Taylor Swift was again one of the highest-paid artists last year, but the group Genesis is among the top performers in a Forbes ranking.
Like singer Sting (#2), who ended the year with $210 million in his pocket, British group Genesis sold their music rights for nearly $300 million last September. Royalties and expenses from his tour and the music he recorded round out the band’s $230 million in earnings, the magazine reported Monday in its ranking of the highest-paid artists of 2022.
The group The Rolling Stones (ranked 7th) meanwhile collected 98 million US dollars, mainly thanks to their anniversary tour in Europe.
Taylor Swift (No. 9), who charted in her sixth year, earned most of her $92 million in earnings from her current and past music. His music catalog makes up about 70% of his salary, including profits from streaming and album sales, Forbes said. Universal Music Group, which derives 3% of its revenue from Swift, sold $50 million worth of physical albums in 2022, according to analysis by JP Morgan reported by the publication.
television and cinema
The duo behind the animated series South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (4th place with $160 million), enjoyed another thanks to earnings from a deal with HBO Max, specifically for the series Book of Mormon successful year. However, the majority of the creators’ earnings come from their agreement with Paramount, which was signed in 2021 and guarantees the pair $935 million over six years.
Director James Cameron (#8, with $95 million) returned to the top 10 in 2022 after a 12-year absence thanks to his new film, Avatar: The Way of Water. The franchise film has grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide since its December release, including nearly $647 million in North America.
Among movie stars, only Tyler Perry (#3 with $175 million) and Brad Pitt (#6 with $100 million) were among the top earners in 2022. Both made the substantial part of their off-screen earnings. Brad Pitt has sold a majority stake in his production company to European media giant Mediawan, while his roles in Babylon, Bullet Train and The Lost City accounted for around a third of his earnings, Forbes reported.
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny has sold $400 million in tickets across his two spring and fall tours. However, the year ended with $88 million in the bag, largely due to the cost of creating and traveling these tours.
Celebrities, musicians or creators, the 10 highest-earning artists of 2022 have earned more than $1.3 billion, according to Forbes. However, it’s halfway through last year’s top 10.
Top 10 highest paid artists in 2022
- Genesis – $230 million
- Sting – $210 million
- Tyler Perry – $175 million
- Trey Parker and Matt Stone – $160 million
- James L. Brooks and Matt Groening – $105 million
- Brad Pitt – $100 million
- The Rolling Stone – $98 million
- James Cameron – $95 million
- Taylor Swift – $92 million
- Bad Bunny – $88 million