Pictured (L-R): Emily Dashiell, Jeff Gunkel and Carlos Monnaco. Photos: Austin Lord

Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG) has promoted Emily Dashiell to Senior Vice President of Commercial Partnerships, Jeff Gunkel to Senior Vice President of Market Development and Carlos Monnaco to Senior Vice President of Finance.

“We are thrilled to share the exciting news of Emily Dashiell, Jeff Gunkel and Carlos Monnaco’s well-deserved promotions,” share CCMG Co-Presidents Brad O’Donnell and Hudson Plachy. “Their commitment to the company and their teams has been instrumental in our success and in our relationships with our artists and writers. We know that they will continue to do great things in their expanded roles.”

Capitol Christian Music Group staff. Photo: Austin Lord

Dashiell joined CCMG as Brand Manager in 2015 to launch the company’s proprietary curator brand, SOZO Playlists. She most recently served as Vice President of Marketing & Commercial Partnerships, and was integral to the commercial success of artists NF, Anne Wilson, TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, Hillsong United, Blessing Offor and more. In her new position, Dashiell will oversee CCMG’s revenue strategies across its entire portfolio. Additionally, she plans to continue to focus on partner activations with DSPs while also guiding the label business across global distribution, eCommerce/D2C, catalog marketing, streaming and playlisting strategy.

“I am incredibly honored to step into my expanded role at Capitol CMG! I want to thank Hudson Plachy and Brad O’Donnell for their continued leadership and support,” says Dashiell. “The future of Christian and gospel music is robust—and I’m eager to help drive new commercial strategy, bespoke innovation and accelerated growth for our talented roster of artists.”

Joining the company in 2004, Gunkel spent his first 14 years in key roles with CCMG Publishing. Rising from Vice President of Market Development, he will now oversee the areas of market development and digital rights as well as Re:Think Records, which Gunkel helped relaunch in 2018. Under his leadership, Re:Think aims to work alongside artists and labels to grow their audience and enhance listener engagement.

“I am honored and excited to step into this new role,” expresses Gunkel. “Christian music has a vibrant future that will be built by artists paving new paths outside traditional industry landscapes. Re:Think is committed to constant evolution, setting its sights on how to meet the needs of artists by growing their reach to impact future generations.”

Monnaco formerly served as Vice President of Finance, and recently celebrated 18 years with the CCMG. His responsibilities have now expanded to include oversight of financial planning and analysis, royalty accounting and IT.

“Having served in the music industry for many years now, this opportunity to help steward the legacy of our artists and writers is both humbling and exciting,” says Monnaco. “I’m grateful to both Hudson and Brad and look forward to keep supporting our creative community as they continue to bring an uplifting message to a worldwide audience.”

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 36th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank, we take a closer look at the Group/Duo Artist of the Year category. This category is voted on by MusicRow’s subscribers to honor outstanding achievements by a Nashville Group or Duo during the eligibility period.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribers. Voting is now open and closes on Aug. 9 at 5:00 p.m. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, becoming a MusicRow subscriber here.

ACM and CMA Award-winning duo Brothers Osborne are one of music’s most consistently adventurous bands. Growing up in Deale, Maryland, the brothers are leaders of a progressive yet classic school of country music, and the faces of the new generation in Nashville. The duo took home their first Grammy in 2022 for Best Country/Duo Group Performance. Altogether, they have been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, won six CMA Vocal Duo of the Year awards and four ACM Duo of the Year awards. Brothers Osborne has amassed seven CMA Awards, seven ACM trophies, the ASCAP Vanguard Award, multiple RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications and more than three billion global streams. They have shared the stage with Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert as well as held their own headlining tours. They released their fourth studio album, Brothers Osborne, last fall, featuring the single “Nobody’s Nobody.”

Three-time Grammy winners Dan+ Shay continue to make a permanent mark on country music and beyond. Their fifth studio album, Bigger Houses, gave the duo their 10th No. 1 at country radio with lead single “Save Me The Trouble.” The song marked their largest add-day to date and the highest Country Aircheck debut since June 2022. It won the 2024 CMT Music Award for Duo/Group Video of the Year. Bigger Houses followed the duo’s record-breaking album Good Things, which featured Platinum-certified hits “I Should Probably Go To Bed” and double-Platinum “Glad You Exist.” It also saw the five-times Platinum global smash “10,000 Hours” with Justin Bieber, which crossed one billion streams on Spotify in December 2023. The project was the first country album in the streaming era to achieve RIAA Gold certification at release and is one of the only 12 albums all-genre to be released and go Gold in 2021. The duo also made history in the last year by becoming the first ever team to coach on The Voice.

Multi-Platinum band Old Dominion are consistently at the forefront of country music with their skyscraping anthems and electrifying live shows. To date, the group has notched nine No. 1 singles, amassed five billion streams and received over a dozen RIAA Platinum and Gold single certifications. Their accolades include seven ACM Awards, six CMA Awards and several Grammy nominations. The 2023 release of 18-track Memory Lane continued the group’s infectious sound, lyrical wit and hook-heavy songwriting. The title track peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and hit No. 27 on the Hot 100. The album also featured the band’s duet with Megan Moroney, “Can’t Breakup Now.” Old Dominion continues to headline arenas and amphitheaters around the globe and are scheduled to appear at Watershed Festival, Musikfest, XRoads41, Coastal Country Jam and more. They recently dropped their newest radio single “Coming Home,” which debuted at No. 24 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.

In 2023, Parmalee were crowned the most-played group/band on country radio. The group has earned four No. 1 singles, multiple Platinum records and over one billion on-demand streams. With the whole group hailing from North Carolina, their breakout hit “Carolina” topped the charts and was followed up with their Platinum-certified No. 1 single with Blanco Brown “Just The Way.” Then, they released Billboard‘s Most Played Country Song of 2022, “Take My Name.” With recent single “Girl In Mine,” the group scored their third straight No. 1 track, and it was No. 8 on Billboard‘s Most Played Country Songs of 2023. Parmalee dropped their latest album, For You 2, which includes their top-25-and-climbing single “Gonna Love You.” They recently wrapped their run on Kane Brown’s tour and are scheduled to appear at Country Jam, NC Freedom Fest, Coastal Country Jam, Country In The Park, Country Calling and more, along with numerous headlining shows.

Husband and wife duo The War And Treaty have become one of the most electrifying new acts in music, with their lionhearted sonic blend both roaring with passion and tender to the touch. The duo’s debut album Lover’s Game earned critical praise and includes standout tracks “Blank Page” and “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me.” The pair also collaborated with Zach Bryan on smash hit “Hey Driver.” The group recently extended their headlining tour, with stops scheduled in Chicago, Omaha, New York City, Denver, St. Louis and more. They also will be seen on bills for Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Ian Munsick, Gary Clark Jr. and Orville Peck throughout the year as well as appearances at Lasso Festival, North Carolina Folk Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, Sound On Sound and more. They have been keeping fans happy with recently-released tracks “Stealing A Kiss,” “Leads Me Home” and “Called You By Your Name.”

Sisters and reigning ACM New Duo of the Year Tigirlily Gold had been playing music together since childhood before forming their band in high school. The North Dakota natives played gigs across the midwest before moving to Nashville. When they got to Music City, they started with a weekly residence at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row. During their four hour sets, they developed a captivating and fun performance style, proving that entertaining is in their blood. Their debut single at country radio, “Shoot Tequila,” hit the top 40 and amassed millions of views on social media in addition to millions of streams. The track earned them CMT Music Award nominations earlier this year for Breakthrough Female Video and Duo/Group Video of the Year. Their current radio single, “I Tried A Ring On,” is top-45-and-climbing. Both tracks are featured on their recently-released debut album, Blonde, a deeply personal project that shares tales of love and loss alongside powerful anthems and songs of female empowerment.

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 36th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank, we take a closer look at the Male Artist of the Year category. This category is voted on by MusicRow’s subscribers to honor outstanding achievements by a Nashville male artist during the eligibility period.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribers. Voting is now open and closes on Aug. 9 at 5:00 p.m. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, becoming a MusicRow subscriber here.

Kane Brown has been making history since the start of his career. With the release of his early single “Heaven,” Brown became the first artist in history to top all five Billboard Country charts simultaneously. The song’s Diamond certification also made Brown the first Black artist in country music to earn the certification with an original song. To date, he has garnered 23 RIAA certifications, five CMT Music Awards, five American Music Awards and one ACM Award. Brown recently notched his second nomination for Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards and made waves with his 11th No. 1 hit single “I Can Feel It.” He has also been named to the Time100 list, and became the first Black artist in history to headline and sell out Boston’s historic Fenway Park. Brown is currently on his headline tour, which includes six major stadium dates, as well as 23 other stops.

Singer-songwriter Zach Bryan has shown no signs of slowing down over the past year. The Oklahoma native released his self-titled album last year, his fourth overall. With standout tracks such as “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves, “Hey Driver” featuring The War And Treaty, “East Side Of Sorrow” and “Tourniquet,” the project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts. He then dropped his Boys Of Faith EP a month later, featuring smash hit “Sarah’s Place” with Noah Kahan. Bryan was crowned Billboard‘s Top New Artist of 2023 and was nominated for three Grammy Awards at this year’s ceremony. He took home his first Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with “I Remember Everything.” Bryan is currently playing stadiums across the country on his headlining tour, and recently released his latest album, The Great American Bar Scene, featuring focus tracks “Pink Skies” and “Purple Gas” with Noeline Hofmann.

Two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs recently kicked off another stadium tour, setting attendance records in Milwaukee, Buffalo and University Park. The Asheville, North Carolina native led the 2024 ACM Award nominations with eight nods and performed an unforgettable duet of “Fast Car” with Tracy Chapman during the 2024 Grammy Awards. Combs’ cover of the track won Single of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards, spent five consecutive weeks on top of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and reached No. 1 on the Hot AC chart, becoming the first song by a male solo artist to ever top both the Hot AC and Country chart. The song has been streamed over 1.1 billion times, has been certified double-Platinum and spent 18 weeks in the top five of Billboard‘s all-genre Hot 100 chart, eight of which were spent at No. 2. His Gettin’ Old album has further established Combs as one of music’s most authentic and powerful voices. He also recently released his Fathers & Sons collection celebrating the journey of parenthood.

With the release of his second album, Bluebird Days, Jordan Davis further cemented himself as a widely acclaimed singer­-songwriter. The Shreveport, Louisiana native dropped the Gold-certified, 17-track project last year, featuring CMA Song of the Year “Next Thing You Know” as well as double-Platinum, multi-week No. 1s “What My World Spins Around” and “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan, which won numerous accolades including CMA and NSAI Song of the Year. To date, Davis has garnered over five billion streams and made television appearances on Good Morning America, Today, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live and more. He is currently on the road for his headlining tour, as well as Luke Combs’ stadium run. Davis recently gave a taste of his upcoming music with the release of “Good News Sold.”

Award winning singer-songwriter Jelly Roll burst into the country music scene with his debut country album, Whitsitt Chapel. The project debuted in the top three on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart and at No. 2 on the Top Country Album chart, earning the biggest country debut album in Billboard consumption chart history. In 2023, the Nashville native won four People’s Choice Country Awards, three CMT Music Awards, Billboard‘s 2023 Breakthrough Award and the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year. He is also one of three artists to have scored three Country Airplay No. 1s in 2023 and the first to do it with his first three singles. The two-time Grammy nominee shares confessional, vulnerable expressions of self­doubt through his tunes, including smash hit “Save Me” with Lainey Wilson and “Need A Favor.” His documentary Save Me became the most watched music documentary on ABC News. On the heels of his new release “I Am Not Okay,” he is gearing up for his headlining arena tour this fall.

With 11 Billboard Music Award wins in 2023, Morgan Wallen continues to push his fame to the top. His third studio album, One Thing At A Time, has remained atop the all-genre Billboard 200 chart for 19 non-consecutive weeks, taking the record for most weeks at No. 1 for a country album, and was the most­ streamed album of the year on Spotify. The six-time Platinum hit “Last Night” was streamed over 1.5 billion times, becoming the most-streamed song of any genre in the U.S. across Apple Music and Spotify and the longest-running No. 1 solo song in the Hot 100 chart’s history at 16 weeks total. His recent history­ making collaboration with Post Malone, “I Had Some Help,” impacted at country radio with 167 first-week adds, debuting at No. 15 on the Media base charts. The track has become the longest-running No. 1 of 2024. His 2023 stadium tour took the Tennessee native to five countries, playing for over 2.4 million fans. Wallen was also honored with the distinction of Billboard and Pollstar Country Tour of the Year.

Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Lydia Schultz Cahill, Shannan Hatch, Jonas Group Entertainment’s George Kreis, Kevin Jonas Sr., Justin Ebach, Ebach Entertainment’s Janine Ebach, Jonas Group Publishing’s Leslie DiPiero, Emily Peacock and Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC’s David Crow. Photo: Cole Barnhill

Jonas Group Publishing has signed Justin Ebach and acquired his catalog.

The two-time SESAC Songwriter of the Year has celebrated six No. 1 hits thus far, including Luke Bryan’s “Down To One,” Jordan Davis’ multi-Platinum “Singles You Up,” Brett Young’s multi-Platinum “Sleep Without You” and “Here Tonight” and Jon Pardi’s “Your Heart Or Mine.” He is currently enjoying chart success with Warren Zeider’s “Relapse,” Carly Pearce’s “Truck on Fire” and Chris Lane’s “Find Another Bar.” Ebach’s credits also consist of tunes recorded by Keith Urban, Dan + Shay, Lauren Daigle, Cole Swindell, Jason Aldean and more.

“The Jonas team are Ebach believers,” says Leslie DiPiero, President of Jonas Group Publishing. “Justin is an exceptional talent whose songwriting resonates with artists and fans alike. We are excited to welcome him to the JGP family and to support him as he continues to create music that inspires and connects with people around the world.”

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to work with Leslie. She has been a great friend and a great source of wisdom over the years,” shares Ebach. “I’m grateful to Kevin [Jonas Sr.] for believing in me and putting this deal together to make me a part of the Jonas crew. I look forward to celebrating a lot of success together.”

“We are honored to have Justin, and his incredible catalog, join our roster. His proven track record and versatility as a songwriter make him a perfect fit with our vision,” expresses Jonas Sr., Founder & Chairman of Jonas Group Entertainment. “In addition to his artistry, what stands out is his unwavering work ethic and passion for music. This partnership goes beyond numbers. It’s about a shared vision and love for what we do.”

He continues, “Jonas Group Entertainment also wants to extend our gratitude to a few of our partners who were instrumental in helping us achieve this great partnership with Justin Ebach. “We are thankful for our partners Access Media Advisory and Teresa Miles Walsh, Dave and Ruscell Pavlin, Serengeti Asset Management, Moghan Music, Alex Hartnett and Winslett Studnicky McCormick & Bomser.”