Former BLA Leaders Mike Meade, Amy Aylward Form Acceleration Music Group

/by

Mike Meade, Amy Aylward

Former Buddy Lee Attractions leaders Mike Meade and Amy Aylward have partnered to form Acceleration Music Group. Meade was previously Vice President at BLA, while Aylward was an agent.

Acceleration Music Group’s flagship artists include Suzanne Alexander, Bone Feather, Ty Herndon, Brody Ray, Darryl Worley and Michelle Wright.

“I’ve been working as an agent in this industry for more than two decades and I’ve maneuvered through some vast changes in the entertainment arena during that time,” recalls Meade. “Two things have always remained constant: a great booking agency can truly accelerate an artist to the next level working in tandem with the artist’s team and a hard-working agency that moves forward as a unit to pursue both our clients’ and our staff’s goals will succeed. I’m excited for the opportunities that can be achieved with this new company and I’m proud to partner with Amy for AMG.”

“Acceleration Music Group is all about moving careers forward,” says Aylward. “Working with established artists as well as new comers gives us the perfect opportunity to expand fan bases and bookings worldwide. The caliber of artist we represent is second to none and I am so excited to be starting this journey with my long-time friend and co-worker, Mike Meade.”

Meade can be reached at [email protected], while Aylward can be reached at [email protected]. The phone number for the newly-formed Acceleration Music Group is 615-378-5770.

Charles Esten, Bobby Bones Honored At Musicians On Call ‘Night To Celebrate’

/by

Pictured (L-R): Thomas Rhett and Charles Esten, Musicians on Call President, Pete Griffin, Radio Host Bobby Bones and Recording Artist Chris Janson (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for Musicians On Call)

Bobby Bones and Charles Esten were honored by Musicians On Call during the sold-out A Night to Celebrate the Healing Power of Music at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s CMA Theater in Nashville on Oct. 10.

The organization honored On-Air Personality/MOC Board Member Bobby Bones with the Leadership in Music Golden Ukulele, and CMT’s Nashville star/MOC volunteer Charles Esten with the Music Heals Golden Ukulele. Thomas Rhett and Chris Janson also performed for the crowd of over 700 during the special evening, which raised over $150,000 for the organization’s programs in Nashville and across the country.

“I continue to be inspired every single day by people that volunteer, by people that serve for us in the military, by people that are nurses and that are first responders,” said Bones. “I am inspired every day and I feel it’s my job to inspire other people. Hopefully tonight, when you leave here, you’ll feel a bit inspired too.”

“It means everything to me to be in hospital rooms and to get to sing a song that has meaning. The doors that seem to have meant the most to me are these hospital room doors. That’s why I’m so grateful to Musicians On Call, this is literally an honor. If I can do anything it’s to point to this group and to the incredible work that they do. It’s like USO shows for people in a completely different battle,” said Esten, “I can promise you that I am the one who is blessed when that visit is over. This is a huge honor and I am grateful, but the real honor is getting to be with the patients.”

Nashville volunteers Mary Lee Bennett, Chris Swift and Laura Vance were presented with the Volunteer Guide and Volunteer Musician Golden Ukuleles by recording artist Natalie Stovall and Southwest Airlines’ Tena Griffith. Recording artist Maggie Rose also made an appearance during the celebration.

Colby Wedgeworth Named ASCAP Christian Songwriter Of The Year

/by

Pictured: ASCAP’s Paul Williams, Colby Wedgeworth and ASCAP’s Michael Martin

Songwriter Colby Wedgeworth earned his first ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year honor Monday evening (Oct. 15) during this year’s annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards, held in Franklin, Tennessee. In the past year, Wedgeworth has had five of the most-performed CCM songs, including “Beloved,” “Old Church Choir,” “Unfinished,” “Whole Heart,” and “Word of Life.”

“Thank you to Matthew [West] and Ben Glover for letting someone else win this year,” he quipped. “I grew up on Christian music, and always wanted to do this, so it’s an honor to be working alongside all of you.”

The ASCAP award is just the beginning of a week filled with nominations and honors, as Wedgeworth is also the leading nominee going into Tuesday’s Dove Awards, with eight nominations. In 2017, Wedgeworth’s “The River,” co-written with and recorded by Jordan Feliz, was honored as the ASCAP Song of the Year.

Ben Glover performs “Even If” during ASCAP Christian Music Awards.

The ASCAP Christian Music Song of the Year went to “Even If,” penned by Glover, David Garcia, and Crystal Lewis, and recorded by MercyMe. The track is published by 9 T One Songs, All Essential Music, Capitol CMG Publishing Group, Crystallized, D Soul Music, and Let’s Be Beautiful. Co-writer and five-time ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year Glover performed an acoustic version of the song.

Several members of ASCAP’s leadership team were on hand, including Paul Williams, Michael Martin, John Titta, Beth Brinker, Mike Sistad, and Nicole George-Middleton.

Members of Capitol CMG Publishing celebrate a 16th consecutive ASCAP Christian Music Publisher of the Year win.

For the 16th consecutive year, Capitol CMG Publishing earned the title of ASCAP Christian Music Publisher of the Year, having earned seven award-winning songs this year, including “Even If,” “Forgiven,” “Live Like You’re Loved,” “Love Broke Thru,” “Oh My Soul,” “The Gospel,”  and “Unfinished.” Capitol CMG Executive Vice President Casey McGinty and his team were on hand to accept the award.

Two special honors went to Twila Paris and the Gospel Music Association. The GMA was honored with the ASCAP Partners in Music Award.

“I get to serve with an incredible group of people,” said GMA’s Jackie Patillo, who noted that more than 1.7 million people watched last year’s GMA Dove Awards. “This is a sweet night for us.”

Twila Paris, who has earned 33 No. 1 hits and has been with ASCAP since 1981, was honored with the ASCAP Golden Note Award. Steve Green was on hand to honor Paris, as was trio Selah, who performed a medley of Paris’ signature hits, as well as her classic “How Beautiful.”

Matthew West, Jason Houser, and AJ Prius perform “Broken Things.”

A total of 19 most-performed song awards were presented during the show, while invited guests enjoyed additional live performances from Matthew West, Jason Houser and A.J. Pruis (“Broken Things”) and the choir from Dickson, Tennessee’s First Baptist Church (“Old Church Choir”). Loren Patterson, a seven-year-old member of the choir, became an accidental media star when a video clip of her dancing during a performance of “Old Church Choir” went viral.

Other artists in attendance during the ASCAP Christian Music Awards include Ryan Stevenson, David Dunn, David Crowder, Unspoken and Emily Weisband.

Weekly Register: Eric Church Crowns Country Albums Chart With ‘Desperate Man’ Debut

/by

Eric Church‘s latest album, Desperate Man, as debuted atop the country albums chart, with 116K in total consumption (103K album only), according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Luke Combs‘ This One’s For You is at No. 2 with 21K (3.8K album only), followed by Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty at No. 3 (16K, 11K album only). Dan+Shay‘s self-titled album moves 13K this week (1.5K album only) to land at No. 4, while Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller rounds out the Top 5 with 12K (3.2K album only).

On the overall albums chart, the soundtrack for A Star is Born debuts at No. 1 with 231K, followed by Twenty One Pilots at No. 2 (Trench, 175K). Lil Wayne‘s Tha Carter V is at No. 3 with 135K, followed by Lil Baby & Gunna at No. 4 with Drip Harder (129.8K). Church debuts at No. 5 on the overall albums chart this week, followed by Steve Perry‘s Traces at No. 6 with 73K. CCM duo For King & Country debut at No. 7 with their new title Burn The Ships (62K).

On the To 5 Country Digital Sales chart, Dan+Shay’s “Speechless” is at No. 1 with 10K, followed by Combs’ “She Got The Best Of Me” at No. 2 with 8K. Florida Georgia Line‘s “Simple” is at No. 3 with 7.8K, followed by Mitchell Tenpenny‘s “Drunk Me” at No. 4 with 6.3K. Tim McGraw‘s new track “Neon Church” enters at No. 5 with 6K. Also debuting in the Top 10 this week is Old Dominion‘s “Make It Sweet” at No. 9 with 5.3K.

Rachel Whitney Exits Pandora

/by

Rachel Barnhard Whitney. Photo: Robby Klein

Pandora Head of Country Music Programming Rachel Whitney has exited the company.

Whitney joined Pandora in 2015, overseeing programming for country and representing Pandora within the music community, as well as creating associated editorial content for Pandora’s blog and social media.

Prior to her work at Pandora, Whitney served as Director of Digital Marketing at Borman Entertainment where she managed digital marketing for artists such as Keith Urban and Alison Krauss. She also had previous career stops at Thirty Tigers and AristoMedia.

Pandora is currently seeking to fill the Head of Country Music Programming role. Applicants can visit Pandora.com.

News of Whitney’s future endeavor is expected soon.

 

Nominations For Country Radio Hall Of Fame Now Open

/by

Nominations are now being accepted for the Country Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Nominations must be received by Oct. 29, 2018. The Country Radio Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1974, includes two categories: Radio and On-Air Personality.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of individuals who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over a 20-year period, 15 of which must be in the country format.

The 2019 Hall of Fame inductees will be revealed at Country Radio Seminar’s 50th Anniversary event (CRS 2019), which will take place Feb. 13-15, 2019 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The CRB President’s Award and the Artist Career Achievement Award are also recognized at the event. Information regarding the date, location, sponsorship opportunities and ticket prices for the Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards ceremony will be available in the coming months.

Nominations can be submitted at countryradioseminar.com/awards.

Jason Aldean, Maren Morris, Big & Rich Added To Onsite Foundation’s INSPIRE Event

/by

Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean and Big & Rich will be on hand to perform as part of the Onsite Foundation’s annual INSPIRE event, which will take place Oct. 23 in Nashville. Maren Morris will also be in attendance for a special presentation.

The evening will honor Live Nation’s President of Country Touring Brian O’Connell and his Nashville team with their awards, taking place at Marathon Music Works. The country music industry is rallying around this important event recognizing O’Connell’s ongoing commitment to helping of the victims and families of the Oct. 1 tragedy in Las Vegas. The Onsite Foundation has created a 100 percent Scholarship, trauma and grief intensive program specifically for those who lost loved ones and proceeds from INSPIRE will benefit this directly, helping to find healing through mental health resources.

To purchase tickets and sponsorships packages visit give.classy.org.

CMA Broadcast Award Winners Announced

/by

The 2018 CMA Broadcast Award Winners were announced Monday (Oct. 15). Jason Aldean personally congratulated the broadcast award winners, who will be honored during the CMA Awards on Nov. 14, which will air live from Nashville. The awards show will be hosted again this year by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.

CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year

National
Lon Helton, Country Countdown USA, Westwood One

Major Market
Bud Ford, Jerry Broadway, Kelly Rebal, Gregory Paul Ford, Tom Wall, Becca Walls–Bud and Broadway, WIL/St. Louis

Large Market
Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt, Kevin Freeman–Jim, Deb & Kevin, WFMS/Indianapolis

Medium Market
Ken Hicks, Kelley Bradshaw, Daniel Wyatt–Ken, Kelley and Daniel, WUSY/Chattanooga

Small Market
Steve Waters, Jessica Cash–Steve and Jessica Mornings, WFLS/Fredericksburg, VA

CMA Radio Station Of The Year
Major Market: KKBQ/Houston
Large Market: WUBE/Cincinnati
Medium Market: WUSY/Chattanooga
Small Market: KTTS/Springfield, MO

UMPG’s Chase McGill Rises To The No. 1 Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

/by

MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

MusicRow’s weekly ranking of the top 60 country songwriters shines a bright spotlight this week on Universal Music Publishing Group songwriter Chase McGill. McGill earns his first-ever week at No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart with four active song titles; “Lose It,” “Break Up In The End,” “Short Skirt Weather,” and “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset.”

Josh Osborne moves to No. 2 after an impressive 13-week consecutive run in the top spot. Also enjoying upward momentum is Jessie Jo Dillon at No. 4 and Kevin Welch at No. 5. Welch is the only writer currently in the Top 10 with a single song, “Millionaire,” on the chart earning him all of the song’s points as the solo writer.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every Monday, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive new addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Using a proprietary software, the points earned by each song are evenly split among each of the song’s co-writers, echoing how the business works with respect to publishing revenues and ownership—while reflecting the overall success of active songs for each songwriter. This elite list represents country music’s most successful writers whose songs are currently being heard on radio, downloaded as tracks and streamed across America.

Originally created by MusicRow founder, David Ross, under his own company imprint and brand, the newly rendered MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart is a valuable information source for our industry. Songwriters and publishers are the bedrock of the Nashville music industry and this chart recognizes the enormous commitment required from not only the songwriter, but the entire publishing team behind a songwriter’s career.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

 

Mixcloud, UMG Ink Direct Licensing Agreement

/by

Digital audio streaming platform Mixcloud has inked a multi-year direct licensing agreement with the Universal Music Group (UMG).

Under the agreement, UMG’s recording artists will be compensated for the use of their music on Mixcloud’s advertising-supported and future subscription services. The global agreement, excluding China and Japan, includes payment for previous use of UMG’s music.

Mixcloud offers a diverse collection of serialized, long-form, and unique audio content — over 15 million radio shows, DJ sets, and podcasts. Mixcloud’s Content ID system is capable of identifying music within radio shows and mixes, and tracks usage to pay out royalties to local collecting societies such as SoundExchange and the performing rights societies in the U.S.

“Our focus has always been on empowering artists and curators alike, and this deal with Universal Music will help us usher in a new era of collaboration in which everyone wins,” said Nico Perez, Co-Founder at Mixcloud. “Our platform ensures that all rights-holders are paid fairly for the use of their work in long-form audio, and we are excited to work directly with the world’s largest record label Universal Music to continue to enhance what we can offer to our curators, their listeners, and to the artists that created the great tracks in the first place.”

“Mixcloud has developed an innovative platform where audiences can uniquely discover artists and experience music through curated stations, podcasts, DJ sets and other influencer-driven audio formats,” said James Healy, UMG’s Vice President of Digital Business. “Working together, we will expand the programming that’s available across Mixcloud and give their passionate fans more choice over how they consume music and interact with their favorite artists.”