awards

SZA Named Woman Of The Year By 2023 Billboard Women In Music Awards

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SZA’s list of accolades only continues to get longer. She’s been consistently breaking Billboard records with her sophomore album, SOS. Accordingly, the magazine announced on Friday (February 10) that they’ll be honouring the 33-year-old at an upcoming ceremony next month. At that time, the R&B vocalist will take home a trophy declaring her Woman of the Year.

In a statement, Billboard Editorial Director Hannah Karp explains the Women in Music Awards’ obvious decision to celebrate SZA. “Since she burst onto the scene in 2017, SZA has defied genres and continually released raw, powerful songs which have landed her music on the Billboard charts,” she said. “The release of her latest album, SOS has solidified her as a distinct force in contemporary R&B, and catapulted her into superstardom.”

As Complex notes, Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson will be hosting the forthcoming event on March 1st. It will take place at Inglewood’s YouTube Theatre. Several other notable women in the industry are going to receive similar honours. Lana Del Rey will take home the Visionary Award, while rappers Doechii and Latto are receiving Honda’s Rising Star Award and the Powerhouse Award respectively.

Additionally, Kim Petras, Ivy Queen, Lainey Wilson, and TWICE, will be honoured by Billboard for their own endeavours. Others who were previously recognized in SZA’s category include Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Madonna, and Taylor Swift.

Aside from the quickly approaching ceremony, the Ctrl hitmaker is also gearing up for her first-ever arena tour. In just a few days, she’ll kick off in Columbus, Ohio with Omar Apollo acting as her special guest. The starlet will stop in a total of 17 cities over the coming weeks before closing out in Los Angeles on March 22nd.

SZA’s latest feat is certainly an impressive one, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of exciting things she’s been working on lately. Firstly, the “Go Gina” singer teased her curvaceous figure while listening to Ashanti in an Instagram Story thirst trap. Of course, her latest music release also has the world talking.

SZA arrives at The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

On Thursday (February 9), the TDE starlet joined her good friend Lizzo on the remix of “Special.” This mark’s the duo’s first time collaborating musically – fingers crossed it won’t be the last. Listen to the Detroit native’s reimagined track here, and check back later for more music news updates.

[Via]

Drake Wins At 2023 Grammys Despite Boycotting Ceremony

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Drake ended Sunday night with a win at the 2023 Grammy Awards, despite intentionally not submitting any music. The Toronto rapper won the award for Best Melodic Rap Performance with Future‘s “Wait For U,” which also features Tems. For the win, Future beat out Kendrick Lamar’s “Die Hard,” DJ Khaled’s “Beautiful,” Jack Harlow’s “First Class,” and Latto’s “Big Energy (Live).”

“Wait For U” was released on Future’s ninth studio album, I Never Liked You, back in April 2022. The hit song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite no submissions, Drake released plenty of music that could’ve qualified for the Grammys. He dropped Honestly, Nevermind as well as Her Loss in 2022.

ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 20: Drake performs onstage at Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash Block Show at Phillips Arena on June 20, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

As for Drake’s issue with the Recording Academy, he previously withdrew his music from the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. He was already up for Best Rap Album (Certified Lover Boy) and Best Rap Performance (“Way 2 Sexy”). Going back further, Drake once voiced his frustration with the Recording Academy in a social media post from November 2020. He was unhappy that The Weeknd‘s After Hours album wasn’t up for any awards that year.

“I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artist that exists now and the ones that come after,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.

He continued: “It’s like a relative you keep expecting to fix up but they just won’t change their ways. The other day I said @theweeknd was a lock for either album or song of the year along with countless other reasonable assumptions and it just never goes that way. This is a great time for somebody to start something new that we can build up over time and pass on to the generations to come.” Revisit Future’s “Wait For U” music video below featuring Drake and Tems.

[Via]

2023 Grammys: Here’s the Full List of This Year’s Winners

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Image via Getty/David Becker/The Recording Academy

  • Album of the Year

  • Record of the Year

  • Song of the Year

  • Best New Artist

  • Best Rap Album

  • Best Rap Song

  • Best Rap Performance

  • Best Melodic Rap Performance

  • Best Pop Vocal Album

  • Best Pop Solo Performance

  • Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

  • Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

  • Best R&B Album

  • Best R&B Performance

  • Best R&B Song

  • Best Progressive R&B Album

  • Best Traditional R&B Performance

  • Best Música Urbana Album

  • Best Latin Pop Album

  • Best Tropical Latin Album

  • Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

  • Best Music Video

  • Best Music Film

  • Best Dance/Electronic Album

  • Best Dance/Electronic Recording

  • Best Alternative Music Album

  • Best Alternative Music Performance

  • Best Rock Album

  • Best Rock Song

  • Best Rock Performance

  • Best Metal Performance

  • Best Country Album

  • Best Country Song

  • Best Country Solo Performance

  • Best Country Duo/Group Performance

  • Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

  • Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

  • Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

  • Best Global Music Album

  • Best Global Music Performance

  • Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording

  • Best Comedy Album

  • Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album

  • Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

  • Best Jazz Vocal Album

  • Best Improvised Jazz Solo

  • Best Jazz Instrumental Album

  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

  • Best Latin Jazz Album

  • Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

  • Best Gospel Album

  • Best Gospel Performance/Song

  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

  • Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

  • Best Roots Gospel Album

  • Best American Roots Performance

  • Best American Roots Song

  • Best Americana Performance

  • Best Americana Album

  • Best Bluegrass Album

  • Best Traditional Blues Album

  • Best Contemporary Blues Album

  • Best Folk Album

  • Best Regional Roots Music Album

  • Best Reggae Album

  • Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

  • Best Children’s Album

  • Best Musical Theater Album

  • Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

  • Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

  • Best Song Written for Visual Media

  • Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

  • Best Instrumental Composition

  • Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

  • Best Recording Package

  • Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

  • Best Album Notes

  • Best Historical Album

  • Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

  • Best Immersive Audio Album

  • Best Engineered Album, Classical

  • Producer of the Year, Classical

  • Best Orchestral Performance

  • Best Opera Recording

  • Best Choral Performance

  • Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

  • Best Classical Instrumental Solo

  • Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

  • Best Classical Compendium

  • Best Contemporary Classical Composition

  • Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals