2019 ACM Awards Winners

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The 54th annual Academy of Country Music Awards aired live from Las Vegas on Sunday (April 7). A full list of the winners is below:

(Winners in Red)

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
• Jason Aldean
• Luke Bryan
• Kenny Chesney
• Chris Stapleton
• Keith Urban

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• Miranda Lambert
• Ashley McBryde
• Maren Morris
• Kacey Musgraves
• Carrie Underwood

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• Dierks Bentley
• Luke Combs
• Thomas Rhett
• Chris Stapleton
• Keith Urban

DUO OF THE YEAR
• Brothers Osborne
• Dan + Shay
• Florida Georgia Line
• LOCASH
• Maddie & Tae

GROUP OF THE YEAR
• Lady Antebellum
• LANCO
• Little Big Town
• Midland
• Old Dominion

NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• Danielle Bradbery
• Lindsay Ell
• Ashley McBryde
• Carly Pearce

NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
• Jimmie Allen
• Luke Combs
• Jordan Davis
• Michael Ray
• Mitchell Tenpenny

NEW DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
• High Valley
• LANCO
• Runaway June

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
• Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers / Matt Dragstrem
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

• Desperate Man – Eric Church
Producers: Jay Joyce / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
Record Label: EMI Records Nashville

• From A Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb / Chris Stapleton
Record Label: Mercury Nashville

• Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Ian Fitchuk / Daniel Tashian / Kacey Musgraves
Record Label: MCA Nashville

• The Mountain – Dierks Bentley
Producers: Ross Copperman / Jon Randall Stewart / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

SINGLE OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
• Down to the Honky Tonk – Jake Owen
Producer: Joey Moi
Record Label: Big Loud Records

• Heaven – Kane Brown
Producer: Dann Huff / Polow Da Don
Record Label: RCA Nashville

• Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

• Most People Are Good – Luke Bryan
Producers: Jeff Stevens / Jody Stevens
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

• Tequila – Dan + Shay
Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
• Break Up In The End – Cole Swindell
Writers: Jessie Jo Dillon / Chase McGill / Jon Nite
Publishers: EMI April Music Inc. / Nite Writer Music (ASCAP) / Songs of Universal, Inc. / Plum Nelly (BMI) / Big Music Machine (BMI)/ Big Ass Pile Of Dimes Music (BMI)

• Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
Writers: Mike Henderson / Chris Stapleton
Publishers: WB Music Corp./House of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights/Spirit Catalog Holdings, S.a.r.l. admin. by Spirit Two Nashville (ASCAP); Straight Six Music (BMI)

• Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
Writers: David Garcia / Tyler Hubbard / Joshua Miller / Bebe Rexha
Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kiss Me If You Can Music (BMI) (all rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC) Big Loud Mountain (BMI) and T Hubb Publishing (BMI). All Rights Administered by Round Hill Works. Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. on behalf of itself and Songs of the Corn and Jack 10 Publishing. Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing (ASCAP) D Soul Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com)

• Space Cowboy – Kacey Musgraves
Writers: Luke Laird / Shane McAnally / Kacey Musgraves
Publishers: Smack Hits/Smack Songs, admin by Kobalt Music Group ltd. (GMR)/Universal Music Works/We Are Creative NBaSmack Hits/Smack Songs, LLC, admin. by Kobalt Music Group Ltd. (GMR); Universal Music Works/We Are Creative Nation/Jake and Mack Music, admin. by Universal Music Works; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./351 Music (BMI).

• Tequila – Dan + Shay
Writers: Nicolle Galyon / Jordan Reynolds / Dan Smyers
Publishers: Beats and Banjos (ASCAP)/ WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)/A Girl Named Charlie (BMI) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Buckeye26 (ASCAP) / Jreynmusic (ASCAP)

• Yours – Russell Dickerson
Writers: Casey Brown / Russell Dickerson / Parker Welling
Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kailey’s Dream / So Essential Tunes / Not Just Another Song Publishing / Hillbilly Science and Research Publishing/Trailerlily Music

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
• Babe – Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift
Producer: Roger Hunt
Director: Anthony Mandler

• Burn Out – Midland
Producer: Ben Skipworth
Director: TK McKamy / Cameron Duddy

• Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
Producer: Nate Eggert
Director: Wes Edwards

• Drunk Girl – Chris Janson
Producer: Ben Skipworth
Director: Jeff Venable

• Shoot Me Straight – Brothers Osborne
Producer: April Kimbrell
Director: Wes Edwards / Ryan Silver

• Tequila – Dan + Shay
Producer: Christen Pinkston
Director: Patrick Tracy

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR*(Off Camera Award)
• Ross Copperman
• Ashley Gorley
• Shane McAnally
• Chase McGill
• Josh Osborne

MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
• Burning Man – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
Producers: Ross Copperman / Jon Randall Stewart / Arturo Buenahora Jr.
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

• Drowns the Whiskey – Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert
Producer: Michael Knox
Record Labels: Macon Music, LLC; Broken Bow Records; BBR Music Group; BMG

• Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney
Producers: Buddy Cannon / Kenny Chesney / David Lee Murphy
Record Label: Reviver Records

• Keeping Score – Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson
Producers: Scott Hendricks / Dan Smyers
Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

• Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

ACM Awards: Wins For Chris Janson, Old Dominion

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Chris Janson and Old Dominion are early winners heading into Sunday evening’s (April 7) Academy of Country Music Awards. Old Dominion earned the 2019 ACM Group of the Year honor, while Janson won the ACM Video of the Year category for “Drunk Girl,” along with producer Ben Skipworth and director Jeff Venable.

During the red carpet, ACM Songwriter of the Year winner Shane McAnally surprised Old Dominion on the red carpet at the PEOPLE Digital Red Carpet Pre-Show with the news of their win. 54th Academy of Country Music host Reba McEntire surprised ACM Video of the Year winner Chris Janson with the news backstage.

 

 

Previously announced winners include Luke Combs (New Male Artist of the Year), LANCO (New Group of the Year), Ashley McBryde (New Female Artist of the Year) and Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne (Music Event of the Year).

These awards were announced in advance of the 54th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, airing from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 8 p.m. ET / delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

 

 

Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Shane McAnally Earn Early ACM Award Wins

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As the country music industry prepares to celebrate the 54th annual Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday evening (April 7), a few industry members are already celebrating early ACM wins.

Brothers Osborne and Dierks Bentley have earned Music Event of the Year for “Burning Man,” produced by Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart and Arturo Buenahora Jr.

Bentley is also nominated for Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (The Mountain), and Video of the Year (“Burning Man”). Brothers Osborne are also nominated for Duo of the Year and earned two Video of the Year nominations (“Burning Man” and “Shoot Me Straight”).

Meanwhile, Shane McAnally earned the Songwriter of the Year honor. Among McAnally’s current hits are Old Dominion’s “Make It Sweet,” Jake Owen’s “Down To The Honky Tonk,” and Kacey Musgraves’ “Rainbow” and Grammy-winning “Space Cowboy.”

They all join previously-announced ACM winners including New Male Artist of the Year Luke Combs, New Female Artist of the Year Ashley McBryde, and New Duo or Group of the Year LANCO.

The 54th annual Academy of Country Music Awards airs live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 8 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network.

Kelsea Ballerini’s “Miss Me More” Goes Gold

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Pictured (L-R): Black River Entertainment’s Gordon Kerr, Derek Anderson, Rick Froio; Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen; Kelsea Ballerini; Black River Entertainment’s Doug Johnson; Sandbox Entertainment’s Camille Alston; Black River Entertainment’s Dawn Delvo, Tanya Welch

Black River Entertainment surprised Kelsea Ballerini at tour rehearsals with a Gold-certified plaque for the now Top 10 and climbing single “Miss Me More.” This milestone marks her eighth career RIAA Gold-certified single and third one from her Grammy-nominated album, Unapologetically, following “I Hate Love Songs” and “Legends.”

The track is also the title of Ballerini’s first headlining arena tour, which launches April 11 in Maryland, with support from Brett Young and Brandon Ratcliff.

“We couldn’t have imagined this song going gold and being top 10 at country radio while kicking off this tour,” shares Ballerini. “It feels like a perfect storm and I’m so excited that this song, all about self-empowerment and love, surrounds my first ever arena headlining tour. See you this week on the road!”

Industry Ink: Ryman Auditorium, Atema Partners, Grayscale Marketing

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Ryman Auditorium To Host Community Day

On Sunday, April 14, Tennessee residents can experience the historic Ryman Auditorium’s daytime tour experience free of charge as part of a Community Appreciation Day sponsored by partners Nissan and SunTrust Bank. Complimentary self-guided tours will be available from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. with presentation of a valid Tennessee state ID at the Ryman box office. No reservations are necessary.

 

Atema Partners Acquires Media Visions

Atema Partners, Inc. has acquired Media Visions, Inc. With locations in La Vergne, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, Media Visions is one of the
entertainment industry’s leaders in live production and integration/permanent installation services.

Media Visions’ previous president and founding owner, Mike Cruce, will stay on as a sales engineer in the acquisition. “It is with a very happy heart that I welcome this new venture and these new opportunities,” says Cruce. “You can get gear lots of places, but you can only get this new unparalleled expertise through Media Visions and Atema Partners.”

Atema Partners was founded in 2008 and is the parent company of AP Live, a provider of audio visual solutions for events, concerts, festivals and more. Headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, Atema Partners also has offices in Las Vegas and Denver.

 

CEO of Grayscale Marketing, Tim Gray, Launches Leadership Podcast, The Golden Rules

Tim Gray, CEO of Nashville based marketing agency, Grayscale Marketing, has launched a leadership video and podcast series, The Golden Rules. Guests include Mike Molinar, Brad Belanger, Rusty Gaston, John Ozier, Pam Matthews, and more.

Gray stated, “The heart of the show is focused on the golden rules of life and the music business. We discuss leadership lessons learned over decades as well as the values that guide decisions, lives and, careers in the entertainment business. The goal is to debunk the notion that there is a secret to success in the music industry.” Gray added, “The first dozen guest’s opinions are the same, the secret is, there is no secret. According to the guest it is having a mindset of mastery, making quality time, being consumed with the details, loving what you do, showing up, and giving more than you take, to name a few.”

The podcast can be streamed on Spotify, Google Play, Apple and more. To watch the full episodes of The Golden Rules or hear the podcast you can visit thegoldenrules.biz.

Vince Gill, Trace Adkins, Clint Black Lead All-Star Benefit Show For John Berry

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Vince Gill, Trace Adkins, Clint Black

A host of artists including Vince Gill, Trace Adkins, Tracy Lawrence, and more are set to perform at “We All Come Together” a benefit for John Berry and Music Health Alliance scheduled for April 23 at City Winery. The show will raise money to help offset the medical expenses not covered by insurance for Berry, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in January.

“Wow! We are completely and utterly overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and care for both of us during this time. The music community has all come together for us and we are humbled to be friends with such an amazing group of artists and proud to be part of an industry that cares so much for each other,” said John and Robin Berry. “A few years ago we were faced with the daunting task of finding health insurance for our family. Music Health Alliance stepped in and expertly guided us through the process to find the plan that was right for us. We introduced our band and fellow musician friends to this incredible organization because it’s always good to have help navigating through the maze of health insurance options and Music Health Alliance made the task manageable.”

A portion of the ticket sales will go to Music Health Alliance to fund financial assistance to others in the music community. Tickets can be purchased here.

Confirmed performers for the event include:

Anita Cochran
Billy Dean
Bryan White
Chris Kulick WSM
Chuck Jones
Clint Black
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Darryl Worley
Exile
Heidi Newfield
James Wesley
Jeannie Seely w/ Tim Atwood
Jimmy Fortune
Lee Roy Parnell w/Lisa Stewart
Mark Wills
Mike Farris
Oak Ridge Boys
Radney Foster
Restless Heart
Sean Berry
Shenandoah
Suzy Bogguss
T. Graham Brown
Tim Rushlow
Trace Adkins
Tracy Lawrence
Travis Tritt
Vince Gill

ACM Awards Announce Chrissy Metz To Perform With Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton, Lauren Alaina

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The Academy of Country Music has revealed that Chrissy Metz, who stars in the upcoming movie Breakthrough being released by 20th Century Fox this Easter, will make her live television performance debut at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards, and be joined on stage by Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton, Maddie & Tae and Carrie Underwood for a collaboration. Metz also stars in the hit NBC television series This Is Us.

The artists, who are each featured on the film’s soundtrack will perform a special rendition of the song “I’m Standing With You,” while spotlighting ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

The awards telecast, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 8 p.m. ET / delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

Hatch Show Print Celebrates 140 Years Of Letterpress Printing

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Hatch Show Print is celebrating its 140th birthday this month. One of the oldest working letterpress poster and design shops in North America, the shop will host a series of events throughout the year to celebrate its landmark anniversary.

Hatch Show Print’s history reflects the full spectrum of American entertainment from the late 1800s to the present and since its founding, the shop has provided performers—from circuses and traveling vaudeville shows to Grand Ole Opry stars and touring rock bands—with vibrant posters that combine color, individuality and bold, tactile design. The shop designs and prints approximately 600 different posters each year for classic and contemporary artists including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Beyonce and Guns N’ Roses. In addition to producing frame-worthy music posters, Hatch Show Print has designed artwork for diverse projects including an art book on photography, food packaging for a U.K.-based entrepreneur and a United States postage stamp.

“The ongoing cultural impact of Hatch Show Print is a point of pride for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,” said museum CEO Kyle Young. “Since taking ownership of the shop in 1992, we have seen it continue to grow and prosper. This includes the move of the shop in 2013 from Lower Broadway to a space inside the museum specifically designed and built to suit the demands and mission of this icon of design, letterpress printing and history. The museum was committed then, and is just as committed today, to preserving this 140-year-old institution that has created some of the most important images in the history of country music.”

Located inside the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, which owns and operates the shop, Hatch Show Print annually offers nearly 2,000 public tours and educational programs, facilitated by a dedicated team of educators.

Special Birthday Exhibitions and Events:

Saturday, April 6, 2019: Hatch Show Print unveils a visual retrospective of the shop’s work, stretching from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Community Corridor to the connecting Omni Nashville Hotel lobby. The exhibition Every Poster Tells a Story: 140 Years of Hatch Show Print allows guests to experience and learn about the shop’s 140-year history through a collection of posters, blocks and memorabilia. On view until April 2020, this retrospective focuses on pivotal periods in the history of Hatch Show Print, from its founding in 1879 as C.R. & H.H. Hatch, Printers, to its golden age in the 1920s led by Will T. Hatch, to the shop’s continued breadth and scope of work and long-standing dedication to its “preservation through production” mantra.

April 6, 2019 to July 7, 2019: Alumni Invitational: Celebrating 140 Years of Printing, showcasing the work of former Hatch Show Print employees. The exhibition, in Hatch Show Print’s Haley Gallery, includes prints, paintings, screen prints and more. All work on view will be available for purchase; prices and details available upon request.

April 12, 2019: Hatch Show Print invites the entire Nashville community to celebrate its official 140th birthday on Friday, April 12, 2019. The first 140 visitors to Hatch Show Print that day will have the chance to print the final color on limited-edition, commemorative birthday posters. Cupcakes will be served, and limited-edition “Hatch Show Print 140” birthday prints and T-shirts will be available for purchase in the store.

Finally, Hatch Show Print will host two events for the letterpress community: Wayzgoose and BIG INK.

June 20 to June 23, 2019: Wayzgoose, the annual conference of the Amalgamated Printers’ Association, an organization that includes letterpress printers with varied experience, including hobbyists, artists, and commercial print shop owners and operators. The event includes workshops, demos, a printers’ flea market and auction, a steamroller street activation on downtown Nashville’s Fifth Avenue and speaking engagements by members of the letterpress community.

Sept. 14 to Sept. 15, 2019: Hatch Show Print will host a two-day event celebrating works on paper in the Haley Gallery. Visitors can witness the printing of monumental wood-block prints carved by artists from throughout the region. During this time, BIG INK will assemble a giant, portable printing press inside Hatch Show Print’s Gallery for the sole purpose of helping artists print these wood blocks, some of which can reach nearly 4 x 8 feet in dimension.

Brandi Carlile, Levi Hummon, John Prine, Ruby Amanfu Perform Thistle Farms Benefit At Ryman

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Pictured: John Prine, Dave Ragland, Inversion Vocal Ensemble, Brandi Carlile, Teresa Carlile, Tanya Tucker. Photo: Wade Punch

Thistle Farms, the nonprofit for women survivors based in Nashville, hosted a sold-out show on April 3 at the Ryman Auditorium. The “Love on Fire” event included performances by Ruby Amanfu, Brandi Carlile, Shemekia Copeland, Levi Hummon, Inversion Vocal Ensemble and John Prine, along with readings by survivors of trafficking, prostitution and addiction.

Amy Grant received the The 2019 Thistle Farmer of the Year Award for many years of generous support and service. Tanya Tucker joined Carlile for an unannounced, show-stopping rendition of her massive hit, “Delta Dawn,” which closed out the night with a standing ovation.

Levi Hummon opened the night with “Love Heals,” a tune he penned with his father Marcus Hummon and Tom Douglas, about the organization that was begun by his mother—Becca Stevens, Thistle Farms Founder & President—over two decades ago.

“Watching Levi sing our theme song on the Ryman stage was a proud moment as his momma and the founder of Thistle Farms,” reflected Stevens. “All the artists sang about love’s healing power. We are thrilled we have already raised $270,000 to provide more women survivors housing and jobs. We also loved getting to share our story with all the Brandi Carlile and John Prine fans!”

Brandi Carlile. Photo: Wade Punch

Pictured: Thistle Farms Fundraiser 2019 Amy Grant, and 2015 Thistle Farms graduate Kristin McWilliams. Photo: Wade Punch

Pictured: Jaimee Harris, Mary Gauthier, Lisa Oliver Gray, Shemekia Copeland, Will Kimbrough. Photo: Wade Punch

Pictured: Brandi Carlile and John Prine. Photo: Wade Punch

RCA Records Duo Seaforth Share Their Journey From Australia To Nashville Label Deal

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Seaforth perform. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

New RCA Records Nashville duo Seaforth‘s Tom Jordan and Mitchell Thompson first met when they were three years old, and grew up going to the same soccer games and taking the same high school classes in Seaforth, their shared suburb in Sydney, Australia.

Jordan and Thompson also drew creatively from shared country music influences. After forming a duo and taking their band name from that Sydney suburb, Seaforth spent six years making regular trips from Australia to Nashville, before officially moving to Nashville in October 2017. Once in Music City, they continued bettering their craft, and eventually produced a four-song demo to send around to the major labels.

“The label response was incredible, so we knew we had to make a decision,” Thompson says. “We had met with [Sony Music’s] Randy [Goodman] at Sony and a few A&R reps there. We played four songs and Randy said, ‘We want y’all to be a part of sony.’ He signed us on the spot. We love their energy and what they are doing with artists and their whole team.”

The duo is signed to Warner/Chappell for music publishing.

Seaforth with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

During a recent visit to the MusicRow Magazine offices, the duo performed three tracks including their current single “Love That,” as well as “Take Your Picture” and “Talk To Me.” The duo’s smooth pop-country sound features Thompson’s laid-back baritone, accentuated by Jordan’s piercing tenor.

Seaforth is currently on a radio tour, which they say makes a pretty incredible way of mixing work with seeing the US for the first time.

“Everyone talks about how hard radio tours are, but it’s great because we get to meet so many people,” said Thomas.

“And see the U.S. in three weeks,” Jordan quips.

Between radio runs, Thompson and Jordan are in the studio working on a full-length project and say a few tracks they performed during that first meeting with Sony, including “Love That,” made the cut.

“The coolest part has been working with Dann Huff. He has been the dream producer we wanted to work with. It allows us to each have our lane and to speak into the songs as two distinct personalities.

“They are like the demos on steroids.”

 

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