The BMI Foundation is now accepting online applications for its 2019 scholarship season, open to students attending colleges and universities nationwide. Among the scholarships is the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship, which will award $5,000 for the best original song and will be judged by Kacey Musgraves.
The Foundation will administer five songwriting and composing scholarship competitions, judged by a panel of international musicians. These annual programs include the BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship, BMI Student Composer Awards, John Lennon Scholarships, peermusic Latin Scholarship and the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship. In addition, the Foundation administers two scholarship competitions outside the area of music creation: the newly revamped BMI Founders Internship Program for broadcasting students, and the Woody Guthrie Fellowship for scholars pursuing topics or themes related to American folk music.
“We love getting to open new creative doors for talented songwriters, composers and scholars across the country,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “So many of our award recipients have gone on to have flourishing careers, in part because of programs like these that afford them continued educational and development opportunities.”
Applications must be completed online no later than Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, and complete details can be found at bmifoundation.org/programs.
Nashville Songwriting Scholarship
The fourth annual Nashville Songwriting Scholarship will award $5,000 for the best original song in any of the following genres: Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States. Grammy-winning recording artist and BMI songwriter Kacey Musgraves endorses the competition and serves as a final judge.
BMI Founders Internship Program for Radio Broadcasting
Established in 2015, the BMI Founders Award is an annual internship program open to radio broadcasting students nationwide. The award commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded Broadcast Music, Inc. in 1939. A 4-6 week paid internship with a major broadcaster is awarded based on merit and the best original essay response submitted to the competition, and recognizes a student with the potential to become an innovator in the rapidly changing field of broadcast radio.
BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship
The fifth annual BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship will award $5,000 to a rising jazz star pursuing a graduate degree in Jazz Studies, Jazz Performance, or related majors. The award was established in 2015 in honor of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, a lifetime achievement recognition program of the National Endowment for the Arts.
BMI Student Composer Awards
The 67th annual BMI Student Composer Awards will award $20,000 in prizes to young composers engaged in the study of classical music. Co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, the competition is open to all composers studying classical music who are age 27 or younger and citizens of the Western Hemisphere. Classical music luminaries such as John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis and Augusta Read Thomas received their earliest recognition through this program. *Please note that the application deadline for this program is Friday, February 1st, 2019.
John Lennon Scholarships
The 22nd annual John Lennon Scholarships will award three prizes totaling $20,000 to U.S. college-student songwriters (age 17 to 24) for the best original songs submitted to the competition. Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, this scholarship program honors the memory of one of the preeminent songwriters of the 20th century, John Lennon, and has become one of the nation’s most esteemed accolades for emerging artists.
peermusic Latin Scholarship
Established by music publisher Ralph Peer II and generously funded by peermusic, the 16th annual peermusic Latin Scholarship competition will award a $5,000 scholarship for the best original song or instrumental composition in any Latin genre. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. Acclaimed Latin artist and BMI songwriter Gloria Trevi serves as honorary spokesperson for the competition.
Woody Guthrie Fellowship
The 14th annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship will award up to $5,000 for scholarly research at the extensive Woody Guthrie Archives, a paper-based research repository located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Applicants must have a research project that leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product and requires a minimum of two weeks of research at the Archives. Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Center, the Woody Guthrie Fellowship seeks to encourage unique exploration into the life and legacy of one of the most influential folk musicians in American history, Woody Guthrie.
Average Joes Entertainment To Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary With Commemorative Album
/by Jessica NicholsonIn celebration of its 10-year anniversary, Average Joes Entertainment will release an exclusive commemorative album, Average Joes Entertainment: 10 Years. The 18-track album will release Oct. 5, 2018. The project will feature songs from the label’s stable of artists including Colt Ford, Montgomery Gentry, Bubba Sparxxx, the LACS, Sunny Ledfurd, Lenny Cooper, Moonshine Bandits, Sarah Ross, Cypress Spring and Charlie Farley.
Average Joes Entertainment CEO/President Shannon Houchins said, “Over the past 10 years, the journey has been everything Colt Ford and I have hoped for and more. We are proud of what we have accomplished. As we celebrate our first ten years, we’re excited about what the next ten years will bring. We know one thing for sure; we’ll continue to sail into unchartered waters, expand boundaries and create without limitation.”
The album begins with Colt Ford’s 2008 hit “Cold Beer,” featuring Jamey Johnson, followed by Ford’s “Dirt Road Anthem,” which Ford co-wrote with Brantley Gilbert and was recorded by Jason Aldean. Other tracks on the album include The LACS’ “Field Party” and Montgomery Gentry’s “Where I Come From” as well as Troy Gentry’s outstanding track, “Better Me,” which was featured on the duo’s February release with the label.
Average Joes Entertainment: 10 Years Track List:
1. Cold Beer – Colt Ford f/Jamey Johnson
2. Dirt Road Anthem – Colt Ford f/Brantley Gilbert
3. Kickin’ Up Mud – The Lacs
4. Mud Digger – Lenny Cooper
5. Perfect Girl – JB and the Moonshine Band
6. Nickel Sized Hail & The Damaging Winds – Sunny Ledfurd f/Colt Ford
7. Where I Come From – Montgomery Gentry
8. This Is Our Song (Remix) – Colt Ford f/Bubba Sparxxx, Danny Boone, The LACS, Demun Jones
9. Drivin’ Around Song – Colt Ford f/Jason Aldean
10. Keep It Redneck – The LACS
11. Country Folks – Bubba Sparxxx f/Colt Ford and Danny Boone
12. Field Party – The LACS f/JJ Lawhorn
13. We All Country – Moonshine Bandits f/Colt Ford, Sarah Ross, Demun Jones
14. Backwoods Boys – Charlie Farley f/Daniel Lee
15. Crank It Up – Colt Ford
16. Calm Before The Storm – Sarah Ross
17. Way Of Life – Cypress Spring f/The LACS and Danny Boone
18. Better Me – Montgomery Gentry
Jack White Books Hometown Show At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena In November
/by Eric T. ParkerJack White. Photo: Ray Neutron
Jack White has booked Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 20 as a makeup show for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival’s recent cancellation.
The outing will end his Boarding House Reach world tour, featuring support from special guests Margo Price and Joshua Hedley. The tour was named after White’s third solo effort, released in March by Third Man Records/Columbia.
A limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available to Third Man Vault members starting Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets go on sale at the same time that Friday at livenation.com, the Bridgestone Arena Box Office or phone, at 800-745-3000.
Prior to the hometown stop, White will be in Europe, the UK and Canada. A complete list of dates can be found at jackwhiteiii.com.
Florida Georgia Line, Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne To Perform At Scott Hamilton & Friends Benefit
/by Lorie HollabaughPerformers for this year’s event include Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line, Steve Cropper, MercyMe’s Bart Millard, Styx’s Tommy Shaw, and Chelsea Field.
Hosted by cancer survivors Hamilton and Crow and special guest host Kristi Yamaguchi, the show will simultaneously feature live music and skating from the biggest names in figure skating including 2x Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists and Dancing with the Stars champion Meryl Davis and her partner Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalist Charlie White, Olympic Men’s Silver Medalist Patrick Chan, Olympic Bronze Medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, Olympic Pairs Bronze Medalists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Ashley Wagner, 2x Olympic Pairs Gold Medalist Katia Gordeeva, Olympic Ladies Bronze Medalist Kaetlyn Osmond, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Jeremy Abbott, Ice Dance World Medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and US National Gold Medalist Ryan Bradley.
The night will also include a return of the fan-favorite special performance by local skaters, who raise funds for the opportunity to perform in the show through the CARES Foundation’s Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer peer-to-peer fundraising program.
Tickets are on sale now at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com and tickets and sponsorship packages that include an After Show Celebration at the Omni Hotel featuring dinner, live music and a silent auction can be purchased at scottcares.org/events/evening-scott-hamilton-friends.
Proceeds from the concert benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, which is dedicated to changing the future of cancer by funding advanced, innovative research that treats the cancer while sparing the patient.
BMI Foundation Announces Opening Of 2019 Scholarship Season
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Foundation will administer five songwriting and composing scholarship competitions, judged by a panel of international musicians. These annual programs include the BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship, BMI Student Composer Awards, John Lennon Scholarships, peermusic Latin Scholarship and the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship. In addition, the Foundation administers two scholarship competitions outside the area of music creation: the newly revamped BMI Founders Internship Program for broadcasting students, and the Woody Guthrie Fellowship for scholars pursuing topics or themes related to American folk music.
“We love getting to open new creative doors for talented songwriters, composers and scholars across the country,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “So many of our award recipients have gone on to have flourishing careers, in part because of programs like these that afford them continued educational and development opportunities.”
Applications must be completed online no later than Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, and complete details can be found at bmifoundation.org/
Nashville Songwriting Scholarship
The fourth annual Nashville Songwriting Scholarship will award $5,000 for the best original song in any of the following genres: Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States. Grammy-winning recording artist and BMI songwriter Kacey Musgraves endorses the competition and serves as a final judge.
BMI Founders Internship Program for Radio Broadcasting
Established in 2015, the BMI Founders Award is an annual internship program open to radio broadcasting students nationwide. The award commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded Broadcast Music, Inc. in 1939. A 4-6 week paid internship with a major broadcaster is awarded based on merit and the best original essay response submitted to the competition, and recognizes a student with the potential to become an innovator in the rapidly changing field of broadcast radio.
BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship
The fifth annual BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship will award $5,000 to a rising jazz star pursuing a graduate degree in Jazz Studies, Jazz Performance, or related majors. The award was established in 2015 in honor of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, a lifetime achievement recognition program of the National Endowment for the Arts.
BMI Student Composer Awards
The 67th annual BMI Student Composer Awards will award $20,000 in prizes to young composers engaged in the study of classical music. Co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, the competition is open to all composers studying classical music who are age 27 or younger and citizens of the Western Hemisphere. Classical music luminaries such as John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis and Augusta Read Thomas received their earliest recognition through this program. *Please note that the application deadline for this program is Friday, February 1st, 2019.
John Lennon Scholarships
The 22nd annual John Lennon Scholarships will award three prizes totaling $20,000 to U.S. college-student songwriters (age 17 to 24) for the best original songs submitted to the competition. Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, this scholarship program honors the memory of one of the preeminent songwriters of the 20th century, John Lennon, and has become one of the nation’s most esteemed accolades for emerging artists.
peermusic Latin Scholarship
Established by music publisher Ralph Peer II and generously funded by peermusic, the 16th annual peermusic Latin Scholarship competition will award a $5,000 scholarship for the best original song or instrumental composition in any Latin genre. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. Acclaimed Latin artist and BMI songwriter Gloria Trevi serves as honorary spokesperson for the competition.
Woody Guthrie Fellowship
The 14th annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship will award up to $5,000 for scholarly research at the extensive Woody Guthrie Archives, a paper-based research repository located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Applicants must have a research project that leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product and requires a minimum of two weeks of research at the Archives. Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Center, the Woody Guthrie Fellowship seeks to encourage unique exploration into the life and legacy of one of the most influential folk musicians in American history, Woody Guthrie.
PR Changes: Music Business Association, The Recording Academy, CMT, Kore PR
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Press House Adds Music Business Association To Client Roster
The Press House, a full-service PR and branding firm with offices in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles, has added the Music Business Association to its client roster.
The Music Business Association is a not-for-profit membership organization that advances, promotes and invests in the future of the music business by providing a trusted forum where ideas and cooperation flourish. Through events, education and engagement, the association brings together the full breadth of the industry for unparalleled access to networking, resources and thought leadership.
The association’s annual conference, Music Biz 2019, is set to take place Sunday, May 5 through Wednesday, May 8 at the new JW Marriott Nashville.
The Recording Academy Adds Sunshine Sachs As PR Partner
CMT’s Amanda Murphy Exits
Ashton Shepherd Joins Kore PR
Ashton Shepherd
Ashton Shepherd, known for her singles “Look It Up,” “Sounds So Good,” and “Takin’ Off This Pain,” has joined the artist roster at Kore PR.
“Ashton is a phenomenal artist whose authenticity is irrefutable,” exclaims Kore Public Relations owner Dawn DeJongh. “We are proud to join her in writing the next chapter of her artistry.”
Garth Offers Up In-Depth Look At Life On The Road With ‘The Anthology Part III’
/by Lorie HollabaughThe five-CD anthology contains 52 live recordings, including the new live album, TRIPLE LIVE, which is the soundtrack of the record-breaking, number one tour in North American history, The Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood. The collection also includes over 100 behind-the-scenes and performance photos, and over a dozen augmented reality experiences that can be experienced through downloading the Garth Live app and holding it over the book cover and various photos inside the anthology to watch Garth’s LIVE story come to life.
Through interviews with the band and crew, fans get an insider’s look at Garth’s early days as a bar bouncer and playing with only a few people watching at Willie’s Saloon in Stillwater, OK, to being an opening act for Reba, The Judds and Kenny Rogers and finally headlining his own tours throughout the ’90s and becoming an international star.
The collection, the third part of Garth’s massive five-part anthology, will be on sale November 20.
Paul Barnabee Joins FBMM
/by Jessica NicholsonPaul Barnabee
Longtime Sony Music executive and respected music industry veteran Paul Barnabee has joined FBMM (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.).
“Our FBMM family is excited to welcome Paul,” said Duane Clark, owner and vice chairman at FBMM. “Coming to us from a different side of the industry gives him a unique perspective, and FBMM’s executive team is excited to add another layer of industry expertise for our clients.”
A Long Island native, Barnabee moved to Nashville in 1995 to accept a position as senior director of finance at Sony Music Entertainment. He later became senior vice president in sales, finance and operations. In 2011, he was appointed as senior vice president of marketing for Sony and its three imprints, RCA, Columbia and Arista Nashville. In this role, Barnabee led his department in the creation and execution of strategic marketing initiatives for a number of global music artists. He also directed the development of industry campaigns to attract new artists to the label.
“FBMM is known worldwide as a leader in business management, and it’s an honor to join a company of this caliber,” Barnabee said. “This firm does great work with integrity and always puts its clients first, which is incredibly important to me. It’s amazing to see the dedication and breadth of services FBMM provides. I am very excited to be a part of a team driven to help artists achieve their goals.”
Barnabee earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Albany, SUNY and his CPA license in the state of New York. He served on the board of directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee for five years and now serves on the board of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) as a past chairman. He currently serves as vice chairman of ACM’s charitable arm, Lifting Lives.
Taylor Swift To Open American Music Awards In October
/by Lorie HollabaughA 19-time American Music Award winner, Swift garnered four 2018 nominations and is the current record holder of most wins for Artist of the Year, a category for which she is nominated again this year, along with nominations for AMA Tour of the Year, Favorite Female Artist – Pop/Rock, and Favorite Album – Pop/Rock.
Set to take the stage on the heels of her record-breaking reputation stadium tour, Swift joins previously-announced performers benny blanco with Halsey and Khalid, Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin, Mariah Carey, Ciara featuring Missy Elliott, Dua Lipa, Panic! At the Disco, Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign, Carrie Underwood and a moving tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the show will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Spotify Announces Integration With Google Maps
/by Eric T. Parker“We’ve previously seen how well navigation works in harmony with music through our integration with Waze in 2017,” reads a statement from Spotify. “Starting [October 1], millions of Google Maps users across Spotify markets will be able to to ‘jam through the traffic jam’ on both iOS and Android. After connecting your Spotify account, you’ll be ready to start.”
Playback controls like pause, play, or skip are enabled within the Google Maps navigation settings to enjoy music and podcasts from Spotify during active navigation. Through a simple entry-point from the Google Maps app into Spotify, users are able to browse songs, albums, and playlists. A banner in Spotify will return users to active navigation.
The integration will be rolling out to all Google Maps users over the next few days with the latest version of Spotify.
Thomas Archer Extends Deal With MV2 Entertainment
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Nicole Sherrill – Creative Director, Ben Strain – Creative Director, Mike Whelan – Senior Creative Director, Thomas Archer, Tony Harrell – General Manager, Lauren Davis – Artist Management and Contract Administration
Photo by Lindsey Parrish.
MV2 Entertainment has extended its deal with hit songwriter Thomas Archer. Archer has had recent hits with artists Luke Combs (“Hurricane”) and Walker Hayes (“You Broke Up With Me”).
“We are excited to move forward with Thomas as he continues his growth and success as one of Nashville’s top-tier young writers,” said MV2 General Manager Tony Harrell.
Archer, born and raised in Georgia, made his move to Nashville in 2012 after securing numerous cuts with independent artists, which caught the ear of Nashville publishers and helped him land his first publishing deal. Since moving to Nashville, Archer has become a well-known name in the songwriting community and is poised to have a breakout year.
MV2’s roster of writers includes Thomas Archer, Nick Donley, Jimmie Deeghan, Eric Dodd, Clay Mills, Robert Arthur and artist Nora Collins.