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The Country Music Association has revealed the recipients of the 14th annual CMA Triple Play Awards, which celebrate songwriters who write three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period, based on Billboard‘s Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, as well as the Country Aircheck chart.
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This year features seven honorees: Ashley Gorley (a three-time recipient this year, for contributing to nine No. 1 hits over the 12-month period), Charlie Handsome, Jelly Roll, Chase McGill, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt and Thomas Rhett. Celebrating their first CMA Triple Play Award wins this year are Jelly Roll and Schmidt. Gorley remains the most decorated recipient, receiving his 21st, 22nd and 23rd CMA Triple Play Awards.
Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville, and CMA Board member Troy Tomlinson will be feted with the CMA songwriter advocate award, which honors an individual who has made significant contributions and dedicated their life to supporting and advancing the careers of songwriters and the art of songwriting. Among the artists Tomlinson has championed are Kelsea Ballerini, Casey Beathard, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Dean Dillon, Tom Douglas, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Thomas Rhett, Hank Williams and others. Tomlinson has also served organizations including Nashville Songwriters Association International, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Board of Officers and Trustees, and Belmont University.
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“Since I was about six years old, songs have painted pictures that helped me both escape and embrace life,” Tomlinson said in a statement. “To have spent the past four decades supporting and advocating for the world’s greatest songwriters has been nothing less than an honor and a privilege. Being honored by CMA at this point in my life is extraordinarily rewarding and humbling.”
The CMA Triple Play Awards will be held Monday, April 15, in Nashville, and hosted by songwriter and CMA Board member Jim Beavers.
See this year’s CMA Triple Play Award honorees, as well as the songs they are being celebrated for, below:
Jelly Roll “Son of a Sinner,” recorded by Jelly Roll “Need a Favor,” recorded by Jelly Roll “Save Me,” recorded by Jelly Roll featuring Lainey Wilson
Ashley Gorley “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” recorded by Cole Swindell “You Proof,” recorded by Morgan Wallen “Last Night,” recorded by Morgan Wallen “What He Didn’t Do,” recorded by Carly Pearce “Gold,” recorded by Dierks Bentley “Girl in Mine,” recorded by Parmalee “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” recorded by Morgan Wallen “God Gave Me a Girl,” recorded by Russell Dickerson “World on Fire,” recorded by Nate Smith
Charlie Handsome “Wasted on You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen “You Proof,” recorded by Morgan Wallen “Last Night,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Chase McGill “With a Woman You Love,” recorded by Justin Moore “5 Foot 9,” recorded by Tyler Hubbard “Next Thing You Know,” recorded by Jordan Davis
Hunter Phelps “Best Thing Since Backroads,” recorded by Jake Owen “New Truck,” recorded by Dylan Scott “Wait in the Truck,” recorded by HARDY featuring Lainey Wilson
Jordan Schmidt “Wait in the Truck,” recorded by HARDY featuring Lainey Wilson “Bury Me in Georgia,” recorded by Kane Brown “Watermelon Moonshine,” recorded by Lainey Wilson
Thomas Rhett “Half of Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett featuring Riley Green “Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings),” recorded by Thomas Rhett “Stars Like Confetti,” recorded by Dustin Lynch
New Edition will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame during the 55th NAACP Image Awards, which will air live on Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS. Queen Latifah is set to host the show.
New Edition is the seventh group to receive this honor, following The Four Tops, The O’Jays, The Temptations, The Dells, Earth, Wind & Fire and The Isley Brothers.
R&B singer and songwriter Frankie Beverly will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award during the NAACP Image Awards Dinner, which will be held on Thursday, March 14 in Los Angeles. The award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to civil and human rights in addition to their contributions in the entertainment industry.
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“It is our distinct honor to celebrate New Edition and Frankie Beverly – two musical icons that have been instrumental in shaping our cultural landscape with their remarkable talent and enduring influence,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “We recognize the power of their artistry in showcasing the enduring power of Black excellence in the arts.”
Connie Orlando, EVP specials, music programming & music strategy at BET, added: “New Edition and Frankie Beverly’s influence has laid the foundation for modern R&B, shaping the genre’s sonic landscape and resonance in numerous ways. … We are thrilled to celebrate these musical luminaries, whose melodies are intricately woven into the very fabric of our culture.”
Both acts have received Lifetime Achievement Awards on the separate BET Awards. Beverly’s group, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, received the honor in 2012. New Edition was honored five years later. In addition, BET aired the miniseries The New Edition Story (produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment), which aired over three nights in January 2017.
New Edition landed five No. 1 hits on what is now Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the 1980s and ’90s: “Candy Girl,” “Cool It Now,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Can You Stand the Rain” and “Hit Me Off.” In addition, group members Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant and the members of spinoff group Bell Biv DeVoe (Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe) have achieved success on their own. New Edition’s The Culture Tour was named the top R&B concert of 2022. Most recently the group has embarked on a residency at the Wynn Las Vegas.
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly had a pair of No. 1 hits on what is now Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in the ’80s – “Back in Stride” and “Can’t Get Over You.” The group had 29 hits on that chart between 1977 and 1994. Remarkably, Beverly was the sole author of every single one of them. In 2019, Beyoncé covered Beverly’s 1981 hit with Maze, “Before I Let Go,” on Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé and in her corresponding album, Homecoming: The Live Album. Beyoncé was born two weeks after Maze’s record entered what is now known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, a sign of the staying power of Beverly’s songs.
Both New Edition and Beverly have been under-recognized by the Grammy Awards. New Edition received just one Grammy nod — best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal for “If It Isn’t Love” 35 years ago. Beverly has never been nominated for a Grammy – on his own or with Maze.
NAACP will recognize winners in non–televised Image Awards categories from March 11-13 on its website, during the Awards Dinner on March 14 and Fashion Show on March 15.
The 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards is officially in the books, with Karol G, Ice Spice, Charli XCX and more groundbreaking female artists all receiving honors Wednesday night (March 6) at YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. And now, it’s the public’s turn to get in on the fun.
Though the ceremony wasn’t livestreamed this year, fans all over the world can watch their faves accept honors recognizing their contributions to the music industry, as the full show is set to stream online just one day after the celebration wrapped.
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Tune in Thursday (March 7) on billboardwomeninmusic.com at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT to watch the show, which includes performances from NewJeans, Maren Morris, Charli XCX and more.
This year’s Women in Music Awards, presented by Marriott Bonvoy and hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, saw many powerful women taking home awards such as Woman of the Year, which went to Karol G. Ice Spice accepted the Hitmaker title and Charli XCX was named 2024’s Powerhouse, while Annalisa, Luísa Sonza, Sarah Geronimo and more international icons were honored as Global Forces, and several female executives were spotlighted for paving the way behind the scenes.
Plus, Kylie Minogue was selected as this year’s Icon winner, Maren Morris accepted the Visionary award, NewJeans was named Group of the Year presented by Coke Studio, and Pinkpantheress received Producer of the Year presented by Bose. Tems was crowned 2024’s Breakthrough artist, Victoria Monét was named Rising Star presented by Honda, and Young Miko took home the Impact Award presented by American Express.
Presenters included Andra Day, GloRilla, Ellie Goulding, JoJo, Coco Jones, Bebe Rexha, Saweetie and Lainey Wilson. Stars such as Katy Perry were among the many A-listers who caught up with Lilly Singh and Billboard‘s own Rania Aniftos on the red carpet.
For more information about the BillboardWomen in Music Awards, visit billboardwomeninmusic.com.
The 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards took over YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, Calif., Wednesday (March 6), with some of today’s biggest female superstars bringing the girl power to the red carpet, from Katy Perry to Ice Spice, Victoria Monét, Kylie Minogue and many others.Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, this year’s event featured performances from honorees Karol G (Woman of the Year), Charli XCX (Powerhouse), Maren Morris (Visionary), NewJeans (Group of the Year, presented by Coke Studio), Tems (Breakthrough), Victoria Monét (Rising Star, presented by Honda), Young Miko (Impact, presented by American Express) and Luísa Sonza (Global Force).
Non-performing honorees include Ice Spice (Hitmaker), Kylie Minogue (Icon), Michelle Jubelirer (Executive of the Year), PinkPantheress (Producer of the Year, presented by Bose), Sarah Geronimo (Global Force) and Annalisa (Global Force).
Andra Day, Sky Ferreira, Nelly Furtado, GloRilla, Ellie Goulding, JoJo, Coco Jones, Bebe Rexha, Saweetie and Lainey Wilson were also among this year’s star-studded attendees, taking the stage as this year’s presenters after hitting the red carpet.
“We could not be more excited to celebrate these inspiring and dynamic artists from around the world, as they move our culture forward and inspire women everywhere to push boundaries and pursue their own dreams,” Billboard’s editorial director, Hannah Karp, previously said in a press statement. “With the talented Tracee Ellis Ross as our host, this year’s Billboard Women in Music Awards will be an unforgettable evening.”
For fans who weren’t at the show in person, you can watch a full stream of the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards on Thursday, March 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on billboardwomeninmusic.com. In the meantime, check out our full gallery of photos from the red carpet below.
The creative team behind the 2024 Oscars is lifting an idea from the 2009 Oscars, when they had five past winners in each of the four acting categories pay tribute to the current nominees before announcing this year’s winner.
In a press conference Wednesday (March 6) on Zoom, four days before the Oscars telecast on March 10, Raj Kapoor, executive producer and showrunner of the Oscars, said “I think one of the things we’re most excited about is what we call Fab Five. We did a deep dive into so many of the past Oscar shows, and even though we’ve been a part of previous shows, even though I think all of us have watched the show since we were kids, we always feel like we learn.
“So, we went back, we did a deep dive into Oscars history, and one of the best moments that we loved, and has not been repeated till this year, was the year that Bill Condon [screenwriter of Gods and Monsters and Chicago] did it, and it was this lovely storytelling. And, again, it came down to connection. It was past winners speaking to present nominees, and just that lovely connection and that human interaction.
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“And so we thought we’d love to try it again. So, we tasked Erin [Irwin], who is one of our other producers, and she’s done an amazing job. … And so during the show in our acting categories, five former winners will present to the five nominees, and we think it’s just going to be a great piece of storytelling and connection at home that you will maybe get to hear these personal stories and these personal interactions, and you get to root for your favorite actor or actress in this really personal way. So, we’re really excited to have that come to life.”
If you missed the 2009 show, Whoopi Goldberg, Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston, Eva Marie Saint and Tilda Swinton presented the nominees for best supporting actress.
Alan Arkin, Cuba Gooding Jr., Joel Grey, Kevin Kline and Christopher Walken presented the nominees for best supporting actor.
Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Shirley MacLaine presented the nominees for best actress.
Adrien Brody, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley presented the nominees for best actor.
While the Academy has not yet announced who will be presenting which awards this year, these announced presenters have won in these categories. (Jessica Lange and Al Pacino have won in both lead and support. We put them where they seemed likeliest to land on Sunday).
Best actress: Sally Field, Charlize Theron, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Yeoh
Best actor: Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Nicolas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Matthew McConaughey
Best supporting actress: Mary Steenburgen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Regina King, Rita Moreno, Lupita Nyong’o, Octavia Spencer
Best supporting actor: Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Al Pacino
In addition, the show has booked Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, stars of the upcoming film Wicked, as presenters. It’s a good bet they’ll do something together.
Rickey Minor, who is serving as music director of the Oscars for the fourth time in the past six years, was also on the panel. He was asked how he picks the music to play on the show, and explained some of the obvious factors – looking for a range of emotions and a diversity of source material. “But it’s about the energy of the room,” he said. “So, we have a plan, but I’ll call an audible just like that. You know, if I feel the audience needs something that needs to pump them up, I’ve got it right in the pocket. And so the band’s always ready. And I think they love it, too, because they never know what’s coming.”
Kapoor added, “This year, the orchestra is live on our stage. So, we are celebrating 42 incredible musicians that will be seen throughout the evening. … And we are treating the music performances very different. Sometimes, it’s full orchestration. Sometimes, they may be a little bit more intimate. And that will lend itself when we get to the In Memoriam performance.”
In response to a question from the session’s moderator, Rotten Tomatoes’ awards editor Jacqueline Coley, Kapoor spoke highly of Jimmy Kimmel, who is hosting the Oscars for the fourth time.
“I could not speak more highly of anybody than Jimmy,” he said. “He’s been an amazing partner, and he has just been so involved from the very beginning in the summer. He’s involved in all our creative decisions, from the presenters to pairings to the pace of the show to musical performances. Like, Jimmy’s touch, he is a producer on this show. He is one of our partners, and he has a really strong creative vision. And I think what makes him so great is just his investment. We don’t just get him for rehearsals this week. We get him for months before.”
The panelists were asked which was their favorite Oscar show they had worked on. Molly McNearney, executive producer of the Oscar telecast and an executive producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, had a surprising answer – the show seven years ago that was capped by the biggest debacle in Oscar history, when La La Land was named best picture before the award was presented to the rightful winner, Moonlight.
“This might be an unpopular answer, but when there was the mix-up with the envelope, I actually enjoyed the spontaneity of a moment because when Jimmy is in an uncomfortable situation, that’s where he’s most comfortable,” McNearney said. “And I think that when there’s moments you don’t expect in a live television broadcast, I think we’re in really great hands with this team.”
McNearney also spoke to the process of writing the monologue. “You know, the monologue is scripted,” she said. “It gets reworked up until the very last minute. He will obsess now over every joke. He has pages and pages and pages. He has a rough outline of the monologue that I read this morning that I think is brilliant. I know it will change six more times before Sunday. But then there are those moments in the show that are completely unscripted. There have been several in every show he’s ever hosted. And those are the moments I love the most because we get to be surprised.”
Katy Mullan, executive producer, spoke to an interactive portion on this year’s show involving a QR code. “One of the really successful parts of last year’s show was profiles of a lot of the nominees, and they got huge, huge views from global audiences. So, at the end of each act, there will be a QR code, and people can scan that and go to the Academy website where they can watch profiles of a ton of the people that are nominated. They’re beautifully made by The Academy team and really insightful.”
“And there’s also an ability to go and watch the speeches from the Governors Awards, which happened earlier this year. … It was a really, really memorable night. So, if you want to go and do a deep dive during the commercial breaks or after the Oscars, all of that content will be there.”
Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough are set to host The Oscars Red Carpet Show, ABC’s official lead-in to the 96th Oscars on Sunday, March 10, airing at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. This marks Hudgens’ third consecutive year hosting the pre-show, and Hough’s inaugural year. The 30-minute special, executive produced by David Chamberlin, will highlight […]
Award-winning actress, writer and producer Lilly Singh will host the Billboard Women in Music red carpet Wednesday, March 6, interviewing this year’s honorees and presenters alongside Billboard associate editor Rania Aniftos. Their coverage from YouTube Theatre in Inglewood, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles, will post on Billboard.com, YouTube and across Billboard’s socials (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).
Singh is a popular YouTuber, television host and comedian. From September 2019 to June 2021, she served as host and executive producer of NBC’s A Little Late With Lilly Singh, bringing some welcome diversity to the late-night talk-show scene. (Singh is of Indian descent.) She has received an MTV Fandom Award, four Streamy Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
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The annual Billboard Women in Music Awards will stream simultaneously on Billboard.com, YouTube and Harmony on Thursday, March 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards presented by Marriott Bonvoy recognizes music’s rising stars and A-list artists, creators, producers and executives for their contributions to the industry and community. Tracee Ellis Ross is set to host the show. DJ Rose Gold will serve as the official DJ for the Billboard Women in Music Awards. There will also be special musical performances.
Karol G will receive the 2024 Woman of the Year Award. Other honorees include Kylie Minogue (Icon Award), Maren Morris (Visionary Award), Ice Spice (Hitmaker Award), Charli XCX (Powerhouse Award), TEMS (Breakthrough Award), Young Miko (Impact Award presented by American Express), Victoria Monét (Rising Star award presented by Honda), NewJeans (Group of the Year Award presented by Coke Studio), PinkPantheress (Producer of the Year Award presented by Bose), Michelle Jubelirer (Executive of the Year Award) and Luísa Sonza, Annalisa and Sarah Geronimo (Billboard’s new Global Force Awards).
Presenters include Andra Day, GloRilla, Ellie Goulding, JoJo, Coco Jones, Bebe Rexha, Saweetie and Lainey Wilson.
Rickey Minor has been busy lately, serving as music director of the Kennedy Center Honors in December and the Primetime Emmys in January, but there was never any question that he’d say yes to serving as music director of the 96th Oscars, which are set for Sunday (March 10).
“This is the crème de la crème,” he says of the Oscars. “We’re closing in on 100 years of this, so for me, this is an honor. Before me, there were many [music directors] and there will be many more after, but for now I am basking in the opportunity to create and to add value however I can.”
This will be the fourth time in six years that Minor has served as the Oscars’ music director. In the pandemic year of 2021, when a scaled-down show was held at Union Station in Los Angeles, Questlove took over as music director. The following year, Adam Blackstone got the nod, owing to a long-standing relationship he had with that year’s producers, Will Packer and Shayla Cowan.
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In addition to the Kennedy Center Honors and Primetime Emmys, Minor recently worked on the Governor’s Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the In Memoriam spot on the Grammys. His main contribution to the Grammy segment was the spot in which Stevie Wonder paid tribute to Tony Bennett. As he mentions Bennett, whom he calls “my hero,” Minor pulls a Bennett poster off the wall of his office to serve as a visual aid.
“Now that the strike is over, the year just kind of exploded,” Minor says of all this work, adding, “It’s a good problem to have.”
So, after these back-to-back-back shows, if he got another offer for a job after the Oscars, would he decline and say he needs a break? Don’t count on it. “I will show up at the opening of an envelope,” he says with a smile.
“I love this business and I love making music. So, I literally just drop everything and go and do it. For me, it’s a gift. Most people don’t get to wake up every day and do what they love.”
Asked what other music directors he learned the most from, Minor immediately mentions Quincy Jones, whose many trailblazing achievements include being the first Black music director on the Oscars.
“To see what he has done, and then for him to take me on and mentor me and help me through the business part of it [means a lot]. I would play for free because I love it so much,” he raves. “He said, ‘Don’t ever say that again. That’s the first rule.’ Now when people call me and say, ‘Hey, I’m just checking to see are you free on this day,’ I say ‘I’m never free. I’m available but I’m never free.’ He taught me the ins-and-outs of the business and how to prepare.
“There are so many more, including Harold Wheeler,” Minor continues. “As a young bass player, I did a lot of awards shows. When I became music director for Whitney Houston, I didn’t know what to ask for or how deals were done, so he helped me find an attorney to do the deal. I didn’t know the business side.”
Minor also credits Bill Ross and Bill Conti. “All those guys I worked under and really learned from watching.”
Minor learned that he had the job on the Oscars in October, but his appointment wasn’t announced until Feb. 9, as part of a larger announcement of this year’s Oscar team.
As music director, Minor takes charge of finding walk-on music for people booked on the show and music leading into and out of commercials. “We have some pieces from France, from Africa — from all over the world,” he says. Minor is trying to work in some songs that are new for the Oscars, as well as favorite pieces by such composers as Henry Mancini, Jones and Lalo Schifrin.
This year’s Oscars will include performances of all five nominated songs. Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson will perform “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie. Billie Eilish and Finneas will perform “What Was I Made For? From Barbie. Becky G will perform “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot. Jon Batiste will perform “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony. Scott George and The Osage Singers will perform “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon.
In addition, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny and Zendaya have been announced as presenters, among others. Asked if Grande will also sing on the program, Minor is coy. “I want to hear her sing always,” Minor said. “She can sing the phone book and she’ll get your attention.”
Minor has received 15 Emmy Award nominations for outstanding music direction, winning twice. He has been nominated three times for his work on the Oscars, three times for The Kennedy Center Honors, twice for the Grammy Awards and twice for “Grammy Salutes” specials to the Bee Gees and Aretha Franklin. He has also been nominated for the following specials: Genius: A Night for Ray Charles, An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Chaka Khan, Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House, Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America and Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special.
The 96th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Ariana Grande, Ryan Gosling and Melissa McCarthy have been added to the ranks of presenters on the 2024 Oscars, which are set for Sunday (March 10).
Grande joins previously announced presenters Bad Bunny and Zendaya, which will give music fans an added reason to tune into the show.
Other newly announced presenters are Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, America Ferrera, Sally Field, Ben Kingsley, Issa Rae, Tim Robbins, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz and Forest Whitaker.
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In addition to presenting, Gosling is set to perform “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie in tandem with the song’s co-writer, Mark Ronson. The actor is also nominated for best supporting actor.
Previously announced Oscars presenters (in addition to Bunny and Zendaya) are Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Lawrence, Matthew McConaughey, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Lupita Nyong’o, Catherine O’Hara, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Octavia Spencer, Michelle Yeoh and Ramy Youssef.
The show will revive a presentation tactic last used 15 years ago in which five former winners in each of the four acting categories will individually pay tribute to this year’s nominees and then award this year’s winners, in effect welcoming them to the club.
Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast to outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10, at the new, earlier time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The show will be held at its usual home, the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner. Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan are also executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing the show. Rickey Minor is music director.
Her scene lasts only a few minutes, but it is as memorable as it is relevant for the narrative of Poor Things. Portuguese fado singer and songwriter Carminho plays “O Quarto (Fado Menor)” in the Oscar-nominated film, captivating Emma Stone’s Bella, and marking a turning point in the character’s arc. And you don’t need to speak the language to get the feeling of melancholy.
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Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things follows the evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (played by Willem Dafoe). In the scene with Carminho, Bella is alone, strolling through a fantastical version of Lisbon, where she traveled with lover Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) in a coming-of-age journey of self-discovery. Suddenly, she is completely captured by this piercing, emotional voice.
“I was very happy to see how beautiful the scene was, how intense. It’s the first time there’s silence in the movie and Bella is alone,” Carminho tells Billboard Español. “I thought this is the transition of Bella’s character from a child to a woman. It was very beautiful to see that Yorgos used the fado to make that, because there’s such feeling of sadness in fado, even if we don’t understand [the lyrics,] there’s a little bit of pain in each of those interpretations,” she adds of the popular Portuguese music genre, characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics.
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This is not Carminho’s first movie appearance. Before Poor Things, she participated in the Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura’s Fados (2007), and then in the Portuguese director João Botelho’s Filme do Desassossego (2010), in one case as a singer, in the other as herself. “But this is my first Hollywood movie,” she says, beaming.
And is also the one that has put her more on the international map. Armed with a Portuguese guitar — an iconic 12-string instrument Carminho learned to play specifically for the role — her powerful vocals were recorded live in only one shot, enough to fill the room with commanding force.
How she got to be in such a big production — one of the most acclaimed movies of 2023, with 11 Oscar nominations (including for best picture, best director and best actress) — is something that took her by surprise. “The director of casting just sent an email to my team asking if I was interested in doing a cameo in this film with this director, and I was completely excited with that idea — but I needed to understand first what the expectations were from Yorgos, and what he was looking for,” she recalls. “I needed to understand what he was seeing when he invited me.”
So, they had a “beautiful meeting” where Carmniho remembers Lanthimos saying, “‘I was looking for you because I think that you work the traditional fado [with a contemporary twist].’” She got to ask the director all the questions she had for him, and even suggest the song to play: “O Quarto (Fado Menor)” — “something very melancholic, something simple and traditional”, which is public domain and which she had just recorded for her then upcoming album. “I made the song in the film with music and lyrics that I wrote, and in my album Portuguesa, I do the same lyrics with another music,” she explains. “So, the version in the movie is unique.”
And “the lyrics were perfect for the moment,” she recalls the director telling her, translating part of it during our interview in New York City: “In this room so tight that I thought was just mine/ Infiltrated such a poison, it’s the loneliness and I/ And then, I don’t know how, the cold came in/ So now we are three, and the three don’t make one […] You come in as you don’t see me/ A heart that’s broken is this room that is so empty/ Even the air won’t fit.”
Carminho attends the “Poor Things” premiere at DGA Theater on Dec. 6, 2023 in New York City.
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Daughter of the renowned fado singer Teresa Siqueira, Carminho released her debut album Fado in 2009, followed by Alma in 2012, Canto in 2014, Carminho canta Tom Jobim in 2016, Maria in 2018 and Portuguesa in 2023 — the last of which earned her a Latin Grammy nomination.
Beyond that and her Poor Things-stealing scene, last year was a big year for the artist, with dozens of shows in Portugal and other European countries — as well as in Brazil, Mozambique, and the United States. She also performed for Pope Francis in Lisbon during a World Youth Day celebration, and sang at the New York City premiere of the Academy Award-nominated film.
Now she is set to come back in April to the U.S. as a guest on Caetano Veloso’s The U.S. Farewell Tour, where she’ll join the Brazilian legend to sing their collaboration “Você-Você,” included in his 2021 album Meu Coco.
Watch Carminho’s scene with Emma Stone in Poor Things here: