For 2025, the updated voting process will now include an additional voting round that will take place before the Final Ballot round of voting.

According to the CMA, a nomination ballot will be open on Firday, August 16th and accept nominations until Tuesday, Aug. 27, allowing CMA Professional voting members in the Affiliated, Artist, Composer, Entertainment Services, Musician, Personal Manager, Record Company, Talent Agent, Advertising/Marketing/Communications, Venue, Talent Buyer/Promoter and Touring Personnel categories of membership to nominate candidates for the 20 award categories.

Nominations will be reviewed by the CMA Touring Awards Nominations Task Force to determine finalists who will then be selected as finalists based on voting.

A Final Ballot round of voting will open Monday, Jan. 6 and close Thursday, Jan. 16 allowing members to cast their vote amongst the Top five (5) to eight (8) finalists in each category.

The CMA Touring Awards, originally called the SRO Awards, debuted in 1990, with nominees in ten categories feted at a black-tie gala hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace.

The SRO Awards were renamed as the CMA Touring Awards in 2016 and currently honor touring professionals in 20 categories.

The post The CMA Announces Updates For The CMA Touring Award Nomination Process For 2025 appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Perry will be presented with the award during the 2024 VMAs, which take place at New York’s UBS Arena on September 11th.

As part of the awards gala, Perry is lined up to perform a medley of her biggest hits, marking her first return to the VMA stage since 2017 when she served as both the host and provided the grand finale for the show, performing “Swish Swish” with Nicki Minaj.

A 5X VMA winner, Perry is one of the top-selling musical artists of her era and one of just five artists to be included in the RIAA’s 100 Million Certified Songs club, releasing six singles and one album that have been certified diamond.

She’s also generated an astonishing 115 billion streams over the course of her career, along with worldwide sales of over 70 million adjusted albums, 143 million tracks and over 27 billion video views.

“Katy is a musical powerhouse and true pop culture icon. With her game changing creative vision, she has become a global phenomenon and taken over the world’s biggest stages. Katy’s prowess will be on full display LIVE on the VMAs with a can’t-miss, career-encompassing performance celebrating her biggest moments and chart-topping hits,” said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, Paramount and Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+.

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Indie Artist’s Guide to Grammy Nominations

by Randi Zimmerman of Symphonic Blog

As you watch the GRAMMYs each year, it seems as though the only people who win are always the Kanye’s and Beyoncé’s of the industry. What you may not know is that there are tons of other winners not shown on tv, most of which are talented independent artists who have been working just as hard as you are now. If you’re a talented musician, it’s not as hard as you think to get nominated for a GRAMMY, and it certainly is possible to win as an independent artist. Want to get yourself on the list on nominees? The Online Entry Process (OEP) for the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards starts on July 17th! Here’s how to get involved…

How To Get Nominated For The 2025 GRAMMYs as an Artist

Being able to flex your GRAMMY win is not only a personal flex, but a major win in the eyes of this competitive industry we call home. Adding this accomplishment to future press releases, EPK’s, and more is a huge selling point that can definitely secure yourself more interest in your work as you move through your career than you would without. — Even now, when the mainstream isn’t always so mainstream and the landscape of this business is continuously changing, the legitimacy and prestige of a GRAMMY will always be impressive.

To be eligible for submission, your release must meet these requirements:

• Release Date // You can now submit recordings released from Sept. 16, 2023 – Aug. 30, 2024 for GRAMMY consideration.
• Length // To be considered for album submission, a recording must contain at least five different trackswith a total playing time of 15 minutes, or a total playing time of 30 minutes with no minimum track amount. Singles have no such requirements.
• Format // A submitted recording must be available for sale either in physical “brick and mortar” stores or online via digital download, or via a recognized streaming platform. A recording must meet the industry minimum standard 16-bit, 44.1 kHz rates. Each submitted song must have proper metadata credits (songwriters, producers, etc.) and International Standard Recording Codes (ISRCs) for each track.
• Original Material // Starting with the 2023 GRAMMYs, an album must contain greater than 75 percent of newly recorded (within five years of the release date), recordings that have not been released prior. Currently the rule is 50 percent.

Are other credited personnel also eligible?

Yes!

For the 2025 GRAMMY ceremony and all ceremonies in the future, all credited artists (including featured artists), songwriters of new material, producers, recording engineers, mixers and mastering engineers are eligible to be nominated and win, at least in the Album Of The Year category. — Previously, all artists, songwriters, producers, recording engineers, mixers and mastering engineers were required to be credited with at least 33 percent or more of playing time. Now they’re eligible as long as they’re credited.

How are entries submitted for the GRAMMYs?

To be submitted for GRAMMY consideration, a recording must be entered by members of the Recording Academy who are either Professional or Voting members. How it works is each member of the Academy has an account on the GRAMMY website they can log in to and submit entries during the submission periods.

——

How does the GRAMMY voting process work?

The GRAMMY voting process consists of two rounds:

ROUND ONE // The Voting Members vote on the entries they believe should receive a nomination in their respective categories. Each specific category only has five slots, which is why even being nominated for a Grammy is a major accomplishment. The nominees have already been selected from a field of dozens of submissions in each category.

FINAL ROUND // Once the nominees in each category are set, the final voting round begins. The Voting Members vote on the nominee in each of their eligible voting categories they believe should win the GRAMMY. The nominee with the most votes wins the award. On the night of the ceremony, the awards for the categories with broader popular appeal are televised. This includes Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist and many of the big awards in the more popular genres like pop and hip-hop. — Many more awards are not shown on TV, which tend to be the more niche in which categories many indie artists create.

What about the Latin GRAMMYs?

The Latin GRAMMYs are literally the Latin version of our GRAMMYs, so the voting process is the same but with members of the Latin Recording Academy submitting entries, placing those entries into categories, and voting in a nomination round and a final round to award a GRAMMY-winner.

“…but what’re the odds I ACTUALLY get nominated?”

It’s a HUGE and very common misconception that the GRAMMYs are saved for only the biggest household names in the game. With hundreds of categories up for grabs, indies grace the nominee list every year.

Here at Symphonic, we’ve had a couple artists among us get nominated, even win. For example, Catherine Russell was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal in 2019. Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej’s “Divine Tides” just won a Grammy award for Best New Age Album. Steel Pulse has been nominated 9 times and won Best Reggae Recording for Babylon The Bandit.

In Conclusion…

You have nothing to lose from shooting your shot. Independent artists get nominated and WIN GRAMMYs every year. If you’re working hard every day to improve your craft, put out great music, and consistently shape your artistry, your work deserves to be recognized at the highest level. At the end of the day, whether you win awards or not doesn’t define the quality of your work, but boy does it feel good…

This year, you can submit recordings released from September 16, 2023 – August 30, 2024, for 2025 GRAMMY consideration. Remember, as a member of the Recording Academy, you have the distinct privilege of honoring the best of the best in music this year.

• To do so, log in to your Recording Academy Member account and find the OEP link on your dashboard.

Once logged in, you will be able to access helpful resources including the 67th Category Description and Quick Reference Guide, Basic GRAMMY Guidelines and Definitions, OEP Timetable, as well as Entering Tips that further explain how to successfully make your entries. In the meantime, here are some important dates to keep in mind for GRAMMY consideration:

• Product Eligibility Period: September 16, 2023 – August 30, 2024
• Media Company Registration: July 8, 2024 – August 23, 2024
• Online Entry Period: July 17, 2024 – August 30, 2024
• First Round Voting: October 4, 2024 – October 15, 2024
• 67th GRAMMY Awards Nominations Announcement: November 8, 2024
• Final Round Voting: December 12, 2024 – January 3, 2025
• 67th GRAMMY Awards telecast: February 2, 2025

Good luck!

The post The Independent Artists Guide To Grammy Nominations appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Nominees for the the ’Best Independent Album’ Award (in association with Spotify) include Jorja Smith’s ‘falling or flying’ (FAMM) and Barry Can’t Swim’s ‘When Will We Land?’ (Ninja Tune), alongside D-Block Europe’s ‘Rolling Stone’ (D-Block Europe/EGA Distro), Kim Gordon’s ‘The Collective’ (Matador), Actress’ acclaimed ‘LXXXVIII’ (Ninja Tune), and jazz nine-piece Nubiyan Twist’s ‘Find Your Flame’ (Strut Records / !K7 Music).

Rounding out the shortlist for the category are electronic duo Mount Kimbie with ‘The Sunset Violent’ (Warp Records), ANOHNI and The Johnsons’ ‘My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross’ (Rough Trade Records) and rapper Skrapz’s ‘Reflection’ (EGA Distro).

BBC Introducing continues its collaboration with AIM on the ‘One To Watch’ category, with nominees for the category that include spoken word artist Antony Szmierek and drum & bass MC OneDa, DJ Kitty Amor, masked electro-punk producer Lynks and vocalist/producer Miso Extra.

Now in its 25th year, the the AIM Independent Music Awards will return to London’s Roundhouse on October 17th.

“We hope you are as excited as we are by this first list of nominees. Each year, our panel of tastemaker judges across favorite radio, press and online titles return a great list. This year spans the regions and nations, genres and communities of the UK’s independent music scene, recognizing success, talent and artistry. We are delighted that the BBC, Amazon, Meta, Vevo, Notion and Spotify, alongside our other sponsors and partners continue to support and champion the Awards, which enables us to continue to shine a light on the ever-growing independent music sector,” stated Gee Davy, interim CEO of AIM.

“Congratulations to the first of this year’s AIM Award nominees, these lists provide a great glimpse into the length and breadth of the UK’s independent sector and highlight a handful of the innovators, culture makers and commercial successes AIM’s outstanding community has to offer,” added AIM chair Ruth Barlow.

Full List of Nominees So Far:

One To Watch (in association with BBC Introducing)

Antony Szmierek (Mushroom Music)

Kitty Amor (Defected Records)

Lynks (Heavenly Recordings)

Miso Extra (Transgressive)

OneDa (Heavenly Recordings)

Best Independent Video (in association with VEVO)

Gia Ford – Poolside (Chrysalis Records)

Khruangbin – A Love International (Dead Oceans)

Master Peace – I Might Be Fake feat. Georgia (PMR Records)

Mitski – My Love Mine All Mine (Dead Oceans)

Sampha – Only (Young)

Best Independent Album (in association with Spotify)

Actress – LXXXVIII (Ninja Tune)

ANOHNI and the Johnsons – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross (Rough Trade Records)

Barry Can’t Swim – When Will We Land? (Ninja Tune)

D-Block Europe – Rolling Stone (EGA Distro)

Jorja Smith – falling or flying (FAMM)

Kim Gordon – The Collective (Matador Records)

Mount Kimbie – The Sunset Violent (Warp Records)

Nabihah Iqbal – Dreamer (Ninja Tune)

Nubiyan Twist – Find Your Flame (Strut Records)

Skrapz – Reflection (EGA Distro)

Best Independent Remix

P-rallel Remix – Aluna, Jayda G – Mine O’ Mine (Mad Decent Under Exclusive Licence to Because Music)

Olof Dreijer Remix – Björk – Oral (feat. Rosalia) (One Little Independent)

L BEATS Mashup – Jorja Smith – Little Things x Gypsy Woman (FAMM)

Egyptian Lover Remix – Sudan Archives – Freakalizer (Stones Throw Records)

Ezra Collective, Sampa The Great – JOY (Life Goes On) (Partisan Records)

Best Independent Track (in association with Meta)

Amy Gadiaga – ‘All Black Everything’ (Jazz re:freshed)

CASISDEAD – ‘Venom’ (XL Recordings)

Sampha – ‘Spirit 2.0’ (Young)

Fontaines DC – ‘Starburster’ (XL Recordings)

Ezra Collective – ‘Ajala’ (Partisan Records)

Jorja Smith – ‘Little Things’ (FAMM)

KNEECAP, Grian Chatten – ‘Better Way To Live’ (Heavenly Recordings)

Matthew Halsall – ‘An Ever Changing View’ (Gondwana Records)

NikNak – ‘1200RPM’ (Accidental Records)

Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair – ‘Set The Roof’ (Warp Records)

Best Independent EP/Mixtape

George Riley – ‘Un/limited Love’ (Ninja Tune)

Headie One & K-Trap – ‘STRENGTH TO STRENGTH’ (One Records and Thousand8)

JGrrey – ‘If Not Now?’ (PACE, a subsidiary of Marathon Music Group)

Potter Payper – ‘Thanks For Hating’ (EGA Distro)

HONESTY – ‘BOX’ (Partisan Records)

UK Independent Breakthrough (in association with Amazon Music)

Bar Italia (Matador Records)

CASISDEAD (XL Recordings)

Wunderhorse (Communion Records)

Barry Can’t Swim (Ninja Tune)

Saint Harison (Platoon)

The post The First Round Of Nominees Announced For the 2024 AIM Independent Music Awards appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Kicking off the weekend festivities, mgk hosted his Skate + BMXXing event at the Crooked River Skate Park. Later that day, fans could attend an evening of trivia and games at his 27 Coffee Shop, where they could compete for an assortment of prizes, including a year’s supply of mgk’s 27 Club Coffee. Shortly after, mgk headed to Lago Veranda for a movie night, where fans joined him to watch his Life in Pink documentary, which depicted the rockstar’s climb to superstardom.

On Saturday (August 10), his 27 Club team played in the League Park Invitational Charity Softball Game. The historic park, once home to the Cleveland Indians, became a fun playground for all the players in attendance. The game’s efforts continued funding and awareness for the Baseball Heritage Museum. mgk continued the festivities by hosting an event at FWD Day & Nightclub, where he brought out Nelly as the special guest. Attendees took a trip down memory lane as Nelly performed some of his classic hits. mgk also took the stage to perform some fan favorites before closing out the night.

On Sunday (August 11), mgk took over Cleveland’s streets with a massive bike rally on his way to perform at his MGK Day Block Party. It was a powerful demonstration of unity that drew a massive crowd of bikers from all areas of the city. The City Ride was picturesque as they rode together in one accord, showcasing the peace and unity instilled by the hometown hero.

At the block party, the Cleveland superstar gave nothing short of an electric performance to a massive crowd of fans. Surprise appearances from Travis Barker, Jelly Roll, and Tee Grizzley also took place. Local vendors were in attendance, and food and music kept the crowd safe, entertained, and engaged. Donations and school supplies were collected to support the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and the event was free for all attendees.

“MGK Day is a testament to the power of community and the impact we can make when we come together for a great cause. It’s inspiring to see how this event not only celebrates Cleveland’s own mgk but also channels that energy into meaningful charity work that uplifts our city,” says Mayor Justin Bibb, who designated August 13 as MGK Day two years ago.

The action-packed weekend continues with Service Day at 27 Club Coffee and then Sora 天 Anime Night. mgk will close out MGK Day weekend on Tuesday (August 13th), where he’ll throw the first pitch at Progressive Field when the Cleveland Guardians host the Chicago Cubs. A special treat awaits the first 10,000 fans who enter Progressive Field—a custom bag of 27 Club Coffee, exclusively available for early attendees.

Though he’s been busy crafting this once-in-a-lifetime experience for Cleveland, mgk recently served as a special guest at Morgan Wallen’s Las Vegas show at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday (August 8), where he performed “Lonely Road” alongside Jelly Roll. Their hit song debuted in the top 40 on the Hot 100 and spent a week trending at No. 1 on YouTube. “Lonely Road” showcases who mgk is in today’s music landscape: a multi-faceted musician who pivots between genres through live instrumentation.

The post MGK Brings His MGK Day Charity Weekend To Cleveland appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

The accolade comes on the heels of the announcement of his new project, Backside of 30, a re-release of his critically acclaimed 2012 record 30. The album will be out on September 27 via Late August Records.

Jinks has amassed a loyal fanbase throughout his career, having sold over 5 million tickets. He’s also released twelve albums that regularly chart near the top of Billboard Country and Independent Albums charts, garnered over 5 billion streams across platforms and had eight songs certified RIAA Platinum or Gold, led by the double-platinum success of Loud and Heavy.

The post Cody Jinks Presented With Pandora Billionaire Plaque appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

The awards show was originally slated for September 10th but will now take place on September 11th at New York’s UBS Arena.

Along with the schedule change, the VMAs announced the first round of performers for 2024, including Camila Cabello, Chappell Roan, GloRilla, Rauw Alejandro, and Sabrina Carpenter.

News of the schedule change follows last week announcement of the nominees for the 2024 awards show, which was led by Taylor Swift, who earned 10 nominations this year, and Post Malone, who earned 9 nods, primarily for his collaboration with Taylor Swift.

The awards show will air live on MTV, starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The post The 2024 MTV VMAs Pushed Back Due To The Presidential Debate appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Founded by Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren and guitarist Sylvain Demercastel, Savage Lands raises funds to restore forests and create sanctuaries free from human interference in Costa Rica.

The organization finances its work through song royalties, donations, and various fundraisers, as well as by building nature sanctuaries, establishing green zones and undertaking other land preservation projects.

Hellfest’s donation is part of a five-year partnership, with Savage Lands continuing to host a booth at the festival. The non-profit has protected 60,000 square feet of rainforest, funded entirely by music royalties.

Many notable musicians supported Savage Lands at Hellfest. Sylvain Demercastel was accompanied by Florian Pons (Loco Muerte), Poun and Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A), with special appearances by Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) and Daniel de Jongh (Textures) throughout their set. Chloe Trujillo and The Gathering’s Silje Wergeland also joined in.

For the grand finale, Savage Lands brought out Jesper Liveröd (Nasum), Alejandro Montoya (Cultura Tres), Billy Graziadei (Biohazard), and Shane Embury (Napalm Death).

“Our goals are within reach,” said Demercastel. “By converting the land we purchase into nature sanctuaries, Savage Lands sets a precedent for environmental activism. But time is of the essence. Ecosystems are still under threat, and if we don’t act swiftly, there may be no wildlife left to protect.”

The post Hellfest Donates €1M to Savage Lands For Reforestation appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Set for Pittsburgh’s Stage AE on August 28th, the show will feature a 100% female-fronted music lineup, as part of WWR’s mission is to support women in music.

Along with Etheridge, will also include DJ Femi, a performance from this year’s WWR Rising Star Contest Winner, and a special in-show moment honoring SURVIVORS WHO ROCK, presented by UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.

iHeart Radio 102.5 WDVE rock radio personality Michele Michaels will be honored live with the 2024 WWR Impact Award and the show will be hosted by actor and singer-songwriter Margot Bingham.

All proceeds from the concert will go to support women’s health research at Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI), the nation’s first and largest research institute dedicated solely to life-saving women’s health research and reproductive biology.

“The Women Who Rock benefit concert is all about raising funds for life-saving women’s health research which is underfunded and understudied,” says Melissa Etheridge. “I went through my own health issue 20 years ago, I’m still cancer free now and I know how important it is for women’s health to be studied specifically and independently.”

Music fans that can’t attend the August 28 concert in Pittsburgh can participate in a charity auction for a Gibson 1968 Les Paul Custom guitar in Ebony, autographed by Melissa Etheridge on CharityBuzz.com. All proceeds from the auction of the Les Paul Custom guitar will go to support the important work of the Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation.

Tickets for the 2024 Women Who Rock Benefit Concert are on sale now.

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The 2024 awardees, selected by a panel of industry professionals, span a diverse range of genres, including pop, metal, hip-hop, and R&B. The recipients are Azekel, BEKA, Blair Davie, Dirty Nice, Hana Lili, Lime Garden, Olive Jones, ShaSimone, SOFY, and unpeople. These artists, drawn from across the UK, will use the funding to cover essential costs like recording and mastering, video production, PR and marketing campaigns, and showcasing and touring.

Lime Garden, an indie-rock band from Brighton, shared their thoughts on the support provided by the fund. “Awards like Step Up provide essential support for new artists to develop sustainable careers in the music industry. For us, the costs associated with playing summer festival shows around Europe and our first US headline tour this Autumn are huge financial commitments. Having the funding support from Amazon Music and the industry support from the Featured Artists Coalition makes touring possible,” they told NME.

Eligibility for the Step Up Fund is open to artists aged 18 and above who have released at least three songs within the last year, with each song garnering a minimum of 15,000 streams or one song with 45,000 streams on a chart-eligible UK streaming service. Artists must not have an ongoing agreement with a major or large independent record label.

David Martin, CEO of the FAC, highlighted the importance of targeted funding for independent artists. “The UK clearly has no shortage of talent, and there is evidently a real need for more of this kind of targeted funding that can help independent artists realize their potential and build sustainable careers. Thanks to the generosity of Amazon Music, the FAC Step Up Fund is playing a real part in helping address that challenge. I’I’mncredibly proud of what wewe’vechieved together in such a short amount of time, and look forward to seeing how 202024’swardees progress over the next 12 months.”

Laura Lukanz, Head of Music UK, Australia and New Zealand at Amazon Music, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, “Teaming up with the FAC to support the Step Up Fund for a third year continues to be a highlight of the year for the team and me. The outstanding caliber of applications we receive every year serves as a powerful reminder of the immense pool of talented artists we have in the UK. Making our selections is always a challenging process. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the 10 artists receiving a grant this year.”

The fund aims to provide these emerging artists with the resources and support necessary to navigate the music industry and achieve long-term success.

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