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Awards

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Grammy-nominated pop-dancehall princess Shenseea and Jamaican dancehall hitmaker Masicka lead the nominations for the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards, with seven nods each.
Notably, Shenseea, who won her first Caribbean Music Award last year for female artist of the year (dancehall), scored her first solo Grammy nomination earlier this year. Her sophomore album, Never Gets Late Here, was recognized in the best reggae album category, ultimately losing out to the Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack.

Soca superstars Patrice Roberts and Kes follow with six Caribbean Music Awards nominations. Dancehall legend Vybz Kartel, genre-fusing soca star Nailah Blackman and Jamaican dancehall stars Chronic Law and Kranium each have five nods. In addition, Trinidadian soca titan Bunji Garlin and reggae luminaries Romain Virgo and Lila Iké are next in line with four nods each.

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The Caribbean Music Awards recognizes artists, producers and industry professionals who have significantly contributed to the Caribbean music landscape. This year’s nominations list includes more than 150 nominees across 40-plus categories spanning a diverse range of genres including reggae, soca, dancehall, calypso, R&B and gospel.

This year, the Caribbean Music Awards is introducing seven new categories: Caribbean R&B and Zess-Steam Artist of the Year, International DJ of the Year (Female), Reggae Collaboration of the Year, and Reggae, Gospel, and Caribbean Fusion Song of the Year. The new categories reflect the breadth of Caribbean music and the increasing consumption of particular styles and sounds. “The Greatest Bend Over,” Yung Bredda’s Full Blown-produced smash, became one of the biggest soca crossover hits of the year thanks to its incorporation of Zess.

“Zess has a very large following among the youth in Trinidad, but [those artists] have been struggling to be accepted by mainstream Trini music – which is soca,” Kevon Hart of Full Blown told Billboard in March. “For us, this was a very clever way of combining the two and showing the Zess artists that they do what we do, just in a different way.”

Other notable nominees include Jada Kingdom, Spice, Mical Teja, Lady Lava and Dexta Daps — last year’s most nominated artist — with three nods each.

The awards are presented by the Caribbean Elite Group, which also produces Caribbean Elite Magazine – a print and digital publication that highlights Caribbean entertainers, artists, producers, promoters, cuisine, travel, fashion and entrepreneurs.

Voting is currently underway at the Caribbean Music Awards website, and will conclude on Friday, May 1. Winners will be celebrated on Thursday, Aug. 28, at King Theatre in Brooklyn, N.Y.

For the complete list of nominations, visit the Caribbean Music Awards website. Here are the nominees in selected categories:

Reggae — Album of the Year

Various Artists — Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe)

Bugle — Apex

Etana — Nectar of the Gods

Mortimer — From Within

Romain Virgo — The Gentle Man

UB40 — UB45

Dancehall — Album of the Year

Dexta Daps — Trilogy

Govana — Legacy

Shenseea — Never Gets Late Here

Spice — Mirror 25

Vybz Kartel — First Week Out

People’s Choice Award

Joé Dwèt Filé

Kes

Lady Lava

Shenseea

Skeng

Skillibeng

Vybz Kartel

Yung Bredda

Dancehall Song of the Year

Squash, “Big Breeze”

Vybz Kartel, “The Comet”

ArmaniI, “HAAD (Fiesta)”

Busy Signal, “Happy Birthday”

Kranium & Chronic Law, “Higher Life”

Shenseea, Masicka & Di Genius, “Hit & Run”

Jada Kingdom, “What’s Up (Big Buddy)”

Masicka, “Whites”

Reggae Song of the Year

Romain Virgo & Masicka, “Been There Before”

Bugle, Buju Banton & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, “Thank You Lord”

Lila Iké & Joey Bada$$, “Fry Plantain”

Pressure Busspipe, “Haunted”

Protoje, “Legend Legend”

Marlon Asher & Sizzla, “Never See Us Fall”

Alaine & Usain Bolt, “Pile Up”

YG Marley, “Praise Jah in the Moonlight”

Soca Song of the Year

Patrice Roberts, “Anxiety”

Nailah Blackman & Lyrikal, “Best Self”

Blaka Dan, “Blessing”

Bunji Garlin, “Carnival Contract”

Problem Child, “Carnival Jumbie”

Mical Teja, “DNA”

GB Nutron & Farmer Nappy, “In the Center”

Trilla-G, Lil Boy & Quan, “Someone Else”

Musical Event of the Year

Buju Banton — Long Walk to Freedom

Dominica World Creole Festival

Patrice Roberts — I Am Woman

Konpa Kingdom

Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival

Soca Brainwash

Stink & Dutty

Vybz Kartel — Freedom Street

The Broadway cast album from Hamilton: An American Musical was inducted into the National Recording Registry this year. It’s the 15th Broadway cast album to receive this honor, and the first from a show that premiered after 1979.

Of the 15 cast albums in the National Recording Registry, four were released in the 1940s and four more in the 1950s, decades that are often thought of as the heyday of Broadway cast albums. That number dropped to just two in the 1960s and two more in the ’70s. And no cast albums at all from the ’80s, ’90s or ’00s have made it yet.

This makes Hamilton‘s achievement all the more impressive. The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is going against the tide here. Miranda is also going against the current political tide. Hamilton was scheduled to return to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the third time in March and April of 2026. The show’s producers canceled the run due to President Trump’s recent takeover of the performing arts institution. “Given the recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” lead producer Jeffrey Seller said in a statement shared to the official Hamilton X page.

In 2018, the Kennedy Center Honors broke format to recognize the creators of Hamilton – Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler and Alex Lacamoire. Historically, the Kennedy Center Honors have recognized artists near the end of their careers. Here, they gave an award to talents mid-career to honor a specific achievement. (The National Recording Registry is administered by the Library of Congress, not the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.)

Miranda wrote both music and lyrics for the songs in Hamilton. The songs in five other cast albums in the National Recording Registry were the work of a solitary songwriter. Stephen Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics to all the songs in Sweeney Todd, as did Charlie Smalls (The Wiz), Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls), Cole Porter (Kiss Me, Kate) and Marc Blitzstein (The Cradle Will Rock).

Sondheim and his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, both wrote songs for three of the 15 cast albums in the Registry. Sondheim wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy before serving in both capacities on Sweeney Todd. Hammerstein collaborated with Jerome Kern on Show Boat before teaming with Richard Rodgers for Oklahoma! and South Pacific.

If you’re wondering why The Sound of Music (also by Rodgers & Hammerstein) isn’t listed here, that’s easy to explain. The 1965 film soundtrack with Julie Andrews is in the Registry, but the 1959 Broadway cast album with Mary Martin is not. At least not yet. We’ll update this list as more Broadway cast albums are saluted.

Here are all the Broadway cast albums that have been inducted into the National Recording Registry. They are listed in chronological order by show date. We show Billboard 200 peaks for albums that were released since that chart originated in March 1956.

Show Boat (1932)

Legendary Latin artists Vicente Fernández and Freddy Fender are among this year’s inductees into the National Recording Registry, a prestigious honor from the Library of Congress. Fernández’s ranchera anthem “El Rey” and Fender’s bilingual country crossover hit “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” join a select group of recordings recognized for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically […]

Recordings by Amy Winehouse, Celine Dion, Elton John, Mary J. Blige and Tracy Chapman are among this year’s 25 additions to the National Recording Registry, which is administered by the Library of Congress. This year’s selections span 102 years, from 1913 (a recording of “Aloha ‘Oe” by Hawaiian Quintette) to 2015 (the cast album to the Broadway sensation Hamilton: An American Musical).
The list includes three songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” (1972), which gave the women’s liberation movement a theme song; Freddy Fender’s country/pop smash “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” (1975) and Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” the Oscar- and Grammy-winning smash from Titanic (1997).

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It also includes two albums that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – John’s hit-laden double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) and Chapman’s eponymous debut album (1988). John and his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin were the 2024 recipients of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which is also administered by the Library of Congress.

Tracy Chapman, which spawned the hit “Fast Car” (which was revived by Luke Combs in 2024), was one of three debut albums to be saluted this year. The others are Don Rickles’ comedy album Hello Dummy! (1968) and Chicago’s hit-filled double album Chicago Transit Authority (1969).

Winehouse’s Back to Black, the singer’s second (and, sadly, last) album, was inducted. The 2006 album spawned the smash “Rehab,” which won Grammys for both record and song of the year.

Two double-disk jazz albums – Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew (1970) and Keith Jarrett’s The Kӧln Concert (1975) – were honored. On the jazz fusion classic Bitches Brew, Davis and such musicians as Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea blended jazz with rock elements. It’s Davis’ second album in the Registry, following his 1959 classic Kind of Blue. Davis is the only artist this year to receive a second career induction.

Charley Pride, the first Black superstar in country music, was inducted for his 1971 classic “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” which topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks. Fender’s aforementioned “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” topped that chart for two weeks.

Blige’s 1994 sophomore album My Life, which topped Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart for eight weeks, was inducted. The album was highly personal, with songs addressing clinical depression, struggles with drugs and alcohol and being in an abusive relationship.

The Steve Miller Band were honored for their 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle, which spawned three top 20 hits on the Hot 100, including the No. 1 smash “Rock’n Me.”

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were honored for their 1952 single “Happy Trails,” which Evans wrote. Rogers is the only artist to have been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame twice – first in 1980 as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers and again in 1988 as a solo artist.

Hamilton (2015) is the first Broadway cast album that was released since Sweeney Todd in 1979 to be selected.

Vicente Fernández’s enduring ranchera classic “El Rey” (1973) joined the roster of Latin recordings in the Registry. See the full list here.

With the aforementioned Rickles album being inducted this year, this is the second year in a row that a comedy album has made the grade. Lily Tomlin’s This Is a Recording was honored last year. Here’s a complete list of the 14 comedy albums in the Registry.

Two left-field selections are Microsoft’s Windows reboot chime (1995), composed by Brian Eno, and David Rosenfeld’s Minecraft: Volume Alpha (2011). Microsoft wanted a brief start-up sound that would play when Windows 95 booted up. They approached Eno, who came up with a sound that Microsoft designers felt conveyed the sense of “welcome, hopefulness and progress” that they desired. Minecraft is the second video game soundtrack to join the Registry, following Koji Kondo’s theme from Super Mario Bros., selected in 2023.

Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker’s 1975 album I’ve Got the Music in Me is one of this year’s most surprising choices. The album was likely honored because of the unique way it was recorded: live to master disc. Pressure Cooker consisted of top session players of the era, including Michael Omartian, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott and Larry Knechtel. The title track had been a big hit in the fall of 1974 for The Kiki Dee Band. Houston went on to top the Hot 100 in 1977 with “Don’t Leave Me This Way.”

The radio broadcast of the deciding Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, in which the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Yankees, was inducted. Another sports-related entry is Brother Bones & His Shadows’ 1948 recording of the 1925 standard “Sweet Georgia Brown.” The Brother Bones recording was surprise hit in 1949. Three years later, the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team made it their theme song.

Chanticleer’s Our American Journey (2002) saw the acclaimed a cappella choral group taking its listeners on an eclectic musical trip across America, through its history and a variety of musical genres.

This year’s other entries, not already mentioned, are Harry Urata Field Recordings (1960-1980) and Nimrod Workman Collection (1973-1994). Musician and educator Harry Urata, confined to an internment camp after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, encountered Japanese-American workers who had processed sugar cane leaves on Hawaiian plantations since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like many immigrant workers, they adapted and sang old folk songs to reflect their daily circumstances. Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of the songs, Urata traveled throughout Hawaii’s islands recording elderly singers who had toiled on sugar plantations. His collection features 20 open-reel tapes recorded from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Born in Inez, Kentucky, in 1895, Nimrod Workman was a folk singer, coal miner and union activist. He began his work in the West Virginian mines at age 14, and he would continue for the next 42 years. After retiring from the mines, he began recording unaccompanied traditional ballads, songs of his own composition and oral history. In 1986, Workman was a recipient of a 1986 National Heritage Fellowship, the U.S. government’s highest honor in the folk arts. Workman died in 1994.

More than 2,600 nominations were made by the public this year. Chicago Transit Authority finished first in the public nominations. Other selected recordings that ranked in the top 10 of public nominations include “Happy Trails,” Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and My Life.

Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian ofCongress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects 25 titleseach year that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Recordings become eligible for the Registry 10 years after release, compared to 25 years for the Grammy Hall of Fame. (Which means the Hamilton cast album won’t be eligible there for another 15 years.)

“These are the sounds of America – our wide-ranging history and culture,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation.”

Industry veteran Robbin Ahrold serves as chair of the National Recording Preservation Board. “This year’s National Recording Registry list is an honor roll of superb American popular music from the wide-ranging repertoire of our great nation,” he said in a statement.

These 25 recordings bring the number of titles on the Registry to 675. This represents just a tiny fraction of the Library’s vast recorded sound collection of nearly four million items.

NPR’s “1A” will feature selections from this year’s induction class in its series “The Sounds of America,” including interviews with Hayden and several featured artists.

Here’s the complete list of 2025 additions to the National Recording Registry. They are listed in chronological order by release date.

“Aloha ‘Oe” – Hawaiian Quintette (1913, Victor)

“Sweet Georgia Brown” – Brother Bones & His Shadows (1949, Tempo)

“Happy Trails” – Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (1952, RCA Victor)

Radio Broadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series – Chuck Thompson (1960)

Harry Urata Field Recordings (1960-1980)

Hello Dummy! – Don Rickles (1968, Warner Bros.)

Chicago Transit Authority – Chicago (1969, Columbia)

Bitches Brew – Miles Davis (1970, Columbia)

“Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” – Charley Pride (1971, RCA Victor)

“I Am Woman” – Helen Reddy (1972, Capitol)

“El Rey” – Vicente Fernández (1973, CBS)

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John (1973, MCA)

“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” – Freddy Fender (1975, ABC/Dot)

I’ve Got the Music in Me – Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker (1975, Sheffield Lab)

The Kӧln Concert – Keith Jarrett (1975, ECM)

Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band (1976, Capitol)

Nimrod Workman Collection (1973-1994)

Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman (1988, Elektra)

My Life – Mary J. Blige (1994, Uptown/MCA)

Microsoft Windows Reboot Chime – Brian Eno (1995)

“My Heart Will Go On” – Celine Dion (1997, 550 Music/Epic)

Our American Journey – Chanticleer (2002) (album, Warner Classics International)

Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2006 album, Republic/Universal Music)

Minecraft: Volume Alpha – Daniel Rosenfeld (2011 album, self-released)

Hamilton: An American Musical – Original Broadway Cast Album (2015 album, Atlantic)

Benson Boone will receive the BMI Champion Award at the 2025 BMI Pop Awards on May 13 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif. Previous recipients include Peso Pluma, SZA, Jonathan McReynolds, Khalid, Mark Ronson, Residente, Sebastian Krys and Keith Urban.
The annual, private event will be hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI president & CEO, Barbara Cane, VP, Worldwide Creative; Samantha Cox, VP, Creative, NY; and Tracie Verlinde, VP, Creative, LA. BMI’s pop song of the year, songwriter of the year, publisher of the year and BMI’s 50 most-performed pop songs in the U.S. of the previous year will also be named.

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“Benson Boone has reshaped the global soundscape of culture and music with an indomitable spirit and love of craft, artistry, and performance,” Cane said in a statement. “As one of today’s most exciting hitmakers, Benson inspires through his honest storytelling which is ignited by his passion and authenticity.”

Boone’s Warner Records debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, this week marks its one-year anniversary on the Billboard 200. The album debuted and peaked at No. 6. It spawned the smash “Beautiful Things” (No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) and hit follow-up “Slow It Down” (No. 32). Boone’s current single, “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” which has so far reached No. 44, will be featured on Boone’s sophomore album, due this summer.

Boone, now 22, won his first BMI Pop Award in 2023 for “Ghost Town.”

On Feb. 2, Boone performed “Beautiful Things” on the Grammy Awards, where he was a best new artist nominee – and inadvertently went viral when he adjusted his tight and restricting jumpsuit on camera. On March 1, he was nominated for international artist of the year and best international song at the Brit Awards.

Boone’s awards wins in recent months include best alternative at MTV’s Video Music Awards, best new at the MTV Europe Music Awards, top Billboard Global 200 song and top Billboard Global 200 (excl. U.S.) song at the Billboard Music Awards and song of the year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

American composer Philip Glass will be celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th annual World Soundtrack Awards on Oct. 15 and at a film music concert which will close the Film Fest Gent’s three-day Film Music Days 2025 on Oct. 16 in Ghent, Belgium.
Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Marvin Hamlisch, John Barry, Giorgio Moroder and Elliot Goldenthal. (Full list of previous recipients below.)

The celebration will be held at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond,” which will be held at Muziekcentrum De Bijloke in Ghent. During the concert, a selection of Glass’ work will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé, who personally presented the award to Glass in New York.

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While initially renowned for his work for opera and his symphonies, Glass has made an equally impressive contribution to film music. He has received three Oscar nominations for best original score for Kundun, The Hours and Notes on a Scandal.

Glass, 88, has received many other accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Drama Desk Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995, the National Medal of Arts in 2010, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018, and a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 2020.

Glass’s work was recognized at the World Soundtrack Awards in 2007 with two nominations for his score for Notes on a Scandal.

This year’s WSA Film Music Days will be held from Oct. 14-16 during Film Fest Gent (Oct. 8-19). Tickets to the film music concert are now available on filmfestgent.be and worldsoundtrackawards.com.

Here’s a complete list of previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients at the World Soundtrack Awards:

2024: Elliot Goldenthal

2023: Nicola Piovani and Laurence Rosenthal

2022: Bruno Coulais

2021: Eleni Karaindrou

2020: Gabriel Yared

2019: Krzysztof Penderecki and Frédéric Devreese

2018: Philippe Sarde

2017: David Shire

2016: Ryuichi Sakamoto

2015: Patrick Doyle and George Fenton

2014: Francis Lai

2013: Riz Ortolani

2012: Pino Donaggio

2011: Giorgio Moroder

2010: John Barry

2009: Marvin Hamlisch

2008: Angelo Badalamenti

2007: Mikis Theodorakis

2006: Peer Raben

2005: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

2004: Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman

2003: Maurice Jarre

2002: George Martin

2001: Elmer Bernstein

BMI celebrated the best in gospel music on Wednesday (April 3) at the 2025 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards held at Flourish in Atlanta. Gospel music pioneer and pastor John P. Kee was honored as a Trailblazer of Gospel Music in recognition of his artistry and influence on the genre throughout his career spanning more than 40 years.
The private was ceremony hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI’s president & CEO, and Catherine Brewton, vp, creative, Atlanta.

Throughout the afternoon, BMI saluted the 25 most-performed gospel songs of the previous year, leading up to the presentation of the BMI Gospel Song of the Year award, which went to “Goodness of God” written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding (APRA) and Jason Ingram. Performed by CeCe Winans, the hit logged four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart and reached No. 2 on Hot Gospel Songs. The soulful ballad was Winans’ fourth No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart.

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Kirk Franklin and Charles Jenkins tied as BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year for each writing two of the most-performed gospel songs of the previous year.  Franklin was honored for “All Things” and “Try Love,” giving him his fourth Songwriter of the Year award – three for gospel and one for Christian. Jenkins was recognized for his songs “God Be Praised” and “Look at God,” marking the first time he’s received this title. This brings his total of BMI Awards to eight.

BMI’s Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Capitol CMG for having the highest publisher share percentage of the top 25 songs, including BMI’s Gospel Song of the Year, “Goodness of God.”

As a Trailblazer of Gospel Music, Kee was honored for his signature blend of traditional and contemporary gospel music. O’Neill presented Kee with the honor, saluting his “extraordinary contributions that have greatly influenced the gospel genre and deeply touched the community.” 

The musical tributes to Kee kicked off with Lena Byrd Miles performing “Yes Lord,” followed by Chrystal Rucker’s performance of “The Anointing.” The tributes continued with Kelontae Gavin singing “Never Shall Forget” and Jekalyn Carr performing “Standing in the Need.” Lisa Knowles-Smith and her children KJ and Ndia paid homage to Kee with renditions of “Lily in the Valley” and “He’ll Welcome Me.” Vanessa Bell Armstrong followed with “Wave It Away,” featuring Donald Lawrence and The Company. Zacardi Cortez ended the tribute with an uplifting performance of “Jesus is Real.”

Upon receiving the honor, Kee, known as the “Prince of Gospel,” thanked his family and friends, many of whom were in the room, for their love and support. “Every time you win an award, I win an award,” he said. “I’m just a proud Uncle John.” He went on to say that he was going to “flip the moment” by presenting BMI’s Brewton with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her “vision and determination that have paved the way for future generations of women in business.”

The ceremony concluded with Kee singing the opening line to his hit, “New Life” and he was joined with an impromptu celebration from many of the gospel greats in the room, including Isaac Carree, Zacardi Cortez, Eric Dawkins, Kirk Franklin, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Lisa Page Brooks and Marvin Sapp.

Visit BMI’s website to see a full list of BMI’s Trailblazers of Gospel Music Award honorees.

Italian pop star Damiano David, musician-actor Rina Sawayama and Stranger Things stars Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo will be among the presenters at the ninth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which will be held Sunday, May 25, at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo. Voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira are set to host the show, which will be livestreamed for global audiences.

Other presenters booked for the event include Brazilian pop star Pabllo Vittar, American recording artist D4VD, American snowboarder Chloe Kim, drag star Plastique Tiara, Japanese actor-musician Dean Fujioka and American-Chilean singer Paloma Mami.

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The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is billed as the leading yearly awards program powering the global rise of anime, the art of Japanese animation. Fans around the world can visit the Crunchyroll Anime Awards website to vote each day through April 14 for their favorite series, creators and performances. Global fan voting helps to determine the winners.

Hiroki Totoki, president and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, will deliver opening remarks at the Anime Awards ceremony.

The nominees for anime of the year are DAN DA DAN, Delicious in Dungeon, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Kaiju No. 8, Solo Leveling and The Apothecary Diaries. 

“The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are one of the most important times of year for fans because we hear directly from them on what anime they love and get to honor the creative community behind that love,” Rahul Purini, president of Crunchyroll, said in a statement. “Anime continues to deeply resonate emotionally with fans, and anime’s biggest night of the year is sure to invoke a lot of joy and pride amongst the anime community—fans and creators alike. This year’s nominees represent more than 50 series and films developed by more than 35 talented studios.”

In celebration of the 2025 Anime Awards, Crunchyroll is helping anime fans catch up with the nominees. A selection of nominated titles streaming on Crunchyroll are now available to watch for free. Additionally, the Crunchyroll Store has discounts on manga, collectibles, and more tied to the honorees.

Fans are encouraged to vote each day with a 1-click resubmit feature through April 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT on the Anime Awards website and launch their favorite anime into the spot. Additionally, for the first time, voting is accessible within the Crunchyroll mobile app. The results will be announced at the awards ceremony and through a global fan livestream.

Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.

Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions will support Crunchyroll in the execution of the event.

Here are 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards nominees in key categories:

Anime of the Year

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

        The Apothecary Diaries 

Best Anime Song

        Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8

        Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc

        Fatal – GEMN -【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling

        Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN

        The Brave – YOASOBI – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Best Score

        BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict- Shiro Sagisu

        DAN DA DAN – kensuke ushio

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc – Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Evan Call

        Look Back – Haruka Nakamura

        Solo Leveling – Hiroyuki Sawano

Film of the Year

        HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle

        Look Back

        Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain

        My Hero Academia: You’re Next

        SPY x FAMILY CODE: White

        The Colors Within

Best Original Anime

        BUCCHIGIRI?!

        GIRLS BAND CRY

        Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night 

        Metallic Rouge

        Ninja Kamui

        Train to the End of the World

Best Continuing Series

        BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Season 7

        ONE PIECE

        【OSHI NO KO】【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        SPY × FAMILY, SPY × FAMILY Season 2

Best New Series

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Opening Sequence

        Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8

        Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc

        Fatal – GEMN – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling

        Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN

        UUUUUS! – Hiroshi Kitadani – ONE PIECE

Best Ending Sequence

        Antanante – riria. – Ranma1/2

        Burning – Hitsujibungaku – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        KAMAKURA STYLE – BotchiBoromaru – The Elusive Samurai

        Nobody – OneRepublic – Kaiju No. 8

        request – krage – Solo Leveling

        TAIDADA – ZUTOMAYO – DAN DA DAN

Best Action

        BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict

        DAN DA DAN

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

        WIND BREAKER

Best Comedy

        Delicious in Dungeon

        KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3

        MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc

        My Deer Friend Nokotan

        Ranma1/2

        SPY × FAMILY Season 2

Best Drama

        A Sign of Affection

        DEAD DEAD DEMONS DEDEDEDE DESTRUCTION

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        Pluto

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Isekai Anime

        KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3

        Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (season 2, Cour 2)

        Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3

        Shangri-La Frontier Season 2

        Suicide Squad ISEKAI

        That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3

Best Romance

        A Sign of Affection

        Blue Box

        Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

        Ranma1/2

        Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

        The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Best Slice of Life

        Laid-Back Camp Season 3

        Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

        Mr. Villain’s Day Off

        My Deer Friend Nokotan

        Sound! Euphonium 3

        The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Best Animation

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

Best Background Art

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Pluto

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Character Design

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Director

        Fuga Yamashiro – DAN DA DAN

        Haruo Sotozaki – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Keiichiro Saito – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Megumi Ishitani – ONE PIECE FAN LETTER

        Norihiro Naganuma – The Apothecary Diaries

        Yoshihiro Miyajima – Delicious in Dungeon

Best Main Character

        Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kafka Hibino – Kaiju No. 8

        Okarun – DAN DA DAN

        Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries

        Momo – DAN DA DAN

        Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling

Best Supporting Character

        Fern – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Himmel – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Jinshi – The Apothecary Diaries

        Seiko – DAN DA DAN

        Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon

        Turbo Granny – DAN DA DAN

“Must Protect at All Cost” Character

        Anya Forger – SPY × FAMILY Season 2

        Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Okarun- DAN DA DAN

        Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon

        Tokiyuki Hojo – The Elusive Samurai

        Yuki Itose – A Sign of Affection

CBS is set to present the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for the first time this year. The three-hour broadcast will also simulcast on MTV, which launched the show in 1984. A one-hour live pre-show will air across Paramount Media Networks. This year’s show is set to air live on Sunday, Sept. 7 starting at […]

Jon Batiste will receive the inaugural Ray Charles “Architect of Sound” Award at the annual Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, which is set for May 16 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The award is to be presented annually at this event, which is presented jointly by the Grammy Museum and the Recording Academy.
The “Architect of Sound” Award recognizes an artist whose impact on music echoes Charles’ pioneering spirit. A 17-time Grammy winner, Charles is widely-regarded one of the most influential artists of all time. He was in the inaugural class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recipients in 1986 and also received the Kennedy Center Honors that year. He received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987 and has 10 recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for portraying Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray. The film remains one of the top 10 top-grossing musical biopics.

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“Ray Charles is a beacon for me, a blueprint,” Batiste said in a statement. “He is a singular example of musical genius, artistic freedom and craft of the highest level that will continue to inspire humanity for generations and stand the test of time. I am honored to receive this award. It is vitally important to me to carry on our cultural legacy of true artistic greatness and lead the way for generations to come.”

Michael Sticka, Grammy Museum president/CEO, said, “Ray Charles was a trailblazing artist whose influence knows no bounds, and Jon Batiste is a true reflection of that legacy. Beyond his immense talent, Jon has been a dedicated partner in advancing the Grammy Museum’s mission to make music education more accessible. Honoring him with the inaugural Ray Charles ‘Architect of Sound’ Award is not just fitting — it’s a celebration of two artists who have shaped the sound of generations.”

Valerie Ervin, president of The Ray Charles Foundation, added, “Ray Charles was always pushing music forward — blending genres, breaking barriers, and inspiring generations. He would be deeply honored to have his name attached to an award that celebrates artists who share his fearless creativity and dedication to their craft. Jon Batiste embodies that spirit.”

Batiste has won seven Grammys, including album of the year for We Are, and an Oscar for best original score for Soul (in tandem with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). His latest album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), is the first in his solo piano series, reimagining classical works through a fresh lens.

Batiste will take the stage for two performances at the Gala, which will also feature musical moments from a lineup of artists to be announced soon. The event will additionally honor this year’s label honoree, Republic Records.

The show will be produced by former Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich, alongside Ron Basile, Lindsay Saunders Carl and Lynne Sheridan, with musical direction by Cheche Alara, a Grammy- and Latin Grammy Award-winning composer, producer and conductor. CBS News journalist Anthony Mason returns as host.

The Gala will celebrate the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame inducted recordings, which include iconic recordings such as JAY-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, Cat Stevens’ Tea for the Tillerman, Santana’s Supernatural, and recordings from Big Star, Clara Ward, Eddie Floyd, Emmylou Harris, Fela Kuti & Afrika 70, Geeshie Wiley, Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Linda Martell, and Luther Vandross.

The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 1973. The inducted recordings are selected annually by a committee, with final ratification by the Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees. With 13 new titles, the Grammy Hall of Fame currently totals 1,165 inducted recordings. Eligible recipients will receive an official certificate from the Recording Academy.

Tickets for the Grammy Hall of Fame Gala are on sale now. For more information, visit the Grammy Museum website.