The Country Music Association is accepting online submissions for the 2016 CMA Broadcast Awards for Broadcast Personality, Station, and National Broadcast Personality of the Year at Broadcast.CMAawards.com.
“Voting for the recipients of our CMA Awards is often cited as the most significant benefit of being a member of CMA, but it is also one of the most significant responsibilities of membership,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This year, as we celebrate five decades of the CMA Awards, it is more important than ever for members to participate in the voting process for Country Music’s Biggest Night.”
The 2016 CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by more than 7,300 professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization established to promote an individual genre of music, formed in 1958. The eligibility period for the 2016 CMA Awards is July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. All voting will be conducted online.
The first ballot and instructions will be emailed Tuesday, July 5 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes Friday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m. CT.
The second ballot will be emailed to CMA members Monday, August 15. Voting for the second ballot closes Wednesday, August 24 at 6 p.m. CT. The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Winners 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 Thursday, October 10. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Tuesday, October 25, at 6 p.m. CT). All balloting is officiated by the professional services firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
“The integrity of the voting process is central to CMA’s mission,” added Trahern. “We take pride in setting the bar for awards integrity and presentation. We constantly strive to maintain the highest standards in balloting and voting for the many honors presented by CMA.”
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 should log on to Broadcast.CMAawards.com, where guidelines and instructions for entries are posted. The site will continue to accept submissions until Thursday, June 30, at 6 p.m. CT.
All entries must reflect performances and events between June 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016. 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 50th Annual CMA Awards, which will be held later this year in Nashville. The annual, three-hour gala will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network.
NASH Country Daily Launches Site
/by Craig_ShelburneKeith Urban
NASH Country Daily’s new website premiered Friday, May 6, featuring an exclusive interview with Keith Urban.
Other artists featured in the launch are Scotty McCreery, Jennifer Nettles, Hillary Scott, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, and Chris Young and Cassadee Pope.
NASH Country Daily is part of Cumulus Media. It is the reinvention of Country Weekly, which ended its print run in April. Lisa Konicki is the site’s editor-in-chief.
Americana Honors & Awards Nominees To Be Revealed In Washington, D.C.
/by Jessica NicholsonThe nominees for the 2016 Americana Honors & Awards ceremony will be announced on Wednesday, May 11, at 7 p.m. ET, via NPR Music’s Facebook Livestream, from the historic Mansion on O Street in Washington, D.C.
The Milk Carton Kids will host, and will be joined by several top Americana performers. The Milk Carton Kids received the Duo/Group of the Year Honor from the Americana Music Association in 2014.
The winners of each category will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards show on Sept. 21 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
The celebrated program is the capstone event of AmericanaFest, the Americana Music Festival & Conference, which runs from Sept. 20-25.
Musicians On Call Benefit Series Confirms Lineup For June Shows
/by Craig_ShelburneDigital RodeoTV and simulcast partner Renegade Radio Nashville have announced four days of shows at The Valentine on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville next month. The charity event will take place June 9-12 and will benefit Musicians On Call.
“Musicians On Call is grateful to Digital RodeoTV and The Valentine for their support of the healing power of music,” said Pete Griffin, President of Musicians On Call. “With the funds raised we can bring more live music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities in Nashville and across the country. We’re looking forward to an incredible party for a great cause!”
The lineup is as follows:
Thursday, June 9: Aaron Tippin, Collin Raye, Jimmy Fortune, Johnny Lee, Lorrie Morgan
Friday, June 10: Ronnie McDowell, Jeannie Seely, Darryl Worley, Bill Anderson, Ty Herndon
Saturday, June 11: Surprise Guest, Exile, John Berry, Moe Bandy, Lila McCann
Sunday, June 12: Jamie O’Neal, Andy Griggs, Bucky Covington, Confederate Railroad
Guest host for the event is Caroline Cutbirth Hobby from The Amazing Race. She is also a character on CMT’s I Love Kellie Pickler and a correspondent for CMT. She hosts a podcast called Hyper Caroline Hobby that spotlights artists, behind-the-scenes figures, songwriters, athletes, and others in the entertainment industry. Her guests have included Darius Rucker, A Thousand Horses, Old Dominion, LIT and Who Is Fancy,
Weekly Chart Report (5/6/16)
/by Troy_StephensonClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
CMA Seeks Broadcast Award Submissions, Announces Ballot Schedule
/by Craig_ShelburneThe Country Music Association is accepting online submissions for the 2016 CMA Broadcast Awards for Broadcast Personality, Station, and National Broadcast Personality of the Year at Broadcast.CMAawards.com.
“Voting for the recipients of our CMA Awards is often cited as the most significant benefit of being a member of CMA, but it is also one of the most significant responsibilities of membership,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This year, as we celebrate five decades of the CMA Awards, it is more important than ever for members to participate in the voting process for Country Music’s Biggest Night.”
The 2016 CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by more than 7,300 professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization established to promote an individual genre of music, formed in 1958. The eligibility period for the 2016 CMA Awards is July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. All voting will be conducted online.
The first ballot and instructions will be emailed Tuesday, July 5 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes Friday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m. CT.
The second ballot will be emailed to CMA members Monday, August 15. Voting for the second ballot closes Wednesday, August 24 at 6 p.m. CT. The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Winners 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 Thursday, October 10. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Tuesday, October 25, at 6 p.m. CT). All balloting is officiated by the professional services firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
“The integrity of the voting process is central to CMA’s mission,” added Trahern. “We take pride in setting the bar for awards integrity and presentation. We constantly strive to maintain the highest standards in balloting and voting for the many honors presented by CMA.”
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 should log on to Broadcast.CMAawards.com, where guidelines and instructions for entries are posted. The site will continue to accept submissions until Thursday, June 30, at 6 p.m. CT.
All entries must reflect performances and events between June 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016. 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 50th Annual CMA Awards, which will be held later this year in Nashville. The annual, three-hour gala will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network.
In Pictures: Kelsea Ballerini, Levi Hummon, Charley Pride
/by Jessica NicholsonKelsea Ballerini Sparkles With Award Wins
Kelsea Ballerini with her honor from the Radio Disney Music Awards. Photo: Sweet Talk Publicity
Kelsea Ballerini earned two award wins this past weekend, including The Freshest-Best New Artist, an all-genre award at the Radio Disney Awards, and Breakthrough Female Artist at the American Country Countdown Awards.
Ballerini teamed with pop star Daya for a collaboration on Ballerini’s latest single, “Peter Pan,” and Daya’s “Hide Away” for the Radio Disney Awards. She performed her gold-certified song “Dibs” for the ACCAs.
Levi Hummon Visits ACM
Pictured (L-R): Erick Long, ACM; Levi Hummon; Brooke Primero, ACM
Photo: Michel Bourquard/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music welcomed The Valory Music Co. recording artist Levi Hummon to the office while he was in Los Angeles. While at the Academy, Hummon performed songs off his new self-titled EP.
Dan Rather Talks With Charley Pride
Charley Pride speaks with Dan Rather. Photo:
CMHoF To Host Concert Celebration Of Sam Phillips
/by Craig_ShelburneClockwise from top left: JD McPherson, The Planet Rockers, Webb Wilder, Margo Price
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will host a special concert, Boppin’ the Blues: A Celebration of Sam Phillips, on Saturday, May 28, at 2 p.m., in the museum’s CMA Theater. The performances are presented in support of the exhibition Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll: The Cosmic Genius of Sam Phillips, which will end its run June 12.
Paying homage to Phillips will be rockabilly, country and roots-oriented artists influenced by his work including: JD McPherson, the Planet Rockers, Margo Price and Webb Wilder. Following the concert, participants will sign a commemorative Hatch Show Print poster, available for purchase in the Museum Store.
Oklahoma native JD McPherson has explored Sun-era rock & roll and rhythm & blues on two albums of original material.
Rockabilly combo the Planet Rockers—Eddie Angel, Sonny George, Bill Swartz, and Mark W. Winchester—formed in Nashville in the late 1980s, branding their music “100 Percent Tennessee Rock & Roll.” The band’s album Return of the Planet Rockers, was recorded in 2014 at Phillips’s Memphis studio.
Featured on Saturday Night Live in April, Illinois native Margo Price cut her 2016 debut solo album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, at historic Sun Studio in Memphis.
Raised in Mississippi, charismatic Webb Wilder has been blending rockabilly, British pop, country, and blues in creative ways since releasing his debut album, It Came from Nashville, thirty years ago.
One of the most innovative and inspiring figures in the history of American music, Sun Records founder Sam Phillips introduced the world to Johnny Cash, Howlin’ Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Rufus Thomas, Ike Turner and many more. Blurring class and color lines, Phillips set out to undermine barriers of racial segregation and discrimination, just as the Civil Rights movement gathered force.
Co-curated by Presley biographer Peter Guralnick, author of the biography Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘N’ Roll, the exhibition takes an in-depth look at Phillips and the social and cultural impact of the music he captured on such revolutionary recordings as Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88,” Presley’s “That’s All Right,” and Cash’s “I Walk the Line.”
The program is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Guests can make reservations at ticketfly.com or by calling 615-416-2001. The program will be streamed live.
Industry Ink: City of Hope, SOLID, Don Cusic, 95.3 The Bull
/by Jessica NicholsonCelebrity Players Named For City of Hope Game
Confirmed artists for this year’s City of Hope Celebrity Baseball Game are Charles Esten, Vince Gill, Chris Lane, Scotty McCreery, Bret Michaels, David Nail, RaeLynn and Jamie Lynn Spears. Artists will compete on teams sponsored by the Grand Ole Opry and iHeartCountry. The game will take place on June 7 at 3 p.m. at First Tennessee Park in downtown Nashville. Support from the Nashville community and its country music artists directly benefit City of Hope’s mission to find cures for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
SOLID Renames Annual Auction
Don Cusic Releases Hank Williams Book
During his career, Cusic has served as Country and Gospel Editor for Record World and Cashbox, a columnist for Music City News, album reviewer and special correspondent for Billboard and book reviewer for MusicRow Magazine. He has worked for the Country Music Association, Monument Records, and more.
95.3 The Bull Hires Steve Summers
Steve Summers with Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks
MusicRow reporting station 95.3 The Bull in Rockford, Illinois, has hired radio personality Steve Summers to join their staff as morning show host, effective Aug. 23. The delayed start dates is due to a non-compete clause with his previous employer.
Summers has more than 30 years experience at Rockford stations WZOK and WXXQ with roles as Program Director, Operations Manager, and Morning Show Talent.
“When I returned from vacation in February, I was informed I was no longer employed. I considered other opportunities outside of the stateline, but my passion for the Rockford area and helping out charities mirrored the attitude of 95.3 The Bull,” said Summers. “This is home. I couldn’t be more excited to join a locally-owned and operated company in Mid-West Family Broadcasting. Over the last two years, they have shown a commitment to making a difference with local businesses, local residents, and country music fans. To say I’m thrilled is an understatement.”
Female Country Artists Garner RIAA Digital Gold Certifications
/by Jessica NicholsonCarrie Underwood‘s “Smoke Break” and “Heartbeat” were both certified as digital gold singles.
Kelsea Ballerini‘s “Dibs,” Jana Kramer‘s “Whiskey,” and Maren Morris‘ “My Church” also earned digital gold single certifications.
However, the larger certifications for April went to Chris Young, Florida Georgia Line, and Canaan Smith.
Florida Georgia Line’s debut hit “Cruise,” has ben certified as a diamond-certified single by the RIAA, signifying 10 million units combining sales and streaming figures.
Young had four tracks certified as digital platinum singles, including “Aw Naw,” “You,” “Gettin’ You Home,” and “Who I Am With You.” His single “Neon” was certified as a digital gold single.
Smith’s “Love You Like That” also garnered a digital platinum single certification.
Garth Brooks, Bob Doyle, Ben Farrell, Joe Harris Named To IEBA Hall Of Fame
/by Jessica NicholsonBob Doyle with Garth Brooks in 1988. Photo: Courtesy Splash PR
Garth Brooks, Bob Doyle, Ben Farrell, and the late Joe Harris will be inducted into the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) Hall of Fame during this year’s 46th annual IEBA Conference. The ceremony will take place in Nashville on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
During his decades in the business, Brooks has become one of the world’s best-selling artists, with six albums that sold 10 million-plus. Brooks is booked in-house and managed by Bob Doyle & Associates. His tour is promoted exclusively by Ben Farrell, president of Lon Varnell Enterprises.
Pictured (L-R): Ben Farrell, Tom Paquette, Garth Brooks and Tim Reese at Thompson Boling Arena. Photo: Courtesy Splash PR
Booking agent Harris first heard Brooks in 1988 and immediately signed him to Buddy Lee Attractions. “Uncle Joe, you know we owe it to you,” a lyric from “The Old Stuff” on Brooks’s 1995 release Fresh Horses, is a musical tribute to Harris, who died in 1996.
Garth Brooks with Joe Harris. Photo: Alan Mayor
“I was lucky that the people I found in those first couple of years were on the side of writers, artists, and musicians,” Brooks told Patsi Bale Cox for her book The Garth Factor. “I met too many creative people who had been run over by the business and I won’t say it made me paranoid, but it did make me watchful.”
IEBA’s Hall of Fame includes Dick Clark, Johnny Cash & Lou Robin, The Doobie Brothers, Erv Woolsey, Dale Morris, George & Nancy Jones, and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo.