News
October 17, 2013 | Gold & Platinum
RIAA Announces Seven First-Time Digital Single Award Recipients
Lana Del Rey, Lorde and George Strait Earn Premiere Platinums, While Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Randy Newman, Thomas Rhett and The Neighbourhood Receive First Golds
WASHINGTON – Seven musical acts earned their first Gold or Platinum Digital Single Awards from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in September, according to the RIAA’s newest monthly G&P Program tally.
September’s first-time Platinum song award winners, recognizing more than one million downloads sold or a lesser number of downloads plus on-demand song streams, include pop songstress Lana Del Rey for “Summertime Sadness” (Interscope/Geffen/A&M), 16-year old New Zealand vocalist Lorde for “Royals” (Lava Records/Republic Records) and America’s “King of Country” George Strait for “Give It All We Got Tonight” (MCA).
Gold song certifications were awarded to four first-time recipients in September: Vermont rock band Grace Potter & The Nocturnals for “Paris (Ooh La La)” (Hollywood Records), Randy Newman’s “Toy Story” film track “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” (Walt Disney Records), Georgia crooner Thomas Rhett’s debut single “It Goes Like This” (The Valory Music Co) and California alt-rockers The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” (Columbia).
Meanwhile certifiably popular songs by Imagine Dragons and Robin Thicke – “Radioactive” and “Blurred Lines” respectively – certified 6x multi-Platinum to tie for September’s highest digital song award! (See a recent photo of RIAA presenting a G&P plaque to Imagine Dragons here!)
In the album arena, Jay Z’s summer release “Magna Carta…Holy Grail” took September’s top award – a 2x multi-Platinum – while Platinums were awarded to country stars Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton for their respective 2013 releases “Crash My Party” (Capitol Records) and “Based On A True Story” (Warner Music Group).
Additionally, the RIAA awarded country trio The Band Perry its second Gold album award to recognize more than 500,000 “Pioneer” sales in the United States.
To ensure you don’t miss the latest certification news, artist award photos and more, be sure to follow @RIAA on Twitter and “Like” RIAA’s G&P Facebook page (facebook.com/GoldandPlatinum).
RIAA awarded 38 digital single and six album certifications in September. All certifications are calculated by Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman. Complete lists of all album, single, mastertone and video awards can be accessed at www.riaa.com.