2018 American Music Awards: Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Zedd, Ella Mai, Twenty One Pilots added to lineup

October 5, 2018

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ennifer Lopez performs at a private concert held exclusively for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises advertising clients at Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on May 16, 2016.
Jennifer Lopez (Photo by Virginia Sherwood/Telemundo)

The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions and ABC:

Dick Clark Productions and ABC today announced a performance from multiplatinum singer/songwriter Camila Cabello, as well as a first-time AMA collaboration from multi-platinum artist Shawn Mendes with award-winning artist/DJ/producer Zedd, for the “2018 American Music Awards.” Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the “2018 American Music Awards,” the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

International film, tv and music sensation and three-time American Music Award-winning artist, Jennifer Lopez will debut a brand new single from her upcoming feature film, Second Act, at the “2018 American Music Awards.” The film follows Lopez’s character Maya, a 40-year-old woman struggling with frustrations from unfulfilled dreams. Until, that is, she gets the chance to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts, and that it’s never too late for a Second Act. The new comedy, which also stars Leah Remini, Milo Ventimiglia and Vanessa Hudgens, hits theaters December 14.

British singer, songwriter Ella Mai will perform her smash hit “Boo’d Up” at the “2018 American Music Awards.” The British artist, who just tied the record for longest running No. 1 song by a woman on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, will also deliver an encore performance of “Trip” for Comcast’s Xfinity TV customers exclusively on Xfinity On Demand immediately following the telecast.

American Music Award-winning rock duo, Twenty One Pilots, will return to the AMAs stage to deliver a YouTube Music Moment at the “2018 American Music Awards.” The band will treat fans to their alternative/indie track “Jumpsuit,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart and is the fastest-rising song to reach No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart since the 2009 and garnered the top spot on the Rock Airplay chart. “Jumpsuit” is the first single from the band’s fifth studio album, TRENCH.

Up for five nominations this year – including New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One® Savor® Card and Favorite Female Artist – Pop/Rock – Cabello will perform a song from her first studio album Camila, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Shawn Mendes – who took home the accolade for Favorite Artist – Adult Contemporary in 2017 and is again nominated under the category this year – will perform a track from Mendes’ self-titled third studio album, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and marked Mendes’ third number one album in the United States, alongside multiplatinum selling artist/DJ/producer Zedd. Also a five-time American Music Award nominee, Zedd is nominated for Collaboration of the Year and Favorite Artist – Electronic Dance Music (EDM) this year.

Cuban born singer/songwriter Camila Cabello (Epic Records / SYCO) released her debut solo album, CAMILA in January 2018 to rave reviews. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart at the same time as her single “Havana” Reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Camila the first solo artist in nearly 15 years to hold the #1 spot on both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts simultaneously with their first #1. The RIAA gold-certified album, CAMILA, launched its debut at #1 on over 100 iTunes charts around the world, breaking the record for most #1 positions for a debut album in iTunes history. Beginning her official solo career after four years in Fifth Harmony, Cabello released her RIAA triple-platinum smash hit “Havana,” in August 2017 where it obtained the #1 spot on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart, marking her second #1 as a solo artist. Furthermore, “Havana” hit #1 on iTunes overall top songs chart, #2 on the Spotify Global chart and hit #1 in 80 countries around the world. “Havana” is the first song by a female artist to go #1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs, Pop Songs, and Rhythmic Songs airplay charts in 22 years and recently crossed 765M cumulative streams and attained the longest run at #1 on the Pop Songs chart by a female artist in a lead role in nearly five years. Her next single “Never Be The Same,” was released in January 2018 and peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Cabello had already earned a chart-topping smash with her recent double platinum-certified hit “Bad Things” with MGK. The track generated over 240M Spotify streams.


Toronto born multi-platinum singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes released his highly anticipated self-titled third album in May 2018. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart as well as multiple additional worldwide markets, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Holland & more. Shawn Mendes made Shawn the third youngest solo artist to ever have three #1 albums on the Billboard 200, and became one of the top best-selling album debuts of 2018. The album shot to #1 on iTunes upon release in over 80 countries around the world. Leading up to the album, he released multiple tracks including “Youth” Featuring Khalid, “In My Blood” and “Lost In Japan.” Both “In My Blood” and “Lost In Japan,” the first two songs released off the new album, experienced massive success, soaring to the #1 and #2 spots on the overall iTunes chart in the U.S, Top 5 on iTunes in 50 countries, and held the #1 and #2 spots on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” playlist. With “In My Blood,” Shawn became the first artist to ever have had four #1 singles on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs airplay chart before the age of 20. In April 2017, Shawn released his 3x Platinum hit “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back.” The track scored Shawn his second #1 single Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, joining 7x Platinum single “Stitches.” Throughout his career, Shawn has achieved 3 consecutive #1 album debuts, 2 Platinum albums, and 8 consecutive platinum and multi-platinum singles. Worldwide, he has sold over 12 million albums, 100 million singles, and has amassed over 16 billion song streams and 5 billion YouTube views. Shawn has completed two sold-out world tours with over one million tickets sold, selling out legendary arenas including NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, and London’s O2 Arena in minutes. Shawn Mendes: The Tour begins in March 2019, with over 60 dates currently announced across Europe, North America and Australia, with more to be announced soon. He topped Billboard’s “21 Under 21” in 2017 and has been featured on Forbes “30 Under 30,” Spotify’s “25 Under 25,” and Time Magazine’s “Time 100 Most Influential”. In February 2018, ROI Influencer Media recognized Shawn as the #1 Most Influential Artist and #1 Most Influential Teen across all social media platforms.

Multi-platinum, GRAMMY award-winning artist/DJ/producer Zedd made his debut with Clarity after signing with Interscope in 2012 and has been breaking down barriers surrounding music genres ever since. This fall, Zedd has teamed up with Shawn Mendes for a remix of “Lost In Japan” from Shawn’s latest album. The remix is the follow up to Zedd’s 2018 singles, “Happy Now” with Elley Duhé and his monster hit, “The Middle” with Maren Morris and Grey.  Zedd released “The Middle” in January 2018, and earned him his second #1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart. “The Middle” held the top spot for seven weeks and has spent 35 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Digitally, the song has amassed over 1 billion streams. In 2017, Zedd released “Stay” with Alessia Cara, which held the #1 spot on the Pop Songs airplay chart for six consecutive weeks and earned Zedd his second GRAMMY nomination. In 2015, Zedd released True Colors, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Throughout his career, Zedd has worked with a diverse range of artists to create hits, including Hayley Williams on platinum hit “Stay The Night,” which racked up more than 400 million streams, and Selena Gomez on platinum track “I Want You To Know,” which spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Actor, singer, film & television producer, fashion designer, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and humanitarian Jennifer Lopez has created one of the most successful and well-known brands in entertainment. Since Lopez’s first album, On the 6, debuted in 1999, she has been transforming the global music scene and has sold over 75 million records worldwide, including 40 million albums. She has had 17 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 10 of which reached the top 10, and three #1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. She became the first woman to receive the lifetime achievement Icon Award at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards for outstanding contribution to pop music. In addition to her music work, Lopez’s numerous films have grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide. Lopez has had five films open at #1, and her portrayal of the Latin music sensation in Selena earned her widespread acclaim including a Golden Globe Nomination and an ALMA Award. In 2001, Lopez made history by being the first female artist to have a #1 movie and #1 album simultaneously. The Wedding Planner was the nation’s top grossing film while her second album, J.Lo, was #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. She holds that record to this day. Lopez can next be seen starring in and producing STX’s upcoming feature film, Second Act, alongside Leah Remini, Milo Ventimiglia, and Vanessa Hudgens. The film is slated for release in December 2018. In 2016, Lopez premiered her one-of-a-kind Las Vegas show entitled All I Have at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.  The sold out shows, complete with new costumes, set design and choreography have been praised by critics, with the Los Angeles Times hailing her the “Queen of the Strip.” She performed 40 shows a year through September 2018 and concluded the residency with gross ticket sales topping more than $100 million during the 3-year-long run. Lopez also serves as a judge on NBC’s new dance competition show, World of Dance. For its debut, the show became the most-watched premiere for a summer alternative series in nine years and the biggest regular time slot premiere in all of 2017. The show was renewed for a third season in May 2018. In addition to her work in film, television, and music, Lopez dedicates her time to several humanitarian causes. In September 2017, following Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, Lopez announced that she would be donating $1 million to humanitarian aid for Puerto Rico. She then launched a humanitarian relief campaign entitled Somos Una Voz, an effort supported by various celebrities to rush supplies to areas affected by Hurricane Maria. Lopez presented a subsequent concert and telethon for disaster relief, “One Voice: Somos Live!” which raised over $35 million. In April 2018, Lopez was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, and in August 2018, she was became the 2018 recipient of the MTV Video Music Award’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. With a cumulative film gross of over $2.9 billion and global record sales exceeding 80 million, it’s clear that Jennifer Lopez established herself as one of the most influential performers of our time and will continue to dazzle audiences with her upcoming film, television, and music productions as a global icon and the ultimate multihyphenate.

10 Summers and Interscope Records, Ella Mai’s awe-inspiring journey to the top of the music charts is sure to reach new heights this fall with the release of her highly anticipated, debut. Executive produced by Mustard, the throwback R&B album, simply titled Ella Mai, is due Friday, October 12th. The British singer-songwriter continues to break long held records with her RIAA Certified Triple-Platinum single, “Boo’d Up.” The 23-year-old has solidified her standing as the first woman since Beyonce in 2012 to hit No.1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. “Boo’d Up” has also now tied Mary J Blige’s “Be Without You” as the longest running #1 by a female artist in R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart history. The breakout star will also be joining the esteemed Bruno Mars on his 24K Magic World Tour beginning in October. Ella Mai is now available for pre-order.

Twenty One Pilots shook the world with the release of their 2015 LP BLURRYFACE, an album that would go on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide and earn the band their first ever GRAMMY® Award as they shattered longstanding chart records, and captivated audiences worldwide on sold-out arena runs and at international festivals. Now three years later, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have returned to write the next chapter of their story with TRENCH, the band’s highly anticipated new studio album. TRENCHfinds Twenty One Pilots fearlessly reimagining the possibilities of their music through the same candid expression and genuine identity that helped to cement their place as one of the largest bands in the world.
The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Voting is now closed in all categories except New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One® Savor® Card and Collaboration of the Year.
For New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One Savor Card and Collaboration of the Year, fans can vote for each award 100 times per day, per voting platform in one or both of the ways below. Fans can vote for all other awards once per day, per voting platform.
  • Via web at VoteAMAs.com
  • Posting a tweet on Twitter that includes the nominee’s name or Twitter handle, the category name and #AMAs within the tweet
Voting for New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One Savor Card and Collaboration of the Year will close on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 5:59:59 p.m. PDT, one hour into the live broadcast. Voting for all other categories will close on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 11:59:59 p.m. PDT.American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected on Billboard.com, including streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, and reflect the time period of Sept. 15, 2017, through Aug. 9, 2018.

YouTube Music is the presenting sponsor of the “2018 American Music Awards.”

Capital One Savor Card and Subaru of America, Inc. are sponsors of the “2018 American Music Awards.” Media partner is Cumulus Media/Westwood One.

The “2018 American Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Barry Adelman, Mark Bracco and Tracee Ellis Ross are executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.

For the latest American Music Awards news, exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the AMAs on social and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #AMAs.

Facebook: Facebook.com/AMAs
Twitter: @AMAs
Instagram: @AMAs
Snapchat: TheAMAs
YouTube: YouTube.com/TheAMAs

Tickets are now on sale at www.axs.com.

About the American Music Awards
The American Music Awards, the world’s largest fan-voted award show, features performances from today’s hottest artists and presents fan-voted awards in the music genres of Pop/Rock, Alternative Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Inspirational, Latin, EDM and Soundtrack, and the categories of Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One Savor Card, Collaboration of the Year, Tour of The Year, Favorite Social Artist presented by Xfinity and Favorite Music Video. The American Music Awards pays tribute to today’s most influential and iconic artists.  The show is produced by dick clark productions and is seen in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. For more information, visit www.theamas.comwww.dickclark.com or abc.go.com/shows/american-music-awards.

About dick clark productions
dick clark productions (dcp) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. dcp is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

About YouTube Music 
YouTube Music is a completely reimagined streaming music service with music videos, official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, covers and hard-to-find music you can only get on YouTube. It’s ALL here! YouTube Music serves music based on your tastes and what’s moving the community around you. Discover something new or keep up with what’s trending. Basic functions such as playing music and watching videos are totally free, but you can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium to explore the world of music ad-free, offline, and with the screen locked. Available on mobile and desktop.  For additional information, visit  www.youtube.com/musicpremium.

2018 Billboard Music Awards: presenters announced; Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Khalid, Kesha, Macklemore, Salt N Pepa, En Vogue, Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey added to performer lineup

May 17, 2018

Billboard Music Awards

The following are excerpts from press releases from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:

Dick Clark Productions and NBC announced today the full line-up of presenters for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.” The film, television and music stars slated to take the stage throughout the night include Hailey Baldwin, Tyra Banks, Alison Brie, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Andy Cohen, Simon Cowell, Darren Criss, Halsey, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Justin Hartley & Chrissy Metz, Nick Jonas & Mustard, Chloe Kim, Mila Kunis, Padma Lakshmi, Des Linden, Julia Michaels, French Montana, Ne-Yo, Derek Hough & Jenna Dewan, Evan Ross & Ashlee Simpson, Grace VanderWaal and Rebel Wilson.

They join host, performer and “The Voice” coach Kelly Clarkson, plus previously announced performances by BTS, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Khalid, John Legend, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez and Shawn Mendes, plus collaborations by Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato, Macklemore and Kesha, Salt-N-Pepa featuring En Vogue and Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey on a night filled with music’s biggest names. Global superstar Janet Jackson will receive this year’s Billboard Music Awards ICON Award and will also take the stage for a highly anticipated performance of her greatest hits, marking her first performance on television in nine years.

Macklemore and Kesha will perform their heartfelt single, “Good Old Days,” together in a special performance presented by T-Mobile, as part of the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.” The duo will perform their feel-good hit – which debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart – just down the Strip from the main show on Toshiba Plaza outside of T-Mobile Arena. T-Mobile will provide fans exclusive, behind-the-scenes content with Macklemore and Kesha in addition to an inside look at the BBMAs throughout the evening. Fans can keep up with and join the conversation by using #AreYouWithUs and following T-Mobile’s social channels.

Khalid and Mendes will take the stage for a special collaboration and the world television premiere of Mendes’ new single, “Youth,” immediately following Mendes’ performance of his hit single ”In My Blood.”

Female rap trio Salt-N-Pepa will shoop onto the stage to perform several of their monster hits at the “2018 Billboard Music Awards!” Joining them for this one-of-a-kind special performance will be the highly celebrated female vocal group En Vogue. Salt-N-Pepa’s “2018 Billboard Music Awards” performance marks the 30th anniversary of them becoming the first female rappers to crack the Top 20 on Billboard Hot 100. The renowned group burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1987 with their debut Billboard chart hit “My Mike Sounds Nice,” and then notched their first crossover pop smash with “Push It” the following year.

“Thirty years later, we’re still Pushing It all over the world and we’re still loved and celebrated by fans we grew up with as well as new fans,” said Salt-N-Pepa. “Looking back at all the barriers we’ve broken as women in this very male dominated genre of music, being the first two female rappers to break the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 is right up there as one of the best moments of our amazing career. We are blessed.”

[May 18, 2018 UPDATE: Khalid and Normani will be teaming up for the Pepsi® Generations summer performance of their Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Love Lies.”]
The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC. The three-hour telecast will feature performances from this year’s hottest musical acts, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy moments that celebrate 60 years of the Billboard Hot 100.

Nominations for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” were announced last month on NBC’s “Today” and on a livestream from Billboard’s New York office. Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran tie for the most nominations this year with 15 each.

Voting for the Billboard Chart Achievement Award and Top Social Artist is open. Fans can vote online and/or on Twitter through May 20, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT (half an hour into the live broadcast).

“Billboard Music Awards” nominees and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the chart period of April 8, 2017 through March 31, 2018. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.

For additional information on the “2018 Billboard Music Awards,” visit us at www.billboardmusicawards.com or check out the Billboard hub at www.billboard.com/bbma.

About the Artists

Ed Sheeran

Multi-platinum, multiple Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has established himself as one of the world’s biggest musical artists with over 26 million albums sold, universal acclaim, and performing to sold out audiences around the globe.  His third studio album “÷” (pronounced divide) entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 upon its March 2017 release, and went on to be the year’s biggest album in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, with equivalent album units exceeding 2.764 million units.  “Shape Of You” – the album’s 8x-Platinum lead single – debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2017, held the top spot for a remarkable 12 weeks, and remained in the top 10 for 33 consecutive weeks, the most ever in the chart’s 59-year history.  Sheeran dominated Billboard’s Year In Review, standing at #1 on 16 of their year-end charts including Top Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Song of the Year for “Shape Of You,” taking the honor for the second consecutive year  (Sheeran co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself,” 2016’s Hot 100 Song of the Year). With his 2x-Platinum certified single “Castle on the Hill” also debuting at #6 on the Hot 100 after being released in tandem with “Shape Of You,” Sheeran also became the only artist in chart history to have two singles simultaneously debut in the Top 10.   One of the planet’s most popular live performers, Ed has sold out countless headline shows at some of the biggest and most iconic venues around the world, including his upcoming stand at London’s Wembley Stadium where he’s set to perform in front of 320,000 fans over 4 nights.  Last year, all 60 dates of the North American leg of his world arena tour in support of “÷” sold out in a matter of minutes, and, this summer, he’ll return for a cross-country stadium tour, kicking off at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, on August 18.

Macklemore

Two-time Billboard Music Award winner Macklemore has collected seven hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including a pair of No. 1s: “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us.” The tracks — recorded alongside Ryan Lewis and featuring Wanz and Ray Dalton, respectively — ranked as 2013’s Nos. 1 and 5 biggest songs of the year on the Hot 100 chart. Most recently, Macklemore topped the Rap Albums chart with his 2017 solo effort “Gemini,” which spun off a pair of Top 20-charting hits on both the Hot Rap Songs and Pop Songs charts: “Glorious,” featuring Skylar Grey, and “Good Old Days,” featuring Kesha. In total, as a solo artist and with Lewis, Macklemore’s albums have earned 5.2 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, while his songs have sold 23 million downloads and have tallied over 2.5 billion on-demand streams.

Collectively, Macklemore’s music videos have been viewed over 2.7 billion times and he is one of only two rappers to have a diamond-certified single. His breakthrough album “The Heist,” with producing partner Ryan Lewis, earned the duo 4 Grammy Awards, 5 MTV Awards, 2 American Music Awards and 1 BET Award. In 2016, Macklemore was featured in an MTV special with President Obama about the opioid epidemic in America and was the first US citizen ever to participate in the Presidential Weekly Address. In 2017, Macklemore released “Gemini,” his first solo album in 12 years.

Kesha

Singer/songwriter Kesha has achieved more than 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, including three No. 1s. Among those leaders is her breakout debut single “Tik Tok,” which spent nine weeks atop the list and was named 2010’s year-end top Hot 100 song. Her first album, “Animal,” opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, a feat matched by her most recent release, 2017’s “Rainbow.” The latter set launched the Top 10 Pop Songs hit “Praying” and the No. 1 Dance Club Songs single “Woman,” featuring The Dap-King Horns. Kesha’s catalog of albums have earned 6.7 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, and her songs have sold more than 33 million downloads and garnered 1.8 billion on-demand streams.

Kesha’s latest album, “Rainbow” was praised by The New York Times, Billboard, Vanity Fair and more, and was ranked No. 4 in Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2017. ’Rainbow’ earned Kesha the first GRAMMY nominations of her career earlier this year, with “Rainbow” up for Best Pop Vocal Album and “Praying” getting a nod for Best Pop Solo Performance. She was recently named one of Time magazine’s Time 100, their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kesha will also embark on “The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore” co-headlining North American tour with Macklemore (along with several solo shows) on June 6 in Phoenix, AZ. The nine-week, 30-market tour pairs the two trailblazing artists for an epic summer trek of North American amphitheaters and arenas.

Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes recently released new tracks “In My Blood” and “Lost in Japan” from his highly anticipated third album. Both tracks have already experienced massive success, soaring to Nos. 22 and 64, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 and No. 2 on the overall iTunes chart in the U.S, Top 5 on iTunes in 50 countries, and holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” playlist. The tracks have received critical acclaim from outlets including Rolling Stone, Billboard, Idolator, Variety and Paste, with “In My Blood” topping Time magazine’s “5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week” and The New York Times’ “The Playlist.” “In My Blood” and “Lost in Japan” are the first new songs released by Mendes since his 3x platinum hit “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” in April 2017. The track scored Mendes his second No. 1 single on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, joining 6x platinum single “Stitches.” With “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” Mendes also became the first artist to ever have three No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart before the age of 20. Throughout his career, Mendes has achieved two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 with platinum albums “Handwritten” (2015) and “Illuminate” (2016),  and seven consecutive platinum and multi-platinum singles. Worldwide, he has sold over 10 million albums, 100 million singles, and has amassed over 11 billion song streams and 4 billion YouTube views. Mendes has completed two sold-out world tours with over one million tickets sold, selling out legendary arenas, including NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre and London’s O2 Arena in minutes. He topped Billboard’s “21 Under 21” in 2017 and has been featured on Forbes “30 Under 30,” Spotify’s “25 Under 25,” and Time’s “Most Influential Teens” for 4 consecutive years. In February 2018, ROI Influencer Media recognized Mendes as the #1 Most Influential Artist and #1 Most Influential Teen across all social media platforms. Shawn Mendes BBMA Giphy stickers are available and can be found within Instagram Stories by clicking the GIF button and searching for “BBMAs.”

Khalid

Five-time Billboard Music Award nominee Khalid has seen great success since he released his first single “Location” right before his high school graduation. The song’s domination led to Khalid’s major label deal with Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records followed by the release of his debut album, “American Teen.” The album received mass critical acclaim with Rolling Stone calling Khalid a “pop prodigy” and Time magazine stating, ““His thoughtful, relatable reflections on modern youth culture and the limitations of love are just as pitch-perfect as his soulful, measured delivery.” “American Teen” shattered expectations as it stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for more than 60 weeks, peaked at No. 4 and stayed in the Top 30 of the chart for its first 60 weeks on that list. The singer-songwriter has over one billion streams worldwide across all partners, his first single “Location” is certified 4x platinum by the RIAA, and his previous single “Young Dumb & Broke” is certified 3X platinum. Since the album’s debut, Khalid has garnered five 2018 Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and landed on the cover of Billboard’s 2018 Grammy Preview issue. He was also nominated for 2017 BET Award for Best New Artist, a Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song for “Location” and a 2017 American Music Award for Favorite Song-Soul/R&B for “Location.” Khalid also won Best New Artist at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and an MTV’s Woodie to Watch Award. In addition to “American Teen,” Khalid has collaborated with some of music’s biggest stars. He has been featured on a number of songs, including megahits like Calvin Harris’s “Rollin” with Future, “1-800-273-8255” with Logic and Alessia Cara, “Silence” with Marshmello, “Lovely” with Billie Eilish, “Youth” with Shawn Mendes, and many more. Khalid’s current singles “Love Lies,” a duet with Normani, and “OTW” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack are burning up the airwaves. Khalid is currently on this third sold-out North American headlining tour.

Salt-N-Pepa

With truck gold ropes around their necks and a fire in their hearts to entertain, inspire, and slay the competition— three feminine figures emerged from the shadows and kicked in the door of the male dominated Hip-Hop industry. The legend of Salt-N-Pepa was born. Long before the days of high profile social media platforms, Salt-N-Pepa commanded the attention of millions of followers with their airtight rhyme flow, mass pop appeal, fashion, fun, and unapologetic femininity. They are the first female rap group to attain platinum status. They have sold more than 12 million albums. Their brand of girl power and strong feminine artistry changed the Hip-Hop landscape and blazed a trail for numerous female artists and groups in pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop genres. Included in their catalog of hits from five studio albums are such classics as Push ItShoopWhatta ManLet’s Talk About SexExpressionIndependent, and the Grammy Award winning hit None of Your Business.

In recent years Salt-N-Pepa has reunited for several successful tours in the United States and abroad. In 2018, in the aftermath of a successful 30th Anniversary of the influential group, the ladies are still headlining the “I Love the 90’s Tour” and prepping for their Las Vegas residency. Salt-N-Pepa’s residency is not only a first for them it is also the first Hip-Hop residency in Las Vegas. With the success of N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton, interest has resurfaced from Hollywood executives in telling the epic story of Salt-N-Pepa. There will be a Salt-N-Pepa movie, and a documentary with both deals in development.  And what is sure to be sweet music to the ears of old and new fans alike, they are finally back in the studio working on new music.

Also, in 2018, C.E.O James” Jimmy” Maynes and Chief Operations officer, Tommaso Giuseppe have partnered with the legendary ladies of hip hop, Salt-N-Pepa on Eastwind Media Group (EMG!). Jimmy Maynes is a Grammy award winning music producer with a 30+ year history as an A/R executive hailing from the iconic record companies, Uptown Records, Def Jam, Jive Records and others. Tommaso Giuseppe is a former NY Nightlife promoter turned right hand to Jimmy Maynes. Powered by Salt-N-Pepa, EMG! not only manages the careers and brands of iconic pop/ hip hop & R&B artists such as Naughty By Nature, Kid N Play, ALL4ONE, Blackstreet & Case; EMG! also co-produces the hugely successful worldwide “I Love The 90s Tour” that is currently in its third year with no signs of slowing down.

En Vogue

En Vogue, currently consisting of Cindy Heron-Braggs, Terry Ellis and Rhona Bennett, has sold over 20 million albums and effortlessly transitioned into the digital age, amassing over 30 million streams and over 26 million YouTube views on their top six hit singles alone: the R&B and Pop smashes “Hold On,” “Free Your Mind,” “Never Gonna Get It,” “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” “Don’t Let Go,” and “Whatta Man” feat. Salt N Pepa).  The group has won seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Soul Train Awards, two American Music Awards, and received seven Grammy nominations.   After 14 years En Vogue is back with their first studio album “Electric Café” that spawn the Top 10 Adult R&B Songs hit single “Rocket.”

Zedd

Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist/DJ/producer Zedd made his debut with “Clarity” after signing with Interscope in 2012 and has been breaking down barriers surrounding music genres ever since. His latest single, “The Middle” with Maren Morris and Grey, was declared “catchy as hell” by MTV and Rolling Stone called it “an infectious earworm.” The track has already amassed over 500 million streams and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart. “The Middle” is his follow up to his 2017 hit singles “Get Low” with Liam Payne and “Stay” with Alessia Cara. “Stay” earned Zedd his first No. 1 on the Pop Songs chart and his second Grammy nomination. In 2015, Zedd released “True “Colors, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Throughout his career, Zedd has worked with a diverse range of artists to create hits, including Hayley Williams on platinum hit “Stay The Night,” which racked up more than 400 million streams, and Selena Gomez on platinum track “I Want You To Know,” which spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Maren Morris

Twenty-eight year old singer/songwriter Maren Morris has quickly established herself with vocal stylings that reflect her country, folk and pop influences. Armed with sheer talent, honest lyrics and a completely magnetic presence, Morris’ label-debut album, the gold-certified “Hero,” released via Columbia Nashville on June 3, 2016. One week after it was available, “Hero” entered the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at No. 1 and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, which spans across all genres. With this, the Arlington, Texas native became the first artist in the history of Columbia Nashville to open at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart with a debut album in the Nielsen Music era. Morris’ debut single from “Hero,” “My Church,” set a record at country radio by having the most chart reporting stations to play a debut single by a country artist with 107 stations the week it hit the airwaves, in addition to being certified Platinum by the RIAA. Later in 2016 Morris tied for the most nominations with five at the 50th CMA Awards, including Album of the Year (“Hero”), Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“My Church”), Song of the Year (“My Church”) and New Artist of the Year, which she won, marking her first CMA Award. She was tapped by Billboard magazine to receive the Billboard Breakthrough Artist Award at the 11th annual Billboard Women in Music Gala, as well as being awarded the Breakthrough Artist Award by the Music Business Association at Music Biz 2017. Kicking off 2017 Morris took home the Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance for “My Church” at the 59th Grammy Awards, in addition to having the most nominations for a country music artist with four to her credit, including Best New Artist, Best Country Album (“Hero”) and Best Country Song as the songwriter and performer (“My Church”). She received six nominations at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, New Female Vocalist of the Year, which she took home the trophy for, Album of the Year (as artist and producer) for “Hero,” and Single Record of the Year (as artist and producer) for “My Church.” Morris was also named Radio Disney’s Best New Country Artist at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. Morris wrapped 2017 with the conclusion of her first-ever headlining “Hero Tour 2017,” which also included dates in the U.K. Looking ahead at 2018 Maren received her fifth career Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance (“I Could Use a Love Song”) for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. In addition “I Could Use a Love Song” was Morris’ first No. 1 country radio single, as both the performer and songwriter, reaching the top of both Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase Country charts the week of Jan. 15, 2018. Morris’ current single for country radio is the fun fan favorite song “Rich.” Though rooted deeply in country music, Morris has acquired a global, non-genre specific, fan base. It’s that global fan base’s appetite that Morris will satisfy in 2018 by collaborating with electronic house DJ and producer Zedd, along with electronic duo, Grey, for the smash hit, “The Middle,” in addition to joining Niall Horan on the “Flicker World Tour 2018” with dates in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA.

Grey

Since launching in late 2014, Grey—the Los Angeles-based production duo composed of brothers Kyle and Michael Trewartha—have quickly taken the music world by storm with their viral hit singles “Starving” and “I Miss You.” Grey stepped into the big leagues with their first original release, “Starving,” a collaboration with Hailee Steinfeld featuring their mentor, Zedd, released July 2016. The breakthrough track marks Grey’s crossover into the mainstream milieu as their first platinum-certified single. A bona fide hit, “Starving” reached No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, and also went Top 10 in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Online, the track’s video counts over 250 million views on YouTube, with an additional 563 million streams on Spotify. With the success of “Starving” on deck, Grey followed up with “I Miss You,” their first official solo single. Released at the beginning of 2017 via Interscope Records, “I Miss You” delivers an emotionally intense romp through heartbreak and heartache, led by a seductive vocal performance from Southern California trio Bahari. The Top 40 track already claims impressive figures, with more than 30 million streams to date, including over 28 million plays on Spotify alone. Grey is now at the helm of their next artistic evolution with Chameleon, their debut EP released this fall. On Chameleon, a modern, freeform approach to production, no sound is off limits, no genre is taboo. For proof, take a spin through the title track “Chameleon” featuring vocalist Asia Whitacre. Structured atop a moving crescendo, the track dives headfirst into a matrix of filtered guitars and synthed-out bleeps. “Crime” feat. Skott, the first single off Chameleon, was called a “dreamy floor filler with a surprisingly huge drop” by Idolator. Grey go for the jugular on “Wings Clipped,” featuring special guest Avril Lavigne and Anthony Green, lead singer of Circa Survive and Saosin, Continuing their artistic evolution, Grey followed up their debut EP with “Crown,” a collaboration with Camila Cabello featured on the soundtrack to Netflix’s original film “Bright.” The New York Times described the track as “Bollywood-goes-trap mode” while Billboard heralded, “Grey smashed it with Middle Eastern drums and Arabic strumming.” As Grey readies new music in 2018, they reunited with Zedd for his hit single “The Middle,” featuring Grammy Award winning artist, Maren Morris.

Normani

Best-known as one of the four members in the multi-platinum group Fifth Harmony, Normani explores a new musical direction on “Love Lies” with Khalid. Since its release, the “slow-burning R&B ballad” (The FADER) has been streamed over 300 million times while the song’s official video has over 44 million views on YouTube. With over 195 million streams on Spotify alone, the song broke the Top 5 on the streaming platform’s US (#2) and Global (#3) Viral Charts. Featured as Zane Lowe’s World Record, “Love Lies” also went #2 on iTunes’ R&B/Soul Top Songs chart and #9 on the Top Songs chart across all genres. Born in Atlanta, Normani grew up in New Orleans before moving to Houston at 9 years old with her family after Hurricane Katrina.  Always excited about music, Normani began dancing at the age of 3 and grew up idolizing entertainers like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Beyoncé.  Inspired by her love for pop and R&B, “Love Lies” offers a closer look to Normani’s personal style as an artist and demonstrates her “smooth vocals” (Billboard) and “velvety range” (Vulture). Outside of the recording studio, Normani is the Global Ambassador to the American Cancer Society and works with A Place Called Home, lending her name and time to various events. She is also a Diversity Ambassador for The CyberSmile Foundation, a multi-award winning anti cyberbullying non-profit organization.

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