ACM Announces Industry Award Nominees

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The Academy of Country Music has announced the Industry Award nominees for the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Industry Award, Studio Recording Award and Special Award winners will be announced and celebrated during the 11th Annual ACM Honors, an evening dedicated to recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

The event will take place Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

INDUSTRY AWARD NOMINEES:

NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR
8 Seconds Saloon – Indianapolis, IN
House of Blues – Boston, MA
Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL
The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA

CASINO OF THE YEAR – SMALL CAPACITY
Foxwoods Resort and Casino – Mashantucket, CT
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Sioux City, IA
Harrah’s Council Bluffs – Council Bluffs, IA
Mystic Showroom – Prior Lake, MN
Peppermill Concert Hall – Wendover, NV

CASINO OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM CAPACITY
Casino Rama Resort – Orillia, ON, Canada
Choctaw Casino Event Center – Durant, OK
Grand Casino Hinckley – Hinckley, MN
The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, NV
WinStar World Casino – Thackerville, OK

VENUE OF THE YEAR – SMALL CAPACITY
ACL Live at the Moody Theater – Austin, TX
Gillioz Theatre – Springfield, MO
Hoyt Sherman Place – Des Moines, IA
PlayStation Theater – New York, NY
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

VENUE OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM CAPACITY
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook – Gilford, NH
Denny Sanford Premier Center – Sioux Falls, SD
Ford Center – Evansville, IN
Huntington Center – Toledo, OH
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

VENUE OF THE YEAR – LARGE CAPACITY
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
CMAC – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center – Canandaigua, NY
Fenway Park – Boston, MA
Klipsch Music Center – Noblesville, IN
Xfinity Center – Mansfield, MA

FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Boots and Hearts Music Festival – Medonte, ON, Canada
Faster Horses Festival – Brooklyn, MI
Tortuga Music Festival – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Watershed Festival – George, WA
Windy City Smokeout – Chicago, IL

DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR
Todd Boltin – Variety Attractions
Lenore Kinder – AEG Live
Dan Merker – HUKA Entertainment
Concho Minick – Billy Bob’s Texas
Michelle Romeo – Romeo Entertainment

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Brent Fedrizzi – AEG Live
Ali Harnell – AEG Live
Darin Lashinsky – National Shows 2
Patrick McDill – Live Nation
Ed Warm – Joe’s Live

Industry Pics: YEP, Music Biz 2017, Kelsea Ballerini

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YEP Joins Forces With MusicBiz

Pictured (L-R): Colin Kassekert, Rachel Knight, Lou Taylor and Garrison Snell.

The Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) Nashville joined forces with the Music Business Association (Music Biz) to bring “Generation Next: Networking in the 21st Century” to Music Biz 2017 earlier today (May 16) at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

Moderated by Rachel Knight, a YEP board member and President of The Knight Agency, Inc., the panel included Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group Owner/CEO Lou Taylor, YEP Co-chair and Gyrosity Projects/Crosshair CEO Garrison Snell, and Insperity Business Performance Advisor Colin Kassekert discussing the best practices of networking in the digital age.

 

Music Biz 2017 Industry Jam

Pictured: The original Alice Cooper band accepted an Outstanding Achievement Award from Music Biz President James Donio (far left) and Music Biz Vice Chairman Steve Harkins (far right) at the Industry Jam on May 15. Photo: Courtesy Jaybird Communications

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) held its second annual Industry Jam as part of the Music Biz 2017 convention last night (May 15) at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

The live concert event included a rare reunion of the original Alice Cooper band; a tribute to Emerson Lake & Palmer featuring band member Carl Palmer; a celebration of the Summer of Love’s 50th anniversary featuring Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, Cathy Richardson of Jefferson Starship, and Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge; a tribute to Glen Campbell with a special award accepted by his wife Kimberly Woolen and a performance from his children Ashley, Shannon, and Cal Campbell; performances from the Nashville Symphony Quartet with Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and the Fisk Jubilee Singers; and much more.

Alice Cooper

Carl Palmer

Felix Cavaliere

Kimberly Woolen

Ashley Campbell

Nashville Symphony Quartet

Fisk Jubilee Singers

All photos courtesy Jaybird Communications

 

Kelsea Ballerini Rocks UK Debut

Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Sony Music Entertainment UK

Kelsea Ballerini made her UK debut last week when she performed a sold-out headlining concert at London’s Under The Bridge nightclub on May 11. Ballerini was greeted by roaring fans who sang along to every word of her chart-topping hits including “Peter Pan,” “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs” and “Yeah Boy.”

Sony Music Commercial Group in conjunction with Black River Entertainment hosted the record-breaking singer/songwriter in support of the UK release of her critically acclaimed debut album The First Time. The special UK edition features four bonus acoustic tracks, along with her lead UK single, “XO,” now spinning on BBC Radio 2.

The Appointment Group Sets Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check Enrollment Days For Nashville

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Photo provided by Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp

The Appointment Group Nashville will host a private Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check Enrollment event, to be held at the Thompson Nashville (401 11th Ave. S.) on Tuesday, June 20; Wednesday, June 21; and Thursday, June 22, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day.

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. There is no minimum number of trips necessary to qualify for the program. Participants may enter the United States by using automated kiosks located at select airports.

TSA Pre-Check allows low-risk travelers to experience faster, more efficient screening at participating U.S. airport checkpoints for domestic and international travel.

To register for Global Entry, applicants must create a GOES account, complete and submit the online application, and pay a $100 fee. Once approved, registrants can book an interview appointment for a time during June 20-22.

Those qualifying for Global Entry include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents of the U.S, and British citizens (barring certain restrictions).

Downtown Music Publishing Nashville Promotes Danny Berrios

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Danny Berrios

Danny Berrios has been promoted to Director, A&R at Downtown Music Publishing’s Nashville office. In his new role, Berrios will continue to serve the company’s Nashville roster while functioning as the liaison between the Nashville office and the company’s creative counterparts worldwide. Berrios was previously Manager, A&R for Downtown Music Nashville. Prior to his work with Downtown, he began his career in publishing at EMI CMG Publishing in 2011.

Berrios has worked closely with songwriters Marc Beeson, Sara Haze, Jillian Jacqueline, Kelly Archer, Andy Albert, Kendell Marvel, Sam Ashworth, and Tony Esterly, among several others. He has been an essential part of writer signings in the company’s Nashville, Los Angeles, New York, and London offices and has helped to create opportunities for Downtown’s writers in multiple genres as well as in the sync world.

“Danny has played a major role in the startup of Downtown Music Nashville,” says Steve Markland, VP A&R for Downtown Music Nashville. “His knowledge of the music business as well as his understanding for all genres of music makes him invaluable to our existence here in Nashville as well as Downtown worldwide. We are very fortunate to have Danny on our team.”

Berrios is an alumnus of Belmont University.

‘Now That’s What I Call Country’ Compilation To Feature Bryan, Lambert, Underwood, Urban

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Universal Music Group Nashville will release the latest installment of Now That’s What I Call Country Vol. 10  on June 9. Among the artists contributing to the new 18-song compilation CD are Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and more. The album will be available for pre-order beginning May 26.

Now That’s What I Call Country Vol. 10 includes over 15 No. 1 singles plus a bonus track from NOW’s What’s Next artist, Canaan Smith. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Now That’s What I Call Country series, a deluxe edition of the album will also be released that includes a second disc of the biggest country hits from the hottest country stars.

A joint venture between Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, the multi-platinum compilation series has sold over 98 million in the U.S. In 2016, NOW That’s What I Call Country Vol 9 debuted in the Top 3 of the Billboard Country albums chart.

Now That’s What I Call Country Vol. 10 Track Listing:

  • Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
  • Jon Pardi, “Dirt On My Boots”
  • Josh Turner, “Hometown Girl”
  • Jason Aldean, “Any Ol’ Barstool”
  • Luke Bryan, “Fast”
  • Dierks Bentley, “Black”
  • Kenny Chesney, “Bar At The End Of The World”
  • Dustin Lynch, “Seein’ Red”
  • Lauren Alaina, “Road Less Traveled”
  • Old Dominion, “Song For Another Time”
  • Eric Church, “Kill A Word”
  • Little Big Town, “Better Man”
  • Chris Young f/Vince Gill, “Sober Saturday Night”
  • Brad Paisley, “Today”
  • Michael Ray, “Think A Little Less”
  • Maren Morris, “’80s Mercedes”
  • Kelsea Ballerini, “Yeah Boy”
  • Miranda Lambert, “Vice”

NOW presents What’s Next

Canaan Smith, “Like You That Way”

 

Deluxe Tracks

  1. Luke Bryan-Country Girl (Shake It For Me)
  2. Jason Aldean-Dirt Road Anthem
  3. Sam Hunt-Take Your Time
  4. Carrie Underwood-Jesus Take The Wheel
  5. Eric Church-Like A Wrecking Ball
  6. Lady Antebellum-Need You Now
  7. Miranda Lambert-The House That Built Me
  8. Hunter Hayes-Wanted
  9. Brad Paisley-She’s Everything
  10. Kenny Chesney-Somewhere With You
  11. Josh Turner-Your Man
  12. Jake Owen-Barefoot Blue Jean Night
  13. Darius Rucker-Wagon Wheel
  14. Cam-Burning House

 

Wheeler Walker Jr. Adds Dates To The Ol’ Wheeler Tour

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Musician Wheeler Walker Jr. has added more than a dozen dates to his The Ol’ Wheeler Tour, which launches on June 2 in conjunction with the release of his upcoming album Ol’ Wheeler, via Pepperhill Music.

Walker, Jr. will play Nashville’s Exit/In on June 2, followed by shows at The Bowery Ballroom in New York, and The Troubadour in West Hollywood.

Ol’ Wheeler follows Walker’s 2016 debut, Redneck Sh*t, and is produced by Dave Cobb. Additionally, Walker debuted The Wheeler Walker Jr. podcast on May 2, with an episode featuring Chris and Morgane Stapleton. Episode two featured Bill Burr, with a third installment, featuring Billy Joe Shaver, set for May 16.

The Ol’ Wheeler Tour Dates:
June 2 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In (sold out)*
June 6 – New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom*
June 8 – West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour (sold out)*
July 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
July 13 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground- Charlotte
July 14 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Shaka’s Live
July 15 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin’ Java
July 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at the Filmore
July 17 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
July 19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Club at Stage AE
July 22 – Chicago, IL @ Joe’s Sports Bar
July 23 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
July 24 – Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club
July 29 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s
Aug. 1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Aug. 2 – Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
Aug. 4 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues- Voodoo Room
Aug. 5 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
*previously announced tour dates

Luke Combs Teams With The Weather Channel For Pop-up Shows Surrounding Album Launch

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On the heels of his first No. 1 single at Country radio, “Hurricane” singer/songwriter Luke Combs joined Jim Cantore on AMHQ on The Weather Channel today (watch here) to announce that he will play three back-to-back album preview shows for fans in advance of his album This One’s For You, releasing June 2.

Returning to three landmark cities and venues where Combs’ music first got its start, Combs will celebrate the release of his long-awaited album with fans at Joe’s On Weed in Chicago, Illinois on May 30, The Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee on May 31 and cap off with a hometown performance at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina on June 1.

Combs has teamed up with Jim Cantore and The Weather Channel for “Tracking Luke Combs,” an interactive experience that will allow fans to follow Luke’s tour, offer behind-the-scenes looks at life on the road and opportunities to get an inside view of each show.

Fans can purchase tickets for the Chicago show now; Asheville and Nashville tickets will be on-sale this Friday, May 19. Tickets are available at TrackingLukeCombs.com.

Watch Combs’ announcement below:

YouTube video

In Pictures: Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Zac Brown Band, CMA, Cerrito

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Kelsea Ballerini Visits Ty, Kelly & Chuck Morning Show

Pictured (L-R): Kelsea Ballerini, Ty Bentli, Kelly Ford and Chuck Wicks.

Kelsea Ballerini joined Ty, Kelly and Chuck in the NASH studio in Nashville this morning (May 16) to talk about everything from her marriage proposal, details of her upcoming sophomore album and more.

See videos from Kelsea’s visit here.

 

Luke Combs Receives Surprise Welcome In Nashville

Photo: Preston Leatherman [click photo to enlarge]

Photo: Preston Leatherman

Luke Combs celebrated his first No. 1 song this week with his debut single “Hurricane” while in Key West for the BMI Songwriter’s Festival. Members of the Sony staff surprised Combs at the airport yesterday (May 15) to welcome the chart-topping artist back to Nashville.

 

Zac Brown Band Kicks Off Welcome Home Tour

Pictured (L-R): Tom Martens (WAR), Chris Fryar (ZBB), Matt Mangano (ZBB), Kristen Williams (Warner), Clay Cook (ZBB), Otis (WUBL), Coy Bowles (ZBB), Zac Brown (ZBB), Shelley Taylor (fiancé, Scott Lindy), Scott Lindy (WKHX), Jimmy De Martini (ZBB), Daniel De Los Reyes (ZBB), John Driskell Hopkins (ZBB) and Tom Starr (WAR). Photo: Courtesy Warner Music Group [click photo to enlarge]

Zac Brown Band kicked off their Welcome Home 2017 Tour this past weekend with two sold-out shows in Alpharetta, Georgia. Several Warner Music Nashville staff and radio guests were in attendance.

 

CMA Celebrates Cinco de Mayo with Cerrito

Photo: Courtesy Jennifer Herron PR [click photo to enlarge]

The Country Music Association hosted bilingual recording artist Cerrito on stage at their music row building for a Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 5.

“The event was fabulous. There was Mexican appetizers (chips, salsa, cheese dip and Sangria). There was all the Mexican decorations, etc.,” Cerrito shared.

Cerrito and his band, Mis Amigos, started the show with “South of the Border” followed by English and Spanish country songs. The band ended the celebration with “La Bamba.”

“Everyone was up on the stage. It was a muy bueno Cinco de Mayo,” exclaimed Cerrito.

 

Loretta Lynn Moved To Rehab Facility, Recovering Well Following Stroke

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Loretta Lynn is recovering well following the stroke she suffered on May 4 at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. The 85-year-old was hospitalized following a stroke and advised by doctors to stay off the road while recuperating. An update on her website says she has been moved from the hospital into a rehabilitation facility and “is doing great.” She also thanks everybody for their prayers, love, and support in the message posted on her official website.

Lynn had been preparing for the release of a new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, via Legacy Recordings on Aug. 18. She’s slated to perform two more dates at the Ryman Auditorium later this Summer on Aug. 24-25.

Artist Action: Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Brett Eldredge, Rascal Flatts, Chris Young, Natalie Grant, Jason Crabb

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Brad Paisley Goes Back To School With New Contest

Brad Paisley is holding a “Class of 2017 ‘Last Time for Everything’ Contest” inspired by his current single, “Last Time For Everything,” where one fan will win a concert by Brad for their entire graduating class. Now through May 25, fans can post their answers to the question: What “Last Time” are you going to miss most about school? on either Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #BPGrad17Contest. Multiple contest posts are allowed, and contest rules are available here.

 

Josh Turner’s “All About You” Hits Airwaves

Josh Turner

Josh Turner’s upbeat new single, “All About You” was released to radio Monday (May 15). The new tune, written by Craig Wiseman and Justin Weaver, follows Turner’s No. 1 hit “Hometown Girl” off of his latest No. 1-debuting album, Deep South (MCA Nashville).

“From the first time I heard ‘All About You,’ I loved the energy that it had,” shares Turner. “It really had a drive to it and on top of that, it’s got a really simple, yet profound lyric basically saying ‘it doesn’t really matter what we’re doing as long as I’m with you, that’s what matters most.’ We’ve been playing it live a lot lately and the fans are digging it and I’m excited to say it’s my new single.”

 

Brett Eldredge Releases Instant Grat Track From New CD

Brett Eldredge is releasing a new track, “The Long Way,” from his upcoming self-titled album set for release Aug. 4. “Instant download tracks are my favorite things about releasing an album, because you get to release them before the full record comes out,” Eldredge said. “I don’t like to wait and I don’t like my fans to wait!”

Written by Eldredge and Matt Rogers, “The Long Way” is one of Eldredge’s favorite songs on the new album. “For me, ‘Long Way’ stands out as such a powerful look at love and that search for something deeper. It’s about that big moment when you finally meet the person you’ve been waiting to meet, and you want to know everything about them. You don’t just want a quick breeze through their hometown and life, you want to take the long way. It’s a beautiful sentiment about love.”

 

Rascal Flatts Go Mid-Day In L.A.

Rascal Flatts has been tapped to guest host Los Angeles’ Go Country 105 (KKGO) Middays this month. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney will share personal stories, their unique perspective on country music and more during weekdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. PST, beginning May 22 and running through June 2. Fans around the world can tune in each day at GoCountry105.com and on the Go Country 105 mobile app.

 

Chris Young Not Losing Any Sleep Over New Single

Chris Young has released a new single, “Losing Sleep” that immediately shot to the No. 2 spot on the iTunes Country chart within hours of its release.

“I continue to be blown away by the response to my last record and it makes me push myself even harder in the studio and onstage,” said Young. “With every new album I think I want to try and write something easier and not so high in my register, but of course, on ‘Losing Sleep’ we push the boundaries even further and layer in some fun, new grooves too.”

The song is the lead single from the RCA Nashville artist’s upcoming seventh album due out later this year, and was penned by Young with Josh Hoge and Chris DeStefano.

 

Natalie Grant And Jason Crabb To Headline American Gospel Celebration

Natalie Grant and Jason Crabb are set to headline the second annual American Gospel Celebration June 8 and 9 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Celebrating faith and freedom, the event will be highlighted by messages from pastor John Hagee and author and pastor Matt Hagee. Kicking-off at 7:00 pm each night at the Lancaster Convention Center, the Celebration will also feature The Isaacs, The Martins, and Canton Junction. General admission tickets are $40, with single-day passes available for $25 each. Register by phone at 1-855-694-9649 or online.