Brian Kelley Rides Solo Wave With New ‘Sunshine State Of Mind’ Project

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FGL’s Brian Kelley is reaching back to his Florida roots with his solo debut, Sunshine State Of Mind, on Warner Music Nashville/Nashville South Records, Inc., available June 25. Fans can pre-order the new project now.

Six tracks are available for instant download upon pre-order, featuring BK’s Wave Pack – “Made By The Water,” “Party On The Beach,” “Beach Cowboy,” and “Sunday Service In The Sand” – in addition to brand new releases including open ocean anthem “Highway On The Water” and the serenade “Songs For You.” Kelley co-penned and co-produced the project along with Corey Crowder, and writers contributing to this love letter to the beach life include Canaan Smith, Jimmy Robbins, Blake Redferrin, and more.

YouTube video

Kelley welcomed viewers into his “Beach Cowboy” way-of-life by dropping four videos with the Wave Pack, and rolling out two more with the album announcement. Ditching his motorcycle and the asphalt for a “Highway On The Water,” Kelley’s collaborator Ben Christensen stars in and directs the video captured on location in his home base of Phoenix. Christensen also directed the new “Songs For You” video featuring Kelley and wife Brittney, plus local couples they met while exploring Grayton Beach, Florida.

“They say write what you know and this is the first time I really wrote for me. These songs are my babies, y’all,” shares Brian Kelley. “This project came from a real place – my experiences as a kid in Florida, getting away, and finally moving back – and it’s just been a very life-giving thing for me. I hope fans get to know a little more about me, hear my voice, and that Sunshine State Of Mind takes you on a dreamlike vacation as soon as you hit play. Welcome to Season One.”

Sunshine State Of Mind Track List:
1. Boat Names – Brian Kelley, Parker Welling, Casey Brown
2. Made By The Water – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Randy Montana
3. Sunburnt – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Blake Redferrin
4. Highway On The Water – Brian Kelley, Blake Redferrin, Jake Rose
5. Real Good Day – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Chase McGill
6. Party On The Beach – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Blake Redferrin, Canaan Smith
7. Don’t Take Much – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Canaan Smith
8. Fish All Day – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Blake Redferrin, Canaan Smith
9. Boat Ride – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Canaan Smith
10. Beach Cowboy – Brian Kelley, Blake Redferrin, Jake Rose *
11. By Boat – Brian Kelley, Jimmy Robbins, Nicolle Galyon
12. Songs For You – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Blake Redferrin
13. Say The Word – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Chris Loocke, Blake Redferrin, Joe Clemmons +
14. Horses On The Beach – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Blake Redferrin, Jake Rose
15. Savannah – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Blake Redferrin, Canaan Smith
16. Sunday Service In The Sand – Brian Kelley, Blake Redferrin, Canaan Smith, Jake Rose
17. Florida Boy Forever – Brian Kelley, Corey Crowder, Blake Redferrin, Canaan Smith, Jake Rose

All Songs Produced by Corey Crowder and Brian Kelley.
* Co-Produced by Jake Rose
+ Co-Produced by Chris Loocke

Thomas Rhett Remains At No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart

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Thomas Rhett‘s song,” Country Again” remains No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week. This is Rhett’s second single this year to spend two weeks at No. 1 following “What’s Your Country Song,” which peaked in January.

The single is the title track to Rhett’s double album and appears on Side A of the release. Rhett co-wrote every song on Side A, and penned “Country Again” with Zach Crowell and Ashley Gorley.

“It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve written yet and honestly just feels full circle in so many ways… it’s about the crazy journey I’ve been on over the last decade and ultimately finding my way back home,” Rhett says of the song.

Dates have been rescheduled for Rhett’s Center Point Road Tour with Cole Swindell and Gabby Barrett. The tour kicks off in Aug. 13 in Orange Beach, Alabama. 

Click here or above to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.

Industry Ink: 17th Annual Ringside, Brooke Webster, NFT Panel, Christian Yeager

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The Charley Foundation Holds 17th Annual Ringside Boxing Fundraiser

Pictured (top left): Jaime Paulin (UMPG), Phillip White (FAME Music Publishing); (top right): Tyler Corrado (BBR Music Group/BMG); (bottom): Nikki Boon (1021 Entertainment), Erin Pettit (FBMM). Photos: Abigail Volkmann

On Friday, June 4, The Charley Foundation held its 17th annual Ringside: A Fight for Kids gala for a reduced-capacity crowd, raising over $150K for various children’s charities. The annual charity boxing event at The Factory’s Liberty Hall in Franklin, Tennessee, featured three bouts of amateur boxing with Nashville music industry professionals facing off in the ring.

Jaime Paulin (Universal Music Publishing) came out on top duking it out with Phillip White (FAME Music Publishing); Nikki Boon (1021 Entertainment, artist manager) won a split decision against Erin Pettit (FBMM, account manager); and Tyler Corrado (BBR Music Group/BMG, social media and fan engagement, manager) defeated Patrick Worstell (Warner Music Nashville, artist development coordinator). Charlie Worsham performed the national anthem to kick off the evening which also featured gourmet dining, music by DJ D​izzy, and a silent auction.

“Ringside may have been scaled-back a bit this year, but the fighters and industry really stepped up to help us have another successful event,” shares Carolyn Miller, The Charley Foundation’s founder and chairman, and Ringside producer. “Everyone’s generosity will directly touch the lives of children in need.”

 

 

Brooke Webster Joins Back Blocks Music As New A&R, Creative Coordinator

Brooke Webster. Photo: Rachel Deeb

Back Blocks Music has announced Brooke Webster as the new A&R/Creative Coordinator. In this role, she will be responsible for researching new talent, managing artist and writer calendars, overseeing the music catalog and supporting the overall creative strategy of the roster.

Webster is a recent graduate from Belmont University’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music with a degree in music business. She served as president of Belmont’s Bear House Writer Management organization and previously held a variety of music internships at SMACKSongs, Big Loud, ASCAP, and more.

“When I met Brooke, I knew her personality and work ethic would fit well with the culture we are building at Back Blocks Music,” shares Rakiyah Marshall, CEO/Founder of Back Blocks Music. “I’m thrilled to have her a part of the team and look forward to the future ahead.”

 

 

Entertainment Attorney Colin Maher To Hold Free Virtual NFT Seminar

Entertainment attorney Colin Maher, in partnership with Nashville-based non-profit HOME (Helping Our Music Evolve), will host a free virtual event revolving around the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on June 14 at 6 p.m. CST.

Maher will provide a background into NFTs and shine a light into the legal issues that could arise when music-related NFTs are sold. Throughout the seminar, he will explain questions and concerns, including potential copyright issues; licenses that may be needed when selling NFTs; how to structure agreements between creators and labels, publishers, managers, and/or distributors; how to sell NFTs co-owned with collaborators; and more.

Attorney Maher attended New England School of Law in Boston and founded his law firm, Whiskey Ghost Entertainment Law, in 2016. He has been named Super Lawyers’ Rising Star for the past three years and recently joined the Nashville Chamber’s Music Industry Advisory Group.

To register for the event and for more information, click here.

 

 

Lamon Records Signs 17-Year-Old Christian Yeager

Christian Yeager

Seventeen year old singer-songwriter Christian Yeager has signed a record deal with Lamon Records and Aristo Media Promotions. His first single “Born For A Friday Night,” written by Andy Timmons, Chris Yarber, and Hunter Phelps, is available now.

A Pennsylvania native, Yeager completed his first recording at the age of fifteen at County Q Studio Nashville with the guidance of Lee Bach. He is a member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians and ASCAP, and recently completed a songwriting course at Berklee College Of Music in Boston. He is planning to pursue a BBA major in Music Business.

Jim Selby, Jon Singer Join NMPA Board Of Directors

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Jim Selby, Jon Singer

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) announced its Board of Directors for the next two-year term at the NMPA Annual Meeting held on June 9, 2021. Joining the Board are two new members, Jim Selby and Jon Singer.

The news was announced at the NMPA Annual Meeting.

Based in Nashville, Selby, Chief Publishing Executive for Concord Music Group, joins the Board as an Executive level member. At Concord, he oversees all global publishing business, including supporting creative efforts with its active songwriters and composers and supporting the roster of songwriters and deep catalog of songs. He has served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, and General Manager of Concord Music Group. Previously, Selby was SVP of ole Media Management (now Anthem Entertainment) and was also CEO of Naxos of America.

Based in New York City, Singer is Chairman of Spirit Music Group. After joining Spirit in 2011, he successfully executed the company’s largest transactions, amounting to over $120 million in acquisitions. Previously, Singer spent 15 years on the recording side of the business in senior capacities at Island Records, Island Def Jam and Decca Label Group.

The new Board members join fellow publishers Jody Gerson, Keith Hauprich, Laurent Hubert, Carianne Marshall, Jon Platt, Marti Cuevas, Neil Gillis, Justin Kalifowitz, Golnar Khosrowshahi, Jody Klein, Leeds Levy, Kenny MacPherson, Chip McLean, Mike Molinar, Ralph Peer II, and songwriters Liz Rose and Ross Golan.

“We are privileged to have the expertise of Jim and Jon on our Board during this particularly dynamic time in the industry. As publishing evolves, their voices will have a serious impact on NMPA’s leadership and direction,” says NMPA Board Chairman Irwin Robinson. “I thank them for their time and commitment to serving fellow publishers and songwriters.”

“I have known Jim for years and am thrilled to officially welcome him to the NMPA board. His experience will serve us well as we navigate numerous challenges in Washington and around the world,” NMPA President & CEO David Israelite shares. “Additionally, Jon has shepherded in a new era at Spirit and his insight will be essential to our efforts to protect copyrights in the modern era.”

Lou Taylor’s Tri Star Sports And Entertainment Group Awards Scholarship To Spelman College

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Lou Taylor, CEO of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group.

Tri Star Sports And Entertainment Group CEO Lou Taylor has created a new Sports & Entertainment Finish Line grant program to offer support for Black students who have excelled in school and need financial support to complete their degree. The first recipient of the $70,000 Finish Line Scholarship will be Spelman College, the No. 1 ranked Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

In June of 2020, Taylor and the Tri Star leadership team determined they would create action items that supported the Black Lives Matter Movement, which lead to creating a college grant program that could serve the Black community. Tri Star worked with Spelman President Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jessie Brooks to create the scholarship.

Photo: Courtesy of Spelman College

“When we announced to the Tri Star staff which HBCU we were going to partner with for our scholarships, many staff members shared their personal success stories and how the financial support they received along the way made such a difference for them and their families,“ says Taylor. “Among them was a staff member with their own Spelman story. We knew right then and there we had made the right choice by partnering with Spelman College for our Finish Line Scholarship.”

Taylor revealed plans to establish future opportunities for Spelman students, and the fund will continue to offer financial support to those who are nearing their last days with the school. Tri Star hopes to be able to grow the scholarship program each year, providing more funds to more students in the years to come.

Lauren Daigle World Tour Set For Fall

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Lauren Daigle

Lauren Daigle is launching her new World Tour on Sept. 24 that will include 26 dates and will wrap in Nashville on Nov. 19 at Bridgestone Arena. The War and Treaty will join Daigle as special guests on the new tour.

The tour will in make stops in Kansas City, Atlanta, Orlando, Houston, and New Orleans before wrapping in Nashville on Nov. 19. Tickets are now on sale at laurendaigle.com/tour.

The new tour will feature all-new stage production, design, and feature plenty of Daigle’s hits, including her latest No. 1 single “Hold On To Me,” the Platinum-selling “Rescue,” and the 4x Platinum No. 1 single “You Say,” as well as tracks from her previous Platinum-selling album, How Can It Be.

Since the release of her Grammy-winning, Platinum album Look Up Child, Daigle has reigned on the Billboard charts. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart making Daigle the first female artist to simultaneously hit the Top 10 on both Billboard’s Pop and Christian album charts. In addition, the Grammy-winning crossover hit, “You Say,” became the longest-running No. 1 of any genre on the weekly Billboard Hot charts at 129 weeks and was recently certified 4x-platinum by the RIAA. Her latest single “Hold On To Me” is Daigle’s fifth No. 1 and has given her the record of most No. 1s among women on the Hot Christian Songs chart.

Lauren Daigle World Tour:
September 24th – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – Fort Wayne, IN
September 25th – Ford Center – Evansville, IN
September 26th – T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO
September 30th – State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
October 1st – Amway Center – Orlando, FL
October 2nd – BB&T Center – Sunrise, FL
October 7th – North Charleston Coliseum – North Charleston, SC
October 8th – Scope Arena – Norfolk, VA
October 9th – Berglund Center – Roanoke, VA
October 14th – Lafayette CAJUNDOME – Lafayette, LA
October 15th – First National Bank Arena – Jonesboro, AR
October 16th – Von Braun Center’s Propst Arena – Huntsville, AL
October 21st – Denny Sanford Premier Center – Sioux Falls, SD
October 22nd – Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
October 23rd – Resch Center – Green Bay, WI
October 28th – Grossinger Motos Arena – Bloomington, IL
October 29th – Chi Health Center Omaha – Omaha, NE
October 30th – Chaifetz Arena – St. Louis, MO
November 4th – Toyota Center – Houston, TX
November 5th – Frank Erwin Center – Austin, TX
November 6th – Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA
November 11th – Schottenstein Center – Columbus, OH
November 12th – Giant Center – Hershey, PA
November 13th – Huntington Center – Toledo, OH
November 18th – Rupp Center – Lexinton, KY
November 19th – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Brad Paisley, Tyler Booth, Ernest

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Brad Paisley

The winners here are all gentle persuaders.

Country music makers often make the mistake of believing that listeners need to be hit over the head to get them to pay attention. Defying that mindset today are the subtle and charming Brittney Spencer, Ernest, Jameson Rodgers and our Disc of the Day winner, Brad Paisley. Our Fourth of July superstar drops his “City of Music” tomorrow. Get ready to be impressed.

Our DisCovery Award winner comes to us from Sony, a busy company that accounts for four of our DisClaimer entries this week. It’s Tyler Booth with his dandy “Beautiful Outlaw.”

TYLER BOOTH / “Beautiful Outlaw”
Writers: Buddy Owens/Phil O’Donnell/Tyler Booth; Producer: Phil O’Donnell; Label: Villa 40/Sony Music Nashville
— The solid “outlaw” beat and the drawling, personality-plus vocal draw you in at once. The clever lyric does the rest of the work. I’m in.

ROSS ELLIS / “I Wish You Would”
Writers: Dan Fernandez/Michael Whitworth/Ross Ellis; Producer: Brandon Hood/Dann Huff; Label: RCA Nashville
— It’s well produced, and his pleading vocal is on the money. The song seems kinda masochistic to me.

KYLIE MORGAN / “Shoulda”
Writers: Kylie Morgan/Shane McAnally/Ben Johnson; Producer: Shane McAnally/Ben Johnson; Label: EMI
— Rocking and sexy. She has a pert, saucy vocal style. The stomping, guitar-screaming track is mixed a little too high, threatening to thoroughly overwhelm her. Tone it down.

BRAD PAISLEY / “City of Music”
Writers: Brad Paisley/Lee Thomas Miller/Ross Copperman; Producer: Ross Copperman/Luke Wooten; Label: Arista
— It’s a musical love letter to Nashville. A wonderful song, delivered by one of our greatest artists.

ERNEST / “American Rust”
Writers: Ernest/Rodney Clawson/Jordan Reynolds; Producer: Joey Moi; Label: Big Loud
— This new artist is an award-winning songwriter (as Ernest Keith Smith), having been behind hits by FGL, Sam Hunt, Morgan Wallen and Chris Lane. On disc, he is a marvelously evocative story teller. Over a shuffling beat, he softly sings of heartland America in a lyric loaded with vivid imagery. A superb debut.

RAY STEVENS / “Gas”
Writers: Barry Smith; Producer: Ray Stevens; Label: MCC/Curb
— Pun after pun after pun after pun … about farting. Goofy and maybe a little crass, but awfully clever. His legendary zaniness remains intact.

JAMESON RODGERS / “When You Think of Mississippi”
Writers: Jake Mitchell/Jameson Rodgers/Josh Miller/Smith Ahnquist; Producer: Chris Farren/Jake Mitchell; Label: River House/ Columbia
— Beautifully done. Heartfelt, wistful, dreamy and country all the way. This guy is the bomb and should be a star.

CLAY WALKER / “You Look Good”
Writers: Clay Walker/Jaron Boyer/Michael Tyler; Producer: Michael Knox/Jaron Boyer; Label: Show Dog Nashville
— She looks attractive to him no matter the setting. It’s a simple sentiment, simple production and simple performance. A little too simple. I liked his last single better. Pass.

BRITTNEY SPENCER / “Sober & Skinny”
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Label: BS
— Very nice. Over a gently rolling rhythm, she plaintively sings of the little failings we all have. Most especially, she relates to the imperfections in a relationship—“when you get sober, I’ll get skinny.” There is magic in her voice, an instrument of lovely nuances and beautifully turned phrases. Open the door and let her in.

TRACY LAWRENCE & EDDIE MONTGOMERY / “Price of Fame”
Writers: Tracy Lawrence/Brad Arnold/Rick Huckaby; Producer: Tracy Lawrence/Flip Anderson; Label: TL
— These two veterans sound completely authentic on this rolling anthem about the cost of living your life on the country-music highway. Produced with clarity and sung with finesse.

BRELAND & KEITH URBAN / “Throw It Back”
Writers: Daniel Breland/Keith Urban/Sam Sumser/Sean Small; Producer: Sam Sumser/Sean Small; Label: Bad Realm/Atlantic
— It’s a thumpy, banjo-laced banger that combines Urban’s soaring tenor with Breland’s droll, dry, quasi-rapped electronically-processed baritone. It’s quite repetitive, but that’s the way pop and hip-hop are, right?

NOAH SCHNACKY & JIMMIE ALLEN / “Don’t You Wanna Know”
Writers: Noah Schnacky/Joshua Wade Dorr/Dylan Guthro; Producer: Dylan Guthro; Label: Big Machine
— Noah brings youthful verve to this, and Jimmie rides along gamely. Electronic burbles of sound, synth beats and a murky hip-hop vibe are all deployed. But the whole thing sounds aimless and vague. I think the gist of the “song” is talking a city girl into loving a country boy, but beyond that, I find no real point to it.

NMPA Honors Taylor Swift, Sarah Trahern; Announces Lawsuits At Annual Meeting

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The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) virtually held its 2021 Annual Meeting celebrating creators and executives, giving a clear picture of the publishing industry through new data, and more.

The meeting’s premiere honor went to singer-songwriter Taylor Swift who was presented the NMPA Songwriter Icon Award. Celebrating Swift with a personal tribute, Sara Bareilles performed her hit “Clean” and said, “Ms. Taylor Swift has proven herself over and over again to be an extraordinary storyteller, an innovator, a leader, an advocate, an activist, and this woman shows no signs of stopping.” At the top of the show, up-and-coming talent Priscilla Block performed a medley of Swift’s biggest hits.

Swift accepted the NMPA Songwriter Icon Award by naming her most impactful influences including Max Martin, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner and UMPG Nashville Chairman & CEO Troy Tomlinson. “I’m really, really honored to be receiving this award because it honors the part of my job that is so magical and mystifying to me still,” she said. Swift went on to compliment NMPA Board member and songwriter Liz Rose, who she said “is someone who spent hours and hours and hours with me when there was absolutely no sign that anything would happen in my career.” She also thanked NMPA Board member UMPG Chairman & CEO Jody Gerson, “for being such a champion of female songwriters throughout the industry.”

Additionally, Country Music Association (CMA) CEO Sarah Trahern was given the NMPA Industry Legacy Award for all of her efforts to modernize and expand the genre and to support the songwriters who form its foundation. Singer-songwriter Luke Bryan celebrated Trahern saying, “I think through the everchanging world of the music business, Sarah has continued to evolve with it and allow our wonderful industry to prosper and watch Nashville grow and watch the CMA grow under her leadership.”

Among the programming at the NMPA Annual meeting was a keynote from The Ringer network founder Bill Simmons, who spoke about his upcoming music docuseries with HBO and UMPG’s Gerson and Marc Cimino which will chronicle iconic moments throughout history in the industry.

Peermusic Executive Chair Ralph Peer II received a surprise tribute for his 50 years of service on the NMPA Board of Directors from NMPA Board Chairman Irwin Robinson, legendary composer and producer David Foster, singer-songwriter and producer Poo Bear, and peermusic CEO Mary Megan Peer. Ms. Peer said, “I know that you have chosen to spend 50 years serving on the board of the NMPA due to the special relationship NMPA creates between music publishers, songwriting colleagues and the government.”

During his annual State of the Industry speech, NMPA President & CEO David Israelite announced new enforcement actions being taken against “rampant infringers in the gaming industry,” such as Roblox. NMPA’s lawsuit, filed today on behalf of a dozen publisher plaintiffs, will seek damages in the amount of no less than $200 million for the exploitation of music without proper licenses.

Israelite said, “They’ve made hundreds of millions of dollars by requiring users to pay every time they upload music onto the platform—taking advantage of young people’s lack of understanding about copyright – and then they take virtually no action to prevent repeat infringement or alert users to the risks they are taking.”

Additionally, Israelite officially launched a major ramp-up of its takedown campaign against Amazon-owned Twitch, another of the world’s most popular video creation and gaming platforms with over nine million active streamers. “Twitch should serve its users by fully licensing music which would allow the platform to flourish and copyright owners to be properly compensated,” Israelite said.

Israelite also discussed the growth in the music publishing industry, announcing 2020’s total revenue as $4,076,829,040, a 9.6% increase from 2019. He said, “it is important to understand the impact that COVID has had on that year. Even though the world felt the effects of COVID back in March of 2020, because of the delayed nature of much of the revenue streams for the publishing industry, there was a later impact to the industry, but it also means it will continue later in [2021] as we continue out of that problem.” He also detailed the split in revenue categories as: Performance 51.5%; Sync 23.4%; Mechanical 20.2%; and Other 4.9%. “Mechanicals grew once again to 20.2% despite the fact that you have some mechanical categories that are shrinking rapidly. It’s because of the growth of the mechanical part of interactive streaming that the category overall grew,” Israelite added.

AIMP Holds 4th Annual Global Music Publishing Summit

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The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) held its 4th annual Global Music Publishing Summit online this week (June 7 – 9).

The summit kicked off with Creator Day on June 7, followed by Business of Publishing Day on June 8, and wrapping with International Day on June 9.

Below are some highlights:

The online programming June 7’s Creator Day started with a welcome from AIMP National Chair and Nashville Chapter President John Ozier, Los Angeles Chapter President Teri Nelson Carpenter, and New York Chapter President Michael Lau, before heading into a presentation from strategic HR firm EnterGain who delved into the results of a survey of the AIMP membership conducted to create a starting point for its efforts to be a more diverse and inclusive organization that promotes equity for its members. EnterGain Senior Advisor Yuna Perry and Managing Directors James Celentano and Mikal Celentano presented the results, which can be viewed here.

RCA Nashville artist Andrew Jannakos then discussed his path from The Voice to viral TikTok star to recording artist with his manager Andrew Cohen of Cohencidence Projects, Derek Wells (Senior Director, A&R, Spirit Music Group), and moderator MaryAnn Keen (Associate Director of Writer Publisher Relations, BMI).

The Songwriter Keynote featured Craig Wiseman, songwriter and Founder of Big Loud Publishing, in conversation with John Titta, EVP of Membership at ASCAP. The two discussed Wiseman’s rise from a bar-band drummer in Mississippi to writing a song for fellow writer/drummer Don Henley to duet with Kenny Rogers, and much more.

June 8’s Business of Publishing Day included a discussion on exactly what it means to be an “indie publisher;” a keynote from U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); a conversation amongst the leadership of the NMPA, A2IM, RIAA, NSAI, AIMP, and Music Business Association; and special presentations from The U.S. Copyright Office and The MLC.

Former AIMP President Michael Eames (President, PEN Music Group) kicked off the day’s events with a discussion of his recent op-ed for Billboard, “In 2021, How Do We Define an ‘Indie’ Publisher?” Eames then moderated the Indie Perspective panel, featuring Mike Molinar (General Manager, Big Machine), Kathy Spanberger (President and COO, Peermusic), Jim Selby (Chief Publishing Executive, Concord Music), Neil Gillis (President, Round Hill), Tony Alexander (Co-Founder, President, and Managing Director, MIME), and AIMP National Chair and Nashville Chapter President Ozier (EVP Creative, Reservoir).

U.S. Sen. Blackburn (R-TN), a key advocate of the Music Modernization Act (MMA), delivered the Business Keynote, discussing the many pieces of legislation that affect songwriters and publishers, from SBA loans, capital gains, recording expense write-offs to the HITS Act, and more; noting that she and U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) intend to reintroduce the AM-FM Act as well.

David Israelite (President & CEO, NMPA), Dr. Richard James Burgess (President & CEO, A2IM), Mitch Glazier (Chairman & CEO, RIAA), Bart Herbison (Executive Director, NSAI), AIMP LA Chapter President Carpenter (CEO, Reel Muzik Werks), and moderator Portia Sabin (President, Music Business Association) then joined forces for the U.S. Alliance panel, an annual favorite at the Global Music Publishing Summit. The MLC CEO Kris Ahrend then took the stage for a special presentation on the organization’s progress, including having held over 200 educational webinars to date.

The final day, June 9’s International Day, brought the global music publishing industry into focus, with a keynote from CISAC’s Gadi Oron, the far-ranging International Alliance panel, and much more.

The day kicked off with the AIMP/IMPF Networking Mixer, where attendees were randomly placed in 4-person Zoom rooms for 10 minutes each. Carpenter and AIMP NY Chapter Vice President Debbie Rose (President, Kokopelli Music Group/Sundae Songs) then walked conference attendees through new international initiatives being worked on at CISAC regarding Cue Sheet Standardization and Music in Commercials.

The Summit came to a close with the International Alliance panel, featuring Will Kreth (EIDR, DDEX), Margaret McGuffin (CEO, Music Publishers Canada), Dr. Kristina Janušauskaitė (Director of European Legal Affairs, IFPI), AIMP NY Chapter President Michael Lau (CEO, Laud Music/Imachew Music), and moderator Ger Hatton (Principal, Hatton.eu).

For more information about AIMP, click here.

2021 CMT Music Awards Highlights: Winners, Performances, Collaborations

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Carrie Underwood wins Video of the Year at the 2021 CMT Music Awards.

Last night (June 9) the 2021 CMT Music Awards were held live at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, the show included its traditional array of awards and an impressive lineup of performers and collaborations.

After winning the award for Video of the Year, the biggest honor of the night, Carrie Underwood maintained her position of most decorated artist in CMT Music Awards history with a whopping 23 career wins. Curb Records recording artist Dylan Scott won Breakthrough Video Of The Year for his music video for “Nobody,” his first CMT Award.

Hosts Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown

Hosts Brown and Ballerini both walked away with CMT trophies, Ballerini for her her performance of “The Other Girl” at the 2020 CMT Music Awards with Halsey. Brown took home Male Video Of The Year for “Worship You,” as well as Collaborative Video Of The Year with Chris Young for “Famous Friends.” For a full list of winners, click here.

The CMT Equal Play Award was presented to Linda Martell. The trailblazer was honored with a reel of her story and role in music history as the first Black female solo country artist to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage along with a slew of her additional career achievements.

Chris Stapleton and H.E.R. perform “Hold On” at the 2021 CMT Music Awards.

Among the performers who took the stage last night were impressive collaborations like country crooner Chris Stapleton and soulful singer H.E.R.’s jaw dropping rendition of “Hold On;” Underwood and Needtobreathe delivering their recent track “I Wanna Remember;” Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, and Jack Ingram teaming up to perform a stripped down version of “Tequila Does;” and Ballerini with Paul Klein (LANY) debuting their brand new song “I Quit Drinking.”

Lady A, Carly Pearce, Lindsay Ell, and a full spread of female band members opened up the show with their powerhouse anthem “Lady” while Mickey Guyton, Breland, and Gladys Knight joined forces for a medley of “Cross Country” and The Temptations 1970 song “Friendship Train.”

Ingrid Andress performs “Lady Like” at the 2021 CMT Music Awards.

Ingrid Andress performed her hit song “Lady Like,” and also lended her vocals on “Like That” with JP Saxe; Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi took the stage to perform “Getting Over Him;” Brothers Osborne and Dierks Bentley sang “Lighten Up” from the Bonaroo Farm; and Brown and Chris Young closed out the night with “Famous Friends.” Luke Combs (“Cold As You”), Luke Bryan (“Down To One”), and Thomas Rhett (“Country Again”) also gave solo performances throughout the night.