Craig Wiseman

Round Hill Music has acquired the remaining shares of Big Loud Shirt, the publishing company started in 2003 by Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Craig Wiseman.

Round Hill’s acquisition adds more than 1,200 songs from Big Loud Shirt, which includes tunes performed by Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley and more.

The deal extends Round Hill’s relationship with Big Loud that was started in 2014. It also includes 50 percent of Wiseman’s income streams.

Wiseman tells MusicRow, “I’m happy to keep so many copyrights together and do this sale of some of the remaining pieces of Big Loud Shirt to Round Hill. Josh [Gruss] and Round Hill have been stepping up for years and it’s good to work with them again and close this chapter as we open new ones, where our new publishing entities and label are intertwined even closer.”

He adds, “20 years of Big Loud Shirt. It started it all and has been the beginning of all of these blessings around us now.”

Ian Munsick is set to perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 11th annual Nightfall at the Hall celebration on Thursday, Sept. 21 in the museum’s Event Hall, starting at 6 p.m.

Presented by Maverick Nashville and PickleJar, Nightfall at the Hall is an after-hours celebration exclusively for the museum’s Troubadour members, a group of leaders ages 21 to 45, who collaborate with other professionals in supporting their community and the museum.

Munsick is a multi-instrumentalist and seasoned entertainer who has amassed over half a billion global streams. The Warner Music Nashville artist was named an Artist to Watch by Spotify, CMT, Fender and more. He released his second album White Buffalo in April, which tells stories of romance and ranch life through 18 tracks. The album’s duet “Long Live Cowgirls (with Cody Johnson)” was named one of Amazon Music’s Best Country Songs of 2022. Munsick is currently traveling across the nation on his headlining journey, “The Buffalo Roams Tour.”

Prior to Munsick’s performance, student-artist Julia LaFreniere will perform “Dear Future Me,” a song that she wrote with guidance from museum staff as part of the museum’s flagship educational program, Words & Music. The 13-year-old Nashville native participated in the museum’s summer songwriting camp this year.

Young professionals can become a Troubadour member between now and Monday, Sept. 25, at a discounted rate of five dollars off an individual membership and $10 off a dual membership. For more information, click here.

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 35th annual MusicRow Awards, we take a closer look at the Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year category.

The Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year is voted by MusicRow’s subscribers to honor a Nashville songwriter and recording artist who, for the first time, wrote or co-wrote a Top 10 song during the eligibility period of June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023. Outside nominations from Nashville’s publishing community are considered for this award.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Presenting Sponsor of the 2023 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.

Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribers. Voting is now open and closes on Aug. 18 at 5:00 p.m.

To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow subscriber here.

Zach Bryan made an indelible impact this year with the release of multiple projects. His 34-song American Heartbreak debuted at No. 5 on the US Billboard 200. The album was preceded by six singles, including Bryan’s most successful single to date, the solely-written “Something in the Orange.” The tune became the longest charting country single for a male artist on Billboard’s Hot 100 at an astounding 65 consecutive weeks. The evergreen track surpassed Carrie Underwood’s “Before he Cheats” to become the second longest-charting country song of all time. American Heartbreak has remained in the top 10 in the US for more than a year after its initial release. To date, Bryan has accrued in excess of 6.3 billion global streams and 11 total RIAA track and album certifications. He is currently on the road on his completely sold-out “Burn Burn Burn North American Tour.”

Jackson Dean broke ground this past year with his old school, gritty, lyric-driven, outlaw style of country. His co-written single “Don’t Come Lookin’” was the fastest debut to reach No. 1 in 2022 and cemented Jackson as the youngest solo male country artist to reach the top of the charts with a debut. The song landed spots on the Billboard Hot 100, the soundtrack for Netflix’s The Ice Road and a John Dutton scene in Yellowstone. The rugged music video for the track also earned a nomination at the 2023 CMT Music Awards for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year. His sophomore single, “Fearless (The Echo)” is currently climbing the country radio charts after being most added upon impact. Dean’s breakout landed him on a slew of artist to watch lists. Jackson has joined bills with superstar acts like Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert, Carly Pearce, Parker McCollum, Kane Brown, Jake Owen, Brooks & Dunn, Lee Brice, Hardy and Brothers Osborne.

Megan Moroney is a country newcomer with massive staying power. She broke onto the scene with her breakout, cowritten single “Tennessee Orange,” an immediate smash that soon led to her signing with Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records, in addition to notching her first No. 1 at country radio and earning an RIAA Platinum certification. Named a 2023 Artist to Watch by the likes of Amazon Music, Pandora, and Spotify, as well as an iHeart On The Verge Artist and one of CMT’s Next Women of Country for 2023, Moroney released her debut album Lucky in May. Her accolades also include winning Breakthrough Female Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards. She kicked off her first headline run with the sold-out “Pistol Made Of Roses Tour” and will embark on her sold-out “The Lucky Tour” this fall, bringing her magnetic live show to iconic venues across the U.S. — all while continuing a meteoric rise that now includes over 426 million total global streams to date.

Genre-bending singer-songwriter Jelly Roll has quietly been building a remarkable career, under the radar and on his own terms. Since his days selling his mix tapes out of his car, he has constantly been releasing new music, touring relentlessly, engaging a rabid fanbase and creating videos that have amassed more than 4 billion views on YouTube. His 2020 single “Save Me” set the stage for his new season of life and took him to new heights, with more than 160 million views on YouTube and a Platinum certification from the RIAA. His 2021 album Ballads of the Broken featured a multi-week No. 1 rock hit “Dead Man Walking” and his No. 1 country debut single “Son of a Sinner,” both of which he co-wrote. His newest album, Whitsitt Chapel, was released earlier this year earned the biggest opening week for a first entry on the Top Country Albums charts since the list adopted a consumption-based methodology in 2017. The three-time CMT Award winner is currently on the road on his 44-city “Backroad Baptism Tour.”

Since Nate Smith made his way to Nashville, he has made a huge splash with songs such as his Platinum-certified multiweek No. 1 hit “Whiskey On You,” which he co-wrote. The tune amassed over 7.5 million total global on-demand streams in its first week, reaching No. 10 on the Country On-Demand Streaming Chart and has racked up over 320 million total global on-demand streams to date. Smith released his debut, self-titled album along with the deluxe version earlier this year. The hefty 26-song project hit No. 6 on Billboard’s Country album charts and No. 30 on the Billboard Top 200. His latest single off the album, “World On Fire,” is impacting country radio now. The CMT Awards and ACM Awards nominee is currently on tour with Thomas Rhett and will hit the road with Cole Swindell this fall.

At light speed, Bailey Zimmerman has already surpassed 2 billion global streams to date and recently celebrated a six-week No. 1 single with his multi-Platinum smash “Rock And A Hard Place.” His record-shattering 2022 debut EP, Leave The Light On, propelled the breakout superstar to close out 2022 as Billboard’s No. 2 Top New Country Artist. In addition, he received two Platinum certifications from the RIAA, beginning with his co-written No. 1 debut single “Fall In Love,” the fastest debut single to reach No. 1 at country radio since 2015 and the first debut hit to make it all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2022. His recently released debut, Religiously. The Album., marked not only the biggest streaming debut album of the year across all genres, but also the biggest streaming country debut of all time. Zimmerman is currently out on the road on the Morgan Wallen’s “One Night At A Time World Tour.”

AIMP Nashville Hosts Songwriter Series At The Listening Room Café

Pictured (L-R, back row): Peermusic’s Kendall Lettow, Concord Music’s Duff Berschback, Reservoir Media’s John Ozier, Riser House’s Dallas Wilson, Michael Whitworth, Plaid Flag Music’s Mae Estes and (Me Gusta Music’s Trina Smith-Dort; (L-R, front row): Combustion Music’s Chris McKenna, Concord Music Publishing’s Lauren Hungate, Big Yellow Dog Music’s Zarni deVette, Anthem Entertainment’s Luke Preston and River House Artists’ Emily Boardman.

AIMP Nashville hosted their Songwriter Series yesterday (Aug. 9) at The Listening Room Café. This event honored and featured live performances from the Songwriter Series Class of 2023: Blake Pendergrass, Terri Jo Box, Mae Estes, Chris McKenna, Luke Preston, Zarni deVette and Lauren Hungate.

Each year, the Songwriter Series showcases a new class of promising writers who have not yet had a song charting higher than top 20 on the Billboard or Mediabase charts. They are selected by a special committee made up of music industry professionals, based on submissions from current AIMP Nashville Chapter members.

Annie Bosko Assembles An A-List Team

Pictured (L-R, front row): Benny Brown, Annie Bosko and Randy Bernard; (L-R , back row): Brown Sellers Brown’s April Rider, Angela Wheeler and Jason Sellers. Photo: Courtesy of Brown Sellers Brown Management

Annie Bosko has assembled a new team including manager Randy Bernard and CAA’s Rod Essig and Ethan Goldish. Bernard has joined forces with Brown Sellers Brown (BSB) Management in a joint venture representing Bosko for artist management alongside BSB’s Benny Brown, Jason Sellers and Angela Wheeler. Bosko has also inked a recording contract with Brown’s Stone Country Records.

“We are very excited to be working with Annie,” shares Brown. “Her incredible talent as a vocalist and entertainer along with her work ethic make her the perfect addition to the Stone Country family.”

“The first time I heard Annie, I was very impressed. The first time I watched Annie perform live,  I was blown away,” reflects Bernard. “I am very excited to work with Annie, Benny and his entire team.”

“I met Annie 10 years ago and I could tell then how great of a singer she was. Since then, I’ve come to find she’s equally as talented as a songwriter and entertainer,” shares Sellers. “Really excited to be a part of these next steps in her journey.”

Essig states, “Annie is an incredible singer, great performer and very insightful. We are proud to represent her.”

Bosko has written songs for Willie Nelson, recorded duets with music legends Vince Gill and Dwight Yoakam and performed alongside music giants Adele and Darius Rucker. She also already slotted gigs as direct support for Tim McGraw.

Brooke Lee Signs With CAA

Pictured (L-R): Chris Burrus, Katie Germano, Brooke Lee, Kara Jackson, Meredith Jones and Julie Sturdivant. Photo: Andy Hodges

Spirit Music’s rising songstress Brooke Lee has signed with CAA for global representation, effective immediately.

This announcement bolsters the team that already includes Kara Jackson at KJAX Entertainment for management, Spirit Music for publishing and label services and CmdShft for distribution.

Lee’s debut EP, I’ve Been Thinking, arrives on Nov. 17. The six-track collection includes “Head In The Clouds” and “Match Made In Hell,” which are set for release on Sept. 8. With award-winning producer Derek Wells at the helm, Lee served a co-writer throughout the EP and showcases her authentic storytelling and unique rock edge in every track.

“My passion is being on stage and one of my biggest goals this year was to get out on the road more,” shares Lee. “CAA has championed me since the first day we met, and I couldn’t be more excited to grow my team and get to work with them.”

Lee kicked off her run on the road by opening for Priscilla Block on Aug. 3, in Hays, Kansas. Fans can also find her supporting Niko Moon and Willie Nelson into the fall.

Suzanne Alexander’s ‘On The Record’ Launches With Successful First Season

Suzanne Alexander with Pam Tillis.

RFD-TV’s Market Day Report host Suzanne Alexander launched On The Record, the network’s newest original series, earlier this summer. The broadcaster serves as the host and writer behind the new series, and has been interviewing the biggest names in country music and beyond for over 30 years.

The series gives insight into unheard stories straight from the artists themselves, and takes viewers on a journey through the heart of country music. The show features long-form interviews with today’s biggest artists and the industry veterans who inspired them. Each show features live performances or music videos as they discuss their latest music projects.

On The Record airs in primetime on Friday nights at 7:30 CT and can also be viewed on RFD-TV’s YouTube channel. The first season has featured Tenille Arts, Terri Clark, Tyler Farr, David Nail, Joe Nichols, Thompson Square, Pam Tillis, Tenille Townes, Zach Top and Chancey Williams.

“It’s been a blast to sit down with artists I’ve known from the start of their careers,” shares Alexander. “I thought I knew all there was to know about them but having the time to dig deep and do a long form interview, I’ve learned so much more. Each show has been such a great journey into their careers that I’ve personally enjoyed and so has the viewer.”

The upcoming 16th Annual ACM Honors on Aug. 23 at the Ryman in Nashville is set to air on the FOX network for a second year on Sept. 18.

The all-star event will recognize several special honorees, including ACM Triple Crown Award recipient Chris Stapleton, ACM Poet’s Award recipients Clint Black, Mary Chapin Carpenter and K.T. Oslin, ACM international Award recipient Kane Brown, and ACM Icon Award recipient Tim McGraw.

Carly Pearce will return for a third year to host the ceremony and perform during the star-studded evening of live music and tributes, which will also feature performances from Breland, Chris Janson, Lady A, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Brandy Clark, Jordan Davis, The War And Treaty, Bailey Zimmerman, Emily Shackelton, Anne Wilson and more. The full line-up of artists included in the FOX primetime special will be released in the coming weeks.

“We are thrilled to be working with FOX for a second year to bring one of our industry’s favorite nights, filled with emotional tributes and unforgettable performances, to primetime television,” says Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. “The exceptional honorees and performers at the Academy of Country Music Honors show will provide an extraordinary night of non-stop entertainment for music fans all across the country and an undeniable highlight for our country music community this fall.”

“Bringing back this annual celebration of country music icons and all-stars promises to once again captivate FOX audiences with its exceptional performances and moving tributes,” says Allison Wallach, FOX Entertainment’s President of Unscripted Programming. “The Academy of Country Music’s talented team has outdone themselves in assembling an incredible line-up of artists to entertain and inspire country fans during what is sure to be an incredible, memorable night.”

The full list of recipients of the Special Awards the 16th Academy of Country Music Honors includes Black, Breland, Brown, Carpenter, Charlie Cook, Charlie Daniels, Mike Dungan, Ashley Gorley, Hardy, Bill Mayne, McGraw, Oslin, Stapleton and Troy Vollhoffer.