CMHOFM Hosts Songwriter Session With HARDY

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently held a songwriter session with HARDY in the museum’s CMA Theater.

An ACM, CMA and CMA Triple Play winner, HARDY has written songs for Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, LoCash, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen and more. He has earned Top 10 singles as an artist with “Truck Bed,” “One Beer” featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson, and “Wait in the Truck,” a collaboration with Lainey Wilson.

This program is presented in support of the exhibition American Currents: State of the Music, which currently features HARDY.

 

Gabby Barrett Co-Hosts & Performs At The 2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting

Gabby Barrett co-hosted alongside Matthew West and performed at the 103rd National Christmas Tree Lighting. The full lineup included Alana Springsteen, The Beach Boys, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Jillian Cardarelli and Warren Zeiders.

Barrett performed a rendition of “Mary, Did You Know?,” accompanied by the U.S. Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble.

 

Lily Rose Earns Platinum Certification For ‘Villian’

Lily Rose was presented with a plaque commemorating the RIAA Platinum certification of her breakthrough single “Villain” last week at the Grand Ole Opry.

Written by Rose alongside Mackenzie Carpenter and Kyle Clark, produced by Matt Morrissey, and tallying more than 160 million global streams to date, “Villain” charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Digital Song Sales, and Emerging Artist charts.

 

Hope In The Hills Distributes Over Half A Million Dollars To Recovery Initiatives Across Appalachia, Welcomes Logan Terry As Executive Director

Hope In The Hills has presented grants to recovery organizations across Kentucky, distributing checks funded by a portion of proceeds from this year’s Healing Appalachia Music Festival. The grants totaled over $650,000, supporting recovery housing, peer services, legal aid, harm reduction, youth programming, and linkage-to-care initiatives across Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and the greater Appalachian region.

Additionally, Logan Terry has been named Executive Director of Hope In The Hills. A White House, Tennessee native, Terry began his recovery journey in 2018.

“Saturday was a really special day for us,” says Terry, Executive Director. “Presenting grants to multiple amazing Kentucky-based organizations showed exactly why Healing Appalachia exists.” He added, “This year, we distributed more than $630,000 in support of recovery programs, increasing linkages to care, music therapy, and workforce development across the region, thanks to the more than 25,000 people who showed up and believed in this work. Moments like this prove that everything we pour into the festival, all year long and on festival weekend, is worth it. We are incredibly grateful to the artists, sponsors, and volunteers who make this possible, and the next chapter for Healing Appalachia is about building on that momentum and making sure these resources continue to reach the communities that need them most.”

 

ECCHO Live Adds Two

ECCHO Live has added two members to its team. Lizzie Maranto will join as Program Manager and Anastasia Zivic Demirci is joining Marketing Manager.

“Lizzie and Anastasia bring experience that strengthens every part of our mission,” says ECCHO Live Founder Chris Lisle. “Their leadership will help us better support and advocate for the people who make live events possible.”

 

Gaither Music & The National Museum of African Music Host ‘Chris Blue & Friends’

Gaither Music and The National Museum of African Music recently hosted “Chris Blue & Friends,” an evening of stories and songs from Blue, Byron Chambers (Mr. TalkBox), Tamara Bodie, and members of the Gaither Vocal Band including Reggie Smith, Adam Crabb and Todd Suttles. Blue is the Season 12 winner of NBC’s The Voice and the first African American artist to win since Season 2.

The night kicked off with a VIP Q&A with Blue, followed by the unveiling of a new museum case with artifacts from the TV show, a reception and the live performances.

 

Sharayah Daves Signs With Anotherland

Sharayah Daves has signed an exclusive publishing deal with Anotherland.

A Teneessee native. Daves is a recent graduate of Belmont University where she studied songwriting.

“I’m beyond grateful to have found my champion in Karrie Dawley and get to partner with the Anotherland team” says Daves. “These past four years in Nashville have taught me that doors open when you stay authentic to who you are, work tirelessly on your craft, and walk in bold obedience to the Lord. There are some things only God can do, and this is one of those markers in my life.”

“From the day we met with Sharayah, we knew she carried something truly special” shares Head of Creative, Karrie Dawley. “She’s the perfect blend of talent, ambition, and a genuine willingness to learn- a combination that makes for a beautiful partnership. We can’t wait to see all the songs Sharayah creates and all the hearts she’s destined to touch.”

Award-winning, multi-Platinum breakout star BigXthaPlug has signed a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing.

BigXthaPlug has broken ground with his sound that delves into his Texas roots, earning him widespread acclaim across rap, hip-hop and country. With a catalog that includes celebrated albums like Amar (2023) and Take Care (2024), his hits include “Texas” (double-Platinum), “Mmhmm” (triple-Platinum), “Levels” (double-Platinum) and “The Largest” (Platinum).

His latest album, I Hope You’re Happy, reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country and Top Rap Album charts and landed at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. It features collaborations with country powerhouses like Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Thomas Rhett, Jelly Roll and Shaboozey. BigXthaPlug’s single “All The Way” with Bailey Zimmerman hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the first track to claim No. 1 spots on both Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs and Country Songs charts simultaneously.

BigXthaPlug recently surprised fans with his brand-new single “Cold” featuring Post Malone, released in tandem with the deluxe version of I Hope You’re Happy.

Of the publishing news, BigXthaPlug shares, “Sony Music Publishing gets my vision and believes in my music, and I’m excited to be working with them. I look forward to all the great music that’s ahead.”

Ari Gelaw, Vice President, Creative A&R, Sony Music Publishing, says, “BigXthaPlug is a generational talent whose voice resonates on such a deep level. His ability to speak truth through his music is inspiring. It’s an honor to be partnering with him and his team and we look forward to championing his success into the future.”

Additional performers have been revealed for the upcoming New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash special, airing live Dec. 31 on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Riley Green, Marcus King, Megan Moroney, Zach Top, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr., and Dwight Yoakam are all set to appear on the five-hour special, with special guest appearances by Dusty Slay, Entertainment Tonight‘s Cassie DiLaura, Sirius XM host Buzz Brainard and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) champion Kayla Harrison.

Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman will headline the event with special guest CeCe Winans and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, from Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

This year’s official New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash in-person watch party will take place at Luke Combs’ Category 10 in Nashville. Yoakam will take the stage to perform with Marcus King, with special appearances by Cody Alan and Caylee Hammack to ring in 2025. The official watch party is free and open to fans 21 and older on a first-come, first-served basis. Guaranteed entry tickets and VIP upgrade options can be purchased in advance here.

The Grammy Museum’s Industry Sessions are now eligible for graduate extension credit, in collaboration with Inspire Edu.

The suite of online courses is designed to equip emerging music creators, professionals and educators with industry-relevant knowledge, and the Industry Sessions lineup includes immersive six-week courses such as Songwriting 101 taught by Anika Paris, Content Creator 101 taught by Yulia Gonzalez, Music Business 101 taught by James McKinney, and Music Production 101 taught by Marcus Marshall, with guest professionals curated by Live Out L!VE.

Participants may enroll hour-free for non-credit access, or register for graduate extension credit for a fee through the Inspire Edu partnership. Applications are open now for the Spring 2026 sessions, with enrollment deadlines and start dates on the Museum’s website.

“We’ve seen a growing number of educators participating in Industry Sessions as a way to stay current with today’s music industry,” says Arin Canbolat, VP of Education and Community Engagement at the GRAMMY Museum. “By offering graduate extension credit, we’re able to support teachers in meeting continuing education requirements while also giving them practical, industry-informed learning they can bring directly back to their students.”

Highlights of the Industry Sessions program include direct engagement with music-industry professionals via moderated Q&A, enabling real-time learning and networking; graduate-level extension credit through Inspire Edu; and diverse course topics including songwriting, content creation, music business fundamentals, and hands-on production using DAWs.