‘Thank You for Letting Us Be Emotional Wrecks’: Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, BigXthaPlug, Rosé and More Celebrate at Variety’s Hitmakers Brunch

The ninth annual Variety Hitmakers brunch in Hollywood underscored a common origin story for many celebrated artists: an early start. Honoree Sabrina Carpenter, crowned Hitmaker of the Year, penned her first song at just ten years old. This theme resonated with Tyler, the Creator, who traced his distinctive aesthetic to the unfettered creativity of his seven-year-old self, and Tate McRae, who began songwriting in her bedroom at 13. For EJAE of the pop group Huntr/x, featured in Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters," that formative age was also ten. The event provided a striking generational counterpoint with 89-year-old blues icon Buddy Guy. He recalled a childhood of profound poverty in rural Louisiana, where his family drank collected rainwater. "There must’ve been something alright with that water," Guy mused, wryly crediting those harsh beginnings for a career that remains active as he nears his tenth decade.

Hosted by Variety's executive music editor Jem Aswad, the ceremony coincided with the magazine's analysis of the year's 25 biggest songs and championed collaboration as the industry's driving force. This was exemplified when legendary producer Jimmy Jam—one half of the iconic duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, known for shaping the sound of 80s and 90s R&B—presented the Producers of the Year award to Jack Antonoff, Mustard, and Sounwave for their work on Kendrick Lamar's "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers." "That’s why it’s a team sport," Jam remarked. In acceptance speeches, the producers highlighted diverse inspirations; Sounwave credited his mother's habit of playing motivational speaker Earl Nightingale in the car, which instilled lessons on "the power of manifestations," while Mustard reflected on a shared mission with fellow Compton native Lamar to "inspire a community and a culture that inspired us."

Deeply personal narratives formed the emotional core of the afternoon. Breakthrough Artist of the Year Alex Warren, recognized for the global hit "Ordinary," spoke candidly about losing his father at nine and subsequent family struggles. He revealed that writing his debut album, "You’ll Be Alright, Kid," was a painful confrontation with that past, making the award a validation that "I am enough." Similarly, María Zardoya of indie-pop band The Marías, awarded Anti-Hit Hitmakers of the Year by producer Benny Blanco, thanked Atlantic Records for prioritizing artistic freedom over commercial pressure. "Emotion has always taken us further than tempo ever could," she stated, appreciating the liberty to "be emotional wrecks and release whatever we want." Industry observers note that such testimonials highlight a shifting power dynamic, where artists increasingly leverage direct fan connections to demand creative control from traditional labels.

The brunch also honored industry leadership and social impact. Elliot Grainge was named Executive of the Year for revitalizing the historic Atlantic Records—a label founded in 1947 whose legendary roster spans from Aretha Franklin to Bruno Mars. He defended the modern label's role as a catalyst to "push [artists] to heights we all wish we could go to ourselves." The Humanitarian of the Year award went to San Bernardino's Mexican American band Fuerza Regida for supporting families affected by ICE immigration raids. Frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz (JOP) said, "This award is the most important because we are for the people." Republic Records, whose imprints placed ten songs on the Hitmakers list, was named Label of the Year, with General Manager Marleny Reyes citing a culture that operates as "an army and a family."

Additional honorees included BigXthaPlug as Hip-Hop Disruptor of the Year for his success with the independent platform UnitedMasters, and the trio of Addison Rae, Luka Kloser, and Elvira Anderfjard, who received the Future Is Female award. The stars of "KPop Demon Hunters"—Rei Ami, Audrey Nuna, and EJAE—added levity when Ami halted her tears with a brisk, "Don’t cry, bitch. Get it together!" She later described their collaboration as forging a lifelong sisterhood. As rising artist Rosé, who scored a hit featuring Bruno Mars on "Apt.," observed, such rapid success can be "a tiny bit of a mindfuck"—a sentiment capturing the whirlwind reality for today's hitmakers. The gathering's eclectic mix of artists from blues, pop, hip-hop, and regional Mexican music reflects a fragmented charts landscape where viral moments and genre fusion are now critical for building a durable career.