History of Benny Blanco in Timeline
Benny Blanco, born Benjamin Joseph Levin, is an accomplished American record producer. His accolades include the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, five BMI Songwriter of the Year Awards, and the 2017 iHeartRadio Producer of the Year Award. He has also garnered eleven Grammy Award nominations, solidifying his impact and recognition in the music industry.
March 8, 1988: Benny Blanco's Birth
On March 8, 1988, Benjamin Joseph Levin, known professionally as Benny Blanco, was born.
1993: Inspiration for Stage Name
In 1993, the fictional character Benny Blanco from the film Carlito's Way, played by John Leguizamo, inspired Benny Blanco's stage name, referencing his identity as a white rapper.
1994: Early Musical Exposure
In 1994, at the age of six, Benny Blanco's early musical exposure came from Nas's "The World Is Yours" and All-4-One's "I Swear" on cassette tapes, influencing his early productions.
2007: Collaboration with Spank Rock
In 2007, Benny Blanco teamed up with Baltimore rapper Spank Rock to release Spank Rock and Benny Blanco Are... "Bangers & Cash", a collaborative EP that gained industry attention.
2008: Writing and Production of Circus
In 2008, Benny Blanco co-wrote and co-produced Britney Spears' "Circus" with Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly.
2008: Mentored by Dr. Luke
In 2008, Benny Blanco was mentored by Dr. Luke and signed to his production company, Kasz Money Productions, subsequently receiving credits on various productions with Luke until the mid-2010s.
2009: "Circus" as a Top-Selling Song
In 2009, "Circus" was one of the top 10 best-selling songs globally, with 5.5 million digital copies sold that year.
2011: First Hits Without Dr. Luke
In 2011, Benny Blanco wrote and produced his first charting hits without Dr. Luke, including Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" and Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts".
June 13, 2013: Hal David Starlight Award
On June 13, 2013, Benny Blanco received the Hal David Starlight Award at the 44th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony.
2014: Founding of Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets
In 2014, Benny Blanco founded Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets as imprints of Interscope Records, signing artists such as Tory Lanez, Jessie Ware, and Cashmere Cat.
July 2016: Circus Sales Update
As of July 2016, "Circus" had sold over 3.2 million downloads in the United States, making it Britney Spears' second-best-selling digital song.
2017: iHeartRadio Producer of the Year Award
In 2017, Benny Blanco was named Producer of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
July 2018: Release of 'Eastside'
In July 2018, Benny Blanco released his debut single as a lead artist, "Eastside" (with Halsey and Khalid), which reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.
December 7, 2018: Release of Friends Keep Secrets
On December 7, 2018, Benny Blanco's debut album Friends Keep Secrets was released.
January 2019: Release of 'I Found You / Nilda's Story'
In January 2019, Benny Blanco released "I Found You / Nilda's Story" with Calvin Harris and Miguel in conjunction with the launch of The While They Wait Fund to benefit asylum seekers.
February 2019: Release of 'I Can't Get Enough'
In February 2019, Benny Blanco released "I Can't Get Enough" with Tainy, Selena Gomez, and J Balvin.
August 30, 2019: Release of 'Graduation'
On August 30, 2019, Benny Blanco released a song with Juice Wrld called "Graduation", their second collaboration after "Roses".
2019: Reported Relationship with Elsie Hewitt
In 2019, Benny Blanco was reportedly dating model Elsie Hewitt.
March 9, 2020: Debut of Matty and Benny Eat Out America
On March 9, 2020, Benny Blanco and chef Matty Matheson debuted a new collaborative cooking show, Matty and Benny Eat Out America, on Blanco's YouTube channel.
April 16, 2020: TV Debut on Dave
On April 16, 2020, Benny Blanco made his TV debut playing a fictionalized version of himself on the first and second seasons of the FXX series Dave with Lil Dicky.
October 2020: Release of "Lonely" with Justin Bieber
In October 2020, Benny Blanco released his first artist collaboration with Justin Bieber titled "Lonely".
December 2020: Release of "Real Shit" with Juice Wrld
In December 2020, Benny Blanco released the single "Real Shit" with Juice Wrld.
March 2021: Release of "Unlearn" with Gracie Abrams
In March 2021, Benny Blanco released the single "Unlearn" with Gracie Abrams.
March 2021: Platinum Certification for Friends Keep Secrets
In March 2021, the original album Friends Keep Secrets received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), coinciding with the release of a deluxe issue, Friends Keep Secrets 2.
March 26, 2021: Release and Certification of Friends Keep Secrets 2
On March 26, 2021, the deluxe version of Benny Blanco's album, Friends Keep Secrets 2, was released and certified RIAA platinum on the same day.
March 31, 2021: Debut of Stupid F*cking Cooking Show
On March 31, 2021, Benny Blanco and chef Matty Matheson debuted a new cooking show on Blanco's YouTube channel, called Stupid F*cking Cooking Show.
August 5, 2022: Release of "Bad Decisions"
On August 5, 2022, Benny Blanco released his collaboration with BTS members Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, as well as Snoop Dogg, titled "Bad Decisions".
June 2023: Relationship with Selena Gomez
Since June 2023, Benny Blanco has been in a relationship with Selena Gomez.
December 16, 2023: Release of 'Lace It'
On December 16, 2023, the posthumous Juice Wrld song featuring Benny Blanco and Eminem, titled "Lace It", was released.
April 30, 2024: Publication of Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends
On April 30, 2024, Benny Blanco's first book, Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends, co-authored with Jess Damuck, was published and debuted on best seller lists.
October 17, 2024: Release and Chart Success of "Degenere"
On October 17, 2024, Benny Blanco released a collaboration with Myke Towers, the song "Degenere", which reached #1 on the Latin Pop Chart, Latin Airplay Chart, and Billboard's Latin Rhythm Chart.
December 11, 2024: Engagement Announcement
On December 11, 2024, Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez formally announced their engagement.
2024: Labels Become Defunct
As of 2024, Benny Blanco's labels, Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets, were defunct.
February 2025: Announcement of Collaborative Album
In February 2025, Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez announced a collaborative album, I Said I Love You First.
March 21, 2025: Release of "I Said I Love You First" Album
On March 21, 2025, the collaborative album "I Said I Love You First" by Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez was released, with "Scared of Loving You" being the first track released.
August 25, 2025: "Ojos Tristes" Reaches #1 on Latin Charts
On August 25, 2025, Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez collaboration with The Marías “Ojos Tristes” reached #1 on the overall Latin Chart, Latin Pop Chart and Urban Latin Chart.
September 27, 2025: Marriage to Selena Gomez
On September 27, 2025, Benny Blanco married Selena Gomez at the Sea Crest Nursery in Santa Barbara, California.
October 2025: Departure from A&M Records
In October 2025, Benny Blanco left his position as general manager at A&M Records, an imprint of Interscope, and was replaced by Gregg Nadel.
2025: Release of I Said I Love You First
In 2025, Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez released the album I Said I Love You First.
2025: Grammy Nomination
In 2025, Benny Blanco received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording for "Bluest Flame" with Selena Gomez.
2025: Collaboration with Netón Vega
In 2025, Benny Blanco released a collaboration with Netón Vega titled "Perro Fiel".
2025: Latin Billboard and Crossover Artist Awards
In 2025, Benny Blanco was nominated for Latin Billboard Award for Latin Pop Song of the Year, and won Crossover Artist of the Year.
Mentioned in this timeline
Juice Wrld born Jarad Anthony Higgins was a prominent American...
Eminem or Marshall Mathers III is a highly influential American...
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr professionally known as Snoop Dogg is...
Britney Spears dubbed the Princess of Pop is a highly...
Selena Quintanilla-P rez known as Selena was an influential American...
Selena Gomez is an American actress singer and businesswoman She...
Trending
4 months ago Fubo TV loses NBC channels due to carriage dispute; customer credit offered.
18 minutes ago Deep Learning Job Skills: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras in 2026; Generative AI Libraries.
18 minutes ago University of Arizona excels in entomology; Wildcats win against Utah State.
18 minutes ago Earth's energy imbalance at record high, UN warns of El Niño, wilder weather.
1 hour ago Brenda Song criticizes Alaska Airlines for family seating mishap with Macaulay Culkin.
1 hour ago Justin Timberlake's DWI arrest body-cam footage released; Jessica Biel's reaction awaited amidst controversy.
Popular
Cesar Chavez was a prominent American labor leader and civil...
Kelsey Grammer is a celebrated American actor best known for...
Sean Penn is a highly acclaimed American actor and film...
Paula White-Cain is a prominent American televangelist and key figure...
Joseph Clay Kent is an American politician and former military...
Benjamin Bibi Netanyahu is an Israeli politician and diplomat currently...