ASCAP Takes Over 6th & Peabody For CMA Fest Showcase

ASCAP took over 6th & Peabody on Friday (June 6) to showcase its rising artists during CMA Fest and underscore ASCAP’s ongoing efforts to champion music creators at every stage of their careers. The lineup featured Remy Garrison, Jordan Fletcher, Beck & Call, Jennifer Hart, Maddie Lenhart, Mara Connor, Josh David and Blackwater Draw.

 

WME Wraps CMA Fest Events

WME wrapped its CMA Fest events with over 240 performances from 119 WME clients throughout the week.

WME kicked off the week with its annual Losers Live concert series at Losers Bar & Grill in Midtown. Spanning three nights, the event featured a dynamic mix of artists, including Rodney Atkins, Lee Brice, Easton Corbin, Priscilla Block, Craig Morgan, Matt Stell, Payton Smith, Meghan Patrick and more. On June 4, WME Partners Becky Gardenhire, Aaron Tannenbaum, Jay Williams and Joey Lee were recognized at Billboard’s 2025 Country Power Players event. WME client Ashley McBryde served as co-host of the CMA Fest primetime TV special, taped at Nissan Stadium throughout the week. Across downtown, Lanie Gardner, Ashley Cooke, Mark Wills and so many more lit up official CMA Fest Stages.

 

Wasserman Music Hosts First Annual CMA Fest Party

Wassmerman Music hosted its first annual CMA Fest party this year. The organization saw 20 of its artists showcased throughout the weekend, including Wynonna Judd’s Girls Night Out at Ascend Amphitheater featuring Noah Cyrus, The War and Treaty, and Madeline Edwards, Blake Shelton headlining Saturday at Nissan Stadium, plus additional showcases by Max McNown, Sam Barber, Margo Price, Abbey Cone, Cameron Whitcomb, Waylon Wyatt and more.

 

Joe Nichols Celebrates Platinum Certifications At Fan Club Party

Joes Nichols recently celebrated his four RIAA-Platinum Certifications for his singles “Sunny and 75,” “Yeah,” “Brokenheartsville” and “Gimmie That Girl.” Additionally, he received a double-Platinum certification for “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.”

Nichols gave away an official Platinum plaque to one member of the audience and one to his long-time label head, Benny Brown.

“I’m grateful to the RIAA for this honor, and to everyone I’ve worked with over the years but, sales and streams are really about my fans and how they’ve reacted to the music,” says Nichols. “That support honestly means the world to me and is what inspires me every day. So, being presented with these plaques at my fan party made it extra special, and I love that we organized an extra plaque for me to give away to one of the fans in a lucky draw. Tonight, I’m feeling pretty darn lucky myself, too.”

 

Clay Walker’s ‘She Won’t Be Lonely Long’ Receives Double-Platinum Certification

Clay Walker’s 2009 single, “She Won’t Be Lonely Long,” has been certified double-Platinum by the RIAA, with over two million sales and streaming equivalents.

Walker recently released “Cowboys In Heaven” and has more new music to be announced soon. The Texas native recently appeared on the Drifting Cowboy Podcast, discussing his career and influences like George Jones and Merle Haggard as well as his upcoming role as Randy Travis in his feature biopic.

 

CMHOFM Hosts CMT Next Women Of Country Showcase

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a showcase on Friday (June 6) featuring Dasha, Lanie Gardner, Alexandra Kay, Kat Luna and Mōriah. The showcase featured artists involved in CMT’s Next Women of Country franchise, which launched in 2013 and highlights up-and-coming country artists.

Dasha recently released her single “Not at This Party” in early 2025. Last year, Gardner released her self-written debut album, A Songwriter’s Diary, and is featured on Thomas Rhett’s recent single, “What Could Go Right.” Kay released her debut album, All I’ve Ever Known, in 2023, and plans to release a follow-up record in 2025. Luna released her first solo EP, That Girl, earlier this year. Mexican-American musician and actress Mōriah wrote and produced her 2022 EP, Curtain Call, and in 2024 released English and Spanish versions of her single, “Hasta Mañana.”

 

Turnpike Troubadours Appears On CBS Mornings

Turnpike Troubadours appeared this past weekend on CBS Mornings’ “Saturday Sessions” in support of their widely acclaimed new album, The Price of Admission. The band delivered a powerful three-song performance, featuring album standouts “Heaven Passing Through,” “Nothing You Can Do” and “On The Red River.” In conversation with Anthony Mason, lead singer Evan Felker also spoke about the band’s origins, their creative process and the passion that continues to drive them.

Watch the full interview here.

 

SOLID Hosts Annual Music Row Madness Fundraiser

The Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID) held its competitive fundraising event, Music Row Madness, at Eastside Bowl on May 17 benefitting its 2025 SOLID Shares partners. This year, teams from FBMM, CAA, Maverick, Curb, Reliant, UTA and Found Sound Media bowled to support nonprofits Thistle Farms, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Special Olympics, Hope On The Row and Equal Access, raising nearly $9,000.

“It’s truly a privilege to raise significant contributions each year for such deserving causes, all while cultivating community and having a blast doing it,” says SOLID President, Zach Green. “Our accomplished, driven board of directors continues to up the ante on our programming, and I applaud all of the participants and our hard working volunteers who made this fundraiser a success.”

After an evening of bowling and fundraising, Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy (FBMM) took the top spot on the podium.

 

Women Of Country Hosts Inaugural CMA Fest Networking Breakfast

The Women of Country hosted its inaugural CMA Fest Women’s Networking Breakfast on June 7. The event was created as an opportunity for their large community of female artists and industry members to connect and refresh during their busy CMA Fest weekend. Presented by Studio Bank and Memoir Residential, the event had approximately 150 attendees.

Partnering with ASCAP, Equal Access and Lucky Money Entertainment, the event included performances from Jillian Dawn, Camille Parker, Jenna Paulette, Valerie Ponzio, Jenna Feeney and Julie Williams.

The Women of Country looks to make the event an annual tradition.

 

Caroline Owens Inks With Main Attraction Management

Caroline Owens has signed an exclusive booking contract with Main Attraction Management.

The Billy Blue Records and Billy Blue Publishing artist is set to release her debut project later this year.

“We are honored to represent such a shining talent,” shares Laura Mainer of Main Attraction Management. “Caroline’s authenticity and presence light up every room she walks into. She brings a rare emotional honesty to her performances that stays with you long after the last note. We can’t wait to help bring her music to audiences across the country during the 2026 touring season.”

 

Bandit Lites Adds Three To Team

Bandit Lites has added three people to its teams including Zack Bell as Production Fabrication Coordinator, Lane Gill as Production Fabrication Technician and Shane Mullet as Lighting Technician. Bell and Gill join the Nashville team, while Mullet will join the headquarters in Knoxville.

“Shane brings several years of experience and an industry-specific education to the table,” says Client Representative/Production Manager Giff Swart. “In addition to being a lighting tech through his college education, he has toured and worked events as a freelance technician. He has a positive attitude and friendly demeanor. These are all very important traits for the types of events we produce.”

“Zach and Lane are the definition of work ethic,” adds Jake Tickle, Bandit Lites VP of Business and Innovation. “I consistently challenge them to invent better ways to store, transport and repair and they always rise to the challenge. These gentlemen are a remarkable team and bring energy to everything they touch.”

The full artist lineup for The Smoke Show at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque on Aug. 9 has been announced.

Blake Shelton is set to headline the country festival, which will also feature performances by Dylan Scott, Tanya Tucker, Neon Union, Abby Anderson and Frank Ray.

“The energy we felt at Boots In The Park proved how strong the country music community is in Albuquerque,” says Steve Thacher, CEO of Activated Events. “We’re excited to bring that same passion back with The Smoke Show and a lineup that reflects the heart and soul of the genre.”

Fans can expect a full-sensory experience at The Smoke Show BBQ & Country Music Roundup, which brings together the best local BBQ vendors, premium whiskies, a Texas-sized selection of craft beers, and classic country fun with line dancing, competitive cornhole tournaments, and interactive art installations. Tickets are available at abqsmokeshow.com.

Rising newcomer Elizabeth Nichols is gearing up for the release of her debut EP, Tough Love, due out June 20 via PULSE Records.

The seven-song project will include her viral hit “I Got a New One,” which shot to No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart and No. 2 on the iTunes All Genre chart after receiving the “Kellyoke treatment” on The Kelly Clarkson Show, with the cover and Nichols’ response capturing the internet’s attention. In the following four days, the single gained 462% in streaming, debuted at No. 25 on Billboard‘s Emerging Artist Chart, and is in the Top 45 of Spotify’s Viral Charts in the US, Australian, Norway, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand.

Tough Love also includes her recently released ballad “Somebody Cooked Here” and the buzzed-about “Mama,” which has garnered more than a million on-demand streams in the U.S. alone and is also on the Spotify Viral 50 U.S. chart. Her videos featuring “Mama” have accrued over 7.5 million views and 630,000 likes across social media platforms.

“This collection of songs represents a lot of different facets of myself and seasons of life. It contains the first country song I’ve ever written (“Ain’t County”) as well as some of my more recent—it’s been cool putting it all together and seeing where I started and where I am now in my writing,” shares Nichols. “One thing that is a constant throughout is that I don’t want to shy away from the hard truths—sure, some of the lyrics might ruffle a few feathers, but it’s all born out of love albeit sometimes more often than not, tough love.”

Nichols recently wrapped as support on Wyatt Flores’ tour, and will be on the road this summer with Little Big Town and Russell Dickerson.

Tough Love Track List:
1. “I Got A New One” – Elizabeth Nichols, Jackson Foote
2. “Bible Belt” – Elizabeth Nichols
3. “Tough Love” – Elizabeth Nichols, Sarah Solovay
4. “Ain’t Country” – Elizabeth Nichols
5. “Somebody Cooked Here” – Elizabeth Nichols, Mags Duval
6. ”Mama” – Elizabeth Nichols, Steve Rusch
7. “Ain’t Country – Acoustic” – Elizabeth Nichols

Hailey Whitters will launch her new headlining “Corn Queen Tour” in September in support of her new Corn Queen album.

The tour will kick off Sept. 4 with a performance at The Nashville Palace, followed by shows in Des Moines (in her home state of Iowa), Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and more through Oct. 11.

To add some fun to the dates, Whitters will host a Corn Court contest at each stop where she’ll crown a Corn Queen & King at every date on the upcoming tour. Each winner will receive a backstage meet-and-greet with Whitters before the show for each winner and one guest, signed merch, a one-of-a-kind “Corn Queen” or “Corn King” sash and of course, a corn crown.

Last week Whitters released a video directed by Beth Brinker for the ethereal “White Limousine,” that tells the story of a small town girl with fantasies of the glitz and glamour of a faraway life. Corn Queen also features collaborations including “I Don’t Want You” with Charles Wesley Godwin, “DanceMor” featuring The Wilder Blue and “Prodigal Daughter” featuring Molly Tuttle. 

“Corn Queen Tour” Dates:
9/4 – Nashville – The Nashville Palace
9/18 – Omaha – Slowdown
9/19 – Minneapolis – Fine Line
9/20 – West Des Moines – Val Air Ballroom
9/25 – Kansas City – Knuckleheads Saloon
9/26 – St. Louis – Old Rock House
9/27 – Lexington– The Burl
10/2 – Philadelphia – The Fillmore Philadelphia – The Foundry
10/3 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
10/9 – Warrendale – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
10/10 – Indianapolis – HI-FI Indy
10/11 – Chicago – Joe’s on Weed Street