Rising Singer/Songwriter Julia Michaels to Receive Breakthrough Artist Award at Music Biz 2018 in Nashville

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will recognize multi-Platinum selling singer/songwriter Julia Michaels with a Breakthrough Artist Award during the Music Biz 2018 conference’s Awards Luncheon on May 17, 2018, at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

Known as a highly successful songwriter with co-writing credits on 17 Billboard Hot 100 hits, Michaels emerged as a solo star throughout 2017. In January, she released her debut single, “Issues,” which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of 11 Top 40 hits she has co-written on the chart. “Issues” is the year’s best-selling song by a new artist and the year’s highest on-demand audio streaming song by a new artist, according to Nielsen, and garnered a Double-Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Michaels’ Nervous System mini-album followed in July, earning her a MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) nomination for “Best New Artist” and American Music Award nomination for “New Artist of the Year.” She also received a Billboard Music Awards nomination for “Top Covered Artist” and Teen Choice Awards nominations for “Choice Song: Female Artist” and “Choice Breakout Artist.” Michaels’ also performed at a number of high profile events this year, including the MTV VMAs, Billboard Music Awards, Much Music Awards, and more. Most recently, Michaels announced that she will join superstars Shawn Mendes and Niall Horan for select dates on their world tours. She is currently featured on Maroon 5’s upcoming album on a track named “Help Me Out” and will also be featured on Clean Bandit’s new single “I Miss You,” which will be released on October 27th.

“Julia has shown a brilliant knack for crafting Pop songs that have resonated for the likes of Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas, Selena Gomez, Hailee Steinfeld, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Ed Sheeran, and John Legend. We are so thrilled to see her achieve even more success as a solo artist this year,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “Her accomplishments make her a perfect recipient for our Breakthrough Artist Award, and we look forward to seeing where her career will take her in the years ahead.”

Based in Los Angeles, Michaels has made a name for herself as a go-to songwriter, teaming with Justin Tranter to write a series of smashes such as Justin Bieber’s “Sorry”; Nick Jonas’ “Close” featuring Tove Lo; Selena Gomez’s “Good for You” featuring A$AP Rocky, “Hands to Myself,” and “Bad Liar”; Hailee Steinfeld’s “Love Myself”; Britney Spears’ “Slumber Party”; Gwen Stefani’s “Used to Love You”; Ed Sheeran’s “Dive”; and John Legend’s “Surefire.” The cumulative worldwide stream count for songs she has co-written currently exceeds 10 billion.

“Thanks so much to Music Biz for this amazing honor,” said Michaels. “It’s been an unbelievable year, and I am so grateful to my fans and everyone who has supported me.“

Michaels joins the ranks of last year’s Breakthrough Artists, Maren Morris and Lukas Graham, as well as other previous honorees such as Halsey, Sam Hunt, Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande, Emeli Sandé, Nicki Minaj, Carrie Underwood, The Killers, John Legend, and Daddy Yankee, among others.

Music Biz 2018, which will return to Nashville from May 14-17, 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. Last year’s event drew 2,000 attendees, the annual convention’s largest turnout since 2001. The 2018 event will feature the presentation of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement to Cary Sherman, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with much more to be announced soon. Those who would like to propose ideas for presentations, panels, case studies, or interviews can do so via the event’s official Call for Presentations, which is open now through November 10. Registration is now open at http://musicbiz2018.eventbrite.com, with early bird rates available through March 2, 2018. For more information, visit www.musicbiz2018.com.

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