Latest news with #SongwriteroftheYear
IOL News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Celebrating Women in Music: SAMRO Partners with Basadi in Music Awards 2025
Samro has reaffirmed its partnership with the Basadi in Music Awards 2025, as a celebration of the role of women in the country's music industry. Image: Supplied As South Africa prepares to mark Women's Month in August, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) has announced its continued partnership with the Basadi in Music Awards 2025, reaffirming its commitment to uplifting and celebrating the role of women in the country's music industry. In a move that blends celebration with empowerment, SAMRO will sponsor the Songwriter of the Year category, an award that recognises lyrical brilliance, originality, and the often-unseen creatives behind the hits that shape the nation's soundtrack. Set to take place at the Joburg Theatre on August 1 and 2, the Basadi in Music Awards have become a flagship platform for honouring the contributions of women in all facets of the music industry from performance and production to songwriting and executive leadership. South Africa celebrates Women's Month every year in August, to pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956, to protest against the pass laws. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Speaking on the importance of the partnership with Basadi in Music Awards, Kgomotso Mosenogi, SAMRO's general manager for marketing and communications, said the initiative aligns with SAMRO's ongoing efforts to transform the music landscape and promote gender equity. "Women have long been the heartbeat of our music industry, often writing the stories of our nation behind the scenes. Supporting the Basadi in Music Awards is not just symbolic—it's a tangible investment in gender equity, recognition, and creative excellence,' said Mosenogi. This year's sponsorship marks the fourth consecutive year that SAMRO has backed the initiative. Beyond financial support, SAMRO has also played a proactive role in capacity building. In 2024, the organisation hosted a series of empowerment workshops targeting women in music. These sessions focused on music creation, copyright, production, and promotion—equipping female creatives with essential tools to thrive in a male-dominated industry. Mosenogi emphasised the importance of addressing systemic challenges women face in the creative sector. 'In 2021, we commissioned a research report titled Women's Rights and Representation in the South African Music Sector. The findings were eye-opening—highlighting the underrepresentation of women in decision-making roles and the need for deliberate action to ensure inclusivity,' she said. The partnership with Basadi in Music, according to Mosenogi, was part of a broader call to action. It's not only about awards, it's about opening doors, shifting narratives, and creating a future where women's contributions to music are equally acknowledged, supported, and celebrated. This year's women's month will be celebrated under the theme "Accelerate Action" to emphasise the need to fast-track progress towards gender equality and calls for increased investment in women's well-being and empowerment. DAILY NEWS
Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
A new stage, fresh faces, and more Stick Figure: This year at Levitate
'It's so funny. People always ask that,' Hassett said. 'No, I don't think so. The character of the venue that we hold our event at is a big part of the event itself. We think it might lose some of what it's all about if we were to relocate.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Such attitudes are a common trend at Levitate, a festival whose traditions are loyal to locals. The major summer event has never left its home in Marshfield — where the brand's original surf shop is located — and its lineups have never strayed far from home, always incorporating musicians from New England. Hassett said that typically 30 percent of Levitate's performers have ties to the region, although this Saturday and Sunday, he noted that figure will skew closer to 50 percent. Advertisement Among visiting performers like Jamaican reggae artist Advertisement But Levitate devotees who might not be interested in seeing Stick Figure perform for the umpteenth time (they truly are a festival favorite) can find fresh talent at this year's 'Songwriter Stage' for emerging acts. Hassett describes the feature as a 'centerpiece stage' in the middle of the festival that will host four finalists from the Levitate Foundation's just-launched 'Songwriter of the Year' competition. Out of hundreds of applications from budding artists across the country, the inaugural finalists range from A short, stripped-down set at Levitate is only part of the prize; each finalist will also receive grants of up to $7500 to help fund a debut studio album. Similarly, the foundation will unveil an 'Artist of the Year' award in the fall, which will offer grants for visual art education and residences. So, while the festival's physical footprint isn't expanding, its impact is. At a time when many major fests are Advertisement In light of this weekend's likely sellout, though, it looks like this Marshfield tradition won't be leaving the South Shore anytime soon. 'I was nervous about it, but we're gonna have a very busy year,' Hassett said. 'We're grateful that people are still valuing coming out to this event this year.' GIG GUIDE It's the final (local) curtain call for also launch a double header this week, rekindling the stomp of the 2010s indie folk craze at Fenway Park on Coldplay bring their 2024 record "Moon Music" to Gillette Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday. Anna Lee Ahead of her performance at the Newport Folk Festival later this month, New Orleans bounce queen Advertisement On In the world of all things weird and wonderful, Boston's inimitable alt-rock outfit The Lowell Summer Music Series welcomes NOW SPINNING Wet Leg, Advertisement Wet Leg's sophomore LP "moisturizer" proves that the success of their 2022 self-titled LP was no winking fluke. Alice Backham Mal Blum, Mal Blum's complex new record "The Villain" is sometimes folky, sometimes punk-y, and always plucky. Nate Sturley Syd, Syd's new single "Die For This" is a persuasive (but never pleading) R&B serenade. Swurve BONUS TRACK Jazz fans won't be bored this weekend. with her band the Cookout , among others. Also this weekend, the fifth annual Advertisement Victoria Wasylak can be reached at . Follow her on Bluesky @
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Luciano Pavarotti Biopic Planned by ‘Quo Vado?' Producer and Late Tenor's Widow Nicoletta Mantovani, Penned by ‘Gomorrah' Writer (EXCLUSIVE)
Prominent Italian producer Pietro Valsecchi ('Quo Vado') is developing a high-end Luciano Pavarotti biopic for which he has secured a consulting agreement with Nicoletta Mantovani, the second wife of the late great tenor who broadened the audience for opera and became a global pop culture icon. A screenplay for the Pavarotti project is being penned by ace Italian screenwriter Leonardo Fasoli, a head writer on the series 'Gomorrah' which is Italy's top TV export. More from Variety Halsey Offers a Peek Behind the 'For My Last Trick' Tour Curtain: How a Team That Includes Top Broadway Veterans Came Together to Create One of the Year's Most Ambitious Pop Shows Bruce Springsteen Gives the Killers' Brandon His Flowers, Bono Calls for Peace in Gaza, Charli xcx Wins Songwriter of the Year at Ivors Ceremony Trump Demands 'Major Investigations' Into Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Bono and Oprah, Repeating Baseless Rumors Superstars Were Paid Off to Support Kamala Harris Mantovani, who established the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation after the maestro's death at 71, in 2007, is providing the project with documents, rare images, private letters, mementos and more from the archives of the foundation and museum in the Northern Italian city of Modena that was Pavarotti's home. As part of the agreement, Mantovani 'will be actively involved in every aspect of the project, contributing first-hand to the narrative and artistic construction of the film,' according to a statement. Born in 1935 in Modena into a working-class family – his father was a baker, while his mother worked in a cigar factory – Luciano Pavarotti developed a passion for opera as a child thanks to his father, an amateur tenor. Thanks to his vibrant signature high C's and a knack for showmanship he became the most beloved and celebrated tenor since Enrico Caruso and one of the few opera singers to attain crossover fame. 'Luciano had a big dream, which was to bring opera back to the people, because when he was a kid opera was sung in the streets and was just like pop music today,' Mantovani told Variety. Pavarotti pursued this dream through the Three Tenors projects, a collective enterprise that saw him share the stage with Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and his 'Pavarotti and Friends' charity concerts, performing with rock stars such as Elton John, Sting and Bono. Valsecchi, who shepherded Italy's biggest all-time box office hit, the 2016 comedy 'Quo Vado,' said he is seeking an Italian actor to play the lead and will soon be announcing a director for the project that will differentiate itself from Ron Howard-directed 2019 doc 'Pavarotti' by having a 'more Italian soul' while being 'clearly universal.' The plan is to shoot the still untitled Italian and English language Pavarotti biopic in several countries. Valsecchi is currently shopping the project to streamers and international of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Stop war', Bono pleads as U2 frontman calls for Israel to be ‘released fron Netanyahu' at prestigious awards
U2 singer Bono issued a call to "stop war" ahead of performing Sunday Bloody Sunday at the Ivors award ceremony. The performance came as Advertisement 3 U2's Adam Clayton, Edge, Bono and Larry Mullen Jr pose with awards Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 Robbie Williams nabbed the Icon gong Credit: Getty 3 Charli XCX won Songwriter of the Year Credit: Getty Accepting the award from pop star Ed Sheeran, the group members each received an award with While the singer made his acceptance speech, The Edge began to strum the chords of their war song Sunday Bloody Sunday. The song references the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Derry, where members of the British army's Parachute Regiment opened fire at civil rights demonstrators. Bono said: "I used to introduce this next song by explaining that it wasn't a rebel song. Advertisement READ MORE IN u2 "It was because believing in the possibilities of peace was, then and is now a rebellious act, and some would say a ridiculous one, to believe peace was attainable between your country and ours, between our country and itself was a ridiculous idea that we're pleased we hold on to very tightly right now. "Peace creates possibilities in the most intractable situations. Lord knows, there's a few of them out there right now. "Hamas release the hostages. Stop war. Israel be released from Benjamin Netanyahu. "All of you protect our aid workers, they are the best of us." Advertisement MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN Exclusive The group ended the evening with a performance of their 1988 song Angel Of Harlem. Hosted by The Ivors Academy, the award ceremony aims to recognise and celebrate "exceptional achievements in songwriting and screen composing". Pop star He said: "It feels all sorts of different things. It feels uneasy to receive, to be bestowed a 'we love you' or 'we like you'. Advertisement "I don't think that artists, singers, actors, I don't think it sits very well with them, unless you're a complete egomaniac and a narcissist, in which case you already think that and know that. "It's a beautiful thing to be given." BACK ON THE ROAD The singer is due to release a new album Britpop in the autumn and is due to start his UK, Ireland and European tour on May 31 in Edinburgh. Speaking about the new album, he said: "They (fans) can expect high octane guitars, at least for a few releases, until I jump back into pop, because we all get scared. Advertisement "The new music video features me being punkish. I hope people like it." Brat star Charli XCX was named songwriter of the year and gave an impassioned speech while accepting her award. She said: "I feel like we live in a world right now where there are so many great songwriters who are undeniably technically brilliant, but will unfortunately never get a big enough platform for people to actually hear or possibly record their work. "In my head, a great song alone has never actually been enough to captivate an audience, but instead, a song with a distinct identity coupled with a point of view, a potent culture surrounding it, and above all, conviction is what can catapult a songwriter from being technically good to globally renowned. Advertisement "As a songwriter, but above all, as an artist, conviction is everything. You literally die without it. It separates the frauds from the greats, the good singers, from the trendsetters. It's an undeniable sense of style and personality and of course, it's embracing the idea of daring to suck. "In my opinion, from writing songs with no fear and no agenda other than making something totally reflective of who you are, come the best songs. Songs that can soundtrack a night out, a summer, possibly even define a moment in time. The singer ended her speech calling out the songwriters in the room and encouraging them to "make what you want to hear". She said: "Make something with a niche and not something broad. Don't try and be clever. Advertisement "Be dumb, have fun and play songs for your friends and above all don't be afraid of yourself or of your own internal language, because it's the thing that makes you distinctly you."
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
The Ivors 2025: Charli XCX scoops the evening's big award
U2 make history at the 2025 Ivors overnight, as Charli XCX continues her awards tour Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Charli XCX has picked up her latest award for brat at the 2025 Ivors overnight. The singer joined the likes of Lola Young, Self Esteem, Myles Smith and more who were honoured at the ceremony in London. There were also awards for Robbie Williams, Brandon Flowers and U2 - who make history after receiving the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy. Charli XCX continues her awards run after picking up a major gong at the 2025 Ivors, held at Grosvenor House in London last night (May 22, 2025). The hyperpop superstar was named Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music for her ground-breaking work on the 2025 album, brat, which was lauded for 'redefining pop and becoming a cultural phenomenon.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Charli XCX, winner of the Songwriter of the Year award, poses in the winners room at the Ivor Novello Awards 2025 at Grosvenor House on May 22, 2025 in London, England. | Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images In true self-deprecating fashion, Charli XCX used her acceptance speech to highlight how her songwriting differed from, for example, Bob Dylan, but affirmed that 'one thing I certainly do is commit to the bit.' History was also made at the Ivors as U2 received the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy. The fellowship recognizes U2's fearless innovation, emotional depth, and their singular, influential partnership that has united generations through their songwriting. In earning one of the highest songwriting honours in the United Kingdom, they became the first-ever Irish songwriters to be inducted into the Academy's Fellowship in its 81-year history. Robbie Williams was presented with the PRS for Music Icon Award, marking his fifth Ivor Novello Award. This honour recognized a songwriting career that has spanned decades, touched millions, and defined a generation with hits like Angels and Let Me Entertain You. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Brandon Flowers received the Special International Award. As the frontman of The Killers and a solo artist, Flowers was recognized for crafting anthems that blend poetic melancholy with widescreen pop ambition, achieving an unbroken run of UK number one albums. The award was notably presented by fellow Ivors Academy Fellow, Bruce Springsteen. Self Esteem was also honoured with the Visionary Award with Amazon Music. This award celebrated her fearless, genre-defying songwriting that has reshaped modern pop, exemplified by her emotionally raw, unapologetically feminist, and musically adventurous work like Prioritise Pleasure. 2025 Ivors awards - full list of winners Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music - Charli XCX - Charli XCX Visionary Award with Amazon Music - Self Esteem - Self Esteem Special International - Brandon Flowers - Brandon Flowers PRS for Music Icon Award - Robbie Williams - Robbie Williams Outstanding Song Collection - Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes, and Matt Tong for Bloc Party - Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes, and Matt Tong for Bloc Party Academy Fellowship - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. for U2 - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. for U2 Rising Star Award with Amazon Music - Lola Young - Lola Young PRS for Music Most Performed Work - Stargazing written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink, and Myles Smith - Stargazing written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink, and Myles Smith Best Television Soundtrack - True Detective: Night Country composed by Vince Pope - True Detective: Night Country composed by Vince Pope Best Original Video Game Score - Farewell North composed by John Konsolakis - Farewell North composed by John Konsolakis Best Original Film Score - The Substance composed by Raffertie - The Substance composed by Raffertie Best Song Musically and Lyrically - Mine written and performed by Orla Gartland - Mine written and performed by Orla Gartland Best Contemporary Song - Circumnavigating Georgia written and performed by Sans Soucis - Circumnavigating Georgia written and performed by Sans Soucis Best Album - Who Am I written and performed by Berwyn Do you have an event you'd like to share with us? You can now promote your What's On stories to us online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
