The T.J. Martell Foundation raised nearly half a million dollars on Monday (Feb. 25) during the 11th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Since the event’s inception in 2009, it has raised over $4 million for cancer research. Honorees were treated to performances by Amy Grant, Brad Paisley, Home Free, Michael McDonald and Old Crow Medicine Show. Special presentations included Aubrey Harwell, Charlie Daniels, Garth Brooks, Steven Webber, and Zane Lowe.

This year’s honorees were:
Kings of Leon – Spirit of Nashville Award
Alabama – Tony Martell Outstanding Entertainment Achievement Award
Sally Williams – Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award
Dr. Kathryn Edwards – Medical Research Advancement Award
Sylvia & Al Ganier – Lifetime Humanitarian Award

The Nashville Honors Gala is one of The T.J. Martell Foundation’s premier events that pays tribute to outstanding community leaders and presents special musical performances with heartwarming presentations that celebrate the evening’s honorees. In addition to the performances, there was a live and silent auction with proceeds benefitting cancer research.

Frank And Ann Bumstead Honored By Nashville Opera

Frank and Ann Bumstead, longtime supporters of Nashville Opera and the Nashville Opera Guild, have been named as the recipients of the 2019 Francis Robinson Award, presented at La Bella Notte 2019. The award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts in the Nashville area, especially to the Nashville Opera, and who have demonstrated longevity in supporting opera in Middle Tennessee. In addition to holding an ongoing membership in the Impresario Council, Ann and Frank Bumstead also underwrite productions each year, and Ann currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Nashville Opera Association, and is a member of the Nashville Opera Guild. In collaboration with the Bumsteads, this award in their honor will be expressed as a scholarship to a Music Business Major at Belmont University.

 

Lauren Alaina, John Legend, Perry Farrell, More Featured In New Pandora Stories

Pandora has introduced Pandora Stories, a new artist marketing tool that allows creators to combine the narrative possibilities of podcasts with the emotional power of music playlists. The first collection, available to all Pandora listeners starting today by searching “Pandora Stories,” features Lauren Alaina, John Legend, Daddy Yankee, Perry Farrell, Wes Anderson music supervisor Randall Poster, and Amy Winehouse collaborator and Dap-Kings guitarist Tommy Brenneck, with forthcoming stories from many more artists to come.

Pandora Stories allow artists to create playlists interspersed with voice tracks so that they can tell the stories behind the music, artists, and inspirations that move them, and bring their songs to life in a uniquely personal way. Pandora Stories also opens music-driven storytelling to a wider realm of musicians, actors, filmmakers, athletes, celebs, authors, podcasters, and thought leaders, giving them access to Pandora’s expansive catalog of songs to contextualize their stories and bring them to life in a new way.

 

Hannah Bethel Inks With Clif Doyal Agency For Management

Hannah Bethel has signed with The Clif Doyal Agency for management. The firm has represented Bethel for publicity and career consulting since September 2018. Bethel released her single and video “Train” in October 2018. Bethel and “Train” were selected as a CMT Music Artist Discovery and the video spent four consecutive weeks in the CMT Music fan-voted “12 Pack Countdown” in January and February. Bethel is currently participating in the CMT Mentorship program where a select group of artists receive monthly mentoring sessions with hit songwriters, media experts, major producers and other leading music industry professionals.

Christian music executives Brad O’Donnell and Hudson Plachy have been promoted to co-presidents of Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG), it was announced today by the company’s Chairman & CEO Peter York, to whom both will report.

In their expanded roles, O’Donnell and Plachy now oversee all day-to-day aspects of CCMG’s creative and financial matters, while continuing to manage the company’s market-leading Label Group—which includes prominent Christian music labels Sparrow, Forefront, Motown Gospel, sixsteps, Hillsong and Jesus Culture, among others—as well as its Capitol Christian Publishing division. They continue to work closely with York to identify and implement label strategy and support the ongoing development of CCMG’s mission to impact lives with quality and compelling music. Both O’Donnell and Plachy are based at the company’s headquarters in Nashville.

O’Donnell, an 18-year veteran of CCMG, was previously the company’s Chief Creative Officer, having been promoted to that position in 2017. He continues to lead CCMG’s label team with Plachy and is responsible for all A&R and creative-related strategic objectives, as well as overseeing A&R Administration and the creative staff for the company’s recorded music and music publishing businesses. O’Donnell now adds full oversight of CCMG’s publishing division to his portfolio, with General Manager of Publishing Casey McGinty now reporting directly to him. He will also work directly with CCMG’s Vice President of Business Affairs Joe Brazil in structuring deals and maintaining productive business relationships with CCMG’s artists, writers and partners.

Plachy, a 17-year veteran of Capitol Christian Music Group, was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer in 2017 and continues to oversee marketing, streaming, promotions and commercial partnerships for the company. He now adds oversight of CCMG’s Finance Department to his portfolio, with company CFO Chris Koon now reporting directly to him. Plachy will also continue to drive the company’s business development projects as well as its international expansion.

According to Peter York, who recently renewed his contract as Chairman & CEO of CCMG, “Hudson and Brad have consistently exhibited excellence, success, loyalty and faithfulness in their respective areas of responsibility for our company. They have demonstrated ambitious vision and market leadership, and have worked tirelessly—along with our amazing team—to achieve another record year for CCMG. Their promotions are extremely well-deserved, further strengthen our leadership structure and better position it for our industry’s continuing and positive evolution. “

Capitol Music Group Chairman & CEO Steve Barnett added, “With Peter continuing to oversee the company at a strategic and leadership development level, and Brad and Hudson taking the day-to-day reins, CCMG is poised for even greater growth from its position as market leader. Last year was the company’s best since 2000, and CCMG becomes even more vital to CMG’s overall success with each passing year. Everyone in the Tower joins me in congratulating Brad and Hudson on their well-deserved promotions, and we thank Peter for continuing to demonstrate exemplary leadership.”

O’Donnell has held A&R leadership positions at CCMG since joining the company in 2001, overseeing the label group roster and the production of numerous chart-topping projects at both radio and retail, as well as playing significant roles in the careers of numerous Platinum and Gold artists, including Chris Tomlin, Mandisa, TobyMac, and many others. He was also instrumental in the development of sixstepsrecords. O’Donnell previously served as Director of A&R at Word Records and earned esteem as a musician, songwriter and producer. He also earned a Master’s degree in Music from the University of Miami, Florida in 1995.

Plachy began his career at CCMG in 2002, when he was hired as a marketing coordinator and worked on the team handling Steven Curtis Chapman, Nichole Nordeman and many others. He was promoted to Manager of International Sales and Distribution in 2008, liaising with the company’s worldwide affiliates to achieve global objectives for the company’s artists and projects. He was promoted to Director of Product Marketing in 2011, then Vice President of Marketing in 2015, and rose to Senior Vice President of Marketing in 2016. Plachy has been integral to the success of such key Platinum and Gold artists as Hillsong United, Switchfoot, TobyMac and many others.

Both O’Donnell and Plachy have played significant roles in the development of global hip-hop star NF, whose 2017 album, Perception, has sold nearly 4 million adjusted albums and achieved more than 5 billion streams.

Luke Combs tops this week’s Country Streaming Songs chart, with 10 million streams of his latest single, “Beautiful Crazy,” according to Nielsen Soundscan. The track also holds the No. 1 position this week on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, and Country Digital Sales charts.

On the Country Streaming Songs chart, Dan + Shay take the No. 2 and No. 3 slots, with “Speechless” (7.7 million streams) and “Tequila” (7.4 million streams). Chris Stapleton‘s “Tennessee Whiskey” is at No. 4 with 7.3 million streams, followed by Kane Brown‘s “Heaven” with 7 million.

As previously reported, Florida Georgia Line topped this week’s Country Albums chart with their latest project, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, which moved 50K in total consumption in its debut week. Comb’s This One’s For You is at No. 2 with 25K in total consumption.

Kacey Musgraves‘ Golden Hour, which topped the country albums chart last week following her multiple Grammy wins, is at No. 3 this week, with 20K. Fellow Grammy winners Dan + Shay see their self-titled project at No. 4 with 15K. Stapleton’s Traveller is at No. 5 with 12K.

Other top country debuts include the Elvis Presley 68 Comeback Special 50th Anniversary, which debuted at No. 9 with 9K, Ryan Bingham‘s American Love Song at No. 12 (7.5K) and Hayes Carll‘s What It Is at No. 26 with 5.2K.