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LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quincy Jones, who once embarked on an international diplomatic tour with jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, will receive the U.S. Department of State’s inaugural Peace Through Music Award.

A ceremony honoring the 28-time Grammy winning producer, musician and arranger will be held Wednesday night and as part of the launch of the State Department’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative.

The award recognizes American musicians, producers, professionals and beyond who have “played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally,” according to a press release.

Jones will receive the award from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. at a ceremony boasting an eclectic lineup of American and international talent across generations and genres.

Dave Grohl, Mickey Guyton, Herbie Hancock, Jamie Barton, GAYLE, Christopher Jackson, LADAMA, Aimee Mann, Rakim, Armani White, and DJ 2-Tone will perform.

In 1956, Jones served as the music director and trumpeter for Gillespie and his band on the first U.S. State Department jazz tour of Southern Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. The tour was part of a Cold War program to spotlight American music and culture and counteract similar efforts by the Soviet Union.

Jones went on to become one of the biggest influences on music, producing the top-selling album of all time, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “We Are the World”, and receiving Oscar nominations for the score and original song from “The Color Purple.”

The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative launch includes three key announcements: a partnership between the State Department and the Recording Academy for the American Music Mentorship Program to bring artists to the U.S. for career development opportunities (the first kicks off in Fall 2024); music-focused efforts to promote an English-language learning curriculum abroad and the Fulbright-Kennedy Center Visiting Scholar Award in Arts and Science.

“You’re going to see a long-standing partnership between the Academy and the State Department,” Mason said in an interview.

He called music the ideal tool for diplomacy.

“I just believe music has a special and unique way of bringing people’s awareness to the forefront. And it’s almost darn near magic. It’s like, we call it ‘the miracle of music.’ It has the ability to have people who may or may not even like each other, stand next to each other, and nod their head, clap their hands and sing,” he said.

“Or it has people who might come from different countries or have different beliefs, different religions — all total polar opposite views of the way the world works — but they love their favorite artists, and they all love it just the same as the other man or woman.”

The State Department has long instituted music-based diplomacy initiatives, from President Roosevelt founding the Office of Inter-American Affairs (OIAA) in 1940 to Bruce Springsteen performing for 300,000 fans in East Berlin in 1988, the year before the wall fell, to the 2010s “Next Level,” an effort to build a global community through hip-hop.

“I’ve always had a deep love for music in part because it has the potential to connect cultures and tell the American story around the world,” Blinken told the AP.

“By launching this effort, we hope to expose a new generation of global audiences to what previous generations have found so compelling: our people and culture. We have no more powerful tools in our diplomatic toolkit, and I look forward to seeing – and listening to – the results of this initiative.”

The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative was developed following the 2022 Promoting Peace, Education, and Cultural Exchange (PEACE) through Music Diplomacy Act.

It’s getting awfully difficult to keep up with the avalanche of accomplishments Chauntee and Monique Ross — aka SistaStrings — have earned since moving from Milwaukee to Nashville (goodness knows we’ve tried). It’s even harder to rank them. But one would imagine the honor they received Wednesday night is toward the top of the list.

At the 22nd Americana Music Awards, the duo were named Instrumentalist of the Year by the Americana Music Association, leading a category that included Isa Burke, Allison de Groot, Jeff Picker and Kyle Tuttle.

The incredible moment started even before their names were called by folk artist Dom Flemons, a member of Carolina Chocolate Drops and an accomplished multi-instrumentalist in his own right. As he worked his way through the nominees, the crowd at the historic Ryman Auditorium noticeably upped their response for SistaStrings, eliciting a chuckle and a “Hey now” from Flemons. The reaction was equally raucous when the win was announced, with the Ross sisters wiping away tears from joyful smiles as they made their way to the stage.

That emotion carried over to their acceptance speech, which saw them reflect on their big bet on themselves when moving to Nashville, fighting for inclusion in Tennessee, and the good advice they received from their parents and grandfather about doing more than just thinking about the things you want to happen.

“Being able to speak on our careers and talk about our goals together and work hard and manifest it feels so amazing,” Monique said. “And I cannot wait to continue this journey with you, sister.”

Below, you can watch their big moment (jump ahead to the 11:10 mark if it doesn’t automatically start there) and read the full transcript from their acceptance speech.

Chauntee: How much time do we have? Cuz I could talk for a looong time. Wow, you guys. About two years ago, I came to my first Americana Awards. I was sitting, like, right over there. And Monique was playing with Allison Russell.

Monique: Thank you for giving us one of our first jobs after moving here!

Chauntee: I remember seeing my beautiful sister, Allison, and all these beautiful women playing. And I was sitting over there, and I was like, “One day, I’m going to play there.” And I remember the next year after that, our friend Larissa Maestro won this award. The year before that, Meg Coleman, another close friend of ours — the first woman of color to be nominated in this category. And just the beautiful spirit of inclusion and seeing folks for who they are, how it’s becoming more celebrated. And we’re fighting, we’re fighting real hard in Tennessee. I’m proud of us.

Monique: We’re in the mother church, so we gotta preach just a little bit.

Chauntee: Hallelujah!

Monique: Our parents are pastors, and they raised us always talking about manifesting things and working hard and don’t just pray about it, but speak on it. Our grandfather would always be like, “Pray on it, and then say thank you. Just say thank you.” So being able to speak on our careers and talk about our goals together and work hard and manifest it feels so amazing. And I cannot wait to continue this journey with you, sister.

Chauntee: Yes! And speaking of thank yous, we just want to throw a couple of them out there, and then we’ll get out the way because it is the beginning of an incredible night. But a huge thank you to our parents, who are here, who woke up really early in the morning. There’s mom, there’s dad! All those years of lessons. I wanna thank … we already thanked our lovely Allison Russell, our big sister, our mentor, neighbor [laughs]. We wanna thank Brandi Carlile, our band leader.

Monique: And our small but strong and mighty team of Tracy Gershon.

Chauntee: And guys, we’ll be back at the Ryman next month, Oct. 25, opening for Brandy Clark. So I hope to see some of y’all there. We love you, Nashville. Thank you, Americana Awards. We out!

The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards are slated to air on Tuesday, September 12 live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and as always, the network has packed the ceremony with all the major stars it can get its hands on. So far, the list of names who are set to sing and rap and dance includes more than two dozen artists who span genres and generations.

The list of performers during the main telecast for the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards thus far includes all of the following musicians:

A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Anitta, Cardi B, Demi Lovato, Diddy, Doja Cat, Doug E. Fresh, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Fall Out Boy, Future, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Karol G, Kelsea Ballerini, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Måneskin, Megan Thee Stallion, Metro Boomin, NAV, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Shakira, Stray Kids, Swae Lee and Tomorrow X Together.

Some of those names are set to take to the stage on their own, while in other instances, groups of stars are performing together. For example, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are set to debut their new joint single “Bongos,” which was only released this past Friday (September 8). They are hoping to replicate the massive success of their first collaboration, “WAP,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2020.

Producer Metro Boomin will be joined by rapper Future, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Swae Lee and NAV, very likely for a performance of their single “Calling.” The tune features all those acts except Future, who may be introducing a remix of the single.

Shakira will headline the show with a lengthy performance, as she is this year’s recipient of the Video Vanguard Award.

Diddy is also set to take home a prestigious prize, the Global Icon Award, and he will delight fans watching at home and those in the crowd with his first performance at the VMAs in more than a decade.

Before the show actually begins, both NLE Choppa and Sabrina Carpenter will deliver performances for those tuning in ahead of the actual start time. At what MTV has called the Extended Play Stage, newcomers Kaliii, Reneé Rapp and The Warning will all delight fans as well.

MT has recruited a bevy of superstars—from the music world and beyond—to present awards to top-tier acts. So far, the list of presenters includes Bebe Rexha, Charli D’Amelio, Coco Jones, Dixie D’Amelio, Emily Ratajkowski, French Montana, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Jared Leto, Madelyn Cline, Rita Ora and Sabrina Carpenter.

Minaj is set to not only perform, but host the evening, a role she’s taking on for the second year in a row. Taylor Swift is the most-nominated artist this year, as her videos earned 11 nods, though not all of those prizes go to the singer herself. The other artists with the most nominations for their work include SZA, with eight, and Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Blackpink and Olivia Rodrigo, whose visuals all earned half a dozen nods.

LOS ANGELES — It’s another landmark year for breakout country superstar Lainey Wilson, who tops the CMA Awards nominations for the second year in a row.

Wilson was a first-time nominee in 2022, which means she’s made history in 2023 — becoming the first and only artist to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the ballot.

Last year, she claimed six nominations. This year, Wilson is up to nine, for album, song, music video, entertainer and female vocalist of the year, as well as two separate nominations in both the single of the year category (for “Heart Like a Truck” and her contributions to HARDY’s “wait in the truck”) and the musical event of the year category (once again for “wait in the truck” and her feature on Jelly Roll ‘s “Save Me.”)

She now ties Merle Haggard and Miranda Lambert for scoring nine nominations in one year — just behind Alan Jackson, who set the record at 10 nods in 2002.

Wilson is followed by first-time nominee Jelly Roll, who boasts five nominations, and Luke Combs and HARDY, with four each.

But Combs or HARDY could take home six trophies, should they sweep their categories.

In addition to nominations in the entertainer and male vocalist of the year categories, Combs is the performer and a producer on his smash-hit cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which is nominated in the single of the year category. He also performed and co-produced his latest release, “Gettin’ Old,” which is nominated for album of the year.

At the Country Music Awards, production credits are not counted as separate nominations, although they are factored into trophy counts.

It is a similar case for HARDY: The artist is nominated for “Wait in the Truck” in both the single and musical event of the year categories, a song he both performs and produced.

As for the other major categories: Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen round out the entertainer of the year nominees; Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange” and Jordan Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” complete the song of the year category.

The 2023 CMA Awards will air on Nov. 8 on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern.

LOS ANGELES — It’s another landmark year for breakout country superstar Lainey Wilson, who tops the CMA Awards nominations for the second year in a row.

Wilson was a first-time nominee in 2022, which means she’s made history in 2023 — becoming the first and only artist to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the ballot.

Last year, she claimed six nominations. This year, Wilson is up to nine, for album, song, music video, entertainer and female vocalist of the year, as well as two separate nominations in both the single of the year category (for “Heart Like a Truck” and her contributions to HARDY’s “wait in the truck”) and the musical event of the year category (once again for “wait in the truck” and her feature on Jelly Roll ‘s “Save Me.”)

She now ties Merle Haggard and Miranda Lambert for scoring nine nominations in one year — just behind Alan Jackson, who set the record at 10 nods in 2002.

Wilson is followed by first-time nominee Jelly Roll, who boasts five nominations, and Luke Combs and HARDY, with four each.

But Combs or HARDY could take home six trophies, should they sweep their categories.

In addition to nominations in the entertainer and male vocalist of the year categories, Combs is the performer and a producer on his smash-hit cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which is nominated in the single of the year category. He also performed and co-produced his latest release, “Gettin’ Old,” which is nominated for album of the year.

At the Country Music Awards, production credits are not counted as separate nominations, although they are factored into trophy counts.

It is a similar case for HARDY: The artist is nominated for “Wait in the Truck” in both the single and musical event of the year categories, a song he both performs and produced.

As for the other major categories: Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen round out the entertainer of the year nominees; Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange” and Jordan Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” complete the song of the year category.

The 2023 CMA Awards will air on Nov. 8 on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s another landmark year for breakout country superstar Lainey Wilson, who tops the CMA Awards nominations for the second year in a row.

Wilson was a first-time nominee in 2022, which means she’s made history in 2023 — becoming the first and only artist to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the ballot.

Last year, she claimed six nominations. This year, Wilson is up to nine, for album, song, music video, entertainer and female vocalist of the year, as well as two separate nominations in both the single of the year category (for “Heart Like a Truck” and her contributions to HARDY’s “wait in the truck”) and the musical event of the year category (once again for “wait in the truck” and her feature on Jelly Roll ‘s “Save Me.”)

She now ties Merle Haggard and Miranda Lambert for scoring nine nominations in one year — just behind Alan Jackson, who set the record at 10 nods in 2002.

Wilson is followed by first-time nominee Jelly Roll, who boasts five nominations, and Luke Combs and HARDY, with four each.

But Combs or HARDY could take home six trophies, should they sweep their categories.

In addition to nominations in the entertainer and male vocalist of the year categories, Combs is the performer and a producer on his smash-hit cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which is nominated in the single of the year category. He also performed and co-produced his latest release, “Gettin’ Old,” which is nominated for album of the year.

At the Country Music Awards, production credits are not counted as separate nominations, although they are factored into trophy counts.

It is a similar case for HARDY: The artist is nominated for “Wait in the Truck” in both the single and musical event of the year categories, a song he both performs and produced.

As for the other major categories: Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen round out the entertainer of the year nominees; Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange” and Jordan Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” complete the song of the year category.

The 2023 CMA Awards will air on Nov. 8 on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern.

TOWN OF VERONA, N.Y. — Soft rock music icon Barry Manilow recently presented Heather O’Connell, music and vocal teacher at Oneida High School, with his Manilow Music Project Teacher Award at the Turning Stone Event Center.

Manilow presented O’Connell with the award the night of his concert in a special backstage ceremony. He also gave O’Connell a $10,000 award consisting of $5,000 cash and another $5,000 in “Manilow bucks” to purchase musical instruments for Oneida’s music program. O’Connell also received a meet-and-greet pass and VIP tickets to Manilow’s concert at Turning Stone.

“They sat me in a special designated seat and I was expecting to be honored during the concert,” O’Connell said. “Manilow took the time to talk about the award and the importance of music education in schools.”

O’Connell said the $5,000 instrument money is going to her colleagues to purchase instruments for the students.  She is keeping $1,000 Of the other $5,000 and the other $4,000 is going directly back to the students at the high school.

“We have a beautiful community outreach program here in our school that I can help to feed and clothe and help kids in our community,” she continued. “Some students don’t have coats or boots for winter, or sometimes no food on the table. I have a salary coming in. They sometimes have nothing.”

Turning Stone employees helped the Manilow Music Project by nominating deserving music teachers in their area for this award. The Manilow Music Project then selected 10 finalists and opened up voting online to name the winner.

The Manilow Music Project Teacher Award recognizes an outstanding music teacher who helps bring music to life for their students. O’Connell received several nominations from Turning Stone employees, including Dezaire Collins, Turning Stone Bingo Supervisor.

“Honestly, she was the first person I thought of; she is truly an amazing teacher,” Collins said. “Now that I’m a parent and think back to the joy she brought to my life in music, and now she’s giving it to my kids as well. It’s quite amazing the impact she’s made in our district over these past 30 years.”

The Manilow Music Project has given away over ten million dollars worth of funds and music instrument donations.

“It is wonderful to partner with our concert venues to identify schools and music teachers in their neighborhoods that deserve this small token of my gratitude,” Manilow said. “Many school music programs have either been terminated, or their funds have been severely depleted. I always want to do my part through The Manilow Music Project to keep music in schools.”

Barry Manilow’s career includes virtually every facet of music, including performing, composing, arranging, and producing. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.

Manilow received a Grammy in 1978 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Copacabana,” an Emmy in 1977 for Outstanding Special for “The Barry Manilow Show,” and a special TONY Award for “Barry Manilow on Broadway.” He has also been nominated for an Academy Award.

Having sold more than 85 million albums worldwide, Barry Manilow is one of the world’s all-time bestselling recording artists. He’s had 50 Top 40 singles, including 12 #1s and 27 Top 10 hits, and is ranked the #1 Adult Contemporary Artist of all-time, according to Billboard and R&R magazines.

“Barry is a really good guy,” O’Connell said. “He’s tall, about six feet. He’s also 80 years-old. He played for an hour-and-a-half! We spent seven or eight minutes then he got onstage. He was anxious to get onstage and start playing.”

O’Connell said the passion for music and the ability to share it with her students is the most rewarding part of her job.

“I love it when I help a student find their musical gifts,” she said. “They may not be confident, or shy, but if I can get them to sing it is amazing. Some students may not do well in other areas of school, but I can at least help them develop their musical gifts.”

O’Connell has taught at Oneida for 30 years. Her duties include teaching music appreciation, music theory and directing two school choirs. She directs and produces the yearly school musical and accompanies the Oneida Area Civic Chorale on piano.

O’Connell has seen the importance of music in a district that she said has gone form graduating 180 students a year to between 110 and 130 students.

“Often when students leave the budget gets cut and music and art programs are the first to suffer. I want to thank the Oneida Indian Nation for bringing big acts like Barry Manilow and making this possible. It’s a really incredible gift,” O’Connell said.

Barry Manilow Music Educator Award presentation. In this picture are two Turning Stone employees and former students who nominated O’Connell. From left to right: Dezaire Collins, Barry Manilow, Heather O’Connell, and Griffin Smith.

Read more news stories here

The German Music Council has named 20-year-old cellist Philipp Schupelius as one of two winners of the 2023 German Music Awards. The prize includes performance opportunities across Germany, the chance to make a debut CD with Genuin Classics, and coaching on matters such as programming and music law.

Born in Berlin in 2003, Schupelius began playing the cello at the age of eight with Ulrich Voss. From 2018 to 2022 he studied with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt at the Julius Stern Institute of the Berlin University of the Arts. In 2018 he received a scholarship from the Kronberg Academy, where he continues to study with Schmidt. This is the fifth year in a row that one of Schmidt’s students has received the award; others have included Sebastian Fritsch and Friedrich Thiele.

In January 2022 Schupelius made his debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Highlights of the coming season will include a performance of Tan Dun’s Intercourse of Fire and Water with the Thuringia Philharmonic, as well as appearances with the London Cello Society and at the Festival Radio France.

Schupelius’s prizes include the ‘Discovery Award’ at the 2020 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) and, this summer, the silver medal at the Eurovision Young Musicians Contest in Montpellier, France. In October 2022 he received the Boris Pergamenshikov Grant and was awarded the 2023 Fanny Mendelssohn Prize. Since 2019 Schupelius has been playing a cello made in 1720 by Giuseppe Gagliano of Naples.

The only other winner of the prize this year is soprano Eva Zalenga, a prizewinner at the SWR Young Opera Stars 2023 competition. However, the Council awarded grants to a number of other cellists: Cosima Regina Federle, Anouchka Hack, Constantin Heise, Michael Wehrmeyer and Alexander Wollheim.

The German Music Awards have been awarded to classical soloists and chamber music ensembles by the German Music Council every year since 1975. Previous winners include violinist Ioana Cristina Goicea (2018), cellists Raphaela Gromes and Valentino Worlitzsch (2016) and violist Nils Mönkemeyer (2006).

ONEIDA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A local teacher from Oneida has been awarded a prestigious award from the one and only Barry Manilow.

Heather O’Connell has won the Manilow Music Teacher Award for her work as a music teacher at Oneida High School along with $10,000, which consists of $5,000 cash and another $5,000 in “Manilow bucks” to purchase musical instruments for her school’s music program. 

The Manilow Music Project Teacher Award recognizes an “outstanding music teacher who helps bring music to life for their students,” stated Turning Stone.

“I am so humbled and so honored to have won this award to give me the opportunity to help so many students,” said O’Connell. “The $5000 instrument money is going to my colleagues to purchase instruments for the students, and the other $5,000 is going directly back to the students at the high school. We have a beautiful community outreach program here in our school that I can help to feed and clothe and help kids in our community.”

Turning Stone employees helped the Manilow Music Project by nominating deserving music teachers in their area for this award. O’Connell received several nominations from Turning Stone employees, including Dezaire Collins, Turning Stone Bingo Supervisor. The Manilow Music Project then selected 10 finalists and opened up voting online to name the winner.

“Honestly, [Mrs. O’Connell] was the first person I thought of; she is truly an amazing teacher,” said Collins. “Now that I’m a parent and think back to the joy she brought to my life in music, and now she’s giving it to my kids as well. It’s quite amazing the impact she’s made in our district over these past 30 years.”

O’Connell will also receive VIP tickets to Manilow’s concert at Turning Stone on Saturday, August 19, where he will present the award with the $10,000 prize to her in a special backstage ceremony. The Manilow Music Project has given away over 10 million dollars’ worth of funds and musical instrument donations.

“It is wonderful to partner with our concert venues to identify schools and music teachers in their neighborhoods that deserve this small token of my gratitude, said Manilow. “Many school music programs have either been terminated, or their funds have been severely depleted. I always want to do my part through The Manilow Music Project to keep music in schools.”

Those interested in going to the concert can still buy tickets online at Ticketmaster. Limited tickets are available.