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15 Dec 2022

Billboard’s Best Photography of 2022

Another year in the books, and Billboard is looking back on some of its best photos throughout 2022.

Some of today’s biggest stars have posed for cover stories, magazine features, and Billboard events throughout the year, including Women in Music and Latin Music Week. We’ve seen jaw-dropping photos from musicians like Doja Cat, Sam Smith, Maluma, Bad Bunny, Machine Gun Kelly, Post Malone, Christina Aguilera, SZA, Shawn Mendes, Camilo, Young Thug and many more. From creative visions to powerful stances, each photo captures the artists as their most authentic self.

See below for our gallery of Billboard‘s best photos from 2022, featuring superstar artists, breathtaking locations and so much more.

15 Dec 2022

Ryan Murphy to Receive Carol Burnett Award at 2023 Golden Globes

Producer Ryan Murphy will receive the fourth Carol Burnett Award at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

This award has been presented annually since 2019. Murphy is the second non-performer to receive the honor, following fellow producer Norman Lear. The first two recipients were Burnett and Ellen DeGeneres. Murphy, 57, is the youngest recipient to date and the second LGBTQ recipient out of just four honorees, a sign of the importance of that community in TV and entertainment.

The board of directors of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association selects the honoree based on “their body of work and the lasting impact that their television career achievements have had on both the industry and audiences.” This award is seen as the counterpart to the Globes’ long-standing Cecil B. DeMille Award, which focuses on film work.

On Tuesday (Dec. 14), the HFPA announced that this year’s DeMille Award will go to Eddie Murphy, so both of the show’s tentpole honorary awards will go to men named Murphy.

“Ryan Murphy not only continues to enthrall audiences with his work on some of the most thrilling and exciting series of the century, but also continues to inspire all with his work off the screen,” Helen Hoehne, president of the HFPA, said in a statement. “His work and storytelling ability throughout different film and television genres have led to highly acclaimed achievements and awards.”

Murphy has won six Primetime Emmy Awards. He won his first in 2010 for directing an episode of Glee, followed by wins for executive producing The Normal Heart, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He also won an Emmy for directing an episode of the latter limited series.

Murphy won a Tony in 2020 for producing a revival of The Boys in the Band, starring Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer. In 2020, he produced a film adaptation of the play for Netflix featuring the same cast.

Murphy received two Grammy nominations for best compilation soundtrack for visual media for Glee.

Glee was a phenomenal hit on the Billboard charts. A total of 14 Glee albums or EPs made the top 10 on the Billboard 200 between 2009 and 2011. Remarkably, three Glee albums or EPs reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the space of just eight weeks in the spring of 2010 – Glee: The Music, the Power of Madonna; Glee: The Music, Volume 3: Showstoppers; and Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals.

But it was on the Billboard Hot 100 that the Glee cast really shined. The ensemble had 207 Hot 100 hits, including three that made the top 10 – covers of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” and one original song, “Loser Like Me.”

Murphy was credited for introducing modern audiences to songs they may not have known – from other genres and other generations. The show’s 2010 medley of “Umbrella” by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z and Gene Kelly’s 1952 classic “Singing in the Rain” is an example of the show’s musical reach.

Numerous stars appeared on the show to sing with the Glee cast. Among them: Olivia Newton-John, Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Chenoweth and Ricky Martin.

Murphy has also won five Golden Globe Awards, a Peabody Award, a BAFTA Award and four awards from the Producers Guild of America. In 2018, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2019, he was selected as a ‘Titan’ for Time magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential People list.

Murphy’s FX drama Pose won four Emmys, including outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Billy Porter in 2019. The show also made history by featuring the largest transgender series regular cast and the largest LGBTQ cast for a scripted series.

Murphy recently wrote, directed and produced several series for Netflix, including Halston, Hollywood, The Politician, Ratched, The Andy Warhol Diaries, The Watcher and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The latter show, starring Evan Peters and Niecey Nash Betts, is Netflix’s second-most popular English-language series to date with more than 1 billion hours viewed since the series launched.

Murphy also wrote and directed the Golden Globe-nominated film Running With Scissors, starring Annette Bening and Gwyneth Paltrow, and the box office hit Eat, Pray, Love, starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem. Murphy most recently directed the feature adaptation of the Broadway hit, The Prom, which received two Golden Globe nominations including best motion picture – musical or comedy.

Murphy’s many other shows include Popular, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, Feud, Scream Queens and 9-1-1.

The Golden Globes will air live coast-to-coast on Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET on NBC and will stream on Peacock. The show is produced by dick clark productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment in association with the HFPA. Collins and Dionne Harmon, one of the top executives in his company, will serve as executive producers.

15 Dec 2022

The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2022

It was a blockbuster year for hip-hop in 2022, as we witnessed a handful of returns — led by pgLang commando Kendrick Lamar. After a five-year drought, Lamar reawakened with spirited raps and elite storytelling on his newest release, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Meanwhile, Future’s reign remained supreme after notching the highest opening week of his career with the success of his ninth studio album, I NEVER LIKED YOU. We also received a fistful of collaborative albums, with Drake and 21 Savage’s unexpected collision Her Loss leading the pack, while women MCs strengthened their grip on the genre with the rise of GloRilla and Latto. 

Despite his late-minute push, Metro Boomin squeaked his way into rap contention with his third Billboard 200 chart-topper HEROES & VILLAINS this December, just before the buzzer sounded. With his starry hip-hop alliance including Future, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Thug, and plenty more marquee names ready for combat, the Atlanta savant maximized his efforts to bring us a cinematic thriller.  Meanwhile, Nas and Hit-Boy continued to prove why they are hip-hop’s fiercest one-two punch, with the release of their Billboard 200 top-ten debut King Disease’s III. The trifecta extends Nas’ lyrical streak while elevating Hit-Boy’s status to legendary territory on the production side. 

Now, the biggest question looking forward is whether 2023 will have enough juice to contend after this year’s stellar campaign. Only time will tell, but, until then, let’s remember the year that was and take a look at Billboard’s  20 best hip-hop albums of 2022 below. 

15 Dec 2022

With Support From Jack Harlow & Drake, Druski Wants To Take His Comedic Chops to the Next Level

Druski is on the verge of revolutionizing what it means to be a comedian in the era of social media. What started as a dream of becoming a star turned into reality for the Atlanta, Georgia native, and it only took him five years to reach the highest point in his field.

So many people have tried their hand at making others laugh on Twitter and Instagram, and those who succeeded — like Druski — were tasked with figuring out what to do next.

In Druski’s world, the answer to that question lies in his upcoming Coulda Woulda Shoulda stand-up comedy tour, which he announced last week. The 30-venue trek has Druski bringing the laughs to New York, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta and more cities, and it’s something he knew had to happen if he was going to level up his craft.

“I think the idea started to cement itself in my mind when I was hosting shows on music tours for J. Cole and Chris Brown and Lil Baby,” Druski tells Billboard. “It’s like this is my time to shine and finally step into that spotlight. I could continue doing stuff on social media forever, or I could jump somewhere else and prove I’m more than just an Internet star.”

Stand-up comedy is a different beast than social media videos, and Druski is fully equipped for it. As the comedian explains, he got his first taste of the big stage as an opener on J. Cole’s 2021 The Off-Season Tour, with the same thing happening a year later on Chris Brown and Lil Baby’s One of Them Ones Tour this past summer.

Both of those events were eye-opening, in that Druski knew what people wanted to see and that only fueled the creation of his own major show. Of course, not every joke was a hit, and he bombed in a few cities — but he needed that to happen, since part of the process of stand-up comedy is audience interaction. Druski has millions of people tuning into his content on social media, but that’s nothing compared to being with those same people in person.

“You have to put in the work, and you can’t really go outside of what that work is,” he says. “You have to go to all these comedy clubs and theaters and bomb. You have to go do what the greats did in order to get to that level. You can’t really skip that step — and I think a lot of people now get so much so early. Like, you get your fan base before you even get to a live show.

He continues: “The biggest question is always, ‘Can he make us laugh in person?’ I want to show the world that I can do that, and I’m gonna have people come to these shows and have them die laughing in real-time.”

Everyone in Druski’s family had comedic potential: His grandfather is a prankster, his mother is funny all-around, and his father lives and breathes dark humor. Once it began to click in his mind that he was a naturally funny person himself, Druski knew comedy would be a part of his life forever — so it made perfect sense that he embraced it head-on.

At first, the comedian’s goal was to find a way to get on television, and he believed he needed a lane in sports broadcasting. That didn’t go far, especially because people kept telling him how funny he was all the time. After some self-reflection, and studying interviews of stars like JAY-Z, Will Smith, Kevin Hart and Steve Harvey, Druski realized these people found success by focusing on what they’re good at and locked in on getting better.

“I was skipping class at Georgia Southern just to watch all those interviews in my crappy apartment, and I paid attention to every little thing they said and applied it to my life,” he adds. “I think that played a big role in me dropping out of college and taking a chance at going down a path that I knew felt right to me.”

Druski obviously chose the right one. In 2017, he began releasing comedy skits on his old Druski2funny Instagram page, and before long, opportunities began to present themselves. Fans started seeing Druski all over, from starring in hip-hop music videos with Lil Yachty, Drake and Jack Harlow (Druski is friends with all three) to landing on various cameos in television commercials for brands like Bud Light Seltzer, Beats By Dre, AT&T and Mountain Dew.

And though Druski values his relationships, everything has come from a pure and genuine place, especially his friendships with Drake and Harlow. The BFF bond between Druski and the latter hitmaker includes Thanksgiving dinners at the rapper’s house, to even a shared Complex cover story from last year. “We’re working on a movie together right now behind the scenes,” says the comedian. As for his bond with Drizzy, Druski compares their initial link-up to “meeting the president.”

“I’m sitting in a room, and they’re like, ‘Drake will come and talk to you.’ People are coming in and checking on me and I’m like, ‘Alright. Where’s he at?’ He comes in with like a fleet of security — but you smell this dude before he even walks in the room. So I’m like, ‘What the hell is that smell? Like, the whole room has this heavenly smell to it. Cologne don’t even smell like that. I’m like, ‘What the hell? Did they spray something in this whole room?’” 

Druski’s affinity for music will continue to inform his expansive nation-wide tour. Fans can expect an event full of laughs, and longer segments of his popular Coulda Been Records Instagram Live show, where local people can get on stage with him and get their “15 minutes of fame” with whatever talent they have.

If that weren’t enough, Druski also reveals Coulda Been Records will be turning into an actual label very soon, where he’ll actually sign artists to a deal. The hilarious platform is also in the process of receiving its own TV show.   

“I knew that if I kept working, my time was coming,” Druski says with confidence. “I won’t stop until I’m the biggest star in the world — like the ones I looked up too, like Eddie Murphy and Kevin Hart. I want a long-standing career in stand-up, movies, TV, everything. This is just the beginning.”

15 Dec 2022

Former NBA Star Zach Randolph, Marcus Howell, & Moneybagg Yo’s NLess Entertainment Is Coming for the Throne

There’s much to be said about the deep lineage connecting the symbiotic worlds of basketball and hip-hop. Former NBA star Zach Randolph is looking to write a chapter in that book and add to his own decorated legacy with his NLess Entertainment record label.

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Going on his fourth team in as many seasons, the power forward affectionately known as Z-Bo arrived in Memphis in 2009 as a polarizing 28-year-old with a chip on his shoulder. The blue-collared city wrapped its arms around the burly Randolph, who became the face of Memphis’ Grit N’ Grind era. 

After stops in Portland, New York and Los Angeles, Randolph helped lead the Grizzlies to seven straight playoff appearances in the 2010s. His jersey now hangs in the FedEx Forum rafters after the franchise retired his famous No. 50 last year. 

A few years before closing the book on his NBA career, Randolph already had his next endeavor lined up with the launch of NLess Entertainment in early 2016. The Michigan State alum co-founded the independent label alongside Marcus “Head” Howell, and made Memphis rap staple Moneybagg Yo its inaugural signee.

Z-Bo and Head bonded over their love for exotic cars, and they now own a used car dealership together in Memphis. They initially met through a mutual friend and Memphis native by the name of Qyntel Woods, who was drafted in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2002, a year after Randolph joined the West Coast team as a heralded rookie out of Michigan State.

Moneybagg Yo was creating a buzz for himself around Memphis in the mid-2010s, and a local DJ by the name of Larry brought the neophyte to Z-Bo and Head’s car dealership in late 2015 to gauge their interest in potentially signing him.

The NLess heads weren’t completely sold, until heading to a Thanksgiving weekend concert where Moneybagg rocked the stage opening for Young Jeezy and had the entire crowd shouting every lyric to his Relentless mixtape trap anthem “I Need A Plugg.”

“When I came to the show, everyone in the whole club was singing his ‘I Need A Plugg’ song word-for-word,” Head recalls. “I got back in the car and told Zach, ‘We need to sign this kid tonight.’ He’s like, ‘You sure?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, we need to.’ I had him come back to the [car] lot the next morning and we drew up the paperwork. Moneybagg pulled back up, and we got the business part done and we was a family.”

There wasn’t much hesitation on Bagg’s part in putting pen to paper on a deal with Z-Bo and Head to run the three-man weave at the top, as he felt the spirit was “genuine” from the start since their initial meeting at the car lot office.

“I felt the vibe,” Moneybagg states on Zoom. “I’m good with people’s intentions, and they had nothing but the best for me. Even before teaming up with Gotti, this situation happened off mutual relationships with each other.”

With the label finally taking shape, the NLess Ent. execs suddenly had to deal with a pair of devastating losses. Bagg’s right-hand man Muhammad “ELO” El-Amin, along with Z-Bo and Head’s close friend John “King Fish” Jones, were both murdered within weeks of each other in December 2015. The tragedies only made the bond between the NLess bosses that much stronger to power ahead.

Moneybagg Yo kept his foot on the gas, and he continued his ascent in 2016 by flooding the streets with another four mixtapes, and pledged his allegiance to the Collective Music Group family by year’s end when Yo Gotti planted $200,000 in cash in front of him.

Head, Z-Bo and Moneybagg Yo were all complimentary of Gotti sharing his secrets to success when it comes to navigating the cutthroat music business. “[Yo] Gotti took me all around the world and under his wing and showed me a lot about the music business,” Howells adds. “I understood the game through Yo Gotti.”

Of course, Zach Randolph wanted to show off having one of the hottest rappers in the city signed to his label, so he’d often bump Moneybagg Yo’s music before games on the team’s speaker system — but not all of his Memphis Grizzlies teammates were impressed. Some (like defensive stalwart Tony Allen) were non-believers, and often tried to turn off the hometown rhymer’s tunes. (“Ay Z-Bo, did you tell ‘em when you used to bump me in the locker room they would turn that off?” Bagg reminds Randolph matter-of-factly on the video call.)

While he’s now a proven commodity and pre-game playlist favorite for plenty of hoopers league-wide, the trio can laugh off the early doubters filling the Grizzlies’ locker room. “I used to put it in their face, and a couple of the guys like [Tony Allen] and a few more [didn’t like him],” Z-Bo remembers about trying to put his teammates on. “They wouldn’t get out of line with me, so whatever I wanted to do, I did. I knew he was so talented listening to him. The sky’s the limit for him — and you see what he’s doing [now].”

Moneybagg Yo has developed into a bonafide rap titan, and has played an integral role in Memphis’ streaming era renaissance over the last five years or so. Bagg’s even bossed up in his own right, with the creation of his Bread Gang label imprint, in addition to his NLess and CMG affiliations. 

The 31-year-old cemented his star status with 2021’s Billboard 200 chart-topping set A Gangsta’s Pain, powered by hits such as the platinum-certified “Time Today” and “Wockesha.” Both records are produced by Tennessee-bred beatmaker Turn Me Up YC, who signed to NLess and Warner Chappell Music in a joint partnership in late 2021.

“My brothers Marcus ‘Head’ Howell and YC along with the whole NLess Entertainment crew have been incredible partners, and we look forward to continuing to rack up the hits with this incredible team,” Warner Chappell Music President Ryan Press relays in a statement.

The budding label has continued to add a mix of talent with a roster that currently consists of BIG30, who signed in partnership with Interscope Records, Big Homiie G, Dee Mula, Lonely Girl, SouljaaOnGo, Leebo, and Mud. Randolph and Head have also beefed up the NLess staff, with a pair of new hires in executive roles. Kemario Brown will serve as the General Manager/Senior Vice President of Business Operations while publicity wizard Breon Robinson joins the team as the Senior Vice President of Branding.

Being a fan of Jay-Z and signed to his Roc Nation Sports agency, Z-Bo is looking to manifest a business meeting with Hov in 2023, where he can soak up endless gems to apply back home at NLess. 

“I’m supposed to be having a meeting with Hov next year to pick his brain and get to chop it up with him,” he says. “I’ll take some gems and some advice. I want to grow this thing internationally and do it big like a Roc-A-Fella.”

Randolph chuckles when the “dinner with JAY-Z or $500,000” debate is brought up. “I’m sitting at the dinner, I don’t need the $500,000,” Z-Bo confidently answers, as someone who made nearly $200,000,000 in on-court earnings throughout his 17-year NBA career.

All three of the NLess honchos tease a banner year in store as Randolph hopes to eventually get the sports agency branch of the business off the ground in 2023 too. The low-post bruiser believes his reputation and relationships around the NBA will allow him to build a strong client list and compete with the premier agencies. 

“Just having a relationship with all these young guys and being a guy in the league that treated everyone with respect, I get a lot of respect back,” Z-Bo explains. “Just knowing I’m a man of my word and 100 percent genuine, so we hang our hat on loyalty and integrity.” (Moneybagg Yo saluted Randolph last year for his being a man of his word, gifting Z-Bo’s daughter a Mercedes-AMG for her sweet 16.)

The Memphis rapper is readying a new album as well, which he has penciled in to arrive in “January or February,” after setting the tone with his Outkast-sampling “Quickie” single earlier this month. “We gon’ be the biggest for sure,” he boldly predicts of his label ventures. “All of our labels. 2023 gonna be the year that I really see this.”

Going back two decades, when a young Randolph suited up for Portland’s “Jail Blazers” era, it would be tough to predict he’d evolve into the ultimate selfless teammate and a beloved franchise player, but he did just that — so he shouldn’t be doubted in his second career here.

“Memphis is on top,” he proclaims. “Teamwork makes the dream work, and the sky’s the limit for us.”

15 Dec 2022

10 Best Box Sets of 2022

Back catalogs are big business in this music industry. It seems as though every couple of months you read about another artist selling their music to an outside source, like Neil Young going to U.K. investment firm Hipgnosis Songs Fund (run by music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis) with 50% of his song catalog or Bob Dylan selling the masters of his works to longtime label Sony Music.

But when you consider how busy the catalog divisions of such revered companies as Sony, Universal and BMG are, it’s gauging out to be a symbiotic relationship where the fan wins out in the end. Especially when it comes to emptying out the vaults.

This year, in particular, seemed to teem with catalog-based titles from some of the biggest names in the industry. And not just rote ‘Greatest Hits’ collections, but immersive experiences that allow fans to explore inside the creation of favorite LP with audio rarities and visual ephemera. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be a fave, but rather an album so deep in an artist’s discography you forgot how much you dug it in the first place.

It wasn’t easy choosing just 10 box sets to include in this roundup. There was so much that came out this year from which to pick, given the grand carousel of Complete Recordings, Super Deluxe Editions and Bootleg Series-styled lost treasures on display. This carefully curated selection, however, will hopefully give you a good idea of the wealth of product available in 2022.

15 Dec 2022

22 Billboard Chart Feats From 2022: Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey & More

From Bad Bunny to “Bad Habit,” “Heat Waves” to “Cold Heart,” and Adele to Bailey Zimmerman, 2022 boasted impressive chart feats throughout the year.

Among achievements between January and December, Bad Bunny broke ground as the first artist to have notched two entirely non-English-language No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, Taylor Swift dominated the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in a single week, thanks to hits from her Midnights album, and Mariah Carey extended the Hot 100 legacy of her festive favorite “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Ahead of more history coming in the new year, here’s a chronological recap of 22 of the biggest Billboard chart accolades in 2022.

15 Dec 2022

Trevor Noah: Photos From the Billboard Cover Shoot

When asked to describe how he felt hosting the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in March 2021, Trevor Noah has trouble choosing just one word — but he lands on “intrigued.”

It was his first time hosting, and a year of other big firsts, too: Ben Winston’s first year executive-producing the broadcast and the first time in the Grammys’ six-decade history that a pandemic had upended the show. At the Los Angeles Convention Center, guests of honor were masked and seated at socially distanced tables of two. Shrubbery and patio lights added warmth to the usually sterile space, as the limited in-person audience — almost exclusively nominees — offered much-quieter-than-usual applause for the global superstars who took home awards, like Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish.

Yet the night’s limitations also yielded other exciting firsts, like watching Harry Styles cheer and whistle for Eilish during her performance of “Everything I Wanted” and seeing Bad Bunny gyrate along to Dua Lipa’s “Levitating.” “Nobody knew what was happening, and yet everybody was trying to create a semblance of normalcy,” Noah recalls. “It felt cavernous. There’s no crowd. You would think it would be awkward — but it became less awkward. It became intimate.”

This year will be Noah’s third consecutive time hosting, and he says that experience, too, has made the monumental awards show feel closer to normal — so much so that he has updated his one-word descriptor of the gig from “intrigued” to “celebratory.”

Read the full cover story for Billboard’s Grammy Voter Guide here.

15 Dec 2022

Mariah Carey Makes Another Christmas Dream Come True By Praising 4th Grader’s ’All I Want’ Performance

‘Tis the season to spread a little joy and love and nobody knows that better than Christmas queen Mariah Carey. A few days after making a South American fan’s dreams come true by bumping her up to the front row of her Madison Square Garden “Merry Christmas to All” show, MC did it again on Wednesday (Dec. 14) when she heaped praise on a young singer’s enthusiastic performance of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

It all started when proud mom Jen White-Johnson posted a video on Tuesday of her fourth grade son Knox singing Mariah’s perennial December No. 1 hit with his school choir at a school holiday concert with the inspiring message: “Timeline cleanse if you need one! Knox tonight at his 4th grade school winter concert singing @MariahCarey ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ #AutisticJoy on full display! My kid is everything! I hope Mariah sees this!!”

In the clip, Knox, wearing a seasonal-appropriate red sweater, can be seen happily singing along with his peers before taking a killer solo that drew howls of delight from the audience. Mariah saw it and responded with a joyful message of her own.

“Your kid IS everything!!!!!! Knox, you made my day,” she tweeted. “Your JOY gives me and everyone watching JOY. THANK YOU for reminding me why I wake up in the morning and do what I do. I love you.” White-Johnson, whose Twitter bio describes her as an “Neurodivergent Mama” and “ADHD artist + educator for disability culture + justice,” was, of course, overjoyed by the note from Carey.

“So this just happened. @MariahCarey just said Knox’s name,” she responded after Carey’s post. “We thank you Mariah for giving us the best Christmas ever. We appreciate you showing us your amazing love and light this holiday season and for amplifying Knox’s #AutisticJoy#BlackBoyJoy This made our world!”

Billboard caught up with White-Johnson on Thursday morning (Dec. 15) and she revealed that Carey did more than just let Knox know he was seen and loved. “Mariah sent me a DM saying she knows it might be a bit too late for a fourth grader, but she would be happy if we would join her on Friday (Dec. 17) for front row seats [at her second MSG holiday concert],” White-Johnson says, adding that the singer also acknowledged that it might be a bit loud for Knox, but that the invite was open if they could make it.

“The fact that she was so caring in paying attention to the fact that he’s autistic and that he would need accommodations? It’s last minute for us and we probably can’t make it, but I love the fact that she invited us,” White-Johnson says. “She’s really taking her role as the queen of Christmas very seriously and that’s what this is about. I feel like because she’s a mother she understand the joy kids are innately going to give the world with all this negativity around us.”

White-Johnson,42, says it was a “full-circle” moment for her, since she grew up listening to Carey’s music and sang her songs in talent shows in high school. As for how Knox reacted to the shout-out from the pop superstar, she says he was super excited and definitely zeroed in on the part of the tweet where Mariah said she loved him. “He was looking at the screen and out of everything that she said, that stuck out,” she says.

“‘She loves me? She loves me? And she doesn’t even know me!’,” she says Knox responded, adding that she told her son that his joy is infectious and that “she loves everyone. I believe she’s waiting and hoping for these little moments and gems to drop and her Christmas spell is working. Her fairy dust is happening. The spirit she’s illumination is working in the world.”

Check out the heart-warming exchange below.

15 Dec 2022

Nicky Jam to Fund Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation’s 2023 Prodigy Scholarship

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation announced Thursday (Dec. 15) that Nicky Jam will finance the next four-year Prodigy Scholarship that will fully fund a student’s bachelor’s degree in music at Berklee School of Music starting in the fall 2023.

“I’ve always wanted to help and I don’t have my own foundation,” the chart-topping artist tells Billboard. “My publicist knows that this is something I’ve been wanting to do and when the opportunity came with the Grammys, I was very excited. I see myself in this type of project because music saved my life. Music gave me everything I needed.”

News of Nicky’s involvement comes just a month after he performed his hit song “El Perdón” with four former scholarship recipients (Xavier Cintrón, Valentina García, Nicolle Horbath and Sergio de Miguel Jorgequera) at the Latin Grammys.

“First of all just seeing those kids sing my song, that was incredible. To let them use my platform to create their own platform, that’s what it’s all about,” he adds. “There was this one kid who wouldn’t stop smiling when he was performing, so he was making me feel better because I was nervous. I was performing in a format that I don’t really sing in, it wasn’t reggaeton, but it felt so good. I felt more love onstage with these kids that I’ve felt in years with a bunch of people I’ve performed with.”

The scholarship, created eight years ago, holds a maximum value of $200,000 and the application period will be open from now until April 10, 2023. The scholarship is traditionally awarded to “exceptionally talented music students, with financial needs, to support their educational and musical aspirations,” according to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.

“When it comes to pursuing a career in music, finances should not be a deterrent to cultivating talent,” Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, said in a statement. “We are grateful for Nicky Jam’s generosity, which makes music education a reality for future generations of Latin music creators and preserves our legacy for years to come.”

Nicky Jam, one of the pioneers of reggaetón with more than three decades in music, says this opportunity is special because “low-key” he always dreamed of studying music. As a struggling musician in his early days, receiving a scholarship would’ve had a huge impact on him.

“The fact that I could’ve studied music, that’s already huge. I would’ve gone crazy and studied what I love. No one knew that I’ve always wanted to study music and now people tell me I don’t need it but we could always learn to be better. But I’ll be happy for those kids who do get the opportunity. Maybe the next Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny or Beethoven comes out of this. You never know!”

The foundation is accepting applications for all 2023 scholarships, and alongside Nicky Jam and his manager, Juan Diego Medina (also CEO of La Industria Inc.), is also sponsoring one of the Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000. All scholarships are available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25. For more details and/or to apply, visit www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.

In previous years, the Prodigy Scholarship has been co-sponsored by Latin stars including Enrique Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, Miguel Bosé, Carlos Vives, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Juanes and Sofia Carson.