Pictured (L–R): Tommy Robinson, Brooke Nixon, Brady Brock, Katie Keller and Meg Barron. Photo: Scott Schleiff

New West Records has announced four promotions and a new staff hire. Tommy Robinson has been elevated to General Manager & Vice President of Sales, while Brady Brock takes the role of Senior Vice President of Media & Reissues Producer. Katie Keller has been promoted to Vice President of Project Management, and Meg Barron steps into the role of Director of A&R and Publishing. Additionally, Brooke Nixon has joined the label as Vice President of Digital Marketing.

“Since 2011, Tommy has shown a steadfast dedication and solid work ethic to consistently support our artists, partners, and colleagues. A very well deserved promotion,” says John Allen, New West Records President. Of Brock, Allen adds, “Brady is a top flight publicist and astute reissue producer. For the past eight years he has been an indispensable part of our team at New West. I look forward to even more growth with Brady in the mix.”

Speaking of Keller, Allen notes, “Over the years, Katie has shown great skill and efficiency with the ever increasing demands of project management on album campaigns, label branding and event planning, while overseeing the various digital marketing and design needs of all our artists and the New West label.” He also praises Barron saying, “From her early days as an intern here until now, Meg has been a devoted advocate for New West’s artists. Her ear for new music is excellent. Meg is simply rad.”

Nixon previously held the position of Director of Streaming at The Valory Music Co, a division of the Big Machine Label Group, for a decade. “We are all very excited for Brooke to join our team. Her skill set, dedication, and enthusiasm are a perfect fit and she’s hitting the ground running,” says Allen.

The Academy of Country Music has opened the membership window for new applicants and renewals as the organization looks forward to the 60th anniversary of the ACM Awards.

The application period is open today (Oct. 1) through Friday, Nov. 15 at 10:00 a.m. Applicants must submit a form online during this time in order to gain or retain voting privileges for the 60th ACM Awards in 2025. Along with voting eligibility, membership benefits include early ticket access to ACM events, discounts on partner events, data insights, educational and networking events and more.

“The upcoming year for the Academy of Country Music is sure to be one of the most exciting and important in the Academy’s history with the landmark 60th ACM Awards and celebrations surrounding and celebrating the 60th all year long. This will also mark sixty years of our members influencing, impacting, and steering the future of Country Music,” says Annie Ortmeier, Chair of the ACM Membership Committee. “On behalf of the ACM Membership Committee, I can’t wait to see what the next year brings, and I hope this membership class will be the most engaged, excited, and diverse membership class yet.”

Members will also gain access to an impressive programming and development lineup which includes exclusive events, panels and initiatives along with the quarterly magazine Tempo. The Academy invites applicants to join the organization in its commitment towards creating a more inclusive environment for underrepresented groups in the country music industry. ACM will kick off an awareness campaign sporting the tagline “The Academy is Me” in the weeks ahead.

You can apply for a membership with the Academy of Country Music online, at the ACM Membership platform: https://www.acmcountry.com/become-a-member.

Zach Siegal-Eisman. Photo: Annie Noelker

Big Loud Rock has added Zach Siegal-Eisman as VP of Digital & Viral Marketing.

Reporting directly to President Greg Thompson and SVP Lloyd Norman, Siegal-Eisman will oversee the imprint’s digital marketing strategy and execution as well as artist growth and the digital presence of both upcoming and catalog record releases. His digital marketing experience, rooted in social media and digital activations, dates back to his high school years. Siegal-Eisman has elevated the social media presence of various brands and entertainers, including Syracuse University women’s basketball and tennis teams, while developing a music discovery site focused on emerging artists.

In 2017, he joined Artist Network Management as a Junior Manager for Dirty Heads, Sublime with Rome and Rome Ramirez. Spearheading the company’s recording and marketing budgets for their joint label venture with The Orchard, Five Music Inc., eventually led him to the role of Account Manager at social media agency Crowd Surf in 2019, where he rose to Senior Account Manager and later VP of Marketing. There, Siegal-Eisman worked on projects for Nickelback, John Fogerty, Jeff Dunham, Warner Chappell Music, Universal Music Group, Classic Motown, The Temptations, Eric Clapton, Steve Miller Band, Neil Diamond, Iron Maiden and more.

Earlier this year, Siegal-Eisman launched Amplify Legacy, a marketing consultancy centered around audience growth and digital partnerships, where he worked with clients like Immediate Family, Songfluencer and Exploration, among others.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Zach to the Big Loud Rock family. His passion for music, dedication to building community and vision for expanding our artists’ reach bring the right energy at the perfect time,” says Thompson. “We’re excited to see the impact he’ll make!”

“I am thrilled to join the Big Loud Rock team, where the passion, dedication and collaboration of Greg Thompson, Lloyd Norman and the entire team have been pivotal in the growth of the label and its impressive, diverse roster of artists,” shares Siegal-Eisman. “I look forward to focusing on innovative digital marketing strategies that will help our artists forge authentic connections with their fans.”

Pictured (L to R ): Carlos Rafael Rivera, SCL’s Ashley Irwin, BMI’s VP Film, TV & Visual Media Tracy McKnight, Rob Simonsen and Ryan Lott of Son Lux. Photo: Aubrey Wise for BMI.

Last Friday (Sept. 27), BMI hosted the Society of Composers and Lyricists’ second annual Nashville Music Creators Conference, dedicated to spotlighting music for visual media while teaching aspiring composers and songwriters. The “Composer Conversations” at the conference featured discussions with three renowned composers sharing insight into their craft, careers and the inspiration behind their most recent scores.

Held at the BMI office on Music Row, BMI’s VP of Creative, Film, TV & Visual Media Tracy McKnight hosted a discussion with Ryan Lott of Son Lux. They dove into the creative process of Lott’s work on acclaimed projects such as Everything Everywhere All At Once and his latest film score in The Greatest Hits.

McKnight also moderated a conversation with composer Rob Simonsen, known for his work on Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends With Us, both premiering earlier this year. The audience heard about Simonsen’s contributions to film music and his work on Postcard from Earth, which was the first film to debut in the Las Vegas Sphere.

SCL’s President Ashley Irwin held a discussion with Carlos Rafael Rivera, a three-time Emmy Award-winning composer behind Lessons in Chemistry and Netflix’s Griselda. The conversation discussed Rivera’s career and music, featuring video clips and sound bites from his various projects to show his creative process.

Pictured (L–R): Morgan Brady, Brannen Carter and Alana Morgan

Big Yellow Dog Music has promoted Morgan Brady to Senior Publishing & Label Analyst/Senior Coordinator for Label Services. Additionally, the company has added Brannen Carter and Alana Morgan to its team.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brannen and Alana to the Big Yellow Dog Music family and to promote Morgan into a role that acknowledges her exceptional work,” shares Big Yellow Dog Co-Owner and CEO Carla Wallace. “Their diverse skills and shared passion for music will undoubtedly enhance our ability to support our artists and partners as we continue to grow and innovate in this ever-evolving industry.”

Brady joined Big Yellow Dog Music full-time in May of 2023. In her new role, she will be responsible for the analysis of all royalty information across the label and publishing divisions, while also overseeing label operations.

Carter, a Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) alumna, has joined the company as Assistant Catalog Administrator/Assistant Coordinator for Label Services. In this position, she will assist in managing and organizing the company’s extensive catalog of music, while also collaborating with artists and industry partners to support supporting the day-to-day operations of the label.

As Assistant Coordinator for A&R, Belmont University graduate Morgan will contribute to the discovery and development of new talent for the company.