Atlantic Music Group has promoted veteran executive Dave Rocco to the newly created role of chief creative officer, where he will oversee global creative strategy for the label group. Rocco will continue to lead the team overseeing visual creative elements — including video, artwork, advertising, and overall creative direction for AMG’s roster — while reporting directly to chairman and CEO Elliot Grainge.

Rocco joined AMG in 2024 as president of creative and has spearheaded campaigns for artists such as Cardi B, FKA twigs, Don Toliver, Bailey Zimmerman and ROSÉ. 

His career spans leadership roles at Universal Music Group, where he served as evp of creative and as chief creative officer at Republic Records, and at Spotify, where he launched Artist Marketing and became global head of label & artist relations. At Spotify, he introduced initiatives like Fans First and the Best New Artist Party. Before entering the streaming sphere, Rocco spent a decade in advertising at Deutsch LA and BBDO New York. 

Rocco’s music industry journey began at age 15 at New York’s top 40 station Z100, later moving into talent scouting and A&R roles at Epic and Atlantic. He has earned multiple accolades, including on Billboard‘s Power 100 list, and served on GLAAD’s board of directors.

Grainge praised Rocco’s impact, saying he has “played a crucial role in reenergizing and reimagining” the label group, adding, “His creative contributions to our organization and to our artists have been immeasurable. I’m happy to be able to promote him to this important new leadership role.”

Rocco commented: “I’ve always believed that artists are their own creative directors and have unique and individual needs. Our job as creative executives is to help them realize their vision and support them however we can.”

Rocco’s elevation comes as Atlantic’s parent company, Warner Music Group, accelerates its AI strategy through major partnerships. WMG recently settled lawsuits with AI music startups Suno and Udio, signing licensing agreements that will enable both to soon launch authorized AI music platforms. Additionally, WMG partnered with Stability AI to develop artist-friendly generative tools.

Post Malone is headed to the Super Bowl – again. 

In 2024, Posty was booked as the pre-game performer, singing “America the Beautiful” in Las Vegas. And earlier this year, he headlined both the YouTube Tailgate Concert and a one-night-only Bud Light Backyard concert in New Orleans. 

Come February, Posty will return to headline Bud Light’s Super Bowl concert: Bud Light Presents Post Malone & Buddies. For the performance, Posty will take over Fort Mason, San Francisco (about an hour outside of Santa Clara, where the game is set for Levi’s Stadium).

“We show up every year to provide football fans with bucket-list experiences,” Todd Allen, Bud Light’s SVP of marketing, shared in a statement. “We’re pumped to run it back with Posty, our buddy of nearly a decade, for what will be one of the most electrifying shows of Super Bowl [weekend].”

As for if Post would ever want to book the weekend’s prime headlining slot – the halftime show – Posty tells Billboard that he “would love to.” Over Thanksgiving weekend, he headlined the hometown halftime game between his beloved Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs. And while he knows a Cowboys Super Bowl “is not in the cards as of this moment,” he also is “sick of the f—ing Chiefs. Can we stop with the Chiefs Super Bowl bulls–t?” he asks with a laugh.

Yet, has not one but multiple Kansas City tattoos. “Not by my choice. This was a gentleman’s bet,” he says. “And you know what happens? [Travis] Kelce cheated, and I’m gonna say [Patrick] Mahomes cheated a little bit too. And there was a tattoo artist right in the corner, so I have both of their signatures on me — and a KC logo.” (Naturally, he has a Cowboys tattoo as well.)

As for his Bud Light headlining gig, Post teases he may have new music ready to live debut by then – offering a signature “yes ma’am” – after telling Billboard back in April that he was working on his next album, another country set.

“A hundred percent,” he says of performing new songs. “We’ve been working very, very diligently on new music. And we have 45 songs. It’s just a matter of finishing said songs. And the schedule has been so very busy. So we’re working and working, but there will be new music by then…Allegedly.”

“Allegedly a hundred percent maybe, definitely,” he teases. “Keep your ears [open].”

Six months after his death, Ozzy Osbourne posthumously received Birmingham’s Lord Mayor’s Award on what would have been the heavy metal icon’s 77th birthday. The prestigious annual honor presented to an individual (group or organization) for “outstanding achievement or exceptional service to the city and people of Birmingham” was an especially fitting tribute to the late rocker given his love for him hometown.

In a video message from daughter Kelly Osbourne, she said, “I just want to take a second to thank the people of Birmingham for not only showing my family so much love, but for showing up for my father in a way that made him the happiest man on the planet.” Kelly was on hand to receive the honor alongside her mother, Sharon Osbourne, and the family were also gifted with the book of condolences featuring what Kelly said were “hundreds of thousands” of tributes from fellow Birmingham citizens.

“The one thing my father was most proud of is that he was a Brummie,” said Kelly, using the popular nickname for people from Birmingham. “And Birmingham has done him proud.”

Osbourne died on July 22 at age 76, just 17 days after he performed his solo hits and reunited with Black Sabbath at his home soccer stadium, Birmingham’s Villa Park, for the all-star Back to the Beginning tribute show that also featured sets from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Anthrax and many more.

A post from the city’s Lord Mayor showed Kelly and Sharon receiving the official Award as well as the condolence book with the caption, “Today, the Deputy Lord Mayor and I was honoured to meet with the Osbourne family and posthumously present Ozzy Osbourne’s Lord Mayor’s Award and the Book of Condolences following his passing An iconic and much missed son of Birmingham, the city he loved so much [black heart emoji].”

Sharon Osbourne also shared a moving birthday tribute to her beloved husband in an Instagram video set to Ozzy’s wistful 1995 metal ballad “See You On the Other Side” featuring images of a birthday tribute to Ozzy in Birmingham, as well as sentimental pics of the couple throughout the years. “My darling husband, I celebrate the day you were born. I will never let go of your hand until I see you on the other side,” Sharon wrote in the caption.

Son Jack Osbourne also got in on the birthday wishes, with a similarly wistful video cued to Ozzy’s cover of the Beatles’ “In My Life” featuring touching pics of father and son over the years. The official Ozzy X account marked his birthday with a video featuring his beloved 1991 ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home” along with a link to a commemorative T-shirt featuring a childhood portrait of Ozzy with the message “Made in Birmingham” underneath.

Watch Kelly Osbourne’s message below.