Dates: Tin Pan South, Grammy Nominee Party

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The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has announced that the 19th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival will be held from March 29- April 2, 2011. Tin Pan South is the world’s largest all-songwriter festival, and includes songwriters of all musical genres performing at a variety of Nashville night spots. For the fifth continuous year, Regions Bank is the presenting sponsor of the event.

Last year more than 300 songwriters performed 70+ shows at eight Nashville venues. Over 9,000 music fans attend the event annually. Visit tinpansouth.com to purchase Fast Access passes and check out Festival updates. Fast Access passes will go on sale March 9, 2011.

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The invitation-only Grammy Nominee Party is scheduled for Tues., Jan 18 at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.

Vassar To Headline Nashville New Year’s Eve

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Phil Vassar will headline Nashville’s Bash On Broadway New Year’s Eve party. The free block party starts at 7:30 PM with performances by Will Hoge, Heidi Newfield and Damien Horne. GAC and Sirius/XM host Storme Warren will emcee the event on Lower Broadway leading up to the midnight Guitar Drop and fireworks.

Also on the Music City calender: On Dec. 29 Zac Brown Band plays Bridgestone Arena
, and Little Texas performs a free outdoor concert downtown prior to the Battle of the Bands. Dec. 30 brings the Music City Bowl at LP Field
, where Trace Adkins will sing the national anthem and Ashton Shepherd will perform “God Bless America.” There is a pre-game concert downtown with Tim Akers and The Smoking Section.

American Country Award Winners

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Lady Antebellum

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum were big winners at the first American Country Awards last night (12/6) in Las Vegas. Underwood took home six awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (for Play On), and Touring Package of the Year. Lady Antebellum earned honors for Single of the Year (“Need You Now”) and Artist of the Year: Duo or Group. Mercury’s Easton Corbin picked up three awards, and Blake Shelton scored two.

Rascal Flatts and Alan Jackson received career achievement awards.

According to zap2it.com the show gave the Fox network a third place tie in ratings for the evening, with 5.97 million tuning in and a 3.6 rating/5 share. Among adults 18-49, Fox trailed CBS and NBC with a 1.5 rating.

Winners are in bold red below.

ARTISTS
Artist of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Zac Brown Band

Artist of the Year: Duo or Group
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

Easton Corbin

Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist
Easton Corbin
Danny Gokey
Jaron and The Long Road To Love
Jerrod Niemann
The Band Perry

Artist of the Year: Male
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Keith Urban

Artist of the Year: Female
Jewel
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

ALBUMS
Album of the Year
Doin’ My Thing, Luke Bryan
Need You Now, Lady Antebellum
Revolution, Miranda Lambert
Haywire, Josh Turner
Play On, Carrie Underwood

SINGLES
Single of the Year: Male
“Do I,” Luke Bryan
“Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“That’s How Country Boys Roll,” Billy Currington
“Gimme That Girl,” Joe Nichols
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner

Single of the Year: Breakthrough Artist
“Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Pray for You,” Jaron and The Long Road To Love
“Lover, Lover,” Jerrod Niemann
“Keep on Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“Beer on the Table,” Josh Thompson

Single of the Year
“Do I,” Luke Bryan
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Gimme That Girl,” Joe Nichols
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner

Single of the Year: Female
“White Liar,” Miranda Lambert
“Wrong Baby Wrong,” Martina McBride
“Consider Me Gone,” Reba McEntire
“Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You,” Kellie Pickler
“Cowboy Casanova,” Carrie Underwood

Single of the Year: Duo or Group
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church,” Little Big Town
“Unstoppable,” Rascal Flatts
“Keep On Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“Toes,” Zac Brown Band

Alan Jackson is honored.

TOURING
Touring Headline Package of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Toby Keith
Martina McBride & Trace Adkins
Tim McGraw
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait & Reba McEntire
Sugarland
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

VIDEOS
Music Video of the Year
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Hillbilly Bone,” Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner
“The Man I Want To Be,” Chris Young

Music Video: Male
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Southern Voice,” Tim McGraw
“Hillbilly Bone,” Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins
“Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner
“The Man I Want To Be,” Chris Young

Music Video: Breakthrough Artist
“Giddy On Up,” Laura Bell Bundy
“A Little More Country Than That,” Easton Corbin
“Lover, Lover,” Jerrod Niemann
“Keep on Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“If I Die Young,” The Band Perry

Music Video: Female
“White Liar,” Miranda Lambert
“Consider Me Gone,” Reba McEntire
“Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You,” Kellie Pickler
“Cowboy Casanova,” Carrie Underwood
“Work Hard, Play Harder,” Gretchen Wilson

Music Video: Duo or Group
“Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church,” Little Big Town
“Unstoppable,” Rascal Flatts
“Keep on Lovin’ You,” Steel Magnolia
“Highway 20 Ride,” Zac Brown Band

Photos: Brett Eldredge; Eric Lee Beddingfield

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Photo (L-R): Brett Eldredge and Al Roker

Atlantic Records’ rising star Brett Eldredge made his debut television appearance Dec. 4 on the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s “Together for Care” telethon. Eldredge performed his single “Raymond,” which he wrote after being inspired by his grandmother’s battle with the disease. Among the other stars on the telethon were Al Roker from NBC’s Today Show.

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Eric Lee Beddingfield visited the MusicRow offices last week to share new music from his album This Life Ain’t For Everybody. The Rebel Dawg Records release features the single “The Gospel According to Jones,” with guest vocals by the Possum himself. Beddingfield wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album which was produced by Kent Wells (Dolly Parton/Keith Whitley/Hank Williams Jr/Reba McEntire).

Top (L-R): MR's Jon Freeman, MR's David Ross, and MR's Sherod Robertson; Middle (L-R): MR's Sarah Skates, MR's Michelle Stephens; Front (L-R): Eric Lee Beddingfield, MR's Robert K. Oermann and Manager/publicist Craig Campbell

EMI Celebrates Holiday Kick-Off

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EMI Music helped start the holiday’s for writers, staff and friends at its 2010 Holiday Casino Party. The “in the chips” festivities included dinner and  Casino play plus a raffle.

(L-R) Alice Peacock, Brian Henningsen, Clara Henningsen, Dallas Davidson, Sarah Davidson, Jeremy Stover, Rachel Proctor, Aaron Henningsen, Michael Knox, Ross Copperman, EMI Exec. VP/GM Ben Vaughn, Tom Luteran, Steve McEwan, Laura Wright, Josh Van Valkenburg, Keith Anderson, James T. Slater, Jerry Flowers, Matt Fleener, Jamie Paulin, Missy Wilson, Kelley Lovelace, Chris Gillis and Zach Hammitte.

Bell Joins 13 Mgmt; Swift Tour Dates Sell Out

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13 Management, Taylor Swift’s wholly owned management company, has appointed Frank Bell to the newly created post of Director of Radio and Research.

“Frank brings solid relationships and strong tactical radio expertise and insight to 13 Management,” stated 13’s Robert Allen. “As we ramp up for the Taylor Swift Speak Now World Tour in 2011, Frank will be an invaluable resource to manage our radio outreach and develop our marketing research initiatives.”

Prior to joining 13 Management, Bell spent ten years as Vice President of Programming for Keymarket Communications of Pennsylvania / Ohio, overseeing on-air operations and marketing for a 14-station group.

Bell will officially join 13 Management on December 13, but can be reached now at:  f.bell@13management.net.

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The first tickets for Taylor Swift’s Speak Now 2011 North American tour went on sale late last week, and all tickets for the first 10 shows put on sale sold out within minutes. Those shows included Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. – which sold out in 5 minutes, and two shows at Los Angeles’ STAPLES Center, which sold out within 2 minutes.

Several shows have been added to the tour, which kicks off February 9 in Singapore and includes 90 shows in 19 countries spanning four continents.

NEEDTOBREATHE is the featured artist for the North American leg of the tour. Ticket prices start at $25. Visit www.TaylorSwift.com for details.

BMI Promotes Cheryl O’Quinn

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Cheryl O’Quinn has been promoted to the position of Sr. Director, Per Program Services  in BMI’s Media Licensing department. O’Quinn is based in the company’s Nashville office and previously serviced as Director of Per Program Services. She will report directly to VP Business Affairs, Media Licensing Mike Steinberg.

“Handling the task of administrating our licensing agreements is a critical business function for BMI, and Cheryl has brought a fresh and invigorated approach to this group,” said Steinberg. “Her work ethic is laudable, and she continues to innovate and improve business processes and communication across departmental lines. Her passion for working on the business of music for our songwriters shows in her results, which have led to this promotion.”

O’Quinn joined the company’s New York office in 1997 and relocated to Nashville. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee’s Recording Industry Management program and has her MBA from Bethel University.

American Country Awards Air Tonight

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The inaugural fan-voted American Country Awards will air live 8-10 pm ET on Fox tonight from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Trace Adkins serving as the evening’s host. Show performers include Jason Aldean, Adkins, Luke Bryan, The Band Perry, Easton Corbin, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, Steel Magnolia, Josh Turner, and Uncle Kracker. To see the full nominees in Artist, Album, Single, Touring and Video categories, click here. For winners updated in real time, check back to musicrow.com tonight.

Many of our friends from Nashville have been in Vegas since the weekend to participate in events surrounding the awards. The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony was held Friday 12/3 at the Wynn, with performances from Rascal Flatts and Colbie Caillat. Drivers present included five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

Joe Don Rooney, Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series awards banquet on Dec. 3. Photo: David Becker/Getty Images

Nettles Helps VH1 Divas Salute The Troops

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(L-R): Keri Hilson, Katy Perry, and Jennifer Nettles during the opening number of VH1 Divas Salute The Troops. Photo: Getty Images/VH1.com

Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles helped VH1 Divas Salute The Troops in last night’s (12/5) television special. She joined pop, rock and hip-hop stars Katy Perry, Keri Hilson, Nicki Minaj, Paramore and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals for the show taped primarily last week at San Diego’s Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The stars donned military-inspired wardrobe for much of the evening, including Nettles, Hilson and Perry in World War II-era uniforms for a cover of the 1940s classic “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” More here.

MC Lyte unexpectedly joined Jennifer Nettles for a duet of "Stuck Like Glue." Photo: Getty Images/VH1.com

Katy Perry parachuting to the stage for "California Gurls." Photo: Getty Images/VH1.com

The Grascals & Friends Cracker Barrel Exclusive

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The Grascals are the latest band to release music through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store’s exclusive program. The Grascals & Friends – Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin will be available Jan. 10, 2011, offering 13 tracks featuring guests Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels and Dolly Parton.

The bonus track “I Am Strong” was inspired by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and accordingly a portion of the album proceeds will be donated to the hospital.

So far in 2010, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive projects by Smokey Robinson, Rodney Atkins, Mandy Barnett, Craig Morgan, Wynonna, and Dailey & Vincent.

Track listing

1. Tiger By The Tail (with Brad Paisley)
2. Folsom Prison Blues (with Dierks Bentley)
3. Pain of Lovin’ You (with Dolly Parton)
4. I Am Strong (with Dolly Parton)
5. Louisiana Saturday Night
6. The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (with Tom T. Hall)
7. White Lightning (with Darryl Worley)
8. The Devil Went Down To Georgia (with Charlie Daniels)
9. Leavin’ Louisiana In Broad Daylight (with The Oak Ridge Boys)
10. Mr. Bojangles (with Joe Nichols)
11. Hank Williams Jr. Medley – Born To Boogie / All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over Tonight
12. Cracker Barrel Swing (Instrumental)
13. I Am Strong (Bonus Track) Featuring guest appearances by Dolly Parton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Darryl Worley, Charlie Daniels, Terri Clark, Randy Owen, Steven Seagal, Tom T. Hall, Joe Nichols and Ansley McLaurin