Giant Music, the independent record label founded by The Azoff Company, has announced a new global distribution partnership with Stem.

Under the agreement, Stem will serve as Giant’s worldwide distribution partner supporting the label with the infrastructure, expertise, and hands-on execution needed to scale. Giant will continue to operate independently while benefiting from Concord’s investment and Stem’s global infrastructure.

Giant’s roster spans pop, rock, and hip-hop, including platinum-selling Cash Cobain, Ruel, FendiDa Rappa, Deb Never, Empress Of and more.

“We have assembled an all-star team at Giant led by Nate Albert, Shawn Holiday, and Matt Lamotte,” says Jeffrey Azoff, CEO of Full Stop Management and COO of The Azoff Company. “Partnering with Concord and Stem takes everything to another level. This evolution of Giant Records will not only be a game changer for the artists on our roster but also the next generation of independent artists we are lucky enough to work with.”

“Giant Music is grounded in a strong foundation and guided by a clear, forward-looking vision,” shares Bob Valentine, CEO of Concord. “This investment underscores our confidence in the Giant team, its exceptional roster of artists, and our shared commitment to empowering artists with the support they need to realize their ambitions.”

“Giant is exactly the kind of partner Stem was built for,” adds Milana Lewis, CEO of Stem. “There are longstanding relationships here, and it’s always rewarding to build alongside people you respect and enjoy working with. Giant has a reputation for delivering what others can’t. We’re proud to support them as an independent partner, providing the agility and infrastructure needed to bring ambitious ideas to life.”

Aaron Lewis is set to kick off the first leg of his “2026 American Tour” on Jan. 22, featuring his backing band The Stateliners.

The extensive nationwide run will take Lewis coast-to-coast, with stops in Tampa, Hot Springs, Scottsdale, Reno, Houston, Tulsa, and many more, with a Nashville Ryman Auditorium date set for Feb. 27. The tour will feature fan favorites alongside new music planned for release later this year, and runs through Aug. 15. Tickets are available at aaronlewismusic.com.

The STAIND founder returned to his country roots over the past few years with the No. 1 Billboard Country Album debuts Town Line and Sinner, as well as Billboard’s No. 1 Hot Country Song debut “Am I The Only One.” His latest solo album, The Hill, is available now.

“2026 American Tour – Aaron Lewis And The Stateliners” Tour Dates:
Jan 22 – Quapaw, OK – Downstream Casino Resort
Jan 23 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
Jan 27 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Event Center
Jan 28 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Event Center
Jan 30 – Immokalee, FL – Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee
Jan 31 – Okeechobee, FL – Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino
Feb 1 – Coconut Creek, FL – Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
Feb 6 – Hot Springs, AR – Oaklawn Event Center
Feb 7 – Lake Charles, LA – Golden Nugget Lake Charles
Feb 12 – Effingham, IL – Effingham Performance Center
Feb 13 – Anderson, IN – Harrah’s Hoosier Park
Feb 14 – Battle Creek, MI – FireKeepers Casino
Feb 19 – Bloomington, IL – Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 20 – Joliet, IL – Rialto Square Theatre
Feb 21 – Ottumwa, IA – Bridge View Center
Feb 26 – Pikeville, KY – Appalachian Wireless Arena
Feb 27 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Feb 28 – Lawrenceburg, IN – Hollywood Casino & Hotel
March 6 – Scottsdale, AZ – Talking Stick Resort
March 7 – Santa Fe, NM – Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino
March 11 – West Wendover, NV – Peppermill Concert Hall
March 12 – West Wendover, NV – Peppermill Concert Hall
March 13 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Casino & Resort
March 14 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Theater
March 17 – Grand Junction, CO – Avalon Theatre
March 19 – Lemoore, CA – Tachi Palace Casino Resort
March 20 – Coachella, CA – Spotlight 29 Casino
March 21 – Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley Casino Resort
March 24 – Auburn, WA – Muckleshoot Casino Resort
March 25 – Auburn, WA – Muckleshoot Casino Resort
April 9 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
April 10 – Schenectady, NY – M&T Bank Center
April 11 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino
April 16 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
April 17 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort
April 18 – Oxon Hill, MD – MGM National Harbor
April 23 – Tulsa, OK – River Spirit Casino Resort
April 24 – Norman, OK – Riverwind Casino
April 25 – Poplar Bluff, MO – Black River Coliseum
May 1 – Salado, TX – Johnny’s Steaks + BBQ
May 2 – Bellville, TX – Rock The Country
June 6 – Bristol, VA – Hard Rock Live
June 11 – Karlstad, MN – Kick’n Up Kountry 2026
July 10 – Paoli, IN – Castle Knoll Amphitheater
July 11 – Ashland, KY – Rock The Country
July 16 – Lancaster, KY – American Music Theatre
July 18 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino
July 24 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
July 25 – Petros, TN – Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
Aug 12 – Roswell, NM – Eastern New Mexico State Fairgrounds
Aug 13 – Canyon, TX – The Lumberyard / Backyard
Aug 14 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas
Aug 15 – Mulvane, KS – Kansas Star Casino

Kenny Chesney has added six shows at Las Vegas’ Sphere to his summer show schedule. Chesney is now scheduled to appear June 19, 20, 24, 26 and 27, as well as July 1, 3, 4, 8, 10 and 11.

“Beyond how different it was, there was all the fun,” shares Chesney. “Seeing all the faces, plus all the crazy things we could do with the sound and visuals, I knew well before we finished, we were coming back and taking all of it even further. With all the work that’s going into changing up over half the show, adding more songs we might not be able to play in stadiums, pulling some surprises, five shows weren’t going to be enough…”

The Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lotta Love experiences will return this year. Package information can be found here. These dates will be Chesney’s only headlining shows this summer.

Chesney wrapped his first ​​15-show residency at the venue last summer.

Jamey Johnson & Megan Moroney Raise $315K For Charities At MOJO Show In Birmingham

Jamey Johnson and Megan Moroney‘s one-night-only acoustic MOJO show at The Social at the Fennec in Birmingham raised $315,000 for their respective charities. Over 250 people gathered to enjoyed the special evening, including Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and his wife Elee, songwriters Rob Hatch and Jeremy Popoff, and several state senators and representatives. Hosted by radio personality Storme Warren of The Big 615, the special night benefited Jamey and Brittney Johnson’s Give It Away Foundation as well as The Megan Moroney Foundation and was a blend of humor and humility, with both songwriters sharing the stories behind their biggest hits. Powerful moments during the evening included the two uniting their voices on Don Williams’ hit “Till the Rivers All Run Dry,” and John Prine’s iconic song, “Angel from Montgomery,” which mentions Johnson’s hometown.

 

Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum Celebrates Opening of ‘Willie Cole: Old School’ Exhibit

The Haley Gallery at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated the opening of “Willie Cole: Old School” last week, an exhibit showcasing new works by the American sculptor and printmaker. The exhibition is free and open to the public through March 13 and offers a new series of seven chalkboard paintings featuring one topical word and multiple acronyms created from the artist’s thoughts and inspirations on the word, including “Dixie,” “Hate” and “Love.” The exhibit includes Cole’s largest chalkboard painting, inspired by the word “Patriot.” In addition to this new group of paintings, the gallery presents a series of rarely seen artist studies, created over more than three decades, in which Cole develops his acronyms for larger works.

 

Craig Morgan Promoted To Chief Warrant Officer 2 In Army Reserve

Country star and soldier Craig Morgan was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 in the Army Reserve on Jan. 15 at The Pentagon with Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth officiating. Morgan is nearing two decades of service to our nation, having previously served 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, and he returned to service when he was sworn-in to the Army Reserve on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry on July 29, 2023.

 

Maggie Coyle Promoted To Publicist At Milestone Collective

Maggie Coyle has been promoted to Publicist at Milestone Collective. The Belmont graduate initially joined Milestone as an intern in 2024, and quickly rose to Associate Publicist. She has since further sharpened her public relations skills working on campaigns across the firm’s diverse roster of artists.

“Since day one, Maggie joined the team with a drive to learn and become a sharp publicist, and she’s done just that,” says Mike Gowen, the company’s founder and CEO. “We’re proud to have her as part of our team and excited to watch her continue to grow as a publicist while building a strong reputation within the music industry.”

 

Nashville Business Journal Recognizes Derrek Kupish

Nashville Business Journal has named Derrek Kupish as one of its 2026 40 Under 40 honorees. Kupish stands out as a creative force in the highly competitive entertainment industry and is recognized alongside doctors, lawyers, CEOs and business leaders across the Nashville community in the 40 Under 40 Class of 2026.

“It’s a hustle being a self-employed entrepreneur—overseeing brand and image, managing artists, directing music videos, and capturing album covers and movie marquees isn’t a traditional path,” Kupish shared. “But it’s one I’m incredibly proud of.” On his most challenging days, Kupish draws inspiration from the late Naomi Judd, who once told him, “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.”

 

Randy Rich Opens Get Rich Trying Publishing With John Major As First Signing

Randy Rich has launched a new publishing company, Get Rich Trying. As its first initiative, the company has signed rising country artist and songwriter John Major to an exclusive songwriting deal. He launched his career in 2023, and has a catalog featuring more than 2,500 original songs. His singles “Backwoods Outlaw” and “Callus On A Heart” are currently on 80 stations nationwide, and Major is currently in the studio putting finishing touches on new material scheduled for release later this year.

 

Premiere Networks Launches New Married To The Music Podcast

Premiere Networks is launching a new podcast, Married to the Music, hosted by Nashville-based iHeartMedia/Premiere Networks producer and country music reporter Hanley Riggs. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the program will debut Feb. 13, with iHeartPodcasts. Married to the Music takes listeners behind the scenes and into the lives of country artists and their spouses.

From navigating parenthood and relationships to balancing personal dreams while supporting a partner’s career, Riggs and her guests explore the realities of being a country artist’s significant other. Through intimate stories, candid conversations and real-life experiences, the podcast humanizes the lives of country stars and offers a fresh perspective on love, family and life in the music industry. The debut episode features an interview with Sara Brice, and future guests include Meghan Patrick, Kristen Brust, Hally Williams Cooper, Hannah Ellis & Nick Wayne, Peyton Niemann and others.

The Recording Academy has announced the first round of performers for this year’s awards, which will take place on Feb. 1 in Los Angeles.

Two-time Grammy winner Sabrina Carpenter is set to take the stage. This year, she is nominated for Record Of The Year (“Manchild”), Album Of The Year (Man’s Best Friend), Song Of The Year (“Manchild”), Best Pop Solo Performance (“Manchild”), Best Pop Vocal Album (Man’s Best Friend), and Best Music Video (“Manchild”).

Additionally Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, SOMBR, and The Marías will perform in a special Best New Artist segment.

Thomas is up for six Grammy Awards this in total, including Album Of The Year (MUTT), Best New Artist, Best R&B Performance (“MUTT (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)”), Best Traditional R&B Performance (“VIBES DON’T LIE”), Best R&B Song (“YES IT IS”), and Best R&B Album (MUTT). First-time nominee Young is up for Best New Artist and Best Pop Solo Performance (“Messy”). KATSEYE are nomiated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“Gabriela”).

Additional performers will be announced in the coming days.