Awards
Page: 44
Emilia Pérez composers Clément Ducol and Camille, and composer Atticus Ross (Challengers and Shōgun) are the top nominees for the 2025 SCL Awards, which are presented by the Society of Composers & Lyricists.
The sixth annual awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on Feb. 12 and will be hosted by singer-songwriter Colin Hay, best known as the leader of 1980s band Men at Work.
Ducol and Camille, composers and songwriters of Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, received three nominations – one for Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film, and two for Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production for “Mi Camino” and “El Mal,” the latter of which they co-wrote with the film’s writer/director Jacques Audiard.
Trending on Billboard
Ross also received three nods – Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production for “Compress/Repress” from Challengers, which he composed with Trent Reznor and Luca Guadagnino, and two nods for the original title sequence and original score for Shōgun, which he composed with his brother Leopold Ross, and Nick Chuba.
Diane Warren is nominated for Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production for “The Journey” (from Netflix’s The Six Triple Eight). Warren has been nominated for an SCL Award every year. In 2023, she won in this same category for “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman.
Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt also received a nomination for “Never Too Late” from the Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late.
Composer Harry Gregson-Williams and director Ridley Scott will receive the Spirit of Collaboration Award, which recognizes a composer/director relationship that has created a prodigious body of work. This year’s Gladiator II marks their seventh collaboration. In his previous collaborations with Scott, Gregson-Williams has written the original scores for The Martian, Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel, and House of Gucci, as well as themes for Prometheus and Exodus: Gods and Kings.
Last year, Martin Scorsese accepted the 2024 Spirit of Collaboration Award for his work with the late composer Robbie Robertson. Other past award recipients include Thomas Newman & Sam Mendes, Terence Blanchard & Spike Lee, Carter Burwell & the Coen Brothers, and Justin Hurwitz & Damien Chazelle.
Composer Jeff Beal, who has won five Primetime Emmys, will be awarded the SCL Jury Award for his new score for the 1920 Weimar Cinema silent film classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Final voting for the 2025 SCL Awards will open on Jan. 27 and close on Feb. 3.
Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 2025 SCL Awards.
Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film
Clement Ducol, Camille – Emilia Perez (Netflix)
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros. Pictures / Legendary Pictures)
Harry Gregson-Williams – Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures)
John Powell, Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: Part 1 (Universal Pictures)
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation)
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave (Focus Features)
Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film
Chris Bacon – Heretic (A24)
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist (A24)
Dara Taylor – Meet Me Next Christmas (Roberts Media)
Fabrizio Mancinelli – Here After (Artina Films, ClaRo Productions, Fenix Entertainment, Hopscotch Pictures)
Heather McIntosh – Winner (Big Beach, One Community, Scythia Films, ShivHans Pictures)
Stephanie Economou – The Book of Jobs (Bull’s Eye Entertainment, Rebellium Films)
Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production
Andrew Wyatt, Lykke Li, Miley Cyrus – “Beautiful That Way” (from The Last Showgirl) (Utopia Media, High Frequency Entertainment, Pinky Promise, Detour, Digital Ignition Entertainment)
Bear McCreary – “Old Tom Bombadil” (from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) (Amazon MGM Studios in association with New Line Cinema / Prime Video)
Christopher Lennertz – “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas” (from The Boys) (Prime Video)
Diane Warren – “The Journey” (from The Six Triple Eight) (Netflix)
Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin, Andrew Watt – “Never Too Late” (from Elton John: Never Too Late) (Disney Branded Television, This Machine Filmworks, Rocket Entertainment)
Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, Taura Stinson – “Winter Coat” (from Blitz) (Apple Original Films)
Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production
Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear – “Beyond” (from Moana 2) (Disney)
Clement Ducol, Camille – “Mi Camino” (from Emilia Perez) (Why Not Productions, Page 114, Pathé, France 2 Cinéma, Saint Laurent Productions)
Clement Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard – “El Mal” (from Emilia Perez) (Why Not Productions, Page 114, Pathé, France 2 Cinéma, Saint Laurent Productions)
Lainey Wilson, Luke Dick, Shane McAnally – “Out of Oklahoma” (from Twisters) (Universal Pictures)
Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek – “Forbidden Road” (from Better Man) (Paramount Pictures)
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Luca Guadagnino – “Compress/Repress” (from Challengers) (Amazon MGM Studios)
Outstanding Original Title Sequence for a Television Production
Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, Nick Chuba – Shōgun (FX Network)
Blake Neely – ‘Masters Of The Air’ (Apple TV+)
Carlos Rafael Rivera – Griselda (Netflix)
Danielle Ponder – Manhunt (Apple TV+)
Jeff Toyne – Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
Nami Melumad – Dream Productions (Pixar Animation Studios / Disney+)
Outstanding Original Score for a Television Production
Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, Nick Chuba – Shōgun (FX Network)
Bear McCreary – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon MGM Studios in association with New Line Cinema / Prime Video)
Blake Neely – Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
David Fleming – Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Amazon MGM Studios)
Finneas O’Connell – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Jeff Toyne – Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Original Score for Interactive Media
Gordy Haab – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Machine Games, Bethesda Studios, Lucasfilm Games)
Nainita Desai – Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Surgent Studios, EA)
Wilbert Roget, II – Star Wars: Outlaws (Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft)
Winifred Phillips – Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (Digital Eclipse)
David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent
Andrea Datzman – Inside Out 2 (Disney/Pixar Animation Studios)
Emily Rice – Broken Bird (Catalyst Studios, Mitchell-Brunt Films)
Katya Richardson – Motorcycle Mary (Breakwater Studios)
Nikhil Koparkar – Dead Whisper (Howlin’ Hounds Pictures, Brothers Gran Productions)
Robin Carolan – Nosferatu (Focus Features)
Wei-San Hsu – Invisible Nation (100 Chapters Productions, Double Hope Films, Seine Pictures)
Jody Gerson, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), is set to receive the 2025 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honor at The Recording Academy and Clive Davis‘ annual Pre-Grammy Gala, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1, the night before the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. This is the 50th anniversary of the high-profile event.
Gerson is just the third woman to receive the honor, following Debra L. Lee (2017), then-chairman/CEO of BET Networks, and Julie Greenwald (2023), then-Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO, who received the award in tandem with Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records chairman/CEO.
Trending on Billboard
“Jody is an inspirational leader who champions integrity and inclusivity in everything she does and is a revolutionary executive,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “She has opened doors for and propelled the careers of many of the world’s greatest songwriters, while simultaneously serving as one of the biggest advocates for women in music. We are thrilled to host an extraordinary evening that not only celebrates her remarkable impact but also marks the gala’s incredible 50-year milestone.”
“Jody Gerson is one of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders and I am thrilled that she will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons honoree,” added Davis. “Jody’s longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as her tireless dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have a leader with such tremendous insight and passion at the helm.”
Davis originated the pre-Grammy Gala in 1976 when he was looking for a way to celebrate the success of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” Arista Records’ first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 (and its first Grammy record of the year nominee).
Since joining UMPG in 2015, Gerson has transformed the company into a global powerhouse that owns and administers more than five million copyrights. She leads a global company with 48 offices in 40 countries and more than 850 employees. She made history as the first female chairman of a global music company and the first woman to be named CEO of a major music publisher.
Gerson is a member of Universal Music Group’s (UMG’s) executive management board.
Gerson ranked No. 14 on Billboard’s 2024 Power 100 list. Kristin Robinson, Billboard’s senior writer (publishing), led her essay about Gerson by saying, “As UMPG’s CEO, a National Music Publishers’ Association board member and co-founder of She Is the Music, an organization committed to empowering female creators, Gerson is one of the most trusted voices in music publishing.”
That was backed up with hard facts. From 2013 to 2023, UMPG’s U.S. revenue grew from $900 million to more than $1.9 billion. In that same time frame, the company narrowed the revenue gap between it and market leader Sony Music Publishing from $400 million to $188.5 million.
Gerson received a Primetime Emmy nod in 2021 as an executive producer of HBO’s The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, which was nominated for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special. A year ago, she received a Grammy nod as one of the video producers for 2Pac’s Dear Mama, which was nominated for best music film.
Gerson has signed and works with many of the world’s biggest music stars, including Adele, Bee Gees, Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Drake, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Elton John, Alicia Keys, Steve Lacy, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Maren Morris, the Prince estate, Rosalia, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, SZA and The Weeknd. She also led UMPG’s acquisitions of the hit-studded catalogs of Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond and Sting, among others.
As a champion for women in music and an advocate for education, Gerson co-founded the global nonprofit She Is The Music. She also serves on boards for the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the National Music Publishers Association, New Roads School and Project Healthy Minds.
Gerson jointly oversees Polygram Entertainment, a film and TV development and production division of UMG that produces feature-length films and music-centric series. In 2024 alone, she served as executive producer on a broad array of projects, including Music Box: Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary; The Beach Boys; STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.; and Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It. Other recent projects that Gerson executive produced include the aforementioned The Bee Gees: How to Mend a Broken Heart and HBO’s Music Box series. Among her and Polygram’s many projects in development are documentaries on Bernie Taupin and Prince.
In January 2020, Gerson became the first woman and first music publishing executive to be named Billboard’s executive of the year on its annual Power 100 list. She is the recipient of numerous other honors, including Billboard‘s Power Players’ Choice Award; Variety’s Hitmakers Executive of the Year; Billboard‘s 2015 Executive of the Year for its Women in Music issue; Rolling Stone’s “Future 25”; Variety’s Power of Women L.A.; and the 2016 March of Dimes Inspiring Woman of the Year.
The invitation-only Pre-Grammy Gala is sponsored by Hilton, Mastercard and IBM.
Jon Platt, Sony Music Publishing chairman/CEO, was last year’s Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honoree.
Here’s a complete list of previous honorees at the pre-Grammy Gala.
2005: Ahmet Ertegun
2006: Mo Ostin
2007: Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss
2008: Berry Gordy
2009: Clive Davis
2010: David Geffen
2011: Doug Morris
2012: Sir Richard Branson
2013: Antonio “L.A.” Reid
2014: Sir Lucian Grainge
2015: Martin Bandier
2016: Irving Azoff
2017: Debra L. Lee
2018: Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter
2019: Clarence Avant
2020: Sean “Diddy” Combs
2022: Rob Stringer
2023: Julie Greenwald & Craig Kallman
2024: Jon Platt
Eno, a documentary about legendary British musician Brian Eno, is shortlisted for an Oscar for best documentary feature. Gary Hustwit directed the film.
Eno, 76, has won seven Grammys for producing records by U2 and Coldplay. In 1993, he and his partner Daniel Lanois won a Grammy for producer of the year (non-classical) in a tie with Babyface & L.A. Reid. Eno was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Roxy Music.
The documentary feature shortlist also includes Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, a film about the political activities of jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach during the Cold War. Johan Grimonprez directed the film.
Trending on Billboard
Will & Harper, the Netflix film about a cross-country road trip starring Will Ferrell and Harper Steele is also on the shortlist. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum, features Kristen Wiig’s “Harper and Will Go West,” which is shortlisted for best original song.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released shortlists in 10 categories, including best original song, best original score and best documentary feature on Tuesday (Dec. 17).
A total of 169 features vied to make the shortlist for documentary feature film. Just 15 made it. Among the music-focused films that failed to make the shortlist: Elton John: Never Too Late; The Greatest Night in Pop, about the recording session that produced “We Are the World”; I Am: Celine Dion; Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All; Luther: Never Too Much (about Luther Vandross); Mad About the Boy – The Noel Coward Story; Music by John Williams; Piece by Piece, about and featuring music by Pharrell Williams; and The World According to Allee Willis.
Also passed over: Following Harry, about Harry Belafonte’s social justice work; Studio One Forever (about the L.A. nightclub that is described as “America’s first gay disco”) and Flipside (about a comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store).
Here’s a complete list of this year’s 15 shortlisted films for documentary (feature).
Shortlisted Films
The Bibi FilesBlack Box DiariesDahomeyDaughtersEnoFridaHollywoodgateNo Other LandPorcelain WarQueendomThe Remarkable Life of IbelinSoundtrack to a Coup d’EtatSugarcaneUnionWill & Harper
Nominations-round voting runs from Jan. 8-12. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17. Final-round voting runs from Feb. 11-18. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The show will also stream live on Hulu for the first time.
Two composing teams are on the Oscar shortlist for best original score, along with 18 individual composers.
Clément Ducol and Camille are shortlisted for their work on Emilia Pérez (Netflix); Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are shortlisted for Challengers. A second Reznor/Ross score, Queer, didn’t make the cut. The Nine Inch Nails members have won two Oscars in this category, for The Social Network and Soul, the latter a collaboration with Jon Batiste.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released shortlists in 10 categories, including best original score, best original song, and best documentary feature on Tuesday (Dec. 17). The number of shortlisted scores jumped from 15 to 20 this year, on the grounds that there are so many entries in this category. This year, 145 scores were eligible in the category, compared to 89 songs in the best original song category. (The number of shortlisted songs remained at 15.)
Hans Zimmer in on the score shortlist for his work on Steve McQueen’s Blitz. Zimmer might have had two scores on the shortlist, but his score for Dune: Part Two was ruled ineligible due to exceeding the Academy’s limit on pre-existing music. Academy rules state: “In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, the score must not use more than 20% of pre-existing themes and music borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.” Zimmer’s score for Dune: Part Two incorporates substantial elements from his Oscar-winning score for 2021’s Dune.
Trending on Billboard
Dune: Part Two was nominated for both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for best original score. The other scores that are nominated for those two awards were all shortlisted for Oscars – Daniel Blumberg’s The Brutalist, Reznor & Ross’ Challengers, Volker Bertelmann’s Conclave, Ducol & Camille’s Emilia Pérez and Kris Bowers’ The Wild Robot.
John Powell’s score for Wicked made the shortlist. The film is closing in on Mamma Mia! as the top-grossing film ever adapted from a Broadway musical.
Andrea Datzman is shortlisted for Inside Out 2. With this release, Datzman became the first woman to score a Pixar feature film.
Here’s a complete list of this year’s 20 shortlisted scores for best original score:
Shortlisted
Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios) – Benjamin Wallfisch
Babygirl (A24) – Critobal Tapia de Veer
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros. Pictures) – Danny Elfman
Blink Twice (Amazon MGM Studios) – Chanda Dancy
Blitz (Apple Original Films) — Hans Zimmer
The Brutalist (A24) — Daniel Blumberg
Challengers (Amazon MGM) — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Conclave (Focus Features) — Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez (Netflix) — Clément Ducol, Camille
The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM) — Tamar-kali
Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures) — Harry Gregson-Williams
Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 (New Line Cinema) – John Debney
Inside Out 2 (Pixar) — Andrea Datzman
Nosferatu (Focus Features) – Robin Carolan
The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics) — Alberto Iglesias
Sing Sing (A24) — Bryce Dessner
The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) – Aaron Zigman
Wicked (Universal Pictures) – John Powell
The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation) — Kris Bowers
Young Woman and the Sea (Walt Disney Pictures) — Amelia Warner
And here are some of the highly-touted scores that were passed over for the shortlist.
Not Shortlisted
Deadpool & Wolverine (Marvel Studios) — Rob Simonsen
Drive-Away Dolls (Focus Features) — Carter Burwell
Flow (Janus Films/Sideshow) — Gints Zilbalodis, Rihards Zalupe
Hard Truths (Bleecker Street) — Gary Yershon
Here (Sony Pictures) — Alan Silvestri
IF (Paramount Pictures) — Michael Giacchino
I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics) — Warren Ellis
Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films) — Elena Kats-Chernin
Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures) — Nicholas Britell, Dave Metzger, Pharrell Williams
Moana 2 (Walt Disney Pictures) — Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foaʻi
The Piano Lesson (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
Queer (A24) — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Saturday Night (Sony Pictures) — Jon Batiste
September 5 (Paramount Pictures) — Lorenz Dangel
The Substance (Mubi) — Raffertie
Transformers One (Paramount Pictures) — Brian Tyler
We Live in Time (A24) — Bryce Dessner
Nominations-round voting runs from Jan. 8-12. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17. Final-round voting runs from Feb. 11-18. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The show will also stream live on Hulu for the first time.
As reported earlier, MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN is a brand-new award established by the five major organizations in the Japanese music industry — Recording Industry Association of Japan, Japan Association of Music Enterprises, the Federation of Music Producers Japan, Music Publishers Association of Japan, and All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference. The specifics of the more than 60 categories slated to be recognized in this new music award, the voting method, and the selection and voting method for the more than 5,000 voting members have been revealed.
The inaugural event is set for May 21 and 22, 2025, at the Rohm Theatre Kyoto. Day 2 will be broadcast live via a domestic terrestrial TV channel and delay-streamed on YouTube for a global audience. Nominees will be awarded in over 60 categories including the six major ones such as Song of the Year and New Artist of the Year. Details of the 23 divisions in the song category, seven in the international song category, five in the album category, twelve in the artist category, and three in the “Alliance Category” have been announced.
Trending on Billboard
The song category will celebrate a wide variety of music genres and cultures, with genre divisions honoring J-pop, rock, hip-hop, idol culture, anime and more, as well as special divisions for revival (resurgent hits), Vocaloid culture, and music videos, among others. There will also be two awards decided by inviting votes from general music listeners via Spotify. In the album category, leading with Album of the Year, projects from genres that add color to music culture awards will be recognized including jazz, classical music, movie music/original soundtracks albums, and video game soundtracks. In the artist category, there will also be a prize for artists who have been active in the Japanese music industry for a long time and contributed to its enrichment called MAJ Timeless Echo.
“We are very honored that our data is being used as one of the core data sets for the songs entered in MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN,” says Billboard Japan chart director Seiji Isozaki. “We will continue to improve the accuracy of our data so that we can convey how people enjoy music and the joy of music itself.”
Tallying period will be from Monday, Feb. 5, 2024 to Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, excluding some categories.
Six major categories:
Song of the Year: Celebrates songs considered to be musically creative and artistic.
Method of selection: An original, MAJ-specific chart will be created by combining the weekly points of the top 100 tracks on the six metrics (radio airplay, CD sales, downloads, streaming, video views, and karaoke) comprising Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 song chart, and on the Top User Generated Songs chart. Two months will be considered a single period, and songs charting in each period will be nominated for Song of the Year. Domestic and international songs are eligible for this category.
Album of the Year: Celebrates albums considered to be musically creative and artistic.
Method of selection: An original, MAJ-specific chart will be created by combining the CD and downloads data comprising Billboard Japan’s Hot Albums chart, and GfK’s streaming data. Two months will be considered a single period, and albums charting in each period will be nominated for Album of the Year. Domestic and international albums are eligible for this category.
Artist of the Year: Celebrates artists considered to be musically creative and artistic.
Method of selection: The Artist of the Year will be decided from artists with either songs or albums nominated for Song of the Year or Album of the Year. Domestic and international artists are eligible for this category.
New Artist of the Year: Celebrates new artists considered to be musically creative and artistic.
Method of selection: The New Artist of the Year will be decided from artists of songs extracted from those nominated for Song of the Year, according to Billboard Japan’s Heatseekers Songs rules.
1. Excludes artists who have entered the top 20 on the Japan Hot 100 or top 10 of the Japan Hot Albums tallies in the last six months (26 weeks).
2. Excludes artists who have logged at least four months (17 weeks) in the last six months (26 weeks) on the Heatseekers Songs top 20.
Groups and projects that include the above excluded artists are also excluded. However, artists who perform under completely different names are not excluded.
Top Global Hit From Japan: Celebrates domestic songs that have become hits around the world.
Method of selection: The Top Global Hit From Japan award will be decided by selecting the top 5 songs from the global chart created by extracting Japan-based songs from the global viewing data (streaming, downloads, music videos) compiled by Luminate, excluding the number of views in Japan.
Only the highest-ranking song will be considered for acts with multiple songs on the list. Five songs by five acts will be nominated for this award.
Tallying period: From Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 to Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025
Best Song Asia: Celebrates Asian songs that have become hits in Asia.
Method of selection: The Best Song Asia award will be decided from the top 3 songs from the 2024 year-end charts of Asian countries/regions excluding Japan.
For the inaugural MAJ, songs from the following East and Southeast Asian countries and regions will be considered: South Korea, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan.
General voting categories: One best work will be decided from 30 works chosen as nominees through Spotify’s voting function.
Listeners’ Choice: Best Global Song of the Year powered by Spotify: An award given to the Best Global Song decided by general vote from Spotify users from both within and outside Japan, from among domestic songs that have become global hits.
Listeners’ Choice: Best Song of the Year powered by Spotify: An award given to the Best Song decided by general vote from Spotify users from both within and outside Japan.
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 KYOTO
Date of Ceremony: Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22, 2025
MAJ Week: From Saturday, May 17 to Friday, May 23, 2025
Venue: ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Live broadcast on domestic terrestrial TV and global stream on YouTube scheduled (some regions excluded)
*Tickets to attend the ceremony will not be open to the public. Details of the awards ceremony and related events will be announced later.
Numerous music stars are on the best original song shortlist for the 2025 Oscars, including Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Lainey Wilson, Pharrell Williams, Maren Morris, Robbie Williams, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
John and Carlile are shortlisted for co-writing “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late; Wilson for co-writing “Out of Oklahoma” from Twisters; Williams for writing “Piece by Piece” from the Netflix film Piece by Piece; Morris for co-writing Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot; Williams for co-writing “Forbidden Road” from Better Man; and Reznor and Ross for co-writing “Compress/Repress” from Challengers.
Trending on Billboard
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released shortlists in 10 categories, including best original song and best original score on Tuesday (Dec. 17).
While music stars were well-represented on the shortlist, several others fell short, including Luke Combs, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran and Megan Thee Stallion, Reneé Rapp and Ryan Tedder.
Two songs from Emilia Pérez appear on the shortlist for best original song. The songs are “El Mal” and “Mi Camino,” both co-written by Clément Ducol and Camille, with the film’s director, Jacques Audiard, co-writing “El Mal.”
Diane Warren is shortlisted for writing “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight. If Warren is nominated, she’ll tie midcentury lyricist Sammy Cahn for the longest streak of consecutive nominations (eight) in the history of the category. (Cahn was a contender every year from 1954 to 1961.) This would be Warren’s 16th overall nod in this category, more than any other woman. Among women, she’s currently tied with the late Marilyn Bergman.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is shortlisted for writing “Tell Me It’s You” from Mufasa: The Lion King. Miranda has been just an Oscar away from an EGOT since 2014, when he won his first Primetime Emmy. He has been Oscar-nominated twice for writing “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana and “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto.
“El Mal” and “Mi Camino” are both nominated for both the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for best original song. Three other songs that are nominated for both of those awards are on the Oscar shortlist “Beautiful That Way” from The Last Showgirl, “Compress/Repress” from Challengers and “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot.
The sixth nominee for the Golden Globe is “Forbidden Road” from Better Man. The sixth nominee for the Critics Choice Award is “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper. Both are shortlisted here.
Kristen Wiig co-wrote the latter song with Sean Douglas. (The multitalented performer and writer was Oscar-nominated for best original screenplay for the 2011 hit Bridesmaids.) “Harper and Will Go West” has elements of humor, as have such recent nominees as “Husavik,” from the 2020 comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, and “I’m Just Ken,” from last year’s Barbie.
Here’s a complete list of this year’s 15 shortlisted songs for best original song.
Shortlisted Songs
“Beyond” from Moana 2 (Walt Disney Pictures) — Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear
“Compress/Repress” from Challengers (Amazon MGM) — Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Luca Guadagnino
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (Netflix) — Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard
“Forbidden Road” from Better Man (Paramount Pictures) — Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek
“Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (Netflix) — Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, Josh Greenbaum
“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) — Diane Warren
“Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation) — Delacey, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi
“Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (A24) — Abraham Alexander, Brandon Marcel, Adrian Quesada
“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (Netflix) — Clément Ducol, Camille
“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late” (Walt Disney Pictures) — Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, Bernie Taupin
“Out of Oklahoma” from Twisters (Universal Pictures) — Lainey Wilson, Luke Dick, Shane McAnally
“Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece (Focus Features) — Pharrell Williams
“Sick in the Head” from Kneecap (Sony Pictures Classics) — Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, Adrian Louis Richard Mcleod, Toddla T
“Tell Me It’s You” from Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures) – Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Winter Coat” from Blitz (Apple Original Films) — Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, Taura Stinson
And here are some highly-touted songs that were passed over for the shortlist.
Not Shortlisted
“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” from Twisters (Universal) – Jessi Alexander, Luke Combs, Jonathan Singleton
“Beautiful That Way” from The Last Showgirl (Roadside Attractions) — Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li, Andrew Wyatt
“Folie à Deux” from Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros.) — Lady Gaga
“Leash” from Babygirl (A24) — Sky Ferreira, Jorge Elbrecht
“Not My Fault” from Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures) — Alexander 23, Nell Benjamin, Jasper Harris, Megan Thee Stallion, Reneé Rapp, Jeff Richmond, Ryan Tedder, Billy Walsh
“Under the Tree” from That Christmas (Netflix) — Ed Sheeran
“Vaster Than Empires” from Queer (A24) — William Burroughs, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Nominations-round voting runs from Jan. 8 to 12. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17. Final-round voting runs from Feb. 11 to 18. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The show will also stream live on Hulu for the first time.
The 2024 Billboard Music Awards surpassed 330 million cross-platform views, up 14% year over year, generating record viewership in a groundbreaking, multi-distribution model across broadcast, streaming and social channels.
The Dec. 12 special, presented by Marriott Bonvoy, amassed 6.7 million views. It aired live on Fox, Amazon’s Fire TV Channels, Billboard.com and Harmony and on-demand on Paramount+, Hulu, Amazon’s Fire TV Channels and Billboard.com. Content was also distributed via BBMAs and Billboard social channels, including YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
The 2024 Billboard Music Awards was the No. 1 social program across all of TV and streaming on Dec. 12. It ranked No. 1 in total interactions (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube); No. 1 in earned interactions (Cross-platform Key Opinion Leader [KOL] + Organic Twitter); and No. 1 in total video view counts (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube).
Trending on Billboard
The BBMAs saw increased social engagements throughout the duration of the campaign (+54% year over year).
The top-performing video on demand clips on BBMAs Instagram included Stray Kids’ “Chk Chk Boom” and “JJAM” (30 million), Fuerza Regida’s “Pero No Te Enamores” and “NEL” (10.6 million) and Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” (5 million).
The fact that two of the top-performing VOD clips were by a K-pop group and a regional Mexican band underscores the how pop music has become a global enterprise, and confirms the wisdom of the global approach the show took. Artists took the stage from locations around the world, including Brazil, London, Australia, South Korea and the U.S., delivering original, curated performances exclusive to the BBMAs.
According to data from Luminate, the songs performed on the 2024 BBMAs saw an increase in total on-demand streams (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube, etc.) on the day following the BBMAs (when compared to the day of the show). Examples include Coldplay’s “All My Love” (up 45%), Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay” (up 28%), and two songs by Tyla: “Shake Ah” (with Optimist and Ez, up 19%) and “Push 2 Start” (up 11%).
Taylor Swift was the top winner at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, taking home 10 prizes, including a record fifth win for Top Artist. These 10 trophies make her the most decorated BBMAs winner of all time with 49 wins.
Zach Bryan won five awards, including two wins in country and two in rock, reflecting his genre-bridging appeal. Morgan Wallen won four awards, bringing his career total to 19, just one shy of Garth Brooks’ record as the country artist with the most wins.
Shaboozey, Bad Bunny, Drake and the Christian music group Elevation Worship each won three awards. Benson Boone, CeCe Winans, Chandler Moore, Charli XCX, Fuerza Regida, Jung Kook, Kacey Musgraves, Linkin Park, SZA, Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman and Tyla each won two awards.
The tracking period for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards was Oct. 13, 2023, through Oct. 10, 2024, which corresponds to Billboard chart dates from Oct. 28, 2023, through Oct. 19, 2024.
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation. PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.
Chappell Roan is a favorite to win big at the 2025 Grammys — and if she does, she plans to stir a little controversy.
On A Carpool Karaoke Christmas with Zane Lowe, which premiered first thing Monday (Dec. 16) on Apple TV+, the 26-year-old pop star revealed that she has some complicated feelings about the awards show, hinting that she will probably do a little disrupting if she wins any of her six nominations at the 2025 ceremony.
“It’s such a double-edged sword for me, because I’m like, ‘Yes, it is a talent show for the popular kids,’” she began of the Grammys. “That’s one side.
“But the other side is, ‘Oh my God, how amazing is it that a gay artist wrote a gay song that went No. 1, with a gay writer who did not grow up in the industry, did not have an in, has been busting her a– for like a decade?’” Roan continued. “That’s honorable to me. It’s an honor to be nominated with some of the other artists.”
Trending on Billboard
The Missouri native is in the running for all of the “big four” Grammy categories next year, including best new artist, album of the year for The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and song and record of the year for her Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Good Luck, Babe!” When asked whether she has remarks ready to go if she’s called onstage, Roan replied, “I don’t have a speech yet, but you know me. I’m going to say something controversial.
“Why not? Girl, what do I have to lose?” the “Pink Pony Club” artist added. “The fearlessness comes from in my heart knowing I’m always going to be OK.”
Grammy nominations went live in November, revealing that Roan is tied with Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift for six nods each in 2025. Beyoncé has the most nominations going into next year ceremony with 11, while Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone are tied for second-most with seven apiece.
In addition to the Big Four categories, Roan is also up for best pop solo performance for “Good Luck, Babe!” and best pop vocal album for Midwest Princess, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in August. The project — and Roan’s career, for that matter — has been steadily snowballing since its release in September 2023, with the star finishing out 2024 as Billboard‘s Top New Artist.
And while the VMA winner has been open about her excitement regarding her Grammy nominations, she’s also previously expressed mixed feelings. “I’m kind of hoping I don’t win [a Grammy],” she told The Face in September. “Because then everyone will get off my a–: ‘See guys, we did it and we didn’t win, bye!’ I won’t have to do this again!”
Kristen Bell is set to host the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will stream live on Netflix on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
This marks Bell’s second time hosting the show. She first did the honors in 2018, when she became the show’s first host. (The show had gone host-less in its first 23 years.)
“Thrilled to be hosting the SAG Awards again this year,” said Bell. “I’m honored to be asked back and can’t wait to share the evening with my fellow actors, doing what we do best… celebrating ourselves.”
Trending on Billboard
“Kristen Bell’s wit, warmth and charm makes her the perfect fit for our show – a night celebrating actors and the outstanding performances of the year,“ said SAG Awards executive producer Jon Brockett. ”Plus — everybody wants this.”
Brockett’s line is a play on the title of Bell’s hit Netflix comedy series, Nobody Wants This, in which she starred alongside Adam Brody and also served as an executive producer. Bell is set to reprise her role in season 2 of Nobody Wants This.
Bell is probably best known in music circles for giving voice to Anna in the animated blockbusters Frozen and Frozen 2. The Frozen soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks in 2014 and spawned numerous Hot 100 singles, including three on which Bell was featured: “For the First Time in Forever,” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “Love Is an Open Door.”
Nominations for the 31st SAG Awards will be announced on Jan. 8. As previously announced, actress and activist Jane Fonda will receive SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor, the SAG Life Achievement Award.
This is the second year of an exclusive, multi-year partnership between the SAG Awards and Netflix. In addition, the 2023 show streamed on Netflix via YouTube.
Silent House Productions will return to produce the 31st annual ceremony. Jon Brockett, along with Silent House Productions’ Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco and Linda Gierahn, will serve as executive producers. Those three producers won Primetime Emmys in 2023 as executive producers of Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, which was voted outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
Songwriter, producer and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder is set to receive an Honorary Clio Music Award at the 2025 Clio Music Awards at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on Jan. 30. The award celebrates Tedder’s creative legacy and enduring impact on popular culture.
Tedder has collaborated with such artists as Adele, Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Leona Lewis, Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X. Tedder’s influence also extends to global brand campaigns for Sprite, Hertz and Samsung.
Trending on Billboard
Tedder, 45, has received three Grammy Awards, all for album of the year, for his work on Adele’s 21 and 25, and Swift’s 1989. He has been nominated for 11 Grammys total so far – 10 for production work for other artists and one as an artist (best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals for Timbaland’s “Apologize,” on which OneRepublic was featured).
OneRepublic has had four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – “Apologize” (No. 2 in 2007), “The Good Life” (No. 8 in 2011), “Counting Stars” (No. 2 in 2014) and “I Ain’t Worried” (No. 6 in 2022). In addition, Tedder has had one top 10 hit under his own name, Far*East Movement’s Rocketeer” on which he was featured (No. 7 in 2011).
“We’re thrilled to honor the unparalleled contributions of Ryan Tedder, alongside an exceptional lineup of Grand Clio Music Award winners and special guests,” Michael Kauffman, executive director of Clio Music, said in a statement. “As we celebrate during Grammy week in Los Angeles, it’s the perfect moment to recognize the groundbreaking creativity and cultural impact that drives our industry forward.”
Clio Music, founded in 2014, is one of five verticals developed by the Clios to celebrate creative excellence in a specialized field. The Clios were founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising around the world.