More than 40 years after receiving her first MTV VMA nomination, Madonna leads the list of nominees for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.

Madonna is up for 11 awards this year, including video of the year for Confessions II - The Film, an over 10-minute long short film soundtracked to the first six songs from her most recent album, Confessions II.

She’s also nominated for artist of the year; song of the year and best collaboration for “Bring Your Love,” her song with Sabrina Carpenter; best dance for Confessions II - The Film, and several technical awards.

Madonna received her first-ever MTV VMA nomination in 1984 for best new artist for “Borderline.” Since then, she has won 19 competitive VMAs, and in 1986, she was the first-ever female recipient of the honorary MTV Video Vanguard Award. Her last VMA win was in 1999 for best video from a film for “Beautiful Stranger,” from Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me.

The VMAs will air live from Los Angeles on Sept. 27 on CBS, and will be simulcast on MTV. Paramount+ Premium subscribers can stream it live. It'll be available globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV. Voting is open in 13 categories at Vote.MTV.com.

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Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles project recently filmed a very iconic moment in Beatles history.

Video posted to social media shows the cast — Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr — walking through the crosswalk by the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. A photo of that infamous walk, of course, would go on to become the cover of the band’s 1969 album Abbey Road.

The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event is expected to open in April 2028. It will consist of four films, each told from the perspective of one of the band members. The cast also includes Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Mia McKenna-Bruce as Ringo's wife Maureen Starkey, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono and Aimee Lou Wood as Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd.

The Sony films will mark the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of band members and their legendary catalog of music.

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Twenty years ago, Sheryl Crow contributed the song "Real Gone" to the animated Pixar film Cars. So it's no surprise that she's returning for the new animated series based on the franchise.

On Saturday night, Sheryl appeared at Disney's biennial D23 fan event to debut a new song called "Built to Last," which is the theme song for the upcoming Disney Jr. series Cars: Lightning Racers. She also performed "Real Gone" during the appearance. 

But Sheryl's involvement doesn't end with the theme song. She also wrote 10 additional songs for the series, which debuts on Disney Jr. and streams on Disney+ in 2027.  Many of the Cars cast members are reprising their roles for the series, including Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, Larry the Cable Guy as Mater, Bonnie Hunt as Sally and Tony Shalhoub as Luigi.

Sheryl's new album Pick You Up is coming out Oct. 9.

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Legendary singer Frankie Valli is denying reports of his retirement.

The 92-year-old has addressed the rumors on social media after his brother, Bobby Valli, wrote on Facebook that the “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” singer was retiring after a long, illustrious career.

In a post on Instagram, Frankie simply wrote, “In spite of what you might have heard, I am not retired.”

Bobby's initial post came after Frankie canceled his tour back in May due to health issues. At the time Frankie wrote on social media, “I have decided to take the rest of the year off from touring to focus on my health.”

After Frankie's retirement denial, Bobby followed up with a post of his own acknowledging his mistake.

“TO ALL THE MEDIA, THAT IS TRYING TO MAKE THIS A EARTH SHATTERING CONTROVERSY! I MISUNDERSTOOD,” he wrote. “YES, I MADE A MISTAKE. HE IS NOT RETIRING. I WISH HIM A SPEEDY RECOVERY TO CONTINUE HIS LEGACY & ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER! IF I MISLEAD OR OFFENDED ANYONE ONCE AGAIN I APOLOGIZE. GOD BLESS.”

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Ritchie Blackmore is reflecting on his recent reunion with Deep Purple.

Blackmore joined the band onstage at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, on Aug. 12 for a performance of “Smoke on the Water," his first performance with the band in over 30 years.

“It was very moving because I went on very quickly and had to play immediately,” Blackmore told Guitar Player. “I couldn’t warm up, but I wasn’t there to be playing correct notes. I was there to see old friends [who] I hadn’t seen in 40 years and were all getting older.”

He added, “I think we realized it could be the last time we see each other, maybe.”

Blackmore co-founded Deep Purple in 1968, then left the group in 1975 to form his band Rainbow. He was part of Deep Purple's 1984 reunion and last played with them in 1993.

And while the reunion was an emotional one for Blackmore, he does say it wasn’t quite perfect.

“It was tricky; I didn’t play anything too technical, as I felt I should stick to the rudiments of being simple. I still lost my place at one point, but it’s not why I was there,” he said. “I was there to heal any wounds — but there weren’t any wounds. Everyone was like, we were in the army, all along the Western front and we were all getting together again. Very emotional moment.”

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Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to legendary rock critic, journalist and author Dave Marsh, who passed away Friday at the age of 76.

“Here on E Street, the irreplaceable loss of Dave Marsh has us heartbroken,” Springsteen wrote on Instagram. “My great friend Dave, with his straight out of Detroit attitude, was a true Rock ‘n’ Roll lifer. He was soulful, intelligent, heartfelt, opinionated, bruising and often fantastically argumentative.”

Marsh, who throughout his career wrote numerous books on music and musicians, was the author of the 1979 Springsteen biography Born to Run, as well as other books on The Boss. Springsteen noted in his tribute that Marsh “always had my back.”

“He deeply believed in what I was trying to accomplish and his lifetime of support meant the world to me," Springsteen added. “More than anything else, I admired Dave as a man of conscience and commitment. He lived and stuck by his values come hell or high water.”

Springsteen concluded the post, writing, “Wherever he is, I hope he’s receiving some of the grace, happiness and reward he’s brought into my life. God bless you Dave.”

E Street Band member Nils Lofgren also paid tribute to Marsh, as did his bandmate Stevie Van Zandt, who wrote, “He was fearless, relentless, arrogant, everything you'd want in a RocknRoll troublemaker,” adding, “And by the way, a tremendous writer.”

In addition to Born to Run, Marsh wrote The Who biography Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who, which was published in 1983; 1980’s The Book of Rock Lists; and 1989’s The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.

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Foghat is set to release a new live album this fall.

Live & Loud Across the U.S.A., dropping Oct. 30, will be the band’s first-ever live album featuring their current lineup — founding member and drummer Roger Earl, lead guitarist Bryan Bassett, lead vocalist/guitarist Scott Holt and bassist Rodney O’Quinn.

The set features songs recorded during the band's 2024 and 2025 tours of the U.S. It will be available as a two-CD set, or as a triple vinyl release, which will include two gold vinyl LPs, with a bonus red vinyl LP featuring a reissue of Shaken & Stirred, a 2018 album that was released under the band name Earl & the Agitators. The release will mark the first time the latter has ever been available on vinyl.

As a preview of the set, Foghat has released a live performance of “My Babe.” It is available now via digital outlets.

“People often ask me if we’re ever going to slow down. The answer is… not yet!” says Earl. “The performances on this album were recorded in cities across the United States during the past two years. We didn’t set out to make a live record—we simply wanted to capture Foghat doing what we’ve always loved to do: playing live.”

He adds, “Most of these songs have never been released as official live recordings before, and I think they show where the band is today.”

Live & Loud Across the U.S.A. is available for preorder now.

Foghat is currently on a tour of the U.S. They play Lincoln Park, Michigan, on Aug. 28. A complete list of dates can be found at Foghat.com.

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Carly Simon is ready to give her fans a peek into her past.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, whose new album Comes in Waves is out now, is getting ready to open her archives to the public.

Simon and her team have been working on her archives for the past nine years. It will give fans insight into her life’s work, and will feature previously unseen photographs and films, as well as unreleased recordings, unfinished songs, lyric sheets, artwork and more.

The archive, powered by Starchive, is set to open this fall. Fans can sign up for early access at CarlySimon.com.

Comes in Waves is Simon’s first album of original music since 2008’s This Kind of Love. She wrote and recorded much of the album at her home in Martha’s Vineyard. It features contributions from his son, Ben Taylor, and her daughter, Sally Taylor, whose dad is singer James Taylor.

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Phil Collins is offering up another preview of the upcoming expanded reissue of his debut album, Face Value.

The latest is an outtake of the track “Tomorrow Never Knows,” described as Collins’ “experimental cover" of The Beatles song, which appeared on their 1966 album Revolver. 

Face Value (Full Value), dropping Sept. 18, is a four-LP set that features a remastered version of the original album. It also comes with three LPs of bonus material, made up of rare and unreleased live recordings, demos and outtakes. It also includes a brand-new interview with Collins in the liner notes. Face Value will also be released on Blu-ray, featuring upgraded audio.

Face Value (Full Value) is available for preorder now.

Originally released in February 1981, Face Value was recorded while Collins' band Genesis was on a break. It became an instant hit for the rocker, topping the chart in the U.K. and peaking at #3 in the U.S.

The album’s leadoff single, “In the Air Tonight,” peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It went on to be one of Collins’ signature songs, thanks in part to its iconic drum track.

The new release comes as Collins is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in November. He was previously inducted as a member of Genesis in 2010.

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Sheryl Crow's new album may be the perfect pick-me-up.

She'll release her 12th album, Pick You Up, on Oct. 9. It's now available to preorder. The first single, "Freedom Bus," features singer/songwriter Jesse Welles and is out now.

“I do not take freedom lightly because our freedom has been paid for in the lives of others throughout history and that is something I wish we could all remember when we are interacting with each other," Sheryl says of the new song.

"Our dialogue and ability to disagree must reflect what has been paid for in the blood, sweat, and tears of those who fought for every man and woman to be created equal and to enjoy the rights that our constitution has allowed each of us.”

In the song, she sings, "Whoever said freedom was free?/ There ain't no freedom without history/ and folks who died for you and me /So don't be an a******, let everyone be."

As for the album, she says the seven new songs are "a commentary on being human and wanting connection.” She adds, "My wish is that whoever hears these songs feels the hope I feel when I sing them! I hope these songs feel like a soothing moisturizer on our chapped hearts."

"We are all going through so much in our humanity right now that being awake can feel like trudging through a burning desert. But we are never alone. And there is beauty everywhere. We just have to keep our eyes open.”

As previously reported,  Sheryl will perform on Good Morning America on Aug. 28.

Here's the track list for Pick You Up:
“Freight Train”
“Perfect”
“Pick You Up”
“Flat Earth”
“I’ve Got Your Number”
“Heaven Help Us”
“Freedom Bus” (feat. Jesse Welles)

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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David Bowie fans are getting another preview of the upcoming album filled with early recordings the rocker made with ‘60s producer Shel Talmy.

“Today (Demo),” the second track released from The Shel Talmy Recordings following “I Want Your Love,” is a previously unreleased demo recorded in 1965.

“Today (Demo)” is now available via digital outlets.

Talmy, best known for working with The Who and The Kinks, signed the then-Davie Jones and his band at the time, the Manish Boys, in December 1964. By the time they began recording, however, Bowie had formed a new band, Davie Jones & The Lower Third. Most of the recordings featured on the album were made with the latter band or are solo demos.

The Shel Talmy Recordings, dropping Sept. 18, includes 21 tracks. The CD and digital versions feature 10 previously unreleased recordings, while the vinyl features six. Guests on the album include a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page and future Rock & Roll Hall of Fame pianist Nicky Hopkins.

The Shel Talmy Recordings is available for preorder now. A limited-edition red vinyl version is available at DavidBowie.com.

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The Stray Cats are set to hit late night for the first time in 35 years.

The band, featuring original members Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom, are set to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday.

According to the announcement, the band is set to perform one of their "iconic hits." The appearance will mark Stray Cats' first late night television appearance since performing on The Late Show with David Letterman back in 1990.

After canceling their 2025 tour due to frontman Setzer’s health, The Stray Cats returned to road in July. Their next show is happening Friday in Westbury, New York.

The tour is their first since Setzer’s February 2025 announcement that he’d been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that had left him unable to play guitar.

They will also be on the road in November and December, with dates starting on Nov. 9 in Grand Prairie, Texas. A complete list of shows can be found at StrayCats.com.

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Olivia Harrison, widow of Beatles legend George Harrison, is set to take part in a book tour in connection with the release of the upcoming photo book The Third Eye: Early Photographs.

The book, which will be released Oct. 6, is described as “the first ever collection of George Harrison’s personal photos taken between 1963 and 1970.”

The book tour includes two stops. The first, in New York, will be a conversation between Olivia and director Martin Scorsese, happening Oct. 6 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House. Then she'll hit Los Angeles on Oct. 11 for a chat with director Cameron Crowe at Live Talks Los Angeles’ Robert Frost Auditorium.

“These promise to be unforgettable evenings honoring George’s creative legacy,” reads the announcement posted on Instagram.

Tickets for both are on sale now, with U.K. stops to be announced at a later date.

The Third Eye: Early Photographs will feature over 200 color and black-and-white images capturing the rise of The Beatles. The images, curated by Olivia, were taken from George's personal photos and 8mm film stills. The book will also include essays by Olivia, as well as authors Colm Tóibín and George Saunders, and the photos will feature commentary, including never-before-seen quotes from George.

It is available for preorder now.

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Stephen Bishop is set to reissue his debut album, Careless, on Friday in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Ahead of the release, he's sharing one of the two previously unreleased bonus tracks included in the reissue, the song “I Don’t Know Anymore.”

“‘I Don’t Know You Anymore' was one of those songs I really loved, and for a while I thought it might make the album,” Bishop tells Billboard in a new interview. “In the end it didn’t, but I never stopped believing in it. I’m happy that, fifty years later, people finally get to hear it.”

"I Don't Know You Anymore" is now available via digital outlets.

The reissue's other bonus track, “Back Again,” was also written during the Careless era.

Originally released in October 1976, Careless featured Bishop’s iconic song “On and On,” which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as “Save it for a Rainy Day,” which was a top-40 hit.

To celebrate Careless, the 74-year-old Bishop will take part in an intimate evening at the Grammy Museum on Oct. 9, which will include an acoustic performance, Bishop’s first live performance in seven years. He will also share stories behind the songs, answer questions from the audience and take part in a live conversation, moderated by his wife and manager, Liz Kamlet. The event is sold out.

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Warren Haynes has released another track from his upcoming symphonic album, Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey, dropping Sept. 18.

The latest is a performance of “Thorazine Shuffle,” which originally appeared on Gov’t Mule’s 1998 sophomore album, Dose. The performance was arranged by Jon Medeski, who plays organs and keyboards on the album.

“John Medeski did the arrangement for ‘Thorazine Shuffle,’ and his unique take on music in general was what led me to ask him to arrange that particular piece,” says Haynes. “He was able to strike a balance for ‘Thorazine Shuffle’ that takes it a little further avant-garde than most of the songs but still has that beautiful symphonic quality as far as the arrangement is concerned that really transports it into another place.”

He adds, “It's probably the most unique arrangement on the record.”

“Thorazine Shuffle (Live)” is available now via digital outlets. 

The 16-track Dreams & Songs was recorded in 2019 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, North Carolina, Haynes’ hometown. In addition to Medeski, it has him backed by the 64-piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra, as well as musicians Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Sipe and Greg Osby. Edwin McCain and Jasmine Muhammad join on background vocals.

Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey is available for preorder now. 

Since the initial 2019 orchestra concerts, Haynes has put on several other symphonic shows and has two more planned, March 11 and 12 in Nashville.

Meanwhile, Haynes and Gov’t Mule are currently on a U.S. tour and will play Aurora, Illinois, on Thursday. A complete list of dates can be found at mule.net.

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Billy Joel broke multiple records with his historic 10-year residency at Madison Square Garden. But back when he was still an unknown, he declared in his first radio interview that the iconic New York City venue was "kind of a ripoff."

The new documentary film 1971: Billy Joel's Lost Interview will premiere at the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame's Music Documentary Film Festival on Sept. 25. The 20-minute short contains audio from a 1971 radio interview Billy did with a student named Ed Mann for college radio station WCWP. At the time, Billy was an unknown who'd just released his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor.

In the trailer, Mann asks Billy if he'd eventually "like to get into the big places, Madison Square Garden or something like that." Billy replies, "No, I don't think I'd ever like to work Madison Square Garden. ... That place is kind of a ripoff, really."

When Mann asks why, Billy says, "Because what it is, in effect, is just jamming as many people and making as much money as you can out of a one-night thing. Unless you're up front or up close, it's just wasted. But  Madison Square Garden's just too big."

The twist of this film is that only the audio of the interview exists. Director Adam Ripp has used AI to visually recreate Billy, his manager Irwin Mazur and Mann for the film. Tom Needham, executive director of the festival, says in a statement, "This film demonstrates how technology, when used thoughtfully, can help us reconnect with important moments in music history."

“1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview allows audiences to see a young Billy Joel before worldwide fame changed his life, and we hope people will experience it with curiosity and an open mind," adds Needham.

Mann, who executive produced the film, will participate in a Q&A after the premiere, along with Ripp and Mazur.  

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After revealing Tuesday that he would be reuniting with his former band Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore joined the group onstage at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, for one of their biggest hits.

Toward the end of the band’s set, Blackmore, who hadn’t performed with Deep Purple since 1993, came out to perform the iconic tune “Smoke on the Water." Fan-shot video shows Blackmore kicking things off with the song’s iconic riff.

“I gotta say something, couple a days ago I got a message from a local lad … saying I only live around the corner, mind if I come jam with you,” frontman Ian Gillan explained to the crowd after the performance. “It was an absolute pleasure to have back onstage founder member, the great legend, the immortal, Ritchie Blackmore.”

He added, “Thanks Richie, I have to say it was a great pleasure. I’ll see you in the bar.” Blackmore then walked offstage as fans chanted, “Ritchie.”

Deep Purple later posted photos from the reunion on Instagram, calling it “A big moment in rock history.”

Deep Purple is currently on tour in support of their latest album, SPLAT! Their next show is happening Thursday in Mansfield, Massachusetts. A complete list of dates can be found at DeepPurple.com.

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Lenny Kravitz is one of the artists set to perform at the 2026 Global Citizen Festival, happening Sept. 26 on the Great Lawn in New York’s Central Park.

Other performers include Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, who will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Fugees’ album The Score; country stars Lainey Wilson and Shaboozey; John Legend; and K-Pop stars TOMORROW X TOGETHER.

The event will be hosted by Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman, with appearances by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan and Gayle King.

“It’s time to gather once again on the Great Lawn, in the middle of New York City, to tell the world an end to extreme poverty is possible,” says Jackman. “There’s something every one of us can do to change the world, and what better way to participate than by taking action with Global Citizen, earning those points, and celebrating with a day of music and advocacy to close out the summer. See you there!”

Free tickets can be earned by taking action through the Global Citizen app or globalcitzenfestival.com on the issues Global Citizen is focusing on this year. These include helping more children go to school, supporting farmers who feed their communities and providing electricity to millions of people around the world.

Global Citizen Festival launched in 2012 featuring performances by Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters and others. Subsequent festivals were headlined by such artists as Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé and more.

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Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits compilation has reached new heights on the Billboard charts, nearly 40 years after its initial release.

The album was originally released in 1988. It landed at #10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart this week, thanks to an expanded reissue of the album featuring additional tracks. The new chart position marks a new peak for the album, which reached #13 on that chart in 2016.

The album also reached a new peak on the all-genre Billboard 200, where it jumped from #69 to #13 this week. The compilation’s previous peak on the Billboard 200 was #14 in 1989. The album has also peaked at #5 on the Vinyl Albums chart, up from its 2019 peak of #7, and lands at #4 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums and #3 on the Top Rock Albums charts.

Greatest Hits covered the band’s catalog from the mid-'70s to the late '80s, specifically songs released after Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band. The newly released expanded edition added classic tunes like “The Chain,” “Landslide,” “Silver Springs (Live)” and “You Make Loving Fun," among others.

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Sheryl Crow is a modern-day troubadour.

At least, that's according to the performing rights organization BMI, which will give the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer its Troubadour Award on Sept. 14. The award recognizes a songwriter who "has made a profound impact within the American music landscape and whose work continues to set the pace for generations to follow," according to a release.

The event will feature performances and tributes saluting Sheryl's career: She's sold more than 50 million albums globally and has won nine Grammy Awards, just to name a few of her accomplishments. According to BMI, her hits "Change Would Do You Good," "Everyday is a Winding Road" and "My Favorite Mistake" have each been broadcast more than 1 million times on both U.S. radio and on TV.

In other Sheryl Crow news, she'll perform on ABC's Good Morning America Summer Concert Series on Aug. 28. Plus, she'll be singing the national anthem Sept. 3 at the season opener for the University of Missouri football team at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. Sheryl is a Mizzou graduate.

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