Gabby Barrett & Sara Evans

Country Jam Naples is returning with its all-female, all-country lineup to the Paradise Coast Sports Complex on April 18.

Gabby Barrett and Sara Evans will co-headline the second annual festival, with additional lineup announcements to come. Tickets can be purchased at CountryJamNaples.com, and for a limited time, general admission tickets are available at a special early rate of $55 with promo code CJN2026 before the price increases to $79. STARability has been named the official charity partner for Country Jam Naples, with a portion of concert ticket sales directly benefiting the local nonprofit and its work supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We’re beyond excited to unveil this year’s groundbreaking all-female, all-country, all-star lineup. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re confident this one-of-a-kind show will be a true cultural highlight for the greater Naples community,” says Kevin Janeway, founder and CEO of 239 Presents, and producer-promoter of Country Jam Naples.

Pictured (L-R): Jitze de Raaff (CTM), André de Raaff (CEO, CTM Outlander), Kimberly Holcombe, Thomas Deelder (CTM).

Kimberly Holcombe has joined CTM Outlander as Vice President, Copyright & Administration.

In her new role, Holcombe will be the point of contact for CTMO’s copyright and royalty activities in the US. She will also serve as the dedicated contact for the Nashville writers for related matters.

With over 15 years of experience in music publishing and administration, Holcombe most recently served as Senior Manager, Portfolio Management & Analysis at Sony Music Publishing, with previous stops at Sentric Music (Senior Client Manager, US), and Kobalt Music Publishing (Director, Writer & Publisher Relations and Contract Administration).

Josh Weathers & Sea Gayle Music team.

Josh Weathers has inked with Sea Gayle Music.

A Texas native, Weathers released his most recent project, Neon Never Fades, on Friday (Jan. 2). Alongside his wife Kady, Weathers founded the Love Like You Mean It Foundation, dedicated to combating human trafficking in India and El Salvador.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Josh Weathers to the Sea Gayle family,” says Chris DuBois, President of Sea Gayle Music. “Josh is a truly generational talent and one of the finest vocalists you’ll ever hear. His ability to make a 500-seat venue feel like a stadium show is unmatched. We’re excited to partner with him on this next chapter and can’t wait for the rest of the world to experience his music.”

“I’m truly honored and excited to begin this next chapter with Sea Gayle Music,” adds Weathers. “Their care and integrity in crafting great songs with world-class songwriters is unparalleled. There’s no place I’d rather be. Sincere thanks to Chris DuBois and the incredible Sea Gayle team for their trust and support.”

Photo: Alan Poizner/Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean, Bailey Zimmerman, CeCe Winans and the Fisk Jubilee Singers took the stage at Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on Wednesday night (Jan. 31) to ring in 2026 at “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash.”

Wilson kept the energy high, performing a set of hits including “4x4xU,” “Hang Tight Honey,” “Whirlwind,” “Country’s Cool Again” and “Heart Like A Truck.” She was joined onstage by television program co-host Hardy for “Wait In The Truck.”

Aldean delivered a set of fan-favorites with “My Kinda Party,” “Whiskey Drink,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” “She’s Country” and more.

Zimmerman lit up the stage with his dynamic set of “New To Country,” “Where It Ends,” “Holy Smokes,” “Rock and A Hard Place,” “Religiously” and “Fall In Love.”

With an estimated crowd of 205,000 people, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Riley Green, Marcus King, Megan Moroney, Zach Top, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr. and Dwight Yoakam also performed across the city during the CBS broadcast, which is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Your Roots Are Showing (YRAS), Ireland’s folk and roots music conference, has revealed its 2026 speaker, panel and keynote schedule. The events will be held at ICC Belfast Jan. 14-18.

Wednesday (Jan. 14) will feature Tai Chi with Jim Lauderdale, “Whose Voice Gets Heard? Gender, Power, and the Folk Revival” with Linda Coogan Byrne, “Music, Climate & Creative Leadership” with Maria Vittoria, Sean McGrath and Clare Sands, “Distribution 101” with the Symphonic distribution team, “Social Media & Journalism” with Ian Saint, “The Living Language of Song” with Clare Sands and Liam Ó Maonlaí moderated by Caoimhe Ní Chathail, “Mandolin Workship” with Wyatt Ellis and a Keynote Interview with Paddy Keenan.

Thursday (Jan. 15) brings conversations including, “From Ruin to Relaunch – How one young artist over came the crushing blow of defeat in Nashville to relaunch a new independent career” with Lanny West, Leslie Fram and Dee White. “Booking Process for Raglan Road at Disney” with John Cooke and a Songwriting Workshop with Jim Lauderdale, Wallis Bird, Liam Ó Maonlaí, David Keenan, and Kenny Sharp. Jackie Martínez Marushka will moderate a panel on Music Journalism featuring veteran journalists, Craig Shelburne (The Bluegrass Situation), Cindy Watts (Nashville Lifestyle, American Songwriter, Tennessean), Will Hermes (Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” New York Times) and Chris Barilla (People Magazine). Marshal Garbus will host the “Visa Workshop,” while United Talent Agency’s Brian Hill and Matthew Morgan invite you to “Ask an Agent.” Midnight Mango Showcase Artists will host a panel followed by “Opry 100” with Craig Shelburne, Brenda Willis, Pete Fisher, Rissi Palmer and Jessica Willis Fisher.

Friday (Jan. 16) Jackie Martínez Marushka brings her “PR and Branding” workshop back to YRAS, while Katherine DePaul hosts a “Publishing Panel” and ARTS EKTA offers a “Connections” Panel. Revered songwriter, artist and producer Kristian Bush and his brother Brandon Bush, bring “Road Runner Rules,” Middle Tennessee State University professor Susan Hamilton will walk attendees through the “Music Business” and Lisa Schwartz speaks to “Breaking Down Silos.” Speaking to film and TV sync placements, music supervisor (Yellowstone and more) Andrea Von Foerster will talk about the ins and outs of her world. The day wraps with a “Fireside Chat with Fiona Bloom” and Keynote Interview with the legendary Amy Grant, moderated by Craig Shelburne.

Saturday (Jan. 17) brings “Web3, Blockchain & AI” with Anna Fahey, A Fireside Chat with TV and music industry pioneer Joel Wertman who discovered the Goo Goo Dolls and ran Sire Records. Representatives of Nashville’s biggest independent label, Curb Records, will host a Q&A while Allison Shaw talks about “Industry Leadership & Artist Development,” and “Storytelling with Liam O’Maonlai & David Keenan” and “Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer” round out the final conference day.

Sunday (Jan. 18) is the Conference’s Music Trail. Venues and artists will be revealed soon.

More information about schedules and registration can be found here.