Nominees for the upcoming 8th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards have been announced, with Dan + Shay, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Luke Combs, Gabby Barrett and more up for awards. The show will air live from The Dolby Theatre in L.A. on May 27 from 8-10 p.m. ET on FOX.

The 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards will celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2020, while also offering a preview of the upcoming hits of 2021. Dan + Shay are up for Best Duo/Group of the Year, along with BTS, Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, and twenty one pilots. Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” featuring Charlie Puth is vying for Best Collaboration against “Go Crazy” by Chris Brown & Young Thug, “Holy” by Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper, “Mood”from 24kGoldn featuring iann dior, and “Savage” (Remix) by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé.

Nominees for Country Artist Of The Year include Shelton, Combs, Rhett, Luke Bryan, and Maren Morris. County Song Of The Year contenders are Combs’ “Even Though I’m Leaving,” Barrett’s “I Hope,” Shelton with Gwen Stefani‘s “Nobody But You,” Bryan’s  “One Margarita,” and Morris’ “The Bones.” Best New Country Artist nominees are Barrett, Ashley McBryde, HARDY, Ingrid Andress, and Jameson Rodgers.

Ashley Gorley is up for Songwriter of the Year during the show as well, which can be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.

In addition to paying tribute to music and artists, the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards will again celebrate the fans, giving iHeartRadio listeners the opportunity to decide winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Best Fan Army, Best Lyrics, Best Cover Song, Best Music Video, the Social Star Award, Favorite Music Video Choreography Award and the first-ever TikTok Bop of the Year Award. Social voting begins today (April 7), and will close on May 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET for all categories. Fans can vote on Twitter using the appropriate category and nominee hashtags or by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.

Premiere Networks and Bobby Bones, vice president/creative director of iHeartCountry and host of the national country radio program The Bobby Bones Show, announced today (April 6) the addition of The Biztape to Bones’ Nashville Podcast Network. The Biztape joins podcasts including The Bobbycast, Velvet’s Edge with Kelly Henderson, Good Company with Jake Owen and more on the Nashville Podcast Network.

Formerly known as That’s Showbiz Baby, The Biztape is a weekly podcast that provides insight into the business and technical side of both the music and media world with hosts Colin McKay and Joe Wasilewski. In each episode, they also provide their expertise, personal experiences, and conversations with other insiders.

“We searched for a long time to find a podcast that discussed the music business from the business side,” shares McKay and Wasilewski. “We wanted more advice and more depth than just ‘work hard.’ We decided to fill the void by creating The Biztape so we could get as nerdy as we always wanted to with it. Thankfully, with the help of Bobby Bones and the Nashville Podcast Network, we have the opportunity to continue that dream and we can’t wait to start creating with such a passionate and unique brand.”

As a young personality on the rise and with a background in double bass classical performance, McKay has focused his career on audio production and engineering. Today, apart from his time on the podcast, he works as a live entertainment and recording industry professional.

Based in Nashville as a content specialist, Wasilewski got his start as a touring photographer and videographer. In addition to The Biztapes, he also works with music clients of all genres and assists them in creating visual brands. Wasilewski also previously served as the music director for 88.3 WMTS in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

“I’ve been a fan of Joe and Colin’s work for a long time and it’s been exciting to watch them grow their platform,” says Bones. “They have an interesting perspective from a different side of the business that people don’t usually get to hear from, and I’m pumped to welcome them to our Network.”

Executive produced by Bones, The Biztape debuts tomorrow (April 7) on the Nashville Podcast Network with weekly episodes available Wednesdays on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard.

Mat Kearney. Photo: Dylan Reyes

Multi-Platinum recording artist Mat Kearney has announced his new LP January Flower which is set for release on May 21, 2021 via Tomorrow Music/Virgin.

Written between an isolated retreat in Joshua Tree and his home studio in Nashville, this album sees Kearney in his rawest form, distilling the songwriting process and rediscovering the joy of making music.

“It was about what kind of music I really wanted to hear right now. It was about digging down and finding the innocence that comes with wanting to make music solely for the love and passion of doing it. I wanted to stay true to that voice,” Kearney says. “I needed to be emotionally brave. And by doing that, I get to lead people into their own vulnerability. That’s one of the gifts I want to bring to my music. Music can give you freedom and life, and I hope to lead people through their own inner world as I delve into my own.”

With the new LP on the verge of release, the Nashville-based, singer-songwriter and producer has been releasing a string of singles that will appear on the album, each with its own music video to accompany it. Racking up over nine million streams to date, fans are showing an appetite for Kearney’s return to his roots.

Last Friday (April 2), Kearney surprised his fans with another single from the album. The fifth track from January Flower, “Anywhere With You”, is now available on all digital platforms.

January Flower is currently available for pre-order and pre-save. You can also check out the videos for “Pontiac”, “Powerless”, “Can’t Look Back”, and “Grand Canyon” now.

Nate Smith

Newcomer country artist Nate Smith has signed a worldwide deal with CAA.

A singer-songwriter from Paradise, California, Smith’s love of music developed early. He spent years playing in garage bands developing his craft and counts Elvis, Garth Brooks, Bob Seger, Tom Petty, and Fleetwood Mac among his influences. He credits his time as a worship leader as his biggest musical inspiration, though, and at 23, made his way to Nashville, signing a development deal with Word Records and a publishing deal with Centricity. After briefly moving back to California, a devastating fire struck Paradise and destroyed everything he owned, causing him to move in with his father. During this time he discovered country music, and lived out of his car for more than a month, writing and playing dive bars as he drove across the country, eventually finding his way back to Nashville.

 In June 2019 Smith released “Wildfire,” which embodies love and hope in the midst of tribulation and has garnered more than 15 million streams. The single went viral on TikTok, and his breakout singles “Under My Skin,” “Under My Skin Stripped,” and “Sleeve,” have amassed more than 28.5 million streams, earning him more than 1.4 million monthly listeners and 12.6k followers on Spotify.

Smith recently signed a publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing, and is managed by Simon Tikhman and Kevin “Chief” Zaruk of The Core Entertainment.