The Music Business Association continued its annual Music Biz conference on Tuesday (May 14) at the JW Marriott Nashville.

Programming continued with the Music Biz Roadshow, a collection of panels with artists and industry executives, as well as different track programs. Day two also featured the Music Biz Brunch, sponsored by Warner Music Group.

In the “What’s Happening in Washington: A Music Policy Outlook” panel, attendees heard from Graham Davies of DiMA, Chris Barkley from the NMPA, Morna Willens from the RIAA, Michael Lewan from The Recording Academy, Erin McAnally from SONA and Meredith Rose from Public Knowledge. The group discussed current legislation, policy landscape, prospects of new legal action and the music industry’s future surrounding AI and ticketing reform acts.

The Music Biz Brunch kicked off with a keynote address from Music Business Association President Portia Sabin.

During the brunch, Sabin recognized Naomi Fabricant of the SCARS Foundation and Tatum Allsep of Music Health Alliance. Both were recognized for their contribution in kickstarting the Music Biz Mental Health Fund. The fund currently sits at $355,000, helping serve more than 500 industry professionals with 5,426 outpatient counseling and psychiatry visits.

Following the keynote address, attendees were treated to performances from Warner Music Group artists Avery Anna, Tyler Halverson and Cassandra Lewis. 

Next, the 2024 Inspiration Award was presented to Porter’s Call Founder Al Andrews for his unwavering dedication to providing community, support and mental health services to artists and their families.

Olga LaBelle, VP, Head of ESG at Warner Music Group also gave a presentation on Sustainability in Touring during the brunch. To wrap up brunch, Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson and Lucille Wenegiame of Headcount talked about the importance of voting and influencing others to vote.

Later in the day, Kobalt CEO Laurent Hubert sat down with CEO & Founder of Sound Royalties Alex Heiche to converse about the streaming revolution and how songwriters can use technology for growth. This marked the opening keynote conversation for the “Music & Money” track.

Other panels throughout the day included “Paying Out The Black Box: Is Market Share Fair?” “The Industry’s New SuperWeapon: Creatives As Executives,” “Music Videos: Fandoms & Culture Unfolding” and more.

Additional tracks for day two included “Howdy Neighbor: Understanding Neighboring Rights Opportunities,” “Sync Symposium,” “Startup Lab: A Bootcamp For New Music Ventures” and more.

Music Biz 2024 continued today (May 15) with the Metadata Summit, panels featuring industry executives from Universal Music Group, BandLab, TikTok, Vydia, Hopeless Records, The Black Opry, SoundCloud and more. Tracks included “Artificial Intelligence,” “Glocals Only,” “The Greatest Good” and more. The 2024 Bizzy Awards take place tonight.

Rising singer-songwriter Vincent Mason has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Hillary Lindsey‘s Hang Your Hat Music and Concord Music Publishing.

“We are so excited to welcome Vincent to the Hang Your Hat family! He is such a natural talent with an ease about himself in the writing room—always bringing in his own unique artist spin on ideas, which creates the space for a great song,” says Lindsey. “I can’t wait to see where this road is gonna lead him, and we are so proud to be a part of it!”

“We are thrilled to have Vincent join the Concord & Hang Your Hat team! It’s been exciting to watch him rise and see the hard work paying off,” adds Brad Kennard, SVP of A&R, Concord Music Publishing. “We’re fired up to jump in and continue to build with him!”

Mason’s breakout hit “Hell is a Dance Floor” has amassed over 17 million streams, and was recently added to SiriusXM The Highway. The artist toured alongside Parker McCollum, Niko Moon and Ashley Cooke in 2023, and will be opening for Gavin Adcock this fall.

“When I moved to Nashville, all I ever wanted to be was a songwriter and to have a seat at the table,” shares Mason. “I’m grateful a writer like Hillary Lindsey and the teams at Hang Your Hat and Concord believe in me enough to give me a shot to do this.”

The BMI affiliate’s team also includes WME, Champ Management, King Publicity and Brackin Law.

Scott Borchetta will receive the 2024 CRB President’s Award from the Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.

Given to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and played a vital role in shaping the success of the Country Radio Seminar and its mission to advance the country radio format, Borchetta joins past recipients such as John Esposito, Beverlee Brannigan, Sarah Trahern, Mike Dungan, Charlie Morgan, Bob Kingsley, Joe Galante and Erica Farber, among others.

“Scott is one of those you can count on one hand. Music Row visionary and trailblazer, race car driver, television celebrity, entrepreneur, maverick,” says CRB/CRS Board President Kurt Johnson. “From his first days in promotion in Nashville to his iconic status today, he continues to be a true original. I hope you’ll be in the room as we celebrate one of the best ever in the business.”

Borchetta is the Chairman and CEO of Big Machine Label Group, the independent label home to artists such as Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Thomas Rhett, Carly Pearce, Sheryl Crow, and Lady A. He also serves as the HYBE America Chairman of Record Labels. Under his leadership, Big Machine has achieved monumental success over nearly 20 years, garnering a multitude of industry awards and selling over 220 million albums, with more than 200 singles reaching No. 1 on the country, pop, and rock charts.

Borchetta has been recognized as part of Billboard’s Power 100 list and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, along with the Music Business Association’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive. He made history in 2012 with a groundbreaking deal with iHeart Radio, securing sound-recording performance royalties for Big Machine and its artists, marking the first time artists and labels would be paid for their sound recordings on terrestrial radio stations in the U.S.

As a philanthropist, Borchetta has significantly contributed to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. In 2020, he and his wife Sandi created The Big Machine Neighborhood, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit wing. They also co-founded the Music Has Value fund to support music in schools and music therapy.

The presentation of the CRB President’s Award will take place during the 2024 Country Radio Hall of Fame event, scheduled to be held on June 19 at the Virgin Hotel Nashville. More information, including the time and ticket information, will be released closer to the event.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has elevated Erin D. D. Burr to Senior Vice President, Media Relations | Gold & Platinum Program and Matthew Bass to Vice President, Research and Gold & Platinum Operations, effective immediately.

“Erin and Matt are stars who have already shined so brightly at RIAA and, in their new roles, will be even more visible and effective,” says Mitch Glazier, RIAA Chairman & CEO. “As the music community works together to address unprecedented new opportunities and challenges from the meteoric rise of streaming to the current effort to chart a path towards responsible and pro-artist AI, we are all lucky to have Erin and Matt embracing greater responsibilities.”

Burr will continue to lead RIAA’s press outreach while serving as a communications strategist for RIAA initiatives such as celebrating Gold and Platinum certifications, advancing C-suite profiles and supporting the Human Artistry CampAIgn—a growing global coalition whose mission is to keep irreplaceable human expression at the core of technological innovation. To help others understand the challenges and opportunities within the music industry, Burr aims to make policy that effects creators more digestible—recently with the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act press conference to modernize the Tennessee right of publicity law. She also currently sits on the Musicians On Call (MOC) Music Industry Advisory Board. Prior to joining RIAA, Burr spent over a decade at Big Machine Label Group executing high-profile releases for Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce and The Mavericks, among others.

“Connection through people, stories and music has always been instinctual to me–and has also served as the basis for my entire career. I’m grateful for this amplified role, RIAA’s culture of community and passion advocating for the creative talents across the entire industry,” shares Burr. “As we navigate ever-evolving opportunities where artistry intersects with policy and technology, I’m excited to explore more ways to support human creators and our member labels while nurturing a vital relationship with media.”

Bass’ passion for music led him to RIAA, where he has spent more than a decade developing annual reports that seek to set the table for policy discussions and support efforts to protect copyright in the United States. Bass explores findings in these research efforts with industry panels, universities, reporters, legislators and other stakeholders. He also manages the association’s authoritative data holdings, and has played a key part in modernization efforts across its Gold & Platinum Program. Bass began his career working with federal agencies in the renewable energy field, managing federal funds for the research and development of projects within the Department of Energy’s Geothermal and Solar Energy offices. He also worked on technology projects for the General Services Administration (GSA) in addition to serving as an analyst under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

“I feel privileged to have spent the last 11 years at RIAA, where I’m able to combine two of my passions—music and data—and call it work,” says Bass. “I’m proud to produce our annual revenue reports, work with esteemed researchers and economists as well as uncover trends in the industry or new milestones in our Gold & Platinum Program that celebrate artist and label successes.”

Burr can be reached at eburr@riaa.com, and Bass is available at mbass@riaa.com.