US superstars Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato have reportedly split from manager Scooter Braun.

Grande had worked with SB Projects boss since 2013, while Lovato signed with the company in 2019. Representatives for Grande and Braun declined to comment.

The news was first reported by Puck‘s Matthew Belloni and was confirmed by Billboard sources. It follows Colombian singer J Balvin’s departure from SB in May. He is now managed by Roc Nation.

Rumours that longtime SB client Justin Bieber was also looking to leave the firm have been denied by both parties.

Braun became the sole CEO of HYBE America, the US division of the South Korean entertainment giant, in early 2023

In 2017, Braun and Grande were honoured as ‘industry champions’ with Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn and SJM Concerts’ Simon Moran at the UK’s Artist & Manager Awards for their efforts in producing that year’s One Love Manchester concert, which raised more than £17 million for victims of the Manchester Arena bombing and their families.

Braun became the sole CEO of HYBE America, the US division of the South Korean entertainment giant, in early 2023. The entrepreneur, who had previously shared the co-CEO title with Big Hit veteran Lenzo Yoon, joined after his venture capital firm Ithaca Holdings merged with HYBE in April 2021.

HYBE is home to K-pop acts including BTS, Tomorrow X Together, NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM and Seventeen through its subsidiary labels, such as Big Hit Music, Pledis Entertainment, Source Music and ADOR.

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International advocacy platform Global Citizen has raised almost US$7 billion in pledges from governments, corporations and philanthropists following its Global Goal live music event and summit.

Global Goal: Unite For Our Future was broadcast on Saturday (27 June), with performances from Miley Cyrus, who covered the Beatles’ ‘Help!’ in an empty Rose Bowl Stadium; Jennifer Hudson, who sang ‘Where Peaceful Waters Flow’ from a boat on the Chicago River; and Coldplay, who dedicated their performance of ‘Paradise’ to Elijah McClain, a young black man who died in police custody in Denver last year.

Justin Bieber, Shakira, Usher, Christine and the Queens, Chloe x Halle and J Balvin were among others to perform in the virtual concert, which was produced by entertainment giants including Live Nation, Scooter Braun and SB Projects, Roc Nation, Universal Music Group, Maverick and Hamish Hamilton’s Done+Dusted.

The summit and concert aired in over 180 countries and was streamed global on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The event raised $1.5bn in cash grants and $5.4bn in loans from the European Investment Bank in partnership with Global Goal co-organiser the European Commission.

“The $6.9bn that was pledged today to support the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities is an incredible next step on our journey out of the Covid-19 era”

The money is to be used to fund research for Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines and to ensure fair access to medical help for all, in a bid to combat the disproportionate impact of the disease on marginalised and disadvantaged communities, as part of the World Health Organisation’s Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator plan.

The event came as the follow-up to Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home concert, which generated almost US$128 million for the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund in April.

“Global Goal: Unite for Our Future was launched in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are proud to join the European Commission, and over 40 governments from around the world, to ensure Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines would be made available for everyone, everywhere,” says Global Citizen CEO, Hugh Evans.

“The $6.9bn that was pledged today to support the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities is an incredible next step on our journey out of the Covid-19 era, but there is more still to be done as no one is safe until everyone is safe.”

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High-profile acts from around the world are taking part in a number of upcoming virtual events to raise money and awareness for Covid-19 relief funds, as the live music community continues to pull its weight in the fight against the disease.

Virtual benefit events have been a feature of lockdown from the very beginning, with the Lady Gaga-curated, Global Citizen-organised One World: Together at Home an early pioneer of the space. The mammoth livestreamed benefit event raised almost US$128 million for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Covid-19 solidarity response fund, setting a new a record for the most money generated by a remote music festival.

Now Global Citizen is teaming up with the European Commission for Global Goal: Unite for our Future, a campaign seeking to raise funds for the development and distribution of Covid-19 testing, treatments and vaccines.

On 27 June, high-profile artists including Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Shakira, Coldplay and J Balvin will join philanthropists and world leaders in an international pledging summit to call on governments to commit to the funding needed to ensure fair access to Covid-19 treatment.

Music industry giants including Live Nation, Scooter Braun and SB Projects, Adam Leber (Maverick), Jay Brown (Roc Nation) and Michele Anthony (Universal Music Group) are involved in producing the event.

Exclusive experiences, including a virtual happy hour with Adam Lambert and virtual concerts from Chloe X Halle and Fher Olvera, lead singer of Mexican rock band Maná, also form part of the campaign.

Global Citizen is teaming up with the European Commission for Global Goal: Unite for our Future

Independent LA-based electronic music companies Brownies & Lemonade and Proximity yesterday (28 May) announced the second edition of their Digital Mirage festival, set to take place from 5 to 7 June.

The first outing of the event, which saw performances from Alsion Wonderland, Tokimonsta and Sofi Tukker, raised over $300,000 for the Sweet Musicians Relief Fund. Digital Mirage 2 will feature acts including A Trak, Baauer, Boys Noize and Hot Chip, with all proceeds going to Plus1’s fund for Covid-19 relief.

Fans can register for the event here.

Eschewing the virtual world for the real thing, French DJ David Guetta is set to make his second rooftop performance in New York on Saturday, following on from a similarly distanced performance in Miami last month. The Miami show raised $750,000 for Feeding South Florida, Feeding America, World Health Organisation and Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris.

The New York concert will raise money for the Mayor’s fund to advance New York city, as well as the international organisations that benefited from Guetta’s first show.

Elsewhere in the US, acts including Pearl Jam, Macklemore and Dave Matthews are participating in the virtual All in WA event on 10 June to raise money for Covid-19 relief efforts across Washington state. The concert, which will air on the local NBC affiliates, can be streamed on Amazon’s Twitch channel, and will be available on Amazon Prime after it airs.

Photo: Photo © Raph_PH on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

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