Sabrina Carpenter, Rosé and Tate McRae celebrate at Variety’s Hitmakers

For those destined to become songwriters, the spark of inspiration strikes early in life. That was a common theme among many of the heartfelt thanks and reflections shared by the diverse group of musical artists honored Saturday Variety‘s annual Hitmakers brunch in Hollywood.

Sabrina Carpenter, Variety Hitmaker of the Year, spoke wistfully about writing her first song at the age of 10. Tyler, the Creator, attributed the roots of his creativity to his 7-year-old self’s “crazy imagination.” Tate McRae started writing songs in her bedroom at the age of 13. EJAE, part of the powerful pop trio Huntr/x from the smash Netflix film ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, did the same at the age of 10. And 89-year-old blues legend Buddy Guy recalled growing up in rural Louisiana without a steady source of clean water in his earliest years. His family devised a filter system for rainwater. “There must have been something good about that water,” he noted, because he drank a lot of it and is still active as he approaches ninety.

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The ninth annual Hitmakers meeting coincided with the publication on December 3, in print and online, of Variety‘s annual Hitmakers issue, an overview of the artists and collaborators behind the 25 most popular songs of the year. The song puts the spotlight on the many music makers, producers and other creative collaborators behind each successful song.

Alex Warren, the artist and songwriter behind the global hit “Ordinary,” expressed his deep gratitude for being recognized as a Hitmakers Breakthrough of the Year artist. He set the tone early on for emotional comments for the room full of music industry insiders. He described some personal struggles and the loss of his father at age 9 and the struggles with his mother that followed.

Writing his first album, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid,” was particularly “difficult because I had to face the childhood I tried so hard to forget.” The reactions to his work confirm that he is on the right career path. “I am enough,” Warren told the crowd. “I do what I have to do. I’m here for a reason and I deserve to be here.”

BigXthaPlug received the award for Hitmakers Hip-Hop Disruptor of the Year. He is part of the UnitedMasters collective that aims to enable artists to work independently of the major music congloms and thus retain ownership of their work. “Thank you for recognizing what we do independently – yes independently,” said BigXthaPlug.

Benny Blanco had difficulty presenting the laurel of the rising star band The Marías’ as the Anti-Hit Hitmakers of the Year. María Zardoya, singer and co-founder, told the audience that she has always resisted attempts to make the group’s sound more pop-like. She thanked Atlantic Records for allowing them to lean into their heartfelt sentiment. “Emotion has always taken us further than pace ever could,” Zardoya told the audience. “Thank you so much for letting us be emotional wrecks and now let go of what we want.”

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The marathon brunch was provided by Jem Aswad, Variety‘s editor-in-chief of music. Among the compliments handed out was the Interactive Music in Media nod to video game company Riot Games for its innovative work to platform music in its game creations.

None other than a respected music hitmaker like Jimmy Jam had to hand out Producers of the Year kudos to Jack Antonoff, Mustard and Sounwave, who received the honor for their work with the musical juggernaut Kendrick Lamar.

Jam emphasized the importance of the audience in deciding what qualifies as a hit. “That’s why it’s a team sport,” he said of the music world.

Sounwave dug deep when, thanks to his mother, he cited his childhood exposure to the life coaching philosophies of Earl Nightingale as foundational early experiences that led him to music. While other kids listened to hip-hop radio in the car with their mothers, he was exposed to ideas to achieve his dreams.

“It shaped me to understand the power of manifestations,” Sounwave said. Mustard reflected on the journey he has taken over the past decade with his longtime collaborator Lamar. He described them as “two kids from Compton trying to figure it out.” And to that end, the overarching goal has always been to “inspire a community and a culture that inspired us. I promise to do that forever as I walk this earth.”

Atlantic Records leader Elliot Grainge was recognized as Executive of the Year for his turnaround of the legendary music factory with vibrant releases such as Warren’s ‘Ordinary’, Rosé, as well as long-standing artists such as Bruno Mars, Charli xcx and Coldplay, Cardi B and Twenty One Pilots. He earned credit from Atlantic’s artists and his management team. “Labels get a bad rap these days for being labels, rightly or wrongly. We’re all human,” he noted. The most important role labels play in artists’ lives is to push them “to heights we all wish we could reach ourselves,” he said.

Singer Addison Rae and her collaborators Luka Kloser and Elvira Anderfjard were tipped as rising stars by receiving the Future Is Female award. “This music exists because of the way we stood up for each other,” Kloser told the crowd. “Being part of that trust and support has been very inspiring for me.”

Fuerza Regida, the Mexican-American band from San Bernardino, was named Humanitarians of the Year for their work helping families with food drives and the hardships inflicted on Latino communities by the ICE immigration raids that have shocked the nation.

“This award is the most important because we are for the people. This is our dream,” said Jesús Ortiz Paz of the band, better known to fans as JOP.

“KPop Demon Hunters” singer Rei Ami was momentarily overwhelmed as she accepted her compliments alongside Huntr/x’s EJAE and Audrey Nuna. Ami shook it off with an impromptu pep talk to herself, causing the audience to laugh: “Don’t cry, bitch. Get it together!” After years of hard work and little recognition, Ami said the trio’s work as Huntr/x “provided the perfect opportunity for the three of us. A chance to become friends and sisters for life.”

Rising star Rosé, who scored a big hit with ‘Apt.’ together with Bruno Mars, also thought about how quickly success can strike. The collaboration with the veteran hitmaker led to “an absolute explosion of surprises and an overwhelming amount of love.” And she admitted that gaining international recognition was “a little bit of a mind fuck.”

The mighty Republic Records triumphed again as Hitmakers’ Label of the Year. The group’s influences were responsible for no fewer than 10 of the songs on this year’s Hitmakers top 25 list. Marleny Reyes, general manager of Republic for many years, accepted the invitation on behalf of the company. She said the secret to Republic’s success lies in its leaders and the artists they champion. “It’s an army and a family,” she said, emphasizing, “We have nothing without our musicians who have so much strength and energy. They are so inspiring.”

Premier partners for Hitmakers included TikTok, Riot Games, CashApp and Visa.

(Image: “KPop Demon Hunters” starring Rei Ami, Audrey Nuna and EJAE Variety‘s Hitmakers brunch)