On Jan. 25 Billboard magazine unveiled its Power 100 list, honoring the current players who are blazing new paths and scaling new horizons in the music industry, The annual GRAMMY Week event in celebration of the new list was hosted at Manhattan, New York's chic Nobu 57, drawing music industry magnates and top-selling artists as well as the honorees of Billboard's Visionary, Executive of the Year and Label of the Year awards.

With the idea of the Power 100 list, the concept of power and what it means to those in the industry takes on different meanings.

For Daniel Glass, founder and president of Glassnote Entertainment (and No. 81 on the list), the P in power stands for passion.

"I think power moves the needle and really furthers the development of music and artist," said Glass. "I think it comes with respect, passion and perseverance."

"Power ought to be a couple of things," noted Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy, who ranked as No. 44 on the list. "In our business, it ought to be good judgment and particularly the ability to judge talent and art and recognize the next generations that are coming through. Power also has to do with creating an environment where an artist's career can flourish and soar. Power is just being fair and open-minded and mentoring and bringing along the next generation of music people and executives."

"I think a lot of people at the party here do lead by example," said Pentatonix member Kirstin Maldonado. "They are very powerful in what they stand for and how they use their power."

Mentors have been important for many people on the list, ranging from parents to music teachers to executives to other artists who fostered future talent. They have left indelible impressions on those they've worked with.

When asked about mentoring in today's business world, which has changed measurably over the last decade, Adam Alpert, CEO of Disruptor Records and Selector Songs (No. 76), remarked, "It's hard to bridge that generational gap, but those who are able to are fortunate. What is more prevalent is the younger generation working more together and trying to help each other more. And realizing that it's not so much about competition but there's room for everyone to be successful and there's always room for more great music."

Artists at the event also offered words of advice for younger people who wanted to follow in their footsteps, even being younger themselves. Pentatonix's Scott Hoying recalled how his group said yes to everything, taking on many gigs, creating as much content as possible and meeting whomever they could meet.

"Saying yes, gaining momentum and creating a network is so important," said Hoying. "A lot of people say no to a lot of things because they're nervous or anxious about it, but stepping outside of your comfort zone is what is going to make you grow."

Harrison Mills, one half of GRAMMY-nominated electronic duo Odesza, feels that authenticity is sometimes unappreciated, or not as important to some people as it should be.

"Copping trends can really hurt you in the long run," he said. "If you're trying to build a career, think about how you want to sound in 10 years — think about yourself and what you want to represent and not a trend."

On the business side, Glass stressed learning the history of the business. "Learn what the predecessors did to pave the way," he advised. "It's really important to respect the past before you go forward."

The awards presentation was a good place to start, as it highlighted individuals whose careers have flourished and thrived in the long haul, building upon lessons from the past.

Clive Davis introduced Jody Gerson, CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, who received this year's Visionary Award.

"After three decades of experience, she has built a truly wonderful track record identifying and developing talent," said Davis. "She is the highest-ranking female executive in music and the only female global chairman in music and she's the first woman CEO of a major music publishing company."

Gerson's signings have included the Bee Gees, Prince, Adele, Coldplay, and many others. Upon accepting the award, She told Davis, "I actually learned how to be a publisher by pitching songs to you for all those years." She joked that he turned most of them down initially, but that experience taught her resilience.

Atlantic Chairman/COO Julie Greenwald and Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman accepted the award for Label of the Year, sharing the honor with their superiors, dedicated staff and artists. The company had the biggest album of 2017 with Ed Sheeran's ÷, which sold the equivalent of 2.8 million albums. They had the first Hot 100 No. 1 single in 19 years from a female rapper, Cardi B with "Bodak Yellow." They also scored five of the most streamed songs of last year.

<iframe src="https://tools.applemusic.com/embed/v1/song/1248378144?country=us&itscg=30200&itsct=afftoolset_1" height="110px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Live Nation Entertainment CEO/Director Michael Rapino topped the Power 100 list this year. Since joining Live Nation in 2005, he quadrupled the company's enterprise value. It is now up to $9 billion, and Billboard estimates that the company accounted for 64 percent of the tickets sold in North America in 2017.

"I think it's a great time in the business," Rapino told the crowd upon accepting the Executive of the Year award. "Sometimes we have a live versus recorded debate and we love both sides of the business, but it's great to see the live side doing well, helping sell some concert tickets and some music. It's equally great to see subscription and record labels booming and growing back. Both sides are incredible. There are 41 new entries on the [Power 100] list, so hopefully we get a whole new generation of young, diverse individuals, both on live and recorded, continuing to make this the best place to work."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Power100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Power100</a>&#39;s new No. 1: Live Nation Entertainment&#39;s Michael Rapino (<a href="https://twitter.com/rapino99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapino99</a>) <a href="https://t.co/Agant6R27o">https://t.co/Agant6R27o</a> <a href="https://t.co/J0bzJX2u4B">pic.twitter.com/J0bzJX2u4B</a></p>&mdash; billboard (@billboard) <a href="https://twitter.com/billboard/status/956710232889155584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After the ceremony, John Amato, president of the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group expressed his pleasure at seeing the GRAMMYs returning to New York City this year for the milestone 60th GRAMMY Awards for the first time in 15 years and commended Portnow as a "true visionary."

"I really love working with him on this event as well as our GRAMMY contenders issue," Amato said. "I'm so excited for the show."

For Portnow, who was born and raised in New York, and who started his career here, the GRAMMYs return to New York is special and exciting.  

"Everybody's pumped," declared Portnow. "I think the excitement is palpable. There are a lot of statistical reasons why we should be here. Half our members are east of the Mississippi. Half of the business is here. New York being the home of so many iconic and important music styles. The venues and the clubs and the history."

He views this trip back to New York as a chance to experiment and try new things never done before. He noted that while some may be rousing successes and some may not, it will be an exciting learning and growing experience for the GRAMMY Awards.

Getting The Latest Music News Just Got Easier. Introducing: GRAMMY Bot. Find it On KIK and Facebook Messenger

(Bryan Reesman is a New York-based freelance writer.)

Who better than Tom Hanks to say it best?

"Clive Davis has provided us with the soundtrack of our lives, our emotions and our inspirations," the legendary actor said of the night's premiement host; the legendary music executive, passionate advocate for the power of song and noted discoverer of artists. 

"Music is the food [of the soul], give us excess of it," said Hanks in his passionate opening soliloquy packed with approbation. "And tonight is a night of excess."

It's the stuff of legend, a topic of lore and an evening that regularly rockets itself in the pages of music history. For nearly 50 years, the annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala, presented by the Recording Academy and Clive Davis, has been a star-making opportunity for the music industry to celebrate their past monumental year, highlighting both veteran acts and tomorrow's superstars. For the 2024 Pre-GRAMMY Gala — sponsored by Hilton, IBM and Mastercard and held on a rainy night at its regular home at the equally iconic Beverly Hilton Hotel the night before the 2024 GRAMMYs, its usual slot on the calendar — the grand master of music's party continued to provide a beacon of light for jaw-dropping performances and starry shoulder-rubbing. 

But before the party is the cocktail hour; a curious affair where music past and present collides. In one corner finds Producer Of The Year nominee Dan Nigro, the pop whisperer behind acclaimed acts ranging from Chappell Roan, Conan Gray and the multiple-Grammy nominated Olivia Rodrigo. A couple people away was Frankie Valli, last year's Pre-GRAMMY Gala opener who is currently in the midst of what he bills as a farewell tour. Looking around the room, the star power is abundant: Dianne Warren, the aforementioned Hanks with wife Rita Wilson, MusiCares' 2024 Person Of The Year Jon Bon Jovi, longtime Gala guest Nancy Pelosi alongside husband Paul. 

Just beyond the cocktail hour lies the red carpet, which boasts a head-snapping array of personalities. Megan Thee Stallion strutted in flaunting a gold-colored dress, while last year's Best New Artist winner Samara Joy sauntered in an equally dazzling gown. The list of guests includes an eclectic array of who's who in music: pop star Ellie Goulding, the dance-pop-country artist and producer Diplo, country-pop icon Shania Twain, recent Black Music Collective honorees Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz, the producer David Foster with wife Katherine McPhee, eventual three-time GRAMMY winners Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers (the trio otherwise known as Boygenius), and the following night's GRAMMY opener Dua Lipa, among countless others.

As the esteemed guests (which also included Kenneth "Babyface" Edmunds,  Janelle Monáe, Troye Sivan, Motown founder Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, the members of Earth, Wind and Fire and Charli XCX) settled into their seats in a ballroom with a stage outfitted with the bash's signature twinkle lights sparkling on the stage, a countdown on the monitors appeared. 3, 2, 1…

"We're going to play a game of word association," said Hanks, who was bestowed the honor of introducing Davis and to mark the occasion, he managed to recite a massive list of artists Davis had a hand or hands in making superstars, from Janis Joplin to Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, right up to Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. "The only reason why Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky weren't mentioned is because they all died before Clive Davis had a chance to introduce them," he joked.

"I've gotta tell you, the emotions run high," said Davis. "I look out among you and I see so many familiar faces. The whole thing began as long ago as 1976 and I really have to pinch myself that it's going so, so strong. I'm happy to say that music is alive and well."

Tennis great Serena Williams introduced the night's opening act, Green Day. "In 2022, Clive Davis and I were honored together when we were inducted into the National Portrait Gallery," she recalled. "I said to him, 'You've got to remember to invite me to your gala. I'm so thrilled to be back here to introduce my favorite band. To know me is to know my love for them."

The punk gods are currently making a comeback with their 14th studio album, Saviors, and celebrating the 30th anniversary of their breakout album Dookie and 20th anniversary of their massively successful LP American Idiot. The group honored both anniversaries with a song from each, "American Idiot" and "Basket Case."

In years past, the night's performers ranged a wide gamut; but to prove Davis's point and regenerative effects of the industry, this year a large portion of the roster of surprise performers were plucked from the 2024's crop of Best New Artist nominees. There was the singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who busted out a rousing rendition of his own breakout "Stick Season," while Ice Spice hit the stage to deliver her 2023 solo hit, "Deli." 

Rising country star Jelly Roll was also bequeathed a coveted slot, proclaiming his excitement by saying he had "only read about the party in books and magazines." With that, he delivered rousing versions of his candid single "Need a Favor" backed by a choir, as well as his equally affecting "Save Me," on which he brought out duet partner and eventual GRAMMY winner Lainey Wilson.

In fact, it was Wilson who provided one of the most surprising moments of the night when she appeared to perform a special version of Barbie's "I'm Just Ken" accompanied by songwriter Andrew Watt on piano and Mark Ronson on guitar. Of course, Davis was the architect of the moment, an idea he said came to him last week; Ronson suggested Wilson after the song's original performer, the actor Ryan Gosling, was unavailable. 

"To look astound and to see some of the greatest musicians and record-makers, it's really an honor to be here," Ronson said. "This is a song we wrote for the movie Barbie about the beauty of being the runner-up sometimes, which is a lesson I know very well," he said to laughter. "It's pretty cool to be second sometimes."

Fresh off his starring role on Broadway's Sweeney Todd, Josh Groban delivered a subtle tribute to the legend behind the Broadway musical by performing "Children Will Listen," before paying tribute to Davis himself with a gospel-tinged performance of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," which Davis had a hand in releasing. Joining him was another Best New Artist nominee, The War and Treaty frontman Michael Trotter Jr., and the pair's joint vocal power brought the audience to its feet. 

Musical whiplash ensued with additional performances courtesy Maluma and Isley Brothers, the latter of which performed their instantly-recognizable "Shout" as a tribute to Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Publishing Jon Platt, the evening's Icon honoree. An award which in years past has gone to heavyweights including David Geffen, Mo Ostin, Ahmet Ertgun and Jerry Moss to name a few, Platt was touched by the honor and delivered a 40-minute speech chock full of stories and reflections. Not even a beeping fire alarm, which at one point blared and flashed through his speech, tripped up Platt.

"It's funny because Harvey called me and I thought he needed help with something," said Platt, recalling the moment the Recording Academy's CEO Harvey Mason jr. informed him of the honor. "But he said I was selected as this year's industry icon and I was like, 'Wow, man.'" 

Noting he needed convincing to accept the honor ("I'm [just] seeing so many other people doing great things," he relented), Platt's contributions to music, from his work with everyone from Isley Brothers to Beyonce to Jay-Z, and even Oliva Rodrigo, makes him both a genre and decade-spanning force. 

"You'll see a consistent thing with me is that I'm a music nerd-fanboy," Platt said, noting how a kind word from the composer Gerald Busby made this evening a full circle moment for him. "[One day in 1998] I saw him and we were making small talk and he said, 'Someone was asking me who I see in the industry today that can achieve the things that I can achieve. I told them that Big Jon's gonna run the whole thing one day.' For someone to share the belief they have in you is incredibly powerful. From that day, I changed the course of my focus. Everything had a purpose after that."

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Another one of the artists Platt fostered performed in his honor as well: Public Enemy. "We're here for you and here for all of our heroes and hero-ettes," Chuck D declared before the group dove into an energetic medley of "Can't Truss It," "Bring the Noise" and "Fight the Power." 

It wouldn't be a Clive Davis bash without one final surprise. As 1 a.m. neared, Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick hit the stage, with the former belting out a passionate version of "(The Way We Were) Memories" and the duo joining together for Warwick's endearing staple, "That's What Friends are For" alongside Andra Day. 

But from the electrified crowd, guest Stevie Wonder just couldn't help himself, getting up on stage to assist on harmonica. "This has been such a wonderful blessing to meet all of these people in my life; to meet Dionne, to meet Gladys," Wonder said, cueing up an unrehearsed and on-the-fly version of "What the World Needs Now Is Love" with the entire group. 

"I know this is what we need in the world," he continued. "There are many people that for so many years have been dividing people, not understanding the purpose that God has given us to come together."

It was a moving way to wrap up the night — and a fitting one at that, bringing together stars young and old to offer an inspiring message, and remind just how powerful music can be.

10 Must-See Moments From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Taylor Swift Makes History, Billy Joel & Tracy Chapman Return, Boygenius Manifest Childhood Dreams

Cathryn Flores co-authored this article.

Since 2006, GRAMMY U has been dedicated to nurturing the next generation of music professionals by connecting aspiring members with the industry's brightest and most talented minds. With its recent membership expansion, GRAMMY U continues to grow and establish a diverse community of students and young professionals.

GRAMMY U members have the unique opportunity to collaborate with GRAMMY nominees and professionals across various sectors of the music industry, including affiliates of the Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing and Songwriters & Composers Wing. Annual programming includes the Mentorship Program, GRAMMY U Fall Summit, activations at GRAMMY Week, and the GRAMMY U Conference as well as dozens of local programs nationwide. 

During their time at GRAMMY U, members get the chance to connect with their peers and receive hands-on experience. A significant number of program alumni continue their journey in the music industry as voting members of the Recording Academy, featured panelists at future GRAMMY U events, and mentors.

Many alumni go on to become GRAMMY nominees and winners themselves — and the 2024 GRAMMYs highlight their successes. At Music's Biggest Night, former GRAMMY U Members Sarah Tudzin, who engineered for boygenius, and Pentatonix co-founder Scott Hoying are nominated at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. 

From songwriters to producers, read on to learn about the five current and former GRAMMY U members who are nominated for the 66th GRAMMY Awards.

Scott Hoying

Nominated work: Pentatonix - Holidays Around The World (Best Traditional Pop Album)

Pentatonix co-founder Scott Hoying is in the running for Best Pop Traditional Vocal Album for Holidays Around The World. Hoying previously took home a golden gramophone with his hit a capella group at the 2017 GRAMMYs for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Dolly Parton for "Jolene."

"Being able to collaborate with so many incredible artists around the world was a fascinating process and was so fulfilling. This was truly an experience where we got to feel the universal language of music first-hand," Hoying says. "It is one of our favorite albums, and to see it recognized and honored in such an iconic way from our peers in the music industry is a dream."

Hoying joined GRAMMY U while he was a music major at the University of Southern California.  

"The second I was eligible to be a GRAMMY U member, I signed up immediately. I remember feeling so excited to be a part of the GRAMMY foundation," Hoying recalls. "Signing up for GRAMMY U felt like the first step towards manifesting that vision board.

"Fast-forward 10 years, three GRAMMYs and five nominations [later], it feels surreal. I just feel like the luckiest person in the world and we are so honored," he says. 

Sarah Tudzin

Nominated work: boygenius - the record (Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical)

Sarah Tudzin joined GRAMMY U in college to learn more about the GRAMMY process at a professional level. Since, her band illuminati hotties has opened for acts such as Death Cab For Cutie and Carly Rae Jepsen. This year, she secured her GRAMMY-nominated status as a producer and engineer for her work on boygenius' hit debut album the record, which is nominated for Album Of The Year and Best Alternative Music Album.

Tudzin didn’t know what to expect when boygenius called her into the studio session, but found comfort in the fact that its members are both her friends and her heroes. The musician sees her nomination as a measure of huge accomplishment, but also says that this is only the beginning of it all. 

"To be a witness to boygenius' meteoric rise is such an honor and I feel deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them and with number one production wizard, Catherine Marks," Tudzin says. "I spent so many years cutting my teeth as an assistant and engineer and I'm so proud to have a credit of this caliber."

Elyse Victoria Johnson

Nominated work: Stanley Brown feat. Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard - "God Is Good" (Best Gospel Performance/Song)

Current GRAMMY U member and first-time GRAMMY nominee Elyse Victoria Johnson is nominated in the category of Best Gospel Performance/Song for her songwriting contributions to Stanley Brown’s "God Is Good." Elyse’s background as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist led her to pursue a music industry major at the State University of New York College at Oneonta, where she also served as a GRAMMY U Ambassador. 

"It was a great experience serving as an advocate for the GRAMMY U program to increase student membership on my college campus," the 22 year old says. "Now, in 2023. I am a GRAMMY-nominated songwriter. Every experience has played a part in where I am today." 

"God is Good" is an uplifting anthem that radiates a message of positivity in difficult times.

"‘God Is Good’ comes from the popular call & response saying, ‘God is good all the time & all the time, God is good.’ It’s such a fun, inspirational, uplifting bop!" she shares. "This reflects my progression as a songwriter/artist because it gave me the opportunity to grow as a creative… I am constantly learning and growing, and there’s never a time where I am not a student!"

Whitney Wolanin

Nominated work: Tyler Childers - "In Your Love" (Best Music Video)

As a GRAMMY U member at Vanderbilt University, Whitney Wolanin had no idea she would be working in film after college. A musician herself, Wolanin transitioned to producing and directing everything from commercials to music videos. Wolanin expressed her gratitude for getting to tell stories in different audio and visual mediums.

Wolanin worked as the line producer and a general producer on Tyler Childers' video for "In Your Love," which is nominated for Best Music Video. The song itself is also nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.

Wolanin believes that finding a strong team is crucial to keep everything running smoothly. 

"Producing ‘In Your Love’ felt really important, both in terms of story and its broader implications to society," Wolanin says. "This specific love story is just so beautiful and needs to be told in country music. It felt special from the get-go and I hope it makes everyone cry, just like it does for me each time I watch it."

Manu Beker

Nominated work: AleMor - Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1 (Best Latin Pop Album)

Manu Beker’s musical journey has gone full circle with the Recording Academy. In 2022, he won GRAMMY U's Masterclass Contest with his song "Cliché" and met his future collaborator, AleMor, on that same day. 

Beker contributed to AleMor’s Beautiful Humans Vol. 1., which is nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. Beker hopes his work shows that Latin music can take form in any sub-genre and should not be constrained to a singular style.

"A lot of people pigeonhole music in Spanish and think it has to sound like a cliché… that it has to sound folky or like salsa/cumbia," Beker says. "But I'm hoping more people will listen to albums like [Beautiful Humans Vol. 1] and realize that Latin music is as varied and diverse as any other genre."

Beker recognizes the importance of constantly adapting within the industry and creating impactful connections with the artists he works with. He described the entire GRAMMY U experience with AleMor as surreal and hopes to continue making contributions within the Latin music community.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

The GRAMMY Museum has announced a new program designed to offer highschool students an opportunity to showcase their musical talents on stage at the GRAMMY Museum. The Student Showcase program will feature high school musical acts from Los Angeles and elsewhere in Southern California, performing in a variety of genres. 

Kicking off the Museum’s GRAMMY Week 2024 programming, these solo performers, bands and groups will perform at the Student Showcase Finale on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. PT. The event will be held in the Museum's Clive Davis Theater. 

Student Showcase artists and bands include Zharia Amel, Kieler Avery, Maya Delgado, DIONE, HEDY, Honeybee, Iris Le, Kayla Pincus, SPARK, Sam Sweeney, Matias Villasana, and What Can I Say? This inaugural program has been made possible due to the generous support of The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation. 

Ahead of the actual showcase, students will participate in panel discussions focusing on careers in music, content creation, and stage presence, as well as receive real time feedback from industry professionals during rehearsals. Guest panelists include A.D. Johnson (Founder, Chosen Musicians), Amanda Verdadero (Production Manager, Kia Forum), Candace Newman (CEO & founder, Live Out L!ve), Cisco Adler (musician and record producer), Grecco Buratto (musician and composer), Nirupam “Niru” Pratapgiri (Artist Manager, Red Light Management), Omar Akram (composer and pianist), and Taji Hardwick (Talent Buyer, Goldenvoice).

Participants will also work with the Museum’s production team to understand what it takes to produce a live event — from staging and lighting direction, to managing the soundboard and video production. 

The Student Showcase Finale will be free, open to the public, and live streamed so the performers can reach a wider audience. In addition, participants will receive their performance footage for their social media channels and get tips on content creation and branding.

The GRAMMY Museum, currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and exploring music from yesterday and today to inspire the music of tomorrow through exhibits, education, grants, preservation initiatives, and public programming. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum values and celebrates the dynamic connection in people’s diverse backgrounds and music’s many genres, telling stories that inspire us, and creative expression that leads change in our industry.

Kenneth T. Norris and Eileen L. Norris believed they had an obligation to give back to the community and in 1963 The Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation was created with $9,140. They initially focused their grantmaking on two key areas: medicine and private education in Southern California. It was their belief that concentrating the Foundation’s resources would allow its gifts to have the greatest impact. They instilled in their son, Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. the same dedication to philanthropy, and he took over as chairman of the Foundation in 1972, after his father’s death. Throughout the years the Norris Foundation continued to allocate large portions of its resources to medicine and education but also encompassed a broader range of organizations – one that also includes community and youth programs, science and the arts.

In each program area the Norris Foundation has shaped the results, producing a pattern of giving designed to encourage, extend, reconfigure, or transform projects originating from a diverse assortment of nonprofit recipients. Harlyne J. Norris took over as chairman of the Foundation in 1997, after the death of her husband Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. In 2003, Harlyne passed the reins to her daughter Lisa D. Hansen who served as chair of the Board until her passing. In 2023, the Norris Foundation celebrated its 60th Anniversary and Walter J. Zanino was elected chairman of the Board. Since 1963, we have created partnerships with many different organizations that we still collaborate with today. We count our longstanding relationships as one of our most valued assets. We are very proud of our history and look forward to the future with optimism.

GRAMMY Museum Foundation Receives $2 Million Donation From The Ray Charles Foundation

As any fan can attest, dance music is a broad church spanning myriad micro-genres, fan communities and city-specific scenes. The genre’s reach was as wide as ever in 2023, stretching from the biggest festival stages to the most intimate clubs, with variations in moods and beats-per-minute to suit all tastes. 

Nostalgia for rave’s ‘90s heyday was everywhere, fueling big-name releases and underground club sets alike. [Surprise supergroups](https://www.grammy.com/news/coachella-2023-weekend-2-recap-skrillex-four-tet-fred-again-gorillaz-bad-bunny-eric-pyrdz-performances-surprises-video) and [long-time collaborators](https://www.grammy.com/news/skrillex-fred-again-friendship-timeline-collaborations-videos) hit big in 2023, while albums from [James Blake](https://www.grammy.com/artists/james-blake/17760), [the Chemical Brothers](https://www.grammy.com/artists/chemical-brothers/7746), Disclosure and Everything But The Girl showed there’s still power in the electronic LP format. 

With festivals and DJ touring schedules back to a pre-COVID pace, dance music also enjoyed a busy year on the road. Across North America, [ILLENIUM](https://www.grammy.com/artists/Illenium/38165), G Jones, ZHU and ODESZA (not to mention Beyoncé’s house music-indebted Renaissance tour) sold out venues across the country. In a genre that can feel impossible to get your arms around, these five trends were undeniable in 2023. 

Everything Old Was New Again

Wherever you looked this year, DJ-producers were reaching back to the racing sounds of trance, rave and Eurodance that dominated dancefloors in the ‘90s and early 2000s. David Guetta and Calvin Harris spent 2023 memorably mining this past — the latter’s "Desire," featuring Sam Smith, could be ripped straight from a decades-old pop-trance compilation. 

Meanwhile, South Korean DJ-producer Peggy Gou released "(It Goes Like) Nanana," a dance-pop earworm with shades of ATB’s late ‘90s hit, "9PM (Till I Come)." Already a hugely popular draw as a DJ, Gou’s time-warping groover became her first Billboard chart entry and ignited buzz for her debut artist album, expected in 2024. 

On the less commercial spectrum, European producers like DJ Heartstring, Narciss and Marlon Hoffstadt continued to contextualize vintage sounds for a new audience. Meanwhile, a cluster of Dutch DJs, most notably Job Jobse, Young Marco and KI/KI, played throwback anthem-fuelled sets on festival stages usually reserved for steely techno, including at Dekmantel and Time Warp. 

For some DJs, looking back to the past meant embracing the fast and furious tempos of hardstyle and hard dance, two subgenres with passionate niche followings but little mainstream crossover. Continuing a trend from 2022, speedier BPMs were very much in vogue, as DJs kept pace with fans demanding a harder, faster workout. 

Women Danced To The Front 

Many of the year’s most invigorating and genre-blurring releases were made by women. Having built a steady career as a producer and singer, Kenya Grace broke out in 2023 with "Strangers," which caught fire on TikTok and converted new fans via a sleek mix of pop, drum & bass and Grace’s hushed vocals. Peggy Gou’s aforementioned "(It Goes Like) Nanana," also captured the TikTok zeitgeist with a widely-viewed video of Gou teasing the single for a dancefloor in Morocco. 

Electronic chameleon [Charli XCX](https://www.grammy.com/artists/charli-xcx/18360) stayed squarely in the limelight, following 2022’s stellar *Crash* with the one-two punch of "In The City" featuring Sam Smith and "Speed Drive"(from *Barbie the Album*, which is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media alongside *AURORA*, *Weird: The Al Yankovic Story*, *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever- Music From And Inspired By*, and *Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix*). Meanwhile, two of the year’s standout albums came from women coloring outside the lines of their best-known projects: the xx vocalist Romy’s *Mid Air* embraced her queerness through euphoric dance-pop, while Aluna (of electronic duo AlunaGeorge) blossomed as a solo artist and activist on her second album, *MYCELiUM*. 

While dance music’s ranks remained largely white and male in 2023, undeniable albums from the likes of Jayda G, PinkPanthress and Róisín Murphy were a welcome counterbalance. 

UK Bass Got Bombastic

Following the runaway success of Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal’s 2022 UK garage-tinged house anthem "B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)" the previous year, British bass music continued to shine in 2023. 

While still relatively niche in the U.S., the UK garage (UKG) and bassline subgenres that thrived in the Y2K era found a new generation of British converts, thanks to releases like Interplanetary Criminal’s *All Thru The Night* and Conducta’s *In Transit* EP. Elsewhere, acclaimed British singer/songwriter Jorja Smith tapped her UKG roots on the irresistible single "Little Things." 

Welsh duo Overmono weaved garage textures into their accomplished debut album, *Good Lies*, and rounded out the year with a powerful Boiler Room live set from Manchester’s Warehouse Project. The set and album cemented their bona fides as the UK’s next dance festival headliner. 

The many mutations of UK bass music shone bright all year in DJ sets from the likes of Anz, Nia Archives, Jyoty and Joy Anonymous. (The latter’s near-three-hour set with Austrian producer salute and New Jersey-born garage godfather Todd Edwards at Amsterdam Dance Event captured the jubilant mix of house and UKG that was dominant this year.) 

Bringing it full circle, Eliza Rose parlayed the success of "B.O.T.A." into a collaboration with Calvin Harris on this year’s housey "Body Moving," which started with the pair exchanging Instagram DMs. 

Technology Upped The Ante

In a year where artificial intelligence and rapid technological advancement were burning topics, a wave of dance music artists found new ways to embrace the future. 

The possibilities of technology to enhance live performance were on full display in two raved-about Coachella sets. Swedish veteran [Eric Prydz](https://www.grammy.com/artists/eric-prydz/5679) brought his HOLO show to the California festival, deploying cutting-edge tech to create giant holographic images that extend over the crowd. Meanwhile, inside the festival's Sahara Tent, melodic techno duo Tale Of Us completed their transition to EDM crowd-pleasers with a full-scale audiovisual spectacle that explored themes of robot-human connection. (One half of the duo, Matteo Milleri, is also all-in on NFTs.) 

Meanwhile, techno favorite Nicole Moudaber debuted an AV show in which her own movements control a towering digital avatar. The year also saw big-name DJs embracing the metaverse — from Carl Cox playing a set in the Sensorium Galaxy to Swedish House Mafia joining the Roblox platform — in a trend that’s sure to carry into 2024. 

Techno & Techno-House Go Center Stage

Continuing a trend from 2022, big room techno and tech-house muscled onto U.S. festival stages usually reserved for EDM anthems. In particular, tech-house — which in 2023 sounds a world away from the raw UK club records that birthed the subgenre — cemented its place in the mainstream with Fisher and Chris Lake’s back-to-back set at Coachella’s Outdoor Theatre. (Later in the year, the pair shut down Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles for an epic street party.) 

Both coming off a star-making 2022, tech-house mischief-makers John Summit and Dom Dolla leveled up with bigger shows and feverish fan followings. Meanwhile, Belgian sensation Charlotte de Witte became the techno artist booked on the Ultra Miami main stage, scheduled incongruously alongside the likes of Zedd and Afrojack, while in Europe, techno specialists Amelie Lens and Nina Kraviz were given the same honor (and challenge) for a sprawling crowd at Tomorrowland. 

Whether mining the past or accelerating into the future, the dance/electronic genre never stood still this year, setting the stage for a thrilling 2024.  

[2023 In Review: 5 Trends That Defined Pop Music](https://www.grammy.com/news/pop-music-trends-2023-year-in-review-taylor-swift-sza)