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Drake is heading back to Australia and New Zealand in early 2025.
On Thursday (Nov. 28), the Canadian superstar revealed the dates for his upcoming The Anita Max Win Tour, which marks first visit to the region since 2017.
The Live Nation-produced tour launches with two nights at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Feb. 9-10 and wraps with back-to-back shows at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Feb. 28 and March 1. The seven-date tour will also make stops in Sydney and Brisbane. See the full tour itinerary below.
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Tickets will be available for purchase through various presales beginning Tuesday (Dec. 3). The general onsale begins Dec. 6 at 12 p.m. local time.
The Anita Max Win Tour is named after a viral moment from Drake’s December 2023 livestream on Kick, where he introduced a new “alter ego” named Anita Max Win. The name is a playful pun on the gambling phrase “I need a max win,” referring to hitting the maximum payout on a slot machine.
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Drizzy first hinted at the tour on Nov. 24 during a livestream with gaming streamer xQc, saying, “February 9th for anybody that’s watching from Australia, I’m coming back to Australia for the first time in eight years. Coming back to Australia on tour. Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast… February 9 ’til like… March something.”
This marks a major return for Drake’s Australian and New Zealand fans, who last saw him live during the Boy Meets World Tour in 2017. “Funny enough, it’s actually called the Anita Max Wynn Tour,” the Toronto MC said during the xQc livestream.
In August, Drake also announced his forthcoming collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR. PND recently went live on Instagram, sharing exciting news about the joint project. “Guys, I have one more show left on this tour,” PARTYNEXTDOOR told his followers. “Then the album is getting finished. That’s all I gotta say.”
Drake’s tour announcement is especially noteworthy as it coincides with Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated Super Bowl Halftime Show performance on Feb. 9 — the same date as the start of Drake’s tour. The two rappers have been at the center of a well-publicized rivalry in 2024, trading shots through diss tracks like Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Drake’s “Push Ups.” Lamar also recently dropped his surprise album GNX, adding more fuel to the fire.
See Drake’s Anita Max Win Tour dates below.
Feb. 9: Melbourne, Australia (Rod Laver Arena)Feb. 10: Melbourne, Australia (Rod Laver Arena)Feb. 16: Sydney, Australia (Qudos Bank Arena)Feb. 17: Sydney, Australia (Qudos Bank Arena)Feb. 24: Brisbane, Australia (Brisbane Entertainment Centre)Feb. 28: Auckland, New Zealand (Spark Arena)March 1: Auckland, New Zealand (Spark Arena)
Salford Lads Club has confirmed it will remain open, after the historic Greater Manchester venue faced the threat of closure earlier this year.
Last month, it was reported that the club was struggling financially due to rising maintenance costs and a drop in grant funding. To remain open, it was forced to try and raise £250,000 by mid-November, and called out for support from the wider music community.
By offering sports and creative activities six days a week, the venue serves as a safe space for young people from some of the city’s most deprived communities, and was opened by Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell in 1904. The cover of The Smiths’ iconic third studio album, The Queen Is Dead, was famously shot outside Salford Lads Club.
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In an update shared to Instagram earlier Thursday (Nov. 28), the owners have now confirmed that the club has reached its fundraising goal and can move forward with operating as usual.
“We did it! Salford Lads and Girls Club is officially saved. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we’ve smashed our £250,000 target, ensuring the doors of this iconic building remain open for our young people and the community,” the post began.
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“From historic concerts to changing lives through youth work, this club has stood as a beacon of hope, culture, and connection. This funding ensures we can continue to make an impact for generations to come,” it added.
“A heartfelt thank you to every individual, business, and partner who stepped up to help us keep the lights on. This is your victory as much as ours. Together, we’ve shown what’s possible when a community rallies together.”
Morrissey, Graham Nash and Noel Gallagher were among those who donated or raised funds. The former reportedly donated £50,000 to a public GoFundMe page, having previously provided financial support in the past when essential maintenance work was required for the building.
Legendary songwriter Nash, meanwhile, joined over 1,000 online donors by contributing £10,000 to the cause, having spent his childhood in Salford. Gallagher auctioned a guitar and helped create an Oasis exhibition at the club to raise funds to keep the site open.In October, The Guardian reported that Salford Lads Club’s income for 2023 reached £160,000 ($202,574) with outgoings adding up to approximately £394,700 ($499,725). Last year, the club faced insurance and utility bills of a combined £43,000 ($5444).
The BRIT Awards has announced the three shortlisted artists for its Rising Star Award. Elmiene (Polydor/Def Jam US), Good Neighbours (Polydor) and Myles Smith (RCA) comprise the all-male field of contenders. The winner will be announced on Dec. 5 on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show With Jack Saunders.
This is only the second time that the field of contenders has consisted entirely of male artists or groups. James Bay, George the Poet and Years & Years were the 2015 finalists.
The award is voted on by a panel of music journalists, heads of music at radio and music TV stations, songwriters, producers and live bookers. The award is open to British artists who have not yet achieved a top 20 placement on the Official Albums Chart, or achieved more than one top 20 single on the Official Singles Chart before Oct. 31 of this year.
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The Rising Star Award (previously called Critics’ Choice) originated in 2008 and was most recently collected by baroque-pop group The Last Dinner Party. Previous winners include Adele, Sam Smith, Sam Fender, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine, Griff and FLO, while Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie, Lewis Capaldi, Cat Burns, Michael Kiwanuka, Mabel and Years & Years have also all been finalists.
Elmiene released his most recent EP, Anyway I Can, in October, fusing his love of R&B, jazz and pop. He has performed at Glastonbury and collaborated with Stormzy, Syd, Sampha, BADBADNOTGOOD, A$AP Ferg and more, and recently headlined a 3,000-capacity show at London’s Troxy.
Speaking on his nomination, Elmiene said, “If I could put the feeling of being nominated into words, I would say it’s like being completely satisfied with a meal you bought and then finding out it comes with dessert and a drink. Didn’t know it could get any better.”
Myles Smith’s single “Stargazing” has had considerable success in the U.K. and abroad this year. The pop song, first released in May, peaked at No. 4 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Smith recently released his second EP, A Minute…, and had a debut U.S. TV performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In a press release, Smith said, “Growing up in Luton, I started playing pubs and open mic nights when I was just 12 and music quickly became my way of understanding the world and connecting with others. This recognition feels like a reflection of that journey – the highs, the challenges and the incredible people who’ve supported me along the way.”
Indie-pop duo Good Neighbours have had a triumphant year following their TikTok hit “Home,” which has topped 322 million streams on Spotify alone. The song peaked at No. 26 in the U.K., and rode the Hot 100 for 11 weeks, reaching No. 77.
The pair said of the nomination: “The BRITs have always been a huge dream for both of us growing up. We started Good Neighbours purely for the fun of it, so to be up for an actual BRIT award at this stage in our career is the biggest honour. Thank you.”
The winner will be recognised at the BRITs ceremony on March 1 at London’s O2 Arena. The ceremony will be broadcast on ITV and ITV X.
Michael Bublé is set to host the 2025 Juno Awards, which will be held March 30 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia – just 6 miles from Bublé’s hometown of Burnaby, British Columbia.
Bublé also hosted the Junos in 2018, the last time they were held at Rogers Arena, as well as in 2013, when they were held at Brandt Center in Regina, Saskatchewan.
“I could not be happier bringing The Juno Awards home to Vancouver for 2025,” Bublé said in a statement. “The Junos are such an important part of the Canadian music industry, and being able to host for the second time in my hometown makes this night mean even more to me. I’m excited to be surrounded by all the amazing talent we have from coast-to-coast this March.”
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Bublé is the latest in a long line of Canadian superstars to host the show, which is Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Others include Paul Anka, Burton Cummings, Celine Dion, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, Nelly Furtado, Drake, Bryan Adams and Sarah McLachlan.
Bublé, who will also perform on the show, is 15-time winner at the Juno Awards, which are voted on by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). He has also won five Grammy Awards, all for best traditional pop vocal album. He has amassed four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.
The 54th annual Juno Awards, produced by Insight Productions (a Boat Rocker company), will broadcast and stream live across Canada from Rogers Arena in Vancouver on March 30 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s YouTube page. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. PT and start at $70.85 (including tax plus fees) and will be available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.ca/junos.
LONDON — Pet Shop Boys and Paloma Faith were among the major honorees at the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards, which also saw the creative teams behind Yungblud and British dance duo Chase & Status pick up prizes in recognition of their clients’ commercial success.
Held at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top on Thursday (Nov. 21), the annual awards show organized by U.K. trade bodies the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and Music Managers Forum (MMF) is one of the few industry events that exclusively celebrates the achievements of both artists and their managers.
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One of the night’s biggest prizes was the artist and manager partnership award, collected by the Pet Shop Boys and their long-time manager Angela Becker, who has represented the dance pop duo since 2009.
“At a time when we needed it, [Angela] brought into our lives good advice, organization, honesty and strategy to help us carry out some of our strange, spontaneous and willful ideas, and make them into a reality,” singer Neil Tennant told the audience of industry executives, artist managers, entrepreneurs, and invited guests. “She has helped us flourish in those 16 years and we love her for that.” Tennant was joined onstage by his musical partner Chris Lowe and Becker.
“Learning the language of your client’s hopes and fears will open doors to profound impact, ensuring that their work echoes in the hearts of audiences long after,” Becker responded, adding: “I am continually elevated and inspired by the pursuit of new ways to communicate Pet Shop Boys’ vision.”
This year’s icon award was presented to Faith, whose sixth studio album, The Glorification of Sadness, reached No. 2 on the Official U.K. Album Chart in February and who organizers praised for being “political, strong, a true individual, and a brilliant songwriter and artist.”
“Being named an icon is truly an honor and one I certainly don’t feel when I’m at school drop-off and pick-up with yesterday night’s gig makeup halfway down my face and wearing a dirty grey tracksuit,” joked Faith, collecting the award from her long-time manager and “partner-in-crime” Innis Ferguson at Lateral Management.
“Innis is the person who allowed me to become more than a singer. She and the company [Lateral Management] are the reason why I’m winning the award because they don’t just view me as a music artist. They view me as whatever I want to be, whenever I want to be it,” said Faith, who recently published a best-selling book and has previously featured in an acclaimed, fly-on-the-wall BBC documentary. Faith went on to urge other artists to speak out about social and political issues.
“It’s a waste of a platform not to be politically engaged and not use your voice for good,” she told the audience. “Throughout history, musicians have always spoken out about social issues. It should be part of all our work to continue to do that job. It’s our duty. Please do not squander your influence on superficial things alone when you can make the world better.”
Other prizes given out at the ceremony included the fan champion award, which went to Yungblud, Tommas Arnby, Adam Wood and the management team at Special Projects Music, in recognition of their “innovative and hands-on approach to building and nurturing Yungblud’s fanbase.”
“I will do everything for my community, everything is for them. We work every day to try and make them feel safe, to try and make them feel heard and to try and make them feel seen,” said Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, in a video acceptance speech filmed in California. Accepting the award in London on his behalf were two of his biggest fans, Corey and Kenya.
British dance duo Chase & Status and their manager Sophie Kennard (Frame Artists) triumphed in the artist and manager team of the year category.
“Management is really a thankless job,” said the band’s Will Kennard. “All artists are a total nightmare and managers have to deal with them day-in and day-out on so many different levels. What they do is really quite heroic, and they don’t really get the recognition they deserve,” he said paying tribute to his “incredible, irreplaceable” manager.
Riverman Management founders Alex Weston and Dave McLean were awarded the prestigious title of managers’ manager in tribute to their successful three-decade long career, which began in the early 1990s when they promoted some of the first U.K. shows by Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. The company’s artist management roster now includes Friedberg, Dea Matrona, Tom Fleming and Placebo, who the firm has represented since 1995.
“Over the years, with the introduction of technology and with the continuously increasing and expanding workloads, [artist] management has become a job that I sometimes question why any sane person would enter or continue to [do],” said Weston, accepting the managers’ manager award from FAC board director and former member of The Fall, Brix Smith.
“What other job on this planet requires us to have so much wide-ranging knowledge, so many skills and so much responsibility and time invested?” she went on to say. “But we do it because we are 100% committed and passionate about each of the artists we take on and truly believe, against all the odds, we can break them and their music. They are the future of our industry and put their faith and trust in us to help them achieve those ambitions,” said Weston before offering a note of caution to major labels: “Sometimes it’s worth remembering that managers need support too.”
Other winners on the night included British funk group Cymande, who took home the originator award, and Grammy-nominated Scottish musician Sophie, who died in 2021 at age 34. With the blessing of her family, who were present at the awards ceremony, Sophie was posthumously given the pioneer award.
Later in the evening, electronic music producer Barry Can’t Swim (real name Joshua Mainnie) received the breakthrough artist award, while Victoria de Juniac was named breakthrough manager in recognition of her work with Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot.
The ceremony was hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Remi Burgz and featured live performances from Moonchild Sanelly, BEKA and Hana Lili.
Here’s the full list of winners at the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards:
Artist & Manager Partnership: Pet Shop Boys & Angela Becker (Becker Brown)
Artist & Manager Team of the Year: Chase & Status & Sophie Kennard (Frame Artists)
Icon: Paloma Faith
Managers’ Manager: Riverman Management
Pioneer: SOPHIE (posthumous award)
Originator: Cymande
Fan Champion: Yungblud & Special Projects Music
Breakthrough Artist: Barry Can’t Swim
Breakthrough Manager: Victoria de Juniac (VictoriaBDJ Management)
Secret Weapon: Hope James (Atlas Artists)
Writer / Producer Manager: Ant Hippsley (Milk & Honey)
Team Achievement: Finesse Foreva
In just two months, MEOVV has leaped onto the K-pop scene by showcasing a promising range and bold artistry set to claw out a legacy all their own. The five-member girl group is the first-ever launched by THEBLACKLABEL, the agency founded by legendary producer Teddy with over 25 years in crafting K-pop classics by the […]
LONDON — The United Kingdom’s music industry is at a “tipping point” due to increasing competition from other international markets and the threat posed by unregulated generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), the head of umbrella organization UK Music has warned.
In 2023, the music industry contributed £7.6 billion ($9.6 billion) to the country’s economy, up 13% from the previous year, according to the organization’s annual This Is Music study, which measures the economic impact of the U.K. music industry across all income streams including live, record sales, publishing, merch, brand endorsements and public performance revenue for UK based music creators and rights holders.
Huge grossing U.K. tours by Beyonce, Burna Boy and Harry Styles helped drive the record economic contribution, said UK Music, which bases its calculations upon the gross value estimates of money generated through music sales, concerts, recording studios, touring and music tourism — roughly equivalent to pre-tax profits and salaries.
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However, despite strong appetite for British artists and songs, the country’s music market is facing several significant challenges that threaten its continued prosperity, says UK Music. It identifies increasing competition from other international markets, tough financial conditions for grassroots artists and music venues, as well as the potential risks posed by generative AI on music creation as the biggest dangers to the sector.
According to export figures released earlier this year by U.K. labels trade body BPI, artists from the United Kingdom now cumulatively account for less than 10% of global music streams, compared to 17% in 2015. BPI says the U.K.’s declining share of the global music market is partially down to it facing tougher competition from fast-growing international markets such as Latin America and countries like South Korea.
The U.K.’s grassroots live sector is also battling a number of well-documented financial hardships with around 125 small capacity music venues closing in 2023 and more 350 currently at risk of closure, according to the Music Venue Trust (MVT) charity. Additionally, this year has seen 60 U.K. music festivals either postpone, cancel or close due to rising costs, slow ticket sales and poor weather, says the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF).
“We are now at a tipping point, and if the problems we face are not addressed then future growth cannot be guaranteed,” said UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl in a statement on Wednesday (Nov. 20).
Kiehl said that without tougher regulation “the wild west” of generative AI could further undermine the U.K.’s long-held status as the world’s second biggest exporter of music behind the United States. Kiehl is calling for the British government to press ahead with implementing laws that protect artists and rights holders from AI developers using copyright protected works to train their systems without permission.
UK Music also wants to see ministers establish a legislative framework that will require tech companies to clearly identify AI created music and keep records of works that have they have ingested, akin to what the European Union introduce earlier this year in its AI Act.
Other areas where UK Music said urgent action was needed to maintain the market’s growth in the face of heightened international competition was in music education and the live industry. The organization is urging the Labour government to press ahead with its previously proposed cap on secondary ticket resale prices, as well as secure a cultural touring agreement with the EU that will allow visa-free touring for musicians and crew.
In a statement, U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called the country’s music industry “a real British success story” that is “vitally important” to driving overall economic growth. Nandy said she was committed to ensuring that the government works with the music industry to build upon its current success for years to come.
“By supporting vital grassroots venues, introducing new secondary ticketing protections for fans and ensuring all children can access high quality music education in schools, we can help the sector go from strength to strength in the future,” said Nandy.
According to figures released earlier this year by U.K. labels trade body BPI, global superstars like Styles, Adele and Ed Sheeran helped British music exports climb to a record high of £775 million ($974 million) in 2023 based upon estimated label trade revenue — the highest annual total since BPI began analyzing labels’ overseas income in 2000.
UK’s Music’s This Is Music study uses a different methodology to report on export revenues, which it says climbed to a record high of £4.6 billion ($5.8 billion) in 2023, up 15% year-on-year. That export figure is based upon gross income generated overseas by British music companies and creators, including recorded music, publishing, brand endorsements, merchandise sales, international touring by homegrown artists and foreign visitors attending U.K. gigs and festivals (so-called music tourism).
The total number of people employed in the U.K. music industry grew 3% year-on-year to a record 216,000 full-time equivalent posts, reports UK Music.
Global Citizen has made two key appointments to their executive leadership team, the company tells Billboard. Katie Hill, senior vp of music, entertainment and artist relations, has been promoted to chief music and entertainment officer, while lfeoma Chuks-Adizue has been hired as Global Citizen’s first-ever MD in Africa.
Hill has been at the company since 2014, leading the music, entertainment and artist relations team in securing renowned acts for Global Citizen’s festivals and campaigns to support the international education and advocacy organization’s mission to end extreme poverty. She’s worked closely with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Coldplay, BTS‘ Jung Kook, BLACKPINK‘s LISA and many more artists, as well as their management teams, to ensure Global Citizen’s mission is clear and accessible. She also developed the company’s Ambassadors and Advocates for Change program, which has built long-term partnerships with Usher, Hugh Jackman and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Global Citizen’s executive leadership team as Chief Music and Entertainment Officer. It’s been an honor to help build such an important movement, which truly leverages the power of music and entertainment to create positive change in the world,” Hill tells Billboard in a statement. “When I reflect on the impact that has been achieved over my last 10 years at Global Citizen, I am inspired by the passion and dedication of so many incredible artists and partners across the industry that have joined us in the fight to end extreme poverty. I can’t wait to build on this collaborative impact.”
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Chuks-Adizue will spearhead Global Citizen’s activities in Africa, implementing its strategy across the continent including the next installment of Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience. In November 23, Lamar and his company, pgLang, teamed up with Global Citizen to create Move Afrika, a first-of-its-kind touring circuit across Africa that aims at driving economic investment, creating jobs and supporting entrepreneurship opportunities in each host country. Lamar headlined Move Afrika: Rwanda in Kigali last December, with pgLang set to serve as the curator of Move Afrika until 2028. According to a press release, that event employed more than 1,000 Rwandans and engaged 75% local crew and production staff, with a specific focus on creating opportunities for skill development and international skill training. Ghana joined Rwanda as a host country for Move Afrika earlier this year.
In her new role, Chuks-Adizue will oversee key partnerships that span business development, marketing, broadcast and event production, as well as Global Citizen’s Africa-based teams and operations. Based out of Global Citizen’s office in Lagos, Nigeria, Chuks-Adizue will also work closely with the company’s executive leadership in New York, playing an instrumental role in building relationships with private sector partners and within the philanthropic community.
“I’m honored to be joining the Global Citizen team in this newly created position to drive efforts and impact across Africa. Powered by everyday advocates, campaigns and events that span the world, Global Citizen’s efforts are critical to ending extreme poverty, and I’m humbled to bring my experience and leadership to this vital work,” says Chuks-Adizue. “I look forward to working with many fantastic partners to continue the momentum and growth of Move Afrika, the pioneering music touring circuit, and drive economic investment, job creation and entrepreneurship opportunities across the continent.”
Prior to joining Global Citizen, Chuks-Adizue served as executive director commercial at Chemical and Allied Products PLC (CAP PLC), a prominent paints manufacturer and distributor in Nigeria, and held key leadership roles at Procter & Gamble Nigeria and Cadbury Nigeria.
“Ifeoma’s extensive leadership experience, together with her passion for advocating for women and girls across Africa, perfectly aligns with Global Citizen’s mission,” adds Global Citizen president Liza Henshaw. “Her vast networks of relationships across various sectors will be instrumental in advancing our work across the African continent for years to come.”
Australian ticketing company Ticketek was offline Monday (Nov. 18), causing a major outage across the platform while drawing concerns from fans of bands like Twenty One Pilots that the outage could affect upcoming shows this week.
On social media, ticket holders for a Twenty One Pilots concert at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday (Nov. 19) are increasingly voicing their concerns that the ticketing company won’t be back online in time for the show. Officials with Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust, which manages the arena, did not respond to questions from Billboard.
@Ticketek_AU @LiveNationAU when will the ticketek app and website be working again? i have a twenty one pilots show tomorrow and can’t access my tickets and i need to add them to my apple wallet!— val (@kilIersqueen) November 18, 2024
@Ticketek_AU website and app are still down. I want to buy presale tix for @KasabianHQ at @Enmore_Theatre How can I make the purchase if the site is down?— Mick Gee (@boomshanka1976) November 18, 2024
On Monday, visitors to Ticketek’s main web page discovered a message reading, “The Ticketek website is currently undergoing maintenance. We apologize that the update is taking longer than anticipated.”
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The cause of the outage is unknown, although a memo circulating online that appears to have been issued by a venue using Ticketek claims the company had voluntarily taken its network offline to “investigate some unusual cyber activity and, as a precautionary measure, the Ticketek Australia and New Zealand Websites and Apps have been temporarily offline today.”
The note adds, “Ticketek are working to reinstate access as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused. Ticketek are working hard to reinstate the site in the coming few hours.”
Ticketek’s pages in the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia remained operational during Monday’s outage.
Billboard reached out to representatives from Ticketek but did not receive a response.
Ticketek is one of the largest ticketing companies in Australia and falls under the umbrella of Australian promoter Paul Dainty‘s company TEG, which today is majority-owned by Silver Lake and was recapitalized in February in a deal with KKR Credit Markets and the Singapore government-owned investment firm Temasek. TEG’s portfolio also includes TEG Sport, TEG Experiences, TEG Dainty, SXSW Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena, Softix, TicketCharge, TicketWorld and Ovation.
Brazilian superstar Alok is gearing up to launch the official one-year countdown to COP30 on Saturday (Nov. 23). Located in the fringes of the Amazon jungle in Belém, Pará, Brazil, at the 55,000-capacity Mangueirão Olympic Stadium, the free event is a celebration of the forthcoming international climate summit and also part of Alok’s Áurea Tour.
During the event, the Brazilian bass DJ will host six indigenous ethnic groups that are part of his United Nations-supported Future Is Ancestral project. The stage itself will be a technological marvel, featuring a pyramid-like structure with over 100 tons of equipment, a 360-degree rotating platform rising as high as a ten-story building, and more than 2,000 LED panels.
Alok was recently nominated twice at the Latin Grammys in the new category of best Latin electronic music performance for two tracks: “Drum Machine” with Pickle and “Pedju Kunumigwe” with Guarani Nhandewa. On Friday (Nov. 15), he released his latest track, “Looking For Love” with Anitta.
As Alok continues to foster cultural celebration through his music and influence, his commitment to ensuring justice has also been noteworthy.
In a legal dispute in June, São Paulo’s civil court system ruled in favor of Alok against Kevin Daniel Brauer de Oliveira, affirming the DJ as the creator and holder of adaptive rights to the song “nananana Un Ratito,” which subsequently extends to “Un Ratito” with Luis Fonsi, Lunay, Lenny Tavárez, and Juliette, according to court documents. The judgment obliges Brauer de Oliveira to pay Alok $20,000 Brazilian reals ($3,475.78) in compensation for “moral damages.”
The legal outcome is the culmination of several conflicts between Alok and the Brauer brothers — Kevin and Sean — who formerly collaborated with Alok as part of the duo Sevenn. Over the years, their partnership helped escalate Brazilian bass music onto the world stage, but that partnership eventually soured. As articulated in a 2022 Billboard article, the Brauer brothers had accused Alok of exploiting their work — including their contributions to at least 14 tracks — without appropriate credit or compensation.
“I have always had full confidence in the justice system. My work is transparent and everything is clarified and proven,” Alok said in a statement regarding the court ruling. “I will take this opportunity to donate the compensation from this case to the victims in Rio Grande do Sul. This is the best way to respond to the wrong they tried to do, by doing good for those who need it most at this moment. I hope the compensation also serves as a lesson to deter malicious people from defaming others’ honor with the simple sense of impunity.”