Megan Moroney‘s Cloud 9, released Feb. 20, has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200. This marks Moroney’s first time leading the chart.

“Not to be cliche but I’m on cloud 9!” shares Moroney. “I have to give credit to my fans, they’re the best in the world. To have them embrace an album like this is a dream come true. I can’t wait till we’re screaming these songs together on THE CLOUD 9 TOUR!”

The project clinched 147,000 equivalent album units in its first week, including 78,000 album sales and 69,000 streaming equivalent album units (SEA). Cloud 9 gives Moroney her highest first-week sales to date, and also has the highest first-week in total consumption for any country artist so far this year.

Cloud 9 includes the Gold-certified hit “6 Months Later,” Billboard 100 charting single “Beautiful Things,” collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves, and viral fan favorites. The album also entered Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart at the No. 1 spot as well as was the top-selling physical album of the week.

The ACM has revealed the Radio Awards nominees for the upcoming 61st Academy of Country Music Awards.

This year’s nods include triple nominations for KFRG-FM in Riverside, California, and double nominations for KILT-FM in Houston, KSCS-FM in Dallas, WBEE-FM in Rochester, WCKK-FM in Walnut Grove, Mississippi, and WUBE-FM in Cincinnati.

Winners of the ACM Radio Awards will be announced at Country Radio Seminar March 18-20 ahead of the 61st ACM Awards, which will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 17. The full list of ACM Award nominations will be announced in the coming weeks, as well as host, performers and presenters.

The 61st ACM Radio Awards Nominees:

NATIONAL DAILY ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:
B-Dub – B-Dub Radio
Cody Alan – Highway Mornings with Cody Alan
Katie Neal – Katie & Company
Rob Stone and Holly Hutton – The Rob + Holly Show
Steve Harmon – Steve Harmon Show

NATIONAL WEEKLY ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:
B-Dub – B-Dub Radio Saturday Night
Big D, Bubba, Shaffer – Honky Tonkin’ with Big D & Bubba
Heather Froglear – 90’s Country with Heather
Kelleigh Bannen – Today’s Country Radio
Ryan Fox – American Country Countdown with Ryan Fox

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET:
Angie Ward – Angie Ward – WUBL-FM – Atlanta, GA
Chris Carr & Company – Chris Carr, Sam Sansevere, Dubs – KEEY-FM – Minneapolis, MN
The Coop Show – Coop – WKIS-FM – Miami, FL
Erik & Jenny –Erik Scott Smith & Jenny Lee – KCYY-FM – San Antonio, TX
Frito & Katy – Frito and Katy – KILT-FM Houston, TX
Niko + Cheyenne – Niko + Cheyenne – KMLE-FM Phoenix, AZ
Rachel Ryan – Rachel Ryan – KSCS-FM Dallas, TX

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET:
Heather Froglear – Heather Froglear – KFRG-FM Riverside, CA
Jesse & Anna– Jesse Tack, Anna Marie, Jake Thomson – WUBE-FM. Cincinnati, OH
Kelli and Anthony – Kelli Green and Anthony Donatelli – KFRG-FM Riverside, CA
Mad Dawg in the Afternoon – “Mad Dawg”  – WQDR-FM. Raleigh, NC
Maria D’Antonio – Maria D’Antonio – WDSY-FM Pittsburgh, PA

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET:
The Bee Morning Coffee Club – Billy Kidd, TJ Sharp, and Hope Breen – WBEE-FM Rochester, NY
The Doc Show with Chewy – Doc Medek, Chewy Medek – WGGY-FM Wilkes-Barre, PA
Julie and DJ in the Morning – Julie K and DJ Thee Trucker – WPCV-FM. Lakeland, FL
Mo & StyckMan – Mo & StyckMan – WUSY-FM Chattanooga, TN
Steve & Gina in the Morning – Steve Lundy and Gina Melton – KXKT-FM. Omaha, NE
Tug Cowart Show – Tug Cowart – WCKN-FM Charleston, SC

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET:
Ben & Arnie – Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews – WCOW-FM Sparta, WI
B-MO in the MO’rning – Brian “B-MO” Montgomery – WCKK-FM. Walnut Grove, MS
Dan Austin – Dan Austin -WQHK-FM Fort Wayne, IN
The Dr. Shane and Tess Show –Dr. Shane and Tess – WPAP-FM. Panama City, FL
The Eddie Foxx Show – Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx – WKSF-FM Asheville, NC

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET:
KILT-FM – Houston, TX
KSCS-FM – Dallas, TX
KSON-FM – San Diego, CA
WPOC-FM – Baltimore, MD
WXTU-FM – Philadelphia, PA

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET:
KFRG-FM – Riverside, CA
WLHK-FM – Indianapolis, IN
WMIL-FM – Milwaukee, WI
WSIX-FM – Nashville, TN
WUBE-FM – Cincinnati, OH

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET:
KUZZ-FM – Bakersfield, CA
WBEE-FM – Rochester, NY
WHKO-FM – Dayton, OH
WLFP-FM – Memphis, TN
WQMX-FM – Akron, OH

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET:
KCLR-FM – Columbia, MO
KFGE-FM – Lincoln, NE
WCKK-FM – Walnut Grove, MS
WXFL-FM – Florence, AL
WYCT-FM – Pensacola, FL
WYOT-FM – Rochelle, IL

City Manager Clint Hardeman, Koe Wetzel and Pittsburg, Texas Mayor Abernathy in downtown Pittsburg, Texas. Photo: Michael Herrick

Koe Wetzel’s hometown of Pittsburg, Texas declared Feb. 28 “Koe Wetzel Day” in a special celebration honoring the local artist.

The singer was surprised to arrive at the full-blown celebration, which included a high school marching band and cheerleaders revving up the crowd full of family, friends and local dignitaries prior to the ceremony. The city’s mayor and city manager presented a key to the city to Wetzel along with a proclamation naming Feb. 28 “Koe Wetzel Day.” Pittsburg also debuted a mural of Wetzel located downtown to celebrate the special day.

“It’s good to be back in Pittsburg,” said Wetzel at the ceremony. “Every time we come back here it’s like we never left, with my family and my friends… it all starts there. My family sitting here – my mom, my dad, my sisters, my grandparents – my girls here, they’ve always been my No. 1 fan and they’ve gotten me where I am by doing so, but also with the help from Pittsburg, Texas and all the great people here that have made everything happen. No matter where I go in this life, no matter what country, state or city I’m in, I always know Pittsburg, Texas is home for me. And whenever I come back, you all make sure to remind me of that and treat me like I never left, and I always appreciate that.”

To further mark the decade since the release of “February 28, 2016,” Wetzel surprised fans after his Fort Worth Riot Room set by dropping a new mixtape, These Are Going Nowhere: A Mixtape by Koe Wetzel, at midnight.

These Are Going Nowhere: A Mixtape by Koe Wetzel Track List:
1. “Feel Better”
2. “GTFO”
3. “Run Away”
4. “College”
5. “Lonesome Dove”
6. “Sweet Texas Strange”

Sherry May

Sherry May has joined Conway Entertainment Group as Talent Buyer and Venue Consultant, supporting the launch and expansion of the firm’s CEG Live consulting division.

At CEG, May specializes in venue strategy, talent buying, pricing models, and sponsorship frameworks. She works directly with amphitheaters, theaters, municipalities, universities, and private venues to build sustainable programming pipelines and maximize revenue potential through the CEG Live consulting division.

“Sherry May has recently joined the Conway Entertainment Group and CEG Live as a venue consultant, and her hiring is a fantastic addition to the team,” says CEG CEO Tony Conway. “With her extensive experience in the industry and proven track record of optimizing venue operations and enhancing the audience experiences, Sherry brings a wealth of knowledge that is sure to benefit the group significantly. Her passion for creating memorable and profitable events and strategic insights will undoubtedly help CEG Live to continue to thrive and expand our new division.”

May brings more than two decades of experience leading large-scale concert series, amphitheater operations, and venue turnarounds to her new position. Before joining CEG, she served as Co-Director of the Live at the Garden concert series at the Memphis Botanic Garden for 24 seasons. During her tenure, she helped grow the series from its inception into one of the region’s most respected outdoor music experiences, expanding programming, securing major touring artists, increasing sponsorship revenue, elevating the venue’s brand, and securing naming rights for what is now known as the Radians Amphitheater.

In collaboration with CEG, May most recently served as Interim General Manager of The Lerner Theatre in Elkhart, Indiana, helping stabilize operations, restructure staffing, enhance financial oversight, and develop a sustainable programming and sponsorship plan for long-term growth. May has been named a Memphis Power Player for 12 consecutive years and one of the Memphis Business Journal’s Women to Watch. She has also contributed to numerous civic and arts organizations, including serving as Treasurer on the Board of The Blues Foundation and as a board member for the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“Joining Conway Entertainment Group to help launch the CEG Live consulting division is an exciting next chapter for me,” says May. “Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about helping entertainment venues build sustainable programming, strengthen community impact, and maximize revenue potential. CEG Live brings together an extraordinary team with the experience and relationships to do exactly that, and I’m thrilled to be part of this dynamic organization.”

Reach May at sherrym@conwayent.com.

Ella Gibson. Photo: James Bragg

Ella Gibson has signed with G Major Mgmt.

Hailing from a small town in central Illinois, Gibson is currently studying songwriting at Belmont University. She recently won Belmont’s Spring Songwriter’s Showcase Presented by BMI.

“I am so honored to be joining G Major,” shares Gibson. “Already, they have been incredible to work with during our time together. This team inspires me daily with their hard work, kindness and passion for what they do. I am so excited to see all that we accomplish together, and for the new music we’ve been working on.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Ella Gibson to the G Major roster,” says G Major Mgmt founder Virginia Bunetta. “She’s a rare artist whose songwriting feels timeless and her voice and perspective cut through the noise. She represents the next evolution of authentic female artistry.”