The ''Variety'' Hitmakers Awards is an annual event held by ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''. Is the publication's first music franchise, according to the magazine, it was established to recognize "the artists, labels, executives, producers, publishers, sound mixers, engineers, managers and marketing mavens behind the year’s most consumed songs." According the magazine: "The music editors at ''Variety'' analyze each song’s merits — including structure, melody/hook, lyrics, cultural relevance and commercial performance — and dissect who played a role in bringing the song to life, from idea to writing to production to execution and out to the marketplace." It was also confirmed by the magazine that all data used to decide the Hitmakers, comes from Luminate. The first award was presented in 2017, and the most recent event took place in 2024. Annual honorees includes:

Variety's Hitmaker of the Year Award

The ''Variety'''s Hitmaker of the Year Award goes to an artist that had significant recognition through the year thanks to their role as a producer, writer, or performance on "highly successful songs and albums that chart well and gain widespread recognition." The award was first given to

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...

in 2017. In 2021, the award was presented as the hitmaker of tomorrow, and went to

Jack Harlow Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper and singer. He began his recording career in 2015, and released several EPs and mixtapes until signing with Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now, an imprint of A ...

. In 2022, the award was presented to more than one artist with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and

Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Lipa worked as a model before v ...

both getting recogntion for their collaborative hit single " Cold Heart". The most recent winner is

Charli xcx Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

who was named Variety's Hitmaker of 2024 for being "indisputably one of the greatest pop innovators of the 21st century." * 2017:

* 2018:

Adam Levine Adam Noah Levine ( ; born March 18, 1979) is an American musician who is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and sole continuous member of the pop rock band Maroon 5. Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, for ...

* 2019:

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

* 2020:

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture. Styles's musical ca ...

* 2021:

(presented as Hitmaker of Tomorrow) * 2022:

and

* 2023:

SZA Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally as SZA ( ), is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her diaristic lyrics and genre explorations, she has been credited as a prominent figure in influencing contemporary R& ...

* 2024:

Variety's Decade Award

''Variety'''s Decade Award recognizes ten years of a musician work in the music industry. The award was first given to

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...

who was awarded in 2019 for ten years of "undeniable hits". In 2021,

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

became the second artist to be honored with the decade award in recognition to her artistry and influence. In 2024,

Jack Antonoff Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Bleachers, and previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop band Fun and the lead vocalist of t ...

was presented with ''Varietys Producer of the Decade Award in recognition of his ten years of work as a producer.

Artists

* 2019:

— in recognition of a staying power decade of undeniable hits. * 2021:

— in recognition as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century.

Producers

* 2024:

Variety's Producer of the Year Award

''Variety'''s Producer of the Year Award was first given to

Noah "40" Shebib Noah James Shebib (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name 40, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, record executive, and former child actor from Toronto, Ontario. He is best known for his production work with fellow Toronto n ...

for his work with Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

in 2018. The most recent winner is Daniel Nigro who was honored for being "the key collaborator in the albums by two of the year’s most culture-shifting artists" referencing to his work on

Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She began her career as a child, appearing in commercials and the direct-to-video film '' An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success'' (2015). She rose ...

's ''Guts'' and

Chappell Roan Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (born February 19, 1998), known professionally as Chappell Roan ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her Camp (style), camp and drag queen–influenced aesthetic. Her debut EP, ''School Nights'' (201 ...

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess ''The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess'' is the debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, released on September 22, 2023, by Amusement Records, an imprint of Island Records. It was met with widespread acclaim and pra ...

in 2024. * 2018: Noah “40” Shebib * 2019:

Louis Bell Louis Russell Bell (born May 27, 1982) is an American record producer, vocal producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer. Bell's work includes production for Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, 5 Seconds of Summer, ...

* 2020:

Mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...

* 2021: Mike Dean * 2022:

Ricky Reed Eric Burton Frederic (born January 15, 1982), known professionally as Ricky Reed, is an American record producer, singer, songwriter, and the founder of Nice Life Recording Company. In 2005, he formed the musical project Wallpaper., which las ...

* 2023:

Metro Boomin Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...

* 2024: Daniel Nigro

Variety's Songwriter of the Year Award

* 2018:

Bebe Rexha Bleta "Bebe" Rexha ( , ; born August 30, 1989) is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with Warner Records in 2013, and was credited with co-writing releases of other artists—such as Eminem's Grammy Award-winning single " The Monster" ...

* 2019:

Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, frontman, and lead vocalist for the pop rock band OneRepublic, while also serving as a prolific cont ...

* 2020:

Lewis Capaldi Lewis Marc Capaldi (born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" (2018) topped the UK Singles Chart where it remained for seven weeks, and in November 2019, it reached number ...

* 2021:

* 2022:

Kid Harpoon Thomas Edward Percy Hull (born 20 April 1982), known professionally as Kid Harpoon, is a British songwriter, record producer, and musician. In 2023, he won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the Brit Award for Songwriter of the Year for ...

and Tyler Johnson * 2023:

Ashley Gorley Ashley Gorley (born April 29, 1977) is an American songwriter, publisher, and producer from Danville, Kentucky, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Gorley has written 81 number 1 songs and has over 400 songs recorded by artists including Luke ...

* 2024:

Amy Allen Amy or Aimee Allen may refer to: *Amy Allen (actress) (born 1976), American actress *Amy Allen (philosopher) *Amy Allen (songwriter) *Aimee Allen (born 1982), American singer-songwriter *Amy Allen (The A Team), Amy Allen ''(The A Team)'' *Amy Allen, ...

Variety's Group of the Year Award

* 2018:

Migos Migos () were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo, his nephew Takeoff, and their "cousin" friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia, while Offset and Takeoff were bo ...

* 2019:

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010. The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, who co-write or co-produce much of their material. Originally a hip hop group, they ...

* 2020:

BLACKPINK Blackpink (, stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The group is composed of four members: Jisoo, Jennie (singer), Jennie, Rosé (singer), Rosé, and Lisa (rapper), Lisa. Regarded by ...

* 2021:

Glass Animals Glass Animals are a British indie rock band formed in Oxford, England in 2010. The band's line-up consists of Dave Bayley (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, songwriting), Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singe ...

* 2022:

Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons are an American pop rock band formed in 2008, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band currently consists of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and bassist Ben McKee. They first gained exposure with the release of ...

* 2023:

Boygenius Boygenius (stylized in lowercase as boygenius) is an American indie rock supergroup consisting of American singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. They debuted with their self-titled EP in 2018, and then returned af ...

Variety's Crossover Artist Award

* 2017:

Hailee Steinfeld Hailee Steinfeld (born December 11, 1996) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She had her breakthrough with the western film ''True Grit (2010 film), True Grit'' (2010), which earned her List of awards and nominations received by H ...

* 2019:

Swae Lee Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown (born June 7, 1993), known professionally as Swae Lee, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Known for his wide vocal range and genre-bending, Lee first saw mainstream recognition as one half of the Mississ ...

* 2020:

Maren Morris Maren Larae Morris (born April 10, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter. Rooted in the country genre, her music blends in elements of pop and R&B. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, an American Music Award, five Country Music Associatio ...

* 2021:

Kali Uchis Karly Marina Loaiza (born July 17, 1994), known professionally as Kali Uchis ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. Her accolades include a Grammy Awards, Grammy Award, an American Music Awards, American Music Award, two Billboard Music Awar ...

* 2024:

Laufey Laufey may refer to: Mythology and fictional characters * Laufey (mythology) Laufey or Nál is a figure in Norse mythology and the mother of Loki. The latter is frequently mentioned by the matronymic ''Loki Laufeyjarson'' (Old Norse 'Loki Laufey' ...

Variety's Record of the Year

* 2020:

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

— “

Blinding Lights "Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was released through XO and Republic Records on November 29, 2019, as the album's second single. It is a synt ...

” * 2021:

— "

Butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

" * 2022:

Lizzo Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo (), is an American singer and rapper. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas, with her family at the age of ten. After college, she moved to Minn ...

— "

About Damn Time "About Damn Time" is a song by American singer and rapper Lizzo, released on April 14, 2022, by Nice Life Recordings and Atlantic Records as the lead single from her fourth studio album '' Special'' (2022). The song reached number one in the U ...

Variety's Label of the Year Award

* 2017:

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

* 2019: Republic Records * 2021:

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

* 2022:

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

* 2023: Republic Records * 2024: REPUBLIC Corps Collective

Variety's Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award

* 2018:

* 2019:

Megan Thee Stallion Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Megan initially gained recognition when videos of her freestyling began to circulate widely on social me ...

* 2020:

Roddy Ricch Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr. (born October 22, 1998), known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Compton, California, Moore rose to fame in 2018 following the release of his song "Die Young ...

* 2021:

Polo G Taurus Tremani Bartlett (born January 6, 1999), known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his singles " Finer Things" and " Pop Out" (featuring Lil Tjay). His debut album '' Die a Legend'' (2019) peaked a ...

(presented as Rising Star Award) * 2022:

Latto Alyssa Michelle Stephens (born December 22, 1998), known professionally as Latto (formerly known as Mulatto), is an American rapper and singer-songwriter from Atlanta. She first appeared on Jermaine Dupri's reality television series ''The Rap G ...

* 2023:

Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series ''Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney Music Group, Disney ...

(presented as Rising Star Award) * 2024:

Shaboozey Collins Obinna Chibueze (born May 9, 1995), known professionally as Shaboozey, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Shaboozey's music combines hip-hop, country, and Americana. His stage name originated from the mispron ...

and

Benson Boone Benson James Boone (born June 25, 2002) is an American singer. Born and raised in Monroe, Washington, he began his music career when he filled in for a friend at a talent show. Boone appeared on ''American Idol'' in early 2021, where he briefly ...

(presented as Newcomers Award)

Variety's Innovators of the Year Award

* 2018: Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “Pee” Thomas of

Quality Control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach plac ...

. * 2021:

Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), better known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his 2018 country rap single "Old Town Road," the longest-running nu ...

* 2022:

Kim Petras Kim Petras (, ; born 27 August 1992) is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republic Reco ...

and

Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure (band), Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch (song), Latch", which peaked at number eleven on ...

Variety's Changemaker of the Year Award

* 2023:

* 2024: Jelly Roll — for his work with the incarcerated and addiction recovery.

Variety's Collaborator of the Year Award

* 2021:

Normani Normani Kordei Hamilton ( ; born May 31, 1996), known mononymously as Normani, is an American singer. She first became known as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in t ...

* 2022:

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

* 2023:

Eslabon Armado Eslabon Armado is an American regional Mexican group from Patterson, California, formed in 2017. the group's lineup was originally consisted of Pedro Tovar (lead vocals), Brian Tovar (bass), Ulises González (acoustic guitar), and Damián Pac ...

Peso Pluma Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija (born 15 June 1999), known professionally as Peso Pluma, is a Mexican corrido singer and rapper. Learning to play the guitar during his early teens, he developed his craft by writing songs inspired by regional Mexi ...

Variety's Storyteller of the Year Award

* 2023:

* 2024:

Lainey Wilson Lainey Denay Wilson (born May 19, 1992) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. She performed at an early age, before going to Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville to pursue a career as a country performer. In 2014, she released her f ...

Variety's Hook of the Year Award

* 2019: YG — “

Go Loko "Go Loko" is a song by American rapper YG featuring fellow American rapper Tyga and Puerto Rican rapper Jon Z. It was released as the second single from YG's album '' 4Real 4Real'' on May 3, 2019. The music video was released alongside the song. I ...

” (feat.

Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson

and

Jon Z Jonathan Resto Quiñones (born May 20, 1991), known professionally as Jon Z, is a Puerto Rican rapper and record producer. He was nominated for "Song of the Year" Urbano / Trap in Premios Lo Nuestro 2020 and in two categories in the Premios Tu M ...

) * 2020:

— "

Variety's Film Song of the Year

* 2021:

and

FINNEAS Finneas Baird O'Connell (born July 30, 1997), also known mononymously by his first name (sometimes stylized in all caps), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, he has written and pro ...

— “

No Time to Die ''No Time to Die'' is a 2021 spy thriller film and the twenty-fifth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series, and the fifth and final to star Daniel Craig as fictional British MI6 agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bon ...

” * 2022:

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...

— " My Mind & Me" * 2023:

and

— “

What Was I Made For "What Was I Made For?" is a ballad by American singer Billie Eilish. It was released through Atlantic, Darkroom, and Interscope Records on July 13, 2023, as the fifth single from the soundtrack to the fantasy comedy film ''Barbie'' (2023). "Wh ...

”

Variety's Sync of the Year Award

* 2019:

SHAED Shaed (stylized SHAED, pronounced "shade") is an American indie pop trio based in Washington, D.C. The group consists of lead vocalist Chelsea Lee and multi-instrumentalists Max and Spencer Ernst. They released their breakthrough single "Trampoli ...

— "

Trampoline A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame often using many coiled spring (device), springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes. The fabric that use ...

" * 2021:

Walker Hayes Charles Edgar Walker Hayes (born December 27, 1979) is an American country pop singer and songwriter. He has released four studio albums: ''Reason to Rhyme'' in 2011 on Capitol Records Nashville, and ''Boom (Walker Hayes album), Boom ''(2017), ' ...

— "

Fancy Like "Fancy Like" is a song recorded by American country music singer Walker Hayes. It was released on August 2, 2021, from his fifth EP '' Country Stuff'' via Monument Records Nashville. Hayes co-wrote the song with Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins, an ...

" * 2022:

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

— "

Running Up That Hill "Running Up That Hill" (also titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)") is a song by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the UK as the lead single from Bush's fifth studio album, '' Hounds of Love'', on 5 August 19 ...

Variety's Triple Threat Award

* 2023:

Victoria Monet Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

— for her role as a singer, songwriter and performer. * 2024:

RAYE Rachel Agatha Keen (born 24 October 1997), known professionally as Raye ( ), is a British singer-songwriter. She first rose to prominence after signing with Polydor Records and subsequently releasing Dance music, dance singles and extended pla ...

— for her work as an artist and songwriter, and her outspoken efforts in support of the songwriting community.

Variety's Manager of the Year Award

* 2018: Dre London * 2019: Jason Owen * 2020: Wassim “Sal” Slaiby * 2021: Austin Rosen * 2022: Ebonie Ward

Variety's Executive of the Year Award

* 2018:

John Janick John Janick is an American record executive. He is the chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records. Janick has been named to Billboard’s Power 100 list every year since 2014 and was named Variety's Hitmakers Executive of the year in 201 ...

, Chief of

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

* 2019: Jody Gerson, CEO/Global Chairman of

Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a global music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Publishing has been ranked the #1 music publisher in market share by Billboard for multiple consecutive quart ...

* 2020: Ron Perry, CEO/Chairman for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

* 2021:

Max Lousada Max Lousada formerly CEO of Recorded Music for Warner Music Group. He previously was the chairman and CEO of Warner Music UK where he found success working with artists such as Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa. Before moving over to Warner Music UK in 201 ...

, CEO for Warner Recorded Music * 2022: Jesse Collins, CEO, Jesse Collins Entertainment * 2024:

Aaron Bay-Schuck Aaron Bay-Schuck (born September 5, 1981) is an American music industry executive. The CEO and co-chairman of Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros. Records), he was previously the president of A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M and the senior vice p ...

and Tom Corson, CEOs of

Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

Variety's A&R of the Year Award

* 2021: Wendy Goldstein * 2022:

Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi ( ; December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums ...

Other honorees

Awards that have been presented only once so far:

Variety's Mediabase PowerPlaylist Award

* 2017:

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...

Variety's The Future Is Female Award

* 2021:

City Girls City Girls were an American hip hop duo consisting of Yung Miami (Caresha Romeka Brownlee; born February 11, 1994) and JT (Jatavia Shakara Johnson; born December 3, 1992), both of whom originate from Miami, Florida. The duo signed with Qualit ...

Variety's Hitbreaker of the Year Award

* 2021:

Steven Victor Steven William Victor (born September 6, 1980) is an American record executive, talent manager, music publisher, and A&R representative. He founded the record label Victor Victor Worldwide in 2016. The year prior, he was named chief creative of ...

Variety's Composer of the Year Award

* 2021: Hanz Zimmer

Variety's TikTok Future Icon Award

* 2022:

Omar Apollo Omar Apolonio Velasco (born May 20, 1997), known professionally as Omar Apollo, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. After signing a record deal with Warner Records, his debut album, ''Ivory (Omar Apollo album), Ivory'', was released in ...

Variety's Soundtrack of the Year Award

* 2023:

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album '' Back to Black'' (2006), as well as two for Record ...

Variety's Music Education and Advocacy Leadership Award

* 2023:

Grammy Museum The Grammy Museum is any of a group of museums containing exhibits relating to winners of the Grammy Award for achievement in recording. The museums in this group include: *The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, which opened in 2008 in Los Angeles, Cali ...

President and CEO Michael Sticka

Variety's Hip-Hop Disruptor Award

* 2024:

Doechii Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon (born August 14, 1998), known professionally as Doechii ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Her songs became viral videos on TikTok in 2021 and she signed recording contracts with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Recor ...

Variety's Trailblazer Award

* 2024:

Young Miko María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano Cardona (born November 8, 1997), known professionally as Young Miko, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter and former footballer. In 2022, she released her debut EP, ''Trap Kitty'', featuring Latin tr ...

Variety's Next Gen Award

* 2024: Grace Bowers

Variety's Humanitarian of the Year Award

* 2024:

Quavo Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), better known by his stage name Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the now-defunct hip hop group Migos. Formed with his nep ...

— for his work in gun control.

Variety’s International Achievement in Music Award

* 2024:

Yoshiki Yoshiki is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Yoshiki can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *義樹, "justice, tree" *義基, "justice, foundation" *義機, "justice, opportuni ...

The Hitmakers

To make their annual Hitmakers list, the Variety’s editors, use BuzzAngle data for the most-consumed songs of year, based on audio sales and streams, video plays, radio spins and Shazam tags. The editors then conferred with top executives and creatives from across the music business to find the players whose input was most vital to those songs. They included songwriters, producers, publishers, A&R and promotion executives, along with managers and key influencers — the people behind the scenes who make and break the hits. {, class="wikitable" ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's 2017 Hitmakers ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's 2018 Hitmakers ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's 2019 Hitmakers , - , valign="top" , *Alex Da Kid * Jack Antonoff * Noonie Bao and Linus Wiklund * Steve Mac and Johnny McDaid * Louis Bell * Benny Blanco * Cirkut * Frank Dukes * Erika Ender * Philip Lawrence and Brody Brown * Metro Boomin * Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd * Mike Will Made It * Nana Rogues * Starrah * The Stereotypes * Ali Tamposi, Andrew Watt, and Brian Lee * Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter * Andres Torres and Mauricio Rengifo * Adam Alpert * Tunji Balogun * Geo Bivins * Ben Cook and Ed Howard * Ian Cripps * Andrea Ganis and Juliette Jones * Wendy Goldstein, Rob Stevenson, and Tyler Arnold * Joel Klaiman * Michael Kyser * Lee Leipsner * Nick Petropoulos * Benny Pough, Sujit Kundu, Traci Adams, and Sandra Afloarei * Noah Preston * Brenda Romano * Rodney Shealey * Sickamore and David Stromberg * Manny Smith * Gary Spangler, Mike Horton, and Jim Roppo * Charlie Walk * Ron Perry * Katie Vinten * Jay Brown and Lenny Santiago * Future the Prince * Kevin “Coach K” Lee * Wassim “Sal” Slaiby * Tuma Basa (Spotify's Head of Hip-Hop) * Brad Belanger, Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Greg Marella * Steve Blatter, SiriusXM Senior VP/GM of Music Programming * Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s Beats 1 Radio * Paul Tollett, Goldenvoice CEO * Tom Poleman, iHeartmedia Chief Programming Officer * Steve Boom, VP Amazon Music , valign="top" , * Sarah Aarons * Alex Da Kid * Benny Blanco * BlaqNmilD * Louis Bell * Boi-1da * Blake Anthony “Shy” Carter * John Cunningham * Frank Dukes * Pardison Fontaine * David Garcia * J Kash * Tay Keith * Matt McGinn * The Monsters & Strangerz * Murda Beatz * OG Parker and Deko * Rice N’ Peas * Noah “40” Shebib * Starrah * J White * Pharrell Williams * Joey Arbagey, Epic Records * Tyler Arnold, Republic Records * Tunji Balogun, RCA Records * Brooklyn Johnny & Darrale Jones * Jim Catino, Sony Music Nashville * Tizita Makuria, Artist Partner Group * Jean Nelson, Blueprint Group Records * Sickamore, Interscope Records * Manny Smith, Interscope Geffen A&M * Mr. Morgan * Rob Stevenson, Republic Records * Mike Caren * Ethiopia Habtemariam * Jimmy Harnen * Craig Kallman * Michael Kyser * Brad O’Donnell * Dennis Reese * Joe Riccitelli * Jim Roppo * Jacqueline Saturn * Seth England, Big Loud Management * Roger Gold, Gold Music Management * Adam Harrison, Career Artist Management * Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “Pee” Thomas * Lil Bibby, Grade A Productions * Adam Mersel, First Access Entertainment * Dre London, London Ent * Dave Rene * Solomon Sobande * Courtney Stewart * David Stromberg * Andrea Ganis & Deborah Urbont, Atlantic Records * Marni Halpern * Juliette Jones * Larry Khan * Lee L’Heureux * Greg Marella, Bill Evans & Dixie Tipton * John McMann * Brenda Romano * Rick Sackheim, Sandra Afloarei & Charlie Foster * Rick Sackheim, Traci Adams & Dontay Thompson, Epic Records * Sam Selolwane * Gary Spangler, David ‘Davey Dee’ Ingenloff & Mike Horton * Shani Gonzales * Amanda Hill * Shawn Holiday * Sam Taylor * Katy Wolaver * Manny Marroquin * Tony Maserati , valign="top" , * Amy Allen * Benny Blanco * Tommy Brown * Cashmere Cat * Cirkut * Cook Classics * Mike Dean * Disclosure * Frank Dukes * Finneas * Charlie Handsome * Sam Hollander * Jonas Jeberg * Ilya * Jozzy * Ilsey Juber * Savan Kotecha * Madison Love * Victoria Monet * Jimmy Napes * Tayla Parx * Ricky Reed * Anthony Rossomando * Jake Sinclair * Stargate * Ali Tamposi * T-Minus * Taz Taylor & Nick Mira * Billy Walsh * Andrew Watt * Wheezy * Joey Arbagey, Epic Records * Tyler Arnold, Republic Records * Tunji Balogun, RCA Records * Ziggy Chareton, Island Records * Brandon Davis, Atlantic Records * Caroline “Baroline” Diaz * Edgar “Edd Grand” Machuca, Artist Partner Group * Dallas Martin, Atlantic Records * Rob Stevenson, Republic Records * Julian Swirsky, Republic Records * Evan Taubenfeld, Crush * Jeremy Vuernick, Capitol Music Group * Wendy Goldstein, Republic Records * Toby Andrews, Astralwerks * Mike Caren, Artist Partner Group * Ethiopia Habtemariam, Motown * Justin Lubliner, The Darkroom * Angie Pagano, Artist Partner Group * Jim Roppo, Republic Records * Ron Perry, Columbia Records * Dana Sano, Republic Records * Astrid Taylor, Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets * Jason Aron and Anthony Li, Anti-Pop * Scooter Braun & Allison Kaye, SB Projects * Andrew Gertler, AG Artists * Roger Gold, Gold Music Management * Dre London, London Ent. * Kevin Beisler & Brandon Creed, Full Stop Management * Scott Nagelberg, Crush * Adam Leber & Gee Roberson, Maverick * Danny Rukasin & Brandon Goodman * Phil McIntyre, Philymack * Moe Shalizi, The Shalizi Group * Courtney Stewart, Right Hand Music Group * Juliette Jones, Atlantic Records * Larry Khan & Nino Cuccinello, Interscope * Geo Bivins, RCA Records * Bill Evans, Capitol Music Group * Andrea Ganis, Atlantic Records * Lori Giamela & Kevin Valentini * David ‘Davey Dee’ Ingenloff, Republic Records * Greg Marella, Capitol Music Group * Brenda Romano, Interscope * Ayelet Schiffman, Island * Gary Spangler, Republic Records * Dixie Tipton, Capitol Records * Shawn Holiday, Sony/ATV * Lillia Parsa, UMPG * Ryan Press, Warner Chappell * Casey Robison, Big Deal Music Group * Darryl Watts, Universal Music Publishing Group * Michael Alexander, Republic, Def Jam and Island * Matt Bernal, Republic Records * Jordan Blaugrund, RCA Records * Marleny Dominguez-Reyes & Donna Grynn, Republic Records * Mike Horton, Republic Records * Tim Hrycyshyn, Republic Records * Kevin Lipson, Republic Records * Kerri Mackar, Republic Records * Brooks Roach, Atlantic Records * Grace James, Atlantic Records * Joseph Carozza, Marisa Bianco, Beau Benton, Republic Records , - ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's Hitmakers 2020 ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's Hitmakers 2021 ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's Hitmakers 2022 , - , valign="top" , , valign="top" , , valign="top" , , - ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's Hitmakers 2023 ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's Hitmakers 2024 ! style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" , Variety's Hitmakers 2025 , - , valign="top" , , valign="top" , , valign="top" , {{Empty section, date=May 2025

References

Awards established in 2017 Variety (magazine) American music awards

Variety's Hitmaker of the Year Award

Variety's Decade Award

Artists

Producers

Variety's Producer of the Year Award

Variety's Songwriter of the Year Award

Variety's Group of the Year Award

Variety's Crossover Artist Award

Variety's Record of the Year

Variety's Label of the Year Award

Variety's Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award

Variety's Innovators of the Year Award

Variety's Changemaker of the Year Award

Variety's Collaborator of the Year Award

Variety's Storyteller of the Year Award

Variety's Hook of the Year Award

Variety's Film Song of the Year

Variety's Sync of the Year Award

Variety's Triple Threat Award

Variety's Manager of the Year Award

Variety's Executive of the Year Award

Variety's A&R of the Year Award

Other honorees

Variety's Mediabase PowerPlaylist Award

Variety's The Future Is Female Award

Variety's Hitbreaker of the Year Award

Variety's Composer of the Year Award

Variety's TikTok Future Icon Award

Variety's Soundtrack of the Year Award

Variety's Music Education and Advocacy Leadership Award

Variety's Hip-Hop Disruptor Award

Variety's Trailblazer Award

Variety's Next Gen Award

Variety's Humanitarian of the Year Award

Variety’s International Achievement in Music Award

The Hitmakers

See also

References