The CMA Foundation Unveils Investments In Partnership With Lainey Wilson & Zach Top

The CMA Foundation has partnered with Lainey Wilson and Zach Top to further the investments made into music education. The CMA Foundation will make $10,000 investments in music education initiatives connected to each artist.

For Wilson, the CMA Foundation will support Notes for Notes, a nonprofit that provides young people with access to instruments, recording studios and music education. Wilson’s Heart Like a Truck Fund will contribute an additional $5,000 to the organization.

For Top, the CMA Foundation will support Taylor’s Camp, the youth music education program of the Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival in Washington State. A longtime participant in the festival’s bluegrass community, Top was both a student and later an instructor at Taylor’s Camp.

 

Old Dominion Performs At CMHOFM Annual ‘Nightfall At The Hall’ Celebration

Old Dominion recently took the stage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 14th annual “Nightfall at the Hall” concert. Before the band took the stage, MJ Crawford, a participant in the museum’s Words & Music program, performed “365,” a song she wrote during the museum’s 2026 summer songwriting camp.

Presented by Maverick Nashville, “Nightfall at the Hall” is an after-hours celebration exclusively for the museum’s Troubadour members, a community of leaders ages 21-45 who collaborate with other professionals in supporting their community and the museum.

 

Grammy Museum Hosts A NY Evening With Kashus Culpepper

Grammy Museum hosted A NY Evening with Kashus Culpepper on Sept. 28 at The Greene Space. The event featured a stripped-down performance as well as a Q&A with music journalist Erica Campbell.

 

Tyler Childers Partners With Oxford Pennant

Tyler Childers has partnered with Oxford Pennant for a limited-edition collection that brings Childers’ artwork and lyrics to pennants, hats, pins and other collectible pieces.

The pieces are available through both Childers’ and Oxford Pennant’s online stores.

 

The Listening Room Launches ‘Off Campus Songwriter Contest’

The Listening Room has launched a new Off Campus Songwriter Contest, spotlighting student songwriters.

The series kicks off with Middle Tennessee State University Night on October 6 at 8:30 p.m., where three student songwriters will perform for the chance to advance to the series finale. Following MTSU, the competition continues with Vanderbilt University on October 13 and Belmont University on October 20. Following each showcase, fans can vote for their favorite songwriter through The Listening Room’s Instagram account.

“Supporting songwriters is what The Listening Room is all about,” shares Chris Blair, Founder & Owner of the venue. “We are excited to partner with local universities to showcase the incredible talent that continues to develop in Nashville.”

Dolly Parton‘s new coffee line, Cup of Ambition, which was a dream of the late icon’s more than 40 years in the making, is now available for purchase nationwide.

The coffee line was developed with family-owned Community Coffee, and following its debut at Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop, is now available for nationwide shipping on CupOfAmbition.com, CommunityCoffee.com, TikTok Shop and other major retailers including Amazon.com and Walmart.com. Available in Light, Medium and Dark Roast varieties, the collection offers a cup for every Dolly fan and coffee lover and is available for pre-order in K-Cup pods and in ground coffee, providing convenient options for a variety of preferences.

“Dolly had a warmth that made you feel like you’d known her forever,” says Donna Saurage, third-generation owner of Community Coffee. “We connected over our love of family, serving our communities and bringing people together, and it was a true joy to help make her dream of a Cup of Ambition coffee become a reality.”

As part of the launch campaign, Dolly’s Cup Of Ambition and Community Coffee are hitting the road for a special “Cup of Ambition Sip & Sample Tour,” with The Dolly Coffee Trolley and coffee carts bringing a unique Cup of Ambition experience to fans across the Southeast. Confirmed stops include an integrated activation at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum during the run of its Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker (open through Oct. 4), the Grand Ole Opry, universities including Belmont, Vanderbilt, Fisk and more, select dates of “Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs In Symphony,” “Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol” touring productions, and more.

Every cup of Cup of Ambition coffee helps support Dolly’s Imagination Library and its mission to inspire a love of reading in children from birth to age five. Community Coffee has announced it will serve as the anchor funding partner for Lafayette Parish, expanding its commitment to early childhood literacy in its home state of Louisiana. Consumers can also join in supporting the mission by making an optional donation to Imagination Library at checkout on CupofAmbition.com.

“Cup of Ambition Sip & Sample Tour” Dates:
9/30/26 | Nashville, TN | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
9/30/26 | Sewanee, TN | Sewanee: The University Of The South
10/1/26 | Nashville, TN | Belmont University (Main Campus)
10/1/26 | Cookeville, TN | Tennessee Tech University
10/2/26 | Nashville, TN | Grand Ole Opry (Plaza Party)
10/2/26 | Clarksville, TN | Austin Peay University
10/3/26 | Nashville, TN | Grand Ole Opry (Plaza Party)
10/4/26 | Nashville, TN | Grand Ole Opry (Plaza Party)
10/5/26 | Nashville, TN | Fisk University

Clark Sweat has been named Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Marketing at the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, a nonprofit that brings interactive media studios into pediatric hospitals to help patients find joy during treatment.

A philanthropic executive with a 30-year record of scaling healthcare and nonprofit organizations, Sweat has raised more than $8 billion for mission-driven causes throughout his career, bringing top-tier brands and healthcare institutions together to solve pressing social impact issues. As the founder and CEO of Cause4Good, Sweat advised leading nonprofits and corporate brands on revenue diversification, corporate social responsibility, and donor engagement strategies that create long-term success. He built multi-million-dollar alliances with Fortune 500 companies, including Walmart, Target, Costco, Marriott, RE/MAX, Johnson & Johnson, CVS, Walgreens, and Delta Air Lines.

Before founding Cause4Good, Sweat held key leadership roles at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, where he served as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and Chief Revenue Officer. Under his leadership, annual revenue grew to surpass $450 million, and corporate partnerships flourished, significantly expanding the organization’s national footprint. Earlier in his career, Sweat played a critical role at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, spearheading corporate partnerships and international development strategies that drove multimillion-dollar funding growth.

“As we look towards the next chapter of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, Clark’s industry leadership and strategic vision are exactly what we need,” says Meredith Seacrest Leach, CEO and Executive Director of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. “He has spent decades connecting corporate partners with meaningful causes, and his addition to our leadership team will play a vital role in accelerating our impact in pediatric hospitals nationwide.”

“The Ryan Seacrest Foundation is at a pivotal moment in its journey,” says Sweat. “Seacrest Studios have proven to be an indispensable part of patient care and family support in pediatric hospitals. I’m honored to join Meredith and the team as we build new strategic partners and continue to extend our reach to bring this life-changing experience to even more pediatric patients.”

The Ryan Seacrest Foundation was founded in 2009, and operates a national network of 14 Seacrest Studios where patients host podcasts, produce video content, and interview celebrity guests while receiving care. In 2025 alone, RSF delivered 8,406 hours of live programming, helped patients create 265 original shows, and reached approximately 3.1 million patients and family members across its network. New studios are slated to open in New Orleans at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in early 2027 and in Milwaukee at Children’s Wisconsin in 2028.

Music Services, a division of SESAC Music Group, has added Nick LaPointe as Senior Director of Business Development, and elevated Jay Sudarma to Vice President of Marketing for Music Services and CCLI Group.

In this role, LaPointe will focus on bringing new clients into the division with an emphasis on YouTube administration, publishing and label administration, and distribution for artists and labels who own their masters. Most recently, LaPointe served as Senior Director, Business Development at FUGA AVS, where he led the signing of major and independent music publishers and expanded the company’s presence in Nashville. He previously held the same title at AdRev following nearly two decades at Warner Chappell Music.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Nick to the team. Throughout his career, he has earned the trust of independent publishers and labels by helping them turn their rights into meaningful revenue,” says Rose Cook, Chief Operating Officer, Music Services. “He brings a relationship-driven approach that aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering best-in-class service to our clients.”

Sudarma steps into a new role as Vice President of Marketing for Music Services, alongside a promotion to Vice President of Marketing at CCLI Group, where he previously served as Director of Marketing. In this expanded capacity, he will lead global marketing strategy across both businesses, and guide the division’s forthcoming rebrand and roll-out of its shared services platform. He brings experience in brand development, digital marketing, content strategy, website modernization and cross-functional partnerships.

“During his tenure at CCLI, Jay has proven the value of a disciplined, data-driven approach to marketing, and this expanded role is a natural next step,” says Cook. “He will work across brands in the Music Services portfolio, including AudioSalad, Audiam, Music Services Inc., The Harry Fox Agency, HAAWK, and CCLI, bringing a unified voice to a growing collection of brands while preserving the qualities that make each one unique.”

Blake Whiten has inked with CAA for worldwide booking representation.

Raised in Six Mile, South Carolina, Whiten started writing songs as a teenager and built an early following by posting covers online, first garnering attention for a Morgan Wallen cover that amassed more than 9 million views. His debut single, “Rollin’ Stone,” which he wrote on his own, recently received an RIAA Gold certification as his music surpasses 400 million global streams.

This year, Whiten made his Grand Ole Opry debut and released his first album, Something To Say, which debuted on the Billboard 200. Produced by Austin Shawn, the 12-song project combines Whiten’s gritty vocals and personal songwriting with an alternative-leaning country sound.

“Bet On That” became Whiten’s first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him a second No. 1 on SiriusXM The Highway. The track was also the most-added song at country radio when it was released, going to 46 stations and recently entering the top 40. In August, Billboard named Whiten an Up & Comer.

Whiten spent the summer opening for Morgan Wallen before launching his own “Something To Say Tour” this fall, with stops in Chicago, New York and Nashville. He is also scheduled to perform at Stagecoach in 2027.