The MLC has made one appointment to the organization’s Operations Advisory Committee, along with six reappointments, including two reappointments to the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, one reappointment to the Dispute Resolution Committee, and three reappointments to the Operations Advisory Committee.

Kelly Baden (Senior Vice President, Copyright, Royalties and Licensing Operations at Concord) has been appointed to the Operations Advisory Committee. In her role, she spearheads Concord’s global copyright, licensing, and royalties divisions, overseeing global licensing operations and leading teams responsible for licensing sound recordings and musical compositions. Before Concord, Baden held leadership positions in music rights and revenue assurance, including Director of Revenue Assurance at Warner Music Group and roles at Rhino Entertainment and BMG Music Publishing.

Eric Scott (Executive Vice President, Rights and Royalties at BMG) has been reappointed to the Operations Advisory Committee and has been named Chair of the committee. Kristina Johnson (Vice President, Copyright at Kobalt Music) and Iwona Wyrzykowska (Senior Vice President/General Manager, Global Administration Center – Nashville at Universal Music Publishing Group) have also been reappointed.

On the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, Dale Esworthy (Executive Vice President, Worldwide Administration at Sony Music Publishing) has been reappointed, along with Michael Eames (President and Co-Founder at PEN Music Group, Inc.) who is continuing as Chair of the committee. Matthew Skiba (Vice President, Rights and Content at Vydia) has been reappointed to the Dispute Resolution Committee.

“On behalf of The MLC’s Board and its nominating committee, I am pleased to welcome Kelly Baden to the Operations Advisory Committee and to congratulate our advisory committee members on their reappointments,” says Alisa Coleman, Chair of The MLC’s Board of Directors. “Their collective expertise, dedication, and guidance are invaluable as we continue to strengthen The MLC’s operations and fulfill our mission to ensure that songwriters, composers, and music publishers receive the royalties they have earned.”

More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and three advisory committees, including lists of current members, can be found here.

Brad Paisley will appear on this season of American Idol as a guest mentor, offering guidance to the competition’s top 20 hopefuls.

Paisley appeared in the season premiere of the show earlier this week, pranking longtime friend and frequent comedic partner Carrie Underwood during auditions in Nashville at his alma mater, Belmont University. He and Underwood had a successful run together as co-hosts of the CMA Awards for 11 consecutive years.

Keke Palmer will also serve as a guest mentor this season on the show, which airs Mondays from 8-10 p.m. ET on ABC and streams next day on Hulu. Paisley will be featured in Episodes 908-909, Top 20 at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii  which air March 16 and March 23, respectively.

A three-time Grammy winner and member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley has written 21 of his 25 No. 1 hits, and his past works have amassed nearly five billion career streams. The hitmaker was recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has racked up numerous awards throughout his 25-year career, including three Grammys, two American Music Awards, 15 ACM Awards and 14 CMA Awards.

Luke Bryan is set to headline his 17th Farm Tour this year and will return for a second consecutive year to play a round of spring Farm Tour dates in California on May 14-16.

Cities on the California run include Shafter, Clovis and Elk Grove. Special guests for the shows will be announced at a later date. Tickets for Farm Tour are on sale Feb. 5 at LukeBryan.com. Traditional Farm Tour dates and locations will take place in the fall with announcements coming this spring. Farm Tour 2026 is sponsored by Bayer and Fendt.

“We had such a great response to the shows out West last year that we decided to come back,” says Bryan. “It was so impactful to learn from the farmers about what affects their operations and families, and our hope is to shine a little spotlight on them for all they do for America.”

The son of a peanut farmer, Bryan brings shows to farms across the country on the annual tour. Since its inception in 2009, he has awarded 90 college scholarships to students from farming families attending the local college or university near the tour stops. More than 10 million meals have been provided through sponsor Bayer’s “Take Care, Now” campaign and the #HerestotheFarmer social initiative. Bryan’s work with these programs have helped raise awareness, educate communities, and facilitate access to nutritious food, vitamins, and minerals.

Last week Bryan announced he’ll kick off his “Word On The Street Tour” with back-to-back shows on May 29-30. He also returned to the judge’s table for the new season of ABC’s American Idol with Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood on the season premiere earlier this week.

Whiskey Myers and The Black Crowes will hit the road this summer on the co-headlining “Southern Hospitality Tour.” Southall will join as support.

Ticket pre-sales begin Feb. 3 and general on-sale will start Feb. 6.

The tour kicks off May 17 in Austin, Texas, and will hit Nashville, Hollywood, Charlotte, New York, Indianapolis, and more across its over 40-date run. Additionally, for the first time ever, The Black Crowes, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Whiskey Myers will headline the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Aug. 17.

Whiskey Myers live show will showcase fan favorites from their catalog alongside their latest record, Whomp Whack Thunder. The multi-Platinum independent band will hosts its eighth annual Wiggy Thump Festival ahead of the tour on April 25 in Palestine, Texas.

Before hitting the road, The Black Crowes will release their new album, A Pound of Feathers on March 13.

Southern Hospitality Tour North American Dates:
May 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center^
May 19 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP^
May 21 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena^
May 23 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheater^
May 24 – Birmingham, AL – Coca-Cola Amp^
May 26 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater^
May 27 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater^
May 30 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live^
May 31 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre^
June 2 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre*~
June 4 – Augusta, GA – Bell Auditorium*~
June 6 – Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater^
June 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park^
June 9 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center^
June 10 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center^
June 12 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion^
June 13 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium^
June 16 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion^
June 17 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheatre^
June 19 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center^
June 20 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center^~
July 17 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center^
July 18 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater^
July 21 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre^
July 22 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater^
July 24 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre^
July 25 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater^
July 28 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater^
July 30 – Kansas City, MO – MORTON Amphitheater^
August 1 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ford Amphitheater^~
August 2 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre^~
August 4 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater*~
August 8 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion^
August 9 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion*
August 12 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater^
August 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre^
August 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Mortgage Matchup Center^
August 17– Hollywood, CA – Hollywood Bowl-
August 19 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre^
August 20 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre^

^ With The Black Crowes, Whiskey Myers & Southall
* With The Black Crowes & Southall only
– Co-headlining show with The Black Crowes, Tedeschi Trucks & Whiskey Myers
~ Not a Live Nation Date

First-time Grammy nominee Darren Criss will host the 2026 Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony, live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Feb. 1.

Presenters for the ceremony include Dave Koz, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Edgar Barrera, Jesse Welles, Sierra Hull, Trombone Shorty, and five-time Grammy winner, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and former Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Jimmy Jam.

The ceremony’s opening number will feature a performance by current nominees Grace Potter, Israel Houghton, Lila Iké, Maggie Rose, and Trombone Shorty. Other artists scheduled to perform include current nominees Criss and Helen J Shen, Spiritbox, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Zara Larsson. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and Chair of the Board of Trustees Dr. Chelsey Green will provide opening remarks.

“The Premiere Ceremony is one of the most exciting parts of Grammy weekend,” says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. “Witnessing the ceremony, you see the wide range of genres and crafts that make up our music community, and all the people who push music forward. I can’t wait to see this year’s lineup of presenters and performers kick off Grammy Sunday and help celebrate as we present the first awards of the day.”

The 2026 Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will stream live at 2:30 p.m. CT on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com. The 2026 Grammys will broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on CBS and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+