Recording Academy Announces Changes To Grammy Awards, Nominations Review Committees

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The Recording Academy announced Wednesday (June 10) a series of changes that will affect the 63rd Grammy Awards.

The changes to Grammy categories affects the categories of Best New Artist, Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Engineered Album, as well as changes in the Musical Theater and the Latin Urban genres. The rules for the Recording Academy’s nomination review committees have also been updated.

“I’m excited to announce our latest changes, as we’re constantly evaluating our Awards process and evolving it to ensure the GRAMMY Awards are inclusive and reflect the current state of the music industry,” said Harvey Mason jr., Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “The Academy accepts proposals for rule changes from members of the music community throughout the year that are carefully reviewed and, if accepted, ultimately ratified at our annual Board meeting, a process that we are proud to have continued in this challenging year.”

“As a peer-driven and peer-voted award, members of the music community are directly involved in the growth and preservation of the GRAMMYs® process,” said Bill Freimuth, Chief Awards Officer at the Recording Academy. “Each year we receive a number of rule change proposals from artists, producers and songwriters asking us to reevaluate our process to better reflect the current state of the music industry and how it’s evolved over the past 12 months.”

In the Best New Artist Field, the upper limit rule will be removed and will rely on the expertise of the Core and Genre Screening Committees to make the determination as to whether or not an artist had attained prominence in a prior year. An artist will be considered for Best New Artist if their eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape. Minimum releases to meet eligibility are five singles/tracks or one album. While there will be no specified maximum number of releases, the screening committees will be charged with determining whether the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence prior to the eligibility year. Such a determination would result in disqualification. An artist may not enter into this category more than three times, including as a performing member of an established group.

The Best Urban Contemporary Album category will be renamed Best Progressive R&B Album. For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded progressive vocal tracks derivative of R&B. This category is intended for artists whose music includes the more progressive elements of R&B and may include samples and elements of hip-hop, rap, dance, and electronic music. It may also incorporate production elements found in pop, euro-pop, country, rock, folk and alternative.

The Best Rap/Sung Performance will be renamed Best Melodic Rap Performance. This category is intended for performances that use the delivery of rap and melody over modern production. This performance requires a strong and clear presence of melody combined with rap cadence, and is inclusive of dialects, lyrics or performance elements from non-rap genres including R&B, rock, country, electronic or more. The production may include traditional elements of rap or elements characteristic of the aforementioned non-rap genres. Both the song and melody should be considered to fit these criteria to be accepted in this category.

The Latin Pop Album has been renamed Best Latin Pop or Urban Album, and Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album has been renamed Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, to migrate the genres of Latin urban and represent the current state and prominent representation in the Latin urban genres. The Best Latin Pop or Urban Album category is intended to recognize excellence in Latin pop or urban music recordings that utilize a stylistic intention, song structure, lyrical content, and/or musical presentation to create a sensibility that reflects the broad spectrum of Latin pop music style and culture. The category includes recordings from balladeers and commercial Latin music and is not limited to any one region. The Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album category is intended to highlight Latin rock or alternative music recordings that utilize a stylistic intention, song structure, lyrical content and/or musical presentation to create a sensibility that reflects the broad spectrum of the Latin music style and culture.
The Best Engineered Album Categories will allow hi-res audio (greater than rebook audio-44 khz/16bit to be considered in submissions for both Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and Best Engineered Album, Classical.

There are also several substantial changes to the Nominations Review Committee, including:

Term Limit Changes.

The term limit for nominations review committee chairs and members have been further limited, to three years on and one year off for committee members, and three years on/two years off for Chairpersons. Committee members may serve a maximum of five consecutive years, if they served on the committee first and were then elected to be chair. Two years off still applies in these cases.
Changes To Discourage Potential Conflicts Of Interest.

At the time of invitation to participate on a Nominations Review Committee, a conflict of interest disclosure form will be provided. Each person invited to be a member of such a committee must disclose to the best of their knowledge whether, in connection with any recording that may be entered in the current year’s GRAMMY Awards process, (a) the person would be in line to receive a GRAMMY nomination or win for any recordings being considered in a particular category, (b) the person would have any direct or indirect financial ties to the recordings or creators under consideration, (c) the person has immediate familial ties to any of the artists in the top voter selections, and/or (d) any other conflict of interest, actual or perceived.

If a recording listed by the invitee presents a conflict of interest, the Academy will notify the committee member that they cannot participate on the committee that year.
If, in the unlikely event that, despite these pro-active efforts a conflict is discovered during the committee meeting, that person will be notified and recused from the meeting.
Failure to voluntarily disclose any conflict of interest will result in the person being barred from future Nominations Review Committee participation
For the full list of rule amendments for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, which were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy’s most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held in May 2020, click here.

Brad Paisley Surprises Best Friends After Unity Post Goes Viral

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A couple of New York buddies who were encouraging the world to unwind a bit in the midst of all of the recent unrest got a shoutout from an unexpected place recently when Brad Paisley had some beer delivered to them and got on a Zoom call to say hello.

The interracial friends, Marcus Ellis, a black man, and Benjamin Smith, a white man, had set up a front yard makeshift bar/hangout in Pittsford, New York, where they toasted traffic next to signs reading “Black or white, relax and have a beer.” Their gesture inviting people to stop in for a beer and conversation was spot on with Paisley’s latest single, “No I In Beer,” and Paisley inspired by their act of solidarity.

“I’m so inspired by you, and we thought we should deliver more beer than you could possibly drink,” Paisley said during the Zoom call to the duo. “I’m trying to hear out my friends in the black community. That’s what you guys are doing … together, the same thing.”

Tanya Tucker To Hold Warehouse Sale To Benefit Music Health Alliance, ACM Lifting Lives

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Tanya Tucker will sell off stage outfits, jewelry, antiques, furniture and more as part of a warehouse sale beginning Wednesday (June 10), all to benefit Music Health Alliance and ACM Lifting Lives.
The warehouse sale will be held June 10-13 at 2484 Park Plus Drive in Columbia, Tennessee. The sale also includes music, books, shoes, dishes, bedding, designer handbags and more.

Sale hours are as follows:

Wednesday, June 10:  2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday, June 11: 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Friday, June 12: 12 p.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday, June 13: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Tucker launched her career in 1972 at age 13 with “Delta Dawn.” Since then, she released 23 Top 40 albums, and earned 56 Top 40 country singles, including 10 No. 1 country hits. “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane,” “It’s A Little Too Late,” “Trouble,” and “If It Don’t Come Easy” are among her signature hits. She’s also earned two CMA Awards, two ACMs, and three CMT Awards. Earlier this year, she earned two Grammy Awards for Best Country Album (While I’m Livin’) and Best Country Song (“Bring My Flowers Now”).

Mojo Music And Media, Neil Medley Extend Co-Publishing Relationship

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Neil Medley. Photo: Blu Sanders

Mojo Music and Media has extended its exclusive co-publishing partnership with songwriter Neil Medley.

Medley has had songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Tyler Farr with Jason Aldean and more. He has co-written two singles currently at country radio, including “I Don’t Love You” (Lindsay Ell) and “Made For You” (Jake Owen).

“Neil’s lyrical prowess and true song sense combined with his always grinding work ethic makes for a great fit here at Mojo,” said Mojo Sr. Creative Director, Keithan Melton. “Our team is thrilled Neil continues to trust his career and songs to us and we look forward to what lies ahead.”

Medley added, “It was an easy decision to extend my partnership with Mojo. I am proud of the opportunities, the success, and most importantly, the catalog of music this team and I have built
in just three short years. I believe we are on to something very special.”

Butch Baker, Mojo Sr. VP adds, “We are so excited to continue our relationship with Neil. We’ve already started this year with a bang and I believe this will be his best year yet. His commitment to a great lyric teamed with a unique melody is only matched by an incredible work ethic. Can’t wait to see what the future holds and I know it will be bright!”

Mojo Music and Media’s Nashville roster also includes Mike Walker, Joe Clemmons and writer/producers Bart Butler and Lalo.

Sony Music Nashville/Villa 40 Sign Drew Green

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Drew Green. Photo: Ford Fairchild

Sony Music Nashville and Villa 40 have signed Drew Green to a label deal, as part of a long-term joint venture between Sony Music Nashville and the Villa 40 imprint, which was co-founded by industry execs Joe Fisher and Brad Margolis.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better team,” Green says of Villa 40/Sony Music Nashville. “It’s been a long journey, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Over my five years songwriting, I realized it’s all about hard work, and I’m so excited to be surrounded by a group that believes that and believes in me.”

Green, a McMinnville, Tennessee native, earned a slot as the singer for Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge’s house band. He also continued writing songs and inked a publishing deal in 2018 with Brett James’ Cornman Music, a co-venture with Warner Chappell Music Nashville. James is also Green’s manager.

In 2019, Florida Georgia Line cut “Colorado,” which Green co-wrote with Hunter Phelps and Michael Hardy (HARDY), for their album Can’t Say I Ain’t Country. On June 11, Green will release his own debut track, “Little More Be Alright,” at all streaming platforms and digital retailers.

Citadel Country Spirit USA Festival Rescheduled For 2021

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The Citadel Country Spirit USA Festival in Chester, Pennsylvania, has been postponed until next year due to the ongoing pandemic.

The three-day country festival was originally scheduled for Aug. 28-30 at Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Grounds in Chester County’s Brandywine Valley, but will now take place Aug. 27-29, 2021 at the same location.

“We were hopeful the COVID-19 situation would improve significantly and rules would be relaxed enough for us to stage a spectacular event in August,” Alan Jacoby, executive producer of Impact Entertainment, said. “Unfortunately, the governor’s proclamation as well as health and safety circumstances beyond our control are prohibiting mass gatherings this summer. Our festivals are not social-distancing-oriented events. They are thousands and thousands of like-minded country music fans coming together for a big celebration. While disappointing for this year, we’re committed to producing a phenomenal fest in 2021.”

Previously purchased three-day passes, single-day tickets and parking upgrades will be honored for the 2021 dates. Refund options are also available, and more information and updates can be found at countryspiritusa.com. An updated artist lineup for the 2021 festival will be announced in coming weeks; the 2020 lineup was to include Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Chris Young, Carly Pearce, RaeLynn, and more.

The Cadillac Three, Michael Ray, Tenille Townes To Play ‘Nashville Meets London’ Virtual Concert

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Nashville Meets London has teamed with London’s Royal Albert Hall for a virtual concert set for July 18, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. CT, as part of the venue’s recently-launched livestream series Royal Albert Home.

The Cadillac Three, Michael Ray, Tenille Townes and Yorkshire native Twinnie are all set to take part in the free event, which will be hosted by Country Hits Radio, as well as Mainly Music radio presenter Matt Spracklen.

The event will be livestreamed at the Royal Albert Hall YouTube channel and at royalalberthall.com.

The show aims to raise funds for the Royal Albert Hall, which is closed for the first time since World War II. Like all arts venues across the UK, the Hall is in financial crisis as a result of the pandemic. Since closing its doors on March 17, its online concerts – featuring artists including Rufus Wainwright, KT Tunstall, Richard Thompson and Ayanna Witter-Johnson – have been streamed more than a million times, inspiring donations totaling over £50,000.

Lucy Noble, Artistic Director of the Royal Albert Hall, said, “This series has spotlighted an incredible collection of world class talents working in an extraordinary array of genres. Since we launched on 9 April, we’ve featured everything from Baxter Dury to Bach cello suites, from spoken word to homegrown soul. Now we’re absolutely delighted to announce the first country music concert as part of Royal Albert Home, showcasing four fantastic acts who’ll bring a little bit of Nashville into your living room. The line-up illustrates just how exciting and eclectic the world of country is right now, and we can’t wait to share this show with you.”

Leigh Parr Malleus Elevated To VP/Media Marketing At UMG Nashville

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Leigh Parr Malleus has been promoted to Vice President of Media Marketing at Universal Music Group Nashville. In her new role, Malleus will oversee the publicity department for UMG Nashville including Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. The announcement follows yesterday’s reveal that UMG’s Lori Christian has risen to the role of Sr. VP, Marketing.

Since joining the company in 2013, Malleus has overseen the publicity for UMG Nashville roster artists including Brandon Lay, Dierks Bentley, George Strait, Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Kassi Ashton, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Sam Hunt and Shania Twain. Prior to joining UMG Nashville, Malleus was a publicist with Essential Broadcast Media. She also worked in management at McGhee Entertainment, and spent several years at WME.

“Leigh has been an integral part of the publicity and overall marketing team for the last seven years,” said Lori Christian, UMG Nashville SVP of Marketing. “Her diverse career experience, ability to always look at the big picture and calm presence make her an incredible publicist and a great leader.”

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Lucinda Williams Team For Upcoming Tour Dates

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Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will tour next year with special guest Lucinda Williams.

The string of tour dates will launch July 19, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada, before winding down the West Coast through Washington and California and heading east through Kansas and Arkansas. The show will conclude with three Texas dates in Austin and Dallas.

With their latest album, Reunions, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit recently spent multiple weeks atop the country albums chart, bolstered by the album’s songs including the call to action, “What’ve I Done To Help.”

In April, Williams released her 15th full-length project, Good Souls Better Angels.

Tickets are on sale now at lucindawilliams.com/tour.

See tour dates below:

Provident Music Group Rebrands As Provident Entertainment

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Provident Music Group has rebranded as Provident Entertainment, to showcase the company’s wide spectrum of faith-based entertainment.

Provident Entertainment, which operates under the umbrella of Sony Music Nashville, includes Provident Label Group, RCA Inspiration, Essential Worship, Essential Music Publishing, Provident Films, and Essential Artist Services.

Terry Hemmings, CEO and President, Provident Entertainment, says, “The name change to Provident Entertainment reflects the growth of the business over the past decade, which has broadened into film, music publishing, and merchandising, as well as the addition of RCA Inspiration, the industry leader in Gospel music. These expansions have created a fully functional and interwoven entertainment business. With the support of our parent company Sony Music Entertainment, Provident Entertainment has advanced beyond the bounds of a typical record label into a trusted faith and family content company that serves the traditional music listener, the church and worship music community, and the film-going consumer. Provident Entertainment is one company working together for the good of the whole, and its name change reflects that attitude and philosophy.”

Provident Entertainment is home to artists including Casting Crowns, Zach Williams, Koryn Hawthorne, Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene, Matt Maher, Marvin Sapp, Matthew West and Tauren Wells. It is also the publisher of chart-topping and award-winning songs such as “You Say” recorded by Lauren Daigle, Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love,” Zach Williams’ “Chain Breaker,” “Only Jesus” by Casting Crowns, and “Known” by Tauren Wells, among many others.

Over the last two years, Provident Label Group has earned 12 RIAA Gold-certified singles, six Platinum-certified singles, and one Gold-certified album. Provident Label Group artists have had five No. 1 radio singles, 20 Top 5 singles, and has remained No. 1 in the radio market share over the past 12 months, including Casting Crowns’ top-charting single “Nobody (ft. Matthew West),” which held the top spot for 15 weeks. Since 2017, Provident Label Group has received 35 GMA Dove Award nominations, eight GMA Dove Award wins—including two New Artist of the Year awards (Tauren Wells, Zach Williams) and Artist of the Year (Zach Williams)—as well as five Grammy nominations.

RCA Inspiration is home to powerhouse names in Gospel and Inspirational music including Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene, Koryn Hawthorne, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, and Le’Andria Johnson, to name a few. The label is Billboard’s Top Gospel Label with more than 30 Gold and Platinum releases. In 2019, RCA Inspiration had a 17 percent share of Gospel radio, making it No. 1 in the market.

In addition to Provident Label Group and RCA Inspiration, Provident Entertainment recently launched hip-hop label Essential Sound with pioneer hip-hop artist KB as its first project to release. KB has placed his thumbprint on hip-hop while invoking the power of spiritual conviction. He is a GMA Dove Award winner and a Stellar Award nomination recipient, and has a Billboard No. 1 Christian Album and No. 4 Rap Album.

Essential Publishing is home to more than 60 No. 1 songs, including four No. 1 country songs. In addition, Essential Music Publishing has received four GMA Dove Award Song of the Year awards, nine Grammy nominations, and two Grammy awards in the last two years. In 2019, Essential Publishing received the BMI Publisher of the Year Award and has been SESAC’s Publisher of the Year four times. Essential Publishing writers include Jason Ingram, Matt Maher, Jonathan Smith, Zach Williams, Tauren Wells, Ethan Hulse, Mia Fieldes, Ran Jackson, Bryan Fowler, and others. Essential Music Publishing also developed the Essential Worship imprint and church marketing platform representing hundreds of worship songs to the church, including “Great Are You Lord,” “Reckless Love, “O Come to the Altar,” “Tremble,” “Glorious Day,” as well as the worship/church platforms Elevation Worship, Vertical Worship, one sonic society, Red Rocks Worship, and more.

Provident Films, which launched in 2006, has produced faith-based films including the Kendrick Brothers’ Overcomer, War Room, Courageous, Fireproof, and Facing The Giants, the Erwin Brothers’ Woodlawn, Moms Night Out, and October Baby, and Kirk Cameron’s Unstoppable and Revive Us. Also under the Provident Entertainment umbrella is the artist merchandise division Essential Artist Services, which works in fields including music, non-profit, academic, and business, and has a segment devoted to tour, festival and event vending.