Taylor Swift. Photo: Beth Garrabrant

Taylor Swift continued to cement her place in music history this year, breaking records throughout 2022 with the debut of her tenth studio album Midnights on Oct. 21 via Republic Records/Universal Music Group.

In just two months, Midnights has achieved over six million album equivalent units worldwide–three million in the U.S. alone–making her the only artist ever to have five albums with over a million units during release week. The blockbuster release moved almost 1.6 million during its debut week and is the first album to sell over a million physical albums since 2015.

“Taylor’s achievements over the past year have been absolutely spectacular! With more than two dozen historic milestones set by Midnights, it’s nearly unimaginable for any artist to sell more than six million albums in less than eight weeks during any era of our business,” notes Republic Records Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Monte Lipman. “These accomplishments further exemplify Taylor’s prowess as the consummate artist and storyteller defining a generation.”

Swift shattered streaming, physical and vinyl album sales milestones around the world as Midnights became the fastest-selling album of her career and she became the first artist in history to capture the entire top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. She has 36.6 billion combined streams of her music and 22.4 million album-equivalent units to-date in 2022.

The superstar also earned multiple awards this year, including: six American Music Awards (Artist of the Year, Country Female Artist, Pop/Rock Female Artist, Music Video, Country Album & Pop Album), extending her lead as the most awarded artist in AMA history; three People’s Choice Awards; the NSAI Songwriter of the Decade; three MTV Video Music Awards; four MTV EMA’s; and four Billboard Music Awards; among others.

Swift has also been nominated for a string of upcoming awards including: four Grammys for Song of The Year (“All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film)”), Best Country Song, Best Music Video and Best Song Written for Visual Media for “Carolina” from the motion picture soundtrack to Where The Crawdads Sing. “Carolina” was also recently nominated for a Golden Globe Award, Critics Choice Award and Hollywood Critics Association Award. “Carolina” was also named to the Oscar shortlist for Best Original Song in 2023.

Universal Music Group Chairman & CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge adds, “Taylor is a multidimensional creative force whose achievements place her among the most accomplished artists in the history of music, and we are thrilled and honored to partner with her across so many aspects of her career.”

In 2023, Swift will embark on her “The Eras Tour,” playing 52 stadium shows in the U.S.

Craig Morgan and service members. Photo: Courtesy of Specialist Emma O Roberts US Army

Craig Morgan joined the USO on a three-day trip from Dec. 19-21 in Germany, where he performed three concerts for troops and their families stationed at USAG Bavaria.

Morgan, who was active duty for ten and a half years and a member of the U.S. Reserves for six and a half years, was reunited with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions while touring USAG Bavaria, both of which he was a part of during his years of service. Since Morgan’s first USO tour in 2002, he has visited 15 countries during 13 tours, entertaining more than 45,000 U.S. troops and their families.

Craig Morgan. Photo: Courtesy of Specialist Emma O Roberts US Army

“It’s always an honor and a privilege to visit with our troops and their families, but especially during the holiday season,” Morgan explains. “I know how much it means to them to receive those care packages at this time of the year and to hear those messages of gratitude from Americans everywhere who value the incredible sacrifices they make year-round.”

“Serving overseas over the holiday season, sometimes far from family and friends, can be difficult,” notes Jennifer Wahlquist, Vice President, USO Global Entertainment. “We’re grateful to the wonderful entertainers like Craig who generously donate their time to bring holiday cheer and a connection to home to our service members.”

“We are so thankful for Craig Morgan taking the time to visit with and perform for our soldiers and family members,” adds Audre Binder, Director, Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation at United States Army Garrison Bavaria. “It’s even more special because Craig knows what it’s like to be away from loved ones during the holidays, as a former service member himself. He has just an incredible way of connecting with everyone here.”

Bringing entertainment to the troops is a cornerstone of the USO’s mission to strengthen America’s service members through connection. More than 75,000 service members participate in USO Entertainment tours annually, and more than 50,000 military members have attended virtual celebrity visits through the USO Military Virtual Programming Entertainment Series during the last two years.

Darius Rucker. Photo: Todd Chris Owyoung

3x Grammy Award winner Darius Rucker is set to headline the inaugural SHOWdown Lex event on Oct. 13 at Rolex Stadium in the Kentucky Horse Park. Halfway to Hazard will join Rucker on the bill with direct support to be announced soon.

Two dollars from every ticket sold will be donated to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Various general admission and VIP pass options are available now.

Set to take place annually on the Friday before a major University of Kentucky football home game, SHOWdown will pair fans’ passions for college football and live music. The 2023 event precedes the UK vs. Mizzou matchup on Oct. 14.

As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker has raised over $3 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament.

Additionally, Rucker was recently announced as one of the honorees at Musicians On Call Millions of Moments event for more than a decade of support for the organization.

Kameron Marlowe during his “We Were Cowboys Tour.” Photo: Trea Allen

Kameron Marlowe wrapped his debut headlining “We Were Cowboys Tour” with sold-out shows in Dallas and Kansas City this past weekend.

He sold over 22,000 tickets across multiple venues in markets including Nashville, Little Rock, Lexington, Birmingham, Asbury Park, Boston, New York City, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, and more.

Kameron Marlowe during his “We Were Cowboys Tour.” Photo: Trea Allen

The headline trek was one of the many milestones Marlowe celebrated this year. In August, he released his debut album We Were Cowboys via Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville. Produced by Dann Huff, the record features Gold-certified tracks “Giving You Up” and “Burn ‘Em All,” and has garnered over 378 million on-demand streams. Hewas also recently named to CMT’s Listen Up Class of 2023.

Marlowe will continue to travel in the new year, joining Thomas Rhett for the Canadian dates of his “Bring The Bar To You Tour” and opening for Chase Rice and Parker McCollum on select dates.

Additionally, Marlowe will perform at festivals including Stagecoach and Country Jam USA, and make his first appearance in Europe, performing at the 2023 C2C Festival in London and Glasgow.

Musicians On Call (MOC) will host its Millions of Moments event at the Wildhorse Saloon on Jan. 26. The organization will also mark a major milestone as they tally performances for more than one million people in hospitals nationwide since its founding in 1999.

UMG Nashville recording artist Darius Rucker will be recognized for more than a decade of support for MOC as he receives the Music Heals Golden Ukulele. Additionally, UMG Nashville Vice President of Media Marketing, Leigh Parr Malleus, will receive the Leadership in Music Golden Ukulele for serving as a Volunteer Guide for MOC’s Nashville-area hospital programs and connecting artists to MOC’s programs and live music campaigns.

The evening will also recognize the volunteers, artists, hospital partners, patients, families, and caregivers, and will feature special appearances and performances from Sam Hunt, The War And Treaty, and Jon Pardi. Tickets go on sale on Dec. 27 at 10 a.m. CT.

“From our early days bringing music to a single hospital, to playing virtually for over 250,000 patients and caregivers nationwide during the pandemic, our organization has grown tremendously since 1999. This evening will allow us to celebrate these accomplishments and the people who are a part of them,” notes Musicians On Call President & CEO Pete Griffin. “Honoring Darius’ and Leigh’s volunteer work with us, before, during, and since the pandemic, is a wonderful way to not only highlight their dedication and generosity, but also to spotlight the many chapters of MOC’s evolution.”

Guests at the event will be the first to experience a new proprietary, online platform that will transform MOC’s program delivery model and enable the organization to scale dramatically. MOC will also debut its new logo, revamped website, and fresh branding.

The public will be able to participate in a silent auction ahead of the event and bid on items such as signed guitars furnished by Gibson Guitars, red carpet access, and artist experiences.