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Sabrina Carpenter was the top winner at the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards, winning three of the show’s signature Orange Blimp trophies: favorite female breakout artist, favorite album for Short n’ Sweet and favorite song for “Taste.” Carpenter’s album, which topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks, won the Grammy for best pop vocal album. “Taste,” a fairly risqué song by Kids’ Choice standards, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Tyla hosted the show, which aired live on Saturday, June 21 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Tyla led a dance celebration featuring the hottest songs of the summer and closed out the show with a centerstage sliming (the show’s most popular gimmick). She also won favorite global music star.
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Rihanna became the first recipient of the ICON Silver Blimp Award, honored for her contributions to entertainment, beauty and activism. She accepted the Blimp from inside the magical Smurf Village, before unleashing a tidal wave of blue slime on the audience.
SZA, Ariana Grande and Jack Black were all double winners on the night. SZA won favorite female artist and favorite music collaboration for “Luther,” her smash collab with Kendrick Lamar which topped the Hot 100 for 13 weeks. (It goes without saying that the target audience for this show wasn’t even born when Luther Vandross died in 2005.)
Grande won favorite movie actress for playing Glinda in Wicked and favorite song from a movie for backing Cynthia Erivo on “Defying Gravity” from that blockbuster musical, which also won favorite movie.
Black won favorite movie actor for playing Steve in A Minecraft Movie and also received the special King of Comedy award. The latter award was presented by his Nacho Libre co-stars Ana de la Reguera and Héctor Jiménez.
Bruno Mars won favorite male artist. Stray Kids won favorite music group. These were the first wins for Mars, Stray Kids and SZA.
Benson Boone won favorite male breakout artist. Selena Gomez and benny blanco won favorite viral song for “Bluest Flame.”
There were two musical performances: “cliché,” by mgk, from his upcoming seventh studio album, Lost Americana, introduced by his daughter, Casie Baker, and “Gnarly,” by KATSEYE, from their upcoming second EP, Beautiful Chaos, introduced by Ice Spice. Both performances culminated in slimings.
The show also featured celebrity appearances by Malia Baker, benny blanco, Kylie Cantrall, Auli’i Cravalho, Terry Crews, Young Dylan, Brie Garcia, Maia Kealoha, Salish Matter, Kel Mitchell, Daniella Monet, Renee Montgomery, Victoria Monét, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and more.
Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2025 will encore on Sunday, June 22, at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon; Monday, June 23, at 8 p.m. on Nicktoons, and Tuesday, June 24, at 9:10 a.m. on TeenNick. (All times are ET/PT.) The show will also be available to stream on Paramount+ on Sunday, June 22.
Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2025 is produced by Nickelodeon Productions and overseen by Ashley Kaplan, executive vp, Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Unscripted & Digital Franchise Studio; Paul J Medford, vp, Unscripted Current Series; Luke Wahl, vp, Unscripted Creative, and Jennifer Bernstein, vp, Talent. Guy Carrington & Kevin Hermanson of Done and Dusted serve as executive producers, with Rob Paine serving as co-executive producer. The show is directed by James Merryman.
Here’s a full list of nominations in all categories, with winners marked.
Favorite Song
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Cry for Me” – The Weeknd
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” – Taylor Swift
“squabble up” – Kendrick Lamar
WINNER: “Taste” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Wildflower” – Billie Eilish
Favorite Album
Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone
GNX – Kendrick Lamar
Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd
I Said I Love You First – Selena Gomez, benny blanco
Mayhem – Lady Gaga
WINNER: Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
Wicked: The Soundtrack
Favorite Female Artist
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Cardi B
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Selena Gomez
WINNER: SZA
Taylor Swift
Favorite Male Artist
Bad Bunny
WINNER: Bruno Mars
Drake
Jelly Roll
Kendrick Lamar
Post Malone
The Weeknd
Travis Scott
Favorite Music Group
blink-182
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
Jonas Brothers
Linkin Park
WINNER: Stray Kids
TWICE
Favorite Music Collaboration
“APT.” – ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
“Call Me When You Break Up” – Selena Gomez, benny blanco with Gracie Abrams
“Die With A Smile” – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
WINNER: “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“Please Please Please” – Sabrina Carpenter (ft. Dolly Parton)
“Show Me Love” – WizTheMc, bees & honey, and Tyla
“Slow Motion” – Marshmello and Jonas Brothers
Favorite Female Breakout Artist
Addison Rae
Chappell Roan
Doechii
GloRilla
JENNIE
LISA
ROSÉ
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter
Favorite Male Breakout Artist
Alex Warren
WINNER: Benson Boone
d4vd
Djo
Leon Thomas
Myles Smith
Shaboozey
Zach Bryan
Favorite Global Music Star
WINNER: Africa: Tyla
Asia: Stray Kids
Australia: The Kid LAROI
Europe: David Guetta
Latin America: Shakira
North America: Bruno Mars
UK: Ed Sheeran
Favorite Song From a Movie
“Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” – Dwayne Johnson (Moana 2)
WINNER: “Defying Gravity” – Cynthia Erivo (ft. Ariana Grande) (Wicked)
“Higher Love” – DESI TRILL (ft. DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Natania, Subhi) (Smurfs)
“I Always Wanted A Brother” – Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Mufasa: The Lion King)
“I Feel Alive” – Jack Black (A Minecraft Movie)
“Kiss the Sky” – Maren Morris (The Wild Robot)
“Popular” – Ariana Grande (Wicked)
“Run It” – Jelly Roll (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)
Favorite Viral Song
“Apple” – Charli xcx
WINNER: “Bluest Flame” – Selena Gomez, benny blanco
“Diet Pepsi” – Addison Rae
“Messy” – Lola Young
“Ordinary” – Alex Warren
“Pink Pony Club” – Chappell Roan
“Sports car” – Tate McRae
“That’s So True” – Gracie Abrams
Favorite Kids TV Show
Ayla & The Mirrors
Bunk’d
The Really Loud House
WINNER: The Thundermans: Undercover
Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
Favorite Male TV Star (Kids)
David Henrie (Justin Russo, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place)
Dylan Gilmer (Young Dylan, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan)
Hero Hunter (Charlie Wilson, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan)
Israel Johnson (Noah Lambert, Bunk’d)
WINNER: Jack Griffo (Max Thunderman, The Thundermans: Undercover)
Trevor Tordjman (Parker Preston, Bunk’d)
Favorite Female TV Star (Kids)
Celina Smith (Rebecca Wilson, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan)
Janice LeAnn Brown (Billie, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place)
WINNER: Kira Kosarin (Phoebe Thunderman, The Thundermans: Undercover)
Mallory James Mahoney (Destiny Baker, Bunk’d)
Maya Le Clark (Chloe Thunderman, The Thundermans: Undercover)
Miranda May (Lou Hockhauser, Bunk’d)
Favorite Family TV Show
Abbott Elementary
Cobra Kai
Goosebumps: The Vanishing
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
WINNER: XO, Kitty
Favorite Male TV Star (Family)
Damon Wayans Jr. (Damon, Poppa’s House)
David Schwimmer (Anthony Brewer, Goosebumps: The Vanishing)
George Lopez (George, Lopez vs Lopez)
Jude Law (Jod Na Nawood, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew)
Sam McCarthy (Devin Brewer, Goosebumps: The Vanishing)
WINNER: Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz, Cobra Kai)
Favorite Female TV Star (Family)
Anna Cathcart (Kitty, XO, Kitty)
Janelle James (Ava Coleman, Abbott Elementary)
Jayden Bartels (Cece Brewer, Goosebumps: The Vanishing)
WINNER: Peyton List (Tory Nichols, Cobra Kai)
Reba McEntire (Bobbie, Happy’s Place)
Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew)
Favorite Reality TV Show
American Idol
American Ninja Warrior
America’s Funniest Home Videos
WINNER: America’s Got Talent
MasterChef Junior
The Masked Singer
Favorite Cartoon
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Monster High
WINNER: SpongeBob SquarePants
Teen Titans Go!
The Loud House
The Simpsons
Favorite Movie
A Minecraft Movie
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Captain America: Brave New World
Descendants: The Rise of Red
Paddington in Peru
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
THUNDERBOLTS*
WINNER: Wicked
Favorite Movie Actor
Chris Evans (Jack O’Malley, Red One)
Chris Pratt (Keats, The Electric State)
Dwayne Johnson (Callum Drift, Red One)
WINNER: Jack Black (Steve, A Minecraft Movie)
Jason Momoa (Garrett Garrison, A Minecraft Movie)
Jim Carrey (Dr. Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog 3)
Favorite Movie Actress
WINNER: Ariana Grande (Glinda, Wicked)
Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba, Wicked)
Emma Myers (Natalie, A Minecraft Movie)
Jenna Ortega (Astrid Deetz, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)
Millie Bobby Brown (Michelle Greene, The Electric State)
Winona Ryder (Lydia Deetz, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)
Favorite Animated Movie
Despicable Me 4
Dog Man
WINNER: Inside Out 2
Moana 2
Mufasa: The Lion King
Plankton: The Movie
The Wild Robot
Transformers One
Favorite Male Animated Voice From a Movie
Ben Schwartz (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 3)
Chris Hemsworth (Orion Pax, Transformers One)
WINNER: Dwayne Johnson (Maui, Moana 2)
Keanu Reeves (Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 3)
Steve Carell (Gru, Despicable Me 4)
Will Ferrell (Maxime Le Mal, Despicable Me 4)
Favorite Female Animated Voice From a Movie
Amy Poehler (Joy, Inside Out 2)
WINNER: Auli’i Cravalho (Moana, Moana 2)
Kristen Wiig (Lucy, Despicable Me 4)
Lupita Nyong’o (Roz, The Wild Robot)
Maya Hawke (Anxiety, Inside Out 2)
Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1, Transformers One)
Favorite Villain
Frankie Grande (Frankini, Henry Danger: The Movie)
Harrison Ford (President Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk, Captain America: Brave New World)
Jeff Goldblum (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Wicked)
WINNER: Jim Carrey (Dr. Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog 3)
Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)
Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible, Wicked)
Rita Ora (Queen of Hearts, Descendants: The Rise of Red)
Favorite Butt-Kicker
Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America, Captain America: Brave New World)
WINNER: Emma Myers (Natalie, A Minecraft Movie)
Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova, THUNDERBOLTS*)
Jace Norman (Henry Hart, Henry Danger: The Movie)
Jack Black (Steve, A Minecraft Movie)
Kylie Cantrall (Princess Red, Descendants: The Rise of Red)
Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes, THUNDERBOLTS*)
Favorite Female Sports Star
Alex Morgan
Angel Reese
Caitlin Clark
Coco Gauff
Jordan Chiles
Naomi Osaka
Sha’Carri Richardson
WINNER: Simone Biles
Favorite Male Sports Star
Jalen Hurts
Jayson Tatum
WINNER: LeBron James
Lionel Messi
Patrick Mahomes
Shohei Ohtani
Stephen Curry
Travis Kelce
Favorite Male Creator
Adam Rose
Dhar Mann
Keith Lee
Mark Rober
WINNER: MrBeast
SeanDoesMagic
Favorite Female Creator
Brooke Monk
Charli D’Amelio
Emma Chamberlain
Lexi Rivera
WINNER: Salish Matter
Sofie Dossi
Favorite Gamer
Aphmau
IBella
WINNER: IShowSpeed
Kai Cenat
Ninja
Pokimane
Unspeakable
Fan Favorite Kids Creator
A for Adley
Danny Go!
Kids Diana Show
WINNER: Ms. Rachel
Ryan Kaji/Ryan’s World
Toys and Colors
Favorite Podcast
American Girl: The Smart Girl’s Podcast
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Avatar: Braving the Elements
Baby, This Is Keke Palmer
WINNER: LOL Podcast
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Super Great Kids’ Stories
The Nikki & Brie Show
Favorite Video Game
Fortnite
Just Dance 2025 Edition
Madden NFL 25
Minecraft
Roblox
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Forrest Frank’s “Your Way’s Better” stalled the three-month reign of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” on the monthly Top Gabb Music Songs chart when it reached No. 1 on the April 2025 tally, and now he’s joined Gaga and Mars as the only other act with a multi-month No. 1, reigning again on the May 2025 survey.
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Billboard has partnered with Gabb Wireless, a phone company for kids and teens, to present a monthly chart tracking on-demand streams via its Gabb Music platform. Gabb Music offers a vast catalog of songs, all of which are selected by the Gabb team to include only kid- and teen-appropriate content. Gabb Music streams are not currently factored into any other Billboard charts.
“Your Way’s Better” rules Top Gabb Music Songs for a second month, concurrent with the release of the song’s parent album, Child of God II, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 dated May 24.
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The song has topped the Hot Christian Songs chart for the last five weeks (dating to May 24) and has reached a best so far of No. 61 on the all-format Billboard Hot 100. It ranks at No. 68 on the latest list.
“Your Way’s Better” is one of a whopping five Frank songs on the May 2025 Top Gabb Music Songs chart, thanks to a pair of debuts joining the three songs he already boasted on the ranking. “No L’s” and “B.I.G.” debut at Nos. 14 and 19, respectively, while “Drop!” reaches a new peak of No. 13 and “Up!,” a collaboration with Connor Price, remains at its No. 25 best.
Frank’s five songs on the ranking equals the record set by Imagine Dragons on the inaugural Top Gabb Music Songs list for October 2024 — though notably, while Frank has the No. 1 song, Imagine Dragons’ best that month was No. 16, with “Bones.”
Other moves on the latest chart include a three-spot leap for Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” which reaches a new peak of No. 3 after its No. 6 debut on the April tally. “Ordinary” has spent two weeks so far at No. 1 on the Hot 100, beginning with the June 7 survey.
The only non-Frank debut of the week belongs to Morgan Wallen, whose “What I Want,” which features Tate McRae, starts at No. 11. It was also a No. 1 on the Hot 100, debuting atop the May 31 list.
See the full top 25 below.
Top Gabb Music Songs, May 2025
“Your Way’s Better,” Forrest Frank (=)
“Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” Benson Boone (=)
“Ordinary,” Alex Warren (+3)
“Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone (+1)
“Die With a Smile,” Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (-1)
“APT.,” ROSE & Bruno Mars (-3)
“Love Somebody,” Morgan Wallen (=)
“Stargazing,” Myles Smith (+3)
“Slow It Down,” Benson Boone (+1)
“Pink Pony Club,” Chappell Roan (-2)
“What I Want,” Morgan Wallen feat. Tate McRae (debut)
“God’s Plan,” Drake (-3)
“Drop!,” Forrest Frank (+4)
“No L’s,” Forrest Frank (debut)
“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” Luke Combs (=)
“Butterfly Effect,” Travis Scott (-2)
“Please Please Please,” Sabrina Carpenter (+1)
“Deja Vu,” Olivia Rodrigo (-5)
“B.I.G.,” Forrest Frank (debut)
“Face 2 Face,” Juice WRLD (-8)
“Heat Waves,” Glass Animals (+1)
“Stressed Out,” Twenty One Pilots (-6)
“Let You Down,” NF (+1)
“Too Sweet,” Hozier (-1)
“Up!,” Forrest Frank & Connor Price (=)
DROPS: “Nothing Else,” Forrest Frank feat. Thomas Rhett; “Pink Skies,” Zach Bryan; “Thick of It,” KSI feat. Trippie Redd
At 35, mgk is still a kid at heart. The rapper-turned-rock star is set to perform on the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards, which will air live on Saturday (June 21) at 8 p.m. ET/PT from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Tyla is set to host the show.
mgk will perform “Cliché,” the lead single from his upcoming album Lost Americana. The song has so far reached No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. The performance will come just a day after mgk performs on The Today Show’s Citi Concert Series.
All six of mgk’s studio albums have reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with the last two – Tickets to My Downfall and Mainstream Sellout – reaching No. 1. (The latter album also received a Grammy nod for best rock album.) His seventh studio album, Lost Americana, is due Aug. 8.
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The Cleveland, Ohio, native’s highest-charting hit on the Hot 100 is “Bad Things,” a 2016 collab with Camila Cabello that reached No. 4.
KATSEYE, which recently notched their first Billboard Hot 100 hit with “Gnarly,” was previously announced as a performer on the show. They’ll perform “Gnarly.”
Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards will celebrate fans’ favorites from film, television, music, sports and more. Nickelodeon is calling the show the biggest party of the summer. It is certain to have more epic slimings than any other show. The show will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, the Nick Jr. channel, MTV2 and CMT, and also air on Nickelodeon channels around the world.
Leading the pack with four nominations each are Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar, followed by Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, Selena Gomez and Jelly Roll with three nods apiece. First-time nominees include Gracie Abrams, Zach Bryan, Jordan Chiles, Frankie Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Doechii, Keith Lee, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, Shohei Ohtani and Florence Pugh, among others.
Fans of Snoop Dogg‘s Doggyland have a new song to sing along to. This time, Snoop’s lovable character Bow Wizzle linked with social media sensation VanVan — who also happens to voice Doggyland‘s Vancy the Dalmatian character — for a new video for a remix of the “Clean Up Song,” which interpolates the classic children’s […]
From Coachella to your couch, Yo Gabba Gabba! is so back. Fresh off the beloved kid show’s standout performance at Coachella in April — featuring special guests Flavor Flav, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Portugal. The Man and Thundercat — the full library of the original four seasons of Yo Gabba Gabba! is coming to Apple TV+ […]
As a film and television composer who’s worked on Deadpool & Wolverine and Stranger Things, Rob Simonsen is no stranger to finding a way to weave pop music into his lush scores. But what he was a stranger to was composing for an animated film — until now.
The veteran composer — whose work also includes 2009’s 500 Days of Summer, 2018’s Love, Simon and 2024’s It Ends With Us — will make his animated debut this weekend with Pixar‘s Elio, which hits theaters on Friday. In addition to Simonsen’s score, which hops from 11-year-old Elio’s begrudging home planet of Earth to the far reaches of outer space where he dreams to live forever, there are also two prominent music placements in the film: Talking Heads‘ existential 1981 single “Once in a Lifetime” and Vicente García‘s “Carmesí,” a top 20 hit on Billboard‘s Tropical Airplay chart in 2017.
In a conversation with Billboard, Simonsen tells us how both of those songs ended up in the movie, how he musically guides viewers between multiple planets in the sci-fi adventure, his 1973 Disney favorite that still resonates today, how he created his own “space disco” track for a memorable montage, and why he “felt at home” working in animated film.
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Rob Simonsen attends the World Premiere of Disney and Pixar’s “Elio” at El Capitan Theatre on June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney/Pixar
I would love to start with when and how you got involved in this project. I’m not seeing any other animated work in your bio, and your only previous Disney project is Deadpool & Wolverine – so was that the connection?
They found me before Deadpool. Actually, I had done some scores that I think they found to use in their film, and they called me to meet with me and shared this really touching story [of Elio] with me. And I really loved what they were going for, and I felt like I understood it and was really excited. Of course Pixar [is] an incredible brain trust, an incredible group of people, and so there was a bit of a sympathetic resonance, I think. And, yeah, we got underway.
How long ago was that?
I think two and a half years ago, something around there. This one had a longer time frame than what I’m normally used to, working in live-action. I wrote a suite after seeing an initial cut and having a conversation with the director and really felt what they were going for. And I sat down and I wrote a suite and I sent it, and that ended up being “Elio’s Theme,” which is in the film — starts and ends the movie.
What was the biggest difference between scoring an animated film and the other movies you’ve previously worked on?
Oh, lots of stuff. You know, getting used to seeing hand sketches of really emotional scenes and filling in the blanks with your imagination, which actually is a process that I love. In a lot of ways, there’s not the limitations of exactly what frame something needs to hit. So you’re allowed to create music that has a little bit more inherent music logic to it. And in some cases, they’re able to get some of these things in kind of early and maybe have some musical moments even to hang the cut and the animation on.
Oh wow, that has to be very cool when that happens.
That happened pretty rarely, but when it does happen, it’s certainly nice.
This movie travels to so many different locations, so can you talk about creating music for each setting of this movie? So when Elio is on Earth, versus when he’s in the Communiverse, versus when he’s on Hylurg.
We were definitely trying to give each different location its own flavor. So for Hylurg, we focus on this low male choir and low brass. And for the Communiverse, we use these choir dolls, which are these small, handmade wooden robot dolls that are made by a Swedish company called Teenage Engineering. And we used them as kind of our vocal choir for the Communiverse, which they’re encoded with vowels and words and consonants, and it sounds like language, but it’s not English. It’s not really any specific language. So it has this kind of uncanny resemblance to human voices, but yet it sounds otherworldly, slightly technological. And then on Earth, it’s quite grounded, and there’s a lot of atmosphere, with simple piano melodies to kind of speak to Elio’s heart and his longing.
One of my favorite music moments is when Glordon and Elio are in the Communiverse and basically just treating it like one big amusement park, and there’s sort of a montage of all the fun they’re having. What were you going for with that music?
Kind of a pop track, a space disco cut. I love space disco. What an amazing little subgenre of the ’70s and ’80s. You know, Meco doing these kind of orchestrated but synthesized disco versions of all these sci-fi movies, theme songs and whatnot. And do a modern version of that, but also something that has this kind of nostalgic whimsy to it but with a solid beat that kind of makes you bop your head hopefully.
There are also two pop music parts of the movie – let’s start with the first one, Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime.” Was that something you were involved in selecting, or was that the dream song that the filmmakers already wanted there?
Yeah, they picked that actually. By the time I saw the first cut, when I was brought on, it was in there. And I love that song, so I was happy to see it there.
I was racking my brain to think of another moment in a Disney/Pixar movie that features an existing song in its entirety like that and was having a hard time coming up with one. It’s jarring in a very cool way!
Yeah, it is a bit different for them. And off the top of my head, I’m not sure that I know of another one.
The other moment is a Vicente García song called “Carmesí,” which plays on Aunt Olga’s car radio in the movie. How was that song chosen?
I know they were chasing some options. And I think, actually, Zoe Saldaña [who voices Elio’s Aunt Olga] may have mentioned that song and put it forward as a song that she liked. So I think that there was a cool thread of involving her in that choice.
Between Stranger Things and Deadpool & Wolverine, you’re very familiar with how a song can get a big bump from being placed in a movie like this. Do you see a world where this young audience is going to discover Talking Heads and David Byrne or Vicente García through this film?
Sure, especially since there’s only those two song pieces. The Talking Heads, it’s interesting — it’s an older song now, but it still feels fresh sonically. And yeah, I hope that a young generation gets introduced to David Byrne.
Were you a Disney kid growing up or before working on this? What does working on a Disney project mean to you?
Disney has changed the world and has had so many influences and impacts on the world. And I really love that [Walt] Disney was a real visionary and someone who was trying to transport people to new places, but yet, in these new places, you hopefully find something inspiring about life and humanity and the experience of being human, and he was a really forward-thinking person. So, I mean, it’s undeniable the mark that Disney has left, and Pixar as well. Their track record is incredible, and they’ve had so many movies that have been so enjoyable to watch and have been so well-made and so smart, and I think they really cracked the code on making films that appeal to adults and kids. So it was a real dream to get a call from them and to work on this one.
Do you have a personal favorite Disney project from your past?
You know, I love [1973’s] Robin Hood. I loved it as a kid, and I recently rewatched it, and I was struck by how relevant it is to today’s times. So I recommend that movie as a rewatch to anyone now. It’s really, really resonant, and the music is incredible in that it’s very, very catchy melodies and a great score by George Bruns, who is an amazing Disney composer, and Roger Miller delivering these amazing songs. Some of those melodies are just constantly in my head. I find myself absentmindedly whistling the “Whistle Stop” song from Robin Hood when I’m walking down the street.
Do you hope to do more animated work after this?
Yeah, I would love to. I really enjoyed working with animators. They’re so sensitive. You know, their whole job is to capture the essence of a human emotion with drawings and representations of humans, and knowing exactly what kind of emotion to go for. And emotion is almost infinite in terms of the gradation of it and the spectrum of human emotions. And Pixar, they’re the best at doing these very specific facial expressions, and the performances that they infuse their characters with is really impressive. And I saw as these animations kind of improved over time and got more specific, a character would wince in a certain way or kind of make a face in a certain way. And I just appreciate how much study of humanity animators have to do, and that’s what we do as film composers, you know? You’re a study of human emotions. So I felt at home with these people. So I’d love to do it again.
What was it like seeing the movie in its entirety the first time?
I think when I saw the whole thing, I had some notes for myself. [Laughs] But, you know, we really worked hard and I think banged it into great shape, and I think the movie really sings. Sitting back and watching it with an audience for the first time at a premiere was great. There’s a lot of enthusiasm for the characters and a lot of laughs, and it’s very breezy and, I think, very poignant in moments. So to be able to feel that with a group of people, you know, that’s an irreplaceable experience.
Bunnie XO just had a breakthrough on her fertility journey with Jelly Roll.
In a raw video posted to her Instagram on Monday (June 16), the podcaster tears up while hiding her face in her hands as she talks inaudibly on the phone, seemingly having just received a piece of good news. “When you just got the call you’ve been waiting on for 5 months since this ivf journey started,” she wrote.
“All the tears, the hopelessness & the struggle, God finally said, ‘Here,’” Bunnie continued, adding in her caption: “Praise Jesus.”
The social media star and country singer have been trying to conceive through IVF for months. In the comments of her post, Bunnie clarified that she’s not pregnant yet — “We won’t announce that,” she asserted — but they are one big step closer to growing their family.
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“This is just a huge win for us,” Bunnie noted.
The Dumb Blonde host has been open about her experience with IVF, documenting the ups and downs on social media. In March, she got real on her podcast about how “lonely” the process can be, sharing, “It’s just you and these hormones and the waiting and the egg retrieval … It’s a lot to bear.”
Bunnie also recently clapped back at a troll who implied that she is too old to be trying for a baby. The same commenter also wrote that Jelly Roll — who has been open about his weight-loss journey over the past year — is “so unhealthy looking.”
“Yes, I have decided at the ripe age of 45 that I would love to hear the pitter-patter of little feet with the man that I’ve been with for almost a decade,” said Bunnie, who is a stepmom to Jelly’s two kids from past relationships, 17-year-old Bailee Ann and 7-year-old Noah.
“Not only am I financially in a great place to raise a child, but I’m also spiritually and mentally in a great place because I have been in the darkest places before and I drug myself out from the depths of hell,” she added at the time in a video on her Instagram Story. “Did you know that I was pregnant three times before we decided to do this IVF? I am so thankful that God did not let me have a baby when I was 20 years old because that poor child would have been through so much s–t with me. This is the perfect age.”
See Bunnie’s post about her IVF win below.
Backed by science and heart, Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group whose goal is to protect clean air and children’s health — and EcoMadres, their Latino community outreach program — educates families about why they should care about climate disruption, air pollution and toxic chemicals, and engages them in taking action to preserve their futures — all with the help of music.
With data that Latinos in the United States are disproportionately impacted by climate change, an initiative called EcoMusica was born.
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As part of EcoMusica, SonTierra, a multi-ethnic ensemble of Latino musicians whose name means “we are the Earth,” perform tunes that offer hope and encourage listeners to reach out to legislators and leaders. The music played at outreach events incorporates a number of Latin music styles: cumbia, banda, bolero, merengue, balada and Andean folk.
They will be performing at the annual EcoMadres Summit in Las Vegas on Sept. 12, Moms Clean Air Force tells Billboard Family.
Who is SonTierra? With an age range of about 11 to 64 years old, the multi-generational band includes Edgar East (Panamanian), Edgar Solís (Mexican), Gabriela Valdivia (U.S.-born; Brazilian mother, Mexican father), Karen Stein (Colombian), Leo Roldán (Argentinean), Marián Vivas (Venezuelan), Stephanie Rivera (Cuban), Valentina Weihe (U.S.-born; Mexican mother, Puerto Rican father), Valery Figueroa (Venezuelan) and Víctor Lara (Mexican).
“I wanted SonTierra to include youth and children at a professional, quality level because we are working for their future,” Stein, both a performer and the group’s manager, shares in an interview with Billboard Family. “And if we’re going to gain trust with Latino communities, we don’t just have to come in and sing at them. We have to sing with them. Including people of various generations and of various ethnicities, it is important to make Latino communities feel like, ‘Oh, we could be [a part of this].’ They can identify with someone on stage.”
The collective of musicians released a 12-track, mostly Spanish-language (with some English, on a few bilingual songs) album of originals and covers, titled EcoMadres, on Earth Day 2023. The album is available to stream on SoundCloud.
Stein had a hand in penning nine of the dozen songs, all of which address climate change, air pollution, ecosystem destruction, environmental justice, taking action and finding hope.
EcoMadres tunes include “Mama,” which she says was written inspired first by her musician mother who sang to her, and then by Mother Earth, with the lyrics “Hoy este arrullo es para la madre tierra/ Que tiene fiebre, que tiene fiebre y no la escuchan, no la escuchan/ En su agonía, en su agonía” (“Today this lullaby is for Mother Earth/ She has a fever, she has a fever/ And we aren’t hearing her agony”).
Other album tracks include “Corrido p’al Congreso” (“A Corrido for Congress”), a message to the U.S. government in mariachi style with corrido and ranchera rhythms, and “Legado” (“Legacy”), written from the perspective of children looking ahead to their future, in the style of bolero. “El pico del tucán (“The Toucan’s Peak”) is set to a cumbia beat and tackles a tough topic: solving “the dilemma between what humans want and what the earth needs to continue to sustain us.”
Born and raised in Colombia, Stein is the Iowa field coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres. Her heart and roots are in music.
She grew up on a rural farm. On a call with Billboard Family, she cites she’s from and her mother as the reasons she’s a musician.
“The location where we grew up was so isolated, [with] no electricity, so there were very few distractions. I grew up paying a lot of attention to sounds,” including the sounds of nature, animals, and the men on the farm milking the cows, says Stein. “They’d talk to the cows and oftentimes they would sing to the cows. They would just hum,” sometimes to pop music and sometimes to traditional songs.
Meanwhile, her mother was a trained classical pianist who “ended up in this godforsaken corner of Colombia,” Stein jokes. “Of course she hauled a piano down into the farm, right?”
As a young child, Stein would pick up her mom’s knack for music.
“She discovered that since I was young I was able to carry a tune, and so she would harmonize with me since I was very, very little, and that trained my ear to maintain a melody,” says Stein.
Her family ended up moving to Costa Rica, where Stein had music lessons and sang with the Costa Rican Symphony Choir, and she was awarded a scholarship to attend Grinnell College in Iowa. Before she uprooted, she learned as much as possible in traditional guitar technique from the enclave of Latin-American artists who were living in San José at the time. “It was at a time when there were a lot of military dictatorships in Latin America, in the early to mid ’70s,” she recalls. “Costa Rica was a politically neutral country. A lot of the artists who were outspoken against governments, they were musicians. They were theater people. They were writers. They ended up in Costa Rica. I had a lot of mixed feelings about the States because of the United States’ involvement in supporting some of these governments that were making artists escape. But I was at the same time fascinated. It was just, you know, everybody wants to try to understand this country.”
“That’s the beginning of why I consciously connected to music,” she says, “though I studied biology and French. And as soon as I got my master’s in the sciences and horticulture, I decided to switch back to music and become a full-time musician. Those are the roots: rural upbringing and political. The timing of political upheaval in Latin America put me in the path of a deep connection with a large variety of Latin music styles.”
“It’s been home again to go [back] to music,” says Stein, who’s the founder and director of Artes Latinas, a consortium of several different ensembles.
Since 2019, she’s been involved with Moms Clean Air Force, who eventually asked her to join the EcoMadres initiative.
“This is a powerful group of women,” Stein tells Billboard Family, adding that they act on just the right balance between “the heart and the brain.” “I think it has to do with our work being centered on children. I mean, it keeps us vulnerable. We’re not afraid of being vulnerable as human beings while we’re being purposeful and organized and professional in our environmental work. The combination is very powerful.”
Stein says, “The Latino community, whether they still speak Spanish at home or not, or Portuguese … Whatever region or country — you know how diverse Latin America is, it’s incredibly diverse … But regardless of where we’re from, there’s one thing that we respond to, and that is music. In a visceral way.”
EcoMusica’s use of live performance at community outreach events concerning climate crisis has become “a tool to build trust in the Latino community,” she explains.
“This is a tool to start reaching the Latino and Latina community a little more widely than we had been, because that was also on the mind of Moms Clean Air Force at the time. How do we expand? How do we make our program relevant to Latino and Latina communities who are disproportionately affected by these things that we’re working on, the air pollution and the environmental justice issues and climate effects?”
The team’s hope is that the music naturally resonates with those most impacted by climate crisis.
As Stein points out, the group can “recognize the other reality is that the communities that are most impacted by the climate crisis and by pollution are people who for whom acting on climate is a luxury.”
“We have to understand this,” she says. “They’re not at the level of being able to devote 10 hours a week to fighting climate crisis. No, they just stopped at the supermarket and bought 30 bottles of bottled water feeding the problem that we’re having, because they’re afraid of the water pollution coming from their faucet. They just came home from working three jobs. How do we get them to sign a petition? The trust has to come first.”
Stein emphasizes that the environmental justice work they’re collectively doing “resonates with every member” of SonTierra, and praises each musician’s contributions.
Gabi Valdivia, the youngest member of SonTierra, performs with the group at the 2024 EcoMadres Summit in Phoenix, Arizona.
Courtesy of EcoMadres
“I want to say that what stands out to me is how remarkable every individual in the group is, and how honored I am to have them there because they’re not just good musicians,” says Stein. “And I’m talking about the 11-year-old girl. And I’m talking about this 18-year-old young woman and the 22-year-old young woman, and then us geezers … The rest of us are seasoned touring musicians. But each one of us has a purpose for being in SonTierra.”
Stein adds, “I would like to tell all the communities who read this: You don’t have to be Latino or Latina if you want to bring us to your community because you want to work on climate issues or environmental justice issues as a field organizer for EcoMadres and Mom’s Clean Air Force. If they want to invite SonTierra to the community, it doesn’t have to be a Latino community. It can be any community. It can be an African American community. It can be an African community. It can be an Asian community. It can be, you know, the Methodist Church in New York City.”
Those who wish to learn more, or to join Moms Clean Air Force’s fight against climate disruption, can find resources and learn about action points at the organization’s official website.
Shortly after filing for divorce, Cardi B and Offset welcomed their third child, Blossom, in September 2024. While she’s let her baby’s name slip during various social media posts, Cardi gave the Bardi Gang their first official glimpse of Blossom when posting a series of photos of her three kids to Instagram on Monday (June 16).
“It is you Miss Blossom Belles,” she captioned the pictures. It was a Louis Vuitton-filled pool day for Cardi and the family at home. Sporting a million-dollar smile, Blossom stars in the first photo while wearing a pink onesie and an LV scarf with pink bow socks.
Cardi was twinning with her daughter, Kulture, who posed poolside in a matching LV headband and handbag. She also showed some love to son Wave, as he looked unbothered while messing around on his phone and rocking a pair of Timberland boots.
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Motherhood could be in Latto’s future, as the Atlanta rapper hopped into the comments section saying she’s suffering from “Baby feverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr wtffffffff.” Anycia, GloRilla and Stefflon Don also gushed about the family Cardi’s built.
Cardi B’s new boo, Stefon Diggs, wasn’t present for the pool day, but the couple appears to be going strong heading into the summer.
On the legal side, the Grammy-winning rapper and Offset are still sorting out a bitter divorce after Cardi filed for the second time last August.
Last month, Offset filed for spousal support in the divorce proceedings with Cardi. The Migos rapper amended the filing with a request for an unspecified amount of alimony. Days later, Cardi went off on Offset during an explosive X Spaces.
“You such a f—ing p—y a– n—a,” she slammed her ex. “Word to my mother, I want you to die, but I want you to die f—ing slow. When you die, I want you to die slow in the bed. And when you die, n—a, you gotta think of me.”
Find Cardi’s family photos here.
Billy Ray Cyrus is celebrating Father’s Day with a trip down memory lane. The “Achy Breaky Heart” star posted several family photos in honor of the day on Instagram and X, and wished a “Happy Father’s Day” to all those around him.
The mini picture collection includes snapshots of Billy Ray and family members throughout the years. One cute highlight is a very young Miley Cyrus giving the camera quite a serious gaze while riding a pink, toddler-sized trike with handlebar tassels.
“‘My Grandfather told my Father’… and luckily he taught me ….when your lost …. ‘Stand Still’. Happy Father’s Day to everyone ! Mothers… sisters ….brothers ….friends included !” Cyrus captioned the picture slideshow on Sunday (June 15).
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Apparently not shown in the country singer’s Father’s Day post is son Trace, who’s seemingly had a fraught relationship as of late with Billy Ray, whom he recently said is “the lamest man ever to walk planet earth.” The Metro Station musician referred to him as a “delusional, evil person” last week — claiming he skipped the funeral of his “Mammie,” the late mother of Tish Cyrus, back when Billy Ray was still married to Tish. His comments came upon seeing that Billy Ray “flew to Italy for a fashion show” (with girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley). “This man is so hungry for fame it’s pathetic,” wrote Trace on June 10.
Miley’s had more positive thoughts to share. In an interview with The New York Times, the Something Beautiful singer shared candid remarks on her father’s current relationship with the English actress. “As I’ve gotten older, I’m respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents,” she said.
“My mom’s really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard,” Miley explained. “And so I think I took on some of my mom’s hurt as my own, because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain. But now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too — I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing.”
“I’m being an adult about it,” she added. “At first it’s hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, ‘Yes, that’s your dad, but that’s just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy.’ My child self has caught up.”
See Billy Ray’s Father’s Day post on Instagram here.
