Nashville artists were well represented at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night (March 14).
Miranda Lambert took home Best Country Album for her seventh studio album, Wildcard.
Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna won Best Country Song for their co-written “Crowded Table,” recorded by The Highwomen.
Vince Gill was awarded his 22nd Grammy Award for his performance of “When My Amy Prays,” in the category of Best Country Solo Performance.
Best Country Duo/Group Performance was awarded to Dan + Shay for their collaboration with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours.” The duo made history with this win, becoming first artist to win three times consecutively since the category’s inception. Dan + Shay won the category for the first time in 2019 with 6x Platinum smash “Tequila,” and again in 2020 with 5x Platinum hit “Speechless.”
The Fisk Jubilee Singers won in the Best Roots Gospel Album category for Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album), which marks their first ever win in their 150-year history.
The late John Prine, who was honored with a tribute by Carlile during the telecast, posthumously won Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song for “I Remember Everything.”
Sarah Jarosz won Best Americana Album for World On The Ground.
Zach Williams and Dolly Parton took home Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “There Was Jesus,” and Kanye West won Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Jesus Is King.
In the general field, Billie Eilish took home Record Of The Year for “Everything I Wanted.” Megan Thee Stallion won Best New Artist. Song Of The Year was awarded to Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas for their song “I Can’t Breathe,” recorded by H.E.R.
Taylor Swift took home Album Of The Year for Folklore. This is her third time winning the honor, making Swift the first female artist to win the award three times, and tying her with Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder as the only artist to win in that category three times.
Below are a selection of winners:
Record Of The Year:
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Rockstar” — DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So” — Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
Song Of The Year:
“Black Parade” — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box” — Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan” — Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles” — Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now” — Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe” — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If The World Was Ending” — Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels)
Album Of The Year:
Chilombo — Jhené Aiko
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) — Black Pumas
Everyday Life — Coldplay
Djesse Vol. 3 — Jacob Collier
Women In Music Pt. III — Haim
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Hollywood’s Bleeding — Post Malone
Folklore — Taylor Swift
Best New Artist:
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion
Best Country Album:
Lady Like — Ingrid Andress
Your Life Is A Record — Brandy Clark
Wildcard — Miranda Lambert
Nightfall — Little Big Town
Never Will — Ashley McBryde
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Stick That In Your Country Song” — Eric Church
“Who You Thought I Was” — Brandy Clark
“When My Amy Prays” — Vince Gill
“Black Like Me” — Mickey Guyton
“Bluebird” — Miranda Lambert
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“All Night” — Brothers Osborne
“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
“Ocean” — Lady A
“Sugar Coat” — Little Big Town
“Some People Do” — Old Dominion
Best Country Song:
“Bluebird” — Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones” — Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Crowded Table” — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
“More Hearts Than Mine” — Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)
“Some People Do” — Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Un Dia (One Day)” — J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
“Intentions” — Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo
“Dynamite” — BTS
“Rain On Me” — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
“Exile” — Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song:
“The Blessing (Live)” — Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship; Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters
“Sunday Morning” — Lecrae Featuring Kirk Franklin; Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, songwriters
“Holy Water” — We The Kingdom; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters
“Famous For (I Believe)” — Tauren Wells Featuring Jenn Johnson; Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters
“There Was Jesus” — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Case Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
Run to the Father — Cody Carnes
All of My Best Friends — Hillsong Young & Free
Holy Water — We the Kingdom
Citizen of Heaven — Tauren Wells
Jesus Is King — Kanye West
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Changes — Justin Bieber
Chromatica — Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Fine Line — Harry Styles
Folklore — Taylor Swift
Best Americana Album:
Old Flowers — Courtney Marie Andrews
Terms Of Surrender — Hiss Golden Messenger
World On The Ground — Sarah Jarosz
El Dorado — Marcus King
Good Souls Better Angels — Lucinda Williams
Best American Roots Performance:
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Deep in Love” — Bonny Light Horseman
“Short and Sweet” — Brittany Howard
“I’ll Be Gone” — Norah Jones & Mavis Staples
“I Remember Everything” — John Prine
Best American Roots Song:
“Cabin” — Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)
“Ceiling to the Floor” — Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)
“Hometown” — Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)
“I Remember Everything” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
“Man Without a Soul” — Tom Overby & Lucina Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)
Best Roots Gospel Album:
Beautiful Day — Mark Bishop
20/20 — The Crabb Family
What Christmas Really Means — The Erwins
Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album) — Fisk Jubilee Singers
Something Beautiful — Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Best Gospel Album:
2econd Wind: Ready — Anthony Brown & group therAPy
My Tribute — Myron Butler
Choirmaster — Ricky Dillard
Gospel According to PJ — PJ Morton
Kierra — Kierra Sheard
Best Contemporary Blues Album:
Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? — Fantastic Negrito
Live At The Paramount — Ruthie Foster Big Band
The Juice — G. Love
Blackbirds — Bettye LaVette
Up And Rolling — North Mississippi Allstars
Best Bluegrass Album:
Man on Fire — Danny Barnes
To Live in Two Worlds, Vol. 1 — Thomm Jutz
North Carolina Songbook — Steep Canyon Rangers
Home — Billy Strings
The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1 — Various Artists
Best Music Film:
Beastie Boys Story — Beastie Boys
Black Is King — Beyoncé
We Are Freestyle Love Supreme — Freestyle Love Supreme
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice — Linda Ronstadt
That Little Ol’ Band From Texas — ZZ Top
For a full list of winners, visit grammy.com.
GrassRoots Promotion’s Scott Whitehead Passes
/by Lorie HollabaughScott Whitehead, business manager for Nashville-based GrassRoots Promotion and FanTheJam.com, passed away suddenly on March 12.
Whitehead and GrassRoots’ Managing Partner/co-owner Nancy Tunick recently celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary. Whitehead was also a musician, songwriter (formerly signed to Acuff-Rose), producer, manager, and a former member of the country duo Hometown News, which scored two charting singles, “Minivan” and “Wheels,” on VFR Records in 2002. Prior to his music career, Whitehead served for eight years in the U.S. Navy flying the F/A-18 Hornet, including missions over Iraq. He is a graduate of the Naval Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun).
In addition to Tunick, survivors include the couple’s two teenage children, an adult son from a previous marriage, three grandchildren and Whitehead’s parents. No immediate funeral services are planned. The family hopes to host a celebration of his life in the summer or fall.
Bill Nowlin Announces New Book About Rounder Records
/by Steven BoeroBill Nowlin, a founder of Nashville’s Rounder Records, is set to release a new book about his career with the label called Venture Vinyl: My Fifty Years at Rounder Records.
The new book, out on April 6, tells stories of Nowlin’s life-long career building the independent label.
Nowlin has written many books, though most have been about his love of baseball. This book focuses on the early years up to and just through when Rounder evolved to a second stage. It goes through how a generational change kept the label healthy and flourishing while so many other cultural enterprises from the era have folded or gone dark.
Venture Vinyl: My Fifty Years at Rounder Records includes original photographs taken by the Nowlin or drawn from the Rounder Records archives. It’s the story of three people with no background in business who took an idea and, through hard work and passion, built something of lasting cultural significance.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts native, along with Ken Irwin and Marian Leighton Levy started Rounder Records in 1970, born out of a “hobby that got out of control,” in the Boston-area.
The now Nashville-based produced over 3,000 albums, specializing in roots music and its contemporary offshoots. Rounder won 56 Grammy awards and documented a swath of music that in many cases might otherwise never have been presented to a broader public. It’s arguably a quintessentially American success story.
The book is published by UK based Equinox Publishing and will be available in paperback and ePUB editions on April 6.
Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Mickey Guyton Glow On Grammy Stage
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Maren Morris and John Mayer perform onstage during the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Photo: Getty Images for The Recording Academy
While its number of performances were few, country music shined on the Grammy stage last night (March 14) at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards.
Miranda Lambert took home the only televised country award, Best Country Album, for her seventh studio album Wildcard. This is Lambert’s second win for Best Country Album, receiving the Award for her No. 1 album Platinum in 2014. She has also previously won Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “The House That Built Me.”
Miranda Lambert. Photo: Getty Images for The Recording Academy
In the pre-telecast, Dan + Shay were awarded Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their collaboration with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours.” The duo made history with this win, becoming first artist to win three times consecutively since the category’s inception. Dan + Shay won the category for the first time in 2019 with 6x Platinum smash “Tequila,” and again in 2020 with 5x Platinum hit “Speechless.”
Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna won Best Country Song for their co-written “Crowded Table,” recorded by The Highwomen. Vince Gill was awarded his 22nd Grammy Award for his performance of “When My Amy Prays,” in the category of Best Country Solo Performance.
The awards were presented outside the Los Angeles Staples Center, with only a handful of masked, socially distanced nominees watching each presentation in an open-air tent. The majority of the performances took place inside. The indoor venue featured five stages in the round. Artists performed for each other before another set of artists replaced them after the performances wrapped.
Host Trevor Noah traveled from the outdoor presenting stage to the indoor performance stage.
The ceremony also featured music venue owners and employees from around the nation who have struggled immensely during the pandemic. Nashville’s Station Inn owner J.T. Gray presented Best Country Album to Lambert, via video. Venue employees from the Troubadour in Los Angeles and the Apollo in New York were a past of the broadcast, as well.
The In Memoriam tribute featured many artists and musical icons that we lost this past year, pulling out a few artists to feature more prominently. Lionel Richie gave tribute to Kenny Rogers by singing their iconic song, “Lady.”
Carlile did a superb job honoring John Prine. She sang “I Remember Everything,” the song that Prine posthumously won Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song for.
When it came time for the country round of performances, Mickey Guyton gave a stellar performance of her moving “Black Like Me.” With this performance, Guyton became the first Black female country artist to perform at the Grammys.
Once Guyton was through, she turned to a beaming Lambert to introduce her next performance. Lambert performed her No. 1 smash hit “Bluebird,” from her now Grammy awarded album Wildcard, under a chandelier of flowers.
Lambert then introduced the next country performer, Maren Morris, as “my Texas gal pal I’ve known since the honky tonk days.” Morris was joined by Joh Mayer playing guitar and singing harmonies on her pop crossover hit, “The Bones.”
There were a few historic moments throughout the telecast. Beyoncé set a new record for most wins by a female artist. Now with 28 Grammys, she surpasses Alison Krauss’ 27 wins. Beyoncé now ties for second most awarded artist at the Grammys with record producer Quincy Jones. Orchestral and operatic conductor Georg Solti holds the record with 31 awards.
Taylor Swift became the first female artist to win Album Of The Year three times for her win with Folklore. This feat ties her with Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder as the only artist to win in that category three times.
Tigirlily Signs With Monument Records
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Louis Newman (Manager), Shane McAnally (Co-President, Monument Records), Kendra Slaubaugh, Krista Slaubaugh, Katie McCartney (GM, Monument Records), Jason Owen (Co-President, Monument Records).
Tigirlily has signed with Monument Records.
The duo, comprised of sisters Krista and Kendra Slaubaugh, announced the news on Ty Bentli’s Apple Radio show last week. Their song “Somebody Does” which they penned with songwriter Zarni DeVette, has rocketed to the top of both the iTunes Country Songs chart and the iTunes All Genres Songs charts since its release in February.
Tigirlily first began touring throughout their home state of North Dakota, as well as South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota, eight years ago when they were just 14 and 16 years old. After relocating to Nashville in 2017, they began writing with fellow artists and performing live weekly at local venues. By the end of 2019 they had 130 shows under their belt including opening for LeAnn Rimes, Big and Rich, Justin Moore and Chris Janson. At the end of last year the duo was featured in the KEDS shoes global fall/winter 2020 campaign titled “Progress: Whatever That Means,” highlighting women entrepreneurs from all over the world.
“We’ve been following what Tigirlily has been doing for a while now, and with this new song, it feels like the perfect time to make it official. We can’t wait to share more music and are thrilled to have them as part of the Monument family,” said Monument Records Co-President Jason Owen.
“At Monument, we have always prided ourselves on finding artists who bring something new and different into the world, and Tigirlily is no exception. They have such a clear vision of who they are, and it’s so exciting to be on this journey with them,” continued Monument Records Co-President Shane McAnally.
“Monument is our dream team,” said Krista Slaubaugh. “After years of being independent artists, we are so excited to be part of a label that brings out the best in their unique artists, and to work with a team that takes artists to the next level.”
“We have been working toward this goal for so long,” adds Kendra Slaubaugh. “The opportunity to collaborate with Jason, Shane, and Katie, along with our manager Louis, is truly a dream come true.”
Rumble On The Row Fights Announced For June Charity Event
/by Lorie HollabaughThe matches for the 17th annual Ringside: A Fight for Kids Rumble on the Row have been announced. The charity boxing event, set for Friday, June 4 at The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee, features three action-packed rounds of amateur boxing between music industry professionals who duke it out in the ring for children’s causes.
This year’s “Rumble on the Row” matchups will include Pat Worstell (Warner Brothers Records, artist development coordinator) VS. Tyler Corrado (BBR Music Group/BMG, social media + fan engagement, manager), songwriters Phillip White (FAME Music Publishing) VS Jaime Paulin (Universal Music Publishing), and Nikki Boon (1021 Entertainment, artist manager) VS Erin Pettit (FBMM, account manager).
Ringside will implement COVID-19 safety protocols, including making it a reduced-capacity event with one less “Rumble” bout, and only a limited number of standing-room tickets and reserved tables available.
“Ringside may be scaled-down a bit this year, but I promise it will pack the same powerful entertainment punch as past years,” said Carolyn Miller, The Charley Foundation’s founder and chairman, and Ringside producer. “The Charley Foundation is eternally grateful to all six of these committed fighters who are already training hard to help area kids.”
Ringside: A Fight for Kids benefits multiple children’s charities in the Nashville area through The Charley Foundation. The evening features gourmet dining, live music, surprise celebrity guests, a silent auction, and the amateur boxing matches sanctioned by USA Boxing. All funds raised through Ringside: A Fight for Kids will provide assistance to disabled and underprivileged children served by medical, recreational, and care groups in the Nashville community.
Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, John Prine Among Grammy Winners
/by LB CantrellNashville artists were well represented at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night (March 14).
Miranda Lambert took home Best Country Album for her seventh studio album, Wildcard.
Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna won Best Country Song for their co-written “Crowded Table,” recorded by The Highwomen.
Vince Gill was awarded his 22nd Grammy Award for his performance of “When My Amy Prays,” in the category of Best Country Solo Performance.
Best Country Duo/Group Performance was awarded to Dan + Shay for their collaboration with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours.” The duo made history with this win, becoming first artist to win three times consecutively since the category’s inception. Dan + Shay won the category for the first time in 2019 with 6x Platinum smash “Tequila,” and again in 2020 with 5x Platinum hit “Speechless.”
The Fisk Jubilee Singers won in the Best Roots Gospel Album category for Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album), which marks their first ever win in their 150-year history.
The late John Prine, who was honored with a tribute by Carlile during the telecast, posthumously won Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song for “I Remember Everything.”
Sarah Jarosz won Best Americana Album for World On The Ground.
Zach Williams and Dolly Parton took home Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “There Was Jesus,” and Kanye West won Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Jesus Is King.
In the general field, Billie Eilish took home Record Of The Year for “Everything I Wanted.” Megan Thee Stallion won Best New Artist. Song Of The Year was awarded to Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas for their song “I Can’t Breathe,” recorded by H.E.R.
Taylor Swift took home Album Of The Year for Folklore. This is her third time winning the honor, making Swift the first female artist to win the award three times, and tying her with Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder as the only artist to win in that category three times.
Below are a selection of winners:
Record Of The Year:
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Rockstar” — DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So” — Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
Song Of The Year:
“Black Parade” — Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box” — Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Cardigan” — Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles” — Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now” — Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe” — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If The World Was Ending” — Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels)
Album Of The Year:
Chilombo — Jhené Aiko
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) — Black Pumas
Everyday Life — Coldplay
Djesse Vol. 3 — Jacob Collier
Women In Music Pt. III — Haim
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Hollywood’s Bleeding — Post Malone
Folklore — Taylor Swift
Best New Artist:
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion
Best Country Album:
Lady Like — Ingrid Andress
Your Life Is A Record — Brandy Clark
Wildcard — Miranda Lambert
Nightfall — Little Big Town
Never Will — Ashley McBryde
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Stick That In Your Country Song” — Eric Church
“Who You Thought I Was” — Brandy Clark
“When My Amy Prays” — Vince Gill
“Black Like Me” — Mickey Guyton
“Bluebird” — Miranda Lambert
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“All Night” — Brothers Osborne
“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
“Ocean” — Lady A
“Sugar Coat” — Little Big Town
“Some People Do” — Old Dominion
Best Country Song:
“Bluebird” — Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“The Bones” — Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Crowded Table” — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
“More Hearts Than Mine” — Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland, songwriters (Ingrid Andress)
“Some People Do” — Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Un Dia (One Day)” — J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
“Intentions” — Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo
“Dynamite” — BTS
“Rain On Me” — Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
“Exile” — Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song:
“The Blessing (Live)” — Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship; Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters
“Sunday Morning” — Lecrae Featuring Kirk Franklin; Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, songwriters
“Holy Water” — We The Kingdom; Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters
“Famous For (I Believe)” — Tauren Wells Featuring Jenn Johnson; Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters
“There Was Jesus” — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Case Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
Run to the Father — Cody Carnes
All of My Best Friends — Hillsong Young & Free
Holy Water — We the Kingdom
Citizen of Heaven — Tauren Wells
Jesus Is King — Kanye West
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Changes — Justin Bieber
Chromatica — Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa
Fine Line — Harry Styles
Folklore — Taylor Swift
Best Americana Album:
Old Flowers — Courtney Marie Andrews
Terms Of Surrender — Hiss Golden Messenger
World On The Ground — Sarah Jarosz
El Dorado — Marcus King
Good Souls Better Angels — Lucinda Williams
Best American Roots Performance:
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Deep in Love” — Bonny Light Horseman
“Short and Sweet” — Brittany Howard
“I’ll Be Gone” — Norah Jones & Mavis Staples
“I Remember Everything” — John Prine
Best American Roots Song:
“Cabin” — Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)
“Ceiling to the Floor” — Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)
“Hometown” — Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)
“I Remember Everything” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
“Man Without a Soul” — Tom Overby & Lucina Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)
Best Roots Gospel Album:
Beautiful Day — Mark Bishop
20/20 — The Crabb Family
What Christmas Really Means — The Erwins
Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album) — Fisk Jubilee Singers
Something Beautiful — Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Best Gospel Album:
2econd Wind: Ready — Anthony Brown & group therAPy
My Tribute — Myron Butler
Choirmaster — Ricky Dillard
Gospel According to PJ — PJ Morton
Kierra — Kierra Sheard
Best Contemporary Blues Album:
Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? — Fantastic Negrito
Live At The Paramount — Ruthie Foster Big Band
The Juice — G. Love
Blackbirds — Bettye LaVette
Up And Rolling — North Mississippi Allstars
Best Bluegrass Album:
Man on Fire — Danny Barnes
To Live in Two Worlds, Vol. 1 — Thomm Jutz
North Carolina Songbook — Steep Canyon Rangers
Home — Billy Strings
The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1 — Various Artists
Best Music Film:
Beastie Boys Story — Beastie Boys
Black Is King — Beyoncé
We Are Freestyle Love Supreme — Freestyle Love Supreme
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice — Linda Ronstadt
That Little Ol’ Band From Texas — ZZ Top
For a full list of winners, visit grammy.com.
CCM News: ‘The Blessing,’ Lauren Daigle, For King & Country
/by Lorie Hollabaugh‘The Blessing’ Continues To Shine With Gold Certification
Pictured (L-R): Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, Steven Furtick, Chris Brown
“The Blessing,” which became a viral hit song around the world just days after its release, recently received RIAA Gold certification. This global worship anthem of 2020 penned by Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes and Elevation Worship, is also nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. “The Blessing” was featured on both Jobe’s latest record The Blessing (Live) and Elevation Worship’s record Graves Into Gardens.
The 2020 GMA Dove Award Worship Song of the Year has also been included on Spotify’s US Viral 50 (playlist) and Global Viral 50 playlists in 11 different countries. With more than 41 different versions and languages globally, “The Blessing” has topped the charts in 34 countries and Top 5 in 77 countries on Apple Christian and Gospel genre charts. The song has been sung in Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, German and French cumulatively producing more than 43.2 million YouTube streams as well as successful covers coming from Africa and Southeast Asia. The song has also been one of the most covered Christian songs on YouTube, with versions representing over 128 countries worldwide.
Lauren Daigle Releases Video For ‘Hold On To Me’
Lauren Daigle has released a new video for her song “Hold On To Me,” and tackles the concept that life is not always what it appears to be in the new clip. Daigle steps behind closed doors to become an observer of some of the stories that don’t make it to the public eye in the video, directed by John Gray. She follows a couple through their everyday lives building a family, witnesses a man behind bars, observes three generations of women in a hospital tackling a health crisis, and watches a child stuck between their parents’ volatile relationship.
“Hold On To Me” embodies a message of hope that no one is alone in their struggles, and over the next several months, Daigle will highlight and raise funds for several organizations that tie into scenes depicted in the video through The Price Fund. All proceeds from this fundraiser will be divided evenly among the organizations to aid in their incredible work.
For King & Country Give Fans Live Show Glimpse With New Concert Special
For King & Country will be showcasing the For King & Country The Live Concert Film—a full-length concert performance from the duo’s Burn The Ships The World Tour on March 25. The one-hour special will offer fans an exclusive perspective of For King & Country’s last arena show before the COVID-19 pandemic, giving a close-up view of the incredible live show that the duo has become known for complete with intimate backstage moments and passionate singalongs with the sold-out audience. For King & Country The Live Concert Film will be available to view on For King & Country’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
“We’ve really missed performing and seeing all of you over the last year,” Joel and Luke Smallbone said. “But, in that time, we’ve been working hard to put together the For King & Country The Live Concert Film for you all! So, on March 25 at 7 p.m. CT, we’d like to invite you to share what was our last sold-out arena show, before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world. Mark your calendars, let’s share some music and together let’s step into a new day.”
Tiera Makes Debut With Self-Titled EP
/by LB CantrellTiera. Photo: Kamren Kennedy
Rising country newcomer Tiera has released her self-titled debut EP, available everywhere today (March 12).
The Alabama-native was the flagship songwriter for Nicolle Galyon’s female-driven publishing house, Songs & Daughters. She was inducted into CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2020 and was honored by the AIMP for their Rising Songwriters Class of 2020. Tiera also hosts an Apple Music Country radio station.
Produced by Cameron Bedell, the five-song project introduces the singer-songwriter’s R&B / country sound. The track list includes two new releases, “Not Your Girl” and “Laid Back,” in addition to her rising track “Found It In You” and collaboration with Breland, “Miles.”
“When I put out ‘Found It In You’ I hadn’t planned to release a full EP, but as my fans grasped onto the single I decided to release this whole collection of songs,” says Tiera. “It was really important for me to release my first full project independently because I wanted to make my stamp on country music in my own way. This is my way of introducing everyone to who I am as an artist. I wrote all of the songs with my friends and favorite collaborators; it is 100% true to me and I hope people have just as much fun listening to these songs as we did writing them.”
Tiera Track List:
“Found It In You” (Tiera, Cameron Bedell)
“Not Your Girl” (Tiera, Cameron Bedell, Jack Newsome)
“Laid Back” (Tiera, Mike Robinson, Rocky Block, Sarah Troy)
“Miles” ft. BRELAND (Tiera, Cameron Bedell, Daniel Breland, Jared Scott)
“Shut It Down” (Tiera, Cameron Bedell, Jared Scott, Neil Medley)
Lady A Shares First Taste Of Upcoming Album In Sassy New Single, ‘Like A Lady’
/by Lorie HollabaughLady A celebrates the confidence of a woman at her best in their new single, “Like A Lady,” that has just been released. The single, an empowered sneak peek into their upcoming eighth studio album, comes as the group’s Hillary Scott is honored as one of 31 women leaders from diverse industries in Dress For Success’ “Your Hour, Her Power” campaign.
Co-written by the group’s Scott with Dave Barnes, Michelle Buzz, Martin Johnson and Brandon Paddock, the danceable throwback anthem finds Scott leading the band with joyful vocal abandon and a playful strut in a shoutout to those who’ve spent the last year learning to live it up in loungewear.
“I feel my most confident when I’m not trying too hard,” Scott explains. “I love getting glammed up and all the fancy clothes, but when I feel the most ‘me,’ it’s a lot more laid back – and I think that’s a lot of us. You are your most authentic self in blue jeans with a tequila drink, ya know? As we were writing it, I was like ‘It’s always been my dream to do a song that combines the things I love about Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ and Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman!’ – two of the most strong, powerful female songs ever. So it was like ‘How can we do our version of that?’”
“We were some of the biggest champions for ‘Like A Lady’ and we’re honored to stand alongside Hillary,” says Lady A’s Dave Haywood. “We’ve had a front row seat to her strength over the years and we love linking arms with her on this song.”
“This song has such a great feel to it,” Lady A’s Charles Kelley adds. “One of the coolest parts of being in a co-ed band is being able to share those different perspectives, so that’s just part of what we get to do.”
Chart Action: Smith & Wesley Debut, Combs Receives Boost
/by Alex ParryMusicRow‘s 2020 Independent Artist of the Year Smith & Wesley debut this week on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart at No. 75. “Under It With You Tonight” has a total of 16 radio stations spinning the single. The single appears on their third studio album, Greetings from the Land of Y’all, which released last September.
Luke Combs’ “Forever After All” received a boost on both the MusicRow and Mediabase charts. Combs continues to be the highest spin gainer on MusicRow adding 171 spins to his total. He also received 66 new ads on the Mediabase chart this week ranking him at No. 50. The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA in February.