Josh Kear Joins Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville (Exclusive)

Josh Kear.

Josh Kear has signed a global publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville.

Kear has earned four Grammys for his works, and is the only songwriter to win the Country Song of the Year Grammy honor three times. He has also earned several RIAA multi-Platinum certifications, as well as ACM, ASCAP, and CMA honors.

He has penned hits for Carrie Underwood (“Before He Cheats,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” “Blown Away”), Florida Georgia Line (“God, Your Mama, and Me”), Dierks Bentley (“Drunk On A Plane,” “Woman, Amen”), Lady A (the RIAA certified 9x multi-Platinum “Need You Now”), Tim McGraw (“Highway Don’t Care,” featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban), and Lee Brice (“Drinking Class”). His music has been featured in television shows including The Bachelorette, Glee, The Glee Project, and The Voice, as well as films such as Zero Dark Thirty and Country Strong.

“Rusty Gaston was one of the main driving factors for me,” Kear told MusicRow of joining Sony/ATV Music Publishing. “I did 17 years with Big Yellow Dog with Carla Wallace and Kerry O’Neil and my love affair with that company certainly didn’t end. It was time for me to try something else, and because Rusty was at THiS Music for so long and is still so closely connected with independent publishing, I felt like I might be able to get the best of both worlds by teaming up with him. He understood where I was coming from—I had worked on the more corporate side of things many years ago. I did six years with BMG at the beginning of my career. It felt like it was a return and a fresh start, but also still staying connected to the part of the business I love dearly.”

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston stated, “Josh is truly one of a kind – his songs have elevated the standards of country music, and they convey genuine emotion that everyone can relate to. I’m thrilled to welcome Josh to the Sony/ATV family and to deliver the best opportunities for his music.”

Kear also recently joined NSAI’s Board of Directors. He has made regular trips to Washington D.C. to help advocate for his fellow songwriters, and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018, as part of an initiative to pass the Music Modernization Act, which was signed into law in October 2018.

“[NSAI Executive Director] Bart Herbison is possibly the best friend in Nashville or anywhere in the United States of a songwriter—he’s been our defender, our advocate,” Kear says. “He cares so deeply about this community. I’m always happy to jump in to be of service. The work they do here and especially in Washington, D.C. is so important to the long-term health of our business.”