Chris Janson Celebrates Platinum Nods During Opry Show

Chris Janson celebrated the upcoming release of his latest album, The Outlaw Side of Me, at the Grand Ole Opry recently, hosting a special livestream for fans which will stream on the free Circle Now app and on the Circle All Access Facebook and YouTube pages this Friday, July 16 at 5 p.m. CT.

Janson ignited the stage, performing new tracks from the latest project, along with some of his biggest hits, and was also presented with four Platinum certifications for “Good Vibes,” “Drunk Girl,” “Fix A Drink” and the quadruple-Platinum “Buy Me A Boat.”

 

Jenna Paulette Partners With Justin Boots

Jenna Paulette has signed on as a brand ambassador for cowboy boot brand, Justin Boots. The deal places Paulette alongside Reba McEntire and George Strait as the only entertainers partnered with the brand. For Paulette, the partnership is a dream realized, having worn the boots while growing up and working cattle.

“Justin Boots…gosh I wore Ropers to work in and that’s why I put ‘new Justin Boots’ in my song ‘Country In the Girl.’ I really believe that song helped me find my footing with my audience. This partnership means the world to me, from what Justin does for Rodeo athletes to the way they represent agriculture and support the future of it. It’s an honor to get to further the heart of their brand together. I can’t wait to see what we do,” Paulette shares.

 

Craig Campbell’s Celebrity Cornhole Challenge Benefit Raises $27K

Craig Campbell kicked off CMA Fest with his 9th Annual Celebrity Cornhole Challenge on June 6. When the last bag was tossed, over $27,000 had been raised for the Kenny Campbell Foundation. Campbell defeated his longtime rival Jerrod Niemann, who has played in all nine tournaments, to claim the 2023 trophy.

This year’s event was held at the Yee Haw Brewing and Ole Smoky Moonshine distillery at 6th & Peabody in Nashville. The Kenny Campbell Foundation was founded by Campbell to honor his father who lost his battle with colorectal cancer at age 36. The organization raises money for research hospitals and doctors that focus on finding a cure and preventative measures for colorectal cancer. Fans placed bids to compete on teams alongside Campbell, Niemann, Charles Esten, Lucas Hoge, Hannah Dasher, Mitch Rossell and more, and a free concert followed the tournament.

 

Ethan Charles Returns To IBMA Staff

The International Bluegrass Music Association is welcoming back Ethan Charles, who resumed his previous role as Events Director on June 5. The Pennsylvania native and 2019 Belmont University graduate began working in the IBMA office as an intern in 2017, before working in a part-time capacity from 2018-2019. Charles joined the staff full-time as Operations Specialist in 2019, supporting the switch to virtual and hybrid event structures the following two years. He became Events Director in August 2022, a position he held through October. Now back on board, Charles is eager to continue working to serve the bluegrass community.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to the team at IBMA. Creating an elevated event experience for our community is my highest priority, while also placing a strong emphasis on promoting environmental sustainability and fostering inclusiveness within our genre,” Charles says. “We have one of the strongest staffs I’ve seen in my time with the organization and we are poised to propel the association and the World of Bluegrass event to a new level.”

Beth Rasnick has been promoted to Chief of Staff to the CEO at Gibson Brands.

In her new role, Rasnick will act strategically as representative for the office of the CEO internally and externally, collaborating with Gibson leadership and extended teams to determine and prioritize business strategies and action plans. She will lead the CEO Office with sponsored high-impact projects, as well as strategic business initiatives from ideation to implementation.

Throughout nearly a decade at Gibson, Rasnick has held key positions spanning finance, accounting, treasury, business acquisitions and divestitures, transformation initiatives and corporate strategy. She is also an emerging player of rhythm guitar, which she has learned from her father. Prior to joining Gibson, Rasnick held leadership positions in Voya, Inc.’s strategic finance group, including during the company’s IPO and rebranding initiatives. She began her career at Ernst & Young serving multiple clients in Ernst & Young’s assurance practice, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia.

“Beth will be instrumental in driving our strategic priorities, leveraging 130 years of history shaping the sound of music, and focusing on our future through strategic actions in service to music fans around the world,” says Cesar Gueikian, President and Interim CEO, Gibson Brands.

“I’m honored and so excited to be taking on this important role in leading Gibson Brands into the future alongside an exceptionally talented team whom I know very well,” says Rasnick. “My focus will continue to be on shaping our thriving world class instruments, sound and media/entertainment business across the global landscape and supporting our team through the limitless opportunities ahead.”

British recording artist and songwriter Karl Michael has signed an exclusive global co-publishing deal with Peermusic Nashville.

Originally from London, Michael fell in love with rap, soul and R&B as a youngster and supplemented his natural gifts with a fierce work ethic. During a decade spent chasing his musical dreams, he landed a couple of major record deals, which unfortunately fell apart before they could get off the ground. He also later became a contestant on UK’s edition of The Voice.

On one of his trips to Nashville, he began penning material for himself, writing a series of singles—starting with “Highs And The Lows”—that would land him his first deal as a solo artist. Recorded with producers Jon Levine (Dua Lipa, Alessia Cara) and Scott Spock (Rihanna, Britney Spears), the pop tunes hinted at everything from James Arthur and Musiq Soulchild to Maroon 5 and Sam Smith, as they reflected on the emotional rollercoaster of Michael’s personal and professional life. 

Michael moved to Nashville in 2020, and following a European tour opening for Teddy Swims in May 2022, began working on his next EP, with plans to release new material in the fall of 2023. He has written with some of the biggest names in music, such as Bruno Mars with “Can We Dance,” which has racked up more than 81 million streams on Spotify. Other collaborators/co-writers include Yungblud (“Loner”), Teddy Swims (“Liar”), Mitchel Tenpenny (“Save Me”), Dallas Wilson, Spencer Rabin, On The Outside and more. 

“I’m very excited about Karl Michael coming to peermusic. Karl is one of the best singers in town and writing some of my new favorite songs. You can feel his energy and excitement when he is in the building,” shares Michael Knox, President of Peermusic Nashville.

Michael adds, “Working with the team at Peermusic is a dream come true. This is a team of outstanding music publishers and to be able to leverage their global reach and network is a great opportunity.”

Sony Music Publishing Nashville has signed award-winning songwriter, producer and musician Seth Mosley to a global publishing agreement.

Mosley is a two-time Grammy winner who has also won multiple Dove Awards, Billboard’s No.1 Christian Producer of the Year and SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year. He co-wrote Colton Dixon’s “Build a Boat,” which landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs and Christian AC Airplay charts and has achieved hit collaborations with For King & Country including “Fix My Eyes” and “Joy.”

Mosley co-wrote Gabby Barrett’s latest single “Glory Days,” which impacted country radio on Monday (June 12) and was the most-added single of the week. Mosley also has upcoming releases with Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Madeline Edwards and Kylie Morgan.

“Working with Seth is an absolute dream. His work ethic, talent and character are all first-class. We are so grateful for his belief in SMP Nashville to take his already decorated career to the next level,” shares Sony Music Publishing Nashville’s Senior Director, Creative A&R, Kenley Flynn.

“I’m so thankful to be partnered with Sony. They have the best publishing team in the business. It’s an honor to work with people who take our songs as seriously as we do as writers. I genuinely feel like I have incredible champions in Kenley, Rusty [Gaston], and the rest of the top-notch creative crew. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” says Mosley.