Clint Black. Photo: Russ Harrington

BMI will honor Clint Black with the BMI Icon Award during their 73rd annual BMI Country Awards on Nov. 18 at the BMI Nashville office. The invite-only ceremony will be hosted by BMI President and CEO, Mike O’Neill, Executive Vice President, Chief Revenue & Creative Officer, Mike Steinberg and BMI Nashville VP of Creative, Clay Bradley.

The event will also celebrate the Country Songwriter of the Year, Country Song of the Year and Country Publisher of the Year, and also honor the songwriters and music publishers behind this year’s 50 most-performed songs in country music.

“Clint Black’s career is a testament to the power of songwriting, and he is a true trailblazer whose artistry continues to leave an indelible mark on country music,” says Bradley. “He set a new standard for storytelling in song that defined an era. His ability to craft songs that resonate across decades has made him a true BMI Icon.”

Black first became affiliated with BMI in 1993. Since then, he has earned 22 No. 1 singles, all of which he has writing credits on. He has sold over 20 million albums, and has toured for three decades. His debut album, Killin’ Time, consisted of five consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Black has earned awards from the GRAMMY’s, the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and the American Music Awards. Outside of music, Black has also acted in various film and television projects.

The BMI Icon Award recognizes exceptional songwriters for their unique and indelible influence on music. Previous honorees include Bill Anderson, Matraca Berg, Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Dillon, Vince Gill and Hank Williams, Jr., as well as multi-genre creative/songwriting royalty Stevie Nicks, Little Richard, Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Janet Jackson, Bo Diddley, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Peter Gabriel, Al Green, Van Morrison, Sting, Bryan Ferry, Carlos Santana, Los Lobos, and more.

Drake White. Photo: Zack Knudsen

Drake White has released a new documentary, Ladder to the Sky: A Hunts the Healing Story, streaming now exclusively on YouTube.

Ladder to the Sky: A Hunts the Healing Story pulls back the curtain on the singer’s journey from the brink of death following a shocking on-stage stroke in 2019. At the time, medical experts feared he might never walk again, and the thought of potentially playing another gig seemed nearly impossible. But two weeks after the incident, the trail camera in the back of White’s house captured the appearance of a 175-inch buck. The rare vision served as a totem of inspiration, and his fight really began in earnest, with hunting ultimately bringing White back to his feet, back to the stage, and back to life.

Through candid new interviews, White tells this story in his own words joined by friends and confidants such as Riley Green, Zac Brown, Kid Rock, Realtree, and more. To celebrate the documentary, White hosted an intimate premiere and party at Green’s The Duck Blind in Nashville early last month for family, friends, and special guests. Ladder to the Sky: A Hunts the Healing Story was directed by Holt Ingalls and produced by White, Ingalls, Zack Knudson, and Rev White Pictures in association with Hatchee Productions.

Later this fall, White is headlining his second “Benefit For The Brain” concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on November 17 featuring White, Green, Jon Pardi, Kassi Ashton, and more special guests.

White recently served up a set of new singles, “Nuthin’ But a Smile” and “Nights on Fire,” and will be taking the new songs on the road on his headlining “Keep It Movin’ Tour” this fall before joining Riley Green’s 2026 “Cowboy As It Gets Tour.”

Shinedown. Photo: Chris Hollo

Shinedown made their Grand Ole Opry debut Friday night (Oct. 10).

The band was introduced by Carrie Underwood, who said “It is always an honor, and so exciting for me to be at the Opry. Tonight, I am especially honored and excited to introduce our next group. I saw these guys back in concert in 2004 when I was a wee college student and basically, they have not been able to get rid of me ever since! I know that they too are very excited to be here, they love country music, and they love and respect the Grand Ole Opry so much.”

The band started their set with “A Symptom of Being Human,” before moving into their No. 1 song “Three Six Five.” Shinedown then surprised the audience with a performance of a brand new song, “Searchlight.” Brent Smith said “Sometimes when you listen close enough to the universe and you’re willing to receive something from it – a song can come out of thin air,” while introducing the track. “That is something that we don’t take for granted. It’s essentially what happened with this next song: we didn’t find it, it found us.”

Shinedown received a standing ovation to close out the evening. In their post show interview the band said the performance was a “dream come true for us.”

The band will embark on the “2025 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capitol One” this December.

Photo: Riley Mau

Photo: Chris Hollo

Photo: Chris Hollo

Maggie Rose. Photo: Shervin Lainez

Maggie Rose has released her new EP Cocoon, out now on One Riot Records.

Co-produced by Ben Tanner with Davis Naish, the project features the smoldering Grace Potter collaboration “Poison In My Well,” along with new tracks including “Sting,” “Fly” and the title track. Cocoon embodies where Maggie finds herself as both an artist and new mother to son Graham, and sets the stage for 2026 to be her most exciting musical chapter yet.

Maggie recently played Tennessee’s Pilgrimage Festival and surprised the crowd, bringing out Potter to perform “Poison In My Well” for the first time live. The pair will also perform together on The Kelly Clarkson Show on October 30.

Earlier this year Maggie collaborated with Vince Gill for a reimagined version of the Bonnie Raitt classic, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and along with touring hosts her own podcast, Salute The Songbird, where she engages in candid conversations with her female musical heroes.

Cocoon Track List:
1. “Relentless”
2. “Cocoon”
3. “Poison In My Well”
4. “Same Way”
5. “Sting”
6. “Fly”