Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce are both winners at the 2024 Webby Awards. Vote.org + Taylor Swift on National Voter Registration Day won the Webby Award for best creator or influencer collaboration, features (social). New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce won the People’s Voice Award for best co-hosts, features (podcasts). The Webby Awards are voted on by members of The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS). The People’s Voice awards are fan-voted. Other winners include Adam Driver, Apple, Barbie The Movie, Bowen Yang & Matt Rogers, Conan O’Brien, First We Feast, GLAAD, Google, Gretchen Whitmer, Jay-Z, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Batiste, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Laverne Cox, Megan Thee Stallion, Michelle Obama, Netflix, The New York Times, NPR, Olivia Rodrigo, Ryan Gosling, Saturday Night Live, Spotify, Snoop Dogg, Sydney Sweeney, Timothée Chalamet and Yoko Ono. The Webbys will also honor a select group of individuals with special achievement awards. Keke Palmer will receive a special achievement award for her contributions as an actress, activist and entrepreneur, as well as for her unique brand of digital innovation. Julia Louis-Dreyfus will receive the Webby Podcast of the Year Award for Wiser Than Me and her embrace of the internet as a platform for connecting generations through conversations with memorable women. The Academy presents the Webby Podcast Company of the Year to the organization that has earned the most honors across the podcast categories. The award goes to iHeartMedia, with 12 wins, in addition to 20 nominations. Additionally, the Academy announced that PBS is the Webby Media Company of the Year for earning the most honors across all Webby categories with 11 wins and 13 nominations. Trending on Billboard The Winners of the 28th Annual Webby Awards will be celebrated during an awards ceremony hosted by writer/comedian Amber Ruffin at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, May 13. Fans can watch special moments and the winners’ signature five-word speeches by following @TheWebbyAwards across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Here are 2024 winner highlights. To view the full list of winners, visit http://webbyawards.com/winners. Webby Award winners     Barbie The Movie, Integrated Campaign, Advertising Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)     The Book of HOV, Cultural Institutions, General Desktop & Mobile Sites (Websites and Mobile Sites)   Fenty Beauty Shade Matching Filters, Experimental & Innovation, Features (Social)     First We Feast’s Hot Ones Studio Tour with Sean Evans! + Wing Tutorial & CRAZY Hot Sauce Tasting, Food & Drink, Video Series & Channels (Video)     GLAAD, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, General Social (Social)     Governor Barbie ft. Gretchen Whitmer, Public Service & Activism, Social Campaigns (Social) Jon Batiste joins CNN’s Chris Wallace to demonstrate how music can cross genres, for Music & Performance, Social Video Short Form (Social)     Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, Comedy, Individual Episodes (Podcasts)     The Laverne Cox Show, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Shows (Podcasts)     Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, Best Series, Features (Podcasts) Netflix – I Like To Watch, Television & Film, Social Content Series (Social)     NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts, Music, Video Series & Channels (Video)     Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS 2023, Celebrity/Fan, General Social (Social)     Saturday Night Live, Events & Live Streams, General Video (Video)     The Simpsons – Maggie Simpson in Rogue Not Quite One, Comedy, Branded Entertainment (Video)     Spotify, Best User Experience, Features & Design (Websites and Mobile Sites) Spotify Web Player, Best User Experience, Features & Design (Websites and Mobile Sites)     Squarespace’s Backstage with Adam Driver, Best Video Editing, Craft (Advertising, Media & PR)     Vote.org + Taylor Swift on National Voter Registration Day, Best Creator or Influencer Collaboration, Features (Social) People’s Voice Award winners     Barbie Celebrates Barbie The Movie, Television & Film, Social Content Series (Social)     Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Comedy, Shows (Podcasts)     Daft Punk – Infinity Repeating Music Video, Animation, General Video (Video)     The Jimin Experience from the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Viral, General Video (Video)     Jennifer Garner (& Pretend Cooking Show series), Celebrity/Fan, General Social (Social)     The Kelly Clarkson Playlist from the The Kelly Clarkson Show, Best Social Video Series, Features (Social)     New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, Best Co-Hosts, Features (Podcasts)     RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 8: RuPaul’s Best Laughs Ranked, Television & Film, Social Video Short Form (Social)     Snoop Goes Smokeless, Brand Strategy, Advertising Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)     They’re Just Ken: Ryan Gosling Gifts BTS’ Jimin Ken’s Guitar, Media & Entertainment, Branded Content (Advertising, Media & PR)     Wish Tree for Yoko Ono, Technical Achievement, Features & Design (Websites and Mobile Sites)    

Latin music revenues in the United States continue to hit an all-time high, exceeding the $1 billion mark for a second year in a row on the wings of 16% growth that outpaced the overall market. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news According to the RIAA’s year-end Latin music report for 2023, total revenue jumped from $1.1 billion in 2022 to $1.4 billion in 2023, with the genre’s overall share of the total music market lifting from 7.3% in 2021 to 7.9%. In 2021, the revenue totaled to $881 million with an overall share of 5.9%. “Latin music has exploded in the U.S. over the last decade as a new generation of stars boosts the genre and streaming puts this dynamic sector at everyone’s fingertips,” says Rafael Fernandez Jr., RIAA senior VP of public policy & Latin music. “No longer limited by language, access or outdated assumptions – Latin artists are shaping our culture as fans gravitate towards the spirit of this music, propelling faster growth than all other listening and expanding our horizons further every year.” Trending on Billboard Months earlier, the RIAA’s mid year report had already suggested that Latin music revenues would reach a record high, driven by the success not only of Karol G — who made history last year with Mañana Será Bonito — but also a new wave of música mexicana acts such as Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida and Eslabon Armado who have also helped usher in a record year for regional Mexican music. RIAA Courtesy Photo “At the same time, there are opportunities for more fans to subscribe to paid streaming services and Latin vinyl sales to spin up even higher, finding different ways of connecting and inspiring unforgettable moments together as artists and labels offer up new sounds and songs,” adds Fernandez Jr. Streaming makes up a stunning 98% of Latin music revenue, accounting for more than $1.3 billion, up 17% over 2022. Within that, paid subscriptions were the biggest growth driver, contributing more than two thirds of total revenues and posting growth of 21% to $915 million; last year, the total earnings from streaming was $758 million. Another big contributor to growth was ad-supported on-demand streams (from services like YouTube, Vevo and the free version of Spotify), underscoring how important video is to the Latin fan. Revenue from this space grew 10% to $336 million. Revenue from digital services like Pandora and SiriusXM increased 5% to 77 million, making up 6% of streaming earnings for Latin music. Conversely, permanent downloads yielded a mere 1% of revenues for Latin music in 2023, falling 15% versus the year prior to $10 million, comparable to the 12% drop for digital downloads in the market overall. Although physical format sales slightly increased in 2022, this time CDs dropped down 49% to $2 million while vinyl albums decreased 25% to $7 million, the latter accounting for less than 1% of Latin music revenue in the U.S. RIAA Courtesy Photo

Following her departure from longtime home Sony Music Nashville last year, Miranda Lambert has signed a new deal with Republic Records. Nashville’s Big Loud will provide country radio promotion and marketing efforts as part of its partnership with the Universal Music Group-owned label.  As the first salvo in the new deal, Lambert will release the new track “Wranglers” on May 3. It will mark her first new music since the release of her 2022 album, Palomino. “’Wranglers’ is a tale of a woman taking her power back. I think we can all identify with the character in this song, because we have all had a time in our life that we needed to find a way to find our strength and also get a little revenge on someone that did us wrong or hurt us,” she said in a statement.  Lambert will likely premiere the song during the seven-time CMA female vocalist’s headlining Stagecoach Festival appearance this Saturday (April 27). Lambert’s affiliation with Republic comes as the New York-based label has moved more into country music and further into its partnership with Big Loud; in March, Big Loud inked a multi-year distribution deal with Mercury Records/Republic for all of its acts. Previously, only releases by Big Loud acts Morgan Wallen, Lily Rose and Dylan Gossett had gone through the partnership. Notably, Gossett is signed to Big Loud Texas, an imprint Lambert and Jon Randall started last year through Big Loud.  Trending on Billboard “Being in Texas with Jon, recording where I cut my teeth as a young artist, felt like coming home. I thought about the women — and men — who’ve lived, loved and found power in my music, and I wanted to get back to the root of those spaces,” continued Lambert, who is managed by Marion Kraft. “Talking to [Republic founder/chairman Monte [Lipman], [Republic founder/vice chairman] Avery Lipman and the team at Republic, as well as [Big Loud CEO] Seth [England] and the Big Loud folks who are leaning in, everyone understood my desires and vision for this next era of my music. Aligning like that is empowering; it gives you a license to really chase it. Signing with Republic has inspired me to find the sweet spot for me and all the people like me. I can’t wait for everyone to hear ‘Wranglers,’ and the rest of this record.”   “Miranda Lambert’s legacy as both a consummate storyteller and legendary performer speaks for itself. Her new music is spectacular and we are thrilled and honored to welcome her to Republic Records in partnership with Big Loud,” added Monte Lipman. Lambert added that the move has been inspiring. “Having a new home has given me a hunger I didn’t realize I still had inside me,” she said. “This song feels like it could be on the same record as ‘Gunpowder & Lead’; it has that same fury. I can’t wait to get out there with this new label and this new music… Monte Lipman and his team fire me up!”  “Gunpower & Lead,” featured on Lambert’s second album, 2007’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, became her first top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.  There’s no word on when Lambert will drop a new album, but Republic president/COO Jim Roppo said in a statement, “As she puts the final touches on her fantastic new body of work, it has all the hallmarks of her signature sound, yet she continues to push herself as a songwriter, producer and performer. We’re all at the beginning of a very special moment, and we’re grateful to be on this journey with her.” Lambert, the most awarded artist by the Academy of Country Music Awards, recently wrapped her residency in Las Vegas and will be on the road through September, during which time she will headline several music festivals. 

Range Media Partners has secured a substantial minority investment from a strategic investment group encompassing Liberty Global, Wildcat Capital Management and family entertainment company Playground Productions, the company announced Tuesday (April 23). The investment will help finance growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions for Range, a diversified management firm that operates across music, entertainment, sports and digital. It will also be used to bolster the company’s position in the U.S. market while scaling it in new and existing international markets. Launched in the summer of 2020, Range provides a full stack of shared services encompassing all areas of content production and commerce-based initiatives. Over the past year alone, Range has merged with production company Automatik; executed a growth strategy for Range Sports that included acquiring growth-stage companies within the media rights, athlete marketing and golf verticals; launched a music publishing division led by former Hipgnosis Songs Fund executive Casey Robison; and opened a Nashville office. Trending on Billboard Under the deal, Rick Hess — founder/managing partner of Cobalt Capital and a strategic advisor to Forest Road Acquisition Corp, which led the investor group — was appointed to serve on Range’s governing body as representative of Liberty Global and Wildcat Capital Management. Previous Range investors include Point72 Ventures and A+E Networks. Range’s music clients including Jack Harlow, Saweetee, Cordae, Midland, Murda Beatz, Nova Wav, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Hailey Whitters, Lauv, MAX, HARV, Sean Douglas, Wondagurl, Yola, Pentaonix, Luke Grimes, Russell Dickerson, Dylan Gossett, Shaboozey, Ryan Bingham and Tanya Tucker. “We founded Range with the express intention to build a multi-vertical, full-service offering, one that extends beyond the traditional business of film & TV representation in order to catapult client careers and ambitions through the broader entertainment & media landscape as well as through technology and diversified ventures,” said Peter Micelli, CEO of Range Media Partners, in a statement. Micelli continued, “We saw the dynamic changes happening, our clients were feeling them through the ripple effect, and we wanted to be more aggressive in how we could advantageously leverage those changes accordingly.” Range managing partner Jack Whigham added, “Liberty Global, one of the most widely respected industry leaders worldwide, along with Wildcat Capital Management and Playground Productions are ideal strategic partners for Range’s next stage of growth. We have been very deliberate during this process, wanting to find top-tier, blue-chip partners who have a unique perspective on our industry and are as committed as we are to an innovative long-term strategy to unlock global value for our clients. We are honored to move into this transformative phase with Liberty Global, along with the other first-rate financial sponsors, at our side to continue to meaningfully diversify our business through investment & acquisition.” ACF Investment Bank advised the investor group, with Greenberg Traurig serving as its legal counsel. Cooley was legal counsel for Liberty while Range was represented by Jones Day.

For a band that split in 1970, the Beatles seem to be everywhere right now. Last year, the Fab Four released their final recording, “Now And Then,” which gave the band their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay in more than 50 years, a leader on the Official U.K. Singles Chart which extended their record as the British act with the most leaders (18). It was also the longest-ever gap between No. 1 singles for any act, at 54 years. Then, last week, confirmation that Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 documentary Let It Be would be released for streaming on Disney+ from May 8, restored by Peter Jackson and the Kiwi director’s team. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Beatles’ music got another boost — and an update — during the Playoffs of NBC’s The Voice, when Nathan Chester ripped out a classic. Trending on Billboard For the latest episode, which aired Monday night (April 22), Chester gave an acrobatic performance of “Oh! Darling,” which appears on the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Chester, looking sharp in a retro, green suit, brought soul to his rendition, delivered high notes with style, and busted out some eye-watering splits. Think prime James Brown. The Chicago, IL native hones his talents as a professional singer on cruise ships. It shows. During the Blind Auditions, he impressed with a performance of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” earning a two-chair turn. “I’m always waiting for someone to inspire me, excite me,” coach John Legend said at the time. “When I heard you singing, I turned very quickly because I was like, this man’s got it.” Guided by Legend, Chester performed Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” in the Knockouts. And what is Chester comfortable singing? Jazz, opera, golden age of musical theater, funk, soul, Motown, he explained following his Blind Audition. It turns out, he’s just fine with the Beatles. And if he was to make an album, he’d want to bring back “the James Brown-style of Motown.” We got a glimpse of that on Monday night. Watch below. [embedded content]