Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift Cap Huge Years with Multiple Billboard Noms
The Billboard Music Awards announced the full list of 2024 nominees on Monday, and musicians with double-digit nods include Zach Bryan with 18, Taylor Swift with 16, and Morgan Wallen with 15. First-time nominee Sabrina Carpenter landed nine after a successful 2024, joining other first-time honorees like Teddy Swims (8), Tyla (8), Benson Boone (6), Shaboozey (6), and Chappell Roan (2). Hosted by comedian Michelle Buteau, this year’s ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 12 on Fox and streaming on Paramount+.
‘Wicked’ Breaks Debut Weekend Records for a Broadway Musical Adaptation
Musical theater fans flocked in droves to the cinema over the weekend, helping Wicked cruise to the top spot at the box office with $114 million in its North American weekend debut. Per Variety, the film also earned $165 million globally for Universal Pictures, making it the biggest global and domestic opening for a movie adaptation of a Broadway show ever. It was also the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2. In other film news, Gladiator II also opened to impressive numbers – $55.5 million stateside and $50.5 million overseas.
Formula 1 Adding General Motors-Cadillac to the Grid in 2026
Formula 1 is welcoming new competition soon, sharing on Monday that it has agreed to a deal in principle with General Motors–Cadillac to enter the series in 2026 as the league’s 11th team. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport,” said outgoing Liberty Media CEO and President Greg Maffei. Financial terms weren’t revealed in the release, but BBC Sport reports that GM/Cadillac will pay an anti-dilution fee of $450 million (£358 million) to confirm its spot.
Drake is Taking Tour to Australia for the First Time Since 2017
For the first time in eight years, Drake will perform shows in Australia in 2025. During a live stream with xQc on Sunday night, Drizzy confirmed the Anita Max Wynn Tour begins on Feb. 9 and ends “March something,” making stops in Melbourne, Sydney, and Gold Coast. However, dates and venues have not been revealed. Drake also shared an update on his long-awaited collab album with PartyNextDoor. “Me and Party’s album is 75 percent done shout out to PX cooking right now. [The] album sounds incredible. … This album is good; it’s the sound that people know and love us for.” Hours after confirming the tour, news surfaced that Drake is accusing UMG and Spotify of engaging in an illegal “scheme” in a filing in Manhattan court on Monday, claiming the two sides used bots to boost numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.
NWSL Cuts List of Potential Expansion Cities to Denver, Cincinnati, & Cleveland
As fans await where the 16th NWSL expansion team will be based, league commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed the next club will call one of Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Denver home. A final announcement is expected by the year’s end, and the new addition will join Boston for its inaugural season in 2026. Compared to the $53 million Boston and Bay FC paid to enter the league, the next club can reportedly expect its expansion fee to approach $100 million.
Travis Scott’s ‘Circus Maximum Tour’ Becomes Highest-Selling by a Solo Rapper Ever
Travis Scott’s Circus Maximum Tour proved to be a huge success, with Billboard Boxscore saying it made $209.3 million off 1.7 million tickets over 76 dates. Scott also made history in the process, setting the record for the highest-selling tour for a solo rapper. Although he broke attendance records in the US and Europe, his best stop would prove to be in Melbourne, Australia, where two October shows generated $12.6 million and sold 115,000 tickets.
Simone Biles Joins Forces with Snoop Dogg for ‘The Voice’ Playoffs
Decorated Olympic gymnast Simone Biles is scheduled to appear on Monday night’s episode of The Voice, serving as a playoff advisor for those a part of Team Snoop Dogg. Rather than going the traditional route and calling on another fellow musician, Snoop went with Biles because “she’s a performer. I’m a performer. We’ve performed under extreme conditions. We always do our best. But sometimes, things happen behind closed doors that you don’t know about. So, we’re able to speak to those things and give them real reassurance,” he explained via the Associated Press. The Voice airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Fanatics Taps Former Netflix, Snapchat Executive as Senior Adviser
After stints at Snapchat and, most recently, Netflix, advertising exec Jeremi Gorman is headed to Fanatics as a senior adviser to help facilitate the company’s new advertising and brand partnerships strategy. This division focuses on all of the sports memorabilia marketplace’s sectors, including commerce, collectibles, the sportsbook, and Fanatics’ live events, which include Fanatics Fest. In addition to marketing those verticals, Gorman will also help Fanatics establish a cohesive and unified advertising policy.
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