Nashville-based singer-songwriter Maggie Rose has inked a joint-venture publishing agreement with Sea Gayle Music and Prescription Songs.

The deal marks the first joint venture between country powerhouse publisher Sea Gayle and the Nashville office of pop publishing company Prescription Songs. Sea Gayle was launched in 1999 by Brad Paisley, Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois. The company earned ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011 and is known for country hits including Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

Prescription Songs earned ASCAP’s Indie Publisher of the Year title from 2013-2015, with a catalog that includes Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” “ET,” and “Dark Horse,” as well as Maroon 5’s “Sugar” and “Don’t Wanna Know,” among others.

“The forward thinking of two very different, but reputable publishing companies and their willingness to partner together on my behalf has afforded me the absolute best fit I could ever find as a writer,” Rose says. “To me, it simply mirrors the exciting evolution of both my artistry and of Nashville as a whole. I’m grateful to be in an environment where my versatility as a songwriter is valued.”

Rose is managed by Narvel Blackstock and Austin Marshall at Starstruck Entertainment and is signed to CAA Nashville.

“Maggie is such an incredible talent! It’s impossible not to fall in love with her music and her artistry. We are ecstatic to be part of her team and, along with Prescription, to put our collective creative resources to work with her,” says Executive VP / GM of Sea Gayle Marc Driskill.

“Though pop music has been our main focus in Nashville, it has been so exciting starting to work with a writer like Maggie who can be put into any room we need her to be in. She is a perfect example of the evolving music scene occurring in Nashville. Getting to partner with a company like Sea Gayle, we feel our resources will be capitalized to the fullest for a writer like Maggie and we are so excited to have her as part of the family,” says Head of Prescription Nashville Katie Fagan.

“We’re very excited about this unique partnership as it will allow Maggie to continue to blur the lines between genres and push creative boundaries as a writer,” says Blackstock.

Songwriter Ed Cash was the evening’s top winner during the 2018 BMI Christian Awards, held Tuesday evening (June 19) at the BMI offices in Nashville. The celebration feted the top 25 songs played on U.S. Christian radio during the past year, honoring the writers and publishers behind the top songs in Christian rock, contemporary Christian, inspirational, southern and urban gospel.

Cash was named Songwriter of the Year, having penned the hits “Home,” “Jesus,” and “My Victory.” Cash was also on hand to offer a performance of “Home.”

The evening was hosted by Jody Williams, VP, Creative, Nashville and Leslie Roberts, Executive Director, Creative, Nashville.

“Every year the BMI Christian Awards gives us the opportunity to celebrate and honor all genres of inspirational music and the impact its creators have made on the music industry and on its fans around the globe,” says Roberts. “It is always a privilege for us at BMI to dedicate an evening to the great accomplishments and successes of the talented songwriters and artists that create this incredible music that inspires, comforts, entertains, uplifts and challenges us as human beings to live more spirit-filled lives.”

Soulful singer Tauren Wells, who recently performed in Music City as part of Chris Tomlin’s Good Friday Nashville concert, offered a rendition of “Hills and Valleys,” while newcomer Riley Clemmons performed “Broken Prayers.”

The Song of the Year title went to “What a Beautiful Name” written by Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood and published by Capitol CMG Paragon. The song topped Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart on February 25, 2017 and held the top position for 38 weeks, making it the second-longest-leading number one in the history of the chart. “What a Beautiful Name” has also earned two Dove Awards and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the 60th annual GRAMMY Awards.

For the second consecutive year, Capitol CMG Publishing (Capitol CMG Paragon, Meaux Mercy Publishing, River Oaks Music Company, Songs of Universal, Inc., Sparrow Song, Universal Music-Brentwood Songs, Worship Together Music) took home the Publisher of the Year award. The company had the highest percentage of copyright ownership among the year’s most-performed songs, including “Home,” “Jesus,” “Living in the Promised Land,” “Love Broke Through,” “Oh My Soul,” “One Step Away,” “The Lion and the Lamb,” and “What a Beautiful Name.”

Williams also honored Porter’s Call founder and executive director Al Andrews, for his work in counseling recording artists. Porter’s Call, a Franklin, Tennessee-based organization, supports and counsels recording artists and families through various issues. BMI songwriters the Warren Brothers, Charlie Worsham, Brandon Heath and Chris Tomlin also sent in video tributes for Andrews and Porter’s Call.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed singer-songwriter Greylan James to a global publishing deal.

Raised outside of Knoxville, James has been writing songs since age thirteen. At 18, he was signed to his first publishing deal by Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee Bob DiPiero. James appeared on Season Four of NBC’s The Voice. He was also featured in Guitar Center Magazine’s Brotherhood of the Guitar Top 100, which ranks the top guitarists in the world under the age of 21.

“I am incredibly honored to be a part of UMPG’s roster of talented artists and songwriters. The passion and excitement they show for the creative process lets me know I found my home. I can’t wait to see what we can stir up together!” said James. “Special thanks to Kent, Ron, Travis and the rest of my Universal crew for welcoming me to the family.”

“Our entire team is thrilled Greylan decided to make UMPG his next publishing home. The passion, hard work and freshness he brings to the writing room each day is truly infectious. We look forward to helping Greylan reach all of his goals,” said Kent Earls, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Universal Music Publishing Nashville.

The deal was led by UMPG Nashville’s Ron Stuve, VP, A&R/Special Projects and Travis Gordon, Senior Creative Director.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has signed singer/songwriter Levi Hummon.

The Nashville native and son of songwriter Marcus Hummon, has written songs with some of Music City’s most notable writers, including Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Jonathan Singleton, Brandy Clark, Trevor Rosen and more. Desmond Child‘s Deston Entertainment handles administration. Hummon was previously signed with BMLG’s Valory Music Co. imprint as an artist.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the Sony/ATV family,” Hummon says. “My dad loved his time spent over there, and I’m looking forward to continuing his legacy while building my own unique catalog. You can really feel a great energy the second you walk through their doors.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with Levi and Desmond [Child, of Deston Entertainment],” says Josh Van Valkenburg, Senior Vice President of A&R, Sony/ATV. “Both men bring the highest level of talent, character, and determination to our team. This will be a fantastic partnership.”

Hummon’s current single “Songs We Sang” has earned over 1.3 million streams since its release in March and is currently spinning on SiriusXM’s The Highway.