Music

KISS’ Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are among the artists chosen for induction into the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The pair will be inducted into the 2026 class in the performers category, along with Kenny Loggins, Alanis Morissette and Taylor Swift.

Non-performing songwriters set for induction this year include Walter Afanasieff, who wrote Mariah Carey tunes like “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Hero;” Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, who penned Tina Turner’s ”What’s Love Got To Do With It” and “We Don’t Need Another Hero;” and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, songwriter on Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyoncé‘s “Single Ladies.”

“The music industry is built upon the incredible talent of songwriters who create unforgettable songs. Without their artistry, there would be no recorded music, concert experiences, or engaged fans. Everything originates from the song and its creator,” SHOF chairman Nile Rodgers said in a statement. “We take great pride in our ongoing commitment to recognizing some of the most culturally significant composers in history.”

He added, “This year’s lineup not only showcases iconic songs but also celebrates unity across various genres. These songwriters have profoundly impacted the lives of billions of listeners worldwide, and it is our privilege to honor their contributions.”

Artists who were nominated, but not chosen this year, include Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, The Guess Who’s Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, The Go-Go’s Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine and Jane M. Wiedlin, America’s Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, Sarah McLachlan, Pink, LL Cool J, The Carpenters’ Richard Carpenter, Harry Wayne Casey aka KC of KC and the Sunshine Band, and Boz Scaggs.

The 2026 class will be celebrated at the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala, taking place June 11 in New York City.

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Sombr, The Marías and Lola Young will be performing at the 2026 Grammys.

All three are nominated for best new artist and will take the stage as part of a segment spotlighting the category. Fellow best new artist nominees Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas and Olivia Dean will perform as well.

The 2026 Grammys will air live Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

The Grammys will air on ABC in 2027. 

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Before embarking on his music career, Riley Green played football for Jacksonville State University while he was in college in his Alabama hometown. 

It’s something he believes helped prepare him for the success he’s enjoying today. 

“Being a quarterback, you’ve gotta have a certain level of confidence to go out there and lead the pack, I guess,” Riley says. “And if you’re gonna get up onstage in front of people and sing about stuff you made up, you’ve gotta have some level of confidence then, too. You know what I mean?”

“It’s one thing if you’re just an amazing singer and you’re singing a song you know everybody is gonna sing along to,” he continues. “But I had to go out there and win ‘em over with songs that I made up, and that’s a pretty scary thing for anybody, I’m sure.”

“So, you know, definitely the confidence that playing team sports gives you, it definitely helped me out and helped me get to where I am now,” he says. 

Riley’s just released his new radio single, “Change My Mind,” ahead of the start of his Cowboy as It Gets Tour April 16 in Southaven, Mississippi. 

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Along with Halestorm‘s many classic rock inspirations, frontwoman Lzzy Hale is very much influenced by the ’90s alternative scene. Hale appeared in a video tribute to Soundgarden during the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and the Halestorm track “Broken Doll,” off their latest album, Everest, might bring to mind the Hole song “Doll Parts.”

“No matter what time you come into the ’90s era, there’s no way that it can’t influence you,” Hale tells ABC Audio. “There was such a pureness about it and such a dangerous aspect to it.”

With “Broken Doll,” Hale definitely felt herself channeling Courtney Love.

“I got to wear a little bit of some Courtney Love shoes with that,” she laughs.

Beyond throwing it back to the ’90s, Hale says that “Broken Doll” is partly about getting older.

“I’m not 21 anymore, where everything was just new, and we were just breaking through wall after wall,” the 42-year-old says. “So now we’re able to kind of exist and be like, OK, there’s still something here and there’s something that can’t necessarily be replaced with something shiny and new. We have to kind of own who we are and where we’re at in this life.” 

Everest is out now. It also includes the singles “Darkness Always Wins” and “Like a Woman Can.”

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When Taylor Swift sang “Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist” on The Tortured Poets Department, Charlie Puth took that to heart.

The singer tells Rolling Stone hearing Taylor name-drop him in that way lit a fire under him creatively.

“I don’t know if that was the moment where I realized that I needed to write a certain kind of music, but it was definitely affirming that one of the biggest stars in the world knows me,” he says. “It’s like, ‘I better write something good, ’cause maybe she, and some others, will hear it.’”

Charlie says part of becoming “a bigger artist” was deciding to “let people in a little bit more.” He adds that in the beginning of his career, “It was more about making sure that people were happy.”

He says the first song he wrote for his new album Whatever’s Clever! is called “I Used to Be Cringe,” which details the things he used to do when he was still figuring out what kind of artist he wanted to be. He says the whole song came to him during a 30-minute car ride.

“And it’s all just because Taylor had said something about me,” he said. “It gave me enough excitement to write another song in my head. And now we’re ending the album with that.”

Whatever’s Clever! comes out March 27.

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Meghan Trainor is a mom of three.

The “Still Don’t Care” singer, 33, announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she welcomed a baby girl with husband Daryl Sabara via surrogate on Jan. 18, 2026.

“Our baby girl Mikey Moon Trainor has finally made it to the world thanks to our incredible, superwoman surrogate,” Trainor began in the caption of her post. “We are forever grateful to all the doctors, nurses, teams who made this dream possible.”

She continued, “We had endless conversations with our doctors in this journey and this was the safest way for us to be able to continue growing our family. We are over the moon in love with this precious girl.”

Trainor, who is already a mom to sons Riley, 4, and Barry, 2, added that her family is “over the moon in love with this precious girl.”

“Riley and Barry have been so excited, they even got to choose her middle name,” she said. “We are going to enjoy our family time now, love you all.”

Good Morning America has reached out to reps for Trainor for additional comment.

The singer has always wanted a big family. In 2021, after the birth of her first son, Riley, she told People that she’s “ready for three more kids!”

The news of Trainor’s growing family was met with cheer in the comments by famous celebs, including Khloe Kardashian, Zara Larsson, Jessie J and more.

“Congrats to your beautiful family,” Larsson wrote.

Jessie J added, “My [heart] is bursting for you all.”

Trainor will release her seventh studio album, Toy With Me, on April 24, 2026. It includes the single, “Still Don’t Care.”

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With a Grammy nomination in the best melodic rap performance category, Ty Dolla $ign has decided to celebrate. He’s partnered with his EZMNY Records label to host a party ahead of the annual awards show.

Ty Dolla $ign & Friends – The EZMNY Jamm Jam will take place on Jan. 28, featuring performances from Ty Dolla and other yet-to-be-announced special guests. There will be a livestream of the event on Prime Video from 9 p.m. PT to 11 p.m. PT, as well as Twitch and Amazon Music.

“We founded EZMNY with a simple goal in mind: bring back good music by discovering, developing, supporting and celebrating real artists,” Ty Dolla $ign tells Billboard.

“With 11 Grammy nominations this year across our whole label between Ty, Leon Thomas and Bizzy Crook, there’s no better way to celebrate than with good music from real artists,” adds Shawn Barron, co-founder and CEO of EZMNY Records. “Shout-out to Amazon Music and Jammcard for helping us bring this event to life.”

Leon is up for six Grammys, and Bizzy Crook received four nods for his work on Mutt.

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Sublime has announced their own concert cruise, Sublime Reef Madness.

The seafaring event will set sail Nov. 15 from Miami and will stop at Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, before returning on Nov. 19. It will feature two headlining performances from Sublime, including a performance of their 1996 self-titled album in full.

Presale signups are open now. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.

For more info, visit SublimeCruise.com.

As for Sublime’s upcoming plans on land, they’ll be playing a number of upcoming festivals, including their own Me Gusta festival in Fort Worth, Texas, in May. They’ve also been working on a new album, marking the first Sublime record in 30 years.

Sublime currently consists of original members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh alongside Jakob Nowell, son of late frontman Bradley Nowell.

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