Adele Is Music Biz Artist of the Year

March 6, 2017 – The Music Business Association (Music Biz) has announced that Adele is its Artist of the Year. The record-breaking Pop superstar will be honored on Thursday, May 18, during the Music Biz 2017 convention’s Awards Luncheon at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville. Her latest album, 25, was the first ever to sell more than 3 million copies in a single week (3.38 million total in traditional sales), blowing past the 15-year record previously held by NSYNC’s No Strings Attached. It was also the first album to sell more than 1 million copies in multiple weeks since Nielsen began tracking sales in 1991, with 1.11 million traditional sales in its second week and 1.15 million in its holiday-bolstered fifth week. 25 has since been certified Diamond for 10 million in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with the album and its single “Hello” earning Adele five GRAMMY Awards at this year’s 59th annual ceremony, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance.

“Adele is a once-in-a-lifetime talent who has clearly struck an indelible chord with music fans all around the world,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “Her accomplishments are unprecedented, from the record-shattering success of 25, to the glowing reviews and sold-out audiences for her massive world tour, to her Emmy-nominated TV special Adele Live in New York City. We are beyond thrilled to have her join the ranks of past Artist of the Year Award winners Little Big Town, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and Green Day.”

Adele entered the scene in 2008 with her debut full-length album, 19, which earned her two 2009 GRAMMY Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single “Chasing Pavements.” Her popularity then exploded in 2011 with the release of her blockbuster follow-up album, 21, which sold more than 35 million copies worldwide, spent 24 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart (the most since 1991), was certified 14-times Platinum by the RIAA, and earned eight GRAMMY Awards in 2012, including Album of the Year as well as Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Rolling in the Deep.”

After being sidelined from touring in support of 21 with a vocal cord injury, she came roaring back in November 2015 with 25, which she supported with the TV concert special Adele Live in New York City. The special averaged 11.3 million viewers and a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49, the highest prime-time concert special ratings in the demographic since the Eagles’ 2005 farewell tour. She announced the North American leg of her 2016 tour on the same night the special aired, selling out each date including six nights at New York City’s Madison Square Garden and eight nights at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. The tour will conclude in July 2017 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Music Biz 2017, which will return to Nashville from May 15-18, is the music industry’s premier event, giving the commerce and content sectors a place to meet with trading partners, network with new companies, and learn about new trends and products impacting the music business. This year’s event will feature keynotes from Atlantic Records Group Chairman and COO Julie Greenwald, Spotify’s Global Head of Creator Services Troy Carter, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Music Agents Jeff Krones and Hunter Williams, Cracker Barrel’s VP of Marketing Don Hoffman, Universal Music Group’s Exec. VP of Content Strategy and Operations Barak Moffitt, and more to be announced. A special line-up of Digital Service Workshops from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube/Google Play will mark an unprecedented first for the music industry as Music Biz will bring these companies together in one place for one day packed with information about how to leverage the tools and products that these companies offer to maximize value for artists, labels, managers, creators and the industry at large. The eclectic Music Biz 2017 program will also cover topics including Touring, Live Streaming, Vinyl, Messaging, International, D2F, Crowdfunding, Tweens & Tech, e-Commerce, Playlisting, A&R, Social Media, Licensing, Publishing, Hi-Res, VR, Management, and Professional Development. Returning favorite sessions will include the Metadata Summit, Brand & Strategic Partnership Summit, and Entertainment & Technology Law Conference, as well as an encore for Music’s Leading Ladies Speak Out and various special interest programs and breakout sessions. Music Biz will celebrate executive and artists achievements with Music Biz awards being bestowed to UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Music Millennium’s Terry Currier, Adele, Paula Abdul, Lukas Graham, Maren Morris, and others to be announced.

About the Music Business Association

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce — a community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. It provides common ground by offering thought leadership, resources and unparalleled networking opportunities, all geared to the specific needs of its membership. Music Biz brings a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. Today, we put our collective experience to work across all delivery models: physical, digital, mobile, and more. Music Biz and its members are committed to building the future of music commerce — together.

Music Biz Media Contact

Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications — laurie@jaybirdcom.com, 646.484.6764