ROSALÍA’s Ivor Award
Singer-songwriter ROSALÍA is The Ivors’ International Songwriter of the Year Award. El Mal Querer (2018) reimagined flamenco, she wrote/performed/recorded/produced 2022’s MOTOMAMI (global #1 debut), 2025’s LUX (in 13 languages) included hits “La Perla,” “Berghain,” “Reliquia,” “Sexo, Violencia y Llantas.”
French Regulatory Leadership
SNEP, SACEM, and 79 other French organizations in film, music, and other sectors, are working hard to institute a bill to penalize gen AI for infringement, and compel AI developers to scale back or cease operating in France completely. Achieving unanimous passage in France’s senate in April, and including a petition with over 25,000 signatures, the National Assembly has yet to get on board.
The latest development comes just before the enforcement deadline for the EU’s AI Act, which includes mandatory labelling to identify AI outputs ‘artificially generated or manipulated.’
MLC Catalog Webinars
Need help navigating your royalty statements? Have catalog administration questions? The MLC has regular webinars to help with all of your royalty, administration, and general MLC inquiry questions. More information and registration at: bit.ly/42rOrr3.
Perry’s International Award
The Ivors Academy honors Linda Perry with The Ivors w/Amazon Music 2026 Special International Award for significant influence on UK music, with songs including “Beautiful” (Christina Aguilera), “What’s Up?” (4 Non Blondes), “Get The Party Started” (P!nk). First solo album in 25 years Let It Die Here out now.
Durango Early Bird
The Durango Songwriter Conference returns to Colorado October 8-10, with special early bird pricing available now. For over 30 years, the expo has provided an opportunity for songwriters of all levels to connect with resources to help propel their songwriting journey, with listening sessions, expert panels, performer showcases, and plenty of time to network and collaborate. With industry professionals to help provide insight into navigating the business of music, the event is limited to 200 attendees to provide the best possible experience. Full details and registration at: durangosong.com/
Seeker Music’s Nu Shooz
Oregon Music Hall of Fame inductee, synthpop group Nu Shooz (John Smith, Valerie Day) has sold their master and publishing rights to Seeker Music, in a catalog deal that includes hit “I Can’t Wait” (made famous by the DJ Peter Slaghuis remix, now celebrating its 40th anniversary and still a popular dance track).
[(L-R) are Steven Melrose (Chief Creative Officer, Seeker Music), John Smith (Nu Shooz), Valerie Day (Nu Shooz), and Evan Bogart (CEO Seeker Music)]
Jessie Jo’s Triple
Congratulations to SESAC’s Jessie Jo Dillon, who has set a new bar and made history with her third consecutive Academy of Country Music Songwriter of the Year win, and one of only three women to ever claim the honor. The latest accolade follows her CMA Triple Play Award for three No. 1 songs in a single year. Morgan Wallen’s “Lies, Lies, Lies,” Russell Dickerson’s “Happen to Me” (which earned an American Music Award nomination for Best Country Song) and her Megan Moroney co-write on “Am I Okay?” (which earned an ACM Song of the Year Nomination). Dillon’s Gatsy Records (MCA imprint) recently earned its first ACM nomination for Carter Faith’s debut album, Cherry Valley, and Dillon’s “Lighter” co-write for Carin León and Jelly Roll was selected as the official song of the FIFA world cup. Credits include “Beautiful Things,” “Medicine” and nine tracks from Cloud 9 (all Megan Moroney), “Wish You Well” (Vincent Mason), “Baggage” (Kelse Ballerini), “Friday Night Heartbreaker” (Jon Pardi).
Laufey’s ASCAP Honor
2x Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-composer Laufey’s unique fusion of pop/jazz/ classical, 7 billion streams, 25+ M social media audience, biggest historical Spotify jazz debut, Forbes 30 Under 30 and TIME’s 2025 Women of the Year designee, Laufey Foundation work earn her 2026’s ASCAP Creative Voice Award.
Angry/AM2 Songwriters
Independent music publisher Angry Mob Music has signed artist-songwriter AIKO to handle her catalog administration, as well as a co-publishing deal. The Admin+Co-Pub agreement is a new hybrid format, allowing Angry Mob to represent the writer’s past works under their administration deal terms, with any future works stemming from collaborations brokered by Angry Mob falling under a co-publishing agreement. Angry Mob’s sync arm – AM2 – has signed Ava Della Pietra, Jordan Seigel and Siv Jakobsen to handle future catalog sync deals and custom sync work.
David Porter’s Soul Man
After 60+ years (with 1,700+ credits), Grammy-winning David Porter has written and produced the best of Memphis sound. Releasing memoir The Soul Man: Life of Songwriter David Porter, he reveals his life, career, and insights behind Stax Records, and more. Available in paperback and audio (read by the author).
Giddens’ Biscuits & Banjos
Rhiannon Giddens has announced a new nonprofit to celebrate the music, literature, food and community of the African diaspora in America. Picturing a world where the full story of American music, literature, food and culture is told, with respective foundational communities being resourced, visible and thriving, the Foundation follows on the one-year anniversary of North Carolina’s three-day-long Biscuits & Banjos festival (founded to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Black Banjo Gathering). The organization will serve as a long-term home for the cultural work that has defined Giddens’ career, by investing in Black-led traditions and art, cultural leaders, educators, and the communities supporting them. Through concerts, community gatherings and educational projects, the Foundation creates opportunities for fuller more honest engagement for audiences to learn about American culture and history, shining a spotlight on the vital contributions of Black voices to American Roots music, while helping to sustain them. Giddens is on tour through November. More at: biscuitsandbanjos.com/
Paul Anka: ICON
BMI Congratulates Paul Anka on receiving 2026’s BMI Icon Award honoring his legendary career, with 70 years of Billboard charting music, and a 900+ song catalog, including “Diana” (at just 15), “My Way,” Times of Your Life,” and more. For a full list of BMI’s Pop Awards for 2026, visit: bmi.com/events/entry/595884.
SMP Signs Saghi
Sony Music Publishing Nashville has partnered with Ace High Music to sign Jake Saghi to global publishing. The multi-instrumental songwriter-producer has worked with Kidd G, Redferrin, Dom Ellis, Cassadee Pope, Abby Anderson, Rodney Atkins, Lakeview, Sacha, etc. and is quickly becoming a sought after collaborator. Credits to date include Redferrin’s “Jack and Diet Coke” and Sacha’s “Hey Mom I Made It” (Top 10 on Canadian Country Radio and nominated for "Songwriter(s) of the Year" at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards), Saghi also produced Redferrin’s “Just Like Johnny,” Top 30 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart). Recent cuts include “If I Was California” (Redferrin, “Circa 17’” (Jon Langston), and “Probably Shouldn’t Drive” (Kid G.).
Fogerty’s New Records
As the only artist inducted Into the Baseball Hall of Fame, John Fogerty’s remastered Centerfield (Hall of Fame Edition) is out soon, with live recordings of “Centerfield,” “Rock and Roll Girls,” “Old Man Down the Road.” Fogerty is receiving the SHOF Johnny Mercer Award this month and is on tour through October.
2026 WCS Conference
The Los Angeles College of Music (LACM) presents this year’s West Coast Songwriters Conference, this coming October (early bird tickets available now). Now in its 46th year, the event includes workshops, industry panels, priceless networking, and pitch opportunities. Details and registration at: bit.ly/4npfrRJ.
AIMP Annual Summit
The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) hosts their annual Global Music Publishing Summit this month with songwriter-producer Glen Ballard as the headliner, joining Tom DeSavia (Concord Music) to discuss stories behind his decades-long career works, songwriting craft, and the evolution of music publishing. This year’s Summit will also include a full day of panel discussions and additional guest speakers, and will be preceded by the AIMP New York Chapter’s Young Professionals Committee. Details at: aimp.org/event/aimp-global-music-publishing-summit-2026/
Enescu International Applications
Applications are now open for the 20th biennial George Enescu International Composition being held in Bucharest, Romania, August 23 through September 19, 2026. While the cello, violin and piano divisions have already closed, the composition division and masterclasses remain open through June 30. Open to all nationalities born after August 1, 1991, with cash prizes and future performance opportunities available to winners. To enter, musicians need to fill out an entry form, with online pre-section being based on performance videos submitted. Selected participants will proceed to perform in Bucharest, with winners receiving prizes totaling $150,000 across four divisions, as well as promotion and artistic launch.
Shining a spotlight on rising global artists looking to pursue their classical music professionally, the Enescu event is one of the world’s single largest meetings of international orchestras. Artistic Director Cristian Măcelaru returns for his third competition, where he conducts the Romanian Radio National Orchestra in the competition’s opening concert on August 23, 2026 and leads multiple masterclasses from August 24-28, 2026. Registration and details at form.festivalenescu.ro/en/
Kobalt Signs The Wavys
The Wavys (Jack Brady/Jordan Roman) sign to Kobalt. With 4+ M global streams (Ambar Lucid, Gus Dapperton, G-Eazy, etc.). JISOO’s “Earthquake” (Amortage) debuted #1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales, #47 on Billboard’s Global 200, and Top 10 in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam.
Supreme Court Reversal
Following the Cox v. Sony Music decision in late March, ruling that internet services providers are not liable for contributory copyright infringement simply by providing service to users known to be downloading illegal content, the Court has taken it a step further. With the original ruling reversing a $1 billion verdict and strengthening ‘safe harbor’ protections for internet platforms, the Supreme Court has now wiped a further $47 million willful copyright infringement penalty (for allegedly failing to adequately address subscribers’ repeat copyright infringement) against Grande Communications. The Grande case has been vacated and remanded to the Court of Appeal for further consideration in light of the Cox decision. The UMG v. Verizon and Warner v. Altice copyright cases have since been dismissed with prejudice.
TuneCore’s Royalty Advances
Believe-owned digital distribution platform TuneCore is rolling out a royalty advance program to support eligible independent artists through a new partnership with financial tech firm RoyFi. Upfront financing is provided in exchange for a flat fee, with larger upfront advance or structured options. Repayment is drawn from future royalty earnings, meaning artists can secure direct cash advances without sacrificing any equity or transferring copyright ownership. Once repaid, the claim ends and all future royalties revert fully to the artist. More at: tunecore.com/direct-advance.
