PRS for Music announced today that its CEO, Andrea Czapary Martin, will step down at the end of 2026, concluding a tenure marked by rapid financial growth and sweeping organizational change.

Martin, who joined the U.K. collecting society in June 2019, led PRS through the pandemic, launched an Emergency Relief Fund to support members during lockdowns and oversaw the company’s relocation to a new London Bridge headquarters.

Under Martin’s leadership, PRS accelerated its strategic ambitions, delivering its five‑year plan in just three years. In 2021, she set a goal to push annual distributions above 1 billion pounds while reducing the cost‑to‑income ratio to below 10%. Last year, PRS reported 1.02 billion pounds in 2024 payouts — a milestone that took more than a century to reach the first 500 million pounds but only a decade to double it.

PRS has also boasted of reduced fees — by as much as 20% for multiterritory online licensing. That’s “a real, tangible example of how we are constantly working on behalf of members to be competitive and to get more money to them more quickly,” Martin told Billboard in her entry for last year’s Women in Music list. “The success of the society should be defined by the success we pass on to songwriters and composers.”

Before joining PRS, the Canada‑born executive held senior roles across media, data and security sectors, including 27 years at Readers Digest Association, president of ADT Canada, and managing director of Royal Mail’s data services division.

PRS said Martin’s decision to step down — made jointly with the PRS Members’ Council — allows time for a smooth leadership transition as the society continues modernizing its systems and strengthening member services.

“I am immensely proud of everything PRS for Music has achieved, not least the doubling of revenues and distributions over the last 10 years,” Martin said, adding that innovation and agility have become embedded throughout the org. “My commitment remains to delivering the best possible outcomes for the songwriters, composers and publishers we represent.”

PRS Chair Julian Nott praised Martin for her unwavering commitment to the organization, saying “that spirit will undoubtedly continue until her departure.”

Martin’s departure comes as PRS faces public scrutiny from high‑profile members including Paul McCartney, Elton John and Thom Yorke, who have questioned transparency around administrative costs and the allocation of royalty income.

Megan Moroney caps a historic week on Billboard’s charts (dated March 7), thanks to the debut of her album Cloud 9.

Released Feb. 20 (via Megan Moroney/Columbia Nashville/Columbia/Sony Music Nashville), the set launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 147,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in its opening week, according to Luminate. The Georgia native earns her first leader on the chart.

Notably, as Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” rules the Billboard Hot 100, she and Moroney mark the first women who primarily record country music to lead Billboard’s all-genre song and album charts simultaneously.

The album’s strong opening week also sends Moroney soaring from No. 59 to No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 — where she likewise leads for the first time. The singer-songwriter, who made her Billboard chart debut in September 2022, becomes just the third woman to top the chart in its 12-year history sparked by a country album, following Carrie Underwood (one week at No. 1 in September 2018) and Taylor Swift (multiple weeks on top via her Taylor’s Version re-recordings).

On the March 7 Hot 100, Moroney places nine songs from Cloud 9, all debuts except where noted below:

Rank, Title:
No. 32, “Beautiful Things” (up from No. 58. new peak)
No. 39, “Medicine”
No. 41, “Wish I Didn’t” (reentry, new peak)
No. 58, “Wedding Dress”
No. 63, “Cloud 9”
No. 67, “I Only Miss You,” with Ed Sheeran
No. 68, “Who Hurt You?”
No. 83, “Stupid”
No. 97, “Convincing”

The album’s lead single, “6 Months Later,” reached No. 29 in January — Moroney’s highest-charting Hot 100 hit to date.

Cloud 9 also inducts Moroney into an exclusive club on the Billboard 200. She becomes just the 10th woman to top the chart with a country album this century, and the first since Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter in April 2024.

Here’s every country album by a woman or all-woman group to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this century (per titles that have hit Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart):

Title, Artist, Peak Date:
Home, The Chicks, 9/14/02
Cry, Faith Hill, 11/2/02
Up!, Shania Twain, 12/7/02
Fireflies, Faith Hill, 8/20/05
All Jacked Up, Gretchen Wilson, 10/15/05
Taking the Long Way, The Chicks, 6/10/06
Reba Duets, Reba McEntire, 10/6/07
Carnival Ride, Carrie Underwood, 11/10/07
Fearless, Taylor Swift, 11/29/08
Keep on Loving You, Reba, 9/5/09
Play On, Carrie Underwood, 11/21/09
Speak Now, Taylor Swift, 11/13/10
Blown Away, Carrie Underwood, 5/19/12
Red, Taylor Swift, 11/10/12
Platinum, Miranda Lambert, 6/21/14
Now, Shania Twain, 10/21/17
Cry Pretty, Carrie Underwood, 9/29/18
Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift, 4/24/21
Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift, 11/27/21
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift, 7/22/23
Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé, 4/13/24
Cloud 9, Megan Moroney, 3/7/26

The Artist 100 measures acts’ activity across key metrics of music consumption: album sales, track sales, radio airplay and streaming. Using a methodology comprising those metrics, the chart provides a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

America250, the national nonpartisan organization charged with leading the celebration and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, presents the first three tracks from America’s Soundtrack, a new music collection created for the occasion, with visionary producer Emilio Estefan Jr. as executive producer.

The initial three songs — which Billboard can preview exclusively — include “America” by Gloria Estefan, now available widely for the first time; “American Promise,” a newly commissioned orchestral work by composer Karen LeFrak; and a powerful choral rendition of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” performed by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. All three will be available Thursday (March 5) on YouTube.

“Music has always been how Gloria and I tell stories about who we are and where we’re going,” Estefan Jr. — who is married to Gloria Estefan — said in a statement. “America’s Soundtrack is about capturing our dynamic musical roots as a country while creating something forward-looking that reflects our future.”

“Music unifies us in a way few things can,” added America250’s chair, Rosie Rios. “As we engage all 350 million Americans in the 250th anniversary of the United States, America’s Soundtrack will give us a powerful way to connect through a shared cultural language — music.”

The debut tracks preview a “bold, genre-spanning collection … to reflect the full range of American music,” featuring pop, rock and more, according to the press release. “America,” initially introduced in 2015, reflects the Estefans’ gratitude for the freedoms and opportunities found in the U.S. as Cuban immigrants.

“American Promise,” a contemporary orchestral piece commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra, is described as “a musical portrait of unity, gratitude and faith in the enduring American dream,” while The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s performance of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” highlights “the powerful role music has to unite the nation.”

The world premiere of “American Promise” will be performed by the Miami Symphony Orchestra on March 8. The recording of the work was completed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Additional performances by the National Symphony Orchestra and other orchestras will follow throughout the year.

“It is an honor for ‘American Promise’ to be part of the Semiquincentennial celebration. The piece was written to reflect what America’s 250th represents — freedom, celebration and the vast beauty of the country we share,” LeFrak said.

Additional artists and tracks will be announced throughout 2026 as America’s Soundtrack rolls out, leading up to America250’s Fourth of July programming.

In the meantime, watch a video for Gloria Estefan’s rendition of “America” above, and listen to “American Promise” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” below.

My Chemical Romance, Tool, Limp Bizkit and Pierce the Veil are among the headliners at this fall’s Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, Calif. The Oct. 1-4 event at Discovery Park from promoter Danny Wimmer Presents will also feature sets from $uicideboy$, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, A Day to Remember, Wu-Tang Clan, Sublime, Danny Elfman, Babymetal, Circa Survive and Public Enemy, among many more.

Passes are on sale now, starting at just $1 down for 4-day GA, 4-day GA 4-pack, as well as one-day passes and VIP packages; click here for ticketing information.

With more than 140 artists on tap for the biggest lineup to date, this year’s edition will add a fifth stage on the event’s expanded footprint.

Among the other acts on tap this year: AFI, The Used, Stone Temple Pilots, Cypress Hill, Slaughter to Prevail, The Pretty Reckless, The Story So Far, Dance Gavin Dance, Coheed and Cambria, Hot Mulligan, Sleeping With Sirens, Down, Dethklok, Three 6 Mafia, Black Label Society, Chiodos, Highly Suspect, Nothing More, Body Count feat. Ice-T, Cavalera, Killswitch Engage, Zakk Sabbath, Insane Clown Posse, Kublai Khan TX, New Found Glory, Wolfmother and many more.

“This year’s Aftershock marks a bold new chapter for the festival. We’ve brought together metal, punk, emo, and nu-metal to create a lineup that’s raw, youthful, and unapologetic,” said promoter Wimmer of the 14th edition of the festival. “With TOOL anchoring the weekend and Pierce The Veil making their headlining debut, we’re breaking boundaries and redefining what Aftershock can be. And after years of fan requests, we’re finally introducing camping — giving fans the chance to fully immerse themselves in the weekend. This is a new era for Aftershock, and Sacramento is about to feel it.”

In addition to four days of music, the event will feature a number of new food and beverage options, including the Cantina del Diablo open-air cantina with Mexican street food, tequila and mezcal cocktail and the Overtime sports bar, which will screen the biggest regional and national games all weekend. This year will also include the first-ever official RV and car + tent camping at nearby Cal Expo.

Last year’s Aftershock was headlined by Blink-182, Deftones, Korn and Bring Me the Horizon.

Check out the full lineup for the 2026 Aftershock Festival below:

You’ve inhaled DEADLINE. And bought tickets to their shows. Now, BLACKPINK fans can show their love with a new, limited-edition capsule.

The special release is available on Complex.com from 12 noon ET on Thursday, March 5, through a partnership with the youth, culture and entertainment platform and Disney.

Inspired by London’s 1970s punk style, the Disney-meets-BLACKPINK capsule is a collaboration covers tees, sweatshirts, crop tops, tank tops, a tote bag, and a fitted hat. With each purchase, an exclusive photocard featuring one of the four members: JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA.

Disney’s global creative director Bobby Kim is behind the character designs, which reimagine Disney characters through “a rebellious lens,” with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other favorites paired with BLACKPINK branding across white, pink, and charcoal bases.

“This punk-inspired collection is all about expressing your individuality and challenging the status quo with confidence,” comments Kim  in a statement. “As a global pop-culture phenomenon, BLACKPINK’s fearless creativity and boundary-breaking style are at the heart of this capsule, making them the ideal creative force to kick off a high-impact series of collections with Complex.”

Prices range from $45 for the Disney X BLACKPINK Minnie hat, up to $125 for the Disney X BLACKPINK plaid jacket.

The new collection drops a week to the day since BLACKPINK unleashed their five-track DEADLINE EP, the K-pop superstars’ first major music release since they topped the Billboard 200 chart in 2022 with Born Pink.

But while each of them thrived as soloists, all of the women have expressed missing working with their bandmates prior to reuniting. “I’ve missed doing tours with them. I miss our silly moments,” JENNIE told Billboard in her January 2025 cover story. “Everyone took their own journey [during] this time, and I’m excited to share that with the girls. I want to say it’s going to be the most powerful [versions] of ourselves that anyone has seen.”

The four-piece previewed the release in July with the Diplo-assisted “JUMP,” which hit No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. And while “JUMP” was in Korean and English, the other four songs on DEADLINE are all in English. Earlier this week, BLACKPINK shared the effects-heavy music track “Go.”

Check out the BLACKPINK Capsule here.