Music Biz Headlines: World Cup Closing Ceremony Lineup Revealed, Tate McRae Earns an Emmy Nomination

Arguably the world's biggest sporting event, the World Cup has also been making headlines for its musical component, which is wrapping up this weekend. Tate McRae also grabs an Emmy nomination this week, Bryan Adams is heading Down Under and the music industry comes together for a solution on AI disclosure.

Read these and other major music stories of the week here.

Canadian Music Biz Headlines

Yungblud Cancels Cowboys Music Festival Performance: 'I'm Working on Myself'

The British rock singer "reluctantly" cancelled his performance scheduled for Sunday night at the Calgary music festival, stating that he is currently "working on himself and taking time off in the UK." Hip-hop hitmaker Nelly and EDM icon Steve Aoki took his place. – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada

Tate McRae's 2025 VMA Performance Earns an Emmy Nomination

The "Sports Car" and "Revolving Door" medley performance is nominated for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming, becoming the first VMA performance to be recognized at the Emmys since Michael Jackson's 1995 medley. – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada

The Sneaky Dee’s Wrecking Ball Backed Off. The Threat to Toronto’s Live Music Scene Didn’t

Is culture becoming a ‘luxury’ in Toronto? – Manuela Vega,Toronto Star

Inside the Fight for Sneaky Dee’s: How a Group of Punks, a City Councillor and a Bank Helped Save a Bar

The battle between this bar and potential redevelopment has captured the imagination of many Torontonians. But is it over? – Raju Mudhar, Toronto Star

Kneecap to Sue Indigenous Leader for Defamation After Being Denied Entry Into Canada

The Irish band has been allowed by the court of Ireland to file a defamation lawsuit against Harvey Yesno of the Eabametoong First Nation, who signed a statement published by Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem that led to the cancellation of the group's 2025 shows in Canada. – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada

Country Music Icon Tommy Hunter Introduced Several Stars to Canadians

Mr. Hunter was a smooth-singing guitarist and a strapping man of 6-foot-3, with a pompadour that added an inch to his height at least. His deep-set blue eyes twinkled and his broad face broke easily into a smile as he showcased stars such as Johnny Cash and introduced Michelle Wright, Garth Brooks, the Judds and a teenaged Eilleen Twain (later known as Shania) to Canadians. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail

Canadian Country Singer Robyn Ottolini Signs With ONErpm for Debut Album

The Ontario-born, Nashville-based act’s A Safe Place To Land will be released on Aug. 21. She kicks off this era with a new single, “God Knows I Try,” out now. – Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada

Ontario’s Hillside Festival Survives by Presenting the Next Big Thing

Rogers Closes Six Radio Stations Including Sportsnet in Vancouver, Calgary

Rogers Sports and Media is shutting down its Sportsnet 650 radio station in Vancouver and Sportsnet 960 station in Calgary, as well as four other stations across four cities. – Toronto Star

International Music Biz Headlines

World Cup Closing Ceremony to Feature Jennifer Hudson, Nicole Scherzinger & More

The 2026 World Cup Finals is shaping up to be quite the star-studded event on the pitch itself. FIFA revealed the lineup for the closing ceremony and it features notable global stars. Tom Cruise will also be making a special appearance. – Anna Chan, Billboard

Bryan Adams Will ‘Roll With The Punches’ For 2027 Australasia Arena Tour

The veteran Canadian rocker will play arenas in seven cities on both sides of the Tasman. – Lars Brandle, Billboard

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square is Selling its Remaining UMG Shares, Days after UMG Rejected its $64B Takeover Bid

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square is reportedly set to sell around 80.6 million shares in Universal Music Group. According to Bloomberg, the move would see Pershing Square exit its position in UMG via an overnight placing. – Music Business Worldwide

RIAA, IFPI & More Come Together to Create System for Tagging AI-Generated Songs

Working similarly to explicit labels on records, the tags will distinguish between "AI-generated" and "AI-assisted" songs. – Kristin Robinson, Billboard

T.I. Signs Publishing Deal with Reservoir Covering Entire Catalogue

The deal includes T.I's latest album, Kill the King, as well as his hits "What You Know" and "Live Your Life." – Ariel King, Billboard

A Lock of Love Isn't a Problem in Delightful Documentary Peter Asher: Everywhere Man: Review

Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine scan the life of a Zelig-like figure who went from pop star to a high-powered position with the Beatles' Apple org. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail

Mick Jagger Says Fans Don’t Want Political Speeches Onstage

'You don’t want to lecture them,' Rolling Stones frontman says. – Mark Daniell, Postmedia

Pophouse Entertainment has entered into a partnership with influential British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, acquiring a stake in their publishing and master music rights, as well as the name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. The Sweden-based music investment firm confirmed the partnership on July 14. –Music Business Worldwide