AGP Executive Report

Tupac Shakur Trial: Prosecutors opened a long-awaited Nevada case accusing former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis of orchestrating Shakur’s 1996 drive-by killing, while the defense says investigators have little to back Davis’s claims after 30 years. Pop Culture Loss: Hayden Panettiere, known for “Heroes” and “Nashville,” died at 36. AI Copyright Clash: Round Hill Music settled a “Peanuts” music claim with the DOI for $20K, while separately suing Anthropic and Suno over alleged training on 500+ songs, with damages potentially reaching $1B. Live Music Business: Jonas Brothers expanded “The Burning Up Tour All Over Again” to 45 cities, and Chris Brown + Usher added eight more stadium dates to their R&B Tour. Streaming/Charts: Stray Kids hit a ninth Billboard 200 No. 1 with “THIS & THAT.” Industry Nostalgia: Columbia House is shutting down again, ending new orders after 9/15/26. Spotlight Endorsement: Taylor Swift praised Phoebe Bridgers’ “Lost Weekend” as an “absolute triumph.”

Stadium R&B: Usher and Chris Brown added eight new dates to their co-headlining run, including a first-time stop at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on Oct. 29. K-Pop Chart Power: Stray Kids celebrated their ninth straight Billboard 200 No. 1 with THIS & THAT, topping the chart for the Aug. 22 issue. Pop Legal Fight: Ellie Goulding sued her former U.K. management company, alleging conflicts after Live Nation bought into Tap Management and pushed her toward Live Nation deals. Festival Buzz: Outside Lands wrapped up Day 1 in San Francisco, with steep ticket prices and a sprawling, stage-hopping layout defining the experience. Country Spotlight: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” keeps ruling the Hot 100, extending her historic country crossover streak. Music Business/Tech: A new report argues pediatric “gender medicine” expanded rapidly across U.S. hospitals, raising alarms about minors’ care and costs. Local Music & Culture: The African American Heritage & Cultural Celebration returned for a full day of performances, poetry, and community history in Northeast Ohio. Tour News: Taylor Swift debuted her shortest hair in years at a U.K. wedding tied to her studio engineers.

Grammy Watch: The Recording Academy is signaling it may reconsider the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category after BTS objected to being sorted by region/language, with CEO Harvey Mason Jr. saying some artists feel the category doesn’t reflect what they’ve worked to create. Pop Residency: Ariana Grande kicked off her O2 residency in London, thanking fans for “overwhelming” support as she heads into the final stretch of her Eternal Sunshine run. Surprise Guest Power: Grande also brought Cynthia Erivo onstage for “For Good” and “Happy Days” during her Wicked co-star’s appearance. Live Music Spotlight: Goose returned to L.A.’s Greek Theatre with a refreshed four-piece lineup and new material from BIG MODERN!, delivering a high-energy, sold-out show. Motown Culture: Detroit Bass Day 2026 brings dozens of bassists to the Motown Museum campus for a mega-jam and tributes, including honoring trombonist-arranger Paul Riser. Local Music Community: Worcester’s Somos Boricuas festival marked Puerto Rico culture with food, music, and history after a 40-year gap for a standalone event. Tech x Music: Spotify announced new labels for AI-generated music, as the AI music boom keeps raising questions about human artists.

Detroit Pop Crossover: Bryan Adams brought Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo onstage for the first time at Little Caesars Arena, teaming up for a spirited Stevie Wonder “Superstition” cover. Classic-Rock Duets: A new roundup spotlights the genre’s biggest pairings, from genre-bending collaborations to iconic vocal chemistry. Country Chart Watch: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” keeps ruling Hot Country Songs, extending its historic No. 1 streak. New Music Calendar: September is shaping up as a reissue-heavy month for classic-rock fans, with major catalog returns plus a few fresh projects. Live-Music Programming: Los Angeles contemporary-piano series Piano Spheres announced its 2026–27 season, including electronic premieres and collaborations. Streaming/Legacy Notes: Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” is now in Spotify’s billion-stream club, while Sharon Osbourne continues trying to sell the couple’s L.A. mansion.

Miami Preservation Vote: Voters will decide Tuesday whether Miami can partner with a private company to restore the historic Miami Marine Stadium, a Brutalist landmark tied to Elvis’s “Clambake” and Jimmy Buffett’s floating-stage era. KCON LA 2026: NCT 127 and Tomorrow X Together’s Yeonjun helped kick off KCON LA’s “Walk in SOUL CITY” run, blending K-pop, K-beauty, and live industry events across Los Angeles. Ariana Grande UK Residency: Grande launched her 10-night O2 run after announcing a step back from public life, with “Petal” driving headlines and a set built on Eternal Sunshine-era hits. New Music: Mastodon released “In The Ruins,” inspired by Hurricane Helene’s damage to bassist Troy Sanders’ family, ahead of “Marrow Deep.” Community & Culture: Catholics filled Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium for Assumption Mass, with a multi-language choir leading music. Local Music Business: Boise State athletics faces a projected deficit tied to Pac-12 costs and athlete payment demands.

Local Music & Community: Traverse City’s Eighth Street building at 544 Eighth St. is spotlighted for its layered history, tying old TC roots to today’s NoBo neighborhood energy. New Music Education Leadership: Parlier Junior High School in California welcomes Shakira Delgado Flores as its 2026-27 band director, aiming to bring more competition and all-state experiences to students. New Releases (Rock/Country): Skillet announces its Oct. 9 EP “After the Storm,” led by “Lift Me Up,” while Little Big Town and Kelsea Ballerini drop the duet “Closing Time” ahead of LBT’s Aug. 28 album “It’s A Dying Art.” Chart Watch (Pop): Ariana Grande’s “Petal” lands at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her 25th top 10 hit and tying Elvis Presley’s singles record. Live Music Event: Wyoming’s Logan Ranch hosts the Broken Bandit Wild Woo Fest (Aug. 21-22) with live music to benefit The Broken Bandit Wildlife Center. Theater Buzz: Disney Theatrical’s “The Greatest Showman” stage musical heads to London’s West End, opening at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027.

Album/Immersive Audio: Roxy Music’s For Your Pleasure is getting a big Nov. 6, 2026 reissue push, but the “Super Deluxe” set won’t include the Dolby Atmos Blu-ray Audio disc—buyers have to order it separately. Live Music: Foo Fighters rolled through Philadelphia’s Linc for a three-hour stop on their “Take Cover Tour,” with Mannequin Pussy kicking things off in a hometown-style punk blast. Local Music Culture: Mississippi’s Red’s Blues Lounge was named the state’s best dive bar, with its up-close juke-joint setup and weekend music lineups doing the heavy lifting. Industry Deal: Megan Thee Stallion announced a new distribution partnership with Interscope via Hot Girl Productions, keeping her independence and ownership while expanding global reach. Music + Tech: Spotify is set to label AI artists on its platform next month, as AI-generated music keeps raising human-artist concerns. Hip-Hop: NBA YoungBoy says he’s left the U.S. permanently after his Trump-era pardon, now living in South Korea. Music Business/Legal: Bad Bunny and other reggaeton stars asked a judge to reconsider a ruling that would send a “Fish Market” copyright dispute to a jury.

Music Business: Apple is asking a federal judge to let it charge U.S. developers up to 15% when users leave an app via an external link to buy on the web, after years of Epic-linked litigation. Pop Culture & Fandom: KATSEYE drops its third EP, WILD, and launches a KATSEYE x Kuromi collection exclusively at Target. Touring: Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush preview their “Ride or Die Tour” and 20-year Enjoy the Ride anniversary run. Legal Spotlight: Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl faces a federal trademark fight from a Las Vegas performer claiming brand confusion. Live Music: Space Coast Symphony Orchestra brings Landscapes & Legends to Florida venues Aug. 15-16. K-Pop/Global: Taemin announces a six-city U.S. leg for his 2026-27 LiMiNaL world tour with AEG. Local Arts: Blue Ridge Music Center hosts the Seán Heely Celtic Band with Kinnfolk on Aug. 22. Band News: Foghat announces Live & Loud Across the U.S.A. for Oct. 30.

Local Music & Community: Levitt AMP Maryville wraps its first season and says it’ll start planning earlier for next year’s free outdoor concerts. Live Music & Festivals: hello82’s first 82WORLD: LA festival lands Oct. 17-18 at LA State Historic Park with P1Harmony, ATEEZ (Day 2), and more; tickets go on sale Aug. 14. Touring: Luke Combs extends My Kinda Saturday Night into 2027 with new North American stadium dates. Industry Watch: Cumulus Media layoffs hit longtime Mid-Missouri radio hosts, including David Gaines and Simon Rose. Legal/Arts Governance: The Kennedy Center board votes to inscribe Trump’s name again and close the building for two years, setting up renewed court scrutiny. Music Culture: A theater review spotlights Hit the Lights! Company’s ISLA, a visual-musical memoir built from interviews and old photos. Immigration & Music: Indian jazz guitarist Pritesh Walia is arrested at LAX and held in ICE custody after overstaying his visa. Venue News: San Diego’s Brick by Brick heavy-metal club is closing for good.

Stadium Country Boom: Luke Combs is extending his “My Kinda Saturday Night Tour” into 2027 with 12 new stadium dates, including a Minnesota return at U.S. Bank Stadium (Apr. 10) plus stops in Detroit, Philadelphia, Foxborough, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and more; tickets go on sale Aug. 21. Pop-Rock Nostalgia: Queen’s catalog is surging again on Billboard’s Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart, with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Under Pressure” (with David Bowie), and “Another One Bites the Dust” all reentering/returning together. Back-to-School Community Push: Rob Levine Law will hand out 1,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies at a Providence Family Fun Day Aug. 22, featuring live DJ music and activities. Music + Legal Drama: Sean “Diddy” Combs countersues former producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr., alleging stolen footage tied to a Netflix documentary. Local Music/Events: Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour lands at U.S. Bank Stadium Aug. 15 in Minneapolis, with a radio ticket giveaway tied to Y-105FM.

Ticketing Fight: StubHub spent a record $2.6M lobbying California from April–June to block AB 1720, a bill that would cap resale concert prices at 10% above face value (with a carve-out for smaller venues). AI in Music Discovery: Ticketmaster is now integrated with Google’s Gemini, letting fans ask the chatbot for live events and compare seats/prices before checkout. Streaming in Cars: TuneIn is expanding in-vehicle access via an iM Media Labs deal, bringing live radio, sports, news, and podcasts into OEM-style dashboards. Pop Meets Sports: The Jonas Brothers will headline halftime at the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia (49ers vs. Rams), a move already sparking fan confusion online. Artist Health Update: NBA YoungBoy says he has an enlarged left side of his heart and expects only “one or two” more albums, while planning one more tour. Local Music Culture: VinylCon! returns to Downtown Los Angeles Aug. 22–23 with 100+ dealers, all-vinyl DJ sets, and crate-digging. Legal/Identity Correction: Prosecutors admitted a “typographical error” that wrongly linked Hawaiian reggae singer Maoli to a suspected meth supplier, after the mix-up spread online.

AI & Copyright: A Munich court ruled that training an AI music model on copyrighted songs without a license can infringe copyright when the model reproduces recognizable elements in outputs, rejecting a key exemption and ordering Suno liability in principle. AI Music Dealmaking: Amid the AI-music legal fight, Suno says it’s partnering with BMG, settling prior claims and setting up opt-in, paid use for BMG artists and songwriters as Suno readies new label-backed models. Pop Culture & Representation: Disney+ canceled Marvel’s “Wonder Man” after renewal, drawing backlash over the loss of rare Haitian-American representation. Local Music & Community: Cape Cod National Seashore marked its 65th anniversary with community celebration and live music. New Releases: Underscores dropped the “The Peace” video; Fatboi Sharif & ELUCID released the EP “Invasion Body Camera”; Queen’s Roger Taylor previewed “I See You Now” from his upcoming album. Touring & Big Stages: Mumford & Sons brought the “Ted Lasso” theme to MSG with Jason Sudeikis. Sports Meets Sound: The Smithsonian’s FIFA 2026 event featured a “Sounds of Africa” concert tied to African football culture.

Legal Spotlight: The Kennedy Center must pay jazz musician Chuck Redd about $252K after he canceled a Christmas Eve performance in protest of the Trump-era renaming of the building, with the center signaling it will appeal. Live Music Buzz: Death Cab for Cutie brought a new set to NPR’s Tiny Desk, previewing tracks from I Built You a Tower and closing with “Soul Meets Body.” Tour Watch: Luke Combs appears headed to Ford Field for an Aug. 13 announcement, with stadium accounts teasing the show using his “My Kinda Saturday Night” audio. Festival Lineup: Boomtown 2026 runs Aug. 12–16 with a wide mix from electronic and hip-hop to punk and reggae, featuring Skrillex, Four Tet, Kneecap, Shaggy, and more. Industry/Global: AEG Presents struck a strategic partnership with Japan’s Creativeman Productions to expand AXS and artist reach across Japan and Asia. Music Tech: Samsung Galaxy Buds gained FDA clearance for a hearing-aid feature, turning select earbuds into over-the-counter hearing tools.

Chart Watch: Eminem’s Curtain Call 2 keeps stacking up in the U.K., hitting 208 weeks on the Official Albums chart—about four years of staying power. Pop Returns: Taylor Swift’s “Opalite” re-enters multiple U.K. charts, popping back onto downloads, sales, and streaming rosters. Hot 100 Buzz: Spider-Man: Brand New Day drives Tame Impala’s “Loser” and Steve Lacy’s “Oh Yeah?” onto the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 15. Country Spotlight: Luke Combs’ U.K. run boosts streaming peaks for This One’s for You and What You See Is What You Get. RIAA Milestone: Demi Lovato earns 5X Platinum RIAA status for “Confident” and “Cool for the Summer.” Tour News: Sugarland announces a 26-date 2026 “Ride or Die Tour” celebrating Enjoy the Ride’s 20th anniversary. Live Music: Dave Matthews Band announces a 2026 fall tour, including Madison and a Labor Day weekend run at the Gorge. New Music: Arms & Armour drops the video for “Terror By Night” ahead of The Hunted. Community & Culture: The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival and St. Patrick Parade end after 15 years.

Music Education & Tech: Mount Carmel Academy Charter School finished a new Industrial Arts & Manufacturing Innovation Lab through the U.S. DoD’s MEERA program, giving students hands-on training in robotics, CNC, welding, and 3D printing. Streaming & AI Music: Suno details new download limits starting Sept. 3—7 tracks for free users, 20/month on Pro, 60/month on Premier—aimed at cutting down “bad actors” exporting low-quality music. Pop Culture & Charts: Ariana Grande’s “Petal” hits No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while KATSEYE’s “Animal” lands their first top-10 on the Billboard Global 200 amid member hiatuses. Live Music Buzz: Capitol Hill Block Party ends with Wet Leg’s hard-charging headliner set, and Usher’s stadium tour continues to spark “clone” rumor chatter as he responds. Local Music Scene: NYC mourns Chet Mazur, a beloved Hell’s Kitchen musician killed in a hit-and-run. Industry/Business: Ryman Hospitality Properties prices a common stock offering tied to its Orlando hotel acquisition plans.

Music Biz & Streaming: UnitedMasters adds four execs to expand artist/label marketing, brand & sync, and commerce. Latin Pop Charts: Karol G releases “NO ME ARREPIENTO DE SENTIR TANTO,” leaning into every emotion from love to healing. K-Pop/Global Breakthrough: Katseye’s “Animal” climbs into Billboard’s Top 10 ahead of the “Wild” EP. Podcasting: Disney+ and Hulu land video versions of iHeartMedia podcasts, starting with the Jonas Brothers’ “Hey Jonas!” Live Music & Touring: Joan Jett cancels remaining 2026 dates after surgery; Athens Theatre runs back-to-back tributes to Springsteen and Neil Diamond. Community & Culture: Nisei Week returns for its 84th LA festival, while MTSU expands its Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans Center. Industry/Business Meets Health: Jazz Pharmaceuticals agrees to buy Actio Biosciences in a deal that could top $1.3B, targeting rare epilepsy. Local Music Scene: NYC scene legend Chet Mazur dies after a hit-and-run following a gig.