The RIAA has unveiled its Class Of 2022, consisting of 39 artists who are on the rise and whose first certifications were earned in 2022.

Forty-one singles from the Class of 2022 earned coveted Gold and Platinum awards, which include Bailey Zimmerman‘s Platinum singles “Fall In Love” and “Rock and A Hard Place.” With the two tracks, the rising singer-songwriter notched two of only seven Platinum certifications given to first-time certified artists in 2022.

Other impressive first-time honors across the country landscape include the Gold certifications of Avery Anna‘s “Narcissist,” Corey Kent‘s “Wild As Her,” Nate Smith‘s “Whiskey On You,” Chase Matthew‘s “County Line,” and Warren Zeider‘s Ride The Lightning – 717 Tapes.

Outside of country, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Gayle scored the highest certification for a first-time certified artist this year with the 3x Platinum single “abcdefu” on Atlantic Records.

“Whenever a Gold, Platinum or Diamond certification is earned, it represents massive engagement from an artist’s fans, and a remarkable achievement by the artist, their creative teams, and their record label,” says RIAA COO Michele Ballantyne. “When it is your very first RIAA award, it’s even more special. We are so encouraged by the success of this #RIAAClassOf 2022 and are honored to help celebrate their immense talents.”

Since its inception in 1958, the Gold and Platinum program has celebrated artists whose songs and albums have produced significant U.S. consumption milestones. For a full look at the first-time honorees and members of the RIAA Class of 2022, click here.

Nashville hitmakers will travel to Naples, Florida this weekend for the second annual Nash to Naples benefit concert.

On Saturday (Jan. 7) at 6 p.m. attendees will hear songs and stories from Andy Albert, Paul Sikes, Emily Falvey, Emily Landis, Johnny McGuire, and Brock Berryhill as well as country duo Neon Union, comprised of Andrew Millsaps and Leo Brooks, at Cambier Park.

Nash To Naples is a free show, but donations raise money for the Hacienda of Hope, a foundation providing support and shelter for children in Ecuador.

The event will include food and drinks from local vendors. Guests are asked to bring their own seating.

For more information, visit nashtonaples.com.

Charles Kelley. Photo: Hodges Usry

Following his decision to begin addiction treatment for alcohol, Charles Kelley, one third of Lady A, has released, “As Far As You Could,” a personal new song and goodbye letter to alcohol.

Co-written and produced alongside bandmate Dave Haywood and Jimmy Robbins, the ballad captures the inner conflict many experience as Kelley recalls the steps along his path. The single relies solely on piano played by Haywood.

Kelley co-wrote the redemptive ballad and confessional new single following months filled with reflection, accountability and songwriting, with the powerful track marking a turning point in his recovery.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 10 percent of Americans will struggle with addiction at some point in their lives, with ripple effects that touch almost everyone else. Through sharing his story, Kelley hopes it will help spread support and understanding for others.

“For me, the biggest word I’ve been holding on to is gratitude, not pride,” Kelley says “I’m grateful. I finally see the light and am connecting with what life is all about. Some days are hard, but the good so outweighs those bad moments. There’s some beauty in all this and I’ve had time to reflect, time to get healthy, time to write. I’ve probably written 50 songs this fall, and I feel like all of it was leading to this one song.”

Lady A is scheduled to return to the stage for the U.K.’s C2C Festival in March.

Amazon Music has revealed their 2023 Breakthrough Artists to Watch: Country Class.

This year’s class consists of Avery Anna, Dalton Dover, Dylan Schneider, Jackson Dean, Madeline Edwards, Megan Moroney, Nate Smith, and Warren Zeiders.

Breakthrough is Amazon Music’s artist development program intended to advocate for rising artists at the most crucial moments in their careers. The program actively supports artists across a wide variety of genres, such as country, U.K. rap, R&B, indie, and more. Amazon Music works with each Breakthrough artist and their teams to develop a long-term, customized global plan tailored to their specific needs. This includes video and audio content, global marketing support, custom merch stores on the Amazon website, and increased visibility across Amazon Music’s playlists and programming.

New for 2023, Amazon Music will present artist selections on the Breakthrough playlist, further cementing Breakthrough as the Amazon Music premium brand for artists-to-watch throughout the year. In addition to the global Breakthrough list, available exclusively on Amazon Music, the Country Class artists will be a part of the Breakthrough Country playlist.

“Supporting rising country talent is of the utmost importance to Amazon Music,” says Emily Cohen Belote, Principal Music Curator at Amazon Music. “Elevating the new generation of country hitmakers and introducing them to our listeners is an essential part of the work that we do.”

Fans can also expect new Country Heat Weekly podcast episodes featuring conversations with the 2023 Country Class members throughout January and February with hosts Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton, starting with Moroney on Jan. 5.

Olivia Newton-John‘s Greatest Hits Volume 2 – Deluxe Edition is set for release this Friday (Jan. 6).

Originally released 40 years ago in 1982, the 14-track, remastered collection features the pop and country star’s biggest international hits, as well as her U.S. top 40 hits, including “Physical,” “Magic,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and “You’re The One That I Want.”

This second volume of hits follows the October 2022 remastered release of Olivia Newton-John’s Greatest Hits Deluxe Edition.

Olivia Newton-John’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 – Deluxe Edition was Newton John’s first non-soundtrack album to rank in the year-end top 10. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA in the U.S. and Platinum in the UK, where it peaked at No. 8 with a 38-week chart run.

“We continue to pay tribute to Olivia’s great legacy with the remastered release of Greatest Hits Vol. 2,” says Blake Davis, General Manager, Green Hill Productions. “This was Olivia’s longest charting album, spending 80 weeks on the Billboard charts, and was the 10th best-selling album of 1983. The songs contained on this release have touched many lives over the past four decades and will continue to do so with new generations of fans.”

A Grammy and CMA award-winner, Newton-John died on Aug. 8 at age 73, following a long struggle with cancer, which began with a breast cancer diagnosis in 1992. Her cancer returned in 2013 and again in 2018, eventually finding that the cancer had metastasized to her back.

She had seven top-10 country hits, including “Let Me Be There” (1973) and “I Honestly Love You” (1974), and sold more than 50 million records worldwide. She was named CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1974.

Olivia Newton-John’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 – Deluxe Edition (Remastered) Track List:
1. Heart Attack
2. Magic
3. Physical
4. Hopelessly Devoted To You
5. Make A Move On Me
6. Deeper Than The Night
7. Landslide
8. A Little More Love
9. You’re The One That I Want
10. Tied Up
11. Suddenly
12. Totally Hot
13. The Promise (The Dolphin Song)
14. Xanadu