Variety hosted its annual Hitmakers event on Saturday in Los Angeles. Hitmakers honors emerging and established talent in the music industry, and the in-person celebration and carpet brought together the stars behind 2023’s biggest songs.
This year’s Hitmaker of the Year Award went to SZA, whose single “Kill Bill” was the No. 2 charting single of 2023. “Kill Bill,” a ballad about SZA’s fantasy of murdering her ex, was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, including the highly-sought after “Record of the Year,” as well as “Song of the Year” and “Best R&B Performance.”
Currently supporting Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour as the opening act, Sabrina Carpenter attended as the recipient of the Rising Stars Award presented by H&M. Carpenter has made waves in the news recently for her bloody music video, “Feathers,” which was shot in a Brooklyn Catholic Church and led to the dismissal of a priest from his post. The former Disney star released her fifth studio album “Emails I Can’t Send” last year, becoming Carpenter’s highest-charting album.
Billie Eilish and Finneas were among the attendees, being honored for their work together on the song “What Was I Made For?,” which played during a particularly impactful moment in this summer’s hit film “Barbie.” “Vampire” singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo also attended as recipient of the Storyteller Award.
Among other attendees on the carpet were “Barbie” star Ryan Gosling as presenter; singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers as presenter; Boygenius as honorees for Group of the Year; Victoria Monet as honoree for the Triple Threat Award; singer-songwriter Conan Gray as presenter; singer-songwriter Julia Michaels as presenter; and Michael Stick as honoree for the Music Education and Advocacy Award presented by City National Bank.
See below for the red carpet looks.
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Billie Eilish
Image Credit: Getty Images Hitmaker honoree Billie Eilish on the Variety carpet.
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Olivia Rodrigo
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Olivia Rodrigo attends the Variety Hitmakers Awards to accept the storyteller of the year honor.
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Sabrina Carpenter
Image Credit: Getty Images Sabrina Carpenter arrives to Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers Awards for her “Rising Star” honor.
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SZA
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images SZA, winner of the Hitmaker of the Year award, poses for a photo at Variety’s Hitmakers presented by Sony Audio.
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FINNEAS
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images FINNEAS on the red carpet for Variety’s Hitmakers.
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Mark Ronson
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Hitmaker honoree Mark Ronson wears all blue on the carpet.
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Boygenius
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker of boygenius attend Variety’s Hitmakers for the group of the year honor.
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St. Vincent
Image Credit: Getty Images St. Vincent, who is presenting Olivia Rodrigo with the Storyteller Award, poses on the carpet for Variety’s Hitmakers.
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Maggie Rogers
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Maggie Rogers is presenting the Hitmaker award for Changemaker of the year to Maren Morris.
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Maren Morris
Image Credit: Getty Images Changemaker of the year Maren Morris arrives to Variety’s Hitmakers award in a red dress.
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Victoria Monét
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Victoria Monét stuns in a blue strapless gown with teardrop-shaped embellishments on Variety’s Hitmakers red carpet.
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Joan Baez
Image Credit: Getty Images Joan Baez is presenting the Hitmakers Award for Group of the Year to Boygenius.
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Grace Bowers
Image Credit: Getty Images Grace Bowers arrives to the Variety Hitmakers brunch in a white suit.
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Julia Michaels
Image Credit: Getty Images Julia Michaels is presenting the “Rising Star” award to Sabrina Carpenter at the 2023 Variety Hitmakers brunch in Los Angeles.
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Eslabon Armado
Image Credit: Getty Images Collaboration of the Year honorees Eslabon Armado arrives at Variety’s Hitmakers event.
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Julia Michaels and Sabrina Carpenter
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Julia Michaels and Sabrina Carpenter pose inside Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers.
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Ashley Gorle
Image Credit: Getty Images Songwriter of the year, Ashley Gorle attends the 2023 Variety Hitmakers Brunch.
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Chris Turner
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Chris Turner, Senior Director, A&R, Capitol Records on the carpet for Variety’s Hitmakers.
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Shaun Ross
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Model-musician Shaun RossS inside Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers.
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Babyface
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Babyface sports a denim coat on the 2023 Variety Hitmakers carpet.
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Conan Gray
Image Credit: Getty Images Conan Gray, who is presenting the Label of the Year award to Republic Records, arrives to Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers Awards.
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John Byron
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Songwriter John Byron at Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers.
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Maren Morris and Janet Weir
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Maren Morris and Janet Weir at Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers.
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Khris Riddick and Rob Bisel
Image Credit: Getty Images Khris Riddick and Rob Bisel at Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers.
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Jasmine Covarrubias
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Jasmine Covarrubias poses on the Variety Hitmakers carpet.
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Flavor Flav
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Flavor Flav poses on the carpet at Variety’s 2023 Hitmakers.
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Carter Lang
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Carter Lang at the 2023 Hitmakers honors.