Megan Moroney, Rosé, BigXThaPlug, Role Model, Fuerza Regida, and Addison Rae, Elvira Anderfjard and Luka Kloser to Be Honored at Variety Hitmakers 2025

Variety has now finalized the honoree list for its ninth annual Hitmakers event, revealing the last eight award recipients who will be celebrated for their exceptional impact on the music industry over the last twelve months. The newly added names span diverse genres and recognize both artistic and executive achievements. The slate includes Megan Moroney as Storyteller of the Year and BLACKPINK's Rosé as Global Hitmaker of the Year. The Future Is Female Award will be shared by artist Addison Rae and producers Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser. Further distinctions go to BigXThaPlug (Hip-Hop Disruptor of the Year), Role Model (Triple Threat of the Year), and the group Fuerza Regida (Humanitarians of the Year). On the business side, Big Loud partners Seth England, Joey Moi, and Craig Wiseman receive the Platinum Decade Award, while Atlantic Music Group CEO Elliot Grainge is named Executive of the Year.

These figures join a previously announced group led by 2024's Hitmaker of the Year, Sabrina Carpenter, whose smash "Espresso" dominated charts worldwide. Other confirmed honorees are Tate McRae, blues legend Buddy Guy, Alex Warren, the Marías, and the vocal collective HUNTR/X. The presenter roster features 2023 award-winner Laufey—the Icelandic singer-songwriter whose modern take on jazz has captivated a young audience—alongside actor Miles Caton, comedian Jake Shane, and iconic producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. "This year's selections reflect a pivotal industry moment where creative innovation directly translates to cultural sway, from genre-blending sounds to artist-led entrepreneurship," remarked Variety’s executive music editor Jem Aswad.

Aswad elaborated on the criteria, pointing to specific creative and commercial triumphs. He praised Megan Moroney's evocative storytelling on her album "Am I Okay?" and highlighted Rosé's cross-border collaboration "APT." with Bruno Mars. BigXThaPlug was noted for his fusion of hip-hop and country, a bold stylistic mix that has rapidly generated hundreds of millions of streams. The selection of Addison Rae for The Future Is Female Award underscores a meaningful trend toward artistic autonomy; Rae independently wrote, produced, and performed her entire Grammy-nominated debut, a significant feat in an industry where women remain starkly underrepresented in production roles. Industry analyst Maria Chen observed, "This represents a generational shift where artists are building their own creative ecosystems from the start, often circumventing traditional industry pathways entirely."

The humanitarian work of Fuerza Regida also received special mention. The group, central to the rise of the "corridos tumbados" movement—a modern, often gritty take on traditional Mexican ballads—has leveraged its platform to advocate for immigration reform, provide wildfire relief in California, fund scholarships, and support broader Latino community initiatives. Meanwhile, Big Loud's decade of dominance, largely powered by country superstar Morgan Wallen, secured it the Platinum Decade Award. Atlantic's Elliot Grainge, son of Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge, was honored for a commanding first year as CEO, during which he shepherded breakout campaigns for several other 2024 Hitmakers, proving adept at identifying and nurturing talent.

The celebration will culminate with an invitation-only brunch in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 6. All honorees will be featured in a special print edition and digital retrospective that analyzes the year's 25 most-consumed songs using data from Billboard and Luminate. The event is supported by Premier Partner TikTok, which will host a custom video installation and present special episodes of Variety's "Behind the Song" series. Another Premier Partner, Riot Games—the developer behind global esports titans like *League of Legends*—will accept the Interactive Music in Media Award for its pioneering integration of original music into gaming. Additional sponsors include Cash App, Eternal Water, L-Acoustics, Dos Equis, and Johnnie Walker Black Label, with backing from major music entities like Amazon Music, Atlantic Records, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group.