Boygenius obtained the Common Music Group x REVERB Amplifier Award on the Billboard Energy 100 occasion in Los Angeles on Wednesday night time (January 31).
The group, signed to Interscope, was offered with the glory by Common Music Group president/CEO Lucian Grainge, who started his speech by praising Republic Information megastar Taylor Swift, who dethroned him on the high of the Energy 100 listing this 12 months.
“Let me say that I’ve by no means, ever, in my whole profession been so excited to be No. 2 on an inventory,” he mentioned on the occasion, which was held at NeueHouse Hollywood. “I feel I'm honored in addition to slightly relieved to be named No. 2. Many, many, many congratulations, Taylor, in your award No. 1. You deserve it very a lot. You’re utterly distinctive, and to see the peak that you simply went all over the world together with your voice gave all of us who know you and work with you huge pleasure and massive satisfaction.”
Throughout his transient time on stage, Grainge didn’t instantly point out the elephant within the room: the music trade large's resolution to drag his music from TikTok after license renewal talks between the 2 corporations have collapsed. However he appeared to make a delicate nod to the dispute, which largely entails disagreements over artist compensation and synthetic intelligence.
“I additionally wished to be right here tonight … to spotlight the significance of utilizing this room for the collective good,” Grainge mentioned. “There’s a enormous quantity of energy on this room, that's why it's known as the Energy awards. And I really feel extraordinarily sturdy and grateful that we’re in an trade that has offered us with a lot pleasure, a lot pleasure and a life. However we’ve the platform to have the ability to use it for our artists, to combat for them to be sufficiently compensated, and in addition protected, particularly in opposition to immoral AI”.
Whereas introducing Boygenius – the trio made up of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, who’re up for six Grammys this 12 months, together with album of the 12 months – Grainge mentioned its members “exemplify what it means to make use of the ability for good” first. hand over the mic
The primary of the trio to talk was Dacus, who opened by shouting Go the Mic Basis, the non-profit group that has organized floor recognition at every of the band's latest stops. She proceeded to make an acknowledgment of the land from the stage, noting that Los Angeles County “occupies land initially and nonetheless inhabited and cared for by the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Kizh and Chumash peoples.”
Dacus went on to acknowledge Landback — a motion “to get Indigenous Territories again into Indigenous arms,” based on landback.org — in addition to three different organizations the band labored with on their 2023 tour: Reverb, the Ally Coalition and Calling All Crows. Everybody, he mentioned, helped set up a desk on the group's tour stops to coach followers “about native and nationwide organizations that work to defend LGBTQ rights, entry to abortion and points environmental”.
When Baker got here to the rostrum, he mentioned to obtain the award, “We make it helpful to publicly acknowledge and acknowledge these values … to attract consideration to the causes that matter to us. However in the long run, this can be a neighborhood effort. It have to be vital for everybody, as a result of it will be significant for the person well-being of everybody. This isn’t a job for individuals who have extra energy to take part, in order that those that have much less will be unable to take part. The perceived scale of 1 individual's affect doesn’t enhance or lower your particular person accountability to behave daily in a method that protects and proves. or makes the world we reside in collectively extra equitable.”
Lastly, Bridgers acknowledged the historical past of all three band members being “made to really feel unknown or insecure at live shows after we have been children or in work environments after we began making music ourselves.” She additionally known as out Calling All Crows, which she mentioned made “an illustration for us and our tour about methods to uncover and cease sexual harassment or sexual violence, whether or not you see it in a crowd or in your individual crew.”
Bridgers additionally mentioned, as she has beforehand, that she had a miscarriage whereas on tour in 2021 earlier than noting that on her 2023 tour, the band is working “with native organizations that be sure different folks have simple and protected entry to abortion.” She concluded: “We wish to create a efficiency atmosphere that we might profit from the youngsters. However I hope that sooner or later, everybody will do it, and nobody will obtain awards.”
