Music
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Pitchfork festival co-founder Mike Reed and his cultural nonprofit Constellation Performing Arts have launched Sound & Gravity, a Sept. 10-14 festival set in Chicago.
Sound & Gravity will be spread out across Chicago’s Bricktown and Avondale neighborhoods with seven venues hosting the festival — Constellation, Hungry Brain, Judson & Moore, Beat Kitchen, Guild Row, and Rockwell on the River. Reed, who is known for curating challenging and contemporary artists through the now defunct Pitchfork Music Festival, is reportedly shaping Sound & Gravity into an “ambitious” event and “unique adventure for music enthusiasts” featuring 48 artists across a spectrum of genres including jazz, experimental, contemporary classical and indie music.
Performers include American singer-songwriter Bill Callahan, who has also recorded and performed under the band name Smog; Nigerian guitarist Mdou Moctar; American experimental electric guitar duo Kim Gordon and Bill Nace, American musician Helado Negro and many, many more.
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Reed said he chose the Bricktown/Avondale area of Chicago, known for its fast-growing creator community and small businesses, due to it small intimate size, noting Sound & Gravity “capitalizes on the neighborhood’s walkability with all venues a 5-15 minute walk from each other,” according to a press release.
“Sound & Gravity offers attendees the opportunity to experience the local culture during five days of cutting-edge performances,” the release continues.
Sound & Gravity also serves as a fundraiser for Constellation Performing Arts, a 12-year-old not-for-profit organization that “has become a cornerstone of Chicago’s forward-thinking music scene,” according to the release. Constellation “has filled a crucial void in Chicago’s cultural landscape by providing a reliable, high-end platform for avant-garde and experimental music.”
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, May 7 at 11am CT, and can be purchased here. Ticket options include an all-event four-day pass at $240, a single-day pass at $95, and a Wednesday opening night pass at $45. More info here.
Sound & Gravity
Eliza Weber
The 2025 ACM Awards will open with 12 straight minutes of music highlighting ACM Award-winning Songs of the Year from across six decades. The segment will feature Clint Black, Dan + Shay, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes and Sugarland.
Four of those artists popularized songs that won ACM Awards for song of the year, so you’re very likely to hear these songs in that medley – Dan + Shay’s “Tequila,” The Judds’ “Why Not Me,” Rimes’ “Blue” and Sugarland’s “Stay.”
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The show will also feature collaborative performances by Jelly Roll & Shaboozey; Backstreet Boys & Rascal Flatts; and Brooks & Dunn with Cody Johnson. Jelly and Shaboozey performed together at last weekend’s Stagecoach Festival in Indio, Calif. Backstreet Boys were also on the bill for the three-day festival.
Megan Moroney, the ACM’s 2024 winner for new female artist of the year, will also join this year’s star-packed show.
Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winner McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The show will be expanded from two to two-and-a-half hours.
This will be the 18th time McEntire has hosted or co-hosted the ACM Awards. She first co-hosted the show in 1986 with John Schneider and the late Mac Davis. McEntire is fast closing in on Bob Hope’s record as the most frequent host of any major awards show. Hope hosted or co-hosted the Oscars 19 times between 1940 and 1978.
Previously announced performers are Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert, as well as Ella Langley and Zach Top, who were announced last week as the winners of new female and male artist of the year.
The ACM have not yet announced whether The Red Clay Strays, the winner of the ACM Award for new duo/group of the year, will perform, but it would be a good bet.
Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner of the 2025 ACM Awards, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for Dick Clark Productions. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Kapoor is among the most successful executive producers in TV. He has served in that capacity on the last four Grammy telecasts (alongside Ben Winston and Jesse Collins) and the last two Oscar telecasts (alongside Katy Mullan).
This year’s show is presented by Carnival Cruise Line. A limited number of tickets to the show are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running country music awards show. The ACMs made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in collaboration with Prime Video.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association, sent a letter to all members on Thursday (May 1) in which she urged them to vote “with intention, with passion and with a deep appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship that define excellence in Country Music.”
Trahern wrote, in part: “Your vote is more than just a ballot. It is your voice, your expertise, and your influence in defining the legacy of this genre. With the 2025 awards season upon us, we encourage you to engage thoughtfully in this process. … Because the CMA Awards don’t just happen for the industry—they happen because of it.”
The letter was sent concurrent with the CMA releasing its full schedule of key dates for the 2025 CMA Awards, CMA Broadcast Awards, CMA Touring Awards, CMA International Awards, and CMA Industry Honors.
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Trahern’s letter echoes one that Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, sent to all voting members last July in which he stated: “you owe it to your peers to vote intentionally, deliberately, with pride and with purpose.”
Mason dramatized his point with a telling anecdote. “Last Grammy season, I heard a Grammy voter say they hadn’t taken a specific artist seriously since a performance they saw more than 10 years ago. I was shocked and disturbed by that. There is no place in our organization for such bias, grudge-holding, or careless voting. It’s about the current year and the quality of the work, period!
“There should be no other rationale for voting. If you are taking into account an artist’s older work, or their reputation, or race, or gender, what label they are on, who their manager is, how many friends participated in the project, or anything else like that, you’re not doing your job. I know most of you already do but please, just listen to the music, and evaluate it! You are the reason the Grammy Award is so special.”
Trahern, who was on Billboard‘s 2025 Women in Music list, wasn’t quite as emphatic and specific in her message (see her full letter below), but both leaders made the same point: Your vote matters. Take this seriously.
Here are the key dates, eligibility requirements, and voting processes across CMA’s annual awards cycle, followed by Trahern’s letter, in full.
2025 CMA Awards
Eligibility Period: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
Voting Process: All CMA professional voting members may vote in three rounds. As of today, 6,468 professional members are eligible to vote.
Nomination Ballot: Voters write in any artist or project they think deserves a nomination. If it fits the criteria for that category, it counts.
Second Ballot: The top 20 vote-getters from the first round move forward (only the top 15 for entertainer of the year). Members may vote for up to five candidates in each category.
Final Ballot: The top five from the second round become the official nominees—and CMA members vote one last time to choose the winners. Members may vote for one nominee in each category.
Musician of the Year: Voting in all rounds remains limited to eligible voters in the following membership categories: musician, artist, composer, and producer/engineer/studio.
Song of the Year: New this year, only eligible voters in the following membership categories may vote in the nomination and second ballots: composer, artist, musician, producer/engineer/studio, and publisher/PRO. All eligible voters may vote in the final ballot.
All three rounds of voting will be conducted online by Election Services Corp. (ESC). All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.
Nomination Ballot: Emailed to eligible CMA members on Monday, July 7; Closes Wednesday, July 16 at 6:00 p.m. CT
Second Ballot: Emailed on Tuesday, Aug. 5; Closes Monday, Aug. 18 at 6:00 p.m. CT; Final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Final Ballot: Emailed on Wednesday, Oct. 1; Closes Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 6:00 p.m. CT
Membership Deadline & Information: To vote in all three rounds, prospective CMA members must apply for membership by Sunday, June 1 at CMAmember.com. Only CMA professional voting members have voting privileges. The professional voting tier is offered to industry professionals who primarily work within country music.
2025 CMA Broadcast Awards
Eligibility Period: Performances and events between June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025
Submission Process: Apply now online at broadcast.CMAawards.com. Guidelines and entry instructions are available on the site. CMA membership is not required to submit.
Eligible Categories: broadcast personality of the year and radio station of the year in four market sizes: major market, large market, medium market and small market
National broadcast personality of the year in two formats: daily and weekly
Syndicated, short-form, hub voice-tracking, digital service providers, and satellite personalities with live-stream broadcasts are eligible to apply for national broadcast personality of the year.
Submission Period: Open Thursday, May 1 through Monday, June 30 at 5:00 p.m. CT
Judging Process & Information: Entries will be reviewed and evaluated online by a panel of radio and industry professionals.; CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be notified in early October and recognized at the 59th Annual CMA Awards ceremony. All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.
2025 CMA Touring Awards
Eligibility Period: Oct. 1, 2024 – Sept. 30, 2025
Nomination Ballot: A nomination ballot will be sent to current CMA professional voting members in the following member categories: affiliated, artist, composer, entertainment services, musician, personal manager, record company, talent agent, advertising/marketing/communications, venue, talent buyer/promoter and touring personnel. Each member is eligible to submit one nomination for each award category.
Second Ballot: Any candidate that meets the eligibility criteria and receives a minimum of three nominations will be placed on the second ballot. Eligible CMA members may vote for up to five candidates in each category for which they choose to vote.
Selection of Final Nominees: The Top 20 vote recipients from the second ballot will be presented to a CMA Touring Awards task force to develop a slate of at least five but no more than eight potential nominees for each of the CMA Touring Awards categories.
Final Ballot: The final ballot consisting of the approved nominees is sent to eligible CMA members for voting. Each member may vote for one nominee in each category they choose to vote.
All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.
Nomination Ballot: Opens Monday, July 21. Closes Friday, Aug. 1 at 5:00 p.m. CT
Second Ballot: Opens Tuesday, Aug. 26; Closes Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 5:00 p.m. CT
Final Ballot: Opens Monday, Dec. 1; Closes Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 5:00 p.m. CT
2025 CMA International Awards
Nomination Process & Information: All CMA professional voting members may submit nominations. A CMA International Awards task force reviews the nominations and makes winner recommendations to the CMA board of directors, which approves the recipients.
There are six CMA International Award categories—Jo Walker Meador International Award, Rob Potts International Live Music Advancement Award, Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award, International Country Broadcaster Award, International Artist Achievement Award, and Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award.
Nomination Ballot: Open now through Saturday, May 31. Nominate now at https://CMAmember.lnk.to/IntlNomsPR.
2025 CMA Industry Honors
Nomination Process & Information: All CMA members may submit nominations for the following CMA Industry Honors —CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award, Irving Waugh Award of Excellence, Joe Talbot Award, CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award, Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, CMA Songwriter Advocate Award, and Studio Recording Icon Award.
Final recipients are selected and approved by the CMA board of directors.
Nomination Ballot: Open now through Sunday, Aug. 10. Nominate now at https://CMAmember.lnk.to/industryhonorsnomPR.
Here’s Trahern’s letter to voting members, in full:
Dear CMA Member,
At the Country Music Association, our awards and honors are more than just a moment of recognition—they are a reflection of the dedication, talent, and passion that fuel our genre. They give us the chance to celebrate one another and spotlight the very best of Country Music on a global stage. Every nomination, every win, and every honor become part of the story we’re writing together, a chapter forever etched in the history of Country Music. And at the heart of it all is you.
As a trade association, CMA exists to serve and support the people who make this industry thrive—those working day in and day out to create, promote, and elevate Country Music. The CMA Awards and our other honors are not decided by a panel of outsiders, but by those who know Country Music best: our members. Your vote is more than just a ballot. It is your voice, your expertise, and your influence in defining the legacy of this genre.
With the 2025 awards season upon us, we encourage you to engage thoughtfully in this process. Take the time to reflect on the music and achievements that have moved our industry forward. Vote with intention, with passion, and with a deep appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship that define excellence in Country Music. Because the CMA Awards don’t just happen for the industry—they happen because of it.
The official 2025 CMA ballot schedule is now available, outlining key dates for voting, submissions, and nominations. In addition to the CMA Awards, we recognize excellence across all aspects of our business, from the CMA Broadcast Awards and the CMA International Awards to the CMA Touring Awards and various Industry Honors. Each of these programs is a cornerstone of CMA’s commitment to honoring the people and moments that propel Country Music to new heights.
We encourage all industry professionals who are shaping our genre to take advantage of this opportunity and make their voices heard. If you know someone who is not yet a CMA member, please invite them to apply by Sunday, June 1, to qualify for full voting eligibility in the 2025 CMA Awards cycle.
As we look ahead to another year of recognizing excellence, we remain grateful for your ongoing commitment to our format and this community. Thank you for being part of this important tradition.
Sarah Trahern
Chief Executive Officer
Country Music Association
Bruce Springsteen continued to preview his upcoming expansive box set Tracks II: The Lost Albums on Thursday (May 1) with the haunting ballad “Faithless.” The song is described as the title track from a “long-lost soundtrack to a movie that was never made.” Like so many of The Boss’ iconic songs, this one takes us down to the river, where love is found.
“Well, I work by the rocks of the river/ Faithless, faithless, faithless/ Then I met you,” Springsteen sings in a hushed voice over gentle, high desert-style acoustic guitar backing. “I walked ‘neath the eaves of the garden/ Faithless, faithless, faithless/ Then I saw you,” he adds with a chorus of female voices echoing his own.
In a release announcing the song, it is called a “meditation on purpose, belief and acceptance” that was originally intended to accompany a “spiritual Western” film that never got made. Springsteen recorded much of the Faithless album between the end of the November 2005 Devils & Dust tour and the April 2006 release of the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions album.
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The Faithless LP — one of seven previously unreleased albums included in the set due out on June 27 from Sony Music — has four instrumental songs that were written as interstitials for the film on a collection that is said to explore Springsteen’s “unique vision of spirituality in the mythic American West, while working inside of his uncharted artistic medium.”
“This was a really unusual collection of songs,” Springsteen said in a statement of the score album that was composed in a “prolific” two weeks in Florida before a single frame of the movie was shot. “You could recognize details and maybe a character or two. But for the most part, I just wrote atmospheric music that I thought would fit,” he said. Mostly recorded as a solo effort, Faithless features appearances from producer Ron Aniello, touring members of The E Street Band Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Curtis King, Jr., Michelle Moore and Ada Dyer and the singer’s wife and fellow E Street Band member and solo performer Patti Scialfa, as well as the couple’s two adult sons, Evan and Sam Springsteen.
“Faithless” joins the other two pre-release songs previewing the Tracks II collection, the beat-heavy “Blind Spot” from the 10-track Streets of Philadelphia Sessions and the turbulent, “Rain in the River.”
The 83-track collection will “fill in rich chapters of Springsteen’s expansive career timeline — while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist,” according to the initial release announcing the set, which noted that some of the albums got to the mixing stage before being shelved.
Among the other albums included are the lo-fi LA Garage Sessions ’83, the country-leaning Somewhere North of Nashville and the border tales LP Inyo, as well as the “orchestra-driven, mid-century noir” Twilight Hours. The box set covers the years 1983-2018 and will be issued in a limited-edition 9-LP set , as well as 7-CD and digital formats, with distinctive packaging for each. A 20-track compilation, Lost and Found: Selections From The Lost Albums, will also be released on June 27 on two LPs and one CD.
Listen to Springsteen’s “Faithless” below.
What’s the greatest leading role in Broadway history? Based on Tony nominations, which date to 1947, the answer is Rose in Gypsy.
Every actress who has played the part on Broadway has at least been nominated for the Tony for best actress in a musical – from Ethel Merman, who originated the role in 1959, to Audra McDonald, who stars in the current revival, and whose nomination was announced Thursday (May 1) morning.
Angela Lansbury, who starred in a 1974-75 revival, and Tyne Daly, who starred in a 1989-90 revival, both won Tonys for their performances. (Linda Lavin, who replaced Daly, wasn’t nominated, but replacements in a production aren’t eligible.) Bernadette Peters, who starred in a 2003-04 revival, was nominated, and Patti LuPone, who starred in a 2008-09 revival, won.
No other lead character – across both musicals and plays – has led to six Tony nominations. Here are the runners-up: Five actors have been nominated for best actor in a musical for playing Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Five actresses have been nominated for best actress in a play for playing Josie Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten.
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In addition, actresses who have played Rose on both large and small screens have won Golden Globes for their performances. Rosalind Russell won actress in a leading role – musical or comedy in 1963 – for the previous year’s film. Bette Midler won best performance by an actress in a limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television in 1994 for playing the role in a 1993 TV movie for CBS. Midler also received a Primetime Emmy nod for her performance.
It’s easy to see why the role of Rose has led to so many awards and nominations. The actress who plays the role gets to sing some of the greatest songs ever written for a Broadway musical, including “Some People,” “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Rose’s Turn” and “Small World” (the latter a Grammy nominee for song of the year in 1960). Jule Styne and a young Stephen Sondheim collaborated on the song score.
The 1959 original cast album to Gypsy has been voted into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Registry.
Gypsy also includes one of the greatest featured roles in Broadway history – Rose’s daughter, Louise. Six actresses have been nominated for playing her, more than any other featured role. Sandra Church was nominated for originating the role. Joy Woods was nominated for the latest revival. In between, Zan Charisse, Crista Moore, Tammy Blanchard and Laura Benanti were nominated. (Benanti won.)
The latest revival of Gypsy was nominated for best revival of a musical. It’s the fourth time the show has been nominated in that category (or in a predecessor category, best revival). No other musical has been nominated four times in that category. Sharing second place, with three nods each, are Cabaret, Company, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Peter Pan and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Only one play, Arthur Miller’s A View from a Bridge, has been nominated four times for best revival of a play.
McDonald, 54, is Broadway royalty, having won six Tonys in competitive categories, more than any other performer. She won featured actress in a musical for both Carousel and Ragtime; featured actress in a play for both Master Class and A Raisin in the Sun; actress in a musical for Porgy and Bess; and actress in a play for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.
This is McDonald’s 11th nomination, which is again more than any other performer. She pulls ahead Julie Harris and Chita Rivera, who landed 10 each. (Harris died in 2013; Rivera died in 2024.)
The eligibility period for the 2025 Tony Awards was April 29, 2024 through April 27, 2025. The 78th Tony Awards, hosted by Cynthia Erivo, will be held on June 8. The ceremony will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, airing live coast-to-coast on CBS.
Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her and Maybe Happy Ending are the leading nominees for the 2025 Tony Awards, with 10 nods each. They are followed by Dead Outlaw, John Proctor Is the Villain, Sunset Blvd. and The Hills of California with seven nods each. The nominations were announced on Thursday morning (May 1).
Buena Vista Social Club, which features music recorded by Buena Vista Social Club, is nominated for best musical, along with Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending and Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical.
Buena Vista Social Club is set in Havana, Cuba and follows the lives of four musicians, and their eventual collaboration in 1997 on the landmark , Grammy-winning album Buena Vista Social Club. The music in the show is presented entirely in Spanish. The original album was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2022 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2024. This musical is based on a 1999 documentary about the making of the album that received an Oscar nod for documentary (feature).
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The musicians who make up the band in Buena Vista Social Club are set to receive a Special Tony Award on the show. They are: Marco Paguia (Music Director, Conductor/Piano); David Oquendo (Associate Music Director, Guitar); Renesito Avich (Tres); Gustavo Schartz (Bass); Javier Díaz, Román Diaz, Mauricio Herrera (Percussion); Jesus Ricardo (Trumpet); Eddie Venegas (Trombone); Hery Paz (Woodwinds); Leonardo Reyna (Piano).
Death Becomes Her is based on the 1992 film of the same name starring Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis and Goldie Hawn that was directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis. Maybe Happy Ending is based on a South Korean one-act musical. The musical follows two life-like helper-bots, who discover each other in Seoul in the late 21st century.
The four nominees for best revival of a musical are Floyd Collins, Gypsy, Pirates! The Penzance Musical and Sunset Blvd. The original production of Gypsy, starring Ethel Merman, was nominated for best musical in 1960. The original production of Sunset Blvd., starring Glenn Close won in 1995. The Joseph Papp production of The Pirates of Penzance, starring Rex Smith, Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline, won best revival of a musical in 1981. (The Gilbert & Sullivan operetta was more than a century old at that point.)
Gypsy has been nominated for best revival of a musical (or in a predecessor category, best revival) four times, more than any other show. Audra McDonald is nominated for best actress in a musical for her role this latest revival of Gypsy. It’s her 11th nomination, which is more than any other performer. She pulls ahead Julie Harris and Chita Rivera, who landed 10 Tony nods each. (Harris died in 2013; Rivera died in 2024.)
McDonald is the sixth actress to receive a Tony nomination for playing Rose in Gypsy. No other lead character – across plays and musicals – has netted six Tony nominations.
Two artists who have made various Billboard charts over the years are nominated. Darren Criss, who was part of the chart-conquering Glee phenomenon and has had such solo successes as A Very Darren Crissmas, is up for best actor in a musical for Maybe Happy Ending. Nicole Scherzinger, who had four top 10 hits on the Hot 100 with The Pussycat Dolls, is up for best actress in a musical for Sunset Blvd.
Criss is competing with, among others, Jonathan Groff for Just in Time and James Monroe Iglehart for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical. Groff was last year’s winner in the category for the revival of Merrily We Roll Along. The versatile Criss won a Primetime Emmy for his role as Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018).
George Clooney received his first Tony nod for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play for Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney was nominated for Oscars for directing and co-writing (but not acting in) the 2005 film. Clooney is a two-time Oscar winner and the recipient of an honorary Emmy Award, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
A Special Tony Award will be presented to The Illusions & Technical Effects of Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Jamie Harrison, Chris Fisher, Gary Beestone & Edward Pierce).
As previously announced, the 2025 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to Great Performances, Michael Price, New 42, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award will be presented to Celia Keenan-Bolger. Harvey Fierstein will receive the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
The 2024/2025 eligibility season began April 26, 2024 and ended April 27, 2025. The Tony Awards will be voted in 26 competitive categories by 840 designated Tony voters within the theatre community.
The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers and showrunners for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.
The 78th Annual Tony Awards will return to Radio City Music Hall in New York City next month. Hosted for the first time by Cynthia Erivo, The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards will broadcast live to both coasts on Sunday, June 8, 2025 (8:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET/5:00 – 8:00 p.m. PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.
CBS and Pluto TV will present The Tony Awards: Act One, a pre-show of live, exclusive content leading into the 78th Annual Tony Awards.
Here’s the full list of 2025 Tony nominations:
Best Musical
Buena Vista Social Club – Producers: Orin Wolf, John Styles, Jr., Barbara Broccoli, Atlantic Theater Company, Viajes Miranda, LaChanze, David Yazbek, John Leguizamo, David F. Schwartz, Zak Kilberg, J. Todd Harris, Cabo Productions, Roy Furman, Hannah Rosenthal, Jamie deRoy/Marvin Rosen, Grove • REG & Frank Marshall, F.K.R.J. Productions, Patrick Milling-Smith/Brian Carmody, DJ Stage Productions, Palitz Wiesenfeld Productions, Richard & Roberta Shaker, Front Row Productions, Cathy Dantchik, Brooke & Brian Devine, Gilad Rogowsky, MacPac Entertainment, No Guarantees Productions, Rhythm & Rain Productions, Hadley Schnuck, James Francis Trezza, Yonge Street Theatricals, Patrick Daly, Olympus Theatricals/Firemused Productions, Ioana Alfonso/Eric Stine, William Berlind/W.M. Klausner, Creative Endeavor Office/Untitled Theatricals, Ruth Hendel/The Kaplans, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra/Philip Van Dijk, Debbie Ohanian/Stone Arch Theatricals, Composite Capital Partners, Larry Levien, Matt Murphy, Marc Platt, Sandy Robertson, Iris Smith, Thomas Steven Perakos/Douglas A. Fellman, Brad Blume/The Klaes’, Ankit Agrawal/Constance Cincotta, Independent Presenters Network, Nick & Nicky Gold, HoriPro Inc., Playful Productions UK, The Shubert Organization, Frederick Zollo, John Gore Organization, Nederlander Presentations Inc., Marco Ramirez, Allan Williams
Dead Outlaw – Producers: Lia Vollack Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Roy Furman, Ken & Janet Schur, Cue to Cue Productions, James Bolosh/Hillary Wyatt, Carl Moellenberg/Ricardo Hornos, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg/H2H Concord Theatricals, Masquerade Partners, Douglas Denoff, John Gore Organization, GFour Productions, Brian Hedden, KFRJ Productions, Lang Entertainment Group, James L. Nederlander, Marvin Rosen, Stanely S. Shuman, James L. Walker, Jr., Winkler & Smalberg, 42nd.club/Aligned Theatricals, Craig Balsam/Richard Batchelder, Jane Bergère/Willette and Manny Klausner, The Broadway Investor’s Club/Eastern Standard Time, Barbara Chiodo/Adam Cohen, Merrie L. Davis/Tony Spinosa, Noah Eisenberg/Sue Drew, Robin Gorman Newman/Laurence Padgett Productions, LLPR Productions/Patinogal, Mary Maggio/Janet Rosen, Thomas Swayne, Lawryn LaCroix, Audible
Death Becomes Her – Producers: Universal Theatrical Group, James L. Nederlander, Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw, Jason Blum & James Wan, Debra Martin Chase, John Gore Organization, Marc Platt, Lowe Cunningham, Marcia Goldberg
Maybe Happy Ending – Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Hunter Arnold, Darren Criss, Dr. Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, NHN Link Corporation, Greg & Lisa Love, Kayla Greenspan, Jayne Baron Sherman, Louise Gund, Spencer Ross, Yonge Street Theatricals, Ruth Hendel, Kaplan-Gopal-MMC, Adam Zotovich, At Rise Creative, Broadway Strategic Return Fund, Curt Cronin, Fahs Productions, Greg Field, Paul Gavriani/Michael Patrick, Rebecca Gold, Grace Street Creative Group, John Gore Organization, Willette & Manny Klausner, Kent Knudsen, James L. Nederlander, Salmira Productions, The Shubert Organization, Jacob Stuckelman & John Albert Harris, Wooran Foundation, You Should Smile More Productions, Mark and David Golub Productions, Diego Kolankowsky, Takonkiet Viravan, Brad Blume, Will Aronson & Hue Park, Hugo Six, Clarissa Cueva, Ali Daylami, Maia Kayla Glasman, Patrick W. Jones, Brandon J. Schwartz, Allan Williams
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical – Producers: Avalon, SpitLip, Jon Thoday, Richard Allen-Turner, Bryan McCaffrey, Walport Productions, LeftNoRing Productions, Barbara Chiodo, Feuille Dooley North Productions, The Shubert Organization, Ken Davenport, Steve & Paula Reynolds, Concord Theatricals, Byron Grote & Susan Miller, John Gore Organization, M. Kilburg Reedy, Sony Music Entertainment, You Should Smile More Productions, Tom Smedes & Peter Stern, Judith Ann Abrams Productions/The Broadway Investor’s Club, Lang Entertainment Group, Alli Folk/Evelyn Hoffman & Gregory Stern, Nick Flatto/Evan & Claudia Caplan Reynolds, Larry Hirschhorn & Ricardo Hornos/Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Independent Presenters Network/Lloyd Tichio Productions, Kendall Kellaway III/Megan Minutillo, Blume Johnson Rubin & Silver, Russell Citron, The Council, Jamie deRoy & Brian Rooney/Corey Brunish & Matthew P. Hui, Dodge Hall Productions, 42nd.club, IJB Productions, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Simon, Mark Weinstein, Adam Cohen/Nick Padgett, Vibecke Dahle Dellapolla/Lynnette Barkley, Willette & Manny Klausner/Elizabeth Faulkner Salem, Michael Page/Burnt Umber Productions, Wallace-Phoebe/Laurie Oki & Alexander Oki, Margot Astrachan/TT Partners, Andrew Fell
Best Revival of a Musical
Floyd Collins – Book/Additional Lyrics: Tina Landau; Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel; Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Adam Siegel, Naomi Grabel, Ira Weitzman, Creative Partners Productions, Mark Cortale & Charles D. Urstadt
Gypsy – Producers: Tom Kirdahy, Mara Isaacs, Kevin Ryan, Diane Scott Carter, Wendy Federman & Heni Koenigsberg, Roy Furman, Viajes Miranda, Kerry Washington, Peter May, Thomas M. Neff, Cynthia J. Tong, Adam Hyndman, A Perfect Team Productions, Cue to Cue Productions, Da Silva Stone, DMQR Productions, Grant Spark Productions, Marguerite Steed Hoffman, KarmaHendelMcCabe, James L. Nederlander, Janet and Marvin Rosen, Archer Entertainment, Dale Franzen, 42nd.club, Rob Acton, All That JJAS, Mike Audet, Patty Baker, Cohen Soto, Concord Theatricals, Creative Partners Productions, Crumhale Taylor Productions, Ken Davenport, DJD Productions, Flipswitch Entertainment, Frankly Spoken Productions, Roy Gabay, Happy Recap Productions, Sandra and Howard Hoffen, John Gore Organization, Johnson Maggio Productions, Willette and Manny Klausner, Kors Le Pere Theatricals, LaCroix Eisenberg, David Lai, Little Lamb Productions, Bill and Sally Martin, Mohari Media, No Guarantees Productions, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra and Stephen Della Pietra, Regian Davison, Lamar Richardson, Patti and Michael Roberts, RTK Rose, Score 3 Partners, Silva Theatrical Group, Some People, Stone Arch Theatricals, Storyboard Entertainment LE, Mary and Jay Sullivan, The Adams Hendel Group, The Array VI, The Broadway Investor’s Club, Theatre Producers of Color, Tom Tuft, TreAmici Gooding, Waiting in the Wings Productions, Whitney Williams, Sara Beth Zivitz, Jamila Ponton Bragg, The Industry Standard Group
Pirates! The Penzance Musical – Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, Christopher Nave, Steven Showalter, James L. Nederlander, Fran and Paul Turner, ATG Productions/Gavin Kalin Productions
Sunset Blvd. – Producers: The Jamie Lloyd Company, ATG Productions, Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, Gavin Kalin Productions, Wessex Grove, Christopher Ketner, Aleri Entertainment, Sonia Friedman, Roth-Manella Productions, Winkler Smalberg, Caitlin Clements, 42nd.club, Abrams Johnson, Aron on Broadway, The Array V, At Rise Creative, Bad Robot Live, Craig Balsam, Greg Berlanti, Boardman Cannova Productions, Bob Boyett, Burnt Umber Productions, Patrick Catullo, Crane McGill Trunfio, Core Four Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, The Factor Gavin Partnership, Federman Jenen Koenigsberg, Forshaw Turchin, John Gore, Jake Hine, LAMF Secret Hideout, Jack Lane, Lang Entertainment Group, Lelli Armstrong, Alex Levy, Luftig Reade St. Kawana, Mary Maggio, Jay Marcus, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, No Guarantees Productions, P3 Productions, Thomas Steven Perakos, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra, Shari Redstone, Regian Davison Buckman, Sand & Snow Entertainment, SBK Productions, The Shubert Organization, Smedes Stern Productions, Tilted, Willowrow Entertainment, WMKlausner
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd.
Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her
Audra McDonald, Gypsy
Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.
Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, SMASH
Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
Danny Burstein, Gypsy
Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club
Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw
Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Joy Woods, Gypsy
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Dead Outlaw, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna
Death Becomes Her, Music & Lyrics: Julia Mattison and Noel Carey
Maybe Happy Ending, Music: Will Aronson; Lyrics: Will Aronson and Hue Park
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Music & Lyrics: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez
Best Book of a Musical
Buena Vista Social Club, Marco Ramirez
Dead Outlaw, Itamar Moses
Death Becomes Her, Marco Pennette
Maybe Happy Ending, Will Aronson and Hue Park
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
Best Direction of a Musical
Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.
Best Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, SMASH
Camille A. Brown, Gypsy
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical
Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club
Best Orchestrations
Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins
Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club
David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Blvd.
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending
Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her
Derek McLane, Just in Time
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical
Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending
Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her
Catherine Zuber, Just in Time
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd.
Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club
Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins
Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club
Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd.
Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins
Best Play
English – Author: Sanaz Toossi; Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, Christopher Nave, Steven Showalter, Atlantic Theater Company
The Hills of California – Author: Jez Butterworth; Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, No Guarantees Productions, Neal Street Productions, Brian Spector, Sand & Snow Entertainment, Stephanie P. McClelland, Barry Diller, Reade St. Productions, Van Dean, Andrew Paradis/We R Broadway Artists Alliance, Patty Baker, Wendy Bingham Cox, Bob Boyett, Butcher Brothers, Caitlin Clements, Kallish Weinstein Creative, Michael Scott, Steven Toll & Randy Jones Toll, City Cowboy Productions/Jamie deRoy, JKVL Productions/Padgett Ross Productions, Koenigsberg Riley/Tulchin Bartner Productions, Todd B. Rubin/Carlos Medina, Silly Bears Productions/Omara Productions, Michael Wolk/Cali e Amici, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings
John Proctor is the Villain – Author: Kimberly Belflower;Producers: Sue Wagner, John Johnson, John Mara, Jr., Runyonland, Eric Falkenstein, Jillian Robbins, Jen Hoguet, Rialto Productions, Corets Gough Kench Cohen, The Shubert Organization, James L. Nederlander, John Gore Organization, Patty Baker, Cue to Cue Productions, Echo Lake Entertainment, Harris Rubin Productions, Klausner & Zell, Jennifer Kroman, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, Mahnster Productions, Nathan Winoto, The Cohn Sisters & Stifelman-Burkhardt, Astro Lab Productions, Creative Partners Productions, Sarah Daniels & Christopher Barrett, Frimmer & Benmosche, Joan Rechnitz, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, McCaffrey & Demar, Alan & Peggy Mendelson, Newport & Smerigan, Jamie deRoy, Jaime Gleicher, Wes Grantom, Meena Harris & Jessica Foung, Los Angeles Media Fund, Corey Steinfast, SunnySpot & Valentine, Turchin Clements, Jane Bergère & Douglas Denoff, Amy Wen & Meister Leonard, 7th Inning Stretch & Stella La Rue, Indie Slingshot, Annaleise Loxton
Oh, Mary! – Author: Cole Escola; Producers: Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon, Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia, Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares & Rosenberg, ShowTown Productions
Purpose – Author: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins; Producers: David Stone, Debra Martin Chase, Marc Platt, LaChanze, Rashad V. Chambers, Aaron Glick, Universal Theatrical Group, Eastern Standard Time, Trate Productions, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, James L. Nederlander, John Gore, ATG Entertainment, The Shubert Organization, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Best Revival of a Play
Eureka Day – Author: Jonathan Spector; Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings
Romeo + Juliet – Producers: Seaview, Harbor Entertainment, Kevin Ryan, Eric & Marsi Gardiner, Roth-Manella Productions, Kate Cannova, J + J Productions, Julie Boardman, Alexander-Taylor Deignan, Atekwana Hutton, Bensmihen Mann Productions, Patrick Catullo, Chutzpah Productions, Corets Gough Willman Productions, Dave Johnson Productions, DJD Productions, Hornos Moellenberg, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Mark Gordon Pictures, Oren Michels, No Guarantees Productions, Nothing Ventured Productions, Strus Lynch, Sunset Cruz Productions, Dennis Trunfio, Stephen C. Byrd, Fourth Wall Theatricals, Level Forward, Soto Productions, WMKlausner
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town – Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Samsational Entertainment, Louise Gund, Eric Falkenstein, Suzanne Grant, Patty Baker, Daryl Roth/Tom Tuft, Ronald Frankel, Rebecca Gold, Gabrielle Palitz, Brunish-Rooney-Hui/Laura Little, Thom and Karen Lauzon, Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Score 3 Partners, Secret Hideout, David S. Stone, Craig Balsam, John Gore Organization, Caiola Productions, Concord Theatricals, Melissa & Bradford Coolidge, Irene Gandy, Kenny Leon, Willette & Manny Klausner, Andrew Marderian-Davis, Ellen Susman, Leslie Rainbolt, Randy Jones Toll & Steven Toll, James S. Levine, Hank & Kara Steinberg, Alexander “Sandy” Marshall, Ken & Rande Greiner/David Schwartz & Trudy Zohn, Patrick W. Jones, Maia Kayla Glasman, Brandon J. Schwartz, The Shubert Organization
Yellow Face – Author: David Henry Hwang; Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, Christopher Nave, Steven Showalter
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face
Harry Lennix, Purpose
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
Mia Farrow, The Roommate
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
Sadie Sink, John Proctor is the Villain
Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Glenn Davis, Purpose
Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain
Francis Jue, Yellow Face
Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Tala Ashe, English
Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
Marjan Neshat, English
Fina Strazza, John Proctor is the Villain
Kara Young, Purpose
Best Direction of a Play
Knud Adams, English
Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!
Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain
Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Marsha Ginsberg, English
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck
Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck
Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary!
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck
Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor is the Villain
Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor is the Villain
Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck
Nick Powell, The Hills of California
Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Buena Vista Social Club – 10
Death Becomes Her – 10
Maybe Happy Ending – 10
Dead Outlaw – 7
John Proctor is the Villain – 7
Sunset Blvd. – 7
The Hills of California – 7
Floyd Collins – 6
Just in Time – 6
Purpose – 6
The Picture of Dorian Gray – 6
English – 5
Good Night, and Good Luck – 5
Gypsy – 5
Oh, Mary! – 5
Stranger Things: The First Shadow – 5
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical – 4
BOOP! The Musical – 3
Yellow Face – 3
Eureka Day – 2
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical – 2
SMASH – 2
A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical – 1
Glengarry Glen Ross – 1
Pirates! The Penzance Musical – 1
Romeo + Juliet – 1
Swept Away – 1
The Roommate – 1
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town – 1
Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before. Billy Corgan‘s suburban Chicago tea shop, Madame Zuzu’s was hit by a car for the second time. Six months after a vehicle smashed through the front window of the Highland Park tea spot and injured Corgan’s mother-in-law, the shop revealed that it had been struck again.
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“Earlier today, there was an accident outside of Madame Zuzu’s involving a vehicle that struck the front of the café,” read a statement on Madame Zuzu’s Instagram page on Wednesday (April 30). “Thankfully, no one was injured. Thank you to everyone who checked in and offered support.”
According to WGN, Smashing Pumpkins leader Corgan’s wife, Chloe Mendel Corgan, said the crash was an “honest accident” and no one was hurt, but the building did suffer some “exterior damage.” The outlet posted a picture of the aftermath, which appeared to show some damage to the bricks on the facade of the building.
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Corgan also posted a picture of the damage on X on Tuesday (April 29), writing, “thankfully no one was injured. Just more damage to the exterior/interior but the shop is open for the rest of the day.
Back in October, Corgan posted a note from his wife in which she said that a car had jumped the curb and smashed into the front window of the shop that opened in its current location in Sept. 2020. “This afternoon at Madame Zuzu’s, a car (in circumstances which remain under investigation) drove over the curb and into Madame Zuzu’s and sadly injuring one person — my mother, Jenny; who was spending the day and lunching with my son Augustus,” wrote Chloe Mendel Corgan after the first crash. “Thankfully, he was able to leap out of the way and was not injured.”
The Corgans welcoming their third child in March. Daughter June Corgan joins their son Augustus Juppiter, 9 and daughter Philomena Clementine, 6. Corgan will launch his 16-date solo tour with his new band, the Machines of God, on June 7 in Baltimore. The outing will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and the 25th anniversary of the 2000 albums Machina/The Machines of God and Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music.
Check out Madame Zuzu’s statement below.
Gold House has announced its 2025 A100 list, with honorees including Bruno Mars, Tyla and Billboard CEO Mike Van. On Thursday (May 1), Gold House unveiled its annual A100 list, which honors the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders across multiple industries. The A100 list also includes special Gold Legend honors for lifetime achievements and […]
Past Grammy nominees Kassa Overall and Brandee Younger are among the six recipients of the 2025 Doris Duke Artist Awards. The award is the largest cash prize in the U.S. dedicated to individual performing artists, specifically those in theater, jazz, and dance.
How large? Each artist is awarded a life-changing $525,000 in unrestricted funds allocated over seven years and an incentive of up to $25,000 to save for retirement. Including the 2025 recipients, the foundation has the distributed a total of more than $40 million to nearly 150 artists through the Doris Duke Artist Awards program.
Overall, 42, was nominated for a Grammy four years ago for best jazz instrumental album as a member of Social Science for Waiting Game, a collab with Terri Lyne Carrington (who was a Doris Duke Award winner in 2019).
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Younger, 41, was nominated for best instrumental composition three years ago for “Beautiful Is Black.” She was the first Black woman to be nominated in that category, which dates to the first Grammy presentations in 1959.
Here’s a quick look at this year’s six Doris Duke Artist Award recipients:
Kassa Overall: Jazz drummer, producer, rapper and bandleader. He has released three studio albums – Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz, I Think I’m Good and Animals. He melds avant-garde experimentation with hip-hop production techniques to tilt the nexus of jazz and rap in unmapped directions.
Brandee Younger: American harpist who blends classical, jazz, soul, and funk influences into her music. Early in her career, Younger worked with a diverse range of artists, including Pharoah Sanders, Common, John Legend, The Roots, and Lauryn Hill. In April 2019, Younger’s original composition “Hortense” was featured Beyoncé’s Netflix concert documentary Homecoming. In 2024, she won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for outstanding jazz album for Brand New Life.
Trajal Harrell: American dancer and choreographer best known for a series entitled “Twenty Looks or Paris is Burning” at The Judson Church. He is considered one of the most important choreographers working in contemporary dance today.
Raja Feather Kelly: Brooklyn-based choreographer known for his surrealist productions. He’s worked on such shows as Fairview and A Strange Loop, and he serves as artistic director for The Feath3r Theory and the New Brooklyn Theatre.
Aya Ogawa: Brooklyn-based playwright, director, performer and translator. Their work explores cultural identity and the immigrant experience, challenging traditional notions of American aesthetics. They use a collaborative process and incorporate diverse perspectives and languages into their performances.
Kaneza Schaal: New York City-based artist working in theater, opera, and film. Her work Flight Into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now was The Met’s first live performance as an integral part of a major exhibition.
This year, the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF) is reaffirming its commitment to and investment in the performing arts with $6.2 million in grants to support the national Creative Labor, Creative Conditions campaign.
“We are so proud to announce the 2025 Artist Awards and to stand alongside these artists — and the broader arts community — in their fight for a future where artists have the resources and opportunities they need to live and work,” Ashley Ferro-Murray, arts program director at DDF, said in a statement. “DDF has long supported the performing arts. With Creative Labor, Creative Conditions, we’re building on that commitment — highlighting how artists fuel culture, community, and entire industries, even as their contributions are too often undervalued.”
Doris Duke was a billionaire tobacco heiress, philanthropist, and socialite. She died in 1993 at age 80.
Davido floods the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart (dated May 3) with tracks from 5ive, his fifth and newest studio album. In total, 16 of the album’s songs populate this week’s 50-position chart, which ranks songs based a formula blending U.S. streaming and sales totals. Of those, 14 are debuts on the list, including collaborations with Chris Brown, Becky G and Victoria Monét.
5ive, released through DaVido/RCA Records, debuts at No. 2 on the World Albums chart with 7,000 equivalent album units earned in the tracking week of April 18-24, according to Luminate.
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“Offa Me,” featuring Monét, leads Davido’s parade on U.S. Afrobeats Songs with its No. 5 arrival. The collaboration was 5ive’s most-streamed track for the week, with 1.37 million U.S. official streams. Directly behind “Offa Me,” Davido’s “Titanium,” featuring Brown, opens at No. 6, as “With You,” featuring Omah Lay, begins at No. 7. The former registered 900,000 streams for the week, while the latter pulled 1 million. (Although streams contribute the majority share for both tracks, a stronger sales total for “Titanium” pushed it above “With You” for the final rankings.)
“Titanium,” notably, reunites Davido with Chris Brown after the pair’s hit “Sensational,” also with Nigerian singer-songwriter Lojay. “Sensational,” from Brown’s 11:11 album, reached No. 1 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in March 2024 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for best African music performance.
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In addition to the three new top 10s, three prior 5ive cuts have landed in the upper tier. “Awuke,” with YG Marley, reached No. 9 last November and spent 23 weeks on the list, “Funds,” featuring ODUMODUBLVCK and Chike achieved a No. 5 best last December and rebounds 18-16 on the current chart, while “Be There Still” rallies 22-10 this week, after having reached a No. 7 peak in March.
As Davido expands his collection, here’s a review of his nine songs to reach the top 10 in the three-year history of the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart:
Song Title, Artist, Peak Position, Peak Date“Stand Strong,” feat. Sunday Service Choir; No. 9, May 28, 2022“Over Dem,” No. 10, April 15, 2023“Unavailable,” feat. Musa Keys; No. 3, Aug. 26, 2023“Awuke,” with YG Marley; No. 9, Nov. 16, 2024“Funds,” feat. Odumodublvck & Chike; No. 5, Dec. 21, 2024“Be There Still,” No. 7, March 29, 2025“Offa Me,” feat. Victoria Monét; No. 5, May 3, 2025“Titanium,” feat. Chris Brown; No. 6, May 3, 2025“With You,” feat. Omah Lay; No. 7, May 3, 2025
Expanding beyond the top 10, Davido’s 16 simultaneous placements falls one short of his personal record, a 17-title week on the chart dated April 15, 2023 upon his Timeless album’s debut. Still, this week’s haul makes the Nigerian-American star only the second act with multiple weeks of 15 or more entries. He joins Burna Boy, who peaked with a record 23 spots on the July 23, 2022, chart and Wizkid, who set his best mark with a 17-song week on the Dec. 7, 2024, ranking.
Here’s a recap of Davido’s full set of placements on this week’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart:
No. 5, “Offa Me,” feat. Victoria MonétNo. 6, “Titanium,” feat. Chris BrownNo. 7, “With You,” feat. Omah LayNo. 10, “Be There Still”No. 11, “Anything”No. 13, “R&B,” feat. Shenseea & 450No. 15, “10 Kilo”No. 16, “Funds,” feat. ODUMODUBLVCK & ChikeNo. 17, “Tek,” feat. Becky GNo. 18, “CFMF”No. 19, “Holy Water,” feat. Victony & Musa KeysNo. 20, “Don’t Know”No. 21, “Lover Boy,” feat. Tayc & DadjuNo. 22, “Lately”No. 23, “Nuttin Dey”