Gabby Barrett poses backstage for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on May 23, 2021 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Rich Fury
Last night (May 23) Nick Jonas hosted the 2021 Billboard Music Awards airing live on NBC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Amidst an array of performances and special honors, country breakout artist Gabby Barrett walked away last night with three awards including Top Country Female Artist, Top Collaboration for the remix of her hit single “I Hope” with Charlie Puth, and Top Country Song with her 2019 debut single, “I Hope.” Barrett was nominated for a whopping nine categories this year including Top Country Artist, Top New Artist, Top Country Album, and Top Radio Song, to name a few.
“Thank you so much!,” Barrett exclaimed from the Billboard Music Awards stage. “Oh my gosh. I’m going to try to keep it together as best as I can. This is a really big deal. This means so much to me. Thank you so much to my team. I’ve been performing for 10 years really hard. My dad and my sister are here, and we’ve worked so hard to get here. Thank you to the Lord Jesus above for everything. Thank you to my husband, my sweet daughter who’s back at home watching.”
Despite being barred from the event due to the incident in which Morgan Wallen was filmed using the N-word outside his Nashville home, Wallen won three awards out of his six nominations, including Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, and Top Country Album for Dangerous: The Double Album. Because the Billboard Music Award winners are determined by performance on the Billboard charts, and are not chosen by a voting committee or membership organization, Wallen was able to receive nominations.
Florida Georgia Line won the award for Top Country Duo/Group, and Carrie Underwood walked away with Top Christian Album for My Gift. Taylor Swift was awarded Top Artist and Top Female Artist of the night, while Pop Smoke took home Top New Artist, and The Weeknd won Top Male Artist.
Although there weren’t any country performances on the broadcast, Kelsea Ballerini helped close out the show by announcing the Jonas Brothers who were the final performance of the night. Ballerini will be hitting the road with the trio this summer on the Remember This tour.
For a full list of winners and nominees from this year’s show, click here.
ACM Lifting Lives Reopens COVID-19 Response Fund
/by Lorie HollabaughThe fund was created to help alleviate the financial burden that many music industry professionals including crew members, musicians, songwriters, and developing artists have faced during the pandemic. To date, ACM Lifting Lives has distributed $3.5 million directly to those in the country community experiencing financial hardship.
The ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund has been made possible thanks to contributions from ACM Lifting Lives and donations from music labels, brand partners, financial institutions, artists and industry members, and individual fans and donors. Industry members can learn more and apply for assistance at acmliftinglives.org/covid-
Danny Gokey Slates New Album, ‘Stand In Faith,’ For August
/by Lorie HollabaughThree-time Grammy nominee, three-time KLOVE Male Vocalist of the Year and Dove Award winner Danny Gokey is releasing a new full-length studio project, Stand In Faith, on Aug. 20.
The new album was inspired by the challenges faced over the past year during the pandemic and Gokey created it as an encouragement and reminder of what faith means to each person and how to stand strong in what you believe. Many of the songs on the new album were birthed from what Gokey learned himself over the last year, and how to press on forward with these lessons learned.
He is giving fans a taste of the upcoming album with the release of brand new single, “Stand In Faith.”
“I wrote this song to be an anthem that people can sing over their lives to encourage their faith for the miracles and breakthroughs they’re believing God for,” says Gokey of his new single. “Faith brings our hopes into reality!! It’s the confidence and trust in God that’s needed to acquire the things we long for but don’t yet see. Faith invites God in to work on our behalf. More now than ever before, faith should be our bedrock and our foundation. I pray this song revives the hearts of many who listen to it and gives them the needed fuel to persevere in any difficult situation.”
The new album follows Gokey’s 2019 release Haven’t Seen It Yet, which produced the newly-certified RIAA Gold Single, “Haven’t Seen It Yet.” The track marks his second Gold career single, and was No. 1 at Christian radio for seven weeks—making it his fifth No. 1 radio single. Gokey is also nominated for the fifth time for Male Artist of the Year at the upcoming KLOVE Fan Awards. He is the reigning Male Artist of the Year from 2019, and has won the category three times in the award show’s history. He will also be performing the Spanglish version of his No.1 hit, “Love God Love People” during the pre-taped broadcast, which airs on TBN on June 4.
Garth Brooks Honored At 43rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, back row): Joan Baez, Garth Brooks; (L-R, front row) Debbie Allen, Dick Van Dyke, Midori
Garth Brooks was celebrated at the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors over the weekend in a series of events in the nation’s capital. Fellow Kennedy Center Honorees along with Brooks included actress-dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen, folk singer and activist Joan Baez, violin virtuoso Midori, and beloved acting icon Dick Van Dyke.
After being delayed a year due to COVID-19, the group’s Washington, D.C. itinerary included a Thursday meeting with the President and First Lady, a Thursday evening event featuring the National Symphony Orchestra, Friday’s Medallion Ceremony in the Kennedy Center’s Opera House which was hosted by prior recipient Gloria Estefan, and a Saturday performance event on an outdoor plaza at the cultural center for the arts.
Brooks was elated at receiving the honor. “Just getting to be among this level of ‘character’…I feel very lucky,” he noted at the Medallion Ceremony Friday evening. “An award is only as good as the names that are on it,” he explained. “When you walk in that door…and you see the list of names…and then you sit in this group…and get to be a part of this…for the first time in my life, I don’t mind being the weak link in the chain. I’m in the chain – that’s it.”
Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood
On Saturday, Brooks added more thanks, posting on his socials, “To loosely quote Maya Angelou, I stand here as one but I stand here for the people who have carried me to this point.”
Brooks is also celebrating selling out the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, where 80,000 tickets were sold in less than an hour. He will likely recap the weekend of celebrations on Inside Studio G on Facebook today (May 24).
Gabby Barrett, Morgan Wallen Both Win Three At Billboard Music Awards
/by Lydia FarthingGabby Barrett poses backstage for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on May 23, 2021 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Rich Fury
Last night (May 23) Nick Jonas hosted the 2021 Billboard Music Awards airing live on NBC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Amidst an array of performances and special honors, country breakout artist Gabby Barrett walked away last night with three awards including Top Country Female Artist, Top Collaboration for the remix of her hit single “I Hope” with Charlie Puth, and Top Country Song with her 2019 debut single, “I Hope.” Barrett was nominated for a whopping nine categories this year including Top Country Artist, Top New Artist, Top Country Album, and Top Radio Song, to name a few.
“Thank you so much!,” Barrett exclaimed from the Billboard Music Awards stage. “Oh my gosh. I’m going to try to keep it together as best as I can. This is a really big deal. This means so much to me. Thank you so much to my team. I’ve been performing for 10 years really hard. My dad and my sister are here, and we’ve worked so hard to get here. Thank you to the Lord Jesus above for everything. Thank you to my husband, my sweet daughter who’s back at home watching.”
Despite being barred from the event due to the incident in which Morgan Wallen was filmed using the N-word outside his Nashville home, Wallen won three awards out of his six nominations, including Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, and Top Country Album for Dangerous: The Double Album. Because the Billboard Music Award winners are determined by performance on the Billboard charts, and are not chosen by a voting committee or membership organization, Wallen was able to receive nominations.
Florida Georgia Line won the award for Top Country Duo/Group, and Carrie Underwood walked away with Top Christian Album for My Gift. Taylor Swift was awarded Top Artist and Top Female Artist of the night, while Pop Smoke took home Top New Artist, and The Weeknd won Top Male Artist.
Although there weren’t any country performances on the broadcast, Kelsea Ballerini helped close out the show by announcing the Jonas Brothers who were the final performance of the night. Ballerini will be hitting the road with the trio this summer on the Remember This tour.
For a full list of winners and nominees from this year’s show, click here.
Big Machine Music Signs Sara Davis To Exclusive Songwriting Agreement
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R, back row): Catalog Manager, Taylor Courtney; Sr. Director of Royalties and Finance, Grayson Stephens; General Manager, Mike Molinar; (L-R, middle row): Vice President, Alex Heddle; Creative Coordinator, Lizzy Gallatin; Creative Director, Michelle Attardi; (L-R, front row): Sara Davis; (not pictured: Vice President, Tim Hunze). Photo: Lori Kraft
Big Machine Music has announced the addition of Sara Davis to its writer roster.
Davis moved to Nashville from Arizona five years ago at the age of 14 to develop her craft in the bourgeoning pop community as a topline songwriter. Her frequent collaborators include Atlantic Records artist GAYLE, Track 45’s KK and Ben Johnson, and Marisa Maino. Most recently she collaborated with Altadena’s Riley Roth on “Stranger.”
Davis joins BMM’s acclaimed roster, which includes Brett Young, Brandy Clark, Laura Veltz, Jessie Jo Dillon, Eric Paslay, Ryan Hurd and more.
“The only thing more infectious than Sara’s enthusiasm and energy is her talent,” says BMM General Manager Mike Molinar. “Her timing in joining Big Machine Music is perfect as our activity naturally extends our creative footprint into other markets.”
Davis shares, “I couldn’t be more excited to join the Big Machine Music family! Since meeting Mike, Alex Heddle and the whole team, they’ve been my biggest champions and empowered me at every step. I’m so grateful and can’t wait to continue working with them!”
The Mavericks Release Special ‘En Español Edicion Deluxe’ Album
/by Lorie HollabaughBeloved Nashville band The Mavericks have released their deluxe album, En Español Edicion Deluxe.
The Mavericks released their first all-Spanish language album last August in celebration of the Latin roots of singer Raul Malo and guitarist Eddie Perez. Comprised of a collection of their own Spanish language originals and classic Latin tracks from which they drew inspiration, The Maverick’s En Español notched No. 1 debuts on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart, as well as the iTunes and Amazon Latin Music charts, and became the first-ever album landing simultaneously in the Top 10 of the Americana and Latin Music charts. En Español Edicion Deluxe expands the original collection to give even wider audiences a chance to discover this cultural celebration.
With the new deluxe album, fans can look forward to an acoustic Ranchera Version of the original album single “Poder Vivir;” the Raul Malo original song “Mujer” featuring a poolside remix by Latin Grammy-nominated cumbia DJ El Dusty; and a special Nick Farrow alternate cover of “La Catrina” artwork by award-winning artist Dolan Geiman.
Registration Open For In-Person 2021 IEBA Conference
/by Lydia FarthingThe organization’s 51st annual convention will be held Oct. 3-5 at the Omni Nashville. This year, IEBA will focus on quality networking events, panel discussions of trends and opportunities in touring, and the return of popular programming including Agents Alley and live music showcases.
IEBA’s 2020 conference was presented in a virtual format, with an open invitation to the entertainment industry. The free event attracted over 3,200 attendees.
“After a year of Zooms and webinars, we’re eager to be face-to-face with our friends and colleagues again,” says IEBA Chair John Bolton, general manager of the under-construction Coachella Valley Arena and SVP of Entertainment – Facilities for Oak View Group. “Creating and strengthening connections has always been what IEBA does best.”
“We know there is tremendous value in meeting in person yet, in this financial climate, cost is a consideration for many in our industry,” says IEBA Executive Director, Pam Matthews. “We’re happy to announce that our registration pricing is below pre-pandemic years’ to offer our attendees an affordable and vital boost to their businesses in a year when we need it most.”
For a full conference agenda and to register for this year’s conference, visit www.ieba.org. Early Bird pricing will extend through the end of August.
Chart Action: Stapleton Most Added, Rhett Gains Spins
/by Alex ParryChris Stapleton‘s latest single, “You Should Probably Leave,” is this week’s most added single on the country charts. Earning 44 new station adds on Mediabase and 9 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart, the single debuted at No. 63 on MusicRow. Stapleton co-wrote the song with Ashley Gorley and Chris DuBois. It appears on his latest album Starting Over, released via Mercury Records.
“Country Again” by Thomas Rhett continues to be the highest spin gainer on the MusicRow Chart for the fifth consecutive week. In just six weeks since its debut on the chart, Rhett has risen to No. 3 with a total of 1,644 spins this week from 63 stations.
For more chart data, read the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.
Morgan Wallen’s Eligibility For 2021 CMA Awards
/by LB CantrellMorgan Wallen. Photo: John Shearer
The CMA Board of Directors have voted to amend Morgan Wallen’s 2021 CMA Awards eligibility.
Wallen, who came under fire in February when a video surfaced of him using the N-word outside of his Nashville home, was disqualified from the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards.
The Country Music Association announced its ballot schedule for The 55th Annual CMA Awards, slated for this November.
The CMA Board of Directors amended Wallen’s 2021 CMA Awards eligibility, making him eligible in categories that honor artistic works (Single, Song, Album, Musical Event, and Music Video of the Year categories), so as not to limit opportunity for other credited collaborators. He will not be eligible for nomination in the individual artist categories (Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year categories), however.
After a period of social media silence, Wallen has begun to post again and was even spotted performing at Kid Rock’s bar on Broadway Avenue in Nashville recently.
CMA Announces 2021 Awards Ballot Schedule
/by LB CantrellThe eligibility period for the awards is July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. All voting for the CMA Awards will be conducted online.
The Nomination Ballot and instructions will be emailed Tuesday, July 6 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the Nomination Ballot closes Thursday, July 15 (4:00 p.m. CT).
The Second Ballot will be emailed to CMA members Monday, Aug. 2. and voting will close on Thursday, Aug. 12 (6:00 p.m. CT). The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Winners of The 55th Annual CMA Awards will be determined in a Final Round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and Final Ballot will be emailed to CMA members Friday, Oct. 1. Voting for the CMA Awards Final Ballot ends Wednesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 p.m. CT). All balloting is officiated by the professional services firm Deloitte.
To vote in all three rounds of The 55th Annual CMA Awards, prospective CMA members must apply for membership by Tuesday, June 1. Visit CMAworld.com/membership to learn more.