Billboard Honors Republic Records as 2019 Label of the Year

For the fourth time in five years, Republic Records was named overall label of the year, and on Wednesday night (Jan. 15), Billboard once again honored Monte and Avery Lipman’s company for a significant 2019 during an event in New York City. 

“Republic is the top Billboard Hot 100 label for a sixth year in a row, and seventh time this decade,” Billboard’s senior vp charts and data development Silvio Pietroluongo said in presenting the honor to the Republic brass. Helping the label to achieve another No. 1 ranking was the top male artist of the year, Post Malone (who was also the top overall artist of the year); the top female artist of the year, Ariana Grande; and the top duo/group of the year, Jonas Brothers.

“With those honors,” Pietroluongo continued, “it's the first time that one label's acts are the top male, female and duo/group in the same year since Billboard began compiling overall top artists in 1977.”

The Lipman brothers graciously accepted the awards from Pietroluongo and Billboard-The Hollywood Reporter Media Group President Deanna Brown, and thanked Universal Music Group executive vp Michele Anthony, Island Records president Darcus Beese and Lava Records CEO Jason Flom, among many others in the room, during their acceptance speeches. Monte Lipman spoke of the increased competition within a revived music industry, and how much more remarkable their winning streak has been with that in mind.

Republic scored five No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 chart in 2019, the most of any label. Last February, Grande simultaneously ranked at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the chart, becoming the first artist to do so since The Beatles in 1964. In addition, Republic claimed half the year-end top 10 of the Billboard 200, with Grande's Thank U, Next; Taylor Swift's Lover, Post Malone's beerbongs & bentleys, Drake's Scorpion and Post Malone's Hollywood's Bleeding.