45th Annual GMA Dove Award Nominees

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mandisa1

Mandisa


Mandisa, Hillsong United, Wayne Haun, Lecae, Matt Maher and Casting Crowns are among the artists leading the 45th annual Dove Award nominees for 2014. The nominations were announced Wednesday (Aug. 13) at Nashville’s Allen Arena at Lipscomb University.
At the launch of the press conference, president and Executive Director of the Gospel Music Association Jackie Patillo welcomed Lipscomb University president Randy Lowry, thanking him for the university’s commitment to the GMA. The Dove Awards will be held Oct. 7 at Lipscomb University in Nashville.
Nominations presenters included TobyMac, Gordon Mote, Natalie Grant, Karen Peck, Wayne Haun, Love and the Outcome, and Flame.
TBN will be the Dove Awards’ broadcast partner this year, ensuring that viewers from around the world can tune in to watch the 45th annual awards.
45th Annual Dove Awards nominees:
Artist of the Year
Casting Crowns
Hillsong United
Lecrae
Mandisa
NeedtoBreathe
Switchfoot
Song of the Year

“Fix My Eyes” – for KING & COUNTRY, (writers) Seth Mosley, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone (publishers) CentricSongs/2 Hour Songs/Warner Tamerlane/Kilns Music/Shankel Songs/WB Music Corp/Method To The Madness
“Hello My Name Is” – Matthew West, (writer) Matthew West (publishers) Songs of Southside Independent Music Publishing/External Combustion Music/Songs for Delaney/Warner/Chappell Music, LLC
“Hurricane” – Natalie Grant, (writers) Natalie Grant, Matt Bronleewe, Cindy Morgan (publisher) SeeSee Bubba Songs/Tunes Of R And T Direct/Razor & Tie Music Publishing, LLC/Sony/ATV Timber Publishing/Forest For The Trees Music/Checkpointchicky Music/Seems Like Music/Music Services
“I Can Trust Him” – The Perrys, (writers) Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey, (publishers) PsalmSinger Music/DaySpring Music/Songs From The Inside
“Lord I Need You” – Matt Maher, (writers) Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Kristian Stanfill, Matt Maher, (publishers) sixsteps Music/Sweater Weather Music/Thankyou Music/Valley Of Songs Music/worshiptogether.comsongs/EMI Christian Music Publishing
“Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” – Hillsong UNITED, (writers) Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Salomon Ligthelm (publisher) Hillsong Music Publishing/EMICMGPublishing.com
“Overcomer” – Mandisa, (writers) David Garcia, Christopher Stevens, Ben Glover (publishers) Ariose Music/9T One Songs/Meaux Mercy/LarryDavid Music/Capitol CMG Publishing/Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing/D Soul Music
“Revival” – Karen Peck and New River, (writers) Kenna Turner West, Karen Peck Gooch, Don Poythress (publishers) Christian Taylor Music/ClearBox Rights/Integrity Worship Music/Eight Oaks Music/Karen Peck Music
“Say Amen” – Brian Free & Assurance, (writers) Jason Cox, Michael Farren, Kenna Turner West, (publishers) Christian Taylor Music/Winding Way Music/ClearBox Rights/Farren Love and War Music/Wordspring Music
“That’s Why” – Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, (writers) Ernie Haase, Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey, (publishers) Ernie Sig Sound Music/Hefton Hill Music/PsalmSinger Music/Universal Music-Brentwood Benson Songs

Rock Album
Fear Inside Our Bones, The Almost
Proof of Life, Scott Stapp
Release the Panic, Re-calibrated, Red
Rise, Skillet
We As Human, We As Human
Pop/Contemporary Album
As Sure As The Sun, Ellie Holcomb
If We’re Honest, Francesca Battistelli
Overcomer, Mandisa
Thrive, Casting Crowns
We Are Young and Free, Hillsong Young and Free
Praise and Worship Album of the Year
Home, Kim Walker Smith and Skyler Smith
Kingdom Come, Bryan and Katie Torwalt
Majestic, Kari Jobe
Passion: Take It All, Passion
We Are Young and Free, Hillsong Young and Free
Traditional Gospel Album
Duets, Donnie McClurkin
Greater Than Before, Dexter Walker
In The Sanctuary, Temple of Deliverance Womens’ Choir
Moving Forward, Darnell Davis & the Remnant
Withholding Nothing, William McDowell
New Artist of the Year
1 Girl Nation
Andy Mineo
Ellie Holcomb
Hillsong Young and Free
Love and The Outcome
Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year
“Fix My Eyes,” for King and Country
“Hurricane,” Natalie Grant
“Oceans (Where Feet May Fail),” Hillsong United
“Overcomer,” Mandisa
“Lord I Need You,” Matt Maher

For a full list of nominees, visit doveawards.com.

Weekly Register: Is Friday The New Tuesday?

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FridayThe standard album release day may move from Tuesday to Friday. According to Billboard, the recording industry is working to establish an official worldwide release day, which would be Friday, in an effort to boost sales and subdue piracy. The global street date is expected to go into effect July 2015.
Currently, new music is released on Friday in Australia, Monday in the U.K. and Tuesday in the U.S. This staggered schedule means the music is placed online and can be pirated on Friday, enticing fans to illegally download it because it isn’t available for purchase in their home country yet.
As you’ll see below, some U.S. labels are already experimenting with different street dates. Brad Paisley’s new album will become available on a Monday.
Now for this week…
• • •
Chase Rice’s “Do It Like This” is the top Country debut track, selling 15K, and coming in at No. 27 Country.
CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night To Rock aired last week, giving a track sales boost to artists who performed on the show. Those who experienced a week-to-week bump and landed in the Top 10 track sales are Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw Ft. Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood, and Lady Antebellum.
chase ricealbum1Top 5 Country tracks (sales this week)
Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down,” 107K
Florida Georgia Line, “Dirt,” 76K
Kenny Chesney, “American Kids,” 67K
Lady Antebellum, “Bartender,” 59K
Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane,” 57K
Top 5 Country Albums (sales this week)
Luke Bryan, Crash My Party, 16K
Brantley Gilbert, Just As I Am, 15K
Miranda Lambert, Platinum, 14K
FGL, Here’s To The Good Times, 10K
Eric Church, The Outsiders, 7.4K
(according to Nielsen Soundscan)
WeeklyReg081314A slew of major releases will hit shelves before year’s end, plus a few that are yet-to-be-announced. FGL, Garth Brooks, and Jason Aldean are putting out albums, though no dates have been revealed. And is Taylor Swift sharing details about her next album on her Aug. 18 webstream?
Upcoming releases
Monday, Aug. 25 Brad Paisley 
Tues., Sept. 9 Lee Brice
Tues., Sept. 16 Tim McGraw
Tues., Sept. 23 Kenny Chesney
Tues., Sept. 30 Lady A, Blake Shelton
Tues., Oct. 21 Little Big Town
 

Vevo And Pinterest Announce Partnership

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vev-2bVevo and Pinterest have announced a new partnership that will allow users to watch and share music videos. The partnership with Pinterest brings Vevo to a popular video discovery tool, furthering the mission to help people find and enjoy music videos.
Vevo will be adding a “Pin It” option alongside all of the videos on Vevo.com and the iOS apps.
Users can select the “Share” icon underneath any video and choose Pinterest and select the board to save. Once they add a description and Pin, select “See It Now.” The video will start playing directly in the Pin at Pinterest.com or within the Pinterest iOS app.
Vevo is only the third external video player to be integrated into Pinterest (after YouTube and Vimeo).

Industry Ink: ole, Hunter Hayes, Guitar-B-Que

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Independent rights management company ole has signed songwriter-producer Jason Massey to its expanding roster. Massey has written with Sony Music artist Ryan Griffin, as well as Black River artists John King and Kelsea Ballerini. Massey is also Ballerini’s co-producer.
“Jason is a prolific writer who should be, and will be, making records on a major scale within the year,” said John Ozier, ole’s General Manager of Creative in Nashville. “Jason is a great addition to ole’s Nashville roster, and we are proud to represent him.”

Pictured (L-R, back row): Emily Mueller (ole Creative Manager), Shellien Kinsey (ole Creative Coordinator). Front row: Austen Adams (Dickinson Wright, PLLC), Songwriter/Producer Jason Massey, John Ozier (ole GM Creative, Nashville).

Pictured (L-R, back row): Emily Mueller (ole Creative Manager), Shellien Kinsey (ole Creative Coordinator). Front row: Austen Adams (Dickinson Wright, PLLC), Songwriter/Producer Jason Massey, John Ozier (ole GM Creative, Nashville).

• • •

Hunter Hayes surprised fans when he took the stage as an unannounced performer during the Jake Jam Sunday (Aug. 10). Among the performers at the event were Eli Young Band, Stoney LaRue, Natalie Stovall and the Drive, and Brothers Osborne. Hayes also visited with Oklahoma station KJKE’s APD/MD Owen Pickard.

Pictured (L-R): Mark Niederhauser, Southwest Regional Team WMN; Hunter Hayes; APD/MD Owen Pickard.

Pictured (L-R): Mark Niederhauser, Southwest Regional Team WMN; Hunter Hayes; APD/MD Owen Pickard

• • •

guitar b que1Loser’s Nashville is the hot spot for tonight’s (Aug. 13) 2014 Guitar-B-Que hosted by WSIX. The event features performances from Billy Currington, Tyler Farr, Eric Paslay, The Cadillac Three, Brothers Osborne, and Lindsay Ell.
Proceeds from the event benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Admission to the event is free.

Brothers Osborne To Drop Debut EP in September

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osborne1EMI Nashville sibling duo Brothers Osborne will release their self-titled EP on Sept. 9. The band’s first full-length album is expected in early 2015. The brothers co-wrote each of the five tracks on the EP, with songwriters Shane McAnally, Connie Harrington, Barry Dean, Tim Nichols, and Will Anderson.
The EP features their single “Rum,” which is climbing the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart, and currently sits at No. 22 this week.
Brothers Osborne EP Track listing:
“Shoot From The Hip” (written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Will Anderson)
“Arms Of Fire” (written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Tim Nichols, Connie Harrington)
“Stay A Little Longer” (written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Shane McAnally)
“Love The Lonely Out Of You” (written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Connie Harrington)
“Rum” (written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Barry Dean)

On The Cover – Brad Paisley (Aug./Sept. 2014)

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Brad Paisley is featured on the cover of the 2014-2015 Artist Roster print magazine. He is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer whose talents have earned him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards, among many others. A proud member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley earned the first of his 22 No. 1 singles in 1999, writing or co-writing 19 of them.
His latest single, “River Bank,” is from his upcoming album, Moonshine in the Trunk, to be released Aug. 25.
Paisley is currently an expert on ABC’s new hit singing competition, Rising Star, airing Sunday nights at 9 p.m., ET, through Aug. 24. Paisley also made multiple contributions to the new Disney animated film Planes: Fire & Rescue, with a voice cameo as a pick-up truck named Bubba, as well as recording two songs for the soundtrack: “Runway Romance” and “All In,” which Paisley wrote and serves as the final song in the movie.
Paisley is currently headlining his Country Nation World Tour presented by KRAFT Cheese all summer. Visit www.bradpaisley.com for more information.
To receive your copy of the Artist Roster subscribe now. For information on purchasing individual copies of MusicRow magazine, click here.
 

Bentley Adds Second Leg of 'Riser Tour'

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riser dierks bentley11Dierks Bentley announced that a second leg has been added to his 2014 Riser Tour. The 20 city run begins Oct. 2 in Stockton, CA and goes through the end of the year with special guests Randy Houser and Eric Paslay on the US dates and Houser and rising Canadian artist Tim Hicks on the stops north of the border.
Bentley’s smash hit of the summer, “Drunk On A Plane,” continues to sell an average of over 65,000 singles a week. The song is off his current album, Riser, which has tallied more than 1.5 million digital track sales. Check out MusicRow’s new Artist Roster issue for an interview with Bentley’s producer Ross Copperman.
Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine and Mountain Dew will return as tour sponsors of the tour. Fans can now purchase tickets for the first announced dates at www.dierks.com with more details to be revealed over the next few weeks.
First Announced Cities on the 2014 Riser Tour’s Second Leg:
Stockton, CA
Fresno, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Boise, ID
Missoula, MT
Edmonton, AB
Saskatoon, SK
Calgary, AB
Winnipeg, MT
Fargo, ND
Bismark, ND
Brookings, SD
Hershey, PA
Bethlehem, PA
Uncasville, CT
Utica, NY
Huntington, WV
Roanoke, VA
Baltimore, MD
Ottawa, ON
Hamilton, ON
Oshawa, ON
London, ON

CMA Adds Four Staffers

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cma_logo_detailThe Country Music Association added four staffers to its team. Emily Evans has been hired as Director, Strategic Partnerships; Angela Brown as Accounting Coordinator; Mandi Naylor joins the Live Events department as Production Coordinator; and Justin Randall as Network Administrator.
• Evans was a brand manager at st8mnt before joining the CMA. Prior to that, she worked at 13 Management as a day-to-day manager and later as a point person for all branding, strategic partnerships and marketing for Taylor Swift. She has also worked for MAC Presents, managing strategic partnerships for artists.
• Brown joins CMA from Tractor Supply Company where she was the Accounting Coordinator in the General Accounting department. Brown has an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
• Prior to joining CMA, Naylor was a freelance events producer, working with Freeman Enterprises on the Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2013, Music City Gives Back Concerts, the Capitol Street Party, Nashville Ultra Marathon 2013, Urban Runoff 2013, and the Mayor’s 5k Challenge. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communication from Middle Tennessee State University.
• Randall comes to CMA from JRConsulting where he provided technology consulting support and network installation for multi-user environments. He assisted Bridgestone Arena as an IT infrastructure consultant on many of their major events including the CMA Awards, CMT Awards, and the NCAA and SEC basketball tournaments.
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CMA Awards, CMA Country Christmas Tickets On Sale Sept. 6

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Logo for "The 48th Annual CMA Awards"Tickets for the 48th Annual CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas will go on sale to the public on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. CT.
Subscribers of CMA’s free e-mail newsletter will have exclusive pre-sale access for both events. This is also available to fans who “like” CMA on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.
Ticket prices start at $110 for the 48th Annual CMA Awards and $25 for CMA Country Christmas. They will be available at ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or by visiting the Bridgestone Arena Box Office in downtown Nashville.
The 48th Annual CMA Awards will again be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and will broadcast live on ABC on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. CT.
More information can be found at www.CMAawards.com

Underwood, Nettles, McBride Slated For Michael W. Smith Christmas Album

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Michael W. Smith will welcome an impressive lineup of fellow artists for his upcoming holiday season release Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, which will release Sept. 30. Bono, Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Amy Grant and Michael McDonald have all recorded tracks for the project.

Pictured (L-R): Robert Deaton, Carrie Underwood, Michael W. Smith

Pictured (L-R): Robert Deaton, Carrie Underwood, Michael W. Smith. Photo: Ryan Smith.


The project also marks Robert Deaton‘s debut as an album producer. The CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas producer approached Smith about creating a full Christmas recording after Smith’s performance with Nettles during the 2013 Country Christmas program. Orchestral maestro David Hamilton was brought in as the third co-producer, and arranged and oversaw the London Symphony Orchestra’s recordings on the album.
“When we started talking about who could be on this record with him, the list got really narrow really fast,” remarked co-producer Deaton. “There’s a difference between a singer and an artist, or a celebrity and an artist. While we were fortunate to have these amazing guests on the record, it all feels like a cohesive piece and you never leave the fact that it’s a Michael W. Smith record. That was important. That, along with working with co-producer David Hamilton, who is the resident genius, was amazing. This entire process has just been phenomenal.”
Little Big Town with Michael W. Smith. Photo: Ryan Smith

Little Big Town with Michael W. Smith. Photo: Ryan Smith


This marks Smith’s fourth Christmas album, following 1989’s Michael W. Smith Christmas, 1998’s Christmastime, and 2007’s It’s A Wonderful Christmas.
“This is the most unique and unusual record I’ve ever done in my 31-year career. The entire record was sequenced together before we recorded one song,” comments Smith. “Sonically you’re hearing me in a way that you’ve probably never heard me before. At one point it’s like Smitty meets Bublé. There’s my granddaughter’s voice singing the song from ‘Home Alone,’ plus the whole orchestral and symphonic feeling of Christmas, mixed together with all these amazing voices and guests – yet it all fits together in a remarkable way.”
mws album cover1Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas Track Listing
1. The Miracle of Christmas
2. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
3. Happy Holidays/Holiday Season
4. Christmas Time Is Here (feat. Vince Gill)
5. White Christmas (feat. Lady Antebellum)
6. Somewhere In My Memory
7. The Spirit of Christmas (Deck the Halls, Good King Wenceslas, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Feels Like Christmas, O Come All Ye Faithful)
8. Silent Night (feat. Little Big Town)
9. What Child Is This (feat. Martina McBride)
10. Almost There (feat. Amy Grant)
11. All Is Well (feat. Carrie Underwood)
12. Christmas Day (feat. Jennifer Nettles)
13. The Darkest Midnight (Spoken Word by Bono)
14. Peace (with Special Guest Michael McDonald)