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Lola Young is the top nominee for The Ivors 2025, which celebrate achievements in songwriting and screen composing across eight categories. Young is nominated for three awards – best song musically and lyrically for “Messy,” best album for This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, and rising star.
Young, 24, has had success on both sides of the Atlantic this year. “Messy” logged four weeks at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and has climbed as high as No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, her sophomore album, reached No. 16 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart and No. 64 on the Billboard 200.
RAYE – the winner of last year’s songwriter of the year award – Ghetts, and Conor Dickinson each received two nominations. Both of Dickinson’s nods are for writing with Young.
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In the PRS for Music most performed work category, Wham!’s 1984 holiday classic “Last Christmas” is one of the five nominees, a remarkable sign of its staying power. The song’s writer, George Michael, was nominated in the category 21 years ago for “Amazing.” Harry Styles’ 2022 smash “As It Was” was also nominated. This is the third year in a row that that global smash, which Styles cowrote with Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, has been nominated in this category. Also in the running are “Houdini” by Dua Lipa, “Stargazing” by Myles Smith, and “Prada” by Cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe.
This year marks the 70th year of the Ivors, also called the Ivor Novello Awards, with the winners set to be revealed at the ceremony taking place at Grosvenor House, London, on Thursday May 22. Amazon Music sponsors the awards.
This year, 74 individual British, Irish or U.K. resident composers and songwriters, and their international collaborators, have received Ivor Novello nominations – 66% of them for the first time.
The rising star award celebrates British, Irish or UK resident songwriters aged 18-24 who are “at the tipping point of greatness,” in the Ivors’ phrase. Each nominee receives year-long, tailored support for their creativity and career from Amazon Music and The Ivors Academy. The 2025 nominations celebrate five female rising stars – Bea and her Business, Liang Lawrence, LULU., Nia Smith and Lola Young.
Pa Salieu is nominated in best contemporary song with “Allergy,” four years on from his last nomination in the same category for “Energy.”
The Ivors also celebrates Britain and Ireland’s finest composers across film, TV and video games. Daniel Pemberton nominated for best original film score for a second successive year, this time with Fly Me to the Moon. He was nominated last year for Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse. Also nominated is Mica Levi’s score to The Zone of Interest. Levi previously won this award in 2018 for Jackie.
Martin Phipps was nominated for best television soundtrack for the second successive year for Black Doves. He was nominated last year for the final season of The Crown.
Also, Ivor Novello Awards will be presented for the songwriter of the year with Amazon Music, outstanding song collection, visionary award with Amazon Music, special international award, and PRS for Music icon award.
Roberto Neri, chief executive of The Ivors Academy, said in a statement: “An Ivor Novello Award holds a unique place in music, as it is judged by fellow songwriters and composers, making it the most respected acknowledgement of creative excellence. We are proud to welcome and celebrate the nominees’ achievements and look forward to honouring their work at the 70th edition of The Ivors in May.”
As previously announced, U2 are the latest songwriters set to become Academy Fellows, in recognition of their enduring influence and impact on the craft of songwriting. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. will become the first Irish songwriters that the Academy has inducted into Fellowship in its 81-year history.
The Ivors, presented by The Ivors Academy, is one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in music. Judged by songwriters and composers, the awards recognize excellence in craft and creativity. For more information visit www.ivorsacademy.com/theivors
Here’s a full list of nominations for The Ivors 2025.
Best Album
Brat written by Charli xcx, A. G. Cook and Finn Keane; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Concord Music Publishing obo Alias Guild and Universal Music Publishing; Performed by Charli xcx
On Purpose, With Purpose written by Ghetts and TenBillion Dreams; Published in the UK by BMG Rights Worldwide UK; Performed by Ghetts
The Loop written and performed by Jordan Rakei; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway written by William Brown, Conor Dickinson, Jared Solomon and Lola Young; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Day One Songs, Sony Music Publishing – Solomon Gouda and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Lola Young
Who Am I written and performed by BERWYN; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
Best Contemporary Song
“Allergy” written by Felix Joseph, Alastair O’Donnell and Pa Salieu; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Pa Salieu
“Angel of My Dreams” written by Pablo Bowman, JADE, Steph Jones and Mike Sabath; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing obo Hipgnosis Hits-Steph Jones Who Music-Vistaville Music; Performed by JADE
“Circumnavigating Georgia” written and performed by Sans Soucis; Published in the UK by Sentric Music
“Double Standards” written by Ghetts, EMIL, Sampha Sisay and R-Kay; Published in the UK by BMG Rights Worldwide UK, Ditto Plus Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing – Young Songs; Performed by Ghetts feat. Sampha
“How Black Men Lose Their Smile” written by Bashy, Toddla T and Linton Kwesi Johnson; Published in the UK by Downtown Music obo DLJ Songs, BMG Rights Worldwide UK and Universal Music Publishing obo L-K-J Music Publishers; Performed by Bashy
Best Song Musically and Lyrically
“Child of Mine” written and performed by Laura Marling; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing
“Genesis.” written by Rodney Jerkins, RAYE and Toneworld; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music and Kobalt Music Publishing obo Mohemmusic-Songs by Seventy 7 Music; Performed by RAYE
“In the Modern World” written by Grian Chatten, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan, Thomas Coll and Carlos O’connell; Published in the UK by Domino Publishing Company; Performed by Fontaines D.C.
“Messy” written by Conor Dickinson and Lola Young; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Day One Songs and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Lola Young
“Mine” written and performed by Orla Gartland; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing obo San Remo Music
PRS For Music Most Performed Work
“As It Was” written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Concord Music Publishing obo These Are Pulse Songs; Performed by Harry Styles
“Houdini” written by Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, Tobias Jesso Jnr, Dua Lipa and Kevin Parker; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Viking Jamz Publishing, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music obo Radical 22 Publishing; Performed by Dua Lipa
“Last Christmas” written by George Michael; Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music obo WHAM! Music Limited; Performed by WHAM!
“Prada” written by D-Block Europe, Obi Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Uche Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Jahmori “Jaymo” Simmons and RAYE; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Bucks Music Group Ltd obo Armada Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing obo Fat Pigeon (Publishing) Limited and Warner Chappell Music; Performed by Cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe
“Stargazing” written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink and Myles Smith; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Songs by 308 Publishing-Where Da Kasz At, Lyric Global Copyright Services Crescendo obo Arcade Artists Publishing-Jesse Fink Publishing-Spirit One Music Crescendo and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Myles Smith
Rising Star Award With Amazon Music
Bea and her Business
Liang Lawrence
Lola Young
LULU.
Nia Smith
Best Original Film Score
Fly Me to the Moon composed by Daniel Pemberton; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Apple
Hard Truths composed by Gary Yershon; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo Thin Man Films
Kneecap composed by Michael ‘Mickey J’ Asante
The Substance composed by Raffertie; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo Universal Pictures Music
The Zone of Interest composed by Mica Levi; Published in the UK by Domino Publishing Company
Best Original Video Game Score
Empire of the Ants composed by Mathieu Alvado and Mark Choi
Farewell North composed by John Konsolakis
Flock composed by Eli Rainsberry
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II composed by David Garcia Diaz
The Casting of Frank Stone composed by Boxed Ape
Best Television Soundtrack
Black Doves composed by Martin Phipps; Publishing in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK obo Maisie Anthems
Mary & George composed by Oliver Coates; Published in the UK by SATV Publishing
Rivals composed by Jack Halama and Natalie Holt; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo Walt Disney Music Company
True Detective: Night Country composed by Vince Pope; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo T-L Music Publishing
Until I Kill You composed by Carly Paradis; Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK obo Veti Music Publishing
Anjula Acharia remembers when the one person who had set her up for success told her she was going to fail. And Jay-Z was there, too. In 2008, Acharia and Interscope Geffen A&M’s then chairman, Jimmy Iovine, were sharing breakfast at a New York hotel. Iovine — who had partnered with Acharia’s South Asian music/news […]
Canadian musicians and music organizations are speaking out ahead of the federal election on April 28.
Indie folk artist The Weather Station took to Instagram on April 15 to make an impassioned plea to Canadians not to check out of this election. She had just returned from a tour in the U.S., supporting her new album Humanhood, and told followers that now is the time to prevent Canada from following in America’s footsteps.
“I cannot articulate the level of relief I felt this time crossing the border back into Canada,” she says. “I think we have no lived understanding of how bad things could get.”
The Weather Station, whose name is Tamara Lindeman, has previously spoken out about the U.S. administration, citing authoritarianism, threats to free speech and the right to protest, and dismantling of public services serving climate, education, health care and social security.
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In her new video, she highlights the people fighting for those issues and to build community amidst the crisis south of the border.
“Loved the shows, loved all the people we met, but it’s so incredibly painful to see what people are going through,” she says. “People feel exhausted, they feel afraid and at risk, they feel powerless…a lot of people increasingly feel kind of silenced, which is really scary.”
Speaking to Billboard Canada about why she felt compelled to share the video, Lindeman adds that when it comes to this election, the stakes couldn’t be higher. “For an avalanche of reasons — from Trump’s threats of annexation, to how misinformation and MAGA-style politics are moving across the border, to the immensity of the climate crisis, to the affordability crisis across this country,” she elaborates.
She also points out Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre‘s desire to defund the CBC as particularly concerning for musicians, given how the public broadcaster supports Canadian music through radio airplay and events.
Her post received positive comments from fellow Canadian musicians like Jill Barber and Bells Larsen. Larsen, a folk singer-songwriter, last week shared that he cannot tour in the U.S. due to changes in Visa application policy that target trans musicians, requiring legal ID to match sex assigned at birth.
Canadian music organizations have also been emphasizing the importance of this election across party affiliations, against the backdrop of American politics.
Allistair Elliott, AFM vice president from Canada, sent out a message today to American Federation of Musicians members in Canada titled “Make Your Vote Count.”
“The upcoming election is critical for Canadians — no matter your political leanings, your vote matters,” Elliott writes. “Look south of the border to understand what can happen. In the last U.S. election, 32% of votes went to Republicans and 31% to Democrats. That means 68% of U.S. voters did not vote for the current president. True democracy is achieved when everyone votes. Plan, do your research, and most importantly, vote. It really matters, can, and will make a difference.”
The message stops short of endorsing particular parties or candidates, but highlights policy areas that affect musicians and arts workers, such as generative artificial intelligence, diversity equity and inclusion, trade tariffs, and strengthening public health care.
The Canadian Live Music Association published a note last week from President Erin Benjamin, emphasizing the importance of the live music industry in Canada to both the country’s economy and its cultural identity.
Benjamin called on supporters to send a letter to federal election candidates of all parties, calling on them to leverage Canadian music for the future.
The Canadian federal election is Monday, April 28. –Rosie Long Decter
Hamilton Indie Label Sonic Unyon Launches SUM Artist Management, Headed By Wayne Pett
Hamilton-based independent label and music company Sonic Unyon Records has unveiled its latest initiative, SUM Artist Management. It’s a new arm of the company dedicated to representing and developing artists, identifying and opening opportunities to them.
Taking the helm as both director of artist management at SUM Artist Management and label operations for Sonic Unyon Records is Wayne Petti, a well-known figure on the Canadian music scene as frontman for highly-regarded roots-rockers Cuff the Duke. At SUM, Petti will work in league with Sonic Unyon owner/CEO Tim Potocic, representing a musically diverse and notable roster of clients.
That includes roots-rock singer-songwriter Terra Lightfoot, Polaris Prize-winning auteur Owen Pallett, Hamilton shoegaze combo Basement Revolver, American feminist performance artist and electro-rocker JD Samson (Le Tigre), retro cover band Born in the Eighties, multi-instrumentalist and composer Michael Peter Olsen, and three bands at the forefront of an Indigenous wave in Canadian rock, Zoon, OMBIIGIZI and Status/Non-Status.
“We’re about constant evolution,” says Potocic. “As a label, we’ve signed newcomers and longtime favourites as well as bigger bands like Danko Jones and Big Wreck. All of that is super exciting and some of the best music we’ve ever released. At the same time, this is not an industry that rewards sitting still. It’s a challenging time and a tough landscape, but opportunities still abound. We’ve always believed in the value of our artists, and artists more generally, so artist management is the natural outgrowth of that.”
In an interview with Billboard Canada, Petti notes that, “I’ve been involved in artist management for close to 10 years now. I have a unique perspective on the music business having both experienced what it’s like to be a recording artist and everything that goes along with that, plus experiencing working with artists and helping to guide them through their own careers. I’m very much an ‘artist first’ type of manager. I don’t chase things just for the money. I want the artists I work for to feel supported. I want them to focus on being creative and unique artists and I’m just there to help facilitate their vision and goals artistically.”
“Our main goal at SUM is to work with unique artists regardless of whether they are Canadian, American or from somewhere else around the world,” he continues. “I think we’re off to a great start.”
Petti previously made a major mark in artist management during eight years with Hamilton-based Straight & Narrow Management, which handles major international stars The National, as well as Broken Social Scene, Hannah Georgas, Kevin Drew and Georgia Harmer.
The creation of SUM Artist Management aligns with Sonic Unyon’s expansion into industry sectors beyond the traditional duties of a record label. Sonic Unyon Distribution was founded in 1998 to distribute Sonic Unyon and other labels in Canada, going on to build a roster that included dozens of domestic imprints and the exclusive representation of over 200 international independent labels in Canada. –Kerry Doole
Six months ago, a stadium-concert headliner decided to create tens of thousands of high-end T-shirts and hoodies to “rival any streetwear brand and be able to sell it for less than Sabrina Carpenter or Billie Eilish,” says Billy Candler, CEO/co-founder of Absolute Merch, a 13-year-old company that works with 30 artists. Candler arranged to purchase the shirts from China, then ship them on April 9, two weeks before a new U.S. tour.
But on April 2, President Trump imposed an 84% tariff on Chinese imports. Then, in the next few days, he boosted them to 104%, then 125%, then 145%. With each increase, Candler says, “I almost had a heart attack. It’s just exploded our plan.” As of Saturday (April 12), the company’s freight order has been “literally sitting in Customs waiting to be cleared,” with new tariffs imposed.
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As with industries that manufacture and ship smartphones, aluminum foil, car parts and toasters, artist-merch companies like Absolute are scrambling to predict the Trump administration’s final number on Chinese tariffs and figure out how to transfer production to alternative countries. Ideally, Absolute Merch would simply cancel its China order and restart in the U.S., but the deadline is too tight for the stadium-level act’s upcoming tour and, as Candler says, “You can’t do it in America. We really don’t make fabric here.” It may eventually be possible to shift to Vietnam or elsewhere, but Chinese prices for blank shirts tend to be cheapest, music-merch sources say, and nobody knows whether Trump will reimpose tariffs on other countries in July, after his 90-day respite period.
Even if every company in the $13.4 billion global music-merch business, as MIDiA Research estimated, pulls out of China, demand will spike in other countries, and merch manufacturers will likely raise their prices. “Costs will go up because of capacity shortages once China is not an option,” says Barry Drinkwater, executive chairman of Global Merchandising Services, which works with Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses and others.
Will artists and their merch companies pass the additional costs stemming from tariffs to their customers? They may have no choice but to raise prices, Candler says, speculating that hoodies could rise to $150 and T-shirts to $65 if the trade war continues. “I have a client manufacturing a cut-and-sew bomber jacket,” adds Pat Dagle, owner of Terminal Merchandise, which works with 20 artists. “That jacket jumped from a price point of $35 to $80, on our side, because of the tariffs. The cost falls onto us, so it’s negating a lot of our profit.”
“It’s going to affect everybody,” says Kevin Meehan, a 30-year artist-merch manufacturer in Costa Mesa, Calif. “Because 90% of the trims in the world are made in China — your zippers, your buttons, your snaps, your drawcords, your eyelets, all that stuff for apparel.”
Andy Stensrud, a veteran Nashville music merchandiser who works with Bad Bunny, IU and other Latin and K-pop stars, adds of China: “When it comes to the custom apparel, they are so far ahead of everybody else with turnaround times and pricing. We just made some custom hockey jerseys for a band, and they cranked them out in 10 days. No one can touch that.”
For now, many in music merch are remaining calm as the U.S.-Chinese tariff situation fluctuates. Dov Charney, the American Apparel founder who created Los Angeles Apparel in 2016, stands to benefit from artists and others seeking merch items not made in China. He says most touring artists source T-shirts and other clothing products from Honduras, El Salvador and Central America, which haven’t had to contend with high tariffs. Even China-made products are unlikely to increase by more than $5 or $10 for a T-shirt, he adds, because wholesale shirt costs are low and the high expenses come from things like transportation and design, which are unlikely to change due to tariffs. “OK, boo-hoo,” Charney tells Billboard. “It’s not going to have a profound effect as much as people are saying.”
Brent Rambler, guitarist for hard-rock band August Burns Red, which runs its own merch operation, is avoiding the tariff uncertainty, refusing to “proactively raise our prices” and risk turning off fans in the long term. The band’s T-shirts come from Bangladesh, and while its coffee mugs are made in China, a manufacturing increase of $1.50 to $2 per unit is unlikely to lead to a consumer price bump: “You don’t want to turn people away,” Rambler says.
Steve Culver, president of Nashville-based merch company Dreamer Media, adds that the tariffs are a political issue likely to be resolved before consumer costs rise too dramatically. “It’s too early to understand how it’s going to play out,” he says. “I’m not panicking.”
For now, tariff stress has spread to all levels of the touring business, which relies on merch, especially artists who can’t make a living on streaming revenues. Reached by phone while driving from St. Louis to Kansas City in a van stuffed with cardboard merch boxes, Evan Thomas Weiss, frontman of Pet Symmetry, says the emo band pays $13 to $15 to print a T-shirt, plus more on transportation and other expenses, then sells it for $30 at a show in order to make a small profit. If tariffs cause production prices to rise by even 20%, a fan could pay as much as $40.
“I don’t know how anybody’s going to be able to afford that,” he says.
Pet Symmetry was lucky — its latest order of 300 to 400 shirts and other merch items arrived two weeks ago, in time for its current club tour.
“But if something happens over the summer, and tariffs go into effect, we have to do some real reflection, and decide whether to order more now or wait,” Weiss says. “Which is such a difficult position for a small band to be in.” From the van, guitarist Erik Czaja adds: “If it came to it, one of us would learn how to screen-print.”
Chris Eggertsen contributed to this report.
ENHYPEN, a group formed through a Korean survival competition show in 2020, headlined its first offline concert in September 2022 before mounting a world tour with record-breaking speed. Its performance at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, came less than three years after its Korean debut and 18 months after its Japanese debut, marking the shortest time it has taken for any K-pop boy group to reach such scale.
The group’s 2024 album, Romance: Untold, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. In April, it took the stage at Coachella — one of the largest music festivals in the world. But ENHYPEN isn’t stopping there. Billboard Korea sat down with the seven-member group to find out what’s next.
Last year was a memorable one for ENHYPEN in many ways, especially since you reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with Romance: Untold.
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JUNGWON: We spent a lot of time touring overseas last year, meeting ENGENEs [ENHYPEN fans] from all over the world during our Fate Plus tour and kicking off a new one called Walk the Line. 2024 was a year full of touring, and our schedule was incredibly busy. We learned and accomplished so much — especially by visiting places we hadn’t been to before, like Japan. We’ve grown in many ways, from stage performances to music video direction and interpreting songs more deeply. Never satisfied, ENHYPEN continues to evolve and dream of eternity.
Speaking of Japan, it must have been especially meaningful for NI-KI, since it’s his home country.
NI-KI: We give our best at every concert, but performing in my home country definitely puts me in a different mind-set. Since I’m the only member who speaks fluent Japanese, I feel a stronger desire to make the atmosphere feel more natural — to connect with the crowd, respond to them in the moment and help everyone enjoy the experience even more.
Your group became the fastest K-pop boy band to perform at the Tokyo Dome, performing there less than three years after debuting.
JAKE: We’ve had the honor of achieving a lot of firsts, and that’s all thanks to the incredible love and support we’ve received from our fans — we’re truly grateful. Of course, there’s pressure that comes with it, but it’s the kind of pressure that pushes us in a good way. Our goal isn’t just to be the first — it’s to keep growing and reaching even greater heights.
What does being “high up” mean to you?
JUNGWON: No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. (Everyone laughs.)
JAKE: It was really cool to see the Billboard sign above our photo today. At our company, the trainees print out the Billboard Hot 100 every week and post it in the lounge so they can watch how trends change. It’s kind of surreal because I went through that process myself not too long ago.
ENHYPEN recently headed to California to take the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
JUNGWON: Maybe it’s just me, but it really feels like the culmination of everything we’ve been working toward. We’ve all contributed so much — not just to the performance, but to the entire production and rehearsal process. We had a lot of discussions about the setup and the elements involved in each part of the show. I think this performance holds a piece of ENHYPEN’s history.
I’ve heard there was a mobile gaming craze within the team at one point. Who’s the one driving that trend?
SUNGHOON: It kind of depends on the category. For example, when it comes to buzzwords, HEESEUNG usually takes the lead. But when it comes to mobile games, that’s definitely JUNGWON.
JAKE: When we’re on tour, we have a lot of downtime, so we end up playing a lot of mobile games, cracking jokes and things like that. JUNGWON will usually recommend a game, and then we all get into it.
JUNGWON: Because I like nerdy stuff. (Laughs.)
So who’s the least fashionable?
Everyone: SUNOO? (Everyone laughs.)
SUNOO: I guess I just don’t put that much thought into fashion. I usually focus on other things, like gaming, so I tend to keep it simple.
NI-KI is best-known for his group Shiny Kids, and he performed with Taemin at the 2024 MBC Music Awards, which were recorded Dec. 31 and aired Jan. 30.
NI-KI: My parents were more excited than I was. They kept calling and messaging me. They were actually my introduction to K-pop, so it felt kind of surreal to be onstage in front of SHINee fans and ENGENEs.
I read somewhere that JAY, JAKE and JUNGWON don’t really have anything in common — aside from their names all starting with the letter “J.”
JAKE: He’s different in pretty much every way — what he eats, what he wears — he’s basically my polar opposite. He’s incredibly conscientious when he’s focused and incredibly lazy when he’s not. He definitely has his ups and downs. One day, he’ll be completely immobile, barely eat and stay really quiet. Then the next day, he’ll be super active: going out at dawn, staying out for three hours and coming back in like nothing happened.
JAY: He’s like most people; he’ll suggest something, then not do it. He’ll be like, “Want to play a game after work?” and then go to sleep first. (Laughs.)
JAKE: I just don’t find it easy to do things spontaneously. I’m more of a “set in stone” kind of guy.
JUNGWON: Jay’s the opposite. He has tons of hobbies and endless curiosity. He dabbles in all sorts of things. Right now, he’s studying French and playing guitar. He’ll get really into something for a while, then stop and later come back to it. But to be honest, I don’t think I fully know his personality. He’s very different when he’s working and when he’s not.
We can’t talk about ramen without mentioning HEESEUNG. Do you have any new recipes you’d like to share with ENGENEs?
HEESEUNG: I made seafood ramen the other day, and I highly recommend it. I used oyster sauce, chili oil, sesame oil and chili powder. It turned out really flavorful.
HEESEUNG, you’re known as one of ENHYPEN’s most dedicated members. Do you have anything new in store for ENGENEs?
HEESEUNG: Whenever we create a good song, we’re always eager to share it with ENGENEs, and we’ll continue making more. There are so many things we want to try. Each of us works on music individually — whether that’s collaborating with a producer we’re close to or creating tracks on our own, like Jay does with his guitar. Of course, there’s the process of producing a song, but for us, it’s also about giving each other feedback and discussing direction. We’re working on making our musical communication more three-dimensional and diverse.
SUNOO, you mentioned 2023 as a turning point and 2024 as a year of growth and experience. What do you think 2025 will look like?
SUNOO: When you’ve put in the preparation and hard work, I think it’s time to make an impact. There’s still a lot I want to improve, but in 2025, I hope to show a version of myself that’s even more ready.
You’ve become almost synonymous with hard work. By the time of your last tour, you must have gained a lot of experience. What keeps you going?
SUNGHOON: It’s a job where you’re constantly being seen by others. I’m not a perfectionist by nature, but I always want to present the best version of myself in the moment. So when I’m filming, I sometimes ask to reshoot because I’m not satisfied with how it turned out — even if it means the other members have to redo it, too, which makes me feel a bit sorry. Still, I think I’ve grown little by little, just doing a bit of everything every day over the past four years. It’s the small efforts I’ve built up, day by day, that have brought me to where I am now.
You’ve mentioned that ENHYPEN albums and music videos have a clear story and concept. How involved are you in shaping them?
JUNGWON: Those elements are mostly decided by the company, while we focus more on the music and performances. We often talk about this during award shows and year-end concerts, but the truth is, there are so many people working behind the scenes, often getting even less sleep than we do. It’s our job to bring their concepts to life and execute them as best as we can.
Are you working on something new with them?
SUNGHOON: All the time. There’s always a lot going on.
JUNGWON mentioned earlier that your goal is to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. If that day comes, what do you think the members would be talking about?
JAKE: When I imagine that moment, I just hope we get to celebrate and have a chill party with the guys.
SUNGHOON: I think we’d definitely talk about the past. We’d probably start from the beginning and go all the way back — like, even 10 years ago. I’m pretty sure some of us would cry.
JUNGWON: SUNOO might be crying, and HEESEUNG.
When do you think you’ll hit No. 1?
Heeseung: Soon. (Laughs.)
As artificial intelligence continues to blur the lines of creativity in music, South Korea’s largest music copyright organization, KOMCA (Korea Music Copyright Association), is drawing a hard line: No AI-created compositions will be accepted for registration. The controversial decision took effect on March 24, sending ripples through Korea’s music scene and sparking broader conversations about AI’s role in global songwriting.
In an official statement on its website, KOMCA explained that due to the lack of legal frameworks and clear management guidelines for AI-generated content, it will suspend the registration of any works involving AI in the creative process. This includes any track where AI was used — even in part — to compose, write lyrics or contribute melodically.
Now, every new registration must be accompanied by an explicit self-declaration confirming that no AI was involved at any stage of the song’s creation. This declaration is made by checking a box on the required registration form — a step that carries significant legal and financial consequences if false information is declared. False declarations could lead to delayed royalty payments, complete removal of songs from the registry, and even civil or criminal liability.
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“KOMCA only recognizes songs that are wholly the result of human creativity,” the association said, noting that even a 1% contribution from AI makes a song ineligible for registration. “Until there is clear legislation or regulatory guidance, this is a precautionary administrative policy.”
The non-profit organization represents over 30,000 members, including songwriters, lyricists, and publishers, and oversees copyright for more than 3.7 million works from artists like PSY, BTS, EXO and Super Junior.
Importantly, the policy applies to the composition and lyric-writing stages of song creation, not necessarily the production or recording phase. That means high-profile K-pop companies like HYBE, which have used AI to generate multilingual vocal lines for existing songs, are not directly affected — at least not yet.
While South Korea’s government policy allows for partial copyright protection when human creativity is involved, KOMCA’s stance is notably stricter, requiring a total absence of AI involvement for a song to be protected.
This move comes amid growing international debate over the copyrightability of AI-generated art. In the U.S., a federal appeals court recently upheld a lower court’s decision to reject copyright registration for a work created entirely by an AI system called Creativity Machine. The U.S. Copyright Office maintains that only works with “human authorship” are eligible for protection, though it allows for copyright in cases where AI is used as a tool under human direction.
“Allowing copyright for machine-determined creative elements could undermine the constitutional purpose of copyright law,” U.S. Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter said.
With AI tools becoming increasingly sophisticated — and accessible — KOMCA’s policy underscores a growing tension within the global music industry: Where do we draw the line between assistance and authorship?
This article originally appeared on Billboard Korea.
Canadian music is good for more than just the economy — it’s central to the country’s national identity.
That’s the crux of a new open letter written by Erin Benjamin, president/CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association. The letter anticipates the Canadian federal election on April 28 and advocates for elected officials to understand the cultural significance of music to the country. Liberal leader Mark Carney recently became Prime Minister of Canada after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, while Pierre Poilievre is running for the Conservative party and Jagmeet Singh for the New Democratic Party (NDP).
The letter doesn’t mention the U.S. President by name or refer explicitly to tariffs or talk of Canada as the “51st state,” but it situates the country in a moment of national uncertainty, reflecting on what it means to live in Canada and what the country will look like going forward.
Within that context, Benjamin writes, it’s crucial that policymakers understand both the economic and cultural benefits of Canada’s live music sector.
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“In the face of today’s generational challenges, on the doorstep of our nation’s future, the time has come to fully integrate and interlace this formidable industry into the systems and policies that shape our society, for the benefit of all Canadians,” Benjamin writes.
The letter cites CLMA’s recent Hear and Now study, the first-ever economic impact assessment of live music in Canada, which found that live music contributed $10.92 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023 and supported more than 100,000 jobs. But music’s impact can’t just be measured monetarily, Benjamin writes.
“It’s central to our cultural fabric, shaping how we connect and define ourselves as Canadian,” the letter continues. “As we face growing uncertainty and instability — we risk losing not just critical economic opportunities but the very essence of our national identity.”
“Who are we if our artists can’t continue to create and perform due to financial pressures brought on by the cost of touring, access to performance opportunities, and shrinking resources and supports? What happens to our sense of community, our shared experiences, if we lose our cultural infrastructure…the venues, festivals, and spaces that live music provides?”
Benjamin’s letter is part of a broader conversation happening amidst a swell in national pride in the face of threats from the U.S. The music industry has tapped into that pride, which was on display at the 2025 Junos.
Beyond hockey slogans and beer ads, Canadian cultural leaders are emphasizing the importance of the arts and culture sector in maintaining Canadian sovereignty.
Read more here. — Rosie Long Decter
Billboard Canada Partners with Music Managers Forum
Billboard Canada is teaming up with Music Managers Forum (MMF Canada) to highlight vital, yet often under-recognized, drivers of the music industry.
Behind many great artists is a dedicated and strategic music manager working tirelessly. For nearly three decades, MMF Canada has been the voice of music managers and self-managed artists in the country. The organization builds community and empowers managers with opportunities and mentorship.
MMF Canada also presents the Honour Roll, an annual celebration of outstanding Canadian music managers and self-managed artists. This award acknowledges the critical role managers play in shaping the success of Canadian artists and celebrates those who have made a lasting impact. This year, the honour will be presented during NXNE, the longstanding and well-loved music festival that is also beginning a strategic partnership with Billboard Canada.
“We are excited about this partnership with Billboard Canada and NXNE,” says MMF Canada executive director Amie Therrien. “One of our goals at MMF Canada is to ensure that the work managers do, largely behind the scenes, is recognized and celebrated. As the artist’s representative and support system, the contributions of managers is crucial for a thriving and sustainable music industry. To have a partner that understands and champions that work is invaluable.”
The organization has a thriving network and community of managers representing some of the biggest success stories in Canadian music, and some artists who are well on their way to joining them.
“At Billboard Canada, we recognized a significant gap in the industry: a lack of industry-wide support and recognition for the vital work that music managers do every day,” says Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard Canada and Artshouse Media Group, the co-owner of NXNE. “Understanding their role as the foundation of the music industry, we felt a responsibility to fill that gap by creating a space to tell their stories, highlight their contributions and provide them with the recognition they deserve.”
The MMF Honour Roll has been presented annually since 2007, though this is the first year it will move to NXNE. The award is given to a Canadian music manager for outstanding career achievements.
Previous recipients have included industry legends and current stalwarts, from Bernie Finklestein, Bruce Allen and Ray Danniels to Jake Gold, Chris Smith, Susan de Cartier, Sandy Pandya and Lascelles Stephens. Whether or not you know their names, you do know the results of their work. Together, they’ve guided the careers of artists including Nelly Furtado, Bruce Cockburn, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Bryan Adams, Rush, Colin James, Sarah MacLachlan, kd lang, The Tragically Hip, Haviah Mighty and many more.
Read more here. — Richard Trapunski
Neil Young Will Play a Rare Solo Concert Near His Hometown in Lakefield, Ontario
Neil Young‘s status as a hometown hero in the Peterborough/Lakefield region in Ontario just took another giant leap forward.
On May 23, the Canadian rock icon will play an outdoor benefit concert at Lakefield College School’s Northcote Campus to raise funds for the restoration of the historic farmhouse on the Northcote property — a project that fits with Young’s commitment to the values of preserving history and community.
Young’s roots in this area run deep, as he spent formative childhood years (from ages 4 to 11) in the small community of Omemee, 20 kilometers west of Peterborough and close to Lakefield. “There is a town in north Ontario,” goes a Young-penned line featured in the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young classic “Helpless” that was inspired by Omemee.
Young’s journalist/novelist father, Scott Young, bought a family farm there that was in the family until the late 1980s. The Ptbotoday website reports that “Neil’s connection to the area deepened in recent years when he and his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, relocated to a 116-year-old cottage near Lakefield in September 2020. According to updates on his Neil Young Archives website, the couple winterized the property and spent nearly six months there during the pandemic, embracing the solitude of the Kawarthas.”
This is not the first Neil Young benefit concert in the area. In 2017, he played a solo acoustic show at Omemee’s Coronation that was live-streamed worldwide and raised $18,000 for the music program of the town’s Scott Young Public School. He will also perform solo at the upcoming show.
The Lakefield concert, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., will have a restricted capacity of approximately 2,000 concertgoers.
Read more here. — Kerry Doole
Spotify customers in the Benelux countries will be paying more for their subscriptions after the streaming company raised prices in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In both the Netherlands and Luxembourg, an individual subscription plan increased to 12.99 euros ($14.73) from 10.99 euros ($12.46). A family plan jumped to 21.99 euros ($24.94) from 17.99 euros […]
In North Africa’s vibrant and competitive pop and hip-hop landscape, Manal has carved out a powerful lane of her own—one defined by bold storytelling, cultural pride and a steadfast commitment to centering women. The Moroccan singer, rapper and songwriter has become a defining voice of her generation, and her March 2025 Billboard Arabia cover underscored her impact as both a cultural force and a fearless trailblazer. Since the launch of Billboard Arabia in 2023, Manal has been a recurring presence—an artist whose work constantly challenges norms and celebrates female empowerment.
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Women are at the heart of Manal’s visual and musical universe. In “Slay,” her hit collaboration with fellow Moroccan star ElGrande Toto (Billboard Arabia’s July 2024 cover artist), she steps into the role of a bold, rule-breaking leader. In “Makhelaw Magalou,” she shifts the spotlight to her female relatives, celebrating sisterhood and tradition as they gather dressed in vibrant Moroccan takchitas to share the iconic dish rfissa. The video’s multigenerational energy helped cement the song as one of the defining hits of modern Maghrebi pop.
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But what truly sets her apart is how early and boldly she entered spaces traditionally reserved for men. In 2014, she became one of the first female voices in Morocco’s rap and trap scene. She’s since evolved through R&B, pop and hip-hop, all while maintaining a distinct identity rooted in her Moroccan heritage and feminist perspective. Ten years later, Manal isn’t just surviving in a male-dominated industry—she’s shaping it. And she’s doing so unapologetically, on her own terms.
Arabian Heartbreak—A Personal and Powerful Turning Point
This boldness shines through in her latest album, Arabian Heartbreak, released last year. The album is raw, honest, and deeply personal—a sonic letter to women and their stories, both told and untold. “Arabian Heartbreak is the album where I tried to speak for women,” Manal tells Billboard Arabia during the interview. “We talk about things we’re often not allowed to say: about the battles we go through, the pressure, the silence.”
Each track on the album becomes a window into different female realities: the angry woman who’s been wronged in the song “Morak,” the happy woman in love in “Cabaret” and the free-spirited woman in “Mahboula.”
Hamza Lafrouji
For Manal, the real power of the album lies in speaking up about topics considered taboo in society. She makes it clear: “These messages are more important than the music itself.” Manal says, “In our society, there are red lines women aren’t supposed to cross. And honestly, I don’t think the women I know even cross them. But somehow, it’s always easier for male artists to get support, while female artists are left fighting for the same spotlight.”
Hamza Lafrouji
Raï With a Modern Twist in the “Mahboula”
Musically, Manal continues to push boundaries by blending global sounds with local influences. On “Morak,” she taps into the hypnotic rhythms of dakka marrakchia—a traditional percussion-driven music style from Marrakesh known for its communal chants and festive, trance-like beats—layering it with contemporary production. She infuses Afrobeat energy into “Baba,” her cross-cultural collaboration with Italian rapper Ghali. But the real jaw-dropper is “Mahboula,” a bold throwback to ’90s-style Raï, supercharged with Auto-Tune and dreamy keys. It’s a sonic playground where nostalgia meets reinvention—and Manal runs the show.
It’s more than a nostalgia trip. It’s her mission. “I want to take Raï to a whole new level,” she says with a spark in her eyes. “To me, it’s a unique genre and I think it can be exciting again. Maybe even trendsetting.”
Dodging the Trap of People-Pleasing
During the interview, Billboard Arabia surprises Manal with a clip from her very first appearance on Moroccan Hit Radio —alongside then-rising stars like Dizzy DROS and Small X. She smiles, unfazed by the fact that it’s been a full ten years since that moment. Why? Because her focus is on what’s next, not what’s past.
This also means rejecting the idea of sticking to a “safe” sound just because it’s popular. “I know people loved my rap days,” she shares. “But I can’t make music just to please others.”
Then comes the realest moment—spoken in her native Darija: “That’s a trap, especially for a lot of female artists. When they start saying, ‘Let’s make music people like.’ I’ve never thought that way. I’ve always said: let’s make music that represents me, as an artist, as a person, as a woman. Then, I’ll see how people respond.”
A Double Win: Motherhood and Music
Manal kicked off 2025 with not one, but two life-changing milestones. On Dec. 11, 2024, she was named Top Female Artist – Magharebi (North African) Dialects category at the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards. But she wasn’t there to accept the honor—instead, she was in the final days of her pregnancy, preparing to welcome her first child, Aya.
Motherhood changed everything – and Manal is embracing it. She shares: “I see life differently now. A lot of my choices will shift, but my daughter will always be my top priority.”
Family has taken center stage in Manal’s life, but it’s not separate from her art. Her husband—who is also her longtime manager—has been a pillar of strength since day one. She dedicated the song “Ana” to him and says she’s dreaming of writing more music for both him and Aya. With a decade behind her and a new life in her arms, Manal isn’t slowing down—she’s just getting started.
Delhi, a city of 34 million people, was the obvious setting for Indian pop star Diljit Dosanjh to open his home-country tour last October — and he quickly sold out Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and added a second date. But after that, Dosanjh wanted to plunge deeper into India, performing in Lucknow, Indore, Guwahati and other areas with a mere 1 million to 4 million residents. “We actually got to cities where there wasn’t any big concert, ever,” says Sonali Singh, Dosanjh’s business manager and tour producer. “When we started off, it was kind of an experiment.”
Dasanjh’s tour, which sold 200,000 tickets across its initial 10 venues in less than 10 minutes when it went on sale last September, showed not only the Punjab native’s star power but the massive potential of India as a concert market. In January, Coldplay broke a global attendance record with 223,000 fans at two shows in Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; in February, Ed Sheeran closed a six-city tour of the country with 120,000 ticket sales. (By contrast, Zach Bryan sold out the biggest stadium in the U.S., Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., with 112,000 tickets for a show this coming September.)
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“We are at the cusp of hockey-stick growth, as far as this market is concerned,” says Naman Pugalia, chief business officer of live events for BookMyShow, the Indian entertainment platform that promoted the Sheeran dates with AEG.
For decades, India’s demand for large music concerts has outstripped its capacity: Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and The Police, played what Rolling Stone India called “niche, often low-key shows” in Mumbai in the ‘70s and ‘80s, in part because local officials considered Western music “anti-Indian.” Although local bands played hotel clubs and pubs and developed rock scenes in Mumbai and elsewhere over the years, it wasn’t until the early 2010s that promoters put on larger electronic dance music, blues and rock festivals, such as the Bacardi NH7 Weekender (at a Pune wedding venue) and the VH1 Supersonic (on a beach in Goa). By 2017, Justin Bieber was playing to 56,000 fans at a Mumbai stadium.
Coldplay perform at Narendra Modi Stadium on Jan. 25, 2025 in Ahmedabad, India.
Anna Lee
A 2024 BookMyShow report suggests India’s international concert market of 1.4 billion people is no longer untapped — live entertainment grew 18% compared to the previous year, live events in “Tier 2” cities such as Kanpur and Shillong grew 682%, and more than 477,000 fans traveled to shows outside their hometowns. In March 2024, after Sheeran sold out Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse (which BookMyShow had helped revitalize into a large-scale concert venue), the British singer-songwriter asked his team to return this year and “go deep into India and cover as much ground as possible,” according to Simon Jones, senior vp of international touring for AEG.
That was a challenge. “Landing a spaceship in the middle of nowhere in India is tough, and it’s not the same as doing it in America, Europe or even South America,” Jones says. “But the infrastructure in India is certainly getting a lot better, and the country, in terms of its touring future, will be very, very different in five years’ time, and especially 10 years’ time.”
In recent years, stars such as Post Malone, Imagine Dragons and Dua Lipa have sold out shows in the country; Lollapalooza India reportedly drew 60,000 fans in 2023, and a rep for promoter Live Nation said the 2025 festival last month, starring Green Day and Shawn Mendes, scored its highest attendance ever. Cigarettes After Sex sold out two large India shows in January; Guns N’ Roses will perform at Mahalaxmi Racecourse next month; and Travis Scott plays Delhi in October.
The recent concert boom is due, in part, to the boom in India’s middle-class population over the last two decades. “India’s disposable income is growing day by day, and the audience is seeking more experiences to spend their money on,” says Bhavya Anand, manager of rapper King and co-founder of talent agency Bluprint. “We see that there will eventually be a lot of clout in ticket buyers — but it’s also scary, because it’s not possible for everyone to attend everything.”
Since the pandemic, social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram have taken off in India, and residents have been “going out with a vengeance,” according to Jay Mehta, managing director of Warner Music India and SAARC. As recently as 2018, he adds, international touring artists were largely limited as far as how many fans they could draw — Bryan Adams, a huge regional star who has played India since the ’90s, sold out a Mumbai concert with just 10,000 people that year.
But promoters have been methodically building production systems and ticket-selling technology to prepare for an expected entertainment boom. Since then, governments have become more sophisticated in adapting cricket stadiums and other large venues to concerts and providing public transportation. “There were a lot of struggles, from bureaucracy to permissions,” Mehta says. “In the past, the production costs were so high, you’d have only 10,000 people coming, you’d have a massive loss.” More recently, he adds, promoters who’ve “gone through this pain for the last 10 years finally enjoy the fruits of the concert ecosystem.”
One of those early companies was Only Much Louder, a 22-year-old promoter that initially focused on concerts and managed Indian music stars but has shifted into comedy and other non-music entertainment. Until recently, says Tusharr Kumar, the company’s CEO, it was impossible to fund large concerts without significant corporate sponsorship, but given newly built stadiums and arenas, as well as prominent financial successes such as Coldplay’s shows and the Dosanjh and Sheeran tours, that is starting to change. “We’ve been having so many conversations: ‘Did we exist at the wrong time? Because it’s suddenly getting interesting in India.’ It feels good to know all the hard work we did back then is paying off in a big way.”
From a concert-business point of view, India still has work to do, regional sources say. The country’s club circuit remains modest, with electronic-music stars such as Kasablanca and MissMonique as top headliners, due to low production costs, compared to full bands. And while Dosanjh’s 2024 success speaks to the potential for country-wide touring, and India is producing global stars such as King and singer-rapper Karan Aujla, the biggest artists still tend to do just a date or two in big cities like Mumbai and Delhi. “We’ve just had the initial spark,” Warner’s Mehta says. “Imagine once we see the complete picture.”