2012 CCMA Nominees Announced

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Pictured (L-R): Johnny Reid, Dean Brody

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) announced the nominees for its Sept. 9 Awards in Saskatoon, SK.

Johnny Reid leads the 2012 nominations with nods in eight categories. Dean Brody comes in a tight second, with seven nominations.

Recently announced performers Gord Bamford, Chad Brownlee, Terri Clark and High Valley join an existing lineup including Jason Aldean, Paul Brandt, Dean Brody, George Canyon, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies, Johnny Reid and Deric Ruttan.

Tickets for the CCMA Awards, priced at $45, $75 and $90, are available through Ticketmaster, online or phone at 306-938-7800.

2012 CCMA Award Nominees

FANS’ CHOICE AWARD
Gord Bamford
Dean Brody
Terri Clark
Hey Romeo
Johnny Reid

SINGLE
“Canadian Girls” Dean Brody
“Fire It Up” Johnny Reid
“Is It Friday Yet?” Gord Bamford
“Somebody Somewhere” Dallas Smith
“They Don’t Make Em’ Like That Anymore” Jason Blaine

ALBUM
16 & 1, Doc Walker
DIRT, Dean Brody
Fire It Up, Johnny Reid
Give It Away, Paul Brandt
Roots And Wings, Terri Clark

SONGWRITER(S)
“Canadian Girls” (written by Dean Brody; performed by Dean Brody)
“Fire It Up” (written by Marty Dodson/Alan Frew/Johnny Reid; performed by Johnny Reid)
“Is It Friday Yet?” (written by Gord Bamford/Roger Brown/Byron Hill; performed by Gord Bamford)
“Mainstreet, 1979” (written by Deric Ruttan; performed by Deric Ruttan)
“They Don’t Make Em’ Like That Anymore” (written by Jason Blaine/Deric Ruttan; performed by Jason Blaine

FEMALE ARTIST
Victoria Banks
Terri Clark
Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Tara Oram
Michelle Wright

MALE ARTIST
Gord Bamford
Jason Blaine
Dean Brody
Chad Brownlee
Johnny Reid

GROUP OR DUO
Doc Walker
Emerson Drive
Hey Romeo
High Valley
The Stellas

CMT VIDEO
“Canadian Girls” Dean Brody
“Fire It Up” Johnny Reid
“Give It Away” Paul Brandt
“I’m Your Man” Ryan Laird
“In This House” The Stellas

MANAGEMENT COMPANY
Cache Entertainment Inc.
Hummel Entertainment
MDM Recordings Inc.
O’Reilly International Entertainment Management
RGK Entertainment Group Inc.

BOOKING AGENCY
The Agency Group
Big Air Entertainment
Cressman Sakamoto Agency
Paquin Entertainment

RON SAKAMOTO TALENT BUYER OR PROMOTER
Kelly Berehulka (Casinos of Winnipeg)
Jim Cressman (Cressman Sakamoto Agency)
Lindsay Ell/Rod Tate (Calgary Stampede)
Rob Waloschuk (Dauphin’s Countryfest/Performance Promotions)
Larry Werner (Big Valley Jamboree/Panhandle Productions)

VIDEO DIRECTOR
Stephano Barberis (“Is It Friday Yet?” Gord Bamford; “Somebody Somewhere”Dallas Smith)
Antonio Hrynchuk (“Carried Away” Chad Brownlee; “Down Dusty Roads” Bryce Pallister)
Margaret Malandruccolo (“I’m Your Man” Ryan Laird; “In This House” The Stellas; “Maybe” One More Girl)
Troy Niemans (“I’m Gone” Victoria Banks; “Honky Tonk Groupie” Codie Prevost; “I Will Wait” Six West)
Warren P. Sonoda (“Saddle Up” George Canyon)

MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY
EMI Music Publishing
Grand & Gee Music Group
ole
Royalty Music Publishing Inc.
Universal Music Publishing Group

RECORD PRODUCER(S)
Gord Bamford/Byron Hill (Is It Friday Yet? Gord Bamford)
Jason Blaine/Jason Barry (Life So Far Jason Blaine)
John Ellis (16 & 1 Doc Walker)
Bart McKay (Journey On Todd Richard)
Johnny Reid (Fire It Up Johnny Reid)

RECORD COMPANY
EMI Music Canada
On Ramp Records Inc.
Open Road Recordings
Royalty Records Inc.
Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) Inc.

RECORD COMPANY PERSON
Warren Copnick (Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.)
Brianne Deslippe (Open Road Recordings)
Ron Harwood (EMI Music Canada)
Ron Kitchener (Open Road Recordings)
Rob Smith (Royalty Records Inc.)

COUNTRY FESTIVAL/FAIR/EXHIBITION
Big Valley Jamboree – Camrose, AB
Calgary Stampede – Calgary, AB
Dauphin’s Countryfest – Dauphin, MB
Manitoulin Country Fest – Little Current, ON
Summer Send Off – Ponoka, AB

Additional categories include Roots Artist/Group, Rising Star, Recording Studio, Country Club, Retailer, Album Design, Interactive Artist, Country Music Program/Special, All Star Band Award Nominees and Broadcast Award Nominees. For a full list, click here.

Swift Scores Five Teen Choice Awards

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Swift at last night's awards ceremony.

The Teen Choice 2012 Awards were presented last night at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA. The show aired live on FOX. Hosted by Demi Lovato and Kevin McHale, the special honored actress Kristen Stewart with the Ultimate Choice Award.

This year, teens logged on to www.teenchoiceawards.com and cast more than 134 million votes in support of their favorite celebrities from film, television, music, sports and fashion.

Taylor Swift won five surfboards:
Choice Movie Voice as Audrey, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
Choice Female Artist
Choice Single by a Female Artist for “Eyes Open”
Choice Female Country Artist
Choice Country Song for “Sparks Fly”

Hunter Hayes was voted Choice Male Country Artist and Lady Antebellum took home Choice Country Group.

Last night’s wins bring Swift’s career Teen Choice award total to 20, making her the most awarded star in Teen Choice history.

See the complete winners list here.

DeMarcuses Welcome Baby Dylan

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Jay DeMarcus sported scrubs onstage at Rascal Flatts' Detroit concert on Friday. He traveled to Nashville for Dylan's birth and made it to the Motor City in time for the show.

Rascal Flatts bassist and vocalist Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison, a former Miss Tennessee and a current CMT personality, welcomed their second child on Friday, July 20. Son Dylan Jay DeMarcus was born in Nashville at 4:02 p.m., weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces, and measuring 20 ½ inches long.

Mom and baby are doing fine and were expected to go home from the hospital over the weekend.

Dylan joins sister Madeline Leigh who was born December 17, 2010.

Emmy Noms With Nashville Ties

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Tim McGraw and Lionel Richie at ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends–In Concert

[UPDATED 7/23] It turns out that many of the same Nashvillians worked on two nominated shows listed below: ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends and Country Music (In Performance At The White House). John Jarvis, Stuart Duncan, Paul Leim, David Hungate, Kerry Marx, Paul Franklin, Andrea Zonn and Arnold McCuller participated in the Washington show. Emmy nominated Music Director Steve Gibson tells MusicRow, “I share this nomination with them.” With the exception of Hungate, Leim and Franklin, this is the same group of players that worked on the Lionel Richie program. The other Nashville musicians on the Lionel Richie special were Larry Paxton, Eddie Bayers, and Tommy White, with former Nashvillian Edgar Struble as MD.

• • • • • •

[ORIGINAL POST]

A few folks with Nashville ties scored Primetime Emmy Nominations, revealed this morning (7/19) in Los Angeles by Jimmy Kimmel and Kerry Washington of the ABC drama Scandal. Honors will be presented in two ceremonies: Sept. 15 at the Creative Arts Awards and Ball, and Sept. 23 live on ABC-TV.

• ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends – In Concert is nominated for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series or Special. Details: CBS, Dick Clark Productions, Inc. in association with the Academy of Country Music, Paul Sandweiss (Post Production Mixer), Biff Dawes (Music Mixer), J. Mark King (Production Mixer)

• Tony Bennett: Duets II is nominated for Outstanding Variety Special. The album and related PBS television special included duets with Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Norah Jones, Lady Gaga, k.d. lang, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood, and Amy Winehouse. The Nashville sessions were recorded at Ben’s Studio on Music Row. Details: a presentation of THIRTEEN’s Great Performances, RPM TV Productions, with Exec. Producer Danny Bennett and Producer Jennifer LeBeau. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer. The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe.

• Matthew West is nominated for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for “The Heart Of Christmas,” which was used in a film by the same name. Details: My Three Sons Films, God & Country Entertainment in association with GMC.

• Country Music (In Performance At The White House) earned a nomination for Outstanding Musical Direction for Steven A. Gibson, Music Director. The show featured performances by Darius Rucker, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristoffersen, Lauren Alaina, The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Alison Krauss and James Taylor. Details: PBS • WETA Washington, DC and Bounce, an AEG Company. 

Among the leading nominees is AMC’s Mad Men with 17 nods, FX’s American Horror Story with 17, the History Channel’s Hatfields & McCoys with 16, ABC’s Modern Family with 14 and Showtime series Homeland with nine. Today’s nominations reiterate the growing trend of top writers, producers and actors leaving the major broadcast networks for cable. Complete list here.

If you have more Nashville-related Emmy news, please email news@musicrow.com.

Radney Foster Marks 20th Anniversary of Acclaimed Album

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To celebrate the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed album Del Rio, TX, 1959, singer-songwriter Radney Foster will release Del Rio, Texas, Revisited: Unplugged and Lonesome on his own Devil’s River Records on Aug. 14.

Foster’s new Del Rio, TX Revisited: Unplugged and Lonesome reinvents his hallmark solo debut. “This time everyone was in the same room, with live takes with no fixes and no headphones,” says Steve Fishell, who produced the original Del Rio and played guitars on Revisited. “We have all new tempos and new grooves. Imagine the original version of Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’ compared to his 1992 live unplugged version and you’ll get the idea.”

Gloriously transformed high watermarks include “Don’t Say Goodbye,” “A Fine Line” and “Went For A Ride.” Elsewhere are timeless favorites (“Old Silver”) and new bonus additions (“Me and John R.”). The album was recorded with musicians Dixie Chick Martie McGuire (fiddle), Jon Randall Stewart (guitar), Glenn Fukunaga (doghouse bass), Michael Ramos (keyboard) and Fishell at Austin’s Cedar Creek Recording.

Radney Foster Tour Dates:
July 21 – Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, TN
July 28 – Texas Rangers Ball Park, Arlington, TX
August 1 – Waterloo Records, Austin, TX
August 2 – KNBT Free Concert Series, New Braunfels, TX
August 4 – Ring of Fire Ranch Rodeo, Boerne, TX
August 5 – Live Oak Music Hall, Fort Worth, TX
August 8 – Opry at the Opera House, Napa, CA
August 14 – Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, Nashville, TN
August 16 – Eddie’s Attic, Decatur, GA
August 18 – Franklin Theater, Franklin, TN
August 29 – Antone’s, Austin, TX
August 30 – Dosey Doe, The Woodlands, TX
August 31 – Cheatham Street Warehouse, San Marcos, TX
September 6 – Michael Hearn’s Big Barn Dance Music Festival, Taos, NM
September 27 – Main Street Crossing, Tomball, TX
October 4 – Leaside, Columbia, SC
October 25 – Mucky Duck, Houston, TX
November 1 – Natasha’s Bistro and Bar, Lexington, KY
November 16 – Mile High Station, Denver, CO

Johnny Cash Music Festival Set For TV Broadcast

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The Johnny Cash Music Festival television special featuring performances by Rosanne Cash, John Carter Cash, Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, and Rodney Crowell is scheduled to air on GAC on July 28, PBS (check local listings) and RFD TV on July 26 and 28.

On July 31, both the Johnny Cash Music Festival 2011 DVD and a special live CD will be available in stores and online. Proceeds from sales will benefit the Johnny Cash Childhood Home Project.

The special was shot at last year’s inaugural concert. The second annual event is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 7:00 pm on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro with Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley, the Civil Wars and Rosanne Cash.

Tickets range from $37.50, $75, and $150 (premium tickets include a meet-and-greet). Additional information and tickets are available here.

CD Track Listing
1. “Tennessee Flat Top Box” Rosanne Cash
2. “I Got Stripes” George Jones
3. “Sunday Morning Coming Down” Kris Kristofferson
4. “Daddy Sang Bass” Dailey & Vincent
5. “Wind Beneath My Wings” Gary Morris & Matt Morris
6. “Pickin’ Time” Rosanne Cash
7. “After All This Time” Rodney Crowell
8. “Same Old Me” George Jones
9. “Me And Bobby McGee” Kris Kristofferson
10. “No Memories Hanging ‘Round” Rosanne Cash & Rodney Crowell
11. “Hallelujah” Gary Morris & Matt Morris
12. “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder” Dailey & Vincent
13. “I Still Miss Someone” Rosanne Cash

Josh Abbott Signs with Warner/Chappell

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Picture (L-R): BJ Hill, Sr. Director, A&R, Warner/Chappell; Alicia Pruitt, Sr. Director, A&R, Warner/Chappell; Josh Abbott; Steve Markland, VP, A&R, Warner/Chappell; and Phil May, GM/VP, Warner/Chappell.

Warner/Chappell Music signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with rising country songwriter Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott Band. Abbott recently released his record Small Town Family Dream and also just signed a recording agreement with Warner Music Nashville. Abbott’s current single, “Touch,” is at No. 43 on the country charts this week, and was co-written by Abbott, Warner/Chappell songwriter Jay Clementi and Radney Foster.

Skaggs to Exhibit Photographs at Ryman Show

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Ricky Skaggs returns to the Ryman stage Thurs., July 26 as part of the annual Springer Mountain Farms Bluegrass Nights series.

Prior to the concert, the Ryman will host a special exhibit of Skaggs’s photography in the upper lobby area of the venue. An avid photographer, he recently hosted his third exhibit in Jonesborough, TN. Skaggs captures sweeping landscapes and the reality of small town America on his Nikon D3 using Nikkor lenses. Prints from the exhibit will be available for sale. Skaggs will be available to sign artwork and other merchandise for fans approximately fifteen minutes after the end of the concert.

Entry into the exhibit is included with the concert ticket price and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $26.50 and are on sale through the Ryman box office, online at ryman.com, or by calling (615) 889-3060.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded by 650 AM WSM’s “Pickin’ on the Plaza” featuring A Step Ahead from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. The free plaza show takes place just outside the main entrance near the statue of Captain Tom G. Ryman. Pucketts Grocery’s food truck, Trolley Parton, will also be on the plaza starting at 5:00 p.m.

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

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Kenny Chesney‘s “Come Over,” the second single from his fifteenth studio album Welcome To The Fishbowl, has catapulted to the No. 1 spot on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart in only ten weeks.

The hit written by Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne, has been described by Chesney as a song “about two people that are as broken as their relationship.” The song describes a couple that keep going back to each other because it’s familiar, and although the relationship has run its course, sometimes it’s easier to reconnect than move on. The sultry lyrics include:

I turn the tv off, to turn it on again
Staring at the blades of the fan as it spins around
Counting every crack, the clock is wide awake
Talking to myself, anything to make a sound

(Chorus)
I told you I wouldn’t call, I told you I wouldn’t care
But baby climbing the walls gets me nowhere
I don’t think that I can take this bed getting any colder
Come over, come over, come over, come over, come over

You can say we’re done the way you always do
It’s easier to lie to me than to yourself
Forget about your friends
You know they’re gonna say
We’re bad for each other
But we ain’t good for anyone else

Pollstar‘s mid year tour rankings list Chesney, who is on the Brothers of the Sun tour with Tim McGraw, as country music’s top grossing touring act. In other Chesney news, he will be saluted with the Crystal Milestone Award at the ACM Honors Sept. 24 at the Ryman Auditorium.

YouTube video

World Famous Headliners Debut Music Via Big Yellow Dog

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The World Famous Headliners will debut music produced by Jusin Niebank on Aug. 21 via Big Yellow Dog Music.

The group is a collaboration between hit songwriters and musicians Big Al Anderson (“All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” “Big Deal,” “Unbelievable,” “The Cowboy in Me”); Shawn Camp (“River of Love,” “Would You Go With Me,” “How Long Gone,” “Two Pina Coladas”); Pat McLaughlin (“Lynda,” “Tell Me About It,” “Songs About Rain”); Michael Rhodes on bass (John Fogerty, JJ Cale, Joss Stone, Bob Seger), and drummer Greg Morrow (Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Dixie Chicks).

The band’s team includes Al Moss handling radio promotions, Paul Lohr’s New Frontier for booking, Tamara Saviano overseeing publicity, and John Paul heading marketing and label initiatives at Big Yellow Dog.

Upcoming dates 
Aug. 19 – 3rd & Lindsley, Nashville, TN
Aug. 21 – In-store at Grimey’s New & Pre Loved Music, Nashville, TN
Oct (TBD) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco, CA

For more information click here.