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Fans of the ACM Awards will get super-served at this year’s ceremony as the show, which had clocked in at two hours since moving to the commercial free Amazon’s Prime Video, will expand by 30 minutes.
“It was a long discussion with Amazon because we pride ourselves on the fact that we’re the only major awards show that clocks in at two hours and that’s a big consumer benefit for our show,” says Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “However, this year there’s so many things that we want to accomplish in the show because we want to give a proper nod to our history, but we still have a lot of business to take care of in terms of the current nominees as well, so we just felt like the extra time will allow us to do some special things. I don’t think viewers are going to be unhappy that we’re giving them an extra 30 minutes of really amazing content.”
Ella Langley leads all nominees with eight nods, which Whiteside sees as a sign of how current and fresh the ACM Awards are. “To have essentially a brand-new artist lead the nominations, especially in our 60th year, it’s almost like a full-circle thing, because we really pride ourselves on often being the first organization to honor a new artist,” Whiteside says. “It speaks to the fact that we’ve always been an organization that is very new artist forward.”
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Langley is followed by Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson, all of whom received seven nominations, with Chris Stapleton garnering six nods.
Whiteside also lauds Johnson’s seven nominations as “he just continues to grow and so it’s exciting to see him get acknowledged and, obviously, Morgan Wallen continues to be a juggernaut,” he says. He also enthuses over Kelsea Ballerini’s first nomination for entertainer of the year. “I can’t say enough about her and her journey and the way she continued to grow as an artist.”
Like Langley, a number of artists, including Dasha, Shaboozey, Red Clay Strays and Zach Top landed their first nominations this year. “It does feel like a really fresh crop of artists are getting recognized,” Whiteside says.
Beyoncé received no nominations, despite winning two country Grammys in February, including for country album of the year, just weeks before first-round ACM voting opened. “Were we hoping she’d be nominated? Absolutely,” Whiteside says. “We love that Beyoncé is in the country genre. That’s fantastic for all the country artists out there. It’s fantastic for the fans. The more successful she is, the more we’re bringing more mainstream people into the genre which we want.”
Unlike Grammy voters, who span all musical genres, the more than 5,000 ACM voters primarily make a living in country music and are mostly based in Nashville. “I think, more likely, they’re going to be voting for artists that they’ve got relationships with and work with on a regular basis and that are in the country music business 365,” Whiteside says, but adds, “We’d love to have Beyoncé on the show. She has an open invitation to be on the ACM stage anytime she ever wants to.”
As Whiteside, executive producer/show runner Raj Kapoor, and show producer dick clark productions work on the show, they are trying to strike the right balance between old and new. “It’s tough because we may have a really great idea on honoring this artist from the past, but then it’s like, ‘Well, that may take away a slot from a current artist’,” Whiteside says. So far, Wilson, Blake Shelton and Eric Church have been announced as performers. The three new artist winners-male, female and duo or group- who are announced in advance will also perform.
“It’s a little bit of a past/present/future approach,” Whiteside adds. “It’s going to be a really iconic night and a great way to look back and look forward and celebrate where we are right now as an industry.”
Plans around the ACM Awards are still being firmed up but will include free shows on the Star Plaza on May 6 and 7, as well as a Top Golf tee-off tournament on May 6, and an official after party following the awards.
With the Amazon deal and the contract with the Cowboys for the Frisco location both expiring this year, Whiteside says things could look very different next year depending upon if the deals aren’t renewed.
“For 2026, we may do a major pivot again and define what’s the future of the academy. This year is a very special year, but next year is going to be kind of turning the page,” he says. “It’ll be a fresh new year. We don’t know yet where we’ll be. We don’t know what [outlet] we’re going to be on. Everything’s a new day in 2026, so it’s going to be the evolution of the ACM Awards, but we’re excited about that because it’s a blank slate.”
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.
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are set to receive the 2025 ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards Gala on June 4 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.
The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and longtime activists, who have been married since 1982, will become the second married couple to receive the award. Songwriting greats Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson received it in 2010.
The Chapin Awards Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and live music. Additional honorees will be announced in coming weeks.
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The event is a major fund-raiser for WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger. Founded in 1975 by Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to nutritious food.
“We are deeply honored to receive the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award and to stand alongside WhyHunger in their tireless fight to end hunger,” Benatar and Giraldo said in a joint statement. “Music has always been a powerful force for change, and we believe in using our voices not just to entertain, but to inspire action. WhyHunger’s mission aligns with our lifelong commitment to justice and equity, and we are proud to support their work in ensuring that nutritious food is a fundamental right for all.”
“As we celebrate WhyHunger’s 50th anniversary and reflect on our collective journey to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food, it’s important to uplift those who have helped lead the way,” Jenique Jones, WhyHunger’s executive director, said in a statement. “Honoring Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award is a testament to their unwavering commitment to social justice and their powerful influence in igniting change through music.”
Last year’s gala honored singer-songwriter Michael Franti for his music-driven activism, recognizing his work with his and his wife Sara’s non–profit, Do It for the Love.
Benatar won four consecutive Grammy Awards for best rock vocal performance, female from 1981-84 and charted 15 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She won three American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
Chapin, a singer, songwriter and social activist, made a big impact in his life, which was tragically cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1981 at age 38.
Chapin, who wrote and performed such pop/folk classics as “Cat’s in the Cradle” (a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974), “Taxi” and “W*O*L*D,” was an early music industry advocate for the world hunger movement. He co-founded WhyHunger a full decade before music industry titans came together as USA for Africa to record “We Are the World” in 1985. Chapin gave tirelessly gave of his time and talents to perform at benefits and events in support of a range of social causes. (On the afternoon he was killed, he was driving to a benefit, where he was slated to perform.)
Chapin received two Grammy nominations in his lifetime – best new artist of 1972 and best pop vocal performance, male two years later for “Cat’s in the Cradle” (which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011). In its year-end issue for 1972, Billboard gave Chapin a Trendsetter Award, which was inscribed “For devising a storytelling style of songwriting with a narrative impact rare to popular music.”
The ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award was first presented in 1987 to Kenny Rogers, who had been part of “We Are the World” two years earlier. Two subsequent recipients of the award – Harry Belafonte and Kenny Loggins – were also part of that iconic smash, which raised millions for famine relief.
Tickets to the event can be purchased here.
Here’s a full list of winners of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award. They are listed in reverse chronological order.
2025: Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo
2024: Michael Franti
2019: John Mellencamp
2018: Jason Mraz
2017: Jon Batiste
2016: Kenny Loggins
2015: Grace Potter (ASCAP Harry Chapin Vanguard Award); Felix Cavaliere (ASCAP Harry Chapin Legacy Award)
2014: The Fab Faux (Beatles tribute band founded by Will Lee, bassist for Late Show With David Letterman)
2013: Yoko Ono
2012: Darlene Love, Peter Noone and Ronnie Spector
2011: Rubén Blades
2010: Ashford & Simpson
2009: Wyclef Jean
2008: Elvis Costello
2007: Jackson Browne
2006: Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels
2005: Michael McDonald
2004: Emmylou Harris
2003: Judy Collins
2000: Harry Belafonte
1994: Barbra Streisand
1988: Peter, Paul & Mary
1987: Kenny Rogers
One of the indisputable perks of being a rock star is the ability to rock out with other rock stars when they swing through your hometown. Just ask Paramore singer Hayley Williams, who hopped up on stage with the Deftones during their headlining set at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday night (March 26) to […]
Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos, friends for years, had long talked about collaborating together.
Nearly four years ago, it almost happened, but schedules, tours and other releases intervened. Now, the duo’s first ever collab, “Khé?” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, becoming the first No. 1 for either of them since 2023. The achingly romantic, yet immediately catchy and danceable track is the fourth from Rauw’s new album, Cosa Nostra, to hit the chart, and the first to climb No. 1, thanks in part to a lilting beat that allows it to flow between formats.
Ironically, “Khé?” wasn’t even destined to be in the set.
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As Rauw told Billboard in an exclusive conversation, he originally wrote the song for his 2021 album Vice Versa. “I was preparing a song for Romeo and I went to the studio to work with [producer] Mr. Naisgai and [singer/songwriter] Elena Rosa, who wrote the chorus,” he said, during a break from rehearsals for his massive Cosa Nuestra arena tour, which kicks off April 5 in Seattle.
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“We were looking for that Romeo flow, that would work for a collab with him. And that’s how we came up with the ‘Se nota tanto, que me está matando’ chorus. We tried to empathize with Romeo’s feeling, and I’d been doing bachata since Day 1 because I’m a bachatero. Then, when I showed it to Romeo, he loved it.”
Santos really did love it, but he was busy with other projects. But Rauw had faith. He never released the song, saving it instead for a rainy day. When he began recording Cosa Nuestra, he again reached out to Santos to brainstorm ideas. It was Santos who finally said: “Remember that song we did years ago? That’s the hit.”
Due to scheduling conflicts, they worked via Zoom, with Santos helping in the production –as he likes to do—and ended up incorporating an African kizomba beat into the song’s tropical and reggaetón fusion.
“Romeo loves kizomba, and since I was hanging out in jazz clubs and speakeasies in New York City, we added a touch of New York jazz,” says Rauw.
The two finally did meet up, in New York City, to film the video, a nostalgia-infused black and white ode to old Broadway that features both artists dancing in the steps of an old cinema and in the subway.
“It’s some of my best visual work, and I can’t wait to sing it live,” says an enthused Rauw. “I’m one of those people that believes God’s time is perfect. Artists have their calendars, and I always understood that, from the very beginning of my career. You have to respect other artists’ time. Many things have to fall into place for a collaboration to happen or be successful. But we always had a beautiful relationship. We have long phone conversations. And he’s fan. He doesn’t record with many people, only with the top. So, I feel honored to record with Romeo, the legend. It had happened. Because Romeo and Rauw are the guys for the babes. That’s the truth!”
03/27/2025
Ella Langley leads all nominees with eight, while Kelsea Ballerini lands her first entertainer of the year nod and Beyoncé scores none.
03/27/2025
Ella Langley is the leading nominee for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. Six of her eight nods are for “you look like you love me,” her hit collaboration with Riley Green – single of the year, music event of the year, song of the year (as both artist and songwriter) and visual media of the year (as both artist and director).
The sexy duet won musical event of the year at the CMA Awards in November. It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, No. 7 on Hot Country Songs and No. 30 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Langley, 25, is also nominated for both female artist of the year and new female artist of the year.
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Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson are close behind with seven nods. Chris Stapleton has six. Green and Post Malone each have five. Kelsea Ballerini has four, including her first nod for entertainer of the year.
Other artists who break into marquee categories for the first time include Muscadine Bloodline, nominated for duo of the year, and The Red Clay Strays, nominated for group of the year. The latter act is nominated for two awards, more than any other ongoing group or duo this year.
Zach Top’s debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, is nominated for album of the year. This marks the first time a debut album has been in the running for that top honor since 2016, when Stapleton’s Traveller and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo were both nominated. (Traveller won.)
Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Wallen, is nominated for single of the year, alongside “you look like you love me.” It’s the second time in three years that two collaborative hits have been nominated in this category in the same year. “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” by Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde and “Thank God” by Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown were both nominated in 2023.
Many of last year’s winners are back to defend in those same categories, including Wilson, last year’s winner for both entertainer of the year and female artist of the year; Stapleton (male artist of the year), Dan + Shay (duo of the year), Old Dominion (group of the year) and Jessie Jo Dillon (songwriter of the year).
This is the sixth year in a row that Luke Combs has been nominated for both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year. He has yet to win in the latter category. If he finally brings it home this year, he’ll clinch the ACM’s Triple Crown Award, which consists of wins in the appropriate new artist and artist categories as well as entertainer of the year. Combs won new male artist of the year in 2019 and male artist of the year the following year. Past ACM Triple Crown Award recipients include Wilson, Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney.
Little Big Town receives its 19th nomination for group of the year, which is just one shy of tying Alabama’s long-held record for the most nods in the history of the category. Little Big Town landed its first nomination in the category in 2006, the same year Alabama landed its 20th and last. (Neither act won that year. The award went to Rascal Flatts.)
Rascal Flatts is nominated for group of the year for the 13th time, and for the first time since 2017.
Old Dominion is nominated for group of the year for the 10th consecutive year. The group has taken home the award every year for the last seven years. If they win again this year, they will surpass Rascal Flatts for the most wins in the category. (If Rascal Flatts wins, they, and not Old Dominion, will become the winningest group in the history of the category.)
Brooks & Dunn is nominated for duo of the year for the 16th time. They won in that category at the CMA Awards in November, beating recent category favorites Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne. Dan + Shay are nominated for duo of the year at the ACM Awards for the 12th year in a row. Brothers Osborne is in the running for the 11th year in a row.
Stapleton receives his 10th consecutive nomination for male artist of the year, an award he has won four times. Stapleton is also nominated for entertainer of the year for the seventh time.
Kacey Musgraves receives her ninth nomination for female artist of the year. She won in 2019. Ballerini is nominated for the eighth time. She has yet to win in that category.
Bailey Zimmerman, who was nominated for new male artist of the year two years ago, is a finalist in that category again this year. (ACM rules allow artists two tries at newcomer awards.) Kassi Ashton and Ashley Cooke are both nominated for new female artist of the year for the second year in a row. Restless Road is nominated for new duo or group of the year for the second year in a row.
Charlie Handsome is competing with himself for album of the year. He is nominated as a producer of both Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken and Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion. Similarly, Dustin Haney is competing with himself for visual media of the year, as the producer/director of Cody Johnson’s “Dirt Cheap” and the director of Johnson & Carrie Underwood’s “I’m Gonna Love You.”
Alysa Vanderheym, a songwriter and producer best known for her work with Ballerini, makes history as the first woman to receive an ACM nomination for producer of the year. Women producers are slowly but surely making inroads in this male-dominated field. At this year’s Grammys, Alissia Benveniste (who goes by just her first name), became the first woman in six years to receive a nod for producer of the year, non-classical. Her credits included work with Jamila Woods, Rae Khalil and BJ the Chicago Kid.
The eligibility period for the 60th ACM Awards was Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024. Awards are voted on by members of the Academy of Country Music, which has more than 5,000 members. In five categories, an artist may receive more than one nomination if they are also credited as a producer, director or songwriter.
Hosted by Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively 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, Tex. A limited number of tickets to the 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on Seat Geek.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, 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 DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
The following is the full list of nominees for the Main Awards, the Studio Recording Awards and the Industry Awards categories:
Entertainer of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Ella Langley
Megan Moroney
Kacey Musgraves
Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year
Luke Combs
Cody Johnson
Jelly Roll
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Muscadine Bloodline
The War and Treaty
Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
The Red Clay Strays
New Female Artist of the Year
Kassi Ashton
Ashley Cooke
Dasha
Ella Langley
Jessie Murph
New Male Artist of the Year
Gavin Adcock
Shaboozey
Zach Top
Tucker Wetmore
Bailey Zimmerman
New Duo or Group of the Year
Restless Road
The Red Clay Strays
Treaty Oak Revival
Album of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) – Megan Moroney; producer: Kristian Bush; Columbia Records / Sony Music Nashville
Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll; producers: BazeXX, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Devin Dawson, Charlie Handsome, Ben Johnson, mgk, The Monsters & Strangerz, Austin Nivarel, SlimXX, Ryan Tedder, Isaiah Tejada, Alysa Vanderheym; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville / Republic Records
Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top; producer: Carson Chamberlain; Leo33
F-1 Trillion – Post Malone; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jay Joyce; BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville
Single of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey; producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; American Dogwood / EMPIRE
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“White Horse” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mercury Nashville
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Song of the Year
Awarded to songwriter(s)/publisher(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson; publishers: Louisiana Lady; One Tooth Productions; Reservoir 416; Songs of One Riot Music; Sony/ATV Accent
“The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves; songwriters: Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves, Josh Osborne; publishers: Songs for Indy and Owl; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; songwriter: Josh Phillips; publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing; Write or Die Music; Write the Lightning Publishing
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; songwriters: Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters, Ryan Vojtesak; publishers: Bell Ear Publishing; Master of my Domain Music; Poppy’s Picks; Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing; Universal Music Corporation
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere; publishers: Back 40 Publishing International; Langley Publishing; One Tooth Productions; Sony/ATV Tree; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp
Music Event of the Year
Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record company–label(s)
“Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan; producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan, Alysa Vanderheym; Black River Entertainment
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone, Morgan Wallen; producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mercury Records / Republic Records
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producer: Trent Willmon; CoJo Music LLC / Warner Music Nashville
“we don’t fight anymore” – Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton; producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce; Big Machine Records
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Will Bundy; SAWGOD / Columbia Records
Visual Media of the Year
Awarded to producer(s)/director(s)/artist(s)
“4x4xU” – Lainey Wilson; producer: Jennifer Ansell; director: Dano Cerny
“Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson; producer: Dustin Haney; director: Dustin Haney
“I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson, Carrie Underwood; producers: Christen Pinkston, Wesley Stebbins-Perry; director: Dustin Haney
“Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton; producers: Wes Edwards, Angie Lorenz, Jamie Stratakis; director: Running Bear (Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone)
“you look like you love me” – Ella Langley, Riley Green; producer: Whale Tale Music; directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney
Artist-Songwriter of the Year
Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year
Jessi Alexander
Jessie Jo Dillon
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
Producer of the Year
Dave Cobb
Ian Fitchuk
Charlie Handsome
Jon Randall
Alysa Vanderheym
Audio Engineer of the Year
Brandon Bell
Drew Bollman
Josh Ditty
Buckley Miller
F. Reid Shippen
Bass Player of the Year
J.T. Cure
Mark Hill
Rachel Loy
Tony Lucido
Craig Young
Drummer of the Year
Fred Eltringham
Tommy Harden
Evan Hutchings
Aaron Sterling
Nir Z
Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year
Tim Galloway
Todd Lombardo
Mac McAnally
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinskiy
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Dave Cohen
Ian Fitchuk
Billy Justineau
Gordon Mote
Alex Wright
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Jenee Fleenor
Josh Matheny
Justin Schipper
Kristin Wilkinson
Electric Guitar Player of the Year
Kris Donegan
Jedd Hughes
Brent Mason
Sol Philcox-Littlefield
Derek Wells
Casino of the Year – Theater
Deadwood Mountain Grand – Deadwood, S.D.
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, Conn.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, N.C.
The Theater at Virgin Hotels – Las Vegas, Nev.
Yaamava’ Theater – Highland, Calif.
Casino of the Year – Arena
Golden Nugget Lake Charles – Lake Charles, La.
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, N.J.
Harveys Lake Tahoe – Stateline, Nev.
Mystic Lake Casino Showroom – Prior Lake, Minn.
Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona, N.Y.
Festival of the Year
C2C Country to Country – London
CMC Rocks – Ipswich, Queensland
Stagecoach Festival – Indio, Calif.
Two Step Inn – Georgetown, Tex.
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago
Fair/Rodeo of the Year
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, Alberta
California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, Calif.
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, Wy.
Minnesota State Fair – Falcon Heights, Minn.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – Houston
Club of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, Tex.
Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville
Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, Okla.
Georgia Theatre – Athens, Ga.
Joe’s on Weed St. – Chicago
Theater of the Year
The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn.
MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston
The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia
The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, Wisc.
Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, Tenn.
Outdoor Venue of the Year
BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, N.H.
CMAC – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, N.Y.
Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, Fla.
The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, Ala.
Whitewater Amphitheater – New Braunfels, Tex.
Arena of the Year
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Tex.
Moody Center – Austin, Tex.
TD Garden – Boston
Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center – Knoxville, Tenn.
Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Deana Baker
Bobby Clay
Gil Cunningham
Weston Hebert
Stacy Vee
Taylor Williamson
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi
Alex Maxwell
Patrick McDill
Anna-Sophie Mertens
Rich Schaefer
Aaron Spalding
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.
In between a recent run of pics from the studio, Justin Bieber took some time out on Thursday morning (March 27) to post a few adorable snaps with his and wife Hailey Bieber’s seven-month-old son, Jack Blues. In the first image in the carousel, the back of Bieber’s head obscures the toddler’s face, though Jack’s pudgy hand can be seen grabbing a hold of his dad’s ear.
The subsequent slides include a stack of brightly colored fabric swatches, Hailey rocking a red sweatshirt and matching leggings combo and chatting with two women and another, zoomed-out picture of Jack laying on a towel on the floor — again grabbing the 31-year-old singer’s face — seemingly after bath time.
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Bieber captioned the post “ITS CUZ I AM A MANIAC [freezing face, shrug emoji]… that we dedicated Jack Blues Bieber to Jesus.” To date the couple have not posted any images in which Jack’s face is visible.
It wasn’t all daddy duty, though. A subsequent slide captures a shirtless Bieber working a drum pad in the studio, followed by a grainy close-up of his face, a clearer one in which he is smiling while wearing a fuzzy blue hat and pink sweatshirt and a final, blurry picture of an obscured woman walking in front of a fireplace.
After a period off the radar in 2022 and 2023 while he was dealing with the effects of the Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Bieber has been more visible lately, posting a series of images from the recording studio. U.K. artist Sekou got in the action as well last week when he posted an Instagram Story from a recording session that featured Fred Again.., who co-produced and co-wrote Bieber’s 2019 hit “I Don’t Care” with Ed Sheeran.
Then, on Saturday, Bieber shared an Insta video of a jam session from the studio, captioning the nearly three-minute clip with a reflective comment. “I think I hate myself sometimes when I feel myself start to become inauthentic,” he wrote. “Then I remember we’re all being made to think we’re not enough but I still hate when I change myself to please people.” Among the friends and musicians tagged in the clip were singer-songwriter Jensen McRae, pastor Judah Smith, Josh Mehl, DJ Taylor James, producer Camper, and others.
The recent activity has once again gotten Beliebers excited about the prospect that the singer is getting closer to following up his last full-length project, 2021’s Billboard 200 No. 1 Justice album. At press time Bieber has not confirmed a title or release date for his next LP.
Ed Sheeran had a lot to talk about when he visited The Tonight Show on Wednesday night (March 26). In addition to finally revealing the title of his upcoming album, the singer also described the globe-trotting trip he took to record his new single, “Azizam,” gave host Jimmy Fallon a live demo of his famous loop pedal set-up, talked about his eternal quest to land a song on a Rihanna album and joked about topping his Tartantino-inspired 10-album career arc with a final life-spanning LP called Eject.
Whew.
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Sheeran explained that the title of his new song translates into “my dear” in Farsi, inspired by the song’s Persian producer, Illya Salmanzadeh. “We were creating a lot of music and he suggested we create something within the Persian culture,” said Sheeran, who noted that they’ve done a full version in Farsi as well. The song recently got its live debut at a pop-up show in New Orleans, where Sheeran was joined by the second-line Soul Rebels brass band.
Though the song was originally created within a Persian frame of reference, Sheeran said that growing up hearing a lot of traditional Irish music made him realize the rhythms of the two cultures are very similar, but performed on different instruments. So, when he was in China working with classical musicians there he recorded a version with traditional Chinese musicians, and then did the same with Indian musicians, Irish musicians and bluegrass players in Nashville.
“Music is a universal language, even if it is all in a different language,” Sheeran said.
Sheeran finally confirmed that his upcoming album is called Play and that after his Mathematics album series, which included five studio records — + (2011), x (2014), ÷ (2017), = (2021) and – (2023) — his next run is based on an idea he had when he was 18. Back then, the now-34-year-old singer cooked up a 10-album plan, starting with maths, and followed by Play, Pause, Rewind, Fast-Forward and Stop.
“I’m kind of obsessed with [Quentin] Tartantino and I heard he was doing 10 films and he’s go his side projects… and so I want to do my 10 and do a side project here and there.” When Fallon asked if Sheeran would hang it up after Stop, the singer said he’s also toying with the idea of an album comprised of unreleased songs written throughout his life and then released on the day he dies as Eject.
Sheeran also described how he was inspired by Irish singer/songwriter Gary Dunne as a young teenager and messaged his hero on MySpace to find out how to use a loop pedal. He then took to the Tonight Show stage to demonstrate how he built “Shape of You” piece-by-piece, with Jimmy supplying the high “Oh I, oh I, oh I” backing vocals. He also shared a video from India in which he plays the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song on sitar.
And not for nothing, Sheeran said “Shape of You” was originally written for Rihanna and that every time he cooks up new songs for an album he always works on one on the side that he hopes she will pick. “Rihanna has the best taste out of anyone,” he said, possibly shooting his shot again for the singer’s mythical ninth album, while noting that his Justin Bieber hit “Love Yourself” was originally written for RihRih. “She always picks just really, really great songs.”
Always busy, Sheeran described a pop-up, two-day pub he’s hosting in Ipswich, Massachusetts beginning on Friday (March 28), where fans can gain entry by going on an old cell phone and sending in a video or message that is meaningful. Those messages will then be projected onto the walls of the bar for the filming of a music video. Sheeran, of course, also played the song that inspired the pub, “Old Phone,” for just the second time live to Fallon’s delight.
Fallon and Sheeran also teased the recent taping of one of the host’s signature disguised subway busking bits, noting that Ed did a killer cover of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” for surprised New York commuters.
Watch Sheeran on the Tonight Show below.
Evanescence has stepped into the animated world of Devil May Cry.
The rock band has contributed the new track “Afterlife” to the upcoming Netflix animated series based on the popular Capcom video game. From showrunner and executive producer Adi Shankar, the show’s description reads that “sinister forces are at play to open the portal between the human and demon realms. In the middle of it all is Dante, an orphaned demon-hunter-for-hire, unaware that the fate of both worlds hangs around his neck.”
Evanescence’s Amy Lee wrote “Afterlife” with Mako (real name Alex Seaver), and while she wasn’t familiar with the Devil May Cry series before, she tells Billboard, “I absolutely love the show, art and story.”
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She adds, “I have always loved good anime. Right from the first scene of the show, I knew it was going to be good. Creative and thought-provoking, horrific and beautiful, classic.”
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As for “Afterlife,” Lee says she wanted to capture a particular feeling through the Mako, Nick Raskulinecz and Tyler Demorest-produced track. “For me, the song is both the pain and the resolve. From the perspective of someone who has lost so much, and will always carry the marks of that, but also someone who has reached the point of being past the fear. No trepidation, no hesitation in your quest when you have committed to the fight and have nothing left to lose.”
Shankar, meanwhile, knew immediately that Evanescence was the perfect fit for the Devil May Cry musical universe. “Amy and her squad own this space. Evanescence sculpts entire emotional landscapes,” he says. “Their sound is alchemy — gothic grandeur meets raw vulnerability, a fusion of cinematic and anthemic. Amy Lee is a frequency that cuts straight to the soul. The way Amy Lee’s voice carries pain, power, and transcendence in a single note is exactly what Devil May Cry needed. To me, it wasn’t about picking a band—it was about recruiting the only band that could make this moment immortal.”
Shankar describes Devil May Cry as a “melancholic rock & roll Shakespearean tragedy — an operatic dance between fate, loss, and the relentless pursuit of redemption,” noting that “Afterlife” resonates with “two pivotal narrative threads” leading up to “several” season 1 plot twists. “Trauma is not just an event; it is an imprint, a fracture in time that the psyche never stops trying to mend,” the showrunner says. “When part of the child dies through heartbreak, the adult self is sentenced to an unending quest — seeking to reclaim what was lost, to heal a wound that has shaped them in ways they may never fully understand. In that sense, ‘Afterlife’ is not just a song in the story; it is the echo of a soul reaching for what once was, and perhaps, what could still be.”
Watch the “Afterlife” music video exclusively via Billboard below. Devil May Cry premieres April 3 on Netflix.
Huey P. Williams, the longtime frontman of the Jackson Southernaires and a cornerstone of American gospel music, died peacefully at his home in Smithdale, Mississippi, on March 24. He was 80.
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A trailblazer in traditional gospel, Williams’ unmistakable voice and soulful storytelling made him one of the most beloved vocalists in the genre. His passing marks the end of an era for quartet gospel — a style he helped define and preserve for over five decades.
Williams was born into a family of gospel royalty. He was the elder brother of Frank Williams, who later founded the Mississippi Mass Choir, and of Melvin, Doug and Leonard Williams, members of the Grammy-nominated Williams Brothers. Together, the Williams family helped shape the sound of modern gospel.
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“My big brother Huey, in my eyes, was in a league of his own,” said Doug. “He possessed a signature voice that was unmistakably his own. His music ministry touched so many lives in such a positive way over the years. He had a big personality, but such a humble spirit. Huey was the epitome of a people’s person, a man that loved everybody and never met a stranger. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. That’s why so many people from across the country gravitated to him and loved him dearly. His presence will be sorely missed, but his undeniable legacy will live on forever.”
Founded in 1940 in Jackson, Mississippi, the Jackson Southernaires gained national attention in the 1960s under the leadership of Huey and Frank Williams, along with Willie Banks. In 1963, they signed with Song Bird Records, a Peacock subsidiary, and released their breakout single, “The Greatest Creator.”
Their 1968 song “Too Late” became a massive hit and led to the release of their first full-length album. Known for emotionally powerful performances and messages of faith and perseverance, the Southernaires earned acclaim with radio favorites like “Don’t Let Him Catch You (With Your Work Undone)” and “How Long Will It Last.”
In 1975, the group became the first gospel act to sign with Malaco Records, launching a decades-long partnership that saw them regularly chart on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums list with titles such as Down Home (1975), Legendary Gentlemen (1979) and Lord We Need Your Blessing (1985). They were frequently named among Billboard’s Top Gospel/Soul Artists of the year.
Huey’s commitment to gospel never wavered. When asked if he’d ever retire, he famously replied, “My answer to that question is, how do you give up on God? How do you give up on Gospel? How do you say, ‘I’m going to retire?’ It’s like a good marriage — until death do us part.”
The Jackson Southernaires won multiple accolades, including three consecutive Gospel Music Workshop of America awards for Traditional Male Group of the Year in the late ’80s, a Stellar Award in 1989, and a Grammy nomination in 1992. They were inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, and in 2010, the city of Jackson renamed a stretch of road in their honor: Jackson Southernaires Drive.
Williams’ final performance with the group was in late 2024, a testament to his enduring passion for gospel. A celebration of life will be held on March 29 at Fernwood MB Church in McComb, Mississippi.
When Huey was asked about retiring, he said, “My answer to that question is, how do you give up on God? How do you give up on Gospel? How do you say, ‘I’m going to retire?’ It’s like a good marriage, until death do us part.”
Williams is survived by his siblings, extended family, and a legion of fans whose lives were uplifted by his voice.