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Variety has announced the next round of honorees for its eighth annual Hitmakers celebration, presented by AFEELA. All recipients are being recognized either for their breakthroughs as rising stars or for their contributions to the Grammy Awards Best New Artist nominees. Jack Antonoff, who has worked extensively with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar and many others over the past 10 years, is being honored with the Producer of the Decade award.
This round of Hitmakers honors includes:
Shaboozey - Newcomers Award, presented by AFEELA
Benson Boone - Newcomers Award, presented by AFEELA
Doechii - Hip-Hop Disruptor Award
Amy Allen - Songwriter of the Year Award
Daniel Nigro - Producer of the Year Award
Jack Antonoff - Producer of the Decade Award
(L-R above: Boone, Doechii, Nigro, Antonoff, Allen, Shaboozey)
The above honorees join previously announced Hitmaker of the Year Charli xcx, Humanitarian of the Year Quavo, Changemaker of the Year Jelly Roll and Triple Threat Award recipient RAYE. They will also be recognized in the accompanying website and magazine looking back on the year in music and acknowledging the writers, producers, publishers, managers and executives who helped make -- and break -- the 25 most-consumed songs of the year, as measured by Billboard and Luminate Charts. More honorees will be announced in the coming days.
"We're so excited to shine a light on three of the biggest up-and-coming artists of the year -- who we'd picked long before the Grammy best new artist nominations were announced, by the way! -- and three of the most important and influential Hitmakers who work semi-behind-the-scenes," said Variety executive music editor Jem Aswad.
"This year, Shaboozey and Benson Boone dominated the Luminate singles charts with 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)' and 'Beautiful Things,' respectively, and Doechii is one of the most electrifying new artists to arrive in the hip-hop/R&B world in years.
"Just as importantly," he continued, "Amy Allen not only had a hand in every song on Sabrina Carpenter's 'Short n' Sweet' album, she also contributed to hits by Tate McRae, Justin Timberlake, Rosé with Bruno Mars and more. Dan Nigro was the key collaborator in the albums by two of the year's most culture-shifting artists -- Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo -- and there's no question that Jack Antonoff has done the same over the past decade. Ever since he earned his stripes as a producer with Taylor Swift's '1989,' the dozens of artists he's worked with closely include Sabrina, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, St. Vincent, the 1975 and his own band, Bleachers. Recognizing top artists as well as the people behind the scenes is Hitmakers' reason for being."
Hitmakers culminates with an invitation-only brunch held on Saturday, December 7, in Los Angeles.
This year's event sponsors include Presenting Partner AFEELA, a mobility brand developed by Sony Honda Mobility Inc. They will showcase its prototype vehicle of their brand AFEELA and offer exclusive hands-on demos to attendees, providing a unique, up-close experience with the future of mobility.
Wells Fargo will be a premier partner of the event, and Spotfiy will be an official partner of the event with a Spotify Correspondent on the red carpet.