Sina Seger, Nicole Ranieri and Ally Venable

Entertainment marketing agency FlyteVu has appointed Sina Seger as its first General Manager. The company has also promoted Nicole Ranieri to Head of Accounts, and welcomed Ally Venable as Head of Talent.

Founded and helmed by Jeremy Holley and Laura Hutfless, FlyteVu seeks to connect brands to consumers through the power of pop culture and purpose. The agency hopes to expand the business and future growth initiatives with the help of its leadership team while maintaining its commitment to giving back to the community and serving clients.

As General Manager, Seger will oversee the day-to-day operations of the agency. She joined FlyteVu in 2017 after receiving her MBA from Vanderbilt University. During her time at the agency, she has led its largest growth accounts including Barefoot Wine, Cracker Barrel, Jack Daniel’s, Norwegian Cruise Line and Vanderbilt Health, while overseeing the execution of campaigns that utilize the power of music, entertainment and the latest innovations in tech and pop culture. Seger is a member of Leadership Music’s Class of 2023, and currently serves as a mentor for the OnRamp program created by the Academy of Country Music and Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC).

“Every single person on our team operates at the highest levels of excellence and creativity, with a work ethic and client focus that’s unmatched by any other team I’ve come across in my career,” says Seger. “I am equally thrilled and humbled to serve as its leader alongside a tremendously capable and dedicated leadership team as we enter a new era of growth and expansion for FlyteVu and our clients. I have and continue to be in awe of Laura and Jeremy’s vision and leadership in the eight years since founding FlyteVu, and words can’t express the gratitude I have for their trust and mentorship that make this next step possible.”

Ranieri has been promoted from Account Director to Head of Accounts. In her new role, she will oversee the management and growth of FlyteVu clients as well as the performance and success of the Accounts team. With over a decade of advertising client service experience, Ranieri has spent time at both small and large firms, including Wunderman Thompson, iHeartMedia and JWT. She has developed and launched 360 campaigns for a variety of clients such as Nestlé, Diageo, Unilever, Aflac, Macy’s and American Express. During Ranieri’s time at FlyteVu, she has led accounts for clients including David’s Bridal, VistaPrint, Barefaced, Prime Video, Netspend, Ashley Furniture and The General. Ranieri also won a Shorty Digital Impact Award in 2022 and activated at the Super Bowl this year.

Venable joins the agency as Head of Talent, overseeing FlyteVu’s Talent & Influencer Department. She will lead in shaping and executing the agency’s Talent strategy, developing Talent-led programs, fostering industry relationships and brokering all Talent & Influencer partnerships. In her prior role at Mandolin, Venable worked with artists such as Miguel, Lainey Wilson and Ben Folds to grow their reach by focusing on the importance of analyzing first party data, translating to database growth of up to 43 percent. She also spent time at Iconic Entertainment as a member of the management team for Kelsea Ballerini, LeAnn Rimes, Levi Hummon, Joel Crouse and J. Human. Venable also co-founded The Other Nashville Society (TONS), a local trade and social organization for alternative music and arts.

“We’re honored to work with and elevate this talented group of executives. We’re excited to witness the dynamic energy they bring to FlyteVu and the broader entertainment industry,” says Holley. “As we continue to grow, we remain committed to identifying and promoting individuals who share their passion and demonstrate purpose-driven leadership.”

Additionally, the company recently expanded with FV Incubator, a marketing incubator for mission drive start-ups and FV3, a Web3 digital and customer loyalty agency. Joined by Seger, Ranieri and Venable, other members of the leadership team include Brewer Adams, Head of Production; Brittany Rashkin, Head of Publicity; Miriam Singer, Head of HR & Operations; and Scott Bennett, Chief Financial Officer.

“Over the past eight years, FlyteVu has built a solid reputation for innovation, excellence, and generosity in the industry,” says Hutfless. “Sina and our leadership team have played instrumental roles in our growth and success. We are thrilled to enter FlyteVu’s next chapter as we continue to innovate, disrupt and propel our clients forward.”

CMHOF Hosts Concert In Celebration Of Hank Williams’ 100th Birthday

Pictured (L-R, back row): Billy Contreras, Ben Roberts, Kenny Vaughan, Chuck Mead, Rodney Crowell, Hilary Williams, Sam Williams, Chris Scruggs, Brennen Leigh, Pete Finney and Wes L’Anglois; (L-R, middle row): Abi Tapia, Celia Woodsmith, S.G. Goodman, Wendy Moten, Holly Williams, Jared Manzo, Lyle Lovett and Michael Gray; (L-R, front row): Avril Smith, Vickie Vaughn, Kimber Ludiker, Jeff Hanna, Jett Williams, Suzy Bogguss, Delbert McClinton, Delaney McClinton, Laura Cantrell and Charlie McCoy. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted “Hank’s 100th: A Concert in Celebration of Hank Williams” last week in the museum’s CMA Theater.

Presented by Spotify in partnership with the Americana Music Association, the event featured country music community members Suzy Bogguss, Laura Cantrell, Rodney Crowell, Della Mae, S.G. Goodman, Jeff Hanna, Brennen Leigh, Lyle Lovett, Delbert McClinton, Chuck Mead, Wendy Moten, Williams’ grandchildren Hilary Williams, Holly Williams, Sam Williams and Charlie McCoy.

Artists performed interpretations of Williams’ classics in various styles, from honky-tonk and bluegrass to rock to R&B. Chris Scruggs led the house band consisting of Billy Contreras, Wes L’Anglois, Jared Manzo and Kenny Vaughan.

Williams scored over 30 hits in his short career, including “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “Jambalaya” and “Lovesick Blues,” and wrote many songs that are now considered country standards. Tony Bennett’s 1951 pop cover of “Cold, Cold Heart” showed the crossover potential of the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s songwriting, and over the past seven decades, his music has been recorded by artists across multiple genres.

Prior to the event, Hank Williams 100, a digital collection made up of Williams’ 19 most popular songs, was released via Mercury Nashville/UMe.

Warner Music Nashville Hosts WMN: On Deck Event

Pictured (L-R, front row): Warner Music Nashville’s Tim Foisset, Kristen Williams, Cris Lacy and Patrick Worstell; (L-R, back row): Extended Play’s Eric Parker, Warner Music Nashville’s Rohan Kohli, Lewis Brisbois’ Matt Cottingham, Warner Music Nashville’s Patrick Sabatini, Victoria Mason, Ben Kline, Avery Anna, Matt Schuster, 33 Creative’s Tina Crawford and Warner Music Nashville’s Shane Tarleton. Photo: Alan Poizner

Warner Music Nashville hosted the first WMN: On Deck event last week.

Formerly known as Pickin’ On The Patio, the function featured performances by Avery Anna and the label’s newest addition Matt Schuster, whose signing was announced ahead of his set.

WMN: On Deck was sponsored by Shake Shack, Blue Chair Bay Rum, Cut Above, Jim Beam and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails.

Ian Munsick Takes The Stage At CMHOF’s Annual Nightfall At The Hall

Ian Munsick performing at the 11th annual Nightfall at the Hall. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Multi-instrumentalist Ian Munsick performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 11th annual Nightfall at the Hall celebration on Thursday (Sept. 21).

The event is an after-hours party exclusively for the museum’s Troubadour members, a community of young leaders, ages 21 to 45, who collaborate with other professionals in supporting their community and the museum.

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

ASCAP Announces 2023 GPS Project Participants

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Kele Currier, Duane Hobson, Chris Housman, Blake Rackley, Evanthia Theodorou, Kalina Tyne, Dan Harrison, ASCAP’s Evyn Johnston and Jason Haag (Not Pictured: Cam Allen and Madison Steinbruck)

ASCAP Nashville’s membership team, led by Vice President Mike Sistad, has announced the songwriter participants for the 11th annual ASCAP Guidance from Publishers for Songwriters (GPS) Project.

The program seeks to help promising, unsigned songwriters, who have been identified by the ASCAP team as ready for a publishing deal, take the next step in their career.

Curated by Duane Hobson, Associate Director of Nashville Membership, the ASCAP GPS Project Class of 2023 includes up-and-coming songwriters Cam Allen, Jason Haag, Dan Harrison, Chris Housman, Blake Rackley, Madison Steinbruck, Evanthia Theodorou and Kalina Tyne.

Over the next several months, the eight writers will be paired with publishers who will listen and critique their songs, and host follow-up meetings to help develop their craft. By the end of the program, each songwriter will have met with representatives from at least five different publishers.

This year’s participating publishers include Concord Music Publishing, Kobalt Music, Liz Rose Music, Red Door Music Group, Sony Music Publishing, Spirit Music Nashville, Endurance Music Group and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).

A highly-regarded musical opportunity in Nashville, the program has helped numerous songwriters earn publishing agreements. Well-known ASCAP GPS alumni include Lainey Wilson, Jacob Davis, Hannah Dasher, Caylee Hammack and more.

The Band Of Heathens’ ‘Hurricane’ Recording Goes Gold

Pictured (L-R): Chad Staehly, Gordy Quist, Keith Stegall, Trevor Nealon, Al Moss, Ed Jurdi, Nick Jay, Clint Simmons, Burt Stein and Bryan Blaylock. Photo: Jenn Curtis

The Band of Heathens celebrated the Gold certification of their recording of “Hurricane” last week during Americanafest in Nashville.

Written by Thom Schuyler, Keith Stegall and Stewart Harris, the song was originally recorded by Levon Helm for his 1980 album American Son, and then again by Leon Everette. But it wasn’t until The Band of Heathens recorded it that “Hurricane” became a streaming success, helping the group to garner more than 400 million streams over 40 years after the song was written.

To further celebrate the milestone, the band released an unofficial live video for “Hurricane.” Recorded live Born & Raised Music Festival, it features a rousing crowd sing-along as well as shots of the act on the road.

“Our goal has always been to have the freedom to make the music we want to make without having to answer to anybody. To have a recording reach Gold status without the muscle of a label or outside funding is something we never dreamed of and is a testament to the power of the song. We’re honored that our arrangement of it is resonating like this,” states The Band of Heathens.

“It’s amazing how songs can have several lives,” shared Stegall. “Levon, Leon and now The Band of Heathens. Thank you Band of Heathens for giving ‘Hurricane’ life again!”

Bailey Zimmerman. Photo: Spidey Smith

Bailey Zimmerman has landed his third consecutive No. 1 at country radio this week with his single “Religiously.”

The achievement makes Zimmerman the fastest artist to have his first three singles peak atop the Country Aircheck chart since Sam Hunt in 2015, and the fourth fastest since 2000. “Religiously” follows his double Platinum, six-week No. 1 “Rock and a Hard Place,” and his double Platinum-debut, “Fall In Love.”

Boasting more than 287 million streams, “Religiously” is the title track from the 23-year-old’s full-length debut, Religiously. The Album. The project arrived in May as the biggest streaming debut album of the year across all genres, as well as the biggest streaming country debut of all time. It landed Top 3 on the Top Country Albums chart and No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

The young star has already surpassed 3 billion global streams to date. He is supporting Morgan Wallen on his tour, continuing in Canada through the end of the month before returning stateside for dates into November. He is also selling out the North America dates on his upcoming headlining “Religiously. The Tour.,” which kicks off February 2024.