The hosts and performers have been announced for the 15th annual CMA Country Christmas special, set to air Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC and the next day (Dec. 4) on Hulu and Disney+.

This year’s special will be hosted by Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood, feature performances by For King & Country and Carin León (“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”), Cody Johnson (“White Christmas“) and (“I’ll Be Home For Christmas”), Ashley McBryde and Brittney Spencer (“Man With The Bag”), Jon Pardi (“Horsepower Sleigh”) and CeCe Winans (“Joy To The World”).

The hosts will perform “Sing Your Praise To The Lord” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” Grant will also treat the crowd to “Tennessee Christmas,” while Yearwood delivers a Christmas medley during the show.

Kane Brown Performs At 2024 ARIAs With Troy Cassar-Daley

Kane Brown took the stage in Sydney, Australia on Nov. 19 at the 2024 ARIA Awards to perform a special rendition of his smash hit “Miles on It” with Australian country artist Troy Cassar-Daley. The performance coincides with his trip Down Under for his arena-headlining “In The Air Tour,” in which he has performed in both New Zealand and Australia to sold out crowds, with major stops in Melbourne and Perth this week.

With a whirlwind year on his back, Brown released a new single “Body Talk” featuring his wife, Katelyn Brown today (Nov. 22.) The track will also be featured on Brown’s forthcoming fourth studio album, The High Road, due Jan. 24.

 

Mitchell Tenpenny Raises Some Cane Before CMAs

Mitchell Tenpenny tried his hand as a Raising Cane’s crew member earlier this week before the CMA Awards as he worked a pre-awards “shift” at Raising Cane’s Nashville Flagship on lower Broadway. Tenpenny served fans from the front counter as a cashier and worked in the kitchen, then strummed his songs “We Got History” and “Truth About You” for patrons of the Nashville flagship restaurant.

 

Logan Mize Enjoys Golden Moment With ‘Grew Apart’

Big Yellow Dog Music artist Logan Mize‘s 2020 song “Grew Apart,” has received an RIAA Gold certification, which is his second Gold track following “Better Off Gone.” Co-written by Donovan Woods, Travis Wood and Logan Wall, “Grew Apart” featuring Woods tells a story of two people falling out of love, and has resonated with fans who have streamed the track more than 110 million times.

Mize also offered fans a revamped version of the track in November 2020, featuring a duet with viral country artist Alexandra Kay.

 

Songwriter Greg Barnhill Receives ‘Music Has Power’ Award

Nashville songwriter Greg Barnhill received the prestigious “Music Has Power” award this week at an event in Times Square that brought together top minds in music therapy, neuroscience and senior healthcare. The Emmy-winning songwriter is also the Chief Creative Officer of InnerWave Neurosciences, a new company at the forefront of the emerging neuro arts field. InnerWave collaborates with partners across technology, music, sound, virtual reality, and academic research, bridging the arts, medical community and psychology.

“We know that by using certain frequencies and the combinations thereof, we will be able to find new non-pharmaceutical treatments,” says Barnhill. “We also know that music is one of the greatest healing elements in the world. Frequencies and resonance take that to an even deeper level.”

 

Backdrop Entertainment Celebrates Anniversary, New Staffer

Backdrop Entertainment celebrates its first anniversary this month. Founded by music and touring industry marketing veteran, Tamara Moore, the company has grown substantially during its first year in business. Backdrop Entertainment recently announced a new addition to the team, Lauren Sieh. The company is is dedicated to connecting events, tours, brands and artists with their fans through full-service marketing services including radio partnerships, digital advertising, social media, fan engagement strategies, DSP relationships, touring growth and brand development.

“Starting Backdrop Entertainment last year was a dream come true,” shares Moore “I’ve been thrilled with what Tara and I have been able to accomplish in the last year for our clients. Lauren and I worked together previously and I knew she was the perfect person to add to the team as we grow and continue to expand what we do.”

Shaboozey has been honored as a 2024 SoundExchange Breakout Artist.

The award recognizes Shaboozey’s undeniable success this year, from his smash single “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and latest album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, to his standout appearances on Beyoncé’s star-studded country album, Cowboy Carter and more. “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” recently marked its 18th consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is the longest in history by a solo artist with no accompanying credited acts.

“Shaboozey has literally changed the game, marrying hip-hop and country music to create a unique sound that has rocketed him into the consciousness of the mainstream,” says Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. “He’s a prolific creator, unafraid of pairing big, exciting hooks with relatable storytelling and staging memorable live performances. We are proud to present Shaboozey with the SoundExchange Breakout Artist Award, and we can’t wait to see what he does next.”

“Thank you to SoundExchange for this honor and naming me 2024’s Breakout Artist,” says Shaboozey. “It’s been an incredibly fulfilling year with still, lots to come, and I deeply respect the work that you do to ensure artists get paid fairly for the use of their work.”

The first-ever Black artist to simultaneously top Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and the Hot 100, Shaboozey will headline the Thanksgiving Halftime Show powered by Verizon at the Detroit Lions’ annual holiday football game on Nov. 28 on CBS. His North American tour wraps Dec. 16 in Philadelphia. He will also play Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House on Jan. 18 to kick off 2025, and has a European tour slated for March.

The Country Music Association presented three more 2024 CMA International Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 20).

Kip Moore was honored with the 2024 CMA International Artist Achievement Award during the CMA International Reception in downtown Nashville. This award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who has demonstrated the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of America. Moore has forged new paths for the genre in South Africa, having first toured the country in 2023, and headlined the first-ever country music festival in South Africa, Cape Town Country Festival (CTC), earlier this year.

Also during the International Reception, Gold & Gold Productions President Ron Sakamoto was presented with the 2024 CMA Rob Potts International Live Music Advancement Award by Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey. This accolade recognizes outstanding achievements made by an individual who has made important contributions to the live music industry by extending performance opportunities and building live audiences for the country format outside of the United States. Throughout his career thus far, Sakamoto has worked to promote individuals and groups across Canada.

Later that night on the CMA Awards Red Carpet, Josh Ross was surprised with the 2024 CMA Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award by host Luke Bryan. This award recognizes outstanding achievements by a country music artist who is originally based internationally and currently signed outside of the United States. Ross has surpassed 300 million streams, toured with Bryan and Nickelback, among others, and was named as the 2024 CCMA Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

The remaining 2024 CMA International Awards will be presented throughout the next several months.

Big Machine Records has signed  Jack Wharff & The Tobacco Flatts.

Hailing from Richmond, Wharff grew up surrounded by bluegrass through his father’s band, The Slack Family, developing a deep connection with the sound from a young age. Into his teen years, the now 21-year-old lead singer began writing his own songs. In 2023, Wharff met drummer Garrett Howell and bassist Ryan Atchison at an open mic night in downtown Richmond, and formed The Tobacco Flatts almost instantly. They later added guitarist Evan Novoa to the band as well, and burst onto the scene with snippets of originals posted to TikTok and Instagram Reels.

“I cannot wait for the world to experience Jack Wharff & The Tobacco Flatts,” says Big Machine Label Group’s Chairman & CEO Scott Borchetta. “With its deep southern roots and insane turbo-charged bluegrass chops, this band will rip your head off and you’ll be screaming for more.”

“When I think about being signed to an incredible, hardworking team like Big Machine Records, it assures me of how gracious God is,” shares Wharff. “We are beyond blessed to be doing what we love with the phenomenal people at Big Machine Label Group.”

The band is releasing a new song via Big Machine,“Picture Perfect,” today (Nov. 22)  that captures the feeling of unconditional love and adoration. Written by Wharff alongside Brian Bunn, Tyler Woodward, Ben Wagner, Atchison and Howell, the track is a sweet and reassuring love letter that melds bluegrass roots with country and Americana influences and invites listeners to embrace their own imperfections and celebrate the unique beauty in love.