ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic leg of the Academy of Country Music, has surpassed $1 million in contributions to three Nashville music industry organizations.

Recent grants provided to Music Health Alliance, Porter’s Call and ECCHO Live (formerly Touring Career Workshop). This marks over a decade of support for these organizations and brings their total funding from ACM Lifting Lives to over a million dollars.

“Serving the country music industry has always been at the heart of what ACM Lifting Lives does, and we are better equipped to do so by supporting incredible non-profits that have aligning goals,” says Taylor Wolf, Director of ACM Lifting Lives. “It’s been said that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. The ongoing impact made through the relationships with Music Health Alliance, Porter’s Call, and Eccho Live has taken support of this community further than we could have done without each other. The work isn’t done, but the industry can count on our dedicated support.”

“ACM Lifting Lives has been a champion of Music Health Alliance from the very beginning, providing unwavering support for over a decade,” says Tatum Allsep, Founder & CEO of Music Health Alliance.  “Their commitment has truly lifted the lives of the music community we serve. The Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund has also been a lifeline for hundreds upon hundreds of MHA clients, providing financial support at the most critical and vulnerable moments of need. ACM Lifting Lives, your mission isn’t just a statement—it’s a daily reality for those we serve. Thank you for making a lasting impact for country music and beyond.”

“It is an honor to lead an organization that has pioneered care and support for the health of touring artists,” add Beth Barcus and Chad Karger, Co-Executive Directors and Porters at Porter’s Call. “Our unique approach of providing free mental & emotional health services for artists and their partners would not be possible without the oversight of our board of directors and generous endorsements from partners who understand the importance of investing in artists’ wellbeing. Together, we remain focused on continuing our efforts for the benefit of artists and the music industry.”

“The support from ACM LL has been a game-changer in fueling our mission, empowering us to go beyond expectations and build a stronger foundation for the unsung heroes of live events,” says Chris Lisle, Founder and Executive Director of ECCHO Live. “Their backing ensures that the crew behind the scenes—the backbone of this industry—has access to the essential resources and support they deserve. With this momentum, we’re set to make 2025 an even bigger year for those who make the magic happen night after night.”

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Elizabeth Nichols has signed with Pulse Records. She’ll release her new single via Pulse, “Bad Taste,” on March 21.

The 22-year-old Texas native’s debut single, “I Got A New One,” released on Dec. 6, amassed more than 50 million views across socials and has accumulated over seven million streams across digital platforms. The single spent more than two weeks on Spotify’s Viral Charts and landed on Apple Music’s country chart. Nichols was hand-picked by Sam Barber to co-write his song “Morning Time,” and has since immersed herself in the co-writing process, often writing alongside Jackson Foote, with whom she wrote “I Got a New One” and the recently released “Trailer Treasure.”

“At Pulse Records, we are drawn towards artists and creators who are just uniquely themselves,” says Pulse Music Group co-CEO Scott Cutler. “What really blew me away about Elizabeth was her lyrical point of view. It’s exciting to see what Elizabeth is creating and we’re thrilled to help support her vision and continue to build even bigger momentum in this next chapter.”

“Given the clear depth of passion, expertise in both markets, and stellar staff, it was clear to us that Pulse and Concord were the right partner for this project,” says Dylan Bourne, artist manager at Bourne Creatives. “We’re excited to dive in with this team and break Elizabeth.”

“I am beyond grateful to be joining the Pulse Records and Concord family,” says Nichols. “Their belief in my artistry means the world, and I know we’re going to create something really special together. Having a team that truly supports my music is everything. I’m ready to get to work!”

Pop star Chappell Roan, who recently won Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards, released her debut country single “The Giver” last Thursday (March 13) via Island Records. She first performed the tune on Saturday Night Live last year, and the song is currently being serviced to country radio.

Roan sat down with Apple Music Country’s Kelleigh Bannen to gear up for the release. The two discussed why Roan wanted to write a country song with her current success in pop and how the genre connects to her midwestern roots.

“I just thought it would be funny. It’s campy and it’s fun,” explained Roan on Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen. “I’m from southwest Missouri, grew up on Christian and country and then found ‘Alejandro’ by Lady Gaga. And I was like, ‘I think I like this too.’ So I have kept country in my heart and it’s so incredibly nostalgic to drive in West Hollywood and have Jason Aldean, or Alan Jackson on. And I love how… ‘Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)’ [makes me feel]. I was like, I want to feel that way on stage. I want to feel that because that’s how I write. I’m like, ‘How do I want to walk around on stage and sing?’ And I was like, ‘I want to write that song, but, like, Chappell’s version.'”

The song also serves as way for Roan to connect a part of her past to now by using her music to embrace her queer identity, which is something Roan did not openly express while growing up in her hometown.

“I don’t hate myself for not knowing everything about the queer culture at the time,” she shared. “I don’t hate myself for coming from Missouri and not knowing any lesbians. I don’t hate myself for being closeted and hating myself. Every person in the Midwest and the South, especially these tiny towns, are taught to not only keep it down, but hate or pray it away. I’m not mad at myself for doing that. It’s all I knew what to do. That’s all you’re told to do… I can hate myself for being gay at 15 and being like, ‘I’m a woman. I’m supposed to just be there for my husband and I’m going to learn how to cook.’ I can do that then move to LA, have a revelation, and write a country song to wrap it all up and be like, I love myself for loving country music and I love that I came around the other side. I love myself so much that I took a leap into a pretty painful part of my past in the Midwest and made a song of joy.”

Roan also sat down with Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson from Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly Podcast to discuss her visit into the country music genre, and how releasing this single is paying respect to the genre.

“I wrote a country song not to invade country music, but to really capture what I think the essence of country music is for me–which is nostalgia, fun in the summertime, the fiddle, the banjo and feeling like country queen,” she explained. “It makes me feel a certain type of freedom that pop music doesn’t let me feel. I think it’s interesting and I had to do it. I had to do it for myself to know what is it actually like to write a country song and perform it next to ‘Casual’ or next to ‘My Kink is Karma’ or next to ‘Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl’ I just had to do myself justice.”

Clint Black is returning to the road following 2024’s sold-out “35 Years Of Killin’ Time World Tour” on his new “Back On The Blacktop Tour,” which kicks off March 19 in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry.

The new tour will celebrate Black’s catalog, featuring fan-favorite hits and new surprises, and will cross the country with stops in Abilene, Panama City, Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Park City and more through Aug. 31.

Black notably wrote or co-wrote every one of his more than three dozen chart hits, including “A Better Man,” “Where Are You Now,” “When My Ship Comes In,” “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” “Summer’s Comin’,” “Like the Rain” and “Nothin’ But the Taillights,” part of a catalog that produced 22 No. 1 singles. Along the way, Black  has sold over 20 million records and had billions of streams, earned more than a dozen Gold and Platinum awards in the U.S. and Canada including a Grammy, and has stars on both the Hollywood and Nashville Walk Of Fames.

Clint Black Tour Dates:
March 19 – Nashville, TN – Grand Ole Opry
March 21 – Hot Springs, AR – Oaklawn Event Center
March 22 – Abilene, TX – Outlaws & Legends Music Festival
March 28 – Biloxi, MS – IP Casino Resort & Spa
March 29 – Bossier City, LA – The Event Center At Live! Casino & Hotel
April 3 – Panama City, FL – Aaron Bessant Park
April 4 – Green Cove Springs, FL – Clay County Fair
April 10 – Gonzales, TX – Cattle Country Music Festival
April 11 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Casino
April 12 – St. Charles, MO – The Family Arena
April 25 – Oxford, AL – Oxford Performing Arts Center
April 26 – Vidalia, GA – Vidalia Regional Airport
May 2 – Baton Rouge, LA – L’Auberge Casino & Hotel
May 4 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium
May 9 – Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center
May 10 – Hidalgo, TX – Payne Arena
June 1 – Helena, MT – Helena Civic Center
June 6 – Madison, WI – Breese Stevens Field
June 7 – Battle Creek, MI – Firekeepers Casino Hotel
June 8 – New Haven, KY – The Amp at Log Still
June 14 – Petros, TN – Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
June 19 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
June 20 – Bettendorf, IA – Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center at Isle Casino Hotel
June 21 – Winsted, MN – Winstock Country Music Festival
June 27 – Chandler, AZ – Gila River Wild Horse Pass
June 28 – Tulare, CA – Adventist Health Amphitheater
June 29 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live Sacramento
July 3 – Pleasanton, CA – Alameda County Fair
July 4 – Valley Center, CA – Harrah’s Resort Southern California
July 5 – Coarsegold, CA – Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino
July 10 – Knoxville, IL – Knox County Fairgrounds
July 11 – Decatur, IL – Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater
August 3 – Camrose, Alberta – Big Valley Jamboree
August 15 – John Day, OR – Grant County Fair
August 17 – Calgary, Alberta – Country Thunder Alberta – Fort Calgary
August 22 – Mason, WI – Concert in the Corn
August 30 – Park City, UT – The Amphitheatre at Canyons Village at Park City Mountain Resort
August 31 – Dillon, MT – Dillon Jaycees