The Grammy Museum continues its expansion of Grammy Camp, a program for high school students looking to pursue careers in the music industry. Starting in 2026, the camp will be held in Nashville, in addition to its Los Angeles, Miami and New York camps.

Here are details about the four Grammy Camp locations for 2026. All are non-residential camps, led by faculty or music industry professionals, as well as Grammy nominees and winners.

Grammy Camp Nashville will be held at Belmont University’s Music Row facility at 34 Music Square East from May 31 to June 6, 2026. This immersive music industry program is designed for high school students who already have foundational skills and knowledge in music and are ready to expand their expertise toward career preparation. It offers instruction across multiple career tracks, including music business, instrumental performance, music production, songwriting and vocal performance.

Grammy Camp Miami will be held at Art House Studios from June 23 to June 27, 2026. This immersive, fast-paced program is designed to give high school students a hands-on introduction to the music industry and emphasizes active participation and learning in one of the three tracks: music production, singer-songwriter or music business.

Grammy Camp Los Angeles will be held from July 12 to July 18, 2026. It’s an intensive program for high school students with strong proficiency in multiple areas of music and the music industry, including music business, production, songwriting, and instrumental or vocal performance. Students are placed into cohorts where every subject area is represented, creating a collaborative environment that mirrors real-world music industry teams.

Grammy Camp New York will be held from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8, 2026. It’s an immersive music industry program designed for high school students who already have foundational skills and knowledge in music and are ready to expand their expertise toward career preparation. It offers instruction across multiple career tracks, including music business, instrumental performance, music production and singer-songwriter. Additional specialized tracks in musical theater and jazz are also offered.

Applications for Grammy Camp 2026 are now open to high school students across the country. Visit the Grammy Camp site for more details.

Before gifted singers-songwriters such as Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, SZA and Lalah Hathaway were murmurs in anyone’s ears, there was Minnie Riperton.

Graced with an extraordinary five-and-a-half-octave vocal range, including the whistle register — the highest for a human voice — the Chicago native and her musical legacy are the focus of a special tribute taking place at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday evening (Sept. 24) that now boasts the just-announced addition of Stevie Wonder.

“Perfect Angel: The Definitive Minnie Riperton Tribute” salutes the 50th anniversary of Riperton’s same-titled 1974 major-label album debut as well as encompass the expansive, multi-genre scope of a colorful career tragically cut short when she died of breast cancer at age 31 in 1979. Aside from Wonder, the performers  reimagining memorable songs from her deep-rooted repertoire of soul, pop, rock and points in between — including her iconic Hot 100 No. 1 “Lovin’ You,” which spotlights her mesmerizing whistle tone — will be Wonder (just announced Tuesday), George Benson, Chanté Moore, Alex Isley, Aloe Blacc, säje and Lizz Wright, among other surprise guests.

“The artists I’ve assembled for Minnie’s tribute represent a hybrid of artistry that speaks to the diversity of who her music touched,” says tribute producer Robin Burgess. “They’re a troupe of her admirers, collaborators and enthusiasts like myself who view her talent as a champion of multiple genres. From a cappella groups to chanteuses as well as instrumentalists from folk, jazz and R&B, I tried to assemble an ensemble that would come to Minnie’s music offering honest reflections as well as some surprise interpretations laced in between.” Burgess also notes the performances will be interwoven with stunning images of Riperton created by sculptor and immersive artist Andrew F. Scott.

Proof of Riperton’s enduring appeal and influence 50 years later can be heard on covers of Perfect Angel’s gold-certified single “Lovin’ You” done by Grande, SZA, Shanice and Chloe. Her work has also been sampled by hip-hop acts such as The Roots, Q-Tip and Arrested Development. Additional Riperton stand-outs from her catalog of six studio albums include “Inside My Love,” “Memory Lane,” “Lover and Friend” and “Here We Go.” Prior to releasing her first solo album, 1970’s Come to My Garden, Riperton sang in girl group The Gems, worked with Chess Records doing backing vocals for  the likes of Etta James, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters and then became lead singer for psychedelic-soul band Rotary Connection. From there, Riperton signed with Epic Records and released 1974’s gold-certified Perfect Angel.

Wonder, an early co-signer of Riperton’s talent, co-produced Perfect Angel (under the pseudonym El Toro Negro) and penned the title track. And Riperton would later sing background on two classic Wonder albums: Fulfillingness’ First Finale (“Creepin’,” “It Ain’t No Use”) and Songs in the Key of Life (“Ordinary Pain”).

“Minnie was my dear friend,” said Wonder in an earlier announcement about the Hollywood Bowl tribute. “She was an extraordinary, vibrant person with an extra-special voice.  I was a big fan of hers before we met and it was my honor to produce the album … Minnie had a positive energy that radiated throughout these sessions and throughout the rest of her life.  When Minnie lived, she lived.”

Also a co-producer on Perfect Angel alongside Wonder was Riperton’s husband, songwriter-producer Richard Rudolph — who’s also the father of their daughter, actress-comedian Maya Rudolph. During a recent phone interview ahead of “Perfect Angel: The Definitive Minnie Riperton Tribute,” Richard shared some insightful takeaways with Billboard about Riperton’s music and enduring legacy:

The creative rapport between him and Riperton — “I don’t know if I can put it in words, but we certainly could put it in song. Minnie was just such an incredible artist; she  was like from another planet. Our dear friend writer-producer Freddie Perren [Jackson 5, Gloria Gaynor] called her ‘bird’ because she would just open her mouth, and these beautiful melodies would come out. I’d start playing guitar, coming up with ideas and she’d just riff on them. It’s hard to remember anything coming out of her that didn’t sound beautiful.

Songs that spotlight the essence of Riperton’s artistry — “’Lovin’ You,’ of course, which we always thought was special. But I think we were in Seattle on tour when we saw something so tangible happening as we started playing that song. People were putting their arms around each other; it was almost mystical the way the song was touching people in a very special way. So we came running back to the record company and said you have to put this song out.

“There’s also ‘Memory Lane.’ And ‘Les Fleur,’ which Norah Jones has covered. It’s also been used in commercials for Microsoft, Nike Jordan and H&M. Another is ‘Inside My Love,’ which was banned by some radio stations in 1975 because of its [suggestive] lyrics. We were amazed to see the hypocrisy of people who were willing to turn something into something else. Minnie would tell a story during her concerts about getting a letter from a nun who told her ‘Inside’ was one of the most spiritual and beautiful songs she’d ever heard. It certainly pales in comparison to what we’re used to hearing today [laughs]. We wrote ‘Inside’ with another special friend, writer-producer Leon Ware [Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye].

“Then there’s the Come to My Garden album, which is how she and I got started, working with songwriter-producer Charles Stepney [Earth, Wind & Fire]. We also got the chance to work with people like producer Stewart Levine, pianist-keyboardist Joe Sample and guitarist Larry Carlton [all on Riperton’s Adventures in Paradise album]. Being able to work with people like that is what Minnie did: she attracted the best of the best.”

A trivia note — Riperton’s melodic riff of Maya’s name at the end of “Lovin’ You” was, says Richard, a soothing balm for then-baby Maya, “so we could sneak away, and she would think her mama was still there.”

Why Riperton’s music still resonates today — “Minnie’s music still touches people in the same way it always did. It’s real, not manufactured or pitch-corrected. It’s the real thing from her heart and soul. She was an original. And now I’m going to cry. But real can endure and live forever. It really warms my heart that these next generations want to keep her flame alive. That’s very touching, very moving — and I thank them all.”

More than 30 years after her musical debut, and two decades after her death, Aaliyah posthumously earns her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. “Gone,” which features Tank, crowns the list dated Sept. 27 as the most-played song on panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations in the Sept. 12-18 tracking week.

“Gone,” released and promoted on Blackground Records, rises from No. 2 with a 23% surge in weekly plays, according to Luminate.

The song becomes Aaliyah’s first Adult R&B Airplay leader among 14 appearances. Her previous best came via her cover of The Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best (You Are Love),” which reached No. 4 in November 1994. That song marked her second visit, after debut hit “Back and Forth,” which hit No. 6 that June. She logged nine of her chart entries during her lifetime, prior to her death in a plane crash in August 2001 at age 22.

For Tank, his featured slot on “Gone” gives him a milestone 10th Adult R&B Airplay champ. He ties Charlie Wilson and Usher for the most leaders among male artists and is the sixth artist overall to break the double-digit mark since the radio ranking began in September 1993. Alicia Keys ranks first overall, with 14 No. 1s, with Toni Braxton (11) and Mary J. Blige (10) also in the club.

As Tank climbs the leaderboard, let’s review the singer-songwriter’s No. 1 collection on Adult R&B Airplay:

“Please Don’t Go,” No. 1 for 10 weeks, beginning May 19, 2007
“Next Breath,” one, June 16, 2012
“When We,” 11, Nov. 18, 2017
“Dirty,” three, April 20, 2019
“Can’t Let It Show,” two, July 3, 2021
“I Deserve,” one, March 19, 2022
“Slow,” feat. J Valentine; two, Nov. 5, 2022
“See Through Love,” feat. Chris Brown; one, May 20, 2023
“Before We Get Started,” feat. Fabolous; two, June 1, 2024
“Gone,” Aaliyah feat. Tank; one (to date), Sept. 27, 2025

Elsewhere, “Gone” advances 15-13 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, it improved 24% to 5.8 million in reach.

It’s free Billboard charts month! Through Sept. 30, subscribers to Billboard’s Chart Beat newsletter, emailed each Friday, can unlock access to Billboard’s weekly and historical charts, artist chart histories and all Chart Beat stories simply by visiting the newly redesigned Billboard.com through any story link in the newsletter. Not a Chart Beat subscriber? Sign up for free here.

THE BIG STORY: If you needed another clear sign that artificial intelligence is seeping into every aspect of American cultural life, here’s one: An AI artist just signed a record deal, the hallowed milestone of success for any emerging musician.

As first reported by Billboard last week, Xania Monet — the avatar of a woman named Telisha Jones who writes her own lyrics but uses Suno to create the music — inked a record contract worth millions. The deal has quickly become the talk of the industry, including from stars who have spoken out, including Kehlani, who said: “I don’t respect it.”

But…what exactly is a label buying here? It remains unclear the extent to which you can secure intellectual property rights to AI-generated songs, raising hurdles for monetizing them. And platforms like Suno are still facing trillion-dollar infringement lawsuits that essentially claim the technology itself is illegal. For more, go read our full story.

Other top stories this week…

BLIGE CASE TOSSED – A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group claiming Mary J. Blige’s enduring 1992 hit “Real Love” infringed the oft-sampled 1973 funk song “Impeach the President” by the Honey Drippers, which has been used by Run-DMC, Dr. Dre, Doja Cat and many others over the years. The judge said the two songs were so different that nobody would hear the earlier song: “The songs do not sound the same.”

DIDDY SENTENCING – Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs urged a federal judge to sentence him to just 14 months in prison on his prostitution convictions, asking him to reject the kind of “draconian” punishment sought by prosecutors. Because the star has already served 13 months in jail since he was arrested, that sentence would see him released almost immediately: “It is time for Mr. Combs to go home.”

LETTERS OF SUPPORT – To help make that argument, Diddy’s lawyers filed dozens of letters from supporters, pleading with the judge to show lenience toward the rapper when he sentences him next month. They came from Diddy’s mother and kids, from ex-girlfriend Yung Miami and from an executive at hip-hop label Quality Control Music — among many others.

SUNO SUIT 2.0 – Separate from the Xania Monet situation, the major record labels filed an amended version of their copyright lawsuit against the AI music firm, adding new allegations that the company illegally “stream-ripped” songs from YouTube to train its models. That’s a hugely important new claim: In a separate such lawsuit against Anthropic, a federal judge ruled this summer that AI training itself is likely a legal “fair use” but that using pirated works to do it could lead to many billions in potential damages.

FTC, YEAH YOU KNOW ME – The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster accusing the concert giants of advertising misleading ticket prices and allowing scalpers to buy up tickets and resell them at inflated prices. The case came months after the agency sued a ticket broker that allegedly used thousands of fake Ticketmaster accounts to buy and resell tickets to Taylor Swift concerts and other events — and two years after Live Nation was hit with a sweeping monopoly lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice.

HYPE VID SETTLEMENT – Mike Tyson settled a lawsuit claiming he illegally used the Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule song “Murdergram” in an Instagram video promoting his boxing match against Jake Paul. The case was filed by Ty Fyffe, a producer and co-writer of the 1998 track who claimed that Tyson had willfully infringed his copyrights by using the song in a training video ahead of his much-hyped fight with Paul.

LOSE YOUR … CASE? – Meta urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from Eight Mile Style, a music publisher that owns hundreds of Eminem songs, which claims the social media giant made “Lose Yourself” and other iconic tracks available to billions of users. In the motion, Facebook’s lawyers argued the case was “remarkably short on specifics” about actual infringing material: “Fanciful estimates are not a substitute for well-pleaded facts,” the company wrote.

NEVER MEANT TO CAUSE YOU ANY PAIN – The Prince estate asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit by the late singer’s Purple Rain co-star Apollonia (Patty Kotero) that claims the estate is trying to “steal” her name, arguing it has no intention of forcing her to change her name — and has repeatedly told her as much. The filing did say, however, that Apollonia secured her own trademarks during “the chaotic period following Prince’s death.”

SEX TAPE LEAK CASE – Colombian pop star Beéle was hit with a lawsuit alleging invasion of privacy and sexual cyberharassment from ex-girlfriend Isabella Ladera, claiming he is responsible for leaking their sex tape. Beéle’s reps have denied that he was the source of the leak and said the singer is “also a victim,” but Ladera’s lawsuit placed the blame squarely on him: “Only two people had the videos, and Ladera had already erased them almost a year and a half before.”

MEGAN THEE PLAINTIFF – Lawyers for Megan Thee Stallion argued in court filings that the social media personality DJ Akademiks must reveal whether Tory Lanez sent him a confidential DNA testing report during the singer’s criminal case. The filings came amid discovery in a defamation case against Milagro Gramz, a gossip blogger and ardent online defender of Lanez.