Awards
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Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars have won a combined 28 Grammy Awards – 13 for her, 15 for him – so it doesn’t take a genius to know that their newly-released collaboration, “Die With a Smile,” is a strong contender for Grammy nods. The song was released on Aug. 16, two weeks before the close of eligibility for the 67th annual Grammy Awards.
The instant smash has a good chance of nominations for record of the year, song of the year and best pop duo/group performance.
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Both artists have been nominated multiple times for record of the year for previous collaborations. Mars has been nominated three times for collaborations – as a featured artist on B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You” and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” and as the co-lead artist with Anderson .Paak on Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.” If he is nominated again for “Die With a Smile,” he’ll break out of a tie with Jay-Z and Rihanna as the artist with the most record of the year nods as part of a collab.
Gaga has been nominated for record of the year with two previous collabs – “Shallow” with Bradley Cooper and “I Get a Kick Out of You” with Tony Bennett. Counting all singles, not just collabs, this would be Mars’ seventh record of the year nod; Gaga’s fourth.
The Grammy nominations will be announced on Nov. 8. The 67th annual Grammy Awards will be presented on Feb. 2, 2025 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Gaga and Mars co-wrote and co-produced “Die With a Smile” with Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Andrew Watt. James Fauntleroy was an additional co-writer.
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Mars has one of the best batting averages of any artist in Grammy history. He has won 15 awards from just 31 nominations. Adele at one point had won 15 awards from just 18 nominations, but her batting average came down to earth a bit when she won just one award from seven nominations in 2023. (Her current standing – 16 awards from 25 nods – is still pretty great!)
Gaga has won 13 awards from 36 nominations.
While it’s too early to predict who is going to win in the marquee categories, if “Die With a Smile” does win record of the year, Mars would set a big Grammy record: the first artist to win record of the year four times. He’d break out of a tie with Paul Simon, who has won three times (counting two Simon & Garfunkel classics).
Mars won the award in 2016 as a featured artist on Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!,” in 2018 for the solo smash “24K Magic” and along with Anderson .Paak in 2022 for Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.”
If it wins song of the year, Mars and D’Mile would become the first three-time winners in that category. They are currently in a tie with Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer, Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell, Adele, Brody Brown, James Horner, Will Jennings and the members of U2, with two wins each.
Mars previously won song of the year for co-writing “That’s What I Like” and “Leave the Door Open.” D’Mile previously won for co-writing H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” and “Leave the Door Open.”
If “Die With a Smile” wins record or song of the year, it would be Gaga’s first win in a so-called Big Four category (album, record or song of the year plus best new artist).
If the collab wins best pop duo/group performance, it would be Gaga’s record-setting third win in that category, following wins for pairings with Cooper (“Shallow”) and Ariana Grande (“Rain on Me”). Gaga is currently tied with SZA with two wins each in the category (which was introduced at the 2012 ceremony).
Gaga and Mars share another Grammy common bond: Neither was nominated for best new artist, despite both getting off to hot career starts. In both cases it’s because they blew up so fast that they ran afoul of Grammy eligibility rules in that category.
Gaga was entered in the best new artist competition for the awards that were presented in 2009, but she wasn’t nominated. She was nominated that year for best dance recording for “Just Dance,” her Hot 100-topping collab with Colby O’Donis. That nomination precluded her from getting a second shot at best new artist the following year (which is the norm in that category for artists whose breakthroughs don’t neatly fall into one Grammy eligibility year).
Mars was never even entered for best new artist. He received seven nominations at the awards that were presented in 2011, winning best pop vocal performance, male for his Hot 100-topping “Just the Way You Are.” But because his first full-length album hadn’t been released by the close of that eligibility year – it was released four days later, on Oct. 4, 2010 – he wasn’t eligible for best new artist that year. And he wasn’t allowed in the category the following year because he was, by that point, a Grammy winner. (That’s what you call a Grammy Catch-22.)
The failure of both artists to be nominated for best new artist hasn’t seemed to unduly slow their career momentum.
“Die With a Smile” is expected to challenge for a debut inside the top 10 on next week’s Billboard Hot 100. The chart will be unveiled on Monday (Aug. 26).
Many of country music’s top artists, studio musicians and executives were feted on Wednesday night (Aug. 21) during the 17th Academy of Country Music Honors, held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
ACM CEO Damon Whiteside ushered in the evening, welcoming attendees and saying, “Congratulations to all of the honorees that are with us. We can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight.”
Among the artists who took part or were celebrated were nearly 10 past and present ACM entertainer of the year winners, including Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Dolly Parton and Lainey Wilson.
Carly Pearce returned for a fourth year as host, leading the evening with co-host and reigning ACM song of the year winner Jordan Davis, who wrote his hit “Next Thing You Know” with Josh Osborne, Chase McGill and Greylan James.
“This show is the industry’s favorite night because it honors not only the artists but the behind-the-scenes community that makes what we do possible,” Pearce told the audience.
Tyler Hubbard, an 11-time ACM Award winner, presented the ACM Studio Recording and Industry Awards portion of the show. Choctaw Grand Theater won casino of the year – theater, while Uncasville, Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena earned its eighth casino of the year – arena category win. Singer-songwriter Tony Orlando, who performed his final concert at the Mohegan after six decades of entertaining audiences, accepted the accolade and called the venue “a cathedral of music.”
“People cut their teeth and became megastars in that arena,” Orlando said, noting stars including Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift performed in the venue at points in their careers. “They care about you, they care about those who attend the shows and support the performers.”
Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, won its third outdoor venue of the year accolade, Tortuga Music Festival was named festival of the year for a third time, while San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo earned its second fair/rodeo of the year win.
Former San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. president David White said, “Thank you for giving us the ability to preserve rodeo heritage…and supporting country music.” Ed Warm accepted for Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Ill., which won its third club of the year trophy, while Warm was named ACM Don Romeo talent buyer of the year.
“I’m humbled to be standing here accepting these honors and I want to acknowledge the other nominees. You’re the ones who set the standard in this industry. At Joe’s Live we try to do things the right way, with passion, integrity, and a deep love of country music,” Warm said.
Over 130+ years, the Ryman Auditorium has transformed from a tabernacle to one of the most revered venues. The Ryman earned its eighth win for ACM theater of the year. Ryman Auditorium director of concerts Chrissy Hall accepted the honor, saying, “We don’t do this alone at all and most of the people that make this place so special are working for you all tonight. I dedicate this to the crew here at the Ryman.”
Fellow Nashville venue Bridgestone Arena earned its sixth win for ACM arena of the year. AEG promoter Adam Weiser earned his first ACM Award for ACM promoter of the year. “This is all about community,” Weiser said. “I’m truly blessed to work with the best people.”
Among the studio recording artist winners were steel guitar player Paul Franklin, producer Dann Huff, bass player Jimmie Lee Sloas, electric guitar player Rob McNelley, piano/keys players Jim “Moose” Brown and David Dorn, audio engineer Jim Cooley, guitar player Charlie Worsham and drummer Jerry Roe. A Gibson Les Paul guitar signed by many of the honorees was auctioned off to benefit ACM Lifting Lives. Among the bidders were Luke Bryan and Garth Brooks, with $125,000 raised through the auction.
From there, the performance portion of the evening began, with music from Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Davis, Jackson Dean, Kameron Marlowe, Carly Pearce, Lee Ann Womack, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Terri Clark and Keith Urban.
Alan Jackson and Walt Aldridge were honored with the ACM’s poets award, presented to a songwriter for outstanding and longstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their career. Davis and Pearce launched the musical events, honoring Alan Jackson, with Davis performing “Chattahoochie” and Pearce performing “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” Marlowe feted Aldridge with a blistering version of “Modern-Day Bonnie and Clyde.” Aldridge’s credits include Ronnie Milsap’s “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” and Earl Thomas Conley’s “Holding Her and Loving You.”
Lainey Wilson, who will release her new album Whirlwind on Friday (Aug. 23), was honored as this year’s triple-crown winner, earning a coveted accolade Wilson qualified for by winning the ACM’s new female artist of the year, female artist of the year, and entertainer of the year honors. It’s an honor only nine others have won, including Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood. Wilson also wins this year’s milestone award, presented to an artist, duo/group or industry leader for a specific, unprecedented or outstanding achievement in the field of country music during the preceding calendar year. In May, Wilson was named the ACM’s entertainer of the year.
Trisha Yearwood and producer/musician/industry executive Tony Brown were honored with the ACM Icon Award, which fetes an artist, duo/group or industry leader who has advanced the popularity of the genre through contributions to different areas of the industry, including songwriting, recording, production, film and more. Harris and Alaina feted Yearwood with a duet of “The Song Remembers When.”
More performances followed, as Chris Stapleton was honored as artist-songwriter of the year, with Jamey Johnson delivering a somber, convicting rendition of Stapleton’s “Whiskey and You.”
The evening also highlighted the ACM Lifting Lives grant cycle, fueled by Music Has Value. As part of this segment, Jackson Dean, who was wearing a shirt owned by the late Glen Campbell, honored Campbell with a rendition of Campbell’s “Strong.” Luke Bryan was honored with the ACM Lifting Lives Award for his various charitable endeavors through the years, most notably his Farm Tour, which helps create scholarships for students in rural areas to attend agricultural colleges. Since the tour’s inception in 2009, he has awarded more than 80 scholarships.
“Over the years I’ve watched him give 110% to whatever he does, especially when it comes to helping others,” Bryan’s fellow country artist Jason Aldean said in honoring his friend.
“I’m so blessed to be part of this industry where every day, people go the extra mile to help,” Bryan said, noting the work that ACM Lifting Lives does to help others.”
The 17th ACM Honors will air Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on Merit Street, marking the first time the special will air on the network, as part of a larger partnership between Merit Street Media and the Academy of Country Music. Below, we look at five top musical moments from this year’s ACM Honors:
Lainey Wilson’s Triple-Crown Moment
Five years ago, Megan Thee Stallion performed on the pre-show at the MTV VMAs. This year, she’s hosting the main show, which will air live on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT from New York’s UBS Arena. Megan is only the second performer to make that climb. Nicki Minaj performed on the pre-show in 2010 and co-hosted the main show in 2022 and hosted on her own in 2023.
This is the fourth consecutive year that one or more rappers (or rapper/singers) have hosted the show. Doja Cat hosted in 2021, followed by Jack Harlow, LL Cool J and Minaj in 2022 and Minaj on her own in 2023. The show has had only one other rapper as host. Diddy did the honors in 2005.
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This is Megan’s first time hosting an awards show. She has previously hosted Saturday Night Live and co-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Megan has won two VMAs – best power anthem in 2019 for “Hot Girl Summer” and best hip-hop in 2020 for “Savage.” She’s nominated for five awards this year – best collaboration for “Wanna Be” (with GloRilla), best hip hop for “Boa” and three technical awards (best direction, best visual effects and best art direction), also for “Boa.”
In February, Megan’s “Hiss” became her third No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 – and her first without a collaborator. She had landed her first two No. 1s in 2020 – “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, and Cardi B’s “WAP,” on which she was featured.
Megan and Cardi re-teamed to perform “Bongos” on last year’s VMAs. Megan had performed “Big Ole Freak,” “Hot Girl Summer” and “Cash Shit” on the pre-show in 2019.
Megan’s third studio album, MEGAN, was released on March 4. It debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 last month, becoming her sixth album, EP or mixtape to make the top 10.
Katy Perry is this year’s Video Vanguard recipient and will perform a career-spanning medley of hits. This is the third year in a row that a woman has hosted or co-hosted the show while that same woman or another woman was the Vanguard recipient. Minaj co-hosted the 2022 show and was also the Vanguard recipient. Minaj also hosted the 2023 show while Shakira was the Vanguard recipient.
Other previously announced performers on this year’s show are Benson Boone, Camila Cabello, Chappell Roan, GloRilla, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz, LISA, Rauw Alejandro and Sabrina Carpenter.
Taylor Swift is this year’s leading nominee with 10 nominations. Swift’s “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second with nine nods, followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem and Sabrina Carpenter (six each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each); LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims (four each).
Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into show.
Nominations in social categories will be announced soon.
In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV will again support the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and Tuesday’s Children, which serves the families of 9/11.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2024 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba are executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
Miranda Lambert will receive The Country Icon Award at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards, which are slated for Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Lambert will be honored for her 23-year career (dating back to the release of her self-released debut album), “during which she’s built an authentic, female-forward brand of country that has shaped the industry,” in the show’s words.
Last year, an ailing Toby Keith received The Country Icon Award at the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards. He died a little more than four months later of stomach cancer.
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Lambert will receive award two weeks after the release of her ninth solo studio album, Postcards from Texas, which is due Sept. 13.
“A tour de force in country music for more than 20 years, Miranda Lambert’s groundbreaking albums continue to capture the hearts of fans around the world,” Jen Neal, evp, live events and specials, NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement. “We’re so excited to celebrate her career, fierce individualism and innovation in the industry with the Country Icon Award.”
Lambert has long been an awards magnet. She has won a record 35 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards (more than any other woman) and three Grammys.
She has also been a major force on the Billboard charts, with five No. 1 hits on Hot Country Songs, seven No. 1s on Country Airplay, seven No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums and one No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
She has conquered Las Vegas with her twice-extended “Velvet Rodeo” residency and blurred genre lines with her work with such varied artists as Leon Bridges, Enrique Iglesias, The B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow and Elle King as well as her inclusive anthem “Y’all Means All” for Netflix’s Queer Eye.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Lambert is a restaurateur, businesswoman, New York Times best-selling author and, perhaps most importantly to her, shelter animal advocate. She has raised nearly $10 million to date for rescue animals via her MuttNation Foundation.
Last year, the People’s Choice Country Awards presented a second special honor, the Country Champion Award, to Wynonna Judd. The show has not yet announced who, if anyone, will receive that award this year.
Hosted by Shania Twain, the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards will air live on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT across NBC and Peacock. Voting for the fan-voted show is open now and runs through Friday, Aug. 23 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fans can vote online at www.votepcca.com. A limited number of show tickets and VIP packages are available now at Opry.com.
People’s Choice Country Awards is produced by Den of Thieves. Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski will executive produce along with RAC Clark as executive producer and showrunner.
A pre-show, Live From E!: People’s Choice Country Awards, will kick off the night at 6 p.m. ET/PT on E! The pre-show is produced by Den of Thieves with executive producers Ignjatovic, Prager and Bialkowski.
Michael Goldstone, founder and co-owner of Mom + Pop Music, will receive the second annual Seymour Stein Global A&R Award from MUSEXPO and A&R Worldwide. The award will be presented during the International Music Industry Awards gala on March 19, 2025, at the conclusion of the 25th global edition of MUSEXPO, which is set to take place in Burbank, Calif.
This award holds special significance for Goldstone, who moved to Stein’s Sire Records in 2003. While at Sire, Goldstone’s signings included Regina Spektor, Tegan and Sara and The Veronicas.
Prior to Sire, Goldstone worked in various capacities (PR, marketing, artist development and ultimately A&R) at Chrysalis, MCA, PolyGram, Epic and DreamWorks.
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In May 2008, Goldstone left Sire to launch the indie label Mom + Pop Music Company together with Peter Mensch and Cliff Burnstein of Q Prime management. Goldstone and Mom + Pop Music co-owner Thaddeus Rudd were named to Billboard’s 2024 Indie Power Players list, where Goldstone said being indie means “Staying true to artistic integrity and collaboration. We deeply value the relationships that we’ve built with our artists and take pride in empowering creative freedom.”
The Seymour Stein Global A&R Award celebrates excellence in A&R worldwide, and the spirit of discovery in music. The award was created by Sat Bisla, president & founder, A&R Worldwide/MUSEXPO; Sire co-founder Richard Gottehrer; and Mandy Stein, Seymour’s daughter.
The inaugural recipient was Wendy Goldstein, president/chief creative officer of Republic Records. She received the honor on March 20, 2024, during a gala dinner on the final night of the four-day MUSEXPO conference.
Seymour Stein died in April 2023 at age 80. His signings — including Madonna, Talking Heads, The Ramones, The Pretenders, Depeche Mode and The Cure — left an indelible mark on the music landscape. His dedication to the art of A&R made him a legendary figure in the music industry. This award seeks to celebrate and perpetuate his legacy.
Stein received the Ahmet Ertegun Award at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2012, he received Billboard’s Icon Award at MIDEM. In 2018, he received a trustees award from the Recording Academy (alongside composer John Williams and the late concert promoter Bill Graham).
Benson Boone, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz and LISA have been added to the roster of artists slated to perform at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards live on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT from New York’s UBS Arena.
This will be newcomer Boone’s first VMAs performance; LISA’s first as a solo artist. She performed with BLACKPINK on the 2022 show singing “Pink Venom.”
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Halsey, who will be performing a new song off of her upcoming album, last performed on the VMAs in 2016. She teamed with The Chainsmokers for their collab “Closer,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Kravitz last performed on the VMAs in 1998, when he accompanied Madonna on her smash “Ray of Light.” Kravitz last performed on the show as a lead artist in 1993 when he sang “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” joined by John Paul Jones, formerly of Led Zeppelin.
LISA is nominated for four awards this year, Boone for three, Kravitz for one.
LISA, Halsey and Kravitz are all past VMA winners. In 2022, LISA became the first Korean solo artist to win a VMA when she took best K-Pop for “Lalisa.” Halsey won best K-Pop in 2019 as a featured artist on BTS’s “Boy With Luv.” Kravitz won best male video in 1993 for “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”
Boone is competing with a previously announced performer, Chappell Roan, for best new artist. The other nominees in that category are Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims and Tyla.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, with 10 nods. Her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second, with nine nods – eight in tandem with Swift plus one for his hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen. They are followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem and Sabrina Carpenter (six nods each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each), and LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims (four each).
Other artists with multiple nominations are Anitta, Benson Boone, Bleachers, GloRilla, Dua Lipa and Tyla, with three each; and Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Coldplay, Drake, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Jung Kook, Latto, Raux Alejandro, Sexyy Red, Tate McRae, Usher and Victoria Monét, with two each.
Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into the show on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Nominations in social categories will be announced at a later date.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers for the 2024 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
Big Loud artists Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Ernest are set to celebrate Big Loud partner/CEO Seth England, as the T.J. Martell Foundation honors England with the lifetime music industry award during its 49th annual New York Honors Gala.
The event marks the T.J. Martell Foundation’s primary fundraiser of the year and supports the organization’s mission of curing cancer through funding high-risk, high-reward research with the aim of advancing early detection, screening and treatments. The lifetime music industry award honors England’s impact on the music industry, but also his steadfast support for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s mission.
The New York Honors Gala will take place at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Wallen, HARDY and Ernest will lead a writers’ round performance. The evening will also include a fundraising auction, while Archie Davis, Def Jam’s chief creative officer/executive vp (who was honored with the New York Honors Gala rising music superstar award in 2023), is set to announce an initiative that will continue to raise awareness of early screening and testing.
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“We are thrilled to be honoring our distinguished music industry colleague and dear friend Seth England with this year’s Lifetime Music Industry Award to commemorate his deep commitment to the foundation,” said Steve Gawley, REPUBLIC Corps. executive vp of business & legal affairs and business development and chairman-elect of the Board of Trustees, T.J. Martell Foundation, via a statement. “We are proud to shine a spotlight on Seth’s dedicated efforts towards our cancer research as well as his pioneering work in the music world, and look forward to celebrating Seth and his achievements with an exhilarating night of music!”
England is the 2024 Billboard Country Power Players executive of the year, and the inaugural recipient of Billboard’s Country Power Players choice award, a peer-voted honor given to the country music executive that industry power players feel have made the most impact on the genre in that year.
The Big Loud Records roster of artists includes Wallen, HARDY, Ernest, Charles Wesley Godwin, Lauren Alaina, Larry Fleet, Lily Rose, Ashley Cooke, Lauren Watkins, Kashus Culpepper and more. Meanwhile Big Loud Publishing‘s clients include Cooke, Craig Wiseman, Jacob Durrett, Rocky Block and Rhys Rutherford. Big Loud Management‘s roster includes Ernest, HARDY, Cooke, Jake Worthington and more.
“As a longstanding proud member of the music industry, I am grateful to see the unwavering dedication and generosity that our music peers put forth to help propel this vital cancer research,” said John Esposito, Chairman of Board of Trustees, T.J. Martell Foundation, in a statement. “As we look ahead towards what will be the foundation’s 50th anniversary, this year’s gala is a great reminder of how far we have come as a foundation and how much further we still need to go in the fight against cancer.”
“We are incredibly thankful to the music community for uniting to support the foundation’s critical work in funding cancer research,” said Lynn-Anne Huck, CEO, T.J. Martell Foundation, in a statement. “Witnessing our donors rally around the fight against cancer and uphold the promise made between a father and his son is both beautiful and inspiring.”
The 49th Annual New York Honors Gala co-chair committee is comprised of music industry members including Ben Adelson, Tyler Arnold, Tom Corson, Archie Davis, John Esposito, Clint Higham, Monte Lipman, Avery Lipman, Rakiyah Marshall, Debbie Martell, Joey Moi, Brian O’Connell, Andre Stapleton, Julie Swidler, Greg Thompson, and Craig Wiseman.
The Museum of Broadcast Communications has revealed eight new Legends inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame for 2024, honoring the talents and work of on-air personalities, programmers and operators who have made considerable contributions to the radio industry, and who have since passed away.
The inductees include on-air personalities Chuck Blore, Alan Colmes, Charlie Douglas, Jim Ladd, Byron MacGregor, journalist Maria Martin, executive Percy Sutton and programming executive/on-air personality Rusty Walker.
The Radio Hall of Fame will honor its 2024 class of inductees at the 2024 Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Omni Nashville in Nashville. 2022 Radio Hall of Fame inductee Lon Helton will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event.
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Dennis Green, co-chair of the Radio Hall of Fame, said in a statement, “These legends of broadcasting may have passed on, but their legacy and what they meant to the radio industry will never die. The Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee is honored to award Hall of Fame inductions to each of these individuals. May their contributions be a lasting tribute and inspiration for generations of broadcasters to emulate for years to come.”
Kraig Kitchin, co-chair of the Radio Hall of Fame, said in a statement, “Our nominating committee recognizes the history of our medium and the countless individuals who contributed to the dominant influence of radio for so many decades. Each of these individuals left an indelible mark on the audiences they connected with and the businesses that they were associated with. We’re grateful for their talents, and only regret that they were not able to receive this special recognition while alive.”
Blore served as a disc jockey and program director of several radio stations, launching his career in El Paso, Texas, before moving to Los Angeles in the late 1950s and overseeing KFWB-AM. He was known for identifying stellar on-air talent, including Gary Owens and Wink Martindale. Blore left day-to-day radio duties to form an advertising agency benefiting television networks and motion picture studios, among others with the agency producing thousands of radio and television commercials.
Colmes’s radio career includes years on WABC-AM and WNBC-AM in New York City, before being syndicated nationally on over 100 radio stations via Daynet, a radio syndication company he co-founded with other radio hosts. His program was eventually distributed by Fox News Radio, with Colmes offering a liberal viewpoint on American politics on broadcast radio. Colmes also appeared on television, as co-host with Sean Hannity on the Hannity & Colmes program, and later, as a frequent guest on The Greg Gutfeld Show, both on Fox News.
Douglas created the original all-night radio show for truckers in 1970, after joining WWL-AM in New Orleans. The Road Gang, hosted by Douglas, played country music and offered conversation and companionship for radio audiences that primarily included truck drivers. Douglas launched his career in Louisiana in 1953, and became a program director for the first time three years later in 1956 at KOCY-AM in Oklahoma City. He then worked at Asheville, N.C.; San Antonio, Dallas and Houston among other markets before joining WWL-AM. In 1983, he joined WSM-AM in Nashville as a host of The Music Country Network, before retiring in 1995 to devote his attention to music promotion firm Compact Disc Express. He also served as president of Country Radio Broadcasters for two terms and was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1994.
Southern California on-air personality Ladd was dubbed “The Last D.J.” by Tom Petty in 2002. Ladd was part of KNAC-FM in Los Angeles in 1967, before joining KLOS-FM in 1969 and then joined archival station KMET-FM in 1975, until the station switched formats in 1987. He then re-joined KLOS-FM to host an evening program for 24 years. In 2011, he became an on-air personality for SiriusXM, staying on the air until his death in December 2023.
MacGregor is known for many years on-air in Detroit, Mich. MacGregor became news director at CKLW-AM by the age of 22. His career also included time at the CBS Radio-owned all-news station WWJ-AM, where he served as both morning and afternoon drive anchor during his 13 years with the station.
Martin was first heard on the first Latino-owned community radio station in the U.S., at KBBF-AM in Santa Rosa, Calif. She then joined National Public Radio (NPR) and became an editor of their program Latin File. Martin was the network’s first Latin American Affairs Editor on their national desk, and left NPR in 1993 to launch the English-language program Latino USA, to reflect the experiences of the Latino community.
Sutton founded the Inner City Broadcasting in New York City in 1970 and the company purchased its first station, WLIB-AM, in 1972, making it the first Black-owned radio station in New York. The company later acquired WBLS-FM and purchased stations in 10 more U.S. cities. As the stations programmed R&B music and later, urban contemporary music, talk radio programs also played a vial role in the community of listeners. As founder and chairman, Sutton became known as “The Godfather of Urban Radio.” In 1981, Sutton and his investment partners purchased the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The theater was renovated and reopened in 1985 and included a cable television studio that was used to produce the variety show It’s Showtime at the Apollo.
Country music radio personality and radio station programmer Walker served as a country music radio personality and station programmer before founding Rusty Walker Programming Consultants in 1983, and becoming a revered consultant to many country music formatted stations and helping over 500 radio stations with their music selections, on-air personality coaching, promotional support and more. For seven consecutive years, Walker was named Billboard‘s consultant of the year, and in 2024 the Country Radio Hall of Fame inducted Walker, recognizing his industry impact.
The Radio Hall of Fame was founded by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988, and the Museum of Broadcast Communications took over operations of the Hall in 1991.
This time of year, Tony Brown is frequently reminded of his work with Elvis Presley.
On Aug. 16, 1977, he was at the Nashville Airport with several other Presley band members waiting for a plane that would take them to Portland, Maine, for a show. Instead, Colonel Tom Parker sent word that the tour was off and they should go home. In his car, Brown heard on the radio that Presley had died. If the DJ had teed up Presley’s then-current “Way Down,” Brown would have heard himself playing piano even as his world tipped over.
“My first thought was, ‘Now what am I going to do, man?’ ” Brown recalls. “ ‘I already spent the money I was going to make on that tour.’ ”
Brown’s doubts about his future were understandable, though with hindsight, they were temporary. He got a job in the RCA A&R department, and in a few short years, Brown led the MCA A&R department, where he became one of country’s leading creative figures, pushing the genre’s edge through his 1980s work with Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. He would also play a significant role in shaping ’90s country — still very much in vogue in 2024 — through his productions of Vince Gill, Wynonna, Reba McEntire and George Strait.
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The Academy of Country Music will recognize Brown’s influence on the format’s direction on Aug. 21, as he receives the ACM Icon Award during the ACM Honors at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. During the event, to be hosted by Carly Pearce and Jordan Davis, trophies will also be bestowed upon the likes of Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Trisha Yearwood and Alan Jackson.
“Getting this award just sort of gives me, I don’t know, credibility in my mind that I’m not an old-timer,” Brown confesses.
He is, to be certain, in a different part of his career. Working at a label, particularly before laptop technologies and the internet became dominant, provided an opportunity to be at the hub of the creative activity, and it fed the extroverted part of his personality.
“Everybody would come to your office to play songs, and even the artists would come to your office to listen to songs together,” he says. “Now you need to call them up and say, ‘Do you want me to come to your place to listen to songs? Are you going to come to my place?’ And they go, ‘Just send them to me.’ It’s a whole different dynamic, and I’m not used to that. I’m a face-to-face kind of guy.”
The North Carolina-bred keyboard player grew up in a gospel environment — his evangelist father forbade him from listening to secular music. Studying with a piano teacher in Louisiana one summer as a teenager, he got introduced to country — particularly through Ray Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music — and pursued that direction professionally. He played piano with Presley, The Oak Ridge Boys, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell’s Cherry Bombs, and ultimately landed on Music Row, where his gospel background applied nicely. Gospel is a format defined by the words more than the sound, and Brown was keenly focused on lyrics as he signed singer-songwriters and picked material for his production clients. He frequently demanded song pluggers supply lyric sheets when they pitched material.
“I love the melodies,” he says, “but I really follow the lyric.”
Brown’s impressive rèsumè includes, just for starters, Crowell’s Diamonds & Dirt, Stapleton’s “What Are You Listening To?,” Wynonna’s “No One Else on Earth,” Yearwood’s “How Do I Live,” Gill’s “I Still Believe in You,” Strait’s “Blue Clear Sky,” David Lee Murphy’s“Dust on the Bottle,” Chely Wright’s“Single White Female,” Gary Allan’s“Smoke Rings in the Dark,” Steve Wariner’s“The Weekend,” Sara Evans’“A Little Bit Stronger” and Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe,” which infused Brown’s gospel history in both its sound and its lyric.
“I still cry, man,” Brown says of the recording. “It just makes me cry.”
But McEntire’s “Fancy,” he suggests, is probably the most famous of his productions. More than 30 years after its debut, its swampy tone — enhanced by Steve Gibson’sslide guitar — still feels current.
“Just before he walked out of the studio, he said, ‘Hey, let me put some slide Mac Gayden kind of thing on there,’ ” Brown notes. “It was kind of like an afterthought overdub. He put it on there, and it gives it that snaky kind of Deep South, snake-oil thing.”
Brown survived a horrific ordeal in April 2003, suffering a head injury when he slipped at a Santa Monica, Calif., restaurant. His mother died while he was hospitalized, and it left him with plenty to process as he began appearing in public again roughly two months later. He eventually discovered he was mired in depression.
“Depression is a strange thing — it’s hard to know you got it,” he says. “I didn’t realize it until I went to a therapist, and he figured it out. It’s nice to get out of it.”
Working in a freelance capacity, Brown admittedly doesn’t produce as many albums as he did at the height of his career, though he’s hardly finished. He oversaw a diverse-sounding 2023 album, Gaither Tribute: Award-Winning Artists Honor the Songs of Bill & Gloria Gaither, featuring Ronnie Dunn, Josh Turner, CeCe Winans and Jamey Johnson, among others. Brown also co-produced several of the tracks on Strait’s Cowboys and Dreamers, due Sept. 6, and he’s producing a portion of McEntire’s next project.
The ACM Icon Award is a welcome confirmation amid that renewed activity. The fear he had when the Presley gig came to a tragic halt isn’t much different from the uncertainties he still feels about his future as an independent contractor. When he was producing 13 albums a year, he took the work for granted. Now he has enough time between commitments to savor just how fortunate he has been — and to know he’s not ready to stop.
“I am totally pumped that this [award] popped up right now,” he says. “It’s a big deal.”
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The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame has announced its 2024 class of inductees: Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny Lattimore, Candi Staton, Ginuwine, Regina Belle, Buddy Miles, William Bell, Terry Stewart, Rose Marie McCoy, Ken Hawkins, and the influential Boddie Recording Company.
Five of the 10 artists have topped Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (or its predecessors). Belle topped it twice, with “Baby Come to Me” (1989) and “Make It Like It Was” (1990). Ginuwine also topped it twice, with “Pony” (1996) and “Differences” (2001). Three other artists each topped it once: Staton with “Young Hearts Run Free” (1976), Bell with “Tryin’ to Love Two” (1977) and Osborne with “She’s on the Left” (1988).
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Belle also topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993 with “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme),” a collab with Peabo Bryson.
Additionally, special honors will be bestowed upon Leo’s Casino alumni, including Aretha Franklin, Gene Chandler, Chuck Conway, Sr., Martha Reeves, Fred Wheatt, Freddie Arrington, The Temptations, and The O’Jays.
These individuals and groups will be honored at the 13th annual National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 6. The event will take place at the Marriott Cleveland East in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.
“This year’s remarkable group of inductees exemplifies the rich diversity and influence of R&B music,” LaMont Robinson, founder of the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “We are excited to return the ceremony to Metro Cleveland and celebrate the enduring legacy of Leo’s Casino, a vital part of the city’s music history from the 1960s.”
More than 300 R&B artists inducted since its National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame’s inception in 2013. The roster includes legends such as James Brown, Prince, B.B. King, New Edition, The O’Jays, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, and Whitney Houston.
Tickets for the event are $35 and $50. For ticket information and to learn more about the ceremony, visit WWW.RBHOF.COM.