Female superstars lead 2023’s blockbuster tours
Female artists are leading the way on 2023’s touring circuit, with American superstars Beyoncé, Madonna, Pink and Lizzo joining Taylor Swift in scoring huge sales for blockbuster tours.
A raft of additional US stadium shows were confirmed for Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour – the singer’s first solo tour in seven years – after demand exceeded the number of originally available tickets by more than 800%. The run kicks off in Europe at Stockholm’s Friends Arena on 10 May, switching to to North America in July.
“Even with these added dates, it is still expected that the majority of interested fans will not be able to get tickets because demand drastically exceeds supply,” reads a Live Nation statement.
Following the Eras tour fallout, which prompted last month’s US Senate antitrust hearing, Ticketmaster tweaked the presale for the Renaissance tour in the US, dividing the Verified Fan registration period into three groups based on city.
More than three million people attempted to buy tickets for Beyoncé’s European dates, with her original two-night stand in London expanding to five at the 60,000-cap Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Extra nights were also added in cities such as Amsterdam, Stockholm and Warsaw.
“We experienced and successfully handled an extraordinary level of demand and traffic for Beyoncé”
While the BBC reported complaints of long queues and technical issues during the UK onsale, Ticketmaster declared the process a success.
“We experienced and successfully handled an extraordinary level of demand and traffic for Beyoncé,” says a Ticketmaster spokesperson. “While there were never going to be enough tickets to meet demand, thousands of happy fans secured their tickets.”
Live Nation France boss Angelo Gopee tells Le Parisien “the demand has been huge” for the star’s two French shows at the 60,000-cap Stade de France in Paris and 55,000-cap Orange Velodrome, Marseille. Tickets started at €85.
“Do not believe that because 270,000 people are [in the queue], we can sell 270,000 tickets and fill four stadiums,” says Gopee. Many come to see the prices, the location of the seats and leave. For Madonna, we had 120,000 fans waiting and we sold 60,000 tickets.”
“We had never experienced such demand since 2014,” adds Velodrome stadium director Martin d’Argenlieu.
Taylor Swift’s 52-date The Eras US tour remains the standard-bearer in terms of demand
Madonna’s 2023/24 The Celebration Tour – which marks the 40th anniversary of her breakout single Holiday – has been another smash hit, selling more than 600,000 tickets.
Produced by Live Nation, the global greatest hits tour will kick off in North America on 15 July at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. Madonna’s 2008-2009 Sticky and Sweet Tour is currently the highest-grossing tour by a female artist ever, raking in $411 million (£335m).
In addition, Pink’s first tour in four years, The Pink Summer Carnival, commences on 7 June with the first of two concerts at the University of Bolton Stadium and takes in stadiums and festivals around Europe, including two dates at the 65,000-cap BST Hyde Park in London. Making its way to North America in July, the run is due to conclude at Chase Field, Phoenix on 9 October.
And Lizzo’s The Special Tour got underway in the US last Autumn and arrived at European arenas in February, with a second North American leg slated from April to June.
Nevertheless, Taylor Swift’s 52-date The Eras US tour remains the standard-bearer in terms of demand, selling a record 2.4 million tickets in a single day.
“Despite all the challenges and the breakdowns, we did sell over two million tickets that day, we could have filled 900 stadiums.” said Live Nation chair Greg Maffei following the controversial presale last November.
Other acts playing stadium tours this year include Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Elton John, Coldplay, Rammstein, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Def Leppard + Motley Crue.
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Lizzo can keep $5m Virgin Fest fee, judge rules
Lizzo can keep her US$5 million booking fee for 2020’s cancelled Virgin Fest in Los Angeles, a California judge ruled earlier this month.
The company that was promoting Virgin Fest, VFLA Eventco LLC, filed a lawsuit against WME in July 2020, as well as artists Lizzo, Ellie Goulding and Kali Uchis, saying the parties had agreed to return monies they had been advanced in the event of cancellation due to “an uncontrollable factor”.
The acts had been scheduled to play the debut outing of the festival at the Banc of California Stadium (22,000-cap.) and Exposition Park (160-acre) in LA on 6 and 7 June 2020 before it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After a two-year legal dispute, LA Superior Court judge Mark Epstein ruled on 1 September that the cancellation clauses added by attorneys for WME to its clients’ performance contracts shifted the financial risk of cancellation onto the festival.
Attorneys for WME insisted on several revisions to the original contract – especially to the force majeure clause – to make the contracts more “artist friendly.”
Thanks to those revisions, Lizzo, Goulding and Uchis are not required to pay back performance fees that were paid in advance of Virgin Fest.
Following the ruling, Virgin Fest owners Marc and Sharon Hagle are looking at financial losses in the festival business of approximately $23 million, court records show.
The festival was funded by the couple – who made their fortune in commercial real estate – and run by Jason Felts, CEO of the Virgin Group’s festival arm.
Richard Branson’s involvement with Virgin Fest was mostly that of a figurehead, promoting the festival online.
Agents at WME — including former co-head of music Marc Geiger, head of festivals and partner Josh Kurfirst, and Lizzo’s agent Matthew Morgan (who now represents her at UTA) — were vocally sceptical about Virgin Fest’s prospects for success, according to emails and communications produced in the lawsuit.
WME insisted that Lizzo be paid 100% of the fee prior to the festival announcing her as a headliner
Geiger warned Felts that staging the festival in Los Angeles, a market dominated by Live Nation, Goldenvoice and several well-established independents, was a bad idea.
Regardless, Felts pushed ahead with the festival and after Virgin Fest talent buyer Zach Tetreault raised Lizzo’s performance fee three times, ultimately landing on $5 million, the artist accepted the offer.
Goulding (represented by WME partner and global co-head of music Kirk Sommer) accepted $600,000 to perform at the festival and Uchis (represented by WME partner Kevin Shivers) agreed to play for $400,000. Another $300,000 was paid to WME to book five additional acts, among them the Marcus King Band and Banks.
WME insisted that Lizzo be paid 100% of the fee prior to the festival announcing her as a headliner and that Uchis and Goulding be paid 50% upon signing and the remaining 50% paid 90 days prior to their performances, emails produced for the lawsuit show.
Hoping to avoid any additional risk, Kurfirst instructed attorneys at WME in February 2020 to make sure the contracts were “100%,” meaning WME artists would be paid even if the festival was cancelled.
A month later, all events were indefinitely postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and WME steeled itself for a fight.
“One or more of the artists including a headliner are now going to take a position and not return the money,” Sommer wrote in a 4 June email to Goulding’s managers at TAP Management. “We have all seen unsuccessful festivals collapse and attempt to claw back artists guarantees, this festival was addressed upfront with stronger language and deposit terms for this reason.”
On 12 March 2021, Epstein issued an order that said the agreements the parties signed protected WME from being sued for what is essentially a dispute between the artists and the promoter.
That meant Epstein later dismissed four counts filed against WME by Virgin Fest including conversion and violations of California’s unfair competition law as well as a request for punitive damages.
The judge found that WME was simply following the wishes of its clients Lizzo, Goulding and Uchis, noting that WME did agree to return money to Virgin Fest for other clients who instructed them to do so.
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Live Nation & Lizzo pledge $1m to abortion rights
Live Nation has pledged to match Lizzo’s donation to abortion rights organisations in the wake of the Roe v Wade verdict.
Protests were held across the US over the weekend amid widespread outrage after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade – throwing out the 1973 decision that recognised abortion as a constitutional right.
Following the decision, Lizzo announced that $500,000 from her upcoming tour would be donated to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights. LN quickly followed suit to take the total to $1 million.
“I’m pledging $500k from my upcoming tour to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights. Live Nation agreed to match – to make it 1 MILLION dollars,” says the singer in an Instagram post.
“The most important thing is action & loud voices. @plannedparenthood @abortionfunds & organisations like them— will need funding to continue offering services to people who are most harmed by this ban.
“Black women & women of colour have historically had disproportionately less access to family planning resources – this is a great loss but not a new one.”
“We are partnering with artists on support, including matching Lizzo’s donation to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights”
Live Nation has also taken to its social media channels to share its support.
“We stand with women,” declares the promoter. “We are partnering with artists on support, including matching Lizzo’s donation to Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights.
“We are covering travel expenses for our employees who need access to women’s healthcare services outside their home state.
“We are supporting community activism and will cover bail expenses if any of our employees are arrested for protesting peacefully. Our Live Nation Women team is working on initiatives to support voter registration and turnout.”
Oak View Group (OVG) says the Roe v Wade decision “has reversed a precedent that impacts countless Americans”.
“It will place limitations on a woman’s basic human right to make decisions regarding her health,” states the venue management giant. “OVG will cover any necessary travel costs for our female employees to access the care they need outside of their state.
“We fully support equal access for all women to obtain the proper care that they deem appropriate for their bodies.”
Rage Against The Machine have also given their support, raising $475,000 to date for reproductive rights organisations via the sale of charity tickets.
“We are disgusted by the repeal of Roe v Wade and the devastating impact it will have on tens of millions of people”
“We are disgusted by the repeal of Roe v Wade and the devastating impact it will have on tens of millions of people,” say the band in a statement. “Over half of the country (26 states) is likely to ban or seriously restrict abortion very soon, if not immediately, which will have a disproportionate impact on poor, working class and undocumented BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Colour] communities.
“To date, our fans have raised $475,000 from the sale of our charity tickets at Alpine Valley and the United Center. We are donating that money to reproductive rights organisations in Wisconsin and Illinois.
“Like the many women who have organised sophisticated railroads of resistance to challenge these attacks on our collective reproductive freedom, we must continue to resist.”
Performers such as Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and Idles also shared their disgust at the ruling with on stage statements at the UK’s Glastonbury festival over the weekend, while Taylor Swift and Cher are among artists to have spoken out online.
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Roblox announces first music awards show ft Lizzo
Roblox will be hosting the first music awards show in the metaverse, featuring Lizzo’s debut performance on the platform.
The platform will bring into the metaverse Logitech’s second annual Song Breaker Awards, which honours “creators shaping pop music through dance challenges, memes and trends they have created and shared on social media, especially on TikTok and YouTube, over the past year”.
Hosted by popular YouTuber and influencer Bretman Rock, the show will see multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Lizzo make her metaverse debut with a performance of her new track ‘Special’.
“We’re always looking for new ways to bring unique, immersive experiences to our community,” says Jon Vlassopulos, Roblox VP and global head of music.
“Logitech hosting the first-ever music award show on Roblox is exciting as we continue to push the limits of creativity on our platform and celebrate creators worldwide.”
“We’re always looking for new ways to bring unique, immersive experiences to our community”
Other creators coming together for this year’s celebrations include the Peachy Princess of Roblox MeganPlays, Twitch streamer Shroud and musician and activist Jaden Smith. There will also be a music performance by singer-songwriter Gayle, best known for her Billboard number-one hit ‘abcde-forget-u’.
In the pre-show experience on Roblox, fans can ride a rollercoaster, collect Creator Coins, earn badges through gameplay to unlock special items, take a selfie XL photo with friends and buy exclusive merchandise – proceeds from which will go to MusiCares.
Honourees for the awards appeared on the Billboard Song Breaker Chart, a monthly music industry chart co-created with Logitech For Creators. See the full list here.
The Song Breaker Awards will premiere on Roblox on Saturday 30 April at 10:00 PST with three additional performances throughout the weekend. The pre-show experience opens today (26 April).
Roblox’s Jon Vlassopulos will be appearing in The Metaverse & Live Music session tomorrow at ILMC.
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LIVENow partners on Lizzo and Gorillaz events
Livestream company LiveNow has announced upcoming presentations with Lizzo and Gorillaz.
Lizzo will be the final 2021 headliner for American Express Unstaged digital music series on 4 December. The performance will take place in Miami in front of a live audience and will stream exclusively on the LiveNow platform and will be available to watch on demand for 48 hours.
Past Unstaged headliners have included Sam Smith, Alica Keys and Maroon 5.
In addition, LiveNow has partnered with Trafalgar Releasing to bring Gorillaz present Song Machine Live From Kong to the big screen. Captured at the band’s Kong Studios HQ in London, the “star-studded virtual experience”, will be broadcast in cinemas worldwide for one day only on 8 December.
LiveNow previously worked with Gorillaz on their livestream event, Song Machine Live, which was broadcast live around the world with three shows across three time zones on 12-13 December last year.
We look forward to welcoming cinema audiences to experience their outstanding live show on the big screen
“We saw great success with Gorillaz’ previous cinema event Reject False Icons, and we look forward to welcoming cinema audiences to experience their outstanding live show on the big screen, with immersive surround sound and exclusive bonus content,” says Trafalgar Releasing CEO Marc Allenby.
James Massing, chief commercial officer at LiveNow, explains the firm’s goal is to give fans “unparalleled access to the ultimate live music experiences”.
“Last year, we brought Gorillaz fans a one-off opportunity to watch the band perform their critically acclaimed album during a time where live music stopped,” he says. “We’re proud to share the performance once again but on the big screen.”
Other music events broadcast by LiveNow in 2020 included some of the biggest live streams of the year, including One World: Together at Home, Dua Lipa’s Studio 2054, Ellie Goulding’s Brightest Blue Experience, Gorillaz’ Song Machine Live from Kong and Pete Tong’s O Come All Ye Ravers.
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WME freed from Virgin Fest lawsuit over artist deposits
WME has been freed from Virgin Fest Los Angeles’ lawsuit seeking to recover prepaid deposits from the event’s cancelled 2020 edition.
VFLA Eventco LLC – Virgin Fest’s organiser and the music festival arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group – filed a lawsuit against the agency in July 2020, as well as artists Lizzo, Ellie Goulding and Kali Uchis, saying the parties had agreed to return deposits in the event of cancellation due to “an uncontrollable factor”.
The acts had been scheduled to play the debut outing of the festival at the Banc of California Stadium (22,000-cap.) and Exposition Park (160-acre) in LA on 6 and 7 June 2020 before it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
VFLA argued that because the government prevented the festival from proceeding, the artists were obliged to return monies they had been advanced when they were booked to play.
The judge did allow a breach of contract claim to move forward against the artists’ touring companies
However, Lizzo, Goulding and their agents argued that they could keep those payments because they were still “ready, willing and able to perform”, despite the festival being called off. Uchis’ company did not file a demurrer but did file a notice of joinder to the other defendants’ demurrers.
According to VFLA, all other agencies have returned, or agreed to return, the full amount of the prepaid deposits for the performances.
On Friday (12 March), at the LA Superior Court, Judge Mark H. Epstein issued an order that said the agreements the parties signed protected WME from being sued for what is essentially a dispute between the artists and the promoter.
According to Law360, Epstein said the court “agrees with the plaintiff that the contract does not protect WME from liability for its own wrongs. It only protects WME from being sued for what is essentially a dispute between the artists and the promoter. But that is essentially what is at issue here.”
The judge did allow a breach of contract claim to move forward against the artists’ touring companies and also said that VFLA can amend its complaint against WME, which the agency objected to.
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Virgin Fest sues WME, artists in bid to recover deposits
The organisers of Virgin Fest, which was set to have its debut outing this June, have filed a lawsuit against agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) and artists Lizzo, Kali Uchis and Ellie Goulding, in an attempt to recover deposits from the event’s cancelled 2020 edition.
The acts had all been scheduled to play in the festival at the Banc of California Stadium (22,000-cap.) and Exposition Park (160-acre) in Los Angeles on 6 and 7 June before it was cancelled – along with the vast majority of this year’s event calendar – due to the coronavirus pandemic.
VFLA Eventco LLC – Virgin Fest’s organiser and the music festival arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group – has now levied a complaint against WME, as well as Ellie Goulding’s Starry US Touring, Lizzo’s Big Grrrl Big Touring and Kali Uchis Touring, saying the parties had agreed to return deposits in the event of cancellation due to “an uncontrollable factor”.
“After the government prevented the festival from proceeding, VFLA invoked the force majeure provision and demanded the return in full of the prepaid deposits”
According to VFLA, all other agencies have returned, or agreed to return, the full amount of the prepaid deposits for the performances, but WME argues that deposits do not need to be returned as the artists were “otherwise ready, willing and able to perform.”
“[WME] refused to return the deposits and insisted that the artists it represents are entitled to keep the deposits — even if the Covid-19 pandemic constituted a force majeure event, even if the governmental orders prevented the festival from proceeding, and even if those orders likewise made it unlawful for their artists to perform on the dates and at the times and places specified in their agreements with VFLA,” reads the complaint, as published by Law 360.
“After the government prevented the festival from proceeding, VFLA invoked the force majeure provision of the artists’ performance agreements and demanded the return in full of the prepaid deposits made in connection with those agreements.”
VFLA is seeking a court order forcing WME to return the deposit money, as well as damages. From the three touring companies, the Virgin fest organiser wants additional damages for breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
IQ has contacted WME for comment.
Photo: Andy Witchger/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) (cropped)
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Lizzo, ASAP Rocky to headline first-ever Virgin Fest
The line-up for the inaugural Virgin Fest has been announced, with acts including Lizzo, ASAP Rocky, Anderson .Paak, Major Lazer and Ellie Goulding making up the bill.
Virgin founder Richard Branson first revealed his plans for Virgin Fest in 2018, following the end of the brand’s partnership with the UK’s V Festival. The festival launched following the acquisition of the Kaaboo festival brand by Virgin’s music festival arm – also named Virgin Fest – last year.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Virgin brand, the festival is taking place on 6 and 7 June 2020 at the Banc of California Stadium (22,000-cap.) and Exposition Park (160-acre) in Los Angeles.
As well as its music programme, which also features Jorja Smith, Kali Uchis, Japanese Breakfast, Clairo and Celeste, Virgin Fest will showcase an interactive fair with new technologies and gaming.
“By combining Virgin’s signature hospitality and ingenuity with a strong sense of purpose, our team built the festival of tomorrow, today,” comments Virgin founder Branson.
“We are proud to bring Virgin Fest to LA and to be on track to become one of the United States’ greenest festivals”
“We are proud to bring Virgin Fest to LA and to be on track to become one of the United States’ greenest festivals.”
Sustainable initiatives such as a single-use plastic ban, solar programme, surplus food donations and a partnership with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will help reduce the event’s carbon footprint.
“Music is an emotional force of transformation – it can change people’s moods, their outlook on life, and sometimes, it can unite the world,” says Jason Felts, CEO and founder of Virgin Fest.
“We are embracing the dream that music can bring to get us to a better place – for our fans, for our people, for our communities and for our planet. We envision a tomorrow where festivals live and breathe the extraordinary – Virgin Fest looks to lead that charge.”
Tickets for Virgin Fest are available here. A two-day pass costs US$229, with VIP options available for $499 and mega VIP tickets for $1999.
Photo: Andy Witchger/ Flickr (CC BY 2.0) (cropped)
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Billie Eilish triumphant at 2020 Grammys
The 2020 Grammy Awards took place last night (Sunday 26 January), in a ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles that saw Paradigm-repped Billie Eilish become the second artist ever to take home all four top awards.
Billie Eilish, who performed a rendition of her song ‘When the Party’s Over’ at the event, was crowned the year’s best new artist, as well as winning prizes for album of the year (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?), and both record and song of the year for ‘Bad Guy’. The 18-year-old, who also won the award for best pop vocal album, is the first woman to achieve a clean sweep of all four major awards.
Lizzo, who led the nominations list with eight in total, took home three awards, for best pop solo performance (‘Truth Hurts’), best traditional R&B performance (‘Jerome’) and best urban contemporary album (Cuz I Love You). The singer, who is represented by Matthew Morgan at WME, opened the ceremony with performances of ‘Cuz I Love You’ and ‘Truth Hurts’.
Other major awards went to Tyler the Creator for best rap album, Anderson Paak for best R&B album, Cage the Elephant for best rock album, Tanya Tucker for best country album, the Chemical Brothers for best dance/electronic album and Alejandro Sanz for best latin pop album.
Paradigm-repped Billie Eilish become the second artist ever to take home all four top awards
Several artists went home without an award, despite multiple nominations. Ariana Grande and H.E.R failed to convert despite appearances in five categories, whereas Lucky Daye, Yola and Thom Yorke missed out on silverware in four categories each.
Performances on the night came from an array of artists, including Ariana Grande, who sang ‘Imagine’ and ‘7 Rings’; Usher, who performed a Prince tribute with Sheila E. and FKA Twigs; best rap album winner Tyler the Creator, who performed ‘Earfquake’; Spanish star Rosalía, winner of best latin rock, urban or alternative album, who sang ‘Juro Que’; and host Alicia Keys, who delivered her own version of Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Someone You Loved’.
Alicia Keys made passing reference to the controversy which has gripped the Recording Academy in the past week, following allegations made by former CEO Deborah Dugan. The Grammys host was also among those on the night to pay tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
A full list of award winners can be found here.
Photo: © Lars Crommelinck Photography/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) (cropped)
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Lizzo, Billie, Lil Nas X to make Grammys debut
The 62nd annual Grammy Awards are taking place on Sunday (26 January) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, celebrating artists across 33 categories.
Live performances on the night will come from record of the year nominees Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as K-pop stars BTS, EDM DJ Diplo and singer Mason Ramsey.
Other nominees including Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Bon Iver, Ariana Grande, H.E.R. and Tyler the Creator will also perform on the night.
Over 173 nominations have been put forward for this year’s awards, which has seen its fair share of controversy this year due to allegations levelled by suspended CEO Deborah Dugan. Using data from Rostr, IQ takes a look at the major trends this year’s Grammys.
There are some usual suspects among the nominees for a few of the biggest categories. Last year’s best pop vocal album winner Ariana Grande is up for the prize for a fourth time, going up against Taylor Swift, who is on the lookout for her first win in the category after three nominations.
In the best dance album category, the Chemical Brothers are nominated for the sixth time – including two wins – for No Geography, whereas Flume sees his second nomination, following a win in 2017.
Lizzo is the artist with the highest number of nominations, appearing in eight categories, including best new artist, song of the year, album of the year and record of the year. Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X have also fared well, receiving six nominations apiece. Of the top eight most nominated artists, five are women, with H.E.R, Ariana Grande and Yola also appearing in multiple categories.
Overall, however, fewer than one in three nominated artists are women
Overall, however, fewer than one in three nominated artists are women, with male artists making up almost 60% of nominees and 10% comprising acts with a mix of male and female artists. Two award categories – best rap album and best electronic album – consist of purely male artists.
The best pop vocal album and best new artist categories feature predominantly female nominees, 80% and 70% respectively, with best country album (60%) and album of the year (57%) also weighted towards female artists.
Over the past 20 years, more than twice as many nominations have been for male artists than female, with women outnumbering men in just two categories this century – best new artist and best pop vocal album.
Last year’s Grammy Awards, which saw artificial intelligence correctly predict Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’ song of the year win, with Kacey Musgraves picking up album of the year, Dua Lipa winning best new artist and Ariana Grande taking best pop vocal album.
Photo: Andy Witchger/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
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