32nd Annual MusicRow Awards Winners

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MusicRow Magazine is revealing the winners of the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards in a series of videos on all MusicRow online platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, starting at 9:00 a.m. today (Aug. 18).

MusicRow Awards Schedule of Announcements:
9:00 a.m.: Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards
9:30 a.m.: Producer of the Year
10:00 a.m.: Label of the Year
10:30 a.m.: Talent Agency of the Year
11:00 a.m.: Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
11:30 a.m.: Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year
12:00 p.m.: Male Songwriter of the Year
12:30 p.m.: Female Songwriter of the Year
1:00 p.m.: Song of the Year
1:30 p.m.: Robert K. Oermann Discovery Artist of the Year
2:00 p.m.: Breakthrough Artist of the Year
2:30 p.m.: Artist of the Year

Presenting Sponsor of the 2020 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.

MusicRow Magazine Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson, and respected television host, entertainment journalist, writer and producer, Alecia Davis serve once again as “hosts” on each winner video.

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson; Alecia Davis

The winners for the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards are (winners marked in red):

Producer of the Year [VIDEO]
Dave Cobb
Ross Copperman
Scott Hendricks
Dann Huff
Jay Joyce
Scott Moffatt

Label of the Year [VIDEO]
BBR Music Group
Big Machine Label Group
Black River Entertainment
Sony Music Nashville
UMG Nashville
Warner Music Nashville

Agency of the Year [VIDEO]
APA
Creative Artists Agency
Kinkead Entertainment Agency
Paradigm Talent Agency
United Talent Agency
WME

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year [VIDEO]
Brock Berryhill
Ash Bowers
Ben Burgess
Jennifer Denmark
Josh Dunne
Sam Ellis
Lonnie Fowler
Zachary Kale
Randy Montana
Drew Parker
Hunter Phelps
Paul Sikes
Derrick Southerland
Alysa Vanderheym
Allison Veltz-Cruz

Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year [VIDEO]
Blanco Brown
Gabby Barrett
Ingrid Andress
Jameson Rodgers
Matt Stell
Travis Denning

Male Songwriter of the Year [VIDEO]
Ross Copperman
Ashley Gorley
Jon Nite
Josh Osborne
Jordan M. Schmidt
Jonathan Singleton

Female Songwriter of the Year [VIDEO]
Jennifer Denmark
Nicolle Galyon
Natalie Hemby
Hillary Lindsey
Laura Veltz
Parker Welling

Song of the Year [VIDEO]
“Bluebird” — Songwriter(s): Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby
“Does To Me” — Songwriter(s): Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher, Tyler Reeve
“Monsters” — Songwriter(s): Eric Church, Jeff Hyde
“More Hearts Than Mine” — Songwriter(s): Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland
“One Night Standards” — Songwriter(s): Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford, Shane McAnally
“The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost” — Songwriter(s): Craig Morgan

Robert K. Oermann Discovery Artist of the Year [VIDEO]
Avenue Beat
Jameson Rodgers
Niko Moon
Payton Smith
Randall King
Trea Landon

Breakthrough Artist of the Year [VIDEO]
Blanco Brown
Gabby Barrett
HARDY
Ingrid Andress
Matt Stell
Travis Denning

Artist of the Year [VIDEO]
Carrie Underwood
Dan + Shay
Luke Combs
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Thomas Rhett

MusicRow also honors the Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians at the 2020 MusicRow Awards, recognizing the studio players who performed on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart during the eligibility period. The honorees are:

Bass
Jimmie Lee Sloas

Drums (tie)
Jerry Roe
Nir Z

Engineer
Justin Niebank

Fiddle
Stuart Duncan

Guitar
Ilya Toshinskiy

Keyboards
Dave Cohen

Steel
Paul Franklin

Vocals
Russell Terrell

[VIDEO]

Apple Launches Apple Music Radio

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Apple has announced two new live global radio offerings on Apple Music.

Beats 1 will be renamed Apple Music 1 and two additional radio stations are launching, including country station Apple Music Country and Apple Music Hits, spotlighting music from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s.

“For the past five years, if ever there was a meaningful moment in music culture, Beats 1 was there bringing human curation to the forefront and drawing in listeners with exclusive shows from some of the most innovative, respected, and beloved people in music,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, Beats, and International Content.

“Now, Apple Music radio provides an unparalleled global platform for artists across all genres to talk about, create, and share music with their fans, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to invest in live radio and create opportunities for listeners around the world to connect with the music they love.”

Apple Music 1 has studios in Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and London and is led by cornerstone presenters including Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, Brooke Reese, Dotty, Hanuman Welch, Matt Wilkinson, Nadeska, Rebecca Judd, and Travis Mills, and offers a lineup of shows from the biggest names in music, including Action Bronson, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Joe Kay, Lil Wayne, Frank Ocean, Vince Staples, and The Weeknd, as well as new shows from Aitch, Kerwin Frost, HAIM, Lady Gaga, Nile Rodgers, Travis Scott, Young M.A, and many more.

Apple Music Country will be led by daily on-air hosts Kelleigh Bannen, Ty Bentli, Bree, Alecia Davis, Ward Guenther, Nada, and Tiera, plus weekly shows from Ashley Eicher and Kelly McCartney. Fans can also enjoy new exclusive shows from artists like Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, BRELAND, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Morgan Evans, Florida Georgia Line, Pat Green, Willie Jones, Chrissy Metz, Midland, Rissi Palmer, The Shires, Carrie Underwood, and Morgan Wallen, alongside shows from producers and songwriters like Dave Cobb, Jesse Frasure, and Luke Laird, and journalist Hunter Kelly.

Apple Music Hits will be helmed by daily on-air hosts Jayde Donovan, Estelle, Lowkey, Jenn Marino, Sabi, Nicole Sky and Natalie Sky, George Stroumboulopoulos (“House of Strombo”), along with special shows from Ari Melber and others. Fans can also tune in to hear new exclusive shows from artists like Backstreet Boys, Ciara, Mark Hoppus, Huey Lewis, Alanis Morissette, Snoop Dogg, Meghan Trainor, Shania Twain, and more.

Apple Picks Up New Music Competition From Jason Owen, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine

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Jason Owen

Sandbox Entertainment President/CEO Jason Owen will executive produce a new country music talent competition series alongside Reese Witherspoon‘s media company Hello Sunshine. Apple has ordered My Kind of Country, from Owen, Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and The Masked Singer showrunner Izzie Pick Ibarra, reports deadline.com.

Adam Blackstone will be musical director for the new series.

Owen will executive produce alongside Pick Ibarra and Done+Dusted’s Katy Mullan and Melanie Fletcher. Witherspoon, Hello Sunshine Head of Film & Television Lauren Neustadter and SVP of Unscripted Programming Cynthia Stockhammer, will executive produce the series on behalf of Hello Sunshine.

In an announcement on the series, Apple noted the series would offer a “fresh, new documentary sensibility” and aims to break cultural and musical barriers in country music.

“Well, it’s not looking like I’ll ever fulfill my childhood dreams of becoming Dolly Parton,” Witherspoon wrote on Instagram. “But this might just be the next best thing. I am beyond excited to share that Hello Sunshine will be partnering with Apple to bring y’all it’s very first competition series called My Kind of Country…. the search for extraordinary country music talent.”

“Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, country music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. The history, the storytelling, the artistry… the costumes and performances. There are so many remarkably talented people whose voices are being heard right now, but there are many more who have different experiences and remarkable stories that still need to be told in the genre. I’ve been incredibly inspired by all artists who continue to blaze bold new trails and our hope is to discover musicians who are revolutionizing country music and help amplify their voices and unique stories,” Witherspoon added.

BMLG Promotes Donna Lidster To VP, Marketing-Canada

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Donna Lidster

Donna Lidster has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing – Canada at Big Machine Label Group. Lidster has been with BMLG for seven years and will continue to lead all the Canadian marketing efforts for the entire roster.

“Donna Lidster has been our not-so-secret weapon and the foundation of our success in Canada since coming aboard,” said BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta. “Her understanding of the market, musical intuition and unbeatable relationships continue to propel all things Big Machine. She’s simply the best.”

Prior to joining Big Machine Label Group, Lidster spent 13 years with Universal Music Canada as Director of Marketing and VP Marketing, Universal, Island Def Jam. Prior those roles, she worked in promotion at PolyGram for two years as Director, National Promotion and three years as a Regional.

Maddie & Tae Top Country Radio Charts With "Die From A Broken Heart"

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Maddie & Tae celebrate “Die From A Broken Heart” topping country airplay charts and earning RIAA Platinum certification.

Mercury Nashville duo Maddie & Tae have earned their second career No. 1 with “Die From A Broken Heart,” which the duo’s Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye co-wrote with Deric Ruttan and Jonathan Singleton. The song topped both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart.

“Die From A Broken Heart” was also recently certified Platinum by the RIAA. The song marks the duo’s first time reaching No. 1 since “Girl in a Country Song” topped the charts in 2014.

“There are no words. Just leaky eyes and a grateful hearts,” Maddie & Tae said over the weekend via Twitter. “Praise God and His beautiful plan. He has blessed us with the best team and the best fans. Gotta go, my eyes are leaking again.”

“If even one person out there found healing from this song, THAT is success to us,” the duo added via a statement.

Maren Morris, Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress, Carly Pearce and Miranda Lambert are among the other female artists who have topped the country radio charts in 2020.

Morris earned a two-week No. 1 “The Bones,” while other chart-toppers included Barrett’s “I Hope” and  Lambert’s “Bluebird.” Andress scored a No. 1 single on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart with “More Hearts Than Mine.” Pearce reached the pinnacle with “I Hope You’re Happy Now” (with Lee Brice), while Gwen Stefani earned her first country No. 1 with her duet with Blake Shelton, “Nobody But You.”

Josh Thompson Takes No. 1 Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Josh Thompson takes the top position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, with co-writer credits on “Ain’t Always The Cowboy” (Jon Pardi), “One Margarita” (Luke Bryan), and “Be A Light” (Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban). HARDY moves down one spot to No. 2.

Matt Dragstrem enters the top three on the chart, with “Be A Light” and “One Margarita” fueling his rise.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Concord Music Publishing Acquires Imagine Dragons Catalog

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Concord Music Publishing has acquired the catalog of pop/rock group Imagine Dragons. The band is known for hits including “Radioactive” and “Demons” from their 2012 album Night Visions. “Radioactive” earned a Grammy for Best Rock Performance in 2012. Their second album, Smoke + Mirrors, reached No. 1 in the United States, Canada and the UK. Evolve, the band’s third studio album, earned three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs Chart in 2018: “Believer,” “Thunder” and “Whatever It Takes.”

Imagine Dragons has also received 10 Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, one MTV Video Music Award and one World Music Award. They have sold 35 million RIAA certified singles in the US and 20 million albums worldwide, and have four songs among the top 100 most streamed on Spotify that have surpassed one billion streams each: “Believer,” “Thunder,” “Demons” and “Radioactive.” “Radioactive” is also one of only 37 songs in history to be certified Diamond, or 10x Platinum, by the RIAA.

“Concord’s acquisition strategy has remained consistent since 2006. Simply put, we acquire catalogs from creators and owners with songs that the entire world not only recognizes but loves. A to Z, our portfolio is comprised of some of the most culturally recognized and revered songs and recordings in history. Imagine Dragons fits perfectly in that realm. Our publishing team proudly welcomes Imagine Dragons, and its unparalleled songwriting and performance success in the past decade, to the treasured catalogs that already call Concord home,” said Steve Salm, Concord’s Chief Business Development Officer.

“Imagine Dragons are a rock powerhouse,” says Jake Wisely, Chief Publishing Executive at Concord. “From topping the charts to sweeping awards to sync and sell out tours, Imagine Dragons’ success is undeniable. We are honored that Imagine Dragons has chosen Concord and are excited to add another legendary band to the Concord catalog.”

The transaction was managed and negotiated for Concord by Salm, Larry Blake and Amanda Molter. Imagine Dragons’ team was led by John Rudolph of 1.618 Industries, Inc. (formerly Music Analytics, a leading music IP advisor) with counsel provided by Jason Karlov and Amanda Taber of Barnes & Thornburg and Robert Reynolds of Reynolds and Associates.

A2IM Announces 2020 Board of Directors, Advisory Board Members

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A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) has elected three new members and one returning member to its Board of Directors.

The three voting members are Madeline Nelson, the Founder/CEO of Heads Music; Marie Clausen, the Head of North America & Global Streaming for Ninja Tune; and Steven Hill, the Director of North American & Global Projects for Warp Records. Louis Posen, President of Hopeless Records will return to serve another term.

Continuing in their roles will be Martin Mills, Founder/Chairman of Beggars Group; Darius Van Arman, the Co-Founder/Co-Owner/Co-CEO of Secretly Group; Zena White, the Managing Director of Partisan Records; Tony Kiewel, President of Sub Pop; Laura Ballance, Co-Founder of Merge Records; Rosie Lopez, President of Tommy Boy Records, and Lisa Levy, VP of Sales & Marketing for Robbins Entertainment. The Executive Committee for 2020 is composed of Kiewel, who will serve as Chairperson, White as Treasurer, and Posen as Secretary.

Each year, A2IM’s bylaws allow the President and CEO to appoint advisory board members. These advisory board members do not have voting status but serve one-year terms in order to broaden the perspective of the board, guide the direction of the organization, as well as exposing a greater number of members to the activities of the board and the organization.

Appointed to the advisory board in 2020 are Mary Jurey, Chief Business Officer of Blue Élan; Tony D. Alexander, President/Managing Director of Made in Memphis Entertainment; Heather Johnson, CEO/Owner of Ninety9 Lives; Roland Williams, Managing Partner at Familiar Territory; and Lisa Soong, VP of Mountain Apple Company.

“As an organization that places equity, diversity, and representation at the forefront of its mission, A2IM is proud to have a women-led board in 2020, as well as substantially diverse participation throughout its Board of Directors and Advisory Board. We thank these members for so generously offering their experience and expertise during this difficult time. It is my great pleasure to welcome them and offer my heartfelt thanks for their participation,” said Richard James Burgess, CEO of A2IM.

Weekly Register: Luke Bryan Tops Country Albums Chart With ‘Born Here Live Here Die Here’

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Luke Bryan. Photo: Jim Wright

Gabby Barrett maintains her grip at No. 1 on the Country On-Demand Audio Streaming chart, with 8.4 million streams, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Luke Bryan follows the Idol star, with his “One Margarita” garnering 7.7 million streams.

Morgan Wallen maintains both the No. 3 and No. 4 position with his “Chasin’ You” and his collaboration with Diplo and Julia Michaels on “Heartless,” receiving approximately 6.8 million streams each. Maddie & Tae‘s “Die From a Broken Heart” rounds out the top five with 6.7 million streams.

Bryan is the top debut overall and on the country albums chart this week with Born Here Live Here Die Here, debuting at No. 1 country and No. 5 overall with 65K in total consumption this week (48K album-only and 18 million song streams.)

Wallen’s If I Know Me follows Bryan’s debut on the country albums chart, with 22.5K. Luke Combs‘ What You See Is What You Get is at No. 3, with 21K, followed by his This One’s For You at No. 4 with 19K. Sam Hunt’s Southside is at No. 5 with 12K.

Songwriter/Music Producer Edward "Felix" McTeigue Dies At 48

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Felix McTeigue

Edward “Felix” McTeigue, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and music producer with chart-topping hits that include Florida Georgia Line’s “Anything Goes” and Lori McKenna’s “Wreck You,” died July 24 after complications from surgery. He was 48 years old.

“He had an extraordinary ability to harness magic in the room that no one else could see,” McKenna said. They collaborated on many songs, including “Wreck You,” which McKenna included on her Grammy nominated album, The Bird & The Rifle. The song was also nominated for a Grammy and Americana Music Award.

“We always wrote great songs together,” offered fellow collaborator Chris Tompkins. “The first time we met, we were instant friends. I’m so thankful for the good times we had and the beautiful songs.” McTeigue, Tompkins and Craig Wiseman wrote FGL’s No. 1 hit “Anything Goes.” McTeigue and Tompkins also wrote Canadian country singer Dallas Smith’s chart-topping single, “Jumped Right In,” title track for the Juno nominated Gold-certified album and Platinum-certified EP.

New Jersey native McTeigue grew up with parents Joan and Frank McTeigue. He was already showing an interest in songwriting when he discovered that his birth mother was Maggie Roche of folk band the Roches. He met wife Liz Lynch at a folk rock adaptation of the Odyssey at The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. They have two children.

He spent time in the New York City music scene, and released albums Felix McTeigue, Radio Perfecto, and The New Deal (under the moniker FDR) which attracted champions in the music industry. After the birth of his children, he transitioned to become a sought-after songwriter and producer. As a producer, he recorded more than 30 albums. Kobalt Music Publishing represents hundreds of his songs, several dozen of which were in various phases of production at the time of his death.

McTeigue is survived by his wife Elizabeth Lynch, his children Nora and William, his mother Joan, sister Alvina and her family, and brother Frank.
In honor of his life, a GoFundMe page has been set up both to support his children and to create a Scholarship Fund to provide educational opportunities in music, for youths of all backgrounds.