Awards
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Fran Boyd, former executive director of the Academy of Country Music, died March 9 at 84.
Boyd played a key role in shaping and advancing the ACM from its early years in California in the late 1960s, through the start of the millennium.
Boyd joined the ACM as an executive secretary in 1968, as the organization’s first paid employee. She rose through the ranks over the years; in 1995, following the passing of her husband Bill, who himself led the Academy, Fran was named executive director. Boyd oversaw year-round operations and also served as talent producer for the ACM Awards, and oversaw nearly every aspect of the annual awards presentation.
The ACM Awards’ signature “hat” trophy was created the same year Boyd joined the ACM. Among the winners that year were Glen Campbell, Lynn Anderson and Bobbie Gentry.
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During her tenure, Boyd saw the organization open its first office in Hollywood, and rebrand its name from the Academy of Country and Western Music to the Academy of Country Music in the 1970s. During her time at the ACM, the organization also moved the awards show to major California venues including Disneyland, Universal Amphitheatre and Knott’s Berry Farm.
Boyd retired from the ACM in 2002, after more than three decades of service. She said at the time, “I continue to be proud of all the Academy of Country Music has accomplished in my time. It has given me great joy to see so many young country artists rise from newcomers to having great careers. The Academy has helped music fans acknowledge country music as the enduring genre it deserves to be.”
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“Her tireless work and years of dedication to this organization, the country music industry and its artists cannot be overstated, and her legacy with the Academy will forever live on,” Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, said in a statement.
“Fran Boyd played an essential part in the Academy’s history, stretching way back to the earliest days in the 1960s and steering the ship through decades of change, innovation, and growth, all while fostering an incredible passion for country music,” added Gayle Holcomb, ACM Board Sergeant-At-Arms and longtime board member. “Fran will always be remembered as a champion for our industry, its artists, and this organization. On behalf of the ACM Officers and Board of Directors, I send our gratitude, prayers, and condolences to the Boyd family.”
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alive Hospice Nashville or the Alzheimer’s Association in Boyd’s honor.
Kelly Clarkson has about three months to rearrange her trophy case to make way for more possible awards. The 2024 Daytime Emmys will be presented on Friday, June 7, from the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles. Clarkson has amassed seven Daytime Emmys in the past four years. At last year’s ceremony, she won both outstanding […]
Nile Rodgers, who co-founded Chic and produced hits for a wide variety of artists, including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Sister Sledge and Madonna, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Finnish-born composer and conductor whose long list of accomplishments include leading symphonies in Los Angeles and San Francisco, have been named the Laureates for the 2024 Polar Music Prize. Both will be honored in the presence of the Swedish Royal Family at a ceremony and banquet on May 21 at Stockholm’s Grand Hotel.
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The prestigious Polar Music Prize was created by Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, famed Swedish writer/producer/label owner/publisher and manager of ABBA, and first presented in 1992. This year’s Laureates, who will be in attendance, will each receive a cash prize of one million Swedish kronor (approx. $96,700 U.S.).
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Rodgers first came to prominence as co-founder (with Bernard Edwards) of Chic, the band that made its Billboard Hot 100 debut in 1977 with “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)” and netted two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, “Le Freak” and the oft-sampled “Good Times.”
Salonen, born in Finland, has enjoyed global success. He is currently the music director of the San Francisco Symphony and was previously the conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Rodgers and Salonen both have numerous connections to Sweden. Rodgers remembers a conversation he had with Prince about the Scandinavian country. “He told me he wanted to move to Sweden because there were so many beautiful girls who drive BMWs,” Rodgers tells Billboard exclusively. “And Chic was the last band to record in the Polar Music studio. They had already closed the studio for good but re-opened it for us.” The Polar Music studio was originally owned by Stig Anderson and is where ABBA recorded many of their hits. Also, Rodgers worked with and was a mentor to Avicii, after they met following the famed DJ’s appearance at Radio City Music Hall in New York in 2012.
Growing up in neighboring Finland, Salonen first traveled to Sweden as a child, on the overnight ferry from Helsinki. “I’ll never forget my first time in Stockholm. My parents took me to a pizzeria. There were no pizzerias in Finland at the time, at least to my knowledge,” Salonen tells Billboard. “I was taken with the sheer beauty of the city. It’s one of the most gorgeous cities, partly because it’s built on a set of islands and there are also beautiful buildings.”
As an adult, Salonen lived in Stockholm for 10 years. When he returns for the Polar Music Prize ceremony and banquet in May, it will not be the first time he will be receiving a prize from the hands of King Carl XVI Gustaf. “I attended the Polar Music Prize dinner in 1996. The Laureates were Pierre Boulez and Joni Mitchell. The next day I received a medal awarded to me when I was stepping down as the chief conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The King gave me the medal and he commented on the tempo that I had chosen the night before for a performance of an overture by Wilhelm Stenhammar called ‘Excelsior!’ The King said to me, ‘You took that piece at quite a lick, didn’t you?’ I told him he was absolutely right. It was perhaps faster than usual. He was very happy. He turned to his aide and said, ‘I told you, didn’t I?’ So that’s a very fond memory. Somehow these things are mysteriously intertwined.”
“In Nile Rodgers, we honor a groundbreaking pioneer whose legacy spans his work as co-founder of Chic and as record producer and creator behind so much of the world’s greatest music,” says Marie Ledin, managing director of the Polar Music Prize. “Nile’s impact in pop culture is incomparable and his timeless songs will continue to delight, uplift and inspire for many years to come.”
Of Salonen, Ledin says that he “is an innovator. His artistic curiosity, creativity and forward-thinking approach to composing and conducting paves the way in classical music. He is a master of tone, perfectly balancing sound and emotion to produce and lead music that deeply moves the listener.”
Rodgers and Salonen join a long list of Laureates that includes Elton John, Ravi Shankar, Metallica, Ennio Morricone, Led Zeppelin, Renée Fleming, Paul McCartney, Grandmaster Flash, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Isaac Stern, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Sonny Rollins, Diane Warren, Gilberto Gil, B.B. King, Emmylou Harris, Yo-Yo Ma, Miriam Makeba, Björk, Wayne Shorter, Patti Smith, Dizzy Gillespie, Chris Blackwell, Iggy Pop, Angélique Kidjo, the Kronos Quartet, Youssou N’Dour and Chuck Berry.
Victoria Monét and Chris Brown were each double winners on night one of the 2024 NAACP Image Awards, which were held virtually at naacpimageawards.net on Monday (March 11).
Monét won outstanding album and outstanding new artist, both for Jaguar II. Brown won outstanding duo, group or collaboration (contemporary) for his hit “Sensational (featuring Davido & Lojay, and outstanding duo, group or collaboration (traditional) for his featured role on Ciara’s “How We Roll.”
Monét won three Grammys on Feb. 4, including in two similar categories – best R&B album and best new artist.
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Usher, H.E.R., Megan Thee Stallion, Kirk Franklin and Tems were among other winners across 13 music categories.
Actor Khleo Thomas hosted Monday’s show. NAACP will continue to recognize winners in non-televised categories virtually until Wednesday March 13 on www.naacpimageawards.net, at an awards dinner and program on Thursday March 14 and the fashion show on Friday March 15. The awards dinner will be hosted by Sherri Shepherd and will honor Frankie Beverly with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The fashion show will be hosted by Brandee Evans and will honor June Ambrose with the NAACP Vanguard Award for Fashion.
The televised 55th NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Queen Latifah, will premiere live on Saturday, March 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS. New Edition will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame on the telecast.
Monday’s awards focused on music and literary categories. Here’s the full list of music winners from Monday.
Outstanding album: Jaguar II – Victoria Monét
Outstanding male artist: “Good Good” – Usher with 21 Savage x Summer Walker
Outstanding female artist: “The Journey” – H.E.R.
Outstanding duo, group or collaboration (traditional): “How We Roll” – Ciara feat. Chris Brown
Outstanding duo, group or collaboration (contemporary): “Sensational” – Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay
Outstanding new artist: Jaguar II – Victoria Monét
Outstanding hip hop/rap song: “Cobra” – Megan Thee Stallion
Outstanding soundtrack/compilation album: The Color Purple – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” – Various Producers
Outstanding original score for TV/film: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Jongnic Bontemps
Outstanding international song: “Me & U” – Tems
Outstanding jazz album: Brand New Life – Brandee Younger
Outstanding gospel/Christian song: “All Yours” – Kierra Sheard feat. Anthony Brown
Outstanding gospel/Christian album: Father’s Day – Kirk Franklin
Billboard host Lyndsey Havens caught up with Honda’s AVP of Marketing, Jessika Laudermilk, on the 2024 Women in Music Awards’ red carpet. During the evening’s programming, Honda proudly presented the Rising Star Award for the fifth consecutive year, honoring Victoria Monét. In an exclusive interview, Laudermilk articulated Honda’s deep-seated belief in nurturing aspiring artists, emphasizing the brand’s unwavering dedication to fueling dreams within the music industry. Through partnerships with Billboard and initiatives like Honda Stage, Honda empowers emerging artists, providing them with a platform to amplify their voices and connect with audiences worldwide. As Laudermilk embodies female empowerment within the automotive industry, her advice resonates as a beacon of inspiration for women everywhere: stay true to oneself, persevere, and break through barriers. With her daughters by her side at the event, Laudermilk epitomized the spirit of the celebration, where dreams take center stage and the future of music shines brightly.
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Take a look at the conversation below:
Host: We’re so happy to have you here. So Honda is presenting the Rising Star award to Victoria Monét this year. Tell me a little bit about why it’s so important to be a part of presenting that award.
Jessika Laudermilk: Well, Honda is so excited to be here tonight at the Billboard Women in Music Awards to celebrate women as they pursue their dreams within the music industry. And for five years now, Honda has had the honor to recognize rising up-and-coming women artists in the industry and really help fuel the ambitions of these young artists as they pursue their dreams. And it’s a great connection to Honda, as one of our biggest philosophies is the power of dreams. And so, it’s been inspirational to watch all of these past rising star winners as they continue to pursue their dreams within the industry, going back to Rosalia, to Gabby Barrett a few years ago, to last year’s winner with Doechii. So, this year’s winner of the Rising Star award really is a perfect embodiment of female empowerment: Victoria Monét and we are so excited for her to win this award tonight as she is a perfect example of a woman breaking down barriers and pursuing her dreams. And it’s also inspirational just to continue to see, and we hope that this award is one that young artists will be inspired to win and also an inspiration for young women who will be watching this award show tonight.
Host: How else does Honda empower women, especially young women, throughout their career, whether they’re in entertainment or something?
Jessika Laundermilk:Honda has had a long history over two decades of supporting women and music platforms within our brand. And whether it is through Honda Stage, we’re here tonight as a partner with Billboard to help bring the Billboard Women in Music to all of you, and we’ve also partnered with Billboard to support our Honda Stage initiative. And just this year alone, we have four different female artists through the Honda Stage, where it’s a really unique platform where we can bring unique content to their fans, but also giving these up-and-coming artists a new platform to be able to reach new audiences and help them break through to the music industry. We also have other events and programming that we work with called Dreamlab, where we work with different female artists and also through the Honda Civic tour. So, we have a lot of investments with music as it really is a great correlation to our brand and our message as we see these young artists trying to pursue their dreams.
Host: As a woman yourself working in the automotive industry, what advice or wisdom would you have for other women?
Jessika Laudermilk:It has been a great ride being a female in a very male dominated industry, as music is, too. And I love to be that example for my daughters who I brought here tonight, and other women throughout the company. And I would say, as advice, always stay true to who you are and to never give up on that and to always try to break through to what the next step is.
When you’ve hosted the Oscars four times, you probably have a little more leeway in doing what you want instead of what you’re asked. That’s apparently how it went down with one particular viral moment during the 96th annual Academy Awards on Sunday (March 10), when host Jimmy Kimmel decided to share Donald Trump’s criticism […]
One of the biggest nights in film took over the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on Sunday night (March 10) as today’s biggest stars gathered for the 2024 Academy Awards. With big wins for Billie Eilish, Finneas, Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone and more, the Kenergy in the room was heavily felt — and not just […]
While plenty of musicians made headlines at Sunday night’s (March 10) Academy Awards ceremony, one star managed to make a big difference.
During its annual Academy Awards viewing party on Sunday, the Elton John AIDS Foundation raised $10.8 million dollars for AIDS research. The money from the event will go toward the organization’s Rocket Fund, a fundraising initiative meant to “redouble the fight against AIDS everywhere,” according to the organization’s website.
“So far, this has been an extraordinary year beyond my wildest dreams, including the honor of achieving the EGOT, but it’s tonight’s gathering that is the ultimate highlight,” John said in a statement following the event. “I’m so grateful to everyone who comes out each year to have a lot of fun and do a whole lot of good together. We’ve been loud and proud about showing compassion and ending the dreadful stigma that follows HIV, and we won’t stop until we achieve our mission.”
The annual party — hosted this year by John, David Furnish, Tiffany Haddish, David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris — featured a star-studded guest list that included Sharon Stone, Donatella Versace, Danny DeVito and plenty more. During the evening, a multimillion-dollar live auction saw the organization sell off a number of luxury items, including a bedazzled Yamaha piano signed by John, two pinball machines, two pairs of Chopard earrings and a custom-made Rolex for John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
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At the night’s close, John performed alongside the evening’s musical guests, R&B-pop trio Gabriels, to his 1989 hit “Are You Ready for Love,” recreating an iconic moment from Glastonbury 2023 when Gabriels lead singer Jacob Lusk joined John onstage for the track.
“Every year, our iconic Oscar Party just gets bigger and better, a testament to the unwavering support of our passionate supporters,” Furnish said in a statement. “In such worrying times with the rise of discriminatory laws against the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S., it’s so important to stand up and raise awareness for the people who need our support the most. The funds raised tonight are helping us enhance access to vital health resources such as HIV testing and medication, making a tangible difference in countless lives. We couldn’t have done it without such a great showing of support.”
Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have officially made their public debut as a couple, stepping out together at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty Sunday night (March 10).
Though the “Feather” singer and Saltburn star didn’t pose side-by-side on the red carpet, they did walk it at the same time, occasionally sneaking looks at each other. Videos captured Carpenter, wearing a see-through black gown, exchanging smiles with Keoghan before the two stepped in front of cameras. After they finished going down the line, the Eras Tour opener walked briskly over to the actor and took his hand.
At one point during the party — which went down just after the 2024 awards ceremony wrapped up at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles — the pair snapped a photo together off the carpet, covering the bottoms of their faces with their hands. With Carpenter’s arm around his shoulders, Keoghan flashed his “Sabrina” friendship bracelet.
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Keoghan and the Girl Meets World alum first sparked dating rumors at the beginning of this year. At a recent Taylor Swift concert in Singapore, fans spotted Carpenter running into the Dublin native’s arms after finishing her opening set, wrapping him in a tight hug before walking with him into the wings.
This year, Vanity Fair’s annual afterparty was attended by Justin Timberlake, Usher, Camila Cabello, Ellie Goulding, Kylie Jenner, Ice Spice, Jennifer Lawrence, Sydney Sweeney and more stars. Ahead of the shindig, Jimmy Kimmel helmed the Oscars ceremony, which featured performances from Billie Eilish, Ryan Gosling, Becky G, Jon Batiste and Scott George and the Osage Singers, as well as presentations from Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Bad Bunny and more.
See photos and videos of the couple at the 2024 Oscars afterparty below.
Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter attend the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 10, 2024 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
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The 2024 Oscars was packed with memorable musical performances, with all five of the night’s best original song nominees taking the stage at Dolby Theatre to represent their respective films Sunday (March 10). The first best song nominees to perform ended up being this year’s winners: Billie Eilish and Finneas, who contributed the emotional ballad […]