
Kourtney Kirkpatrick & Matt Turner.
Concord Music Publishing has promoted Kourtney Kirkpatrick to Senior Vice President of Synchronization and Matt Turner to Vice President of A&R.
Kirkpatrick currently leads the television division, overseeing series, promos, trailers and sports media, and managing a team of three direct reports in Los Angeles, Nashville and New York. In her new position, Kirkpatrick will continue her work pitching and licensing songs from Concord writers, promoting catalogs such as those by Rodgers & Hammerstein, John Fogerty, Phil Collins and Genesis, Robert Johnson and more. She and her team will focus on reimagining these works to make them suitable for sync placements, with her deep knowledge of the catalog playing a crucial role in revitalizing Concord’s collection through remixes and covers.
During her time at Concord, Kirkpatrick and her team have secured sync placements across a wide range of television series on nearly all major networks and streaming platforms, including The Bear, The Penguin, Shrinking, Hacks, You, Euphoria, Stranger Things, Yellowstone, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ozark, Big Little Lies, True Detective: Night Country, Ted Lasso and Grey’s Anatomy. Their work also spans trailer placements for studios like FOX, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Apple, Amazon and Starz, as well as for major brands like Xbox and Microsoft. Over the course of her career, Kirkpatrick has also signed and developed sync-focused artists and writers, including Ruelle, who has been featured on Billboard/TuneFind’s year-end chart of Top Synced Artists multiple times, reaching the top spot in 2018.
Kirkpatrick also leads Concord’s annual sync camp in Nashville, now in its twelfth year. The event brings together over 80 songwriters and several music supervisors for a week of creating original music for all types of media. To date, the camp has resulted in more than 350 sync placements. In addition to the Nashville camp, Kirkpatrick has driven the global expansion of Concord’s sync camps, tailoring them to specific regions and media types. Over the past year, Concord has hosted ten sync-focused writing camps in locations such as Los Angeles, Nashville, Ireland, Dorset, Paris, New Zealand and Mexico City, among others.
Kirkpatrick was recognized on Billboard’s 40 Under 40 list in 2020 and is a member of the Nashville Film Festival. She is also a founding board member of Nashville in Sync, a community-driven organization for sync professionals focused on connecting and growing the music and film industries in Nashville. Before joining Concord in 2018, Kirkpatrick served as Senior Director of Film/TV at Razor & Tie (which was later acquired by Concord) and began her career at the independent publisher Big Yellow Dog Music, where she helped establish the company’s sync department.
In his new position as VP of A&R, Turner will maintain his responsibilities of discovering talent, managing new client negotiations and driving catalog exploitation. This promotion recognizes his commitment and contributions to Concord, particularly his efforts in expanding the company’s roster within the Nashville and country music scenes. Turner works with a wide range of songwriters in the country genre, including recording artists, producers and topliners.
With 18 years of experience in the industry, Turner brings executive-level insights to the team and has helped bring some of the top talent in the industry to the Concord roster, driving success on the country charts. In 2024, songwriters from Concord’s Nashville roster contributed to five Country Radio No. 1s and, within the first month of 2025, they’ve already added more, including Morgan Wallen’s “Lies Lies Lies,” Parmalee’s “Gonna Love You” and Dan + Shay’s “Bigger Houses.” Turner has played a key role in securing publishing deals with writers like Josh Miller, Andy Albert and Abram Dean, all of whom have earned No. 1 hits.
Before joining Concord, Turner worked at the independent publisher Big Loud Shirt, now known as Big Loud, where he collaborated closely with founder Craig Wiseman and writers such as Chris Tompkins, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem and the Warren Brothers. He was also involved in the early songwriting careers of Morgan Wallen and Chris Lane. After his time at Big Loud, Turner joined Downtown Music Publishing, where he represented their extensive roster of writers, including country music hitmakers Andy Albert, Andrew DeRoberts and Joey Hyde. Turner’s promotion highlights Concord’s continued growth in Nashville and the expansion of its country music roster.
BREAKING: Cindy Mabe Exits Post At UMG Nashville
/by LB CantrellCindy Mabe. Photo: Kevin Wimpy
Cindy Mabe has exited her position as Chair & CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville after two years in the role and more than 18 with the company, according to reports by Country Aircheck and Billboard. UMG Nashville representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
During her tenure at UMG, Mabe has helped guide and grow the careers of some of country music’s biggest stars, including Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Mickey Guyton, Sam Hunt, Alan Jackson, Parker McCollum, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Jon Pardi, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Brothers Osborne and Little Big Town, among countless others. She has earned multiple honors, including the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum Award and the SOURCE Hall of Fame Award.
Mabe succeeded Mike Dungan, who retired from the company after more than a decade in the role in 2023.
A North Carolina native, Mabe attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated from Belmont University in Nashville with a B.S. in Business Administration. She bagan her career as promotions coordinator at RCA Nashville, before shifting to sales and then artist marketing and development. She later served as Senior Director of Marketing and Artist Development at Arista Records Nashville from 1999-2007 before joining Capitol Records.
Mabe spent five years at Capitol Records Nashville, where she held the position of SVP of Marketing and played an integral role in the long-term creative and commercial success of the label. She joined UMG Nashville in 2012 as Senior Vice President of Marketing, where she was responsible for leading marketing across UMG’s expanded suite of country labels following its acquisition of EMI.
Mabe is one of Music Row’s most esteemed executives. She became Nashville’s highest-ranking woman label executive in 2014 when she was appointed as UMG Nashville President, and she made history again by becoming the first woman to serve as Chair and CEO of a Nashville-based major label group.
SOURCE Nashville Announces Hall Of Fame Award Inductees
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, top row): Lori Badgett, Cheryl Harris and Gina Keltner; (L-R, bottom row): Pam Russell, Mary Self and Kay West
SOURCE Nashville has announced this year’s SOURCE Hall of Fame Award inductees.
The 22nd anniversary event, co-hosted by country legends Brenda Lee and Jeannie Seely and Grand Ole Opry star Mandy Barnett, will be held on Aug. 26 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in the Municipal Auditorium. Ticket information on the event will be announced in the coming weeks.
This year’s Nashville Hall of Fame inductees include Lori Badgett (SunTrust, City National Bank), Cheryl Harris (O’Neil Hagaman), Gina Keltner (Marv Dennis & Associates, Dick Clark Productions, Grand Ole Opry), Pam Russell (Larry McFadden Management, MCA Records, Mercury Records, Universal Music Group), Mary Self (ASCAP) and Kay West (RCA Nashville, MCA Records, George Strait, People, The Nashville Scene, Independent Journalist.)
In 2003, the annual SOURCE Awards were established by founder Kay Smith to honor and pay respect to the “Women Behind The Music” who helped shape and build upon Nashville’s music industry. SOURCE was founded in 1991 by Shelia Shipley Biddy, Judy Harris and Pat Rolfe, and is the longest running organization for females in the music industry in Nashville, dedicated to fostering relationships and opportunities for its members through continuous education, networking and community service initiatives.
BREAKING: Clay Hunnicutt Exits BMLG
/by Madison HahnenClay Hunnicutt. Photo: Delaney Royer
Big Machine Label Group’s Clay Hunnicutt has exited his role as EVP/Label Operations after a five year stint with the label.
Hunnicutt first joined BMLG as GM in 2019, and was promoted to EVP/Label Operations in January 2024. As EVP/Label Operations, he focused on business development, expanding the label group’s ventures, cultivating partnerships and prioritizing catalog initiatives. Before joining BMLG, he served as President and Partner for Big Loud. While there, he headed a team responsible for developing and promoting chart-topping artists like Jake Owen and Morgan Wallen.
With 27 years of experience in radio, he has also worked as a Program Director across the Southeast, including Nashville and Atlanta, before taking charge of Clear Channel’s national programming efforts. In 2014, iHeartMedia appointed Hunnicutt as Executive Vice President and General Manager of National Programming Platforms, as well as Vice President and Brand Manager of Country Programming.
“Moving on is always bittersweet,” he tells Country Aircheck. “While I’m so very proud of everything we accomplished at Big Machine, I’m equally as excited about what the future could hold for me. My destination is unknown for now, but the next steps of the journey start here.”
Hunnicutt’s next opportunity has not been revealed. You can reach him here.
Mickey Guyton & The War And Treaty To Headline Nashville Ballet Ball
/by Madison HahnenMickey Guyton & The War And Treaty.
Mickey Guyton and The War And Treaty will headline Nashville Ballet’s 36th annual Ballet Ball on March 1 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
The Ballet Ball is Nashville Ballet’s signature fundraising event, attracting over 600 of the city’s leading philanthropists and art supporters for a black-tie celebration. The evening generates funds to support the Nashville Ballet’s Community Engagement and Education Initiatives, which deliver over 55,000 arts experiences each year to children and adults through both virtual and live performances, as well as community outreach programs. It also helps bring dance education to young people across Middle Tennessee.
In addition to the musical performances, Nashville Ballet company dancers will showcase a specially choreographed piece created by CEO and Artistic Director Nick Mullikin, alongside Rehearsal Director Travis Bradley, for the event’s guests.
“We are excited to have exceptional talents like Mickey Guyton and The War And Treaty be part of this year’s Ballet Ball,” shares Mullikin. “We know that their remarkable vocals and incredible harmonies will be the perfect pairing with our company dancers for a performance that will undoubtedly captivate our guests. This event is truly special to all of us as it raises much needed funds for the Nashville Ballet’s artistic and educational programs that directly impacts the city’s vibrant arts and cultural landscape. It’s going to be another amazing year.”
Guests can look forward to an evening curated by Amos Gott, featuring an Italian Renaissance theme. The night will include fine wine and cocktails from local distributor Lipman Brothers, LLC, cuisine by Flavor and outstanding performances. Late Party attendees will join the ball’s guests on the dance floor to continue the celebration into the night.
The Ballet Ball is an invitation-only event, but the public can purchase tickets to the Ballet Ball Late Party here. Over 250 of Nashville’s young professionals will gather for an evening featuring cocktails, light bites and a spectacular performance. The 2025 Late Party is chaired by Mary Elizabeth Colton, Jeremy Hunziker, Sara Puryear and Ben Shankle.
Dwight Yoakam, Corey Kent, More Set For ‘L.A. Revival’ Benefit At Bridgestone
/by Lorie HollabaughDwight Yoakam, Turnpike Troubadours, Corey Kent and more are among the lineup for “LA Revival,” a special benefit concert for L.A. on Feb. 19 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
The show, presented by Thirty Tigers and Triple Tigers, will also feature performances from Cam, Carter Faith, Shane Profitt and Brit Taylor.
All proceeds from the event will go to the MusiCares L.A. Fire Relief Effort to help support those impacted by the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area last month. Tickets for the show are on sale now here.
Kenny Chesney Shares A Love Letter To The Faithful In His First Book ‘Heart*Life*Music’
/by Lorie HollabaughKenny Chesney. Photo: Danny Clinch
Kenny Chesney is sharing glimpses from his journey in his first book, HEART*LIFE*MUSIC, with William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, due out Nov. 4.
The story follows the superstar’s path from small town East Tennessee dreamer to commanding huge stages across the country as he captures the sparks of creativity, ventures to places long gone, makes music in Jamaica, the Kremlin, New England and Cabo San Lucas, drifts across the waters of the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and encounters and collaborates with heroes.
“This is not my memoir,” cautions Chesney, “but something far better. It is almost a love letter to people who shaped and inspired me, the fans who’ve been there from tiny bars, radio stations who believed when nobody else did, a team who just kept coming back, legends who gave me wisdom and opportunities and all the friends who’ve been there along the way. To me, that’s where the music came from – and this is the story of how it turned into the soundtrack for the way No Shoes Nation lives their lives, too.
“I always said I’d never write a book,” he adds. “Too many things happened almost to be believed, let alone lived, but I realized with the world moving in such fast forward motion, too much of what made Nashville, the music business and our lives great would be lost to the churn of the next click. To have been in a room as a kid writing with Dean Dillon, have Sean Payton call an NFL press conference to announce he’s drafting me to the Saints, be in Tuff Gong Studios with Aston “Family Man” Barrett and Alvin “Seeco” Patterson or on a private plane with George Jones after opening for him defies logic. So, for everyone in No Shoes Nation, I realized: you deserved to share the magic.”
Written with longtime friend and collaborator Holly Gleason, HEART*LIFE*MUSIC celebrates the life and rise of a man whose songs have set the tone and whose shows have anchored a world without borders for the last quarter century.
Warner Music Group & Spotify Ink New Multi-Year Deal
/by John Nix ArledgeWarner Music Group and Spotify unveiled a new, multi-year agreement today (Feb. 6). Through the deal, which covers both Recorded Music and Music Publishing, the companies hope to strengthen their commitment to artists, songwriters, fans and to growth in the industry.
The agreement will help deliver new fan experiences, a more expansive music catalog, more paid subscription tiers and differentiated content bundles. The deal builds upon the companies’ alignment around artist centric royalty models that protect artists as they attract new audiences. Additionally, the publishing agreement introduces a direct licensing model with Warner Chappell Music in several additional countries, including the U.S.
“This major agreement delivers new benefits for artists, songwriters, and fans, while unlocking further collaboration that expands the music ecosystem,” explains Robert Kyncl, CEO, WMG. “It’s a big step forward in our vision for greater alignment between rights holders and streaming services. Together with Spotify, we look forward to increasing the value of music, as we drive growth, impact, and innovation.”
Daniel Ek, Spotify’s Founder and CEO, adds, “For Spotify, 2025 is a year of accelerated execution, and our partners at Warner Music Group share our commitment to rapid innovation and sustained investment in our leading music offerings. Together, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for audiences worldwide—making paid music subscriptions more appealing while supporting artists and songwriters alike.”
NSAI & SoundCloud Partner For New Standout Award
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (front to back): Jennifer Turnbow (COO – NSAI), Caroline Adley (Senior Manager, US Label Relations – SoundCloud), Lyndsie McClure (Director of Development – NSAI) and Matthew Alioto (Head of Social – SoundCloud).
SoundCloud and the Nashville Songwriters Association International have partnered to spotlight songwriters with the new NSAI SoundCloud Standout Award.
The digital platform is currently featuring the Top 10 Song Category Finalists in a playlist called “NSAI Presents: The SoundCloud Standout Award” as part of SoundCloud Selects. Until February 7 at 12 p.m. ET, listeners can vote for their favorite song by liking it. The song with the most likes at the end of the competition will win the 2025 NSAI SoundCloud Standout Award.
The winner of the SoundCloud Standout Award will be announced on Feb. 11 and will receive a SoundCloud prize package, which includes a one-on-one strategy session with a SoundCloud Representative, a SoundCloud Merch Pack and a one-year SoundCloud Next Pro Account.
Listeners can check out the playlist and vote here.
Concord Music Publishing Elevates Kourtney Kirkpatrick & Matt Turner
/by Madison HahnenKourtney Kirkpatrick & Matt Turner.
Concord Music Publishing has promoted Kourtney Kirkpatrick to Senior Vice President of Synchronization and Matt Turner to Vice President of A&R.
Kirkpatrick currently leads the television division, overseeing series, promos, trailers and sports media, and managing a team of three direct reports in Los Angeles, Nashville and New York. In her new position, Kirkpatrick will continue her work pitching and licensing songs from Concord writers, promoting catalogs such as those by Rodgers & Hammerstein, John Fogerty, Phil Collins and Genesis, Robert Johnson and more. She and her team will focus on reimagining these works to make them suitable for sync placements, with her deep knowledge of the catalog playing a crucial role in revitalizing Concord’s collection through remixes and covers.
During her time at Concord, Kirkpatrick and her team have secured sync placements across a wide range of television series on nearly all major networks and streaming platforms, including The Bear, The Penguin, Shrinking, Hacks, You, Euphoria, Stranger Things, Yellowstone, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ozark, Big Little Lies, True Detective: Night Country, Ted Lasso and Grey’s Anatomy. Their work also spans trailer placements for studios like FOX, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Apple, Amazon and Starz, as well as for major brands like Xbox and Microsoft. Over the course of her career, Kirkpatrick has also signed and developed sync-focused artists and writers, including Ruelle, who has been featured on Billboard/TuneFind’s year-end chart of Top Synced Artists multiple times, reaching the top spot in 2018.
Kirkpatrick also leads Concord’s annual sync camp in Nashville, now in its twelfth year. The event brings together over 80 songwriters and several music supervisors for a week of creating original music for all types of media. To date, the camp has resulted in more than 350 sync placements. In addition to the Nashville camp, Kirkpatrick has driven the global expansion of Concord’s sync camps, tailoring them to specific regions and media types. Over the past year, Concord has hosted ten sync-focused writing camps in locations such as Los Angeles, Nashville, Ireland, Dorset, Paris, New Zealand and Mexico City, among others.
Kirkpatrick was recognized on Billboard’s 40 Under 40 list in 2020 and is a member of the Nashville Film Festival. She is also a founding board member of Nashville in Sync, a community-driven organization for sync professionals focused on connecting and growing the music and film industries in Nashville. Before joining Concord in 2018, Kirkpatrick served as Senior Director of Film/TV at Razor & Tie (which was later acquired by Concord) and began her career at the independent publisher Big Yellow Dog Music, where she helped establish the company’s sync department.
In his new position as VP of A&R, Turner will maintain his responsibilities of discovering talent, managing new client negotiations and driving catalog exploitation. This promotion recognizes his commitment and contributions to Concord, particularly his efforts in expanding the company’s roster within the Nashville and country music scenes. Turner works with a wide range of songwriters in the country genre, including recording artists, producers and topliners.
With 18 years of experience in the industry, Turner brings executive-level insights to the team and has helped bring some of the top talent in the industry to the Concord roster, driving success on the country charts. In 2024, songwriters from Concord’s Nashville roster contributed to five Country Radio No. 1s and, within the first month of 2025, they’ve already added more, including Morgan Wallen’s “Lies Lies Lies,” Parmalee’s “Gonna Love You” and Dan + Shay’s “Bigger Houses.” Turner has played a key role in securing publishing deals with writers like Josh Miller, Andy Albert and Abram Dean, all of whom have earned No. 1 hits.
Before joining Concord, Turner worked at the independent publisher Big Loud Shirt, now known as Big Loud, where he collaborated closely with founder Craig Wiseman and writers such as Chris Tompkins, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem and the Warren Brothers. He was also involved in the early songwriting careers of Morgan Wallen and Chris Lane. After his time at Big Loud, Turner joined Downtown Music Publishing, where he represented their extensive roster of writers, including country music hitmakers Andy Albert, Andrew DeRoberts and Joey Hyde. Turner’s promotion highlights Concord’s continued growth in Nashville and the expansion of its country music roster.
Charles Wesley Godwin To Release ‘Lonely Mountain Town’ This Month
/by John Nix ArledgeJust 17 months since the release of his breakout album Family Ties, Charles Wesley Godwin slates a new seven-song EP, Lonely Mountain Town, for Feb. 28 via Big Loud Records.
Markedly quieter and more contemplative than Family Ties, Godwin’s new EP is a collection of quiet moments in his life. “These are character songs,” Godwin explains. “Most of them aren’t about my life. They’re just little pieces that I’ve taken from traveling.” Lonely Mountain Town serves as a stark contrast to the swift upward momentum the artist has experienced since his last release.
Over the last year, Godwin has made appearances on Colbert, Kimmel, CBS Saturday Sessions, and even ESPN’s Sports Center. These, paired with his debuts at festivals such as Bonnaroo and Stagecoach and opening for Luke Combs, caused Godwin to pick up his pen and write even more, penning over 30 songs in 2024.
Written primarily on the road and recorded with longtime producer and bandmate, Al Torrence, at Torrence’s Music Garden Studios in New Brighton, PA, Lonely Mountain Town features a handful of moving and even melancholy cuts that exemplify true sincerity.
This project saw Godwin working with new people such as labelmate Ernest on “Dead to Rights,” and one of Godwin’s musical heroes, Scott Avett, on Jason Molina’s “Hammer Down,” which they performed together while opening for Luke Comb’s 2024 stadium tour “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old.”
“It meant a lot to me and I think it turned out really cool too,” Godwin says of recording with Avett. “It brought new life to a song that a lot of people probably haven’t been exposed to.”
As he heads back on the road this winter and spring with his band the Allegheny High, Godwin is thrilled with where things stand. “I just want to continue writing like I have been and continue to record when I can and to keep producing and making music,” he says. “Because that’s what makes me happy. If I keep doing that, then I think everything else will work out just fine.”
Lonely Mountain Town Track List
1. “Lonely Mountain Town” (Charles Wesley Godwin)
2. “It’s The Little Things” (Charles Wesley Godwin)
3. “Dead To Rights (feat. ERNEST)” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Ernest Keith Smith, Chandler Paul Walters)
4. “It’s Her Move” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Wyatt Flores, Aaron Raitiere)
5. “Then I’m Gone” (Charles Wesley Godwin)
6. “She Don’t Love Me Anymore” (Charles Wesley Godwin, Zach McCord)
7. “Hammer Down feat. Scott Avett” (Jason Molina)