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While he initially carved out a reputation as a hard partier, John Summit is changing his habits. On Monday (March 10), the producer announced via social media that his “first fully sober tour” is “in the books.” “Not here to brag,” his statement continues, “I’m just extremely proud of myself that I can perform at […]
While BLACKPINK did not debut until the summer of 2016, Korean label YG Entertainment first introduced JENNIE to the world in early 2012 by releasing a photo of the then-16-year-old K-pop hopeful with the caption “Who’s That Girl?” on its company blog. The watchful online community of music fans instantly fell in love with her, […]
At the first official Academy of Country Music Awards show in 1966 — held in Los Angeles and hosted by Bonanza actor Lorne Greene — Buck Owens took home top male vocalist, Bonnie Guitar won top female vocalist, and a young upstart named Merle Haggard snagged new male vocalist.
Two years prior, artist Tommy Wiggins, songwriter Eddie Miller and Red Barrel Niteclub owners (and married couple) Mickey and Chris Christensen had formed the ACM, then called the Country and Western Music Academy, to represent country music in the Western states, counterbalancing the Nashville-based Country Music Association, which launched in 1958.
Since then, the ACM has celebrated and advocated for the growth of country music, both domestically and abroad. In 2022, it moved its headquarters to Nashville, and the academy now boasts a membership of over 5,000 globally.
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On May 8, the ACM will host the 60th edition of its awards show at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas. ACM CEO Damon Whiteside says the ceremony — which became the first major awards show to exclusively stream live for a global audience on Amazon Prime in 2022 — will celebrate the year’s top artists while also honoring past winners and award-show milestones. Those landmarks include Marty Robbins taking home the first artist of the decade award in 1969, Loretta Lynn becoming the first woman to win entertainer of the year in 1976, Garth Brooks snagging six awards in one night in 1991 (a feat since replicated by Faith Hill and Chris Stapleton) and Miranda Lambert leading all winners with 37 career trophies.
Loretta Lynn onstage in 1973.
Courtesy of ACM
During the Frisco festivities, the academy will also highlight the important work of Lifting Lives, the ACM’s philanthropic partner that provides financial, disaster, mental and other aid to the country music community.
“We’re looking at developing a show that’s going to feel current because we obviously need to honor the current nominees,” Whiteside says, “but there’s also a real desire for us to showcase the legacy of the show because it’s always charted its own course. We want to showcase what differentiates us.
“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.”
From left: Jordan Davis, ACM CEO Whiteside and Carly Pearce at the ACM Honors in 2024.
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for ACM
You moved the ACM’s headquarters to Nashville from Los Angeles in December 2022. How do you differentiate yourself from the Country Music Association, and how have you upheld the original mandate of representing Western states?
We really grappled with whether we should make the move when I came into the job [in 2020]. That was definitely one of my first orders of business, coming in, that the board asked me to do some research on. Over a few months, I looked at the pros and cons [of the Nashville move], what it meant from a historical perspective, a strategic perspective and a financial perspective in moving all of our operations and our staff and knowing we probably would lose staff by moving.
COVID then hit within that process, and we were out of the office for about two years. During that time, it became more and more apparent that it made sense to be in Nashville because probably over 90% of our constituents are in the Nashville market, from our board of directors to all of our industry members and artists.
What about the organization’s original mission?
When we started back in the ’60s, there was no support for artists on the West Coast — they were shunned, basically, by Nashville, and there was no one looking out for them or for their interests. Also, there wasn’t really a bridge between the studios and television and country music. That’s really why we were formed in the first place, to create that bridge. But over time there’s been less need to be in that role because, thankfully, country is ubiquitous now. It just made sense for us to move here strategically.
From left: June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash, Marie Osmond and Robert Duvall in 1991 when Cash received the ACM Pioneer Award.
Courtesy of ACM
How did you decide where in town to relocate?
We did not even consider Music Row as a place to move — it just didn’t feel authentic for us. Nor did we want to encroach on traditional Music Row. Wedgewood Houston offered us an opportunity to be in an emerging area of town that’s still very convenient, and there’s a lot of music companies opening here. Our positioning is that we are the renegade organization, so we should be somewhere a little more gritty and edgy. That’s ultimately why we landed where we landed.
The ACM Awards’ previous slogan was “Country Music’s Party of the Year.” How have you moved away from that?
That was our tagline and position for many, many years. Especially being in Las Vegas [where the ACMs were held annually from 2003 to 2019, except for 2015], it made a lot of sense. During COVID, when we [presented] our first show in Nashville in September 2020, we did it at three venues [Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe], and we named that night “A Special Night of Heart and Hits.” That really changed the tone and the vibe of the show.
We carried that over the following year. And then when we went back to Vegas [at Allegiant Stadium in 2022], we sort of brought back the party of the year, but with being on a new platform with Amazon, they had a lot of feelings about how we could reposition ourselves.
And then, moving back to Texas in 2023 following the [awards’] 50th anniversary being there [in 2015], the feeling was we just have other sorts of stories to tell around what the show is beyond being a party. “Party” sells it a little short.
Toby Keith played “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” at the 2002 ACM Awards, in the wake of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Courtesy of ACM
What comes after the 60th anniversary?
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. 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 show is co-owned by Dick Clark Productions. [DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.] What is the key to your working relationship?
The relationship started in 1979, which is pretty incredible to think about. Dick Clark hosted many times and then came on as executive producer in ’79, and shortly after that his son [R.A. “RAC” Clark] got involved. He was with us for all those decades as well, and now we have Raj Kapoor [as showrunner]. It’s been a really great partnership. Both sides bring so much to the table.
We consider ourselves the country music experts, and we’re the ones running the award side of it, making sure our members and industry are engaged. We lean in for a lot of the talent asks and make sure our brand and the industry are being represented properly. Dick Clark Productions provides all the production resources and really puts the show together from a television/streaming perspective. We both have an equal seat at the table.
Garth Brooks swept the ACM Awards in 1991.
Courtesy of ACM
In 2022, you became the first major awards show to move to a streaming platform when you debuted on Prime Video. What did you learn from that first year?
That’s probably one of my top moments in my five years. The first year going into it, none of us had any idea what we were doing in terms of what the impact would be on the show. How do you suddenly produce a live show with no commercial breaks? Typically, you’re using those breaks to make set changes.
But what we found was it actually improved the process of booking the show, planning the show and the show experience itself. Because it was such a quick two hours, top to bottom, it forced everyone to be even more on their toes in terms of the show’s pace and, because of it being jam-packed with music, it felt like a true music concert. I think what we’ve carried forward is keeping the show really tight. There’s no time to get bored because you’re constantly moving.
The challenge of streaming is that they do not report viewership. The music industry wants to know how many people are watching. I don’t know the numbers. [But] if you’re feeling the bump, then does it matter how many people are watching?
We do have a sense that we’re on par with where we’ve traditionally been with the show, if not more than that. Plus, we’re global. We’re in over 230 countries and territories, live and on demand. Now we’re getting a much larger international reach.
How much does the show’s status as a global event influence picking a host? It was Dolly Parton for two years — once with Garth Brooks — and now it’s Reba McEntire, who hosted or co-hosted 12 times between 2002 and 2019.
Dolly Parton’s a global superstar. In any market around the world, if you saw your Prime Video home screen with Dolly, you’re probably going to be interested. Reba is very similar. She’s a legend as well. This is her 18th time hosting [or co-hosting]. The other part is both of them are multigenerational. They’re relevant now. The multigeneration piece is big because it brings in all audiences.
Reba came to us prior to last year and really wanted to be part of the 60th-anniversary legacy of this show because she feels very connected to it, and she’s had a huge impact on what this show is. That’s when we signed her to a two-year deal to [host in 2024 and 2025].
Taylor Swift at the ACM All-Star Jam in 2009.
Courtesy of ACM
We are seeing more labels in New York and Los Angeles sign country acts, while artists including Post Malone, Beyoncé and Ringo Starr are incorporating elements of country into their music. How does the ACM embrace that, in terms of the awards show and the organization?
We haven’t addressed it yet. We have had a lot of conversations with our board about it, and everyone is in agreement that we need to figure it out. But we need to do it in the right way and not make a rush move, because we want to make sure we’re protecting the integrity of the vote and that the members spend a majority of their time in country music versus a one-off project.
Long term, we’ll likely figure out a way to allow those “coastal labels” in as long as they meet the criteria that those individuals spend a majority of their time in country music. We will find a way to incorporate them into our membership and then [they will] be able to vote.
What is something from the past 60 years that you consider sacred and don’t ever want to change about the awards show?
Our DNA of this show has always been — and always will be — that we’re a little out of the box. We’re a little left of center. In the ’60s, we had all the television celebrities hosting and we’ve really held on to that. We’ve always had a lot of film and TV talent involved in the show, so that carries through.
We’ve held on to the fact that we really maximize the out-of-genre opportunities by having out-of-genre artists collaborating. Our DNA is that we take risks. We’re progressive. We’ve [leaned] very forward in diversity the past several years especially, and we’ll continue to do that. While the artists change over the years, our identity and the DNA of the show has remained consistent. We want the show to be fun and the fans to have a great time and let loose.
The Chicks on the shoot for their video for the 1999 ACM Awards.
Courtesy of ACM
ACM Winners’ Favorite Award Show Moments
Artists and executives look back on the Academy of Country Music’s brightest nights.
Bill Anderson, two-time ACM Award winner: “The academy first began recognizing songwriters in 2007 with the advent of their Poet’s Award, and they gave me their very first one. It’s always cool to be the first at anything, and when you look at the names of some who have followed it makes it even more special: Merle Haggard, Don Schlitz, Cindy Walker, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and more. I had come to Nashville 50 years earlier with dreams of being a songwriter. Nothing could be more special than having those dreams come true… and the ACM Poet’s Award to confirm it.”
Miranda Lambert, 37-time ACM Award winner: “It’s an honor to get any award and be recognized by my peers, but getting the album of the year award is always extra special. [Lambert won the honor five times between 2008 and 2017.] Country music is about storytelling, and knowing that people took the time to listen to an album top to bottom — and love it — means a lot to me.”
Shane McAnally, two-time ACM songwriter of the year winner: “It feels very special that the ACM honors songwriters with their own category. We are usually the ones behind the scenes, but it’s always a privilege to be recognized amongst your peers. Nashville was built on great songwriting, and this community is so special. Being named ACM songwriter of the year [in 2014 and 2019] will always be a highlight of my career.”
Jo Dee Messina, ACM Award winner: “I cherish my win of the [top new female vocalist] of the year award [in 1999]. It was a moment I got to share with my mother, who was present to witness the payoff of a lifetime of support and dedication to my dreams. The ACMs’ production crew is one of a kind. They are a family that has always gone above and beyond to be sure I was taken care of with performances, presentations, nominations and anything I needed to be a part of the televised programs.”
Tigirlily Gold, ACM Award winner: “Our favorite memory is when we got to perform our song ‘I Tried a Ring On’ after winning our very first ACM Award, for new duo/group of the year, in 2024. Jelly Roll gave us a pep talk right before we went out to play, and our musical heroes Little Big Town introduced us. We will never forget that truly surreal moment! The ACMs have a magical way of making dreams come true for artists like us.”
Shania Twain, four-time ACM Award winner: “My favorite moments are always meeting people backstage, other artists that I don’t get to meet. At the beginning of my career, I lived in Nashville and I was seeing more of the country music industry around just in general. But my career has taken me so internationally that I rarely run into country artists. The ACMs are one of the only places that happens.”
Carrie Underwood, 16-time ACM Award winner: “I’m extremely honored to be the first woman to have won ACM entertainer of the year twice and the only female ever to win that award three times [in 2009, 2010 and 2020]. We had some fun celebrating those! We don’t do what we do for praise or trophies, but it means a lot to be recognized for your hard work, and none of it would be possible without all the loyal fans.”
Additional reporting by Jessica Nicholson.
This story appears in the March 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Ringo Starr has long loved country music as evidenced on his most recent album, Look Up, released in January.
The Beatles drummer brought that love to life with two concerts taped at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium Jan. 14-15 that CBS and Paramount+ will air tonight (March 10) as Ringo & Friends at the Ryman.
In this exclusive clip, Starr, with a little help from friends like Jack White, performs the Carl Perkins rockabilly classic “Matchbox,” which the Beatles covered on their 1964 EP, “Long Tall Sally.”
Other “friends” in the special include Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Mickey Guyton, Jamey Johnson, Rodney Crowell, the War and Treaty, and Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, both of whom appear on the album with Starr. The artists join the drummer for selections from the new album, Starr’s solo hits and Beatles classics.
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“I did love country music before I was in [the Beatles],” Starr told Billboard earlier this year. “We got plenty of it in Liverpool, because the lads who were in the merchant navy would bring not only rock and roll over, but country — and when country bands went on tour in England, they always played Liverpool.”
In addition to the performances, luminaries including Dolly Parton and fellow Beatle Paul McCartney share stories on Starr’s impact on their music.
Gunpowder & Sky’s Van Toffler produced the special with Starr and T Bone Burnett, who also produced Look Up.
“Producing Ringo & Friends at the Ryman with T Bone has been another wild ride — some of music’s finest playing the hell out of Ringo’s songs, including a few Beatles classics,” Toffler tells Billboard. “We handpicked a lineup of artists who not only have deep respect for Ringo’s legacy but could also bring their own unique spin to these songs, highlighting the great stories and messages behind them. Watching them reinterpret his music — whether through full-throttle rock energy or a stripped-down, soulful take — was a testament to just how timeless his songs are. And having Dolly, Lainey Wilson, and his fellow Beatle, Paul, talk about his love of country artists brought it all full circle, making the night even more meaningful.”
Working with Burnett enhanced the production, Toffler says. “T Bone is one of the greats: His encyclopedic knowledge of music and deep roots in so many legendary projects helped shape this into something truly special.”
Other Gunpower & Sky productions include its documentary on Crow, Sheryl (Showtime); the history of soft rock Sometimes When We Touch (Paramount+) and Lil Peep: Everybody’s Everything. Its Words + Music audio series features Beck, Eddie Vedder, Smokey Robinson and others, while new audio series Lighters in the Sky highlights the stories behind the greatest live performances from artists including Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen and Led Zeppelin.
The Academy of Country Music has announced ACM Radio Awards nominees for the 60th ACM Awards, including double nominations for KCLR-FM in Columbia, Mo.; WHKO-FM in Dayton, Ohio; WIVK-FM in Knoxville, Tenn.; WQDR-FM in Raleigh, N.C.; WSIX-FM in Nashville; WUSN-FM in Chicago; WUSY-FM in Chattanooga, Tenn.; and WYCT-FM in Pensacola, Fla.
Winners of the ACM Radio Awards will be announced ahead of the 60th ACM Awards and celebrated during ACM Awards week.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards will be held on Thursday, May 8 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Tex., and stream live on Prime Video. Reba McEntire will once again host the show. This will mark the 18th time McEntire has hosted or co-hosted the ACM Awards, placing her just one show behind Bob Hope as the most frequent host of any major awards show. Hope hosted or co-hosted the Oscars 19 times between 1940 and 1978. McEntire first co-hosted the ACM Awards in 1986 (alongside Mac Davis and John Schneider), and first served as solo host in 2002.
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Tickets are available to purchase at ACMawards.com. ACM members and those who work in the country music industry can email ticketing@acmcountry.com for direct access to ACM Awards tickets.
The full list of 60th ACM Awards nominations will be announced in the coming weeks, as will performers, presenters and detailed plans for ACM Awards week events taking place around the Dallas area.
The 60th ACM Awards marks a return to Frisco, Tex., for the third consecutive year. Ford Center at The Star in Frisco opened in 2016 and serves as the practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as the home for many major sporting events throughout the year.
The 2024 show, also hosted by McEntire, was a two-hour concert event that streamed live globally on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner. Kapoor was one of three executive producers of the 2025 Grammy Awards on Feb. 2 (along with Jesse Collins and Ben Winston) and one of two executive producers of the 2025 Oscars on March 2 (along with Katy Mullen). Kapoor has received eight Primetime Emmy nominations, winning in 2022 as an executive producer of Adele: One Night Only, which was voted outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
Patrick Menton serves as co-executive producer of the ACM Awards. Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP, and Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the ACM. John Saade will serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.
Here’s a complete list of the 60th ACM Radio Awards nominees:
National Daily On-Air Personality of the Year
Ashley Till, Y2Kountry with Ashley Till
Big D, Bubba, Big D & Bubba
Buzz Brainard, Nick Ultra, The Music Row Happy Hour with Buzz Brainard
Cody Alan, Highway Mornings with Cody Alan
Patrick Thomas, PickleJar Up All Night
National Weekly On-Air Personality of the Year
Kelleigh Bannen, Today’s Country Radio
Lorianne Crook, Charlie Chase, Crook & Chase Countdown
Steve Harmon, Country Gold with Steve Harmon
Wayne D, Tay Hamilton, iHeartCountry House Party
Whitney Allen, The Big Time Saturday Night
On-Air Personality of the Year – Major Market
The Lo Show – Lo Sessions, KKBQ-FM, Houston
The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister – Matt McAllister, Gabe Mercer, “Captain Ron” Koons, KKWF-FM, Seattle
John and Tammy: San Diego’s Morning Show, John Flint, Tammy Lee, KSON-FM, San Diego
The Scotty Kay Show – Scotty Kay, WUSN-FM, Chicago
Josh, Rachael and Grunwald in the Morning – Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, Steve Grunwald, WYCD-FM, Detroit
On-Air Personality of the Year – Large Market
Heather Froglear – Heather Froglear, KFRG-FM, Riverside, Calif.
Deb & Matt in the Morning – Deborah Honeycutt, Matt Malone, WFMS-FM, Indianapolis
Wayne D and Tay – Wayne D, Tay Hamilton, WSIX-FM, Nashville
The Big Dave Show – Big Dave, Stattman, WUBE-FM, Cincinnati
The Q Morning Crew with Mike and Amanda – Amanda Daughtry, Mike Wheless, WQDR-FM, Raleigh, N.C.
On-Air Personality of the Year – Medium Market
The Bee Morning Coffee Club – TJ Sharp, Bo Jaxon, Hope Breen, WBEE-FM, Rochester, N.Y.
New Country Mornings with Nancy and Woody – Nancy Wilson, Aaron Woods, WHKO-FM, Dayton, Ohio
Joey & Nancy – Joey Tack, Nancy Barger, WIVK-FM, Knoxville, Tenn.
Julie and DJ in the Morning – Julie Kansy, Dale Sellers, WPCV-FM, Lakeland, Fla.
Mo & StyckMan – Mo, StyckMan, WUSY-FM, Chattanooga, Tenn.
On-Air Personality of the Year – Small Market
Hilley & Hart – Kevin Hilley, Erin Hart, KATI-FM, Jefferson City, Mo.
Liz & Scotty in the Morning – Liz DelGrosso, Scotty Cox, KCLR-FM, Columbia, Mo.
Ben & Arnie – Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews, WCOW-FM, Sparta, Wisc.
The Dr. Shane and Tess Show – Dr. Shane, Tess, WPAP-FM, Panama City, Fla.
The Cat Pak Morning Show – Brent Lane, Mel McCrae, WYCT-FM, Pensacola, Fla.
Radio Station of the Year – Major Market
KSCS-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth
KYGO-FM, Denver
WMZQ-FM, Washington, D.C.
WPOC-FM, Baltimore
WUSN-FM, Chicago
Radio Station of the Year – Large Market
KNCI-FM, Sacramento, Calif.
WDSY-FM, Pittsburgh, Pa.
WGH-FM, Virginia Beach, Va.
WQDR-FM, Raleigh, N.C.
WSIX-FM, Nashville
WWKA-FM, Orlando
Radio Station of the Year – Medium Market
KUZZ-FM, Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT-FM, Omaha, Neb.
WHKO-FM, Dayton, Ohio
WIRK-FM, West Palm Beach, Fla.
WIVK-FM, Knoxville, Tenn.
WLFP-FM, Memphis, Tenn.
WUSY-FM Chattanooga, Tenn.
Radio Station of the Year – Small Market
KCLR-FM, Columbia, Mo.
KFGE-FM, Lincoln, Neb.
WKML-FM, Fayetteville, N.C.
WXBQ-FM, Bristol, Va.
WYCT-FM, Pensacola, Fla.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation. PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.
Rick Springfield recently found out that a bad fall he took in 2000 resulted in brain damage. The 75-year-old “Jessie’s Girl” singer revealed to People magazine that after getting a whole-body MRI scan he was told that he still has lasting brain damage from an on-stage tumble during a Las Vegas show 25 years ago.
“I fell 25 feet, hit my head and then wood came down and hit my head, and then my head hit the stage again,” Springfield said of the nasty fall. “I thought I had just broken my wrist, but on the scan I found out I have some brain damage from the fall, so I’m working on trying to repair that.” Unlike most people, who Springfield said “don’t want to know what’s wrong with them,” the singer and former soap opera star said he’s the “opposite.”
And with good reason.
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One of the them is because Springfield is very attuned to what is going on with his body after his father “died from now wanting to know.” According to the singer, his dad believed he had stomach cancer for years, but never got it checked out. “When he finally collapsed one day at home, they found out it was an ulcer that burst, and he died from the loss of blood. It could have been fixed if he had gotten it checked out,” Springfield said, calling the incident a “giant message” for him.
“If you want to live long, you have to be prepared for some bad news now and then,” he said. “I could find out I have terminal cancer tomorrow and be dead in a year, but I can only do all I can do.”
Despite being halfway through his seventh decade, the singer said he’s still feeling like he’s in his 20s in his head thanks to daily exercise, a mostly pescatarian diet and the dialing back of his alcohol intake a few years ago, which has also had a positive impact on his lifelong battle with depression.
One adage about aging Springfield said he does not abide by is that “bulls–t” about how “wisdom comes with age… Wisdom comes with digging and looking at yourself,” he said. “It doesn’t automatically come.”
Springfield released his Big Hits: Rick Springfield’s Greatest Hits, Volume 2 in December, which features the Foo Fighters team-up “The Man That Never Was,” as well as “I’ll Make You Happy,” “What’s Victoria’s Secret?,” “Wide Awake,” “Our Ship’s Sinking,” “Light This Party Up” and many more. He’s also slated to hit the road on the I Want My 80s Tour this summer alongside such fellow 1980s stars as John Waite, Wang Chung, Paul Young and John Cafferty.
The forecast for Ariana Grande fans is looking especially bright this week, with the pop superstar finally announcing her highly anticipated Eternal Sunshine deluxe edition. The two-time Grammy winner shared the news Monday (March 10) with a post on Instagram, sharing the cover art — a zoomed-out photo of Grande levitating in a white dress, […]
After taking some time to figure out his next move, Lil Nas X is back with a brand new outlook on life — and he’s ready to finally share it with you. In a surprise drop on Monday (March 10), Lil Nas X unveiled his new single “Dreamboy,” the latest track off his forthcoming album […]
In 1997, David Bowie did something unusual: Rather than sign a standard recording contract, he entered into a licensing agreement with EMI America. Under the terms of the deal, the label would have the rights to more than two dozen of the star’s albums for 15 years, but after that period, those rights reverted back to Bowie. For much of music industry history, this sort of arrangement was rare. “I was at [Bowie’s label] EMI then,” recalls Tim Mandelbaum, an entertainment attorney. “For 99% of the artists on the roster, the label owned the recordings in perpetuity.”
Bowie was once the exception that proved the rule. But today, many artists demand license deals at the start of their career. “If I have an artist with a couple different labels that are interested, it’s fairly easy for them to retain copyright,” says Craig Averill, a music lawyer.
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This is a relatively recent shift, and its long-term impact on the major labels’ business remains unclear. Signing artists to traditional deals, where labels gained ownership of their recordings in perpetuity, allowed the record companies to amass large catalogs which gave them immense power in any subsequent music licensing negotiations — with streaming services, for example. “These labels were built on owning these copyrights,” says Larry Katz, who has spent more than 30 years practicing law in the music industry. “This is a really significant transition: The model going forward is they’re basically renting music for a license period.”
“How sustainable is that over time?” Mandlebaum wonders. “If the majority of deals become agreements where the labels don’t own the recordings and they revert to the artist at some date in the future, what does that mean for the continuing growth of the catalogs that have enabled the majors to remain dominant?”
Songs released in the last five years accounted for nearly 50% of on-demand streams in the U.S. in 2024, according to Luminate’s year-end report. Licensing deals also became increasingly common over the same time period, so presumably a solid chunk of the tracks in that 50% could revert to the artists that made them, slipping out of major label control.
Record companies have been forced to offer artists license deals because these acts can build fan bases and accomplish so much today on their own. The length of the license varies according to how much leverage the artist has. In many cases, “Labels will try to get at least 20 years,” according to Carron Mitchell, a partner at Nixon Peabody.
But if they want an act badly, they make exceptions — Loren Wells, a partner at Wells & Kappel, recently fielded a 10-year license as an opening bid from a major label that hoped to win over one of his clients. “I like the license to be as short as humanly possible,” says Audrey Benoualid, a music attorney. “I try to keep it below 10 years if I can.”
This usually does not mean that the artist gets to sign a license deal and strut away, recordings in hand, a decade later. The license period often kicks in nine to 12 months after the act releases their final album under the agreement. If it takes them five years to turn in the three records they owe the label, for example, the clock on the license doesn’t start counting down until around year six. This is still a significant improvement over a perpetuity deal, though: Under the U.S. Copyright Act, artists who signed away their recordings for life get a chance to regain these rights after 35 years, but only Stateside, not internationally.
In most license deals, acts with little commercial success are unlikely to get their recordings back — the rights only revert to the artist if they recoup their expenses. Depending on the deal they negotiated, though, “they may be able to buy themselves out,” says Ray Garcia, a partner at Rimon Law, “either by paying off the unrecouped balance or 110% or 120% of what’s unrecouped.”
Even when labels have to give out licenses, they have ways of holding on to recordings for longer. “They’ll try to build in options where at the end of the initial period, they can re-license the rights for five or 10 more years by paying an advance equal to several years’ worth of net profits,” says Jonathan Altschul, another music lawyer. Labels also try to insert “matching rights” into the initial deal, according to Josh Binder, a partner at Rothenberg Mohr & Binder, “so that whatever the artist’s next deal is, the original label gets a chance to match it.”
Even so, it is safe to assume that more artists have license deals with major labels now than at any point in the history of the music industry. Altschul “can’t remember the last time” he has ceded ownership of rights when negotiating a recording agreement for an artist client.
The major labels’ business has changed significantly in recent years, and it’s possible that the shift toward licensing deals might not matter much to them. “These are public companies now, and their duty is to their shareholders,” Wells explains. “Quarterly earnings reports have outsized importance. If that means licensing the track for 10 years [to boost those earnings], sure — whatever it takes to keep shareholders happy.”
While songs released in the last five years accounted for nearly 50% of on-demand streams in the U.S. in 2024, that trend has been relatively constant since 2020, according to Luminate data. And during that period, tracks that came out in the last 15 years make up close to 80% of on-demand U.S. streams. If this pattern holds in the future, and the majors continue to obtain licenses that last 15, 20, or 25 years, attorneys say the labels will still hold sway over most premier artists’ catalogs during their peak streaming years — that crucial time when the music is generating the most income.
Record companies could face a challenge, though, if several successful artists with short-term license agreements decide to take their catalogs elsewhere when their deals are up. Oren Agman, an entertainment attorney who worked for a major before founding his own law practice, believes that “license deals definitely have a negative impact on the labels’ business.” He estimates that a record company could collect “millions” in additional royalty income from a popular album in a perpetuity deal compared to a 10-year license agreement.
However, as Mandelbaum puts it, moving a catalog “is a gigantic pain” for an artist, “and some inefficiencies and loss of income occur during that switchover” — it’s often easier for a star to stay put and work with the team that is already managing their music, paying out producers and songwriters. On top of that, Mandelbaum points out that “the incumbent label can offer things to the artist that nobody else can offer.” In exchange for extending the license, for example, the record company can improve the artist’s cut of profits on the music they’ve already put out.
Still, as license deals become more common and license periods decrease, labels will have to return to the negotiating table earlier, and with less leverage than they had in the days of perpetuity deals. “An artist who signed a deal when they could barely pay rent gets a second chance at valuing their music,” says Lulu Pantin, a music lawyer. “The artist may have learned how the industry works, have a proven track record of financial success, and be in a position to make new demands in order for the label to keep earning on the original songs.”
In a license-happy world, Altschul predicts that the recorded side of the music business may start to look more like the music publishing industry. “We saw a wave of acquisitions in publishing over the last three to five years,” he says. “In many cases, that was because artists had either retained partial ownership of their publishing catalogs or had gotten reversions.”
“I suspect that 10 or 15 years down the line, we may see that happen more with recorded music,” Altschul continues. “Labels will have to write big checks to reacquire the rights.”
Baylee Littrell proved that talent definitely doesn’t skip a generation. The 22-year-old did not shy away from his famous father on Sunday night (March 9) during his audition on American Idol‘s season 23 premiere. “There’s something about you that looks familiar,” new judge and former champ Carrie Underwood told the handsome Georgia singer who definitely has his dad’s smile.
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Rather than tamp down the connection, the video package introducing Baylee leaned hard into his “nepo baby” status, beginning with a throwback video of the singer as a toddler on stage with his dad, Backstreet Boys legend Brian Littrell, who announces, “this is the new generation of Backstreet Boys.”
“And you look like your dad!” Underwood said, as fellow judge Luke Bryan apologized, “You must forgive me, I didn’t have your dad’s posters in my room.” In a montage of some of his dad’s biggest moments, Baylee said he definitely got his voice from his father. “I guess you could say music runs in our family,” he said while pulling off a clunky spin and admitting, “dance moves-wise that is the one thing genetically that did not pass down.”
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And if you think it would be intimidating to give music a shot when your pops is one of the biggest boy band stars of all time, Baylee agreed. “Following in my dad’s footsteps is scary,” Baylee said. “Because his career to me is one of the most extraordinary in music history.” In one of the most touching moments, Baylee recalled the time when he was eight or nine and he got to open up for the BSB at a huge arena show and play his “two little songs.”
Ramping up the emotion, Brian Littrell said he’s always told everyone that his son is “ten times more talented” that he is, something Baylee proved when he sang an “emotional” original about wanting to give up called “Waiting on Myself to Die.” When Baylee began strumming his acoustic guitar and crooning the song’s turbulent lyrics — “I don’t know what to do anymore/ I seem to be by all alone this war” — the judges leaned forward in rapt attention.
“You’re really good,” Underwood said. “Like, you’re really good. I loved the song,” she added about the risk of playing an original while telling Baylee that she thinks he can go “very, very far” in the competition. Proud papa Brian was near tears after the performance, bragging that he also thinks his son could go far in the family business. “We’re super proud. He’s obviously grown up in the business and He’s cut out for it,” Brian said.
Bryan asked if father and son ever sing together, which got Brian out on the audition stage to harmonize on the original’s chorus with Baylee. “I’m very happy for you and very proud of your son,” said judge Lionel Richie. “He’s got his own lane and I think you can go a long way. Very happy for you.”
Baylee, of course, made it through to Hollywood, leading to waterworks for both him and his dad.
And, for the record, this isn’t his first rodeo. Baylee has released a number of single to date, including the emotional single “Boxes” in 2019, whose video featured father and son together. The song was the follow up to Baylee’s debut track, “Don’t Knock It,” which the then-rising country singer got to work out when he hit the road with Backstreet for their DNA world tour.
Watch Baylee Littrell’s audition below.
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