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Drake has had a challenging year, due to being widely seen as the loser of a high-profile diss battle with Kendrick Lamar, but he got a strong show of support at the Juno Awards in his native Canada on Sunday (March 30). His friend and frequent collaborator Boi-1da (pronounced Boy Wonder) sang his praises in accepting an International Achievement Award. Drake wasn’t present at the ceremony, which was held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
“I’m extremely humbled by this award and just to be mentioned among the legendary names as well – man I can’t even describe it,” the producer (who was born Matthew Jehu Samuels) began. “I want to have a huge shout-out to my brother Drake, the greatest rapper of all time, the greatest artist of all time and he’s from Canada – Drizzy Drake – that’s my brother.
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“Listen…Drake, love you bro, we started this together, we did this together, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Drake and all the sacrifices he made, all the doors he kicked down for a lot of people man, so shout-out to Drake. Thank you for life, man, I love that guy.”
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, the future producer moved to Canada when he was three and grew up in Toronto. His first production work was at age 18, when he worked on two tracks on a Drake mixtape (Room for Improvement).
Boi-1da won his only Grammy to date as the co-writer of Drake’s “God’s Plan,” which was voted best rap song. The producer has been nominated for 19 Grammys, including six times for album of the year, for his work on Eminem’s Recovery, Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Drake’s Views, Kanye West’s (now Ye’s) Donda and Beyonce’s Renaissance.
Boi-1da has received two Grammy nods for record of the year, for “God’s Plan” and Rihanna’s “Work” (featuring Drake), and one song of the year nod, also for “God’s Plan.” He has been nominated twice for producer of the year, non-classical.
This International Achievement Award was his first Juno Award or nomination.
The biggest winner at the 2025 Juno Awards wasn’t there to accept her awards.
Tate McRae won four awards – for artist, single, album and pop album of the year – but was not able to make it to the Vancouver, British Columbia awards ceremony on Sunday (March 30) or the untelevised gala the night before to accept. That’s an ongoing issue at the Junos, where the responsibilities of the biggest international superstars often keep them from their home country’s award show.
Stars like Drake, The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes were not at Rogers Arena for the show, but there was an ongoing theme of Canadian excellence. At a time when U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canada and threatens to annex it as the 51st state, many used the Junos as a chance to wave the cultural flag.
McRae won four out of five of her nominations, taking artist of the year for the second year in a row, single of the the year for the second year in a row (with “Exes” taking the award won last year by “Greedy”) and album of the year and pop album of the year for the first time (with Think Later). She missed out only on the fan choice award. That was won by the perpetually viral rapper bbno$, a hit on TikTok, which sponsored the award. He used the acceptance speech to create another viral moment, using his time to call billionaire and top Trump advisor Elon Musk a “piece of garbage.”
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That was a more direct criticism of the American administration than what ran through most of the show, where a more nationalistic “Canada is not for sale” message rang through. Accepting the award for country album of the year, breakout Ontario singer Josh Ross thanked his label Universal Music both in Canada and south of the border, reminding them that “friends are better than enemies.”
Host Michael Bublé began the show with a medley of his hits in four different languages, duetting with Canadian artists including Elisapie, Jonita Gandhi, Roxane Bruneau and Maestro Fresh Wes. That recognized the diversity of sounds and genres, while his opening monologue recalled the famous “I Am Canadian” ad with Canadian pride and an affirmation that Canada is “the greatest nation on earth.”
Other than special awards, only four awards were presented on CBC’s Sunday broadcast, with the vast majority given out at the industry gala the night before. One of those was for group of the year. While Sum 41 seemed like a safe prediction given that they also were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on the show and closed it with a medley of their pop-punk classics, it was instead awarded for the second year in a row to The Beaches. That continued a hot few years for the Toronto band, who broke out with their hit “Blame Brett” in 2023 and haven’t looked back since.
The other big award of the night was for breakthrough artist of the year. That accolade went to Nemahsis, the Palestinian-Canadian artist who was reportedly dropped from her major label for her refusal to silence her pro-Palestinian advocacy after Oct. 7. The singer, who also won alternative album of the year and performed on the broadcast, dedicated the award to her fellow hijabis and said all she ever wanted was to turn on Canadian TV and see someone who looked like her. “I didn’t think it would take this long or that I would be the one to do it,” she said. She thanked OVO Sound producer Noah “40” Shebib and artist Jad El Khoury for helping her finish her album Verbathim when she was suddenly fully independent and didn’t have the money to do so on her own.
Anne Murray was given the lifetime achievement award, marking only the second time in Junos history the award has been given (the other was to the architect of Canadian Content regulations and the namesake of the Junos, Pierre Juneau). Wearing a bedazzled Canada hockey jersey, the singer – who holds the record for most-ever Junos ahead of The Weeknd – talked about the importance of Canada to her multi-decade career and called the country her “safety blanket.” Producer Boi-1da won the international achievement award, recognizing his huge hits on the global stage – including four No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 – for artists like Rihanna, Drake and Eminem.
Other performances on the show included Haida Nation rap album of the year winners Snotty Nose Rez Kids with Tia Wood, Sunday night winners bbno$ and Josh Ross and an all-star Punjabi performance that featured Gminxr, Jazzy B, Inderpal Moga and Chani Nattan. Karan Aujla winning the fan choice award in 2024 showed the institution’s recognition of the Punjabi Wave, and the Junos implemented the new South Asian recording of the year award this year. AP Dhillon won for The Brownprint; however, the award was unfortunately not televised.
Find a full list of 2025 Juno Award winners below:
TikTok Juno Fan Choice
WINNER: bbno$ (Independent*Stem)
Dean Brody (Starseed)
Jade Eagleson (Starseed)
Josh Ross (Universal)
Karan Aujl (Independent)
Les Cowboys Fringants (Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande)
Preston Pablo (Universal)
Shawn Mendes (Universal)
Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
The Weeknd (XO*Universal)
Artist of the Year
Josh Ross (Universal)
Kaytranada (RCA*Sony)
Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
The Weeknd (XO*Universal)
Single of the Year
“Single Again,” Josh Ross (Universal)
“Winning Speech,” Karan Aujla (Independent)
“Why Why Why,” Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: “exes,” Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
“Timeless,” The Weeknd & Playboi Carti (XO*Universal)
Album of the Year
Inuktitut, Elisapie (Bonsound*Sony)
Complicated, Josh Ross (Universal)
Submergé, Roxane Bruneau (Disques Artic*Sony)
UNDISPUTED, Sukha (GK*Universal)
WINNER: THINK LATER, Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
Group of the Year
Crash Adams (Warner)
Mother Mother (Warner)
Spiritbox (BMG*Universal)
Sum 41 (Rise/BMG*Universal)
WINNER: The Beaches (Independent*AWAL)
Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year
Alexander Stewart (FAE*The Orchard)
AP Dhillon (Republic*Universal)
AR Paisley (Warner)
Chris Grey (Rebellion Records)
EKKSTACY (Dine Alone*The Orchard)
WINNER: Nemahsis (Independent)
Owen Riegling (Universal)
Sukha (GK*Universal)
Tony Ann (Decca*Universal)
Zeina (Artist Partner Group)
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year
Aaron Paris — “intro (end of the world)” (Ariana Grande), “Bought the Earth” (Yeat), “Let it Breathe” (Ski Mask the Slump God), “Tiger Eye” (Loony), “Dishonored” (Sean Leon and Jessie Reyez, “R e a l W o m a n” (PartyNextDoor)
Akeel Henry — “Spin” (Megan Thee Stallion), “Smoke” (Ari Lennox), “Shake” (Chlöe), “Oh, Wait…” (Shae Universe), “I Choose You” (Melanie Fiona), “Love Ain’t Guaranteed” (Mist)
Evan Blair — “Pretty Slowly” (Benson Boone), “Beautiful Things” (Benson Boone), “club heaven” (Nessa Barrett), “No High” (David Kushner), “this is how a woman leaves” (Maren Morris), “i hope i never fall in love” (Maren Morris)
WINNER: Jack Rochon — “II Hands II Heaven” (Beyoncé), “Protector” (Beyoncé), “Jolene” (Beyoncé), “My Way” (Charlotte Day Wilson), “Crash” (Kehlani), “Tears” (Kehlani)
Shawn Everett — “II Most Wanted” (Beyoncé), “Found Heaven” (Conan Gray), “Bright Lights” (The Killers), “I Don’t” (Brittany Howard), “Eye of the Night” (Conan Gray), “Prove It to You” (Brittany Howard)
Recording Engineer of the Year
George Seara — “Soft Spot” (Keshi), “Dream” (Keshi)
Hill Kourkoutis — “Ghost” (Sebastian Gaskin), “Should We” (Emi Jeen)
Mitch McCarthy — “Good Luck, Babe!” (Chappell Roan), “Make You Mine” (Madison Beer)
WINNER: Serban Ghenea — “Please Please Please” (Sabrina Carpenter), “Lose Control” (Teddy Swims)
Shawn Everett — “Don’t Forget Me” (Maggie Rogers), “Deeper Well” (Kacey Musgraves)
Songwriter of the Year
Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) — “Dancing in the Flames,” “Timeless,” “São Paulo”
AP Dhillon — “Old Money,” “Losing Myself,” “Bora Bora”
Jessie Reyez — “Child of Fire,” “Ridin,” “Shut Up”
WINNER: Mustafa Mustafa — “Name of God,” “Leaving Toronto,” “I’ll Go Anywhere”
Nemah Hasan (Nemahsis) — “stick of gum,” “you wore it better,” “coloured concrete”
Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer)
Evan Blair – “Beautiful Things” (Benson Boone), “Pretty Slowly” (Benson Boone), “i hope i never fall in love” (Maren Morris)
WINNER: Lowell – “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyoncé), “Bodyguard” (Beyoncé), “Takes One to Know One” (The Beaches)
Nathan Ferraro— “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyoncé), “Smoke” (Ari Lennox), “Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent)” (Sofia Camara)
Shaun Frank – “Love Somebody” (Morgan Wallen), “Training Season” (Dua Lipa), “Sideways” (Gordo)
Tobias Jesso Jr.”Houdini” (Dua Lipa), “push me over” (Maren Morris), “Come Show Me” (Camilla Cabello)
Music Video of the Year
“Human,” Adrian Villagomez, Apashe & Wasiu (Kannibalen*Create)
“Nasty,” Jonah Haber, Tinashe (Independent)
“GRAVITY,” Jorden Lee, Sean Leon (Independent)
WINNER: “Name of God,” Mustafa, Mustafa (Arts & Crafts*Universal)
“Jump Cut,” Winston Hacking, Corridor (Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard)
Album Artwork of the Year
Erik M. Grice (Art Director), Vanessa Elizabeth Heins (Photographer); Chandler – Wyatt C. Louis (Independent*Universal)
Gabriel Noel Altrows (Art Director, Illustrator); Good Kid 4 – Good Kid (Independent/The Orchard)
Kee Avil, Jacqueline Beaumont (Art Director), Fatine-Violette Sabiri (Photographer); Spine – Kee Avil (Constellation*Secretly Canadian)
WINNER: Keenan Gregory (Art Director); Altruistic – Royal Tusk (MNRK)
Kevin Hearn, Lauchlan Reid (Art Director), Antoine Jean Moonen (Designer), Lauchlan Reid (Illustrator); Basement Days – The Glacials (Celery*IDLA)
Country Album of the Year
The Compass Project – West Album, Brett Kissel (Independent*Universal)
Dallas Smith, Dallas Smith (Big Loud*Universal)
WINNER: Complicated, Josh Ross (Universal)
Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart, MacKenzie Porter (Big Loud*Universal)
Going Home, Tyler Joe Miller (Independent*The Orchard)
South Asian Music Recording of the Year
WINNER: “The Brownprint,” AP Dhillon (Republic *Universal)
“COOLIN,” Chani Nattan, Inderpal Moga & Jazzy B (Warner)
“Love Like That,” Jonita Gandhi (Warner)
“Tauba Tauba” (From Bad Newz), Karan Aujla (T-Series)
“Arul,” Yanchan, Produced & Sandeep Narayan (Independent)
Classical Album of the Year (Solo Artist)
Signature Philip Glass, Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà (Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard)
Messiaen, Barbara Hannigan (Alpha Classics*Naxos)
WINNER: freezing, Emily D’Angelo (Deutsche Grammophon*Universal)
Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth, India Gailey (Red Shift*Believe)
Williams Violin Concerto No. 1; Bernstein Serenade, James Ehnes (Pentatone*Naxos/The Orchard)
Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
Known To Dreamers: Black Voices in Canadian Art Song, Canadian Art Song Project (Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos)
Rituæls, collectif9 (Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard)
East is East, Infusion Baroque (Leaf*Naxos)
Marie Hubert: Fille du Roy, Karina Gauvin (ATMA*Universal)
Kevin Lau: Under a Veil of Stars, St. John–Mercer–Park Trio (Leaf*Naxos)
Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)
Ispiciwin, Luminous Voices (Leaf*Naxos)
Alikeness, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia, conducted by/dirigé par Mark Fewer featuring Aiyun Huang, Deantha Edmunds and Mark Fewer (Leaf*Naxos)
Sibelius 2 & 5, Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by/dirigé par Yannick Nézet-Séguin (ATMA*Universal)
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande & Verklärte Nacht, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, conducted by/dirigé par Rafael Payare (Pentatone*Naxos/PIAS)
WINNER: Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by/dirigé par Gustavo Gimeno featuring Marc-André Hamelin and Nathalie Forget (Harmonia Mundi)
Jazz Album of the Year (Solo)
WINNER:Montreal Jazz Series 1 (Échanges Synaptiques), André Leroux (Disques BG*Believe)
The Head of a Mouse, Audrey Ochoa (Chronograph*Fontana North)
Portrait of Right Now, Jocelyn Gould (Independent)
Slice of Life, Larnell Lewis (Independent)
The Antrim Coast, Mark Kelso (Modica)
Jazz Album of the Year (Group)
Time Will Tell, Andy Milne and Unison (Sunnyside*AMPED)
Reverence, Carn Davidson 9 (Independent)
Harbour, Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra (Justin Time*F.A.B./Nettwerk)
WINNER: Gravity, Jeremy Ledbetter Trio (Independent)
Jaya, Raagaverse (Independent)
Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
Oh Mother, Andrea Superstein (Cellar*La Reserve)
WINNER: Hello! How Are You?, Caity Gyorgy (La Reserve*The Orchard)
Winter Song, Kellylee Evans (Independent)
Wintersongs, Laila Biali (Independent/Believe)
Magpie, Sarah Jerrom (TPR*Outside In)
Instrumental Album of the Year
Disaster Pony, Disaster Pony (Independent*The Orchard)
Distant Places, Eric Bearclaw (Independent)
Ginger Beef, Ginger Beef (Independent)
WINNER: memory palace, Intervals (Independent*Believe)
Confluencias, Melón Jimenez & Lara Wong (Independent)
Blues Album of the Year
WINNER: This Old Life, Big Dave McLean (Cordova Bay*Fontana North)
New Orleans Sessions, Blue Moon Marquee (Independent)
YEAH!, David Gogo (Cordova Bay*Fontana North)
Samantha King and the Midnight Outfit, Samantha King & The Midnight Outfit (Independent)
One Guitar Woman, Sue Foley (Stony Plain*Fontana North)
Traditional Roots Album of the Year
Hemispheres, Inn Echo (Independent)
WINNER: Retro Man … More and More (Expanded Edition), Jake Vaadeland, Jayward*The Orchard Domino!, La Bottine Souriante (LABE*Sony/The Orchard)
The Road Back Home (Live), Loreena McKennitt (Independent*Universal)
At The End of the Day, Sylvia Tyson (Stony Plain*Fontana North)
Contemporary Roots Album of the Year
Anniversary, Abigail Lapell (Outside)
For Eden, Boy Golden (Six Shooter*The Orchard)
Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, Donovan Woods *End Times*The Orchard)
Pathways, Julian Taylor (Howling Turtle*ADA)
WINNER: Strange Medicine, Kaia Kater (acronym*The Orchard)
Adult Alternative Album of the Year
WINNER: Inuktitut, Elisapie (Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard)
Revelation, Leif Vollebekk (Secret City*F.A.B.)
Healing Power, Terra Lightfoot (Sonic Unyon*Universal)
We were born here, what’s your excuse?, The Secret Beach (Victory Pool*The Orchard)
Never Better, Wild Rivers (Nettwerk*F.A.B./Nettwerk)
Alternative Album of the Year
When a Thought Grows Wings, Luna Li (In Real Life*AWAL)
WINNER: Verbathim, Nemahsis (Independent)
Magpie, Peach Pit (Columbia*Sony)
What’s The Point, Ruby Waters (Independent*Dine Alone)
Water The Flowers, Pray for a Garden, Valley (Universal)
Rock Album of the Year
Pages, Big Wreck (Sonic Unyon*Universal)
Vices, JJ Wilde (Black Box)
Grief Chapter, Mother Mothe (Warner)
WINNER: Set Your Pussy Free, NOBRO (Dine Alone*The Orchard)
Heaven :x: Hell, Sum 41 (Rise/BMG*Universal)
Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year
WINNER: Beyond the Reach of the Sun, Anciients (Season of Mist*The Orchard)
PowerNerd, Devin Townsend (InsideOutMusic*Sony)
Fire, Kittie (Sumerian*Virgin)
The Fear of Fear, Spiritbox (BMG*Universal)
ULTRAPOWER, Striker (Independent)
Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
Roses, Aphrose (Independent)
Boundless Possibilities (Celeigh Cardinal, Independent)
Transitions, Kellie Loder (Independent*Warner)
Songs of Love & Death, Maddee Ritter (Independent*Universal)
WINNER: Lovers’ Gothic, Maïa Davies (acronym)
Pop Album of the Year
bleeding heart, Alexander Stewart (FAE*The Orchard)
if this is it…, Jamie Fine, Universal)
Anywhere But Here, Preston Pablo (31 East*Universal)
Shawn, Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: THINK LATER, Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
Dance Recording of the Year
“UH HUH,” DijahSB (Never Worry*The Orchard)
WINNER: “No Time,” Interplanetary Criminal & SadBoi (Room Two*Columbia)
Give in to you, REZZ, Virtual Riot & One True God (Monstercat)
“Call Me When,” So Sus (Independent)
“FOUL TASTE,” WAWA (Independent)
Underground Dance Single of the Year
WINNER: “Bamboo,” Ciel (Independent)
“Keepsake,” Destrata (Independent)
“Distant Memories,” Hernan Cattaneo, Hicky & Kalo (Independent)
“La Vérité,” Jesse Mac Cormack, Charlie Houston & Brö (Secret City*F.A.B)
“WTP,” Suray Sertin (Altered States*Universal)
Electronic Album of the Year
Honey, Caribou (Merge*F.A.B)
Union, ÈBONY (Independent*ADA)
Love, Care, Kindness & Hope, Fred Everything (Lazy Days*Prime Direct)
Timeless, Kaytranada (RCA*Sony)
WINNER: This But More, Priori (NAFF*One Eye Witness)
Rap Single of the Year
“People,” Classified (Independent)
“Double The Fun,” Haviah Mighty (Independent)
WINNER: “SHUT UP,” Jessie Reyez (FMLY/Island*Universal)
“BBE,” Snotty Nose Rez Kids (Sony)
Hier encore, Souldia & Lost (Disques 7ième Ciel)
Rap Album/EP of the Year
96 Miles From Bethlehem, Belly (SALXCO*Universal)
Luke’s View, Classified (Independent)
The Flower That Knew, DijahSB (Lowly)
See You When I See You…, Dom Vallie (Awesome*The Orchard)
WINNER: RED FUTURE, Snotty Nose Rez Kids (Sony)
Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
Limbo, Aqyila (Sony)
The Worst, Benita (Independent*Believe)
Cyan Blue, Charlotte Day Wilson (Independent*The Orchard)
Halfway Broken, Luna Elle (Hot Freestyle*Independent)
WINNER: VELVET SOUL, THEHONESTGUY (Independent*Believe)
Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year
WINNER: Bloom, Aqyila (Sony)
Noire, Avenoir (Independent*LISTEN TO THE KIDS)
FOR THE BOY IN ME, Dylan Sinclair (Five Stone*The Orchard)
LOONY, LOONY (Independent*AWAL)
Eastend Confessions, Zeina (Artist Partner Group)
Reggae Recording of the Year
WINNER: Born to Be Free, Exco Levi (Independent)
FALLBACK, King Cruff & Runkus (Tuff Gong*Universal)
Destiny, Lee “Scratch” Perry & Bob Riddim (Independent)
Sky’s The Limit, Skystar (Independent)
Rise, Tonya P (Independent)
Children’s Album of the Year
Shun Beh Nats’ujeh: We Are Healing Through Songs, Kym Gouchie (Independent)
WINNER: Penny Penguin, Raffi & Good Lovelies (Independent*Universal)
Riley Rocket: Songs From Season One, Riley Rocket and Megablast (Independent)
Buon Appetito, Walk off the Earth & Romeo Eats (Golden Carrot*The Orchard)
Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro “Rhyme Travellers”, Young Maestro (Independent)
Comedy Album of the Year
Wonder Woman, Courtney Gilmour (Comedy Records*Downtown)
WINNER: Honourable Intentions, Debra DiGiovanni (Independent)
Popcorn, Ivan Decker (Independent)
Sad Witch, Jess Salomon (Independent)
Down With Tech, Nathan Macintosh (Comedy Records*Downtown)
Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
WINNER: New Comings, Black Bear Singers (Independent)
Winston & I, Brianna Lizotte (Independent)
Travelling Home, Cree Confederation (Independent)
REZilience, Northern Cree (Independent)
Ostesihtowin-“Brotherhood”, Young Spirit (Independent)
Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
Precious Diamonds, Adrian Sutherland (Independent)
Boundless Possibilities, Celeigh Cardinal (Independent)
WINNER: Brown Man, Sebastian Gaskin (Ishkōdé*Universal)
RED FUTURE, Snotty Nose Rez Kids (Sony)
Pretty Red Bird, Tia Wood (Sony)
Francophone Album of the Year
Aliocha Schneider, Aliocha Schneider (Les Disques Audiogramme*Sony/The Orchard)
Demain il fera beau, Fredz (La Taniere*Believe)
Toutes les rues sont silencieuses, Jay Scøtt (Disques 7ième Ciel*Believe)
Abracadabra, Klô Pelgag (Secret City*F.A.B.)
Pub Royal, Les Cowboys Fringants (Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande/Believe)
Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year
elenee., Elenee (Independent)
My Foundation, Jordan St. Cyr (Independent*The Orchard)
WINNER: Restore, Ryan Ofei (Independent*Platoon/Believe)
Miracle in the Making, Tehillah Worship (Independent)
Hymns Alive (Live), Toronto Mass Choir (Independent*Believe)
Global Music Album of the Year
Aarambh, Abby V (Sufiscore)
Kanzafula, Ahmed Moneka (Lulaworld*Independent)
Malak, Didon (Electrofone*Independent)
WINNER: Dankoroba, Djely Tapa (Independent*Believe)
Niebla, Ramon Chicharron (Independent*Believe)
Classical Composition of the Year
WINNER: Angmalukisaa, Deantha Edmunds (Independent*Leaf/Naxos)
the fog in our poise, Gabriel Dharmoo (Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos)
L’écoute du perdu : III. « Voix jetées », Keiko Devaux (ATMA*Universal)
Dark Flowe, Linda Catlin Smith (Redshift*Independent)
String Quartet No. 4 “Insects and Machines”, Vivian Fung, (Independent)
Longtime REO Speedwagon vocalist Kevin Cronin has taken to social media to share his thoughts on his lack of inclusion in an upcoming one-off reunion event.
Cronin, who has been touring with his own Kevin Cronin Band, addressed a fan on Facebook who noted the singer’s absence from REO Speedwagon’s forthcoming concert in Champaign, Illinois on June 14, responding that organizers of the event could have picked a date when many of the band’s former members were readily available to attend.
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“Instead they chose June 14, 2025, a date where it was public knowledge that I was previously committed to perform with Styx and Kevin Cronin Band in Bend, Oregon,” Cronin wrote. “Bottom line, I am being asked to participate in an event on a date when I can’t possibly be there in-person. And then being falsely accused of turning down the invitation. I am deeply disturbed and hurt by all of this.
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“After all I have done to help build the legacy of REO Speedwagon, I feel I have earned and deserve to be included in any event honoring that legacy. Instead, I have been knowingly excluded.”
Cronin joined REO Speedwagon in early 1972, taking over from Terry Luttrell who reportedly left due to personal issues with guitarist Gary Richrath. Though Cronin was himself briefly replaced by Mike Murphy the following year, he returned in 1976 and remained in the band until their end, performing on tracks such as their two Hot 100 chart-toppers “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling.”
In late 2024, REO Speedwagon announced that they would cease touring as of Jan. 1, 2025. In a note shared to fans, the group explained that bassist Bruce Hall had not recovered sufficiently from previous back surgery and his inability to tour led to “irreconcilable differences” between Hall and Cronin.
REO Speedwagon played their final live performance on Dec. 21 at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, but in March announced they would be playing a special one-off show at the State Farm Center in their hometown of Champaign, Illinois on June 14. Officially titled as an event ‘Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon,’ the show is described as a “concert retrospective featuring special guests & former members.”
Indeed, Hall and Neal Doughty from the final REO Speedwagon lineup are confirmed to attend, as are previous vocalists Luttrell and Murphy. Founding drummer Alan Gratzer and 1969 guitarist Steve Scorfina are also listed as appearing, while a special tribute will be held to late members Gary Richrath and Gregg Philbin.
In his social media comment, Cronin also claimed that the remaining members of the band’s final lineup – who currently perform alongside him in the Kevin Cronin Band – weren’t given the option of appearing at the forthcoming show. “35-year REO veterans Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt were not even shown the respect of being invited to the Champaign event,” he added.
Cronin spoke to Billboard ahead of REO Speedwagon’s final show in December, explaining that the circumstances behind the band’s ending were less than ideal, and admitted there is still a level of acrimony between he and Hall. “It’s kind of like a divorce of sorts,” he explained, “and during a divorce things get a little muddy and things get a little sticky. I wish it could’ve been more amicable, but the minute attorneys get involved it just changes the atmosphere of things.”
“I think it’s unfortunate that some fans were kind of brought into something that I really feel should’ve been kept as a private, personal matter,” he continued. “It’s never thrilling when things are said that are inaccurate and hurtful. My hope is that there will come a time where the dust will have settled. My intention is to ask forgiveness for anything that I’ve done or any hurt that I have caused Bruce. I don’t like to have grudges with people. I like to forgive and be forgiven.”
Billie Eilish and Finneas have hired new management. The siblings are now being managed by Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen, whose clients include Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini and more. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Eilish and Finneas were previously managed […]
Ariana Grande‘s deluxe edition of her Eternal Sunshine album, Brighter Days Ahead, tops this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (March 28) on Billboard, choosing the pop star’s refreshed set, which adds six new tracks to the original studio album that arrived last year, as their favorite new music release of […]
Remember Hilary Duff‘s 2007 performance for the Today show’s summer concert series? SNL‘s Barry the Midwife (Bowen Yang) and Dr. Richards (Mikey Madison) do. In “Barry the Midwife” on the latest episode (March 29) of Saturday Night Live, the midwife-and-doctor duo at first have an awkward run-in when their patient is giving birth and the […]
While Morgan Wallen was the official musical guest on SNL this weekend, Joe Jonas co-starred in a musical sketch poking fun at New Yorkers waiting in stupidly long lines just to try a trendy new treat they’ve heard about on TikTok.
Picture this: It’s spring in New York City. It’s the weekend. It’s a beautiful day. You don’t have work. Your friends don’t have work.
As Mikey Madison, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman — the stars of one of SNL‘s latest spoofs to make use of a catchy pop tune — point out, you could go to brunch, see a movie, ride a bike, have a fling.
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Or you could wait in a big, dumb line.
That’s right. You could spend your day waiting in a line that goes around the block — for a limited-supply bagel, slice of pizza or creamy taco that showed up on your “For You” feed. While you’re waiting, you could sing about it like they do in Saturday night’s (March 29) “Big Dumb Line” sketch.
“Must be worth it — it’s a really long line,” Fineman emphasizes in an ad-lib directed straight to the viewer.
Perhaps there will be cronuts (the croissant-donut hybrid), or a concoction one can only hope was dreamt up an SNL writer: palad (pizza and salad combined), frasca (fries as pasta), fandy (fish that’s candy) or choda (cheese that’s soda).
“Big Dumb Line,” a sketch that was pre-taped ahead of the live show, is all good fun until Bowen Yang cracks under the pressure of the line, to his own horror and that of his pals. “I’m leaving. I’m leaving!” he screams.
That’s where Joe Jonas pops in with a motivational ballad, urging the NYC line dropout to trust the process. “Believe in the line/ You deserve this viral Greek yogurt/ Or to try Lisa Rinna’s wine,” the Jonas Bro sings with feeling in a surprise cameo.
Watch the “Big Dumb Line” sketch from Saturday Night Live below.
Congratulations are in order for Dave Navarro and Vanessa DuBasso, who tied the knot in Scotland on Saturday (March 29).
The 57-year-old Jane’s Addiction guitarist and 31-year-old actress and fashion designer exchanged vows at Dunskey Estate in Stranraer, Scotland, People reports. The couple’s gothic-inspired ceremony took place within a castle nestled at the secluded coastal estate, surrounded by lush greenery and views of the sea.
“It exudes a moody, ethereal charm,” DuBasso told the publication. “Surrounded by a towering forest, a serene lake and the ruins of a castle along the shoreline, it felt like stepping into a fairytale.”
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Navarro added, “We wanted our wedding to feel like a dream. It was important to us to find a place that felt unlike anywhere we had ever been, a place that embraced nature and transported us to another world. We wanted our loved ones to share in this intimate experience.”
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The pair exchanged handwritten vows in a forest ceremony officiated by Dunskey Estate owner Ali Orr Ewing. Among the guests was comedian Pete Davidson. It’s unclear if any members of Jane’s Addiction were in attendance.
The Grammy-nominated guitarist, who also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers from in the 1990s, shared glimpses of the magical weekend on his Instagram Stories the following day. Among the behind-the-scenes moments were photos of the couple skeet shooting in the countryside, a heartwarming video of them exchanging smiles during a candlelit dinner, and a stunning clip of a fireworks display.
Navarro and DuBasso met eight years ago after the veteran musician saw a movie trailer featuring the actress. Navarro reached out to the film’s director, a friend of his, asking if DuBasso would be interested in going on a date with him, according to People.
This marks Navarro’s fourth marriage. He was previously married to Tania Goddard in the early ’90s, followed by a brief marriage to Rhian Gittins in the mid-’90s, and then to Carmen Electra in the early 2000s.
Richard Chamberlain, who died on Saturday (March 29) night at age 90, will be remembered as a TV icon, but he was a hot recording artist for a time. His debut album, Richard Chamberlain Sings, released on MGM Records, made the top five on the Billboard 200 in 1963.
In addition, he had three top 30 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight” (No. 10 in 1962), a cover version of the Elvis Presley smash “Love Me Tender” (No. 21 in 1962) and a cover version of the Everly Brothers smash “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (No. 14 in 1963).
He was also the first artist to record “They Long to Be Close to You,” a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song that went on to become a pop standard when it was recorded by the Carpenters. The duo’s version was Billboard’s Song of the Summer for 1970 and received a Grammy nod for record of the year. Chamberlain’s version, conducted by Bacharach, went relatively unnoticed. It was featured on the B side of his Hot 100 single “Blue Guitar” (No. 42 in 1963).
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Chamberlain died in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications from a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.
Chamberlain received a Grammy nomination in 1972, but not for his music. He was nominated for best spoken word album for an RCA Recordings recording of a production in which he played Hamlet.
While Chamberlain’s recording career was short-lived, his status as a TV star spanned decades. He starred in Dr. Kildare from 1961-66. The medical drama ranked in the top 10 in the Nielsen ratings in its first season and remained in the top 20 for its second and third seasons.
In 1975, he received his first Primetime Emmy nomination for starring in The Count of Monte Cristo. He was nominated for outstanding lead actor in a special program (drama or comedy).
In the early 1980s, Chamberlain gained a reputation as the king of the miniseries for his starring roles in Shogun, The Thorn Birds and Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story. He received Primetime Emmy nods for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or a special for all three productions.
Chamberlain also acted in film and on Broadway. His first attempt at Broadway — in a legendarily troubled 1966 production of a musical adaptation of the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Mary Tyler Moore — ended when producer David Merrick pulled the plug on the musical after only four preview performances in New York. (Happily, both stars survived the high-profile flop.)
Chamberlain went on to star on Broadway in revivals of The Night of the Iguana (1976-77), Blithe Spirit (1987), My Fair Lady (1993-94) and The Sound of Music (1999).
Born George Richard Chamberlain in Los Angeles on March 31, 1934, Chamberlain was named after his grandfather but was always called Dick or Richard. Chamberlain was gay, which was known in the industry but kept from the public in the years he was a romantic leading man. He came out in 2003, at age 68, in his memoir Shattered Love: A Memoir.
Chamberlain’s fears of rejection by his fans proved unfounded. “Everyone has been so supportive, so positive,” he told The Los Angeles Times in an interview to promote the book. “In New York, people walked up to me in the street, and in theaters. Strangers gave me the thumbs up, wished me well, said, ‘Good for you.’ I’m just awestruck by the change in the way I feel about life now.”
Playboi Carti’s MUSIC spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated April 5), after debuting atop the list a week earlier with the year’s biggest week for a rap title.
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In its second week (ending March 27), the effort earned 131,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. (down 56%), according to Luminate. It opened with 298,000 first-week units. It’s Carti’s second No. 1, and first to spend more than week atop the list. He previously logged one week in the lead with his previous release, Whole Lotta Red, in January 2021.
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Selena Gomez and benny blanco’s first collaborative set, I Said I Love You First, debuts at No. 2. It marks the seventh top 10 for Gomez and first for blanco.
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The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new April 5, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 1. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of the 131,000 equivalent album units earned by MUSIC in the week ending March 27, SEA units comprise 124,000 (down 56%; equaling 171.02 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it’s No. 1 for a second week on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 7,000 (down 51%; it falls 3-9 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (down 60%).
MUSIC’s second week profited from the sales and streaming activity generated by the release of a deluxe edition of the project that added four additional cuts to the set’s original 30-song runtime. Dubbed MUSIC – Sorry 4 Da Wait, it was released on Tuesday (March 25) on Playboi Carti’s official webstore and widely via streamers and digital retail. The four bonus songs on the deluxe (“Different Day,” “2024,” “Backr00ms” and “FOMDJ”) were initially released as cuts exclusively available on three different artist webstore-exclusive download variants of the album in its first week. As the four songs became available to stream via the MUSIC album on March 25, the album earned SEA for those four tracks on the final three days of the tracking week.
Selena Gomez and benny blanco’s collaborative project I Said I Love You First debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, scoring the superstar multi-hyphenate Gomez her seventh top 10-charting effort and hitmaking producer/writer blanco his first. The project earned 120,000 equivalent album units in its first week — the largest week by units for both artists. (The Billboard 200 began ranking by equivalent album units in December 2014.)
Of the album’s 120,000 first-week units, album sales comprise 71,000 (it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 48,000 (equaling 64.04 million on-demand official streams of the streaming edition of the album’s songs; it debuts at No. 6 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise 1,000.
I Said I Love You First is the first album pairing from the real-life couple, who announced their engagement in December. While this is the first full-length set from the duo, they’ve teamed up for Billboard Hot 100-charting hit songs before this project. Blanco was a producer and writer on Gomez’s “Same Old Love” (No. 5 peak in 2016), “Kill Em With Kindness” (No. 39, 2016) and “Single Soon” (No. 19, 2023). Gomez and Blanco shared artist billing, with Tainy and J Balvin, on “I Can’t Get Enough” (No. 66, 2019), which blanco also co-produced and co-wrote.
The new album was preceded by the Hot 100-charting tune “Call Me When You Break Up,” billed to Gomez, blanco and Gracie Abrams. It debuted and peaked at No. 58 in March, and climbs into the top 20 on the Pop Airplay chart (dated April 5), rising 21-19. It’s the 25th top 20-charting cut for Gomez on Pop Airplay.
The opening-week sales of I Said I Love You First were bolstered by its availability across seven vinyl variants (different color editions, some with alternate covers; including a signed version), three CD versions (a standard CD, a signed edition, and a zine/CD version with expanded packaging), a deluxe box set containing branded merch and a CD. (The album’s vinyl sales totaled 21,000 for the week — the best sales week on vinyl for either Gomez or blanco.)
Further, the album was available in 10 different digital variations. First, there was a widely available standard album at streamers and digital retail. Then, through the set’s opening week, nine additional download variants were issued, all initially exclusively available through Gomez’s webstore, and each sold for $5. All of the variants included the standard album’s 14 songs, plus bonus material. Five of the variants each had one bonus track (“Stained,” “Talk,” “That’s What I’ll Care [Seven Heavens Version],” “Scared of Loving You [Live From Vevo]” and “How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten [Live From Vevo],” respectively) and one contained two bonus cuts (an acoustic version and extended version of the album single “Call Me When You Break Up”). There was also an Explained: Narrated by Selena Gomez edition (with 14 bonus tracks with Gomez providing commentary on each of the set’s 14 songs), a Slowed & Reverbed edition (with 14 bonus slowed and reverbed versions of the album’s songs) and an Instrumentals edition (with 14 bonus instrumental versions of the tracklist).
All nine of the variants became available in the iTunes Store on Wednesday (March 26). The variants were only sold in the iTunes Store through March 27, the final day they were also sold in Gomez’s store.
The rest of the top 10 on the latest Billboard 200 comprises former No. 1s. Nos. 3-5 are all non-movers, led by Kendrick Lamar’s GNX at No. 3 (65,000 equivalent album units; down 8%) and followed by PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U at No. 4 (61,000; down 7%), and SZA’s SOS at No. 5 (60,000; down 4%).
Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet is steady at No. 6 (54,000 equivalent album units; down 4%); Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM falls 2-7 (52,000; down 29%); Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos is stationary at No. 8 (49,000; down 2%); Tate McRae’s So Close To What falls 7-9 (47,000; down 10%); and Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time holds at No. 10 (45,000; up 9%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.