BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville Honors Four At Pre-CMA Party

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Pictured (L-R): Peter Strickland (BMG), Thomas Coesfeld (BMG), Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Jon Loba (BMG), JoJamie Hahr (BMG) and Katie Kerkhover (BMG). Photo: Keith Griner

BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville celebrated its roster, team, partners and fans at their 2024 Pre-CMA Awards Party last night (Nov. 19) at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville. BMG’s Americas President Jon Loba led the event, celebrating career milestones for label stars Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Dustin Lynch and Parmalee.

Aldean celebrated 28 No. 1 hits at country radio, while Shelton received praise for 156 first-week radio adds for his latest single “Texas.” Lynch was honored for his 10 No. 1 country radio songs, and Parmalee were recognized for their three consecutive No. 1 singles.

Hosted by Austin & Colin, the party featured performances by Aldean, Shelton, Lynch, Parmalee, The Frontmen, Haven Madison, Dylan Schneider, Madeline Merlo, Frank Ray, John Morgan, Tim Montana, K. Michelle, Drew Baldridge, Chayce Beckham and Lanie Gardner.

Pictured (L-R): Adrian Michaels (SCR), Stan Marczewski (SCR), Parmalee’s Barry Knox, Peter Strickland (BMG), JoJamie Hahr (BMG), Jon Loba (BMG), Parmalee’s Matt Thomas, Shelley Hargis (BMG), David Fanning (33 Creative), Krista Hayes (BMG), Tina Crawford (33 Creative), Regan Donato (BMG), Matt Vieira (SCR), Parmalee’s Josh McSwain and Parmalee’s Scott Thomas. Photo: Terry Wyatt for Getty

The party served as a kickoff to the CMA Awards, airing tonight (Nov. 20) on ABC, where fellow label singers and 2025 Grammy nominees Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll are both nominated for the night’s highest honor of Entertainer of the Year. Wilson is also nominated for Single of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year, while Jelly Roll boasts additional nominations for Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.

Lanco Slates Sophomore Album, Tour For 2025

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Lanco will kick off the New Year with the release of their sophomore album, We’re Gonna Make It, releasing on Jan. 17 via Riser House Records.

Fans can pre-save the new album, which was produced by Jay Joyce, Jared Conrad and Lanco, beginning Nov. 22. The project features 14 tracks, including previously-released hits “Low Class Lovers” and “Sound of a Saturday Night,” along with the new song “We Grew Up Together” featuring Grammy-nominated Christian artist Cory Asbury, which will drop on Nov. 22.

“We often think our parents have it all together, but they’re just people who met each other, fell in love, and had a kid,” says Lanco lead vocalist Brandon Lancaster of the new song. “I realized in raising my own children that we’re all learning as we go. There are so many times when I’m teaching my kids a lesson, and I’m thinking about how it applies to me, too.”

The band will hit the road in support of the new music with the “We’re Gonna Make It Tour 2025,” which kicks off Feb. 27 in Minneapolis. The tour will run through March, with additional dates to be announced soon.

We’re Gonna Make It Track List:
“We’re Gonna Make It” – Brandon Lancaster / Chandler Baldwin / Tripp Howell / Jared Hampton / Ben Williams *
“Memories (We Didn’t Know)” – Brandon Lancaster / Tripp Howell / Craig Wiseman *
“Where I Belong” – Brandon Lancaster / Chandler Baldwin / Tripp Howell / Jared Hampton / Jason Nix *
“Low Class Lovers” – Brandon Lancaster #
“We Grew Up Together” featuring Cory Asbury – Brandon Lancaster / Chandler Baldwin / Tripp Howell / Jared Hampton / Cory Asbury *
“Honey I Lost My Job Today” – Brandon Lancaster / Jeremy Spillman #
“You’ll Always Be” – Brandon Lancaster / Chandler Baldwin / Tripp Howell / Jared Hampton / Joey Hyde *
“Come Over” – Brandon Lancaster / Chandler Baldwin / Jared Hampton / Tripp Howell / Wyatt Durrette #
“Beer With Younger Me” – Brandon Lancaster / Jared Conrad / Keelan Donovan / Chandler Baldwin *
“Sound of a Saturday Night” – Brandon Lancaster / Tripp Howell / Tate Howell / Jeremy Spillman #
“Leaving Looks Good On You” – Brandon Lancaster / Tripp Howell / Chandler Baldwin / Tommy Cecil #
“Million Dollar Memory” – Brandon Lancaster / Tripp Howell / Grant Vogel #
“Last Call” – Brandon Lancaster / Mike Walker / Rian Ball #
“Nothing That You Could Do” – Brandon Lancaster / Chandler Baldwin / Tripp Howell / Seth Alley *

* Produced by Jared Conrad and LANCO
# Produced by Jay Joyce

Willie Jones Signs With Gravel Road Records

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Willie Jones. Photo: Jabari Jacobs

Country artist Willie Jones has signed with independent record label Gravel Road Records.

Recognized for his mix of country, hip-hop and soul alongside his unique voice, Jones’ tracks “Down by the Riverside” and “American Dream” have garnered over 200 million streams. The Louisiana native was also featured on Beyoncé’s “Just For Fun” earlier this year.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Willie to the Gravel Road family,” says Rich Barner, Co-Founder of Gravel Road. “With his authentic storytelling and unique sound, we believe Willie will resonate deeply with country music fans and continue to push the boundaries of the genre. Together, we’re excited to embark on this journey and create music that speaks to the heart and soul of our listeners.”

“I’ve been a Willie Jones fan for a long time, he’s a rockstar in every sense,” adds Anthony Martini, Co-Founder of Gravel Road. “He’s authentic, bold, and speaks to the next generation of country music fans. Gravel Road welcomes artists who aren’t afraid to break the mold – and Willie epitomizes that.”

“Beyond excited to partner with Gravel Road and get this music out,” shares Jones. “The past year has been one of the greatest years of my life, and now to have a team of people who believe in me and my vision who can help expand help the vibration of the world through music is truly an honor.”

Jones is currently working on his next project set to release in early 2025.

Eric Church Honors Influences At One-Night-Only SiriusXM Event

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Eric Church performs during SiriusXM event. Photo: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Eric Church returned to the Neon Steeple stage last night (Nov. 19) at his venue, Chief’s on Broadway, for a one-night-only event with SiriusXM. The show, originally scheduled for late September, was postponed by the North Carolina native in response to the disastrous effects of Hurricane Helene stating, “I’m devastated by the destruction in the mountains of western North Carolina…To all the families and first responders, you are in our prayers and we are doing everything we can to get you the help you need now.”

In the two months since the storm, Church has made good on that promise, helping raise nearly $25 million for relief efforts with “Concert For Carolina” and bringing awareness to the situation through his track “Darkest Hour.”

Eric Church performs during SiriusXM event. Photo: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for SiriusXM

With relief efforts well underway, Church’s focus returned to music for the night as he took the stage in a packed room of SiriusXM listeners and fans. He kicked off the show by explaining to the crowd that this full-band performance would be a tribute to his musical influences, “The [stained glass] windows you see behind you are the influences of my life. So tonight, we are going to do something different and play these influences and how they relate to what we do.”

He started the night by weaving in his first inspiration, Johnny Cash’s “Long-Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man” between his own tracks,“How ‘Bout You” and “Lotta Boot Left to Fill.” Next, with the Stone’s tongue and lip stained glass behind him, Church segued into The Rolling Stone’s “Gimme Shelter” and his hit “Chattanooga Lucy.”

“I wouldn’t be here today without the face you now see behind me, Mr. Bob Seger. He saved my life at a time when my life needed saving and has inspired a lot of my life and music, including that last song. So, we are going to do a couple of Bob songs.”

In a fiery performance alongside his longtime backup singer, Joanna Cotten, Church chose “Ramblin’ Gamblin Man” and “Get Out Of Denver” to pay homage to who he referred to as his “desert island artist”—an artist he could listen to every day were he stranded on a desert island.

Eric Church performs with Joanna Cotton during SiriusXM event. Photo: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Next, he nodded to artists Hank Williams Jr., Tina Turner and The Band with tracks “Country Boy Can Survive,” “Proud Mary” “The Weight,” “Ophelia,” “Atlantic City,” while seamlessly blending in his hits “Homeboy” and “Bad Mother Trucker.”

For his final tribute of the night, Church spoke about one of the biggest influences in his life, “I want to throw it back to a guy that has the center window back here, Bruce Springsteen. Over the years, we have become friends and we are going to try to pay homage to him, you guys and what we have built here at Chief’s.”

As Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” faded out, the familiar chords of Church’s hit song “Springsteen” took center stage, bringing the crowd to their feet and an end to the special performance.

Fans can listen to the show on SiriusXM when Eric Church Outsiders Radio takes over Y2Kountry (Channel 57) on Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. CT, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. CT and Nov. 24 at 12 p.m. CT. The concert will also be available to stream via the SiriusXM app.

Tom Petty Estate & Third Man Records Share New Petty Bootleg

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Tom Petty. Photo: Dennis Callahan

The Tom Petty Estate and Third Man Records have collaborated to share a rare Petty bootleg performance, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Live In Edinburgh 1982: The Gennaro Tapes, on Nov. 29.

Recorded by house sound mixer Gennaro Rippo and taped at the band’s show in Edinburgh, Scotland in the fall of 1982, the unique recording showcases a raw era-defining moment in the band’s career as they toured their album, Long After Dark, and will be available in a limited vinyl-only press of 7,000 copies.

The project is inspired by Third Man Record’s Jack White and Ben Blackwell, longtime fans of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and their enthusiasm for hearing something raw and unpolished from the band in this golden era. The release marks the first and only Petty live recording that hasn’t been touched since the day it was captured, pressed directly from cassette to vinyl. The band enjoyed listening to the cassette tapes after shows in what they would call affectionately “Gennaro’s Hawaiian Disco,” often giving him the Presidential Suite in the hotel for the band to hang out and listen each night.

The previously unreleased show is available as a three-disc collection in three unique colors, including Tom Petty Store-exclusive turquoise vinyl, Third Man Records Store-exclusive maroon reverse splatter and indie retail-exclusive orange wisp.

The Gennaro Tapes rounds out the look at the 1982 collection of archival footage and music shared by the Tom Petty Estate this year. Cameron Crowe’s documentary, Heartbreakers Beach Party and Long After Dark Deluxe Edition, included 45 minutes of rediscovered music, and Petty’s unearthed original single from the deluxe edition, “Never Be You,” is out now with a new video created and directed by animator Jeff Scher.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Live in Edinburgh 1982: The Gennaro Tapes Track List:
SIDE A
1. “American Girl”
2. “Listen To Her Heart”
3. “A Thing About You”
4. “You Got Lucky”

SIDE B
5. “I Need To Know”
6. “Don’t Do Me Like That”
7. “I’m In Love”
8. “Change Of Heart”
9. “Louie Louie”

SIDE C
10. “Straight Into Darkness”
11. “Stories We Could Tell”
12. “Louisiana Rain”

SIDE D
13. “One Story Town”
14. “A Woman In Love (It’s Not Me)”
15. “Kings Road”

SIDE E
16. “Breakdown”
(Hit The Road Jack Interlude)
17. “Refugee”

SIDE F
18. “Shout”
19. “So You Wanna Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star”
20. “Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll”

Date & Venue Announced For 2025 CCMA Awards

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The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has announced that the 2025 CCMA Awards will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, and air live exclusively on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app.

Supported by Tourism Kelowna, City of Kelowna, Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, and the 2025 Host Committee, Country Music Week will return to British Columbia for a third time and mark its first time in Kelowna, with events starting on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

“We are thrilled to bring the 2025 CCMA Awards and Country Music Week to Kelowna this September,” shares Amy Jeninga, CCMA President. “The response from fans has already been incredible, and we can’t wait to experience Kelowna’s breathtaking scenery and vibrant spirit together. This is the perfect setting to celebrate Canadian country music, and we’re excited to create unforgettable moments alongside artists, fans and the community.”

Presale tickets are available now. General sales will start this Friday (Nov. 22) at 12 p.m. CT. For more information, click here.

“We are all so excited for Kelowna to host our first Canadian Country Music Week, and you can feel the energy growing,” says Lisanne Ballantyne, Tourism Kelowna President & CEO. “September is an amazing time to come and explore Kelowna and the Central Okanagan, and now that the dates are set and the tickets are available, we recommend you start planning and booking now. We’ve got information on our website to help you, and community specialists standing by to help you make your plans and build your itinerary.”

CMA Awards Billboard’s Jessica Nicholson With 2024 Media Achievement Award

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Billboard staff writer Jessica Nicholson is surprised with news of her 2024 CMA Media Achievement Award win by Thomas Rhett. Photo: Josh Brasted/CMA

The CMA has awarded Billboard staff writer Jessica Nicholson with the 2024 Media Achievement Award.

Nicholson, who was formerly MusicRow‘s managing editor, was surprised with news of her win yesterday (Nov. 19.) backstage at Bridgestone Arena during CMA Awards rehearsals by Thomas Rhett, who will take the CMA Awards stage with Teddy Swims on Wednesday to perform a mash-up of both of their hits, “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Woman” and “Lose Control.”

The CMA Media Achievement Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of print and online journalists, columnists, authors, editors, television writers, producers and bookers and syndicated radio reporters in the media as they relate to country music. The award is voted on by publicist members of CMA.

Nicholson joined Billboard full time in 2021. Prior to joining Billboard, she also wrote for various publications including American Songwriter, CMT, Forbes, Country Weekly and more.

The 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson, airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena tonight (Nov. 20) on ABC and next day on Hulu.

Parmalee To Kick Off ‘Fell In Love With A Cowgirl Tour’ In February

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Parmalee will kick off their “Fell In Love With A Cowgirl Tour,” featuring special guest Avery Anna, on Feb. 13 in Madison, Wisconsin.

The group will visit cities in Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and more before heading to Canada for several dates, wrapping on March 22 in Edmonton, Alberta. The announcement follows Parmalee’s time on the road supporting Kane Brown’s “In The Air Tour.”

“With new music coming early next year, there is energy and excitement around us and our whole team,” says lead singer Matt Thomas. “We wanted to bring that energy to our fans as soon as we could, so we decided to do a headline tour starting in Feb. 2025. We’ll be bringing the party back to some of the cities we played on the Kane Brown tour as well as some cities we’ve never been to. Can’t wait to kick off 2025 with the ‘Parmalee Famalee.'”

A ticket presale starts today (Nov. 20) at 10 a.m. local time, and will run until tomorrow (Nov. 21) at 11:59 p.m. local time. General sales will follow this Friday (Nov. 22) at 10 a.m. local time. For more information, click here.

Russell Dickerson & Concord Raise $35K For Charity With Inaugural ‘RussellMania’

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Russell Dickerson with Concord Music Publishing A&R team members. Photo: Emma Delevante

Russell Dickerson and Concord hosted their first annual Country Awards Week Challenge, dubbed “RussellMania,” yesterday (Nov. 18).

The event brought artists and industry professionals together for some friendly competition in support of nonprofit partners ACM Lifting Lives and Cul2vate. Teams competed in axe throwing, darts and a giant cup ball toss ,while spectators played giant Jenga, old school arcade games and air hockey.

Russell Dickerson with Cul2vate team members. Photo: Emma Delevante

Alongside Dickerson’s team and Concord’s group, Range Media Partners, Triple Tigers, Cul2vate, ACM Lifting Lives, FBMM, CAA, Warner Chappell Music, and Sony Music Publishing assembled teams, with the Cul2vate crew winning the competition and taking home the coveted “RussellMania” Championship Belt. The event raised $35,000 in total, which will directly benefit the two Nashville-based nonprofits.

“RussellMania was a blast, but more importantly, it was an opportunity to give back in a way that only country music can,” says Dickerson. “We came together to have fun, but we also raised some serious support for ACM Lifting Lives and Cul2vate—two organizations that do incredible work. I couldn’t be more proud of everyone who came out to show their love, support and competitive spirit. I’m already counting down to next year!”

“It was an absolute pleasure to partner with Russell and his team to raise money for these two incredible organizations,” says Concord CEO Bob Valentine. “I look forward to doing it again next year—and hopefully bringing the belt home to Concord.”

Blake Shelton Notches Biggest Radio Add Day Of His Career

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Pictured (L–R): BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville General Manager Peter Strickland, BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld, Blake Shelton, BMG Americas President Jon Loba and BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville EVP JoJamie Hahr. Photo: Kevin Grace

Country star Blake Shelton has notched the biggest radio add day of his career with his latest single, “Texas,” via Wheelhouse Records.

Tallying over 149 first-week Mediabase stations (156 overall), the track marks his debut release with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, whom he signed with in September. The label’s team surprised Shelton with a celebration for the milestone event yesterday (Nov. 18).

Released to streaming services last Friday (Nov. 15), “Texas” amassed high numbers across all platforms. Produced by Shelton’s longtime producer Scott Hendricks and written by Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock, Josh Dorr and Lalo Guzman, the tune describes a man stranded in the dust of a carefree woman who has no idea where she’s headed, though he figures she’s somewhere in Texas.

“I moved to Nashville the month after I graduated from high school to sing country music and, hopefully, get to hear one of my songs on the radio,” shares Shelton. “After all these years, it’s still exciting. Thanks to fans for listening and coming out to shows. I can’t wait to play ‘Texas’ live!”

Additionally, he plans to perform “Texas” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tomorrow (Nov. 20).

 

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