International
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LONDON — As international president of Oak View Group (OVG), Jessica Koravos has a clear vision of how she wants the U.S.-based facility management and development firm to grow its already rapidly expanding global business.
“We’re trying to be the best venue operators, offering the best entertainment experiences in the world,” she says confidently. “That’s what our goal is.”
Just over six months ago, OVG’s long-planned pivot to international markets took an embarrassing stumble with the repeatedly delayed launch of Co-op Live – the United Kingdom’s biggest indoor music venue and the firm’s first major project outside the United States.
When the official opening for the 23,500-capacity arena, located in Manchester, was pushed back by three weeks following a series of highly publicized delays — including part of a ventilation system falling from the roof just prior to a show by rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie – Co-op Live became the butt of jokes on social media and generated a slew of negative headlines.
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“It looked worse in the media than it felt on the ground,” reflects Koravos, half a year on from the venue’s troubled launch. “In the grand scheme of things, when you have been working on a project for five years, spent £400 million ($505 million) on it and it’s three weeks late, there’s a long-term perspective that says: ‘This is not the end of the world.’ When you look at it in the context of other big infrastructure projects in the U.K. I don’t think it’s going to go down in history anywhere on the list of problematic deliveries.”
Co-op Live eventually opened its doors May 8 with a headline show by local rock group Elbow. Since then, the venue has quickly become established as a key destination in the European touring circuit, selling over one million tickets and staging over 60 shows to date, including stopovers by Pearl Jam, Nicki Minaj, Liam Gallagher, Keane, Janet Jackson, Charli XCX and the Eagles‘ five-night sellout run – the group’s only U.K. dates on its farewell tour.
A general view of the Co-op Live arena as Elbow performs the inaugural live show at Co-op Live on May 14, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage
In November, Co-op Live hosted the MTV European Music Awards (EMAs), featuring performances from Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Tyla and Busta Rhymes, which had a global digital reach (excluding broadcast) of over 7 billion, according to the venue’s post-event analysis. Upcoming shows at the arena include Paul McCartney, Slipknot, Cyndi Lauper and Sabrina Carpenter.
Co-op Live is one of seven new arenas that OVG has built and opened in the last two years, including the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, UBS Arena in New York and Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, Calif. The fast-growing firm, co-founded in 2015 by former AEG CEO Tim Leiweke and ex-Live Nation chairman Irving Azoff, which operates more than 400 buildings globally, also has arenas under development in Nigeria, Canada and Wales, and is “actively looking” for opportunities to further expand its global footprint, says Koravos.
This fall saw the launch of a new division, OVG Stadia, headed by Chris Wright, dedicated to growing the company’s global stadium business. Its remit includes identifying international markets to develop and build new multi-purpose stadiums, as well as expanding OVG’s roster of stadium clients, which includes London’s Wembley Stadium, Scotland’s Murrayfield Stadium, Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego and the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. The company is additionally pursuing arena development and partnership opportunities in the U.K., Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
“That showcase of Co-op Live is very helpful and we have a lot of other cities [around the world] now saying, ‘Can we have one of those?’” says London-based Koravos, who served as president of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group and formerly held senior roles at AEG Live and AEG Europe before joining OVG.
Ballooning construction costs means “it’s easier said than done,” she cautions, “but we’ll find a way.”
Koravos declines to discuss Leiweke’s publicly stated aim of building a new music arena in London, saying only that there are “announcements to come in the U.K. and continental Europe.”
In the meantime, Oak View Group is looking to grow its share of the live music business by making its full suite of venue services, including hospitality, management, booking, marketing, facility development and sponsorship sales, available to non-OVG affiliated venue owners and third-party operators in Europe, like it already does in the U.S.
To support the rollout, OVG International has bulked up its executive team with recent appointments including former Co-op Live interim general manager Rebecca Kane Burton as executive vice president of venue management and Michalis Fragkiadakis as vice president of hospitality strategy, responsible for driving forward OVG’s food and beverage business following last year’s acquisition of U.K.-based hospitality provider Rhubarb Hospitality Collection. They will be supported by Sam Piccione, international president of sales, Alex Reese, commercial and brand strategy director, and Gary Hutchinson, vice president of booking and commercial partnerships.
“We take pride in the fact that we think about third party business in the same way that we think about our own,” says Koravos. She points to OVG completing “$5 billion worth of naming rights and sponsorship [deals] in the last three years” as evidence of the “industry-leading expertise” that it is offering to venues and live music businesses. Current venue service clients outside North America include football clubs Birmingham City FC, Real Betis and AS Roma, Manchester-based arts venue Aviva Studios and Lloyd Webber Theatres.
“There are lots of facilities, arenas and stadiums all around Europe who would like to host concerts and that’s something that we’re trying to help to see if we can open up more markets for music internationally,” says Koravos. “Our goal is not to win all the contracts and to be everywhere. It’s to be with the right partners that share our values.”
Riyadh is gearing up for a transformative moment in its cultural history with the launch of Riyadh Music Week, a landmark initiative by the Music Commission in partnership with MDLBEAST and SRMG.
Spanning Dec. 5-14, 2024, the spotlight shines bright on the first-ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards (BBAMAs)—the pinnacle of Riyadh Music Week and a historic moment for the regional music industry.
Taking place across multiple venues in Riyadh, the week kicks off on Dec. 5 with the fourth edition of XP Music Futures, featuring workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities along with an evening program driven by regional party brands, promoters and record labels, showcasing emerging talents from MENA and beyond. On Dec. 8, the Global Music Makers Summit marks its first edition, where it will bring together leaders and global policy makers from the music sector’s international bodies.
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The week-long event will also host the Music Cities Convention and Awards, taking place Dec. 8-10, bringing this prestigious global event to the Arab world for the first time. This achievement highlights Riyadh’s growing reputation as a leading global destination for music and arts, with the Convention focusing on the pivotal role of music in urban development and its potential to shape the future of modern cities.
With the BBAMAs taking place on Dec. 11, the ceremony aims to not only celebrate artistic excellence but also expand upon the growing global Billboard network. The Billboard Arabia Music Awards represents a regional first, adopting a pioneering approach entirely based on listener opinions and data. This year’s awards will honor over 40 categories, celebrating achievements such as Top Artist, Song of the Year, Best in Dialect Charts and Top New Artist of the Year, among other standout recognitions.
Riyadh Music Week will close out with the MDLBEAST’s groundbreaking Soundstorm music festival, the loudest in the region, mixing international superstars on the same stages as homegrown local and up-and-coming artists. The week will also host a range of fringe events and performances by various artists taking place across several venues throughout the city.
As Riyadh Music Week unfolds, the series of events stand as a testament to the region’s vibrant music scene and its aspirations as a burgeoning global music hub.
The first-ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards (BBAMAs) will take on Dec. 11 at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After a year of tracking trends on the Billboard Arabia charts, this landmark event will celebrate the most talented artists from the Arab world and North Africa – those who have made waves on the charts and dominated streaming platforms worldwide. Throughout the year, Billboard Arabia’s 10 charts have spotlighted listening trends across four key dialects and four musical genres, in addition to the flagship charts: Artist 100 and Hot 100.
Winners of the BBAMAs will be determined based on their performance on Billboard Arabia’s flagship charts, such as the Hot 100 and Artist 100, as well as its four dialect-specific charts — Khaleeji, Egyptian, Levantine and Maghrebi — and genre-specific charts, including Arabic Hip-Hop, Arabic Indie, Shelat and Mahraganat. These charts are built on the trusted methodology that has defined the Billboard brand.
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Beyond celebrating the year’s leading artists and tracks, the BBAMAs will highlight the region’s rich talent pool with an exciting lineup of live performances and unexpected collaborations. The event will feature a mix of established and rising stars from across the Arab world and its diaspora.
With over 40 award categories already revealed, the BBAMAs promise to be a comprehensive tribute to the region’s vibrant music scene. Below is the full list of finalists for these awards. Stay tuned; more categories will be unveiled soon.
Song of the Year“Fouq” by Assala Nasri“Guli Mata” by Saad Lamjarred, Shreya Ghoshal, and Rajat Nagpal“Ya Leil W Yal Ein” by Al Shami“Haygely Mawgow” by Tamer Ashour“Sabran” by Al Shami
Artist of the YearAmr DiabAl ShamiNancy AjramSherine Abdel WahabAhmed Saad
Top Male ArtistAl ShamiDystinctAhmed SaadAmr DiabTamer Ashour
Top Female ArtistNancy AjramElissaAssalaSherine Abdel WahabElyanna
Top BandCairokeeMassar EgbariMiami BandSharmoofersAl Massrieen
Top New ArtistDystinctElyannaTUL8TESiilawyAl Shami
Highest GainerAmr DiabTUL8TEAnghamAl ShamiTamer Ashour
Top Arabic Collaboration of the YearAmeen Khattab and Essam Sasa – “Ehna Say’ Monharifin”Assala Nasri and Ahmed Saad – “Sabb Farhety”Nassif Zeytoun and Rahma Riad – “Ma Fi Leil”Saint Levant and MC Abdul – “Deira”Tawsen and Ayoub Anbaoui – “Dawini’
Top Khaleeji SongAdel Ebrahim – “Dl’nak”Ayed – “Lammah”Ayed – “Rdy”Fouad Abdulwahed – “Kel Ahebek”Fouad Abdulwahed – “Thaag El Ghamaam”
Artist of the Year – Khaleeji DialectAbdul Majeed AbdullahMajid al-MuhandisAyedRashed al-MajedHussain Al Jassmi
Top Male Artist – Khaleeji DialectAyedHussain Al JassmiRashed al-MajedMajid al-MuhandisAbdul Majeed Abdullah
Top Female Artist – Khaleeji DialectAssala NasriBalqeesAseel HameemShamma HamdanOumaima Taleb
Top Egyptian SongWael Jassar – “Koul Waad”Tamer Ashour – “Haygely Mawgow”Assala Nasri and Ahmed Saad – “Sabb Farhety”Assala Nasri – “Fouq”Elyanna – “Ganeni”
Artist of the Year – Egyptian DialectAhmed SaadNancy AjramAmr DiabTamer AshourSherine Abdel Wahab
Top Male Artist – Egyptian DialectTamer AshourRamy SabryAhmed SaadMohamed HamakiAmr Diab
Top Female Artist – Egyptian DialectAssala NasriElyannaNancy AjramElissaSherine Abdel Wahab
Top Levantine SongAli Saber – “Dawaat Ommi”Al Shami – “Sabran”Nassif Zeytoun and Rahma Riad – “Ma Fi Leil”Al Shami – ‘Wein”Al Shami – ‘Ya Leil W Yal Ein”
Artist of the Year – Levantine DialectAl ShamiElissaMahmod AlturkyNassif ZeytounNancy Ajram
Top Male Artist – Levantine DialectAl ShamiSiilawyNassif ZeytounWael KfouryMahmod Alturky
Top Female Artist – Levantine DialectNancy AjramMyriam FaresElissaAbeer NehmeRahma Riad
Top Magharebi SongSoolking and DYSTINCT – ‘Y Dor’Lartiste – “Zarzour”Cheb Hichem Tgv – “Fatou Liyam”Saad Lamjarred, Shreya Ghoshal, and Rajat Nagpal – “Guli Mata”Lazaro – “Mahboul Ana’
Artist of the Year – MagharebiZouhair BahaouiSaad LamjarredDystinctCheb KhaledSamara
Top Male Artist – Magharebi DialectZouhair BahaouiSaad LamjarredDystinctCheb KhaledSamara
Top Female Artist – Magharebi DialectManalHind ZiadiKawtarMarwa LoudChaama
Top Arabic Hip-Hop SongMuhab – YazmeelyDraganov – 3dabiElGrandeToto and Hamza – DellaliStormy – PopoElGrandeToto – Blue Love
Artist of the Year – Arabic Hip-HopSamaraElGrandeTotoMarwan PabloStormyWegz
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Male ArtistSamaraElGrandeTotoMarwan PabloStormyWegz
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Female ArtistRaja MezianeHalaPerrieJaraKhtek
Top Indie SongTUL8TE – “Mateegy A’ady Aleiky”Al Shami – “Sabran”Hamza Namira – “Reyah El Hayah”TUL8TE – “Habeeby Leh”Elyanna – “Ganeni”
Artist of the Year – Arabic IndieSiilawyMuslimTUL8TEElyannaCairokee
Top Arabic Indie Male ArtistAl ShamiTUL8TESiilawyMohammed SaeedMuslim
Top Arabic Indie Female ArtistZeyneEmel MathlouthiDana SalahGhaliaaElyanna
Top Mahraganat SongEslam Kabonga and Kalosha – “Elli Nefso Feya Beti Maytawehsh”Eslam Kabonga – “Aywa Ya Habibty Wahashtiny”Reda El Bahrawy and Muslim – “Lafena El Donya”Hamada El Leithy and Amr Salama – “Tarek El Andal”Reda El Bahrawy – “Aal Doghrey”
Artist of the Year – MahraganatMuslimEssam SasaHassan ShakoshAmeen KhattabEslam Kabonga
Top Mahraganat ArtistHassan ShakoshMuslimEssam SasaEslam KabongaAmeen Khattab
Top Shelat SongMohammed Bin Grman – “Ma Gelt Lak”Mohammed Bin Grman – “Alek Akhaf”Abdullah Al Farwan – “Jamalek Gheer”Nawaf Fraih – “Thalath Ayam”Asad Albathari – “Makhboob Khelli”
Artist of the Year – ShelatNader AlsharariMohammed Bin GrmanGhareeb Al MokhlesBadr AlezziAbdullah Al Farwan
Top Shelat Song“Alek Akhaf” by Mohammed Bin Grman“Jamalek Gheer” by Abdullah Al Farwan“Thalath Ayam” by Nawaf Fraih“Al Makhoob Khelli” by Asad Albathari
Sony Music UK has appointed Azi Eftekhari as its chief operating officer, effective immediately. Reporting directly to Jason Iley, chairman and CEO of Sony Music UK & Ireland, she’ll oversee key operational areas, including the label’s Commercial Group, and play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s overall growth strategy.
Eftekhari brings two decades of experience in the music and entertainment industries to her new position, having most recently served as co-president of Universal Music Recordings, managing global artists such as The Beatles, Elton John, Amy Winehouse, The Rolling Stones and The Spice Girls at the label’s catalogue division.
Prior to UMG, Azi held a significant role at YouTube as head of label relations, where she spearheaded the launch of YouTube Music across Europe and secured a landmark partnership with The BRIT Awards, further cementing her reputation as an innovator in the intersection of music and technology. Additionally, she co-led Remedy Inc., a creative agency delivering projects across music, theatre and branding.
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Eftekhari’s career began at Mercury Records, where she collaborated with Iley as director of digital and publicity, contributing to campaigns for artists like U2, Justin Bieber and Rihanna. Her leadership extended beyond individual companies, as she also served on the boards of the Official Charts Company and the Entertainment Retailers Association, showcasing her influence within the broader music industry.
Iley expressed confidence in Eftekhari’s “depth of experience straddling the world of music, tech and culture combined with commercial acumen,” while Azi voiced her gratitude for the opportunity to work with Illey. “He’s built an exceptional, future-facing company and I look forward to playing a part in continuing to champion the incredible roster of artists,” she said. “In this rapidly changing marketplace, there are many exciting opportunities to harness, and I can’t wait to help drive the business into the next chapter.”
FACTOR Canada says it has fallen victim to serious cyber theft.
Court filings by the music funding body, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings, reveal claims that $9.8 million was stolen from a Scotiabank account earlier this year.
FACTOR distributes millions in funding to thousands of artists and music organizations in Canada — last year, the organization dispensed $50 million. Now, it’s alleging that an amount equivalent to nearly a fifth of that annual distribution was transferred by a cyberthief to a numbered company.
James Campagna, shareholder for said company, then allegedly transferred $9.4 million to a cryptocurrency-owned account and converted the funds into crypto.
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Today (Nov. 29), a hearing took place at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on the matter.
In a statement on the foundation’s website titled “FACTOR’s Response to the Scotiabank Cybertheft: The Facts,” the company clarifies its side of the story that was reported on in the media and says that it aims to “defend the baseless allegations being made by Scotiabank against our systems and staff.”
“It is true that FACTOR has been a victim of a significant financial crime that occurred on June 12, 2024, by way of a one-time fraudulent wire from our Scotiabank account on ScotiaConnect in the amount of $9,772,875.33,” the statement reads.
But the response from FACTOR adds new details to the story, particularly in regards to Scotiabank’s involvement.
The organization says it reported the crime to law enforcement on June 14, but that Scotiabank “has acknowledged it has never reported this financial crime to law enforcement.”
The statement also asserts that the money transfer was 300x larger than any transfer previously made from that account, “with no alerts to FACTOR of this highly unusual, suspicious, and illegal activity.”
If the funds aren’t recovered swiftly, there’s reason to be concerned that artists — who rely on FACTOR funding for recording, music video production, touring and more — could be affected.
More on this story as it develops – Rosie Long Decter
Drake Tells Interviewer to Turn Off The Weeknd and Put on Blink-182
Drake’s got a lot of enemies right now.
After Kendrick Lamar released his new album but before news broke of Drake’s two different legal actions against his parent label Universal Music Group and Spotify, the rapper joined Quebecois streamer xQc for a livestream on Kick on Sunday (Nov. 24).
You never know what Drake will say with a live mic, so many fans tuned in to see if he’d have words about the Kendrick beef or any other hot topics. Between confirming an upcoming Australia tour and giving an update on his collaborative album with PartyNextDoor, he also threw some subtle shade at his former friend The Weeknd.
As his song “Starboy” started playing, Drake quickly told xQc to “switch that one off.” When the host asked him why he doesn’t listen to it, he answered “we’re real 6ixers, we don’t listen to that.” He told him to turn on Blink-182 instead. “I want to hear that real sh-t,” he said over the sounds of “Dammit.”
The Weeknd was born in Scarborough, Ontario, a district of Toronto, a.k.a The 6ix. The Weeknd began his career affiliated with Drake, but the two have had their own long-simmering beef. The Weeknd was spotted in the audience at Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out” concert on Juneteenth, which included performances of all of the rapper’s diss tracks and multiple performances of the scathing “Not Like Us.”
Former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan was also at that concert. That clearly upset Drake, who called him out on a recent game broadcast. Evidently, he still has beef with The Weeknd too.
Drake didn’t address Kendrick or his new album by name, but did reference Kendrick and his “false accusations” indirectly. “You need facts to take me out, fairy tales won’t do it,” he said. –Richard Trapunski
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