In 2024, the Americana Music Foundation and its partner, Salt Lick Incubator, collaborated on the inaugural AmericanaFest grant program and selected the first recipients.

Grant applicants represented 39 states and seven different countries, and the first group of winners included 11 members of the music community including musicians, songwriters, talent buyers, managers, media members, label representatives and more.

The grant recipients received a Silver Pass to the festival that included access to nightly showcase performances, daytime conference panels, opportunities to attend exclusive RSVP events and a ticket to the Americana Honors & Awards ceremony, plus a $1,000 travel stipend. With the support of the Americana Music Foundation, Salt Lick Incubator facilitated the application process and administered the grants.

The Americana Music Foundation also matched generous contributions from Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepherd, founders of the Looking Out Foundation and David Macias, Co-Founder and President of Thirty Tigers, to create this fund.

Applications will open again in spring 2025.

Eddie Kloesel has been named as Partner at full-service artist management and music company WHY&HOW by Founder & CEO Bruce Kalmick.

Kloesel joined WHY&HOW when it launched in 2020 as Vice President of Touring & Sponsorships, and has since risen to Executive Vice President.

“Eddie and I have been in business together for a long time. He’s a trusted strategic thinker who approaches our clients’ business like an entrepreneur. He’s always thinking outside the box, and has brought forward opportunities that are not only lucrative for our clients but are also unique within the industry,” says Kalmick. “When I launched WHY&HOW, bringing Eddie on board was an obvious decision, and his promotion to Partner has been a long time coming.”

“For nearly 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from Bruce, whose leadership is defined by empowering the team around him. Being named Partner is both a profound honor and a deeply meaningful milestone. Together, I look forward to continuing to elevate WHY&HOW and the incredible clients we serve. For a kid from Vidor, Texas with a lifelong dream of making it in the music industry, this is a moment I’ll cherish and build upon with immense gratitude,” shares Kloesel.

He has played a key role in defining and executing the company’s long-term strategic goals, seeking to identify and capitalize on opportunities that contribute to the company’s growth and profitability. He has also overseen brand partnerships and touring strategy for WHY&HOW clients, including Whiskey Myers and Chase Rice. Kloesel helped to secure a partnership between Rice and Coors Banquet, a first-of-its-kind deal for the legacy Molson Coors brand, which has since been renewed, and assisted in establishing Whiskey Myers’ relationship with American sprint car racing series High Limits Racing.

He has overseen the release of 11 independent albums across the rock and country genres, including Rice’s I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell and Go Down Singin’, Southall’s For the Birds and self-titled 2023 album, as well as five Whiskey Myers collections, including the band’s 2019 self-titled release. His clients’ projects have collectively earned six Gold, 11 Platinum, three double-Platinum and four triple-Platinum RIAA certifications.

On the touring front, Kloesel managed Whiskey Myers’ 2022-2023 tour, which saw the band become one of the few independent acts to headline arenas and sell out a debut show at Red Rocks in under 36 hours. He also helped to book Rice as an opener for Garth Brooks at Ford Field in 2020, after working to book Whiskey Myers as an opener for The Rolling Stones at Soldier Field in 2018.

“I’ve known Eddie since we were both very new in this industry. We’ve seen each other both change and grow to the point we are hardly recognizable from what we were 10 years ago,” says Rice. “He has been a massive part of me getting out of the machine that I was in, to creating music that is true to who I am to my core. There will be songs released at some point that are five to 10 years old simply because he continues to send me old stuff occasionally, reminding me how great some of my earlier writing was. He’s old school in a new world, and I believe this world needs more men like him. He’s not just my manager, he’s family, and I’m proud to call him a friend. He’s earned this.”

The Store Hosts Second Annual Toy Store Event

The Store, the free-referral based grocery store co-founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley hosted its second annual Toy Store last weekend. Families The Store currently serves were able to shop for toys to provide Christmas gifts for more than 800 children through generous donations from sponsors and donors across the U.S.

Traditional holiday festivities and gift wrapping were also provided during the special event. More than 4,000 toys were donated by the First Responders Children’s Foundation and the local community and additional sponsors helped with countless rolls of wrapping paper, tape, bows, décor, food and other supplies.

 

Jeffrey Steele, Brett James, & Neil Thrasher Perform At ‘Tunnels To Towers’ Benefit

The Listening Room Cafe’ hosted “Tunnel to Towers Presents Jeffrey Steele, Brett James and Neil Thrasher” on Thursday (Dec. 12) as part of the venue’s monthly Sound Good, Do Good initiative, and 100% of the night’s ticket sales benefited the organization at the end of the show. Tunnels to Towers was created in response to 9/11, with a mission to provide mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families, build smart homes for injured veterans, and address veteran homelessness.

 

Wyatt Flores Appears on CBS Saturday Morning Sessions

Wyatt Flores was featured on CBS Saturday Morning‘s “Saturday Sessions” series last weekend performing “Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight,” “Milwaukee” and “Stillwater.”

The appearance adds to a breakout year for Flores, who released his full-length debut album, Welcome to the Plains, earlier this fall via Island Records. In celebration of the new music, Flores was featured as part of NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk Concert” series last month, made his late-night TV debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this fall, and recently spoke with NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

 

Larry Weiss Honored With MVP3 Foundation Best Singer-Songwriter Award

Veteran songwriter Larry Weiss was honored at the NSAI offices on Dec. 16 at an industry event hosted by MVP3 Foundation and MVP3 Music Group in conjunction with NSAI. Weiss was presented with the MVP3 Foundation 2024 Best Singer-Songwriter Award, formally recognizing his longstanding career and contributions to the creative music sector, and dedication to mentoring young aspiring artists.

As part of the program, NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison conducted a Q&A with Weiss who shared his story behind the Glen Campbell No. 1 hit “Rhinestone Cowboy.” MVP3 Music Group flagship recording artist Wade Quinton, performed an acoustic rendition of the song.

 

Waymore’s Outlaws With Tommy Townsend

Waymore’s Outlaws With Tommy Townsend are set to launch a residency at Chief’s On Broadway at the club’s ticketed venue Neon Steeple on Dec. 28. Consisting of Waylon’s former bass player Jerry “Jigger” Bridges, Barny Robertson on keys, Carter Robertson on vocals, Jeff Hale on drums and steel guitarist Fred Newell, the band collectively performed on the recordings of hits “I Ain’t Living Long Like This,” the Dukes of Hazzard “Good Ol’ Boys” theme, “Luckenbach Texas,” “Rainy Day Woman” and countless other Gold and Platinum hits.