BMG and Suno have reached a licensing deal allowing BMG’s recorded and music publishing works to be used to create derivative works on the platform, the companies jointly announced on Tuesday (Aug. 11).

“Together, the companies will develop entirely new music experiences that reimagine how artists and fans can connect,” a press release announcing the deal reads. The agreement is part of Suno’s upcoming launch of a new AI music model it created in consultation with industry stakeholders.

Under the deal, BMG artists and songwriters must opt in before their music can be used for inputs (training) and outputs (derivative works created by Suno users). Artists and songwriters who opt in will be compensated under the deal, which also settles Suno’s prior use of BMG’s recordings and publishing works.

The agreement follows Suno’s release of a set of principles via a blog post on Thursday (Aug. 6) that reiterated the company’s plan to limit users’ downloads of AI songs from its platform — which would make good on a promise included in its settlement and licensing deal with Warner Music Group (WMG) in November.

The blog post, written by Suno co-founder and CEO Mikey Shulman, went on to detail Suno’s AI training strategies, including its contention that it does not use artists’ names in its training metadata — though that has not stopped it from facing lawsuits from all three major labels, German collection society GEMA (which prevailed in court last week) and the Danish rights organization Koda. Shulman also said Suno would attempt to regulate the flood of AI songs on music platforms by creating “new watermarking and fingerprinting techniques” that would be available “in the coming weeks.”

The Suno principles were released just one week after a German court found the company liable for illegally training its AI model on unlicensed songs administered by GEMA. A source told Billboard at the time that the announcement of the principles was already in the works before the court ruling.

In July, a coalition of music companies including the RIAA and IFPI released a proposal that suggested adding labels to AI-generated and AI-assisted recordings, though disclosures of AI use would be voluntary under the plan. Later that month, a different coalition, including the three major labels, proposed a set of rules governing the chart eligibility of AI-generated songs.

“We believe the future of music will be more participatory, creating entirely new ways for artists and fans to connect,” said Shulman in a statement on the BMG deal. “Building that future responsibly means working directly with the people who make music and the companies that represent them. Together with BMG, we can develop new experiences that give artists and songwriters real choice, generate new revenue, and make music a bigger part of people’s lives.”

Added Celine Joshua, executive vp of global marketing and streaming at BMG: “The future of AI in music will be defined by whether artists and songwriters remain at the center of the opportunity and share in the value it creates. Choice is the guiding principle. This agreement establishes strong protections, clear economics, and new creative possibilities for artists and their fans. As we enter the era of creation, we look forward to shaping that future together with our creators and Suno.”

Billboard U.K.’s inaugural 40 Under 40 list is set to arrive this autumn in conjunction with an exclusive launch event at the Beyond The Music conference in Salford, Greater Manchester.

An extension of Billboard’s 40 Under 40 franchise, the list and event will celebrate the young executives and difference-makers across the sector, including labels and distributors, management, publishing, streaming companies, the live business, rights associations and more.

Set to be published in early October, the 40 Under 40 list will be nominated by executives’ peers and companies, and selected in full by Billboard U.K. editors. Nominations are now open here, and close on Aug. 19 at 11:59 p.m. (BST). Eligible executives must be under the age of 40 on Oct. 7, 2026 and based in the U.K.

The list will be celebrated with an exclusive event at the Beyond The Music on Oct. 7 as part of the conference’s official programming.

“The U.K.’s music industry remains a world-leading sector where ambition meets expertise. Billboard UK’s inaugural 40 Under 40 List will honour rising and established executives whose innovative thinking and limitless vision are shaping the future of the market,” Mo Ghoneim, president, Billboard U.K, said in a statement.

“We look forward to recognising this year’s honourees at Beyond The Music 2026, where this shared ethos is fiercely championed.” 

Beyond The Music returns to MediaCity in Salford, Greater Manchester between Oct. 6-9. The music and creative industry conference will open with a 24th anniversary premiere of 24 Hour Party People on Oct. 6. The screening will be accompanied by a keynote conversation with director Michael Winterbottom and actor Steve Coogan, who played the role of Factory Records co-founder Tony Wilson in the film.

Elsewhere, the event will encompass panel discussions across AI, regional investment in the arts, the creative wealth gap, the live sector and more. Closing the programme will be the All Content AI Summit, convened by the newly appointed prime minister and former mayor of Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham. According to a press release, the session will look at how the industry can “align on a shared, rights-based position for AI and ways to protect art and its creation, whilst ensuring commerce can grow and flourish alongside modern technology.” 

Confirmed speakers to appear at the conference so far include Tommas Arnby (manager, Yungblud), Stacey Tang (co-president, RCA U.K.), Dr. Jo Twist (CEO, BPI), Tom Gray (chair, The Ivors Academy) and more.

SYDNEY, Australia — Fat Papi and prodshushy, the Aotearoa / New Zealand creative team behind the viral hit “Freaked Out,” have signed with Warner Chappell Music for worldwide representation.

The agreements encompass Fat Papi’s and prodshushy’s entire catalogue and future works, including “Freaked Out,” a Billboard Hot 100 and Spotify Global Top 100 hit.

A Kurdish rapper, singer and songwriter raised in NZ, Fat Papi is known for blending melodic hip-hop, synth-driven club production, and infectious hooks. With his collaborator prodshushy, who is making moves in dance-rap and synth-club spaces, the duo have captured more than 100 million streams with “Freaked Out,” while pushing viral trends across socials.

Ignited in part by content themed around summer haircuts, “Freaked Out” gave Fat Papi his first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 when it debuted at No. 89, lifting to No. 88 on the latest chart.

“I’m excited to join Warner Chappell Music, home to so many legends and icons. I’m also really proud to represent both my Kurdish and New Zealand people with my music on the international stage,” he comments in a statement.

Prodshushy adds: “It’s a privilege and an honor to be represented by Warner Chappell Music for publishing. I’m looking forward to working with the team and building connections with their fantastic roster of writers.”

Cracking the Hot 100 was an “insane” career moment, Fat Papi tells Billboard. “Being from New Zealand and Kurdish, “this doesn’t happen a lot.” There’s new music coming soon, he insists.

On welcoming the artists to Warner Chappell’s global roster of songwriters and producers, says Dan Rosen, president of Warner Chappell Music Australasia, “we look forward to building on this momentum to support their long-term global careers.”

Adds John Halstead, senior A&R manager at Warner Chappell Music Australia: “Fat Papi and prodshushy bring a level of originality that’s impossible to ignore. ‘Freaked Out’ is a huge moment, but it’s their vision for what comes next that really excites me. Proud to welcome them to Warner Chappell and back them for the long haul.”

SYDNEY, Australia — Olly Arkins, chief executive officer of the Australian Festival Association, will depart from the trade body later this month.

AFA chair Adelle Robinson pays tribute to Arkins for leading the AFA through “one of the most consequential periods for the festival industry,” a chapter than included the fallout from the pandemic, the effects of which are still being felt by festival organizers.

Under Arkins’ leadership, the AFA has worked with members, governments and industry partners “to secure greater recognition of festivals as an essential part of Australia’s cultural infrastructure,” Robinson comments in a statement.

Arkins’ last day with the AFA is next Friday, Aug. 21. Speaking with Billboard, Arkins points to the opportunity to rewrite the Music Festivals Act in New South Wales, resulting in significant reforms passed by the state parliament in September 2024, as her “biggest achievement” in five years with the AFA.

Also, Arkins advocated for the federal government to establish and then increase Revive Live funding, including dedicated support for music festivals; helped secure the introduction of drug-checking services at music festivals in both Victoria and New South Wales; renegotiated the OneMusic licence scheme to secure improved terms for music festivals; and more.

“Olly arrived at a time when festivals were still trying to work out whether we had a future. She leaves the AFA with governments listening to our industry and festivals firmly at the table in music industry-wide advocacy,” Robinson remarks.

“She has taken the needs and aspirations of festival promoters directly to decision-makers and turned advocacy into increased funding, legislative reform and stronger working relationships with the agencies that regulate festivals.

“On behalf of the AFA board and our members, I want to thank Olly for her relentless commitment to ensuring Australia has a thriving and sustainable music festival sector.”

The AFA was unveiled in December 2018, representing festival organizers, suppliers and stakeholders across Australia’s music festival sector. Its mission, to advocate the festival industry, promoting best-practice safety and operational standards, providing a unified voice, and facilitate policy reform and investment.

Today, its members include Fuzzy, CMC Rocks, Live Nation, Hardware, Laneway, Groovin’ The Moo, Lost Paradise and many others.

“I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity the AFA board gave me to advocate for our members and this remarkable industry. It has been the experience of a lifetime,” Arkins comments in a statement.

“I will always cherish the support I received from Adelle and the entire team, including the support they gave me as I transitioned during my time at the AFA.

“Together, we all made the case that festivals are major employers and tourism drivers. Importantly for me, they also give Australian artists some of their first opportunities to perform on a major stage and allow more fans to discover them.

“Festivals provide formative cultural experiences and help create lifelong music fans, benefiting the entire industry. I know this because I am one.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past four years. Our association is stronger, the industry has an influential voice with government and in the media, and there is now a much deeper understanding of the cultural and economic value of festivals.”

A federal judge says Megan Thee Stallion and Roc Nation must face trial in a lawsuit filed by a former cameraman who says he was forced to watch the rapper have sex in a car during a European tour.

In a ruling Friday (Aug. 7), Judge Gregory H. Woods refused to dismiss several accusations from videographer Emilio Garcia, who filed a bombshell lawsuit in 2024 containing salacious accusations against the rapper.

The decision means that Megan and Roc must face a jury trial over some of his claims, including Garcia’s accusation that they failed to pay proper wages, discriminated against him under New York law and retaliated when he complained about his pay.

A rep for Megan and Roc Nation did not immediately return a request for comment. Garcia’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, thanked the judge and said his client was “looking forward to having his day in court.”

In a May 2024 lawsuit, Garcia accused Megan and Roc Nation of subjecting him to a hostile work environment due to the alleged car-sex incident, which he says took place while on tour in Spain in 2022. He claimed the incident left him “embarrassed, mortified and offended,” and that Megan and Roc Nation later retaliated against him by reducing his work and eventually terminating him.

Megan’s attorneys have strongly denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusations “false and fabricated.” They said Garcia had taken “run of the mill” complaints about his wages and added “sensationalist false allegations of sex, debauchery, and workplace harassment for the sole purpose of creating a media firestorm.”

“Plaintiff is a con artist who is manipulating the judicial system to act as his publicist and bullhorn in a desperate attempt to boost his failed singing career while trying to tear down the successful career of Megan Thee Stallion,” wrote the star’s attorney, Alex Spiro.

But after more than two years of litigation, the case is headed to trial following Friday’s ruling. The judge did dismiss certain claims, including that the star or Roc had retaliated against him for complaining about the car-sex incident. But the judge said he had done enough that a jury might side with him on his discrimination claims, his wage accusations and his claims of retaliation tied to the wage dispute.

Osheaga’s 19th edition was one for the books.

The three-day music and arts festival and Montreal just wrapped up its 19th year by logging one of its most successful editions, drawing its second-highest-ever attendance with over 151,000 fans. It’s proof that one of the biggest festivals in Canada continues to get even bigger, with two out of three nights fully sold out this year.

Osheaga was Canada down this year, and Tate McRae helped make history. The Tate-headlined Saturday date (Aug. 1) was sold out nearly three weeks in advance, the fastest sellout ever for an individual day. The sales were largely driven by the Canadian hitmaker’s headlining slot and its massive hype. Evenko, the promoter behind the festival, already forecasted the sellout in May.

McRae took the stage for her first-ever festival headline appearance in her home country while simultaneously becoming the first Canadian to headline the festival since Arcade Fire replaced the Foo Fighters in 2022, and The Weeknd headlined in 2017.

The local spirit was remarkably high this year, with about 50% of this year’s crowd comprised of Quebec fans, up from about 40% last year. One of the weekend’s most anticipated moments came in the form of Quebec heroes Angine de Poitrine, who played a surprise set on Saturday. The band was booked in May, prior to their legendary record-setting set at Montreal Jazz Fest. They were saved as a last-minute surprise because sales were already steady, so they added some last-minute buzz. Osheaga initially soft-launched their appearance by including their name within the lineup on select merch pieces just one day prior to their performance, and later revealed them the following morning, giving ticketholders a guaranteed opportunity to see the world’s most viral band.

The festival has proven its knack for booking bubbling acts right before they spike in popularity, and this year’s edition followed suit with that trend. Rising singer-songwriter Stella Lefty, who is currently charting in the top 5 of the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Billboard Hot 100, filled up the Mountain stage during her ripe 3 pm set, and Malcolm Todd played the primary main stage after earning millions of new listeners in the past months, since the lineup first dropped.

As nostalgia continues to blanket 2026, this year’s Osheaga was a full-circle edition including several throwbacks to its own programming from 10 years ago, including Lorde’s return as a headliner and other Osheaga alumni making their way back to Parc Jean-Drapeau.

“Zara Larsson played in 2017. She’s had a great career, but now all of a sudden she’s huge,” Osheaga founder Nick Farkas tells Billboard Canada. The Swedish pop star pulled one of the weekend’s biggest crowds amid her major chart resurgence. Fans rocking bright colours and flowers filled the audience across both main stages, eager to hear Larsson’s hits both old (“Lush Life”) and new (“Midnight Sun” and “Stateside”). The Heated Rivalry craze also led Wolf Parade to the festival once more, with Farkas adding that it was “so much fun having Wolf Parade back.” The band famously played the inaugural edition of Osheaga and made their second decennial return this year, now having played in 2006, 2016 and 2026, a run that speaks to their own longevity as well as that of the festival.

Read more here. — Stefano Rebuli

OVO Golf Classic Doubles Its Support For The Remix Project and Scarborough Shooting Stars Foundation in 2026

October’s Very Own upped the ante for its second OVO Golf Classic last Thursday (July 30).

The clothing and culture brand co-founded by global superstar Drake took over all three award-winning courses at TPC Osprey Valley, home of the Canadian Open, for a spirited day of music, sport and community in support of the Remix Project and the Scarborough Shooting Stars Foundation. It was hosted by eTalk’s Tyrone Edwards, a Remix alumnus himself, and sports broadcaster Rod Black, the voice of the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

The event was produced by creative marketing and experiential events agency That Good.

While 2025’s first edition set a standard for the event, the second year was even bigger. There were 91 teams (up from 36 last year), totalling 364 golfers.

That included some major names from music, culture and sports: the NBA’s Devin Booker and Jordan Clarkson, football star Johnny Manziel and soccer star Jozy Altidore, OVO Sound artists Smiley, Nineteen85, Roy Woods and Jordan Ullman of Majid Jordan, social media stars Glamzilla, MD Motivator, Kyle Foregard of the NELK Boys and many more.

Following an 11 a.m. shotgun start, golfers spent the day playing through a superpowered version of the acclaimed golf course. Every hole was activated with exclusive giveaways and challenges, adding an extra layer to the action on the course. Billboard Canada was the partner for hole 11, letting participants star on their version of a Billboard cover between swings.

All the money raised went toward the Remix Project and the Scarborough Shooting Stars Foundation, the charitable arm of a Canadian Elite Basketball League team, funding youth programs that provide access to sport, mentorship and opportunity for under-resourced youth in the community.

At the end of the day, a helicopter dropped a set of balls onto the course, each with a potential big prize including a suite for 20 people for a Toronto Blue Jays Game, tickets to any NFL game, a $1000 OVO gift card, a Gretzky Hockey School jersey signed by Wayne Gretzky and a one-night, two-round stay for four golfers at TPC Osprey in 2027.

After everyone was done on the course, a special meal and reception fed and entertained the star-studded crowd.

Read more here. — Billboard Canada

Departure Executive Producer Steps Down After Two-Year Run

Kevin Barton has stepped down from his role as executive producer at Departure.

Barton held the role for both years of the conference and festival since it was bought by Oak View Group and Loft Entertainment in 2024 and rebranded from Canadian Music Week. Barton remains a partner and shareholder at Loft, the Toronto-based music company co-founded by former Bell Media and Universal Music Canada executive Randy Lennox and film producer Jeffrey Latimer.

“I’m concluding my role as Executive Producer of Departure Festival + Conference,” Barton tells Billboard Canada. “After spending the past two years helping guide its evolution, it feels like the right time for me to begin a new chapter.”

In March, shortly before the second edition of Departure, the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) announced Barton would be taking an expanded role as chief strategy officer. At the time, Barton clarified on Instagram that he would continue in his roles at Departure and Loft.

Barton says his decision to move on from Departure was not driven by his expanded role at CAFA, but rather by a desire to focus on new projects.

“I’ve reached a point where I want to focus on a broader portfolio of work, including CAFA, strategic advisory projects, and developing new initiatives around culture, business and innovation,” he says.

Throughout his career, Barton has bridged the worlds of music, fashion and art, building the Urban Music department at Universal Music Canada and also working in film and photography.

Canadian Music Week’s transformation into Departure also shifted from its longtime identity as the Canadian music industry’s leading conference into one that also focused on media, technology, film, fashion and other cultural subjects.

“When I joined, one of my priorities was helping reimagine the festival’s identity to better reflect where culture was heading,” Barton says, expanding across creative sectors to reflect “how today’s artistic communities actually collaborate and create.”

Billboard Canada learned there were layoffs following this year’s edition of Departure. Barton attributes that to seasonal staffing, which he says is common across the live events industry. “Organizations expand to deliver the festival and then realign afterward as they transition into planning, partnership development and long-term strategy for the next edition.”

Read more here. — Richard Trapunski

Universal Music Korea signs award-winning producer, composer, and hip-hop artist Hukky Shibaseki to a management deal.

Recognized for his distinctive approach to experimental hip-hop, electronic textures, and alternative homegrown rap, the South Korean creative has established himself as one of the market’s leaders in contemporary hip-hop.

Across his career, Shibaseki has collaborated with such local talents as E SENS, B-Free, J-Tong, JJANGYOU and numerous independent musicians, all the time bridging “traditional hip-hop sensibilities with forward-thinking production,” reads a statement from the major music company, creating works that are both rooted in Seoul’s underground culture and the international alternative music scene.

“Hukky Shibaseki is a visionary and one of the Korean music industry’s most influential creative leaders, recognized for elevating the artistry and careers of exceptional talent,” comments Calvin Wong, CEO of Universal Music Group Southeast Asia and Korea, and senior VP of Asia.

At UMK, the hip-hop standout joins a roster that includes DEAN, Okasian, Bryan Chase, LIM KIM, 1300, and HEYOON.

With this new management partnership, announced Friday, Aug. 7, UMK will work closely with its new signing to expand his creative endeavors, strategic collaborations, and international opportunities.

Thanks to a combination of the K-pop phenomenon, its burgeoning hip-hop culture, and a mature, domestic streaming music space, South Korea’s recorded market is a powerhouse, a global top 10 market, coming in at No. 7 in the IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026.

To tap into that vibrant scene, Billboard Korea, together with Billboard, launches two new songs charts in Korea to more precisely capture the momentum and influence of K-Music — the Billboard Korea Global K-Songs and Billboard Korea Hot 100.

Shibaseki has his own lane, UMK reckons. “His production seamlessly balances raw underground aesthetics with melodic, cinematic sound design,” reads a statement, “resulting in a style that is both sonically adventurous and emotionally resonant.”

Major labels are cracking down on an illegal streaming app in Canada.

Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group will begin legal proceedings in Canada against the developers of Musi, a streaming app that sources music from YouTube without the authorization of artists. The app, which has been deemed “parasitic” by the majors, features the same content as YouTube and YouTube Music, but with fewer or no advertisements.

Although it was pulled from Apple’s App Store in 2024 following a slew of copyright claims and infringements, users who previously installed the app can still access it, and the majors are now stepping in to crack down on its activity.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has teamed up with Music Canada, its local national group representing the three majors in Canada, to represent both labels in the action. They claim that Musi is illegally making copyrighted material available to the public and deliberately circumventing technical protections that would normally protect such content on YouTube from theft.

“We are serving notice on parasitic apps, which are designed specifically to exploit artists and their music, and undermine legitimate music services,” says IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley. “Musi and similar illegal services have no place in today’s music ecosystem which is built on the premise of empowering innovation through licensing. This legal action is an important step, and we hope it will be further supported by effective, direct action from the mobile app stores and the music services being directly exploited by these apps.”

The platform has charged users for subscriptions and advertising models, making a profit by circumventing legitimate competition, they argue, and simultaneously depriving artists of certain royalties and income.

“This litigation sends a clear message that services designed to circumvent platform protections and exploit music without authorisation are not legitimate businesses,” says Music Canada CEO Patrick Rogers. “The industry will continue taking coordinated action to protect artists and fans from unlawful exploitation. Our goal is simple: ensure artists are paid when their music is played — and shutting down parasitic apps is one way to achieve that.”

Copyright has been a top priority for the Canadian music business, with major labels and music companies taking action. Earlier this year, Music Canada secured a first-of-its-kind court order from the Federal Court of Canada to block popular YouTube stream-ripping sites like Y2Mate, YTMP3 and Savefrom, which count over 1.7 million monthly users and are known for facilitating illegal music downloads. “I believe artists should be paid when their music is played. To create the best possible environment for that to happen, we have to shut down sites that promote stealing music,” said Rogers of the groundbreaking victory.

Canadians have also tightened the knot on copyright protection in the face of AI, which has been the catalyst for new concerns and cases of infringement, specifically with unlicensed music borrowing from copyrighted music. Music Publishers Canada recently made a landmark intervention in a federal case regarding generative AI and copyright laws, putting forward the idea that only a human can be the author of copyright, and CEO Margaret McGuffin calling it “imperative” that Canadian copyright laws respect creators and encourage human expression in the face of AI.

This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.

Micah Sykes, the son of celebrated opera and gospel singer Jubilant Sykes, pleaded not guilty to murdering his father during an arraignment at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles on Thursday (Aug. 6).

The younger Sykes, 31, was arrested hours after his father was fatally stabbed at the family’s Santa Monica, Calif., residence on Dec. 8, 2025.

Micah Sykes was charged with a felony count of murder with a special allegation that the defendant used a deadly weapon in the commission of the crime. If convicted, he faces up to a life sentence in state prison.

“Our community continues to mourn the senseless loss of Jubilant Sykes whose renowned baritone and legacy of music brought joy to the world,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement on Thursday. “This horrific act of violence is a painful reminder of how older adults remain vulnerable to violence, even from those closest to them. Our elders deserve to feel safe and the office’s Elder Abuse Section is committed to holding those who harm them fully accountable.”

According to Rolling Stone, prosecutors allege that Micah Sykes murdered his father inside their home using a “dagger, garden shears and a barbell.”

Police responded to a 911 call of an assault around 9:20 p.m. PT on Dec. 8. The Grammy-nominated singer was ruled dead at the scene by Santa Monica Fire Department personnel. He was 71.

Micah Sykes, who is one of Jubilant’s three children, was quickly identified as a suspect in the fatal stabbing. He was taken into custody “without incident,” according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

“I was born and raised in Santa Monica, so we were really pretty close out here. What a singer… Good spirit, good-hearted person, beautiful family,” Jubilant Sykes’ neighbor and friend Sammy Murphy told KTLA at the time of the murder.

Per a press release put out by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office,Micah Sykes will remain behind bars without bail and is slated to be back in court on Sept. 2.

Peter Katsis, the veteran music manager who helped shepherd the careers of artists including Backstreet Boys, Korn, The Smashing Pumpkins and Snoop Dogg, has died, a representative tells Billboard. He was 69.

Katsis kicked off his music business career at age 23 in Chicago, his hometown, when he discovered and managed the industrial band Ministry. He later went on to work as an A&R executive at the city’s Trax Precision Records, where he served as a booking agent for influential Chicago house artists including Marshal Jefferson and Adonis just as the dance sub-genre was in its nascent stages.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1990, Katsis began working with artists including The Cramps, Material Issue and Tuck & Patti. Between 1997 and 2008, he became a partner in The Firm, where he helped launch artists like Backstreet Boys, Enrique Iglesias and Thirty Seconds to Mars to stardom. While working on the Backstreet Boys’ Millennium arena tour in 1999, the run sold 765,000 tickets in just one day, the vast majority in the first hour; the tour also won Katsis a Pollstar Award for most creative stage design. The massive success of that run resulted in the boy band moving up to stadiums on its Black and Blue tour the following year.

While at The Firm, Katsis scored another major success with the rock supergroup Audioslave, helping secure the band’s 2005 performance for tens of thousands of fans in Havana, Cuba, as part of a cultural exchange between Cuba and the U.S.

In 2008, Katsis, along with ex-The Firm partner and CEO Jeff Kwatinetz and former Disney executive Rich Frank, launched Prospect Park Entertainment, where he continued managing Backstreet Boys, Audioslave and Korn along with acts including the The Smashing Pumpkins (which he signed in 2012), Jane’s Addiction and Ice Cube. After leaving Prospect Park in 2014 following an alleged dispute with Kwatinetz, Katsis continued laying the groundwork for successful tours for some of those same artists, as well as acts including Liz Phair, Morrissey, Pentatonix and 5 Seconds of Summer, at firms including Deckstar Management and YM&U.

Katsis is survived by a son Ian Katsis and sister Anastasia Katsis.