Following Monday’s (May 13) announcement of this year’s nominees for the 31st annual MusicRow Awards, we take a closer look at the Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year category. Voted by MusicRow’s subscribed members, the category honors a Nashville songwriter and artist who for the first time wrote or co-wrote a Top 10 song.
The MusicRow Awards will be presented at a invitation-only ceremony on June 26.
See the full list of nominees.
Winners are determined solely by MusicRow subscribers. Voting closes on May 21 at 5 p.m. If you do not have a subscription, you may subscribe to receive a ballot.
2019 Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year nominees:
Jimmie Allen co-wrote his No. 1 single “Best Shot” with fellow MusicRow Awards nominees Josh London and JP Williams. The song made history as the first time a black artist took their first-ever single to No. 1 at country radio, and the first time since 2012 a debut single spent three weeks at No. 1. Following that success, Allen’s “Make Me Want To” was most added at country radio in its first week. It’s the second single off his debut album Mercury Lane.
Seth Ennis is nominated in this category for co-writing “Hooked,” with fellow nominee Morgan Evans, and 2018 nominee Lindsay Rimes. Dylan Scott’s recording of the song went to No. 2 and is certified Gold. Ennis is multi-talented—he co-wrote, co-produced and played all the instruments on his own debut single, “Woke Up In Nashville.” For his current single, “Call Your Mama,” Ennis collaborated with fellow 2019 MusicRow Awards nominees Michael Hardy and Jordan Reynolds.
Morgan Evans was co-writer of two big country hits during the eligibility period: his own U.S. debut single “Kiss Somebody,” and “Hooked,” recorded by Dylan Scott. “Hooked” was written with fellow Breakthrough Artist-Writer nominee Seth Ennis, and 2018 Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Lindsay Rimes. Australian-born Evans penned his No. 1, “Kiss Somebody,” with Chris DeStefano and 2019 Male Songwriter of the Year nominee Josh Osborne. Evans followed that success with currently rising single “Day Drunk.”
Riley Green is nominated for co-writing his Top 5 hit “There Was This Girl.” He penned the song with Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Erik Dylan, and they also collaborated on Green’s other recently-released tune “Bettin’ Man” alongside Jonathan Singleton. Green also co-wrote his brand new single “In Love By Now.” He is an Alabama native who built a following by touring the Southeast and will continue on the road this summer with Brad Paisley.
HARDY charted two No. 1s as a songwriter during the eligibility period: “Simple” recorded by Florida Georgia Line, and “Up Down,” recorded by Morgan Wallen ft. FGL. HARDY wrote “Simple” with FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley along with 2019 Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Mark Holman. For “Up Down,” HARDY collaborated with fellow nominees Brad Clawson and CJ Solar. HARDY’s own debut single “Rednecker” is on the charts, as is his co-write, “God’s Country,” recorded by Blake Shelton.
CJ Solar co-wrote “Up Down” with fellow 2019 nominees Brad Clawson and HARDY, and the recording by Morgan Wallen ft. Florida Georgia Line became a No. 1 hit. While experiencing success as a songwriter, Solar also scored as an artist. His singles “Airplane” and “American Girls” reached No. 15 on the MusicRow Chart, helping him earn the MusicRow CountryBreakout Award for Independent Artist of the Year. Solar also has credits on singles by Jerrod Niemann and Kyle Park.
In Pictures: BMI Songwriters Bring The Heat To 24th Annual Key West Songwriters Festival
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): BMI’s Nina Carter, Liz Rose, Heather Morgan, Mags Duvall, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, and Sarah Buxton at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
BMI songwriters just wrapped up another Key West Songwriters Festival, now in its 24th year. Year after year, BMI brings some of Nashville’s best talent to the island for five days of music by established songwriters as well as up-and-comers.
The rowdy week of performances was kicked off on Wednesday night (May 8) with a concert featuring Key West veterans HARDY and The Dylan Altman Blues Band. Throughout the week, fans were treated to a slew of free programming as well as curated theater shows including rounds from Big Loud and The Girls of Nashville. The annual street party on Duval featured Sony Music Nashville recording artists Ryan Hurd and Mitchell Tenpenny, both hit songwriters as well as artists.
Pictured: Mitchell Tenpenny and BMI’s David Preston. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured: Ryan Hurd performs at the Duval Street Main Stage at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s MaryAnn Keen, HARDY, Storme Warren, and BMI’s Mason Hunter. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured (L-R): Ben Burgess, Jacob Durette, Brock Berryhill, and BMI’s Josh Tomlinson. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured: Dean Dillon at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured: Willie Jones at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Spencer Nohe, Josh Kerr, Parker Welling, Hannah Ellis, Nick Wayne, and BMI’s MaryAnn Keen at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Mitch Ballard, Robert Earl Keen, Lee Roy Parnell, Lisa Stewart, and BMI’s Mason Hunter at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured: Chris Lane at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured (L-R): Jack Ingram and Jon Randall perform at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured: Cole Swindell at the Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
2019 MusicRow Awards Category Profile: Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year
/by Jessica NicholsonFollowing Monday’s (May 13) announcement of this year’s nominees for the 31st annual MusicRow Awards, we take a closer look at the Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year category. Voted by MusicRow’s subscribed members, the category honors a Nashville songwriter and artist who for the first time wrote or co-wrote a Top 10 song.
The MusicRow Awards will be presented at a invitation-only ceremony on June 26.
See the full list of nominees.
Winners are determined solely by MusicRow subscribers. Voting closes on May 21 at 5 p.m. If you do not have a subscription, you may subscribe to receive a ballot.
2019 Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year nominees:
Jimmie Allen co-wrote his No. 1 single “Best Shot” with fellow MusicRow Awards nominees Josh London and JP Williams. The song made history as the first time a black artist took their first-ever single to No. 1 at country radio, and the first time since 2012 a debut single spent three weeks at No. 1. Following that success, Allen’s “Make Me Want To” was most added at country radio in its first week. It’s the second single off his debut album Mercury Lane.
Seth Ennis is nominated in this category for co-writing “Hooked,” with fellow nominee Morgan Evans, and 2018 nominee Lindsay Rimes. Dylan Scott’s recording of the song went to No. 2 and is certified Gold. Ennis is multi-talented—he co-wrote, co-produced and played all the instruments on his own debut single, “Woke Up In Nashville.” For his current single, “Call Your Mama,” Ennis collaborated with fellow 2019 MusicRow Awards nominees Michael Hardy and Jordan Reynolds.
Morgan Evans was co-writer of two big country hits during the eligibility period: his own U.S. debut single “Kiss Somebody,” and “Hooked,” recorded by Dylan Scott. “Hooked” was written with fellow Breakthrough Artist-Writer nominee Seth Ennis, and 2018 Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Lindsay Rimes. Australian-born Evans penned his No. 1, “Kiss Somebody,” with Chris DeStefano and 2019 Male Songwriter of the Year nominee Josh Osborne. Evans followed that success with currently rising single “Day Drunk.”
Riley Green is nominated for co-writing his Top 5 hit “There Was This Girl.” He penned the song with Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Erik Dylan, and they also collaborated on Green’s other recently-released tune “Bettin’ Man” alongside Jonathan Singleton. Green also co-wrote his brand new single “In Love By Now.” He is an Alabama native who built a following by touring the Southeast and will continue on the road this summer with Brad Paisley.
HARDY charted two No. 1s as a songwriter during the eligibility period: “Simple” recorded by Florida Georgia Line, and “Up Down,” recorded by Morgan Wallen ft. FGL. HARDY wrote “Simple” with FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley along with 2019 Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Mark Holman. For “Up Down,” HARDY collaborated with fellow nominees Brad Clawson and CJ Solar. HARDY’s own debut single “Rednecker” is on the charts, as is his co-write, “God’s Country,” recorded by Blake Shelton.
CJ Solar co-wrote “Up Down” with fellow 2019 nominees Brad Clawson and HARDY, and the recording by Morgan Wallen ft. Florida Georgia Line became a No. 1 hit. While experiencing success as a songwriter, Solar also scored as an artist. His singles “Airplane” and “American Girls” reached No. 15 on the MusicRow Chart, helping him earn the MusicRow CountryBreakout Award for Independent Artist of the Year. Solar also has credits on singles by Jerrod Niemann and Kyle Park.
2019 MusicRow Awards Category Profile: Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year
/by Sarah SkatesFollowing Monday’s (May 13) announcement of this year’s nominees for the 31st annual MusicRow Awards, we take a closer look at the Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year category. Voted by MusicRow’s subscribed members, the category honors a Nashville songwriter and artist who for the first time wrote or co-wrote a Top 10 song.
The MusicRow Awards will be presented at a invitation-only ceremony on June 26.
See the full list of nominees.
Winners are determined solely by MusicRow subscribers. Voting closes on May 21 at 5 p.m. If you do not have a subscription, you may subscribe to receive a ballot.
2019 Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year nominees:
Jimmie Allen co-wrote his No. 1 single “Best Shot” with fellow MusicRow Awards nominees Josh London and JP Williams. The song made history as the first time a black artist took their first-ever single to No. 1 at country radio, and the first time since 2012 a debut single spent three weeks at No. 1. Following that success, Allen’s “Make Me Want To” was most added at country radio in its first week. It’s the second single off his debut album Mercury Lane.
Seth Ennis is nominated in this category for co-writing “Hooked,” with fellow nominee Morgan Evans, and 2018 nominee Lindsay Rimes. Dylan Scott’s recording of the song went to No. 2 and is certified Gold. Ennis is multi-talented—he co-wrote, co-produced and played all the instruments on his own debut single, “Woke Up In Nashville.” For his current single, “Call Your Mama,” Ennis collaborated with fellow 2019 MusicRow Awards nominees Michael Hardy and Jordan Reynolds.
Morgan Evans was co-writer of two big country hits during the eligibility period: his own U.S. debut single “Kiss Somebody,” and “Hooked,” recorded by Dylan Scott. “Hooked” was written with fellow Breakthrough Artist-Writer nominee Seth Ennis, and 2018 Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Lindsay Rimes. Australian-born Evans penned his No. 1, “Kiss Somebody,” with Chris DeStefano and 2019 Male Songwriter of the Year nominee Josh Osborne. Evans followed that success with currently rising single “Day Drunk.”
Riley Green is nominated for co-writing his Top 5 hit “There Was This Girl.” He penned the song with Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Erik Dylan, and they also collaborated on Green’s other recently-released tune “Bettin’ Man” alongside Jonathan Singleton. Green also co-wrote his brand new single “In Love By Now.” He is an Alabama native who built a following by touring the Southeast and will continue on the road this summer with Brad Paisley.
HARDY charted two No. 1s as a songwriter during the eligibility period: “Simple” recorded by Florida Georgia Line, and “Up Down,” recorded by Morgan Wallen ft. FGL. HARDY wrote “Simple” with FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley along with 2019 Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Mark Holman. For “Up Down,” HARDY collaborated with fellow nominees Brad Clawson and CJ Solar. HARDY’s own debut single “Rednecker” is on the charts, as is his co-write, “God’s Country,” recorded by Blake Shelton.
CJ Solar co-wrote “Up Down” with fellow 2019 nominees Brad Clawson and HARDY, and the recording by Morgan Wallen ft. Florida Georgia Line became a No. 1 hit. While experiencing success as a songwriter, Solar also scored as an artist. His singles “Airplane” and “American Girls” reached No. 15 on the MusicRow Chart, helping him earn the MusicRow CountryBreakout Award for Independent Artist of the Year. Solar also has credits on singles by Jerrod Niemann and Kyle Park.
CMA Reveals Awards Ballot Schedule, Opens Submissions For Broadcast Awards
/by Jessica NicholsonThe balloting timeline for the upcoming Country Music Association Awards has been revealed, with an eligibility period from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
The first ballot and instructions will be emailed Monday, July 8 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes Wednesday, July 17 (6 p.m. CT).
The second ballot will be emailed to CMA members Monday, Aug. 12. Voting for the second ballot closes Tuesday, Aug. 20 (6 p.m. CT). The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Winners of The 53rd Annual CMA Awards will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Thursday, Oct. 24 (6 p.m. CT).
Eligible members of the Country Music Association can now submit applications online for the 2019 CMA Broadcast Awards for Broadcast Personality, Station and National Broadcast Personality of the Year at broadcast.CMAawards.com.
CMA Broadcast Awards are presented for Personality and Station of the Year in four categories that are determined by market size (Major, Large, Medium and Small), as well as CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year.
To submit an entry, CMA member radio stations and broadcast personalities in the U.S. and Canada can log on to broadcast.CMAawards.com, where guidelines and instructions for entries are posted. The site will continue to accept submissions until June 30, 2019 (5:00 PM/CT). All CMA Broadcast Awards entries must reflect performances and events between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019. CMA’s panel of judges, which includes distinguished radio and industry professionals, will be able to view and evaluate each entry online.
CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be notified in early October and recognized at The 53rd Annual CMA Awards, which will be held in November in Nashville. The annual, three-hour awards ceremony will broadcast live on the ABC Television Network. Nominees and winners for the 2019 CMA Broadcast Awards and The 53rd Annual CMA Awards are determined by more than 7,400 professional members of CMA, which is the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music, established in 1958.
CMA Awards ballots are tabulated by the professional services organization Deloitte.
CMA Reveals Awards Ballot Schedule, Opens Submissions For Broadcast Awards
/by Jessica NicholsonThe first ballot and instructions will be emailed Monday, July 8 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes Wednesday, July 17 (6 p.m. CT).
The second ballot will be emailed to CMA members Monday, Aug. 12. Voting for the second ballot closes Tuesday, Aug. 20 (6 p.m. CT). The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Winners of The 53rd Annual CMA Awards will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Thursday, Oct. 24 (6 p.m. CT).
Eligible members of the Country Music Association can now submit applications online for the 2019 CMA Broadcast Awards for Broadcast Personality, Station and National Broadcast Personality of the Year at broadcast.CMAawards.com.
CMA Broadcast Awards are presented for Personality and Station of the Year in four categories that are determined by market size (Major, Large, Medium and Small), as well as CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year.
To submit an entry, CMA member radio stations and broadcast personalities in the U.S. and Canada can log on to broadcast.CMAawards.com, where guidelines and instructions for entries are posted. The site will continue to accept submissions until June 30, 2019 (5:00 PM/CT). All CMA Broadcast Awards entries must reflect performances and events between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019. CMA’s panel of judges, which includes distinguished radio and industry professionals, will be able to view and evaluate each entry online.
CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be notified in early October and recognized at The 53rd Annual CMA Awards, which will be held in November in Nashville. The annual, three-hour awards ceremony will broadcast live on the ABC Television Network. Nominees and winners for the 2019 CMA Broadcast Awards and The 53rd Annual CMA Awards are determined by more than 7,400 professional members of CMA, which is the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music, established in 1958.
CMA Awards ballots are tabulated by the professional services organization Deloitte.
Dave Pittenger Inks With Big Yellow Dog Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Carla Wallace, Big Yellow Dog Music; T.D. Ruth, Sterling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LP; Dave Pittenger; Lauren Funk, Big Yellow Dog Music; Jacee Badeaux, Big Yellow Dog Music
Dave Pittenger has signed with Big Yellow Dog Music.
Pittenger has penned songs for Tyler Farr, Jessie James Decker, Parmalee, and more and has had commercial placement of his songs in national TV ads for Pizza Hut, Cablevision, Colgate, and Biofenac.
“Working at Big Yellow Dog Music has given me the opportunity to work with some of the top writers in this industry,” says Senior Creative Director Lauren Funk. “When I met Dave, I heard his talent and saw his dedication for music. I knew he was the caliber of writer who has walked these halls and written hit songs in these rooms. We are so excited to have Dave be a part of our Big Yellow Dog team and we look forward to helping guide his writing and producing career for many years to come.”
Pittenger joins the Big Yellow Dog Music roster from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a background in classical and jazz composition. After chasing his music career to New York City, Pittenger has found a home for his multi-faceted artistry working with a wide array of country artists.
Dave Pittenger Inks With Big Yellow Dog Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Carla Wallace, Big Yellow Dog Music; T.D. Ruth, Sterling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LP; Dave Pittenger; Lauren Funk, Big Yellow Dog Music; Jacee Badeaux, Big Yellow Dog Music
Dave Pittenger has signed with Big Yellow Dog Music.
Pittenger has penned songs for Tyler Farr, Jessie James Decker, Parmalee, and more and has had commercial placement of his songs in national TV ads for Pizza Hut, Cablevision, Colgate, and Biofenac.
“Working at Big Yellow Dog Music has given me the opportunity to work with some of the top writers in this industry,” says Senior Creative Director Lauren Funk. “When I met Dave, I heard his talent and saw his dedication for music. I knew he was the caliber of writer who has walked these halls and written hit songs in these rooms. We are so excited to have Dave be a part of our Big Yellow Dog team and we look forward to helping guide his writing and producing career for many years to come.”
Pittenger joins the Big Yellow Dog Music roster from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a background in classical and jazz composition. After chasing his music career to New York City, Pittenger has found a home for his multi-faceted artistry working with a wide array of country artists.
Charles Esten Signs With APA
/by Lorie HollabaughCharles Esten. Photo: Christie Goodwin
Nashville star Charles Esten has signed with APA for music representation.
Since his appearance on the drama series, Esten has performed hundreds of live concerts over the last six years, including three sold-out Nashville In Concert shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall. He has also performed at the C2C Festival in the O2 Arena, the CMC Festival in Australia, Stagecoach in California, CMA Fest in Nashville, as well as The Bluebird Café, The Ryman Auditorium, and The Grand Ole Opry—where he made his 100th appearance last summer.
In January, Esten completed his first sold-out 12-city solo tour through the UK and The Netherlands, with plans to return to the UK this October. He also made musical history when he earned a Guinness World Records title for his #EverySingleFriday campaign, which yielded 54 original songs that he wrote, recorded and released once a week for 54 consecutive weeks. The songs have already been streamed worldwide nearly eight million times.
Esten, who also currently stars in the upcoming Netflix YA drama Outer Banks, is a Virginia native who started his acting career in L.A. before making his theatrical debut portraying Buddy Holly in London’s hit West End musical Buddy. Esten’s other credits include an upcoming recurring role on TNT’s Tell Me Your Secrets, as well as recurring roles on Disney Channel’s Jessie, HBO’s Enlightened and Big Love, and NBC’s ER. Feature credits include Swing Vote, Thirteen Days, and The Postman. Esten continues to be represented by manager Patty Puskar, Loeb & Loeb Nashville, and Artists & Representatives for theatrical.
Charles Esten Signs With APA
/by Lorie HollabaughCharles Esten. Photo: Christie Goodwin
Nashville star Charles Esten has signed with APA for music representation.
Since his appearance on the drama series, Esten has performed hundreds of live concerts over the last six years, including three sold-out Nashville In Concert shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall. He has also performed at the C2C Festival in the O2 Arena, the CMC Festival in Australia, Stagecoach in California, CMA Fest in Nashville, as well as The Bluebird Café, The Ryman Auditorium, and The Grand Ole Opry—where he made his 100th appearance last summer.
In January, Esten completed his first sold-out 12-city solo tour through the UK and The Netherlands, with plans to return to the UK this October. He also made musical history when he earned a Guinness World Records title for his #EverySingleFriday campaign, which yielded 54 original songs that he wrote, recorded and released once a week for 54 consecutive weeks. The songs have already been streamed worldwide nearly eight million times.
Esten, who also currently stars in the upcoming Netflix YA drama Outer Banks, is a Virginia native who started his acting career in L.A. before making his theatrical debut portraying Buddy Holly in London’s hit West End musical Buddy. Esten’s other credits include an upcoming recurring role on TNT’s Tell Me Your Secrets, as well as recurring roles on Disney Channel’s Jessie, HBO’s Enlightened and Big Love, and NBC’s ER. Feature credits include Swing Vote, Thirteen Days, and The Postman. Esten continues to be represented by manager Patty Puskar, Loeb & Loeb Nashville, and Artists & Representatives for theatrical.
Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Dan+Shay, Kelsea Ballerini Added To CMT Music Awards
/by Jessica NicholsonCMT will make history this year as the 2019 CMT Music Awards will be filled with more performances than ever before, featuring superstars Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, and more to be announced.
Hosted by award-winning musical talent Little Big Town, the show will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT.
Last week, CMT unveiled the full lineup of artists in the running for this year’s awards. Of the performers announced thus far, singer-songwriter Maren Morris leads the pack with three nominations, including Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year for “GIRL,” in addition to a nomination for CMT Performance of the Year for her collaboration with Brandi Carlile for “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” from the 2018 CMT Artists of the Year special.
Additionally, Carrie Underwood, the most awarded artist in CMT Music Awards history, will make an exciting return to the CMT stage to perform. Underwood is nominated for two awards this year, including Video of the Year for “Cry Pretty” and Female Video of the Year for “Love Wins.”
Fans can vote now for their favorite artists via vote.cmt.com, up until 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 4 for all categories. Tickets to the 2019 CMT Music Awards are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.