Music

Night two of the 57th NAACP Image Awards virtual show aired Tuesday night, revealing a group of winners that included Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, Tyla and Monaleo.

Cardi B was victorious in three categories: outstanding female artist, outstanding hip-hop/rap song for “ErrTime” and outstanding album for her sophomore release, Am I the Drama?

Kendrick, whose Super Bowl halftime show took home an award Monday night, picked up two more awards: outstanding music video/visual album for the SZA-assisted “luther” and outstanding male artist.

Tyla’s “Is It” won the award for outstanding international song, while Chris Brown took home outstanding duo, group or collaboration (contemporary) for “It Depends” featuring Bryson Tiller and Usher. Monaleo was this year’s winner of the outstanding new artist category.

Winning in the gospel categories were Kirk Franklin, whose song “Do It Again” was named outstanding gospel/Christian song of the year, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, who secured the award for outstanding gospel/Christian album for Tasha.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners also earned some NAACP Image Awards, winning outstanding soundtrack/compilation album and outstanding original score for TV/film.

The full list of winners can be found on the award’s show website. The third and final night of the virtual iteration of the show takes place Wednesday night, with the actual award show airing live Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on BET and CBS.

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Wage War has announced a new EP called It Calls Me By Name.

The five-track set is due out April 17. The first single is called “SONG OF THE SWAMP,” which Wage War describes as a “tone setter” for the EP.

“‘SONG OF THE SWAMP’ is rooted in where we’re from,” the band says. “Driven by Florida and the raw aggression of nature, it’s a heavy track built on tension and hostility.”

You can watch the “SONG OF THE SWAMP” video on YouTube.

It Calls Me By Name follows Wage War’s 2024 album, STIGMA, which spawned the #1 Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay hit “MAGNETIC.”

Wage War has also announced a U.S. tour stretching from April 28 in Phoenix to May 31 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The bill includes Nevertel and Orthodox.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit WageWarBand.com.

Here’s the It Calls Me By Name track list:
“SONG OF THE SWAMP”
“4×4”
“BLINDFOLD”
“KARMA”
“PURIFY”

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The lineup for the 2026 CMA Fest concerts at Nissan Stadium is out now, with the annual celebration set to take place June 4-7 across downtown Nashville.

Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore, Zach Top, The Band Perry and Stephen Wilson Jr. are all set to play the main stage this year. 

Four-night stadium passes are on sale now, with part of the proceeds going to fund the CMA Foundation’s work to enhance music education across the U.S.

Once again, the festivities will be captured for a national TV special that will air on ABC and Hulu sometime this summer.

Look for details on the remaining CMA Fest activities to be revealed in the weeks to come, specifically the lineups for the multiple stages that will once again take over downtown Nashville.

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The Claypool Lennon Delirium, the collaboration between Primus frontman Les Claypool and Sean Ono Lennon, has announced a new album called The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy.

The record is due out May 1. You can listen to the single “The Golden Egg of Empathy,” which features WILLOW, out now.

“The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy is a cautionary tale of what could be in store for humanity if we continue to favor machines over men,” Lennon says in a statement. “It is a tale of a technocracy eclipsed by paperclips; a young man destined to unravel the fabric of his father’s folly, and a sacred feathered Goddess (played by WILLOW), who holds the egg-shaped key to their future.”

WILLOW, who’s also known as the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, previously covered Lennon’s song “Parachute” and collaborated with him on a track called “Bird Song.” Perhaps she and Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, bonded over having incredibly famous parents.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium will launch a tour with Primus and fellow Claypool band the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade in May.

The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy also includes the previously released song “WAP (What a Predicament).” Here’s the full track list:
“Pro-Log”
“WAP (What a Predicament)”
“The Wake Up Call”
“Meat Machines”
“Troll Bait”
“Simplest of Deeds”
“Heart of Chrome”
“Through the Horizon”
“Mantra of the Manatee”
“The Golden Egg of Empathy” feat. WILLOW
“Cliptopia”
“Cliptron Scuttle”
“Melody of Entropy”
“It’s a Wrap”

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Ava Max is killing it in her new era.

The “Kings & Queens” singer has just released a new single called “KiLL it QUEEN.” In a statement, she says, “I’m telling my story my way. I’m doing things differently and it feels good. I feel empowered, reinvigorated, and I think you can hear it in this single. ‘KiLL it QUEEN’ is for anyone who wants to feel unstoppable.”

On Instagram, she adds, “Can’t wait for you to hear this new sound & for us to step into this new world together ily x.”

This is Ava’s first release since her 2025 album, Don’t Click Play, after which she parted ways with her record label.

According to a press release, the song is “only the beginning.” It continues, “2026 is going to be loud.”

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Katy Perry and former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau have been dating since last year, and she’s not only met at least one of his children, she’s also given the kid some career advice.

In a chat with TikTok food content creator Guy Hobeika, Xavier Trudeau — the eldest of Trudeau’s three children with ex-wife Sophie Grégoire — was asked about the “little elephant in the room.” 

“Have you met Katy Perry?” G Hobs asked, to which Xavier responded, “Yeah, I have. She’s cool. She’s nice.”

G Hobs then asked Xavier, who released two singles last year under the name Xav, if Katy had offered him any advice.

“Yeah, we’ve sat, like, we’ve talked for, like, hours, just … talking about my music,” Xavier confirmed. “Advice, and these next steps for me and stuff.”

G Hobs also inquired about whether Xavier had talked to Katy about going to the moon on a spaceship — a reference to Katy’s brief flight into suborbital space on the Blue Origin New Shepherd rocket last year.  Xavier said they didn’t discuss that.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Katy Perry and former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau have been dating since last year, and she’s not only met at least one of his children, she’s also given the kid some career advice.

In a chat with TikTok food content creator Guy Hobeika, Xavier Trudeau — the eldest of Trudeau’s three children with ex-wife Sophie Grégoire — was asked about the “little elephant in the room.” 

“Have you met Katy Perry?” G Hobs asked, to which Xavier responded, “Yeah, I have. She’s cool. She’s nice.”

G Hobs then asked Xavier, who released two singles last year under the name Xav, if Katy had offered him any advice.

“Yeah, we’ve sat, like, we’ve talked for, like, hours, just … talking about my music,” Xavier confirmed. “Advice, and these next steps for me and stuff.”

G Hobs also inquired about whether Xavier had talked to Katy about going to the moon on a spaceship — a reference to Katy’s brief flight into suborbital space on the Blue Origin New Shepherd rocket last year.  Xavier said they didn’t discuss that.

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Back in 2023, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich attended the first night of U2’s residency at the newly opened high-tech Sphere venue in Las Vegas. Since then, the metal legends have fielded questions about whether they’ll ever play the Sphere. Now, we finally have a definitive answer.

The “Enter Sandman” metallers will play eight shows at the Sphere in the fall, dubbed Life Burns Faster. The run is separated into four two-show stands taking place every Thursday and Saturday in October: Oct. 1 and 3, 15 and 17, 22 and 24, and 29 and 31.

Every Thursday performance will have a completely different and unique set list from its corresponding Saturday show, following in the tradition of Metallica’s No Repeat Weekend format on their M72 world tour.

The shows will utilize Sphere’s Immersive Sound audio technology, which “delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest,” a press release says. Attendees will also experience “multi-sensory 4D technology” and “the world’s highest resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience.”

“About 12 seconds into the opening night of Sphere with U2 back in ’23, I thought ‘We have to do this, it’s completely uncharted territory!'” Ulrich says in a statement. “This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting.”

He adds, “We are beyond excited to share this with the world in six months time, and way f*****’ psyched to go next level!”

Presales begin first for members of Metallica’s Fifth Member fan club on March 2. Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 6 at 10 a.m. PT.

For all Metallica Sphere info, visit Metallica.com.

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