Ingrid Andress, Breland, and Chris Janson have been added to the 4th annual Warner Music Nashville Luncheon taking place on Feb. 23 during CRS 2022. The Warner Music Nashville Luncheon will take place at noon in Omni Nashville Hotel’s Broadway Ballroom.

The three round out this year’s star-studded lineup which also includes headliner Zac Brown Band and previously announced performers Jessie James Decker, Morgan Evans, Cody Johnson, Randall King, Drew Parker, and Michael Ray.

Registration for CRS 2022 is open now. Single-day passes will also be available, and include access to panels, speakers, luncheons, and networking destinations on the day of pass purchase. Day passes will only be available for purchase on-site.

Everyone attending CRS 2022 will be required to provide documentation of full COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative COVID test result, obtained within 48-hours of arrival at the event. Rapid antigen and PCR tests will be available upon arrival and conducted on-site at no cost to attendees.

Kenny Chesney’s “Knowing You” Receives Gold Treatment

Kenny Chesney is celebrating the Gold certification of “Knowing You,” signaling over 500,000 units sold. The newly-certified track is the country entertainer’s record-maintaining 34th No. 1, and joins Songs for the Saints and his Blue Chair Records/Warner Nashville debut album, Here And Now, for RIAA certification.

“I will always believe in the power of a genuinely great song,” Chesney says. “Beyond trends or moments, there are real emotions, deep life truths that the best songs carry. When I heard ‘Knowing You,’ I knew it wasn’t what anybody else was probably looking for–but it was a song that had to be heard. So, we went with it; we believed in it, and Kat Higgins and Adam James got their first No. 1s.

“To me, those are the things Nashville was built on. I am proud to carry on those kinds of traditions, to set sparks for young writers and to hear that actual people responded to the song the same way I did. When you hear a song like this is Gold, you know that greatness still touches people in the heart.”

Higgins, James and Brett James each earned a nomination for “Knowing You” in the Song of the Year category at the upcoming 57th Academy of Country Music Awards, airing live from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium exclusively on Prime Video.

Chesney’s “Here And Now 2022 Tour” will kick off April 23 in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. His newest radio single, “Everyone She Knows,” is currently impacting at country radio.

 

Sara Evans Partners With BOXT For Tap In For A Cause Campaign

BOXT, a growing female-founded and run luxury boxed wine company, has teamed up with multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Sara Evans for its new campaign, Tap In For A Cause. Together, Evans and BOXT will raise awareness and funds to support various charities, starting with causes that create safe places and healing from abusive or violent relationships.

“When I first discovered BOXT and saw the unique and fabulous packaging, I was immediately intrigued. I’m normally a cabernet sauvignon fan and once I tasted Profile FourFive, I fell in love. Making quality wine accessible with a taste first approach and a monthly subscription just makes so much sense,” Evans shares. “As a business owner myself, I try to champion women owned businesses whenever I can, and love that BOXT is female led. I’m thrilled that BOXT is partnering with me to donate a percentage of our sales to Thistle Farms, a non-profit that helps women survivors of trafficking, addiction and prostitution.”

“We’re reimagining the way we all enjoy a glass of wine at home, but we are so much more than that. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to show up and not only put incredible wine in our BOXT, but to do it in a way that creates sustainability both socially and environmentally,” says BOXT Founder Sarah Puil.

BOXT wine will be featured in Evans’ weekly Closet Chaos Instagram Live series as the Official House Wine of Closet Chaos. Each Monday night at 7 p.m. CT, Evans and her daughter Olivia go live from their closet, bringing on a special guest. Previous guests include Martina McBride, Carly Pearce and Brad Paisley. Closet Chaos‘ new season will start on Monday, Feb. 28 with UMG Recording Artist Kylie Morgan.

To sign up for a BOXT subscription, visit drinkboxt.com and use code SARAEVANS at checkout. Fans that subscribe using Evans’ code will also receive a $20 discount on their first membership order.

 

Clayton Anderson Lands Second Sync Placement For 2022

Visionary Media Group (VMG) recording artist Clayton Anderson has landed his second sync placement on national television. “Get After It” aired this week, kicking off the Ford Truck Month campaign. Anderson’s third release since signing with VMG last year, “Get After It” was co-written with Nash Overstreet, Shane Stevens, and produced by Overstreet.

“‘Get After It’ is an all-American anthem from a working-class frontman who’s built his career the old-school way: by focusing on his music, rolling up his sleeves, and hitting the highway,” says Anastasia Brown, Chief Content Strategist, VMG. “Sync placements are a powerful tool for breaking new artists and songs. With a team dedicated to placing music in sync, this is an area of strength for Visionary Media Group and our artists.”

Ron Zamber, Founding Partner of VMG, adds: “Clayton is an incredible example of the entrepreneurial artist partner for VMG. He’s driven, creative and has a can do attitude in every way. We look forward to seeing his star continue to rise.”

“‘Get After It’ is a song celebrating hard work, and the thrill of getting the job done,” Anderson shares. “It’s also a personal tribute to the long stretch of blacktop that brought me to this point in my career. All this right before CRS, too!”

On Jan. 1, Anderson’s “Nothin’ But Net” was chosen by ESPN for use during the network’s award-winning coverage of college basketball season, running through April. Prior to that, his “Run Wild” was used by the Indianapolis Colts through the 2021 season, marking a special placement for him as an Indy native.

 

Kristin Scott Benson, Wayne Benson Form New Duo Under Mountain Home Music Company

Five-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and member of the Grammy-nominated Mountain Home artist The Grascals, Kristin Scott Benson, has formed a new duo with her husband and award-winning mandolinist Wayne Benson. The new act, named Benson, has signed with Mountain Home Music Company

Married since 2000, the two have only rarely collaborated in the studio and never as jointly featured artists. Due to changes in the business of making records, paired with a global pandemic that shut down the touring schedules, the two embraced a new opportunity as a duo.

“The paradigm for recorded music has changed so much during our careers,” Kristin explains. “Success for bluegrass artists used to depend on a heavy touring schedule and selling physical product at those shows. Radio airplay was quite limited. It’s a totally different world these days, and the current landscape allows us the opportunity to share music through streaming, Sirius/XM, and many radio outlets that also include an online component. Certainly since COVID, we’ve all figured out alternative ways to connect with listeners.”

Benson’s first single, “Conway,” is available everywhere now.

“I wrote this tune in Conway, South Carolina at a bluegrass festival we were playing,” Wayne shares. “It was one of those songs that I wasn’t sure about, but demoed it anyway. The folks at Mountain Home really liked it, so we recorded it and they decided to make it the first single!”

The Academy of Country Music has announced new hires across several departments. Lori Kraft has joined the staff as Director, Brand Creative & Design; Steve Mekler has joined as Director, Brand Marketing & Partnerships; Jennifer Davis has joined as Manager, Events; Rebecca Fisher has joined as Manager, Strategic Partnerships; Jesse Knutson has joined as Manager, Publicity & Media Relations and Kristan Pridgen has joined as Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer Damon Whiteside.

“With the ACM Awards just weeks away, there couldn’t be a better time to continue expanding our team with the additions of Lori, Steve, Jennifer, Becca, Jesse, and Kristan,” shares Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “Every new member of our team is already making an impact and bringing a unique set of skills to the Academy. Their passion and enthusiasm will no doubt help the Academy reach new levels of success for our members and the country music community as a whole.”

Kraft’s background in design includes US Weekly, Field & Stream and Better Home & Gardens, among other national magazines. Most recently, she served as a freelance Art Director for clients including Ryman Hospitality and Big Machine Music, as well as several creative agencies. In her new role, she will steer the overall visual branding and identity of the organization, as well as major programmatic and live event tentpoles such as the ACM Awards, Academy of Country Music Honors, and ACM Party for a Cause. She will also work closely with the Director of Content and Manager of Digital and Social Media to strategize support media and content strategies. Reporting to Rory Levine, VP, Marketing and Digital Strategy & Engagement, Kraft and can be reached at lkraft@acmcountry.com.

Mekler joins the Academy after more than three years with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum where he served as Senior Digital Manager, overseeing creative and marketing for owned properties and assisting with content strategies for multi-platform marketing campaigns. While there, he simultaneously founded and served as Creative Director at Stove Creative, collaborating with clients in a global marketplace. Previous stops include L3 Entertainment and BBR Music Group. In his role, Mekler will lead and manage the Academy’s organic promotional reach and collaborate with the marketing and creative departments to develop and maintain a clear brand identity. Also reporting to Levine, he can be reached at steve.mekler@acmcountry.com.

Davis has worked in the events industry, planning various non-profit and corporate galas throughout New York City with event firm Buckley Hall Events. She then shifted to the venue side of the business and was on the special events team at Madison Square Garden, coordinating a portfolio of network television upfronts at MSG venues, including Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, Hulu Theater at MSG, Chicago Theatre, and MSG Arena. Prior to joining the Academy, she led VIP & Fan Experience and Events for FirstBank Amphitheater’s inaugural concert season in Franklin, Tennessee. In her role, Davis will manage venue logistics and event operations for the ACM Awards, Academy of Country Music Honors, and ACM Party for a Cause events, including red carpet, credentials, health and safety, budgets, décor, partnership fulfillment, talent details, and more. She will also manage additional meetings, ancillary events and activations throughout the year. She reports to Lanni (Gagnon) Niggli, Director, Events, and can be reached at jennifer.davis@acmcountry.com.

Fisher has worked with innovative companies, such as Workday and Experian, where she managed client relations and customer marketing for Fortune 500 companies. In 2017, she joined Taillight in Nashville, a production company specializing in commercials, branded content, live television programming, and music videos. Fisher created campaigns for major brands including Kleenex, Cottonelle, Ram Trucks, Camping World, and many more. During her time at Taillight, she worked on ACM Party for a Cause, producing a one-hour musical countdown to the awards show on Facebook Live. In her new role, Fisher will manage and activate partnerships for the Academy and manage relationships with key strategic partners, communicate sponsorship needs internally, and secure new partners. She will also oversee brand activations and sponsorship at the upcoming 57th ACM Awards. She reports to Jen Heaton, VP, Strategic Partnerships, and can be reached at rebecca@acmcountry.com.

Knutson is a multi-Emmy Award winning journalist who has worked in both producing and reporting roles for TV stations in Los Angeles, Seattle, Harrisburg, and Nashville. In Nashville, he covered the entertainment industry while reporting for NewsChannel 5, bringing the latest industry news to Tennessee through broadcast, social media, and online avenues, as well as covered numerous Academy events, including the ACM Awards, Academy of Country Music Honors, and ACM Lifting Lives. In his role, Knutson will support publicity and media relations efforts for the Academy, including publicity, media plans, promotional efforts, and strategies for raising awareness and coverage of the ACM Awards, ACM Party for a Cause events, ACM Lifting Lives events and red carpets. He will draft press materials and work closely with the marketing and events teams on logistics of red carpets and liaising with photographers, as well as organizational and programmatic priorities. Reporting to to Melissa Moldovan, Director, Communications, Media Relations & Radio, he can be reached at jesse@acmcountry.com.

A Nashville native and 25-year veteran of the country music business, Pridgen recently joined the Academy after a 12-year stint at William Morris Endeavor where she served in a number of roles. She has also worked at a number of esteemed entertainment companies including Capital Christian Music Group, Country Music Association, Country Music Media Group, Viacom’s CMT, and Spectra Presents. Boasting collaborations with acclaimed artists and performers in the format, Pridgen aims to continue the growth efforts of the Academy to expand the global reach of the brand. In her role, she will provide administrative support to the CEO, Board of Directors and Executive Team. She reports directly to Whiteside, and can be reached at kristan@acmcountry.com.