Steven J. Horowitz Joins Variety as Senior Music Writer

Michael Beale has broken his silence over his Rangers sacking.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music When Megan Thee Stallion pulled out of her scheduled performance at the Global Citizen festival in New York earlier this month due to an “unforeseen scheduling conflict,” it took about five minutes to do the math and realize — oh, Beyonce’s playing in Houston that night. Not only did she and Megan team up for the “Savage Remix” back in 2020, they’re both from Houston.

Steven J. Horowitz The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) celebrated its third annual awards gala at the Beverly Hilton last night in Los Angeles.

Steven J. Horowitz Lizzo was given top honors at the Black Music Action Coalition’s Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award on Thursday night. At the BMAC Gala, which took place on Sept.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director In a career-spanning interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, “Man of Steel” writer David S. Goyer agreed with host Jake Horowitz that Warner Bros. should’ve developed a standalone Superman sequel with Henry Cavill instead of rushing to create a universe with “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” The studio did so in order to compete with Marvel and create its own superhero universe.

Guillermo del Toro was set around “four years ago” to direct a Star Wars movie that has never come together, screenwriter David S. Goyer has revealed.

Steven J. Horowitz Indie singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has revealed that he is learning how to walk again after being diagnosed with the rare Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder where the body’s immune system attacks a portion of the peripheral nervous system. In a lengthy post on Tumblr, his social media platform of choice, Stevens explained that he’s been out of the promotional cycle for his upcoming album “Javelin,” releasing Oct.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The torrent of criticism around Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner’s controversial remarks regarding Black and female musicians continued on Tuesday as both the pioneering rock group Living Colour and the Black Music Action Coalition weighed in with statements. Wenner posted an apology for his remarks on Saturday, shortly after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced that he had been ejected from its board of directors. The members of Living Colour — Will Calhoun, Corey Glover, Vernon Reid and Doug Wimbish — wrote: “We, the members of Living Colour, would like to address Jann Wenner’s recent apology for controversial statements made in support of his new book.

There haven’t been that many red carpet premieres in Los Angeles over the past few months due to the strikes in Hollywood, but Dicks: The Musical is bringing some star power to the west coast!

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Warner Chappell Music has announced the appointment of Rachel Jacobson to the newly created role of senior vice president of creative sync. Reporting to department EVP Rich Robinson, Jacobson will oversee a new team that’s solely focused on sourcing and developing songwriters for creative opportunities in sync, according to announcement.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The U.S. music industry continued its robust growth in the first half of 2023, according to the RIAA’s latest mid-year report. Total revenues grew 9.3% at estimated retail value, reaching an all-time first-half high of $8.4 billion; at wholesale value, revenues grew 8.3% to $5.3 billion.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music After months of rumors, Katy Perry has sold her music rights to Litmus Music, the Carlyle-backed company co-founded by former Capitol Records president Dan McCarroll, for $225 million, the company announced Monday. The deal includes Perry’s stakes in master recordings and publishing rights for the five albums she released between 2008 and 2020: “One of the Boys,” “Teenage Dream”, “Prism,” “Witness” and “Smile.” Universal Music Group continues to own the masters to those albums.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music A day after the publication of a New York Times interview in which Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner said that Black and female musicians “didn’t articulate at the level” of the white musicians featured in his new book of interviews, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that he has been removed from its board of directors. “Jann Wenner has been removed from the Board of Directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation,” a terse statement from a rep reads in full; contacted by Variety, a rep for the Hall had no further comment. Wenner is a co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was launched in 1987, and had served as its chairman until 2020.

Delighted Stevie Naismith has insisted Hearts have hit the reset and are ready to start pushing in the Premiership.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Range Media Partners has announced that Casey Robison will join the company as the head of its new music publishing division. Robison was most recently executive VP of A&R at Hipgnosis Songs, where he led the company’s pop division, working with songwriters and artists including Monsters & Strangerz (Jordan and Stefan Johnson), John Ryan, Julian Bunetta, Normani, Teddy Geiger, Imad Royal, Dan Wilson and others.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Since the Hollywood strikes began back in May, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw have donated a collective $1.5 million to writers, actors and other industry workers who have been negatively impacted by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Capshaw and Spielbergs generous donations have gone to the Entertainment Community Fund as well as the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program.

Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw have donated $1.5 million in support of striking writers and actors, and others affected by the work stoppages, Deadline has learned.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Vice President Kamala Harris will celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary Saturday by hosting an all-star celebration at her official residence featuring Common, Jeezy, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante and more. The event is being presented in collaboration with the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and Live Nation Urban and will welcome “artists, musicians, industry leaders and cultural trailblazers,” according to the announcement.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Billie Eilish, Peter Gabriel, Sheryl Crow, Nile Rodgers, Bootsy Collins, Sofi Tukker, Rufus Wainwright, Bush and many more have joined a coalition of musicians called Artist for Action to Prevent Gun Violence designed to inspire people to volunteer, donate and vote to end the epidemic of gun violence plaguing the United States. The organization is launching with a series of live events, including a performance by Bush and special guests at New York’s Irving Plaza on September 22.

In her first major hire since being named Chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group and Chief Content Officer, Donna Langley has named Liz Jenkins as her Chief Business Officer. Langely has also formed a new studio leadership group and added Peter Levinsohn and Jimmy Horowitz to cabinet positions.