During the 2017 convention, the Music Business Association (Music Biz) will present its Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement to Mike Dungan, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville.

The presentation will take place Wednesday, May 17, 2017, during the Music Biz 2017 convention’s Awards Breakfast at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville. The Breakfast will be sponsored for the second consecutive year by the CMA.

“Mike’s journey in the music business spans more than four decades,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “He has grown to be such an integral industry player, building Capitol Nashville into a major force before developing UMG Nashville into the dominant country powerhouse it is today. Mike unquestionably represents the exceptional vision, leadership and commitment that perfectly exemplifies our Presidential Award recipients.”

Dungan follows an esteemed list of previous honorees, which includes: John Esposito, Dick Clark, Walter Yetnikoff, Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, Jim Urie, Ted Cohen, Clive Davis, Don Cornelius, Casey Kasem, Sylvia Rhone, John Marmaduke, Bob Higgins, Paul Smith, Scott Borchetta, Akio Morito, Eric Paulson, Henry Droz, and Russ Solomon as well as organizations including the CMA, The Recording Academy (NARAS), and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

“I’m honored to be selected for the Music Biz Presidential Award, and to be counted among those who have been recognized with this award in the past, many of whom are my personal heroes,” said Dungan.  “I have always strived to spread the word about the music that I love, and music that I feel will affect people’s lives. Continuing this on such a grand scale with the spectacular roster we have here at UMG Nashville has been the most rewarding experience of my career. Now, to be recognized in this way by Music Biz is truly humbling.”

Dungan has worked in the music business since he was 16 years old. In 1979, he began his label career as a Pop Promotion Rep for RCA, working in the Cincinnati, Detroit, and Minneapolis markets. In 1987, he took a sales position with RCA and Arista Records parent company, BMG. Two years later, Arista Records hired him as its Director of Marketing for the Midwest. In 1990, Dungan moved to the newly-formed Arista Nashville label to head up Sales and Marketing, later rising to the post of Sr. VP and GM. In 2000, Dungan was named President of EMI Music’s Capitol Records Nashville.

In May of 2012, Dungan moved to the Universal Music Group as Chairman and CEO. Shortly after, Universal purchased EMI, reuniting Dungan with his old roster at Capitol. Now, he oversees UMG Nashville and its four label imprints – Capitol Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, Mercury Nashville, and MCA Nashville – which are home to 35 major artists, including Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, George Strait, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Darius Rucker, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Gary Allan, and Vince Gill.

In the past nearly two years, Kane Brown’s career has shifted swiftly into full-throttle. He has transitioned from viral sensation based on the strength of YouTube cover videos, which have garnered millions of views, to one of country music’s most promising newcomers. In June Brown previewed the original track “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now,” on Facebook, where the clip earned 11.1 million views. He’s gone from recording performances in his bedroom to opening for Florida Georgia Line’s Dig Your Roots Tour, and is now on his own headlining Ain’t No Stopping Us Now Tour, presented by Monster Energy Outbreak.

Signed to RCA Nashville/Zone 4, Brown welcomed Nashville’s music industry to preview tracks from his upcoming full-length, self-titled album, which releases Dec. 2.

The evening was a mixture of album previews as well live performances, including a cover of Randy Travis’ “Three Wooden Crosses.” Highlighted songs included “Granddaddy’s Chair,” “Cold Spot,” “Hometown.”

Flanked by musicians and songwriters onstage, Brown’s muscular voice belies his humble, even shy offstage persona. Brown penned seven of the 11 tracks on the project, assembled into perhaps one of the most personal albums to come out of Nashville recently.

“It’s been a team effort and fun to work with the Earls’ as we have been on this project,” said Sony Music Nashville Chairman/CEO Randy Goodman, referring to Brown’s manager Martha Earls and Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville’s Kent Earls, who also represents Brown.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Kane about a year and a half ago,” recalled Kent Earls. “He would come by when he was in town and he would play me the newest thing that he wrote. In about a two-day period he brought ‘Used To Love You Sober’ and ‘Love You Hate You.’ It was like, ‘Wow, this guy is starting to figure it out.’ When you are a publisher, what you look for in writers and artists is that moment when they turn that corner. He was starting to write with the right guys that he connected with on an emotional level. We were so excited, we all got together after that and realized that all this stuff is happening [quickly] for this guy [and thought we’re] going to have a limited amount of time to write. Who are the right people who understand his depth, his uniqueness? We came up with a list. And all these people are on this record. And what Kane brought into the room and into those co-writes were his story.”

Goodman recalls the suggestion that Brown write with Tom Douglas, a notion supported by fellow Sony Music Nashville VP, A&R Jim Catino. The pairing produced “Cold Spot,” which the duo penned with Douglas’ “The House That Built Me” co-writer Allen Shamblin.

“Tom and Allen thank you for that song and coming into Kane’s life and bringing out of him that obviously very vulnerable side,” Goodman offered to the two hit makers.

“If y’all knew how I grew up, I didn’t get a lot of chances, so for y’all to give me a chance means the world to me,” Brown told the audience.

To that end, the Brown-penned “Learning” is one of the album’s most personal tracks, written alongside Shy Carter and Sam Ellis. The transparent track showcases a strength built through his turbulent childhood, and resolve to forgive and move forward.

“I told [them] how I was raised,” Brown recalled of the writing session. “I went through child abuse, and I didn’t have a lot of money, so I lived in a car with my mom for a while. I went through racism, bullying. Once we got to high school and middle school, I had a lot of friends that started experimenting with drugs and guns. Some of my best friends OD’d or were shot and killed–not even on purpose. I had one friend that was cleaning his gun and it went off and shot his girlfriend that was in the room asleep. So we just wrote this song and came out with this title at the end. Just where I’m at today, I realize I can be a role model for a lot of kids and that’s what I want to do.”

Goodman recalled how producer Dann Huff originally signed on to produce only two tracks on the project but after hearing “Learning,” he cleared his schedule to be more involved. Brown recently posted a preview clip of “Learning,” which pulled in more than 1 million views in less than an hour.

A further stamp of approval for Brown’s artistry came from the superstar artists whose writing credits were featured on the album. Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley co-wrote “Hometown,” while Chris Young co-wrote the track “Comeback,” along with Mark Fuhrer, Josh Hoge, and Matthew McVaney.

Young was in the audience to support Brown at the album preview. “He is my idol out of everybody,” said Brown. “I’m his biggest fan and for him to even want to get into a room to write with me means the world to me.”

Joe Galante, Chairman of the CMA Foundation Board of Directors, was honored Monday night with the CMA Foundation Chairman’s Memento during a dinner for the CMA Board of Directors at the new CMA corporate offices on Music Row.

“Joe is a passionate advocate for the advancement of quality music education and CMA’s support of sustainable music education programs across the country,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “He has made a personal commitment to not only chair the Foundation Board, but visit programs and meet with music education leaders to create and implement best practices for the grants we provide on behalf of our artist community.”

“This truly has been an honor for me to work with the Foundation Board, [CMA Senior Manager of Community Outreach] Tiffany Kerns, and Sarah to provide music education across the country benefiting over one million students, and there are so many more that are deserving of our attention and time. We will continue to champion these impactful programs and work towards helping even more students gain access.” said Galante.

Galante was presented the CMA Foundation Chairman’s Memento by Destini Thompson, 17, a student at the W.O. Smith Music School in Nashville. The school provides low-cost, after-school music instruction to deserving students and is a beneficiary of the CMA Foundation. During a performance by Thompson and other students from the school, Galante presented Executive Director Jonah Rabinowitz with their 2017 grant of $100,000, which brings the CMA Foundation’s total support for W.O. Smith Music School to $325,000.

Galante is a founding member of the CMA Foundation Board of Directors, which was created in 2011 by CMA to have oversight of CMA’s charitable giving. Galante served as Vice Chair (2011-2013) and was previously chairman in 2014.

Joe Galante began his career in the music business with RCA Records in New York in 1971 as Manager of Financial Analysis. He arrived in Nashville three years later as Manager of Administration. During the next several years he held jobs as Vice President of Promotion and Vice President of Marketing and Operations. Galante’s rise saw him become the youngest man to lead a major Nashville label when he took over as head of RCA Nashville in 1981. In 1990, he was named President of RCA Records in New York, returning to Nashville four years later as Chairman of RCA Label Group/Nashville, encompassing the RCA and BNA labels and adding the Arista Nashville imprint in 2000. In 2002 he also added Provident label group, the leader in Christian music. Four years later, welcoming Columbia Nashville as its fourth imprint, the label group became Sony BMG Nashville, adopting the Sony Music Nashville name in 2009.

In April of 2010, after 40 years within the same label family, Galante announced his decision to step down from his post as Chairman of Sony Music Nashville. Currently he is a board member of Pinnacle, Entrepreneur Center, Artist Growth LLC, Fishbowl Spirits, and CMA. He is an advisor to Flo and mentor in residence at the Entrepreneur Center.

The Music Row Detailed Design Plan will be presented to the Metro Planning Commission at their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. The meeting will be in the auditorium of the Howard Office Building, 700 Second Ave. S.

This plan comes after several months of discussion and community outreach.

On June 27, 2016, Metro Planning Staff presented a draft of the plan to the community for review. As a result of concerns related to that plan, the Planning Staff reached out to stakeholders, including participants in a Music Row Summit at Belmont University on Oct. 6.

The majority of participants appear to agree on the basic standards of the Design Plan. Most concerns are related to implementing the Plan, which the Staff recommends be done by creating a form-based zoning code, called the Music Row Code.

A separate process will be undertaken following the adoption of the Music Row Design Plan to determine the details and feasibility of a form-based zoning code.

NSAI Honors Cole Swindell With Songwriter/Artist Of The Year Award

The NSAI Board of Directors presents the NSAI Songwriter/Artist of the Year award for 2016 to Cole Swindell at Nov. 14’s board meeting. Cole was unable to accept in person in October.

 

Jon Pardi, Matt Nathanson Aid Musicians On Call

Capitol Records Nashville artist Jon Pardi and artist Matt Nathanson recently aided Musicians On Call, a nonprofit that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities, as the organization celebrated Veterans Day by performing for veterans and their families and caregivers in 14 VA facilities nationwide.

In Atlanta, MOC hosted Pardi, who took a break from his national Me and My Kind Tour with Kip Moore to brighten the day of Veterans by performing his hit, “Head Over Boots.”

“It was an honor to spend time today with the Veterans who have given so much of their lives and time serving this country,” said Pardi.

 

Craig Morgan Honors US Military Veterans During American Stories Concert

Country entertainer, TV host and former soldier Craig Morgan honored United States military veterans over the weekend during his “American Stories” concert experience tour stops in Washington, D.C. and Roanoke, Virginia. Morgan was joined by his daughter Alexandra, Third Day front man Mac Powell, best-selling author (American Wife) and Veterans’ family activist Taya Kyle, and songwriter/producer Phil O’Donnell (“Give It All We Got Tonight,” “Back When I Knew It All”).

Nearly 200 members of the Armed Services and their families were given complimentary tickets to attend the show at Washington D.C.’s Warner Theater courtesy of the USO. The following night at Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia, Morgan presented a $20,000 donation to Folds of Honor on behalf of Record Rack® and Tarter. Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.

 

Kelsea Ballerini Wraps First Weekend Of Headlining Tour