The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) held its third annual Membership Meeting last week.

Of the key metrics highlighted during the meeting, the organization shared that, in the last two and half years since inception, The MLC has distributed over $1.5 billion in royalties. As intended by Congress in the Music Modernization Act, The MLC has effectively illuminated the “black box” for digital audio mechanicals by giving members the ability to search all the unmatched data and propose matches for their works using The MLC’s Matching Tool. To date, The MLC has received and approved more than one million proposed matches submitted by members through the Matching Tool.

The organization also highlighted that The MLC now has more than 32,000 members, having added more than 9,000 to date in 2023. It has over 33 million works in its public database, with data for more than three million new works added in 2023 alone.

“We are proud of these accomplishments, particularly in reaching the milestone of distributing over $1.5 billion in royalties,” says The MLC’s CEO, Kris Ahrend. “We have effectively illuminated the black box by empowering our members with several tools that enable them to take actions intended to eliminate the black box. We look forward to continuing our work to fulfill our mission of ensuring songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming & download services in the United States accurately and on time.”

During the meeting, the result of The MLC’s recent Class B Board Seat election was also announced. Alisa Coleman was re-elected by The MLC’s Class B Members to serve on The MLC’s Board of Directors for a second three-year term. The MLC’s Class A Members selected Troy Verges to fill the open seat as a Songwriter Director of the Board, which was previously held by Craig Wiseman, whose initial term expired this year. Additionally, the Class A Members selected Kevin Kadish to serve a second three-year term as a Songwriter Director of the Board.

Finally, The MLC announced that the make-up of the Class C Members will not change in 2024. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and Advisory Committees can be found here.

“Concert For Gratitude,” a live concert event from America Salutes You is set for Dec. 15 at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

Dustin Lynch and Chrissy Metz will co-host and perform during the show. Other performers include Lecrae, Clint Black, Lisa Hartman Black and daughter Lily Pearl Black, Charles Esten, Lee Greenwood, Jo Dee Messina, Craig Morgan, Walker Hayes and Chasing DaVinci.

The event, which is being taped for airing in January, honors and raises awareness and financial support for our veterans and first responders, and also supports the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Mental Wellness Campaign. Concert For Gratitude will air on network affiliates, national cable channels and streaming services across the U.S. and internationally.

Tickets are on sale now at thefishercenter.com and americasalutesyou.org. Additional ticket information can be found at the Belmont Box Office at 615-460-2255 or tickets@belmont.edu.

“What an honor it is for the America Salutes You Benefit Concert Series 2023, now in its eighth season, to kick off at this premiere venue the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts,” says Bob Okun, Executive Producer, America Salutes You. “This live to tape for broadcast, cable and streaming distribution show will be distributed nationally to raise awareness and funds for the best-in-class nonprofit charities assisting our front line heroes. It is going to be a rocking, patriotic night of music and gratitude.”

Over the past seven years, America Salutes You has supported over 30 charities with all public donations going to the nonprofits.  This year’s charitable beneficiaries include No Greater Sacrifice, Pursuit of Purpose, Veterans Tennis Corps and Adaptive Tennis Programs of the JTCC and The Outreach Program. Sponsors include the Ross Glickman Family Foundation, Robert and Susan Wright, the Davis Elkins Foundation, International Protective Serviced, Virgin Hotels, Farm East Foundation and more to be announced.

The Sony Music Publishing Nashville parking lot pulsated with party energy as Music Row came together to recognize the hard work behind Lainey Wilson‘s No. 1 hit “Heart Like A Truck” last week.

Written by The Heart Wranglers—Lainey, Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson—and produced by Jay Joyce, the song has garnered numerous accolades including the title of NSAI Song of the Year for 2023 and CMT Female Video of the Year as well as two nominations at the upcoming CMA Awards. Lainey is CMA’s most-nominated artist this year.

To get the party started, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad brought everyone’s attention to the left side of the lot where three trucks with their tailgates lowered were parked. He called up the writer trio, who seated themselves on the middle truck’s tailgate, and congratulated them. Mike then detailed Lainey’s award-filled year and introduced BMI’s Leslie Roberts.

Leslie praised the song and commended its creators individually before presenting Trannie with a special Gibson guitar in honor of “Heart Like A Truck” marking her first No. 1. Sony Music Publishing Nashville’s Rusty Gaston then took the mic. He noted that the hit was the first song The Heart Wranglers ever wrote together, and took a moment to applaud each of them.

“When I think of the three [writers], what really comes to mind is the word ‘tenacity.’ Today, we’re celebrating tenacity like a truck,” Rusty said. “The first time I met Dallas he was learning to write songs, but he was [also] filming and editing wedding videos and doing whatever it took to feed that songwriting habit. When Trannie moved here, she started a dog-sitting business, and would do whatever it took to be able to write songs. When Lainey moved here, she lived in a camper to get it done. These guys have the want-to, they have the drive, they have that tenacity like a truck that has put them here today.”

Rusty also thanked and honored the Riser House and BMG/BBR Music Group teams as well as Lainey’s manager, Red Light Management’s Mandelyn Monchick, and everyone else involved in the chart-topper.

Mike Sistad returned to thank Sony Music Publishing for hosting the event and welcome Riser House’s Brandon Perdue. Brandon echoed the appreciation for everyone behind the scenes, giving a special shoutout to Mandelyn, as well as each of the writers and their dedication to the craft.

BMG Nashville/BBR Music Group’s Jon Loba was up next. He thanked the previous speakers for the kind words and reciprocated those feelings of gratitude. Jon recalled the powerful emotions he felt the first time he heard “Heart Like A Truck,” and moved on to recognize the writers, the label’s promotion team and country radio, and detail process of getting the single on the radio.

Finally, The Heart Wranglers had the floor. Trannie was the first of three to take the mic. She started by thanking everyone for being present and supporting the song. Trannie then expressed her gratitude for her co-writers and all of the contributing teams.

“I’m so proud to call this song my first hit, especially [alongside] two of my best friends, Lainey and Dallas, and so many people I love on the teams surrounding it. It’s beyond special and so meaningful to me,” she stated.

Dallas followed and took a moment to soak in all the love from the prior speakers. He then acknowledged his family in the crowd, and shared how they helped him get to where he is today. Dallas also praised his Riser House family, before reminiscing on his first time writing with his two collaborators individually.

“They’ve separately been such partners in crime [of mine] for so long. I’d been praying for us three to write for a long time, and it happened at the perfect time with ‘Heart Like A Truck.'”

He finished by shouting out all of the other industry members and companies involved.

Lastly, Lainey took the mic. “Looking out here, I think every single one of y’all have served some kind of purpose in my life,” she began. The artist then zeroed in on her family members who were in attendance, including her mother, father and grandmother, and thanked them for their love and support. She shifted to focus to Mandelyn and listed all the ways she has lifted her up throughout her career. Lainey then addressed her co-writers and all of the supporters within the industry.

“It’s special in general when you get to write a No. 1 song, but when you get to do it with your best friends, there’s something really cool about that moment and celebrating this. I’m soaking it in today, I really am.”

She moved on to explain that this was a full circle moment for her, as she had performed at Sony Music Publishing’s fall carnival in the back of a truck almost a month before she signed her publishing deal. Lainey then thanked the Sony Music Publishing team, her friends, her label, BMI and ASCAP before praising her co-writers one last time and presenting them with custom Wrangler jackets sporting a red Heart Wranglers logo.

The reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year concluded by talking about her recently-announced “Heart Like A Truck” Fund, which will actively contribute to an array of diverse philanthropic endeavors and organizations aimed to transform lives and offer resources to a variety of causes.

“This song has changed a lot of lives. I hear stories every single day [during] my meet-and-greets. Whether its people who are going through sicknesses or divorces, this song has become their anthem,” she shared. “I’m so proud to say that we’ve started the ‘Heart Like A Truck’ Fund. It’s just really exciting to finally be a place where I feel like I can come up for air and we can actually do something. I know we’re making a difference with our music, but I mean really make a difference and that’s where the ‘Heart Like A Truck’ Fund is about.”

The Heart Wranglers wrapped the celebration by performing their smash single and “Country’s Cool Again” in the three truck beds.

The lineup for this year’s Christmas 4 Kids (C4K) benefit, taking place Nov. 20 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, has been revealed, and includes host and headliner Shenandoah as well as Phil Vassar, Chapel Hart, HunterGirl and Mikayla Lane.

All proceeds go to the Christmas 4 Kids organization, which provides hundreds of underprivileged children in Middle Tennessee with their very own Christmas shopping spree. The funds generated by the Ryman concert and Tour Bus Show/Artist Meet & Greet event are used to give over 400 children from different schools a day-long shopping excursion. The special day consists of a chauffeured trip aboard an entertainer’s tour bus, dinner and a party hosted by Santa. To wrap up the day, the tour buses journey to Walmart where the children receive a brand new winter coat and $175 to spend however they choose.

“Christmas 4 Kids is celebrating our 41st year of making Christmas special for kids in Middle Tennessee,” says Linda O’Connell, C4K President. “We’ve got adult volunteers who shopped with us as children. They remember how special it was for them as children and want to pass it forward! This year we plan to shop with 480 kids, ages six to 13, and we couldn’t do it without these wonderfully talented musicians who come together to help us continue year after year.”

“Christmas is such an exciting time for children,” says Marty Raybon of Shenandoah. “Whether it’s in need of essentials or the wants of a toy or two. Having the opportunity to host Christmas 4 Kids this year is truly a wonderful feeling knowing we have a small part to play in the most wonderful time of the year.”

Tickets are available for purchase now. For more information, click here.