Pictured (L-R): Steve Mekler, Becca Walls, Damon Whiteside, Sharla McCoy and Haley Montgomery. Photo: Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music

The Academy of Country Music is partnering with country radio execs Becca Walls and Sharla McCoy for the upcoming 61st Annual ACM Awards.

Walls, a two-time ACM Award winner, has been tapped to lead ACM Radio Prep, a service that will provide radio, blogs, and other media outlets with soundbites and transcriptions from nominees, performers, presenters, and this year’s host, including exclusive audio, past ACM Awards highlights, nominees discussing their songs, albums, videos, and more. Outlets can sign up here to be notified when new audio is available. Walls will also produce an artist-hosted radio special in advance of the awards.

Industry veteran and Producer McCoy of Sharla McCoy Productions will produce the official ACM Radio Remote which will take place in Las Vegas during the two days leading up to the show. This year’s remote beneficiaries will be ACM Lifting Lives and Fisher House.

“I am incredibly honored and deeply grateful to work alongside the Academy of Country Music in producing the official broadcast for this year’s ACM Awards. For decades, I’ve had the privilege of creating broadcast experiences that unite artists, radio, and the industry in powerful ways,” says McCoy. “This ground-breaking collaboration feels like a full-circle moment—where passion, purpose, and partnership come together to celebrate the very spirit of country music and the people who make it so special.”

“Country radio has long been the backbone of our format, connecting artists and fans in a way that’s personal and powerful. As we approach the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, we’re thrilled that programmers, personalities, and stations have the tools and access to bring the excitement of the awards to their listeners,” says Ken Tucker, Chair of the ACM Radio Task Force.

Jim Lauderdale has released a new bluegrass project with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, The Birds Know, out now.

With The Birds Know, the Americana legend’s 39th album, he wanted to once again pair up with the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys as the band did for 2023’s The Long and Lonesome Letting Go.

“Since I first saw them at MerleFest several years ago, and after we did our first album together, I really wanted us to do a follow-up,” says Lauderdale of his album-mates. “These songs were all written just for this album. The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys keep the sound of traditional bluegrass alive, but they really bring it into the present day. I’m so happy with the way this record turned out, and I’m looking forward to performing with them in the coming years. I love working with them so much.”

The album is out now alongside Lauderdale’s recently-released 38th project, Country Super Hits Volume 2, a full-band, honky tonk heavy collection and successor to his 2006 album of a slightly different name. In addition to his album releases, Lauderdale will take the stage today at the long-beloved North Carolina Festival Merlefest. Next month he embarks on a European tour supporting Emmylou Harris.

Joseph Hudak. Photo: Koury Angelo

Joseph Hudak has been upped to Deputy Editor and Head of Country at Rolling Stone. In his new role, he will oversee the magazine’s country music coverage across editorial, digital, social, audio and live platforms, as well as expand Rolling Stone‘s presence in Nashville.

In 2014, he assisted in the launch of Rolling Stone Country. Hudak also hosts, writes, and produces Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast. The debut guest included Margo Price, and since then he has hosted Lainey Wilson, HARDY, Vince Gill, Charley Crockett, Amanda Shires, Carly Pearce, Lukas Nelson, Ne-Yo, Bryan Andrews and more.

“For more than a decade, Rolling Stone Country has been a leader in country music journalism, reporting on America’s most popular genre with both the critical eye and the fan point of view that it deserves,” says Hudak. “With Nashville Now, we’re meeting our audience where they are on their screens and streaming services to deliver in-depth conversations that celebrate the music while also raising important issues. As Deputy Editor, Head of Country, I look forward to working with our writers and contributors to bring country fans the stories and access that have long been a hallmark of Rolling Stone.”

Hudak also hosts The Rolling Stone Writers’ Room and Musicians on Musicians, and has moderated live interviews with artists Kris Kristofferson, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Charley Crockett, Portugal. The Man and Sleater-Kinney.

He has been at Rolling Stone for over a decade. Prior to Rolling Stone, he served as managing editor of Country Weekly and spent 12 years at TV Guide.

The Red Clay Strays. Photo: Robby Klein

The Red Clay Strays are celebrating their new album Grateful with their biggest headlining tour so far, “The Grateful Tour ‘26.”

The new tour, which kicks off in Columbia, Maryland on July 30, will include stops in Philadelphia, Sioux Falls, Bozeman, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, San Diego, Fort Worth, Orlando, Baton Rouge and many more through Nov. 13.

An array of special guests will join the band on select dates throughout the tour, including The Revivalists, Dylan Gossett, Wyatt Flores, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith and The Saints, Sierra Ferrell, Travis Tritt, Haley Reinhart, Brent Cobb and Sweet Talk. General tickets go on sale May 1, at redclaystrays.com/tour.

The Red Clay Strays will officially kick off their tour later today, (April 24), with a press conference and a top-billed appearance at Indio, CA’s Stagecoach. They also recently announced “The Red Clay Strays Fan Fest 2026,” the first-ever RCS fan festival set to take place at Rexford, Montana’s Abayance Bay Marina on June 24-28. The five-night event will feature a headline show from The Strays, the very special “Strays with Stories – Intimate Performances and Stories with The Red Clay Strays,” headline shows by Lukas Nelson and St. Paul & the Broken Bones, and much more.

The Red Clay Strays – Tour 2026 Dates:
April 24 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach †
May 24 – Norfolk, VA – Patriotic Festival
June 5 – Nashville, TN – CMA Fest presented by SoFi †
June 13 – Columbus, OH – Buckeye Country Superfest †
June 18 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
June 21 – Bloomington, IL – Tailgates N’ Tallboys †
June 24-28 – Rexford, MT – “The Red Clay Strays Fan Fest 2026” at Abayance Bay Marina
June 26 – Calgary, AB – Country Thunder Alberta †
July 11 – St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Country Club †
July 17 – Twin Lakes, WI – Country Thunder Wisconsin †
July 19 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 30 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion *
August 1 – Boston, MA – TD Garden *
August 5 – Laval, QC – Place Bell * (NEW DATE)
August 7 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann ** (NEW DATE)
August 9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden **
August 15 – Des Moines, IA – Iowa State Fair
August 16 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center # (NEW DATE)
August 18 – Grand Forks, ND – Alerus Center # (NEW DATE)
August 19 – Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Event Center # (NEW DATE)
August 21 – Bozeman, MT – Brick Breeden Fieldhouse § (NEW DATE)
August 22 – Missoula, MT – Adams Center # (NEW DATE)
August 26 – Spokane, WA – Numerica Veterans Arena ## (NEW DATE)
August 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena ## (NEW DATE)
August 29 – Portland, OR – Moda Center ## (NEW DATE)
August 30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena ## (NEW DATE)
September 2 – West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center # (NEW DATE)
September 4 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic # (NEW DATE)
September 6 – Aspen, CO – Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience †
September 11 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center # (NEW DATE)
September 12 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena # (NEW DATE)
September 16 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena San Diego # (NEW DATE)
September 17 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena # (NEW DATE)
September 19 – Pryor, OK – Born & Raised Music Festival †
September 20 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center + (NEW DATE)
September 26 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond †
September 30 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre * (NEW DATE)
October 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena * (NEW DATE)
October 3 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena * (NEW DATE)
October 7 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena ++ (NEW DATE)
October 14 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center * (NEW DATE)
October 15 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena * (NEW DATE)
October 17 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium * (NEW DATE)
October 18 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena * (NEW DATE)
October 22 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena ^
October 23 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena ^
October 28 – Knoxville, TN – Food City Center ^^ (NEW DATE)
October 31 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena ++ (NEW DATE)
November 5 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center ‡ (NEW DATE)
November 6 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena ‡ (NEW DATE)
November 8 – Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena ‡ (NEW DATE)
November 13 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena ||

† Festival Appearance
* w/ Special Guests The Revivalists & Haley Reinhart
** w/ Special Guests The Revivalists & Brent Cobb
# w/ Special Guests Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk
§ w/ Special Guests TBA & Sweet Talk
## w/ Special Guests Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk
+ w/ Special Guests Muscadine Bloodline & Sweet Talk
++ w/ Special Guests Shane Smith and The Saints & Brent Cobb
^ w/ Special Guests Sierra Ferrell & Brent Cobb
^^ w/ Special Guests Wyatt Flores & Brent Cobb
‡ w/ Special Guests Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb
|| w/ Special Guests Travis Tritt & Brent Cobb