Hipgnosis Song Management Acquires Kenny Chesney Catalog

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Kenny Chesney. Photo: Danny Clinch

Hipgnosis Song Management has acquired a catalog from Kenny Chesney.

The acquisition includes 80% of Chesney’s recorded music royalties, covering his discography from his critically acclaimed 1994 debut In My Wildest Dreams through 2017’s Live in No Shoes Nation.

Chesney’s catalog includes 22 albums, 15 of which are certified Platinum—including five multi-Platinum certifications—and 20 of which that are certified Gold. His catalog includes nine No. 1 all-genre Billboard 200 albums, 17 No. 1 Billboard Country Albums and 18 Top 10 Billboard Country albums.

Also included in this acquisition are his future greatest hits, live and/or acoustic albums, as well as Sound Exchange and Neighboring Rights royalties for every album in Chesney’s catalog, including two additional No. 1 albums: 2018’s Songs for the Saints and 2020’s Here and Now. This deal signals an ongoing relationship with the star.

Chesney has been one of country music’s most prolific voices over the last two decades. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, with 34 country No. 1 records. The eight-time Entertainer of the Year is a highly regarded artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, and steward of country music.

This is the first acquisition made by Hipgnosis Song Management since its recently announced partnership with Blackstone to acquire music rights and manage catalogs.

“To know that this music has a home that views the work as a collective body, something that builds on itself and captures the heart of No Shoes Nation, was important to me,” Chesney shares. “How these songs live going forward is critical, and I believe Merck [Mercuriadis, Founder of Hipgnosis Song Management] has the best interests of not just the recordings but the people who love them as his driving interest. For the people who love these songs and albums, this is a scenario that allows the music to grow and reflect who those of us living inside these songs truly are.”

Chesney was represented in the deal by his longtime manager Clint Higham at Morris Higham Management and lawyer Jess Rosen at Greenberg Traurig.

“Kenny Chesney is one of the truly great American artists. He has been bringing joy to music fans all over the world for almost 30 years,” says Mercuriadis. “His incredible success of more than 30 million records sold including nine No. 1 albums on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and 17 No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Country chart tells you everything you need to know. Add in his unparalleled success as a touring artist and the juggernaut that is No Shoes Radio, and you realize Kenny is genuinely a phenomenon. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to welcome Kenny and Clint to the Hipgnosis Songs family and we are delighted to launch our new Blackstone backed fund with this landmark acquisition.”

Higham adds, “Kenny has put his life into amassing the collected body of work contained here, and it’s something we have all taken very seriously throughout his unprecedented career. There is no deal that is more important than protecting the legacy of these songs. Working with Merck and his team to secure this deal, we found people who are as serious about the recordings as we are, and that suggests there is an incredible future for Kenny’s recorded music through the Hipgnosis team.”

LB Cantrell
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