International
Artist contract clauses to promote environmentally sustainable touring were highlighted Wednesday (Feb. 26) in London at the 37th annual International Music Conference.
The green initiatives have been put forth by the U.K. live music advocacy group LIVE (Live Music Industry Venues and Entertainment). Its members are a federation of 16 live music industry associations representing some 3,159 businesses, more than 34,000 British artists and 2,000 backstage workers.
Delegates to the ILMC, who hailed from some 60 countries, were greeted Wednesday morning with comments from Chris Bryant, the U.K. minister for creative industries, arts and tourism. “Live music in the U.K. is a really important part of what we have to offer,” said Bryant (while he lamented poor wifi at festivals and “utterly inedible” food at many venues).
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The green contract clauses, initially announced by LIVE last October, are “designed to galvanise industry-wide action and transform the environmental impact of live events,” according to a statement from the organization.
Efforts to reduce the impact of travel-intensive touring on the climate have been promoted in recent years by artists like Coldplay.
When the band announced its Music of the Spheres Tour in 2021, it pledged to reduce its direct carbon emissions—from show production, freight, band and crew travel—by at least 50%. Coldplay subsequently announced that carbon emissions on the first two years of that tour were 59% less than its previous stadium tour (2016-2017) on a show-by-show basis, with its figures verified by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative.
The LIVE environmental proposals come at a time when climate change is acknowledged as the driving cause of catastrophes worldwide, from extreme flooding in Europe last fall to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Within the music industry, it has been estimated that extreme weather had affected at least 30 major concerts in 2023, including evacuations, cancellations and postponements, based on a running tally, “while the total number of affected music events worldwide is surely far higher,” Billboard reported.
The contract clauses result from discussions with representatives from the agencies Wasserman and ATC Live, the global event producer TAIT, the Music Managers Forum and other major players in the touring industry. Leading the process has been the working group LIVE Green, guided by Carol Scott, the Principal Sustainability Advocate at TAIT, and Live Green impact consultant Ross Patel.
“It’s a long road, we’re all on it and we’re going in the right direction,” Patel told an ILMC session Wednesday which he hosted, along with Hilary Walsh, general manager of the U.K.booking agency Pure Represents.
The clauses are intended to help artists, agents, promoters,venues and others to create events with environmental sustainability at the core of planning events, with a focus on energy efficiency; waste reduction; water conservation; local and sustainable food; low carbon emission means of transport to encouraging attendees to travel to the show using lower carbon emission transport; offering sustainable and ethical merch; and much more.
“We’re presented with the evidence of a changing global climate on a daily basis,” said Patel as he opened the ILMC session. “And we also know that we hold the keys to be more resilient.”
Patel made the point that the changes to long-standing practices needed within the live music industry to make touring more sustainable are similar to those in the field of health and safety that are now considered standard.
Patel praised “industry professionals who can pack out an empty room at the drop of a hat, or transport thousands of fans to fields in the middle of nowhere, for life-changing experiences…. So why stop there? Why not create events that fill attendees with hope” in the face of climate challenges.
Environmentally sustainable live events exist, said Patel. “The challenge is how to increase the frequency of that.”
Walsh offered the perspective of Pure Represents, a relatively young booking agency, whose founder, Angus Baskerville, has made sustainability a personal and business priority.
“It’s really important to Angus,” said Walsh, noting the agency founder is the father of two small children and “wanted to leave behind a legacy that was sustainable.”
Walsh notes that the green contract clauses (available online from LIVE) have been easily inserted into touring agreements for Pure clients.
But sometimes those clauses have been deleted in returned contracts. Reducing resistance to change, says Walsh, required “conversations, not just on email, on Power Points, or any of that” with promoters, venues, tour managers, production managers and artist managers.
“It’s about us sharing that information,” says Walsh. “I think slowly everybody is getting onboard.”
Katie Bain provided assistance in this story.
Members of the British band The 1975 cannot be held personally liable for losses of a Malaysian music festival that was shut down by authorities after lead singer Matty Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage, a London judge ruled Monday.
The organizer of the Good Vibes Festival is seeking 1.9 million pounds ($2.4 million) in losses after Healy criticized the country’s anti-homosexuality laws and then kissed bassist Ross MacDonald at the Kuala Lumpur show in July 2023.
Footage of the kiss sparked a backlash in the predominantly Muslim country, where homosexuality is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning. Some LGBTQ+ groups also criticized the band for endangering its community and disrupting the work of activists pushing for change.
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Future Sound Asia sued The 1975 Productions LLP in the High Court over breach of contract and said its four members owed a duty of care. But the band’s lawyer argued that the suit should only target the company — not the musicians.
Judge William Hansen said the claims against the band members were “bad as a matter of law and that there is no good reason why the matter should go to trial.” He allowed the case to proceed against the company, but ordered FSA to pay 100,000 pounds ($126,000) in legal costs.
Band attorney Edmund Cullen had argued the claim was an “illegitimate, artificial and incoherent” attempt “to pin liability on individuals” because FSA only had a contract with the band’s company.
FSA’s attorney Andrew Burns said authorities had initially refused to let the band perform because of reports about Healy’s drug addiction and subsequent recovery. They relented after the band promised he would follow guidelines and regulations, he said.
When the band played the same festival in 2016, they had agreed not to swear, smoke, drink, take off clothes or talk about religion and politics on stage, Burns said.
Burns said the band deliberately provoked Malaysian authorities in 2023 by smuggling a bottle of wine on stage, and through Healy’s “obscene speech” and the kiss. He said the band also performed a “second-rate set of songs” to upset the crowd.
“They could be argued to have been on a frolic of their own rather than simply acting within the course of their ordinary role as LLP members,” Burns said.
The band was supposed to be paid $350,000 (276,000 pounds) for a one-hour set, Burns said.
The show wasn’t the first time Healy made a political statement in the name of LGBTQ+ rights: he kissed a male fan at a 2019 concert in the United Arab Emirates, which outlaws same-sex sexual activity.
After the show in the Malaysian capital, The 1975 canceled its concerts in Taiwan and Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Malaysian government has blacklisted the band.
This article was originally published by the Associated Press.
Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox and Hans Zimmer are among the artists who have contributed to a new “silent” album to protest the U.K. government’s stance on artificial intelligence (AI).
The record, titled Is This What We Want?, is “co-written” by more than 1,000 musicians and features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces. In an accompanying statement, the use of silence is said to represent “the impact on artists’ and music professionals’ livelihoods that is expected if the government does not change course.”
The record was organized by Ed Newton-Rex, the founder of Fairly Trained, a non-profit that certifies generative AI companies that respect creators’ rights. The tracklisting to the 12-track LP reads: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Is This What We Want? is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Also credited as co-writers are performers and songwriters from across the industry, including Billy Ocean, Ed O’Brien, Dan Smith (Bastille), The Clash, Mystery Jets, Jamiroquai, Imogen Heap, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Riz Ahmed, Tori Amos, James MacMillan and Max Richter. The full list of musicians involved with the record can be viewed at the LP’s official website. All proceeds from the album will be donated to the charity Help Musicians.
Courtesy Photo
The release comes at the close of the British government’s 10-week consultation on how copyrighted content, including music, can lawfully be used by developers to train generative AI models. Initially, the government proposed a data mining exception to copyright law, meaning that AI developers could use copyrighted songs for AI training in instances where artists have not “opted out” of their work being included.
The government report said the “opt out” approach gives rightsholders a greater ability to control and license the use of their content, but it has proved controversial with creators and copyright holders. In March 2024, the 27-nation European Union passed the Artificial Intelligence Act, which requires transparency and accountability from AI developers about training methods and is viewed as more creator-friendly.
Speaking at the beginning of the consultation, Lisa Nandy, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said in a statement: “This government firmly believes that our musicians, writers, artists and other creatives should have the ability to know and control how their content is used by AI firms and be able to seek licensing deals and fair payment. Achieving this, and ensuring legal certainty, will help our creative and AI sectors grow and innovate together in partnership.”
Industry body UK Music said in its most recent report that the music U.K. scene contributed £7.6 billion ($9.6 billion) to the country’s economy, while exports reached £4.6 billion ($5.8 billion).
“The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them,” said Newton-Rex in a statement on the album release. “It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary: the UK can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus. This album shows that, however the government tries to justify it, musicians themselves are united in their thorough condemnation of this ill-thought-through plan.”
Jo Twist, CEO of the British Phonographic Institution (BPI), added, “The UK’s gold-standard copyright framework is central to the global success of our creative industries. We understand AI’s potential to drive change including greater productivity or improvements to public services, but it is entirely possible to realise this without destroying our status as a creative superpower.”
Speaking to Billboard U.K. in January, alt-pop star Imogen Heap — a co-writer on Is This What We Want? — expanded on her approach to AI. “The thing which makes me nervous is the provenance; there’s all this amazing video, art and poetry being generated by AI as well as music, but you know, creators need to be credited and they need to tell us where they’re training [the data] from.”
Ed Sheeran wrapped his six-city tour of India on Feb. 15 with more than 120,000 tickets sold, according to Indian entertainment platform BookMyShow. Sheeran played seven nights across the country as part of his + – = ÷ x Tour that is continuing on to China, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and more. The India […]
Billboard Canada Power Players is returning in 2025, and it’s moving to Toronto’s NXNE.
The authoritative ranking of the music business’s most powerful executives — an official extension of Billboard’s Power 100 list — expanded to Canada in 2024. The event brought a who’s-who of industry leaders to a packed celebration at Toronto’s tallest building, the CN Tower. This year, the event will grow even bigger at its new home at NXNE, the beloved music festival celebrating its 30th anniversary amidst a new strategic partnership with Billboard Canada.
Nominations officially opened this week and will close on March 7, 2025.
“We’re thrilled to bring Power Players to the country’s most vibrant music conference and festival,” says Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard Canada. “Power Players is a crucial spotlight of the executives leading the charge in Canada on a global scale, and we can’t wait to bring it to new heights in 2025.”
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Canada is home to some of the most impactful people in music, both at home and internationally. In 2024, Billboard Canada celebrated Arthur Fogel, Live Nation’s CEO of global touring, at No. 1. The Canadian industry icon who shaped the modern global touring market attended the event and spoke about the impact Canada’s live music scene had on his career.
As Canada’s market for stadium concerts and festivals continues to expand and Canadian Content regulations continue to be debated, there are many factors and stories that could play a role in this year’s Power Players list.
Billboard Canada Power Players celebrates people across the industry, including record labels, publishing, legal, streaming and radio, creative media, and more. The extremely competitive honour reflects market share, industry impact, achievements and other metrics.
The Power Players list is peer-nominated and selected by the Billboard Canada team.
Find the submissions form here. It’s also available in French here. – Richard Trapunski
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Canadian Independent Music Association Pulls Out of SXSW Amidst ‘Instability’ In the United States
One of the top showcase opportunities for Canadian musicians at SXSW will not take place this year.
The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) has canceled its Canada House event at the upcoming Austin music festival amidst rising political and economic tensions between Canada and the United States.
Andrew Cash, CIMA’s president and CEO, describes the decision as a confluence of various factors, mostly related to the relationship between the two countries since Donald Trump began his second term as U.S. President.
That includes the 25% tariffs placed on goods from Canada set to kick in on March 12, which falls during the dates of this year’s SXSW (which runs from March 7-15), as well as Trump’s repeated threats to annex the country.
“The growing instability of everything in the United States right now, plus the high cost [of putting on events in the United States] and the low [Canadian] dollar — all of these things combined made it so we couldn’t feel confident or good about what we were getting ourselves into at this particular moment,” Cash tells Billboard Canada.
“The timing is not great,” he continues. “We would be going down there just after the 30-day tariff pause has expired. We’re going to have a new Prime Minister [in Canada, following the resignation of Justin Trudeau]. I just didn’t feel comfortable putting CIMA out there in that context of instability.”
For more than a decade, Canada House has been a pivotal exporting opportunity for Canadian bands and artists at the influential American music festival. Taking over the Swan Dive music venue, it offers opportunities for Canadian musicians and entrepreneurs to network and showcase at an event well-attended by members of the local and international music industry. CIMA had planned to host a one-day daytime music showcase on March 12.
CIMA made the decision to pull out of SXSW on Feb. 13, sending emails to partners and invited artists informing them that they would not be producing the event this year.
Applications opened last fall, and four Canadian and Indigenous acts had been sent offers to play CIMA’s Canada House showcase. They learned of the cancellation last week.
“We don’t know what the climate is going to be,” Cash says. “It felt potentially dissonant to be going down to Texas and hosting an event called Canada House while the President of that country is essentially stating his intent to annex our country…We made the decision based on what we could control, because there’s so much about this situation that we can’t.”
CIMA is still offering Canadian bands spots at networking events with other international music offices and export partners from Australia, England, New Zealand and other markets. And though the Canada House showcase is on pause for 2025, they could still bring it back in future years depending on the geopolitical situation.
In the meantime, Cash says CIMA will focus its resources and investments on other international markets and opportunities within Canada. This will not affect the organization’s other Canada House activations at the German festival Reeperbahn, British festival The Great Escape or SXSW Australia.
Cash says he hopes the situation in the U.S. is resolved soon, as the country is Canada’s biggest export market — not just for music but many sectors of the economy.
“I think everyone understands that we’re in unprecedented times,” says Cash. “And I think everyone is unsure exactly how to react.”
For more on the cancellation, and how it affected artists who were invited to play, head here. – Richard Trapunski
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Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Hits No. 1 In Canada for The First Time After Super Bowl Performance
Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” is the No. 1 song in Canada this week — for the first time.
The diss track never managed to claim the top spot on the charts in Drake‘s home country like it did in the U.S. last year during the height of the stars’ heated rap beef. But after a Super Bowl halftime performance that saw record viewership, Canadians have pushed the controversial single to a new peak on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 for the chart dated Feb. 22, 2025.
Going into the Super Bowl, it wasn’t clear if Lamar was even legally allowed to perform the track, as Drake is suing Universal Music Group, the label that released it. But after teasing it throughout the night, Lamar not only played the song, he included the lines that name-drop Drake and accuse him of predatory behaviour. Serena Williams, Drake’s ex, danced alongside Lamar on the field.
Following the success of “Not Like Us” last year, Lamar dropped a surprise album, GNX, which is at No. 2 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart this week. Lamar is also all over the Canadian Hot 100, with 11 of his tracks charting there.
He performed his SZA collab from that album, “Luther,” at the halftime show as well, with the R&B star joining for the duet. That track also got a post-show boost, rising 18-2 on the Canadian Hot 100, as did SZA’s 2017 album Ctrl, which re-enters the Canadian Albums chart at No. 91. SZA’s SOS, meanwhile, drops from 2-3 behind GNX.
The two will perform together on the Grand National tour this summer, which stops in Toronto on June 12 and 13. – Rosie Long Decter
ATEEZ has emerged as one of the most popular K-pop groups in the U.S., achieving milestones that defy industry norms. They became the first group unaffiliated with the “Big Four” entertainment companies, such as SM, JYP, YG, and HYBE, to top the Billboard 200 chart. In 2024, they became the first K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella and claimed their second Billboard 200 No. 1 with their 11th mini album, Golden Hour: Part 2. Yet, their name remains curiously absent from Korea’s domestic music scene.
Album sales paint a striking picture. Their 11th mini album sold over one million copies in its first week. However, their Korea streaming performance tells a different story. ATEEZ is nowhere to be found on Korea’s YouTube Music Hot 100 chart or the charts of local platforms like Melon, Genie, Bugs, and FLO. Spotify data reveals their most streamed cities are Jakarta, Bangkok, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, notably excluding Seoul.
Stray Kids, under JYP Entertainment, face a similar paradox. Their album HOP made history in 2024 as the first to achieve six consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1 albums by a group. This record-breaking achievement prompted the announcement of a 20-stop global stadium tour in 2025, solidifying their global appeal. Yet in Korea, their title track “Chk Chk Boom” failed to claim the top spot on major streaming charts. Like ATEEZ, their strongest Spotify numbers come from Indonesia, Japan, Chile, Brazil, and Malaysia.
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K-pop thrives globally, driven by its fiercely loyal fanbase. According to IFPI’s Global Music Report, SEVENTEEN’s FML and Stray Kids’ 5-STAR ranked first and second, respectively, in global album sales for 2023. In IFPI’s Global Artist Chart, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, Tomorrow X Together, and NewJeans all placed in the Top 10. However, this global success highlights a surprising shift: K-pop’s domestic market no longer mirrors its international dominance.
Data from the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) illustrates this disparity. In 2023, K-pop’s overseas revenue reached 1.2377 trillion KRW (approximately $950 million USD), while HYBE reported 63.3% of its earnings from international markets in the first half of 2023. JYP followed with 52.2% and YG at 48.6%. Luminate’s Mapping Out K-pop’s Global Dominance report placed Korea as the fourth largest consumer of K-pop, trailing Japan, the U.S., and Indonesia.
Then why is K-pop less visible in its home country?
To better understand this, one must revisit the mid-2010’s, a period when K-pop began its meteoric rise in the U.S., spearheaded by BTS’s success at the Billboard Music Awards and their domination of Western charts. Back home, K-pop reigned supreme in Korea’s music scene, led by heavyweights like BLACKPINK, TWICE, EXO and SEVENTEEN, while audition programs such as Produce 101 captivated audiences and amplified K-pop’s domestic appeal.
Ironically, as K-pop’s global footprint grew, its local presence waned. The absence of a trusted official chart to represent Korea’s music industry dealt a major blow. Once reliable indicators of popularity, real-time charts on platforms like Melon and Genie fell into disrepute after controversies surrounding chart manipulation and ballot rigging in audition programs. These incidents eroded public trust in K-pop as a genre.
By 2018, the industry shifted its focus from broad audience appeal to catering to core fandoms. Fanbases, in turn drove album sales to record-breaking heights, pushing physical sales to over 116 million units in 2023, a tenfold increase over the past decade. Billboard 200 chart topping acts, which were once a rarity, have now expanded to include a slew of K-pop groups like SuperM, Tomorrow x Together, and NewJeans.
Billboard Korea: Predicting K-pop Companies’ Strategies for 2025
Meanwhile, K-pop’s evolution into a fandom centric business model has redefined its strategy. Entertainment companies prioritize retaining and strengthening existing fanbases over attracting casual listeners and songs are designed to reinforce a group’s identity rather than to appeal to the masses. Global promotions, such as BTS’s and BLACKPINK’s massive stadium tours in the U.S. and Japan, underscore this trend, with groups like Stray Kids and ATEEZ leading the charge in self-produced artistry.
In Korea, K-pop activities increasingly resemble fan service. Despite low domestic ratings, programs like Music Bank, M Countdown, and Inkigayo remain important platforms for launching new songs and generating live performance clips for social media platforms such as YouTube. This demonstrates that while K-pop may no longer be music for everyone, its transformation into a niche-driven, global phenomenon is undeniable.
However, not all groups face this disconnect. Acts like aspea, IVE, SEVENTEEN and NewJeans continue to dominate Korean media and achieve commercial success domestically. Across the board, K-pop’s overall revenues keep climbing, driven largely by its international market.
As K-pop popularity continues to grow around the global, its strategy continues to evolve. English lyrics, international artist collaborations, and streamlined promotional cycles reflect its shift toward the global stage. Circle Chart data shows that the percentage of English lyrics in girl group releases reached 41.3% in 2023, up nearly 19% from 2018. For boy groups, the figure stood at 24.3%. Major comebacks are now followed by world tours, with U.S. talk shows often serving as debut platforms for new releases.
As K-pop increasingly focuses on global markets, can it find a balance between domestic recognition and international acclaim? Will it achieve a universal appeal similar to Latin music, fostering sustainable support both at home and abroad? The dual identity of K-pop, its paradoxical success offers both challenges and opportunities for the industry’s future.
This article is courtesy of Billboard Korea.
A court in Argentina dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with the death of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last October, according to a ruling obtained by The Associated Press.
A preliminary autopsy report cited multiple traumas and hemorrhages as the cause of death, while a toxicology report revealed alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants in Payne’s system.
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The court cleared Esteban Grassi, head receptionist at the CasaSur Hotel, Rogelio Nores, an Argentine-American businessman who accompanied Payne on the trip, and Gilda Martin, the hotel’s manager. Grassi had made two emergency calls prior to the accident, first reporting that a guest was “trashing the entire room” and later expressing concerns that the guest “may be in danger.”
Prosecutors argued that Nores neglected his duty of care by leaving Payne alone while intoxicated, but the court ruled that he had no legal obligation. Martin and Grassi, who had escorted Payne to his room, were also cleared, as the court found insufficient evidence that their actions directly contributed to his fatal fall.
However, two other defendants, Ezequiel David Pereyra, a former hotel employee, and Braian Paiz, a waiter who served Payne at a restaurant, remain in custody. They are charged with supplying narcotics to Payne, an offense that carries a prison sentence of four to 15 years in Argentina. The court justified their continued detention due to the severity of the charges.
In Argentina’s legal system, prosecutors gather evidence for a judge to decide whether a case proceeds to trial.
Payne was laid to rest in November in the U.K., with his funeral attended by his One Direction bandmates, girlfriend Katie Cassidy, and ex-partner Cheryl Cole, with whom he shared a son.
An attorney for The 1975 says frontman Matt Healy and his bandmates cannot be held responsible for the cancellation of the July 2023 Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur, which was shut down by authorities after Healy kissed one of his male bandmates on stage, violating the country’s ban on same-sex relationships. As a result […]
Hit songwriter Savan Kotecha has partnered with Universal Music India, Republic Records and Represent to launch an initiative aimed at discovering and developing India’s first globally impactful pop boy band. The nationwide talent hunt seeks to redefine India’s pop landscape by creating a group that reflects the country’s diversity, while also “igniting an unprecedented wave of fandom and paving the way for the Indian Teen Pop economy,” according to the announcement.
Kotecha, a Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated native of Texas, has played a pivotal role in shaping modern pop music over the last 15-plus years. His extensive catalog includes hits for Ariana Grande, One Direction, The Weeknd and Maroon 5. With a career that took off in Sweden alongside mentor Max Martin, Kotecha has contributed to chart-topping songs like Grande’s “Problem,” 1D’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” and Maroon 5’s “One More Night.” He also served as executive music producer for Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Kotecha believes that India has long looked outside its borders for pop and teen idols, and this initiative aims to change that. “Boy bands have shaped generations around the world—now, it’s India’s turn,” he said. “We want to create a group that represents India’s dreams and sparks an unprecedented wave of fandom.”
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Universal Music Group India & South Asia managing director Sanujeet Bhujabal emphasized the project’s significance. “Our i-Pop strategy has focused on cultivating a Gen Z and Gen Alpha-driven sound in India. Partnering with Savan, we’re taking this vision global by launching India’s first true pop boy band. This will be the biggest talent hunt India has ever seen, and we are committed to building a long-term teen pop economy.”
Aayushman Sinha, founder of Represent, echoed this sentiment: “We’re stepping into a new era of talent development, something India has never seen before. More importantly, this project is about fostering sustainable careers for young artists and establishing pop music as a dominant cultural force.”
To shape the eventual band’s identity, the project has also partnered with Jugaad Motion Pictures.
Aspiring musicians can audition by following @greatestindianboyband on Instagram and submitting their entries on the contest’s website. To apply, candidates need to upload a video showcasing their talent and answering a few select questions. After a month-long selection process, shortlisted contestants will advance to the next round, with the final five then participating in what’s described as a “training bootcamp” ahead of their official debut.
Conclave was named best film at the 2025 BAFTA Awards. It tied with The Brutalist for most wins at the ceremony (four each). The awards were held on Sunday (Feb. 16) at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Doctor Who star David Tennant hosted for the second year in a row.
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In addition to best film, Conclave won outstanding British film, adapted screenplay and editing.
The Brutalist took leading actor for Adrien Brody, director for Brady Corbet, original score for Daniel Blumberg and cinematography for Lol Crawley.
Runners-up with two awards each were Emilia Pérez, A Real Pain, Wicked, Dune: Part Two, Anora and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
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Despite six nominations, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown was shut out.
Brody has won best actor at most awards shows and is seen as the front-runner to take the Oscar on March 2. Other top awards still appear to be unsettled. The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez won the best picture awards at the Golden Globes. Anora won best picture at the Critics Choice Awards and was also victorious at three guild awards — the Producers Guild, Directors Guild and Writers Guild. With Conclave winning here, it adds more uncertainty to the Oscar race.
And while Anora’s Mikey Madison won best actress here, Demi Moore is still seen as very much in the hunt for the Oscar for best actress for The Substance.
Last year the outcome in the top eight categories (picture, director, the two writing awards and the four acting awards) at the BAFTAs and the Oscars was exactly the same, but two years ago there was no overlap in the winners in those categories at the two shows. And consider this: Only two of the last 10 BAFTA winners for best film went on to win the Oscar for best picture — Nomadland in 2021 and Oppenheimer in 2024.
Blumberg, who is also nominated for an Oscar for best original score, is an artist, musician, songwriter and composer from London. From 2005-’09, he was a founding member and lead singer for the band Cajun Dance Party. From 2009-’13, Blumberg was frontman and guitarist for the indie rock band Yuck.
Here’s the full list of 2025 BAFTA nominations, with winners marked.
Best film
Anora — Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Nick Gordon, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison, DJ Gugenheim, Brady Corbet
A Complete Unknown — Fred Berger, Alex Heineman, James Mangold
WINNER: Conclave — Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman
Emilia Pérez – Pascal Caucheteux, Jacques Audiard
Leading actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
WINNER: Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun
Leading actor
WINNER: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Hugh Grant, Heretic
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Supporting actress
Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
WINNER: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Supporting actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
WINNER: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Director
Anora — Sean Baker
WINNER: The Brutalist — Brady Corbet
Conclave — Edward Berger
Dune: Part Two — Denis Villeneuve
Emilia Pérez — Jacques Audiard
The Substance — Coralie Fargeat
Original screenplay
Anora — written by Sean Baker
The Brutalist — written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
Kneecap — written by Rich Peppiatt, story by Rich Peppiatt, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
WINNER: A Real Pain — written by Jesse Eisenberg
The Substance — written by Coralie Fargeat
Adapted screenplay
A Complete Unknown — screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
WINNER: Conclave — screenplay by Peter Straughan
Emilia Pérez — screenplay by Jacques Audiard
Nickel Boys — screenplay by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing — screenplay by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield
Original score
WINNER: The Brutalist — Daniel Blumberg
Conclave — Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez — Camille, Clément Ducol
Nosferatu — Robin Carolan
The Wild Robot — Kris Bowers
Film not in the English language
All We Imagine as Light — Payal Kapadia, Thomas Hakim
WINNER: Emilia Pérez — Jacques Audiard
I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui) — Walter Salles
Kneecap — Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney
The Seed of the Sacred Fig — Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei
Documentary
Black Box Diaries — Shiori Ito, Hanna Aqvilin, Eric Nyari
Daughters — Natalie Rae, Angela Patton
No Other Land — Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
WINNER: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story — Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, Lizzie Gilliett, Robert Ford
Will & Harper — Josh Greenbaum, Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum
Animated film
Flow — Gints Siibalodis, Matīss Kaža
Inside Out 2 — Kelsey Mann, Mark Nielsen
WINNER: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek
The Wild Robot — Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann
Children’s & family film
Flow — Gints Siibalodis, Matīss Kaža
Kensuke’s Kingdom — Kirk Hendry, Neil Boyle, Camilla Deakin
WINNER: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek
The Wild Robot — Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann
Casting
WINNER: Anora — Sean Baker, Samantha Quan
The Apprentice — Stephanie Gorin, Carmen Cuba
A Complete Unknown — Yesi Ramirez
Conclave — Nina Gold, Martin Ware
Kneecap — Carla Stronge
Cinematography
WINNER: The Brutalist — Lol Crawley
Conclave — Stéphane Fontaine
Dune: Part Two — Greig Fraser
Emilia Pérez — Paul Guilhaume
Nosferatu — Jarin Blaschke
Editing
Anora — Sean Baker
WINNER: Conclave — Nick Emerson
Dune: Part Two — Joe Walker
Emilia Pérez – Juliette Welfling
Kneecap — Julian Ulrichs, Chris Gill
Costume design
Blitz — Jacqueline Durran
A Complete Unknown — Arianne Phillips
Conclave — Lisy Christl
Nosferatu — Linda Muir
WINNER: Wicked — Paul Tazewell
Makeup & hair
Dune: Part Two — Love Larson, Eva Von Bahr
Emilia Pérez — Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier, Jean-Christophe Spadaccini, Romain Marietti
Nosferatu — David White, Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton
WINNER: The Substance — Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, Frédérique Arguello, Marilyne Scarselli
Wicked — Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, Sarah Nuth
Production design
The Brutalist — Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia
Conclave — Suzie Davies, Cynthia Sleiter
Dune: Part Two — Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau
Nosferatu — Craig Lathrop
WINNER: Wicked — Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales
Sound
Blitz — John Casali, Paul Cotterell, James Harrison
WINNER: Dune: Part Two — Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Gareth John, Richard King
Gladiator II — Stéphane Bucher, Matthew Collinge, Paul Massey Danny Sheehan
The Substance — Valérie Deloof, Victor Fleurant, Victor Praud, Stéphane Thiébaut, Emmanuelle Villard
Wicked — Robin Baynton, Simon Hayes, John Marquis, Andy Nelson, Nancy Nugent Title
Special visual effects
Better Man — Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs
WINNER: Dune: Part Two — Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Gerd Nefzer, Rhys Salcombe
Gladiator II — Mark Bakowski, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny, Pietro Ponti
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — Erik Winquist, Rodney Burke, Paul Story, Stephen Unterfranz
Wicked — Pablo Helman, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Anthony Smith
Outstanding British film
Bird — Andrea Arnold, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Lee Groombridge
Blitz — Steve McQueen, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Anita Overland
WINNER: Conclave — Edward Berger, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, Peter Straughan
Gladiator II — Ridley Scott, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, David Scarpa, Peter Craig
Hard Truths — Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe
Kneecap — Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
Lee — Ellen Kuras, Kate Solomon, Kate Winslet, Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, John Collee, Lem Dobbs
Love Lies Bleeding — Rose Glass, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman, Wereonika Tofilska
The Outrun — Nora Fingscheidt, Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan, Amy Liptrot
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek, Mark Burton
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Hoard — Luna Carmoon (Director, writer)
WINNER: Kneecap — Rich Peppiatt (Director, writer)
Monkey Man — Dev Patel (Director)
Santosh — Sandhya Suri (Director, writer), James Bowsher (Producer), Balthazar de Ganay (Producer), also produced by Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge
Sister Midnight — Karan Kandhari (Director, writer)
British short animation
Adiós — José Prats, Natalia Kyriacou, Bernardo Angeletti
Mog’s Christmas — Robin Shaw, Joanna Harrison, Camilla Deakin, Ruth Fielding
WINNER: Wander to Wonder — Nina Gantz, Stienette Bosklopper, Simon Cartwright, Maarten Swart
British short film
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing — Theo Panagopoulos, Marissa Keating
Marion — Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine, Marija Djikic
Milk — Miranda Stern, Ashionye Ogene
WINNER: Rock, Paper, Scissors — Franz Böhm, Ivan, Hayder Rothschild Hoozeer
Stomach Bug — Matty Crawford, Karima Sammout-Kanellopoulou
EE rising star award (voted for by the public)
Marisa Abela
Jharrel Jerome
WINNER: David Jonsson
Mikey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan