State Champ Radio Music
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Nelson Riddle was one of the finest arrangers in music history. He received Grammy nominations for arranging Frank Sinatra’s “Witchcraft,” “Nice ‘n’ Easy” and “Call Me Irresponsible” and won two Grammys for arranging the title tracks of Linda Ronstadt’s albums What’s New and Lush Life, in which she explored the Great American Songbook. And that just scratches the surface of Riddle’s vast discography. Riddle died in October 1985 at age 64, amid his career resurgence working with Ronstadt.
So, the fact that Riddle was nominated for a Grammy on Nov. 7 was surprising, to say the least. He’s up for best arrangement, instruments and vocals for his arrangement of “How Did She Look?” from Seth MacFarlane’s Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements.
The Recording Academy doesn’t allow recordings by artists who have been dead for more than five years on the grounds that those recordings aren’t, by definition, “new recordings.” (From the academy’s Rules & Guidelines handbook: “New recordings’ is defined as material that has been recorded within five years of the release date and not previously released.”)
So, an unearthed recording by, say, Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald could not be nominated for a Grammy. Here’s how seriously the Recording Academy takes this five-year rule: When The Beatles’ “Now and Then” won a Grammy for best rock performance in 2024, only Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr received Grammys. John Lennon and George Harrison, who died in 1980 and 2001, respectively, did not. Lennon and Harrison had both worked on the track – Lennon wrote and recorded the original version in 1977; Harrison added overdubs and guitar tracks when the surviving Beatles worked on it in 1995 (only to shelve it until 2003).
But that five-year rule doesn’t specify that arrangements must have been written within the last five years. So, Riddle’s old arrangements qualify – on a technicality.
In answer to our question about why Riddle was eligible, an academy spokesperson said “The arrangement was recorded for the first time on a newly recorded album released this year, making him eligible.”
MacFarlane’s Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements consists of a dozen arrangements that Sinatra had planned to perform but never got around to. The arrangements were written by Riddle and two other top-flight arrangers of that era, Billy May (who died in 2004) and Don Costa (who died in 1983).
The Recording Academy’s interpretation of its five-year rule seems inconsistent. Lennon and Harrison were not nominated for their contributions to “Now and Then” because their contributions to the recording were more than five years in the past. By the same token, Riddle’s contribution to MacFarlane’s recording (his arrangement) was more than five years in the past. The fact that it was recorded and released for the first time in 2025, while interesting, seems beside the point.
Nonetheless, the nomination allows Riddle to set a new record for the longest span of Grammy nominations. He received two nominations at the very first Grammy ceremony in 1959 — best arrangement for his stylish work on Sinatra’s “Witchcraft” and best musical composition first recorded and released in 1958 (over 5 minutes duration) for “Cross Country Suite.” He won in the latter category.
John Williams and Barbra Streisand are runners-up to Riddle for the longest span of Grammy nominations. Both are nominated again this year. Williams is nominated for best music film for Music by John Williams, 64 years after he received his first nod for best sound track album or recording of score from motion picture or television for Checkmate. Streisand is nominated for best traditional pop vocal album for The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2, 62 years after she received her first three nods for The Barbra Streisand Album and its standout track, “Happy Days Are Here Again.”
The other nominees for best arrangement, instruments and vocals are Jacob Collier for his own track “Keep an Eye on Summer”; Cody Fry for his own track “What a Wonderful World”; Clyde Lawrence, Gracie Lawrence & Linus Lawrence for Lawrence’s “Something in the Water (Acoustic-Ish)” (the eight-piece band features Clyde and Gracie; Linus is their younger brother); and Eric Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, Nate Smith (not the country hitmaker) and Amanda Taylor for “Big Fish,” which they recorded as Nate Smith featuring säje (säje being the other four names here).
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A$AP Rocky graced the cover as part of Vanity Fair‘s Hollywood Issue published Tuesday (Nov. 18), which saw the Harlem native expand on his passion for acting, so don’t expect him to slow up anytime soon.
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“Acting is just another component of the great arts,” he told the magazine. “And I’m a Renaissance man … I’ve always had a desire, this innate passion for doing these acting roles.”
2025 was a busy year for Rocky in front of the camera, as he starred in Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest alongside Denzel Washington, and then appeared in A24’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
“I’m at a place where anytime I’m around an OG,” he added of being around acting royalty such as Denzel. “I just soak in game … I would love to be silver and that wise one day myself. And still be handsome.”
Covering VF‘s Hollywood Issue made Rocky feel like he belonged with the upperclassmen of Hollywood, as he posed alongside actors Callum Turner, LaKeith Stanfield, Glen Powell and Jeremy Allen White.
“To be in that space and to be acknowledged and respected as an actor, or just an artist in general,” Rocky said while recognizing the company he kept. “Honestly, it was the boys, man.”
Over the years, the rapper has carved out a reputation as one of the fashion icons of his generation, but he knows his time in the sun is coming to an end at some point, and he’s ready to pass the torch.
“After me, it’ll be somebody special, and hopefully I know who that person is,” he said. “And it’ll be a person who I feel like deserves it.”
There’s still no update on A$AP Rocky’s much-delayed Don’t Be Dumb album. Rocky and Rihanna welcomed their third child, a baby girl named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September.
Ozuna, the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican-Dominican música urbana artist, is expanding his empire with the launch of Mucho, a bilingual, video-first media company. According to its website, Mucho is aimed at “amplifying the voices of young US Hispanic audiences” through streaming, talent-driven entertainment, and festivals. The new venture officially kicks off on Tuesday (Nov. 18). Related […]
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T.I. has revived his expediTIously podcast. The trap pioneer sat down with NBA icon Allen Iverson on Tuesday (Nov. 18) for an unfiltered conversation touching on A.I.’s career, mistakes and the burden that came with being one of the most influential players to ever pick up a basketball.
“You’ve been asking, and I’ve been listening; that’s why I’m bringing expediTIously back,” T.I. said in a statement. “Starting with a brow-raising, insightful conversation with none other than The Answer. League MVP, Hall of Famer and icon of a generation, Allen Iverson.”
The live episode appeared to be taped in Atlanta in the midst of Iverson’s press run in support of his Misunderstood memoir and accompanying docuseries, which was released on Amazon Prime Video in October.
Iverson wanted people to hear his story raw and uncut, while being able to learn from his mistakes as he navigated the good — being an NBA MVP — and the bad — his 1993 bowling alley arrest. “If I can help one person in life, I did my job,” A.I. said. “The book is just a confession of me being like everybody in this room… I bleed just like you.”
Iverson continued: “I was just a bad motherf—er on the basketball court. I’m just like you. I never won a championship, but I’m the people’s champ. I’m the guy you can touch.”
The Answer revealed that the one regret he had throughout his playing career was not listening to Larry Brown, who was his head coach from 1997 through 2003, sooner.
“I don’t regret nothing. The only thing I regret was listening to Larry Brown way before I started listening to him. I would’ve been way better then. It took a while,” he said. “I was always in a tug of war with him and I had to realize that he wanted the same thing for me that I wanted for myself. I wouldn’t change a whole lot.”
He continued: “Now, I wish I had the LeBron blueprint when I was the face of the league. I wish I knew how to put my homeboys on and put them in executive positions. You know what’s crazy about it? I took that a– whipping for taking my guys with me and the NBA ain’t never seen nothing like it. The crazy thing is all those guys who were there then, not around now.”
Fans can expect plenty more from T.I. with expediTIously back in full force. He’s got interviews on the way for the rest of 2025 and into 2026. Tip’s podcast made waves in the industry with illustrious guests in the past, such as Young Thug, 21 Savage, Jadakiss and actor Chris Tucker.
On the music side, T.I.’s “Thank God” featuring Young Dro, Kirk Franklin and Sunday Service reached a peak of No. 9 on the Gospel Airplay chart. The 45-year-old also picked up another Grammy nomination for his assist on Lecrae’s “Headphones” alongside Killer Mike in the best contemporary Christian music performance/song category.
Watch the full interview with Allen Iverson below.
Over the years, Paris Hilton has been linked in various ways to many powerful men, from Jeffrey Epstein to Michael Jackson and Donald Trump. And in a new interview with The Times published Saturday (Nov. 15), the businesswoman addressed claims regarding all three.
Starting with Epstein, it has for years been rumored that his former girlfriend — the now-incarcerated Ghislaine Maxwell — once tried to “recruit” Hilton to date the late billionaire and convicted sex offender. It all started with the 2020 documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, in which Maxwell’s former associate Christopher Mason alleged, “A friend of mine was at a party and Ghislaine said, ‘Oh my God, who’s that?’ and was looking at this pretty, young, sort of teenage girl … My friend said, ‘Yes, she’s called Paris Hilton.’ And Ghislaine said, ‘God, she’d be perfect for Jeffrey. Could you introduce us?’”
“The rumors were Ghislaine was scouring New York finding younger girls to go on dates with Jeffrey,” Mason added in the doc, according to Rolling Stone. “At the time it seemed a bit naughty.’”
But what does Hilton, now 44, have to say about it? “I don’t even remember ever meeting her,” she told the publication of Maxwell, with whom she was photographed at the Anand Jon Fashion Show in 2000. “I’m such a good clickbait name.”
Epstein died by suicide while in jail awaiting trial in 2019, after being arrested on charges of running a sex-trafficking operation involving minors, to which he pleaded not guilty. He had previously spent 13 months in prison for the crime of soliciting prostitution from a minor under the age of 18. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The disgraced businessman’s name has continued to be a hot-button issue in the years since his death, especially in 2025. At press time, the House of Representatives is gearing up to vote on a bill that would compel the DOJ to release all of its case files related to Epstein and his alleged list of high-profile clients.
But while Hilton says she never knew Maxwell or Epstein, she was definitely close with the late King of Pop — who she says was “like an uncle to me” — growing up. For years, Jackson’s legacy has been clouded by accusations that he molested young boys, for which he was never convicted. His estate has continued to deny all such claims following his death.
“I never saw him date anyone,” Hilton told The Times of Jackson. “I never saw him be like that with anyone. I didn’t see him as that type of person. So I’ve never paid attention to any of that because I just — I’ve always loved him like family.”
“I just know the man that I knew my whole life, and I could never see him hurting a fly,” she added.
As for Trump — who was also photographed at the fashion show with Hilton and Maxwell in 2000 — the heiress says that she didn’t vote for the sitting POTUS in either 2016 or 2024, despite previously claiming to have voted for him the first time he ran, but recanting that statement in her 2023 memoir. During last year’s election, Hilton says she “didn’t have time” to vote for any candidate.
“My schedule is so insane,” she told the publication. “I was traveling — I think I was in London during all that … and I was, like, moving houses.”
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More than a decade after announcing their Final tour, Mötley Crüe are hitting the road again next year for a massive 2026 North American run of shows. The Vince Neil-led heavy metal legends announced the dates for the 33-city outing they’re calling the Return of the Carnival of Sins in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 2005-2006 tour that birthed their 2006 Carnival of Sins: Live two-CD set.
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The shows slated to kick off on July 17 in Burgettstown, Pa. at the Pavilion at Star Lake will also commemorate the band’s 45th anniversary. The Live Nation-produced tour will feature opening acts Extreme and Tesla on a summer-long outing that will stop in New York, Michigan, Ontario, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah and Washington State.
“Bringing back the spirit of Carnival of Sins has been a blast, and we wanted to take it even further for its 20th anniversary,” the band said in a statement. “This new show is for the Crüeheads who’ve been with us through it all and for the new Crüeheads who didn’t get to experience Carnival of Sins last time around. Get ready — we’re coming your way and we can’t wait to see you next summer.”
A general on-sale will kick off on Friday (Nov. 21) at 9 a.m. local time, with VIP packages available starting on Wednesday (Nov. 19) at 9 a.m. local time; more ticketing information can be found here. In addition, the band said that $1 from every ticket will be donated to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) through the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative to fund hands-on arts programs for young people.
Coinciding with the tour announce, the deluxe box set version of the 40th anniversary of their Theatre of Pain album is out now, featuring reimagined artwork, the newly remastered album on color vinyl and bonus material including a 1985 Long Beach live concert, rare demos and a 76-page hardcover book with never-before-seen photos and memories from that era.
The veteran band featuring original members bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee as well as more recent member guitarist John 5 wrapped up their Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM last month after pushing the start date back six months due to a debilitating stroke suffered by singer Neil last Christmas. “I had to learn to walk again, and that was tough,” Neil told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in September. “The doctors said they didn’t think I’d be able to go back on stage again. I go, ‘No, no, I’m gonna do it. Watch and see.’”
Luckily for the band, Neil did not lose his voice after the stroke, but things were so bad for the 64-year-old rocker that he said he had to be carried to the bathroom, before graduating to a wheelchair, a walker and then a cane. Following months of physical therapy at his Nashville home he said he’s able to walk unassisted again.
Check out the dates for Mötley Crüe’s 2026 Return of Carnival of Sins North American tour below:
July 17: Burgettstown, Pa. @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
July 18: Buffalo, N.Y. @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
July 20: Clarkston, Mich. @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
July 22: Toronto, Ontario @ RBC Amphitheatre
July 24: Gilford, N.H. @ BankNH Pavilion
July 25: Bangor, Maine @ Maine Savings Amphitheater
July 27: Camden, N.J. @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
July 29: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July 31: Holmdel, N.J. @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug. 1: Mansfield, Mass. @ Xfinity Center
Aug. 3: Bristow, Va. @ Jiffy Lube Live
Aug. 12: Alpharetta, Ga. @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Aug. 14: West Palm Beach, Fla. @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Aug. 15: Tampa, Fla. @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug. 17: Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion
Aug. 19: St. Louis, Mo. @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Aug. 21: Shakopee, Minn. @ Mystic Lake Amphitheater
Aug. 22: Tinley Park, Ill. @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Aug. 24: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio @ Blossom Music Center
Aug. 25: Cincinnati, Ohio @ Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 27: Grand Rapids, Mich. @ Acrisure Amphitheater
Aug. 28: Noblesville, Ind. @ Ruoff Music Center
Sept. 8: Kansas City, Mo. @ Morton Amphitheater
Sept. 10: Dallas, Texas @ Dos Equis Pavilion
Sept. 11: The Woodlands, Texas @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sept. 13: Albuquerque, N.M. @ Isleta Amphitheater
Sept. 16: Phoenix, Ariz. @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Sept. 18: Chula Vista, Calif. @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sept. 19: Long Beach, Calif. @ Long Beach Amphitheater
Sept. 21: Salt Lake City, Utah @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sept. 23: Wheatland, Calif. @ Toyota Amphitheatre
Sept. 24: Mountain View, Calif. @ Shoreline Amphitheater
Sept. 26: Ridgefield, Wash. @ Cascades Amphitheater
Trending on Billboard Grupo Frontera announced on Tuesday (Nov. 18) dates for its Triste Pero Bien C*abrón Tour, which kicks off March 28 in Nuevo León, Mexico, and will then make stops in South and Central America and also in Europe. The 27-date stint — Grupo Frontera’s most ambitious trek yet since its 2024 Jugando […]
Trending on Billboard It was a family affair at the Warped Tour in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday (Nov. 15) when MGK teamed up with his 16-year-old daughter Casie for a Baker clan emo showcase. The teen the singer shares with his ex, Emma Cannon, hopped on the mic with her dad at the revived punk […]
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Elon Musk has hit back at Billie Eilish after the singer slammed the world’s richest man last week in an infographic suggesting how the Tesla CEO could use his historically massive wealth to do some charitable good. Borrowing a page from his former DOGE boss Donald Trump’s book of sexist insults targeting women’s intelligence, Musk posted a message responding to Eilish’s graphic, saying, “She’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
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Eilish’s post came amid news last week that Musk, 54, could soon become the world’s first-ever trillionaire. The 23-year-old “Bury a Friend” singer has had America’s wealth gap on her mind lately, including at WSJ Magazine‘s 2025 Innovator Awards last month, where late night host Stephen Colbert presented her with the honor, noting that she has raised more than $11.5 million for organizations addressing food insecurity and climate change through her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour.
Eilish then proceeded to lay down the gauntlet for American billionaires — including Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg (net worth $228 billion), who was in the room — suggesting that perhaps they could use some of their cash to help others in need. “I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things and give it to some people that need it,” Eilish said. “Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you are a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but give your money away, shorties.”
But it was what she said last week about Musk that appeared to get under his skin. Eilish posted the series of infographics suggesting the world of good that Elon could do with his money, including spending $40 billion every year to end hunger by 2030 or provide universal safe clean water for the planet for the next seven years with for $140 billion, save all 10,443 critically endangered species by spending $1-$2 billion annually to bring them all down to endangered status, or rebuild war-ravaged Gaza and the occupied West Bank for $53.2 billion.
Eilish doubled-down on her suggestion last Thursday (Nov. 13), specifically slamming Musk in her Instagram Story, calling him a, “f–king pathetic p–sy b–ch coward.” Billie’s remarks came after a shareholder vote paved the way for Musk — already the world’s richest man with a net worth of $465 billion — to rake in $1 trillion in Tesla stock if he delivers on specific performance goals over the next decade.
While Musk reportedly donated nearly $1.9 billion shares of Tesla to unnamed charities in 2022 — as well as $5.7 billion worth of shares in 2021 — a March 2024 New York Times story said that unlike fellow billionaire Bill Gates, who has used his massive wealth to improve health care across Africa, Musk’s philanthropy has “been haphazard and largely self-serving, making him eligible for enormous tax breaks and helping his businesses.” The paper reported that Musk has seeded his charity with tax-deductible donations of more than $7 billion in stock since 2020, noting that the foundation housing the money has “failed in recent years to give away the bare minimum required by law to justify the tax break.”
In addition, according to the Times, the foundation has not hired any staff, with the billions in its coffers overseen by a board consisting of Musk and two volunteers, one of whom devoted the equivalent of six minutes per week working on its charitable works. A Times analysis also found that the Musk Foundation’s giving in 2021 and 2022, the latest years for which the full data was available at the time, about half of the donations had some link to Musk, one of his employees or one of his businesses.
At press time a spokesperson for Eilish had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Musk’s post.
Check out Musk’s post below.
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Independent U.K. live music company Electric Group has announced the launch of Electric Studios at the former site of The Leadmill in Sheffield.
Set to open its doors in spring 2026, a £2 million ($2.6 million) transformation is set to take place, with upgraded interiors and increasing capacity to 1,050 for live gigs and 1,450 for club events. It joins an established Electric Group portfolio of live music venues across the U.K., including the Electric Brixton in London, Electric Bristol (formerly known as SWX), and NX Newcastle.
A specific opening date has not yet been revealed, but Electric Group has launched a new web page where fans can sign up for updates and make booking enquiries via email.
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The refurbished venue will also operate a subsidised creative hub across its second and third floors, housing a workspace, rehearsal room, communal area and kitchen for use by emerging artists from the local area.
A new PA system, paired with advanced lighting and production installations, has also recently been installed in the space. Other upgrades include a redesigned venue layout with all-new bars and improved stage sightline. There are also new customer staircases, as well as new toilets and a cloakroom on the first floor with full DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliance.
In collaboration with national promoters, bookings will be helmed by Mike Weller, head of music at Electric Group. The independent music venue operator became freeholder of the Sheffield Leadmill building in 2017, and as of August 2025 owns and operates Electric Studios Sheffield.
“This is one of the most exciting projects I’ve been involved in, bolstered by the positivity and support from local bands, DJs, and promoters,” Weller said in a statement.
“The Electric Studios Sheffield music programme is built on our demonstrable passion and success in delivering an eclectic mix of live music, club, and wider events across our venues. I hope to collaborate with the best in the business, from local and up-and-coming future stars, to established and international teams and artists, in the mission to make this venue a must-book and must-attend destination for promoters, producers, performers and music fans.”
The Leadmill first opened in 1980, serving as a multi-arts co-operative that was rooted in social and political issues, while also helping to lower youth unemployment in the city. It later became a charity before operating as a live music venue, welcoming local legends Arctic Monkeys and Pulp to its stage, as well as huge acts including Oasis, Coldplay, and The Killers over the years.
Dominic Madden, co-founder of Electric Group, added: “Sheffield is a special city, and with the plans for Electric Studios, we are committed to a programme of substantial investment, refurbishment and curation for it to thrive – with a modern vision that respects the cultural significance of the building and history of the existing venue while putting the artist and fan experience front and centre of our plans.
“Work here so far is creating over 100 jobs, as it is being finalised for opening next spring, when we look forward to welcoming music lovers to the latest addition to the Electric circuit of special music venues.”
