The Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257 and the Nashville Symphony have come to an agreement and ratified a new, one-year contract for the orchestra’s musicians. The two have spent the past three months negotiating terms of the new contract, which include a 15 percent pay cut for the musicians. The symphony’s administrative staff recently took a similar cut in pay and benefits as well. The salary concessions are part of a financial restructuring the Symphony has undergone as a result of the economic downturn in 2008 and the flood in 2010. Along with other restructuring efforts, the cuts will allow the Symphony to lower its annual operating budget by six million dollars (29 percent of this year’s budget).
“This one-year contract is a stopgap measure that provides a way to keep the music playing in the Schermerhorn at the high artistic level Nashville has come to expect,” Dave Pomeroy, President of the Nashville Musicians Association, said. “These musicians will be working much more for considerably less money, and their collective sacrifice is a testimony to their ongoing commitment to our community. We look forward to working with the Symphony Association towards a mutual goal of restoring NSO salaries to a level commensurate with their world-class talent as soon as possible.”
The contract will go into effect immediately and run through July 31, 2014. The Nashville Symphony’s 2013/14 season will begin as scheduled on Sept. 5-7 with “Russian Spectacular,” featuring music by Mussorgsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

Warner Bros. Nashville President/CEO and Secretary/Treasurer of the CMA Board of Directors John Esposito has been tapped to lead a 10-member committee responsible for defining the role and launching the search for an executive leader for the Country Music Association.
The committee is comprised of veteran CMA Board members who represent a cross section of CMA’s membership. The group will also screen potential applicants, interview them and present their recommendation to the CMA Board of Directors, according to CMA Board President Ed Hardy, who is serving as the CMA Board liaison with the CMA management team during this transition.
“Country music is stronger than ever, which provides numerous possibilities as we look for our next chief executive officer,” said Hardy. “CMA was created to advance Country music around the globe and represent the business interests of all our constituent groups. This search provides CMA a tremendous opportunity to evaluate our evolving needs, select the ideal leader to address them, and execute the best strategy for continued growth. It’s also an attractive opportunity for a senior level executive with a passion for the industry.”
Resumes from potential candidates can be submitted at CMAsearch@yahoo.com. All applications will be treated with complete discretion and kept in strict confidence during the search process.

SoundExchange has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against SiriusXM for alleged underpayment of digital royalties from 2007-2012. The company is accusing SiriusXM of taking inadmissible deductions and exemptions in royalty payment calculations to SoundExchange, including deductions for pre-1972 recordings and music channel packages. It also wants back late fees and interest due from the underpayments as well.
The underpayments are alleged to amount to between 50 and $100 million or more, and is seeking to recover the monies for the artists and labels it represents.
A copy of the official filing can be seen here: soundexchange.com.
The lawsuit is merely the latest in the battle between the two companies. Last year, according to the Hollywood Reporter, SiriusXM sued Soundexchange over an alleged plan to monopolize copyrights from the recording industry. The satellite radio company wanted to make direct deals with rights holders instead. A separate lawsuit was filed earlier this month against SiriusXM by the Turtles over rights usage of their pre-1972 songs, which are not protected under federal law.

Deana Carter, Rodney Crowell, Paul Franklin, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Kree Harrison, Robert Earl Keen, Lorrie Morgan, David Nail, Darius Rucker, Steve Wariner, Jesse Keith Whitley, Chris Young and Thompson Square will join host Dierks Bentley at the 7th Annual ACM Honors. The awards show will be held Sept. 10, 2013 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and will celebrate the non-televised special honorees and award winners from the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, held earlier this year.
Carter, Nail, Rucker and Wariner will serve as presenters during the evening, while musical tributes will be made by Crowell & Harris, Gill & Franklin, Harrison, Keen, Morgan, Whitley, Young and Thompson Square.
Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and the Ryman box office.
Previously announced honorees for this year’s ACM Honors are:
Special Awards recipients:

• Jason Aldean – Crystal Milestone Award
• Guy Clark – Poet’s Award
• Blake Shelton – Gene Weed Special Achievement Award
• Keith Whitley (posthumously) – Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
• Tommy Wiggins – Mae Boren Axton Award
• Hank Williams (posthumously) – Poet’s Award
• Lady Antebellum – Jim Reeves International Award
• The Judds – Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award

MBI (Musician/Bandleader/Instrumentalist) Award Winners:

• Chuck Ainlay – Audio Engineer of the Year
• Matt Chamberlain – Percussionist/Drummer of the Year
• J.T. Corenflos – Guitarist of the Year
• Aubrey Haynie – Fiddle Player of the Year
• Mike Johnson – Steel Guitar Player of the Year
• Jay Joyce – Producer of the Year
• Michael Rojas – Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
• Jimmie Lee Sloas – Bass Player of the Year
• Ilya Toshinsky – Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year

Industry Award Winners:

• Jerry Hufford, Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace – Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
• Ed Warm, Joe’s Bar – Promoter of the Year
• Joe’s Bar (Chicago, IL) – Nightclub of the Year
• Red Rock Casino & Resort (Las Vegas, NV) – Casino of the Year
• Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN) – Venue of the Year