Lily Allen, Sam Fender, Ludovico Einaudi and Max Richter have been announced as the first recipients of the 2026 Nordoff and Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards.

The O2 Silver Clef Awards are the largest annual fundraising event for Nordoff and Robbins, a U.K.-based music therapy charity. The awards will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2026 with a ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall on July 9. 

Since its inception, prizes have been won by David Bowie, George Michael, Ed Sheeran, Oasis, Paul McCartney and more. The ceremonies have raised £17 million ($22 million) in total to support the charity’s work.

Following the success of her comeback LP West End Girl, Allen will collect the icon award. The LP was nominated for best album at the 2026 BRIT Awards and in recent weeks Allen has embarked on a U.K.-wide theater tour in celebration. 

She says of the honor, “I’m honoured to receive the icon award at the O2 Silver Clef Awards, especially as it marks their 50th anniversary. Music therapy is such an essential resource and I’m proud to support something that has such a profound impact on people’s lives.”

Sam Fender will be recognized with the best live act prize. In 2025 he headlined a number of stadium shows throughout the U.K., including an 82,000-capacity performance at the London Stadium. His third LP People Watching scooped the Mercury Prize in 2025, and in February he received a pair of trophies at the BRIT Awards for best rock/alternative act and song of the year (“Rein Me In” with Olivia Dean).

Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi will be awarded the innovation in music award in recognition of his 30-year career. Einaudi will also play a pair of shows at London’s O2 Arena in the days following the event (July 10, 11).

Max Richter is honored with the contemporary music award, and follows his recent Academy Award nomination for the score to Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

Speaking on the awards, Sandra Schembri, chief executive of Nordoff and Robbins, said “It is a real honour to have such an eclectic mix of talented artists receiving O2 Silver Clef Awards in this special anniversary year. Right now, with rising costs and a difficult fundraising landscape, the O2 Silver Clef Awards are more important than ever for us.”

She added, “Through the support of these amazing artists and our music industry peers, we can keep raising awareness of our mission and hope to raise as much money as possible, helping us continue training music therapists and supporting people through music therapy. We look forward to seeing you all at the Royal Albert Hall this July.”

“‘Til You Can’t,” with its message of following dreams and seizing opportunities as they come, became a breakthrough hit for Texan Cody Johnson, reaching No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts and garnered CMA and Grammy accolades.

In February, when Kid Rock performed at Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl halftime show, he surprised viewers by not only performing “‘Til You Can’t,” but adding a new, faith-referencing verse to the song’s end. Shortly after Kid Rock’s TPUSA performance, he officially released that new version of “‘Til You Can’t,” which became his first song to reach No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Christian Songs chart.

During a recent episode of the Rodeo Time With Dale Brisby podcast, Johnson detailed just what made him agree to let Kid Rock perform and record the song.

Johnson noted that when he had to cancel a concert at Arizona’s Hondo Rodeo Fest in November while recovering from burst eardrum surgery, Kid Rock filled in for him. It was there that Kid Rock debuted that new rendition of “‘Til You Can’t.”

“Kid Rock filled in and he played that last verse. And I was like, ‘That’s pretty cool.’” Johnson said, adding that Warner Records Nashville head Cris Lacy then gave him the heads-up that Kid Rock wanted to do more than just cover his song in concert.

“Cris was like, ‘He’s going to call you. … He wants your blessing on him releasing this version of the song,’” Johnson explained, adding, “I actually said, ‘What do Ben Stennis and Matt Rogers think about it?,’ because they’re the writers.” Lacy replied that the songwriters didn’t want to sign off on it unless Cody also signed off on it. “I was like, ‘That’s really respectful.’ That was really cool to feel the admiration from those guys , of taking their song that they wrote and making it what it is,” Johnson said.

He continued, “[Kid Rock] texted me, and I called him and was just like, ‘Man, I love it. I think you’ve done a great job.’ … He said, ‘I feel that Ben and Matt did such a great job writing this song, I don’t want to insinuate that they didn’t write it good enough,’” Johnson said, adding that Kid Rock listed off several top lines in the song, before telling Johnson, “‘But they just didn’t include God.’ And he’s like, ‘I just felt like you can only ask for forgiveness and get to know Jesus until you can’t.’”

Johnson’s reaction to that new line was instant. “I was like, ‘What a great’ – and coming from Kid Rock? It raised the hair on your arms. That was a conversation I never thought I’d have in my life, you know? And I was like, ‘I 100% sign off on it.’”

Johnson watched Kid Rock’s performance of that version of “‘Til You Can’t” on Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show, saying, “I watched it, had tears in my eyes. I was like, ‘Freakin’ Kid Rock singing my song, that’s cool. That’s pretty neat.’ I wish he’d have worn a Cody Johnson hat, but I couldn’t talk him into that.”

See Johnson’s full interview below:

South Korea’s entertainment industry is experiencing a fundamental structural shift as established artists increasingly exit major agencies to launch independent operations. These one-person entertainment companies — termed il-in gihoeksa (일인 기획사) in Korean — allow performers to retain intellectual property rights, negotiate contracts directly, and capture substantially higher revenue shares than traditional agency arrangements permit.

Government data obtained by National Assembly member Jeong Yeon-wook indicates that registered entertainment agencies increased 73% between 2021 and 2025, reaching 6,140 total entities. A January 2026 Korea Creative Content Agency survey documented a corresponding shift in artist affiliation patterns: Solo label representation rose from 2.5% to 4.3% between 2020 and 2024, while major agency affiliation declined from 14.8% to 9.1%.

The migration reflects significant tax arbitrage opportunities. South Korea’s top marginal personal income tax rate reaches 45% on earnings above approximately $730,000, while corporate rates cap at 25%. Solo label structures enable expense deductions unavailable to individual taxpayers, creating substantial advantages for high-earning performers.

BoA, whose 25-year tenure at SM Entertainment established early templates for Korean pop exports, terminated her contract on Dec. 31. She then launched BApal Entertainment in March 2026, framing the venture as an artist-fan collaboration. BLACKPINK members pursued parallel strategies when their individual YG Entertainment contracts expired in 2023, maintaining group activities through the original agency while establishing separate entities for solo work: Jennie founded Odd Atelier, Jisoo launched BLISSOO, and Lisa started LLOUD, while Rosé signed with producer-run boutique TheBlackLabel.

The regulatory implications surfaced dramatically in January. Seoul’s National Tax Service assessed actor and ASTRO member Cha Eun-woo approximately 20 billion won ($14.5 million) in unpaid taxes, reportedly the largest individual entertainer assessment in Korean history. Investigators determined that a maternal family-managed company holding a service contract with his agency, Fantagio, lacked operational substance, and reclassified income under personal rather than corporate tax treatment. Fantagio received separate assessments totaling $6 million for alleged false invoicing.

Cha Eun-woo has filed for administrative review contesting the determination. The timing — disclosure occurred during his mandatory military service — compounded the reputational exposure. The case represents one of multiple high-profile assessments: actors Lee Ha-nee, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jo Jin-woong, and Lee Jun-ki all received tax bills in 2025 linked to solo label arrangements, with reported amounts ranging from approximately $660,000 (Lee Jun-ki, 9 billion won) to $5.1 million (Yoo Yeon-seok, 70 billion won). All have initiated dispute proceedings.

The investigations exposed institutional gaps in regulatory architecture. Entertainment agency registration operates through municipal governments without centralized coordination, as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism lacks statutory authority to aggregate operational data, monitor compliance or enforce standards across thousands of registered entities.

In March, National Assembly member Jeong introduced legislation establishing central oversight mechanisms. The proposed framework mandates annual reporting to the Ministry of Culture and prohibits individuals with criminal tax convictions from operating or working within entertainment agencies. Industry observers have characterized the measure as a response to the Cha Eun-woo case.

“It is natural for entertainers to leave agencies and set up companies in their own names,” Jeong stated. “But an agency that has no actual management function and exists only to reduce taxes — that’s what a lot of people in the industry will tell you is fairly common. What we’re trying to fix is the regulatory blind spot, not the concept.”

The tension is fundamentally structural. Solo labels represent legitimate pathways to artistic and economic autonomy for performers who have built substantial global brands. Simultaneously, tax optimization advantages are material, and distinguishing aggressive but legal tax planning from impermissible evasion requires clear adjudicatory frameworks. South Korean courts have frequently ruled favorably for artists in final determinations, particularly when companies demonstrate documented staffing and business operations. Industry advocates contend that National Tax Service initial assessments exhibit systemic overreach and impose disproportionate reputational and financial costs on artists who ultimately prevail.

What remains undisputed is regulatory lag relative to industry evolution. As more performers pursue independence in a sector generating billions in global revenue, the central question shifts from whether artist-operated companies should exist to whether government infrastructure can effectively distinguish legitimate enterprises from tax optimization structures in real time.

This story was originally published by Billboard Korea.

BTS will be first up to bat as Major League Baseball returns for another year. As revealed Tuesday (March 24), songs from the band’s new album ARIRANG will soundtrack MLB’s social content in honor of opening week.

The news dropped via the first of three hype videos the Bangtan Boys and MLB will jointly promote across their social channels. The clip features “FYA,” one of the most adrenaline-pumping tracks on BTS’ new LP, playing over exciting footage of players such as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the Mets’ Juan Soto taking big swings and scoring big on the diamond.

A second video will go live Wednesday, the same day the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants will play the first game of the 2026 season at Oracle Park in California, which Netflix will stream live. Thursday will serve as baseball’s traditional opening day, with 13 scheduled games.

A third and final BTS x MLB video will drop at some point the following week.

The boy band’s pro baseball partnership comes shortly after BTS knocked its long-awaited comeback out of the park, dropping ARIRANG on Friday and following it up with a massive concert in Seoul. It’s a good time for the septet to join hands with America’s pastime, as members RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook are currently in the United States for ARIRANG promo. Following a Spotify fan event on Monday, they’ll appear on two back-to-back episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airing Wednesday and Thursday.

Earlier this month, MLB celebrated the World Baseball Classic by releasing the first official soundtrack for the tournament, helmed by Latin superstar producer Tainy. For the three-track project, the Puerto Rican hitmaker recruited Mexican-American singer/songwriter Becky G, K-pop sensation YEONJUN of TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Puerto Rican rappers Myke Towers and Young Miko, and Japanese artist Fujii Kaze, for a global (and multilingual) sound that mirrored the international spirit of the World Baseball Classic.

Check out BTS’ first MLB hype video celebrating opening week above.

Billboard’s Dance Moves roundup highlights the biggest movers and shakers across Billboard’s many dance charts, including new No. 1s, notable debuts, chart milestones, first-timers and rising tracks and artists.

This week, on charts dated March 28, Harry Styles, John Summit and Rohaan, and Milky and Mall Grab achieve new feats. Check out the key movers below.

Harry Styles

Styles returns to No. 1 on the latest Dance/Mix Shows Airplay chart, as “Aperture” rises a spot to No. 1 with an 11% increase in plays (among 24/7 dance reporters and pop stations’ mix show hours) March 13-19, according to Luminate.

The lead single from the superstar’s reigning Billboard 200 No. 1 album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., marks his second Dance/Mix Show Airplay No. 1, after “As It Was” led for two weeks in 2022. His latest is his eighth entry on the chart and first since “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” in 2022.

“Aperture” has become a smash across Billboard’s charts. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February, becoming Styles’ third leader, after “Watermelon Sugar” (2020) and “As It Was.” It has also topped Hot Dance/Pop Songs and the Billboard Global 200.

Of Billboard’s 25 weekly radio charts, Styles has earned No. 1s on five:

Pop Airplay: “Adore You,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “As It Was,” “Late Night Talking”
Adult Pop Airplay: “Watermelon Sugar,” “As It Was,” “Late Night Talking”
Adult Contemporary: “Adore You,” “As It Was”
Dance/Mix Show Airplay: “As It Was,” “Aperture”
Radio Songs: “As It Was”

Styles has also charted songs on Rock & Alternative Airplay, Adult Alternative Airplay, Alternative Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Latin Pop Airplay.

John Summit & Rohaan

Summit and Rohaan’s “SATA” debuts at No. 20 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. Released March 11 on Experts Only/Darkroom, the song drew 700,000 official U.S. streams in the tracking week.

“SATA” earns Summit his 26th career entry on the chart and fourth this year, after “Lights Go Out” (No. 7 peak), “Shadows,” with Lavinia (No. 9), and “With Me,” with Julia Wolf (No. 10).

As for Rohaan, “SATA” earns the York, U.K.-based DJ his first appearance on Billboard’s charts. Outside of Summit, he has collaborated with the Caracal Project, Flowdan and Kill Miami, among others.

Milky & Mall Grab

The acts’ “Just the Way You Are” continues climbing Billboard’s charts, as it pushes 7-5 for a new high on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (2.6 million streams, up 1%). It also debuts at No. 36 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay.

“Just the Way You Are” is a remix of Milky’s 2002 hit of the same name, which spent five weeks at No. 1 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay and has since become a house classic. Australian DJ/producer Mall Grab released his remix of the song Jan. 30, and it became his first Billboard chart entry when it debuted in February.

Australian electronic trio PNAU released a new remix of the song on March 20.