This article was created in partnership with Yahoo. 

Billboard Women in Music 2026 was a stunning testament to the power of women supporting women across the music industry, including the artists, executives, and the teams who move culture. Just ask our red carpet co-host Drew Afualo.  

Afualo, a New York Times bestselling author, creator and host of The Comment Section podcast known for her deep devotion to women, brought contagious energy to the evening. As a friend and admirer of some of the artists honored during the ceremony, she represented the fan perspective on the red carpet, presented by Yahoo. Fans sent in questions for the honorees via Billboard’s Instagram Stories and TikTok, with select submissions asked live during the red carpet livestream. 

However, her hosting gig would not have been possible without proper preparation. The multihyphenate streamlined her organization ahead of the event in partnership with the new Planner feature in Yahoo Mail. Read on to hear about the hosting experience from Afualo, get an inside look at her preparation for the big day, and Try Planner By Yahoo Mail yourself.

You co-hosted this year’s Billboard Women in Music red carpet, and you hosted talent backstage the year before. What is special to you about Women in Music vs. other award shows you’ve worked? 
I think the most special thing about this particular award show is the energy in the room. It almost feels lighter and full of warmth, in the best way possible. And I like to think that’s because that’s how it feels to be loved and supported by women. It’s the most beautiful feeling in the world. 

You just collaborated with Billboard and Yahoo Mail with Planner to get ready for  Billboard Women in Music. How has Planner helped your preparation as a creative? 
I’m a Virgo, so obviously, I love organization. The new Planner feature in Yahoo Mail makes it easy to turn important emails into events and tasks with simple actions — even just a swipe — so all my important details stay organized in one place. Having everything front and center helps clear the mental clutter, so I can focus more on being creative and making work feel a little more like play.

You are a seasoned interviewer with host roles on Two Idiot Girls and The Comment Section. What makes a compelling interview? 
For me, personally, I love celebrity interviews that give talent the opportunity to open up at their own pace. We’re so used to seeing celebrities polished and rehearsed, and I pride myself on getting them to open up in a way maybe people haven’t seen before. I think giving them that comfort and space allows for the best kind of interview. 
 
We celebrated all the Women in Music. Now, let’s celebrate you! What is your favorite creative, career moment from the past year? 
I would say selling two more books, but this time in the fiction space. BookTok girls: I’m coming for your gig! Period!
 

Now that you’ve crushed our red carpet and booked artists on your own shows, how do you hope to grow your relationship with music fans? 
I hope I can continue to talk with even more musicians who are experts in their craft and giving their art to the world, which hopefully helps me connect more with their fans! Fangirls make the world go ‘round, and I’ve always said that! 
 
You started your career in sports, carved out your own path, and now you’re here. What message do you have to share with young girls and women who aspire to work across entertainment? 
I would say that there is nothing more unique in this world than you, and the entertainment world needs more uniqueness. Make art for the sake of making art, not to become famous … it’s more important now than ever! 

Artifacts associated with such wide-ranging recordings as Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain, Nirvana’s Nevermind, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’ “A Taste of Honey” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” will be on display beginning Thursday, May 28, when The Grammy Museum presents “Tower of Song: Iconic Songwriters & Recordings,” a new exhibit that showcases the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“Tower of Song” opens with a public program that night at the Grammy Museum’s Clive Davis Theater featuring SHOF inductees Jimmy Jam and Diane Warren, breaking down Hall of Fame recordings and their own favorite songs to provide insights about the songwriting and recording processes. The program will be followed by a cocktail reception at the exhibition. Additional guests are still to be announced.

The exhibit will feature artifacts and media connected to legacy songwriters inducted into the SHOF, and recordings inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, as well as commentary about different songs and albums from the songwriters, artists and producers who created them. 

“Tower of Song” includes an original film featuring Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Alan Menken, Carole King, Warren and Jam, among others, talking about their creative process and approach to songwriting. Complementing the film is a digital interactive experience that poses the question: “What makes this Hall of Fame song great?” 

“The Grammy Museum is where people can engage more deeply with the music of yesterday and today, discovering influences, uncovering context and connecting with artists and songs in a meaningful way,” Jasen Emmons, the museum’s chief curator and vp of curatorial affairs, said in a statement. “By exploring songwriters and recordings that have shaped music history, the ‘Tower of Song’ exhibit invites music fans to hear and think about iconic songwriters and recordings in new ways.”

“Tower of Song” continues the Grammy Museum’s longstanding partnership with the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Their past co-sponsored events include the Legends-In-The-Round and ChartTopper series, each featuring a gathering of Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees and hit songwriters discussing their careers and performing their songs. Other events include movie screenings combined with panel discussions.

The “Tower of Song” exhibit follows The Grammy Museum’s third annual Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, which was held on Friday, May 8, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. This event celebrated the 14 recordings inducted into the 52nd class of the Grammy Hall of Fame and served as a fundraiser to support the Grammy Museum’s national education programs.

Here are some highlights of the upcoming exhibit, “Tower of Song: Iconic Songwriters & Recordings.”

Lainey Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges are married! The couple wed on Sunday, May 10, during a ceremony held at Ruskin Cave in Dickson, Tenn. Vogue offered a first look at several photos from the ceremony and reception.

“Duck and I were driving backroads in Tennessee and saw a billboard for The Ruskin Cave,” Wilson told Vogue Weddings in the feature published Thursday (May 14). “Duck said, ‘You wanna get married there?’ I said, ‘Done deal.’ We dropped by, saw the venue and fell in love with the natural beauty of the cave and the simplicity of the property.”

Instead of the bell-bottoms and hat that have become Wilson’s signature onstage look, the Grammy-winning artist wore a flowing Oscar de la Renta gown with cherry blossom floral accents, and arrived at the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage. Hodges wore a suit by D. Lacquaniti.

Wilson’s father walked her down the aisle, and Hodges and the singer were wed by her mentor and friend Wes Williams.

“I have never seen Duck smile as big as he did then,” Wilson told the publication. “It made me feel giddy about turning the page into this next chapter of marriage. We were both anxious to say ‘I do!’”

According to Vogue, among those attending the wedding were many in the Nashville country music community, including Luke Bryan, Wynonna Judd, Ian Munsick, Ashland Craft, Drew Baldridge, Lauren Alaina, Ella Langley, Jelly Roll and Miranda Lambert.

The newly married couple danced their first dance to Muscadine Bloodline’s “10-90 (The Sound of Roses),” the magazine reported. Wilson’s Louisiana roots were evident throughout the reception, with the New Orleans group Rebirth Brass Band performing and guests enjoyed Cajun food created by the chefs from Wilson’s Bell Bottoms Up Bar.

Wilson began dating former NFL quarterback Hodges in 2021, and he popped the question in February 2025.

The country star told the magazine of her wedding: “We wanted it to be special and beautiful, but really welcoming and comfortable for our guests.”

Two years ago, all of Colombia got to know La Guru after Karol G fell in love with “Perra Melancólica,” one of her early hits, which led to an interview with Juanpis González in one of his viral segments. But La Bichota did more than just boost one song; she embraced the independent artist from Pereira as she would any of her close friends and, over time, invited her to write together.

She recalls when the Colombian star invited her to participate in a songwriting camp in Los Angeles while working on what ended up being Tropicoqueta. Karol even suggested they create together one-on-one in the studio — and from that session came “LATINA FOREVER,” the album’s lead single.

“Our relationship has been very beautiful, not like we’re best friends who are always together, but very professional,” says La Guru in an interview with Billboard Colombia about her relationship with Karol G.
“She respects my journey a lot and hasn’t wanted to interfere, and she’s told me that many times.”

The truth is, the artist born Daniela Aponte has been in the music industry for around 15 years writing, singing, recording and kicking down doors that others didn’t want to open for her. In that studio, La Guru knew she had to shine.

“The first thing we did was set the vibe, connect, talk, have a few cocktails and laugh. We shared some really intimate things. Then, we realized that the Latin community was missing unity, especially among women, and that now everyone wants to be Latino — everyone wants to marry a Colombian and come here,” says La Guru.

She adds that she and Karol have written many songs together, but that “LATINA FOREVER” is the only one that’s been released — so far. After her work with Karol G, La Guru also contributed to “Choka Choka,” the new single by Anitta and Shakira. Soon, she’ll be featured on “No Era Mío,” a track from Greeicy’s new album releasing at the end of May — marking her participation not just as a songwriter but also a featured artist.

She was connected to Anitta through her producer friend Daramola (who has worked with artists like Boza, Beéle and Farruko), who invited her to contribute to “Choka Choka.” La Guru worked closely with the Brazilian star, who ended up loving the song, without knowing that another star would join the track. Just days before it dropped, she learned that the guest artist was Shakira. “It wasn’t part of my plans, and it was even more gratifying when I heard the final master of what was going to be released,” she says.

La Guru is now preparing for the release of her own new album, Agítese Antes de Usar (Shake Before Use), which will come out at the end of May and reflects her growth in recent years. This will be her first album since Gurundanga (2022), which included the song that captivated Karol G, and it will arrive just months after her EP NUMEN, released at the beginning of 2023 in collaboration with Colombian producers The Rudeboyz (whose credits include Maluma, Prince Royce, Shakira, and others).

So far, only one single from the new album has been released: “Pereke,” a trap track with Latin percussion that she worked on last year during a trip to Europe, while recording with “a bunch of people who had nothing to do with Latin music.”

The main difference between her last album and this upcoming one lies in their themes. While the previous one was about heartbreak, Agítese Antes de Usar focuses much more on her perspective on the present and future.

“It’s loaded with a different kind of emotion, no longer about ‘my heart was broken in a relationship,’ but rather, ‘my heart was broken by the people around me.’ The industry, close friends, work colleagues,” she admits.

The way La Guru speaks about this album feels as if it was her way of grieving, of taking all the experiences she’s had in the music industry and channeling them into new music — something she’s done at various points in her career.

This interview was originally published by Billboard Colombia.