Brandi Simms. Photo: Angela Talley

After more than 17 years as a member of the Country Music Association staff, Sr. Director of Awards & Industry Relations Brandi Simms is leaving to pursue other opportunities.

“Brandi has contributed significantly to the growth and success of CMA during her time with the organization and we wish her the very best in her future endeavors,” said a statement from the CMA.

Simms can be reached at bdunnsimms@gmail.com. CMA does not plan to immediately fill the position.

In her role at CMA, Simms was charged with overseeing all balloting for the CMA Awards, CMA Broadcast Awards and the Country Music Hall of Fame elections. She also updated the CMA Awards balloting process and worked on the re-launch of the CMA Touring Awards. She is a 2013 MusicRow Rising Women on the Row honoree, and member of Leadership Music’s Class of 2019.

Music recorded retail revenues in the United States grew 18%, to $5.4 billion, in the first half of 2019, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) Mid-Year Report for 2019. In 2018, the U.S. music industry’s retail revenues had reached $4.6 billion.

That double-digit growth rate is driven by the number of paid streaming subscriptions totaling more than 60 million for the first time (up 30% from 2018)—this represents an average of more than 1 million new subscriptions per month over the past 12 months.

Streaming revenues alone grew 26% to $4.3 billion in the first half of this year (up from $3.4 billion in 2018), and includes revenues from subscription services, digital and customized radio services including those revenues distributed by SoundExchange, and ad-supported, on-demand streaming services. Paid subscriptions made up 62% of overall industry revenues and account for 77% of U.S. streaming music revenues for the first half of 2019.

Streaming now generates 80% of music business revenues.

“This continued growth lets record companies do more than ever to discover, promote, and protect great artists,” RIAA’s Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a statement. “Worldwide, labels now spend nearly $6 billion a year to find talent, enable artists to record, cut through the noise, and be heard. Finding and developing new talent is the lifeblood of the business, with 20% of a major label’s roster of artists signed fresh each year. 7 in 10 unsigned artists want a label deal to help them make it in an increasingly complicated and high-tech business.

“Labels have worked for years to build powerful new tools, infrastructure, and teams to help artists navigate the global streaming ecosystem and protect and promote their work. Whether it’s fighting to shut down industrial piracy and stream-ripping operations or standing up to Big Tech platforms that have avoided accountability to exploit artists and grossly underpay for music. And more than anything, it’s a reminder of what we can accomplish when the whole music community—and our music service partners—work together. Collaboration and cooperation work. We’ve proven that by establishing the right to be paid for streaming in the early days of the internet, to the technical and data collaboration that made modern music services possible, to even more recent problem solving like the Music Modernization Act that finally won justice for artists who recorded before 1972. Let’s keep it going,” Glazier said.

Pictured (L to R): Shane Tarleton (SVP Artist Development, WMN); Stephanie Davenport (Director A&R, WMN); John Esposito (Chairman & CEO, WMN); Randall King; Scott Gunter (Durango Artist Management); Cris Lacy (EVP A&R, WMN); Ben Kline (EVP / GM, WMN); Clayton Toney (Durango Artist Management)

Warner Music Nashville has added Randall King to its roster.

A West Texas native, King is a fourth-generation hay hauler and brings those experiences to his music. Last year, he released his independent, self-titled album, which garnered more than 11.5 million on-demand streams.

King is a BMG writer and is signed with Durango Artist Management, which also manages King’s WMN labelmate Cody Johnson.

(L-R): Monument Co-President Shane McAnally, Sam DeRosa, Monument SVP Katie McCartney, Monument Co-President Jason Owen. Photo Credit: Robert Chavers

Pop singer/songwriter Sam DeRosa has signed to Monument Records, led by Co-Presidents Shane McAnally and Jason Owen. DeRosa releases her first official track off the label, “Pill For This,” today. DeRosa performed the track on NBC’s Songland last night.

Producers McAnally, Ester Dean, and Ryan Tedder, along with guest recording artist Charlie Puth, watched in awe as she belted out the lyrics to the heartbreakingly personal yet universally relatable track.

Working with multi-Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally on the episode, the two attempted to turn “Pill For This” into something that Charlie Puth might eventually record.

As it turns out, the song was only DeRosa’s to sing. After the performance, everyone in the room knew that she couldn’t give the song away, and McAnally saw a bona fide pop artist. He promptly brought DeRosa in to Monument Records, the record label he is co-president of with Jason Owen, to meet Owen and Monument Senior Vice President Katie McCartney.

“Working with Sam on Songland gave me a front row seat to her ability to write, produce, perform, and connect. I instantly knew I wanted to work with her beyond the show, and have been amazed by her depth and heart,” said McAnally.

Watch DeRosa perform “Pill For This” on Songland.

The lineup has been announced for this year’s Dancin’ In The District at Nashville’s Riverfront Park on Oct. 10. The free, all-ages, pet-friendly event will feature headliners Leftover Salmon and Widespread Panic’s keyboard-wizard JoJo Herman and his band, Slim Wednesday, will also take the stage. Additionally, disco-funk revivalist Space Capone will make a return to the bandstand, and new powerhouse Alanna Royale will get the party started.

Neighborhood eats like Daddy’s Dogs, 8th & Roast, and King of Pops will be available on site, and local favorites Labcanna, The Dry House Braid Bar, Strings of Hope, Hippies & Gypsies, and Nashville Blanket Project will all be on hand with their goods and services.

Longtime Nashvillians will recall that Dancin’ In The District brought national artists to Nashville’s Riverfront Park from 1993-2005. The event was briefly revived for a few seasons in 2013 under the name Nashville Dancin’.

This year’s one-night-only event benefits Bonaparte’s Retreat, a dog rescue which is dedicated to providing nurturing care for adoptable dogs when their allotted time at the shelter has elapsed, and Music Health Alliance, an organization that helps connect professional musicians with the medical and financial solutions they might need. Toyota is the event’s presenting sponsor.