Sony Music Nashville Adds Director of Media

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Jennifer Vessio

Jennifer Vessio


Jennifer Vessio has joined Sony Music Nashville as Director, Media. In her new role, Vessio will oversee publicity for several artists on the RCA Nashville roster, including Sara Evans, Jake Owen, Love and Theft and Bush Hawg. She will also be the key publicist for newly-signed Sony Music Nashville artist Angie Johnson and will assist Sony Music Nashville Vice President of Media & Corporate Communications Allen Brown with corporate communication matters.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer to our Sony Music Nashville family,” says Brown. “Her unique combination of entertainment and corporate media relations experience, coupled with her enthusiasm for our music and roster, brings a new dimension to our media department and company.”
Vessio was previously with NBCUniversal in New York, where she was the network publicist responsible for several programs including America’s Got Talent, Deception and Miss USA. Prior to her work with NBC Entertainment, Vessio held different positions within the company, including Communications Manager for the Cable and Digital Distribution group. She began her publicity career as coordinator for NBCUniversal’s Corporate Communications office.
She holds a Masters of Communications degree from New York University and a dual degree in Communications and Psychology from Muhlenberg College. Now based in Nashville, Vessio can be reached at jennifer.vessio@sonymusic.com.
 
 

DISClaimer: Blue Sky Riders Rise Above

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Blue Sky Riders

Blue Sky Riders – Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, and Gary Burr.


I am in love. Blue Sky Riders have eased the pain of slogging through years of Nashville mediocrity with their sterling vocal harmonies and sensational songwriting ability. It comes as no surprise that this trio has the Disc of the Day.
This week’s DISCovery Award also goes to Blue Sky Riders. Yes, I know they are comprised of the already well known Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman. But as a group, they are new. And wonderful.
CHICAGO FARMER/Everybody In This Town
Writers: Chicago Farmer; Producer: Chicago Farmer and Chris Harden; Publisher: Napkin Poet, BMI
–File this under “Americana.” Recorded live and analog, this band has a ragged, rustic charm as well as some serious songwriting chops. The CD is titled Backenforth, IL. The man behind the band is singer-songwriter Cody Diekhoff. Remember him.
RYAN BROSHEAR/I Don’t Mind
Writers: Ryan Broshear/Amie Broshear; Producer: Daniel Agee; Publisher: Painted Horse, ASCAP
–Well done. The production mixes nicely arranged strings with a poetic steel guitar. His resigned vocal on the ballad is just right for the lyric of a man who’s lost his love for good. And I do mean “for good,” because she has passed away, you see.
BLUE SKY RIDERS/I’m A Rider
Writers: Blue Sky Riders; Producer: Peter Asher and Blue Sky Riders; Publisher: Gnossos/Connboy/Middle Girl, ASCAP/SESAC
–I have no idea if this sizzling bopper is the single or even if there is a single. It doesn’t really matter, since I adore every track on this group’s 15-track, harmony soaked, pop-country, melody blessed Finally Home CD. Blue Sky Riders are singer-songwriter dynamo Georgia Middleman, pop star Kenny Loggins and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member and Carole King/Ringo Starr sideman Gary Burr. The harmonies and songs they create together are spine tingling. If you buy one album this season, make it this one.
ACE DIAMOND/Rockabilly Man
Writers: R. Cowell, Producer: Harry King; Publisher: Richard E. Cowell, BMI
–As you might expect from the title, it has a ‘50s throwback sound. The band kicks butt, but his vocal has none of the passion or yelp of a classic backwoods rockabilly artist. A noble effort, but no sale.
SAMANTHA LANDRUM/Hometown
Writers: Jon Nite/Nicolle Galyon; Producer: Dennis D’Amico; Publishers: Zavitson/Warner Tamerlane, BMI/ASCAP
–“I want to know you like I know my hometown.” Okay, it’s a little different as a lyric. Which I could forgive if the melody was interesting or if she had charisma as a vocalist. Neither is the case, alas.
THE MAVERICKS/Back In Your Arms Again
Writers: Raul Malo, Gary Nicholson, Seth Walker; Producer: Raul Malo and Niko Bolas; Publisher: Big Music Machine/Raul Malo/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Gary Nicholson
–Delightful. Malo’s lead vocal is piped in from an echo chamber and the bopping band chugs along with plenty of twang and a wheezing organ. The song is beyond catchy.
JESSTA JAMES/Back In The Day
Writers: Dan Hannon, Jesse Covin; Producer: Dan Hannon; Publisher: Emilex/Jessta James, BMI/ASCAP
–This starts out as a joyous country rocker then strangely veers into a rap. By the finale, it’s a shouting-crowd thang with a soul singer wailing. Schizophrenic.
KRISTEN KELLY/He Loves To Make Me Cry
Writers: Kristen Kelly/Paul Overstreet/Even Stevens; Producer: Tony Brown and Paul Overstreet; Publisher: none listed, BMI
–It’s a stately, steady blues lament. Kelly wails it for all it’s worth and stakes her claim as a newcomer to watch. Essential listening.
LADY ANTEBELLUM/Downtown
Writers: Luke Laird/Shane McAnally/Natalie Hemby; Producer: Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum; Publisher: Songs of Universal/Creative Nation/Twangin & Slangin/Crazy Water/Smack/Cobalt/EMI
–I’m not sure what is “country” about this song and performance, but it is certainly well executed.
CHRIS LEIGH & THE BROKEN HEARTS/Broken Hearted Friends
Writers: Chris Leigh; Producer: Jim “Moose” Brown; Publisher: Chris Leigh, BMI
–He’s a total slob and sounds it. She kicks his buddies out in the middle of the football game and tosses his stuff onto the lawn. What’s a guy to do? Head down to the bar and commiserate with his boozy friends. Sloppy-drunk enjoyable.

Eric Church Leads ACM Nominations

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Eric Church is the leading nominee with seven nods, followed by Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Hunter Hayes with

Eric Church is the leading nominee with seven nods, followed by Hunter Hayes with six, and Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert with five each.


Eric Church leads the nominations for the 48th Academy Country Music Awards with nine nominations, including Male Vocalist of the Year and his second consecutive nod for Album of the Year and Video of the Year. He is twice nominated for Song of the Year for “Springsteen,” as both artist and composer. Church also earned nominations for Single of the Year for “Springsteen” and for Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.
Nominees were announced today (Feb. 13) via the second annual digital press conference on the Academy’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Featured in the video announcements were     Sheryl Crow, The Band Perry, Little Big Town, Scotty McCreery, Ryan Seacrest, 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, The Talk hosts (Julie Chen, Sarah Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler, and Sheryl Underwood), plus Entertainment Tonight co-anchors Nancy O’Dell and Rob Marciano.

Hunter Hayes received six nominations, including New Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year for “Wanted.” He is also twice nominated in the Song of the Year category as the artist and composer, as well as in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for “Wanted.”
Miranda Lambert earned five nominations, including her second nomination for Entertainer of the Year and seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist of the Year. In addition, Lambert was nominated for Single Record and twice nominated for Song, as artist and composer, for “Over You.” Lambert is the reigning ACM Female Vocalist.
Reigning Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift received five nominations, including her fourth consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year. If Swift wins Entertainer, this will be her third consecutive win in that category. Swift is nominated for Female Vocalist, Video for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and Album for Red as the artist and producer.
Luke Bryan received four nominations, including his first ever for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. He also received nominations for Album for tailgates & tanlines and Vocal Event for “The Only Way I Know” with Aldean and Church.
First-time ACM nominee Kacey Musgraves is nominated for four awards including Female Vocalist, New Female Vocalist and twice for Video of the Year for “Merry Go ‘Round” as artist and producer.
Other first-time nominees include Florida Georgia Line (3 nominations), Jana Kramer (2 nominations), and Natasha Bedingfield, Will Hoge, Eric Paslay, and Sunny Sweeney with one each.
Little Big Town leads group nominations with four nods, including Vocal Group, Album, Single Record for “Pontoon” and Video for “Tornado.”
Earning three noms apiece are Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Eli Young Band, and Florida Georgia Line.
Shelton and Bryan will co-host the ACM Awards airing live from Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Fan Voting for Entertainer and New Artist of the Year: The Academy of Country Music’s professional membership selects the nominees and winners of the ACM Awards, and selects the final top five nominees for Entertainer of the Year. New Artist of the Year final nominees were selected by a combined vote of the fans and professional members. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year begins on March 25, 2013 at 3:00 PM ET/12noon PT at VoteACM.com. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year will close at 5 p.m. PT on April 7, 2013 (before the live show starts) and fan voting for Entertainer will close during the third hour of the live broadcast. The winners of both awards will be announced live during the ACM Awards. Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line are the nominees for ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s Department Stores. In the first round of fan voting at GACtv.com, Gilbert, Kramer and FGL were respectively voted New Male Vocalist, New Female Vocalist, and New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year. The winners of those categories go on to compete for overall ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Toby Keith
Blake Shelton
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Big & Rich
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Sugarland
Thompson Square
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Zac Brown Band
NEW MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR (already determined via fan voting)
Lee Brice
Brantley Gilbert
Hunter Hayes
NEW FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR (already determined via fan voting)
Jana Kramer
Kacey Musgraves
Sunny Sweeney
NEW VOCAL DUO OR GROUP OF THE YEAR (already determined via fan voting)
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Thompson Square
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY KOHL’S DEPARTMENT STORES [Winners of New Male, New Female & New Vocal Duo or Group Of The Year]
Florida Georgia Line
Brantley Gilbert
Jana Kramer
ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
Blown Away – Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville), Produced by: Mark Bright
Chief – Eric Church (EMI-Nashville), Produced by: Jay Joyce
Red – Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records), Produced by: Jeff Bhasker, Nathan Chapman, Dann Huff, Jacknife Lee, Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Butch Walker, Dan Wilson
tailgates & tanlines – Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville), Produced by: Mark Bright, Jeff Stevens
Tornado – Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville), Produced by: Jay Joyce
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville), Produced by: Mike Wrucke
“Over You” – Miranda Lambert (RCA), Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf
“Pontoon” – Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville), Produced by: Jay Joyce
“Springsteen” – Eric Church (EMI-Nashville), Produced by: Jay Joyce
“Wanted” – Hunter Hayes (Atlantic/WMN), Produced by: Hunter Hayes, Dann Huff
SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“A Woman Like You” – Lee Brice
Composers: Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford, Jon Stone
Publishers: 3JB Music (BMI), Adios Pantalones (SESAC), Hears That Skyline Music (SESAC), Sixteen Stars Music (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Eli Young Band
Composers: Will Hoge, Eric Paslay
Publishers: Cal IV Songs (ASCAP), Will Hoge Music (BMI)
“Over You” – Miranda Lambert
Composers: Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton
Publishers: Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony ATV/Tree Publishing (BMI)
“Springsteen” – Eric Church
Composers: Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell
Publishers: Bug Music (BMI), Ole Purple Cape Music (BMI), Sinnerlina (BMI), Sony ATV/Tree Publishing (BMI)
“Wanted” – Hunter Hayes
Composers: Hunter Hayes, Troy Verges
Publishers: Happy Little Man Publishing (BMI), Songs From The Engine Room (BMI), Songs Of Universal Inc. (BMI)
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR *(Off Camera Award)
Rodney Clawson
Dallas Davidson
Josh Kear
Luke Laird
Shane McAnally
VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] *(Off Camera Award) [TIE]
“Creepin’” – Eric Church
Producer: Iris Baker; Director: Peter Zavadil
“Merry Go ‘Round” – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Perry Bean, Kacey Musgraves; Director: Perry Bean
“Tornado” – Little Big Town
Producer: Iris Baker; Director: Shane Drake
“Wanted” – Hunter Hayes
Producers: Stephanie Reeves, Eric Williams; Directors: Traci Goudie, Patrick Hubik
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – Taylor Swift
Producer: John Nguyen; Director: Declan Whitebloom
“The Wind” – Zac Brown Band
Producer: Ben Kalina; Director: Mike Judge
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] *(Off Camera Award)
“Don’t Rush” – Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill (19/RCA/Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Dann Huff
“Easy” – Rascal Flatts Featuring Natasha Bedingfield (Big Machine Records)
Produced by: Dann Huff, Brian Kennedy, Rascal Flatts
“Feel Like A Rock Star” – Kenny Chesney (Duet With Tim McGraw) (Blue Chair/BNA)
Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
“Let It Rain” – David Nail Featuring Sarah Buxton (MCA Nashville)
Produced by: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell
“The Only Way I Know” – Jason Aldean With Luke Bryan & Eric Church (Broken Bow)
Produced by: Michael Knox
OFF CAMERA AWARDS – The following off-camera awards will be presented during the annual ACM Honors event held in Nashville this fall.
INDUSTRY AWARDS:
CASINO OF THE YEAR
Agua Caliente Casino – Rancho Mirage, CA
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Tulsa, OK
Northern Quest Casino – Airway Heights, WA
Red Rock Casino & Resort – Las Vegas, NV
WinStar World Casino – Thackerville, OK
NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace – Bakersfield, CA
Joe’s Bar – Chicago, IL
The Dusty Armadillo – Rootstown, OH
Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill – Denver, CO
Wild Bills – Duluth, GA
VENUE OF THE YEAR
Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH
BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
Klipsch Music Center – Noblesville, IN
Meadowbrook – Gilford, NH
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR
Billy Brill – Billy Alan Productions
Jerry Hufford – Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace
Gary Osier – Gary Osier Presents
Pat Powelson – Jayson Promotions, Inc.
Fran Romeo – Romeo Entertainment Group
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Brad Garrett – Police Productions
Darin Lashinsky – NS2
Debra Rathwell – AEG Live
Glenn Smith – Glenn Smith Presents
Ed Warm – Joe’s Bar
MUSICIAN/BANDLEADER/INSTRUMENTALIST (MBI) AWARDS:
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Brett Beavers
Buddy Cannon
Dann Huff
Jay Joyce
Michael Knox
AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Chuck Ainlay
Derek Bason
Mills Logan
Steve Marcantonio
F. Reid Shippen
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dennis Crouch
Kevin “Swine” Grantt
Larry Paxton
Jimmie Lee Sloas
Glenn Worf
PERCUSSIONIST/DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
Eddie Bayers
Matt Chamberlain
Chad Cromwell
Chris McHugh
Greg Morrow
FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Glen Duncan
Larry Franklin
Aubrey Haynie
Hank Singer
Joe Spivey
GUITARIST OF THE YEAR
Tom Bukovac
J.T. Corenflos
Jay Joyce
Rob McNelley
Brent Mason
PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
John Jarvis
Charlie Judge
Gordon Mote
Steve Nathan
Michael Rojas
SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Eric Darken
Glen Duncan
Jim Hoke
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinsky
STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dan Dugmore
Mike Johnson
Greg Leisz
Russ Pahl
Scotty Sanders
RADIO AWARDS – The following radio awards will be presented during the annual Radio Winners event held the day prior to the ACM Awards telecast, on April 6th in Las Vegas.
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – NATIONAL
Blair Garner, After MidNite with Blair Garner
Cody Alan, CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan
Kix Brooks, American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks
Shawn Parr, The Country’s Hotlist with Shawn Parr
Whitney Allen, The Big Time with Whitney Allen
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
Cornbread, Judi Diamond & Cap’n Mac, WIL-FM, St. Louis, MO
Dr. Don Carpenter, Rachel, Grunwald & Jason the 300lb. Cowboy, WYCD-FM, Detroit, MI
Drew Walker, WUSN-FM, Chicago, IL
Edwards & Lee, WYCD-FM, Detroit, MI
Trish Biondo, WUSN-FM, Chicago, IL
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
Chris Carr, Maverick & Statt, WUBE-FM, Cincinnati, OH
Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt & Kevin Freeman, WFMS-FM, Indianapolis, IN
Lisa McKay, WQDR-FM, Raleigh, NC
Q Morning Crew – Mike Wheless, Marty Young & Janie Carothers, WQDR-FM Raleigh, NC
Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin, KAJA-FM, San Antonio, TX
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
Cash and Carey, KWEN-FM, Tulsa, OK
Jack Ryan, WMYL-FM, Knoxville, TN
Party Marty Mitchell, WKMK-FM, Monmouth-Ocean, NJ
Rowdy Yates, Sunny Leigh & Carly Rush, KVOO-FM, Tulsa, OK
Tom and Becky, WBBS-FM, Syracuse, NY
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
Brent Lane, WYCT-FM, Pensacola, FL
Dex and Mo, WUSY-FM, Chattanooga, TN
Gator Harrison, Styckman & Cowboy Kyle, WUSY-FM, Chattanooga, TN
Jamie Mac, KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO
Philip Gibbons, WGSQ-FM, Cookeville, TN
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
KNIX-FM Phoenix, AZ
KUPL-FM Portland, OR
WDSY-FM Pittsburgh, PA
WQYK-FM St. Petersburg, FL
WYCD-FM Detroit, MI
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
KAJA-FM San Antonio, TX
WFMS-FM Indianapolis, IN
WLHK-FM Indianapolis, IN
WSM-AM Nashville, TN
WUBE-FM Cincinnati, OH
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
KUZZ-AM/FM Bakersfield, CA
WBBS-FM Syracuse, NY
WGNA-FM Schenectady, NY
WKMK-FM Monmouth-Ocean, NJ
WMYL-FM Knoxville, TN
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
KCLR-FM Columbia, MO
WXFL-FM Florence, AL
WYCT-FM Pensacola, FL

 

Luke Bryan, Toby Keith To Headline New Kansas Festival

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flatlands1Kansas is getting a new country music festival. Flatlands Country Music Festival will be held at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. from September 12-14. Luke Bryan and Toby Keith will be the featured headliners for the inaugural festival.
Rand Levy of Marquee Events will promote Flatlands in partnership with Sporting Club, the ownership group for Sporting Park. Levy is also owner of WE Fest, another popular country music and camping festival.

 “When we were first approached to help create a new country music festival in Kansas City, we were blown away by the stadium and the potential for this market,” Levy said. “We’re very confident both the artists and our audience will have an incredible experience at Flatlands.”
Bryan will headline Friday, Sept. 13, and Keith will headline Saturday, Sept. 14. Rodney Atkins, Kevin Fowler, J.T. Hodges, Love and Theft, Darius Rucker and Thompson Square will also take the the stage during the festival. The Charlie Daniels Band will headline a free concert on Thursday, Sept. 12 in the Sprint Plaza, directly adjacent to the stadium bowl.
Tickets and camping passes for the Flatlands Country Music Festival go on sale Friday (Feb. 15) at 10 a.m. CT at ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at $99. For more information, visit FlatlandsFestival.com or call 800-493-3378.

Carrie Underwood Gets Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit

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carrie-underwood-blown-away1The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will feature Carrie Underwood’s latest tour with a new exhibition, Carrie Underwood: The Blown Away Tour, which opens on June 5, 2013. The exhibition will run through November 10, 2013.

Carrie Underwood: The Blown Away Tour will include costumes, instruments, microphones, set pieces and more from Underwood’s “Blown Away Tour,” which is set to re-launch on Wednesday (Feb. 13) and run through May 23.
“Carrie Underwood’s dynamic ‘Blown Away Tour’—starring her peerless powerhouse vocals and featuring amazing special effects including a tornado— has been entertaining music fans around the globe,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “We are delighted to be able to show our visitors key elements from Carrie’s show; whether re-living their favorite memories of the ‘Blown Away’ tour, or experiencing it for the first time via our exhibition, fans will enjoy this ‘up close and personal’ look at a world-class, superstar level music tour.”
For more information, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.

NSAI Honors Rep. Lamar Smith

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(L-R): Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, NSAI Pres./songwriter Lee Thomas Miller, Rep. Lamar Smith and NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison


The Nashville Songwriters Association International presented its “White Hat Award” to Texas Congressman Lamar Smith last night (Feb. 11) during a ceremony at the Bluebird Cafe. The “White Hat Award” has only been presented thirteen times in NSAI’s 46-year history and is “bestowed by the NSAI Board of Directors to individuals who have significantly served the American songwriting community.”
Rep. Smith previously served as Chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and is now Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology. He has been a leader in fighting music piracy, and working to change U.S. music licensing structure, and other issues affecting the music industry.
U.S. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, NSAI President/songwriter Lee Thomas Miller and NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison presented the award at the invitation-only ceremony. The evening closed with a performance by Miller, Billy Dean and Jim Collins.
Prior to the event, Congressman Smith addressed students at “The Copyright Forum,” presented by NSAI and Belmont University.
miller

(L-R): songwriters Billy Dean, Lee Thomas Miller and Jim Collins

Artists Sign On For CountryMusicIsLove Benefit

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CMIL_POSTER_2013_800x11921Greg Bates, Joel Crouse, Rose Falcon, The Henningsens, Chase Rice, Maggie Rose, Charlie Worsham and others will perform at the 4th Annual CountryMusicIsLove Concert benefiting City of Hope. The event will take place Feb. 25 at Nashville’s 12th & Porter, beginning at 7 p.m. The concert will also feature a songwriters’ round with Corey Crowder, Jillian Jacqueline and Carly Pearce.
Miss Tennessee USA 2013, Breanna Mader, will host the event.
Tickets are $10, and 100 percent of the profits will benefit City of Hope. The organization is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers nationwide and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. An independent biomedical research, treatment and education institution, City of Hope aids in the fight against cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases.
For more information, visit cityofhope.org.
 
 
 
 

Onscreen and Onstage: Chris Young, Little Big Town, Chris Janson

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Chris Young will appear on Katie Couric‘s show Katie on Wednesday (Feb. 13) for a special sweeps period broadcast. He will join guests Reba McEntire and Connie Britton. Young will perform his latest single, “I Can Take It From There.”

chris young katie1

• • •

LIttle Big TownLittle Big Town will perform their single “Tornado” on CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday (Feb. 12). The group just celebrated their first Grammy Award win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Pontoon.”
Little Big Town will be on tour with Keith Urban this summer.
 
 

• • •

chris janson1Chris Janson will make his debut on the Grand Ole Opry on Friday (Feb. 15). Janson will perform his new single “Better I Don’t,” and will join Josh Turner, Craig Morgan, The Black Lillies, Jimmy Dickens, John Conlee, Ricky Skaggs and more. The show begins at 7:00 p.m.

“Words can’t describe how humbled I am, that I’ve been asked to play the Grand Ole Opry,” shares Janson. “This will be my greatest career highlight, hands down. Dreams do come true. I’m so grateful.”

 
 

BMI On Rights Withdrawal: An Open Letter To The Music Industry

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BMI President/CEO Del Bryant has issued an open letter to the music industry addressing the withdrawal of certain publishing catalogs from BMI’s repertoire for digital licensing. The full text is below, and here are a few highlights:
• As of January 1, 2013 the Sony/ATV and EMI catalogs have been withdrawn from the BMI repertoire only for limited digital uses. The withdrawal only impacts the shares of compositions actually owned or controlled by Sony/ATV and EMI. The withdrawal does not cover all digital uses and BMI will continue to license the Sony/ATV and EMI repertoires across most digital platforms and services. As a result, in some cases the same licensee will have to secure both a blanket license for shares of songs represented by BMI and a separate license from Sony/ATV and EMI for their respective shares of publicly-performed musical works.
• In conjunction with our modified publishing agreements, we entered into a new business relationship under which BMI will provide royalty processing and distribution services to Sony/ATV and EMI. Under the administrative agreement, BMI will distribute royalties to songwriters and publishers resulting from Sony/ATV and EMI’s negotiations. These agreements are BMI’s first entry into offering these types of administrative services.
• Publishers who wish to follow similar withdrawal terms will be allowed to modify their existing agreements at the end of their contracts
• • • • •
February 11, 2013
By Del R. Bryant
It is a dynamic time in our industry; it is a time of experimentation and transformation of many of the models which have generated revenue for recorded music and for music publishing, impacting songwriters, composers, publishers, artists and labels alike. Throughout BMI’s nearly 75 years of representing writers and publishers, we have seen many challenges and opportunities to secure reliable and fair compensation for the creators of music. We have navigated through changing markets and the development of new outlets for the performance of music and created solutions which add value to the marketplace.
Recent articles in the trade and consumer press have covered the withdrawal of catalogs from performing rights organizations by music publishers for certain digital uses. These issues are complex, and I wanted to take a minute to clarify the positions and policies BMI has formulated to address this development.
Some BMI publishers have stated in the press that the main driver in their desire to withdraw their works for specific digital uses is to set their own pricing. Publishers have always had the right to directly license. In the case of withdrawal, they believe they may obtain higher royalty rates from this market if they negotiate their own agreements outside of BMI’s regulatory framework. By withdrawing works from BMI, publishers become the only entities that can license those works and therefore can deny permission to perform their works if they do not come to agreement on rates and terms. By contrast, BMI, under its Consent Decree, is required to automatically issue a license upon a request from a licensee, and if the parties are not able to negotiate a fee after a period of time, either party can initiate a rate-setting proceeding. The press has recently quoted sources stating that, by working outside of the major PROs’ regulatory framework, Sony/ATV was able to increase their fees from Pandora by 25% versus the current rates of U.S. Performing Rights Organizations.
In 2011 we agreed to modify our contract with EMI Music Publishing and last year we agreed to similar modifications with Sony/ATV. As a result, as of January 1, 2013 the Sony/ATV and EMI catalogs have been withdrawn from the BMI repertoire only for limited digital uses. You can find a definition of these uses at http://www.bmi.com/drw. The withdrawal only impacts the shares of compositions actually owned or controlled by Sony/ATV and EMI. The withdrawal does not cover all digital uses and BMI will continue to license the Sony/ATV and EMI repertoires across most digital platforms and services. As a result, in some cases the same licensee will have to secure both a blanket license for shares of songs represented by BMI and a separate license from Sony/ATV and EMI for their respective shares of publicly-performed musical works. BMI will continue to license on behalf of our other major and independent publishers for all shares of all works in our repertoire for all digital uses.
Publishers who wish to follow similar withdrawal terms will be allowed to modify their existing agreements at the end of their contract or, if they have multiple contracts, at the weighted average term date of all those agreements. In the event that additional publishers withdraw, we will post the names of these publishers in the New Media section of bmi.com at http://www.bmi.com/drw. Preexisting licenses (“licenses in effect”) will include all repertoire until BMI’s agreement with the licensee expires. BMI will maintain its right to continue to enter into going-forward licenses for all digital uses until the works are actually withdrawn for such uses from BMI’s repertoire.
In conjunction with our modified publishing agreements, we entered into a new business relationship under which BMI will provide royalty processing and distribution services to Sony/ATV and EMI. Under the administrative agreement, BMI will distribute royalties to songwriters and publishers resulting from Sony/ATV and EMI’s negotiations. These agreements are BMI’s first entry into offering these types of administrative services and we believe this is one of many opportunities for our organization to provide additional value to our affiliates in today’s dynamic market.
While certainly complex, we see these recent developments as a clear marketplace signal of the enhanced value music brings to the digital world and beyond. We are working diligently to make that value a reality not just for large multinational music companies, but for ALL songwriters, ALL composers and ALL music publishers. We have already cited these marketplace agreements in our negotiations with our licensees and we will encourage our Rate Court to consider them as a new indicator of market value. We are also working in Washington to seek a change to current law to allow us to bring the rates set by the Copyright Royalty Judges for public performances in sound recordings under Section 114 of the U.S copyright law into evidence in BMI rate proceedings for consideration as rate benchmarks.
While recent developments may have added complexity to an already complex rights landscape, we see opportunity. We see an opportunity to level the digital playing field and to allow the courts to consider all precedents across the digital spectrum. We see an opportunity to value performances of musical works fairly when compared to performances of sound recordings. We see opportunities for BMI to provide additional administrative services and add value to the markets we serve. All the while we remain dedicated to serving our constituents: songwriters, composers, music publishers and our licensees.

Key West Songwriter's Festival Set For May 1-5

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keywestsongwriter'sfestival1BMI will join forces again with the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon to present the Key West Songwriter’s Festival from May 1-5, 2013. The event has become an annual pilgrimage south for many country and pop songwriters for the past 18 years.
This year’s list of performers includes Jeffrey Steele, Paul Overstreet, Bob DiPiero, Lori McKenna, Bobby Pinson, Chuck Cannon, Keith Stegall, Liz Rose, Paul Jenkins, James Slater, Doug Johnson and Even Stevens. Also performing are Steve Cropper, The World Famous Headliners (comprised of Pat McLaughlin, Shawn Camp and Al Anderson), Robert Earl Keen, Gary Clark, Jr., Guthrie Trapp and others to be announced in the coming weeks.

“BMI’s support of the Key West Songwriter’s Festival illustrates the commitment to our songwriters to put them in front of meaningful audiences to further expose their music,” said BMI’s Executive Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Mark Mason.
A free street concert on Saturday, May 4 will feature Sony artists Bush Hawg, Joanna Smith and X Factor winner Tate Stevens.
For more information, visit keywestsongwritersfestival.com.