MELBOURNE, Australia — Gaga Music, the independent Australian publishing and sync specialist, forms a new partnership with London-based Warp Publishing.

Both independent music businesses have worked together since 2017, with Gaga Music initially representing Warp Publishing’s catalogue across Australia and New Zealand, followed by Warp repping Gaga’s catalogue in the United Kingdom.

Announced Monday, Aug. 31 on the eve of the 2026 BIGSOUND conference in Brisbane, the new arrangement extends that alliance, with Warp now an active partner in Gaga Music alongside the Australian business’ founder Grant Gillies. At the same time, Warp Publishing director Theo Seffusatti and general manager Nadine Riezouw join Gillies on the board of Gaga as directors.

The new deal should “expand global opportunities” for songwriters, composers and represented catalogues, reads a statement.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

“In a climate increasingly shaped by consolidation and external investment, it’s important that independent music companies continue to offer a genuinely creative and ethical alternative in rights management,” comments Gillies. “Warp is an iconic name in the global music community, with an extraordinary history and forward-thinking roster. It’s a privilege to be working more closely together.”

In a joint statement, Seffusatti, director of Warp Publishing and New Zealand publisher Heard & Seen comments: “This partnership reflects a shared commitment to independence, artist-focused development and long term creative growth through sync, score and songwriting opportunities. It also signals a continued investment in building meaningful international pathways for songwriters and composers across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region.”

Adds Nadine Riezouw, GM of Warp Publishing and former GM of Gaga Music: “Having been part of both companies, I know that they share the same values and unwavering support for independent artists. Being able to strengthen this ethos now jointly, is a proud step in offering further opportunities in a way that is truly independent, transparent and sustainable for our songwriters.”

With the new arrangement, Gaga Music splits from its former partners and stakeholders at Inertia Music. Gilles saluted the company and its team, noting “their contribution will always remain an important part of our story.”

Established in 2007, Gaga Music administers and pitches over 100,000 titles and operates through offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. Currently, its catalogue includes works from Third Side Music, Arts & Crafts, Secretly Canadian, PIAS, Thrill Jockey, City Slang, Low Profile, Erased Tapes and others.

Warp Publishing has been in business for 15 years, and counting, with offices in London and Los Angeles. The iconic brand provides  music publishing services for such artists as Kelvin Krash, Danny Brown, Yves Tumor, Kelsey Lu, Daniel Lopatin, Khruangbin, Death Grips, Caterina Barbieri, Kwes, Dry Cleaning, Bibio, Boards of Canada and many others.

The first week of Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial featured text messages, an unreleased music video and key testimony from a former member of the Chicago rapper’s Only the Family (OTF) crew.  

You’re reading Billboard’s weekly Lil Durk trial recap, a one-sheet breakdown of everything that happened in the murder-for-hire case over the past week. Stay tuned here each Friday for all the testimony and big events you might have missed.

The trial began Monday (Aug. 24) in Los Angeles federal court, where the “All My Life” hitmaker (Durk Banks) is charged with ordering OTF members to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo in retaliation for the 2020 killing of his close friend and collaborator King Von. Rondo was shot at a Los Angeles gas station in 2022 and survived, but another man known as Lul Pab was killed in the crossfire.

During opening statements, prosecutor Daniel Weiner argued that Durk was “consumed with revenge” after Von’s death. Weiner said Durk arranged for numerous OTF associates to travel from Chicago to L.A. and “track, stalk, hunt and kill” Rondo while he waited for updates in a nearby rental house. Two alleged participants in the killing, David “Browneyez” Lindsey and Deandre “OTF Dede” Wilson, are also on trial.

Defense lawyer Marissa Goldberg responded in her own opening statement that the rapper had “nothing to do with” the shooting, arguing that there isn’t any evidence showing he paid for a hit on Rondo. Goldberg said the real mastermind of the plot was Kavon “Vonnie” Grant, one of the shooters who has flipped and become a government witness.   

“He thought, ‘Oh man, I’ve got an insurance policy,’” said Goldberg of Vonnie’s decision to point the finger at Durk. “I’ve got a big fish I can give them.”

After openings, the first two days of Durk’s trial focused largely on hard evidence. Surveillance video was played on Tuesday (Aug. 25) from an In-N-Out Burger restaurant, where the shooters allegedly stopped for a bite after killing Pab. A detective who reviewed the tape testified that the men seemed to be “joking around” and “having a good time,” according to Los Angeles Magazine.

Also on Tuesday, prosecutors showed numerous text messages sent by Durk after Von’s 2020 death. This included messages where Durk wrote, “I gotta go all out for him,” “I can’t let this slide” and “him dying turning me a different animal.”

On Wednesday (Aug. 26), the jurors heard the first of what is expected to be multiple Durk songs admitted as evidence of Durk’s alleged motive. The prosecution played an unreleased 2021 music video for the song “Redman,” which depicts Durk reading news stories about Von’s death and then shooting a man that prosecutors describe as a Rondo “look-alike.”

Durk’s lawyers maintain that his music should not be taken literally, but instead ought to be viewed as a performance in which he’s “challenging his emotions through his artwork.” Durk attorney Brian Steel drilled down on this argument while cross-examining an FBI agent about the “Redman” video on Wednesday, per Rolling Stone.

“You know that Durk is a musical artist, a poet, true?” Steel asked the agent.

The real fireworks began later on Wednesday when the first of multiple cooperating witnesses took the stand: Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester, a Chicago gang member and former friend of Durk’s who has admitted to being one of the shooters who targeted Rondo.

According to Courthouse News Service, Jam said during direct testimony on Wednesday and Thursday (Aug. 27) that he regretted participating in the murder of an “innocent” man. He told the jury, “I wasn’t feeling good about it at all. I felt it was sloppy.”

Jam testified Thursday that Durk offered a hefty cash reward for the shooting. While this promised sum was never paid, he allegedly received $10,000 to record a track with Durk. After being arrested in 2023 on separate gun charges, he wrote in a note to police, “I know about murders.”

“I had to get it off my chest,” said Jam of his decision to become a government informant. “It was weighing on me.”

Steel aggressively cross-examined Jam on Thursday and Friday (Aug. 28), pointing out that his story had “dramatically” changed over time. Steel suggested that Jam, who has been in and out of prison for much of his life, is lying about Durk’s involvement because he wants a reduced sentence.

“Going home, that’s your mission?” Steel asked the witness, per Rolling Stone.

 “Me, trying to go home? Yes,” Jam replied.

The trial is set to resume Monday and run for several more weeks. It has already drawn some notable spectators, including Ye (formerly Kanye West) and mgk.  

BMG said on Friday (Aug. 28) that its revenue for the first six months of the year rose 5% to 444 million euros ($518.7 million) due to growth in recorded music streaming subscriptions.

The German-owned music company said its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 4% to 127 million euros ($148.4 million), for a 29% EBITDA margin. Adjusted operating EBITDA also hit 127 million euros, having risen 42% since 2023, the company said.

BMG acquired some 14 publishing and recorded music assets in the first six months of the year, making this its biggest investment in music rights during the company’s history. BMG, which in April announced plans to acquire Concord in a deal that includes $1.16 billion in cash, said it has invested $1.8 billion in music rights catalogs since 2021 through parent company Bertelsmann’s Boost program.

“Our first-half results reflect the strength of the business we have built over the past several years,” BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld said in a statement. “We have become a more focused, more profitable, digital-first business — one that is better able to invest in artists, songwriters, and music rights for the long term. Sustained organic growth, record profitability, and our highest-ever first half investment in music rights give us a strong foundation for the opportunities ahead.”

Acquisitions this year included rights from Jelly Roll, Fuji Music Group (which includes works associated with John Lee Hooker, Hal David, and Chess Records), Snap! co-founder Luca Anzilotti and Jet. 

Coesfeld said BMG is using artificial intelligence “at scale across BMG to better serve our clients and rights-holders by connecting music with the right audiences, deepening fan engagement, driving revenue opportunities, and improving productivity.”

BMG uses AI and data to sharpen its marketing, fan-focused strategies and to better monetize its catalog by identifying the best audiences to target. AI is also used to create and deliver “Motion Art for Apple Music.”

Across its recorded music, publishing and catalog, BMG represents more than three million songs and recordings including Tina Turner, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll and Paul Simon. For the first six months of the year, catalog performance was led by “Blue” by young kai, “What Is Love” by Haddaway, and “Lost On You” by LP.

BMG reiterated that its acquisition of Concord is on track pending regulatory approval. The ultimate combined company would be 67% owned by Bertelsmann, BMG’s parent company, and 33% owned by affiliates of Great Mountain Partners, a private markets investment firm that has long invested in Concord through a fund that manages money from Michigan Retirement Systems and Great Mountain’s management team

“Together with Concord, we will have greater scale, broader capabilities, and increased capacity to invest in artists and songwriters, strengthen the support we provide creators and partners and create greater long-term value from music rights,” Coesfeld said.

Billboard used an average six-month U.S. dollar to Euro conversion rate of 1.1682224299.

Criminal charges have been dismissed against the man accused of stalking Sabrina Carpenter after a judge ruled him mentally incompetent.

According to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, a judge overruled prosecutors’ objections on Tuesday (Aug. 25) and held that 31-year-old William Applegate is too mentally unwell to stand trial. Applegate is still subject to a restraining order that requires him to stay away from Carpenter for five years.

The pop star alleged in a May legal petition that Applegate, “a complete stranger,” had surveilled her L.A. home for a month before attempting to break in. The singer said Applegate falsely claimed to know her personally, “indicative of a dangerous, delusional and irrational fixation on me.”

“The totality of Applegate’s conduct has caused me significant and ongoing fear for my personal safety and the safety of all individuals residing in my home,” wrote Carpenter in a court declaration. “Applegate has repeatedly and willfully violated the sanctity and security of my private residence. His act of physically attempting to open and enter my front door, without invitation, consent or any lawful basis is among the most disturbing violations of personal safety and privacy I have ever experienced.”

Applegate opposed Carpenter’s requested restraining order, insisting that he and Carpenter are part of the same “classified military-government program.” In June, a judge in downtown L.A. ordered Applegate to stay at least 100 yards away from the singer’s home, car and workplaces until 2031.

The following day, Applegate was criminally charged with eight misdemeanor counts including stalking, disorderly conduct, battery and trespassing. But after a psychiatric evaluation, a different judge in Hollywood threw out those criminal charges due to mental incompetency on Tuesday.

Applegate’s attorneys and reps for Carpenter did not immediately return requests for comment on the matter on Thursday (Aug. 27).

While stalking has long been a disturbing consequence of fame, the problem has worsened in recent years due to social media; fans now interact more directly with their favorite artists, which can lead to unhealthy obsession for those with mental illness. The internet has also made it easier for stalkers to locate their targets.

This has increasingly led artists like Carpenter to seek legal intervention. Multiple individuals have been criminally charged over the last decade with stalking Taylor Swift, who also got a restraining order against another stalker last year.

This past April, a woman named Michelle Dick was charged with physically attacking Fleetwood Mac frontman Lindsey Buckingham after years of threats. Like Applegate, Dick has since been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Breakout Aotearoa New Zealand artist Fat Papi and Perth, Australia producer prodshushy, the team behind the viral hit “Freaked Out,” are now part of the UNIFIED Artist Management roster.

The trans-Tasman pair are the first signings since UNIFIED Artist Management established its New Zealand office, led by senior artist manager Matt Harvey, announced in May.

“Freaked Out” blew up when it was paired with content themed around summer haircuts, giving Fat Papi his first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 when it debuted at No. 89, lifting to No. 88. The single has reached No. 55 on the Billboard Global 200 and this week No. 2 on YouTube’s US Top Songs on Shorts.

Produced by prodshushy, the track has accumulated over 7 billion views across TikTok and 9 billion views on YouTube Shorts, and propelling Fat Papi to nearly 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Fat Papi (real name: Baban Hussain) has been releasing music independently since 2023. The Auckland-based Kurdish rapper, singer and songwriter is behind a distinctive style that blends melodic hip-hop, synth-driven club production, and infectious hooks.

“Joining UNIFIED is an exciting next step for shushy and I. Being able to work with Matt and access the backing of the wider team gives me the right mix of independence and support,” comments Fat Papi. “I’m proud to represent both my Kurdish heritage and New Zealand on the world stage, and we’re just getting started.”

Adds Harvey: “Fat Papi is a generational talent whose music has resonated internationally in a remarkably short space of time. ‘Freaked Out’ proved that world-class music originating from New Zealand can break global boundaries without compromise.

“Bringing him and shushy into the UNIFIED Artist Management family as our first trans-Tasman management signing since joining forces, sets the standard for what we intend to build here: sustainable, long-term global careers for top-tier local talent.”

UNFIED, reads a statement, will provide dedicated global management support for the next phase of their career.

The management agreement is announced just days after Warner Chappell Music struck a worldwide publishing deal with Fat Papi and prodshushy.

MELBOURNE, Australia — A new artist booking specialist opens for business in the land down under, CORE Talent Agency.

The agency is founded by Jaddan Comerford, CEO of UNIFIED Music Group, and Regan Lethbridge, co-founder of Lemon Tree Music, and emerges from Lonely Lands Agency (LLA), which Tash Sultana established with the pair back in 2019.

CORE operates as part of the broader UNIFIED Music Group ecosystem, and is led by co-general managers, Desiree Venuto and Adam Montgomery and boasts a roster that includes Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, The Terrys, Budjerah, Day We Ran, Emma Donovan, South Summit, Slowly Slowly, DEVAURA and others.

It’s mission: to focus on established independent Australian artists, as well as some of Australia and New Zealand’s “most exciting up-and-coming talent,” reads a statement, with its artists enjoying access to UNIFIED’s experience, infrastructure and connections.

Venuto joined LLA in 2019, and has been namechecked in The Music Network’s 30 Under 30 and Pollstar’s Impact International Next Gen Honorees lists, while Montgomery is an experienced professional who led boutique booking agency Four Tone Artists, representing the likes of Bec Sandridge, Didirri and Mia Dyson.

CORE’s dedicated launch team includes LaBelle Jackson, Victoria Kozbanis and Jo Syme.

“We are thrilled to officially unveil CORE. Having been a part of this journey since its inception, it is incredibly rewarding to step into this new role to lead the next iteration of the agency,” comments Venuto. “Artist creativity has always been our foundation, and we are stepping forward with a unified team backed by decades of shared industry expertise.”

Adds Montgomery: “Partnering with Desiree to lead this next chapter is a true career highlight. CORE is built around putting the artist at the heart of every decision, and we’re excited to bring this fresh energy into each conversation. “With the support of Comerford and Lethbridge, he continues, “we’re eager to champion our incredible roster and continue to expand our community.”

Visit cta.live for more.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Ralph Carr, the disgraced promoter and talent manager who once guided the careers of Kate Ceberano, Tina Arena, Vanessa Amorosi and others, is behind bars after a court found him guilty of rape.

The Melbourne businessman was this week sentenced to six years’ jail for crimes committed on the night of March 23, 2023.

“Your conduct was appalling,” Judge Frank Gucciardo said during sentencing this week, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. “Rape is a crime of violence. This was committed by you in an egregious breach of trust.”

Carr is said to have faced the County Court of Victoria via video link, sobbing, and unrecognizable without the hairpiece that had earned him the nickname “The Rug,” as the judge read the sentence, according to the public broadcaster. The 66-year-old must serve a minimum of four years before he is eligible for parole.

Earlier, prosecutors alleged Carr committed the attack against a woman at his Melbourne home, after a night when the pair had been consuming drugs and alcohol.

He pleaded not guilty at the trial. A jury, however, found him guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

“You maintain your innocence of these offences and consequently there is no evidence of your remorse or contrition,” Judge Gucciardo remarked.

Carr is currently held at the Melbourne Assessment Prison but will be moved to Hopkins Correctional Centre in Ararat.

The sentencing judge is said to have taken into account several factors, including the public nature of Carr’s downfall, his lack of a criminal record and his mental health.

“These offences strike at the most basic values, the norms of a decent society,” Judge Gucciardo explained.

A high-profile professional in the worlds of Australian sport and music, Carr was publicly identified on Monday, Aug. 3 when an almost three-year-long suppression order was lifted by the County Court.

Media outlets were unable able to disclose Carr’s identify until then, due to a suppression order granted under Section 18(1)(c) of Victoria’s Open Courts Act. Carr’s legal reps had called for the gag order, arguing his personal safety was at risk if he was outed in the press.

The secrecy ended when Carr was found guilty and an application to extend the order was abandoned.

Ralph Carr Management (RCM) clients once included Vanessa Amorosi, Rick Price, Mark Vincent, and ARIA Hall of Famers Kate Ceberano and Tina Arena, to whom he was married for several years in the mid-to-late 1990s. His live entertainment company RCM Touring Pty Limited went into liquidation in 2018, after reportedly owning A$120,000 to another touring enterprise, Big Deal Touring. Two years later, in 2020, Carr was questioned in a “public examination” at Sydney’s Supreme Court in relation to RCM Touring’s financial affairs.

Speaking on Episode 6 of the “GLOW Stories” podcast, Arena reflected on her former partner and the culture that enabled improper behavior. “I think what happened to Mr Carr a couple of weeks ago is the culmination of very, very inappropriate behavior that has been going on for a very long time,” she remarked.

Carr’s legal team is expected to lodge legal documents with the Court of Appeal within the next two months, according to the ABC.

The Australian Recording Industry Association has become the first national chart body to implement eligibility rules for recordings made with generative AI, confirming that wholly AI-generated tracks will be barred from the ARIA Charts.

Recordings that use AI in a supporting role remain eligible; tracks generated wholesale by AI do not. The changes take effect from the chart dated Monday, Aug. 31.

To qualify, a recording must be “substantially human-made” and raise “no stream or chart manipulation concerns,” with ARIA applying the global music industry’s AI labelling standard, announced July 10, to tell AI-generated recordings from AI-assisted ones.

The move implements the global principles set by the IFPI and the major labels earlier this year — ARIA being the first national chart body to adopt them with a firm date.

“Artists already use AI tools in their work, the charts can and should evolve to keep room for that, but music generated wholesale by services built on artists’ recordings is a different matter,” ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said. She added that “a chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent,” and urged other decision-makers, “particularly radio,” to adopt similar codes.

The rules carry teeth. ARIA can decline to survey an ineligible recording, remove it from the charts, adjust positions, withdraw accreditations, and revoke any ARIA No. 1 Award; ineligible tracks are also barred from the ARIA Awards. Artists can contest exclusions through an updated disputes process.

The policy arrives as AI-generated music has begun testing the boundaries of chart systems worldwide. The AI country act Breaking Rust reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart in 2025, and in April 2026 the AI act IngaRose topped iTunes charts in the U.S. and globally — cases that focused industry attention on the absence of any chart rules governing AI.

Neither involved detected streaming fraud; both drew on real purchases or organic interest on narrower charts.

ARIA said it will keep the code under review as AI policy and technology continue to develop.

Dale Morris, the legendary Nashville artist manager who helped build the superstar careers of Alabama and Kenny Chesney, has died. He was 89.

Morris died peacefully in his sleep Friday night (Aug. 21), his representatives said. A specific cause of death was not provided.

“He lived a big, bold, beautiful, blessed life, and I’m holding onto that right now,” Clint Higham, president of Morris Higham Management, said in a statement about his mentor and longtime business partner. “It’s the end of an era.”

Morris began his career in the music industry as a songwriter, penning Johnny Paycheck’s 1967 single “Don’t Monkey With Another Monkey’s Monkey” before turning his attention to the business side.

After launching Dale Morris & Associates, Morris was introduced to the up-and-coming band Alabama in 1979 at The Bowery in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Under his management, Alabama went on to score 33 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart — the most among duos or groups — and became an unstoppable touring force, bringing production values on par with those of the era’s biggest rock acts.

In the early 1990s, Morris forged a professional relationship with aspiring country singer Chesney, who would go on to become a Country Music Hall of Famer and one of the highest-grossing country touring artists of all time, according to Billboard Boxscore. Chesney also holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, with 33.

Morris’ other clients included Martina McBride, Barbara Mandrell, Jake Owen, Old Dominion, Brandon Lay, Ryan Griffin and Walker County.

“He was larger than life, and never met a dream he couldn’t build,” Higham said. “Dale Morris gave me my first internship, and I never wanted to go anywhere else. He saw things in people, in me, in Kenny, and inspired everyone to reach beyond what we thought possible. Maybe it’s how much he loved life, loved his family, loved us.”

In 2018, Paradigm (now called THE·TEAM) acquired Dale Morris & Associates, the in-house booking business of Morris and Higham’s firm, Morris Higham Management.

During his career, Morris also received the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award in 2014.

Morris was married to his wife, Earline, for 68 years. He was preceded in death by his son, Tim. He is survived by his daughter-in-law, Jennifer; grandchildren Zack, Colton (and wife Mary Blair), Nick (and wife Shelby) and Kendall; and great-grandchildren Mary Dee and Gus.

“We’re so blessed to have had 90 years with him as the patriarch of our family,” his grandson Zack Morris said in a statement. “Thank you to our music industry family and to his vast community of friends in Nashville, Boca and beyond for loving him all these many years.”

A celebration of life is being planned for later this fall, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, Morris’ family is asking for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.