SYDNEY, Australia — Vanessa Picken has resurfaced at Ticketek Entertainment Group (TEG) in a newly-created role.

The former CEO of Sony Music ANZ leads a class of top recruits to the Sydney, Australia-based live entertainment, data and tech giant, which unveils an “important evolution” of its touring business, TEG Live, and maps out strategies in country, electronic and other hot genres.

Announced Thursday, Feb. 5, Picken is named global director, music strategy at TEG Live, where she will drive music strategy and global advocacy, working closely with promoters and partners worldwide.

From June 2022, Picken served as chair and CEO of Sony Music Australia and New Zealand, becoming the first woman to lead the major music company’s operations across both countries.

Picken finished up with Sony Music in late 2025, more than three years after taking the top job. In that time, Picken is credited with modernizing the music giant’s organizational structure, enhancing its digital and marketing capabilities, and fueling new growth through experiential and licensing ventures.

She joins TEG with a stack of international experience, having owned and operated the digital agency and label services firm Comes With Fries, and served as managing director at independent music giant [PIAS].

Also joining TEG Live is Sam Sharma, in the role as head of South Asia & Desi touring. Sharma will lead a new focus within the platform, a statement explains, and will be expected to drive expansion of touring across a region that’s seen as a hotspot for growth.

Alex Kelsey joins as head of country touring, overseeing the growth and commercial expansion of country music touring across Australia and New Zealand. Veteran former Sony Music executive Clay Doughty will support Kelsey as head of strategy, country music, lassoing long-term market development, international partnerships and artist pipelines within the genre.

As TEG Live builds its electronic music business across the region, Chris Watson is promoted to head of electronic, Asia Pacific. Watson launched the Palm Tree Festival Singapore in April, and further announcements in the electronic space are “expected shortly,” a statement reads.

U.K.-based Toby Leighton-Pope, currently managing director of TEG Europe, formed in 2022, will continue to be a key advisor to the group.

The new-look TEG Live, now a platform business, is led by TEG’s global head of touring Tim McGregor, who will oversee its strategic direction and portfolio performance.

“The move marks a significant step in TEG’s touring strategy,” reads a statement. “Creating a platform that empowers talented Promoters to operate with entrepreneurial autonomy, while being supported by Ticketek Group platforms and technology that make it easier to build, find and attend live experiences.” The model is designed to accelerate growth across established and emerging genres and “back the next generation of live entertainment leaders.”

Country music is a big part of the TEG Live growth strategy. TEG will ramp up those ambitions by opening a Nashville office in the early part of this year, focusing on artist relationships, touring partnerships and long-term pipeline development, strengthening the connection between the U.S. and Australian markets and more.

“Live music is evolving quickly, and touring models need to evolve with it,” comments McGregor. “TEG Live is investing in a platform that’s built for collaboration, adaptability and one that supports today’s promoters while setting up the next generation for success.”

Further announcements are expected shortly, including major expansion plans across Asia-pop, and rock, metal.

TEG brings together ticketing giant Ticketek, plus TEG Live, TEG Sport, TEG Experiences, and Ovation. Last November, TEG announced the “strategic acquisition” of Twenty3 Live, a leading marketing, media, sponsorship and activation agency, which the company said at the time would enhance its in-house marketing and digital capability in its global touring portfolio.

Earlier this week, TEG announced UFC 325 (Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2) has become the highest-grossing indoor arena event in Australian history. The bout, staged Sunday, Feb. 1 at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, owned by TEG and operated by Legends Global, set a new national box office record with A$14.4 million ($10 million) in ticket sales.

Barry Manilow is fit and fine after surgery, but he’s pushing back his upcoming concert dates in Las Vegas to focus on the road ahead.

The pop veteran was initially booked for residency dates at Westgate Las Vegas, from Feb. 12-21, but has scrapped those plans on his “doctor’s guidance and recommendation,” he writes in a social post.

The Grammy winner recently went under the knife after a scan revealed stage one lung cancer. The operation was deemed a success, but he needs more time out.

“I’m doing great and recovering very well after my surgery,” he writes. “I’ve been getting exercise and spending some time in the studio, which has been fantastic.”

With some additional downtime, he continues, “I can stay focused on healing and getting ready for the tour that’s kicking off at the end of February. Having a few extra weeks to rest and prepare is what the doctor ordered!”

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No replacement dates have been announced for the postponed Vegas shows, and tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase, reps say. Manilow will return to the Westgate March 26, 27 and 28, part of a national swing that starts Feb. 27 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, FL.

Despite his health setback, Manilow is in record-breaking form. He extends a chart milestone with his latest release, “Once Before I Go,” which enters Billboard’s Adult Contemporary tally (dated Feb. 7) more than half a century — 51 years and three months, to be precisde — since he first appeared on the list dated Nov. 7, 1974, with his breakout ballad “Mandy.”

Barry Manilow 2026 Arena Shows:

Feb. 27 — Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena

March 1 — Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

March 2 — Norfolk, VA – Chartway Arena

March 3 — Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena

March 5 — Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center

March 6 — Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena

March 7 — Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

March 9 — Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena

March 11 — Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum

March 13 –– Orlando, FL – Kia Center

March 14 — Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena

March 16 & 17 — Estero, FL – Hertz Arena

April 13 — Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena

April 14 — Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

April 16 — Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza

April 17 — Reading, PA – Santander Arena

April 19 — Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena

April 20 — Albany, NY – MVP Arena

April 22 — Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center

April 24 — Greensboro, NC – First Horizon Coliseum

April 27 — Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

April 29 — Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena

It’s been a mind-blowing few days for KATSEYE, as they made their way from performing at Sunday’s 2026 Grammy Awards to making their late-night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — and Billboard has exclusive photos and details from their Wednesday night (Feb. 4) sit-down.

Billboard was in the building for KATSEYE’s first time ever on NBC’s The Tonight Show, and the Grammys were fresh in their minds as they discussed who they were most starstruck by; Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, ROSÉ and Miley Cyrus all made their list, with Manon adding of Cyrus: “She walked past me and I froze.”

They were also asked about whether new music is on the horizon, with Megan confirming that there is but adding, “We don’t have a date yet.”

Finally, they chatted about starring alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Danny McBride and Keegan-Michael Key in a Super Bowl commercial for State Farm, which arrived in part online this week and features the global girl group dancing to McBride and Key’s new take on Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Lara joked that her dad is “finally proud of me” because she’s in a Super Bowl commercial, and the ladies left the couch to re-create their dance from the ad (as featured in the top photo).

Also on Wednesday’s show: Nick Jonas performs “Gut Punch” from his new solo album Sunday Best, arriving on Friday, and Ethan Hawke discusses his Oscar-nominated role in Blue Moon.

Tune in to catch KATSEYE on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT tonight on NBC and streaming next day on Peacock.

Find a backstage photo of KATSEYE’s appearance below.

LaMonte McLemore, a co-founder of the Grammy-winning soul/pop group The 5th Dimension, has died at age 90. After suffering a stroke several years ago, McLemore died of natural causes on Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas.

A popular crossover fixture in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s music scene, The 5th Dimension formed in Los Angeles and was originally comprised of McLemore, Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo and Ron Townson (who died in 2001). Known for its signature silky harmonies and sophisticated fusion of R&B, soul and pop, the group cemented its success through hits such as “Up, Up and Away,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures),” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “One Less Bell to Answer.”

In remembering McLemore, the group’s bass singer LaRue commented in a press release, “Proverbs 17:22 states that ‘one joyful heart is good medicine…’ Well, Lamonte really knew my prescription. His cheerfulness and laughter often brought strength and refreshment to me in difficult times. We were more like brother and sister than singing partners. I didn’t realize the depth of my love for Lamonte until he was no longer here. His absence has shown me the magnitude of what he meant to me and that love will stay in my heart forever.”

In a joint statement, McCoo and Davis Jr. said of McLemore, “All of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor.”

McLemore was born Sept. 17, 1935, in St. Louis. After enlisting in the Navy, he trained and worked as an aerial photographer. Before setting his sights on dual careers as a music artist and as a professional entertainment and sports photographer for Jet magazine and other publications, the multi-faceted McLemore sought a baseball career in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system. An author as well, McLemore co-authored the 2014 autobiography From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music with Robert-Allan Arno.

During McLemore’s tenure with The 5th Dimension, the group twice won record of the year Grammy Awards for “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures),” the latter of which spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs were also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. All told, the group received seven gold albums and six RIAA-certified platinum singles. Additional achievements include embarking on a State Department cultural tour in 1973 that brought American music behind the Iron Curtain and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

The 5th Dimension found themselves back in the spotlight in 2021 with the release of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Academy Award-winning documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The group, along with Sly & the Family Stone, Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder, was among the acts who performed at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which is chronicled in the documentary.

Surrounded by family when he died, McLemore is survived by Mieko McLemore, his wife of 30 years, daughter Ciara, (adopted) son Darin, sister Joan and three grandchildren. A memorial service and celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

The Weeknd and KISS were made for gettin’ views. This week, both artists had visuals join YouTube’s Billion Views Club, hitting the 10-digit milestone with visuals uploaded in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Firstly, the Canadian dance-pop musician scores his seventh entry into the elusive club with “Blinding Lights,” his four-week Billboard Hot 100-topper off album After Hours. The video embodies the eccentric persona The Weeknd embodied throughout that era, with the musician sporting a red blazer and shades as he hazardously wanders Las Vegas on foot and from behind the wheel.

Previously, the artist born Abel Tesfaye has had six other visuals surpass a billion plays on the platform, including “Starboy” featuring Daft Punk, “Save Your Tears” and “The Hills.”

For KISS, however, the addition of “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” to the Billion Views Club marks the band’s first. Though filmed in 1979 (according to IMDb), the video was posted to YouTube less than six years ago. It features the members of the iconic rock band all dressed up in their signature black-and-white hair, makeup and outfits, performing the classic hit on a stage beneath flashing lights.

Long before its triumph on YouTube, “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” was a success on the Billboard charts. It peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100, while the album it hails from, Dynasty, reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200.

Add your view to a billion others by checking out The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” video above and KISS’ “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” below.