Awards
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Four pop stars — Post Malone, Gwen Stefani, Noah Kahan and Avril Lavigne — are set to perform on the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday May 16, but the show’s producers stress that the performances came about organically.
“Our goal is always country-first,” Raj Kapoor, who is the show’s executive producer and showrunner, told Billboard. “We’re not actively going out to pursue artists [who are] out-of-genre. I think the most important thing is that it fits in a very natural way. We’re not asking people to come in who don’t have relationships or haven’t wanted to work together or don’t have projects together. We always want to stay authentically country. Those bonds that bring people together need to exist already.”
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Post Malone will perform a song from his upcoming country album, possibly “I Had Some Help,” a collab with Morgan Wallen. Stefani and Blake Shelton will perform their single “Purple Irises.” Kahan and Kelsea Ballerini — who, Kapoor notes, were in the studio together — will perform her “Mountain with a View” and his smash “Stick Season.” Lavigne and Nate Smith will perform Smith’s song “Bulletproof.”
This is a heavier slate of pop performers than on last year’s ACM Awards, where there was just one: Ed Sheeran, who joined Luke Combs to perform Sheeran’s song “Life Goes On.”
Menton, who is serving as co-executive producer, notes, “Yes, Post is definitely a kind of pop/hip-hop performer, but in a way, he’s almost genre-less. Post spent a lot of time in Nashville on this record and kind of dove back into his roots. He’s a country traditionalist at heart. He’s from Texas, so he grew up on this. Having heard some of the album, this is a real country album. This is an artist who’s really honoring the genre.
Menton adds: “This is such a global genre now. Country artists are selling out stadiums in the U.K. and Europe and all over the world. So, I think there is that conversation of they want it to be a bit boundary-less. They want those guardrails to open up a little bit. Yes, for us to be focused on country and celebrate the genre, but we really do welcome these other genres coming in because [country] really has exploded into this global genre and we want to celebrate that.”
The 59th ACM Awards, to be hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream globally on Prime Video on Thursday May 16 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Also performing on the show are Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson, as well as McEntire and, most likely, one or two more artists not yet named. “There may be some surprises,” Menton teases.
Kapoor was one of three executive producers of the Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins. He also served as executive producer and showrunner of the Oscars on March 10. Menton was a co-executive producer of the Grammys.
“I think my job is to make each show unique,” Kapoor says, “because they have such different DNA. That’s really what I strive for. They’re brands almost. They’re all actually [put on by] academies. It’s so different from just a pop show. There’s so many eyeballs on what we do. I guess I didn’t realize the complexities of that before I took on these positions. I’m much more aware of what goes on behind-the-scenes because it’s not just about our show. It’s really about these year-round programs that they all do and how many people are so invested.”
Kapoor and Menton have worked together on six Grammy telecasts – four in their current positions. They share a philosophy of producing a show, one that may sound a bit soft, but which is obviously working. Last year’s ACM Awards was the third-highest-rated awards show of 2023, behind just the Oscars and the Grammys (which they also worked on).
“We both lead with kindness,” Menton says. “That’s our rule of thumb, across-the-board. It’s creating space for these artists to come to us and feel safe. It’s not a case of we tell them what we want on the show. That’s not at all the way we work. It’s ‘What do you want to do on the show?’, ‘What’s going to create a moment?’ We’re all about the artist first and making sure they have a space to really create and collaborate in a safe space.”
Some awards show producers are known for taking a much firmer hand; for dictating what they want the artist to perform and who they want them to perform it with.
“We always believe it’s a conversation,” Kapoor says. “Obviously, we’re there to help guide sometimes. ‘Why don’t we try this?’ ‘What would you think about this?’ Sometimes we will push if we have a really strong belief about something, but it’s always a conversation, always a collaboration.
“Sometimes these moments really help define people’s careers,” he continues. “They can go viral. They are things that people will talk about for years to come. Last year [on the ACMs], everyone talked about Luke and Ed. Earlier this year [on the Grammys], I think everyone was talking about Luke and Tracy [Chapman, who teamed on “Fast Car].”
Kapoor believes the ACMs’ move to Amazon in 2022 helped give it a unique personality that sets it apart from the three other televised country award shows, the CMA Awards, the CMT Music Awards and the People’s Choice Country Awards.
“Our show is very fast-paced – two hours with very little commercials. So, you have back-to-back music performances. You still have a lot of awards, but our show moves very quickly. One thing I’ve really taken away since we’ve been on Amazon is how punchy and exciting it feels. We’re literally moving all the time. One performance leads into another. Sometimes, we’ve done three performances back-to-back.”
Menton says the partnership with Amazon has affected the show in another way. “It has allowed us to open those guardrails up and take chances. We’ve leaned into new artist development a lot more, we lean into diversity. We lean into something that’s completely out of the box; [that] other shows may feel a bit uncomfortable trying to do. Amazon gives us that ability to move and shake a bit differently. But I also think the industry comes to us with those out-of-the-box ideas. I think it’s because we’re open to it, Amazon is open to it and the Academy has always been that place where we’re the party of the year. We’re a little bit more fun. We try to let everyone just let their hair down.”
The ACM Awards are different in that respect from the Grammys and the Oscars, which are the official “shows of record” for the music and film industries. The CMA Awards probably better fit that description for country music, which led to the ACM Awards instead billing itself as country music’s party of the year.
As for new artist development, the show will feature performances by this year’s winners of the three new artist awards, male artist, female artist and duo/group. The latter category is being awarded for the first time in five years.
Bobby Bones will be featured throughout the show with the artist interview segment “Backstage with Bobby Bones,” which was introduced on last year’s show. This takes advantage of Bones’ close relationships with many country stars, but Kapoor reveals that the segments also serve a practical function on the show.
“Because we are live/live with all these performances, Bobby is also a great backup plan when we need him to be. You would never know it, like if we need an extra 30 seconds [to set the stage for the next performer], Bobby is there to help us if we need it, which we are very grateful for.”
Menton says they approached last year’s hosts, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, about returning to host the show again this year, but the superstar duo declined. “They were ready to take a step down,” he says. “They had such a rocking year last year, they probably felt like it [would be] hard to top.”
Fortunately for the show, another country legend, McEntire, was willing to return to the show for a 17th time as host or co-host. McEntire is closing in on the all-time record for most times hosting or co-hosting a major awards show. That record has long been held by Bob Hope, who hosted or co-hosted the Academy Awards 19 times between 1940-78.
“Reba is one of the most kind and hard-working artists out there, and to have her hosting our show, having an icon like that — we’re so lucky,” Menton says.
Barry Adelman, a mainstay at Dick Clark Productions, is serving as executive producer of this year’s show for DCP. Adelman has worked on the ACMs for more than 30 years.
Anyone can watch the ACM Awards, whether they have a Prime subscription or not. Did ACM CEO Damon Whiteside push for that? “Oh, I think we all did,” Menton says. “We want everyone to see this. It’s a country music show. We don’t want to have that paywall in front of us. The fact that everyone can watch it, whether you have Prime or not, we’re so grateful.”
Kapoor says they are already thinking ahead to next year’s show, which will be the 60th ACM Awards. “Everybody is already strategizing leading to that event. We’ll be returning to Amazon. I hope on this show we set the foundation for what’s going to be an amazing 60th show.”
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
Put those “Golden Popcorn” statues back in storage. The MTV Movie & TV Awards have been put “on pause” this year, and “will return with a reimagined format in 2025,” according to a spokesperson.
The show, originally dubbed the MTV Movie Awards, was a yearly fixture from 1992 to 2019, but has lost some momentum in recent years. The show wasn’t held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, MTV aired MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time, a clip show hosted by Vanessa Hudgens, which featured highlights from past ceremonies.
The show took place in 2021 and 2022, but the 2023 show was stymied by the Writers Guild of America strike. Drew Barrymore was set to host that year’s show. Barrymore has achieved success in both movies and TV and would have been an ideal host, but when the WGA went on strike on May 2, 2023 – just five days before the show was set to take place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. – Barrymore and most of the planned guests dropped out. As a result, the traditional ceremony didn’t take place. It was replaced by a pre-recorded virtual ceremony with no host.
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The MTV Movie & TV Awards were once a hot pop-culture show. Hosts in the show’s prime included such A-list stars as Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Ben Stiller, Mike Myers, Jimmy Fallon and Sarah Jessica Parker, the latter at the height of her Sex and the City fame. But the show has lost some allure in recent years.
The two post-pandemic shows that made it to air were co-hosted by Leslie Jones and Nikki Glaser, followed by Hudgens and Tayshia Adams. No shade to these performers, but they’re not Eddie Murphy or Will Smith.
This isn’t the first time MTV has pulled the plug on a show. The 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards were scheduled to take place on Nov. 5, 2023 at the Paris Nord Villepinte in Paris. The ceremony was cancelled on Oct. 19 due to the Israel–Hamas war, becoming the first EMAs to be cancelled in its 30-year history. Despite that setback, voting remained open until Oct. 31. The winning artists were revealed on Nov. 5.
Two months after its Los Angeles counterpart, the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards hit New York City on Saturday (May 11) to reveal the rest of the winners and honor Orville Peck with the Vito Russo Award (presented by Jennifer Lawrence, no less). Additionally, Red, White, and Royal Blue received the GLAAD Media Award for queer fan favorite, presented by Cody Rigsby and Beanie Feldstein.
Billboard was among the winners, earning the award for outstanding print article for Pride Editor Stephen Daw’s June 2023 cover story, which found Maren Morris don Willie Nelson drag and go deep with drag artists Eureka O’Hara, Landon Cider, Sasha Colby and Symone about the proliferation of drag bans around the country. The honor comes six years after Billboard won its first GLAAD Media Award for outstanding magazine overall coverage in 2018.
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Here’s a list of the categories that were presented at the Midtown Hilton Hotel on Saturday night, with winners marked. You can see the winners announced at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles here.
Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode
“Certainty” Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts (Disney+)
“Chaos, Law, and Order” The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+)
“Cynthia Nixon and Kim Petras” Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)
“Dulcé Sloan & Sasha Colby Talk What It Means to Be A Happy Trans Person” The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
“Elliot Page Opens Up In New Memoir: ‘It Felt Like The Right Time’” The View (ABC)
“The Hardest Fight Is the Fight Against Status Quo” The Conversations Project (Hulu)
“I’m Not Just Gay, I’m Your Son” Karamo (syndicated)
WINNER: “Jennifer Hudson Surprises HIV Activist with $10,000” The Jennifer Hudson Show (syndicated)
“Trace Lysette & Patricia Clarkson, Laverne Cox” The Kelly Clarkson Show (syndicated)
“Unapologetically Me” Tamron Hall (syndicated)
Outstanding TV Journalism Segment
“11th Hour: Transgender Athletes and What People Don’t Understand” The 11th Hour (MSNBC)
“19-Year-Old Designer CJ King Gets Second Chance to Walk the Runway” GMA3 (ABC)
“The All in Y’all” (KEYE-TV CBS Austin)
“Anti-LGBTQ+ Law in Uganda that Threatens the Death Penalty Sparks International Outcry” PBS Newshour (PBS)
“Bringing Queer Joy into the World of Hip-Hop” ABC News Live Prime (ABC News Live)
“Des Moines LGBTQ Community Hosts First-Ever ‘People’s Pride’” (WOI-TV Local 5 Des Moines)
“Geena Rocero Talks About Her New Memoir ‘Horse Barbie’ and the Power of Living Unapologetically” CBS Mornings (CBS)
“How Eco-Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Defines What It Means to Fight for the Environment” Nightline (ABC)
WINNER: “New York City Gay Bar Deaths Classified as Homicides” (NBC News Now)
“One-on-One with the President of the American Medical Association (AMA)” The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell (CBS)
Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form
“Beyond Limits: Who I Am” CBS Sports (CBS)
“CBS Reports: A Nation in Transition” CBS News (CBS)
“Club Q One Year Later” (KKTV CBS 11 Colorado)
“Freedom to Exist” Soul of a Nation (ABC)
“It’s Ok To Ask Questions – Pidgeon Pagonis” (WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago)
“Marty’s Place: Where Hope Lives” (+Life Media with KGO-TV & ABC Localish)
WINNER: “Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be” (ABC Owned Television Stations)
“Proud Voices: A NY1 Special” (Spectrum News NY1)
“Serving in Secret: Love, Country and ‘Dont Ask Don’t Tell’” (MSNBC)
“VICE Special Report – Out Loud // Big Freedia Presents: Young Queer Artists To Look Out For” (Vice News)
Outstanding Live TV Journalism – Segment or Special
“Capehart on SCOTUS rulings: ‘My Possibilities are Up to Them, Not Up to Me’” The Last Word (MSNBC)
“CNN’s Anderson Cooper Speaks With Lauri Carleton’s Daughter, Ari Carleton, About Her Mother’s Legacy” Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
“Flipping the Script: Live Interviews on LGBTQ+ Community” Morning News NOW (NBC News Now)
“Gio Benitez Interviews Sasha Velour on Her Book and the Climate of Drag in America” Good Morning America (ABC)
WINNER: “Indiana Students Put on LGBTQ-Themed Play Themselves After it’s Canceled By the School” Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (MSNBC)
“José Díaz-Balart Reports: A Texas Mother’s Fight: the Case for Gender-Affirming Care” José Díaz-Balart Reports (MSNBC)
“One-on-One with Eureka O’Hara” The Reid Out (MSNBC)
“Pride Across America” (ABC News Live)
“TikTok Sensations ‘The Old Gays’ Talk About How They Became Friends and Their New Docuseries” TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (NBC)
“Two Anti-LGBTQ Bills Advance to Louisiana House” Breakdown (WWL-TV CBS New Orleans)
Outstanding Print Article
WINNER: “As Drag Bans Proliferate, Maren Morris Goes Deep With Drag’s Biggest Stars on Why the Show Must Go On” by Stephen Daw (Billboard)
“Black Queer History is American History” by Myeshia Price (TIME)
“‘But Most of All I’m Human’: These 3 Transgender Teens Prove Identity Stretches Beyond One Label” by Susan Miller (USA TODAY)
“The Dancer” by Matt Kemper (The Atlanta-Journal Constitution)
“Heroism Overpowers Hate” by John Sotomayor (Embrace Magazine)
“Kim Petras Is Breaking the Mold” by Jeff Nelson (People)
“Pop Icons Are ‘Mothers’ Now. The LGBTQ Ballroom Scene Wants Credit.” by Samantha Cherry (The Washington Post)
“Stop Bad Hair and Uglier Legislation (The New Classics)” by Karen Giberson (AC Magazine)
“Transgender Youth: ‘Forced Outing’ Bills Make Schools Unsafe” by Hannah Schoenbaum and Sean Murphy (AP)
“We Have the Tools to Stop HIV. So Why Is It Still Spreading?” by LZ Granderson (Los Angeles Times)
Outstanding Online Journalism Article
WINNER: “The AP Interview: Pope Francis Says Homosexuality Not a Crime” by Nicole Winifield (AP.com)
“Book Banners Came for This Colorado Town. They Didn’t Anticipate Resistance.” By Jeff Fuentes Gleghorn (LGBTQNation.com)
“Evidence Undermines ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria’ Claims” by Timmy Broderick (ScientificAmerican.com)
“From Drag Bans to Sports Restrictions, 75 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Become Law in 2023” by Jo Yurcaba (NBCNews.com)
“How the Latinx Drag Queens of Brooklyn Are Finding Freedom through Their Cultures” by Juan De Dios Sanchez Jurado (TeenVogue.com)
“Pedro Zamora, ‘Real World’ Star Who Died of AIDS, ‘Humanized the Disease for a Generation,’ Say Activists” by David Artavia (Yahoo.com)
“Pride Month Feels Different As Threats, Fear of Violence Grows” by Brooke Migdon (TheHill.com)
“Some Trans Kids Are Being Forced to Flee America for Their Safety” by Nico Lang (HuffPost.com)
“Stochastic Terrorism: Links between the GOP, Right-Wing Influencers & Neo-Nazi Violence” by Christopher Wiggins (Advocate.com)
“What Does Queer Gen Z Want on TV? Everything under the Rainbow” by Jude Cramer (INTOMore.com)
Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia
WINNER: “7 Remarkable Trans Elders Share Lessons for the Next Generation” (them.us)
“Brave Spaces” (PBS.org)
“CANS Can’t Stand” (NewYorker.com)
“Club Q: Stronger Together” (NFL.com)
“‘I’ve Always Known I Was Different’: Four Trans People Share Their Stories” (WashingtonPost.com)
“Michaela Jaé Rodriguez Calls Out the New York Times’ Anti-Trans Coverage & Advice for Trans Youth” (Variety.com)
“Moving Isa” (Insider.com)
“People Come Out to Their Parents | Truth or Drink” (Cut.com)
“Protecting Pride: Resilience after Tragedy – Club Q Survivors Fight to Project Their Community” (GoodMorningAmerica.com)
“Transnational” (Vice.com)
Outstanding Blog
Charlotte’s Web Thoughts
WINNER: Erin in the Morning
Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
LawDork
Mombian
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents
The Queer Review
The Randy Report
The Reckoning
Outstanding Reality Program
Bargain Block (HGTV)
WINNER: Family Karma (Bravo)
I Am Jazz (TLC)
Living for the Dead (Hulu)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)
Selling Sunset (Netflix)
Swiping America (Max)
TRANSworld Atlanta (Tubi)
The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Netflix)
Outstanding Broadway Production
Fat Ham, by James Ijames
How to Dance in Ohio, by Jacob Yandura and Rebekah Greer Melocik
WINNER: Melissa Etheridge: My Window, by Melissa Etheridge
Once Upon a One More Time, by Jon Hartmere
The Sign in Sydney Brustein’s Window, by Lorraine Hansberry
Outstanding Podcast
Finding Fire Island (Broadway Podcast Network)
Gay and Afraid with Eric Sedeño (Past Your Bedtime)
WINNNER: Las Culturistas (iHeart)
NPR’s Embedded (NPR)
Queen of Hearts (Wondery)
Rooted Recovery Stories (Promises Behavioral Health)
Sibling Rivalry (Studio 71)
That Conversation With Tarek Ali (Buzz Sprout)
This Queer Book Saved My Life (This Queer Book Productions, LLC)
TransLash (TransLash Media)
Outstanding Film – Streaming Or TV
Cassandro (Amazon Prime Video)
Christmas on Cherry Lane (Hallmark Channel)
Friends & Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
Frybread Face and Me (Array Releasing)
Nuovo Olimpo (Netflix)
Nyad (Netflix)
Red, White, and Royal Blue (Amazon Prime Video)
Runs in the Family (Indigenous Film Distribution)
WINNER: Rustin (Netflix)
You’re Not Supposed To Be Here (Lifetime Television)
Outstanding Documentary (Multiple winners)
WINNER: Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later (MTV Documentary Films)
Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate (Netflix)
Every Body (Focus Features)
WINNER: Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures)
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures)
Orlando, My Political Biography (Janus Films)
Rainbow Rishta (Amazon Prime Video)
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (HBO Documentary Films)
WINNER: The Stroll (HBO)
“UYRA – The Rising Forest“ POV (PBS)
Outstanding New Series
The Buccaneers (Apple TV+)
Class (Netflix)
Culprits (Hulu)
Deadloch (Amazon Prime Video)
Everything Now (Netflix)
Found (NBC)
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)
WINNER: The Last of Us (HBO)
The Other Black Girl (Hulu)
Tore (Netflix)
Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Live Action
WINNER: Heartstopper (Netflix)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+)
Jane (AppleTV+)
Power Rangers Cosmic Fury (Netflix)
XO, Kitty (Netflix)
Outstanding Online Journalism Article (Spanish Language)
“Abogan por una política pública contra la violencia hacia la comunidad trans en Puerto Rico” por Carolina Gracia (ElVocero.com)
“La activista trans que sepulta a sus amigas olvidadas: ‘Los primeros cuerpos los velaba yo sola, solita’” por Daniel Alonso Viña (ElPais.com)
“Carlos Adyan nos invita a su boda civil con Carlos Quintanilla: ‘Todo ha pasado como yo soñaba’” por Lena Hansen (PeopleEnEspanol.com)
“El eterno desafío de ser un hombre o mujer trans en El Salvador” por María Teresa Hernández (APnews.com)
“Familias latinas con menores trans temen a nuevas leyes que limitan el acceso a tratamientos médicos: ‘Es lo que ha mantenido a mi hija viva’” por Anagilmara Vílchez y Lourdes Hurtado (Telemundo.com)
“‘Hemos huido de algo muy cruel’: las familias que buscan una vida mejor para sus hijos transgénero en otros estados de EE.UU.” por Leire Ventas (BBC.com)
WINNER: “Personas mayores LGBTQIA+ ‘tienen que regresar a un clóset para poder buscar vivienda’” por David Cordero Mercado y Joaquín A. Rosado Lebrón (PeriodismoInvestigativo.com & ElNuevoDia.com)
“Quiero que todo el mundo pueda decir libremente ‘así soy yo’” por Maria Mercedes Acosta (Sentiido.com)
“Reconocimiento a medias también es estigmatizante: RAE agrega ‘no binario/a’ a su diccionario” por Alex Orue (Homosensual.com)
“Wendy Guevara, la ‘perdida’ que lo ganó todo” por Jonathan Saldaña y Mari Tere Lelo de Larrea (Quien.com)
Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia (Spanish Language)
WINNER: “Conoce a la primera diputada negra y trans de Brasil” por Natalia Barrera Francis, Joyce García, David von Blohn, Paula Daibert y Claudia Escobar (Descoloniza – AJ+ Español)
“La increíble historia de cómo ‘Mami Ruddys’ refugió a decenas de jóvenes LGBTIQ en Puerto Rico” por Marcos Billy Guzmán y Pablo Martínez Rodríguez (El Nuevo Día)
“Mi novio vive con VIH y yo no: ser una pareja serodiscordante” por Mariana Escobar Bernoske y Daniela Rojas (La Disidencia – El Espectador)
“This gay cowboy convention celebrates sexual freedom — and Mexican identity” por Jackeline Luma, Kate Linthicum y Maggie Beidelman (Los Angeles Times)
“Villano Antillano cuenta todo de la realidad Queer de su música” por Yollotl Alvarado, René Barreto, Alfredo Castellanos, Sofía Reyes, Rai Irizarry, Arjun Demeyere, Luis Ramírez, Florencia Botinelli, Iván Juárez y Sebastian Fernández (GQ México y Latinoamérica)
“Praise You Anywhere” hitmaker Brandon Lake, CCM and country musician Anne Wilson and music collective Elevation Worship are among the artists topping the list of nominees for the fan-voted, 11th annual K-LOVE Fan Awards, which is set to return to the Grand Ole Opry House on Sunday, May 26, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
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Fan voting for the awards opens at 6 p.m. CT on Monday (May 13) and runs through 6 p.m. CT on May 24 at klovefanawards.com.
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Lake leads this year’s nominees with four nominations, including nods for artist of the year, male artist of the year, song of the year (“Praise You Anywhere”). Wilson, Elevation Worship, Phil Wickham, Matthew West and TobyMac each earned three nominations. Wilson is up for artist of the year, female artist of the year, and song of the year (“Strong”).
Among Elevation Worship’s nominations are group of the year and worship song of the year (“Praise”), while Wickham picked up nominations in categories including artist of the year and worship song of the year (“I Believe”). West, a 12-time Billboard Christian Airplay chart-topper, has nominations in categories including artist of the year and song of the year (“Don’t Stop Praying”) while 13-time Billboard Christian Airplay chart-topper TobyMac’s nominations include song of the year (“Faithfully”) and artist of the year.
Among those with first-time nominations in various categories are Stephen McWhirter (“Come Jesus Come”), Housefires featuring JWLKRS and Ryan Ellis (“I Thank God”), “Counting My Blessings” singer Seph Schlueter, “Good Day” hitmaker Forrest Frank, Caleb & John (“Hallelujah Feeling”) and Josiah Queen (“The Prodigal”), as well as Terrian, who earned her first nomination as female artist of the year, as well as a nomination for breakout single, for “Big God.”
The awards ceremony, hosted by Lake and Sadie Robertson Huff, will broadcast on TBN on May 31. In addition to music-related categories, the awards highlight impactful films, television series, books, and podcasts.
The awards ceremony, sponsored by Coca-Cola Consolidated, will conclude the K-LOVE Fan Awards weekend, which launches with a Friday evening (May 24) kickoff concert, a Worship in the Round event, emerging artist showcase, songwriter’s showcase and a Sunday morning worship service.
See the full list of 2024 K-LOVE Fan Awards nominees below:
Artist of the year
Anne Wilson
Brandon Lake
Casting Crowns
for King & Country
Lauren Daigle
Matthew West
Phil Wickham
TobyMac
Song of the year
“Come Jesus Come” – Stephen McWhirter
“Don’t Stop Praying” – Matthew West
“Faithfully” – TobyMac
“I Thank God” – Housefires f/JWLKRS & Ryan Ellis
“Praise” – Elevation Worship
“Praise You Anywhere” – Brandon Lake
“Somebody To You” – Rachael Lampa f/Andrew Ripp
“Strong” – Anne Wilson
Male artist of the year
Brandon Lake
Chris Tomlin
Crowder
Jeremy Camp
Matthew West
Phil Wickham
Tauren Wells
TobyMac
Female artist of the year
Anne Wilson
CeCe Winans
Katy Nichole
Lauren Daigle
Natalie Grant
Rachael Lampa
Tasha Layton
Terrian
Worship song of the year
“Fear is Not My Future” – Maverick City Music
“Firm Foundation” – Cody Carnes
“Holy Forever” – Chris Tomlin
“I Believe” – Phil Wickham
“I Thank God” – Housefires f/JWLKRS & Ryan Ellis
“Praise” – Elevation Worship
“Praise You Anywhere” – Brandon Lake
Breakout single
“Big God”- Terrian
“Come Jesus Come” – Stephen McWhirter
“Counting My Blessings” – Seph Schlueter
“Good Day” – Forrest Frank
“Hallelujah Feeling” – Caleb & John
“The Prodigal” – Josiah Queen
Group of the year
CAIN
Casting Crowns
Big Daddy Weave
Elevation Worship
Maverick City Music
MercyMe
We Are Messengers
We The Kingdom
Film impact
Sound of Freedom
The Shift
After Death
The Chosen Season 4 (Theatrical Release)
Big George Foreman
The Blind
Journey to Bethlehem
Ordinary Angels
TV/streaming impact
Jonathan & Jesus
Chasing CAIN
Eleanor’s Bench
Going Home (Season 2)
The Wingfeather Saga
Book impact
Mostly What God Does – Savannah Guthrie
Like A River – Granger Smith
Untangle Your Emotions – Jennie Allen
Practicing the Way – John Mark Comer
Rescue Story – Zach Williams
The Digital Fast – Dr. Darren Whitehead
Upon Waking – Jackie Hill Perry
The Awe of God – John Bevere
Podcast impact
Cooper Stuff – John Cooper
WHOA That’s Good – Sadie Robertson Huff
That Sounds Fun – Annie F. Downs
Made for This – Jennie Allen
The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast – Candace Cameron Bure
Back Porch Theology – Lisa Harper
On Saturday (May 11), there was only one show on planet Earth that could boast more queer energy than the Eurovision Song Contest, and that was the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards in New York City at the Midtown Hilton Hotel.
And not unlike this year’s Eurovision in Malmö, Sweden, the event was not without protestors. A small group of protestors accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinian people picketed outside the hotel’s entrance during the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards; more notably, at the top of the show itself, one attendee interrupted the opening monologue by host Ross Matthews to repeatedly declare “GLAAD is complicit in genocide” before being escorted out.
“That was uncomfy for everybody,” Matthews said after a pause. “But you know what? We have to fight for everyone’s rights – and that’s one of them.”
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While the Israel-Hamas War didn’t come up again that night, politics were still central to the GLAAD Media Awards, as always. New York Attorney General Letitia James made an appearance to celebrate LGBTQ New Yorkers and speak out for trans rights; GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis urged attendees to use their “platform and privilege” to ensure that the next U.S. president will be a human who values LGBTQ rights — and warned that the Supreme Court “will roll back our legal marriages like they rolled back Roe v. Wade” in a powerful, fiery speech; and one very famous Oscar winner took a couple of hilarious pot shots at a former U.S. vice president during the show.
Jennifer Lawrence (rocking a Veronica Lake haircut) appeared to celebrate “my favorite musician and good friend Orville Peck,” who was receiving the Vito Russo Award (named after the late activist and author of The Celluloid Closet) at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards.
“I love seeing so many humans who can top their field while still being power bottoms,” Lawrence cracked. Talking about her love for the gay community, Lawrence said she once fell in love with a gay man, but soon realized her advances were for naught. “Conversion therapy doesn’t work,” she said. “Did you hear me, Mike Pence? I said conversion therapy is not real – even though you think it worked on you.”
Accepting the award, Peck talked about being a singer-songwriter in a genre that’s not always been the most open to the LGBTQ community. “I’m one of many of us here who have felt excluded or held back because of who we are,” Peck said, adding that queer people nevertheless manage to “turn tragedy into art, humor and culture.”
Peck also spoke on the “responsibility for visibility” when it comes to all minority communities and what it means to the next generation “to allow some kid in a small town who loves country music to see themselves in me or Mickey Guyton or T.J. Osborne.”
Earlier in the night, Jennifer Hudson – who already has an EGOT – added another award to her trophy room when she hit the stage to accept the GLAAD for outstanding variety or talk show episode, for an episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show in which she surprised HIV activist Ian Haddock (of the Normal Anomaly Initiative) with $10,000.
After a fundraising portion that raised more than $350,000, Loren Allred took the stage to perform an emotional version of “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, as well as the upbeat “Come Alive.” The latter was a duet, with Scott Hoying (of Pentatonix and Superfruit) joining her on the lightly funky vocal showcase.
Toward the end of the night, Billboard (and Billboard‘s Pride Editor Stephen Daw) were honored when GLAAD named Billboard‘s 2023 Pride Issue cover story the outstanding print article of the year. The (now award-winning) article, written by Daw, is a wide-ranging, in-depth interview with Maren Morris and four drag artists about the proliferation of drag bans in the United States. You can read it here.
Jon Batiste, Daniel Pemberton and Siddhartha Khosla are among the winners of the 2024 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards. The kudos were presented as part of the 2024 ASCAP Screen Music Awards at an invitation-only event in Los Angeles on Thursday (May 9).
Here are this year’s recipients of the ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards, which are chosen by the ASCAP composer and songwriter community:
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Film score of the year: Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
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Television score of the year: David Fleming, The Last of Us
Television theme of the year: Siddhartha Khosla, Only Murders in the Building
Documentary score of the year: Jon Batiste, American Symphony
Video game score of the year: Gordy Haab, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and American Symphony were both shortlisted for Oscars for best original score, though neither wound up with a nomination. Batiste was Oscar-nominated for co-writing a song from American Symphony – “It Never Went Away,” which he co-wrote with Dan Wilson.
Khosla received two Primetime Emmy nods in 2022 for his work on Only Murders in the Building – outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score) and outstanding original main title theme music – but none this past year. Fleming has yet to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy.
In addition, the ASCAP Screen Music Awards recognize top composers of the past year’s hit streaming series and films. The top-rated streaming series winners include Robert Duncan for The Night Agent, Natalie Holt for Loki, Bear McCreary for the streaming remake of book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for the dramedy Unprisoned.
Among the top-rated streaming films winners, Germaine Franco is honored for her score for action-thriller The Mother, Marcus Miller for the holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane, and Lorne Balfe for both historical thriller Tetris and action-romance Ghosted.
In other categories, Pemberton takes home top box office film of the year for his score to the blockbuster animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and David Vanacore is named the top most performed themes and underscore winner for his work on such shows as Survivor, The Kardashians and The Daily Show.
Composers Matthew Hawkins, the late Maurice “m.0.” Jackson and the late Neil Martin (collectively known as Numeriklab) win top network television series for their main theme for NCIS, while John Sereda is recognized with top cable television series for the historical drama When Calls the Heart.
The complete list of winners is available on the ASCAP website: www.ascap.com/screenawards24.
On Thursday (May 9), the Heat Latin Music Awards (or Premios Heat) unveiled their 2024 nominees exclusively on Billboard.
This year, Karol G and Feid lead the pack with 10 nominations each. They are followed by top nominees Carin León (6); Peso Pluma, Grupo Frontera and Xavi (5); and Bad Bunny, Young Miko, Fuerza Regida, Maluma, Marshmello and Yandel with four each. Fans can vote for their favorite artists on the LosHeat.TV app.
Taking place July 11 in The Dominican Republic, the awards show — celebrating its 10th anniversary — will include 10 new categories this year: producer of the year; music video director of the year; album of the year; best viral song; composer of the year; best song for video games, series, movies; best tropical artist; best salsa artist; fan club of the year; and best religious song.
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Premios Heat — founded by Colombian music executive Diana Montes — recognizes renowned and up-and-coming artists who are making a buzz in the Caribbean and Latin American regions. The event is celebrated on the beach, offering the ultimate “summer experience” to artists, media and attendees.
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Billboard celebrated the awards show’s 10th anniversary with a special edition of Premios Heat and the Dominican Republic in the April print issue.
Below, see the full list of nominees:
Best Male ArtistFeidBad BunnyPeso PlumaCarin LeónArcangelJ BalvinEladio CarrionChayanneCarlos Rivera
Best Female ArtistKarol GShakiraYoung MikoMaria BecerraNicki NicoleAnittaGreeicyKany GarcíaKali UchisKenia OSNatti Natasha
Best Group or BandMoratEslabón ArmadoPiso 21Grupo FronteraLos Ángeles AzulesGrupo FirmeRBDWisin & YandelFuerza RegidaReikMonsieur PerinéCultura ProféticaRawayana
Best Rock ArtistJuanesMoratMolotovManáBelanovaJorge DrexlerAterciopeladosMar Rendón
Best Pop ArtistLuis FonsiGreeicySebastián YatraManuel TurizoCamiloCarlos RiveraAna MenaAitanaLassoMalumaFonsecaChris LebronManuel Medrano
Greeicy (left) and Mike Bahía at Premios Heat in 2023.
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Best Urban ArtistFeidKarol GWisinOzunaYoung MikoBlessdEladio CarrionDukiAnuel AAArcangelJ BalvinMoraMyke TowersRels BJustin QuilesYandelNicky Jam
Best Tropical Artist (Bachata, Merengue, Vallenato, Cumbia)Romeo SantosCarlos VivesSilvestre DangondPrince RoyceJuan Luis GuerraGrupo 5Eddy HerreraFelipe PeláezKe PersonajesCharlie ZaaOlga TañonJorge CeledónJandy VenturaServando y Florentino
Best Salsa ArtistVíctor ManuelleGilberto Santa RosaWilly GarcíaGrupo NicheAlvaro RodChristian AliceaYiyo SaranteLa India
Best Artist South RegionNicki NicoleLudmillaEmiliaAnittaDukiKHEACris MjTruenoLa JoaquiAmy GutiérrezCielo TorresTiniMilo JTiago PZKLit Killah
Best Artist Andean RegionMike BahíaManuel TurizoCamiloGreeicyDanny OceanOvy On The DrumsRyan CastroDayanaraAndreina BravoElena RoseLassoFarinaJerry DiNachoFanny Lu
Best Artist North RegionLenny TavárezDarellJay WheelerYoung MikoLola ÍndigoRauw AlejandroQuevedoEladio CarrionJhaycoSt. PedroKim LoaizaLunayÁlvaro Díaz
Best New ArtistXaviKenia OSHumbeJoaquinaSaikoGabito BallesterosJunior HYng LvcasElena RoseOmar CourtzSanta Fe KlanBad Gyal
Musical PromiseNathZhamira ZambranoLos EsquivelDannyLuxVenestiAna Del CastilloJ NoaMarlon ArenasDamianLucia De La PuertaAnais CastroSarodj BertinEsteban RojasJuan Duque
Influencer of the YearDomelipaYeri MuaWendy GuevaraYuleria (Yurielkys Ojeda y Valeria Ramírez)Gemelas OrtegaLele PonsCarlos MontesquieuLa DivazaLa SeguraCalle y PochéLos MontañerosLa Granja del BorregoEl Mindo
Anitta
Premios Heat/Carlos Zambrano*
Best Popular Regional ArtistPeso PlumaChristian NodalGrupo FronteraCarin LeónPipe BuenoAlejandro FernándezÁngela AguilarXaviGabito BallesterosJessi UribeLuis AlfonsoYuridia
Best Dominican ArtistEl AlfaRochy RDChimbalaAngel DiorAmenazzyJey OneDonatyYailin La Más ViralShadow BlowLa InsuperableLa PerversaYaisel LM
Best Music Video“Triple S” – J Balvin, De La Ghetto, Jowell & Randy“S91” – Karol G“Mamasota” – Manuel Turizo, Yandel“Mónaco” – Bad Bunny“Isla Desierta” – Ozuna“Contigo” – Karol, G, Tiësto“Primera Cita” – Carin Leon“Puntería” – Shakira Cardi B“Así es la vida” – Enrique Iglesias, Maria Becerra“Privilegios” – Feid, Cupido
Best Collaboration“Perro Negro” – Bad Bunny, Feid“Contigo” – Karol G, Tiësto“ALV” – Arcangel, Grupo Frontera“Los del Espacio” – LIT killah, Duki, Emilia, Tiago, PZK, FMK, Rusherking, Maria Becerra, Big One“Según Quien” – Maluma, Carin León“Luna” – Feid, ATL Jacob“BZRP Sessions 58” – Bizarrap, Young Miko“Trofeo” – Maluma, Yandel“Harley Quinn” – Fuerza Regida, Marshmello“Bellakeo” – Peso Pluma, Anitta“No Es Normal” – Venesti, Nacho, Maffio“Calor” – Nicky Jam & Beéle
Best Content PlatformMoluscoTVAlofoke MediaPanel Urbano (Enrique santos, Dímelo King, Maiky Backstage)Dímelo KingLa Nave Podcast (Marko)Chente YdrachIbai llanosEscorpión DoradoEl ChomboJuanpis González
DJ of the YearSteve AokiMarshmelloTiëstoDj AdoniMarcela ReyesAgudelo 888GordoAlex Sensation
Song of the Year“Luna” -Feid, ATL Jacob“La Diabla” – Xavi“Que Chimba de Vida” – Karol G“Mi Ex Tenía Razón” – Karol G“Harley Quinn “- Fuerza Regida & Marshmello“Lala” – Myke Towers“La Víctima” – Xavi“El Amor De Su Vida” – Grupo Frontera, Grupo Firme
Producer of the YearTainyOvy On The DrumsBig OneMaster ChrisThe RUDEBOYZ – Kevin y ChaNBizarrapSOGSky RompiendoIcon Music – Jowan y RoloSergio GeorgeAndrés CastroEdgar Barrera
Director of the YearSimon BrandFernando LugoRodrigo FilmsJessy TerreroPedro ArtolaNuno GomesKacho López MariPatricia AlfonsoStillzAda OdremanHannah LuxSánchez
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Album of the YearMañana será Bonito Bichota Season – Karol GFerxxocalipsis – FeidGénesis – Peso PlumaColmillo de Leche – Carin LeónNadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana – Bad BunnyEl Comienzo – Grupo FronteraLas Mujeres Ya No Lloran – ShakiraOrquídeas – Kali UchisUn Sueño Llamado Ranchera – Felipe Peláez
Best Viral Song“Luna” – Feid, ATL, Jacob“La Diabla” – Xavi“Según Quién” – Maluma, Carin León“Lollipop” – Darell“Dora” – Farina, El Alfa“Línea del Perreo” – Uzielito Mix, Yeri Mua, El Jordan 23, DJ Kiire“Harley Quinn” – Fuerza Regida, Marshmello
Composer of the YearEdgar BarreraMauricio Rengifo y Andrés TorresMaster ChrisElena RoseKeitynMoraFeidManny CruzJustin QuilesBullnene
Best Videogame, Series or Movie SongLuis Fonsi, Adriel Favela – “La Paz” (Banda sonora serie “Zorro”)Karol G, feat Aldo Ranks – “Watati”- (Barbie)Peso Pluma, Grupo Frontera “TULUM” – (FIFA 24)Myke Towers – “LALA” – (FIFA 24)Peso Pluma – “Peligro” – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare IIBanda MS –“141”- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Fandom of the YearFandom – Karol GKeninis – Kenia OSTeamAndreina – Andreina BravoTurbias – Yeri MuaFandom DomelipaMarcianos – Mar RendónTeamLu – Lucia De La PuertaFandom – YuleriaFandom – FeidYahalovers – Yahaira PlasenciaTeam Chivirikas – Yailin La Más ViralLa Tribu – Camilo
Best Religious Song“Me Encontraste”- Christian Ponce & Alex Zurdo“Pan Duro” – Alex Campos“Pasa_je_ro” – Farruko“Guarda tu Corazón” – Alex Zurdo“Mambo 23” – Juan Luis Guerra“Donante de Sangre” – Daddy Yankee“El Cielo Aun Espera” – Adriel favela & Jesús Adrián Romero“Parabellum”- Redimi2
Legendary country songwriter Cindy Walker, whose most famous song is the cross-genre classic “You Don’t Know Me,” was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) in a special event on April 19 at historic Columbia Studio A in Nashville.
The ceremony took place during a SHOF Master Session with Liz Rose, a 2023 SHOF inductee. Rose spoke fondly of her close relationship with the late songwriter and presented the award to Walker’s niece Molly Walker. Rose’s daughter Caitlin Rose performed “You Don’t Know Me,” which Walker co-wrote with Eddy Arnold, who had the initial hit with the song in 1956.
“This would’ve made her so proud,” Molly Walker said at the event. “And the thing that gets me is, when we hear Cindy’s songs, she’s still with us. I can’t tell you how much this would have meant to her and her family.”
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The event was hosted by Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. It was co-hosted by SHOF board member Fletcher Foster, who chairs the SHOF Nashville Committee.
The annual SHOF gala in June does not normally include posthumous inductions – though this year’s inductees include Steely Dan, whose Walter Becker died in 2017. The SHOF prefers the June event to have a celebratory mood. But it intends to continue hosting posthumous inductions at unique venues and special events such as this one.
“The ceremony at Columbia Studio A was warm, intimate, and respectful,” Foster said in a statement. “SHOF president and CEO Linda Moran says this now sets the stage for future posthumous inductions.”
Walker, who died in 2006 at age 87, was in the first class of inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. In 1997, she became the first female songwriter to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2009, Walker received the Poet’s Award from the Academy of Country Music.
In 2006, Willie Nelson’s album You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker, received a Grammy nomination for best country album. Fred Foster produced the album, which was released nine days before Walker’s death. The album included “Bubbles in My Beer,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Sugar Moon,” “I Don’t Care and “Cherokee Maiden.”
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Walker’s first recorded song was “Lone Star Trail,” recorded by Bing Crosby, the top star of the era. She wrote 50 songs that were recorded by Bob Wills, dubbed “the King of Western Swing.”
Walker even had a hit record as an artist in 1944. “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again” reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Most Played Juke Box Folk Records, a forerunner to today’s Hot Country Songs.
Walker had numerous No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart across the decades, including “Sugar Moon” (Bob Wills, 1947), “Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me” (Eddy Arnold, 1950), “Cherokee Maiden” (Merle Haggard, 1976) and “You Don’t Know Me” (Mickey Gilley, 1981).
Ray Charles recorded “You Don’t Know Me” on his landmark 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, which topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks. Charles’ version of the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Walker’s many other hits include “Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age” (Ernest Tubb & Red Foley, 1950), “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)” (Roy Orbison, 1962) and “Bubbles in My Beer” and “Distant Drums” (Jim Reeves).
Walker unquestionably paved the way for such top contemporary country songwriters as Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey. The latter is another of this year’s SHOF inductees, along with the aforementioned Steely Dan plus Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley, Dean Pitchford and R.E.M.
In addition to these inductees, Diane Warren is set to receive the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization’s top honor, and SZA is set to receive the Hal David Starlight Award, which recognizes up-and-coming talent.
Walker was a solitary writer. She once explained her approach by saying, “Picasso doesn’t have a co-painter.” But if an artist gave her the idea or title for a song, she would include them in the credits, such as Eddy Arnold, who gave her the idea for “You Don’t Know Me.”
Walker shares that tendency to write solo with Warren, this year’s Mercer Award recipient. Warren collaborates on occasion, but more often than not, she works alone.
Given the threads that link Walker with some of this year’s other inductees and honorees, it’s a shame that her induction was handled separately. The idea should be to demonstrate the common threads that unite songwriters across genres and generations.
A BMI writer, Walker wrote every day, rising at 5 a.m. with a cup of black coffee to start the day in her writing studio. She once said she knew a song was finished “…once I was ready to fight a room full of tigers not to change a single word.”
Olivia Rodrigo and co-writer Daniel Nigro are the 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Songwriters of the Year. It is the second award in the top category for Rodrigo, who first received the honor in 2022.
Chappell Roan, who has a fast-climbing hit with “Good Luck, Babe!,” which she co-wrote with Nigro and Justin Tranter, was scheduled to present Nigro with his award on Wednesday (May 8) at an invitation-only event in Los Angeles celebrating this year’s ASCAP Pop Music Award winners.
Rodrigo and Nigro have shared two Grammy nods for song of the year (for “Driver’s License” and “Vampire”) and one for best rock song (for “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl”). In less than three and a half years, Rodrigo has amassed 17 top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including three songs – “Driver’s License,” “Good 4 U” and “Vampire” – that entered the chart at No. 1.
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“Calm Down,” performed by Rema and featuring Selena Gomez, wins ASCAP Pop Song of the Year. Co-written by Rema, Gomez, Michael “LONDON” Hunter, Amanda “Kiddo AI” Ibanez and Andre Vibez, the song reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 and rode the chart for 57 weeks. “Calm Down” is published by Hook Like Behavior, Kobalt Music Publishing, Livelihood Music Company, SMG Tunes, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group and Warner Chappell Music.
Publisher of the Year goes to Universal Music Publishing Group for songs including “Calm Down,” “Cuff It” (Beyoncé), “Dance the Night” (Dua Lipa), “Barbie World” (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua), “Lavender Haze” (Taylor Swift), “Paint the Town Red” (Doja Cat), “Star Walkin’ (League of Legends Worlds Anthem)” (Lil Nas X) and “Sure Thing” (Miguel).
Other 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Award-winning songwriters include Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff (their holiday evergreen “All I Want for Christmas Is You”), Noah Kahan (“Dial Drunk”), St. Vincent (“Cruel Summer”), Meghan Trainor (“Made You Look”) and Leon Thomas (“Snooze”).
As previously announced, Charli XCX received the ASCAP Global Impact Award. Charli is gearing up for the release of her sixth solo album, BRAT on June 7 and a North American tour with Troye Sivan, who was set to present her with the award.
The ASCAP Pop Music Awards honor the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most-performed pop songs of 2023. The winners are determined by data on terrestrial and satellite radio and for programmed and on-demand audio streams, all provided by Luminate Data LLC.
More information on the 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Award winners is available here.
Amy Winehouse has posthumously received a BRIT Billion Award celebrating one billion streams in the U.K.
Her parents, Mitch and Janis, accepted the award, saying, “We of course wish that Amy was here today accepting this award in person, but it’s amazing that she is still winning awards for her incredible talent and achievements. It’s wonderful that her music is being discovered by new audiences of young people who love it just as much as her contemporaries. We are so proud of Amy. Thank you.”
The award was presented following the U.K. release of the biopic Back to Black. Sam Taylor-Johnson directed the film, which stars Marisa Abela as the gifted but troubled singer who died in July 2011 at age 27. The film is due for release in the U.S. on May 17.
Released in October 2006, “Back to Black” is Winehouse’s most streamed song in the U.K., with more than 150 million streams. It is followed closely by “Valerie,” with more than 135 million streams in the U.K. “Tears Dry on Their Own,” “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good” and “Love Is a Losing Game” — all taken from Winehouse’s sophomore album Back to Black — each stand at more than 50 million U.K. streams.
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More than 25 artists have been recognized with a BRIT Billion award since the program launched in 2023, including global icons such as The Rolling Stones, Queen, ABBA and Whitney Houston, pioneering rap and hip-hop artists including AJ Tracey and Headie One and chart-dominating pop artists and singer-songwriters, with the likes of Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lewis Capaldi and BRIT Award record-breaker Raye all having received the award.
The BRIT Billion award reflects the extent to which streaming has transformed the music landscape over the past decade. BPI, which administers the BRIT Billion award program, reports that more than 85% of the U.K.’s recorded music consumption now occurs through streaming. In 2023 there were a record 180 billion audio streams in the U.K. In the U.K., more than 2,000 artists now annually amass at least 10 million audio streams of their music, while more than 10,000 artists are streamed more than a million times.
Though Winehouse released just two albums in her lifetime, she made an indelible mark on the global pop scene. She won six Grammy Awards, including best pop vocal album for Back to Black, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. She also won record and song of the year for “Rehab,” which was a No. 9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.