Variety's Hitmakers 2021 - Honorees Revealed!

Variety‘s critics celebrate in these two top 10 lists, most of which made interior feel like the best possible frame of mind to be and stay in.Deep introspection was a hallmark of albums at the highest superstar levels, whether it was Adele saying “This is 30” or Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish singing the late-teenage blues. From divorce albums to barely-post-learner’s-permit laments, confessional pop seized the moment.

Lady Gaga's Poker Face had the most googled lyrics of any song in the UK of 2021, Google has revealed. 

Lady Gaga's Poker Face had the most googled lyrics of any song in the UK of 2021, Google has revealed. 

Chris Willman Music WriterThe Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande were the three most-played artists across radio formats in 2021, followed by Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo, according to a year-end report from Mediabase.Rounding out the top 10 radio artists in Mediabase’s ranking were Pop Smoke, Doja Cat, 24kGoldn, Ava Max and Drake.Although she was only the fourth-biggest artist at radio overall, Dua Lipa had the No.

Google released its 2021 “Year in Search” list today, with Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” landing on the top trending searches for songs in Canada and “NBA”, the No. 1 search for our homeland.

Variety‘s Hitmakers brunch, it was hard to pick out highlights. But if we could get Jack Harlow talking about the last award he won before being named Variety’s Hitmaker of Tomorrow (spoiler: he was in the second grade!), or decade award winner Lana Del Rey telling us who is tops on her bucket list of future collaborators (spoiler: only one of them is in his 80s!), those have to go to the top.

Social media platform TikTok announced its “Year on TikTok 2021”.

Billboard has revealed its annual year-end charts, with Drake taking the honour as 2021’s top artist. Drake was also named overall top male artist.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorJack Harlow told tales of being in second grade. Lil Nas X admitted he “had a lot of fun pissing people off” this year.

Lil Nas X had so much fun with his celeb friends while attending the Variety Hitmakers Brunch!

Jennifer Yuma editorGrammy-winning musician John Mayer might just have a future in standup comedy.While presenting the label of the year award to Columbia Records’ Ron Perry and Jenifer Mallory at Variety‘s Hitmakers event on Saturday, Mayer had the audience in stitches with his nearly four-minute speech.

Olivia Rodrigo spent time mingling with all of the celebrities at the Variety Hitmakers Brunch!

William Earl Lana Del Rey was presented with the Decade Award during the Dec. 4 Variety Hitmakers brunch held in Los Angeles.

Selome Hailu editorVariety‘s annual Hitmakers event, presented by Peacock and comedy series “Girls5eva,” takes place Dec. 2, returning to an in-person red carpet and invite-only brunch after last year’s virtual event.A red carpet pre-show hosted by Variety‘s Marc Malkin, Angelique Jackson, Elizabeth Wagmeister and Clayton Davis begins at 11:30 a.m.

hovering and over him. With “Levitating,” Dua Lipa floated a record that really did feel lighter than air, while in “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo was crying in a car, seeming anything but liberated by her new vehicular freedom.

William Earl Variety’s “On the Carpet” pre-show from its fifth annual Hitmakers event, presented by Peacock and “Girls5eva,” will be streamed exclusively on Variety.com and on Amazon Music’s Twitch page starting at 11:30 a.m. PT on Saturday.

2021 was a big year for music.