AGP Executive Report

LGBTQ+ Pride & live pop: West Hollywood Pride Weekend keeps rolling with concerts, a street fair, and the OUTLOUD Music Festival, including a headline set from the Pussycat Dolls. Music education shake-up: Bishkek’s Kureneev Music College is getting a new building after years of dispute over the old site’s foundation, with construction already underway. Legal clash at the Kennedy Center: A judge tossed a breach-of-contract suit from musician Chuck Redd after he canceled a Christmas Eve show, using Washington’s Anti-SLAPP protections. Artist rights warning: Nigerian singer Cynthia Morgan cautions musicians not to sign away master ownership in perpetuity. AI music politics: Trump shared an AI-generated self-promo video set to a song that repeats his name, sparking fresh backlash. Global festival streaming: Amazon Music will livestream major sets from Primavera Sound 2026 in Barcelona, including The Cure and Gorillaz. Community music events: Orillia’s free Music in the Park returns with 13 concerts, while New York prepares a Shane MacGowan Pub “living tribute” to the Pogues legend. Copyright threats: Fuji star Pasuma threatens legal action over unauthorized use of his music and likeness.

Wealth & Pop Culture: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and re-recordings are pushing her to a reported $2B net worth, making her the richest female musician in history. Pride & Community: West Hollywood kicks off Pride weekend with the Outloud Music Festival, while Pineville’s second annual Downtown Pride adds food, shopping, and music. Musical Theatre Spotlight: Cebu’s Pride Month return of “Hook Up: The Musical” tackles dating-app romance and LGBTQ+ identity; LCBI High School stages “Mary Poppins” in June; Weston revives “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash” for its 90th season. Local Live Music: New Ulm’s “Music in the Park” launches with the Concord Singers; Turkey Run State Park brings back its outdoor series; Bowling Green’s Fountain Row Friday continues with live sets. Industry & Tech: Separate reports highlight ongoing AI-content concerns in music, including licensing and platform disputes. Classical/Global: Manchester Music Festival’s “Sounding America” theme sets up a “Summer of Discovery.”

AI & Music Industry Legal Fight: The AFM sued UMG and WMG over AI training deals with Suno and Udio, saying musicians weren’t compensated or credited and that the labels won’t share which recordings are used. Global Pop & Film Tie-Ins: Taylor Swift’s Toy Story 5 track “I Knew It, I Knew You” got a full music video, starring Jessie (Joan Cusack) moments from the franchise. Local Live Music (Community First): Regina’s YMCA Music for the Mind fundraiser raised $50,000 for youth mental health and mentorship. Festival & Venue Updates: Rock Falls’ Bellson Music Fest moved indoors due to extreme heat and storms. Theatre & Sound Design: NYTW’s My Joy Is Heavy used in-ear monitoring across the full ensemble, a rare approach for a musical. New Releases Roundup: Billboard highlighted fresh picks including Swift, Role Model, and Lizzo for New Music Friday. Classical Crossover: St. Vincent went symphonic with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, reworking her catalog with a 60-piece orchestra. Music Education: EMU announced its TRNC scholarship talent exam for 2026-27, assessing musical ability alongside entrance scores.

Taylor Swift & Toy Story 5: Forbes says Swift is now the richest female musician in history (about $2B), and she’s also confirmed her new “Toy Story 5” song “I Knew It, I Knew You,” calling it “like a musical departure and coming home.” Music Awards Japan: Hiromi Uehara, STUTS, Hana Hope and more are set for the June 13 Premier Ceremony, with the event livestreamed ahead of the Grand Ceremony. Live Music & Festivals: Prague’s Cider Festival returns June 5–7 with DJs and family programming; Owensboro’s PorchFest OBKY brings porch stages and food trucks on June 13; Decatur’s Amplify Music Festival runs June 4–7 with Gillian Welch & David Rawlings and more. Industry & Business: Fort Wayne is creating a dedicated Music Office to grow its music economy, while Modern Sky UK launches the Chinese youth brand M_DSK as MDSK (0151). New Releases: Aynaz drops “Sweet Realm,” Larry Dane releases “It Was the 80s,” and Kereng Khuphe unveils the “4 Sho” video. Classical Spotlight: North York Moors Chamber Music Festival marks its 18th year with six world premieres in August.

Music Industry Dealmaking: Universal Music is repurchasing about 14.2 million shares from Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square after rejecting a $64B takeover bid, signaling Pershing’s full exit from UMG. Chart Watch: BTS keeps “Swim” at No. 1 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S., extending its own longest run at the top. AI Music & Investment: Suno’s latest funding round pushes its valuation to $5.4B after raising $400M, underscoring how fast AI music is reshaping the business. Global Latin Growth: Concord Label Group partners with Lito Music, aiming to build a “culturally driven, globally competitive” Latin roster. Live & Community Music: Marlboro Music marks 75 years with a July–August chamber-music season led by Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss. Awards & Recognition: Tribune critic Hannah Edgar wins the William Littler Prize for Music Criticism. Touring & Theater: “Beetlejuice” returns to Tampa’s Straz Center in June, with a stage-forward take on the Tim Burton classic. Festivals & Culture: Endless Mountain Music Festival celebrates 21 years with an America250-themed lineup starting July 17. Pop Culture Spotlight: Pink will host the Tony Awards June 7, revisiting her decadeslong music career.

Global Pop Meets Sports: FIFA unveiled its Official World Cup 2026 Album, a star-studded 18-track lineup featuring Shakira, Burna Boy, Davido, Tyla, Shakira, LISA, Anitta, Rema and more, with IShowSpeed among the surprises. Industry Partnerships: Universal Music Greater China signed singer-songwriter Jason Zhang Jie, with Planet Culture handling future recordings, management and live work. New Releases & Videos: DaLomonze shared a new music-video push, while Chinese entertainer Jason Zhang Jie’s Universal deal signals more releases ahead. Festivals & Live Music: Dorset’s Tree of Strings Festival runs July 3–5 with classical, jazz, samba and folk across historic venues; StourJam returns June 5–7 with 347 artists across 19 stages. Tech & Listening: Shokz showcased durability testing for its new OpenDots 2 earbuds. Music in Memory & Community: Port Arthur mourns music teacher Marlon Sanders Sr., killed in Houston. Culture & AI Debate: Culture Bites tackles viral AI songs and what they mean for human craft and cultural representation.

Global Pop & Visuals: Charli XCX teases her July 24 album Music, Fashion, Film with a cover featuring John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese. New Releases: Tems drops the official video for “What You Need,” while Kehlani and Missy Elliott link up in “Back and Forth,” and Royal Blush unleashes “Gimme (One Thing)” with prank-call chaos. Local Stages & Musicals: Moulin Rouge! The Musical returns to Walton Arts Center July 8–12, and Shrek the Musical is in Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre. Live Music Calendar: Fort Desolation Fest announces its 2026 lineup (Drive-By Truckers, Andrew Bird, Grahame Lesh & Friends, more) and the 2026 Summer Sunset Concert Series kicks off in St. Maries with Eric E. Industry Moves: Seeker Music acquires Simon Raymonde’s Cocteau Twins publishing catalog, and BMG buys Snap! co-founder Luca Anzilotti’s publishing interests. World Music Spotlight: FIFA unveils the 2026 World Cup album with Shakira & Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai” and Rema/Anitta’s “Goals.” Community & Culture: A “Pups for a Purpose” fundraiser pairs rescue dogs with live music in Wildwood, and Indiana’s Recorder curates an African American Music Appreciation Month playlist.

Charity & Community: Liam Gallagher teams with Manchester charity Brighter Sound for a limited-edition adidas Achille SPZL trainer prize draw, with 100% of proceeds via Zeffy. Live Music Boom: Piece Hall’s “Live at The Piece Hall” summer series kicks off June 6 with Shed Seven, after 215,000 tickets sold and a new box-office record. Music Tech: YouTube Music redesign moves Search to the bottom navigation bar, dropping Explore while keeping Home, Samples and Library. Fundraising & Industry: Ladies Who Rock adds Julie Weir and Karen Emanuel ahead of Teenage Cancer Trust’s July 2 Café Royal event. Songwriter Rights: Reed Smith’s Nick Breen breaks down Vetter v. Resnik’s impact, warning international catalogues may face new assumptions after worldwide recapture rulings. Global Spotlight: iHeartRadio Music Festival 2026 in Las Vegas (Sept. 18-19) reveals BTS, Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, Muse, Weezer and more. Loss: Peabo Bryson, the voice behind Disney’s Beauty and the Beast hits, dies at 75 after a stroke. Local Culture: Auckland’s Jolene reopens as a tavern with live music until 3am.

Tech + Live: Anyma’s ÆDEN lands in West Vancouver for the inaugural Soulrise Music Festival at Ambleside Park on Aug. 29, with nine hours of techno plus a lineup that includes ARGY, Kevin de Vries, Korolova, Son of Son and Daijo. Big-Stage Pop/Global: iHeartRadio Music Festival 2026 lineup is out for Sept. 18-19 in Las Vegas, featuring BTS, Cardi B, Benson Boone, Kenny Chesney, Lainey Wilson, Muse, Snoop Dogg, Weezer, Zara Larsson and more, with Disney+ and Hulu livestreams. Theatre + Reviews: Geva Theatre’s stage take on “Anastasia: The Musical” runs through June 28, while “The Toxic Avenger: The Musical” hits Los Altos Stage Company through June 28. Local Community Music: LOON brings Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” to Duluth’s Marshall Performing Arts Center (June 12 & 14), and Rainier Beer’s free R-Day returns Sept. 12 in Seattle with indie headliner Kadabra plus DEHD and Telehealth. Streaming + Business: Amazon Prime Music in India will add ads and drop offline downloads from July 2, 2026, pushing Prime users toward Amazon Music Unlimited. Science + Music: A USC “Musician Hand” robot can hear a new melody after two minutes of random playing and reproduce it on the first attempt.

Music Loss: South Africa mourns Khayelitsha rapper Brie Lee, 27, who died after battling osteosarcoma; her family confirmed she passed following an arm amputation, while her honest updates helped spark major community support. Festival & Classical: The Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival returns to Harrisonburg with themed “Creative Inventions,” including ticketed concerts at Eastern Mennonite University and free noon performances. Indian Voices: Veteran singer Suman Kalyanpur dies at 89; she addressed lifelong comparisons to Lata Mangeshkar, insisting she never imitated anyone. Pop & Video Buzz: Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me” video (with Justin Long) fuels fan debate over her appearance as her album Petal nears July 31. Streaming & Business: Amazon Music launches in India with three tiers, including Unlimited for Prime and non-Prime users, as the market shakes out. Industry Policy: The Artist Rights Alliance pushes for the Protect Working Musicians Act, holding town halls to mobilize independent artists. Live Music Tech/Community: Mastercard and TikTok team up on the Mastercard Artist Accelerator SEA, mentoring musicians in Indonesia and Thailand toward a July showdown. Arts & Culture: Chinese musical “The Harmony of Zhaxi” debuts in Beijing, blending Red Army history with Yunnan folk music.

Streaming & Tech: Apple Music is reportedly testing a Spotify-like free tier on Android, with limits such as “can’t skip any more tracks” and “premium access required,” hinting at a cheaper or ad-supported option. Pop & Albums: Charli xcx unveiled the cover for her upcoming “Music, Fashion, Film,” featuring John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese instead of herself, and the album is set for a July release. Global Live Music: Dubrovnik’s Stradun Classic returns Aug. 28–Sept. 6 at Rector’s Palace, with Mischa Maisky and Stefan Milenković among the lineup. Anime Meets Gear: Vader Guitars launched the first officially licensed Naruto Shippuden electric guitar at AnimeCon UK (June 12–14). Local Scenes & Pride: Queer musical “Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal” returns for Pride month and opens auditions June 7–9 in Quezon City. Business of Music: Davido says he plans to buy back his music masters from Sony before retirement, aiming to secure long-term royalties for his family.

Pride & Stage: The queer musical “Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal” returns for its 20th anniversary, with open auditions June 7–9 in Quezon City (no walk-ins). Loss in Music: Indian playback legend Suman Kalyanpur dies at 89, remembered for classics like “Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche.” AI & Songwriting: Samuel Smith says Parkinson’s pushed him to use AI music tools to build demos for “Horizon” on “The Art of Letting Go.” Festival Spotlight: Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival launches a BBC ALBA-backed talent search for northern Scotland acts ahead of the July 30 Hot House Stage slot. Tech Meets TV: V brings the Spotify app to VIDAA-powered smart TVs, expanding music and podcasts on the big screen. Local Community Music: Warren’s Got Talent “Drop the Mic” grows with a new venue and September dates. Sound for Healing: Cook Children’s sound lab shows how music therapy and even heartbeat recordings support families. Pop Video Buzz: Ariana Grande teases the “Hate That I Made You Love Me” video ahead of her July 31 album “petal.” Classical Review: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s “The Ring” becomes a singing-free orchestral adventure, with mixed results.

Global Music Awards: Music Awards Japan expands its International Special Award to spotlight Asia-wide acts, with Lola Amour’s 2025 win cited as a springboard. Music Biz Power Moves: Afrobeats star Davido says he’ll buy back his masters from Sony to secure long-term control and royalties for his kids. US Politics Meets Pop: Trump will personally kick off the Great American State Fair after major music headliners quit over political concerns, with organizers shifting the schedule. Local Scene & Education: Santa Monica College’s Vocal Jazz ensembles bring students and community together at Broad Stage, while Nigeria’s NAF director urges more music investment in schools. Censorship & Crackdowns: Taliban officials in Ghazni confiscate tambourines, MP3 players, and game boards from youth. Health & Awareness Through Rap: A Sacramento Christian rapper shoots a fentanyl awareness video after local overdose deaths. Live Music & Venues: Britain’s grassroots venues push for a hybrid business rates model to protect rooms from going silent. Pop Culture Buzz: aespa’s “LEMONADE” outfits spark debate over Giselle’s styling. Tribute & Loss: Foster Sylvers of The Sylvers dies at 64.

Trump vs. musicians: Trump floated an “AMERICA IS BACK” rally to replace the Great American State Fair after many acts pulled out over the Freedom 250 event’s political ties. AI in real life: London singer Samuel Smith used AI music tools to finish an album after Parkinson’s took away his guitar skills. New releases: Violet Grohl premiered the “Bug in the Cake” video as she gears up for her first solo tour. Local music education: Eugene’s Hult Center launched an instrument drive to support music learning, with a community event planned to hand out vouchers. Community & culture: Arkansas Folklife Festival revealed its full lineup for June 26–28, spotlighting roots, gospel, and Grammy-winning talent. Tech & streaming: Apple Music may be testing different subscription tiers, hinted by new Android beta strings. Live music calendar: Yakima Valley’s summer lineup highlights free downtown concerts and outdoor shows. Music & identity: Silent Sanctuary released “Una,” an OFW tribute video starring Xyriel Manabat.

Breakthrough for UK rock: Passionflower won Kerrang Radio’s The Deal, landing a spot at Download Festival plus a Marshall Records deal and management from Future History. Lost Venues Remembered: London’s V&A will open “Lost Music Venues,” a weekend exhibition of 100+ items from shuttered UK clubs, including Haçienda pager and Oasis lyrics. New Live Space: East London’s Village Underground is unveiling a 300-capacity rooftop terrace (opening July 3) with a bar, pizza, and access to its Jubilee Line train carriages. Venue Under Pressure: Manchester’s Stage & Radio faces a threat from a nearby plan for 126 flats; Cambridge’s Six Six Bar announced closure after “relentless pressure” from costs and licensing. Extremism on music platforms: A report says Hamas-linked songs are spreading on streaming services, with hundreds of thousands of plays. Music for public health: Sacramento rapper Exoduzmusic is filming a fentanyl-awareness video after local overdose deaths. AI in music creation: A London singer with Parkinson’s used AI music tools to help finish an album track. Tech for fans: freebeat.ai claims a real-time music video generator that creates visuals as the song plays. Industry health update: Clive Davis was hospitalized in New York for an upper respiratory issue.

Music Biz & Rights: Universal Music Group rejected Bill Ackman’s $64B Pershing Square takeover bid, saying it undervalues the company and won’t create superior value. Live Music Politics: Trump-linked Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair keeps losing major acts as musicians cite concerns about partisanship and being misled. Legal/Local Venues: Portland Music Holdings is preparing legal action after the city approved a 750-foot buffer zone that stalled a proposed new concert venue. Hip-Hop Culture: The Grammy Museum’s third annual Hip-Hop Block Party returns June 16 with live sets, panels, and community activities. New Releases: Aespa drops “Lemonade” with a retro-styled music video; Maisie Peters scores a second straight No.1 album with “Florescence.” Community & Education: Wenatchee Valley Youth Symphony rebuilds youth music after the pandemic and caps its season with a May 30 concert. Local Finds & Tributes: Archaeologists at Colonial Michilimackinac uncover a jaw harp; Long Island photographer Barry Fisch’s decades of concert photos go on display.