Mariah Carey just scored a legal win – and a hefty check – after a years-long feud over her Christmas smash hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
In a dramatic courtroom twist, a federal judge not only threw out a lawsuit against the superstar singer, but ordered her accuser to cough up more than $92,000.
Country music performer Andy Stone, who goes by the stage name Vince Vance, twice took Carey to court in 2022 and 2023, claiming she ripped off his 1989 holiday track of the same name. He demanded a staggering $20 million, calling Carey’s whopper of a hit a copycat act. But Stone’s case melted faster than a snowman in July: the judge determined his claims had no legs, dismissed the suit in March, and has now hit Stone with $92,303.20 in sanctions, according to fresh court filings. The judge explained the move was meant to send a message to anyone eyeing frivolous copyright lawsuits.
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Stone, who performs with Vince Vance & The Valiants, argued his version of “All I Want for Christmas is You” was already lighting up radio stations in 1993 and hit the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart just as Carey’s version was skyrocketing. He insisted Carey swiped the “compositional structure,” but admitted he didn’t invent the now-legendary phrase. None of that swayed the court.
While Carey is celebrating her legal victory, there was a shake-up on the charts. Last week, Wham!’s beloved classic “Last Christmas” unseated Carey’s juggernaut from the No. 1 Christmas spot in the U.S.
That’s the first time since the Billboard Global 200 chart’s 2020 launch that any Christmas tune other than Carey’s has topped the holiday rankings. Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley – who founded the iconic British duo with George Michael back in 1981 – said he was “delighted” with the news, and thanked fans for giving the song a “piece of their own Merry Christmas.”
Despite losing the top place (for now), Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is still blasting at parties, blaring on the radio, and topping playlists across the planet nearly 30 years after its release. According to experts, Carey rakes in between $2.5 million and $3 million in royalties from the holiday anthem every year.
Since 2017, that total royalty haul has reportedly exceeded $60 million – making it the most streamed holiday tune ever. Carey’s co-writer Walter Afanasieff has also cashed in handsomely. The Queen of Christmas just keeps on winning.
