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While some industry observers looking back on 2024 may see a half-empty cup due to slowing music industry revenue growth, a lackluster stock performance from the publicly traded major music companies and slightly declining valuation multiples in private catalog deals, Shot Tower Capital says it sees the “half-full” side of things.
That’s because Shot Tower, the boutique investment banking firm specializing in music asset transactions, says the sector still enjoys plenty of investor interest, adding that the industry is recession-resistant, as proven over time. As a result, it foresees stable valuation multiples.
Even though fewer music asset transactions closed in 2024 than in any year since 2018, some of the transactions for music assets carried valuations larger than $1 billion resulted in the “highest dollar value year for music M&A transactions in the post-streaming era,” according to Shot Tower’s annual Year in Review and Music Industry Outlook report. In 2024, transactions with an aggregate dollar value in excess of $8 billion have closed, according to the Baltimore-based firm.
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Moreover, Shot Tower notes that while some institutional investors like KKR, Vine Alternative Investments and Elliot Management have exited the music asset space, other private equity groups have entered it or increased their investments in the sector, including Hellman & Friedman, which bought a majority stake in Global Music Rights; New Mountain Capital, which acquired BMI; and Flexpoint Ford, which launched
in the music space with an investment in Nettwerk Music Group in March 2023 and has since invested in Create Music Group, Goldstate Music and Duetti.
Finally, while interest rates now offer competitive returns on music assets, thus negating somewhat the attractiveness of some music assets while making potential deals more expensive to finance, that has been offset by the breakout of asset-backed securitization, which allows buyers to finance deals at rates more favorable than rates offered by bank lenders.
During the last 18 months, Shot Tower has been either the financial advisor or sell-side advisor in transactions that included the sale of 50% of Michael Jackson music assets to Sony Music Group; the sale of a majority interest in Mavin Records to Universal Music Group; and the sale of the Hipgnosis Songs Fund to Blackstone. And those are just the publicly disclosed deals; the company declines to say how many deals it participated in last year.
Shot Tower compiled data on some 25 publicly known and privately sold music asset transactions during 2024, including deals it advised on and other deals it was aware of, even if it wasn’t a participant. From that, it reports that typical music publishing multiples averaged 16.1 times net publisher share (NPS) in 2024 versus 16.7 times in 2023.
However, if iconic transactions — assets with valuations over $200 million — are included, then average multiples are larger but nevertheless also declined from 2023’s 18.4 times NPS to 17.5 times NPS in 2024.
(How are multiples figured? If a song catalog collects $25 million in revenue and, after paying out royalties of $15 million, leaves $10 million in net publisher share, or NPS; and if that catalog is then sold for $200 million, that means the transaction carried a 20 times NPS multiple.)
Recorded music multiples also declined last year. Net label share (NLS) fell to a 13 times multiple for music asset transactions — excluding deals of iconic assets — from the prior year’s 13.8 times NLS multiple. If iconic transactions are included, then the average multiple in 2024 was 14.2 times NLS versus 15.2 times NLS in 2023.
Looking at multiples over time, Shot Tower says that the peak year for average music publishing multiples was 2021, when 19.4 times, including iconic transactions, was the average multiple; while the peak year for recorded music transitions was 2022, when the average multiple for deals including iconic catalogs was 16.3 times. NLS generally trails NPS, but overall, the window between the two multiples is narrowing slightly.
In most years between 2014 and 2022, the multiple spread between music publishing and recorded music catalogs was bigger by a factor of 4 in favor of NPS. For example, in 2014, NPS averaged a 12.5 times multiple while NLS averaged an 8.5 times multiple. But in the last two years, that window has narrowed to a factor of three, with last year’s NPS coming in at 16.1 versus NLS at 13.0; while in 2023, NPS averaged a 16.7 times multiple while NLS averaged a 13.8 times multiple.
Shot Tower attributes the valuation gap between recorded music and music publishing to a number of factors. For one, marketing costs to exploit recorded music are much higher. Music publishing also has more diversified income streams than recorded music. Additionally, music publishing growth slightly exceeds recorded music growth, according to Shot Tower’s analysis.
Looking forward, Shot Tower says it expects music publishing valuation multiples to decline slightly to about a 15.1 times multiple in 2028 from 2024’s 16.1 times average multiple, while it expects recorded music average multiples for valuations will decline to an average of a 12 times multiple from 2024’s average of a 13 times multiple.
One of the reasons Shot Tower thinks institutional investors will remain interested in investing in music assets is because of the increasingly popular use of asset-backed securitization (ABS) to finance deals due to “stable royalty income streams.” According to Shot Tower’s analysis, a buyer using asset-backed securitization can pay about 10% higher than a bank-financed buyer while achieving the same equity return. ABS deals also allow for a greater ratio of debt to equity (up to 65% leverage) than deals financed using bank financing (55% leverage).
Consequently, “this represents a meaningful offset to rising interest rates,” the report notes.
You never really know how much your fans have missed you until you go away for a while. Even now, nine months after Oasis shocked the world by announcing that they would be reuniting for a summer 2025 stadium tour that nobody thought would ever happen, songwriter/guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Noel Gallagher finds it hard to believe how big a deal it all is.
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According to NME, in an interview with one of the magazine’s former photographers, Kevin Cummins, for his new book Oasis: The Masterplan, the elder Gallagher admits that the mad dash to secure tickets for the band’s first gigs since 2009 shocked him. “I thought it’d be a big deal, but I was a bit taken aback by just how much of a big deal it was,” Gallagher, 57, said.
In an effort to beat the bots and scalpers, the band fronted by Liam Gallagher teamed with Twickets for a scheme meant to block re-sellers posting tickets for profit, warning that those purchases would be cancelled. During the frenzied pre-sale, though, frustrated fans described being in queue for hours on end and often ending up empty-handed for the initial run of U.K. and Irish dates.
In October, Ticketmaster said it would investigate the matter and cancel roughly 50,000 resale tickets that were deemed to have been purchased using techniques that were forbidden for the tour. Those methods typically used by scalpers and bots, included purchasing more than four tickets per household, per show, and using multiple identities to buy up tickets.
Then, in March, the UK’s CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) said that Ticketmaster may have “misled” fans over pricing for the shows; Oasis later issued a statement saying they had no “awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used” in the sale of tickets for the initial 19 dates. An update to the CMA’s ongoing investigation revealed that Ticketmaster UK may have breached consumer protection law, by “Labelling certain seated tickets as ‘platinum’ and selling them for near 2.5 times the price of equivalent standard tickets, without sufficiently explaining that they did not offer additional benefits and were often located in the same area of the stadium.”
Though at press time neither the make-up of the rest of the band nor the expected set list has been revealed, Noel may have tipped his hand at which songs will make the cut when Cummins asked him to name his favorite Oasis song. “Can I have more than one? ‘Supersonic’, ‘Some Might Say’, ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Rock’n’Roll Star,” Gallagher said of a handful of the band’s most beloved, frequently performed, songs.
In January, Liam responded to a fan’s dream setlist, telling them “it’s not far off,” when they asked if the unsolicited rundown was “official.” The list had pretty much what you’d expect based on the band’s past setlists, including such live staples as: “Acquiesce,” “Some Might Say,” “Lyla,” “Shakermaker,” “The Hindu Times,” “Cast No Shadow,” “Slide Away,” “Supersonic,” “Morning Glory,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Live Forever” and “Champagne Supernova.”
Last month, the band announced that a film documenting the Oasis Live ’25 tour would be created and produced by BAFTA- and Oscar-nominated writer/producer/director Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Spencer, Dirty Pretty Things) and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace (Meet Me in the Bathroom, Shut Up and Play the Hits). No release date has been announced yet for the untitled film and no further details were revealed about the content of the project that will be distributed by Sony Music Vision.
Oasis have announced 41 dates so far for the tour, which will kick off on July 4 with the first of two shows at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, before criss-crossing the U.K. in advance of a North American run beginning August 24 in Toronto; the tour will then move on to Mexico City, South Korea, Japan, Australia and South America.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won a Grammy for best music video on Feb. 2, but can it also win a Webby Award? The visual was nominated in the music video, general video & film category, along with Dua Lipa’s “Illusion,” Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Mamushi,” Charli XCX’s “Von Dutch” and Lady Gaga‘s “Abracadabra.”
The nominees for the 29th annual Webby Awards, celebrating excellence on the Internet, were announced Tuesday (April 1) by The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.
This year’s nominees include such companies as Apple, Fenty Beauty, Hulu and Netflix and such influential stars as Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, Jason and Travis Kelce, Cynthia Erivo, Kerry Washington, Selena Gomez, Gracie Abrams, A$AP Rocky, Rosé, Bowen Yang and Oprah Winfrey.
All nominees are eligible to win two awards: The Webby Award, selected by members of the Academy, and The Webby People’s Voice Award, voted on by the online community. Voting for The Webby People’s Voice Awards is open now at vote.webbyawards.com through April 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
This year, The Webby Awards introduced a new suite of creator categories. These categories highlight the role individual creators play in transforming our digital experiences and interactions. Nominees include Kai Cenat, Laufey, Trixie Mattel and Mark Rober.
The Webby Awards continues to reflect the growing influence and impact of AI, with nominees that showcase how AI can be used to enhance creativity and transform digital experiences. This year’s nominees include Notion AI Assistant, Google Notebook LM, Ebb by Headspace, Following Wildfire, See The Eye, Surveillance Watch, Animal Alerts, Vocable, Tone Proud, Adobe Premiere Pro, Typeface.ai, Goldee, Shiffbot and ChatJuneteenth: AI With Soul.
The Webby Podcast Company of the Year achievement recognizes the organization with the most overall nominations and wins across the podcast categories. Organizations in contention include Audible (14), SiriusXM (10), Wondery (9) and iHeartMedia (8).
The Webby Media Company of the Year achievement honors the media company that performs best across all Webby Awards categories. Nominees include NBCUniversal (24), MTV Entertainment Studios (18), CNN (16), National Geographic (16), PBS (14), The Walt Disney Company (14) and The Washington Post (14).
This year, the Webby Awards introduced the first-ever Brand of the Year achievement, with Google (38), Apple (38), Samsung (12), YouTube (9), Nike (9), and McDonald’s (7) all in the running.
The Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from over 70 countries. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 22. Comedian, actor and writer Ilana Glazer will host the awards show on Monday, May 12, in New York City. Fans will be able to watch special moments and the signature five-word acceptance speeches from all the winners on that date by following @TheWebbyAwards across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter/X, and Facebook.
Here are highlights of the 2025 Webby Award nominations, with an emphasis on music and entertainment categories. For a complete list of nominees and to vote for the People’s Voice Awards, visit vote.webbyawards.com.
Music Video, General Video & Film (Video & Film)
Dua Lipa, “Illusion” – UnderWonder Content
Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Mamushi’ – Church Edit
Charli XCX, “Von Dutch” – Modern Post
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra” – Modern Post
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” music video – pgLang
Art, Culture & Music, Individual Creator (Creator)
Laufey – AWAL
Lachi – Recording Artist – Whalar Group
CZsWorld – CZsWorld
Maris Jones – Bedrooms through the decades – Deep Feel Talent Co.
Heidi Wong – WME (Agency)
Music, General Video & Film (Video & Film)
AMP Cypher 2024 – AMP
The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera | Spotify Anniversaries LIVE – Spotify
Jorts with Will Ferrell & Nick Jonas – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Gracie Abrams – The Secret of Us (Short Film) | Vevo Extended Play – Vevo
How ‘Oppenheimer’ Oscar Winning Composer Ludwig Göransson Created ‘Can You Hear The Music?’ – Variety
Comedy, Individual Creator (Creators)
Jake Shane – Align PR
Boman Martinez-Reid – R&CPMK
BOY ROOM – Gymnasium
Chris Klemens – Middle Kid Productions Inc
Sock Puppet Master – Sock Puppet Master, Inc.
Best Use of AI, Performance & Craft (Video & Film)
Reid Hoffman meets his AI Twin – Reid Hoffman
Unfinished Legacies – Barkley
La Fenêtre – an AI short film – Creativ Strategies
Shrimpdaddy AI – Shrimpdaddy
Michael Jackson ‘Smooth Criminal’ Lego Edition – Www.robbiereddy.com
Comedy, General Video & Film (Video & Film)
Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny – MPRM
Kai Cenat x Kevin Hart x Druski ‘Thanksgiving’ – Church Edit
Onion News Network – The Onion
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Perform a Song About Deadpool & Wolverine – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Very Important People – Dropout
Long Form, Branded Entertainment (Video & Film)
Cynthia Erivo Teaches Storytelling – Celebrity Substitute – Amazon
La Causa del Accidente que Provoco el Incendio – CANADA
Shot on iPhone – Midnight – TBWA Media Arts Lab
Rising Voices – Fireline – Indeed
Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story – Marriott International
Interview or Talk Show, Branded Entertainment (Video & Film)
RuPaul’s Drag Race – The Pit Stop with Trixie Mattel – MTV Entertainment Studios
Quest for Craft, Season 4 – Quaker City Mercantile
Donald Duck Tries to Keep His Cool While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones – Disney
Countdown to Beautifully Broken: Jelly Roll in conversation w/ mgk | Spotify
32 Questions With Virgin Galactic Pilot Jameel Janjua – Virgin Galactic
Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle, Branded Entertainment (Video & Film)
The Director – Happy Place
Loewe – Partizan Entertainment LLC
Burberry ‘It’s Always Burberry Weather’ – Church Edit
Puma x A$AP ROCKY – Dreambearr
HEADPEACE – Freelance film director – Izrayl Brinsdo
Best Individual Performance, Performance & Craft (Video & Film)
“What a Girl Wants” (ft. Sabrina Carpenter – Live – Spotify Anniversaries Version) Spotify
“Assume That I Can” – INDIANA PRODUCTION
“The Runner” – Tempomedia Filmproduktion GmbH
“Todd Almond’s I’m Almost There” (In-Studio Preview) – Audible
“Music video” – Stand Clear Entertainment, LLC
Health, Wellness & Lifestyle, Individual Episode (Podcasts)
Paging Dr. Chanda: “Keke Palmer Talks About Her New Book, Master of Me (PART 1)” – REVOLT
The Mel Robbins Podcast with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD – 143 Studios, Inc.
Are You Remembering the Good Times? – Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley
SHE MD Podcast: A Women’s Health Advocacy Platform – SHE MD Podcast
The Spillover: How the Texas Abortion Ban Shook Up Eastern New Mexico – The Futuro Media Group
Best Co-Hosts, Features (Podcasts)
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard – Wondery
The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast – Rabbit Grin Productions
We Can Do Hard Things – Audacy Podcasts and Paper Kite Podcasts
The Pivot Podcast – Pivot Podcast LLC
SmartLess – SiriusXM
Comedy, Shows (Podcasts)
Office Ladies – Audacy Podcasts and Paper Kite Podcasts
Lovett or Leave It – Crooked Media
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang -iHeartPodcasts
SmartLess – SiriusXM
Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker – The Podglomerate
Comedy, Individual Episode (Podcasts)
The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie and Katya – Studio71
Petty Crimes – Bobby – Metro Public Relations
Halfway to Horse Town with Luke Null – Almost Friday Media
My Momma Told Me: New Year, New Black-Eyed Peas (with Monét X Change) – Big Money Players Network
Toni and Ryan – Toni and Ryan
Interview/Talk Show, Shows (Podcasts)
The Oprah Podcast – Harpo
Baby, This Is Keke Palmer – Wondery
The Assignment with Audie Cornish – CNN
Why Is This Happening? With Chris Hayes – MSNBC
The Weekly Show – Jon Stewart – MTV Entertainment Studios
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Shows (Podcasts)
The Pink House with Sam Smith – Lemonada Media
National Immigration Law Center: Freedom to Thrive – National Immigration Law Center
Accessibility Accelerator: The Podcast – Accessibility Accelerator
Uncivil Liberties with Goldie Taylor – Audible
ADHD Aha! – Understood.org
Comedy, Shows (Podcasts)
Office Ladies – Audacy Podcasts and Paper Kite Podcasts
Lovett or Leave It – Crooked Media
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang – iHeartPodcasts
SmartLess – SiriusXM
Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker – The Podglomerate
Interview/Talk Show, Individual Episode (Podcasts)
Possible | Kara Swisher on AI, media, and accountability – Wonder Media Network
Skip Intro – Zoe Saldaña – Netflix
Ep. 556 — Obama 15-Year Anniversary Special – Institute of Politics/CNN
On the Ground in Gaza — With Arwa Damon – New Lines Magazine
The Bert Show Interviews Usher – The Bert Show
Best Video Series, Features (Podcasts)
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce – Wondery
Nightcap Best Video Series – Hirsch Leatherwood
My First Million – HubSpot
The Pivot Podcast – Pivot Podcast LLC
Oprah Reveals All – Life-Changing Lessons on Weight, Shame & Worthiness – The Jamie Kern Lima Show
Fashion & Beauty, General Social (Social)
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez – Best Social, Fashion & Beauty – Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Alexis Bittar: The Bittarverse – Alexis Bittar
Byrdie – Dotdash Meredith
Retrofête – Retrofête
theSkimm’s Fashion You’ll Actually Wear Week – theSkimm
Best Use of Filters/Lenses, Features (Social)
Fenty Beauty ” Which Riri Are You?” Lip Looks TikTok Filter – Fenty Beauty
Zach Woods Joins Social Media – Block Party
LEGO BRICKTACULAR – Arcadia
Indiana Pacers – Best Use of Filter – Indiana Pacers & Indiana Fever
Harry Potter Snapchat Lenses and Landmarkers – Warner Brothers Discovery
Celebrity/Fan, General Social (Social)
Deuxmoi World – L+R
Kyle MacLachlan’s Social Media – Full Picture Productions
Mariah Carey’s It’s Time!!! Partnership with KAY Jewelers – RhythmInfluence
Zach Woods – Block Party
Andrew Zimmern – Intuitive Content
Arts & Entertainment, Social Video Short Form (Social)
“Apt.” by Rose ft. Bruno Mars YouTube Shorts Challenge – We Are Social U.S.
“The Storm: KÀ by Cirque du Soleil” – Cirque du Soleil
“Paris 1874” – National Gallery
“I Just Told My Therapist I Love Him” – QuillBot
“Meet the Auctioneer: Sotheby’s Phyllis Kao” – Sotheby’s
Dating to the start of the Billboard Hot 100, and surely long before, music fans have been fools for songs about fools. (It seems to make sense, as who can’t relate to acting or feeling a bit foolish? And not just on April 1.) The chart began with the edition dated Aug. 4, 1958. No. […]
The 2025 Soundside Festival in Bridgeport, CT will feature headlining sets from The Killers, Weezer, Hozier and Vampire Weekend. The two-day event (Sept. 27-28) formerly known as the Sound on Sound festival will once again take place at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park, with a pre-sale slated to kick off on Thursday (April 3) from 10 a.m.-11 […]
The lineup for the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2025 will feature headliner Gunna, along with A Boogie, GloRilla, Muni Long and more. The June 20 show at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. will also feature sets from Asake, Ayra Starr, Kash Doll, Bobby Konders and Jabba featuring Masicka, as well as Jim Jones & […]
Celebrity baby names can sometimes be a real journey. But Machine Gun Kelly took to his Instagram Stories on Monday (March 31) to clear up some confusion about what people apparently think he and his ex, Megan Fox, named their newborn baby girl. You see, some people thought that the little bundle of joy had […]
The first cast announcement for the upcoming Beatles biopics has been confirmed, with Harris Dickinson (John Lennon), Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney), Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr) and Joseph Quinn (George Harrison) set to play the Fab Four.
The quartet will assume the roles for what Sony Pictures is currently dubbing The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event, directed by Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917). The group will appear in four separate biopics – one about each member – and all will be released in theatres in April 2028, in what Sony Motion Pictures Boss Tom Rothman’s called a “bingeable moment in cinema” (per Deadline). No further cast members have been announced at this stage, nor has the release order for the four films.
The news was confirmed on Monday night (March 31) at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, with Mendes and the all-star cast all appearing on stage to celebrate the announcement. See a photo of all four members together below.
Mendes said that the four separate films will provide “a chance to understand them a little more deeply.” Mendes added that the group “redefined the culture and stayed with you for a lifetime,” and called them “the most significant band of all time.” He also said that he had been trying to make a Beatles film “for years,” but struggled to fit the story into one movie and rejected the idea of a television series.
“There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,” he told the audience, adding: “I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.”
On stage, Dickinson, Mescal, Keoghan and Quinn recited from the band’s song “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”: “It’s wonderful to be here, it’s certainly a thrill, you’re such a lovely audience, we’d like to take you home with us,” each saying a line.
The upcoming film has approval from McCartney and Starr, as well as Lennon and Harrison’s estates. It marks the first time the group and rights holders Apple have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.
The reveal confirms rumors that have swirled about the casting for months. Last year Starr hinted that Keoghan would be playing him in the film, saying “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” Ridley Scott, who directed Mescal in Gladiator II, accidentally confirmed the latter’s casting in an interview in late 2024, with Mescal responding that it would be “a dream come true” to play McCartney.
Dickinson is best known for his roles in Babygirl (2024) and The Iron Claw (2023), while Quinn had a starring role alongside Mescal in Gladiator II, and also appeared in the most-recent season of Stranger Things.
The four Beatles films will follow the group’s trajectory from their 1960 formation through their time as a touring act and in the studio. The group hold the record for the most No. 1 LPs on the Billboard 200 (19 in total) and most No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 (20 in total).
A number of documentaries and smaller-budget films have been released chronicling the group’s career, including 2009’s Nowhere Boy which focused on Lennon’s early years, and starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the leading role. In 2022, The Beatles: Get Back documentary saw Peter Jackson compiling hours of unused footage for an eight-hour epic on Disney+.
Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys’ Brian Littrell, took center stage during Hollywood Week on American Idol with a moving original song dedicated to his late grandmother.
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The 21-year-old’s performance of “Hey Jesus,” a tribute to the woman he called his best friend, brought his parents to tears in the audience. Brian Littrell, visibly emotional, was seen singing along as his son poured his heart out on stage.
“Baylee, you’re so good,” judge Carrie Underwood told him after the performance, noting his “heat” and “genuineness.”
It’s been a few episodes since Baylee first stepped out of his father’s boyband shadow during the season premiere, and this week, he reminded everyone why he earned his spot in Hollywood Week. His heartfelt performance was one of the most memorable of the night and secured him a spot in the next round.
Hollywood Week also saw Idol’s most brutal cut yet, with more than half of the 144 contestants eliminated in what host Ryan Seacrest called “the biggest cut in Idol history.”
Among the standouts moving forward was 17-year-old Isaiah Misailegalu, who wowed with a masterful take on Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control.” “You have such a gift, and you’re so confident on the stage,” said Underwood.
The youngest contestant, 15-year-old Mattie Pruitt, stunned the panel with her performance of Chris Stapleton’s “Cold.” “Nothing about that is 15,” said Bryan, noting the “rasp and pain and heart” in her voice.
Josh King, a 24-year-old airport pianist, found his redemption arc with a stirring rendition of Rick Astley’s “Hopelessly.” “Josh! If you had done that in your audition, you would have gotten three yeses, absolutely,” Underwood told him.
Among the contestants moving forward include Thunderstorm Artis, Amanda Barise, Jamal Roberts, Slater Nalley, Sonny Tennet, and Platinum ticket holders Canaan James Hill, Filo and Kolbi Jordan.
Among those who didn’t make the cut were Landynn Kennedy, Sam Sparks and Mikaela Bautista—contestants who had impressed in earlier rounds but couldn’t recapture the magic under pressure.
Showstoppers Week continues Sunday, April 6 on ABC, followed by head-to-head performances on Monday, April 7.
Australian DJ and producer FISHER just scored one of the most surreal honors of his career: his own official day in Las Vegas.
March 29 is now officially recognized as “Day of the Fish” in Las Vegas, following a city proclamation that was rolled out as FISHER played a headline set at the city’s premiere party hotspot, TAO Beach. The Aussie tech-house star signed the proclamation before taking to the decks to celebrate with fans.
“NO FKN WAY!!! THEY NAMED A DAY AFTER ME IN LAS VEGAS! MARCH 29th IS OFFICIALLY ‘DAY OF THE FISH’!! THANK YOU LEGENDS @taobeach,” he wrote on Instagram on March 31.
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The proclamation reads: “We welcome [FISHER] to Las Vegas and thank him for bringing his energy and music to our fabulous city.”
This isn’t the first time FISHER has made waves in Sin City. His 2018 breakout track “Losing It” has become a dance music anthem, dominating festival stages and club sets around the globe. The track hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording, solidifying his status as one of the genre’s most in-demand names.
“Losing It” marked a turning point in dance music, helping usher in a broader appetite for tech-house while launching FISHER from Holy Ship! fan favorite to Coachella and Tomorrowland mainstay. He’s since performed back-to-back sets with longtime collaborator Chris Lake, become a fixture on the Ibiza club circuit, and launched his own label Catch & Release.
FISHER’s honor in Las Vegas arrives just weeks ahead of the return of his homegrown festival, Out 2 Lunch. Taking place May 3–4 on the sands of Surfers Paradise, the two-day event sees him doubling as both host and headliner. The 2024 edition will welcome an impressive lineup of global names including Chris Lake, Patrick Topping, DJ Boring, Noizu, Hayden James, Little Fritter and Shimmy.
The festival follows the record-breaking success of last year’s edition, which drew 30,000 punters to Coolangatta Beach and generated an estimated $50 million for the local economy.