Carrie Underwood Stars In NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ Show Open For 14th Consecutive Year

Carrie Underwood will star in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the 14^th consecutive season beginning Sept. 13 on NBC and Peacock. In the latest evolution of SNF’s show opens since 2013, this year’s edition features scenes in the recording studio, in a small music venue, and a concert performance in a packed stadium.

The show open for Sunday Night Football, primetime television’s No. 1 program for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years, will debut leading into the season debut of SNF featuring the Dallas Cowboys visiting the New York Giants. A preview will debut during the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on NBC and Peacock on Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET as the Carolina Panthers face the Arizona Cardinals.

 

Brooks & Dunn Add New RIAA Hardware With Six New Platinum-Plus Certs

Brooks & Dunn has added new RIAA certifications to their catalog. The Country Music Hall of Famers’ “Red Dirt Road” has now reached triple Platinum, “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” and “Ain’t Nothin’ Bout You” are certified double Platinum, and “She’s Not The Cheatin’ Kind,” “Hard Workin’ Man” and “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” are each now Platinum. Originally released years before streaming became the industry’s dominant format, the songs continue to find new audiences today. The duo’s expanded “Neon Moon Tour” kicks off next month.

 

Eccho Live Seeking New Executive Director

ECCHO Live is seeking a new Executive Director. The Executive Director provides leadership, operational oversight, and strategic direction in service of the organization’s mission. The ED is responsible for all aspects of organizational management including, programs, finances, human resources, fundraising, communications, and external affairs, while serving as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors and its committees.

Interested candidates should submit a current résumé and a cover letter sharing their nonprofit experience and connection to the live events and touring industry via email to elle@nonprofit-leadership.com. Candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of Aug. 19. Founder Chris Lisle will remain in the role until that new hire is onboarded.

 

Girls Write Nashville To Receive NPEF’s 2026 Thomas J. Sherrard Inspiring Innovation Award

Girls Write Nashville has been named a recipient of the 2026 Thomas J. Sherrard Inspiring Innovation Award by the Nashville Public Education Foundation, recognizing the organization’s contribution to public education through its longstanding partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools. Through expressive arts and creative youth development, Girls Write Nashville helps young people with belonging, well-being, and creative confidence. The award will be presented during the 22nd Annual Public Schools Hall of Fame Luncheon on Aug. 27 at Music City Center, celebrating individuals and organizations making exceptional contributions to public education in Nashville.

Founded in 2016, Girls Write Nashville during the 2026–27 school year, will provide more than 12,000 free participant-hours of creative youth development programming for MNPS students through in-school, after-school, mentorship, and music production programs.

Laci Kaye Booth is set to kick off her first-ever headline tour, the “Love Ain’t For The Faint Of Heart Tour,” Sept. 27 in Chicago.

The seven-date tour in support of her new album Love Ain’t For The Faint Of Heart, due out Sept. 18 via Lost Highway Records, will include stops in Brooklyn, Columbus, Indianapolis, Lexington and more, wrapping in Los Angeles on Oct. 15.

Tickets will go on-sale to the public on Aug. 6 here.

Booth, who was named as one of Spotify’s Artists to Watch for 2026 and CMT’s Next Women of Country, recently kicked off a run of dates supporting Ella Langley on her “Dandelion Arena Tour.” Leading into her new album Booth released two singles, “Pathetic,” and “Ethereal Redneck Shit,” which she performed during CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium’s Platform Stage and Spotify House. She is also featured on Carter Faith’s new song “Pearl Handled Pistol” with Baby Nova.

“Love Ain’t For The Faint Of Heart Tour” Dates:
9/27 – Chicago, IL – Carol’s Pub
9/30 – Lakewood, OH – Mahall’s 20 Lanes
10/2 – Brooklyn, NY – Desert 5 Spot
10/5 – Columbus, OH – Ace Of Cups
10/6 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Indy
10/7 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
10/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Desert 5 Spot

Vince Gill has released Eighteen Summers, the latest EP in his year-long 50 Years From Home Series.

The upbeat, slightly Cajun-flavored title track kicks the ninth EP off as a duet with co-writer Cyndi Thomson, a fellow country singer who had some hits during the early 2000s. Gill wrote the smooth, swinging “I’m All the Mississippi You’ll Ever Need” from the project with Belle Frantz, but credits Steve Earle with inspiring the title.

“Steve had this bass player named Dennis Crouch, who has played with everybody – a world-class musician,” says Gill. “Steve used to introduce him and would say, ‘This cat over here is all the Arkansas you’ll ever need.’ That always stuck with me, and when Belle and I were writing I asked her where she was from and she said Mississippi, so I said, ‘OK, maybe this is the time.’ Some songs just show up a whole lot later than you ever anticipated.”

The two-stepping, twangy and slightly sinister “I’ll Haunt Your Memory” marks Gill’s first co-write with Carter Faith, and Gill wrote the mellow, lovelorn “Gone Like Yesterday” himself, wallowing in how “Misery keeps me company.” The tone is decidedly happier on “Dancing In Texas,” a collaboration with Catie Offerman with a three-quarter time sway that invites listeners to leave their problems behind. “I’ve lived in a waltz tempo.” Gill notes. “Waltzes built my house – ‘When I Call Your Name,’ ‘Pocket Full of Gold,’ those kinds of songs. I’ve always been drawn to waltzes because when I was a little boy my mom taught me how to do it, and the only kind of dancing I still do is an occasional waltz.”

“Last Night at Closing Time” penned with Brad Warren, Brett Warren, (The Warren Brothers) and Preston Cooper, offers another mood shift. The mid-tempo ode to loneliness features a soul-piercing pedal steel solo by Paul Franklin, and introduces a protagonist who passes away in the last verse. For the EP’s previously-released single Gill chose “What the Cowgirls Do,” his hit from 1994’s When Love Finds You album.

Gill’s familial musical roots are celebrated on Eighteen Summers on the guitar featured on the cover. It’s been around Gill his whole life, though he doesn’t know where it came from initially. “It’s a tiny little thing I used to drag around with me everywhere and bang and beat on it,” he remembers. “My mom has a picture of me sleeping face down on the couch when I was about a year and a half, maybe two years old, with my arm around that guitar.”

Commemorating his departure from Oklahoma to begin his music career, Gill has been releasing a new EP each month, drawing from songs he’s written mostly over the past few years.

Eighteen Summers Track List:
1. “Eighteen Summers” (Vince Gill, Cyndi Thomson)
2. “I’m All The Mississippi You’ll Ever Need” (Vince Gill, Belle Frantz)
3. “I’ll Haunt Your Memory” (Vince Gill, Carter Faith, Ashley Monroe)
4. “Gone Like Yesterday” (Vince Gill)
5. “Dancing In Texas” (Vince Gill, Catie Offerman)
6. “Last Night At Closing Time” (Vince Gill, Preston Cooper, Brett Warren, Brad Warren)
7. “What The Cowgirls Do” (Vince Gill, John Jarvis)

Josh Rouse has inked with New West Records.

Rouse first broke through with his 1998 debut, Dressed Up Like Nebraska. He has since released 13 more critically acclaimed albums, blending folk, roots rock and classic pop with thoughtful songwriting. After living in Spain for more than a decade, Rouse won a Goya Award for his song “Do You Really Want To Be In Love.” Since returning to Nashville in 2018 with his wife and children, he has continued to tour and record, performing at venues and festivals around the world, including Glastonbury and Massey Hall.

Alongside the signing, Rouse has revealed he will release his new album Museums and Women on Oct. 23. The 10-song album was produced by Brad Jones. Museums and Women finds Rouse at his most hopeful and romantic, mixing thoughtful lyrics with subtle humor as he tells stories of drifters and dreamers finding meaning in everyday life. The songs balance bittersweet emotion with warm, understated melodies, creating a rich, cinematic look at the people who briefly pass through our lives.

“I was drawn to these songs because they’re so observational,” says Rouse. “They’re full of characters and stories I dreamed up from little moments that sparked my imagination on the road. At the end of the day, though, it’s inevitable that I’m in there somewhere, too.”

He will also hit the road this fall to support the album, with stops in Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia and more through Nov. 21.

Niklas Juritsch has signed with Range Music.

Originally from Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria, Juritsch has garnered upward of eight million combined digital streams and nearly 100,000 monthly Spotify listeners. He has performed at London’s Lil Nashville, American SpeedFest in the U.K., Sweden’s Buckle Up Country Fest and made multiple appearances at Nashville’s Whiskey Jam. He is currently in the studio with plans to release new music later this year.

“Signing with Range is a dream come true,” says Juritsch. “Nashville has always felt like home creatively. Moving there to write, record, and immerse myself in the songwriting community is something I’ve worked toward for years. I’m incredibly grateful to have found a team that believes in my music and my long-term vision. I can’t wait to share this next chapter with listeners around the world.”

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Niklas as an artist on Range Music’s label,” shares Jack Minihan, Managing Partner at Range Media Partners and Range Music. “From the moment we heard his music, it was clear that he has a unique voice, a genuine connection to his songwriting, and the type of artistry that can resonate with audiences around the world. We believe in Niklas’ vision and are thrilled to be part of this next chapter as he moves to Nashville, immerses himself in the songwriting community, and continues building his career as an artist.”

“Niklas has dedicated years to developing his craft, and this signing is a testament to his talent, work ethic, and commitment to becoming the best artist he can be,” adds Liam Sullivan, Founder and Artist Manager of Deep Cuts Management Co. “From the beginning, our goal has been to build a long-term international career rooted in Nashville, and Range Music shares that vision. We are excited to partner with a team that understands Niklas as an artist and believes in the future we are building together.”