ACM Off-Camera Winners Announced

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acm-awards-logo111featuredThe Academy of Country Music has revealed the winners of awards that will not be televised during the 49th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards, due to time constraints when the ceremony is telecast live on CBS from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 6. Instead, Special Awards, Industry Awards, Studio Recording Awards and Songwriter of the Year honorees will be feted at the 8th Annual ACM Honors event on September 9, 2014 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Career Achievement Award – Toby Keith and Ronnie Milsap have been chosen to receive the Career Achievement Award, honoring an individual artist, duo, group or multiple artist collaboration that have advanced the popularity and acceptance of country music through their endeavors in the entertainment industry in multiple areas during the preceding calendar year. Past recipients of the Career Achievement Award include John Anderson, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Johnny Paycheck, Carl Perkins, Reba and Kenny Rogers.
Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Bob Beckham has been chosen to receive the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, honoring individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre. Past recipients include Alabama, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, George Jones, The Judds, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Hank Williams, and Hank Williams Jr., among others.
Crystal Milestone Award – As previously announced, Merle Haggard has been chosen to receive the Crystal Milestone Award, which is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement. Past recipients include Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Gayle Holcomb, Jennifer Nettles and Taylor Swift.
Gene Weed Special Achievement Award – Carrie Underwood has been chosen to receive the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award, which acknowledges unprecedented, unique and outstanding individual achievement in country music. Past recipients include Garth Brooks, George Burns, Jeff Foxworthy, Willie Nelson, Blake Shelton and George Strait.
Jim Reeves International Award – Steve Buchanan and Rascal Flatts have been chosen to receive the Jim Reeves International Award, which is presented to an artist for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world. Past recipients include Garth Brooks, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Merv Griffin, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Lady Antebellum.
Mae Boren Axton Award – Paul Moore has been chosen as the recipient of the Mae Boren Axton Award, which is given in recognition of years of dedication and service by an outstanding individual to the Academy of Country Music. Past recipients include John Dorris, Rod Essig, Gayle Holcomb, Jack Lameier, Marge Meoli, Ray Pilzak, Gaynelle Pitts, Gene Weed, Tommy Wiggins and David Young.
Poet’s Award – Jack Clement (awarded posthumously), Dean Dillon, Kris Kristofferson, and Buck Owens (awarded posthumously), have been selected to receive the Poet’s Award, which honors songwriters for outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions throughout their careers in the field of country music. Previous recipients include Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Guy Clark, Hank Cochran, Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Harlan Howard, Roger Miller, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Cindy Walker and Hank Williams.
INDUSTRY AWARDS

  • CASINO OF THE YEAR: Small Capacity – Mohegan Sun Wolf Den – Uncasville, CT; Medium Capacity – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
  • NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR: Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
  • VENUE OF THE YEAR: Small Capacity – Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater – Austin, TX; Medium Capacity – Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN; Large Capacity – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
  • DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR: Nicole More – Neste Event Marketing
  • PROMOTER OF THE YEAR: Brian O’Connell – Live Nation

STUDIO RECORDING AWARDS (FORMERLY THE MBI AWARDS)

  • BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Michael Rhodes
  • DRUMMER OF THE YEAR: Shannon Forrest
  • GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rob McNelley
  • PIANO/KEYBOARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Charlie Judge
  • STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Paul Franklin
  • AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR: Justin Niebank
  • PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Dann Huff
  • SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Bryan Sutton

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: Shane McAnally

Smith To Release First Project For Sparrow Records in May

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mws sovereign1Michael W. Smith will release his first studio worship album since 2008, and his first album with new label partner Sparrow Records and Capitol Christian Music Group. The project, titled Sovereign, will release May 13.
Sovereign will also be made available as a Deluxe Edition, which will include a DVD concert shot at Smith’s barn in Franklin, Tenn., and will feature guest appearances from Kari Jobe and Leeland Mooring.
Smith has enlisted the musical talents of songwriters including Seth Moseley and Kyle Lee. He worked with producers Chris Stevens and Jeremy Edwardson, and brought in worship leader Jobe to sing on a track.

Sovereign

1. You Won’t Let Go
2. Heaven Come Down
3. Miracle
4. Sky Spills Over
5. All Arise
6. You Are The Fire
7. Christ Be All Around Me
8. Sovereign Over Us
9. Hide Myself
10. The Same Power
11. I Lay Me Down
12. The One That Really Matters (Featuring Kari Jobe)
Sovereign Deluxe Edition CD+DVD
1. You Won’t Let Go
2. Heaven Come Down
3. Miracle
4. Sky Spills Over
5. All Arise
6. You Are The Fire
7. Christ Be All Around Me
8. Sovereign Over Us
9. Hide Myself
10. The Same Power
11. I Lay Me Down
12. The One That Really Matters (Featuring Kari Jobe)
DVD
1. You Won’t Let Go
2. You Are The Fire
3. Hide Myself
4. The Same Power
5. All Arise
6. Sovereign Over Us
7. I Lay Me Down
8. Christ Be All Around Me (Featuring Leeland Mooring)
9. The One That Really Matters (Featuring Kari Jobe)
10. You Are The Fire (Reprise)

CMT Mobile Apps Available on Android

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CMT_BLACK_WHITE111Two of the recently launched CMT mobile apps, CMT Artists App and the CMT app, are now available for Android users in the Google Play store. The CMT Artists App delivers content to Country fans, including music videos, interviews and performances. The CMT App launched on iOS last fall, and features TV Everywhere functionality.
CMT has also presented its next installment of Listen Up, featuring Thomas Rhett. Rhett will debut five new performances on the app, as well as at listenup.cmt.com, including “1994,” “Sorry For Partyin’,” “Front Porch Junkies,” “Get Me Some of That,” and “It Goes Like This.”

'Muscle Shoals' To Premiere On PBS in April

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muscle shoals111Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier will explore the legendary music recorded by artists ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones to the Civil Wars in the documentary Muscle Shoals. The documentary will premiere on PBS’ Independent Lens on Monday, April 21 at 9 p.m. ET.
Among those appearing in the film are Gregg Allman, Barry Beckett, Bono, Clarence Carter, Jimmy Cliff, Aretha Franklin, Donnie Fritts, Donna Jean Godchaux, Rick Hall, Roger Hawkins, David Hood, Mick Jagger, Jaimoe, Etta James, Jimmy Johnson, Alicia Keys, Ed King, Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn, Wilson Pickett, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Candi Staton, Jerry Wexler, John Paul White, and Steve Winwood.

Weekly Chart Report (3/21/14)

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Screen Shot 2014-03-20 at 3.13.42 PMClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report
NEWPP

Artist Updates (3/20/14)

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Clay Walker Updated Promo Pic 2013

Clay Walker


Clay Walker will return to Nashville on Tuesday, June 3 to host the fifth annual Chords of Hope Benefit Concert at 3rd & Lindsley. The concert will help raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis (MS) research with proceeds going to the MS Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Walker will be joined by Blaster Records’ Montgomery Gentry, as well as Broken Bow Records’ Dustin Lynch.
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available through Eventbrite and bandagainstms.org.

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Brandy Clark. Photo Credit: Becky Fluke

Brandy Clark. Photo Credit: Becky Fluke


The airdate for singer/songwriter Brandy Clark’s debut performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show has changed.
The nationally syndicated television show, featuring Clark performing the song “Stripes” from her album 12 Stories, will now air on Monday, Mar. 24.

    • • •

David Cook

David Cook


Kris Allen and David Cook will perform at Nashville’s The Bridge Building to launch a new partnership with Soles4Souls. They will host “A Sole-ful Evening with Kris Allen & David Cook.” Guests will enjoy live music, as well as flavorful wines and bubblies, and will be invited to drop gently used shoes off as a donation to the cause.
The event will take place Tuesday, April 1 from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m.

                                                  • • •

passion take it all1Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman and Crowder are a few of the artists included on the live project Passion: Take It All, which was recorded during Passion conferences in Atlanta and Houston earlier this year. The project will release April 29.
Accompanying the release of Passion: Take It All, Passion will embark on a Spring 2014 Global Tour, making stops in Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, and Honolulu.

Industry Ink (3/20/14)

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GrammysThe Grammy Block Party has been set for Tuesday, May 13 at Owen Bradley Park near the Music Row roundabout. The event will run from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. The Grammy Block party is not open to the public, and is an invitation-only event for members of the Recording Academy and their guests.
The event’s performer lineup will be revealed March 28.
 

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The Women’s Music Business Association recently held its monthly general membership meeting at ASCAP, which included a panel on “The Life of a Song.” The event was moderated by ASCAP Head of Membership/Creative LeAnn Phelan.
Panelists included singer-songwriter Sherrie Austin, Sr. VP of Creative Services for HoriPro Butch Baker, Magic Mustang Music Creative Director Juli Griffith, and SESAC Sr. Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Shannan Hatch.
Panelists shared stories of their careers in songwriting, pitching, publishing and production.
Pictured (L-R, front row): HoriPro's Butch Baker, ASCAP's LeAnn Phelan, SESAC's Shannan Hatch, Magic Mustang's Juli Griffith, Sherrie Austin, WMBA Events/Education co-chair Meredith Herberg-Waldron, CMT's Heather Dicus, WMBA Membership/Marketing co-chair Hannah Showmaker and WMBA Secretary Alison Toczylowski. (back row, l-r): WMBA Events/Education co-chair Rachel Mowl, WMBA President Raeanna Mowl, WMBA Membership/Marketing co-chair Trina Lloyd-Weidner and WMBA Vice President Makayla Telfer.

Pictured (front row, L-R): HoriPro’s Butch Baker, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Magic Mustang’s Juli Griffith, Sherrie Austin, WMBA Events/Education co-chair Meredith Herberg-Waldron, CMT’s Heather Dicus, WMBA Membership/Marketing co-chair Hannah Showmaker and WMBA Secretary Alison Toczylowski. (back row, L-R): WMBA Events/Education co-chair Rachel Mowl, WMBA President Raeanna Mowl, WMBA Membership/Marketing co-chair Trina Lloyd-Weidner and WMBA Vice President Makayla Telfer.

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The March 2014 installment of ASCAP‘s “We Create Music” showcase series was held Wednesday, March 19 at Nashville’s The Basement. Republic Nashville artist RaeLynn, songwriter Dave Berg, and songwriter-artists Andy Albert, Joshua Fletcher, Brad Tursi, and Jamie Kent were featured during the show.

ASCAP We Create Music March 2014111

Pictured (L-R): Joshua Fletcher, Andy Albert, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, RaeLynn, Brad Tursi, ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe and Ryan Beuschel, Jamie Kent, Dave Berg, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, and Tony Esterly. Photo by ASCAP’s Alison Toczylowski.

CMHoF To Celebrate Expansion With Free Outdoor Event

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countrymusichalloffameThe Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will celebrate a major milestone on Tuesday, April 15, the completion of the museum’s 210,000-square-foot expansion. The expansion will more than double its size with new archival, exhibit, education, retail and event spaces. The grand opening ceremony will feature special guests and musical performances, and is open to the public.
The event will begin at 1:15 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 15 at the corner of 5th Ave. S. and Demonbreun Street. The event will feature the Honorable Karl Dean, Board Chairman Steve Turner, Museum Director Kyle Young, as well as guest performers and Country Music Hall of Fame members.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1987. The museum has been assembling its nearly 2 million-item collection since 1967. Using its unrivaled collection and expertise, the museum seeks to engage visitors in the breadth and depth of the country music story, in the context of local and national history.

[Updated]: Member of Cash Family Found Dead In Putnam County

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courtney cash

Courtney Jean Cash


[Update, March 25, 4:41 p.m. CT]
Courtney Jean Cash’s funeral will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Cookeville at Crest Lawn Funeral Home.
[Update, March 20, 2014, 5:07 p.m.]: According to Putnam County police, Wayne Gary Masciarella, 27, has been charged with first-degree murder of Cash, 23. Cash and Johnson met with Masciarella on Wednesday, when the meeting turned violent. Courtney Cash was stabbed to death.
• • •
[Original post, March 20, 2014, 1:00 p.m.]
Courtney Cash, the great-niece of late Country singer Johnny Cash and granddaughter of Tommy Cash, has been found dead at a residence in Putnam County, Tenn., according to Fox 17. Courtney Cash, who was 23, was found deceased inside a box. Another victim, William Johnson, is at Vanderbilt Hospital receiving treatment for a gunshot wound. A child was also found at the residence.
Tommy Cash, younger brother of the legendary singer, said, “We ask for your prayers for the Cash family at this time. Courtney and her boyfriend are beloved members of my family and like you we have a lot of questions and emotions that we are beginning to sort through today. We ask for you to respect our privacy and appreciate all the support that the public and media has always offered my family, as we handle the loss of my grand-daughter, pray for the father of my great-grand child and journey through the search for justice on this violent act. We are completely heartbroken. It is a time like this that we are grateful for our faith and trusting the loving guidance of God.”
Cause of death has not been determined, according to police. A suspect is in custody, but has not been charged.

Haggard To Be Honored With ACM Crystal Milestone Award

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merle haggard1Merle Haggard will be honored with the Crystal Milestone Award at the upcoming 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 6 beginning at 8 p.m. live ET on CBS Television Network.
The award will salute Haggard for 50 years in Country music. He was the recipient of the ACM’s first Entertainer of the Year award in 1970. That win also marked the Academy’s first Triple Crown achievement; Haggard had already earned the titles of Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year award (1965) and the first of six Male Vocalist of the Year awards in 1966. Haggard has also received the ACM Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award and Poet’s award. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994.
Past recipients of the Crystal Milestone Award include Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Gayle Holcomb, Jennifer Nettles and Taylor Swift.
Broken Bow Records will release Working Man’s Poet: A Tribute To Merle Haggard, which features new covers of some of Haggard’s biggest hits. Aldean, Brooks, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kristy Lee Cook, Ben Haggard, Randy Houser, Toby Keith, Dustin Lynch, Joe Nichols, Jake Owen, Parmalee, Thompson Square and James Wesley are included on the tribute album. The project will release in select stores and digitally on Tuesday, April 1.
WORKING MAN’S POET:  A TRIBUTE TO MERLE HAGGARD

  1. Misery And Gin (performed by Randy Houser)
  2. Footlights (performed by Joe Nichols)
  3. Going Where The Lonely Go (performed by Jason Aldean)
  4. Today I Started Loving You Again (performed by Kristy Lee Cook)
  5. Carolyn (performed by Toby Keith)
  6. Pancho And Lefty (performed by Luke Bryan & Dierks Bentley)
  7. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down (performed by Garth Brooks) *
  8. You Take Me For Granted (performed by Thompson Square)
  9. Mama Tried  (performed by Ben Haggard)
  10. That’s The Way Love Goes  (performed by Dustin Lynch)
  11. Make Up and Faded Blue Jeans (performed by Jake Owen)
  12. I’m A Lonesome Fugitive  (performed by James Wesley)
  13. Workin’ Man Blues (performed by Parmalee)
  14. Are The Good Times Really Over (performed by Jason Aldean)
  15. Let’s Chase Each Other Around The Room (performed by Thompson Square)
  16. I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink (performed by Dustin Lynch)
  17. The Fightin’ Side Of Me  (performed by James Wesley)
  18. My Favorite Memory (performed by Joe Nichols)
  19. Ramblin’ Fever  (performed by Randy Houser)
  20. Sing Me Back Home (performed by Ben Haggard)

*Appears only on Walmart exclusive