NIVA’s #SOSFest Raises Nearly $2 Million For Independent Music Venues

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The three-day virtual Save Our Stages festival, held Oct. 16-18 via the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)’s YouTube channel, featured more than 30 artists, including Reba, Brittany Howard, and Little Big Town, offering live performances from 25 historic indie music venues across the nation.

The festival raised more than $1.8 million to aid independent music venues that have been forced to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds raised include donations from YouTube Giving’s donate button, #SOSFEST merchandise sales, the Save Our Stages official website and more.

NIVA was launched this year in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown, and now represents more than 2,900 members in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. According to NIVA, 90% of closed venues report that they could be forced to shut down permanently if they do not receive aid, and many have already closed.

NIVA has been aggressively lobbying Congress to pass legislation to help indie venues weather the pandemic and support the Save Our Stages Act, which was authored by Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn in July. On Oct. 1, the House of Representatives passed the revised HEROES Act stimulus package, a $2.2 trillion package which includes provisions of the Save Our Stages Act.

Grammy Nominees Announcement Set For Nov. 24

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Nominees for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 24. The hour-long livestream will begin at approximately 12 p.m. ET on grammy.com, with Chair and Interim Recording Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. reading categories, joined by past Grammy winners, nominees and hopefuls from remote locations across the country.

Immediately following, nominees for all 84 categories will be released via press release, on GRAMMY.com, and the Recording Academy’s social media platforms. The 63rd Grammy Awards will be broadcast on CBS on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. ET.

Dan+Shay To Perform On ‘Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy’

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Dan + Shay, Alicia Keys, Offset and Shawn Mendes will perform on Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy, a nationally televised and streamed event airing on CBS that will be streamed via CBS All Access on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 9 p.m. ET. The special will also be available on iHeartMedia radio stations and its app, Apple Music, Apple TV App, Amazon Music, Twitch, NowThis, YouTube, Twitter, TIDAL and Facebook, and more to be announced.

Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Cobie Smulders, Coldplay, Condoleezza Rice, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, John Kasich, Kelly Clarkson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Shaquille O’Neal, Tan France, Wilmer Valderrama, and more will also appear on the special, which will honor and celebrate the power of voting through music, dance and dialogue.

Hosted by Keys, America Ferrera, and Kerry Washington, the show brings together artists, musicians, performers, and community leaders for a nonpartisan celebration of American democracy, with the goal of uplifting the power of civic action and celebrating the precious value of every single citizen’s right to vote.

“The purpose for this special is to remind and inspire all Americans of the power of their voice and their vote,” said Keys. “It’s a challenging time but we have the opportunity to continue to show up and shape the world we want to live in. In a democracy, every vote counts, so we want to encourage and uplift each other and remember we all have a say in the direction of our country because everyone’s participation matters. Also, for many young people across the country, this is their first time voting so we want to make sure they understand the magnitude of this time and learn why this is one of the most exciting moments in the Democratic process.”

Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings Teams With Spotify For Country Music Podcast

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Spotify and Scooter Braun‘s Ithaca Holdings have entered a podcast development deal together that will kick off with the debut of a new podcast series, Country Shine with Graham Bunn, set to premiere exclusively on Spotify on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Country Shine with Graham Bunn will debut new episodes twice a week on Spotify, hosted by country radio and TV host, Bunn, with co-host and sports reporter Camryn Irwin.

On Tuesdays, listeners will be invited into intimate conversations with Graham and Camryn about the latest stories coming out of Nashville and what the industry is buzzing about. On Fridays, Graham sits down with top country artists, including Kip Moore and Brett Young.

“As an early investor in Spotify many years ago, we’ve collaborated closely with the entire team and have watched as they continue to trailblaze the industry. We look forward to creating some incredible shows and couldn’t have picked a better series to kick things off than with Country Shine with Graham Bunn. Graham is a true talent and his connections in the country music community are unparalleled, this is a can’t-miss show,” said Ithaca Holdings Chairman and Country Shine with Graham Bunn Executive Producer Braun. Braun’s powerhouse management company SB Projects works with clients including Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Ariana Grande, Dan+Shay (with Sandbox Entertainment), and more.

In addition to Country Shine with Graham Bunn, Ithaca will develop a slate of pop-culture driven scripted and unscripted podcasts for Spotify. Scott Manson, COO of SB Projects and James Shin, SVP of Film/TV of SB Projects, will oversee slate development on behalf of the Ithaca Holdings team.

“As the leading global audio platform, Spotify is thrilled to announce our partnership with Graham Bunn, Scooter Braun and the entire team. We are excited to see how their portfolio will grow and shape the intersection of music and podcasts, starting with their first Spotify exclusive Country Shine with Graham Bunn,” said Spotify Head of Network Programming Liz Gateley.

“Humbled to represent such globally respected companies like Spotify and OBB Media as well as Scooter and his entire team. Their leadership and vision are unparalleled,” said Bunn. “Together, we’re creating a home for all country music lovers.”

Listen to Country Shine‘s trailer here. 

DISClaimer Singles Reviews: Lee Brice, Miranda Lambert, Jaden Hamilton, And More

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Pictured (clockwise from top left): Lee Brice, Jaden Hamilton, Miranda Lambert

Today, we’re holding on to fading summertime as hard as we can, and as usual country music has the soundtrack.

There’s so much warmth to like here that the Disc of the Day award is being divided into categories. Our Male Vocalist winner is, hands down, Lee Brice. The best Female disc belongs to a reigning queen, Miranda Lambert. The group performance is “Pink,” which combines the talents of five women from multiple genres.

The DISCovery Award goes to Sony newcomer Jaden Hamilton.

WALKER COUNTY / “Drag It Out”
Writers: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Warner
– Vocally smooth and languid, but produced with punch. The sisters’ harmony is ultra warm and close as they essay this lyric about getting the “goodbye” over with. The relationship is toast, so let’s make the going as painless as possible. Nicely done.

JORDAN DAVIS / “Lose You”
Writers: Jordan Davis/Josh Kerr/Josh Dorr/Paul DiGiovanni; Publishers: none listed; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; MCA Nashville
– While his single “Almost Maybes” continues to rise on the charts, Davis issues this tuneful, tasteful meditation on keeping love alive. Rhythmic and pleasant.

RYAN KINDER & SYKAMORE / “Doing Fine”
Writers: Ryan Kinder/Jordan Ostrom/Justin Morgan; Publisher: none listed; Producer: none listed; Warner
– This is a fiery male-female duet performance that builds in intensity as it unspools. One person can’t move on if the other person doesn’t hurt as badly. I have always liked this guy’s singing, and he’s just as potent with a harmony partner. Sykamore was discovered and brought to Nashville by Rhett Akins. She’s a winner, and this is definitely worth your spins.

MIRANDA LAMBERT / “Settling Down”
Writers: Miranda Lambert/Luke Dick/Natalie Hemby; Publishers: Sony-ATV Tree/Pink Dog/Emileon/Little Louder/Songs of Kobalt/Songs of Universal/Wrucke For You, BMIl Producer: Jay Joyce; RCA/Vanner
– An awesome, swirling production surrounds this lovely contemplation of a life lived as both a gypsy and a homebody. This lady always rocks my world.

ADAM DOLEAC / “Whiskey’s Fine”
Writers: Adam Doleac/Monty Criswell; Publishers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Arista
– I reviewed this song three years ago when he had it out as an independent artist. With a push by Arista, it’s now getting another shot. “Come on in, the whiskey’s fine,” he says to the old flame who knocks on his door in the dead of night. The lyric is sexy and his vocal delivery has passion.

DOLLY PARTON, MONICA, JORDIN SPARKS, RITA WILSON & SARA EVANS / “Pink”
Writers: Erin Kinsey/Jodi Marr/Victoria Shaw; Publishers: none listed; Producer: Victoria Shaw; Brighter Day
– Wilson is a breast-cancer survivor. This stirring, uplifting, all-star anthem looks to a better day when there is a cure, “when pink is just another color.” This disease will affect one in eight women in America. The 12th annual “Opry Goes Pink” show is this Saturday in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It will star Wilson, co-writers Kinsey and Shaw, Lauren Alaina and Little Big Town.

ROBYN OTTOLINI / “F-150″
Writers: Robyn Ottolini/Erik Fintelman/Mark Schroor; Publisher: none listed; Producer: none listed; Warner
– She’s doing fine, getting over him and moving on with her life. Then she sees the kind of truck he drives and is flooded with memories and regret. The production rushes and crashes around her, then becomes suddenly still. Very effective.

CLARE DUNN / “We Are”
Writers: Clare Dunn/Mark Holman/Connie Harrington; Publishers: none listed; Producer: Clare Dunn; Big Yellow Dog
– She’s one of our finest current singers, and her throaty style is on full display here. The track rocks with plenty of frothing pop energy. It’s awfully hard not to get caught up in the excitement of this celebratory track.

JADEN HAMILTON / “Ain’t That Something”
Writers: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Producer: Matthew McVaney; Sony
– There’s something kinda warm and intimate in his singing. The overall vibe is a gently rolling Texas/Strait sound with sympathetic fiddle-and-steel-guitar backing. Very promising.

LEE BRICE / “Memory I Don’t Mess With”
Writers: Lee Brice/Brian Davis/Billy Montana; Publishers: none listed; Producers: Kyle Jacobs & Ben Glover; Curb
– What a powerful performance. He’s a mighty, mighty man. Brice depicts the anguish of seeing The One and being overcome with longing and regret that she slipped away from him. He piles ache on ache in this power ballad. It’s yet another master work by this artist.

RUSSELL DICKERSON / “Never Get Old”
Writers: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Producers: Russell Dickerson, Casey Brown & Dann Huff; Triple Tigers
– It’s a clap-stomp, shout-along party anthem. Rousing and catchy as can be.

Capitol CMG/RE:THINK Partners With Gabriel Conte

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Emerging pop star and content creator Gabriel Conte has partnered with Capitol CMG/RE:THINK, following the release of his first single “I’m Not Sorry.”

“I’m Not Sorry,” which was released Oct. 2, has earned more than 1 million cumulative streams.

“Gabriel is a prolific creator with an incredible story,” says CCMG Co-President Brad O’Donnell. “His upcoming release displays his talent and ability to write/sing about life in a way that draws people in.”

“Gabriel’s impact in media & culture is widely evident,” adds CCMG Co-President Hudson Plachy. “We’re excited to partner with Gabriel in amplifying his voice through his new original music.”

“I’m so grateful to be a part of the Capitol family and to release my debut album with such a collaborative team that believes in me as an artist!” says Conte.

Conte, who has a cumulative following of more than 10 million, has charted on 14 different Billboard charts and debuted No.1 with an EP on six of those 14. Alongside his wife Jess, Conte released an EP called Under the Covers, which featured acoustic covers of songs by Elvis Presley, John Legend and more. Three volumes of Under the Covers came between 2017 and 2019, with several stand out performances garnering more than 8 million streams.

Conte is represented by Scale Management, Creative Artist Agency and Shore Fire Media.

Don McLean ‘Still Playin’ Favorites’ With New Covers Album

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Don McLean is covering a treasury of music from country, folk, gospel, bluegrass, blues, jazz and soul for his new album of covers, Still Playin’ Favorites, due out tomorrow (Oct. 23) through Time Life.

The collection pays homage to American music and features songs made famous by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Clyde Moody, Mel Tillis, Ray Charles, Mahalia Jackson, Elvis Presley, and more, spanning more than 100 years of songwriting. He discusses several of the tracks in a new video series on his YouTube channel, including “Backwater Blues,” originally recorded by Bessie Smith in 1927.

“I just love writing songs and I love hearing songs by good writers that make sense and have lyrics that say something and that are pretty simple,” McLean explains about the concept behind the album. “When it came to recording “Got The Bull By The Horns,” originally performed by Johnny Horton, “I changed a few of the words, I hope he won’t mind,” McLean admits good-naturedly.

Still Playin’ Favorites is modeled after his first album of cover songs, Playin’ Favorites, which was released in 1973 on the heels of his masterworks “American Pie” and “Vincent.”

Still Playin’ Favorites track listing:
1. So Doggone Lonesome (Johnny Cash)
2. Greenback Dollar (Hoyt Axton, Ken Ramsey)
3. Hide Nor Hair (Morton Craft, Percy Mayfield)
4. I Ain’t Never (Webb Pierce, Mel Tillis)
5. Little Sister (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman)
6. I’m Going To Live The Life I Sing About in My Song (Thomas A. Dorsey)
7. Six White Horses (Clyde Moody)
8. Treat Me Nice (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)
9. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine) (Bob Dylan)
10. Backwater Blues (Bessie Smith)
11. The Keys to the Kingdom (Jenny Lou Carson)
12. Got The Bull By The Horns (Amos E. Byrd, Billy Jones)
13. Tell Old Bill (Traditional, Arranged by Don McLean)
14. She Used To Love Me A Lot (Charles W. Quillen, Dennis Morgan, Kye Fleming)

Katie Kerkhover Joins BMG As Sr. Director, Creative

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Katie Kerkhover

BMG has appointed Katie Kerkhover Senior Director, Creative to its music publishing team in Nashville.

Kerkhover will be responsible for BMG’s chart-topping Nashville publishing roster including hitmakers Scooter Carusoe, Ben Goldsmith, James Slater, and Wynn Varble, among others, and signing and developing new songwriters and artists. She will report directly to Chris Oglesby, SVP Creative.

Kerkhover joins from Sony/ATV, where she served as Creative Manager. Previously, she worked as an A&R consultant at CAM Creative and was a touring musician for artists including Sara Evans and Billy Currington.

Said Oglesby, “Katie is a wonderful addition to BMG. Her passion, determination, and character elevate our publishing business in Nashville, as she is the perfect fit for our exceptional songwriters and team. We are thrilled to welcome Katie in her new role and look forward to developing even more high-level opportunities and success for our writers.”

Charley Pride To Receive CMA’s 2020 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

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Charley Pride

This year’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is legend Charley Pride. Pride will accept the honor during the upcoming 54th annual CMA Awards, which will air live from Nashville’s Music City Center on Wednesday, Nov. 11 on ABC.

“Charley Pride is the epitome of a trailblazer,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Few other artists have grown country music’s rich heritage and led to the advancement of country music around the world like Charley. His distinctive voice has created a timeless legacy that continues to echo through the country community today. We could not be more excited to honor Charley with one of CMA’s highest accolades.”

Previous recipients of the award include Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016) and Kris Kristofferson (2019).

The Award was established to recognize an artist who has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales and public representation at the highest level. The artist receiving this Award has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre throughout a course of years that have proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on fans and industry alike.

Pride’s distinctive voice and keen song sense made him country music’s first Black superstar, and one of country music’s most enduring artists. Between his chart debut in 1966, and 1989, Pride had 29 No. 1 country hits and over 50 Top 10 tracks, including enduring classics like “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone” (1970), “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” (1971) and “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)” (1969).

In 1971, he was named CMA Entertainer of the Year as well as Male Vocalist of the Year in both 1971 and 1972—making him the first artist to win the Male Vocalist honor twice. Pride was also the first Black man to co-host the CMA Awards, taking the reins in 1975 alongside Glen Campbell. He became a Grand Ole Opry member in 1993 and in 2000, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He holds three Grammy Awards and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy in 2017.

This year’s awards show will be co-hosted by Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker on Nov. 11.

CMT Music Awards Winners

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Carrie Underwood was this year’s top winner at the CMT Music Awards on Oct. 21, taking home two honors, including the evening’s top prize, Video of the Year, as well as Female Video of the Year, for “Drinking Alone.”

Other winners included Dan+Shay, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Chris Young, and Old Dominion, as well as newcomer Gabby Barrett. Superstar Taylor Swift made an appearance on the show, honoring Barrett with the Breakthrough Video of the Year honor, for her smash hit “I Hope.”

This year’s awards were hosted by Ashley McBryde, Kane Brown, and Modern Family actor Sarah Hyland.

 

Nominees are below (WINNERS in red).

VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director.

Finalists:
Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
Keith Urban – “Polaroid”
Tanya Tucker – “Bring My Flowers Now”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
Carrie Underwood – “Drinking Alone”
Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
Kelsea Ballerini – “homecoming queen?”
Maren Morris – “The Bones”
Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

Jason Aldean – “Got What I Got”
Luke Bryan – “One Margarita”
Luke Combs – “Even Though I’m Leaving”
Morgan Wallen – “Chasin’ You (Dream Video)”
Sam Hunt – “Hard To Forget”
Thomas Rhett – “Remember You Young”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

Lady A – “Champagne Night”
Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
Midland – “Cheatin’ Songs (Live From the Palomino)”
Old Dominion – “One Man Band”
The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
The Highwomen – “Crowded Table”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

Brothers Osborne – “All Night (Studio Performance)”
Dan + Shay – “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
Florida Georgia Line – “Blessings”
LOCASH – “One Big Country Song”
Maddie & Tae – “Die From A Broken Heart”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

Blanco Brown – “The Git Up”
Caylee Hammack – “Family Tree”
Gabby Barrett – “I Hope”
Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than Mine”
Riley Green – “I Wish Grandpas Never Died”
Travis Denning – “After a Few”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani – “Nobody But You”
Carly Pearce and Lee Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber – “10,000 Hours”
Kane Brown featuring Nelly – “Cool Again”
Marshmello and Kane Brown – “One Thing Right”
Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi – “Beer Can’t Fix”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

From CMT Artists of the Year: Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
From CMT Crossroads: Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs – “Brand New Man”
From CMT Artists of the Year: Chris Young – “Drowning”
From CMT Crossroads: Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini – “Graveyard”
From CMT Artists of the Year: Sam Hunt – “Fancy”
From CMT Crossroads: Sheryl Crow and Chris Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”