The T.J. Martell Foundation will present Red Light Management Founder Coran Capshaw with the Lifetime Music Industry Award at its 51st annual New York Honors Gala on Sept. 15.

The foundation’s primary annual fundraiser brings together music industry legends, philanthropic leaders, and pioneering scientists for a night of tribute, inspiration, and purpose, all in support of cancer research.

Lifetime Music Industry Award recipient Capshaw has built Red Light into the world’s largest independent artist management company, where he personally manages Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Chris Stapleton and The Strokes, among others.  Beyond management, he has helped shape acclaimed music festivals and venues across the country, as well as carries a deep commitment to philanthropy.

“We are deeply honored to recognize our esteemed music industry colleague Coran Capshaw with this year’s Lifetime Music Industry Award, a tribute to decades of remarkable dedication and philanthropic leadership,” says Steve Gawley, Executive Vice President, Republic Co., Head of Business & Legal Affairs, Republic Collective and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, T.J. Martell Foundation. “This event is a celebration of those in the music industry whose unwavering passion and generosity are vital to advancing our mission. Coran’s enduring commitment to philanthropy, as well as his ability to rally artists in support of meaningful causes, has made a profound impact on our community. We are proud to shine a spotlight on Coran’s exceptional leadership and lasting contributions to the causes that matter most.”

“I am incredibly honored to support this life-saving work,” says Capshaw. “Giving back has always been important to me, and being able to engage our generous music community to support vitally important organizations such as the T.J. Martell Foundation is something I’m proud of and will keep doing my part however I can.”

Niko Moon will release his new album ROOTS on July 17 via EMPIRE.

In celebration of the project, Moon released a new single, “RICH MAN.”

“I’ve spent a long time building my life as a singer, songwriter, husband and father, and while that journey has taken me to some beautiful places — including my home now in Nashville — I started feeling pulled back toward the places that raised me: Tyler, Texas, Atlanta, and Georgia This album is an homage to those places, those memories and the stories that shaped me. ROOTS draws not only from my own life, but from the musical history of Texas, Atlanta and the South as a whole. Sonically and personally, this album is a bit of a change for me. Instead of writing about taking somebody to the beach or out to a party, I wanted to take people back to where I come from — back to my roots, and back to the life I’m living today with my family,” he shares.

The project explores his upbringing in Georgia and Texas, and his life in Nashville with his wife and children.

Moon will embark on his headlining “BACK TO MY ROOTS” tour this fall, kicking off on September 11 in Youngstown, Ohio.

ROOTS Track List:
1. “GEORGIA (ROOTS)”
2. “AMERICAN DREAMIN’”
3. “RICH MAN”
4. “TAKE IT SLOW”
5. “GET COUNTRY”
6. “LAKESIDE SUMMER”
7. “SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW, SOME WAY”
8. “COUNTRY SONG”
9. “DRIFT AWAY”
10. “WITHOUT YOUR LOVE”
11. “LAY IT ON ME”
12. “ONE WAY TO FIND OUT”
13. “RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW”
14. “EASY”
15. “CHANGE THE WORLD”

Charles Wesley Godwin will release his new album Christian Name, on July 24 via Big Loud Records. The first single from the project,“Better That Way” featuring Luke Combs, is out now.

The personal collection of new songs explores how he learned to live again after he and his wife Samantha’s third child Samuel was stillborn in 2024.

“To put it simply, my heart was broken,” Godwin says. “It took me a few months to get myself back up off the ground, so to speak, and get back into the game and to write songs again. Coming out of that, I recommitted to my faith in God more so than I have at any point in my life. It really changed me,” he says, speaking to not only his personal transformation over the past few years but also to how this distinctly spiritual quest is reflected in Christian Name. “The point of this project was to point to God and let people know he’s really helped me through this time in my life.”

“Try Again,” follows a powerful opening sermon and captures the singer’s meditation on finding hope again amid the darkness. “I Caught The Sunrise,” is a reflection on forever carrying one’s memory with you.

Christian Name also includes a pair of feature collaborations, “Better That Way” with Combs and “Hey There, Son” featuring Wyatt Flores. Songwriting partners on the project include Stephen Wilson Jr., Liz Rose, Lori McKenna and more.

Godwin will tour in support of Christian Name, and in addition to his own headline shows, will embark on a co-headline tour with Dylan Gossett this summer. This fall, Godwin joins Kacey Musgraves on her “Middle of Nowhere Tour.”

Christian Name Track List: 
1. “Sermon” (Al Torrence, Dave Stacy)
2. “Try Again” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Travis Meadows)
3. “Better That Way” (feat. Luke Combs) (Charles Wesley Godwin, Scooter Carusoe, Al Torrence)
4. “Hallelujah High” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Scooter Carusoe)
5. “Hey There Son” (feat. Wyatt Flores) (Charles Wesley Godwin, Lori McKenna)
6. “I Caught the Sunrise” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Liz Rose)
7. “Place I Know” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Scooter Carusoe)
8. “Street Advice” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas)
9. “Every Once in a While” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Travis Meadows, Dave Stacy)
10. “Christian Name” (Charles Wesley Godwin)
11. “God’s Been Good to Me” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Aaron Raitiere)
12. “Gospel of the South” (Craig Boyd, Tony Lane, David Cory Lee)
13. “Brand New” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Stephen Wilson Jr.)

Vince Gill’s Go Rest High On That Mountain Enters Library Of Congress

Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High On That Mountain” has been selected for preservation by The National Recording Registry Of The Library Of Congress.

“I’ve been writing songs for over 50 years, and if you asked me what’s the one song you’d want to be remembered for, I would pick this one, hands down. Wouldn’t even be close,” Gill says. “In my era of success, it was probably the least charting record I’ve had, but what this song has gone on to do for other people is what makes it special to me. It was written while I was grieving the loss of my big brother, and the truth is, I had never planned on recording it. But a fellow I worked with, Tony Brown, heard the song and said ‘you have to record it. The world should hear this song.’”

 

Vincent Mason Makes Late Night TV Debut

Vincent Mason made his late-night TV debut on May 13 with a performance of his breakout hit “Damned If I Do” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Backstage, Vincent Mason was surprised with a plaque presentation commemorating the song’s recent RIAA Gold certification.

 

Top Shelf Country Cruise 2026 Raises $250,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

The Top Shelf Country Cruise raised $250,000 for its inaugural year supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The lineup included Keith Urban, Lee Brice, Scotty McCreery, Parmalee, LeAnn Rimes, Cooper Alan, Kassi Ashton, Thelma & James, Britnee Kellogg, Paul Sykes, Ken Domash, Goose Gossett and Rodeo Disco.

“For years, Signature Cruise Experiences has proudly supported the incredible work of St. Jude,” says Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of Signature Cruise Experiences. “Selecting St. Jude as the official benefactor of the charitable efforts of Top Shelf Country Cruise was a natural extension of that relationship and a cause deeply meaningful to our team. No child should ever have to suffer from cancer.”

 

Walker Montgomery Visits Sunrise Hospital And Medical Center in Las Vegas

Walker Montgomery recently visited Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas with ACM Lifting Lives and Musicians On Call.

During the visit, Montgomery treated caregivers and physicians to a performance of songs including “I Love The Way You Love Me,” “Nothing Like You Nowhere,” “Saving The Honky Tonks,” and “Wouldn’t Be A Country Boy.” Following his performance, Montgomery walked the halls of Sunrise Hospital giving special bedside performances to a number of patients.

 

CMHOFM Celebrates 25 Years Downtown

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is celebrating the 25th anniversary since moving downtown in 2001.

First located on Music Row, the original museum opened in 1967. Today, the museum is among the most-visited history museums in the U.S., welcoming nearly 1.4 million visitors in 2025. In the past two years, the museum received the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts institutions by the United States government, and achieved accreditation for the fourth time by the American Alliance of Museums.

 

BlackHawk & The Outlaws Donate Collective $50,000 To Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center & MusiCares

BlackHawk and The Outlaws recently made a collective $50,000 in charitable donations to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and MusiCares.

BlackHawk presented a $25,000 donation to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Research Lab, continuing a mission the band began in 2004 in memory of former BlackHawk singer-songwriter Van Stephenson, who passed away from melanoma in 2001. A $25,000 donation to MusiCares was also presented by The Outlaws, honoring the memory of former original members of the southern rock group.

“Our charitable efforts have given us an empathetic perspective and a unique sense of purpose,” says Henry Paul, a founding member of both bands. “We get a lot of help from fans and friends and we appreciate all those that invest in our mission.”

 

Kylie Frey Appears On RFD-TV

Kylie Frey recently appeared on RFD-TV’s Market Day Report with host Suzanne Alexander about her music and the current Horses For Mental Health Campaign.

“This was a no brainer, I said absolutely sign me up for this! I remember being a kid and having a lot of feelings, and when I couldn’t understand what was happening inside, or what I was feeling, I would go out to my barn and talk to my horses, and literally cry on their shoulders. I think this is a beautiful organization and I’m so proud to be an ambassador,” she shared.

“We’re grateful to the celebrity ambassadors lending their voices and horse stories to amplify awareness,” says Shantel Klinger of Horses For Mental Health. “The Nashville music community has especially embraced this campaign and we’re so thankful for those who have saddled up to spread the word about these incredibly intuitive creatures positively impacting lives around the world.”