Pictured: (L-R, front row): Day-To-Day Manager Sydney Hannon and Founder/Manager Carrie Lelwica, Soar Entertainment; Artist/CEO Sammy Arriaga; Walk Off Entertainment CEO Chris Ruediger; Senior Director Regional Promotion (Virgin Music) John Mayer. (L-R, back row): Studio Bank’s Kari Barnhart; Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP Attorney Matt Cottingham; Walk Off Entertainment Publicist Anna Scott; Walk Off Entertainment Project Manager Kyra Manager; Walk Off Entertainment Coordinator Gianluca Maffei. Photo: Courtesy of Walk Off Entertainment and Dead Rose Records.

Sammy Arriaga‘s Dead Rose Records has established a partnership with Chris Ruediger‘s Walk Off Entertainment.

“I have known Sammy for quite some time and have always been impressed by his voice,” shares Ruediger. “His ability to blend his Latin roots with his love for country music is really exciting. We know there is a growing need for the intersection of these genres and have full confidence that Sammy can lead with his artistry.”

“Every artist dreams of a moment like this one,” says Arriaga. “I wish I could tell my younger, stubborn self to slow down, be more patient, and trust the process. This team proves that great things take time and shouldn’t be rushed. We work incredibly together and align perfectly on the same vision. God is so good!”

Since February 2024, Arriaga has gained over 182k followers on Instagram, 200k on TikTok and 168k on Facebook, showcasing his talent for connecting with fans in a way that truly reflects his authenticity as an artist. He has consistently captivated listeners with his tenor voice, storytelling and Latin-infused country sound, carving out a unique space for himself. His first single under the new partnership, “Left My Heart In Texas,” will release Friday (March 14).

“I’ve always wanted to merge my background with the country genre,” adds Arriaga. “I’m an artist that can wear that Hispanic-American crown proudly, because I was raised that way. It’s who I am. I speak it, I live it, I am it. So much of what I do celebrates that – many of my songs are also done in Spanish, and some Spanglish.”

The Academy of Country Music has announced the Radio Awards nominees for the upcoming 60th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 8 in Frisco, Texas.

Double nominees included KCLR-FM in Columbia, Missouri; WHKO-FM in Dayton, Ohio; WIVK-FM in Knoxville; WQDR-FM in Raleigh, North Carolina; WSIX-FM in Nashville; WUSN-FM in Chicago; WUSY-FM in Chattanooga and WYCT-FM in Pensacola, Florida. There were ties in the Large Market and Medium Market Radio Station of the Year categories, resulting in six and seven nominees in those categories, respectively.

Winners of the ACM Radio Awards will be announced ahead of the 60th ACM Awards and celebrated during ACM Awards week, with more information to follow. The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will take place at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas and will stream live exclusively on Prime Video around the globe. Tickets are available to purchase now at ACMawards.com, and ACM Members and those who work in the country industry can email ticketing@acmcountry.com for direct access to ACM Awards tickets.

The full list of nominations will be announced in the coming weeks, as will performers, presenters and detailed plans for ACM Awards week events taking place around the Dallas area, including opportunities for fans to take part in ticketed as well as free and open-to-the-public programming.

The 60th ACM Radio Awards nominees are:

NATIONAL DAILY ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Ashley Till – Y2Kountry with Ashley Till
Big D, Bubba – Big D & Bubba
Buzz Brainard, Nick Ultra – The Music Row Happy Hour with Buzz Brainard
Cody Alan – Highway Mornings with Cody Alan
Patrick Thomas – PickleJar Up All Night

NATIONAL WEEKLY ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Kelleigh Bannen – Today’s Country Radio
Lorianne Crook, Charlie Chase – Crook & Chase Countdown
Steve Harmon – Country Gold with Steve Harmon
Wayne D, Tay Hamilton – iHeartCountry House Party
Whitney Allen – The Big Time Saturday Night

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
The Lo Show – Lo Sessions – KKBQ-FM Houston
The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister – Matt McAllister, Gabe Mercer, “Captain Ron” Koons – KKWF-FM
Seattle
John and Tammy: San Diego’s Morning Show –John Flint, Tammy Lee – KSON-FM.  San Diego
The Scotty Kay Show – Scotty Kay – WUSN-FM – Chicago
Josh, Rachael and Grunwald In The Morning – Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, Steve Grunwald – WYCD-FM. Detroit

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
Heather Froglear – Heather Froglear – KFRG-FM – Riverside, CA
Deb & Matt in the Morning – Deborah Honeycutt, Matt Malone – WFMS-FM – Indianapolis, IN
Wayne D and Tay – Wayne D, Tay Hamilton – WSIX-FM – Nashville
The Big Dave Show – Big Dave, Stattman – WUBE-FM – Cincinnati, OH
The Q Morning Crew with Mike and Amanda – Amanda Daughtry, Mike Wheless – WQDR-FM – Raleigh, NC

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
The Bee Morning Coffee Club – TJ Sharp, Bo Jaxon, Hope Breen – WBEE-FM – Rochester, NY
New Country Mornings with Nancy and Woody – Nancy Wilson, Aaron Woods – WHKO-FM – Dayton, OH
Joey & Nancy – Joey Tack, Nancy Barger – WIVK-FM – Knoxville, TN
Julie and DJ in the Morning – Julie Kansy, Dale Sellers – WPCV-FM – Lakeland, FL
Mo & StyckMan – Mo, StyckMan – WUSY-FM – Chattanooga, TN

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
Hilley & Hart – Kevin Hilley, Erin Hart – KATI-FM – Jefferson City, MO
Liz & Scotty in the Morning – Liz DelGrosso, Scotty Cox – KCLR-FM – Columbia, MO
Ben & Arnie – Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews – WCOW-FM – Sparta, WI
The Dr. Shane and Tess Show – Dr. Shane, Tess – WPAP-FM – Panama City, FL
The Cat Pak Morning Show – Brent Lane, Mel McCrae – WYCT-FM -Pensacola, FL

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
KSCS-FM – Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
KYGO-FM – Denver
WMZQ-FM – Washington, D.C.
WPOC-FM – Baltimore
WUSN-FM – Chicago

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
KNCI-FM – Sacramento
WDSY-FM – Pittsburgh
WGH-FM – Virginia Beach
WQDR-FM – Raleigh
WSIX-FM – Nashville
WWKA-FM – Orlando

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
KUZZ-FM – Bakersfield
KXKT-FM – Omaha
WHKO-FM – Dayton
WIRK-FM – West Palm Beach
WIVK-FM – Knoxville
WLFP-FM – Memphis
WUSY-FM – Chattanooga

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
KCLR-FM – Columbia, MO
KFGE-FM – Lincoln, NE
WKML-FM – Fayetteville, NC
WXBQ-FM -Bristol, VA
WYCT-FM -Pensacola, FL

Charlie Peacock. Photo: Jeremy Cowart

Few artists can claim a career as diverse and impactful as Charlie Peacock. With a résumé spanning jazz, gospel rock, folk, pop, Americana and beyond, he’s spent five decades shaping the musical landscape, both as an artist and a producer behind some of the most influential records of the last 40 years. Now, with the release of his memoir, Roots & Rhythm: A Life in Music, Peacock offers an intimate, deeply personal look at the journey that brought him here.

Published via Wm. B. Eerdmans in February, Roots & Rhythm isn’t just a chronological account of accolades and accomplishments. Instead, Peacock weaves a literary tapestry that explores his ancestral, musical and spiritual roots. The book has already made waves, landing in the Top 5 of multiple Amazon music categories, and for good reason: it’s a story that extends far beyond music, touching on themes of faith, creativity, reinvention and resilience.

A fourth-generation musician, Peacock’s great-grandfather was a Louisiana fiddler, an early thread in the expansive musical fabric he would later stitch together. His own journey began with a love of jazz, honed under the mentorship of legends like Herbie Hancock. From there, his career took an unpredictable turn—discovered in northern California’s punk and pop underground by industry giants Bill Graham and Chris Blackwell, Peacock soon became a key figure in the rise of gospel rock in the 1980s.

His production work has defined multiple genres, from the soaring anthems of Switchfoot to the haunting harmonies of The Civil Wars. His contributions to film and television—such as 12 Years a Slave and A Walk to Remember—have further cemented his reputation as an artist with a singular vision.

“Well, that’s just in my blood,” Peacock says when asked about his multi-genre mastery. “That’s what I grew up with in my home and as a young musician in northern California. The very first thing we learned to play was the blues. If you were a working musician as a teenager there, you were playing every form of Black American music—modern jazz, funk and all points in between.

“Then there was the whole singer-songwriter era of my teenage years—Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, James Taylor—and my North Stars in jazz were Miles Davis and John Coltrane. So all of that just made me eclectic.”

But Peacock’s memoir isn’t just about the music; it’s about how the music was made. In Roots & Rhythm, he approaches storytelling much like he approaches making music—blending keen observation with emotional depth. Figures like beat poet Gary Snyder, evangelist Billy Graham and producer T Bone Burnett make appearances, creating a sweeping narrative where literature, faith and music collide. Throughout his career, Peacock has navigated the complexities of faith in the music industry, balancing artistic integrity with spiritual conviction.

He has never been one to fit neatly into labels—whether in genre or theology. His influences extend beyond the Bible Belt, drawing from European Christian thinkers like C.S. Lewis and the philosophical roots of ministries such as L’Abri in Switzerland. In Roots & Rhythm, Peacock reflects on how this perspective shaped his approach to music and creativity, rejecting a purely pragmatic view of art in favor of beauty for beauty’s sake.

“When I was a very young follower of Christ, I did a lot of reading and thinking about what it meant to be fully a disciple of Christ, but always fully an artist too. So I didn’t have a pragmatic view of art—I felt like art was meant to be allowed to just do its thing.

“I was never someone who thought, ‘Well, this music is useful because we can use it for evangelism.’ I definitely rebelled against the idea that something is only good if it’s useful,” Peacock says. “To me, nature itself is both useful and beautiful, and I’ve always followed that. At the end of the day, if I have no idea how something will be used but I think it’s beautiful, I’m completely content with that.”

That philosophy has guided his career, allowing him to cross musical boundaries with ease. From jazz to pop, gospel to folk, his work remains unified by a deep respect for the creative process itself. Even as his career reached new heights, life threw unexpected challenges his way. In 2017, Peacock was diagnosed with Dysautonomia and Central Sensitization, a disorder affecting the brain and central nervous system. His once-relentless pace came to a halt, forcing him to focus entirely on recovery. But even in the midst of illness, music remained a lifeline.

“There was something about the brain on music—it took my attention away from the intense pain I was in. It was as if it sort of said, ‘You need to go away for a bit, we’re busy making something.’ And it was pretty phenomenal because when I would stop making music, the pain would surge forward again. So for a while, every waking hour when I wasn’t sleeping, I was in my bonus room making music—every kind of music. That was a saving grace for me.”

During his treatment, Peacock continued to create, collaborating with artists around the world and finding new ways to channel his passion. That resilience is evident in both his memoir and his most recent album, Every-Kind Of Uh Oh, co-produced with his son, Sam Ashworth. The record, released in 2024, marks a return to the core influences that first inspired him—classic singer-songwriters, jazz and gospel—offering a reflective companion piece to Roots & Rhythm.

At its heart, Roots & Rhythm is more than just a memoir—it’s an invitation. Peacock encourages readers, particularly aspiring musicians, to embrace the rhythms of their own lives, to let music and faith lead them toward gratitude and wonder. His journey is a testament to the power of reinvention, of pushing past limitations and of staying true to the art that calls you.

“I’m always listening—paying attention not just to my life, but to the community around me, looking for signs and symbols of direction. Some people need chaos to create, others need solitude. For me, it’s about staying open, being willing to follow where the music and life want to take me next.”

From his early days as a jazz prodigy to his pioneering work in folk and Americana, from Grammy-winning productions to deeply personal songwriting, Peacock’s story is one of boundless creativity and unwavering passion. With Roots & Rhythm, he shares not just the highlights, but the lessons learned along the way—offering a guide for those willing to listen. And for Peacock, as always, it’s all part of the same song.

Onoleigh. Photo: Logen Christopher

Onoleigh is galloping onto the country scene with the release of her debut EP, First Rodeo, dropping March 14.

First Rodeo is the sound of turning pain into power, blending modern country with pop production. The five-track genre-bending fusion project is produced by Emile Ghantous (Pitbull, Boyz II Men, Fifth Harmony) and co-written with Onoleigh, Ghantous, Josh Goode, Sam SZND and Ally Sou. From grieving the loss of the future she imagined with her love in “Bottomless Tears” to embracing a new beginning in the title track, the EP guides the listener through every stage of a breakup, moving between vulnerability and self-assurance. At the core of the project lies the title track, an anthem brimming with confidence.

“This EP is all the different sides of me—the hopeless romantic, the girl crying on the bathroom floor, and the one walking away like a total badass,” shares Onoleigh. “I think anyone who’s ever had their heart broken will find a song that feels like their own.”

In celebration of the new project, Onoleigh will play an EP release show at Analog at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville March 13.

First Rodeo Track List:
1. “Higher Standards”
2. “Drink And Cry”
3. “OK Later”
4. “Bottomless Tears”
5. “First Rodeo”

Chase Rice surprised fans with the release of a special three-song EP, Live From Chief’s.

Captured during his recent acoustic shows at Chief’s on Broadway in Nashville on Feb. 13-14, the project highlights Rice’s unfiltered artistry in a way that fans rarely get to experience at larger arena shows. The project opens with standout covers of Eric Church’s “Carolina” (one of the first songs Rice was inspired to learn to play on guitar during his college years at UNC),  and George Strait’s iconic rodeo hit “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” which itself inspired the EP’s third song.

The previously unreleased “Cowboy Goodbye,” a yearning song co-written by Rice with Oscar Charles and Foy Vance during a recent post-Red Rocks retreat in Colorado, reflects on the sacrifices that come with the pursuit of music and serves as a pivotal moment for his next studio album Eldora, expected later this year.

“I love my life; I love my job; I love what I get to do for a living – but I’ve given up a lot to do it,” Rice shares in the live recording’s introduction, reflecting on the personal parallels between the life of a touring musician and that of a true cowboy. “I don’t have a family yet – that’s the goal – but that’s one of the main things that I’ve given up to do this thing… Since I was a little kid, I always wore the cowboy boots, I always wore the cowboy hat and the cowboy way of life was always just kind of in my mind.”