Awards
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It was a fancy evening in more ways than one on Sunday (Nov. 6) as performing rights organization SESAC celebrated the writers and music publishers that contributed to the year’s most performed country and Americana songs in a ceremony held at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
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More than 400 songwriters, publishers and music industry executives attended the festivities, which were led by SESAC’s vp, creative services Shannan Hatch.
“It is so great being here in person to celebrate our writers and affiliates,” Hatch said.
Indeed, given that the evening marked the first time the SESAC Nashville Music Awards have been held in person in three years, the celebration had the hallmarks of an intimate homecoming, as writers, artists and industry members mingled throughout the cocktail hour and ceremony itself.
Proven hitmakers and newcomers alike offered a sterling string of new music. SESAC affiliates Lee Brice and Blanco Brown launched the evening by partnering for a rendition of Brice’s Gold-certified release “Soul.”
“Fancy Like,” the juggernaut hit recorded by Walker Hayes that reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs rankings over the past year (not to mention being the song that brought the Oreo shake back to the Applebee’s menu) was named song of the year.
“Fancy Like” co-writer Josh Jenkins was named SESAC’s country songwriter of the year; Jenkins is also a writer on the chart-topper “Buy Dirt,” recorded by Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan. “Buy Dirt” recently picked up NSAI song of the year honors, and is in the running for the song of the year and single of the year honors at the CMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 9).
“Some call it providence, I call it God’s grace — put someone like me around so many amazing people,” Jenkins said. “No man is an island and I get to be around so many people that are incredible. I get to come up here and say something but I feel like this award is [for] so many people that believe … songs can impact people,” he added, thanking everyone at SMACK for their support.
Hayes also sent in a video message honoring Jenkins and revealing “Fancy Like” as the SESAC country song of the year.
“I couldn’t be prouder of you. I love you so much. Thank you, first of all, for being my brother in Christ, but man, you’re a great writer. God’s given you a gift,” Hayes said told Jenkins via video.
“Fancy Like” publisher SMACK (helmed by Grammy-winning writers Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne) was named publisher of the year, having previously taken this honor in 2020. SMACK is also a publisher on other SESAC-honored songs this year including “Buy Dirt,” “7500 OBO” and “Like I Love Country Music.”
Jordan Davis joined his brother Jacob Davis and their co-writers and brother duo Josh and Matt Jenkins to perform “Buy Dirt,” while indie artist Megan Moroney performed her viral hit “Tennessee Orange,” which currently sits at No. 24 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Moroney wrote the song with David Fanning, Ben Williams and Paul Jenkins, and with production helmed by Kristian Bush.
“Go dawgs,” Moroney said simply, after concluding an understated, acoustic rendition of the track.
Derek Wells was honored with the Spirit of SESAC Award, recognizing his musical contributions to playing on numerous chart-topping songs. One of those hits, “Like I Love Country Music” (recorded by Kane Brown and co-written by SESAC affiliate Matt McGinn) was also honored with a performance activity award during the celebration. Singer-songwriters Brinley Addington, Joey Hyde, Mike Walker, Aaron Eshuis, Phil Lawson and Allison Veltz Cruz teamed for a medley of songs Wells has contributed to including “Homesick,” “Love You Like I Used To,” and “What If I Never Get Over You.”
“This is shocking to me,” Wells said of the honor, and quickly shifting the spotlight to songwriting. “Anything I’ve contributed to a record was inspired by the song that is put in front of you. Without songwriters, people like me wouldn’t have a job or a platform.” He also thanked SESAC “for being a champion of songs and creators.”
The evening concluded as attendees continued to celebrate this year’s winners, as servers passed around Oreo milkshakes to guests.
The full list of the 2022 SESAC Nashville Music Awards award-winning songs and SESAC honorees is below:
“FANCY LIKE” Written by: Josh Jenkins Published by: Follow Me Where I Go, SMACK Songs, Kobalt Group Publishing Recorded by: Walker Hayes
“BUY DIRT” Written by: Josh Jenkins Published by: Follow Me Where I Go, SMACK Songs, Kobalt Group Publishing Recorded by: Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan
“SAME BOAT” Written by: Zac Brown, Ben Simonetti Published by: Day For The Dead Publishing, Kobalt Group Publishing Recorded by: Zac Brown Band
“FREEDOM WAS A HIGHWAY” Written by: Jimmie Allen Published by: Endurance Juliet, Sony Music Publishing Recorded by: Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley
“WILD HEARTS” Written by: Jennifer Wayne Published by: Wild Wild Wild West Songs, BMG Silver Songs Recorded by: Keith Urban
“7500 OBO” Written by: Matt McGinn Published by: McGinndependence Day, SMACK Songs, Kobalt Group Publishing Recorded by: Tim McGraw
“LAST NIGHT LONELY” Written by: Joe Fox Published by: Liz Rose Music, Warner Chappell Music Recorded by: Jon Pardi
“TRUTH ABOUT YOU” Written by: Matt Alderman Published by: Good Vibes Good Times Music, Curb Congregation Songs Recorded by: Mitchell Tenpenny
“LIKE I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC” Written by: Matt McGinn Published by: McGinndependence Day, SMACK Songs, Kobalt Group Publishing Recorded by: Kane Brown
“UP” Written by: Jeremy Bussey Published by: Hit By The Buss Music, Songs of Fluid, Spirit Music Nashville Recorded by: Luke Bryan
“HOME SWEET” Written by: Casey Brown Published by: Blue Corolla Oklahoma, Feel Your Creative Pulse Music Recorded by: Russell Dickerson
“23” Written by: Chris LaCorte Published by: Card Tables Music, Concord Tunes, Hang Your Hat Hits Recorded by: Sam Hunt
“HELLBENT FOR LEATHER” Written by: Ray Wylie Hubbard Published by: Snake Farm Publishing, BMG Silver Songs Recorded by: Ray Wylie Hubbard
“NICE THINGS” Written by: Hayes Carll Published by: Highway 87 Publishing, BMG Silver Songs Recorded by: Hayes Carll
“MODERN WOMAN” Written by: Erin Rae Published by: Good Memory, Confidentially Canadian Publishing Recorded by: Erin Rae
“IN DREAMS” Written by: Sierra Ferrell Published by: Abel Elba, Pulse Music Publishing Recorded by: Sierra Ferrell
“THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SOMEBODY THROUGH IT” Written by: Jim Lauderdale Published by: Wudang Mountain Songs, BMG Silver Songs Recorded by: Jim Lauderdale
Jimmy Kimmel will return to host the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023. This will be the funnyman’s third time as host, which will put him in a tie with Billy Crystal and Steve Martin for hosting the most Oscar ceremonies in this century. Kimmel hosted back-to-back broadcasts in 2017 and 2018.
“We’re super thrilled to have Jimmy score his hat trick on this global stage,” executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner said in a statement. “We know he will be funny and ready for anything!”
Kimmel was characteristically irreverent in his remarks. “Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap,” he said in a statement. “Either way, I am grateful to the Academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no,” said Kimmel.
Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which bowed on Jan. 26, 2003. He recently signed a three-year contract extension, making him one of the longest running talk show hosts in American television history.
Kimmel has also hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards the last three times ABC has broadcast the show – in 2012, 2016 and 2020. (The Emmys rotate among the three legacy networks and Fox.)
Bob Hope remains the top Oscar host of all time, with 19 appearances as host or co-host. The legendary comedian is followed by Crystal (nine times), Johnny Carson (five) and Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon (four each).
Molly McNearney will also serve as an executive producer of the Oscars, alongside Weiss and Kirshner.
The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Lionel Richie will receive the Icon Award at the 2022 American Music Awards. Richie, who hosted the show in both 1984 and 1985, at the peak of his career, will take the stage to look back on his most iconic songs and AMA achievements over the years. He will become the only artist to be featured on the AMAs stage in every decade since the show’s inception in 1974.
The Icon Award honors an artist “whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry.” Rihanna was the first recipient of the award in 2013.
Hosted by Wayne Brady, the 2022 American Music Awards will air live from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. The show will stream the next day on Hulu.
More than just about any other artist, Richie’s career has played out on the AMAs stage. The show launched in 1974, the same year Richie landed his first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with Commodores’ instrumental hit “Machine Gun.” Richie won his first two AMAs with Commodores and the rest for his solo career. The Icon Award will be his 18th AMA. He holds the record for most wins for music videos (six).
In January 1984 Richie became the first person to solo-host the AMAs. He returned as a solo host the following year for what was surely one of the most memorable nights of his life. He won a then-record six awards that night. And immediately following that night’s telecast, he and many of the other performers on the show headed to A&M Studios in Hollywood to record the humanitarian anthem “We Are the World,” which Richie co-wrote with Michael Jackson.
“I’m immensely grateful for a career that has taken me to places I never imagined that I’d go, from arenas worldwide to studio sets to the AMA stage,” Richie said in a statement. “I can recall one of the first times I got to perform at the AMAs. It was to sing ‘We Are the World’ among the most iconic musicians of my generation, so it is surreal to be receiving this recognition 36 years later.”
“Lionel Richie has had a profound impact on countless people around the world and on the music industry as a whole,” executive producer and showrunner Jesse Collins said in a statement. “From the millions of dollars raised due to ‘We Are the World’ to the global influence his unique sound still has today, Richie is the definition of a living legend and honoring him with the AMAs Icon Award is a no-brainer.”
Richie has received numerous other awards including an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best original song for “Say You, Say Me” and four Grammys, including album of the year for Can’t Slow Down and song of the year for “We Are the World.”
In 2016, Richie was named MusiCares’ Person of the Year and was the recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s top award, the Johnny Mercer Prize. In 2017, Richie received the Kennedy Center Honors and in 2022, was awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Richie has amassed five No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 as a solo artist and two more fronting Commodores. He has landed three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 – Can’t Slow Down (1983), Dancing on the Ceiling (1986) and Tuskegee (2012).
Richie launched his Las Vegas headlining residency show “Lionel Richie – All the Hits” in April 2016. Richie extended his “Back to Las Vegas” residency in 2022 at the Wynn Las Vegas Encore Theater, and will continue the residency into 2023. Richie is currently in the midst of his sixth season as a judge on ABC’s American Idol.
As previously announced, this year’s AMAs will feature performances by Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons, J.I.D., P!NK, Tems, Wizkid and Yola. Additional performers will be announced.
Last year’s AMAs stands as the most social telecast of 2021 with 46.5 million interactions, according to the show.
As the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, the AMAs will air globally on both linear and digital platforms in more than 120 countries and territories.
Fan voting is now open via VoteAMAs.com and Twitter in all award categories.
Nominees are based on key fan interactions – as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay, and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partner Luminate, and cover the eligibility period of Sept. 24, 2021, through Sept. 22, 2022.
The 2022 American Music Awards are produced by dick clark productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment. Jesse Collins is showrunner and executive producer. Dionne Harmon, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Larry Klein are also executive producers.
Tickets are now on sale now at www.axs.com.
Eminem’s manager is the first to acknowledge that the rapper is not exactly rock n’ roll by definition — but also that he deserves his upcoming spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“In the traditional sense does Marshall [Mathers] do rock n’ roll? Of course not,” says Paul Rosenberg of Goliath Artists, who met Eminem in 1995 at Detroit’s famed Hip Hop Shop and began managing him shortly thereafter. “But I think if you look at what rock n’ roll came from and what hip-hop was created from, they stem from the same musical roots, the same musical tree — but at the same time very different in style, form, culture. If you think about those aspects and just the emotion, and then you combine that with how many rappers there already are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I would say that he certainly fits.”
Eminem will be part of the Rock Hall’s class of 2022, inducted on Saturday (Nov. 5) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. He’ll join the other performer inductees that night — Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon — and he’ll become part of the Hall’s hip-hop corps that also includes Run-D.M.C. (whom Eminem inducted in 2009), LL Cool J (whom he performed with during last year’s ceremony), The Notorious B.I.G., N.W.A, Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z.
In doing so, he also becomes part of the ongoing discussion about whether rappers belong in the Rock Hall.
“It’s an odd sort of thing, sure,” the New York-based Rosenberg, who partners with Eminem in the Shady Records label and clothing line and other endeavors, tells Billboard. “It’s something that I think a lot of people are struggling with, especially as time goes on because the face of music has changed a lot, and it continues to evolve. If it were just strictly rock n’ roll by traditional standards I think they would be hard-pressed to find enough people to induct 10, 15, 20 years from now. So I think they have to change with the times and not bend their beliefs but change their way of thinking a bit. I think the fact that they have inducted people like LL and Run-D.M.C. is great. I think (Eminem) would like to see a lot more rappers get recognized in the same fashion.”
Rosenberg — who is careful to state that he does not speak for Eminem — says the two of them first thought about the rapper getting into the Rock Hall back when he inducted Run-D.M.C. “We had thought about it – ‘Wait a minute, eventually this is maybe gonna be you…’,” recalls Rosenberg. But the thought quickly faded. “I didn’t even think about something like this for many years,” he says, “until at some point somebody mentioned to me, ‘Y’know, eligibility for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is 25 years after you release your first album.’ This is probably three, four years ago, and I was like, ‘Wait a minute…Oh boy, that’s not too far away.’”
Eminem’s credentials are certainly manifold – five No. 1 Hot 100 hits, 22 top 10 Hot 100 hits, 10 albums that have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, 15 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award and an Emmy (which means he’s just a Tony Award shy of an EGOT).
To Rosenberg, meanwhile, the Rock Hall induction is “not just one of the trophies in the case — it’s one of the big trophies in the case. It’s a significant milestone. It’s a big part of somebody’s legacy, I think, to get that recognition. And it was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is the first time on the ballot.’ That’s a big honor. When you look back at your resume it’s up there with saying you won an Oscar, that level of recognition.” And without putting words in the rapper’s mouth, Rosenberg does acknowledge that Eminem was not displeased.
“As you know Marshall is an extremely humble guy and he doesn’t love people fawning over him in that way,” explains Rosenberg, who was also CEO of Def Jam Recordings from January 2018 to early 2020 and now heads Goliath Records in joint venture with Universal Music Group. “But like anybody else who works hard at what they do, he appreciates being recognized for it. So he felt good about it. To say what it means to him, you have to hear him when he gets up on stage.”
The induction caps a busy 2022 for Eminem that’s included a Super Bowl LVI halftime performance (which brought him the aforementioned Emmy), collaborations with Snoop Dogg, DJ Khaled, Cordae and CeeLo Green (the latter a Dr. Dre-produced track for the Elvis film soundtrack), a second greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2, and a recently announced 20th anniversary edition of the 8 Mile film soundtrack. “It’s sort of a big, celebratory, legacy year,” Rosenberg notes, “but at the same time Marshall is continuing to be a frontline recording artist. You don’t want to look like you’re always looking back when at the same time you’re trying to create and move forward. It’s a little bit of a difficult balance, and for him it can get a little frustrating. He doesn’t want to seem like he’s done being a current recording music artist, because he very much is. It’s just about figuring out the right way to walk that line.
“If you look back in most recent years, his output has been pretty significant in terms of how many albums he’s released. I don’t think he needs a reason to continue to record. He’s very consumed with the process of creating, and he never really stops recording.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be simulcast Saturday (Nov. 5) on SiriusXM’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Radio channel (310) and on Volume on the SXM App. HBO will film the event to air at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 18.
Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Drake are among the songwriters battling for song – feature film at the 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. The HMMAs honor composers, songwriters and music supervisors for their work in film, television and video games.
Unlike the Oscars, which have just five nominees for best original song and five for best original score, the HMMAs this year have 32 nomination slots for songs across five categories and 49 slots for scores across eight categories. As a result, nominations here are much easier to come by. Even so, the HHMAs are seen as early indicators of the Oscars. Nominations-round voting for the Oscars extends from Jan. 12-17, 2023. Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 24.
Composers receiving multiple nominations include Finneas, Danny Elfman, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Simon Franglen. Songwriter nominees include Selena Gomez, Drake, Tanya Tucker, Mel Brooks and Jazmine Sullivan.
Michael Giacchino has an impressive three of the six HHMA nominations for score – sci-fi film. He is nominated for Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Batman and Thor: Love and Thunder, which he composed with Nami Melumad.
Two of the most intriguing categories are ones where the Oscars don’t have an equivalent. The HMMAs have a separate category for song – onscreen performance. (Nominations go to the performers, not the songwriters.) The nominees are Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava’s “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, Austin Butler’s “Baby Let’s Play House” from Elvis, Knights of Swing’s “Cucamonga” from Knights of Swing, Billy Eichner’s “Love Is Not Love” from Bros and Jennifer Lopez’s “On My Way (Marry Me)” from Marry Me.
The Oscars also don’t have an equivalent category for music-themed film, biopic or musical. At the Oscars, these films compete with all other films for best picture. The nominees are Elvis, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Spirited, Tár and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Nominations go the film producer(s) and director(s).
Nor do the Oscars have a category for music documentary/special program. At the Oscars, these films compete with all other docs for best documentary feature. The nominees are Halftime, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song, Killing Me Softly With His Songs, Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, Still Working 9 to 5 and The Voice of Dust and Ash. Here too, nominations go the film producer(s) and director(s).
The awards will be presented Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. PT at The Avalon in Hollywood.
Here’s the complete list of nominees:
Song – feature film
“Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Written by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson. Performed by Rihanna.
“(You Made it Feel Like) Home” from Bones and All. Written by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross. Performed by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Mariqueen Maandig Reznor.
“Love Is Not Love” from Bros. Written by Billy Eichner & Marc Shaiman. Performed by Billy Eichner.
“Do a Little Good” from Spirited. Written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Performed by Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page and Tracy Morgan.
“Stand Up” from Till. Written by Jazmine Sullivan and D’Mile. Performed by Jazmine Sullivan.
“Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick. Written by Lady Gaga & BloodPop. Performed by Lady Gaga.
“Carolina” from Where the Crawdads Sing. Written and performed by Taylor Swift.
“new body rhumba” from White Noise. Written by James Murphy, Nancy Whang, Patrick Mahoney. Performed by LCD Soundsystem.
“The Songcord” from Avatar: The Way of Water. Written by Simon Franglen. Performed by Zoe Saldana
“Time” from Amsterdam. Written by Jahaan Sweet, Aubrey Drake Graham, Daniel Pemberton, Giveon Evans. Performed by Giveon.
Song – animated film
“Sunny Side Up Summer” from The Bob’s Burgers Movie. Written by Loren Bouchard, and Nora Smith. Performed by Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, and Kristen Schaal.
“Nobody Like U” from Turning Red. Written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. Performed by 4*TOWN (Finneas O’Connell, Grayson Villanueva, Jordan Fisher, Josh Levi, and Topher Ngo)
“Lift Your Wings” from My Father’s Dragon. Written by Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna, Frank Danna, Nora Twomey, Meg LeFauve. Performed by Anohni.
“Turn Up the Sunshine” from Minions: The Rise of Gru. Written by Jack Antonoff, Kevin Parker, Sam Dew, Patrik Berger. Performed by Diana Ross and Tame Impala
“Ciao Papa” from Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio. Written by Alexandre Desplat, Lyrics by Roeben Katz and Guillermo del Toro. Performed by Gregory Mann
Song – documentary film
“My Mind and Me” from Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me. Written by Selena Gomez, Amy Allen, Jonathan Bellion, Michael Pollack, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K Johnson. Performed by Selena Gomez.
“At the Automat” from The Automat. Written and performed by Mel Brooks
“Ready As I’ll Never Be” from The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile. Written by Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker. Performed by Tanya Tucker.
“Sing a Brand New Song” from Killing Me Softly With His Songs. Written by Charles Fox and Lonnie “Common” Rashid Lynn. Performed by Donald Webber, Jr.
“Dust and Ash” from The Voice of Dust and Ash. Written by J. Ralph. Performed by Norah Jones
“We Are Art” from We Are Art Through the Eyes of Annalaura. Written by Annalaura di Luggo and Paky Di Maio. Performed by Annalaura di Luggo.
“A Sky Like I’ve Never Seen” from Wildcat. Written by Robin Pecknold. Performed by Fleet Foxes.
Song – independent film
“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman. Written by Diane Warren. Performed by Sofia Carson.
“Til You’re Home” from A Man Called Otto. Written by David Hodges and Rita Wilson. Performed by Rita Wilson and Sebastián Yatra
“This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once. Written By Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski. Performed By Son Lux with Mitski and David Byrne.
“We Two Made One” from The Silent Twins. Written by Marcin Macuk, Zuzanna Wrońska, June Gibbons, Jennifer Gibbons. Performed by Tamara Lawrance.
“Stand the Test of Time” from Tomorrow’s Game. Written and performed by Lionel Cohen and Stefni Valencia.
Song – onscreen performance
“Naatu Naatu” from RRR – Rahul Sipligunj, Kaala Bhairava
“Baby Let’s Play House” from Elvis – Austin Butler
“Cucamonga” from Knights of Swing – Knights of Swing
“Love Is Not Love” from Bros – Billy Eichner
“On My Way (Marry Me)” from Marry Me – Jennifer Lopez
Score – feature film
Marcelo Zarvos – Emancipation
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Empire of Light
Nicholas Britell – She Said
Carter Burwell – The Banshees of Inisherin
Terence Blanchard – The Woman King
Abel Korzeniowski – Till
Mychael Danna – Where the Crawdads Sing
Danny Elfman – White Noise
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Women Talking
Score – animated film
Steve Jablonsky – DC League of Super-Pets
Alexandre Desplat – Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
John Debney – Luck
Heitor Pereira – Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Daniel Pemberton – The Bad Guys
Finneas, Ludwig Göransson – Turning Red
Score – sci-fi film
Lorne Balfe – Black Adam
Ludwig Göransson – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Danny Elfman – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Michael Giacchino – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Michael Giacchino – The Batman
Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad – Thor: Love and Thunder
Score – fantasy film
Tom Holkenborg –Three Thousand Years of Longing
Simon Franglen – Avatar: The Way of Water
James Newton Howard – Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Bruno Coulais – Wendell & Wild
Joseph Metcalfe, John Coda, Grant Kirkhope – The King’s Daughter
Score – horror film
Anna Drubich – Barbarian
John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies – Halloween Ends
Michael Abels – Nope
Lance Treviño – Scream Legacy
Mark Korven – The Black Phone
Colin Stetson – The Menu
Score – documentary
Simon Poole – Black Ice
Ray Angry, Rhiannon Giddens, Dirk Powell – Descendant
Lisbeth Scott – Gratitude Revealed
Emilie and Peter Bernstein – Landis: Just Watch Me
Jessica Jones – The Tinder Swindler
Clare Manchon, Olivier Manchon – Turn Every Page – The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb
Score – independent film
Xander Rodzinski – Dead for a Dollar
Jessica Weiss – Don’t Make Me Go
Son Lux – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Emilie Levienaise – Farrouch – Living
Alexandre Desplat – The Outfit
Rob Simonsen – The Whale
Score – independent film (foreign language)
Carlo Siliotto – Cuando Sea Joven (Spanish)
Paweł Mykietyn – EO (Polish)
Min He – Railway Heroes (Mandarin)
M. M. Keeravaani – RRR (Telugu)
Volker Bertelmann – War Sailor (Norwegian)
Music themed film, biopic or musical
Elvis – Produced by Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss. Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Produced by Alexander Bulkley, Corey Campodonico, Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson, Gary Ungar. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
Spirited – Produced by Diana Pokorny, Daniel Silverberg, David Koplan, Sean Anders, John Morris, George Dewey, Jessica Elbaum, Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell. Directed by Sean Anders and John Morris.
Tár – Produced by Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan. Directed by Todd Field.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Produced by Eric Appel, Lia Buman, Mike Farah, Joe Farrell, Zachary Halley, Tim Headington, Whitney Hodack, Henry R. Munoz III, Neil Shah, Max Silva, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic. Directed by Eric Appel.
Music documentary/special program
Halftime – Produced by Courtney Baxter, Jason B. Bergh, Bernardo Loyola, Christopher Rouse, Yong Yam. Directed by Amanda Micheli and Sam Wrench
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song – Produced and Directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine
Killing Me Softly With His Songs – Directed by Danny Gold.
Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues – Produced by Oprah Winfrey, Derik Murray. Directed by Reginald Hudlin
Selena Gomez My Mind & Me – Produced by Alek Keshishian p.g.a., Michelle An p.g.a., Katherine LeBlond. Directed by Alek Keshishian
Still Working 9 to 5 – Produced and Directed by Camille Hardman and Gary Lane
The Voice of Dust and Ash – Produced by Frank Coraci and Fuschia Sumner. Directed by Mandana Biscotti
Just minutes after nominations to the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards were announced in September, Manuel Abud called all of the nominees in the best new artist category.
“One of our nominees was at school,” the Latin Recording Academy CEO says, referring to 15-year-old Yahritza Martinez, frontwoman of sierreño trio Yahritza y Su Esencia. “She stepped out to take my call and then went back to class.”
Artists don’t usually learn about their nominations in a personal call from the academy’s CEO. But Abud — who stepped into the new role in 2021, succeeding longtime president/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. after 18 years — says a top priority is making the academy more accessible to the Latin music community. The goal is more participation and greater representation across what Abud calls the “four Gs”: geography, genre, gender and generation.
“Those four Gs need to be adequately represented in my membership, in my staff, in everything that we do,” he says.
Abud’s background is in TV, not music. He came to the academy as COO in 2019 after five years as president/CEO of Azteca America and was elevated to CEO at a time when the academy was under scrutiny, criticized by the reggaetón and regional Mexican artistic communities for lack of inclusion in the main categories. In response to that criticism — which included a Latin Grammys boycott by artists such as J Balvin in 2019 — the best reggaetón performance and best rap/hip-hop song categories were created for the 2020 edition. But to date, regional Mexican music has remained largely left out.
“It’s not something you can change in a day,” says Abud. “There’s only so much we can do as the academy to expose the different genres to the membership,” he says. “[But] I’ve been meeting with the regional Mexican community. I’ve invited them to be more active in the meetings, making surethey understand how to get involved. We need to evolve the artists to be more participant and the membership to be more receptive.”
While change doesn’t happen overnight, Abud is launching new initiatives. The Latin Grammy Acoustic Sessions is a globally minded series of concerts that have included performances by artists such as El Fantasma, Becky G and Giulia Be and taken place in Mexico, Brazil and Spain ahead of the Latin Grammy ceremony on Nov. 17. Notably, the Mexican show featured exclusively regional Mexican acts. “These Acoustic Sessions, which represent the four Gs, are a first step to make sure we’re getting closer to every community.”
As one of the four Gs is “generation,” Abud has beefed up the digital side of the academy to reach Facebook and TikTok users. “My responsibility is to get our celebration to as many people as possible. Of course, we love our partnership with Univision, but it is a bigger picture now and we want to be everywhere.”
Also, Abud and his team are spotlighting the best new artist nominees with a first-ever showcase event during Latin Grammys week. “This year, there’s importance of nurturing future talent. You’ll see some of that in the actual ceremony, but I’m also very excited that we’ll be able to provide a platform to all nominees for best new artists.
This story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.
The ASCAP Foundation recognized playwright, composer and lyricist Michael R. Jackson, creator of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop, with The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award.
The award was presented to Jackson by ASCAP Foundation president Paul Williams, composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, The Prince of Egypt) and composer/lyricist Adam Guettel (The Light in the Piazza) at a private luncheon in New York City. Also on hand to honor Jackson were Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) and ASCAP chief executive officer Elizabeth Matthews.
The annual award is given to encourage promising young ASCAP composers of musical theater and is funded by Mary Rodgers and the Rodgers Family Foundation. Previous recipients include Lin-Manuel Miranda; Pasek & Paul; and David Hein & Irene Sankoff (Come From Away).
“Michael R. Jackson is a fearless storyteller whose stellar work is a gift to audiences and the creative community,” Williams said in a statement. “We love having him as part of our ASCAP family and are excited for him to receive this well-deserved award.”
“In a cultural climate when so many have confused activism and/or being a savvy businessperson with artistry, it has been a brutal, lonely time to believe in making art for art’s sake,” Jackson said in a statement. “And yet, making art for art’s sake is the one life raft I’ve had since 23-year-old me first put pen to paper to begin writing A Strange Loop. Receiving the Richard Rodgers Award from ASCAP is deeply meaningful to me and gives me a much needed second wind to keep paddling the stormy high seas,” said Jackson.
A Strange Loop, which was billed as “the big, Black, and queer Great American Musical for all,” received 11 Tony nominations and won two – best musical and best book of a musical for Jackson.
In 2020, Jackson joined The ASCAP Experience for “The Making of a Groundbreaking Black Queer Musical.” The discussion about the creation of A Strange Loop with Kobalt Music’s Sue Drew is available on demand on @ASCAP YouTube.
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.
The 2023 CMT Music Awards are headed to the Lone Star State.
CMT and CBS have revealed that the 2023 CMT Music Awards will air Sunday, April 2, 2023, live from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center, via CBS. The Paramount Global country music tentpole event returns for its global premiere exclusively via the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Kelsea Ballerini, who recently released her album Subject to Change, will return for a third consecutive year as co-host of the CMT Music Awards. Ballerini surprised Carrie Underwood during her Wednbesday (Nov. 2) stop at Moody Center on her The Denim & Rhinestones Tour, where they revealed Underwood as the first performer for the 2023 CMT Music Awards. Underwood has won the most honors of any artist at the CMT Music Awards, with 25 trophies to date.
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“Both Austin and Nashville are two of the world’s greatest music cities and we couldn’t be more excited to announce the return of the CMT Music Awards on CBS than with co-host Kelsea Ballerini surprising Carrie Underwood, our most awarded artist, in the middle of her incredible live performance at Moody Center – the exact venue where we’ll all be back exactly five months from today!” shared Margaret Comeaux, John Hamlin, Leslie Fram and Jason Owen, executive producers of the CMT Music Awards, via a statement. “Our fans are in for an unforgettable night of music with plenty of surprises, as the Live Music Capital meets Music City for the first time ever on a national stage in what will be a true country music extravaganza.”
“The programming team at Oak View Group and Moody Center has spent the past two years cultivating this relationship and working to endear CMT, CBS and Paramount to Austin and our new, world-class arena. CMT’s commitment to Austin reflects those efforts and we couldn’t be more grateful and excited to host them next year,” added Michael Owens, vp, programming, Moody Center.
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome the CMT Music Awards to Moody Center in 2023! This event will have not only a huge financial impact on Austin and its tourism industry, but it will also showcase two of the top music brands globally, Austin as The Live Music Capital of the World and Country Music Television,” added Tom Noonan, president/CEO, Austin CVB.
This year marked the CMT Music Awards’ debut on CBS, where the show garnered 5.89 million viewers, a 529% increase from June 2021, while also earning 2.7 billion impressions on social platforms.
Kid Cudi, Berry Gordy, Angela Bassett, Michael B. Jordan and Quinta Brunson are slated to be among the honorees at the fifth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. Hosted by actor/comedian Bill Bellamy, the event will take place on Monday, Dec. 5 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
The celebration, sponsored by the Critics Choice Association, will recognize honorees in 15 categories.
“The Celebration of Black Cinema & Television has grown tremendously over the last five years,” CCA CEO Joey Berlin said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be able to recognize such outstanding projects across both film and television, and to honor these incredible actors and filmmakers for their work.”
“It has truly been a year to celebrate,” added CCA board member Shawn Edwards, who is serving as executive producer of the event. “The unprecedented amount of content about the Black experience on film and television made it very difficult to choose our honorees for this milestone year. And our special Icon Award honoree, Berry Gordy, pushed open a heavy door during the ’70s and ’80s through his Motown Productions with a string of movies and TV series that helped pave the way for future Black storytellers.”
The show will be televised on KTLA in January and shown nationwide on Nexstar stations throughout the month of February to tie in with Black History Month.
The show is produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates.
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the U.S. and Canada, representing nearly 600 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
Here’s a complete list of this year’s honorees:
Kid Cudi: The musician and actor, born Scott Mescudi, will be honored with the Groundbreaker Award for his starring role as Jabari in the Netflix television event, Entergalactic, which he also created. Cudi won a Grammy 11 years ago for his featured role on Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” which was named best rap/sung collaboration.
Berry Gordy: The songwriter, producer, director, entrepreneur and Motown founder, will receive the Icon Award for his contributions to music, film and popular culture. Gordy will also be honored, alongside his lifelong friend Smokey Robinson, at the MusiCares person of the year gala on Feb. 3, 2023.
Angela Bassett: The actress, who received a 1993 Oscar nomination for portraying Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It, will receive the Career Achievement Award for her career as well as her recent role as Queen Ramonda in Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Michael B. Jordan: The actor, producer and director will receive the Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award for his contributions to the industry and in celebration of his directorial debut with the United Artists Releasing film, Creed III. In addition to directing the film, he reprises his role as Adonis Creed, and also produces under his Outlier Society production banner. Jordan received an Emmy nomination four years ago as an executive producer of HBO’s Fahrenheit 451, a nominee for outstanding television movie.
Quinta Brunson: The multihyphenate, who received Emmy nominations this year for acting, executive producing and writing on Abbott Elementary, will receive the Actress Award for Television for her work on ABC’s hit series, which she created and also executive produces. Brunson won an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series.
Danielle Deadwyler: The actress will be honored with the Actress Award for Film for her role as Mamie Till-Mobley, mother of the murdered Emmett Till, in the Orion Pictures and United Artists Releasing film, Till.
Nicco Annan: The actor will receive the Actor Award for Television for his role as Uncle Clifford on the STARZ series, P-Valley.
Elegance Bratton: The writer and director will accept the Social Justice Award for his work on the A24 film, The Inspection.
Brian Tyree Henry: The actor will be awarded the Supporting Actor Award for his performance as James Aucoin in Apple Original Films and A24’s Causeway.
Ayo Edebiri: The actress and comedian will receive the Rising Star Award presented by IMDbPro for her role as Sydney Adamu on the FX series, The Bear.
Quincy Isaiah The actor is the other recipient of the Rising Star Award presented by IMDbPro for his role as Magic Johnson in the HBO Original series, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
Jonathan Majors: The actor will be presented with the Actor Award for Film for his role as Jesse Brown in Columbia Pictures and Black Label Media aerial war epic, Devotion. Majors received an Emmy nomination last year for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for HBO’s Lovecraft Country.
Gina Prince-Bythewood: The director will receive the Director Award for Film for her work on TriStar Pictures and Entertainment One’s critically-acclaimed The Woman King.
Nikyatu Jusu: The writer/director will receive the Breakthrough Film Award for the Amazon Studios and Blumhouse film, Nanny.
The Wonder Years cast: The Ensemble Award will be presented to the cast of the reboot of ABC’s 1980s sitcom — Elisha “EJ” Williams, Dulé Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Laura Kariuki, Julian Lerner, Amari O’Neil, and Milan Ray.
The Recording Academy will announce the nominations for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards across all 91 categories live from the Grammy Museum and Latin Grammy Week on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET.
The event will stream live on live.Grammy.com and on the Academy’s Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok channels. The full list of nominees will be published on Grammy.com (and on Billboard.com, among other outlets) immediately following the presentation. Presenters will be announced in the coming days.
The nominations will be revealed just two days before the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards are held at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Bad Bunny is the top nominee at that show with 10 nods, including album of the year for Un Verano Sin Ti. That album, which has topped the Billboard 200 for 13 nonconsecutive weeks, has an excellent chance of becoming the first Latin pop album to receive an album of the year nomination at the all-genre Grammys.
Anitta, Luis Fonsi, Laura Pausini and Thalía are set to host the Latin Grammys, which will air on Thursday, Nov. 17, on Univision.
“We are so excited to celebrate all of this year’s Grammy nominees who contributed to such a prolific year in music,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “With the addition of five new categories and a new, diverse class of voting members, we look forward to honoring all of this incredible music and the people who made it.”
The five new categories are songwriter of the year, non-classical; best alternative music performance; best Americana performance; best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media; and best spoken word poetry album. In addition, a new special merit award will be given out for best song for social change, which “celebrates a song that addresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peacebuilding and empathy,” according to the Academy.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards returns to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sun, Feb. 5, 2023. The show will broadcast live on CBS will stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT.
Follow “Recording Academy / GRAMMYs” on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and use #GRAMMYs to join the conversation as it unfolds on Nov. 15.