Pictured (L-R): Brittney-Marie Cole Kelley, Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelly and Tyler Hubbard, and Hayley Hubbard.

Nashville’s leading executives and artists were honored last night (June 5) as part of Billboard’s Nashville Power Players event, which took place at the Hutton Hotel.

One of the highlights of the evening included Shania Twain honoring Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen as Billboard Magazine’s Power Player, Executive of the Year. Owen previously worked with Twain when he headed Artist Development and Marketing for Universal Music Nashville, and then brought Twain on as a management client when he started Sandbox Entertainment.

Owen’s Sandbox Entertainment is home to Little Big Town, Faith Hill, Kacey Musgraves, Midland and, most recently, Kelsea Ballerini, among others.

“I trust Jason to listen to my worst most vulnerable demos. I am not surprised you’re here tonight, I’m really not. I wouldn’t miss this night for the world. I’m the lucky one.” Twain said. “A lot of people are surprised to see how forward thinking Nashville is, but I’m not, I’m never surprised by that; we stand up for each other, we protect each other and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

“Our executive of the year, Jason Owen….is a champion… of his artists, of this community and of country music as an industry. He is a leader. Unafraid to speak his mind and stand up for what he believes in, Jason has changed the way the world thinks about country music. He is an innovator,” added Ross Scarano, Vice President for Content at Billboard.

Florida Georgia Line was honored with the Trailblazers Award, for their work in incorporating different styles into their music, as well as their high-profile collaborations, and songwriting. FGL’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard have also invested in the Nashville community, with the restaurant FGL House, as well as opening the business hub Meet+Greet, clothing store Tribe Kelley, and the publishing company Tree Vibez Music.

“Though utterly respectful of the country music that they grew up on and love, Brian and Tyler [Florida Georgia Line] have been fearless in their refusal to adhere to outdated notions that try to place strict limitations on the genre,” said Melinda Newman, West Coast Editor at Billboard.

“Since 2012, this has been an unbelievable journey that we couldn’t have even fathomed,” Hubbard said, referring to their record-breaking debut single, 2012’s “Cruise.” “We thought we were going to be doing big things and we believed it and we dreamed it, but this is just beyond our wildest dreams.”

Additional honorees highlighted in this year’s Country Power Players list include Chairman/CEO of Sony Music Nashville, Randy Goodman; GM of Pearl Records, Lesly Simon; President/ Executive Producer at Lion’s Heart Entertainment, Rac Clark; Executive Producer of the CMA Awards, Robert Deaton; Country Music Curator at Amazon Music, Emily Cohen, and many more.

“We’re all on the brink of a time where this genre can do so much for so many people,” Owen said in closing. “Someone once said that the best way to predict the future is to create it — so let’s go.”

For a full list of Billboard‘s Country Power Players for 2018, visit billboard.com.

Pictured: Midland and Scott Borschetta at the 2018 Country Power Players event on June 5, 2018.

Pictured (L-R): Lou Taylor and Leslie Fram.

Shania Twain

Pictured (L-R): Devin Dawson and Leah Sykes.

Pictured (L-R): Sarah Trahern, Ali Harnell, Virginia Davis and Janet Weir.

Kelsea Ballerini

Jason Owen

Bobby Bones

Pictured (L-R): Jimmy Harnen and Scott Borschetta.

Pictured (L-R): Ryan Hurd and Janet Weir.

Hunter Hayes

Cary Ryan

Cary Ryan has been promoted to Vice President, Release Planning and Production for Sony Music Nashville. Most recently Sr. Director of Release Planning and Production, in February 1996 Ryan joined Arista Nashville, now one of three label imprints making up Sony Music Nashville.

“I am truly grateful to be recognized with this promotion. Over the course of my career I’ve had the honor of working on many projects for some incredible artists and with excellent label executives and co-workers,” responds Ryan. “I look forward to continuing to be a part of music reaching people and the challenges and opportunities to that end.”

For the past 27 years, Ryan has been involved with inventory management and production in the music industry. In his new position, he will continue to oversee the Release Planning and Production department and direct the scheduling, production and distribution of products through the physical & digital supply chains for Sony Music Nashville.

Ryan is a 1990 Graduate of Belmont University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Music Business major. Originally from Owensboro, Kentucky, he has lived in Nashville for 30 years. He is married to Anita Howell Ryan and has three children.

Producer Michael Knox will debut a new radio show, KNOX Country 360, on Friday, June 29.

Based in Nashville, the new show is managed by Michael Knox along with Donny Walker (former executive at Westwood One, Cumulus Media, BDS, Billboard Magazine), and Shalacy Griffin, currently the Senior Vice President of Operations for Music Knox, LLC.

KNOX Country 360 will offer 10-12 songs per hour, mixing current hits with re-currents and trending music, as well as personal stories from Knox and artist interviews and performances. The show will also include a podcast component.

“Radio is where country music fans connect with the music and artists they love, throughout their day,” observed Knox. “I’ve worked in production, management, and
publishing, with record labels, and now radio. I’m excited about being on the air where I can bring country’s biggest stars directly to fans. Focus 360 has the relationships with radio stations and advertisers that make them the perfect partner to help us succeed.”

“Few people in Music Row history have turned creativity into chart success as well as Michael,” stated Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Focus 360. “He is one of
Nashville’s most original-thinking business minds and one of its most successful groomers of talent and song placement. We are delighted to partner with him and bring
his star-studded, music-filled show to radio.”

In addition to production work that has helped sell more than 18 million albums and 40 million singles (including 21 No. 1 career singles) Knox’s multi-faceted career has included time as an executive at music publisher Warner/Chappell Music. He currently serves as vice president for peermusic in Nashville, and also formed the production management company Music Knox with client Michael Tyler (Reviver Records).

Stations interested in carrying KNOX Country 360 may contact Rob Magaziner at 917-580-6108 or robert_magaziner@focus360llc.com.

CAA’s Rick Roskin and Midland  Photo by Jason Myers

CAA held its annual pre-CMA Fest BBQ Monday night (June 4) at Martin’s BBQ in Nashville. The event, which included agents and executives from across the agency, clients, and industry colleagues, raised more than $30,000 for two organizations with whom the agency has a longstanding relationship: Communities In Schools of Tennessee at Nashville and the PENCIL Foundation, both of which support students at local public schools. Among those in attendance were Midland, Jon Pardi, and This Is Us actress Chrissy Metz.

Chrissy Metz, CAA’s Cait Hoit and Marc Dennis, Kennon Dennis  Photo by Jason Myers

This week’s CMT Music Awards will feature seven premiere television performances of brand new songs.

“It’s sort of that first listen to a hit,” says CMT Music Awards executive producer Margaret Comeaux. “It’s like a country fan’s dream summer song list.”

Sam Hunt will make a premiere performance of his new single, “Downtown’s Dead,” while Dierks Bentley will welcome Brothers Osborne for “Burning Man,” a track off Bentley’s upcoming album The Mountain.

Florida Georgia Line will perform their new folk-tinged “Simple,” and this year’s CMT Music Awards hosts Little Big Town will offer the first performance of their single “Summer Fever.”

“All four of them are incredible collaborators,” Comeaux says of the quartet. “They come to the table with great ideas. They are funny and the fans love them. When you have a show like this, a 2 ½-hour show, the comedic aspect of our show is fun. These guys aren’t comedians but they have great timing. Of course, you can’t get any better from a music perspective. They deliver every time they take the stage. Having four of them [in hosting roles] gives us room to try different things in the show and spread it out a little bit.”

Several pop artists are vying for top CMT Music Awards honors this year, including Bebe Rexha (for the collaboration “Meant To Be” with Florida Georgia Line), Ludacris (“Champion” with Carrie Underwood), Justin Timberlake (“Say Something,” with Chris Stapleton) and more. This year’s pop performances will include Kelly Clarkson’s rendition of the classic “American Woman,” and Backstreet Boys with their new song, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”

“Whenever Kelly is involved, she will blow the doors off of it,” Comeaux says, commenting on the pop performances included in this year’s lineup. “For a long time we’ve felt that when you look at music fans, people aren’t stuck in one genre anymore and I think country music reflects that.” Certainly, CMT has had a hand in bringing together pop and country fans over the years, with its long-running, critically-acclaimed CMT Crossroads.

It wouldn’t be the CMT Music Awards without top notch collaborations, and this year there are plenty in the works.

In addition to the Bentley/Brothers Osborne collab, CMT will welcome Darius Rucker along with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Charles Kelley for a first performance of “Straight To Hell,” from Rucker’s When Was The Last Time album.

The performers join previously announced performers Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean and Kelsea Ballerini.

The CMT Music Awards begin Wednesday (June 6) at 8 p.m. ET.