MELBOURNE, Australia — Just months after the 2024 Music Victoria Awards were confirmed to have been targeted in an egregious occurrence of voter fraud, organizers have made the decision to suspend the 2025 event.

The 2024 edition of the awards – which seeks to honor and recognize the talents of musicians in the Australian state of Victoria – was held in Melbourne on Oct. 24, though it was later announced on Nov. 27 that an “unknown assailant/s” had targeted the voting process and manipulated several of the publicly-voted categories. 

In a statement, Music Victoria, the trade body that produces the annual ceremony, explained they had become aware of “unusual activity within the third-party voting system used for the public voted categories.” 

Following a thorough internal investigation, and liaisons with “the third-party voting system Award Force, cyber security experts and legal advice,” it was discovered that “thousands of misregistered votes” had been “falsely attributed to nominees, resulting in a change to the recipients of five of the six publicly voted categories.”

As a result of the discovery, the rightful winners were later reinstated and Music Victoria insisted it will “carve out space” in the 2025 ceremony to “present the winners in front of our industry.”

However, a statement issued by Music Victoria on Wednesday (April 16) has now confirmed the awards will in fact be suspended for 2025.

“This decision comes after careful reflection, consultation, valuable feedback and learnings over the last 18 months,” the statement read. “The organisation believes this is the right time and opportunity for Music Victoria to reassess and reimagine the Music Victoria Awards, ensuring they are reflective of and aligned with Victoria’s diverse music community while operating in a financially sustainable manner.  

“Music Victoria remains deeply committed to its mission of providing a valuable platform for artists and industry and looks forward to engaging with stakeholders – working together to uncover new ways to celebrate and support Victorian music meaningfully.”

Music Victoria CEO Fiona Duncan also issued a statement, noting, “this short-term action gives us the opportunity to set up the Music Victoria Awards for a robust and sustainable long-term future.”

“We need to take one step back to allow leaps forward,” Duncan added. “We look forward to collaborating closely with our community to shape this next chapter to celebrate the depths of talent we have in Victoria. We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we evolve through these changes.”

The Music Victoria Awards were originally launched in 2006 as the EG Music Awards, as a means to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Melbourne newspaper The Age’s long-running entertainment guide. Initially a retrospective ceremony, the focus shifted in the ensuing years to reflect the annual performance of musicians from Victoria.

The 2024 edition of the Music Victoria Awards saw names such as Angie McMahon, Gut Health, and Maple Glider, recognized for best album, best group, and best solo artist, respectively.

Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief has announced a new live album, with the forthcoming record capturing shows on her 2024 solo tour.

Set for release on Thursday, April 24 via 4AD and Remote Control, Live at Revolution Hall is a 43-track collection of songs recorded across three days in June 2024. Largely capturing performances at Portland’s eponymous Revolution Hall, the record features fan favorites, deep cuts and unreleased gems from Lenker’s prolific catalog. One of these unreleased tracks, “Happiness,” has been shared to preview the forthcoming live album.

Backed by pianist Nick Hakim and violinist Josefin Runsteen, the album was recorded by engineer Andrew Sarlo, who has been a longtime producer of Lenker and Big Thief.

“This live album is another generous offering from Adrianne,” Sarlo said in a statement. “Performing a myriad of songs; some new, some rare, some favorites, and beyond in front of an audience and behind the scenes.

“Clocking in around 120 minutes featuring songs & vignettes recorded exclusively on reel to reel and cassette tape, there was an attempt to create a different spin on what a live album could be,” he added. “Recorded over the span of 3-days while on the Bright Future tour, we put friendship at the focal point making this a loving memento from one friend to another.”

Lenker’s 2024 tour saw her performing throughout North America, Europe, and the U.K. in support of her latest solo album, Bright Future. Hitting No. 5 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, the record also garnered Lenker her first Grammy nomination as a solo artist, in the best folk album category.

Lenker will return to the live stage later this year when Big Thief performs a series of live dates throughout September and October. The band haven’t released a new record since 2022’s Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, which became their best charting release to date with a peak of No. 31 on the Billboard 200.

In July 2024, the group announced the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik, citing “interpersonal reasons” for his exit. “It’s a big change for us and the four of us ask for your trust, respect, and care as we grow into the next chapter of our lives,” the band wrote in a statement at the time.

In February, Big Thief also unveiled a new L.A. wildfires benefit EP, with Passional Relations collecting some of their “favorite unreleased songs” to aid relief for those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles.

Wink Martindale, who had success as a DJ, radio personality, game show host and TV producer, died in Rancho Mirage, California, on Tuesday (April 15).  He was 91.

Martindale was best-known for hosting Gambit from 1972 to 1976 (and again from 1980 to 1981), Tic-Tac-Dough from 1978 to 1985, High Rollers from 1987 to 1988 and Debt from 1996 to 1998.

He also had a short-lived career as a recording artist. His spoken-word hit “Deck of Cards” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. The song had been a No. 2 hit for “T” Texas Tyler in 1948 on Billboard’s Best-Selling Retail Folk Records chart, a forerunner to Hot Country Songs.

Martindale landed just one other Hot 100 hit, “Black Land Farmer,” which reached No. 85 in 1961.

The future broadcaster was born Winston Conrad Martindale in Jackson, Tennessee. He began his career as a DJ at age 17 at WPLI in Jackson, earning $25 a week. After moving to WTJS, he was hired away for double the salary by Jackson’s only other station, WDXI. He next hosted mornings at WHBQ in Memphis while attending college at Memphis State University.

In 1959, he became morning man at KHJ in Los Angeles, moving a year later to the morning show at KRLA and finally to KFWB in 1962. He was a regular presence on Los Angeles radio into the 1990s. He had lengthy stays at KGIL (AM) from 1968 to 1971, KKGO-FM/KJQI and Gene Autry‘s KMPC (now KSPN-AM) from 1971 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1987, a brief stint on KABC during 1989, and KJQI from 1993 to 1994.

Martindale’s first break into television was at WHBQ-TV in Memphis, as the host of Mars Patrol, a children’s series. While at that station, Martindale became the host of the TV show Teenage Dance Party, where Elvis Presley (who would become a friend) made an appearance in June 1956.

Martindale’s first game-show hosting job was What’s This Song?, which he hosted for NBC (credited as “Win Martindale”) in 1964-65. In 1970-71, he hosted a similar song-recognition game show, Words and Music, again on NBC.

While Martindale’s greatest claim to fame is as a game-show host, he periodically returned to music programming. Martin filled in as guest host for Casey Kasem on American Top 40 in October 1975.

In the 2000s, Martindale had a daily three-hour show on the syndicated Music of Your Life format. In 2012, Martindale hosted the nationally-syndicated The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time.

On June 6, 2021, Martindale began hosting the syndicated The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll, a two-hour weekend review of music from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The production was created by Martindale, producer/engineer Peter Jay Gould of The Intervale Group, and writer/producer Gary Theroux.

Martindale was one of the hosts featured in the 2002 NBC special Most Outrageous Game Show Moments, alongside four other game show mainstays – Bob Eubanks, Jim Lange, Ben Stein, and Peter Marshall.

Martindale’s last program was the GSN original series Instant Recall, which premiered on March 4, 2010.

On June 2, 2006, Martindale received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard, adjacent to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – site of the first Academy Awards ceremony.  On Oct. 13, 2007, Martindale was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.

Martindale married Madelyn Leech in 1954, with whom he had four children; the couple divorced in 1972. He married his second wife, Sandy (née Ferra), on Aug. 2, 1975.

Olivier Bergeron brought the judges — and much of America — to the brink of tears on American Idol Monday night (April 14), performing Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay” with vulnerability and raw conviction.

The 22-year-old Canadian contestant, who grew up in a French-speaking community in New Brunswick, explained before the performance that music isn’t just a dream for him, it’s a lifeline.

“It’s very hard to be a dreamer where I’m from,” he said in a pre-performance package. “It’s an emergency. I need to be a singer. That’s the only thing I can do. I just want to show to everyone in my hometown that when you believe in something, it’s possible.”

Bergeron took the stage at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii for the Top 24 round of Season 23, pouring emotion into every line of the Jelly Roll ballad. The artist-in-residence himself was in the audience, and deeply moved by what he witnessed.

“I know what it’s like to be untrained and overwhelmed and just singing from the bottom of my soul with every part of me shaking,” Jelly Roll told Bergeron after the performance. “I see it and I feel it on you. To be a kid that hardly speaks English, to be coming over here and kicking this much butt already, I am a big fan and I am your family.”

The performance quickly became one of the standout moments of the night as voting opened for viewers to help determine who advances to the Top 20.

Other memorable performances during the night included Drew Ryn’s moving rendition of Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You,” Thunderstorm Artis’ soulful take on Bob Marley’s “Is This Love,” and Mattie Pruitt’s full-circle moment singing Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake.”

Voting for American Idol remains open until 6 a.m. ET on Tuesday (April 15). The Top 14 will be revealed live next Monday, following a three-hour Easter special featuring performances by CeCe Winans, Jelly Roll with Brandon Lake, and more.

Veteran performer Barry Manilow will be taking a break from his ongoing Las Vegas residency over the coming months to embark upon a final run of North American concert dates.

Dubbed “The Last Concerts,” Manilow’s upcoming run of arena shows will launch in late May and run until early June, before a return to his ongoing residency precedes another batch of newly-announced dates in July. Those dates will again be followed by a return to Las Vegas, and a handful of holiday shows in December.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to visit these great cities of which I have so many fond memories,” Manilow said in a statement. “Each one is special to my touring history.”

News of the “Copacabana” singer’s upcoming North American dates comes just a few months after he announced a lifetime residency at his longtime home, the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.

Manilow launched his “The Hits Come Home” residency at the Westgate Hotel in 2021, marking the third Vegas hotel at which he had a residency. He had previously set up shop at the Las Vegas Hilton from February 2005 to December 2009, and he followed with his “Manilow Paris Las Vegas” at the Paris Hotel & Casino at Las Vegas from March 2010 to December 2012.

His current run of residency dates see him booked until Dec. 13, though he will perform five shows for Manilow’s A Gift of Love VII concerts at Palm Desert’s McCallum Theatre only days later.

Barry Manilow – The Last Concerts 2025

May 23 –  PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
May 24 –  Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
May 27 –  Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
May 28 –  TD Garden, Boston, MA
May 30 –  Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
May 31 –  Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
June 03 –  Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
June 04 –  Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI
June 05 –  Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, OH
July 11 –  Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
July 12 –  Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
July 14 –  Maverik Center, West Valley City, UT
July 15 –  ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID
July 16 –  Moda Centre, Portland, OR
July 18 –  Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
July 19 –  Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA