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Credo Holdings Co., Ltd., a hospitality company (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Koichi Shirai), opened “Billboard Live TAIPEI” on the seventh floor of “ATT 4 FUN” in Taipei’s Xinyi District on Nov. 18, 2025. The opening performances were headlined by Mika Nakashima, with all four stages across two shows completely sold out. She also took part in the venue’s opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting, organized by the group company Taiwan Credo Entertainment.
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“Billboard Live TAIPEI” held its opening ceremony on Nov. 18. The ceremony featured opening artist Mika Nakashima, Masato Kitaguchi, Executive Producer of Billboard Live TAIPEI and Credo CEO Koichi Shirai.
In addition to the ribbon-cutting, commemorative gifts were presented. Mika Nakashima commented, “It is a great honor to be invited to perform the very first show at this memorable venue.” Shirai gifted her with “Kaki (Persimmon),” a glass art piece by Ruri Kobo, explaining, “The word “Kaki” (柿 – persimmon) shares the same pronunciation as “Kaki”‘嘉来 – good fortune to come.’ We chose this piece as a wish for continued good luck and harmony for her.”
During the opening performance, Mika Nakashima stepped onto the stage barefoot and offered a deep bow. She greeted the audience in Chinese—“大家好，我是中島美嘉(Hello everyone, I’m Mika Nakashima!)”—which immediately brought the venue to an eruption of cheers, marking a brilliant and fitting opening for Billboard Live TAIPEI. The show began gently with her signature song “Hanataba,” followed by a series of beloved hits including “Sakura-iro Mau Koro,” “Glamorous Sky” and “Love is Ecstasy.”
Between songs, she commented on the dishes served at the tables, chatted with guests in the front rows, and exchanged high-five moments with fans—fully enjoying the intimate atmosphere that only Billboard Live TAIPEI can offer, where the stage and audience are uniquely close. One guest commented, “I can’t believe I was able to see Mika Nakashima this close—this was truly the best performance of my life, something I will never forget. The food and drinks were also excellent.”
At Billboard Live TAIPEI, the cuisine is supervised by Chef Yoshifumi Kishigami, a French chef with 35 years of experience in Japanese hotel restaurants, while the alcohol program is overseen by Mr. Hsu Chen-Hsuan, champion of the Suntory Cocktail Competition in Taiwan. Together, they ensure that the venue delivers top-quality experiences in both music and dining. “Billboard Live TAIPEI” is set to host a diverse lineup of international performances, featuring artists such as Nathan East, Vivian Hsu (Xu Ruo Xuan), Do As Infinity, Sunwoo Jung-a (鮮于貞娥), Joanna Wang (王若琳), Andrew Chen (陳勢安) and Eric Martin (Mr. Big), among many others.
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The hard hats came off for the first official concert at TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario last Friday night (Nov. 21) — and it started with a bang.
The first show at the former Copps Coliseum and FirstOntario Centre arena since its nearly $300-million transformation by American sports and live entertainment company Oak View Group was one of the most prominent music legends still playing today: Sir Paul McCartney. That’s a big flex for a venue aiming to prove itself as both a relief valve for the red-hot Toronto live music touring market and a destination in its own right, as well as Oak View Group’s new flagship venue in Canada.
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McCartney has a discography packed full of some of the most immortal songs of all time from the Beatles to Wings to his solo career, and the multigenerational crowd that packed the sold-out 18,000-capacity venue showed their appreciation by shouting and singing along with every song.
Partway through the set, the 83-year-old artist took an informal poll: “How many of you here are actually from Hamilton?” he asked, before repeating the question asking how many are not. Judging by the cheers, it sounded like 60-40 out-of-towners to Hamiltonians. It’s been nearly 10 years since McCartney last played the city, and he made it count with a marathon 36-song setlist that lasted close to three hours.
The arrival of TD Coliseum may be described as an upgrade of an existing arena, but that tag seriously underplays the significance of what is a genuinely dramatic $300 million transformation of the 18,000-capacity venue.
The ribbon cutting on Nov. 20 was attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford (taking time out on his birthday), several of his provincial cabinet members, the mayor of Hamilton, Andrea Horwath, and high-level representatives from Oak View Group, the Denver-based international venues giant in charge of the project, and its partners, including TD Bank and Live Nation Canada.
Nick DeLuco, senior vice president and general manager of TD Coliseum, launched the event by recalling that “749 days ago, we were here, talking about a vision, a dream of what this venue was going to become, and now it’s real.”
Read more on the opening McCartney concert here and the opening of TD Coliseum here. — Richard Trapunski and Kerry Doole
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Macklam Feldman Management Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Macklam Feldman Management (MFM) is celebrating 30 years.
As the Canadian-born international talent agency embarks on its third decade, the company is welcoming new team members and a bevy of emerging talent.
Founded in Vancouver in 1995 by industry titans Stephen Macklam and Sam Feldman, the partnership initially emerged to manage Irish folk band The Chieftains. The success of the group proved their joint prowess — and Macklam Feldman Management was born.
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Since then, the management company — a subsidiary of Feldman’s A&F Music Ltd. — has overseen and guided the careers of some of the biggest artists in the world including Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Leonard Cohen, Bette Midler, Tracy Chapman and James Taylor alongside a roster that today includes legends Sarah McLachlan, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Colin James and more.
“We’ve been fortunate to work with some of the most iconic artists in the world, and this recent momentum marks the most concentrated period of investment in artist development since the company was founded,” Feldman tells Billboard Canada.
While working with icons like McLachlan and Costello, Macklam and Feldman are music industry legends in their own right. (The latter also founded The Feldman Agency, one of Canada’s biggest booking agencies, before selling the namesake company to his executive team in 2019.) Recently, however, MFM has increasingly invested in artist development.
Over the last two years, MFM has expanded its team with four new staff members — Samuel Chadwick, Sam Hughes, Connor Macklam and Wesley Attew — who are dedicated to artist development and digital marketing. They will work with artist managers Scott Oerlemans and Kyle Kubicek to strengthen MFM’s artist development and digital marketing operations for their growing roster.
Over the past year, they have welcomed a new wave of artists, including American singer-songwriter aron!, rock band Tommy Lefroy, U.K. post-punk band YAANG and country singer Dawson Gray. They join 2022 signees, emerging folk-pop trio Tiny Habits, who recently opened for McLachlan on her 30th anniversary Fumbling Towards Ecstasy tour. Each brings a fresh musical perspective and global prospects to the agency.
Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh
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New National Report Calls for Boost to Indigenous Music ‘Discoverability’ in Canada’s Streaming Era
As Canada updates its rules for how streaming platforms support local culture, a key opportunity is emerging to strengthen the visibility of Indigenous music at home and abroad.
The Indigenous Music Office (IMO) has released a new study that sheds light on the challenges affecting Indigenous artists and music companies accessing international markets.
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Pathways to International Markets: A Strategy to Increase Export Capacity for Indigenous Music is the music organization’s first major research project. The study establishes four key strategic directions that identify the roles that funders, music industry organizations and partners play in increasing financing, professional development and discoverability for Indigenous artists and industry professionals.
In the study, the IMO highlights that export activities generate significant career development opportunities for Indigenous music artists. However, most funds available to the Canadian music industry lack a strategic focus on assisting the development and export of Indigenous music.
“A strategy to increase the export capacity of the Indigenous music sector is timely as demand for Indigenous music is growing in Canada and around the world,” the report reads.
This includes financing the growth of a domestic Indigenous-owned and led music ecosystem, strengthening export readiness of Indigenous artists, prioritizing international showcasing, touring and networking and promoting discoverability of Indigenous music on streaming and broadcasting platforms.
The study calls for promoting “discoverability of Indigenous music on streaming and broadcasting platforms” as the most specific pathway for Indigenous artists and organizations to reach larger audiences.
In addition to working closely with the CRTC on the implementation of Online Streaming Act, the IMO has assisted in the development of the commission’s new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy, in partnership with First Nations, Métis and Inuit broadcasters, along with Indigenous content creators and audiences.
The study was developed amidst the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, a once-in-a-generation update to CanCon regulations, and ongoing Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) hearings. In September, various Canadian music orgs voiced their opinions on the changes, one of which highlights the importance of artist discoverability for Indigenous musicians.
An important part of the hearings was last year’s CRTC decision to enforce major foreign-owned streaming services with Canadian revenues over $25 million to pay a now-paused 5% of revenues into Canadian content funds, like the Indigenous Music Office and FACTOR.
Read more here. — HTS
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Ne-Yo, MC Jin, Indian singer and actor Sonu Nigam and former Warner Music Asia co-president Jonathan Serbin have unveiled a new record label, Pacific Music Group, that will focus on talent from across the Asian continent, the group announced today (Nov. 24). Pacific, which will be based in Hong Kong, will aim to both promote local talent globally and serve as a hub for international artists who want to create a footprint in the region.
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The three artists will have A&R input and serve as mentors to the label’s talent. The label says it will include imprints focusing on pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic music and local genres.
“Launching Pacific Music Group isn’t just a business move, it’s a personal mission,” Ne-Yo said in a statement announcing the label. “As an individual of Chinese descent, I’m proud to use my resources to help discover and elevate the next generation of talented Pan-Asian superstars. I’ve toured across Asia several times and witnessed the evolution of the music scene, so I’m really excited to make history and bring the region’s rich culture to the forefront of the global stage.”
“Asia has emerged as one of the most dynamic forces in the global music industry,” added Serbin, who spent five years overseeing Warner’s Asia operations, following five years as Billboard’s head of Asia. “With half the world’s population and three of the top 10 music markets, the region is primed to lead on the world stage. At the same time, rapidly growing markets like India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines offer immense potential. We believe the time is right for a music company born in Asia, but built with a global perspective from day one.”
Pacific’s stated goal is to reflect the global music axis around the Pacific Ocean, in a similar way that Atlantic Records set out to do when it was founded decades ago. The label says it will announce its artists in the coming months and begin releasing music soon after.
“Asia is full of talent with unique stories, fresh styles and authentic messages waiting to be shared with the world,” said MC Jin, who will oversee Pacific’s hip-hop imprint, in a statement, adding that the genre helped him find his own voice as an artist and Chinese American. “With Pacific Music Group, these individuals will now have a chance to share their art rooted in creativity and culture in an impactful way.”
“India alone has 1.6 billion people, but Indian artists want to connect well beyond our borders,” added Nigam. “The same is true across Asia. There is a hunger to grow globally and the potential to bring the richness of our cultures to the world. With Pacific Music Group, we’re not just exporting talent, we’re helping artists thrive both at home and abroad.”
Trending on Billboard Austin Daboh has left his senior role at Warner Music’s Atlantic Records after five years. Daboh, who served as executive vice president of Atlantic Records U.K., announced the news on his LinkedIn profile on Thursday (Nov. 20). Daboh also served as president of Black Music at the label from 2023 onwards. He […]
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Ornella Vanoni, a beloved performer who had a seven decade-long singing career with such international hits as “Senza Fine” and “L’appuntamento,” has died. She was 91.
In a post on X Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her deep sorrow for the loss of Vanoni, whose “unmistakable voice” left an imprint on Italian culture for generations. “Italy loses a unique artist who leaves us with an unrepeatable artistic heritage,” Meloni said.
Vanoni died of cardiac arrest at her Milan home, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.
Vanoni recorded more than 100 albums with sales of over 55 million copies, vaulting her to iconic status among generations of fans and earning her the moniker “The Lady of Italian Song,” according to LaPresse newspaper.
Born in Milan in 1937, Vanoni’s first love was the theater, which culminated with performances on the Broadway stage in 1964. But her passion for music combined with what LaPresse described as a “highly personal and sophisticated performing style” and vast repertoire from jazz to pop led her to collaborate with some of the most important songwriters in Italy and abroad.
Vanoni’s partnership — and love affair — with famed Genovese singer-songwriter Gino Paoli produced the hit “Senza Fine” (Without End), which shot her onto the international stage in 1961.Her later collaborations spanned a range of artistic talent including Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock and George Benson, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.Vanoni excelled in numerous prestigious music festival awards in Italy, including the country’s most popular Sanremo Music Festival in which she participated eight times, earning second place in 1968 with the song “Casa Bianca.”Her talent extended into songwriting which was recognized when she twice won the prestigious Tenco Award — the only Italian singer to be awarded the prize as a songwriter and the only woman to have won it twice.ANSA said Vanoni was much sought-after as a guest on television programs in her later years because of her unpredictable nature, the vast wealth of anecdotes she shared and her “complete indifference to political correctness.”
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The next generation of music industry visionaries, entrepreneurs and changemakers showed up in droves for the first-ever edition of Billboard Canada 40 Under 40.
Yesterday (Nov. 20) at W Toronto marked the first time Billboard‘s influential celebration came to Canada, recognizing the executives and innovators shaping the global music business. The night was in partnership with YouTube, W Toronto and Hendrick’s.
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“There’s really a lot of optimism here,” shared Richard Trapunski, National Editor at Billboard Canada. “There’s so much talent coming out of Canada that’s really shaping what’s happening in the music industry worldwide. It’s great to get a chance to celebrate those people and those voices who are pushing that conversation.”
Elizabeth Crisante, Billboard Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer, noted that many driven and successful achievers don’t get a chance to celebrate their wins.
“The interesting thing about highly ambitious people is they have laser-like focus on the goals in front of them,” she said. “Often, they may not take the time to step back and look at how far they’ve come, how much they’ve grown and how much impact they’ve had in the community — and that’s why tonight is so special.”
La Mar Taylor accepted the first-ever Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 Visionary Award, presented by YouTube. The globally successful 35-year-old is a co-founder of the culture-defining XO Records and is The Weeknd‘s longtime creative director. His work with The Weeknd, including his record-breaking After Hours Til Dawn Tour, cemented him as one of the most influential creative directors in music today.
Taylor is also building the next generation of Canadian talent through HXOUSE, the Toronto creative incubator he co-founded to provide mentorship, studio space and networking opportunities for emerging artists, designers and musicians.
In his acceptance speech, Taylor made sure to celebrate his hometown, thanking XO, The Weeknd and the HXOUSE community. He expressed enthusiasm about 40 Under 40 becoming an annual event, praising the strength of the music community in Canada that deserves recognition, while also calling for a stronger creative ecosystem in Canada.
“It’s up to us to pave the way and really bring Canada to where it needs to be. Let’s be on the journey together. Let’s kill it.”
The majority of the inaugural honourees came to celebrate, including SOCAN executive director and TMU assistant professor Dr. Charlie Wall-Andrews, MRG Live’s senior talent buyer, Samantha O’Connor, senior manager of label partnerships at Universal Music Canada, Angela De Medeiros, Sony Music Canada marketing manager, Vanessa Adams, Live Nation Canada’s director of Latin music, Ricky Taco, senior music manager at SiriusXM Canada, Siobhan Woodrow, 604 Records’ head of streaming, Julia Amodeo, Yonis, co-founder of Active Cause and many more.
Read more from the celebration here and find the full Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 list here.
Warner Music Canada Appoints New Co-GMs Julia Hummel & Madelaine Napoleone
Warner Music Canada has named Julia Hummel and Madelaine Napoleone as its new co-general managers, the company announced today.
The Toronto-based executives — both Billboard Canada Women in Music 2025 honourees, and with Hummel also recognized on Billboard Canada’s 40 Under 40 list — will jointly lead the company’s strategy across one of the world’s top music markets.
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Hummel and Napoleone will report to Eric Wong, president of East West Records and head of global A&R for recorded music at Warner Music Group.
Before their promotions, Napoleone was VP of marketing and Hummel served as VP of digital strategy and business development. Both joined Warner Music Canada in 2022.
The leadership shift arrives as Warner Music Group continues implementing a global plan to streamline operations and increase investment in music. It also follows the recent departure of Kristen Burke, who previously served as president of Warner Music Canada.
“Madelaine and I are excited to shape the next phase of Warner Music Canada’s growth,” Hummel said in an exclusive statement to Billboard Canada. “We’re committed to strengthening the bridge between our global artists and Canadian fans, and to ensuring that Canadian voices are heard on the world stage.”
“Julia and I are proud to help Canadian artists leverage Warner Music’s global network while building more opportunities for international talent here in Canada,” Napoleone added. “Our passion for music and dedication to supporting artists remain at the core of our work.”
Wong said he has “the utmost confidence” in their leadership, citing their combined expertise in marketing and digital strategy as key to advancing the company’s Canadian business.
The company also confirmed that Andy West, who served as EVP and general manager for the past three years, has exited the company.
Read more here.
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The U.K. government hopes to decrease the price of resale tickets by an average £37 per ticket ($48 USD), according to a new report released released Wednesday (Nov. 19) in which it outlined its plan to outlaw ticket resale above face value.
According to a memo outlining the new rules, “Music and sport fans will no longer be ripped off on the ticket resale market thanks to new measures which will destroy the operating model of ticket touts,” also known as scalpers. The memo, released by the country’s Department for Business and Trade and Department for Culture, Media and Sport, adds that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government will make it “illegal for tickets to concerts, theatre, comedy, sport and other live events to be resold for more than their original cost.” The news was first reported by multiple U.K. outlets on Monday (Nov. 17) prior to the memo’s release.
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The new rules effectively make ticket resale above face value — defined as “the original ticket price plus unavoidable fees, including service charges” — illegal. The law limits the service fees that resale sites can charge and requires platforms like StubHub and Viagogo “to monitor and enforce compliance with the price cap.” The law also bans fans and resellers from buying more tickets than they are legally entitled to purchase during an initial ticket sale.
The U.K. government’s website features supportive quotes from politicians, music managers and artists about the bill, including U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle, who said the legislation taking on scalpers was meant to “smash their model to pieces and make sure more fans can enjoy their favourite stars at a fair price.”
In her own statement, U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy compared ticket scalpers to “a shadow industry, acting without consequence” while Dan Smith of the band Bastille described the legislation as “a good step towards protecting music fans from being ripped off.”
The new rules apply to both ticket resale platforms and social media sites where fans buy and sell goods. Violating the new regulations, according to the government, could result in large financial penalties from the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
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“Government analysis suggests that these measures could save fans around £112 million annually [$146 million USD], with 900,000 more tickets bought directly from primary sellers each year,” the government’s website reads.
The law is meant to build on a development from September in which the Competition and Markets Authority secured commitments from Ticketmaster to give U.K. fans 24 hours’ notice if Ticketmaster plans to use tiered pricing and provide clearer information about how the company’s online queues work, among other measures.
“The CMA’s enforcement action in this case, and the measures agreed with Ticketmaster, send a clear message to all ticketing websites that fans must have access to clear and timely pricing information with accurate ticket descriptions, especially where there are different pricing models and queues in play,” the government’s website reads. “In the future, the CMA will be able to respond even more swiftly and robustly to breaches of consumer law.”
The new legislation drew both praise and condemnation from different corners of the music industry. U.S.-based pro-ticket resale group the National Association of Ticket Brokers warned in a statement that it does “not support efforts to thwart competition. We discourage laws that impose price caps that make it more difficult for ticketing companies to compete with one another.”
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Others were more supportive, with Chris Lipscomb, managing girector for AXS U.K., telling Billboard in a statement, “We strongly support the UK government’s efforts to strengthen safeguards around ticket resale, which align with AXS’s longstanding practices in support of fair fan access.”
Matt Kaplan, who heads up U.K. and EU operations for fan-to-fan exchange Tixel, said “the UK’s move to outlaw touting is a huge win for fans, artists and the wider industry, and we fully support this long-overdue reform. Tixel was built to tackle these exact problems, and after nearly a decade fighting for fair, transparent resale in multiple markets around the world, we’re proud to see a framework emerge that protects fans, restores trust and shuts out the bad actors.”
In a statement to Billboard, Nathaniel Marro with the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) added, “We hope policymakers stateside are paying attention and that reining in predatory resellers is a global movement.” Also in a statement, Stephen Parker of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) called on “state lawmakers throughout the United States to follow the United Kingdom’s (UK) proposed ticket resale price cap.”
Trending on Billboard Everything is ready for the 2025 edition of Billboard Italia Women in Music. After its debut in 2024, the event that honors the most influential women in the Italian music industry returns with a whole new format. The second edition will take place at UFO, Milan’s new cultural hub that houses Billboard […]
Trending on Billboard AEG Presents UK has announced new details about British Airways ARC, an upcoming 3,800-capacity live music venue and event space above the west exhibition hall at the Olympia convention space in London. Set to open in 2026, British Airways ARC is part of a $1.7 billion renovation of Olympia — a 138-year-old […]
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The 2026 edition of the O2 Silver Clef Awards will take place at London’s Royal Albert Hall in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Scheduled for July 9, the event will be held at the prestigious venue for the first time, having been held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in recent years.
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The O2 Silver Clef Awards are Nordoff and Robbins’ largest annual fundraising event. Since 1976, they have raised over £17 million ($23.5 million) for the British music therapy charity, fueling its growth and helping it deliver sessions to vulnerable people in need across the country.
Recipients of the 2025 awards included Rick Astley, IDLES, Noah Kahan, Chase & Status and The Last Dinner Party. The ceremony raised £715,00 ($937,425) for Nordoff and Robbins, who is also a key beneficiary of the BRIT Trust, a music industry charity that receives proceeds from the annual BRIT Awards.
Other acts who have been honoured at the O2 Silver Clef Awards over the years include David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Paul McCartney, George Michael, Kylie Minogue, The Rolling Stones, Oasis and Coldplay.
“We are so immensely proud to be hosting the 50th anniversary of the O2 Silver Clef Awards at the Royal Albert Hall,” Joe Munns, chair of the O2 Silver Clef Awards Committee, said in a statement. “We’ve had the great privilege of giving these prestigious awards to many legendary artists over the years, and what better place to celebrate even more superstars than a venue that’s equally as iconic.”
“The current fundraising climate is challenging for us all and costs continue to increase across the board, so this amazing event is now more important than ever for the charity,” he added.
In addition to hosting the 2026 ceremony, the Royal Albert Hall has announced Nordoff and Robbins as its official charity partner for the year. The partnership will involve raising awareness and funds to expand music therapy delivery across the U.K., as well as promoting Nordoff and Robbins’ research into how their work can support recovery.
James Ainscough OBE, chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be announcing Nordoff and Robbins as our official charity partner for 2026. We will be collaborating with their brilliant team across a number of projects and events throughout the year, to ensure that the joy and healing power of music reaches far beyond the stage, and making music therapy as accessible as possible.
“It is a real honour to be hosting the O2 Silver Clef Awards on such a landmark anniversary. It is always a monumental night in the music industry calendar, and certain to be even more memorable as we celebrate the wonderful work of Nordoff and Robbins and the 50th year of the awards.”
