The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will present singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha with a Breakthrough Artist Award at the Music Biz 2019 Conference’s Awards & Hall of Fame Dinner on Tuesday, May 7 at the JW Marriott Nashville.

The award is presented to artists who have truly emerged and made a particularly significant impact on the music scene in the past year, and who are poised to propel to stellar new heights. Rexha will join the ranks of past winners, including last year’s recipient, singer/songwriter Julia Michaels, as well as Ariana Grande, Sam Hunt, Meghan Trainor, Halsey, Maren Morris, Lukas Graham, Nicki Minaj, John Legend, Carrie Underwood, and The Killers, among others.

“From crafting infectious hits across multiple genres to the successful launch of her debut album, Expectations, Bebe Rexha has made an undeniable impression on the music business that has only solidified even more in the past year,” commented Music Biz President James Donio. “With 12 million overall single sales, six billion total global streams and a radio audience of more than 10 billion, her success is unmistakable and she is more than deserving of our Breakthrough Artist Award.”

After Rexha’s debut album, Expectations, was released on June 22, her single “I’m a Mess” shot up the charts. By then, Rexha was no stranger to smashing chart records; “Meant to Be,” her collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, landed on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs list for 50 weeks in a row. It also won the Choice Country Song Award at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards and was chosen for Best Collaboration at the 2018 MuchMusic Video Awards.

Rexha has also penned songs for multiple artists, including “Like a Champion” for Selena Gomez and “Glowing” for Nikki Williams. Her foremost songwriting project was the Grammy-winning “The Monster” for Eminem and Rihanna, released in 2013, a smash hit that went platinum six times over stateside. Most recently, she wrote the hook for “Hey Mama,” the David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack hit that went platinum three times. Her music spans multiple genres – from hip-hop and pop, to alternative rock and country.

Rexha also scored a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with “Me, Myself & I” featuring G-Eazy, and was  featured on “In The Name of Love,” the hit Martin Garrix single that has earned more than 332 million views on YouTube. Her single, “I Got You” earned more than 244 million views; and single “No Broken Hearts,” featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 241 million views.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rexha taught herself to play guitar and piano and spent her childhood singing in the choir and performing in musicals. In 2010, she met Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and became lead vocalist for his electronic project Black Cards, before setting out on her own as a solo artist. She has released three solo EPs: I Don’t Wanna Grow Up (2015), All Your Fault: Pt. 1 (2016), and All Your Fault: Pt. 2 (2017).

Music Biz 2019 will take place May 5-8 at the JW Marriott in downtown Nashville.

Carlton Anderson performs for MusicRow staffers. Photo: Eric T. Parker/MusicRow

Growing up in a middle class family just outside of Houston, Texas, Carlton Anderson watched his father, and plenty of others in the community work in “black gold,” the oil rigs. Anderson even tried his own hand at it.

“I did that just long enough to know it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” says Anderson. “I did a lot of odd jobs before picking up a guitar.”

Blessed with a talent for songwriting and a confident baritone, Anderson played in honkytonk bars around Texas, mixing originals with songs made famous by his heroes such as George Strait, Willie Nelson, and Alan Jackson. Soon knew he had a choice to make.

Instead of following his father into the oil business, Anderson enrolled in Belmont University’s music business program in Nashville. He became the first in his family to graduate college.

Along the way, he auditioned for The Voice, but didn’t make the final cut for the televised portion of the audition, for which he is now grateful.

“It got to the last 100 people and then all the teams filled up, but that was a blessing in disguise.”

Meanwhile, he was also knocking on doors around Music City.

“As a songwriter, you are used to being told ‘no’ before you are told ‘yes,’” he says. “I think I got told no by every publishing company in this town before Warner/Chappell said ‘yes’ in 2015.”

It didn’t take long for others in Nashville’s music community to take note of the warm Texas twang in Anderson’s baritone voice, and his throwback country sound.

Earlier this year, it was announced Anderson had joined Sony Music Nashville’s Arista Nashville imprint. He is managed by Morris Higham’s Robert Filhart and is aligned with ASCAP.

Anderson also earned his first official cut as a writer, having co-written “Where Cowboys Are King,” a track on Cody Johnson’s upcoming debut album for WMN, Ain’t Nothin’ To It.

During a visit to the MusicRow Magazine office, Anderson poured his own Texas-to-Tennessee story into the track “Raised,” penned with Trent Willmon and Phil O’Donnell.

He also offered his debut major label single, “Drop Everything,” penned by Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, and Ashley Gorley. He penned another track, “Keep Abilene Beautiful,” with Tony Lane and Tom Douglas.

“It’s amazing to get into rooms with songwriters who are my heroes,” Anderson says. “I remember as a kid, thinking that George Strait was writing all this stuff, like a typical fan. I’ve been very blessed to write with some of these guys.”

Carlton Anderson with MusicRow staffers.

Mary Ann McCready, co-founder of FBMM (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy), has been honored with Variety’s 2018 Business Managers Elite Award. The Business Managers Elite Award honors business leaders and recognizes professional success, a high level of commitment to the community, and a strong involvement in philanthropic efforts. McCready is the first woman and first person outside of Los Angeles and New York to be honored with this award.

“This is a well-deserved honor for Mary Ann, and all of us at FBMM are extremely proud of her,” said Frank Bumstead, FBMM co-founder. “Her genuine passion for our clients and those in the community is evident in everything she does. She has left an indelible mark on Music City, and she continues to be a force in the industry.”

Her distinguished career includes becoming the first female vice president of national sales at CBS Records, and being the first female recipient of the CMA President’s Award. She is also an inaugural member of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Circle Guard, among other honors.

McCready is heavily involved in the Nashville community as well. She was the first co-chairperson of the Music City Music Council and has served as a longtime trustee, finance committee member and investment committee chairwoman for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She was at the forefront of the establishment of the CMA’s Horizon Award, and she also dedicates her time to the community as an Advisory Council member for the W.O. Smith Community Music School, among other organizations.