AGP Executive Report

Rock & Politics: Phil Collins says Donald Trump’s “whole manner is unattractive,” adding he has an unwritten song about America, “Fat People With Guns,” ahead of his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame solo nod. Global Music Industry: Greece’s Music Export Office will coordinate the country’s delegation to WOMEX 2026 in Las Palmas, with showcases from Kadinelia and Alkyone. New Music Buzz: Victoria Monét’s “Frequency of Love” won Billboard’s favorite new music poll, with fans voting it ahead of releases from Noah Kahan, Miranda Lambert and Drake. Caribbean Legacy: Hundreds gathered in Queens to celebrate the life of calypso icon The Mighty Sparrow, with tributes spanning decades of influence. Live Music Disruption: Milwaukee fans say hundreds of kids were turned away from Freya Skye’s sold-out show after resale tickets wouldn’t scan. Latin Pop Milestone: Shakira’s Madrid concert set an Amazon Music livestream record, featuring a surprise Dua Lipa duet on “Antología.” AI & Work: A report highlights how AI trainers and creative workers are debating whether automation will replace jobs, including in music-related work. Artist Loss: Canadian rock singer Sass Jordan dies at 63, known for “Tell Somebody” and her Canadian Idol judging role.

Asian Games Closing Ceremony: Japan wrapped up the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games with a light-and-music spectacle, while China topped the medal table for a 12th straight time (169 gold). India finished fourth with 85 medals, led by trap shooter Neeru Dhanda as flagbearer. Music Loss: Canadian rock and Juno winner Sass Jordan (best known for “Make You a Believer”) has died at 65. Tributes in South Africa: Bernard “Babsy” Mlangeni, remembered for socially minded songwriting, died at 83 as tributes poured in. Global Pop & Touring: Diljit Dosanjh announced his Aura Tour India run with seven shows; Raye hit back at “one-hit wonder” claims with streaming milestones. Industry & Awards: Stray Kids joined BTS in boycotting Grammy submissions over the new Asian pop category. Community Music: Tulsa’s Rudisill Library reopened with an expanded African American Resource Center, including an audio lab and a Black music jukebox. Live Music Dates: The American String Quartet returns to Newburgh on Oct 18.

Talking Heads / Home Entertainment: Talking Heads’ Fear of Music gets a Super Deluxe Edition with a new remaster, rare material, and two full late-’70s concerts, plus Dolby Atmos and fresh live footage. Caribbean Music Loss: The Mighty Sparrow is remembered with street tributes in San Fernando, as fans celebrate his calypso legacy. Film + Classical Crossover: Pedro Pascal trained on cello for Behemoth!, where film-score music drives character memories. NRL Entertainment Shake-up: Peking Duk shut down rumours about NRL grand final pre-game plans after Tones and I pulled out of talks. New Releases: Nadine Lustre drops “10YRS,” reflecting on versions of herself across her 20s. Pop Culture + Music Events: Graceland announces a Holiday Lighting Weekend with live music and Elvis-themed experiences. Music Industry / Awards: Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music launches the $97,000 Blair Ovation Award to expand access for incoming students. AI Music: Suno’s Speech Beta pushes AI audio beyond songs into narrated soundtracks. Global Spotlight: Amazon Music says Latin America’s streaming boom is still early, with more Latin tracks poised to break globally.

New Music Release: Nadine Lustre drops “10YRS,” reflecting on the “versions” of herself through her 20s, co-created with Isagani Palabyab and Leanne Mamonong. Community & Care Through Sound: At Tanzania’s East African Public Health Palliative Care Congress, experts highlighted music as a non-medical tool to ease pain, stress, and emotional strain for seriously ill patients and families. Global Pop Culture: The Beatles’ Rubber Soul gets a major box set with unheard studio takes, alongside a track-by-track look at the album’s stories. Live Music & Venues: Leicester’s The Donkey reopens after a £418k revamp, with a redesigned layout and a new live music stage. Music Meets Big Tech: Meta’s new subsea cable project aims to boost global data capacity—framed as essential infrastructure for AI and streaming. Sports With a Music Angle: India’s Aman Sehrawat wins Asian Games 57kg wrestling gold, while the wider medal run keeps fueling national celebrations. Arts Premiere: Fantasia Orchestra and Oxford-linked partners announce the world premiere of Nitin Sawhney’s Orbiting Orbital in early November.

Music Festivals: Denver’s first Porch Fest is set to turn the Baker neighborhood into a free, walkable showcase with 193 artists across 85 locations, while the George Portz Traditional Music Festival drew “thousands” for a bluegrass-focused one-day format. Classical & Opera: Butler School of Music hosts its International Opera Competition, with semifinalists performing arias in four languages and finalists returning for another round. Film Meets Music: Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!”—a classical-music drama starring Pedro Pascal as a cellist—hits the New York Film Festival, with reviews zeroing in on its authenticity and emotional pitch. Industry Moves: Universal Music Canada reportedly laid off staff across multiple departments, and Warner Music Central Europe named Nici Ochmann head of culture & creator marketing. Global Sounds: Palestinian musician Faris Ishaq is touring Europe and beyond with a solo nay project aimed at expanding classical music’s global repertoire. New Releases/Live: Ohana Festival’s 10th anniversary weekend featured a surprise “Eddie Vedder & Friends” set that effectively became a Pearl Jam mini-show. Community & Support: A UL Lafayette fundraiser concert featuring “The Voice” alum Dustin Dale Gaspard will support scholarships for music majors.

Music Archive Preservation: Vermont Historical Society acquired the Big Heavy World Vermont music collection, safeguarding decades of interviews, radio shows, recordings, posters, and performances for future scholars and fans. Pop & Tour Updates: Charli xcx is bringing her high-concept Music/Fashion/Film-era show to arenas and festivals, while Andrea Bocelli announced a 30th-anniversary UK tour for Romanza. New Releases: Miranda Lambert dives into country-disco with Crisco, and Caitlin Matlas follows VENDETTA with empowerment single Evolution. Global Scenes: South Africa’s NAAK and Vumaala head to Amsterdam Dance Event with support from SAMPRA, and Mi Casa wrapped a 15-year European run across Dublin, London, Amsterdam and Lisbon. Music Business & Tech: New Matter’s $249 Sudo revives the iPod-style wheel for offline-first listening with future streaming support. Collectibles: Propstore’s Music Live Auction hit $3.2M day one, including Noel Gallagher’s Oasis MTV Unplugged guitar and Freddie Mercury lyric notebook sales. Community Music Moments: Michigan musicians set a record attempt with a 60-hour-long jam, and Serbia’s Joy of Europe event brought children from 14 countries together through song and dance.

Grammy Watch: The Recording Academy CEO confirmed the Asian pop performance category will debut at the 2027 Grammys, despite backlash and BTS’s earlier decision not to submit for the 2026 awards. K-pop in Latin America: BTS was named “honorary guests” by Bogota ahead of its Latin tour kickoff, with the city expecting a major tourism boost. Middle East Live Music: Bahrain’s 35th International Music Festival kicks off with a GCC, Europe and Asia lineup, while Saudi’s MDLBEAST Soundstorm was postponed and Kanye West’s Russia shows were canceled. Classical/Arts Funding Shock: Nashville Symphony suspended the rest of its 2026–27 season after a projected $10M deficit, leaving musicians and staff facing job and pay uncertainty. Global Culture Festivals: Hanoi’s Cultures of the World Festival opens under a heritage-focused theme, and Rhodes’ European Polyphony Festival continues with collaborations across art forms. Music & Tech/Entertainment: Tokyo Game Show spotlighted Southeast Asia as the centerpiece of Agate’s Blades of Mirage. Community Music: Plainfield’s new Great Get Together Music & Arts Festival aims to bring neighbors together through bluegrass, folk, Americana and youth activities.

New Album Watch: Peter Gabriel confirmed details for his 11th studio album o/i, due Nov. 27, with a 13-track listing and the new single “Face the Wall.” TV & Country Spotlight: Ireland’s The Late Late Show is bringing back its Country Music Special for one night, featuring Ashley Campbell, Nathan Carter, and a Dolly Parton tribute with Cliona Hagan and other Irish stars. Global Pop Moment: Shakira’s Madrid concert will be streamed live worldwide via Amazon Music/Prime Video/Twitch on Oct. 3, free to watch for 24 hours. Tour News: Carly Rae Jepsen announced her 2027 North American “Day and Night” tour, including Kia Forum and Madison Square Garden dates. Industry Moves: Universal Music promoted Frank Briegmann to Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada & Deutsche Grammophon. Music Business/Tech: Notey closed a $3M seed round and launched a distribution partnership with Telemach to expand across the Balkans. Cultural Spotlight: Rosalía will receive the Billboard Hall of Fame Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Live Music Law: New South Wales passed a “world-first” Contemporary Music Act 2026 to protect live venues with a recognition scheme, extended-hours support, grants, and fairer noise assessments. Global Pop Spotlight: The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards delivered big-name performances, with Madonna kicking off the show and RAYE landing a powerhouse set. Southeast Asia Unity Song: Sofronio Vasquez teamed with the Young Voices of the Philippines for “Seas Unbroken,” created for the 2026 Asean Philippine Chairship. Music Business Moves: Warner Music Group divested EMP Merchandise to Whynow, expanding Whynow’s European hub in Berlin for rock/metal fan commerce. Festival & Culture: Raleigh Wide Open returns as a free, multicultural traditional-music festival, while Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards Festival brings 16 countries to Marshall. Tech Meets Music: BandLab Technologies named Ivan Chen CEO as it pushes growth across its creation and artist-service tools. Piano Week: Cayman’s George Town Library hosts an international piano festival running Oct. 1–10.

Southeast Asia Unity Anthem: Sofronio Vasquez, fresh off “The Voice” Season 26, teamed with the Young Voices of the Philippines for “Seas Unbroken,” created for the 2026 ASEAN Philippine Chairship and built around the line “Seas unbroken, we are one.” International Touring: Japan’s Kodo announced its 2027 North American “One Earth Tour: Luminance,” bringing taiko to 20+ cities. K-pop Live Disruption: TAEMIN postponed the entire North American leg of his LiMiNaL tour due to unresolved US visa issues for key staff, with refunds available. New Music Releases: LATROIT dropped “Finally” featuring jazz legend Ron Carter—Carter’s first foray into house—while Kathy Ross released “When We Kiss,” now on MTV and CMT. Classical Spotlight: Decca Classics’ 15-year-old violinist Himari hit No.3 on Japan’s Oricon album chart with her debut. Industry/Policy: Dutch startup musiQproof launched a platform offering certified proof of creation for AI-generated music. Live & Local: Kentucky created a Governor’s Office of Music to support artists and venues.

Spotify RADAR: Australia’s Becca Hatch and Lewis Love are the latest picks for Spotify’s emerging-artist program, with cross-platform support tied to Hatch’s 2027 EP Black Flower and Love’s new album. Live-music law (NSW): New South Wales passed the Contemporary Music Act 2026, creating a venue tier system and easing rules for smaller shows, plus a fairer noise-measurement approach. Sydney festival buzz: Laneway Festival returns to Sydney’s Centennial Park on Feb. 12, 2027, led by Fontaines D.C. and Hayley Williams’ solo set, with Slayyyter, Kim Petras, MUNA and more on the bill. Industry leadership: UMG named Libby Bush president of global brands and commercial partnerships, while digital rights society Amra promoted Robin Davies to CEO. Global culture through music: Angelique Kidjo urged Africans to “create together,” and Auckland’s Pangaea Music Festival is set to stage Indian, Māori, Chinese, jazz and Indo-Western fusion at Q Theatre on Oct. 23. Court shock (US): Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn was found guilty of murdering his wife, Ashley, after prosecutors said he staged a break-in.

Pink Floyd Legacy: Syd Barrett’s 80th birthday is marked with a week-long Cambridge takeover of music, art and tributes, with a new album Clowns and Jugglers due Oct 9 and proceeds going to mental health charities. Stevie Wonder: To celebrate 50 years of Songs in the Key of Life, Wonder releases a four-track EP of previously unreleased session songs, kicking off a major anniversary tour. Jamaica Gala: American Friends of Jamaica will honour Sandals executive Adam Stewart and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph at a New York gala featuring reggae and dancehall performances. Live Music & Venues: Birmingham’s The Night Owl gets a grassroots lifeline as local acts unite to protect the Digbeth venue from threatened rail works. AI & Music: Qobuz says it’s tagging AI-generated tracks after finding many streams are fraudulent, while Natalie Grant warns churches to keep AI from steering worship. Global Releases: Shakira’s Madrid residency show is set to stream worldwide on Amazon Music; Avex boosts control of S10 Entertainment by buying 85%. New Tours: Terminal V moves its 2027 electronic festival to Glasgow’s Clydeside Live, and WE Fest reveals more 2027 lineup names.

K-pop Global: BTS swept the 2026 MTV VMAs with three wins, including Song of the Year for “SWIM,” while BLACKPINK’s Lisa made history as the first Asian solo artist to win Best Pop. Touring Disruption: SHINee’s Taemin postponed his North American “LiMiNaL” dates after U.S. visa delays left key staff awaiting approvals; refunds are available and new dates are coming. Streaming & Live Tech: Apple Music will livestream sets from Golden Voice’s Head Trip festival (Oct. 10–11) via Apple Music Club Radio, with Skrillex, Swedish House Mafia, Peggy Gou b2b Four Tet and more. Global Music Business: Afrobeats manager Asa Asika urged Western labels to do real on-the-ground research in places like Lagos, warning against treating Afrobeats as a short-lived trend. Music in Court: “American Idol” alum Caleb Flynn’s murder trial moved toward closing arguments, with prosecutors citing an affair and AI-generated love songs. New Releases/Shows: San Cisco announced an East Coast Australia tour and new single “Miles Away” (Oct. 15), while The Fray added a 2027 Auckland headline date with Dashboard Confessional.

MTV VMAs Recap: Taylor Swift became the most decorated artist in VMA history, winning video of the year and debuting the gothic “Patient Zero” video starring Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson, with Cara Delevingne also appearing. Pop & K-pop Highlights: BTS swept key awards including song of the year for “Swim,” while Blackpink’s Lisa won best pop. Tour News: Slipknot announced 2027 world tour dates, including Wembley and multiple US stadium stops. Music Releases: Stevie Wonder shared four previously unheard “Songs in the Key of Life” tracks on a new EP for the album’s 50th anniversary. Live Music & Culture: Nepathya drew hundreds of Nepalis to a major South Korea concert during Chuseok; Curaçao’s Culture Week returns with island talent under “From Curaçao to the World.” Industry & Tech: Music Technology UK added ClicknClear founder Chantal Epp and SoundPatrol’s Will Hughes to its board. Deaths: Calypso legend Mighty Sparrow died at 91.

MTV VMAs Spotlight: Taylor Swift premiered her cinematic “Patient Zero” at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell, and also became the first recipient of the new Artist Director Honors. Tribute Moment: Kacey Musgraves delivered a tearful performance of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” with Parton’s archival footage woven in. More VMAs Buzz: Sabrina Carpenter’s Best Collaboration win with Madonna came with a bleeped speech; RAYE brought big-band drama with “Where Is My Husband!” Tour & Tickets: Calvin Harris sold 330,000 tickets for his 2027 Australian tour, with all 10 shows sold out. Global Music Loss: Calypso legend “The Mighty Sparrow” (Slinger Francisco) died at 91. Culture & Community: Iowa’s Africa Fest drew hundreds for food, music, and vendors celebrating Nigerian heritage. Industry Watch: Rebellions opened a Singapore unit to target Southeast Asian AI data centers, intensifying competition among chip makers.

MTV VMAs Spotlight: Madonna returns to the VMAs stage after 20 years, while Taylor Swift is set for the new Artist Director Honors and debuts her “Patient Zero” video during Sunday’s show. Protest & Music: Massive Attack singer Robert Del Naja was arrested in Liverpool after a pro-Palestine protest, with the case tied to UK rules around a proscribed group. Nollywood Record: Nigeria’s “Black Market” set a Guinness World Record for the largest audience at a single film screening in one location, with 51,000 viewers at Lagos’ Tafawa Balewa Square. New Music Releases: Australian alt-pop artist daine dropped “Product of Profit (P.O.P.)” as their tour sells out, and Northeast Texas singer-songwriter Duane Johnson released “The Last Grave on Cedar Hill.” Local Culture & Folk: Bulgarian folk stars and bagpipes head to Brussels on Oct. 4, and Pierre Bensusan’s solo guitar magic is highlighted ahead of upcoming performances. TV Talent: The Voice Australia crowned Yung Milla, with Mel C in tears after mentoring the winner.