Randy Owen. Photo: Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music
The legendary career of Alabama frontman Randy Owen will be celebrated during the 72nd annual BMI Country Awards. Owen will be presented as a BMI Icon, recognizing his prolific songwriting and significant contributions to country music during the invitation-only event.
The BMI Country Awards will be held at the company’s Nashville office on Nov. 19 and will be hosted by BMI’s President and CEO, Mike O’Neill alongside BMI’s Nashville VP of Creative, Clay Bradley. In addition to honoring Owen, awards will be given to the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, Country Song of the Year and Country Publisher of the Year, while celebrating the top songwriters and music publishers behind this past year’s 50 most-performed songs in the genre.
“Randy Owen’s impact on country music is immeasurable and his songwriting has left an undeniable mark on the genre,” shares Bradley. “His talents have solidified Alabama as one of the most successful country bands of all time and his memorable melodies and relatable lyrics continue to influence countless artists that follow in his footsteps. We are honored to present him with this year’s BMI Icon Award.”
Since his 1974 affiliation with BMI, Owen has received more than 25 BMI Million-Air awards, earned the 2000 BMI President’s Award and received the BMI Country Song of the Year accolade in 1989 for “Fallin’ Again.” He and Alabama have been a cornerstone of country music for over five decades, notching 43 No. 1 singles and 80 million records sold.
A member of The Country Music Hall of Fame, Owen helped cement Alabama’s legendary status by co-writing at least half of the band’s signature chart-toppers like “Tennessee River,” “Mountain Music,” “Song of the South,” “Can’t Keep a Good Man Down,” “Feels So Right” and “Close Enough to Perfect.”
Members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musician’s Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Alabama has collected 20 American Music Awards, 12 ACM Awards, two Grammy Awards and were named CMA’s Entertainer of the Year three years in a row.
In receiving the BMI Icon Award, Owen joins an impressive list of country legends including Matraca Berg, Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Dillon, and Hank Williams, Jr., as well as multi-genre creative/songwriting royalty Stevie Nicks, Little Richard, Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Janet Jackson, Bo Diddley, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Peter Gabriel, Al Green, Van Morrison, Sting, Bryan Ferry, Carlos Santana, Los Lobos and more.
Brantley Gilbert’s Remaining Tour Dates To Benefit Hurricane Helene Relief
/by Lorie HollabaughBrantley Gilbert is supporting the communities affected by Hurricane Helene through his remaining “Off The Rails Tour” dates, donating a portion of the proceeds to benefit those impacted.
All tickets for the shows are now $15. An announcement will be made later regarding the distribution of proceeds. Additionally, Gilbert has called on his fan club to donate non-perishable food items at each stop. For more information, click here.
“The destruction we’ve seen of these communities affected by Hurricane Helene, knowing so many folks have not only lost their homes and their livelihoods, but also family members and friends, is heartbreaking,” he shares. “We’ve also seen people coming together to offer aid and support—something we as Americans are proud to do when our neighbors are struggling. Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to perform in and around many of those communities, always receiving a warm welcome. Now, it’s our turn to give back and contribute to the recovery process.”
Luke Bryan Lands 31st Career No. 1 With ‘Love You, Miss You, Mean It’
/by Liza AndersonLuke Bryan‘s “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” has landed atop the Mediabase chart this week, marking his 31st career No. 1 and bringing his total career weeks at the top to 57.
Written by Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Jordan Minton and Jacob Rice, the single is featured on Bryan’s eighth studio album, Mind Of A Country Boy. He performed the chart-topper on Good Morning America and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week.
Additionally, Bryan wrapped his “Mind Of A Country Boy Tour” on Sunday (Oct. 6) at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, following the conclusion of his 15th annual “Farm Tour.” He has played over 50 shows this year, including festival appearances, two stadium concerts and two performances as part of his Crash My Playa concert vacation in Mexico. Crash My Playa will celebrate its 10th anniversary with the 2025 event, taking place Jan. 15–18.
Stephen Wilson Jr. Extends ‘Søn Of Dad Tour’ Into 2025
/by Madison HahnenStephen Wilson Jr. Photo: Acacia Evans
Stephen Wilson Jr. will continue his headlining “Søn Of Dad Tour” with new dates slated for 2025.
“’Søn Of Dad Tour’ Spring Edition. Expedition sønknown,” Wilson Jr says. “Heading your way. It’s been a blessing to see this album do its work. Dad’s still out there, and it’s been real good to see and meet everyone at the shows. May we continue the conversation.”
The 2025 dates will kick off on Feb. 20 at the Plaza Theatre in Glasgow, Kentucky. The route will include stops in Cincinnati, Ohio as well as Toronto, Ontario and more before wrapping up at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Tickets go on sale this Friday (Oct. 11) at 10 a.m. local time. For more information, click here.
Wilson Jr.’s 2024 run will make stops in Missouri this weekend, and later end the year with a show in Washington D.C. at Sixth & I on Dec. 14.
Last month, the singer released an acoustic version of “Father’s Søn” with Hardy. He also made his television debut earlier this year on Late Night With Seth Meyers, which was followed by more performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Later… with Jools Holand and CBS Saturday Morning. Additionally, Wilson Jr. has spent the year touring with Brothers Osborne, Hardy, The Cadillac Three and Joss Stone, and has been seen on stage at festivals like Stagecoach, Country Thunder and Tortuga, among others.
“Søn Of Dad Tour” 2025 Dates:
Feb. 20- Glasgow, KY – Plaza Theatre
Feb. 21- Huntington, WV – The Loud
Feb. 22- Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Music Hall
March 6- Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
March 7- Columbus, OH – The Bluestone
March 8- Lansing, MI – Grewal Hall at 224
March 13- Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
March 14- Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
March 15- Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
March 27- Wichita, KS – TempleLive
March 28- Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
April 10- Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
April 12- Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
Leah Turner Releases Debut Collection ‘This Is Mi’
/by Lorie HollabaughLeah Turner has released her nine-song debut album This Is Mi on all digital platforms in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The new semi-autobiographical collection includes recent singles “Love Like Legends” and “Otra Vez,” both of which feature her longtime creative partner and the album’s producer, Alejandro Medina III. Other standout tracks include the late-2023 collab with Jerrod Niemann, “South of the Border,” and “Para Mi,” featuring two-time Latin Grammy-winner and celebrated Norteño/Tejano artist Michael Salgado.
Turner most recently released “Love Like Legends,” a mid-tempo track that paints the portrait of an epic, Johnny and June-type love with a Latin twist, and the sultry duet “Otra Vez.” The official video for “Love Like Legends” premiered with CMT on Paramount’s Times Square billboard in New York City on Sept. 19.
“This Is Mi is so special to me because it is my first full length album of my career, and it’s fully embracing my whole self,” says Turner. “I have been working on bringing western country and Mexican music together for five years, and to see all the blood, sweat, tears, and tequila finally coming together is so exciting for me. This sound has been in the making for a long time, and teaming up with Alejandro Medina III was the final ingredient to the sound!
“We worked many long hours and saw many sunrises getting it perfect! I hope when people hear this record they feel like Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in Desperado: sexy, legendary, free, and so inspired that they want it ‘otra vez’ (again). I want people to know country music is for everyone, and if you have a dream that may go against the grain, do it anyway. That’s what makes you stand out! Si se puede!”
This Is Mi Track List:
1. “South of the Border” (feat. Jerrod Niemann) (Leah Turner, Brett Boyett)
2. “Otra Vez” (feat. Alejandro Medina III) (Leah Turner, Alejandro Medina III)
3. “Para Mi” (feat. Micheal Salgado) (Leah Turner, Brett Boyett, Leslie Satcher)
4. “Not the Cowgirl” (Leah Turner, Brett Boyett, Leslie Satcher)
5. “American Made” (Leah Turner, Skip Black)
6. “Love like Legends” (feat. Alejandro Medina III) (Leah Turner, Alejandro Medina III)
7. “Burn” (Leah Turner, Alejandro Medina III, Carlos Cosme)
8. “This Is Mi” (Leah Turner, Alejandro Medina III)
9. “Love like Legends” (acoustic)
Spencer Hatcher Signs With Stone Country Records
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L–R, back row): Brown Sellers Brown’s Kendra Whitehead, Jason Sellers and April Rider; (L–R, front row): Brown Sellers Brown’s and Spencer Hatcher. Photo: Riker Brothers
Spencer Hatcher has signed with Stone Country Records, an imprint of Brown Sellers Brown.
Raised on a farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Hatcher has already developed a reputation as “String King.” He formed his own country band in 2020, backed by younger brother Connor, and has accumulated a fanbase, including more than 850,000 social media followers, and over 60 million views, including 8.5 million likes on TikTok. Hatcher also co-wrote and performed a bluegrass jingle for a nationwide Mountain Dew commercial.
“Spencer and his brother Connor have already become like family to us, and we couldn’t be happier to officially welcome Spencer to Stone Country Records. When Spencer first came onto my radar, his style and sky-high potential reminded me of a young George Strait, so I knew we had to sign him. He feels like the right artist arriving at just the right time in country music,” says Benny Brown, Partner, Brown Sellers Brown.
“A few months ago, this was all just a dream that I was praying for, but now it’s all coming true, and it’s just totally unreal,” shares Hatcher. “Over the past four years, I’ve always reminded myself that the only way I’d fail is if I quit, so quitting was never an option for me. I never wanted to live a life of ‘what ifs,’ so I pursued my dream with no plan B. God handled the rest and led me to Stone Country Records.”
Hatcher plans to release a three-song collection via Stone Country Records, anchored by the focus track “Cold Beer And Common Sense,” on Oct. 18. Produced by Brown Sellers Brown Partner Jason Sellers, Ilya Toshinskiy and Mickey Jack Cones, “Cold Beer And Common Sense” aims to remind listeners that most Americans have more shared values than political differences.
Keith Urban To Headline & Co-Host ‘New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash’
/by LB CantrellKeith Urban
Keith Urban will headline and co-host this year’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, presented by CBS and airing live from Bicentennial Mall Capitol Mall State Park, alongside Entertainment Tonight’s Rachel Smith.
As previously announced, Kane Brown and Jelly Roll will join Urban on stage. The five-hour star-studded special will air across multiple time zones, with the traditional countdown at midnight ET, culminating with the renowned Nashville music note drop and fireworks at midnight CT. Additional performers will be announced at a later date.
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash will air on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m.–10 p.m. ET/PT, 10:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream on Paramount+ both live and on-demand for Showtime subscribers and on-demand for Essential subscribers the next day. The special will be executive produced by Robert Deaton and Mary Hilliard Harrington in partnership with Music City Inc., the foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC), and directed by Sandra Restrepo.
Weekly Register: Morgan Wallen Takes Back Top Slot On Country Albums Chart
/by Liza AndersonMorgan Wallen‘s One Thing At Time takes back the top slot on the country albums chart with 50K in total consumption (819 album only/64 million song streams), according to Luminate data.
Post Malone‘s F-1 Trillion falls to No. 2 with 47K (3K album only/56 million song streams), while Zach Bryan‘s The Great American Bar Scene sits at No. 3 with 32.2K (185 album only/42 million song streams). Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album bides at No. 4 with 32K (366 album only/41 million song streams), and Bryan’s self-titled album stays at No. 5 with 27K (2K album only/32 million song streams).
Additionally, Billy Strings‘ Highway Prayers scores the top debut at No. 8 with 24K (19K album only/6 million song streams).
The top five on the country streaming songs chart is stagnant once again, as Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” maintains its No. 1 streak with 21 million new streams, adding to 779 million ATD. Post Malone and Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” continues at No. 2 with 17 million streams, adding to 694 million ATD, followed by Bryan’s “Pink Skies” at No. 3 with 13 million new streams, adding to 360 million ATD. Wallen’s “Lies, Lies, Lies” lodges at No. 4 with 12 million streams, adding 211 million ATD, and Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” remains at No. 5 with 11 million new streams, adding to 1.024 billion ATD.
Jason Aldean Donates To Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts During Macon Show
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Lawson Pace, Banks Jones (son of LG), Stella Jones (daughter of LG), Jan Jones, Marty Wheeler (Samaritan’s Purse), Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Jason and Brittany Aldean.
Jason Aldean gave back to his hometown of Macon, Georgia in a big way during the final stop of his sold-out “Highway Desperado Tour” over the weekend at the new Macon Amphitheater.
Aldean stopped mid-show to recognize those impacted by Hurricane Helene during the concert, and in addition to personally donating $500,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, (an organization focused on Hurricane Relief efforts,) he was also joined onstage by Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones to donate the total of GoFundMe relief effort donations to Samaritan’s Purse, totaling more than $6.5 million to the cause.
In addition to Saturday’s “Highway Desperado” show, Aldean also headlined a charity benefit, Concert For The Kids on Oct. 3 in Macon with proceeds going to the city’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital. Longtime supporters of the hospital, the Aldean family raised and donated more than $618,000 at Thursday’s event to support the hospital’s continuing lifesaving efforts, including the neonatal unit (NICU).
Named after Aldean’s 11th studio album, the “Highway Desperado Tour” made over 80 stops across the country. He continues to dominate the charts, with 28 career No. 1 singles at country radio and his latest “Whiskey Drink” currently climbing the charts.
BMI Country Awards To Honor Randy Owen
/by LB CantrellRandy Owen. Photo: Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music
The legendary career of Alabama frontman Randy Owen will be celebrated during the 72nd annual BMI Country Awards. Owen will be presented as a BMI Icon, recognizing his prolific songwriting and significant contributions to country music during the invitation-only event.
The BMI Country Awards will be held at the company’s Nashville office on Nov. 19 and will be hosted by BMI’s President and CEO, Mike O’Neill alongside BMI’s Nashville VP of Creative, Clay Bradley. In addition to honoring Owen, awards will be given to the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, Country Song of the Year and Country Publisher of the Year, while celebrating the top songwriters and music publishers behind this past year’s 50 most-performed songs in the genre.
“Randy Owen’s impact on country music is immeasurable and his songwriting has left an undeniable mark on the genre,” shares Bradley. “His talents have solidified Alabama as one of the most successful country bands of all time and his memorable melodies and relatable lyrics continue to influence countless artists that follow in his footsteps. We are honored to present him with this year’s BMI Icon Award.”
Since his 1974 affiliation with BMI, Owen has received more than 25 BMI Million-Air awards, earned the 2000 BMI President’s Award and received the BMI Country Song of the Year accolade in 1989 for “Fallin’ Again.” He and Alabama have been a cornerstone of country music for over five decades, notching 43 No. 1 singles and 80 million records sold.
A member of The Country Music Hall of Fame, Owen helped cement Alabama’s legendary status by co-writing at least half of the band’s signature chart-toppers like “Tennessee River,” “Mountain Music,” “Song of the South,” “Can’t Keep a Good Man Down,” “Feels So Right” and “Close Enough to Perfect.”
Members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musician’s Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Alabama has collected 20 American Music Awards, 12 ACM Awards, two Grammy Awards and were named CMA’s Entertainer of the Year three years in a row.
In receiving the BMI Icon Award, Owen joins an impressive list of country legends including Matraca Berg, Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Dillon, and Hank Williams, Jr., as well as multi-genre creative/songwriting royalty Stevie Nicks, Little Richard, Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Janet Jackson, Bo Diddley, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Peter Gabriel, Al Green, Van Morrison, Sting, Bryan Ferry, Carlos Santana, Los Lobos and more.
American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special Features Brad Paisley, Kane Brown
/by LB CantrellBrad Paisley performs at the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special. Photo: Christopher Polk for Penske Media
50 years have passed since the first American Music Awards. The iconic award show’s milestone birthday was celebrated Sunday night (Oct. 6) with a star-studded anniversary special presented by CBS and Dick Clark Productions (DCP).
The special served as a tribute to the past 50 years and featured exciting new performances, artist interviews, special guests and exclusive classic highlights from DCP’s extensive archives, highlighting iconic moments that have defined the awards show and shaped pop culture.
Kane Brown performs at the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special. Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS
Two-time AMA winner Brad Paisley honored the late Charley Pride during the special with a performance of Pride’s “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” and his own new single “Truck Still Works.”
Five-time AMA winner Kane Brown celebrated the legacy of country music with a cover of Alan Jackson‘s “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” and his own chart-topping hit “Miles On It.”
Gladys Knight, who performed on the first American Music Awards in 1974, returned to the AMAs stage for an encore performance of “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
Other performers included Mariah Carey, Sheila E, Chaka Khan, Green Day, Jennifer Hudson, Nelly, Chingy, J-Kwon, members of the St. Lunatics, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, RAYE and Stray Kids.
Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Gloria Estefan, Jimmy Kimmel and Jennifer Lopez were special guests on the special. The night also featured appearances from AJ McLean, Cedric The Entertainer, Kate Hudson, Lance Bass, Samuel L. Jackson and Smokey Robinson.
The fan-voted American Music Awards will return on Memorial Day weekend, May 2025, on CBS.