The Lee Greenwood Patriot Awards Gala at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott in Houston was held earlier this month, and raised over $500,000 for the Helping a Hero organization.

This year, Helping a Hero honored five trailblazers with The Lee Greenwood Patriot Award for their leadership and commitment to our wounded warriors: NASCAR Legend Richard Childress; GOYA Foods CEO Robert “Bob” Unanue; South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem; U.S. Congressman Bill Flores (TX-17) who championed veteran reforms while in Congress; and multi-Platinum artist Michael W. Smith.

Funds raised from the evening will enable Helping a Hero serve post-9/11 severely wounded warriors through their Wounded Hero Home Program, emergency needs program, and other support programs. Plans are underway to build homes for deserving wounded warriors desperately needing specially adapted homes in Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Texas, as well as a special project in South Carolina. Notable attendees at the event included Bass Pro Founder and CEO Johnny Morris, Kalahari Resorts Founder and CEO Todd Nelson, Woodforest National Bank President Jay Dreibelbis, Latina Voices Co-Host Sofia Adrogue, Stewart Builder’s Mark Stewart, and Herbster Angus Farms CEO Charles Herbster.

“I have been supporting Helping a Hero for a decade and I’m humbled by the work they continue to do to help our wounded warriors,” said Greenwood, who hosted the Annual Helping a Hero Gala and presented the Lee Greenwood Patriot Awards. “This year proves that there is nothing that can stand in the way of our love and support for our nation’s heroes. It is an honor to partner with Helping a Hero and help with giving back to our wounded warriors who sacrifice so much for our nation.”

“We extend our deepest thanks and appreciation to Lee Greenwood, our sponsors, supporters, honorees, board members, advisory board members, and staff for making the event a huge success,” said Helping a Hero Chairman of the Board of Directors Hector Villareal. “I am honored to serve those that have served and sacrificed protecting our freedom. God bless the USA.”

Cage The Elephant is set to perform a full band and electric virtual concert for Bread & Roses’ Winter Benefit on Jan. 30. The special show will be broadcast from Blackbird Studio in Nashville, and will be available to watch exclusively on Nugs.net.

The night will consist of music, fundraising and celebration to support the essential work of Bread & Roses. The fundraiser will generate critical support for the nonprofit arts organization which produces free, live music and entertainment for Bay Area children, teens, adults, and elders who don’t have the ability to easily experience the power of the arts any other way. Tickets are available here, and previously purchased Eventbrite tickets will be honored for the new broadcast event.

The band won their second Grammy Award for 2020’s Best Rock Album with Social Cues, and has released four additional studio albums —their self-titled debut, 2011’s Thank You, Happy Birthday, the Gold-certified Melophobia, and the Grammy-winning Tell Me I’m Pretty.

Just over fifteen years ago, Scott Borchetta opened the doors of a small office on Music Row for a start-up label he named Big Machine Records. To celebrate the label’s historic 15-year successes, BMLG President/CEO Scott and his wife Sandi Borchetta, who is BMLG’s Senior Vice President of Creative, announced the launch of a grant fund for 501c3 non-profit music schools and organizations, awarding fifteen recipients with $10,000 grants through the Music Has Value fund.

The first five organizations to receive a grant have been announced including during a ZOOM call with the Borchetta’s. The organizations are as follows:
Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Chattanooga Boys Choir
Tacoma, Washington’s Ted Brown Music Outreach
Higley, Arizona’s United Sound
Boston’s Education Through Music
Oklahoma City’s El Sistema Oklahoma

“When we set out on this journey a little over 15 years ago, the mission was the same then as it is now—find great artists and make great music,” said Borchetta. “Music comes at us from all corners in all shapes and all sizes. Sandi and I feel the responsibility to continue to enable opportunities for all students to experience music-making, whether it’s the sheer joy of just doing it… all the way to successful recording artist. These first five recipients of MHV grants all have a unique take, and challenge, to carry out this mission. We applaud them and proudly support them.”

The Borchettas’ Music Has Value Fund is a fund they created in 2015 to provide financial support to organizations which support those who make music, aspire to make music, and access and appreciate music.

In addition to the victory of the Save Our Stages Act being included in the $900 billion COVID relief stimulus package that Congress reached an agreement on Monday (Dec. 22), the bill also included good news on other music-industry related legislation.

The Save Our Stages Act will provide $15 billion in aid to qualified live venues, independent movie theaters, talent representatives, and cultural institutions who have faced unmeasurable challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Also included in the omnibus budget appropriation passed late Monday night was The CASE Act (Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement Act). The CASE Act allows songwriters and publishers to press copyright infringement claims without going through a lawsuit, by creating a three-judge panel Copyright Claims Board at the Copyright Office that would hear and rule on claims where damages would be capped at $15,000 per claim and $30,000 in total.

Congress also made streaming of copyrighted work, without the proper licensing, a felony, with the Protect Lawful Streaming Act. This allows the Department of Justice to file charges against digital services that provide such material for financial gain. It excludes individual users from being prosecuted under the law.

Among the six Republican senators who voted against the bill was Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, along with, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rick Scott of Florida, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ted Cruz of Texas.

President Donald Trump’s signature is required for the above legislation to become law.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Artist Rights Alliance (ARA), Music Artists Coalition (MAC), Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, and Songwriters of North America (SONA) issued the following statement on the passage of the omnibus bill:

“This legislation is a much-needed lifeline for so many in the music industry who have faced loss and uncertainty for far too long through no fault of their own. We are very grateful for the extension of vital CARES Act benefits including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and the inclusion of the Save Our Stages Act, which will make billions of dollars in grants available to venues and live entertainment workers who have been unable to do their jobs for months. We are also thrilled by the inclusion of a dedicated $100 weekly benefit for mixed earners. Simply put, these relief provisions will save lives and livelihoods, and they are a substantial step on the road to recovery.

We also welcome the inclusion of consensus-driven intellectual property reforms in the omnibus bill. The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act and Protect Lawful Streaming Act (PLSA) will strengthen creators’ ability to protect their works against infringement online, and promote a safer, fairer digital environment, which are particularly needed as the arts struggle to survive the pandemic. We look forward to continuing our work to provide greater relief for the American creative community.”

The National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), the non-profit organization comprised of over 100 independent booking agencies and 140 independent management firms, were also included in the legislation.

NITO President / High Road Touring exec, Frank Riley, offered the following statement:

“NITO, the National Independent Talent Organization, is proud to be part of a coalition of independent venues, agencies and managers whose unrelenting and courageous efforts have resulted in a bill that will provide a life line through these terrible times, to the resumption of music and cultural activities so essential to the well being and vibrancy of local communities.

We are especially grateful to all of those at NIVA, the National Independent Venue Association, for their efforts on behalf of the independent music community. Without this diligent work, without the efforts of all of our supporters, this legislation might not have come to pass.

To those in Congress who heard our voices and responded with their support, especially Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and their collective staff, we are grateful for your understanding and perseverance.

With the distribution of the vaccines, and some reassurance of the safety of social gatherings, all of us at NITO look forward to the return of our successful businesses that have been shuttered these past 9 months.

There is much more work to be done. Anything and everything that will help the artists, and all of those who work in the production of live music events.”

Further, 22 music community organizations released the following statement on Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Chairman Thom Tillis’ proposal to restore balance to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), so that it can best achieve its objective to address online infringement while continuing to foster the growth of internet-based services:

“Through a thoughtful, deliberative process, Senator Tillis has developed an important proposal. By digging deep into the substance, engaging a broad universe of stakeholders and experts, and confronting the issues, Senator Tillis and his team have started an important discussion about how best to provide incentives for success.

It is long past time to restore the balance that was originally intended by Congress in which rightsholders and Internet platforms work together to promote fairness and efficiency in the digital distribution of copyrighted works.

As the U.S. Copyright Office concluded in its report on the safe harbor provisions contained in the DMCA (including the inefficacy of the notice-and-takedown system), ‘Congress’ original intended balance has been tilted askew.’

We look forward to working with Chairman Tillis and his colleagues from both parties across both houses of Congress, and our partners across the creative ecosystem, to find workable, effective solutions to the serious and ongoing problem of online infringement.”

The full list of organizations on the joint statement are as follows:
American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
American Federation of Musicians (AFM)
Americana Music Association (AMA)
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP)
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Christian Music Trade Association (CMTA)
Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA)
Gospel Music Association (GMA)
International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)
Living Legends Foundation, Inc.
Music Artists Coalition (MAC)
Music Managers Forum – US (MMF-US)
National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA)
National Songwriters Association International (NSAI)
Recording Academy
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Rhythm & Blues Foundation, Inc.
Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)
Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC)
Songwriters of North America (SONA)
SoundExchange

NMPA President & CEO, David Israelite, also offered the following statement: “We commend Congress for passing key legislation within today’s Omnibus bill that will help creators. The CASE Act provides a reasonable and needed pathway to justice for everyone from songwriters to photographers whose work is being used unlawfully. Additionally, the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act is crucial to enforcing copyrights by fixing the streaming ‘loophole,’ which has allowed rogue enterprises to run rampant and profit without the necessary law enforcement tools to prosecute them. Now, criminal penalties for illegal streaming will be aligned with illegal downloading and distribution. Both of these bills are important steps forward for the music industry and larger creative community and will allow songwriters to better enforce their rights. We sincerely appreciate Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senator Thom Tillis’ (R-NC) leadership on these issues.”

BMI’s President & CEO, Mike O’Neill, offered: “We’re grateful that Congress has come together and passed this much needed relief package which will help many who have been impacted by this pandemic, including the songwriters and composers who have been hit particularly hard. This bill provides important relief for the self-employed, helps creators protect and enforce their rights, and importantly, provides funding for the live music venues which are so important to our songwriters’ livelihoods. We know there are still difficult months ahead, and BMI will continue working on behalf of our community, including advocating for any additional assistance needed to recover from the devastation caused by this pandemic.”

The Recording Academy’s Chair & Interim President/CEO, Harvey Mason jr., said: “The Recording Academy® is pleased that Congress heard the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, which provides a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.”

The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) commented: “As an organization by and for working artists and songwriters, we applaud Congress for making a down payment on the critical needs of a music community devastated by the pandemic. We are pleased the combined COVID relief bill and omnibus appropriations act includes economic assistance for venues and unemployment programs that determine benefit amounts by taking into account the multiple sources of income many songwriters and artists rely upon to earn a living wage.

We are also pleased that the bill includes measures to create a better music economy for the long term, including a small claims court for independent creators to use to ensure they are paid for the use of their work (the CASE Act) and a bill modernizing laws used to fight industrial scale piracy for the streaming age.”

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are ringing in the New Year with a special New Year’s Eve show streaming from Brooklyn Bowl Nashville at 8 p.m CT.

Isbell and wife Amanda Shires played Brooklyn Bowl’s very first concert back in May and return to the venue to help fans celebrate the New Year. Tickets and a New Years Eve limited edition poster are on sale now at FANS.live. While watching or in advance now, viewers can support Nashville’s Independent Radio, Lightning 100, by donating.

Isbell and Shires also recently performed as part of Home For The Holidays, a live stream benefit organized by Cyndi Lauper. Proceeds from the benefit supported Lauper’s True Colors United organization. The show also featured Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard and more, and premiered on TikTok on Dece. 11 and on YouTube and Facebook on Dec. 13.