, The Harder They Come, The Public Theater
  • Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, New York, New York

Outstanding scenic design of a musical

  • WINNER: Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York
  • David Korins, Only Gold, MCC Theater
  • Scott Pask, Shucked
  • Walt Spangler and Brendan McCann (production props), Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
  • Michael Yeargan, Camelot

Outstanding costume design of a musical

  • WINNER: Gregg Barnes, Some Like it Hot
  • Tilly Grimes, Shucked
  • Jennifer Moeller, Camelot
  • Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, KPOP
  • Anita Yavich, Only Gold, MCC Theater
  • Donna Zakowska, New York, New York

Outstanding lighting design of a musical

  • Ken Billington, New York, New York
  • Jeff Croiter, Only Gold, MCC Theater
  • Heather Gilbert, Parade
  • David Grill, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
  • WINNER: Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd

Outstanding sound design of a musical

  • Peter Hylenski, Almost Famous
  • WINNER: Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
  • John Shivers, Shucked
  • Joanna Lynne Staub, Weightless, WP Theater
  • Jon Weston, Parade

Outstanding music in a play

  • Ben Edelman, Zane Pais, and Sinan Refik Zafar, Letters from Max, a ritual, Signature Theatre
  • Mauricio Escamilla, the bandaged place, Roundabout Theatre Company
  • WINNER: Suzan-Lori Parks, Plays for the Plague Year, The Public Theater
  • Ian Ross, Wuthering Heights, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Wise Children, National Theatre
  • Daniel Schlosberg, Montag, Soho Rep

31 May 2023

Laura Pausini Named Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Person of the Year

Laura Pausini has been named the Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Person of the Year.

The Italian pop legend, one of the most celebrated performers in Latin music for the last 30 years, “will be honored for her career as a multifaceted, multi-lingual performer as well as for her continued commitment to supporting social justice causes that are close to her heart, including equality for women and LGBTQ+ people and world hunger,” according to an official statement released Wednesday (May 31) morning.

“Laura Pausini is one of the most talented and beloved artists of her generation whose commitment to advocacy and equal rights is exemplary,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “Throughout her more than three-decade career her extraordinary voice continually breaks down barriers across languages and genres, creating a special bond with audiences around the world.”

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Born in Faenza, Italy, Pausini started her music career at age 19, rising to fame in 1993 after winning the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival. Her records have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide, she has done nine world tours and landed three songs in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart: “Las Cosas Que Vives,” “Víveme” and “Como Si No Nos Hubiéramos Amado” — all of them Spanish versions of songs she originally recorded in Italian.

“I am extremely honored to receive this incredible recognition from The Latin Recording Academy. To be named Person of the Year at this moment, when I am celebrating 30 years of my career, is something that I still cannot describe,” Pausini said in a statement. “The Spanish language has opened doors for me from a young age, it has made me feel at home, it has inspired me to move forward and to explore and live music without barriers or limits. To say today that I will receive this important recognition fills me with great pride, joy, strength to continue taking strong steps and to inspire the new generation of artists who lift the music they carry in their hearts on high.”

A Latin Grammy and Grammy winner, Pausini also shares a Golden Globe Award with Diane Warren for best original song, for “Io sì (Seen)” from the movie The Life Ahead, which was also nominated to an Oscar. Beyond music, she has been honored with the Starlite Humanitarian Award, the Global Gift Humanitarian Award, and was named Person of the Year by the Diversity Media Awards for her support of the LGBTQ+ community, among other recognitions.

Pausini will be celebrated at a special star-studded gala and tribute concert, where an array of artist and friends will perform renditions of her renowned repertoire. Details of the event, to be celebrated in November during the 2023 Latin Grammy week in Sevilla, Spain, will be announced at a later date.

The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honors musicians and their artistic achievements in the Latin music industry as well as their humanitarian efforts. Past honorees include Marco Antonio Solís (2022), Rubén Blades (2021), Juanes (2019), Maná (2018), Alejandro Sanz (2017), Marc Anthony (2016), Roberto Carlos (2015), Joan Manuel Serrat (2014), Miguel Bosé (2013), Caetano Veloso (2012), Shakira (2011), Plácido Domingo (2010), Juan Gabriel (2009), Gloria Estefan (2008), Juan Luis Guerra (2007), Ricky Martin (2006), José José (2005), Carlos Santana (2004), Gilberto Gil (2003), Vicente Fernández (2002), Julio Iglesias (2001) and Emilio Estefan (2000).

31 May 2023

Flume, Confidence Man, Julia Jacklin Lead Nominations for 2023 AIR Awards

Flume, Confidence Man, Julia Jacklin, Daniel Johns and Vance Joy are among the high-profile nominees for the 2023 AIR Awards, set for Aug. 3 in Adelaide, South Australia.

The coveted independent album of the year will be contested by former Silverchair frontman Johns (for FutureNever), Jacklin (Pre Pleasure), King Stingray (King Stingray), Laura Jean (Amateurs), and Northlane (Obsidian).

Also in the running for honors are Cub Sport, Genesis Owusu, The Jungle Giants, Ball Park Music, Pnau & Troye Sivan, and The Wiggles, organizers the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) announced Wednesday (March 31).

In a change from tradition, AIR this year adds two new industry categories, independent marketing team of the year and independent publicity team of the year, while the main business category — best independent label — will be selected from a shortlist that features ABC Music, Chapter Music, Domestic La La, Liberation and UNFD.

This year’s edition will be held at the Freemasons Hall in the city of churches, through a long-term alliance with the South Australian government.

“It is fantastic to be hosting the awards here in Adelaide – Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music – and I congratulate all of the nominees,” comments state minister for arts Andrea Michaels member of parliament.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience.”

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The 17th annual AIR Awards will be bookended by the Indie-Con Australia conference, a gathering that focuses “on issues that are specifically relevant to the independent music sector,” organizers explain. Indie-Con is set for Aug. 2-4 at Mercury Cinema.

See the full list of nominations here and below.

BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM OR EP
BABY VELVET – Please Don’t Be In Love With Someone Else
DOPE LEMON – Rose Pink Cadillac
LITTLE QUIRKS – Call to Unknowns
WILLIAM CRIGHTON – Water and Dust
ZIGGY ALBERTS – Dancing In The Dark


BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM OR EP
ALLDAY – Excuse Me
DANTÉ KNOWS – Phase One
JESSWAR – LIFE’S SHORT, LIVE BIG
KWEEN G – Sensible Rebel
YAWDOESITALL – LIFE I CHOSE

BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM OR EP
ADAM BRAND – All or Nothing
ANDY GOLLEDGE – Strength Of A Queen
CASEY BARNES – Light It Up
FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK – The Real World
LYN BOWTELL – Wiser

BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM OR EP
BARNEY MCALL – Precious Energy
DONNY BENÉT – Le Piano
JEREMY ROSE – Face to Face
MILDLIFE – Live From South Channel Island
SURPRISE CHEF – Education & Recreation

BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM OR EP
ENSEMBLE OFFSPRING – To Listen, To Sing – Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/BENJAMIN NORTHEY – Nigel Westlake: Blueback [Original Motion Picture Score]
MIRUSIA – Songbird
TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – Nightlight
WILLIAM BARTON/VERONIQUE SERRET – Heartland

BEST INDEPENDENT CHILDREN’S ALBUM OR EP
EMILY WURRAMARA – Ayarra Emeba (Calm Songs)
EMMA MEMMA – Emma Memma
PLAY SCHOOL – Very Jazzy Street Party
TEENY TINY STEVIES – How to Be Creative
THE WIGGLES – ReWiggled

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE
CUB SPORT – Always Got The Love
FLUME – Say Nothing feat. MAY-A
LIME CORDIALE, IDRIS ELBA, FATBOY SLIM – Holiday Fatboy Slim Remix
MEMPHIS LK – Coffee
PNAU & TROYE SIVAN – You Know What I Need

BEST INDEPENDENT PUNK ALBUM OR EP
BODY TYPE – Everything Is Dangerous But Nothing’s Surprising
HARD-ONS – Yummy!
PRESS CLUB – Endless Motion
TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS – Pretty Good For A Girl Band
THESE NEW SOUTH WHALES – TNSW

BEST INDEPENDENT HEAVY ALBUM OR EP
CLAMM – Care
NORTHLANE – Obsidian
PARKWAY DRIVE – Darker Still
THORNHILL – Heroine
YOURS TRULY – is this what i look like?

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE OR ELECTRONICA ALBUM OR EP
CONFIDENCE MAN – TILT
FLUME – Palaces
NINAJIRACHI – Second Nature
TELENOVA – Stained Glass Love (Telenoir Versions)
THE JUNGLE GIANTS – Love Signs Remixed

BEST INDEPENDENT ROCK ALBUM OR EP
BALL PARK MUSIC – Weirder & Weirder
CAMP COPE – Running with the Hurricane
KING STINGRAY – King Stingray
OCEAN ALLEY – Low Altitude Living
SLOWLY SLOWLY – Daisy Chain

BEST INDEPENDENT SOUL/RNB ALBUM OR EP
ASHLI – Only One
BECKAH AMANI – April
FELIVAND – Ties
WANDERERS – WANDERERS
WINSTON SURFSHIRT – Panna Cotta

BEST INDEPENDENT POP ALBUM OR EP
BIG SCARY – Me and You
DANIEL JOHNS – FutureNever
JEM CASSAR-DALEY – I Don’t Know Who To Call
TELENOVA – Stained Glass Love
VANCE JOY – In Our Own Sweet Time

BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY PPCA
ANDY GOLLEDGE
JEM CASSAR-DALEY
KING STINGRAY
TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS
WANDERERS

INDEPENDENT SONG OF THE YEAR
CUB SPORT – Always Got The Love
GENESIS OWUSU – Get Inspired
JEN CLOHER – Mana Takatāpui
JULIA JACKLIN – I Was Neon
KING STINGRAY – Camp Dog

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
DANIEL JOHNS – FutureNever
JULIA JACKLIN – PRE PLEASURE
KING STINGRAY – King Stingray
LAURA JEAN – Amateurs
NORTHLANE – Obsidian

INDEPENDENT MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
ABC MUSIC, THE ORCHARD – The Wiggles, ReWiggled
CHUGG MUSIC, THE ANNEX – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba
DOMESTIC LA LA – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band
FUTURE CLASSIC – Flume, Palaces
I OH YOU, MUSHROOM MARKETING – Confidence Man, TILT

INDEPENDENT PUBLICITY TEAM OF THE YEAR
GENNA ALEXOPOULOS – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band
MUSHROOM PUBLICITY – Confidence Man, TILT
POSITIVE FEEDBACK – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba
RPM, THE COMMS DEPARTMENT – The Wiggles, ReWiggled
THINKING LOUD – Genesis Owusu, Get Inspired

BEST INDEPENDENT LABEL
ABC MUSIC
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30 May 2023

Women in CTRL Receives IMPALA’s 2023 Changemaker Award

The U.K. organization Women in CTRL is the second recipient of IMPALA’s Changemaker award, it was announced on Tuesday (May 30). The not-for-profit organization, founded by Nadia Khan, seeks to advance gender equality in the music industry.

Women in CTRL encourages women and non-binary persons to find their strengths, develop their own personal brands and build the tools and confidence to become leaders. The organization runs creative growth programs, community workshops, mentoring, training, organizing events and more.

Women in CTRL also publishes research and reports, such as the “Seat at the Table” report looking at the representation of women, with an intersectional focus on Black women, in the boardroom of U.K. music trade bodies. They also released the “Women in Radio” report looking into the experiences of women in the radio industry to identify the barriers women face.

Women in CTRL has also partnered with AIM and Amazon Music to launch a new apprenticeship program, “Amplify,” which aims to improve access to music industry careers for women and non-binary people.

“It’s an honor for Women in CTRL to be chosen as the second recipient of the Changemaker award,” Khan said in a statement. “This recognition affirms our work, inspires us to continue and highlights the independent community’s collective determination and passion in driving positive change within the music industry. Women in CTRL firmly believe in the transformative power of sharing best practices and learning from the exceptional organizations that IMPALA champions.”

“Women in CTRL is an inspiration to all in the sector who seek to bring change,” Helen Smith, IMPALA’s executive chair, said in a statement. “It’s an honor to be able to showcase their work through our Changemaker Award.”

The Changemaker Award puts the spotlight on projects that champion DEI work (dubbed “equity, diversity and inclusion” in Britain). The recipient is selected yearly by IMPALA’s DEI task force. Launched in May 2022, the award highlights projects that have an impact on the independent music sector. It is presented yearly during European Diversity Month.

The POWER UP initiative was the inaugural recipient last year. Launched in January 2021, POWER UP provides mentoring, support and grants for 40 Black music creators and industry professionals.

IMPALA was established in 2000 and now represents nearly 6,000 independent music companies. IMPALA’s mission is to grow the independent music sector sustainably, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change and increase access to finance.

29 May 2023

Shouse Scores Billions Award For ‘Love Tonight’

Shouse shuffles to an APRA AMCOS Billions Award for their “coming out of lockdown” anthem “Love Tonight.”

The Melbourne dance music duo is saluted for notching one billion streams of their song, an overnight sensation that was, in reality, five years in the making.

“Love Tonight” is the creation of Jack Madin and Ed Service, one a primary school teacher, the other an arts community manager, who were spotted performing the moody number in 2016 by OneLove head of A&R Ant Celestino. He documented the performance on video; in the cold light of day, Celestino knew it was a total banger.

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Soon after, the track was recorded with a choir of local Melbourne friends and released in 2017 on the OneLove imprint Hell Beach.

The story took another turn when, in early 2017, OneLove struck a partnership deal for global digital distribution and label services with Ingrooves Music Group, an arrangement that cleared a path for “Love Tonight.”

“It was like an unhealthy obsession,” Celestino told this reporter on stage at 2022 Indie-Con. “We never stopped. I just thought the record was so good.”

The eight-minute original cut was spun off into a string of new remixes and edits, the track was serviced to radio, DJs and tastemakers in 2021, an underground swell bubbled away in European clubs, and when the doors finally burst open after the pandemic — a global hit.

The single went top 10 in over 20 countries including Germany, France, Greece, Netherlands, and Belgium. “Love Tonight” reached No. 18 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.

According to APRA AMCOS, “Love Tonight” is certified diamond in France, triple platinum in Australia, double platinum in Belgium and Portugal, Platinum in Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Greece, and gold in Denmark, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S.

“Hearing the voices of our makeshift Melbourne choir resonate across crowds around the world will never get old,” comments Madin and Service on receiving their circular trophy. “We’re thrilled and stunned that our little moment of collective joy here in our home has made an impact on so many. They always sing along. We hope that this song inspires people to sing and create music with friends, family and their community. Music is magic!”

The 1,000,000,000 List takes into account streaming numbers from major services Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, and is given to APRA AMCOS songwriter members and their publishers in recognition of a song surpassing one billion streams.

It’s said to be the first award of its kind to recognize a songwriter’s achievement. Other recipients include Tones And I (for “Dance Monkey”), 5 Seconds of Summer (“Youngblood”), Vance Joy (“Riptide”), Gotye (“Somebody That I Used to Know”), VASSY (“Bad”), Harry Michael and Tyron Hapi for Masked Wolf’s “Astronaut in the Ocean.”

Read more on the “Love Tonight” story here.