THE ON THE HORIZON HITTING THE SPOT NEXT STOP: WORLD YULETIDE GIVING CLASSIC MOVE Passman predicts next Product placement 3BaMTV prepares to Christmas Jam benefits The Who, gr NEWS round of rights issues pads video budgets take its sound global Habitat for Humanity cut TV synch deals FROM

Am .74/.4/da:IJ:k >>>SPOTIFY HITS 5M PAYING SUBS, ADDS METALLICA Spotify now has more than 5 million paying subscribers -1 million in the United States. Speaking at a press conference in New York, CEO Daniel Ek also introduced fea- tures to help users discover music and made the surprise an- nouncement that Me- tallica's catalog is now available on the ser- vice. He then brought AWARDS BY ANDREW HAMPP and PHIL GALLO out Metallica's Lars Ulrich and former foe Sean Parker for a Q&A, where they finally buried the Napster- Social Media lawsuit hatchet. >>>CONCORD Boosts Youth With SHOPPED TO EQUITY FIRMS, NOT STRATEGIC Grammy Noms SUITORS New talent to give awards telecast Concord Music Group is up for sale, accord- a fresh, young feel ing to press reports and sources, but one If the 2011 Grammy Awards proved who have yet to make prime -time TV key factor appears to that actually appearances doesn't concern Ehrlich. have been overlooked: listened to a radio during the previous "There are some artists who would Management is con- 12 months, this year's crop of nominees work well [in a collaboration], but the trolling the company's suggests an even deeper connection to the booking of any act has nothing to do sale process. Con- zeitgeist. Peruse the top four categories with their profile with a broad audi- sequently, Concord alone and it reads more like a 22-year- ence. We're not afraid to put anyone on. is being shopped to old's Twitter feed or a YouTube playlist If anything, it's what they have to offer private -equity firms but not strategic suit- as compared with the same ceremony performance -wise." Among the artists that gave Herbie Hancock album of the The challenge, coming off a dramatic attending the ors, say sources who confirm they haven't year for a set of Joni Mitchell covers just year with multiple story lines and strato- Grammy nominations announcement were been contacted to join two years ago. spheric ratings owed to Whitney Hous- HUNTER HAYES; the auction. Suitors From record of the year nominations ton's death, is mixing the known names fun.'s NATE RUESS, JACK ANTONOFF and include Ron Perel- for 's YouTube sensation "Somebody with the young acts to attract viewers in ANDREW DOST (top, man's MacAndrews & That I Used to Know" and fun.'s viral hit the early going. from left); LL COOL J; Forbes, Gores Group "We Are Young," to song of the year props One of those acts would be fim. The band TAYLOR SWIFT; and and Platinum Equity. ADAM LEVINE. to tween anthems "Call Me Maybe" and is nominated in all four categories, giving "We Are Never Ever Getting Back To- it the opportunity to commandeer a sweep >>>LIVE gether," to best new artist nods for criti- that has happened only once before, when spoke on condition of anonymity, says fact that it was an exceptionally strong NATION cal darlings like Alabama Shakes, Frank Christopher Cross did it in the early '80s. the label's hopes were high for a nomina- year for core country artists like Under- EXPANDING INTO RUSSIA Ocean, the Lumineers and teenage coun- Ocean is in the running for album, record tion after meeting with Recording Acad- wood, Little Big Town, the Eli Young Live Nation Entertain- try phenom Hunter Hayes, the Grammys and new artist; are up for emy and Grammy Foundation represen- Band, the Time Jumpers and Hayes. ment plans to expand were surprisingly on -trend this year. album and record; "Stronger (What Doesn't tatives. Bieber visited schools on behalf Richie may have returned to the top of into Russia and the Hayes was thrilled with his nomina- Kill You)" could win record for Kelly Clark- of the Grammys and Grammy Camp and Billboard's charts, but another visit to the Ukraine. The company tions for best country album and best son and song for its writers. Taylor Swift, was involved in other related charities. Grammy stage (he's already collected two will open a new office country solo album, but being up for best Gotye and Carly Rae Jepsen are among the Another big 2012 seller, Lionel Richie, trophies) will have to wait. in Moscow in 2013, to new artist had him "blown away," he said, others leading the youth brigade. was also shut out despite similarly meet- Pop also had a strong showing this be headed by Tim Mc- unintentionally channeling current tour Of course, there were a few notable ex- ing all criteria that would've guaranteedyear courtesy of fun., Gotye and Clark- Williams. CEO Michael partner (and fellow country album nomi- ceptions. One Direction, which notched a nomination at the Grammys just two son, whose "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill Rapino said in a state- nee) Carrie Underwood. two of the year's top -selling albums, was years ago-a heritage artist with an all- You)" garnered the first record and song of ment: "Russia and nearby markets have "It's really cool to represent country absent from best new artist and all other star duets album (a la Hancock and fel- the year nominations for Clarkson and co- become an important artists and wave the flag for the genre. categories, as was (who in-low Grammy fave Tony Bennett) and writer/producer Greg Kurstin, a previous part of our global That's a really big deal for me," he said. famously lost best new artist in 2010 to a shift into country, which has a best Grammy nominee in 2010 for producer of tours in recent years, Ken Ehrlich, who produced the nomi- Esperanza Spalding), much to manager country duo/group performance cat- the year. Kurstin was wrapping up work and by establishing nations show in Nashville and will pro- Scooter Braun's chagrin. "The kid de- egory that seems custom-made for a at his home studio from a day of sessions a local presence we duce the awards telecast in Los Angeles, served it. Grammy board u blew it on project like Tuskegee. with singer Mikky Ekko when his wife can rapidly scale our had five acts booked by midday on Dec. 6 this one," he tweeted. But perhaps it's the confusing genre called him to share the news. concerts for over 200 and offers out to another seven or eight Braun told Billboard the next day: "I shift that canceled out some of Richie's million fans." artists. The influx of new talent in the wasn't mad, just voicing my opinion." He votes, given his history with R&B, or the Additional reporting by Ed Christman. major categories, he says, "creates some expressed pleasure for the two nominations Reporting by Ed Christman, Mitchell really interesting places to go this year." his School Boy Records act Jepsen received. MOBILE: For 24/7 news and analysis on your cellphone or mobile device go to:mobile.billboard.biz. Peters and Alex Pham. Having such a large number of acts An executive at Bieber's label, who

6 BILLBOARD I DECEMBER 15. 2012