CRS New Faces Of Country Music Show Talent Nominees Announced

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Voting for the CRS 2018 New Faces of Country Music Show® lineup opens this Thursday, Nov. 16 at 9 a.m. CT to all full-time radio employees. Voting will remain open through the end of day (11:59 p.m. CST), Friday, Nov. 24 at countryradioseminar.com. The five acts with the most votes will make up the lineup for the show. Dinner tickets for the New Faces of Country Music Show are sold out.

This year’s performer nominees are:
Lauren Alaina (19/Interscope/Mercury)
Craig Campbell (Red Bow)
Luke Combs (River House/Columbia)
Devin Dawson (Atlantic/WEA)
Russell Dickerson (Triple Tigers)
Walker Hayes (Monument/Arista)
High Valley (Atlantic/WEA)
LANCO (Arista)
Chris Lane (Big Loud)
LOCASH (Reviver)
Midland (Big Machine)
Carly Pearce (Big Machine)
Michael Ray (Atlantic/WEA)
Runaway June (Wheelhouse)
Dylan Scott (Curb)
Aaron Watson (Big Label)

Any full-time radio employees may vote for the 2018 New Faces of Country Music Show® performers. Votes must be cast from the voter’s company email in order to be verified and successfully cast.

Below are the New Faces of Country Music qualification criteria:

1. The qualification period is Nov. 1 – Oct. 31, preceding the New Faces of Country Music Show®.

2. The artist(s) selected must have never appeared on the New Faces Show. Not withstanding this, solo performers who become a member of a group or duo, or a group or duo member who becomes a solo artist, will be considered as an individual and separate artist, and is therefore eligible.

3. Acts must have had at least one but no more than five top 25 singles on the Mediabase Country Chart as published in Country Aircheck or at least one but no more than five top 25 singles on the BDS-based Country Chart during the qualification period.

The New Faces of Country Music Show® will be held during CRS 2018, at the Omni Hotel Nashville. The show is co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and is one of the most anticipated events at Country Radio Seminar.

 

Brad Paisley Extends Weekend Warrior Tour Into 2018

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Brad Paisley has extended his Weekend Warrior World Tour into 2018, with added dates through April. The 26-date tour will kick off on Jan. 25 in Los Angeles at the STAPLES Center and hit Kansas City, Savannah, San Antonio, Lincoln, and more, with additional dates to be added soon.

Special guests for the tour will be Dustin Lynch, Chase Bryant, and Lindsay Ell. Ticket information will be released soon.

2018 Weekend Warrior World Tour dates:
Jan. 25 Los Angeles; STAPLES Center
Jan. 26 Fresno, Calif.; Save Mart Center
Jan. 27 Glendale, Ariz.; Gila River Arena
Feb. 1 Salt Lake City; Vivint Smart Home Arena
Feb. 2 Boise, Idaho; Taco Bell Arena
Feb. 3 Reno, Nev.; Reno Events Center
Feb. 15 Bloomington, Ill.; Grossinger Motors Arena
Feb. 16 Kansas City, Mo.; Sprint Center
Feb. 17 Cedar Falls, Ia.; McLeod Center
Feb. 19 San Antonio, Texas; San Antonio Rodeo (Brad only)
Feb. 20 San Antonio, Texas; San Antonio Rodeo (Brad only)
Feb. 22 Knoxville, Tenn.; Thompson-Boling Arena
Feb. 23 Pikeville, Ky.; Eastern Kentucky Expo Center
Feb. 24 Rosemont, Ill.; Allstate Arena
March 8 Savannah, Ga.; Savannah Civic Center *
March 9 Tallahassee, Fla.; Donald L. Tucker Civic Center *
March 10 St. Augustine, Fla.; St. Augustine Amphitheatre **
March 11 Plant City, Fla.; Florida Strawberry Festival (Brad only)
March 16 Marksville, La.; Paragon Casino Resort (Brad only)
March 22 Erie, Pa.; Erie Insurance Arena
March 23 Louisville, Ky.; KFC Yum! Center***
March 24 Moline, Ill.; TaxSlayer Center
April 5 Columbus, Ohio; Schottenstein Center
April 7 Grand Rapids, Mich.; Van Andel Arena
April 12 Little Rock, Ark; Verizon Arena
April 26 Lincoln, Neb.; Pinnacle Bank Arena
*Dustin Lynch and Chase Bryant
**Chase Bryant Only
***Chase Bryant and Lindsay Ell

 

Country Rising Benefit Raises $4 Million

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(Photo by John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images)

Some of country’s biggest names gathered Sunday night in Nashville for Country Rising, the mega-concert to help raise money and support charitable initiatives for those affected by the recent hurricanes and victims of the Las Vegas shooting. Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Keith Urban and Jon Pardi performed during the event at Bridgestone Arena, and helped raise $4 million dollars for the cause. A second show that had been scheduled for the same evening at Ascend Amphitheater was canceled due to weather.

Presented by Hilton and Dollar General and hosted by Bobby Bones, the show included highlights like Dierks Bentley performing his powerful song “Riser,” which he dedicated to the first responders and the community for rallying together and rising up in the midst of tragedy, and Chris Stapleton, who announced from the stage that he and wife Morgane are donating $250,000 to the cause. Other surprises included a special video from Garth Brooks from Spokane, Washington, where he donated proceeds from the night’s two shows, and Jon Pardi surprising the audience and appearing to sing “Dirt On My Boots.” 

Jason Aldean also took the stage to perform, acknowledging that the shooting in Vegas had taken a personal toll on him. “It’s been a rough couple months for us up here, and it’s a lot of fun to get back out and play for the people who matter which is you guys,” said Aldean. “I love getting up every day and playing music, and I’ll be damned if anybody out there will ever stop me from doing that.”

Fans across the country unable to attend the benefit can continue to give by texting ‘NASHVILLE’ to 41010, by donating at CountryRising.org or by purchasing merchandise here. All proceeds raised will go toward the Country Rising Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to help the causes.
To read more or see more photos of the events, click here.

Photo by John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Photo by John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Weekly Register: Blake Shelton, Keith Urban Top Country Charts

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Blake Shelton tops this week’s country albums chart, with Texoma Shore bringing in 63K in total consumption in its debut week, according to Nielsen Soundscan. The feat makes the project Shelton’s sixth album to top the country albums chart, however his last effort, If I’m Honest, tallied 170K units in total consumption.

After moving 219K in total consumption last week as No. 1 country album, Kenny Chesney‘s Live From No Shoes Nation brought in 52K this week, to land at No. 2.

Kelsea Ballerini‘s sophomore album, Unapologetically, debuts at No. 3, with 44K in total consumption. Kid Rock‘s Sweet Southern Sugar debuts at No. 4, with 43K, followed by Chris Stapleton‘s From A Room: Vol. 1 with 16K. Other notable debuts include Lee Brice‘s self-titled album at No. 7, with 15K.

Keith Urban tops this week’s country digital songs, with “Female,” which he debuted at last week’s CMA Awards. The track moved 20K this week. Stapleton’s “Broken Halo,” which the singer-songwriter performed on the CMA Awards, is at No. 2 with 20K. Last week the track sold 7K.

LANCO‘s “Greatest Love Story” is at No. 3, with 18K, followed by Kane Brown‘s “What Ifs” at No. 4 with 18K. Brothers Osborne’s “It Ain’t My Fault” is at No. 5 with 17.5K, following the duo’s performance of the track on the CMA Awards. Last week the track moved 2.2K.

Information provided courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.

Round Hill Music Teams With Music Licensing Company Zync Music

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Round Hill Music has partnered with music licensing and publishing company Zync Music, which specializes in music sync placements in film, advertising, television, trailers, sports and video games. Zync Music is known for its work with emerging independent artists. The two companies have also launched a joint venture publishing business to support and expand Zync’s rights representation business and to offer funding for developing and signing new publishing deals with new artists.

Zync’s LA team is lead by sync & publishing veteran Marisa Baldi (formerly of Universal Music Publishing) who heads up the West Coast operations, and Zync founder Sanne Hagelsten (formerly of Ultra Records) who heads up the East Coast Operations.

Under the new arrangement, Zync’s creative team will remain intact and work alongside Round Hill’s sync staff. Baldi and Hagelsten will co-head the combined sync teams with offices in NY, LA, and Nashville.

“We cannot be more excited about Zync, Powered by Round Hill!” says Zync CEO Hagelsten. “We are so happy to find a partner who shares our passion for music and appreciates the importance of strategic synchronization. This collaboration means more opportunities to bring great music and amazing artists to our friends in the sync world. Round Hill’s funding guarantees financial resources for our creative team to continue developing and expanding an incredible roster. It also adds the benefit of Round Hill’s publishing and administration expertise.”

“We are extremely proud of the reputation we’ve established as curators of cutting edge music,” says Zync CEO Baldi. “Round Hill’s worldwide network of resources gives us the ability to dramatically grow our business, while maintaining what has made us successful – our boutique, hands-on, personalized service. As music fans, we feel this is such an incredible fit and auspicious time to join forces, as we now get to represent Round Hill’s ever-growing catalog of multi-genre classics and hits. We look forward to signing (and syncing) great music together, in a climate brimming with possibilities.”

“The synergy between the Zync frontline and the Round Hill catalog is compelling. Zync has arguably the best synchronization in the business and Round Hill can further back up our claim that we excel in sync. We are thrilled to have Sanne and Marisa, and the entire Zync staff, join the Round Hill family,” adds Round Hill Music CEO Joshua Gruss.

Martha Moore Honored By British Country Music Awards

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Pictured (L-R): Lee Williams, President, BCMA; Martha Moore, President, somuchMOORE media; Karl Hancock, Board Member, BCMA

The British Country Music Awards (BCMA) has honored Martha Moore with the International Services To Industry Award for her contributions to country music. Moore, President of so much MOORE media—a Nashville-based publicity and marketing firm—joins a prestigious list of honorees that includes Big Machine Records’ President Scott Borchetta, the late Jeff Walker and Country Music Association (CMA) Director of International Relations Bobbi Boyce.

“Keeping a global perspective has been a vital component to my clients’ success,” Moore observes. “I’ve always been driven to truly ‘serve’ the artists on my roster and it’s always gratifying when it ‘works.’ To be recognized with this particular award really hits home. I am deeply honored.”

BCMA President Lee Williams presented Moore with the crystal “tower” last week in Nashville.

The 12th annual BCMA Awards were held Oct. 21 and 22 in Wolverhampton, UK. Hosted by Baylen Leonard from the BBC, the event featured four hours of music and award presentations and was filmed for future broadcast. Popular American performers included Sarah Darling, American Young, and so much MOORE media client Southern Halo, who accepted the award on Moore’s behalf. International honorees included Drake White (International Song of the Year, “Makin’ Me Look Good Again”), Zac Brown Band (International Album of the Year, Welcome Home), and Jenn Bostic (International Touring Act).

Moore kicked off her music career in radio, and moved to Nashville in 1976 to pursue a job at WLAC. She transitioned to the label side of the business shortly thereafter and enjoyed tenures at ABC, MCA and Mercury/PolyGram Records, where she worked with Jerry Reed, KISS, Bon Jovi, The Bar-Kays and more. She opened the doors of somuchMOORE media in 1988, signed Johnny Cash as her first client, and a host of other talented artists followed. She enjoyed a 15-year professional relationship with Hank Cochran, and worked with his family during his posthumous induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Moore also represented Jim Ed Brown & The Browns and Fred Foster throughout their Hall Of Fame honors. She was inducted into the SOURCE Hall of Fame in August 2017.

Vince Gill, Kesha, Maren Morris, Emmylou Harris To Perform At All For The Hall New York

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Vince Gill is set to host the upcoming All For The Hall New York event, set for Feb. 13, 2018 at the Times Square Playstation Theater. Emmylou Harris, Kesha, and Maren Morris will join Gill for the show’s intimate, guitar-pull format.

Concert tickets for mezzanine seating go on sale Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. EST. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at axs.com. A limited number of VIP tables are available at $5,000 and $10,000 levels. More details on mezzanine and VIP tickets and benefits can be found at countrymusichalloffame.org/afthny. Event proceeds will support the museum’s education programs, which reached nearly 109,000 people in 2017.

Absolute Publicity Signs John Anderson

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John Anderson

John Anderson has signed with Nashville-based Absolute Publicity for exclusive public relations representation. The company was launched in 2009 by owner/founder Don Murry Grubbs and boasts a roster that includes Ricky Skaggs, The Marshall Tucker Band, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Ray Stevens, John Berry, Aaron Tippin, Darryl Worley, Shenandoah, Restless Heart, Halfway to Hazard, Pam Tillis, Kelly Lang, Mel Tillis, and Sammy Kershaw.

“Having watched Absolute Publicity grow for nearly a decade, I’m proud to be a client as of today,” says Anderson. “Don Murry Grubbs understands the music and what I’ve done over the past 35 years. And he understands the vision of my future better than most.”

“To say we are excited to work with the iconic John Anderson is an understatement,” says Grubbs. “John’s body of work speaks for itself and we are ecstatic to be a part of the next chapter of his legendary career. Welcome to the family, John!”

 

 

Hunter Hayes Unveils First Segment Of Three-Part Mini-Movie ‘Pictures’

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Hunter Hayes has created a new mini-movie titled Pictures, which will roll out in three parts over the coming months. Part 1 is set to his latest song “You Should Be Loved” featuring the Shadowboxers.

Fans will have an opportunity to attend the movie’s premiere early next year at Regal Cinemas in Nashville featuring a panel with the actors, director and screenwriter and a live performance from Hayes himself.

Hayes also recently teamed up with Samsung Electronics America, Inc., gifting $100,000 to the CMA Foundation to help jumpstart a renovation project updating the music room at Nashville School of the Arts. An ambassador for the school’s music program, Hayes will not only be restoring their guitar lab but also creating a working recording studio thanks in large part to generous partners. Once the build is complete, Hayes will implement a masterclass series, inviting fellow industry colleagues, artists and friends to mentor students in the music program.

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Sound Healthcare & Financial Offers New Healthcare Plan For Nashville Musicians Association Members

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Nashville-based insurance and music healthcare advocacy organization Sound Healthcare & Financial has formed a true group health insurance policy plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN available exclusively for members of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 and only available through Sound Healthcare & Financial.

“What we’ve been able to accomplish for our music community has never been done before,” said Sound Healthcare & Financial Founder and CEO, RJ Stillwell. “Outside the ACA Individual Marketplace, which is significantly diminishing in terms of participating carriers and networks, the only two ways in which one generally becomes insured is through an employer’s group policy or through a self-insured group. Those plans, however, are not typically available to music professionals as over 78% are self-employed.“

Through months of efforts leveraging industry relationships, Sound Healthcare & Financial has achieved a fully-insured ACA compliant True Group plan that is now available for musicians and industry professionals who are members of the union. Enrollment in the Nashville Musicians Sound Healthcare Plan is exclusively available through Sound Healthcare & Financial, and more information can be found at SouthHealthcare.org, 615-256-8667 or by contacting info@soundhealthcare.org.