Awards
Tones And I, Julia Jacklin, Flume & More Score Nominations for 2020 AIR Awards
With three nominations, Tones And I has a fine chance of taking home silverware at the 2020 AIR Awards, to be held Oct. 1 in Adelaide. Tones’ global hit “Dance Monkey” is up for independent song of the year, her debut EP The Kids are Coming is in the running for independent pop album or EP and she’s nominated for breakthrough independent artist of the year. The former busker is coming off the type of year most artists can only dream of. “Dance Monkey” led the ARIA Singles Chart for a whopping 24-weeks, easily an all-time record. And in the U.K., the song led the national singles tally for 11 weeks, the longest streak ever by a solo female artist. The track has now raced past seven billion streams across all platforms. In May of this year, Tones snagged two APRA Music Awards — includi...
The 13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week (July 3)
This week was full of star-studded events and awards shows, with the “Global Goal: Unite For Our Future” concert, BET Awards and Juno Awards all taking place virtually. In other awards show news, we’ve got an update on the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards — more on that later. Take a look at some of the week’s biggest music happenings below. Stars came together for the virtual “Global Goal: Unite For Our Future” concert From Jennifer Hudson’s rousing kickoff to Justin Bieber and Quavo’s stripped-down performance, the “Global Goal: Unite For Our Future” event on Saturday (June 27) was chock-full of amazing moments. Christine and the Queens, Chloe x Halle, Shakira and more also performed. In case you missed the concert, you can watch all of the must-see performance videos here! The 20...
The Dead South Sparkle With ‘Diamond Ring’ Performance at 2020 Juno Awards: Watch
The Dead South were very much alive and kicking at the 2020 Juno Awards, with the four-piece snaring a trophy and delivering a punchy performance. The folk-bluegrass act’s LP Sugar & Joy won the Juno for traditional roots album of the year, and the audience at home won with the Dead South’s performance of “Diamond Ring.” Nate Hilts and Co. brought an energy and sparkle with “Diamond Ring,” lifted from their award-winning third album. Speaking ahead of its release last October, the Regina, Saskatchewan-based band explained how FAME Studio-trained producer Jimmy Nutt turned the record into gold. “We’re really proud of the instrumentation on our new album,” the band said. “With the first two records, we were still figuring out how to fit it all together. With the help of Jimmy...
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Announces MTV VMAs Date & Location
It’s happening! The MTV Video Music Awards are a go. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York made the announcement during his Monday (June 29) press briefing, telling viewers that the annual ceremony would be held in Brooklyn. As the governor announced that New York City would be entering Phase III of reopening on July 6, he shared the unexpected news. “The Video Music Awards are going to be held Sunday, August 30, at Barclays Center,” he said. The slide displayed at the time also noted that “the event will follow all safety guidance, including limited or no audience.” Billboard has reached out to MTV for comment. In May, MTV told Billboard in a statement that they were looking into the possibility of safely holding the event live. “We’re exploring with gove...
Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark-Sheard Close Out the 2020 BET Awards with Emotional ‘Something Has to Break’
For the final performance of the 2020 BET Awards on Sunday (June 28), gospel star Kierra Sheard took to the stage with her mother Karen Clark-Sheard (of The Clark Sisters) to send audiences away with a moment of hope. The duo performed Kierra’s song “Something Has to Break,” an impassioned anthem off of her latest self-titled album, where the singer begs God for some sense of relief or solution during troubled times. “Tear down every lie/Set the wrong thing right,” she sang. “‘Cause when you have your way/ Something has to break.” Both Karen and Kierra appeared on a brightly lit stage, dressed in shimmering black gowns, with a backup chorus similarly dressed in all-black, punctuating their every word. The powerful performance even included an...
Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion & Other Record Setters at the 2020 BET Awards
There were first-time winners in several key categories at the 20th annual BET Awards. Lizzo was named best female R&B/pop artist. She beat Beyoncé, who had won 10 times in this category, including the last six years in a row. Megan Thee Stallion won best female hip-hop artist, beating two former winners in the category – Cardi B, who had won the last two years, and seven-time winner Nicki Minaj. DaBaby won best male hip-hop artist, beating four-time winner Drake, among others. Gymnast Simone Biles won sportswoman of the year for the first time. She beat tennis legend Serena Williams (who had won 12 times in the category, including the last six years in a row). Here are other artists who made history at the BET Awards. Blue Ivy Carter, the eight-year old daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, ...
How to Watch the 2020 Juno Awards
Following the cancellation of the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan show due to coronavirus, the 49th annual Juno Awards plans to announce this year’s winners in a special, virtual ceremony Monday, June 29. Indigenous artist iskwē, alt-pop duo Neon Dreams and bluegrass ensemble The Dead South will perform during the online awards show organized by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). All three acts are also nominated in four of its 42 categories. Alessia Cara, who was originally scheduled to host the 2020 awards broadcast from Saskatoon, leads this year’s list of nominees with six under the belt — Juno fan choice, single of the year, album of the year, artist of the year, songwriter of the year, ...
‘BET Awards 2020 Needed More Than Ever’: President Scott Mills Reflects on Show’s Lasting Impact & More
BET president Scott Mills wants viewers of this year’s BET Awards to understand one thing up front: don’t call it a virtual awards show. It’s a “complete mischaracterization of what the show is,” says Mills of the BET Awards which, like many other special events, has had to shift gears as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the ceremony will air Sunday evening (June 28) and also make its national broadcast debut on CBS. Noting that other media have tagged the show as virtual, Mills continues, “We actually never have described it as virtual. We said that we’re proceeding with the awards show and not doing it in front of a live audience.” Mills further emphasizes that the show won’t feature artists simply performing from their homes. Instead, performanc...
How Well Do You Know the BET Awards & R&B/Hip-Hop? Take Our 20-Question Quiz
The 20th Annual BET Awards are set to air on Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will air on BET and BET HER, as usual, and will also air on a legacy network (CBS) for the first time. Scheduled performers include Roddy Ricch, Megan Thee Stallion and DaBaby, all of whom are also nominated for album of the year. In celebration of the BET Awards, and the talented R&B and hip-hop stars the awards honor, we’ve prepared this 20-question quiz. Test your knowledge below — remember, 60% needed for a passing grade — and see how well you know the show and its stars. Here’s hoping your final score brings you “Glory.” You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you ba...
Kennedy Center Honors, Mark Twain Prize Events Postponed
Add the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize to the long list of prestigious awards and honors that are being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors have been moved to March 7, 2021 (the event is usually held in early December). The 23rd annual Mark Twain Prize has been moved to June 20, 2021 (it’s usually held in October). Many award shows have been delayed due to the pandemic. The Oscars were postponed from Feb. 28 to April 25, 2021. In the wake of that move, the Golden Globes moved from their usual early January date to the Oscars’ vacated date, Feb. 28. A Recording Academy spokesperson said this week that, despite the Oscars’ move, the Grammys’ plan for now is to keep their Jan. 31, 2021 date. Other signature events at the Kennedy Center...
From Roddy Ricch to DaBaby & More, Which BET Awards Performer Are You Most Excited For? Vote!
Amanda Seales will host the first-ever virtual BET Awards Sunday (June 28) and this year’s A-list performers won’t be missing it. Rockstar rappers Roddy Ricch and DaBaby top the newcomer list, as well as Megan Thee Stallion who ties Ricch with five nominations. But the legends are coming to play, too, namely John Legend, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne and Jennifer Hudson. The 2020 awards show will amplify the voices of two BET Amplified Artists, multi-instrumentalist Masego who pioneered the TrapHouseJazz genre and alternative hip-hop artist and H.E.R.‘s songwriting partner Lonr, specifically on the BET Amplified Music Stage. So which BET Awards performer can’t you wait to take the virtual stage this weekend? Vote below! You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are...
BMI Announces Winners of 2020 Film, TV & Visual Media Awards
The winners of BMI’s 36th annual Film, TV & Visual Media Awards were announced Monday (June 15) across the organization’s social and digital platforms. Honorees — who were awarded for their work on the top-performing films, TV shows and other visual media from the previous year — include composers Tyler Bates, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Atli Örvarsson, Mike Post, Mac Quayle and Brian Tyler. Örvarsson was the top winner this year, with a total of five awards (known as “crystals”) for his work on TV series including Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, FBI and FBI Most Wanted. Elsewhere, Tyler, Quayle and Bates received three apiece. Tyler won for his work on Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I. and Yellowstone; Quayle won for 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star and American Horror Story;...
