Doechii accepts the Woman of the Year Award at Billboard Women In Music 2025.
Doechii:
Hello! Where’s the swamp? Do I have any fans in here? I cannot believe this. It was just two years ago that I stood on this very stage and accepted Billboard’s Rising Star Award. I had literally performed so hard that I danced my shoes off, and I had to hop up to this mic. And now, here I am—right back at the mic. That moment really reflects how I’ve approached my entire career: always go full out, always go hard, and always be fab. Okay? Always. So now, as I thank God and my family, I’m standing in a full-circle moment as Billboard’s Woman of the Year. But more importantly, I stand here as a fierce ally. And that word, ally, is a key reason why there is a Billboard Women in Music. At the time of the award show’s launch in 2007, women working in the music business were tired—tired of not getting their fair share of seats at the table, tired of not getting the credit they deserved, or the roses they absolutely earned for their contributions to the industry. Because y’all, stop cutting up! My point is that this event was created out of a necessity. And that word, necessity, is important. It hits me because my mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, was a space that I created out of necessity—a necessity for a place where I could feel seen, where I could feel heard, and where I could connect with other people through shared experiences.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-04-01 03:04:592025-04-01 03:04:59Doechii Accepts the Woman of the Year Award | Billboard Women In Music 2025
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-04-01 03:04:592025-04-01 03:04:59aespa Performs “Whiplash” | Billboard Women In Music 2025
DJ Miss Milan & Jayda Love present Doechii with the Woman of the Year Award at Billboard’s Women in Music.
DJ Miss Milan & Jayda Love: What’s up ladies? I am DJ Miss Milan and I’m Jayda Love. And we are so thrilled to be here tonight to honor our girl, Doechii. Two years ago on this very stage, Doechii was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award. And that was just the beginning. We’re only three months into 2025, and she already earned five more Hot 100 hits. And let’s not forget about the Grammy Award for best rap album, Alligator Bites Never Heal. It’s no surprise that everyone from SZA to Janelle Monáe to tonight’s Global Force honoree Jennie has collabed with her. She brings something truly special to the mix. As her longtime engineer and collaborator I get to watch Doechii take on all her creative ideas, break them down, build them back up to make them truly hers. We do. She’s a collaborator in every sense of the word, whether it’s music, visuals, styling, performances. She’s there alongside her team as a leader and as a decision maker. That’s right. Working together on the Grammy Award winning Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape with Doechii and the rest of the team has been a phenomenal experience. It’s been an incredible ride as Doechii and myself have literally performed damn near all around the world. Okay, we got a lot more to go though. She brings out the amazing sense of honest sisterhood in everyone she works with, encouraging us all to stand out in our own ways. Although she stands dominating every scene and every stage she’s on, let’s take a look at our favorite Swamp Princess.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-04-01 03:04:582025-04-01 03:04:58DJ Miss Milan & Jayda Love Present Doechii With the Woman of the Year Award | Billboard Women in Music 2025
Lee Zeidman, longtime president of Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and LA Live, announced his retirement on Friday (March 28).
“After 45 years in the industry, opening numerous venues and hosting approximately 6,500 events, I have decided I’m no longer interested in working full time and will move on to write the next chapter in the book of Lee,” Zeidman tells Billboard. “I’m looking forward to doing whatever I want, whenever I want, wherever I want and however I want.”
Zeidman says he has agreed to assist with the leadership transition with an official end date no later than Oct. 31, 2025. The building’s ownership group, AEG, has engaged an executive recruitment team to find Zeidman’s replacement and is splitting the job into multiple positions.
Zeidman is a graduate of Cal State Northridge and got his big break working at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles. When the Lakers and Kings decided to move to Downtown Los Angeles, Zeidman was the first employee hired at their new home, Staples Center, and he helped manage the construction of L.A. Live, one of North America’s first entertainment districts.
In 2020, Zeidman was honored with the Association of Luxury Suite Directors’ 2020 Visionary Award. Under his management, Staples Center, later renamed Crypto.com Arena, hosted nine NBA championships, three Stanley Cup Finals and five WNBA Finals. The arena has also hosted a multitude of sold-out concerts, awards shows and high-profile events, including the Grammys and funerals for Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle.
Zeidman says he has no immediate plans in his retirement but would like to teach and serve on the board of different non-profit groups or associations.
“I’m most looking forward to doing nothing,” Zeidman says. “Iv’e done this for 45 years, I’ve worked for some incredible leaders and feel incredibly lucky to have had this career.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-04-01 03:04:582025-04-01 03:04:58Crypto.com Arena & L.A. Live President Lee Zeidman Announces Retirement
There was an unmistakable current of Canadian nationalism running through the 2025 Juno Awards, which aired live on CBC from Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on Sunday (March 30).
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The awards gala – and its night-before invite-only gala where most of the awards are given out – is always a chance for the music industry to tout its successes. This year, those affirmations had a different flavour. Canada has a wave of national pride that tends to arise when the country is threatened, and with tariffs imposed by the United States among threats of annexation by U.S. President Donald Trump, it was ever-present at this year’s Junos.
Here is how it played out.
“Canada Is Not for Sale”
“Canada Is Not for Sale” has become a defiant slogan of pride of late, opposing Trump’s repeated threats of turning the country into the “51st state.” Junos host Michael Bublé was the latest star to use the phrase recently sported on a t-shirt by Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live. In an opening monologue that echoed the famous “I Am Canadian” Molson ad of the early 2000s, Bublé asserted a number of vaguely political affirmations of what he called “the greatest nation on earth.” “When they go low, we go high,” he said. “We love this country, and when you love something, you show up for it,” he said.
Allan Reid, president and CEO of CARAS, the organization that administers the Junos, also asserted culture as a form of Canadian identity in his speech at the industry gala on Saturday. Canada is the third largest exporter of music to the world, he said, likely referring to Luminate’s recent year-end report, and that’s an important distinction. “It is our culture that defines who we are and it is the touchstone of what it means to be Canadian,” he said. The music crosses borders, and that strengthens Canada internationally.
Winning the Walt Greilis Award, which recognizes individuals who have strengthened the growth or development of Canadian music, Live Nation Canada chairman Riley O’Connor echoed that sentiment. “It’s a time not to retreat, but to show innovation and talent,” he said. He was recognized for playing a big part in building the national touring network in Canada and showing international acts that there are fans in the country who want to hear the world’s music on live stages. He quoted Rush‘s “The Spirit of Radio,” then said, “now it’s time to turn up our Canadian volume.”
Behind-the-Scenes Success Stories
There is a tendency for the Canadian music industry, and the Junos, to speak to itself. That can be a problem when some of the biggest international stars strive for international success but don’t always show up for Canadian recognition.
While the Junos were a building block of a self-sufficient Canadian music industry, along with Canadian Content regulations and a strong system of government arts funding through organizations like FACTOR, it now has an issue of star power. Tate McRae was this year’s biggest winner with four awards, but wasn’t there to accept, and stars like The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes were also missing.
Some of the country’s biggest recent success stories, however, are behind the scenes, and this year they got an important overdue gesture of recognition. The Junos introduced the inaugural songwriter of the year (non-performer) category, and the winner was Lowell. The same winner of the Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, which she also accepted at the Billboard Canada Power Players in 2024, Lowell has been pushing for the category for years. “I’ve been here [at the Junos] eight or nine times before and watched hits I wrote win,” she said on Saturday night. “But never moi.” She shouted out her Canadian co-writer Nate Ferraro and all the other artists who should have won the award before her.
Lowell co-wrote some big hits recently, including Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and that shows a major impact made by Canadian musicians behind the scenes. Jack Rochon won the producer of the year award for his work with major international artists like Beyoncé, Kehlani and local R&B favourite Charlotte Day Wilson. Serban Ghenea, meanwhile, won recording engineer of the year for work with two of the biggest charting artists of the last year, Sabrina Carpenter and Teddy Swims (Ghenea has been nominated for 50 Grammys and won 21). Producer Boi-1da, meanwhile, won the international achievement award for work on some huge songs by stars like Drake, Rihanna and Eminem.
Canada is a heavy hitter for its relatively small population, and its fingerprints are on some of music’s biggest hits. It’s a good time to bring those accolades into the open.
Diversity as a Strength
There’s no one distinct Canadian sound, but the country has a cultural fluidity that is well-suited to the increasingly globalized music industry. There is music being made in multiple languages, well beyond even English and French.
Canada has become a global hub for the ascent of Punjabi music – what Billboard Canada coined the Punjabi Wave – and that’s become a big part of the Junos over the last few years. This year, the awards introduced the South Asian recording of the year award, which AP Dhillon won for “The Brownprint.” Unfortunately, the category was not televised and Dhillon wasn’t there to accept, but there was still a Punjabi performance by Gminxr, Jazzy B, Inderpal Moga and Chani Nattan.
Elisapie, meanwhile, won alternative album of the year for Inuktitut, an album of covers of songs by artists like Blondie and Pink Floyd in the title language. Accepting, she said she was proud to be an Inuk woman, singing in her language. Winning rap album of the year for their album RED FUTURE, Snotty Nose Rez Kids talked about Indigenous excellence and creating a vision for Indigenous people to see themselves in the future. In a year when Buffy Sainte-Mariehad her awards revoked amidst questions of her own Indigenous identity, the Junos also recognized new and present cultural voices.
“Elon Musk Is a Piece of Garbage”
While many of the criticisms of the U.S. were more subtle or centered around Canada – the name Trump was barely spoken – there were a couple of sharper criticisms. One came from bbno$ on Sunday’s televised broadcast. After saying his thank yous for winning the fan choice award, he had one last thing to say: “Also, Elon Musk is a piece of garbage.” The crowd cheered for the jab at Trump’s head of DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]. Introducing the next segment with Max Kerman of Arkells, Bublé said he didn’t hear what was said but could tell the crowd loved it. “I heard it,” Kerman said. “And it was right.”
At Saturday’s gala, Montreal band NOBRO brought real punk energy to their performance while lead singer Kathryn McCaughey sported a tank top that said “Pussies Against Fascism.” They won rock album of the year for their album Set Your Pussy Free and advocated for equal representation of women and for abortion as health care. “No pussy is free until they all are,” they proclaimed.
Made in Canada
In recent weeks in response to tariffs, American products have been pulled off liquor store shelves and grocery stores have hung signs letting shoppers know which products are Canadian-made. The messaging of the Junos also touted Canadian success stories, but there was a criticism below the surface of overrepresentation of major label acts in both the nominations list and televised performances. Sony, Universal and Warner all have Canadian offices and are thriving Canadian operations, but are also adjuncts of American companies.
There were some notable exceptions, however. The Beaches, who won group of the year for the second year in a row, gained bigger success after splitting with their former label, Universal Music Canada.
Sum 41 have been a major-label band throughout the majority of their career, but remarked on the strangeness of getting industry recognition. “We’re not really an award show band,” Deryck Whibley said. Being honoured with an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, they remembered sending their demo to every label and having it turned down by all of them. “One even told me it was the worst he had heard in a decade,” he said. “Maybe he’s here tonight.” They persisted, though, and became a major-label success story.
If resilience was a theme of the Junos, Nemahsis provided a different example. The Palestinian-Canadian artist told the story of being dropped from her major label shortly after Oct. 7 and releasing her breakout album Verbathim fully independently with the help of her manager Chass Bryan.
“So many labels are being thanked and mentioned,” she said on Saturday night accepting the alternative award, right in front of many major players of the Canadian music industry. “Labels have money. Money pays for albums. Artists need money to make art. I was cut off and left with nothing, and this album still came out because of Chass and my parents and the people of Palestine.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-31 06:10:422025-03-31 06:10:42How the 2025 Junos Reflected Canada’s Current Wave of Cultural Nationalism: News Analysis
More than 20 years since it became required listening for any mid-aughts music fan, the artists featured on the soundtrack to acclaimed indie film Garden State have come together in Los Angeles for a one-night only affair.
Initially released in July 2004, Garden State served as the directorial debut for Scrubs star Zach Braff, and earned itself a nomination for the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Though it avoided much of the Hollywood glitz and glamor, the film developed a cult following, thanks in part to its eclectic soundtrack.
Equally influential and acclaimed, the soundtrack collected names such as The Shins, Coldplay, and Iron & Wine as something of a snapshot of the era’s indie landscape. Ultimately, the soundtrack peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and won the 2005 Grammy for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.
In October 2024, it was announced a special concert celebration would take place at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater on March 29, with proceeds from the affair going to benefit The Midnight Mission, a homeless shelter and services provider founded in L.A. in 1914.
Promotion for the event promised appearances from (almost) every artist featured on the soundtrack, along with “very special guests” by way of cast member appearances, and on Saturday (March 29), the full anniversary concert came to fruition.
Artists such as The Shins were on hand to perform the likes of “Caring is Creepy” and “New Slang” (which attained widespread fame thanks to Natalie Portman’s character insisting the song will “change your life; I swear”), while Cary Brothers, Bonnie Somerville, Colin Hay, Thievery Corporation, Cary Brothers, and Sophie Barker of Zero 7 also appeared to perform their respective cuts.
A handful of notable absences did alter the dream lineup, however. While pop heavyweights Coldplay weren’t on hand to perform “Don’t Panic,” neither were Simon & Garfunkel available to run through “The Only Living Boy in New York.” In their absence, Laufey and The Milk Carton Kids got up onstage to cover their songs, respectively. Likewise, Iron & Wine paid tribute to the late Nick Drake by adding a rendition of “One of These Things First” to his scheduled performance.
The event also resulted in a couple of rare performances from the likes of Frou Frou and Remy Zero. While Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth of Frou Frou have been active again since 2017, the pair had not performed live since 2019, with the Garden State concert seeing them appear onstage once again.
Remy Zero, meanwhile, broke up in 2010 and reformed exclusively for the Saturday concert. The band largely reunited to play their 1998 track “Fair,” though they also used the opportunity to provide fans with a chance to hear the track “Save Me,” which found fame as the theme to Smallville from 2001 to 2011.
On the non-musical front, the event also featured appearances from both Braff and Portman, while Danny DeVito (an executive producer on the original film), and Braff’s former Scrubs co-stars Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke took to the stage to partake in the festivities and the fundraising efforts.
For those that missed out on the event, the concert will be available to purchase for streaming from April 6. Proceeds from the stream will also be donated to The Midnight Mission.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-31 05:07:562025-03-31 05:07:56Frou Frou, Remy Zero Reunite For Los Angeles ‘Garden State’ Anniversary Concert
Drake has had a challenging year, due to being widely seen as the loser of a high-profile diss battle with Kendrick Lamar, but he got a strong show of support at the Juno Awards in his native Canada on Sunday (March 30). His friend and frequent collaborator Boi-1da (pronounced Boy Wonder) sang his praises in accepting an International Achievement Award. Drake wasn’t present at the ceremony, which was held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
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“I’m extremely humbled by this award and just to be mentioned among the legendary names as well – man I can’t even describe it,” the producer (who was born Matthew Jehu Samuels) began. “I want to have a huge shout-out to my brother Drake, the greatest rapper of all time, the greatest artist of all time and he’s from Canada – Drizzy Drake – that’s my brother.
“Listen…Drake, love you bro, we started this together, we did this together, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Drake and all the sacrifices he made, all the doors he kicked down for a lot of people man, so shout-out to Drake. Thank you for life, man, I love that guy.”
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, the future producer moved to Canada when he was three and grew up in Toronto. His first production work was at age 18, when he worked on two tracks on a Drake mixtape (Room for Improvement).
Boi-1da won his only Grammy to date as the co-writer of Drake’s “God’s Plan,” which was voted best rap song. The producer has been nominated for 19 Grammys, including six times for album of the year, for his work on Eminem’s Recovery, Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Drake’s Views, Kanye West’s (now Ye’s) Donda and Beyonce’s Renaissance.
Boi-1da has received two Grammy nods for record of the year, for “God’s Plan” and Rihanna’s “Work” (featuring Drake), and one song of the year nod, also for “God’s Plan.” He has been nominated twice for producer of the year, non-classical.
This International Achievement Award was his first Juno Award or nomination.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-31 05:04:382025-03-31 05:04:38Boi-1da Gives Drake Some Love in Acceptance Speech at 2025 Juno Awards
The biggest winner at the 2025 Juno Awards wasn’t there to accept her awards.
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Tate McRae won four awards – for artist, single, album and pop album of the year – but was not able to make it to the Vancouver, British Columbia awards ceremony on Sunday (March 30) or the untelevised gala the night before to accept. That’s an ongoing issue at the Junos, where the responsibilities of the biggest international superstars often keep them from their home country’s award show.
Stars like Drake, The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes were not at Rogers Arena for the show, but there was an ongoing theme of Canadian excellence. At a time when U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canada and threatens to annex it as the 51st state, many used the Junos as a chance to wave the cultural flag.
McRae won four out of five of her nominations, taking artist of the year for the second year in a row, single of the the year for the second year in a row (with “Exes” taking the award won last year by “Greedy”) and album of the year and pop album of the year for the first time (with Think Later). She missed out only on the fan choice award. That was won by the perpetually viral rapper bbno$, a hit on TikTok, which sponsored the award. He used the acceptance speech to create another viral moment, using his time to call billionaire and top Trump advisor Elon Musk a “piece of garbage.”
That was a more direct criticism of the American administration than what ran through most of the show, where a more nationalistic “Canada is not for sale” message rang through. Accepting the award for country album of the year, breakout Ontario singer Josh Ross thanked his label Universal Music both in Canada and south of the border, reminding them that “friends are better than enemies.”
Host Michael Bublé began the show with a medley of his hits in four different languages, duetting with Canadian artists including Elisapie, Jonita Gandhi, Roxane Bruneau and Maestro Fresh Wes. That recognized the diversity of sounds and genres, while his opening monologue recalled the famous “I Am Canadian” ad with Canadian pride and an affirmation that Canada is “the greatest nation on earth.”
Other than special awards, only four awards were presented on CBC’s Sunday broadcast, with the vast majority given out at the industry gala the night before. One of those was for group of the year. While Sum 41 seemed like a safe prediction given that they also were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on the show and closed it with a medley of their pop-punk classics, it was instead awarded for the second year in a row to The Beaches. That continued a hot few years for the Toronto band, who broke out with their hit “Blame Brett” in 2023 and haven’t looked back since.
The other big award of the night was for breakthrough artist of the year. That accolade went to Nemahsis, the Palestinian-Canadian artist who was reportedly dropped from her major label for her refusal to silence her pro-Palestinian advocacy after Oct. 7. The singer, who also won alternative album of the year and performed on the broadcast, dedicated the award to her fellow hijabis and said all she ever wanted was to turn on Canadian TV and see someone who looked like her. “I didn’t think it would take this long or that I would be the one to do it,” she said. She thanked OVO Sound producer Noah “40” Shebib and artist Jad El Khoury for helping her finish her album Verbathim when she was suddenly fully independent and didn’t have the money to do so on her own.
Anne Murray was given the lifetime achievement award, marking only the second time in Junos history the award has been given (the other was to the architect of Canadian Content regulations and the namesake of the Junos, Pierre Juneau). Wearing a bedazzled Canada hockey jersey, the singer – who holds the record for most-ever Junos ahead of The Weeknd – talked about the importance of Canada to her multi-decade career and called the country her “safety blanket.” Producer Boi-1da won the international achievement award, recognizing his huge hits on the global stage – including four No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 – for artists like Rihanna, Drake and Eminem.
Other performances on the show included Haida Nation rap album of the year winners Snotty Nose Rez Kids with Tia Wood, Sunday night winners bbno$ and Josh Ross and an all-star Punjabi performance that featured Gminxr, Jazzy B, Inderpal Moga and Chani Nattan. Karan Aujla winning the fan choice award in 2024 showed the institution’s recognition of the Punjabi Wave, and the Junos implemented the new South Asian recording of the year award this year. AP Dhillon won for The Brownprint; however, the award was unfortunately not televised.
Find a full list of 2025 Juno Award winners below:
TikTok Juno Fan Choice
WINNER: bbno$ (Independent*Stem)
Dean Brody (Starseed)
Jade Eagleson (Starseed)
Josh Ross (Universal)
Karan Aujl (Independent)
Les Cowboys Fringants (Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande)
Preston Pablo (Universal)
Shawn Mendes (Universal)
Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
The Weeknd (XO*Universal)
Artist of the Year
Josh Ross (Universal)
Kaytranada (RCA*Sony)
Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
The Weeknd (XO*Universal)
Single of the Year
“Single Again,” Josh Ross (Universal)
“Winning Speech,” Karan Aujla (Independent)
“Why Why Why,” Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: “exes,” Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
“Timeless,” The Weeknd & Playboi Carti (XO*Universal)
Album of the Year
Inuktitut, Elisapie (Bonsound*Sony)
Complicated, Josh Ross (Universal)
Submergé, Roxane Bruneau (Disques Artic*Sony)
UNDISPUTED, Sukha (GK*Universal)
WINNER: THINK LATER, Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
Group of the Year
Crash Adams (Warner)
Mother Mother (Warner)
Spiritbox (BMG*Universal)
Sum 41 (Rise/BMG*Universal)
WINNER: The Beaches (Independent*AWAL)
Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year
Alexander Stewart (FAE*The Orchard)
AP Dhillon (Republic*Universal)
AR Paisley (Warner)
Chris Grey (Rebellion Records)
EKKSTACY (Dine Alone*The Orchard)
WINNER: Nemahsis (Independent)
Owen Riegling (Universal)
Sukha (GK*Universal)
Tony Ann (Decca*Universal)
Zeina (Artist Partner Group)
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year
Aaron Paris — “intro (end of the world)” (Ariana Grande), “Bought the Earth” (Yeat), “Let it Breathe” (Ski Mask the Slump God), “Tiger Eye” (Loony), “Dishonored” (Sean Leon and Jessie Reyez, “R e a l W o m a n” (PartyNextDoor)
Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth, India Gailey (Red Shift*Believe)
Williams Violin Concerto No. 1; Bernstein Serenade, James Ehnes (Pentatone*Naxos/The Orchard)
Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
Known To Dreamers: Black Voices in Canadian Art Song, Canadian Art Song Project (Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos)
Rituæls, collectif9 (Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard)
East is East, Infusion Baroque (Leaf*Naxos)
Marie Hubert: Fille du Roy, Karina Gauvin (ATMA*Universal)
Kevin Lau: Under a Veil of Stars, St. John–Mercer–Park Trio (Leaf*Naxos)
Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)
Ispiciwin, Luminous Voices (Leaf*Naxos)
Alikeness, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia, conducted by/dirigé par Mark Fewer featuring Aiyun Huang, Deantha Edmunds and Mark Fewer (Leaf*Naxos)
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-31 04:31:332025-03-31 04:31:33Tate McRae Sweeps 2025 Juno Awards, But Isn’t at the Ceremony to Accept: Full Winners List
Longtime REO Speedwagon vocalist Kevin Cronin has taken to social media to share his thoughts on his lack of inclusion in an upcoming one-off reunion event.
Cronin, who has been touring with his own Kevin Cronin Band, addressed a fan on Facebook who noted the singer’s absence from REO Speedwagon’s forthcoming concert in Champaign, Illinois on June 14, responding that organizers of the event could have picked a date when many of the band’s former members were readily available to attend.
“Instead they chose June 14, 2025, a date where it was public knowledge that I was previously committed to perform with Styx and Kevin Cronin Band in Bend, Oregon,” Cronin wrote. “Bottom line, I am being asked to participate in an event on a date when I can’t possibly be there in-person. And then being falsely accused of turning down the invitation. I am deeply disturbed and hurt by all of this.
“After all I have done to help build the legacy of REO Speedwagon, I feel I have earned and deserve to be included in any event honoring that legacy. Instead, I have been knowingly excluded.”
Cronin joined REO Speedwagon in early 1972, taking over from Terry Luttrell who reportedly left due to personal issues with guitarist Gary Richrath. Though Cronin was himself briefly replaced by Mike Murphy the following year, he returned in 1976 and remained in the band until their end, performing on tracks such as their two Hot 100 chart-toppers “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling.”
In late 2024, REO Speedwagon announced that they would cease touring as of Jan. 1, 2025. In a note shared to fans, the group explained that bassist Bruce Hall had not recovered sufficiently from previous back surgery and his inability to tour led to “irreconcilable differences” between Hall and Cronin.
REO Speedwagon played their final live performance on Dec. 21 at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, but in March announced they would be playing a special one-off show at the State Farm Center in their hometown of Champaign, Illinois on June 14. Officially titled as an event ‘Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon,’ the show is described as a “concert retrospective featuring special guests & former members.”
Indeed, Hall and Neal Doughty from the final REO Speedwagon lineup are confirmed to attend, as are previous vocalists Luttrell and Murphy. Founding drummer Alan Gratzer and 1969 guitarist Steve Scorfina are also listed as appearing, while a special tribute will be held to late members Gary Richrath and Gregg Philbin.
In his social media comment, Cronin also claimed that the remaining members of the band’s final lineup – who currently perform alongside him in the Kevin Cronin Band – weren’t given the option of appearing at the forthcoming show. “35-year REO veterans Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt were not even shown the respect of being invited to the Champaign event,” he added.
Cronin spoke to Billboard ahead of REO Speedwagon’s final show in December, explaining that the circumstances behind the band’s ending were less than ideal, and admitted there is still a level of acrimony between he and Hall. “It’s kind of like a divorce of sorts,” he explained, “and during a divorce things get a little muddy and things get a little sticky. I wish it could’ve been more amicable, but the minute attorneys get involved it just changes the atmosphere of things.”
“I think it’s unfortunate that some fans were kind of brought into something that I really feel should’ve been kept as a private, personal matter,” he continued. “It’s never thrilling when things are said that are inaccurate and hurtful. My hope is that there will come a time where the dust will have settled. My intention is to ask forgiveness for anything that I’ve done or any hurt that I have caused Bruce. I don’t like to have grudges with people. I like to forgive and be forgiven.”
Billie Eilish and Finneas have hired new management.
The siblings are now being managed by Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen, whose clients include Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini and more.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news.
Eilish and Finneas were previously managed by Best Friends co-founders Danny Rukasin and Brandon Goodman for the duration of their careers. Rukasin and Goodman formed Best Friends in 2019 and built it into a management, publishing and recording powerhouse. The two have since signed Bishop Briggs, breakout artists including Role Model and Mimi Webb and more.
Owen is CEO of Sandbox Entertainment. He boasts country star Kelsea Ballerini as a longtime client, along with Kacey Musgraves. Last week, Sandbox scored a total of five Academy of Country Music Awards, including for Entertainer of the Year (Ballerini), Female Artist of the Year (Ballerini and Musgraves), Group of the Year (Little Big Town) and more.
Alongside Rukasin and Goodman, Eilish charted 44 songs on the Hot 100, including one No. 1 with “Bad Guy.” She’s earned 32 Grammy nominations and nine wins, including her 2020 sweep of all Big Four categories. She and Finneas have won two Oscars, for “No Time to Die,” from the James Bond film of the same name and “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie.
Finneas has 21 Grammy nominations and 10 wins.
Next month, Eilish will continue touring her celebrated third album Hit Me Hard and Soft. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the No. 2 Hot 100 hit “Birds of a Feather.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-03-31 03:01:152025-03-31 03:01:15Billie Eilish & Finneas Hire New Management
