SESAC will honor the top songwriters and publishers in the Country and Americana genres at the SESAC Nashville Music Awards on Monday, November 8, 2010 at the performing rights organization’s Nashville headquarters. This year, SESAC will be presenting revered artist/songwriter/producer Jim Lauderdale with the “Inspiration Award.” His genre-defying songs have been recorded by George Strait, […]

American Media Inc. today (11/1) announced it will engage in a financial restructuring through a prepackaged Chapter 11 plan of reorganization. The process is expected to begin in about two weeks and last about 60 days. American Media, Inc. is the publisher of Country Weekly, Star, Shape, Men’s Fitness, The National Enquirer and more. The […]

Cracker Barrel, known for releasing exclusive product from country and bluegrass artists, is expanding its music collection with a new album by legendary hit-maker Smokey Robinson. Starting today, Nov. 1, he is visiting national media in Nashville and New York to promote Now and Then. The CD features six live versions of classics, including “Going […]

Best Lawyers has named Christian Horsnell of Milom Joyce Horsnell Crow PLC in the area of Intellectual Property Law; and Robert Sullivan of Loeb & Loeb in the area of Entertainment Law as Lawyers of the Year from the Nashville entertainment community. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored annually. […]

Brett Eldredge Makes Opry Debut Rising star Brett Eldredge will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, October 29th. Hailed by CMT as the “Next Big Thing,” Eldredge will join the Oak Ridge Boys, Rodney Atkins and Joe Diffie in Friday’s lineup. Additionally, he will be introduced to the legendary Opry stage by renowned […]

Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester found inspiration in country stars Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift in preparation for her role in the upcoming movie Country Strong. “I tried to make it my own, but I was definitely inspired by Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift,” Meester explains. “I went to the Grand Ole Opry and saw […]

Broken Bow Records CEO/President Benny Brown has named Rick Shedd Senior Vice President of Operations for Broken Bow Records and Stoney Creek Records, effective immediately. Shedd has been a longtime consultant for the label and will report directly to Brown. Exiting the label is Executive Vice Pres./General Manager Jim Yerger. “Over the last decade, Rick […]

The Dixie Chicks released a 2-disc career anthology this week. The Essential Dixie Chicks has 30 of the band’s most popular songs, including six No. 1 hits. The collection covers all four studio albums recorded for Sony Music, which have resulted in more than 30 million in career sales. With an armful of 2007 Grammys, […]

The launch of Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, included a live streaming event, Speak Now: Taylor Swift Live From New York City, hosted by CMT and MTV Networks this past Monday (10/25). Contest winners from around the globe attended the party and heard Swift perform songs from the new album. James Otto met former Green Bay […]

Jewel and Kara DioGuardi are the first celebrities on board for a new songwriter competition series on Bravo. Jewel will host and occasionally join DioGuardi as part of the judging panel. Going Platinum is expected to premiere in 2011. Judging will be based more on the contestants’ songwriting ability than their singing and performance prowess. […]

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) saluted the songwriters and publishers of Christian music’s most performed songs at its 32nd annual Christian Music Awards last night (10/25) at Richland Country Club in Nashville. The evening’s top honors were awarded to the following: ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year: Ben Glover ASCAP Christian […]

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will present an interview honoring visionary music executive Bonnie Garner, as part of the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum series. The forum is set for Tuesday, November 16, at 6 p.m. in the Ford Theater. It is free and open to the public. The interview with Garner, whose […]

Recording artist Lorrie Morgan has partnered with her brother Marty Morgan and producer Mark Oliverius to form The REDHot Jingle Company, a full service music production and commercial jingle service for TV, radio, film and new media. “Some people might say the last thing Nashville needs is another jingle company,” explains Morgan. “But we think […]

The Country Music Association has announced several new additions and promotions to its staff. Greg Fuson has joined the organization as its Marketing Research Director, where he brings extensive tourism knowledge from working with many convention and visitors bureaus. Fuson has also managed research projects for companies including Nortel, Cisco Systems, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Lowes, Ruby […]

It’s release day for Taylor Swift’s highly-anticipated, Speak Now, and while she makes the media rounds, reviewers have been weighing in. The critical response has been positive, and it is expected that first-week sales will fall somewhere between the 700,000 and one-million mark. At almost 21, Swift’s all grown up, but hasn’t tried to prove […]