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One of the biggest moments of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime performance on Sunday night (Feb. 9) was when he called on his fellow Compton, Calif., native Serena Williams to crip walk onstage during “Not Like Us.”
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While many fans online loved the surprise cameo, Stephen A. Smith weighed in with his own take, taking aim at Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. “If I’m your husband, I’m thinking, ‘Why are you up there trolling him, trolling your ex?’” the sports analyst began during his First Take podcast on Feb. 10. “If I’m married, and my wife is going to troll her ex, go back to his a–. Because clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for, and you with me? Bye!”
For context, Drake and Williams reportedly dated in 2015, and the rapper revealed that he wrote his 2016 hit “Too Good” about the athlete. The tennis champion’s appearance during the performance was widely speculated to be a dig at Drake — the famous subject of Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track. In 2022, Drake fired shots at Ohanian, rapping on “Middle of the Ocean”: “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie/ He claim we don’t got a problem but no, boo, it’s like you comin’ for sushi/ We might pop up on ’em at will like Suzuki.”
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Co-host Ryan Clark then chimed in, adding, “If you with Serena Williams, you’re going to be a kept man anyway — don’t start that, you ain’t gonna run the house.”
Shannon Sharpe also added in defense of Ohanian, “I think he is doing pretty well. He founded Reddit and then he sold Reddit for a big chunk of change. I think he OK.”
Ohanian ended up responding to Smith’s thoughts on X. The entrepreneur, who was in attendance at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, replied to a tweet from the New York Post about Smith’s comments. “I got you @stephenasmith,” he wrote, linking to the inspiration behind Williams’ crip walk, which was the backlash she received for the dance at Wimbleton more than a decade ago and how the decision is “bigger than the music.”
“I know I should know better, but I continue to be surprised by full the spectrum of genius and stupidity in humanity,” Ohanian concluded.
See his responses below.
I know I should know better, but I continue to be surprised by full the spectrum of genius and stupidity in humanity.— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 11, 2025
Spike Lee was a big fan of Kendrick Lamar‘s Super Bowl 59 Halftime Show. Kendrick used frequent Spike Lee collaborator Samuel L. Jackson as the show’s “Greek chorus,” just as Spike used him as Dolmedes in his 2015 musical satire Chi-Raq. Lamar also took a moment to bring up the Reconstruction Era proposal to give […]
Kevin Durant wasn’t too enthralled with Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. When asked about Lamar’s performance on Monday (Feb. 10), the Phoenix Suns star called the day “boring” and said it was of little interest to him. “It meant nothing to me,” he said to reporter Dana Scott. “No thoughts — I didn’t really […]
Los Tigres del Norte has always been known for addressing political issues and social justice in its songs, with strong and direct lyrics, and for giving a voice to immigrants who have come to the U.S. in search of a better life. Amid recent immigration raids by President Donald Trump’s administration, the band’s latest single, “La Lotería,” is no exception.
“It always breaks your heart to leave your land because the tree no longer provides good shade … It’s not that they want to change their flag; although far away, they always long for their roots,” goes the song released on Feb. 6 under Fonovisa.
“I think it comes at a time when we were already seeing what was coming,” Jorge Hernández, lead vocalist and leader of Los Tigres del Norte, tells Billboard Español. “The song is narrated according to how life has led us.”
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Last year, during presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign, Los Tigres performed at her rally in Phoenix. The appearance aligned with the Mexican band’s continued support for Democratic candidates during U.S. presidential elections. In the past, it has endorsed Hillary Clinton (2016) and Joe Biden (2020), and has used its platform to get Latinos to go out and vote.
“We had the opportunity to work on this Kamala Harris campaign, hoping that we would have the pleasure of having another type of government, but well, such is life. Now we have to adapt and do what we have to do,” Hernández says. “I think this moment is very important for all of us Latinos, it’s a crucial moment for everyone.”
“We also have to see what the Mexican government will grant to those people who for some reason have not been able to settle in the United States,” he adds about the fate of the people deported.
The norteño music band known for classics such as “De Paisano a Paisano,” “La Carta,” “Jefes de Jefes” and “Somos Más Americanos” left its native Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1970 — two years after the group’s foundation — and has established itself in San Jose, Calif., since then.
When asked if he fears any kind of retaliation from President Trump for being the voice of many immigrants in the U.S. and for having supported the Harris campaign, the musician stays focused.
“I don’t think negatively,” he says. “We have always participated when we are called not only in the U.S., in different countries and for different organizations. It’s part of our job. We have been identified with Latinos since the ’70s, so it’s nothing new for us. If there were to be something against us, well, we would have to see what process we would follow. For now, we are calm.”
“We did what we had to do as human beings and as citizens of this country and as citizens of our Mexican Republic,” Hernández concludes. “We will continue to move forward fighting for those people who have no voice.”
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The Department of Justice has officially called for the federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams to be dropped, sparking outrage.
On Monday evening (February 10), federal prosecutors in Manhattan received a letter from Emil Bove, the acting number 2 official at the Department of Justice directing them to drop the federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Bove’s reasoning for calling for the dismissal of the charges was that they hindered Adams from being able to assist with the crackdown on immigrants in New York City, in addition to questioning the timing of Adams’ trial date in April being so close to the Democratic primary in June. “The Justice Department has reached this conclusion without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based,” the memo read in part. There has been no word yet on the cases against other members of his cabinet arrested on similar charges.
The letter from Bove also appeared to suggest that the Justice Department made the decision believing Adams’ unsubstantiated allegations that the charges of wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions from foreign nationals, conspiracy, and bribery were brought by the Biden administration because of his disagreement with them over how to handle the influx of migrants into New York City. One notable element of the letter shows that the request to drop charges was “without prejudice,” meaning that the DOJ has the option to revisit the case in the future. The decision to dismiss now falls upon Danielle Sassoon, the acting head of the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, who could proceed with dropping the charges or decide not to. The latter choice could result in her being fired.
Adams’ critics and political opponents immediately decried the DOJ memo and called out Adams for heavily pandering to Trump to get the charges dropped. “Eric Adams sold out New Yorkers to buy his own freedom, but he’ll never escape the label of worst mayor in NYC history,” wrote Democratic State Senator Jessica Ramos, an opponent of Adams in the upcoming mayoral primary election. Public Advocate Juumane Williams released a scathing statement against Adams after the news broke, writing: Mayor Adams adopted a strategy of selling out marginalized New Yorkers and our city’s values to avoid personal and legal accountability. Well, it worked. I hope it was worth it.”
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Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was one for the ages as it tackled the social political climate in the United States today while continuing to throw dirt on the grave where Drake’s popularity currently lies, and while most of the culture was able to pick up on the symbolism and metaphors that the show presented, a lot of viewers simply didn’t.
Unfortunately, it seems like NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant was one of those viewers who allegedly didn’t comprehend what Kendrick Lamar was telling the masses and dismissed the entire Super Bowl as “boring.” This past Monday (Feb. 10), Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic asked the Slim Reaper about his opinion on K. Dot’s Super Bowl Halftime Show and his performance of “Not Like Us” and without batting an eye KD simply shook his head and responded with “Meant nothing to me.”
Scott then brought up Durant’s previous statement in which he said Drake was “great,” as the reasoning behind his question about his thoughts on Kendrick’s performance. Durant went on to say “No thoughts. I ain’t really pay attention to it to be honest. It was a pretty boring game as far as the Super Bowl… The game got outta hand. The Super Bowl Halftime Show it was just… I ain’t pay attention to it. I kinda skimmed through the whole thing to be honest.”
KD just made Drake happy with that response.
https://x.com/iam_DanaScott/status/1889066473517412814
Still, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone as Kevin Durant and Drake do seem to have some history together as Drizzy has name dropped Kevin Durant in one of his past songs, “No Face.”
https://x.com/ComplexMusic/status/1827123996682547316
KD for his part has also showed love to Drizzy on his social media account, so y’all already know the man isn’t going to join in on the bashing of Drake regardless of what he may think of the situation.
https://x.com/realalmightee/status/1861490029303832813
Well, at least Drake does have a few loyal friends left in the game.
What do y’all think about Kevin Durant’s response to Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show? Let us know in the comments section below.
K-pop company SM Entertainment used a healthy concert business to compensate for a slow new release schedule in posting revenue of 273.8 billion won ($189 million) in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 9% year over year, according to the company’s latest earnings report. Operating profit nearly tripled to 33.9 billion won ($23 million) and net loss was more than halved to 24.1 billion won ($17 million).
Recorded music revenue dropped 5.1% to 86.0 billion won ($59 million) due to a decrease in new album sales, which came in at 3.78 million units versus 5.51 million units in the prior-year period. NCT Dream sold 1.56 million units while Aespa had 1.1 million album sales in the quarter. Elsewhere, WayV sold 400,000 units and Irene sold 360,000 units.
Concert revenue grew 11.9% to 22.5 billion won ($15.5 million) thanks to an expanded tour schedule during the quarter. Exo’s Chanyeol performed 14 solo shows across Southeast Asia, Japan and China. NCT Wish performed 12 in Asia. NCT Dream, which began its world tour in the second quarter, played nine concerts in the fourth quarter. The higher number of concerts, as well as an increase in special events such as pop-up stores, helped merchandise and licensing revenue jump 33.7% to 51.2 billion won ($35.3 million).
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In the first quarter, music releases include SMTOWN’s 30th anniversary album, SMTOWN, THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE, on Friday (Feb. 14). Red Velvet’s Seulgi and WayV’s Ten are also both due to release EPs, and a new girl group, Hearts2Hearts, will debut on Feb. 24 with the single “The Chase.”
This year, SM Entertainment is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a new slogan (“The Culture, The Future”), new films, new broadcast programs and SMTOWN LIVE 2025 World Tour concerts around the globe. “’THE CULTURE’ represents the legacy and cultural heritage that SM has built over the past three decades,” CEO Jang Cheol-hyuk said during the earnings call. “‘THE FUTURE’ embodies our ambition to drive innovation in the global music industry and lead the next era of K-pop. At SM, music is at the heart of everything we do. Through our music and cultural influence, we strive to remain a meaningful part of people’s daily lives. This slogan underscores our commitment to pioneering the future of K-pop while honoring the foundation we’ve built.”
In addition to announcing fourth-quarter results, SM Entertainment revealed that its board of directors approved the retirement of the remaining treasury shares, which are shares the company has repurchased from shareholders and holds on its books. The remaining treasury shares equal 2% of outstanding shares and are valued at 40.3 billion won ($27.8 million). Last February and August, the company retired more than 35 billion won ($24.1 million) worth of treasury shares.
SM Entertainment shares rose 2.9% to 95,000 won ($65.42) on Tuesday (Feb. 11) following the earnings release and announcement of the share retirement. Year-to-date, SM Entertainment stock has risen 25.7%.
The 2025 Grammy Awards held Feb. 2 shine bright on both the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs charts (dated Feb. 15), as a starry lineup of winners and performers racked up big gains. Let’s take a look at some notable movers and shakers on both lists.
On the Billboard 200
Kendrick Lamar’s GNX gains 9% in equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the tracking week ending Feb. 6 (65,000), according to Luminate, though the album is pushed down a spot to No. 4. While Lamar did not perform on the Grammy Awards, he did win five trophies — the most of any artist this year — with two of those presented on-air during the CBS television broadcast: record of the year and song of the year, both for “Not Like Us.” Lamar also took home the awards for best rap performance, best rap song and best music video – all for “Not Like Us.” (“Not Like Us” is not included on any of Lamar’s albums, but GNX is his most recent album release.)
Lamar has four more albums on the Billboard 200 — and all post gains. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City climbs 31-27 (21,000; up 11%), DAMN. rises 36-29 (20,000; up 9%), To Pimp a Butterfly rises 196-167 (9,000; up 9%) and Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers reenters at No. 185 (8,500; up 13%).
Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft gains 47% (jumping 10-5), following her performance of the album’s “Birds of a Feather” on the show. The album was also nominated for multiple awards, though did not win. Eilish also logs gains on the Billboard 200 with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (95-83; up 10%), Happier Than Ever (135-115; up 17%) and Dont Smile at Me (reentering at No. 160; up 14%).
Best new artist winner Chappell Roan sees her The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess bound 14-6 with a 56% gain in units earned. Roan performed the album’s “Pink Pony Club” on the show.
Two-time winner Sabrina Carpenter is pushed down 6-7 with Short n’ Sweet, despite a gain of 20%. Carpenter won best pop vocal album (for Short n’ Sweet), which was presented on air, and best pop solo vocal performance (for the album’s “Espresso”). Carpenter also performed a medley of “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” on the broadcast. An earlier Carpenter album, Emails I Can’t Send, also logs a gain on the chart, increasing by 8% and climbing 131-125.
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department bumps 11-9 with an 8% increase, even though the album didn’t win any of the six awards it and its songs were nominated for. Still, Swift was an attendee at the event, was frequently seen by the CBS cameras, and presented the best country album award to Beyoncé for Cowboy Carter.
Speaking of Cowboy Carter, the album of the year winner gallops back onto the chart, reentering at No. 19 with 25,000 units earned — up 254%.
Doechii, who performed on the show and won the on-air-presented best rap album award for Alligator Bites Never Heal, sees that album vault 62-14 for its best week yet, gaining 107% to 31,000 units earned.
Best new artist nominee and show performer Benson Boone gets a big boost, as his Fireworks & Rollerblades album rises 49-23 with 24,000 units earned — up 44%. On the show, he performed an acrobatic rendition of the album’s “Beautiful Things.” Fellow best new artist nominees, and performers, Teddy Swims and Shaboozey also see gains — the former for I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1), which rises 25-24 with an 8% increase, and the latter for Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, which rises 50-38 with a 13% gain.
All eight of the best new artist nominees had their own dedicated solo performance on the CBS broadcast: Boone, Carpenter, Doechii, Khruangbin, Raye, Roan, Shaboozey and Swims. (While Raye and Khruangbin aren’t on the Billboard 200, they also see gains with their most recent albums. Raye’s My 21st Century Blues is up 65% to 5,500 units; and Khruangbin’s A La Sala is up 36% to nearly 2,000 units.)
Performer and three-time winner Charli XCX sees her Brat album bump 52-26 with 22,000 units earned — up 38%. Brat won best dance/electronic album and best recording package, while the set’s “Von Dutch” won best dance pop recording. While none of Charli’s awards were presented during the CBS broadcast, she performed a medley of the album’s “Von Dutch” and “Guess” on the show.
Kendrick Lamar & More Leap on the Hot 100
As previously reported, the Hot 100’s top 10 reflects Grammy action, led by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” which won for best pop duo/group performance during the CBS broadcast. The pair also performed on the show, but didn’t sing “Die With a Smile,” instead, they did a cover of The Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’” in tribute to Los Angeles following the January wildfires in the area.
Songs in the top 10 by Eilish, Shaboozey, The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, and Benson Boone also bask in a post-Grammy glow.
Just outside the Hot 100’s top 10, Lamar’s “Not Like Us” vaults 29-15 with a 55% blast to 19.2 million official U.S. streams. The Drake-eviscerating track, which topped the chart for two weeks last May and July, swept all five of its Grammy nominations.
Roan surges with two songs in the Hot 100’s top 25: “Pink Pony Club” (45-18, a new high, surpassing its prior No. 26 peak) and “Good Luck, Babe!” (30-23, after reaching No. 6). The songs soared by 98% to 13.4 million streams and 26% to 13.2 million streams, respectively, after she performed “Pink Pony Club” and won the Grammy for best new artist, accepting the award with her buzzy speech calling for improvements in artists’ healthcare.
Plus, Doechii’s “Denial Is a River” hits the Hot 100’s top 40, jumping 55-27, up 66% to 13.8 million streams. It’s a new best rank for the rapper, who previously hit a No. 29 high in October 2013 with “What It Is (Block Boy)” featuring Kodak Black.
Tate McRae and Josh Ross have received the most nominations for the 2025 Juno Awards, with five apiece. The two artists will compete against each other in single of the year, album of the year, artist of the year and TikTok fan choice award.
Shawn Mendes and The Weeknd follow with four nominations each, while Karan Aujla and AP Dhillon each score three.
McRae — the Alberta pop singer whose “Greedy” took her to global heights in 2023 — won single of the year and artist of the year at the 2024 Junos. She was not in attendance to accept either award. This year, she could sweep all the major categories except for breakthrough artist, in which she was nominated in 2021.
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Ross is a breakout country singer from Ontario, and his five nominations show the strength of the genre in Canada. He joins McRae in the artist of the year category, alongside dance music producer Kaytranada, who was up for three Grammys this year with his third LP, Timeless; Mendes, who made a highly anticipated comeback with folk album Shawn; and The Weeknd, who released several charting singles in 2024. (His Hurry Up Tomorrow doesn’t qualify for this year’s awards, so he could be primed for another big year next year.)
Ross has had a major year, with his track “Single Again” — up for single of the year — charting on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and topping the Canadian Country Airplay chart. He picked up five Canadian Country Music Association Awards in 2024, but if he prevails in one or more of his highly competitive categories, it would mark his first Juno win(s).
Beyond McRae’s domination and Ross’ breakthrough, the nominations show the continued rise of the Punjabi Wave in Canada. Last year, Karan Aujla took home the fan choice award, which showed belated industry recognition for the exploding genre. This year, Aujla is up for single of the year as well with the aptly-titled “Winning Speech.”
This year, the Junos are introducing a South Asian music recording category, with AP Dhillon; Chani Nattan, Inderpal Moga & Jazz B; Jonita Gandhi; and Sandeep Narayan and Yanchal Produced all up for the inaugural award alongside Aujla.
But it’s not just that category where South Asian music is shining through — Dhillon is nominated for breakthrough artist and songwriter of the year.
AR Paisley is also up for breakthrough artist, as is Sukha, who also scored a nomination in best album with Undisputed. That’s a marked increase in representation for South Asian music and, in particular, Punjabi artists, from last year, as the wave continues to crest.
Canadian pop-rock icons and Billboard Canada cover stars Sum 41 are up for group of the year, where they’ll compete against Crash Adams, Mother Mother, Spiritbox and last year’s winner, The Beaches. They also picked up a nomination for rock album of the year with their final album, Heaven :x: Hell, and they will receive a special induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the ceremony.
In the big categories, it’s not as strong a year for women nominees — McRae is the only woman nominated for single of the year, artist of the year, and fan choice (especially notable in fan choice, which has 10 total nominees). In album of the year, Inuk singer Elisapie and Quebecois artist Roxane Bruneau compete alongside McRae against Ross and Sukha.
The breakthrough artist category is where things get the most interesting. The Junos have increased that category from five to 10 nominees this year, and the move allows for a real breadth of talent to shine through, with nominees ranging from country to soul to Punjabi hip-hop and more. Palestinian-Canadian alt-pop auteur Nemahsis is up for the category (she’s also nominated in alternative album of the year), as is Vancouver emo-pop artist Ekkstacy and Montreal R&B-pop artist Zeina, who broke through with Billboard Canadian Hot 100-charting “Hooked.”
In the genre-specific categories, three categories that were reportedly in danger of disappearing did return this year. Following public outcry last fall, the Junos recommitted to the reggae recording of the year; contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year; and children’s album of the year categories.
The nominees in reggae recording include the late trailblazer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry for his work with Bob Riddim on Destiny and Canadian reggae leader Exco Levi’s Born To Be Free. In children’s album, Lheidli T’enneh singer-songwriter Kym Gouchie is nominated for Shun Beh Nats’ujeh: We Are Healing Through Songs as well as iconic entertainer Raffi for his Good Lovelies collaboration, Penny Penguin.
The 2025 Juno Awards, hosted by Michael Bublé, will be held March 30 in Vancouver, broadcast on CBC at 8 P.M. ET.
Here’s the full list of nominations for the 2025 Juno Awards.
TikTok Juno Fan Choice
bbno$, Independent*Stem
Dean Brody, Starseed
Jade Eagleson, Starseed
Josh Ross, Universal
Karan Aujla, 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
Tate McRae, RCA*Sony
The Weeknd, XO*Universal
Group of the year
Crash Adams, Warner
Mother Mother, Warner
Spiritbox, BMG*Universal
Sum 41, Rise/BMG*Universal
The Beaches, Independent*AWAL
Single of the year
“Single Again,” Josh Ross, Universal
“Winning Speech,” Karan Aujla, Independent
“Why Why Why,” Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal
“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
THINK LATER, Tate McRae, RCA*Sony
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
Nemahsis, Independent
Owen Riegling, Universal
Sukha, GK*Universal
Tony Ann, Decca*Universal
Zeina, Artist Partner Group
Songwriter of the year
Abel Tesfaye
AP Dhillon
Jessie Reyez
Mustafa
Nemah Hasan (Nemahsis)
Songwriter of the year (non-performer)
Evan Blair
Lowell
Nathan Ferraro
Shaun Frank
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Jack Richardson producer of the year
Aaron Paris
Akeel Henry
Evan Blair
Jack Rochon
Shawn Everett
Recording engineer of the year
George Seara
Hill Kourkoutis
Mitch McCarthy
Serban Ghenea
Shawn Everett
Classical album of the year (solo artist)
Signature Philip Glass, Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà, Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard
Messiaen, Barbara Hannigan, Alpha Classics*Naxos
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
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)
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
Gravity, Jeremy Ledbetter Trio, Independent
Jaya, Raagaverse, Independent
Vocal jazz album of the year
Oh Mother, Andrea Superstein, Cellar*La Reserve
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
memory palace, Intervals, Independent*Believe
Confluencias, Melón Jimenez & Lara Wong, Independent
Blues album of the year
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
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
Strange Medicine, Kaia Kate,r acronym*The Orchard
Country album of the year
The Compass Project – West Album, Brett Kissel, Independent*Universal
Dallas Smith, Dallas Smith, Big Loud*Universal
Complicated, Josh Ross, Universal
Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart, MacKenzie Porter, Big Loud*Universal
Going Home, Tyler Joe Miller, Independent*The Orchard
Adult alternative album of the year
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
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 Mother, Warner
Set Your Pussy Free, NOBRO, Dine Alone*The Orchard
Heaven :x: Hell, Sum 41, Rise/BMG*Universal
Metal/hard music album of the year
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
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
THINK LATER, Tate McRae, RCA*Sony
Dance recording of the year
UH HUH, DijahSB, Never Worry*The Orchard
No Time, Interplanetary Criminal & SadBo,i 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
“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
This but More, Priori, NAFF*One Eye Witness
Rap single of the year
“People,” Classified, Independent
“Double the Fun,” Haviah Mighty, Independent
“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
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
“VELVET SOUL,” THEHONESTGUY, Independent*Believe
Contemporary R&B recording of the year
“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
“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
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
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
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
Brown Man, Sebastian Gaskin, Ishkōdé*Universal
RED FUTURE, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Sony
Pretty Red Bird, Tia Wood, Sony
Album Francophone De L’année
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
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
Dankoroba, Djely Tapa, Independent*Believe
Niebla, Ramon Chicharron, Independent*Believe
South Asian music recording of the year
“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
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
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
Music video of the year
“Human,” Adrian Villagomez, Apashe & Wasiu, Kannibalen*Create
“Nasty,” Jonah Haber, Tinashe, Independent
“GRAVITY,” Jorden Lee, Sean Leon, Independent
“Name of God,” Mustafa, Mustafa, Arts & Crafts*Universal
“Jump Cut,” Winston Hacking, Corridor, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard
Classical composition of the year
“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
This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.
The NBA continues to innovate with its All-Star Weekend and announced on Tuesday (Feb. 11) that four-time NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP and comedian Kevin Hart will serve as the first-ever NBA All-Star Game emcee. There will be a star-studded cast of performers hitting the stage throughout the Bay Area’s All-Star Weekend, with the NBA […]