Ninajirachi‘s breakthrough year continues with a red-hot chance to win the coveted Australian Music Prize.

The Australian singer and songwriter’s debut full length album I Love My Computer (via NLV Records) is one of nine titles shortlisted for the 2025 AMP, awarded to the outstanding Australian album of original work from the previous year, as decided by a music industry panel.

When the album dropped in August, the rising EDM star was named Billboard Dance “Rookie of the Month”. Next month, the 26-year-old songwriter, producer, DJ and artist (real name: Nina Wilson) will compete for a leading eight trophies at the annual ARIA Awards, where she’s nominated for album of the year, best solo artist, the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist, best independent release, best dance/electronic release and more.

Also shortlisted for the AMP are LPs by Tropical F*** Storm, Folk B**** Trio, Mudrat, and others released during the period Oct. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2026.

Now celebrating its 21^st year and modeled on the U.K.’s Mercury Prize, the AMP is recognized as the most prestigious Australian award for the album format.

The initial judging process whittled down the longlist of 465 eligible albums to 50 nominees, focusing on creative merit over mainstream popularity. The winner will be announced Nov. 6, and will collect A$50,000 in prize money, courtesy of headline sponsor Soundmerch.

Previous winners include efforts by The Avalanches, Sampa the Great (twice), Gurrumul, A.B. Original, Courtney Barnett and last year’s recipient, Kankawa Nagarra for Wirlmarni.

Soundmerch Australian Music Prize 2025:

Bleak Squad — Strange Love

Divide And Dissolve — Insatiable

Floodlights — Underneath

Folk B**** Trio — Now Would Be A Good Time

Mia Wray Hi — It’s Nice To Meet 

Mudrat Social — Cohesion

Ninajirachi — I Love My Computer

Ruby Gill — Some Kind Of Control

Tropical F*ck Storm — Fairyland Codex

SYDNEY, Australia — AC/DC, digital streaming and that loveable blue heeler Bluey helped push APRA AMCOS’s full-year revenue and distributions into unchartered territory.

The Australasian rights organization this week posted revenue of A$787.9 million for 2024-25, up 6.5% from the previous financial year, with net distributable revenue at A$683.4 million, up 7.8% year-on-year, also an all-time result.

For the reporting period, the group’s expense to revenue ratio was reduced to 13.26% from 14.32%.

Based on recent results, the A$800 million revenue milestone should be crushed in the next annual report, and the magical A$1 billion figure is on the near horizon.

Presented this week during the third annual SXSW Sydney, APRA AMCOS’s Year In Review is broadly solid, and perhaps spectacular, certainly for Subscription Video on Demand, which includes Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV, the “standout” category that grew by 15.7% to A$88.2 million, fueled by increases in subscription charges and a rising base of subscribers.

Digital was the juggernaut for APRA AMCOS, generating A$404.3 million, up 9.5%, while business for public performance, lifted by 1.1% to A$133.9 million.

Australian crowds came out for local superstars Cold Chisel, Dom Dolla, Kylie Minogue, and The Kid LAROI, and for major international artists Coldplay, Luke Combs and Pearl Jam.

Music “exports” was another strong suit. Homegrown songwriters and composers are “still hitting the big time globally,” notes APRA AMCOS, pointing to AC/DC’s Power Up European tour to Bluey‘s flying high antics in the U.S. for helping lift international revenue to A$98.8 million, up 14.8% year-on-year.

One painful point, however, is the ongoing evaporation of streaming revenue from local content, despite the clamor to streaming platforms in full year 2025. Revenue from television and radio licensing dipped, too.

Consumption of music in Australia, both on music streaming and User Generated Content (UGC) services, has grown by 50% since FY21, though, “alarmingly,” the percentage of consumption that relates to local songwriter and composer content in that same period has declined by 31% to just 9.5% of total music streaming over the past five years, APRA AMCOS reports, and 25.4% in UGC over the past three years.

The results “reflect our focus on service – growing revenue across every channel, sharpening operational efficiency, deploying smart technology that works for our business and members, delivering meaningful creative programs and celebrating our members’ incredible success,” comments Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS.

“They also confirm what we already know: Australians and New Zealanders are world-leading music fans. We consume more music per capita than almost anywhere else on the planet, yet the ability for our members to be seen and heard is becoming more difficult every year.”

Aussies are “hearing and discovering less local music,” reads a statement from the PRO, a reality that was brought into sharp focus with the full-year ARIA Charts for 2024, and triple j’s Hottest 100, both of which were dominated by trans-Atlantic artists.

The sharp “collapse” in clicks for local content on streaming platforms over five years “isn’t happening because our music isn’t good enough, and our surging export revenues prove our artists are among the best in the world,” Ormston continues. “They’re writing hits, filling venues internationally and competing at the highest level. The talent is undeniable. Our platforms are borderless, but algorithms favour scale and international repertoire dominate by default.”

APRA AMCOS represents more than 128,000 songwriters, composers and music publisher members. Splitting the bodies, APRA passed the half-billion-dollar figure for the first time with revenue of A$521.3 million, up from A$498.6 million. AMCOS surpassed A$250 million for the first time, reporting A$266.6 million, up from A$241.4 million.

Read the full report at apraamcos.com.au/year-in-review.

A month after winning his second Primetime Emmy for his music for Severance, Theodore Shapiro was honored again for his scoring work on that Apple TV+ series at the 2025 World Soundtrack Awards. The awards were presented on Wednesday (Oct. 15) at the annual WSA Ceremony & Concert during Film Fest Gent, Belgium’s biggest international film festival.

Shapiro beat, among others, Volker Bertelmann, who was nominated for The Day of the Jackal, Dune: Prophecy and The Count of Monte Cristo. But the busy Bertelmann won film composer of the year for Conclave and The Amateur.

Composer Daniel Blumberg, who won an Oscar for best original score in March for The Brutalist, lost film composer of the year to Bertelmann, but he turned around and won discovery of the year.

The award for best original song went to “El Mal,” from Jacques Audiard’s groundbreaking musical Emilia Pérez. The song also won the Oscar in that category. It was written by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard, and performed in the film by Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón.

Philip Glass and Michael Nyman each received lifetime achievement awards.

Here’s the full list of nominations for the 2025 World Soundtrack Awards, with winners marked.

Best Original Song

“Beautiful That Way” from The Last Showgirl – written by Andrew Wyatt, Lykke Li, Miley Cyrus; performed by Miley Cyrus, Andrew Wyatt, Matt Dunkley

WINNER: “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez – written by Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard; performed by Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón

“I Lied to You” from Sinners – written by Ludwig Göransson, Raphael Saadiq; performed by Miles Caton

“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late – written by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, Bernie Taupin; performed by Elton John, Brandi Carlile

“Winter Coat” from Blitz – written by Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, Taura Stinson; performed by Nicholas Britell, Saoirse Ronan

Film Composer of the Year

WINNER: Volker Bertelmann – Conclave; The Amateur

Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist

Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot

Clément Ducol and Camille – Emilia Pérez

Alberto Iglesias – The Room Next Door

John Powell – How to Train Your Dragon

Television Composer of the Year

Volker Bertelmann – The Day of the Jackal; Dune: Prophecy; The Count of Monte Cristo

David Fleming, Gustavo Santaolalla – The Last of Us (Season 2)

Ariel Marx – Dying for Sex

Bear McCreary – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 2)

Martin Phipps – Black Doves

WINNER: Theodore Shapiro – Severance (Season 2)

Discovery of the Year Award

WINNER: Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist

Robin Carolan – Nosferatu

Jung Jae-il – Mickey 17

Dave Metzger – Mufasa: The Lion King

Hania Rani – Sentimental Value

Public Choice Award

Buio come il cuore (Dark is the Heart) – David Cerquetti

WINNER: Hola Frida – Laetitia Pansanel-Garric

Ni chaînes ni maîtres – Amine Bouhafa

Reagan – John Coda

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – Stephen Gallagher

WSA Game Music Award

WINNER: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Lorien Testard

Doom: The Dark Ages – Alex Klingle, Brian Lee White, Brian Trifon, Jay Wiltzen

Dune: Awakening – Knut Avenstroup Haugen

Farewell North – John Konsolakis

Neva – Berlinist

Belgian Film Composer of the Year

Vincent Cahay – Maldoror

WINNER: Ruben De Gheselle – Young Hearts; There was, There was not

Frédéric Vercheval – Largo Winch: Le prix de l’argent

Best Original Composition by a Young Composer

Neville Bharucha

Théo Cascio

WINNER: Bongseob Kim

Lifetime Achievement Award

Philip Glass

Michael Nyman

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When did wired earbuds become cool again? From Harry Styles to Charli XCX, stars have been spotted ditching their wireless earbuds in favor of being tethered to their phones, and it seems the previously-dated look is now an instant status symbol.

Model and influencer Romeo Beckham recently posted photos of himself using the wired earphones while getting ready for Fashion Week. And Dua Lipa revealed that she keeps not one, but three pairs of wired earbuds with her at all times.

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Of course there are many reasons why wired earbuds are better than wireless ones: for starters, they’re less likely to fall out of your ears and disappear into some crack or crevice on the road, or on your commute. Many people also find them more comfortable, since they’re pretty “locked in” to your ears rather than dangling from your lobes precariously.

Wired earbuds are also better for sound quality, owing to the direct connection to your music source rather than relying on Bluetooth pairing. Dropped calls or music fading in and out? That’s not a problem with wired earbuds (well… at least not dropped calls due to phone pairing issues). And wired earbuds never require a battery source or charging, since they plug directly into your phone. Wireless earbuds require you to keep them charged or carry them in an accompanying charging case.

Of course, wired earbuds (and wired headphones) saw a decline in popularity a few years ago when cell phone providers got rid of the headphone jack on most units. But you can now find wired earphones with USB-C connections, including the popular Apple Earbuds (seen above). The USB-C plug lets you easily affix your earbuds to your phone, using the same slot you would use for charging.

Apple’s official wired earbuds are dubbed the “EarPods” (get it? Compared to the Bluetooth AirPods?) and they feature two ergonomic earbuds attached to an approximately three-foot cord. The cord has a built-in remote that lets you adjust the volume, change songs and even answer calls with just the push of a button.

It’s not just for listening to music or watching videos — Apple says the EarPods have a built-in microphone that automatically focuses on your voice when you’re on a call, so you always come in loud and clear. Amazon says more than 10,000 shoppers have picked up these buds in the last few weeks alone — another sign of the wired comeback.

The Apple EarPods with USB-C connection support iPhone models 15 and up. Have an older phone and still want to connect with a pair of wired earbuds? Pick up the EarPods with a lightning cable connection above. It has all the same features as the USB-C pair, only with a different plug-in tip.

You can also find an Apple EarPods alternative on Amazon, with these USB-C wired earphones above, which are compatible with both iOs and Android devices. This pair also comes with a mini remote control plus three eartip sizes to help you find your most comfortable fit.

There is one annoying issue with wired earbuds — the dangling cords. Without a charging case to tuck your earbuds into, the cords can quickly become a tangled mess in your pockets or bags. Fortunately, you can pick up a basic cord organizer or earphone wrap, like the one from Amazon below.

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard’s roundup of the best earbuds under $25 and the best earbuds under $50 here.

Attorneys for Tim Leiweke are asking for more time to prepare the defense of the former Oak View Group (OVG) chief executive and arena developer in his federal criminal trial in Austin.

Criminal defense attorney David Gerger filed an 11-page motion on Friday (Oct. 10), requesting that presiding Judge Susan Hightower postpone the December 2025 trial date to at least October 2026. Gerger argues that Leiweke’s legal team needs additional time to review roughly seven million pages of evidence produced by the government.

The filing also outlines what could be Leiweke’s early strategy to have the Department of Justice’s case dismissed, claiming prosecutors are misapplying the law in what the defense calls a misguided prosecution of an accomplished arena executive.

On July 9, the DOJ’s Antitrust Division unsealed an indictment accusing Leiweke and the leadership of Legends Hospitality of conspiring to rig a bid to develop the Moody Center in Austin for the University of Texas. Prosecutors allege Leiweke colluded with then-Legends CEO Shervin Mirhashemi to prevent Legends — partly owned by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — from submitting a competing bid for the arena project.

OVG agreed to pay a $15 million penalty under a non-prosecution agreement, while Legends agreed to pay $1.5 million. Leiweke faces a single charge of violating Section 1 of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

“We say that is not true; that OVG won the contract by competition, not collusion, and provided a world-class arena at excellent terms for the University,” Gerger writes. He argues that OVG “could not itself provide all the services needed to build and operate the arena, so it had to put together a team. Legends was not an arena developer but wanted to provide certain services to the arena such as food and beverage concession stands.”

That distinction is key, Gerger continues, maintaining that Legends was not a competitor to OVG in 2017. “Even Legends has told DOJ that it was not in the arena development business during the relevant time,” he writes, noting that Mirhashemi testified before a grand jury that “Legends would support the development-led bid for this project by OVG in lieu of supporting and providing services for another developer’s bid.”

“According to the government, an arena developer may not agree that its ‘teammates’ or subcontractors will support its team and not join another ‘team’ to bid against it: that is an unlawful ‘restraint,’” Gerger writes. “Our research shows that theory is wrong on the law, and courts have rejected such ‘literal’ readings of the Sherman Act as ‘overly simplistic.’”

Gerger also points to a 2024 DOJ review of AEG’s sale of ASM Global to Legends, during which a Legends attorney reportedly described the University of Texas deal as “lawful” and “an appropriate business practice.”

Regarding the requested trial postponement, Gerger said he’s unsurprised the government is “ready for trial,” writing, “It should be — it investigated this case for over two years and then decided when to bring an indictment.”

“In sum, discovery is voluminous and ongoing, and the defense needs more time to review it — and time to follow leads,” Gerger continued. “There is no way to accomplish this — and file motions and prepare for trial — on the schedule proposed by the government.”

A DOJ representative did not respond to Billboard’s request for comment by press time.