Monday 23 July 2018, 10:46 | By

Radiohead use Toronto show to criticise outcome of Canadian stage collapse trial

Artist News Business News Gigs & Festivals Live Business

Radiohead

Radiohead paid tribute to their late drum tech Scott Johnson during a show in Toronto last week, while hitting out at the failure of the Canadian criminal justice system to hold anyone to account for his death in 2012.

During a second encore at their show in the Canadian city, frontman Thom Yorke told his audience: “Six years ago, we wanted to do a show in Toronto. The stage collapsed, killing our colleague and friend. The people who should be held accountable are still not being held accountable in your city. The silence is fucking deafening”.

Johnson was killed and three others injured ahead of a planned Radiohead show in Toronto in 2012, after a scaffolding structure collapsed onto the open-air stage on which the band were due to perform. The show was promoted by Live Nation, and the live music giant was subsequently charged under Ontario’s Occupational Health And Safety Act, alongside provider Optex Staging & Services Inc and an individual engineer working on the show, Domenic Cugliari.

The criminal case reached court in 2015, but quickly started to drag. Then last year the judge overseeing the trial was promoted and no longer had jurisdiction. As a result a mistrial was declared and the whole case was set to begin anew. However, the defendants then argued that the entire case should instead be abandoned, citing a relatively new precedent in Canadian law designed to stop criminal cases from dragging on indefinitely.

The new judge considering the proceedings agreed that, under the new precedent, the charges against Live Nation, Optex and Cugliari should indeed be ‘permanently stayed’.

When that happened last September, Radiohead said in a statement: “We are appalled by the decision to stay the charges against Live Nation, Optex Staging and Domenic Cugliari. This is an insult to the memory of Scott Johnson, his parents and our crew. It offers no consolation, closure or assurance that this kind of accident will not happen again”.

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Monday 23 July 2018, 10:45 | By

Mos Def to open art gallery

Artist News

Yasiin Bey/Mos Def

Yasiin Bey – aka former rapper Mos Def – has announced plans to open a new art gallery in New York, in collaboration with advertising executive Set Free Richardson. Opening next month, the gallery is borne out of Richardson’s existing creative studios, The Compound, with which Bey has been associated for some time.

“The gallery will serve as a space for all mediums of art”, Bey tells Artnet News. “Free will run day-to-day operations alongside staff, and I will bring in curatorial and special projects”.

Richardson adds of the new venture’s artistic ambitions: “For me everything is art. What often happens is that certain artists don’t get a fair chance, and a lot of galleries don’t accept certain artists. The whole blue-chip world isn’t fair because certain artists that are just as good will never be accepted”.

The Compound is situated in the area of the South Bronx controversially re-imaged by property developers as ‘The Piano District’.

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Monday 23 July 2018, 10:41 | By

Three Lions suffers record-breaking chart fall

And Finally Artist News

Three Lions

The huge bubble of national optimism brought on by the England football team’s progress through the World Cup was burst too late to stop soccer song ‘Three Lions’ getting to number one in the singles chart last week. But on Friday’s chart, in a move more representative of that sudden deflation, the track fell from the top position so hard that it’s broken a record.

‘Three Lions’ broke a record last week too, of course. It became the first song performed by the same line-up to reach number one four times. Now it’s got another accolade for the biggest ever fall from the top spot on the singles chart. A week after achieving the pinnacle of sales (or equivalent) success, it only just scraped into the top 100 on the latest list, coming in at number 97.

Like last week too, George Ezra sits one place below ‘Three Lions’. Although not with the same song, obviously. While Ezra’s track ‘Pretty Shiny People’ is at 98, the song the football hit knocked off the top of the chart last week is still at number two this week. That being ‘Shotgun’. Because you may not be able to rely on English football, but you can always rely on George Ezra. And Drake as well, who is predictably now filling the number one spot. And the number five spot. And the number fifteen spot.

If you split streams and sales, a slightly different picture of the performance of ‘Three Lions’ emerges. While it’s nowhere to be seen in the streaming top 100, it only fell to number 59 in the sales-only chart. So, while enthusiastic streaming of the track apparently halted the moment England went out of the World Cup, there were still some people out there who felt the need to download the song. Possibly in readiness for the next time football looks like it might ‘come home’.

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Monday 23 July 2018, 10:18 | By

Approved: The Eye Of Time

CMU Approved

The Eye Of Time

Marc Euvrie is set to release his latest album as The Eye Of Time, ‘Myth II: A Need To Survive’, on 24 Aug. The second part of a trilogy of albums – the first being 2016’s ‘Myth I: A Last Dance For Things We Love’ – it continues a musical journey inspired by the current political climate and Euvrie’s own personal growth over the same period.

“The period between the release of the first two records of this trilogy is a most significant one in my life”, he says. “‘A Need To Survive’ is the perfect title to name it. I have fought darkness. I have faced myself. I’ve been into the deepest introspection ever, but I’m on my way to recover, and I will never be the same again. I guess I have faced the worst but most important period that everybody will face in his life. To know yourself better, to see the bad and the good things you’re capable of”.

“I feel that the album trilogy I started in 2016 will match my path to become a better person in balance”, he continues. “‘Myth I: A Last Dance For The Things We Love’ corresponds to my falling into darkness, ‘A Need To Survive’ to finding the energy to rise again, and the last record – which will be named ‘To Heal’ – corresponds to me right now, feeling positively mature”.

The new album is preceded by a new track, ‘Foldings’, a dark, motorik instrumental piece with bursts of optimism. Listen to it here.

Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.

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Monday 23 July 2018, 06:00 | By

Setlist: Cliff Richard, ICE, Ed Sheeran

Artist News Business News Deals Labels & Publishers Legal Live Business Media Setlist

Cliff Richard

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including Cliff Richard’s legal win against the BBC over its coverage of a police raid at his Berkshire home in 2014, more indie publishers direct licensing streaming services, and Ed Sheeran’s record breaking tour. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.

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Stories discussed this week:

• Cliff Richard wins £210,000 in legal battle with BBC
• ICE and SACEM sign up more indie publishers for digital licensing
• Ed Sheeran’s $213.9 million grossing 2018 tour breaks records

In brief:

• Route 91 Harvest hotel sues shooting victims to avoid liability
• Seymour Stein announces departure from Warner Music after 42 years

Also mentioned:

• Buy Chris’s new book on how streaming music services are licensed and where the money goes right here on Amazon

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Sunday 22 July 2018, 19:32 | By

CMU Digest 23.07.18: Cliff Richard, Route 91, Spotify, Ed Sheeran, ICE, SACEM

CMU Digest

Cliff Richard

The key stories from the last week in the music business…

Cliff Richard won £210,000 in damages after a judge ruled that the BBC infringed his right to privacy. The singer sued the Beeb over its coverage of a police raid on his home in 2014. The raid related to allegations of historical sexual abuse that never resulted in any charges. The judge was critical of the BBC’s sensationalist coverage of the police investigation and their naming of Richard as its subject. The Corporation says it may well appeal on the grounds that the judgement sets what it considers a dangerous precedent that could impact on the way all UK media report on police work. [READ MORE]

The hotel that hosted the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas sued over 1000 people caught up in the horrific shooting that took place at the event last year. The controversial legal action by MGM Resorts International seeks court confirmation that it cannot be held liable for the shooting that resulted in 58 deaths, because of the security measures it had put in place for the Live Nation-promoted country music festival. Both MGM and Live Nation have been sued by a number of victims in relation to the tragedy. [READ MORE]

Spotify unveiled a new platform via which artists, managers and labels can submit new tracks to its playlist curators. Although stressing the new tool is in beta, the company said it will mean self-releasing artists and smaller indie labels will be able to put new releases forward for playlist consideration. Placing on Spotify-controlled playlists has become a key driver of streams on the digital music platform, of course. [READ MORE]

It was revealed Ed Sheeran grossed $213.9 million from his touring activity in the first half of 2018. The most lucrative tour of the year so far – according to US trade mag Pollstar – Sheeran’s box office constitutes the largest monies grossed by any touring act in the first half of any year on record. This despite Sheeran’s average ticket price being the lowest among the ten biggest tours of the first half of 2018. [READ MORE]

Both ICE and SACEM signed up new publishers for digital licensing. More indie publishers are seeking to direct license their Anglo-American repertories to digital platforms. Previously many bigger indies did this via the IMPEL venture, but a number are now cutting out the middle man. Except the complexities of licensing song rights to streaming platforms means that publishers licensing direct without a middle man still need to partner with a copyright hub or collecting society to make it happen. Hence Concord now working with ICE and PEN Music Group with SACEM. [READ MORE]

The big deals from the last seven days in the music business…
• Sony/ATV partnered on a new Elvis musical [INFO]
• BMG signed a new deal with Cat Stevens [INFO]
• Warner/Chappell signed Odunsi (The Engine) [INFO]
• Warner/Chappell signed The Vamps [INFO]

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:22 | By

Vigsy’s Club Tip: Wookie at The Jazz Cafe

Club Tip CMU Approved

Yes, it’s back to the Jazz Cafe for this week’s tip, always one of my favourite London haunts for a good night out.

One of the founding fathers of UK garage, Wookie’s had a big influence on various strands of British dance music over the years, and tonight his many talents will be on stage in what will be – we are promised – an “old school garage summer rave”.

The main man will be joined by rising talent JD Reid for what is set to be a very fine night indeed.

Friday 20 Jul, The Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkeay, London, NW1, 10.30pm-3.00am, £15.00

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:17 | By

Spotify launches new tool for pitching tracks to playlisters

Business News Digital Marketing & PR

Spotify

A frequently asked question at CMU:DIY events for new talent and self-releasing artists is “how do I get my music in front of the Spotify playlisters?” The answer to that question just changed from “you probably can’t” to “you definitely can”. Assuming Spotify’s playlist curators can cope with the flood of music that will likely come their way now that they’ve opened up a new tool for putting tracks forward for consideration.

Playlists drive a significant amount of listening on the streaming platforms, of course, which is why most of the key digital services now have teams of in-house curators putting together lists of tracks for subscribers to play. It’s also why pitching music to those curators – and the owners of any third-party playlists that still have traction – has become a key part of any music marketing campaign. And, just like with radio, successfully pitching music to streaming service playlists requires access to the people doing the playlisting.

It took Spotify some time before it got into the playlisting business itself, it initially promoting third-party playlists within its platform. But since the streaming firm decided that curation was something it should do too, Spotify’s own playlists have been pushed to the fore. As a result a placement on them has become a key target for any artist or label with new music to promote, or for that matter with some catalogue tracks they feel are ripe for rediscovery.

Both the labels and the services have been honing the playlist pitching process as streaming has continued to boom. Though, with a relatively small number of people in control of the biggest playlists and thousands of new tracks being promoted each week, generally those labels, distributors and agencies able build personal relationships with the playlisters have had an advantage to date.

In a bid to level the playing field a little, Spotify has now put into beta a new platform via which artists, managers and labels can put forward unreleased music for playlist consideration. The new tool will be accessible to artists and managers via Spotify For Artists and labels via Spotify Analytics.

Formally announcing the new service yesterday, Spotify explained: “Everyone, whether you’re an artist, label, manager or part of an artist’s team, can try out this feature. Simply log into your Spotify For Artists account or, if you work at a label, head over to Spotify Analytics. There, you’ll have the option of selecting one unreleased song for playlist consideration and submitting it to our team”.

Those pitching tracks will need to provide various bits of information about the music, including genre, mood, scenes, instruments and whether it’s a cover. At the other end of the pitching process, playlisters will also be able to see other data already in the Spotify system about the artist being pitched.

Spotify goes on: “Editors will be searching through submissions based on the information you share to find unreleased music to consider for their playlists. The song and all the info you add about it will also impact our personalised recommendations. For example, as long as you tag and submit your track seven days in advance, the song you select will automatically appear in every one of your followers’ Release Radar playlists. This way you have control over which single you’re promoting to your fans”.

Stressing this is an editorial rather than commercial service, Spotify was also keen to add that the playlist pitching tool is currently in beta and will be evolved as it is used. The streaming firm’s statement went on: “Beta means this is the first step. With more than 75,000 artists featured on editorial playlists each week, and another 150,000 on Discover Weekly, we know how important it is to get this right”.

It concluded: “We’ll continue evolving this feature based on your feedback, so artists, labels, managers and partners can all help us create better playlists for Spotify listeners”.

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:16 | By

Festival No.6 to go on hiatus

Business News Live Business

Festival No 6

Organisers of the Global Entertainment-owned Festival No.6 have announced that after this year’s edition in September the event will go on hiatus. The seventh outing of the music and arts festival staged in the quirky surroundings of the Portmeirion village in North Wales takes place from 6-9 Sep.

In a statement, the event’s promoters said yesterday: “When we started Festival No.6 we had one aim – to create a completely new type of festival in a location unlike any other, catering for a different type of audience. Over the past six years, we’ve done everything we can to bring you an unrivalled festival experience in a truly unique setting, driven by a desire to do things differently”.

They went on: “In six short years the profile of the festival has far outgrown its intimate capacity, picking up numerous awards, gaining international recognition and becoming one of the world’s most unique festivals. We always knew we had something special but we never quite expected it to capture people’s imagination the way it has”.

However, they add, “running Festival No.6 hasn’t been without its challenges. Portmeirion is a complex site and we’ve had fun adapting and reinventing the festival every year, but unfortunately No.6 is just not sustainable in its current format and so we’ve made the difficult decision to take a breather – 2018 will be the last Festival No.6 for now”.

Thanking the artists, suppliers and local organisations that have helped make the festival happen, the promoters conclude: “Taking a break is the right decision but not all is lost, we’re already thinking about the future… As [Portmerion architect] Sir Clough Williams-Ellis said, ‘cherish the past, adorn the present and construct for the future'”.

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:15 | By

Muse tour director launches new charity to support next generation of backstage crew

Business News Education & Events Industry People

Muse tour director Glen Rowe has announced that he is stepping down from the role after 25 years in order to concentrate on his recently launch charity, the Neko Trust.

Building on the work of his previous charitable organisation the Cato Trust and the Cato Academy “roadie school” he founded, the Neko Trust aims to open a network of five small venues in part staffed by people training to work in the live industry. It will also offer various resources and opportunities to early-career artists and other young people.

“I’ve had an amazing career on the road with some of the best bands in the world like Muse”, says Rowe. “And I did it because people gave me the opportunity to learn and succeed. It’s my time to do the same, for both young people whose eyes need to be opened to the wealth of roles available in the live events industry, and for the live music venues that need to be supported”.

He continues: “The live events industry is in peril if we do not look after the ecosystem. If we do not nurture it, it will not grow. This is an industry that’s powered by youth and we need to protect it. Britain is great at exporting our musical talent, but where will the next generation come from if they don’t have venues to grow into greatness?”

Find out more at www.nekotrust.org

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:12 | By

Cat Power announces new album, Wanderer

Artist News Releases

Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, has announced that she will release her tenth studio album, ‘Wanderer’, in October. Produced entirely by Marshall herself, she says that the record represents her “journey so far”.

It’s about “the course my life has taken in this journey – going from town to town, with my guitar, telling my tale; with reverence to the people who did this generations before me”, she explains. “Folk singers, blues singers, and everything in between. They were all wanderers, and I am lucky to be among them”.

Along the way a number of guests join her on the record, including Lana Del Rey, who provides vocals on a track called ‘Woman’.

The album is set for release on 5 Oct. Here’s a trailer.

Marshall will also play a headline show in London at the Roundhouse on 23 Oct.

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:09 | By

Bernard Butler curates Bert Jansch best of compilation

Artist News Releases

A new Bert Jansch best of compilation is set to be released this autumn. Curated by Suede’s Bernard Butler and the Bert Jansch estate, ‘Just A Simple Soul’ spans the folk musician’s five decade career.

“Bert lived and breathed the sound of the guitar and its endless possibilities for communication, storytelling, conversation [and] emotional dialogue”, Butler said earlier this week. “We have a life’s work here and what a life Bert Jansch has given us”.

The compilation is out on 26 Oct. Find out more and pre-order here.

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:06 | By

Oram Awards to celebrate female innovators in music and sound

Artist News Awards

Oram Awards

Recognising talented female creators innovating in music, sound and related technologies, this year’s Oram Awards will be formally handed out later today. And this year’s winners are: AJA, Georgia Rogers, Hannah Catherine Jones (aka Foxy Moron), La Leif and Loraine James.

The five chosen artists will each receive an £800 bursary from the PRS Foundation. The ceremony to formally hand out the prizes takes place at the Blue Dot festival in Cheshire this afternoon, presented by Ana Matronic.

“Standing at the intersection of visual art, music, production and broadcast technology is the great Daphne Oram”, says Matronic of the composer, musician and BBC Radiophonic Workshop co-founder the award is named for.

“There is no figure more fitting to invoke while honouring the work of emerging female artists and engineers, and it’s a true honour to be a part of the second Oram Awards”, the one time Scissor Sister and now Radio 2 presenter adds. “May her genius live through the work of these incredible women – congratulations to all the recipients!”

PRS Foundation chief exec Vanessa Reed chips in: “We’re delighted to be celebrating the second Oram Awards at Bluedot Festival this year with Matthew Herbert and the New BBC Radiophonic Workshop. There are many talented and exciting female music and sound innovators in the UK and the Oram Awards is a brilliant way of recognising and supporting their work and promoting role models for the next generation”.

Find out more about the awards and the winning artists here.

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Friday 20 July 2018, 08:03 | By

One Liners: Cat Stevens, The Vamps, Rag N Bone Man, more

Artist News Business News Deals Gigs & Festivals Labels & Publishers Releases

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Get a daily news summary, our latest job ads and more via our Messenger bot. Click here to get started.

• Yusuf – aka Cat Stevens – has celebrated his 70th birthday by signing a new deal with BMG to represent his entire recordings catalogue. I probably would have just gone to the pub or something. “I feel very at home [at BMG] and lots of new creative ventures will soon come to light through the ethical vision we share”, he says.

• The Vamps have signed a new publishing deal with Warner/Chappell. “We’ve always written songs for our albums”, say the band. No need to justify yourself to us, lads.

• Red Bull has made a short film about Rag N Bone Man being an all round good egg and mentoring some new musicians.

• The 1975 have a new single out called ‘Love It If We Made It’. It’s got swearing in it and everything.

• Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse have released a new single called ‘Something Human’.

• Zedd’s released a new single. Happy now? Yes, that is what it’s called. Good guess. It features Elley Duhé. Here it is.

• Were you hoping for a new Rod Stewart album? Well, hope no more. Wait, does that sound right? What I’m saying is that Rod Stewart is going to release a new album – his 30th. It’s called ‘Blood Red Roses’, it’s out on 28 Sep, and here’s first single ‘Didn’t I’.

• Blood Orange will release a new album, ‘Negro Swan’, on 24 Aug. “My newest album is an exploration into my own and many types of black depression, an honest look at the corners of black existence, and the ongoing anxieties of queer/people of colour”, he says. He’ll play the Shepherds Bush Empire in London on 29 Oct.

• Billie Eilish has released new single ‘You Should See Me In A Crown’.

• Tirzah has released a new single called ‘Devotion’. Her new album of the same name is out on 10 Aug. And she’s just announced that she’ll play Village Underground in London on 19 Nov.

• Haiku Salut have released the video for new single ‘The More And Moreness’. Watch it you berks.

• Tallsaint has released the video for new single, ‘Touch’.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.

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Friday 20 July 2018, 07:57 | By

Beef Of The Week #413: Alex James v Reunions

And Finally Artist News Beef Of The Week

Roughly every three years Alex James does something that makes him eligible for inclusion in the Beef Of The Week column. It is always a delight when it happens.

There was that time he wished that a Greggs would replace the independent bakery in his village. And more recently his claim that ‘independence’ in music was dead and had instead transferred to independent food makers (a claim he made while promoting a major supermarket chain).

Now he’s turned his attention to band reunions, which he reckons are “grotesque”. Unless someone in the reunited band can knock together a good meal. Then it might be OK. Basically, Alex James never strays too far away from talking about food these days. Anyone would think he had a festival to promote that combines music and foodie nonsense.

To be fair – which I always am – I do agree with him somewhat on the reunions thing. I’m not a fan of band reunions myself and would rather they were banned outright if I’m being honest. Yes, even if that means we miss out on the very occasional good one. But I’m not sure I agree with all the food stuff. Then again, I’m not sure I entirely understand what he’s banging on about, so who knows? Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Speaking to The Mirror ahead of that music and foodie nonsense combining Big Feastival thing he has to promote each year, James said: “There are rumours of Led Zeppelin getting back together again and nobody really wants to hear their fucking new record, do they? They want to listen to ‘Stairway To Heaven’. How old were they when they did ‘Stairway To Heaven’? Like 20 or something? And how old are they now, they are fucking 70. It’s insane”.

Yes, insane. Imagine people aging that much over the course of 50 years. James may not have aged quite that much since he was 20 years old but – you might remember – he was a member of a band called Blur and that very Blur has reunited on a number of occasions. And on one of those occasions they even recorded a new album.

So isn’t James’s Led Zep dissing just a bit hypocritical? No. What you forgetting is that James has more to offer his audience when his band gets back together. Because as well as all the old hits from the past, he’s got lots of cheese from the present day. “At least people want to come in and try my cheese as well as listen to ‘Parklife'”, he says. “That is really important. I think it’s really good that I’ve got something else to talk about”.

So musicians can reform their old bands and perform their old hits, but only providing they know how to make cheese. Or they are at least able to talk about some cheese. I don’t know, perhaps other non-musical interests are also permissible. Especially if food related.

“You have to do it”, James explains, still insisting that old pop stars need another string to their bow in order to credibly milk the nostalgia circuit. “Otherwise you become this weird, grotesque caricature of yourself by the time you get old” he adds, “like Mick Jagger. I’ve been listening to the Rolling Stones recently, but I wouldn’t fucking go and listen to them live, fucking hell. You can’t be Jumping Jack when you are 70 fucking eight”.

Oh hang on there. Not only do aging artists need something non-musical to chat about between playing the old hits, they should also be wary of playing said old hits. Right.

Oh, except James then recalls booking Kelis to play the Big Feastival. “Kelis retrained as a cordon bleu chef and released a cookery book”, he notes. “So great, we’ll have her. [But] she didn’t do fucking ‘Milkshake’. She’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t do that anymore'”.

James’s response? “It’s like, for fuck’s sake, it’s not like you’ve got that many hits, darling, you need to do that one. So I wouldn’t have her back”.

So you should only get back on stage with your old hits if you’ve got cheese to sell or a cookery book to flog, but you shouldn’t insist on singing all your old hits once you’re there, except make sure you perform all your old hits, because that’s why he booked you. Simple.

Asked last month about the possibility of a new Blur album, guitarist Graham Coxon said: “I really don’t see why not”. Although in April he then said: “I really don’t know why there would be”. So it’s not clear whether James will need to hone his ‘reunions are OK providing there is cheese’ argument anytime soon in order to avoid new accusations of hypocrisy.

Anyway, the Big Feastival takes place next month. Among the acts performing are The Sugarhill Gang. I look forward to finding out more about their food-based exploits – something very sweet I’d imagine – which I assume is how they got booked.

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:56 | By

Cliff Richard wins £210,000 in legal battle with BBC

Artist News Legal Media Top Stories

Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard yesterday won his long running legal battle with the BBC over its coverage of a police raid at his Berkshire home back in 2014. However, the broadcaster has already indicated it will appeal the judgement. It argues that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent that could impact on the reporting of police investigations by all British media.

The singer sued both the BBC and South Yorkshire Police over the former’s coverage of the latter’s investigation into claims of sexual abuse that were made against Richard in 2014. The star objected in particular to the broadcaster’s filming of a police raid on his Berkshire property that was conducted as part of that investigation.

It wasn’t only Richard who criticised the BBC’s coverage of the raid, which many saw as being unusually sensationalist for the broadcaster. Its reporting was sufficiently controversial at the time to be reviewed by the Home Affairs Select Committee in Parliament. However, the Beeb hit back and insisted its coverage didn’t break any journalistic rules or breach Richard’s privacy rights.

No charges were made in relation to the allegations of historical sexual assault that had been made against the singer, with the Crown Prosecution Service dropping the case because of insufficient evidence. Meanwhile, Richard went legal claiming that the BBC’s coverage of the case had in fact breached his privacy rights and, in doing so, inflicted “profound and long-lasting” damage on his reputation.

Richard subsequently reached an out of court settlement with South Yorkshire Police. The police force had argued that – while it had liaised with the BBC on its coverage of the raid – that was mainly to stop the broadcaster from reporting on its investigation prior the property search, something it had indicated it might otherwise do.

For a time last year it looked like Richard might also reach a settlement with the BBC, but that wasn’t to be and the case got to court back in April this year, wrapping up in May. In a summary of his judgement published yesterday, judge Anthony Mann stated that: “Cliff Richard succeeds in his claim against the BBC and will receive substantial damages”.

Confirming that his judgement was based on individual privacy rights contained in the Human Rights Act, the judge added: “I find that Sir Cliff had privacy rights in respect of the police investigation and that the BBC infringed those rights without a legal justification. It did so in a serious way and also in a somewhat sensationalist way. I have rejected the BBC’s case that it was justified in reporting as it did under its rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press”.

Mann has awarded Richard £190,000 in general damages and an additional £20,000 in aggravated damages because of the Beeb’s decision to nominate its already controversial coverage of the police raid for the Scoop Of The Year prize at the Royal Television Society’s annual awards (it didn’t win). Additional special damages relating to Richard’s claims that the BBC’s reporting directly caused him financial losses are still to be ascertained, but could add considerably to the overall damages bill.

Needless to say, Richard and his legal team welcomed yesterday’s ruling. Accompanied in court to hear the verdict by his friends Gloria Hunniford and Paul Gambaccini – both current BBC presenters – an emotional Richard told reporters: “I’m choked up. I can’t believe it. It’s wonderful news”. Fans outside the courtroom sang part of the singer’s hit ‘Congratulations’ as he departed.

Subsequently talking to ITV News, Richard said that senior managers at the BBC should be held to account for the infringement of his privacy rights. He told the Beeb’s rival broadcaster: “They have to carry the can. I don’t know how they are going to do it, but they’ll have to. If heads roll then maybe it’s because it was deserved. It’s too big a decision to be made badly. It was nonsense”.

For its part, the BBC again apologised for the distress it may have caused Richard, and added that, with the benefit of hindsight, it now feels that it could and should have handled the story in a different way. However, it then noted that Mann’s ruling suggests that the simple naming of Richard in its report constituted an infringement of the singer’s privacy right. This, the BBC reckons, sets a new precedent that basically changes UK law with regard to the rules around reporting on active police investigations.

The Corporation’s Director Of News And Current Affairs, Fran Unsworth, wrote in response to yesterday’s ruling that: “We have thought long and hard about how we covered this story. On reflection there are things we would have done differently, however the judge has ruled that the very naming of Sir Cliff was unlawful”.

She then added: “So even had the BBC not used helicopter shots or run the story with less prominence, the judge would still have found that the story was unlawful; despite ruling that what we broadcast about the search was accurate. This judgment creates new case law and represents a dramatic shift against press freedom and the long-standing ability of journalists to report on police investigations. This impacts not just the BBC, but every media organisation”.

There has been much debate over the years regarding whether or not media should name suspects in police investigations who are yet to be charged. The debate is all the more fierce when investigations relate to allegations such as sexual assault, which can severely tarnish an individual’s reputation even if no charges follow. But many media argue that their reporting on police investigations and the people involved can lead to more victims or witnesses coming forward, and therefore ultimately aid the investigation.

In her statement, Unsworth argued that the unhindered reporting of police investigations has other benefits for society at large too. She wrote: “This isn’t just about reporting on individuals. It means police investigations, and searches of people’s homes, could go unreported and unscrutinised. It will make it harder to scrutinise the conduct of the police and we fear it will undermine the wider principle of the public’s right to know. It will put decision-making in the hands of the police”.

Concluding, the BBC news chief stated: “We don’t believe this is compatible with liberty and press freedoms; something that has been at the heart of this country for generations. For all of these reasons, there is a significant principle at stake. That is why the BBC is looking at an appeal”.

The BBC is likely to be supported by many of its media rivals – including newspapers that are often critical of the Corporation – in its bid to fight this judgement. Sun editor Tony Gallagher called the ruling “shockingly bad” on Twitter, adding that the judgement was a “victory for (alleged) criminals and money-grabbing lawyers” and “terrible for media”.

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:53 | By

Human rights court orders Russia to compensate Pussy Riot over 2012 jailing

Artist News Legal

Pussy Riot

The European Court Of Human Rights has ordered Russia to compensate the members of Pussy Riot who were jailed after they performed a protest song in a Moscow church back in 2012.

Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich all spent time in prison after being convicted for their involvement in the protest. The controversial legal case and the backlash against the convictions assured the wider Pussy Riot group and the political causes they promote a global profile.

Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova filed a complaint with the European Court Of Human Rights in 2014. And on Tuesday it ruled that Russia had violated multiple articles of the European Convention On Human Rights in its arrest, conviction and jailing of the three Pussy Riot members.

Among other things, the court criticised the “overcrowded conditions” suffered by the accused when they were transported to and from court, the “humiliation” of the defendants’ exposure in a glass dock during the trial, and various free speech violations. The court has ordered Russia to collectively pay the three Pussy Riot members just under 50,000 euros in damages.

The human rights court – part of the Council Of Europe and nothing to do with the European Union – has jurisdiction in Russia because the country is a signatory of the human rights convention.

The Russian government could appeal the ruling, though it has ultimately complied with the court’s judgements in the past. However, there have been reports of the Russian government considering withdrawing form the human rights convention and therefore no long cooperating with the European court.

The ECHR ruling came as four current members of Pussy Riot were jailed for fifteen days in relation to a protest at the recent World Cup in Russia.

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:50 | By

Seymour Stein announces departure from Warner Music after 42 years

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Seymour Stein

American record industry veteran Seymour Stein has announced his departure from Warner Music after four decades working with the major. His announcement coincided with being handed the Trustees Award by Grammy owners the US Recording Academy.

Stein has been allied with Warner Music since 1976, when the label he had co-founded in 1967 – Sire – signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros Records, which subsequently bought the indie. He has had an assortment of roles at the major since then, as well as continuing to head up the Sire label. He recently published an autobiography detailing his career in the music industry.

Accepting his award, he said: “Writing and promoting my autobiography, ‘Siren Song’, along with the news of my Grammy Award, brought a flood of memories from my earliest days at Sire right up to the present”.

“I was very fortunate during my youth to learn from so many great indie label people, like Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun and Jerry Wexler at Atlantic, and my greatest mentor, Syd Nathan at King Records”, he continues. “I went on to work with so many other great indies around the world as Sire grew to become the legendary brand it is today. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all the amazing artists – far too many to name – who have called Sire home over the years”.

We don’t have to worry about disappointing anyone, so I can go ahead and name some of those “amazing artists”, which include Madonna, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Ice-T, The Cure and The Pretenders.

Stein’s departure from Warner at the age of 76 does not mean that he’s retiring though. He continued: “I’ve enjoyed much of my time at Warner, but in truth I long for my indie roots and the greater independence that I experienced back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. So the time has come to move on to the next phase of my career”.

He added that he was leaving Sire “in the hands of Rani Hancock, whom I sincerely wish all the luck in the world”. Hancock was named President of Sire Records a year ago.

“Rest assured”, Stein concluded, “I intend to remain active, and I’ll be back in action again soon. I’m looking forward to the future and continuing to develop new artists in the music business that I love so much”.

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:46 | By

V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition turned into VR experience

Artist News Digital

David Bowie

The V&A’s touring ‘David Bowie Is’ exhibition has taken various forms since its original incarnation at the London museum in 2013. It was a boring old exhibition, like anyone could do. It became a filmed walk around that exhibition. And now it’s a virtual reality experience. Obviously!

Later this year, Sony Music Japan plans to release a digital version of the exhibition in collaboration with the David Bowie Archive and the V&A. It’ll allow you to wander round it all from the comfort of your own home, simply by strapping some special goggles to your face. Or a cardboard box that you’ve stuck your phone in. Whichever you like.

The show documents Bowie’s creative progression through various costumes and artefacts from across his five decade career. For the digitised version, these items have been 3D scanned to allow virtual viewers to get up close and explore them.

A press release says that the app “may even allow a spectator to virtually step into one of Bowie’s outfits and see themselves in it”. So also, it may not. The intrigue!

Find out more at davidbowieisreal.com

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:45 | By

Ed Sheeran documentary coming to Apple Music next month

Artist News Releases

Ed Sheeran

Apple Music will make new Ed Sheeran documentary ‘Songwriter’ available worldwide next month. Directed by Murray Cummings, the film will also receive a limited theatrical run in New York and LA.

“‘Songwriter’ gives viewers a unique glimpse into the songwriting process”, claims Sheeran. “Murray’s film brilliantly documents the hard work and DNA that goes into creating a song from start to finish”.

Cummings adds: “I decided to make something different. I wasn’t going to show fame. I didn’t want paparazzi, screaming fans or big stadiums. I didn’t want to have sit down interviews because I didn’t want to tell the audience how something came to be, I just wanted to show them. And I wanted the focus to be the songwriting”.

Premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, ‘Songwriter’ documents Sheeran’s work on songs ahead of recording his last album ‘Divide’. It’ll be available on Apple Music from 28 Aug. Here’s a trailer:

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:44 | By

BTS announce final release in ‘Love Yourself’ series

Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases

BTS

K-pop phenomenon BTS have announced that they will release the fourth and final part of their ‘Love Yourself’ series of albums, titled ‘Answer’, next month.

Following the release of ‘Love Yourself: Tear’ in May, the new record will feature seven new songs alongside some previously released tracks.

Pre-orders for ‘Love Yourself: Answer’ are open now and its 24 Aug release date will mean it’s available well in advance of the band’s upcoming two night run at The O2 in London on 9-10 Oct.

Watch the video for ‘Fake Love’ from ‘Love Yourself: Tear’ here:

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:40 | By

One Liners: The Orchard, Mike Patton, MJ Cole & Kojey Radical, more

Artist News Business News Gigs & Festivals Industry People Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases

The Orchard

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Get a daily news summary, our latest job ads and more via our Messenger bot. Click here to get started.

• Sony Music’s label services business The Orchard has named Chris Manning as its General Manager for the United Kingdom and Europe. Manning has been with the company for a decade in various roles. “This is a thoroughly warranted promotion”, swears UK MD Ian Dutt.

• Mike Patton has released new track ‘Dead Woman’s Secrets’. It’s taken from his score for Stephen King’s ‘1922’, an expanded version of which will be released as an album this Friday.

• MJ Cole and Kojey Radical have released the video for ‘Soak It Up’.

• Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy has released new single ‘Blueberry Jam’.

• Spring King have released new single ‘The Hum’. Their new album, ‘A Better Life’, is out on 31 Aug.

• Ross From Friends has released the video for ‘Pale Blue Dot’. It’s made up footage shot by his (then future) mum, documenting his (then also future) dad’s trip driving a sound system around Europe in a bus to put on spontaneous raves in 1990.

• UK drill crew 67 has released new mixtape ‘The 6’. Here’s the video for a track from it, ‘She Wants’.

• Holychild have released new track, ‘Wishing You Away’.

• Half Waif has shared a new Kate NV remix of her track ‘Keep It Out’.

• Eliza has released new single ‘All Night’. She’ll play the Jazz Café in London on 10 Oct.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:36 | By

Dua Lipa does give a French version of IDGAF

And Finally Artist News Releases

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa fans – the francophone ones, at least – have apparently been clamouring for her to record a version of ‘IDGAF’ in French. Well, even if they haven’t, she’s done it.

“Your wish is my command BBs”, she wrote on Twitter. She then switched to French, which I have helpfully (unless you’re a French-speaker) translated for you: “To all my French fans, I just recorded a version of ‘IDGAF’ on which I sing in French aahhh! There is also a version with Master Gims, my favourite rapper. I hope to be able to play it very soon!”

Regardless of what languages you do or don’t speak, I’m sure you’re now very keen to know how “I don’t give a fuck” translates into French. Well get ready to be disappointed, because she only sings the verses in French on this new version. So your international swearing dictionary will not be receiving an update today.

While we’re on the subject of Dua Lipa, word has it that she might be recording the next Bond theme. Appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live yesterday, Years & Years’ Mikey Goldsworthy said he thought they might be a shoo-in for it, as they’ve recently worked with Judy Dench and Ben Whishaw, both of whom have appeared in James Bond movies.

“I thought they’d ask us to do the theme tune”, he said. “But I think Dua Lipa is doing it”.

That’s not exactly confirmation, but I guess it’s as good a place as any to start speculation. People like to speculate about who’s doing the next Bond theme, don’t they? Je m’en fous.

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Thursday 19 July 2018, 10:14 | By

Approved: Amnesia Scanner

CMU Approved

Amnesia Scanner

Experimental electronic duo Amnesia Scanner have released the second track from their upcoming debut album, ‘Another Life’. Following on from ‘AS Chaos’, released in April, ‘AS AWOL’, provides another unsettling step into their world.

“Amnesia Scanner’s approach is informed by a unique perspective on technology and the way it mediates contemporary experience”, says a statement. “System vulnerabilities, information overload and sensory excess inform their work”.

The music is created using “an abrasive collection of cryptorave tools”. The latest of these is a disembodied voice known as Oracle, which is merged with human voices to add further texture to the duo’s distorted creations.

Watch the video for ‘AS AWOL’ here.

Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.

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Wednesday 18 July 2018, 11:06 | By

Route 91 Harvest hotel sues shooting victims to avoid liability

Business News Legal Live Business Top Stories

Route 91 Harvest

The company that owns the site where the Route 91 Harvest festival took place has filed lawsuits against over 1000 people who were caught up in the mass shooting that occurred at the event last year. MGM Resorts International is seeking court confirmation that it can’t be held liable for the tragedy that occurred at the 2017 edition of the Las Vegas festival.

58 people were killed during the attack on the Live Nation-promoted country music event. The shooting occurred during Jason Aldean’s headline set. Gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on the 22,000 strong audience from a room on the 32nd floor of the MGM Resorts-owned Mandalay Bay hotel. Hundreds more were injured before Paddock finally turned a gun on himself.

A number of lawsuits have been filed by victims since the shooting, with MGM Resorts, Live Nation and Paddock’s estate variously named as defendants.

MGM Resorts – a publicly listed company that has long been a separate business to the MGM movie studio – has now filed its own litigation, claiming that it is protected from liability for the shooting under American federal law because of the security measures it had put in place for the festival.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MGM is citing 2002 legislation that protects companies from liability for major attacks of this kind providing they use “anti-terrorism” technology or services that “help prevent and respond to mass violence”.

MGM says that the security firm it engaged for the festival, Contemporary Services Corp, had been certified by the US Department Of Homeland Security, meaning it should be protected by the 2002 laws, which were introduced in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Whether that argument stands will depend slightly on how those laws are interpreted and partly on how the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival is defined, which is difficult given that Paddock’s motives remain a mystery.

Whatever the legalities, no company really wants to be seen to be litigating against the victims of such a horrific event. Even though MGM isn’t seeking any financial gain from its litigation, rather it wants court confirmation regarding its liabilities. If the court agrees that the company is protected under the 2002 laws, MGM would then argue all the lawsuits filed against it by victims should be dismissed.

One Las Vegas-based lawyer who is working for some of those victims has already criticised MGM’s legal filings, and in particular its decision to take action in the federal rather than state courts. Robert Eglet told the Review-Journal that this was a “blatant display of judge shopping” that “quite frankly verges on unethical”.

He went on: “I’ve never seen a more outrageous thing, where they sue the victims in an effort to find a judge they like. It’s just really sad that they would stoop to this level”.

But a spokesperson for MGM defended the company’s decision to take action in the federal court. They told reporters: “The federal court is an appropriate venue for these cases and provides those affected with the opportunity for a timely resolution. Years of drawn out litigation and hearings are not in the best interest of victims, the community and those still healing”.

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Wednesday 18 July 2018, 11:05 | By

ICE and SACEM sign up more indie publishers for digital licensing

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

ICE

Two more independent music publishers have announced new alliances to facilitate the direct licensing of their repertoires to digital services on a multi-territory basis. Concord Music will work with copyright hub ICE on digital licensing moving forward, while the PEN Music Group has allied with French collecting society SACEM.

The big five global music publishers – so that’s Sony/ATV, Universal, Warner/Chappell, BMG and Kobalt – have, for a long time now, directly licensed their Anglo-American repertoires to digital services in many key markets. Which is to say, they do direct deals rather than allowing such services to be licensed via the collective licensing system.

Though such direct deals do actually involve the collecting societies, for two reasons. First, streaming services exploit both the mechanical rights and the performing rights in songs, and the publisher only controls the former, while one of the Anglo-America societies will control the latter. Secondly, because song royalties are tricky to calculate each month, it makes sense to have a collecting society involved in that process.

To that end, the big five publishers ally with one or more collecting societies to assist in the direct licensing process. The partner society liaises with the other Anglo-American societies whose rights are being bundled into the direct deals, and with processing the monies each month.

An assortment of indies got involved in the direct licensing party via a venture called IMPEL, which was originally run by the UK’s Music Publishers Association and administered by UK collecting society PRS. IMPEL was then spun off as a standalone entity at the start of the year and has since allied with the aforementioned SACEM.

Meanwhile, a number of other indie publishers – some of them formerly part of the IMPEL scheme – have started allying directly with either SACEM or ICE in order to direct license their Anglo-American repertoires to streaming services. ICE, of course, is the copyright hub owned by PRS, German society GEMA and Swedish society STIM.

Concord follows Downtown and Peermusic in partnering with ICE on digital licensing. The US-based independent music group last year boosted its music publishing credentials by acquiring Imagem, which was previously a key member of the IMPEL venture.

Confirming the new alliance, Concord Music’s President Of Publishing For Europe, John Minch – who was previously CEO of Imagem – said: “We have known the ICE team from the beginning in 2012 and love this idea of a direct and simple arrangement with them. It means we can be on top of and monitor all the major deals with digital service providers while getting a much quicker, cost-effective and more efficient pay through. This is a great deal for Concord writers and composers”.

ICE Commercial Director Ben McEwen added: “We are delighted to welcome Concord as a direct customer of ICE. The acquisition of Imagem shows the scale of ambition at Concord to grow and develop the music publishing side of their business”.

US-based PEN Music Group follows Wixen, as well as the all-new IMPEL, in allying with SACEM on digital licensing. Under the new deal, the French society will represent the digital rights of the Mother’s Finest Songs catalogue that was recently acquired by Mothership Music Publishing and which is administered worldwide by PEN.

Confirming that deal, PEN Music’s Michael Eames said that SACEM’s “technology is very impressive as is their dedication to maximising the worldwide value of rightsholders’ online repertoire”. Meanwhile Hein van der Ree from Mothership Music Publishing added: “The enthusiasm of SACEM’s team combined with their digital expertise convinced us that they are the right partner for the online administration of Mother’s Finest Songs”.

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Wednesday 18 July 2018, 10:56 | By

Alt-J announce hip hop remix album

Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases

Alt-J

Alt-J have announced a new compilation featuring hip hop reworks of tracks from their most recent album ‘Relaxer’. Titled ‘Reduxer’, it includes contributions from Pusha T, Danny Brown, Twin Shadow, Little Simz, and more.

“It’s no secret that we love and are influenced by hip hop, and it’s always been a dream of ours to work with hip hop artists in reimagining our music”, say the band. “With ‘Reduxer’ that dream has come true. We couldn’t be happier with the results. This album is truly global, featuring rappers and producers from all over the world. After a very long time in the making, we are stoked to share it with you all”.

The first inkling of the new project came last month when the band performed ‘In Cold Blood’ with Pusha T and Twin Shadow on American telly programme ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’. Watch the performance here:

‘Reduxer’ will be released on 28 Sep. Here’s the full tracklist:

3WW (feat Little Simz) (OTG Version)
In Cold Blood (feat Pusha T) (Twin Shadow Version)
House Of The Rising Sun (Tuka Version)
Hit Me Like That Snare (Jimi Charles Moody Version)
Deadcrush (feat Danny Brown) (Alchemist x Trooko Version)
Adeline (feat Paigey Cakey and Hex) (ADP Version)
Last Year (feat GoldLink) (Terrace Martin Version)
Pleader (feat PJ Sin Suela) (Trooko Version)
3WW (feat Lomepal) (Lomepal Version)
In Cold Blood (Kontra K Version)
Hit Me Like That Snare (Rejjie Snow Version)

The band have also announced some tour dates in October, so I might as well mention those too. Here they are:

15 Oct: Dublin, Olympia Theatre
21 Oct: Glasgow, Armadillo
23 Oct: Leeds, Town Hall
24 Oct: Leicester, De Montfort Hall
25 Oct: Gateshead, The Sage
28 Oct: Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
29 Oct: London, Royal Albert Hall

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Wednesday 18 July 2018, 10:52 | By

Metric release new single, announce UK tour

Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases

Metric

Metric have released ‘Dark Sunday’, the first single from their upcoming new album. They’ve also announced UK shows for this November.

For the new record, the band worked with an outside producer for the first time in years, that being Justin Meldal-Johnsen. Guitarist Jimmy Shaw had handled things in the studio for their last three records.

“Justin was just what we needed in a producer for this album”, says Shaw. “He really saw every band member eye to eye and was able to capture what we each do best. It was something I realised I couldn’t do at this stage, having been in the band for so long”.

The guitarist adds: “We were finally able to focus on just playing again, as we did at the start. Making this album brought us together in a way we hadn’t been for quite some time and I think you can hear it in the music”.

Frontwoman Emily Haines goes on: “This is our seventh album as a band, and we wanted the first song people heard from it to be ‘Dark Saturday’ as a sonic heads up that our guitars are back in force”.

“Lyrically, the song depicts a dystopian night life scene of gaudy wealth where oblivious party girls say nauseating things like, ‘I’m so rich everything’s free'”, she says

Here are the aforementioned winter UK shows:

17 Nov: Birmingham, Institute 2
18 Nov: Glashow, Queen Margaret Union
19 Nov: Manchester, Ritz
20 Nov: London, The Forum

Watch the video for ‘Dark Sunday’ here:

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Wednesday 18 July 2018, 10:48 | By

Animal Collective announce new album celebrating reefs

Artist News Releases

Animal Collective

Animal Collective have announced a new audiovisual album, ‘Tangerine Reef’, to commemorate the International Year Of The Reef. That’s this year, by the way. Hence the release. Best to get in now while there are still coral reefs to celebrate, I guess.

The band’s connection to the subject is more than passing. Brian Weitz, aka Geologist, has a masters degree in environmental policy with a focus on the marine environment. He and bandmate Josh Dibb, aka Deakin, are also keen scuba divers, and have seen first hand the destruction of the world’s coral reefs by bleaching events, fishing trawlers and dynamite fishing.

The visual side of the project has been developed with art-science duo Coral Morphologic. It features time-lapse photography and slow motion pans across sections of coral reef.

The album is due out on 17 Aug. Watch a trailer here:

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Wednesday 18 July 2018, 10:41 | By

MTV VMA nominations announced

Artist News Awards

Cardi B

MTV’s Video Music Awards are set to take place next month. More importantly, the nominations are out right now.

The most successful maker of music videos in all fields at this stage is Cardi B, who has a total of ten nominations – although more than half of those are as a featured artist, which I’m not sure counts. Trailing her are The Carters, with eight nods, and Childish Gambino and Drake, who have seven apiece.

“It has already been a monumental year in music and this year’s VMAs will take things to a whole new level”, reckons Bruce Gillmer, MTV owner Viacom’s Global Head Of Music And Music Talent. “The extraordinary group of nominees have amazed us with their talent and inspired us with their creativity – and when you get them together for one night, anything is possible”.

The ceremony will take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York on 21 Aug. Music video connoisseurs (and any other idiot) can vote in various categories here.

Here are the nominations:

Video Of The Year: Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry, Bruno Mars feat Cardi B – Finesse (Remix), Camila Cabello feat Young Thug – Havana, The Carters – Apeshit, Childish Gambino – This Is America, Drake – God’s Plan

Artist Of The Year: Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Drake, Post Malone

Song Of The Year: Bruno Mars feat Cardi B – Finesse (Remix), Drake – God’s Plan, Dua Lip – New Rules, Ed Sheeran – Perfect, Post Malone feat 21 Savage – Rockstar

Best New Artist: Bazzi, Cardi B, Chloe x Halle, Hayley Kiyoko, Lil Pump, Lil Uzi Vert

Best Collaboration: Bebe Rexa feat Florida Georgia Line, Bruno Mars feat Cardi B – Finesse (Remix), The Carters – Apeshit, Jennifer Lopez feat DJ Khaled & Cardi B – Dinero, Logic feat Alessia Cara & Khalid, NERD & Rihanna – Lemon

Push Artist Of The Year: Bishop Briggs, Chloe x Halle, Grace VanderWaal, Hayley Kiyoko, Jessie Reyez, Kacy Hill, Khlaid, Kyle, Lil Xan, Noah Cyrus, Prettymuch, Sigrid, SZA, Tee Grizzley, Why Don’t We

Best Pop: Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry, Camila Cabello feat Young Thug – Havana, Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry, Ed Sheeran – Perfect, Pink – What About Us, Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

Best Hip Hop: Cardi B feat 21 Savage – Bartier Cardi, The Carters – Apeshit, Drake – God’s Plan, J Cole – ATM, Migos feat Drake, Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li

Best Latin: Daddy Yankee- Dura, J Balvin & Willy William – Mi Gente, Jennifer Lopez feat DJ Khaled & Cardi B – Dinero, Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato – Échame La Culpa, Maluma – Felices Los 4, Shakira feat Maluma

Best Dance: Avicii feat Rita Ora – Lonely Together, Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa – One Kiss, The Chainsmokers – Everybody Hates Me, David Guetta & Sia – Flames, Marshmello feat Khlaid – Silence, Zedd & Liam Payne – Get Low (Street Video)

Best Rock: Fall Out Boy – Champion, Foo Fighters – The Sky Is The Neighborhood, Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes, Linking park – One More Light, Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night), 30 Seconds To Mars – Walk On Water

Video With A Message: Childish Gambino – This Is America, Dej Loaf & Leon Bridges – Liberated, Drake – God’s Plan, Janelle Monáe – Pynk, Jessie Reyez – Gatekeeper, Logic feat Alessia Cara & Khalid – 1-800-273-8255

Best Cinematography: Pau Castejón for Alessia Cara – Growing Pains, Scott Cunningham for Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry, Benoit Debie for The Carters – Apeshit, Larkin Seiple for Chiudlish Gambino – This Is America, Frank Mobilio & Patrick Meller for Eminem feat Ed Sheeran – River, Jonathan Sela for Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

Best Direction: Ricky Saix for The Carters – Apeshit, Hiro Murai for Childish Gambino This Is America, Karena Evans for Drake – God’s Plan, Jason Koenig for Ed Sheeran – Perfect, Arturo Perez Jr for Justin Timberlake feat Chris Stapleton – Say Something, Jay Martin for Shawn Mendes – In My Blood

Best Art Direction: Brett Hess for Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do, Jan Houlevigue for The Carters – Apeshit, Jason Kisvarday for Childish Gambino – This Is America, Miles Mullin for J Cole – ATM, Pepper Nguyen for Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel

Best Visual Effects: Ingenuity Studios for Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do, KPP for Avicii feat Rita Ora – Lonely Together, Loris Paillier for Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All The Stars, Rich Lee for Eminem feat Beyonce – Walk On Water, Timber for Maroon 5 – Wait, Vidal & Loris Paillier for Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry

Best Choreography: AJ Harpold, Tracy Phillips & Ivan Koumaev for Justin Timberlake – Filthy, Calvit Hodge & Sara Bivens for Camila Cabello feat Young Thug – Havana, Marion Motin for Dua Lipa – IDGAF, Marty Kudelka, Phil Tayag & Bruno Mars for Bruno Mars feat Cardi B – Finesse (Remix), Sherrie Silver for Childish Gambino – This Is America, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Jaquel Knight for The Carters – Apeshit

Best Editing: Chancler Hayne for Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do, Deji Laray for Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel, Ernie Gilbert for Childish Gambino – This Is America, Jacquelyn London for Bruno Mars feat Cardi B – Finesse (Remix), Taylor Ward for NERD & Rihanna – Lemon, Taylor Ward & Sam Ostrove for The Carters – Apeshit

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