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Songwriters of North America (SONA) will begin accepting applications for a new round of pandemic emergency grants on April 28, the organization has announced.
First launched in May 2020, the Songwriters Fund grew out of an effort by songwriter Autumn Rowe to raise money for her struggling peers. The official fund — which has given out over $400,000 in $1,000 emergency grants to date — was born after SONA came aboard to help create a larger, more structured operation. Initial donations came from a mixture of private and corporate donors, including Sony Music Publishing.
Alongside Rowe, the fund is co-directed songwriter Michelle Featherstone, with management by songwriter Sarah Robertson.
“Everything dried up all at once for the songwriting community: royalties from streaming, as well as the ability to do gig work or be a session player,” said Featherstone in a statement. “We were talking to fellow songwriters who were asking, ‘How will I pay this month’s rent? How will I buy groceries? Will I ever work again?’”
“The Songwriter Fund is a resource for our community when there are no other options,” added Rowe in a statement. “Many writers who ran out of options received grants, and we were really grateful to help. I’d like the Songwriter Fund to feel like that friend who always has your back. Because there is so little overhead in our organization, the most possible money goes out to songwriters.”
To learn more about the fund or to donate, visit www.songwriterfund.com.
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda joined New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday (April 12) at the grand opening of a Times Square COVID-19 vaccination site intended to jump-start the city’s entertainment industry.
“We want to gather again, and we want to tell stories in the dark,” said Miranda, the author and star of the hit musical about Alexander Hamilton. “We cannot do that if we don’t feel safe and if you don’t feel safe. So the first step in that process is getting our vaccination shots, and the next steps will follow.”
Broadway theaters have been shuttered since the coronavirus pandemic struck in March of last year. De Blasio has said he hopes dedicated vaccination sites will help the industry reopen by September.
The new Times Square vaccine site will be open to workers in theater, film and TV, said the mayor, who stressed the importance of the entertainment industry to the life of the city.
“Yes, it’s part of our economy. Much more importantly it’s part of our identity,” de Blasio said. “It’s part of who we are, it’s part of our hearts. What it means in this city, the theater, the music, the dance, the film and TV, it is our expression of everything that is New York City. It’s our creativity, it’s our heart and soul. We do something here that does not exist anywhere in the world quite like this.”
The new vaccination site, housed in a former NFL Experience store, will be managed by Susan Sampliner, the longtime company manager for the musical “Wicked.” Miranda said that “if anyone knows how to make a show run on time it’s Broadway stage managers. So you’ll be in good hands.”
Streams of DMX’s catalog of songs increased 928% in the United States in the days following his death, according to initial reports to MRC Data. Collectively, his tracks garnered 75.7 million on-demand streams (audio and video combined) on April 9 and 10 – up 928% compared to the 7.36 million they earned on April 7 and 8.
DMX died on April 9 after experiencing a heart attack triggered by a drug overdose. He was 50 years old.
The late rapper’s top five most-streamed songs on April 9-10 were “Ruff Ryders Anthem” (9.59 million; up 973%), “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” (5.79 million; up 900%), “Slippin’” (5.52 million; up 853%), “Party Up (In Here)” (5.20 million; up 941%) and “How It’s Goin’ Down,” featuring Faith Evans (3.52 million; up 691%).
Streams of DMX’s music had increased leading up to his passing, following his hospitalization on April 2. In the days before April 2, his songs were streamed between 700,000 and 1 million times a day. Between April 3 and April 8, they rose to between 3 and 4 million per day.
In terms of music sales, DMX’s collected songs and albums sold 101,000 copies on April 9-11 – up 1,036% compared to the 9,000 they sold on April 6-8.During DMX’s lifetime, he notched 31 hits on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and 15 entries on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. His first five albums – It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998), Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood (1999), …And Then There Was X (2000), The Great Depression (2001) and Grand Champ (2003) – all debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, making him the first artist to see his first five efforts all begin directly in the top slot.
On the latest Billboard 200 chart (dated April 17, reflecting sales and streaming data in the week ending April 8), DMX’s compilation The Best Of re-enters the chart at No. 73. The set earned 12,000 equivalent album units for the week (up 224%), with the bulk of that sum driven by streaming activity for the album’s songs.
While many artists connected with their fans during quarantine with virtual concerts, Cultura Profetica sat back and waited for things to “go back to normal.”
“We could have done several concerts online and we held on for a bit with the expectation and hope that this would not stay that way for long,” vocalist Willie Rodriguez previously told Billboard.
Now, as people adapt to the new normal, so does the Puerto Rican reggae band, already performing two in-person shows since their last one right as the pandemic struck on March 15, 2020.
On Saturday, Cultura performed at Miami’s Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, offering fans a socially distant outdoor experience where groups of 10 enjoyed the show in their very own “pods.”
Helmed by Swarm (a local production team), Sophisticated Minds and No Limes Entertainment, around 5,000 concertgoers attended the show, half of the venue’s attendance capacity.
“We complied with a full COVID plan approved by the city of Miami and implemented sanitizing locations, 6-foot distance signage, and of course the pod platforms,” Ricardo Arjona, head of Sophisticated Minds, tells Billboard. “We also had fire marshals on-site, a full medical team, and a COVID Area with an additional team for emergency purposes.”
Likewise, all of the production team and musicians followed the rules and protocols, such as washing hands, wearing face masks, temperature checks, social distancing, and a mandatory negative COVID test.
The concert lasted a bit over two hours, where the Latin Grammy-winning band performed notable songs such as “Herida Mortal,” “Caracoles,” “Saca, Prende y Sorprende,” “La Complicidad,” “Love and Happiness” and “Ilegal,” to name a few. Guest artists included opening act Simon Grossman, emerging artist Delić and reggaeton star De La Ghetto.
“The feelings were pure euphoria, and a magical celebration of artistic freedom, a dream-like experience!” guitarist and bass guitarist Omar Silva tells Billboard, adding that the Miami show “definitely met our expectations, especially concerning the audience’s receptiveness for a live music experience.”
Silva — who says the band had “none and so many doubts at the same time” about going back onstage during the pandemic — assures that the band is “working hard to fulfill our fans’ expectations.”
Up next, Cultura Profetica, celebrating their 25-year career in 2021, will visit fans in Texas, Atlanta, New York and Puerto Rico.
The family of DMX (real name Earl Simmons) set the record straight about the alleged sale of the late rapper’s master recordings and his upcoming funeral in a new statement.
“There have been a few rumors following our loved one, Earl Simmons’, passing that we’d like to clear up,” his family said in a statement provided to Billboard. “No one has bought Earl’s masters. Additionally, we are not selling any merch or raising money for Earl’s funeral. If anyone is requesting for money for his funeral please be aware the person is a scammer. We will keep the public posted on funeral/memorial service arrangements.”
The most popular rumor around DMX’s catalog alleged that Beyoncé and Jay-Z had purchased X’s master recordings for $10 million with plans to return his masters to his 17 children — though DMX only has 15 children. Swizz Beatz also shot down the rumor on social media: “Not true king,” Swizz wrote alongside the false article on Instagram.
It’s unclear who currently owns DMX’s master recordings, but the bulk of his commercial success came on Def Jam, where he made his major-label debut in 1998 with It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and stayed through 2003’s Grand Champ.
DMX (real name Earl Simmons) died Friday after suffering a heart attack triggered by a drug overdose. He was 50. The rapper had been on life support and was in a “vegetative state,” according to his former manager Nakia Walker, since last Sunday.
His family and friends organized a prayer vigil on April 5 outside of White Plains Hospital, where X remained on life support before he died. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano told TMZ that he would be willing to offer Yonkers Raceway, the city’s largest outdoor venue, for his family to host a public hometown memorial.
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“Hear My Voice” from The Trial of The Chicago 7 won best song written and/or recorded for a film at the 11th annual Guild Of Music Supervisors Awards, which were presented virtually on Sunday (April 11). The award went to the song’s co-writers, Celeste Waite and Daniel Pemberton, and also to the film’s music supervisors, Peter Afterman and Alison Litton.
The Guild Of Music Supervisors Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the craft of music supervision in film, television, documentaries, games, advertising and trailers.
“Hear My Voice” is an Oscar nominee for best original song. However, none of the four songs it defeated to win this award were Oscar-nominated. As a result, its win here may not have much predictive power as to who will win the Oscar. Celeste performed the song to close the event, which is valuable exposure to an audience that doubtless included many Academy members.
Celeste also performed “If I Ever Lose This Heaven,” a song that first gained notice on Quincy Jones’ 1974 album Body Heat. Andra Day, an Oscar nominee for her performance in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, performed a song to open the show. The show also included performances by Darius de Haas (the zesty “One Less Angel” from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Angelica Garcia.
Soul won the award for best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million. The award went to Tom MacDougall, the film’s music supervisor. Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste are Oscar-nominated for composing the film’s score.
Reznor and Ross won here for best song written and/or recorded for television for “The Way It Used to Be,” which they wrote and recorded for an episode of HBO’s Watchmen. The two composers were nominated for an Emmy last year for outstanding original music and lyrics for writing the song. Liza Richardson, the episode’s music supervisor, was also cited in that category. Richardson won a second award here for best music supervision – television drama for Season 1 of Watchmen.
Richardson revealed that “The Way It Used to Be” is “kind of a happy accident. It was a music supervision failure that became a success because we couldn’t clear the song that was intended to be cleared, so we pivoted to Trent and Atticus creat[ing] this incredible song that you would never know came from members of Nine Inch Nails because it’s this perfectly tuned 1940s, beautiful song.”
Quincy Jones received the icon award. Stevie Wonder performed a brief musical tribute to Jones, who he has known since he was 14 (in 1964). Many people from Jones’ long and legendary career spoke about him, both in archival and new clips. They included Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys, Bono, will.i.am, Will Smith, Colin Powell, Lionel Richie, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Jacob Collier, John Legend, Diane Warren and Gloria & Emilio Estefan. Jones accepted the award wearing a baseball cap which was inscribed “University of the ‘Hood.”
Maureen Crowe, the founding president of the Guild of Music Supervisors, received the legacy award. Crowe has worked on such films as Wayne’s World, True Romance, Chicago, The Bodyguard and Dead Man Walking. Her legacy also includes making it so music supervisors can vote, and receive awards, at both the Grammys and the Emmys, and playing a key role in music supervisors receiving retirement and other benefits. Singing her praises were Kenny Ortega, Kevin Costner, Jay Landers, Dean Pitchford, Debbie Allen, Michael A. Levine, Neil Meron, Rickey Minor and Clive Davis. “I’m not retiring,” she insisted, when the plaudits made the tribute start to sound like a retirement party.
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, who, between them, have won 15 Grammys in the past two years, were presenters at the ceremony. Other celebrity presenters or participants included Angela Bassett, Connie Britton, Michael Chiklis, Bryan Cranston, Tony Hawk, Marin Hinkle, Regina King, Savan Kotecha, Michael McDonald, Eva Noblezada, Folake Olowofoyeku, Tony Shalhoub and Paul Williams.
There was an unusual three-way tie for best music supervision – television comedy or musical. The winners were Manish Raval, Alison Rosenfeld and Tom Wolfe for High Fidelity – Season 1; Kier Lehman for Insecure – Season 4, and Robin Urdang for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Season 3.
Joel C. High, Robin Kaye, and Thomas Golubić executive produced the event. Angelia Bibbs-Sanders produced, while Nick Urbom acted as technical producer and Jessica Milten served as talent producer.
There were more than a few technical glitches in the Jones tribute. Let’s hope we are nearing the end of these virtual events, and can soon go back to live events.
Here is the complete winners list for the 11th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards:
Film Awards
Best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million: Tom MacDougall – Soul
Best music supervision for film budgeted under $25 million: Dawn Sutter Madell – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best music supervision for film budgeted under $10 million: Susan Jacobs – Promising Young Woman
Best music supervision for film budgeted under $5 million: Dondrea Erauw, Michael Perlmutter – The Cuban
Best song written and/or recorded for a film: “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7; writers: Celeste Waite, Daniel Pemberton; performed By: Celeste; music supervisors: Peter Afterman, Alison Litton
Television Awards
Best music supervision – television drama: Liza Richardson – Watchmen – Season 1
Best music supervision – television comedy or musical (three-way tie): Manish Raval, Alison Rosenfeld, Tom Wolfe – High Fidelity – Season 1, Kier Lehman – Insecure – Season 4, Robin Urdang – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Season 3
Best music supervision – reality television: Meryl Ginsberg – The Masked Singer – Season 3
Best music supervision – television movie: Warren Fischer, Laura Webb, Lindsay Wolfington – To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
Best song written and/or recorded for television: “The Way It Used to Be,” songwriters: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross; artists: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross; program: Watchmen; episode: #106 “This Extraordinary Being;” music supervisor: Liza Richardson
Documentary Awards
Best music supervision for a documentary: Aminé Ramer – Crip Camp
Best music supervision in a docuseries: Rudy Chung – The Last Dance
Trailer Award
Best music supervision in a trailer: Mike Lynn – Judas and the Black Messiah
Advertising Awards
Best music supervision in advertising (synch): Andy Hamm – Apple “A Journey into the Valley of Fire – Shot on iPhone”
Best music supervision in advertising (original music): Mike Ladman – Hennessy “Maurice and the Black Bear School”
Video Games Award
Best music supervision in a video game: Eric Kalver, Brandon Young – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2
