Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy-winning songwriter and producer James Steed, professionally known as DJ SwanQo, has signed with Giant Music Publishing, a division of the Azoff Company. Giant, in partnership with Pardison Fontaine’s St.
03.05.2021 - 18:19 / variety.com
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd has responded to the rule changes for the Grammy Awards announced by the Recording Academy on Friday — primarily a change that eliminates the “secret” nomination-review committees that played a key role in his being shut out of all nominations for the 2021 awards, despite having one of the biggest albums and the most-streamed single of the year with “After Hours” and “Blinding Lights,” respectively.“The trust has been broken for so long between the Grammy
.Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy-winning songwriter and producer James Steed, professionally known as DJ SwanQo, has signed with Giant Music Publishing, a division of the Azoff Company. Giant, in partnership with Pardison Fontaine’s St.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVivendi, owner of the world’s largest music company, Universal Music Group, told investors on Tuesday that it is considering selling an additional 10% stake in the company to an unnamed U.S. investor.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhen the votes were tallied in Georgia last November, then counted again and again, Donald Trump was characteristically vocal in his outrage that Georgia, a longtime Republican state, had turned blue.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe “Hella Mega Tour” featuring Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer has unveiled new dates, beginning in July and stretching into September.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne thing we did not expect to see on this Spring Monday morning was a high-quality audio duel between two of the world’s biggest music streaming services.At around 9 a.m. ET, Apple announced that its Apple Music is bringing “industry-leading” sound quality to its subscribers, with the addition of Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFor the past 15 months, many of us have felt starved by the absence of live music from our lives — as if our bodies have been deprived of an essential nutrient and we’re suffering from some existential scurvy.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs the concert business continues its gradual return to health after being flattened by the pandemic, it’s inspiring to see new venues being announced — and one in Boston named after a classic song by Jonathan Richman is the icing on the cake.AEG-affiliated Bowery Presents, the Northeast-based concert promotion and venue management company, has announced that the 3,500-capacity venue Roadrunner, named after Richman’s classic song first released in 1975, is scheduled
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorManuel Abud has been named CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, effective Aug. 1, the Board of Trustees announced on Wednesday.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJust under a year ago, as protests gripped the U.S.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd will perform at the Billboard Music Awards on May 23 — which is only fitting since he’s the top finalist this year with nominations in 16 categories, riding the success of his blockbuster “After Hours” album and its smash single “Blinding Lights,” which has crushed multiple streaming and chart records.Over the course of his decade-long career, the Weeknd has racked up a dazzling number of Billboard chart records: He’s had 34 top 40-charting hits on the
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLongtime Live Nation CFO Kathy Willard is retiring effective June 30, CEO Michael Rapino announced during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. The company is planning for Joe Berchtold, who currently serves as Live Nation’s president, to assume the role of president and CFO.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTwo-time Grammy Producer of the Year Greg Kurstin, who has worked with everyone from Adele and Paul MCartney to Foo Fighters and Beck, will open the 2021 ASCAP Experience conference on Wednesday, May 12 at 3 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHipgnosis Songs has acquired yet another catalog, this one from Andrew Watt, who recently was named 2021 Grammy Producer of the Year for his work with Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Post Malone and Ozzy Osbourne.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA picture paints a thousand words, the old cliché goes, but it’s truly amazing how much publicity photos of musicians can say about a certain year: The clothes, the shoes, the hats, the belt buckles, the scarves — and most of all, the hairstyles (and lack of styles). G.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSolomon Sounds, ne Solomon Sobande, the former manager of the late rapper and songwriter XXXTentacion, has joined Capitol Records as senior vice president of A&R, reporting to Capitol Music Group (CMG) chairman and CEO Jeff Vaughn. Sounds is tasked with signing and develop artists for the company’s flagship label.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhen Variety interviewed the Weeknd over the weekend about the Grammys’ decision to eliminate nomination-review committees (more on that here), we naturally slipped in a question about the new music he recently hinted at in social media posts, which presumably will be the follow-up to his blockbuster 2020 album, “After Hours.” To our surprise, he answered the question — and in characteristic, slightly enigmatic fashion, no less.“If the last record is the after hours
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt’s safe to say that the music industry was stunned on Friday when the Recording Academy almost completely eliminated the controversial “secret” committees that for decades have decided the final list of Grammy nominees in most categories, including the “Big Four” General field of Album, Song, Record of the Year and Best New Artist.The committees (which worked from a shortlist from the main body of approximately 12,000 voting members) were comprised of industry
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Recording Academyannounced today that ithas made significant changes to the Grammy Awards process — including the elimination of nearly all of the controversial “secret” nominating committees that made final decisions about which artists or recordings were nominated in certain categories, including the “Big Four” General field of Album, Song, Record of the Year and Best New Artist.
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGoldman Sachs’ annual “Music in the Air” study is widely recognized in the music industry as an optimistic but authoritative survey of the business — and yet again, it will make Universal Music Group very happy, as it has valued the company at a whopping $53 billion ahead of its IPO, expected this fall.That’s up from the $36 billion posited in last year’s report, and shows the strength of the recorded-music and publishing businesses, which are primary among UMG’s
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRed Bull Records has bulked up its staff with a number of hires and promotions. Nikki Cox will serve as the label’s Chief Marketing Officer, leading the organization’s efforts across marketing, digital, publicity, and streaming.