Shane McAnally. Photo: Robby Klein
Grammy-winning and Tony-nominated songwriter/producer Shane McAnally will receive the Spirit of Music Award at the T.J. Martell Foundation’s 45th Annual New York Honors Gala. The celebration is returning to New York City for the first time since 2019, and will be held at Cipriani 42nd Street on June 13, 2023.
McAnally has written and/or produced over 50 No. 1 songs, garnered three Grammys, has been nominated for multiple CMA Awards and has been named ACM’s Songwriter of the Year twice. He has written and produced songs for Sam Hunt, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves and many more, and received Billboard’s Trailblazer Award for his work both in country music and in championing voices in the LGBTQ community.
In 2012 McAnally founded SMACKSongs, which includes publishing, digital and management branches, and whose writers are credited with nearly 70 No. 1 songs, with seven No. 1s in 2022 alone. In addition to SMACK, McAnally co-starred on NBC’s Songland and is the co-president of record label Monument Records in partnership with Sony Music. McAnally is currently in New York City, bringing the musical Shucked to Broadway—a production he wrote the music and lyrics for with collaborator Brandy Clark. Shucked was nominated for nine Tony awards this season.
In addition to McAnally, two other esteemed music industry leaders will be honored at this year’s New York Honors Gala. Warner Records Co-Chairman and COO Tom Corson will receive the Lifetime Music Industry Award, while Chief Creative Officer and EVP at Def Jam Recordings Archie Davis will receive the Rising Music Superstar Award. The elegant evening is the Foundation’s primary fundraiser of the year, supporting its mission of funding innovative medical research and treatments focused on finding a cure for cancer.
The gala will be hosted by Gala Co-Chairs and Board Chairman John Esposito, Tunji Balogun, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Robert Carlton, Steve Gawley, Laura Swanson and Julie Swidler, and will include guest presenters and special musical performances to celebrate the honorees, along with a fundraising auction.
The evening’s program will include Oscar and Golden Globe nominee and NAACP Image Award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler as featured presenter, and performances by actress/singer-songwriter and R&B star Coco Jones and singer-songwriter and 11x Grammy nominee, Brandy Clark.
“We are thrilled to be bringing the annual T.J. Martell Foundation New York Honors gala back to New York City for the first time since 2019, celebrating nearly 50 years of the music industry’s dedicated support for breakthrough cancer research,” says Esposito. “Our music friends and supporters are excited that this iconic gala is returning, and we are so proud to be honoring three of the industry’s dynamic leaders, Tom Corson, Archie Davis and Shane McAnally, and their outstanding contributions to the music world at what will be an unforgettable night!”
Song Suffragettes To Launch New York Residency In June
/by Lorie HollabaughHappening on the second Tuesday of every month beginning June 13, Song Suffragettes NYC will present five of the best female singer-songwriters from the New York boroughs and beyond. The show will feature talent from all genres in a mostly acoustic format. NYC-based artists Alexa Dark, Ariana and The Rose, Eva Westphal and Hayes Warner will kick off the series, with Jillian Dawn hosting the evening.
This expansion follows nine years of Song Suffragettes’ weekly shows in Nashville, where more than 400 women have now played, with 37 going on to receive record deals, including Kelsea Ballerini, Gayle, Lainey Wilson, as well as over 60 landing music publishing contracts.
Song Suffragettes NYC follows the launch of Song Suffragettes London in November 2022, after their first-ever U.K. tour that included sold-out shows. In March of this year, Song Suffragettes also played the C2C: Country 2 County Festival held at London’s O2 Arena.
“Given ongoing studies about the egregious lack of female inclusion in music, we as the music community must strive to nurture more young female talent wherever possible,” says Song Suffragettes Founder Todd Cassetty. “For us, expanding into NYC, America’s largest city with a rich depth of creative energy, is another way for Song Suffragettes to provide more opportunity for the most creative women in the five boroughs. After expanding Song Suffragettes into London last year, we knew we wanted to make our next expansion show somewhere in the U.S., and where better than New York City, where the depth of talent is immense.”
Shane McAnally To Receive Spirit Of Music Award From T.J. Martell Foundation
/by Lorie HollabaughShane McAnally. Photo: Robby Klein
Grammy-winning and Tony-nominated songwriter/producer Shane McAnally will receive the Spirit of Music Award at the T.J. Martell Foundation’s 45th Annual New York Honors Gala. The celebration is returning to New York City for the first time since 2019, and will be held at Cipriani 42nd Street on June 13, 2023.
McAnally has written and/or produced over 50 No. 1 songs, garnered three Grammys, has been nominated for multiple CMA Awards and has been named ACM’s Songwriter of the Year twice. He has written and produced songs for Sam Hunt, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves and many more, and received Billboard’s Trailblazer Award for his work both in country music and in championing voices in the LGBTQ community.
In 2012 McAnally founded SMACKSongs, which includes publishing, digital and management branches, and whose writers are credited with nearly 70 No. 1 songs, with seven No. 1s in 2022 alone. In addition to SMACK, McAnally co-starred on NBC’s Songland and is the co-president of record label Monument Records in partnership with Sony Music. McAnally is currently in New York City, bringing the musical Shucked to Broadway—a production he wrote the music and lyrics for with collaborator Brandy Clark. Shucked was nominated for nine Tony awards this season.
In addition to McAnally, two other esteemed music industry leaders will be honored at this year’s New York Honors Gala. Warner Records Co-Chairman and COO Tom Corson will receive the Lifetime Music Industry Award, while Chief Creative Officer and EVP at Def Jam Recordings Archie Davis will receive the Rising Music Superstar Award. The elegant evening is the Foundation’s primary fundraiser of the year, supporting its mission of funding innovative medical research and treatments focused on finding a cure for cancer.
The gala will be hosted by Gala Co-Chairs and Board Chairman John Esposito, Tunji Balogun, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Robert Carlton, Steve Gawley, Laura Swanson and Julie Swidler, and will include guest presenters and special musical performances to celebrate the honorees, along with a fundraising auction.
The evening’s program will include Oscar and Golden Globe nominee and NAACP Image Award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler as featured presenter, and performances by actress/singer-songwriter and R&B star Coco Jones and singer-songwriter and 11x Grammy nominee, Brandy Clark.
“We are thrilled to be bringing the annual T.J. Martell Foundation New York Honors gala back to New York City for the first time since 2019, celebrating nearly 50 years of the music industry’s dedicated support for breakthrough cancer research,” says Esposito. “Our music friends and supporters are excited that this iconic gala is returning, and we are so proud to be honoring three of the industry’s dynamic leaders, Tom Corson, Archie Davis and Shane McAnally, and their outstanding contributions to the music world at what will be an unforgettable night!”
SESAC Ups Shannan Hatch To SVP, Head Of Nashville Creative
/by LB CantrellShannan Hatch. Photo: Katie Kauss
SESAC Performing Rights has promoted Shannan Hatch to SVP, Head of Nashville Creative.
Rising from Vice President, Creative Services in the Nashville office, Hatch’s new role will maintain leadership of the Nashville-based Creative Services team in supporting SESAC-affiliated songwriters and publishers. Reporting to Chief Creative Officer Sam Kling, she will work closely with senior management to support creator-focused initiatives.
“Shannan is a staple in the Nashville songwriting community,” says Kling. “Her commitment to our affiliates is unparalleled and I am thrilled to announce this well-deserved new role.”
Hatch and her team are responsible for the recruitment, signing and nurturing of songwriters and publishers as well as the retention of existing SESAC-affiliated writers and publishers. During her more than 20 years at SESAC, Hatch has worked closely with affiliates Lee Brice, Jamey Johnson, Runaway June, Craig Campbell, Matt McGinn, Josh Hoge, Jesse Lee, Richard Leigh, Jaron Boyer, Cary Barlowe, Lance Miller, Monty Powell and Michael Tyler, along with Americana tunesmiths Hayes Carll, Jim Lauderdale and Allison Moorer, among many others.
She is instrumental in the production of SESAC-sponsored songwriter events including Tin Pan South, SESAC Presents at the Bluebird, CMA Showcases, Pensacola Songwriters Festival, SESAC Nashville Music Awards as well as many charitable events in and around Music City.
Willie Nelson Honored By LBJ Foundation With Liberty & Justice For All Award
/by Lorie HollabaughWillie Nelson sitting next to his LBJ Liberty & Justice For All award. Photo: Laura Skelding
Willie Nelson was honored with the LBJ Foundation’s highest honor, the LBJ Liberty & Justice For All Award, at a gala dinner Friday night (May 12) at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin.
Willie Nelson on his bus with his LBJ Liberty and Justice award. Photo: Elaine Schock
The sold-out celebration featured performances by Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Elle King and Lyle Lovett. Church performed “Funny How Time Slips Away” and “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young,” Hunt offered up new song “Women in my Life” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” King performed “It’s Not Supposed to be That Way” and “Love Go By,” and Lovett honored Nelson with the classics “Hello Walls” and “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.”
The special evening raised funds to create the Willie Nelson Endowment for Uplifting Rural Communities in honor of Nelson’s longtime philanthropy and commitment to family farms and sustainable agriculture. The endowment ensures that Nelson’s advocacy will continue and will fund research and student fellowships at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, a part of The University of Texas at Austin. The focus will be on sustainable agriculture, eliminating hunger, resilient energy, sustainable water and natural disaster recovery to benefit rural communities.
“A lot of people don’t realize where their food comes from,” Nelson said in a conversation with Mark K. Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, at the gala dinner. “You know, when you had breakfast this morning, did your food come from a farmer out here who raised his own?…Or did some trucker drive it in from 150 miles away? So, these are things that you need to think about and how you can help the local communities and help the local farmer. Because he’s trying to make it.”
President and Mrs. Johnson’s daughters, Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson presented Nelson with the LBJ Liberty & Justice For All Award, which recognizes him for exemplifying President Johnson’s belief that America is a nation where everyone has the opportunity to rise and those in need should not fail.
Former recipients of the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award include President George H. W. Bush, President Jimmy Carter, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Sen. John McCain, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein.
Dalton Mauldin Signs Joint Publishing Deal With Big Machine Music, King Henry
/by Caela GriffinPictured (L-R): Big Machine Music’s Michelle Attardi and Alex Heddle, Dalton Mauldin, King Henry, Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar
Dalton Mauldin signed an exclusive songwriting agreement in a joint publishing deal with Big Machine Music and Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer King Henry.
The Savannah Bananas baseball team member is on the road performing solo acoustic shows. His Nashville stops include Third and Home (June 1) before two nights at First Horizon Park (June 2 and 3) on the field with the team. Mauldin is already readying new music, including a new song “Miss You, Love You” co-written alongside BMM songwriter Daniel Ross and produced by King Henry, arriving May 19.
“When King Henry and Big Machine Music’s Senior Director of Publishing Timmy Haehl, first introduced us to Dalton, we immediately felt the star wattage,” says Mike Molinar, BMM’s General Manager. “I’m so grateful for Henry’s belief in us as partners and Dalton’s trust in taking the next step of his career.”
“Dalton is one of the most genuine, positive and good-hearted humans I’ve ever met,” adds King Henry. “From the moment he first messaged me on social media and sent songs that matched the caliber of his personality, I knew we were going to build something special together. I’m excited to watch him grow in his artistry and am thrilled to be partnering with Big Machine Music for the journey.”
“I couldn’t be happier to be part of the Big Machine Music family and to work with King Henry,” shares Mauldin. “Getting to know everyone on the team has really made me feel at home. I’m so excited to continue to progress as a songwriter surrounded by such a talented community.”
Weekly Register: Taylor Swift’s ‘Speak Now’ Climbs Country Albums Chart
/by Liza AndersonTaylor Swift. Photo: Beth Garrabrant
Taylor Swift‘s 2010 album Speak Now has landed at No. 5 on the country albums chart this week with 25K in total consumption (755 album only/32 million song streams) according to Luminate data. During one of her Nashville stops of the “Eras Tour,” Swift announced that Speak Now is next to be released in her series of re-recordings, with a release date of July 7.
Morgan Wallen‘s One Thing At A Time continues its reign at No. 1 with 141K (5K album only/171 million song streams), and Dangerous: The Double Album remains at No. 2 with 48K (1K album only/61 million song streams). Luke Combs‘ Gettin’ Old rests at No. 3 with 35K (2K album only/41 million song streams), followed by Zach Bryan‘s American Heartbreak at No. 4 with 28K (1K album only/34 million song streams).
On the country streaming songs chart, Wallen’s “Last Night” stays at No. 1 with 27 million new streams, adding to 413 million RTD. Combs’ “Fast Car” cover persists at No. 2 with 15 million streams, adding to 90 million RTD. Wallen’s “Thinkin’ Bout Me” reclaims No. 3 with 13 million new streams, adding to 142 million RTD. Bryan’s “Something In The Orange” moves to No. 4 with 12 million streams, adding to 644 million RTD, and Wallen’s “You Proof” continues at No. 5 with 12 million new streams, adding to 582 million RTD.
ACM Winners Fill MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellAshley Gorley at the ACM Songs & Stories event in Frisco, Texas. Photo: Michael Buckner
The newly-crowned ACM Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley marks another week at No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, with a whopping 14 songs on the country charts. Announced during the ACM Awards festivities last week, this was Gorley’s first-ever win for ACM Songwriter of the Year after 10 nominations.
In addition to his Songwriter of the Year win, Gorley joined the elite company of Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson with three Song of the Year nods in a single year, becoming the third person to achieve the feat in ACM’s history. With good odds, Gorley did take home a Song of the Year trophy during the livestreamed ACM Awards for “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” recorded by Cole Swindell.
Another ACM winner, Male Artist of the Year Morgan Wallen, remains at No. 2 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week. New Male Artist of the Year winner Zach Bryan remains at No. 4 and Artist-Songwriter of the Year Michael Hardy is at No. 23.
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
SOLID Sets Date For Music Row Madness Fundraiser Event
/by Lorie HollabaughSOLID’s 2023 Music Row Madness fundraiser is going back to its roots for the first time since 2017 with a bowling tournament at Eastside Bowl on May 24 at 6 p.m. CT.
Registration for the 13th annual fundraising event, previously held at Topgolf, is now open to the public for teams of six. Teams are required to meet a $1,000 donation minimum to play. Spectators are also able to purchase tickets for $30 with full access to the diner, arcade, cash bar and lounge which will feature live music throughout the event.
“We cannot wait to bring Music Row Madness back to the bowling lanes,” says Erin Pettit, SOLID’s 2023 President. “This event started as a bowling tournament and we are thrilled to be able to continue hosting this fun event as an amazing way to raise money for some outstanding organizations who are doing important work in our community. We are eager to help out our SOLID Shares partners and hope you will join us. Sign up or grab tickets today!”
The team registration deadline is Wednesday, May 17. To register your team or purchase spectator tickets, click here.
Proceeds from Music Row Madness will go to benefit the 2023 nonprofit SOLID Shares Partners: WO Smith Music School, Porter’s Call, the Black Music Action Coalition, the National Museum of African American Music and Hope on the Row.
SOLID launched 26 years ago to develop a community for music industry professionals to network and brainstorm together, while also providing educational opportunities for entry to mid-level professionals. The organization hosts education panels, networking events and philanthropic opportunities throughout the year, and has implemented programs to mentor hundreds of college students to date, launched the philanthropic initiative SOLID Shares, created a diversity and inclusion task force, raised over $450,000 for local charities and provided over 500+ hours of volunteer time to the Nashville community.
Tape Room Music Signs Songwriter/Producer Andy Sheridan
/by Liza AndersonPictured (L-R, back row): Tape Room’s Kelly Bolton, Blain Rhodes and Caroline Hodson; (L-R, front row): Ashley Gorley and Andy Sheridan. Photo: Courtesy of Tape Room Music
Tape Room Music, the publishing and artist development company founded by Ashley Gorley, has signed songwriter and producer Andy Sheridan to a joint venture with Red Light Management. Sheridan will work with Tape Room’s creative staff to cultivate and expand his network of co-writers while continuing to work with long-time collaborators.
“We are excited to welcome Andy to the Tape Room family,” shares Blain Rhodes, Tape Room Music President. “We’ve been big fans for a long time and look forward to sharing many hits together.”
Sheridan has played with artists Phil Vassar, Hunter Hayes and Ben Rector. He recently earned his first No. 1 on SiriusXM with Avery Anna‘s viral hit “Narcissist” and has landed other cuts by Dustin Lynch, Sam Riggs and Tyler Farr. He has also produced “Warmer” by Rascal Flatts and the music for Skipstone Pictures’ God’s Country Song, a Pure Flix Original
“I am absolutely jazzed to be at Tape Room Music,” shares Sheridan. “Ashley, Blain, Kelly [Bolton] and Caroline [Hodson] are pros and veterans in this business and I’m honored to be a part of the family. Excited to get to work!”
Corey Kent Lands First Chart-Topper With ‘Wild As Her’
/by Lorie HollabaughCorey Kent. Photo: Matthew Berinato
Corey Kent has scored his first No. 1 with his debut Platinum single “Wild As Her.” The song reaches the top spot at country radio this week, moving from No. 4 to No. 1 on the Mediabase chart.
“Wild As Her” has already racked up over 260 million streams to date and counting, while the song’s video garnered Kent a nomination for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year at the 2023 CMT Awards.
In celebration of the chart-topping achievement, Kent has released a special live version of the Kelly Archer, Brett Tyler and Morgan Wallen-penned tune from his show at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“It’s been a hell of a ride to wind up here,” Kent says. “You couldn’t write a crazier script: Getting dropped, moving to Texas, working in motorcycle shops and pavement companies to provide, playing a regular gig performing in a Mexican restaurant, praying for opportunity, touring relentlessly, & trying to defy all the odds…Today is bigger than my first No. 1. Today, I get to wave the pirate flag for all of us relentless dreamers from the mountain top, as an example that no matter how hard it gets, there is always hope. I’ll never forget this one.”
“Wild As Her” will be featured on Kent’s upcoming major label debut album, Blacktop, set for release on June 2 via RCA Nashville/Sony Music Nashville. Kent is gearing up for his album release show on June 2 in Nashville at Brooklyn Bowl, and will end release week with a performance at CMA Fest. Later this summer Kent will hit the road on Jason Aldean’s “Highway Desperado Tour.”