Music

14 Dec 2022

Baker Boy, Julia Jacklin Among Winners at 2022 Music Victoria Awards

Baker Boy adds to his heaving collection of trophies with a hattrick at the Music Victoria Awards, presented Tuesday (Dec. 13) in central Melbourne.

The Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land, and he’s known in these parts, was the big winner, topping categories for best regional act, best song and the coveted best album honor for his full-length debut Gela (Island Records/Universal Music Australia), which peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Chart.

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The singer, songwriter, rapper and dancer entered the event in great awards form. He was a dominant force at the 2022 ARIA Awards last month, where he collective five wins, including album of the year, best hip-hop/rap release, and best solo artist.

Also, at the 2022 NIMAs in August, he took home artist of the year and album of the year. In 2021, the year Gela was released, Baker Boy received an Order Of Australia (OAM) medal for “service to the performing arts as a singer and musician,” to go with his young Australian of the year honor, from 2019.

With his Music Victoria triumph, Baker Boy (real name Danzal Baker) boasts eighth Music Victoria Awards, including four scooped in 2018.

Following the release of Pre Pleasure (Liberation Records/Mushroom Group), Julia Jacklin won the Music Victoria Award for best solo artist. Jacklin’s critically-acclaimed third studio album hit No. 2 on the ARIA Chart, No. 1 on the ARIA Australian Album and Vinyl charts, and last month took out the ARIA for best adult contemporary album.

Organized by trade body Music Victoria, the awards were decided by a panel of more than 200 music experts, and the “largest public voting response” in its 17-year history, organizers say. This year’s in-person ceremony took place at The Edge, on Federation Square.

Other winners on the night included soul artist Emma Donovan and her band The Putbacks (best group); Noongar woman and Naarm artist Bumpy (the Archie Roach Foundation Award for emerging talent); “Native Tongue” singer Mo’Ju (best soul, funk, R&B or gospel work); punk band Pinch Points (best rock or punk work); Harvey Sutherland (best electronic act); Georgia State Line (best country), and Alice Ivy (best producer).

In one of the special moments of the event, Deborah Conway, the singer, songwriter and one-time leader of post-punk outfit Do-Re-Mi, was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame. Georgia State Line Conway’s paid musical tribute with a cover of Conway’s glorious love-struck number “It’s Only the Beginning.”

“I played my first gig 44 years ago and was hooked,” Conway said from the podium. “Music has been my lifelong map. I’ve followed the well lit way, the rocky back alleys, the detours and shortcuts, worked and played with incredible people in extraordinary places for the best and worst audiences and the worst and best sound and my interest has never flagged; how tremendous to be rewarded for doing something you would do regardless.”

Meanwhile, Helen Marcou & Ian “Quincy” McLean of Bakehouse Studios were inducted into the Hall of Fame, for their tireless efforts in supporting the country’s music culture.

The Music Victoria Awards 2022 Winners

Hall of Fame Inductees: Deborah Conway AM, Helen Marcou AM & Ian ‘Quincy’ McLean AM

Best Album: Baker Boy – Gela

Best Musician: Xani Kolac

Best Song: Baker Boy – Survive

Best Group: Emma Donovan & The Putbacks

Best Producer: Alice Ivy

Best Solo Artist: Julia Jacklin

Best DJ: MzRizk and Jennifer Loveless (Tied award)

Best Regional Act: Baker Boy

MAV Diasporas Award: Charles Maimarosia

Best Blues Work: Checkerboard Lounge

Best Country Work: Georgia State Line

Best Electronic Work: Harvey Sutherland

Best Experimental or Avant-Garde Work: The Amplified Elephants

Best Folk Work: Kerryn Fields

Best Heavy Work: Outright

Best Hip Hop Work: MAMMOTH. & Silent Jay

Best Jazz Work: Barney McAll

Best Pop Work: The Stroppies

Best Reggae or Dancehall Work: JahWise

Best Rock Or Punk: Pinch Points

Best Soul, Funk, RNB or Gospel Work: Mo’Ju

Arts Access Amplify Award: Evelyn Ida Morris

The Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent: Bumpy

Best Metro Festival: Brunswick Music Festival: Wurundjeri

Best Regional Festival: Port Fairy Folk Festival (Gunditjmara)

Best Large Venue (Metro): Forum Melbourne (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)

Best Small Venue (Metro): Brunswick Ballroom (Wurundjeri)

Best Regional Venue (Established): Caravan Music Club – Archies Creek (Boonwurrung)

Best Regional Venue (Under 50 Gigs): Daylesford Hotel (Dja Dja Wurrung)

14 Dec 2022

Larry Strickland Speaks Out on His Late Wife Naomi Judd’s Struggles With Mental Health

Larry Strickland, the husband of late country music singer-songwriter Naomi Judd, is speaking out about The Judds member’s lengthy battle with depression and anxiety.

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Judd was 76 when she died by suicide on April 30, 2022, just one day prior to The Judds‘ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and shortly before Naomi was to embark on The Judds Final Tour with her daughter and duo partner Wynonna Judd.

In a new interview with People, Strickland described her final months as “a very chaotic, hectic, hectic time.”

“It was extremely hard,” he revealed. “She had several therapists that she was seeing, and her energy level had gotten really low. She was getting really weak.”

He added, “Nobody can understand it unless you’ve been there. Think of your very worst day of your whole life — someone passed away, you lost your job, you found out you were being betrayed, that your child had a rare disease — you can take all of those at once and put them together and that’s what depression feels like.”

Strickland and Judd married 33 years ago, on May 6, 1989, and he says especially over the past 13-plus years, he rarely left her side, to ensure she was taken care of.

“I never left the house without Naomi knowing where I was going and when I would be back,” he said. “As far as taking care of myself, I’m not sure that fits my situation. When you have a mate that has a mental illness, you walk that path with them.”

Even so, Strickland said he was unaware of just how much his wife was struggling in the months leading up to her passing, and pondered if there were things he could have handled differently.

“I just feel like I might have overdone it,” Strickland remarked. “I was trying to get her to eat. I was trying to get her to exercise. I handled her medications and had to make sure she had what she needed. I was trying every way I could.

“If I had known where she was, I would’ve been much softer on her,” he added. “I would’ve been gentler and more understanding instead of tired and exhausted because it was wearing me out, too…I look back and just wish I had been holding her and comforting her instead of pushing her. I don’t know if that would’ve helped, but it certainly wouldn’t have hurt.”

Following his wife’s death, Strickland has begun speaking out to raise awareness about caring for mental health, including his recent contribution to the Academy of Country Music’s Lifting Lives series The Check-In. In the episode, he spoke about how he manages stress, offered advice for those struggling with mental health, and what he is grateful for.

“I was consumed by what happened, and I want to do anything I can to help relieve any kind of hurting or suffering for others,” he explained. “I’m willing to do whatever I can to hopefully help anyone not go through what our family has.”

The original short-form digital series ACM Lifting Lives Presents The Check-in launched in May and over the past seven months, has featured artists including Jimmie Allen, Brett Eldredge and John Osborne.

Watch Strickland’s episode of The Check-in below:

14 Dec 2022

Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & Rüfüs Du Sol to Headline Osheaga 2023

The 16th iteration of Osheaga Music and Arts Festival is heading back to Montreal, Canada, in 2023, and the event revealed its high-profile headliners for the upcoming event.

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Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Rüfüs Du Sol are set to take the stage at the festival, which will take place from August 4 to 6, 2023, at Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène. Rüfüs Du Sol and Eilish both performed at the festival in 2019 and 2018, respectively, while Lamar headlined Osheaga in 2015.

“15 years into this journey we have been fortunate to have some of the greatest acts in the world grace our stages,” said Nick Farkas, Osheaga founder and evenko’s senior vice president of booking, concerts and events, in a press statement. “I feel that this year’s headliners continue in that tradition and represent what our festival is all about: Amazing live performances! We are excited to see Rüfüs Du Sol and Billie Eilish graduate to the main stages after their excellent performances in 2019 and 2018, and we anxiously await the return of Kendrick Lamar whose 2015 set is definitely in the running for one of the best Osheaga hardline sets ever. Long live Live Music, we hope you enjoy this year as much as we will.”

More lineup information will be revealed in the coming months. Tickets for Osheaga for on sale starting on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. ET. However, American Express card members can access the presale from now until Dec. 15 at 10 p.m. ET.

14 Dec 2022

21 Savage Set to Perform for Season Finale of ‘Amazon Music Live’

Amazon Music announced Wednesday (Dec. 14) that 21 Savage will perform on the upcoming season finale of Amazon Music Live.

The superstar rapper will take the stage on Dec. 29 for the new series’ final show of the year, which will be hosted as always by 2 Chainz following Amazon’s Thursday Night Football. According to a release, the Grammy winner is expected to perform songs from Her Loss, his new collaborative album with Drake, as well as debut new and unreleased tracks.

Premiering in October on both Prime Video and Amazon Music’s Twitch channel, the inaugural season of the Thursday night concert series has also included performances by — and exclusive interviews with — Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Kane Brown, Lil Wayne and Anuel AA. Plus, Anitta is slated to take over for this Thursday’s episode (Dec. 15) ahead of 21 Savage’s finale.

Her Loss debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent four weeks atop the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart after its release in early November via OVO Sound and Republic Records.

Following his new album with Drake, Savage — who was named an honorable mention in Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022 — also collaborated with Nas on their fiery single “One Mic, One Gun.”

14 Dec 2022

‘Creepin’’ & ‘Superhero’ Give Metro Boomin No. 1s on Both R&B and Rap Songs Charts

It’s a one-two punch for Metro Boomin this week as the hitmaking producer takes over at No. 1 on both Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. The former comes through the No. 1 arrival of “Creepin’,” with The Weeknd and 21 Savage, while the latter’s new champ is “Superhero (Heroes & Villains),” with Future and Chris Brown. Both tracks appear on Metro Boomin’s new album, Heroes & Villains, which likewise debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

“Creepin’, by itself, scores another double play as the song also storms in at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It traces its entrance on the list, which factors streaming, radio airplay and sales into its rankings, mostly to 30.8 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Dec. 8, according to Luminate. The sum prompts a No. 1 arrival on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. It also begins at No. 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart with 3,000 downloads sold in the same period and registered 2.3 million in radio airplay.

The new champ also brings a former genre hit back into play. “Creepin’” heavily reworks Mario Winans’ “I Don’t Wanna Know,” featuring P. Diddy and Enya, which reached No. 2 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2004.

“Creepin’” gives Metro Boomin his first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. He previously reached a No. 5 best on another 21 Savage collaboration: The pair’s “Runnin” debuted and peaked there in October 2020.

21 Savage, for his part, picks up his fifth Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs leader and third of 2022, after a featured turn on Drake’s “Jimmy Cooks,” a one-week No. 1 in July and “Rich Flex,” with Drake, for the four prior weeks. Thus, as “Creepin’” replaces “Rich Flex,” 21 Savage is the first act to complete a self-replacement at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” ceded the throne to “Good as Hell” in November 2019.

The Weeknd, meanwhile, adds his seventh career No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. On Hot R&B Songs, though, The Weeknd achieves his 10th leader and extends his record as the artist with the most No. 1s on the list since it launched in 2012. Here’s an updated look at his chart-topping collection on Hot R&B Songs:

“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” 14 weeks at No. 1, beginning April 11, 2015
“Can’t Feel My Face,” 11, July 18, 2015
“The Hills,” 14, Oct. 3, 2015
“Starboy,” featuring Daft Punk, 20, Oct. 15, 2016
“Call Out My Name,” one, April 14, 2018
“Heartless,” one, Dec. 14, 2019
“Blinding Lights,” 48, March 7, 2020
“You Right,” with Doja Cat, one, Sept. 4, 2021
“Sacrifice,” one, Jan. 22, 2022
“Creepin’,” with Metro Boomin & 21 Savage, one (to date), Dec. 17, 2022

Both Metro Boomin and 21 Savage each earns his first No. 1 on Hot R&B Songs.

Over on the Hot Rap Songs chart, “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” begins with 27.4 million official U.S. streams, 1,000 in download sales and 149,000 in radio airplay in the week ending Dec. 8.

In line with the Hot R&B Songs achievements, Metro Boomin acquires his first Hot Rap Songs No. 1. “Runnin,” with 21 Savage, which peaked at No. 5, was his prior best showing.

Future gets his third Hot Rap Songs No. 1, after he and Young Thug’s guest spots on Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” led for two weeks in 2021, and his own “Wait for U,” featuring Drake and Tems, a two-week champ earlier this year.

Chris Brown grabs his fifth champ on Hot Rap Songs and returns to the summit for the first time in almost exactly eight years. “Superhero” joins this crew as the latest of Brown’s chart-toppers:

“Shortie Like Mine,” Bow Wow featuring Chris Brown & Johnta Austin, seven weeks at No 1, beginning Dec. 2, 2006
“Look at Me Now,” featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, 10, April 23, 2011
“My Last,” Big Sean featuring Chris Brown, two, July 2, 2011
“Only,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, one, Dec. 27, 2014
“Superhero (Heroes & Villians),” with Metro Boomin & Future, one (to date), Dec. 17, 2022

Elsewhere, both songs start in the top 10 of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, with “Creepin’” arriving at No. 5 and “Superhero” at No. 8. The pair lead all 15 songs from Heroes & Villians onto the chart.

14 Dec 2022

Here’s Everything Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn Have Said About Their Relationship

Taylor Swift has been dating Joe Alwyn since 2016, and while they’ve been together for six years, the couple has remained private about everything surrounding their relationship.

While the couple’s relationship is strictly off-limits when it comes to the press, Swift and Alwyn have briefly mentioned each other in interviews throughout the years, showing the respect and love they still have for each other after all this time.

They’ve even written songs together. Alwyn contributed to both 2020’s Folklore and its sister album Evermore under his literary-leaning pen name — co-writing the Bon Iver duet “Exile” and producing six other songs on the former, as well as penning “Champagne Problems,” The National-assisted “Coney Island” and second Justin Vernon collab “Evermore” on the latter.

In fact, thanks to his songwriting credit on Folklore, the actor even took home his own Grammy after Swift’s surprise pandemic studio set won album of the year at the 2021 Grammy Awards. These days, Alwyn is focused on his primary occupation onscreen while Swift remains in the process of re-recording her back catalog of albums.

In honor of Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s super-private, but super-loving relationship, we’ve compiled all the times the longtime couple has talked about each other in the press, documentaries and beyond — from Swift admitting to fans that “Gorgeous” is about her boyfriend and confirming that he is, in fact, Folklore co-writer William Bowery to Alwyn sharing how he feels about love songs dedicated to him.

See our full list, in chronological order, below.

14 Dec 2022

Eddie Murphy to Receive Cecil B. DeMille Award at 2023 Golden Globes

Eddie Murphy is going to the Golden Globes.

The legendary comedian, 61, has been confirmed to receive one of the night’s highest honors, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, given as a way to honor “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment,” per the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The selection is made by the HFPA’s board of directors.

Murphy, a six-time Golden Globe nominee, picked up one trophy in 2007 for his critically acclaimed turn in the movie musical Dreamgirls. He snagged noms for 48 Hrs., Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor and, more recently, for Dolemite Is My Name.

The award is among two of the night’s highest honors, with the other being the Carol Burnett Award. News on that recipient is expected this week, per HFPA president Helen Hoehne. In accepting the Cecil B. DeMille prize, Murphy will join a list of recipients that includes Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Audrey Hepburn, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Sophia Loren, Robin Williams and more.

“We’re honored to present this year’s Cecil B.DeMille Award to the iconic and highly esteemed Mr. Eddie Murphy,” said Hoehne. “We’re thrilled to be celebrating the lasting impact on film and television that his career — in front of and behind the camera — has had through the decades.”

Murphy has received several career achievement honors in recent years. In 2020, he accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Critics Choice Association, and last year, he was inducted into the NAACP’s hall of fame during the org’s Image Awards. “To make your living making people laugh is the highest blessing on Earth,” he said at the CCA ceremony.

The performer most recently starred in Amazon’s Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to his 1988 box-office hit. In 2020, he received an Emmy for guest actor for his return to NBC’s Saturday Night Live. In a career that spans five decades, Murphy’s resume includes the Shrek franchise, Dr. Dolittle, Life, Bowfinger, Daddy Day Care, Norbit and Mr. Church, among many more. Murphy’s upcoming projects include the romantic comedy You People as well as producing and starring in Beverly Hills Cop 4. In 2015, Murphy received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Golden Globes ceremony will return live after one year off the air amid a scandal with the Globes’ parent organization. As a result, HFPA underwent an overhaul, a new voting class was added, and its previous PR firm, Sunshine Sachs, parted ways with the organization. 

The ceremony, hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael, will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The broadcast will air live across the nation at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on NBC and its streaming service Peacock from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Nominations were announced on Monday.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the Golden Globes, is owned by Eldridge Industries. The Hollywood Reporter is owned by PME Holdings, LLC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

14 Dec 2022

Justin Timberlake Shares ‘Heartbreaking’ Tribute to Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss: ‘He Always Lit Everything Up’

Justin Timberlake is the latest to share condolences following the tragic death of Stephen “tWitch” Boss, former DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, who died by suicide at age 40 on Wednesday (Dec. 14). 

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“It’s heartbreaking to hear that someone who brought so much joy to a room, was hurting so much behind closed doors,” the “Can’t Stop the Feeling” singer wrote in a series of tweets. “I’ve known Twitch for over 20 years through the dance community – he always lit everything up. You just never know what someone is really going through.”

He also shared a sweet photo of tWitch holding up Timberlake’s wife, Jessica Biel, Dirty Dancing-style during an Ellen appearance. “Take care of yourselves. LOVE that human in the mirror. Check on your people. Sending light to his beautiful family in this dark, confusing time.  You will be missed, Sir. Rest Easy,” Timberlake concluded.

Boss’ wife, dancer Allison Holker Boss, was the first to share the news of her husband’s death through a statement to People. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” she wrote. “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.

DeGeneres also mourned her friend and coworker via Twitter on Wednesday. “I’m heartbroken,” she tweeted alongside a photo of her hugging the dancer and DJ. “tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.

14 Dec 2022

Carin Leon & Longtime Manager Javier González Part Ways After 5 Years

Carin León and his longtime manager Javier “El Tamarindo” González, CEO and founder of independent regional Mexican label Tamarindo Rekordsz, have mutually agreed to part ways, the pair tells Billboard. 

After five years together, González officially announced the end of his professional relationship with his artist and business partner on Wednesday (Dec. 14). 

“Carin is an exceptional artist with great versatility and an impressive voice,” González said in a press statement. “It was an honor to have been part of his project. I know he will continue to grow and I will continue to be a fan of his music. For a long time, we shared the same vision regarding the decisions of the project, but now we have agreed to end our collaboration in order to continue flying each on their own. Carin will continue to succeed and I will always be a part of his successes.”

The regional Mexican artist, born Óscar Armando Díaz de León Huez, signed to Tamarindo Rekordsz in 2018 after being the lead vocalist of norteño act Grupo Arranke for four years. He found quick success, scoring his first entry on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart in 2019 with “Me La Aventé” before going on to collect eight top 10 hits, two of which reached No. 1 (“El Tóxico” with Grupo Firme in 2021 and “Ojos Cerrados” featuring Banda MS in March). In November, he nabbed his first Latin Grammy for best regional Mexican song with the Matisse-assisted “Como Lo Hice Yo.”

“I personally think that being independent is the best thing that can happen to any artist because it means developing your art in the freest way possible and not depending on many things,” León, who hopes to expand his independence with the launch of his own label, previously told Billboard. 

León and Tamarindo will still fulfill the commitments already established and scheduled for 2023, according to the statement.

14 Dec 2022

Monique Coleman Says Disney ‘Broke My Heart’ By Not Including Her in ‘High School Musical 3’ Press Tour

While the Wildcats often seemed like they were “all in this together,” Monique Coleman didn’t always agree.

The star, who played the smart president of East High’s science club Taylor McKessie in the Disney Channel franchise, recently joined fellow Disney album Christy Carlson Romano on the latter’s most recent episode of her Vulnerable podcast. “Disney really broke my heart because when I got to the third movie, in so many ways, I really championed the film,” she explained. “I really always spoke so positively, and I was a black girl playing the smartest girl in school which was a very big deal at that time. And when it came to promoting the third movie, I wasn’t invited on the tour.”

She added that “they said something about there not being enough room on the plane,” and ended up only bringing along her costars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu. Lucas Grabeel, who plays Ryan Evans in the trilogy, was also not invited.

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“That heartbreak really hit me very deeply and did cause a bit of a depression because it helped me to recognize that I was overly identifying with what I was doing and not who I was,” she added. “And that was what led me to take that step and say, ‘Maybe this is my five minutes of fame. Maybe this is it in some way. And if that is the case, then what am I going to do with it.’”

Watch the full episode below.