Since the Grammy Awards were moved from Jan. 31 to March 14, updates have been few and far between, but a number of details have begun to emerge about how the show will be run, sources tell Variety, although as with everything during a pandemic, it’s all subject to change. A rep for the show
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Mary J. Blige is receiving potential Oscar attention for her original song “See What You’ve Done” from the documentary, “Belly of the Beast.” But she received even more buzz when vice president Kamala Harris used her 2007 song “Work That,” from her “Growing Pains” album, as her campaign anthem. After a few months, Blige finally
After Evan Rachel Wood publicly named Marilyn Manson in allegations of domestic violence and rape she has talked about for years, Hollywood talent agency CAA has confirmed to Variety that it has dropped him. Manson was represented for years at CAA; the agency also represents Wood. Early Monday morning, Wood posted to Instagram: “The name of my
Jon M. Chu, the director of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights,” is taking on the land of Oz. He has inherited filmmaking duties from Stephen Daldry on “Wicked,” Universal’s big-screen adaptation of the hit musical. Daldry departed the project, which has been in the works for over a decade, last October due to
Dolly Parton has reimagined her classic 1980 song “9 to 5” as “5 to 9” for a Squarespace commercial celebrating office workers getting their entrepreneurial side hustles going after hours. The minute-long spot, already available for view now, is set to have its broadcast premiere during the Super Bowl telecast on Sunday. Oscar winning filmmaker
Universal Music Group has announced the promotion of Will Tanous to Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, effective immediately. He will continue to serve as a member of the company’s executive management board. In his new position, Tanous, who will continue to report to UMG Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, will retain his current responsibilities and add new
The Los Angeles-based music and technology company Create Music Group has launched a beta version of Create Carbon, a credit card that it says will give music creators the ability to access their royalties as soon as they’re earned, rather waiting to receive them via regular monthly payouts. The company prides itself on showing artists
Silentó, best known for his 2015 hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has been arrested and charged with the alleged murder of his cousin, the DeKalb County Police Department confirmed to Variety. The rapper, whose real name is Ricky Hawk, is currently being held in the DeKalb County jail. Representatives for Silentó did not immediately respond
K-pop star Sowon’s management team apologized on Monday for photos featuring the popular GFriend girl group member posing lovingly with a mannequin dressed as a Nazi soldier. Sowon, 25, had posted the images of herself snuggling up to the Nazi-costumed dummy to her Instagram, where they quickly came under fire. One shows her closing her
To honor the first day of Black History month, on Monday the Weeknd — who is the headline halftime performer at Super Bowl LV — chose Mama’s Southern Soul Food a Black-owned restaurant in Tampa, Fla., to feed the frontline healthcare workers at AdventHealth Carrollwood. The hospital, which located near Raymond James Stadium, where the Super
Two weeks from now marks the third anniversary of the mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, during which 17 teenagers were tragically killed. On Sunday night (Jan. 31), Academy Award-winning actress, singer and activist Cher and activist Emma Gonzalez — a Parkland survivor — continued the conversation with a
Warner Music Group posted its best-ever quarterly revenue in its 17-year history as a stand-alone company, it announced on Monday, powered by streaming, which led to double-digit growth in digital revenue. Notably, its recorded music streaming growth was up 16% in constant currency, and publishing digital was up 36%, although overall its Warner Chappell division’s
In the wake of Evan Rachel Wood’s announcement that Marilyn Manson “horrifically abused” her for years when they were in a relationship, Loma Vista Recordings, which released Manson’s three most recent albums, has parted ways with the singer. “In light of today’s disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their
Jason Flom’s Lava for Good Podcasts — whose “Wrongful Conviction” series brings to light the wrongful incarceration of innocent people — has joined forces with the content network and podcast listening service Stitcher for a series of new criminal justice-focused podcasts. They will be available through Stitcher on all major podcast platforms. “We’re excited to
Nicole Scherzinger, the singer, dancer and television personality, who can currently be seen on the Fox hit “The Masked Singer,” has signed with Range Media Partners for representation in unscripted film and television, theater, and global brand partnerships. The newest player in the competitive entertainment-industry representation landscape, Range was founded in Sept. 2020 by Peter
Along with the news that legendary singer Tony Bennett is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the singer’s team revealed that he and Lady Gaga recorded a follow-up to their chart-topping 2014 album, “Cheek to Cheek,” even as Bennett battled the disease. The news, confirmed by a rep for Bennett, was revealed in the AARP magazine article
Looking at the top of the album chart, you could almost believe you accidentally clicked on a landing page for the Republic Records roster. The label is enjoying an almost ridiculous level of dominance at the moment, with its lineup claiming all four of the top spots and six out of the top 10. All
Over 170 Black and Jewish leaders from all over the entertainment industry have banded together to launch the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA), a joint initiative devoted to countering racism and antisemitism, and release a unity statement. Among them are several high-ranking music executives including Aaron Bay-Schuck, co-chairman and CEO of Warner Records (pictured at left);
Two years after he was named co-head of Columbia Records’ Urban Music division, Shawn Holiday will be joining Irving and Jeffrey Azoff to launch a new record label and publishing venture, a rep for Columbia confirmed to Variety. The rep noted that Holiday will continue to work in an A&R capacity with Polo G, Chloe
The team of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross leads all nominees for the second annual Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards, the organization of scorers and songwriters active in visual media. The composing duo (who won an Oscar 10 years ago for “The Social Network” and an Emmy last year for “Watchmen”) received three nominations.
Tony Bennett has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, he announced via an extensive article with AARP magazine on Monday. “Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer’s.Thank you to [his wife] Susan and my family for their support, and AARP,” he wrote on Twitter. “The Magazine for telling my story.” Bennett,
Sony Music Entertainment announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Kobalt Music Group to acquire Kobalt’s recorded-music operations, including AWAL, and Kobalt Neighboring Rights. The acquisition, for $430 million according to the SEC filing, is subject to customary regulatory and closing conditions. AWAL and Neighbouring Rights will become a new division within SME’s
On Saturday night or Sunday morning — depending on the time zone — Blackpink fans finally got to experience the closest thing to an in-person concert from the group with “The Show.” While the K-pop titans — Lisa, Jennie, Rosé, Jisoo — had intended to be on tour supporting their debut full length, “The Album,” which
Clive Davis… talk show host? Well, not exactly. But this year’s version of his annual exclusive pre-Grammy party — now taking place virtually and in two parts, the first of which was Saturday night — did have, as one change among several, not just performances extended conversations that had the legendary music mogul chatting up
There might be different ways to quantify who the most successful producer in country music history would be, but Variety‘s Hitmaker of the Month, Scott Hendricks, is certainly in the running, with more than 70 No. 1 singles to his credit in a 35-year discography. What might be easier to quantify is who stands as
Hilton Valentine, the original guitarist for the Animals who played the opening riff on their hit song “House of the Rising Sun,” died on Jan. 29. He was 77. The Animals’ label, ABKCO Music, announced Valentine’s death on their Twitter account. “Our deepest sympathies go out to @HiltonValentine’s family and friends on his passing this
Sophie Xeon, the Grammy-nominated producer-musician whose pioneering work combined sweet pop melodies with mechanical noises into a genre now known as hyper-pop, died in a climbing accident in Greece on Saturday. She was 34. “True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell,” a statement from
Duke Bootee, whose 1982 hit “The Message” changed the tone of hip-hop, died on Jan. 13 of heart failure at his home in Savannah, Ga., the New York Times confirmed. He was 69. Born Edward Fletcher, he began writing “The Message” in 1980, the same year he became a studio musician at Sugar Hill Records,
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The ashes of the Woodstock 50 festival that wasn’t are still smoldering, but one of the key financial disputes appears to have been stomped out. A lawsuit that the aborted festival’s producers filed last year against the financial backer that pulled out before the gathering was canceled, Dentsu, was resolved with a confidential settlement. Variety has