FKA Twigs crowned Godlike Genius at the BandLab NME Awards 2022: “I’m so grateful that there’s a space for me”

Stockholm-based Pophouse Entertainment has announced a deal with Swedish House Mafia which sees the company acquire a load of music rights and also form a new joint venture to manage the dance music group’s brand worldwide.Pophouse was launched in 2014 by Björn Ulvaeus of Abba fame and Conni Jonsson, founder of private equity outfit EQT, in order to set up the Abba Museum and accompanying Pop House Hotel in the Swedish capital. Since then it has expanded into other venue, event and media ventures, and is also a key backer of the Abba Voyage show that is due to launch in London in May.It also has an investments wing which says it is “building the world’s most vibrant catalogue of entertainment intellectual property rights”, which brings us back to the Swedish House Mafia deal.

The Great Escape has announced another 184 artists who will play this year’s festival in Brighton in May, including Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, Claudia Valentina, Kid Brunswick, Rachel Chinouriri, Goat Girl and Noahfinnce.In addition to all the many line-up additions, a number of new stage partners have also been confirmed. That includes Carla Marie Williams’ Girls I Rate initiative, which will host a showcase featuring the likes of Kay Young, Amaria BB, Nqubilé and Nisha.Meanwhile, Pretty Boy Records will showcase new talent from the West Indies – including Navy, Arii Lopez, SumeRR, DWN, St Phillip and Roze – while Candela Records will put the spotlight on Latin music with Angelo Flow, Clara Hurtado, Guala, and Rene Alvarez and his Afro-Cuban Funk Project.Closer to home, Brighton-based Bella Union – celebrating its 25th anniversary – will be hosting birthday celebrations on both the Friday and Saturday of the festival, with artists including BC Camplight, Penelope Isles, Laundromat and Tallies.Alongside the festival, of course, is the TGE Conference, including the CMU+TGE Sessions, which this year put the spotlight on music and education, music and data, and music and video.In among all that, CMU will present user-friendly guides to rights data, fan data and Web3, while Sentric Music will be on hand to talk through the latest debates and trends in the sync market.

The Foo Fighters have confirmed that they are cancelling their upcoming tour dates following the death last weekend of drummer Taylor Hawkins.The musician, aged 50, was in Colombia when he died on Friday night, with his band due to headline the Estereo Picnic festival in the country’s capital Bogota.Hawkins had reportedly complained of chest pains and when paramedics arrived at his hotel room he was found unresponsive. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was declared dead at the scene.The band confirmed on social media last night that they were cancelling upcoming shows – including sold out dates in the UK – following Hawkins’ death.They wrote: “It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins”.“We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned”, they added.

DEALSPopcaan has signed to the management side of Since 93. “Popcaan is an amazing musician, representing Jamaica and its rich culture globally”, says company founder Riki Bleau. “Having sold out shows from London to Gambia, Popcaan is the definition of a global sensation and we’re THRILLED that he’s joined the Since 93 roster this year.

Damon Buffini, a Founding Partner of global investment firm Permira, is to chair the BBC’s Commercial Board, a move that reflects the corporation’s desire to generate more investment from BBC Studios, as it unveils an Annual Plan that includes targets for 25% working class representation and hints at incoming cuts.

The weather in Scotland will experience a cold snap as the mercury is set to dip to sub-zero temperatures after a recent mini-heatwave.

Residents aged 75 and over and at-risk groups across Ayrshire are now being invited for their second Covid-19 booster vaccination.

Motherwell's Ross Tierney was a key player for Republic of Ireland u21s as they pulled off a fine result away at Sweden to keep their Euros hopes alive.

A warning for ice has been issued across Falkirk just days after the district basked in 18C sunshine.

Perthshire is to play a key role in staging an event widely regarded as one Europe’s premier competitions for emerging cycling talent.

They're used to hanging out on the cobbles but a few of Coronation Street's favourite stars ditched Weatherfield for an awards bash on Tuesday night - and they looked stunning.

With snow likely to hit the northeast of Scotland soon, and the weather getting cooler after the recent warm spell, it might be handy to have some tips for keeping warm.

A teenage girl has gone missing after boarding a train last week, prompting police to appeal to the public for information on her whereabouts.

Two brothers raked in more than £120,000 breaking down stolen top-of-the-range cars and selling the parts on eBay.

St Peter’s boss Paul McTaggart admits he’s gutted to say goodbye to his boyhood club.

A popular Lanarkshire community centre is to remain mostly closed to public use for at least another three months.

masturbation went slightly too far.Brittany, from Alabama, US, admitted she was "addicted to masturbation" while being single for three years and started to explore the world of sex toys."I ordered a vibrator, like a bumpy butt-stick. It was like blue and it had three balls and a little bitty vibrator on it," she said on brand-new documentary Stuck."I was so excited, as soon as I got it in the mail I was like, ‘Oh I’m done, I’m going to take a bath'."But she soon realised it wasn't the best idea."Too much oil, too much excitement, and you just don’t have that many hands yourself, so it just happens," she explained."Two hands, three parts, so it had to be let go off.

Glastonbury Festival has announced its first 2022 line-up with many more acts and attractions in the pipeline.

Soul II Soul legend Jazzie B was at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 to present the Godlike Genius award to FKA Twigs, whom he praised for innovation “off the Richter scale” and her “thespian-like” approach to her art. Watch our video interview with Jazzie B above.Jazzie B spoke to NME from the winner’s room at the awards show held March 2 at O2 Academy Brixton. It was his first time ever attending the Awards, which he joked, on the red carpet, made him “an NME virgin”.At 34, FKA Twigs is the youngest person to ever be crowned Godlike Genius, and also the first Black woman to receive the honour.

London’s Brixton Academy, with the likes of Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Ellie Goulding also in attendance.twigs– real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett – looked powerful as she stepped onto the red carpet in her partially transparent mini dress, which appeared to show off her chest.The collar of her ensemble was embroidered in red with the words ‘beast’ and she wore her hair in long blonde braidsThe artist, who has already been announced as the latest recipient of the music magazine’s godlike genius prize, placed her right hand on her hip as she posed for photos.Elsewhere, Little Mix star Leigh-Anne, who welcomed twins in August with her footballer fiancé Andre Gray, wore for a white two-piece suit featuring a matching crop top and styled her hair in pigtails.Love Me Like You Do hitmaker Ellie posed for the cameras wearing a white pant suit and a blazer with a glittering lapel.The singer welcomed her son Arthur with art dealer husband Caspar Jopling in April last year.Meanwhile, Love Island host Laura Whitmore opted for a Latex-style one-piece with shoulder pads, which she matched with black stilettos.Pop star Mabel made a surprise appearance alongside her mother, Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, and the pair posed for photos together.Sam Fender, Griff and Bring Me To The Horizon are among the acts scheduled to take to the stage during tonight’s ceremony.The annual event, which first took place nearly 70 years ago, is this year being hosted by actress and comedian Daisy May Cooper and rapper-presenter Lady Leshurr.Speaking on the red carpet, Bring Me To The Horizon frontman Oliver Sykes discussed the band’s recent performance of Bad Habits with Ed Sheeran at the Brit Awards.‘We got an email from his manager saying this is a mad idea

Leigh-Anne Pinnock Leigh-Anne Pinnock opted for a daring outfit on the red carpet at the NME Awards, six months after welcoming twins.The Little Mix singer, 30, who is engaged to footballer Andre Gray, also 30, recently celebrated half a year since giving birth to her “miracle” babies and shared a sweet snap of her and her little ones while on a family holiday to Jamaica. Showing off her figure at the awards ceremony at the O2 in Brixton, the star bared her toned midriff as she wore a cropped white top with see-through panels and a pair of baggy trousers.The star then wore a long white coat over her outfit and wore her hair tied up, as she let her outfit take centre stage with minimal accessories and natural-looking makeup.