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Josh Kear Joins Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville (Exclusive)

Josh Kear.

Josh Kear has signed a global publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville.

Kear has earned four Grammys for his works, and is the only songwriter to win the Country Song of the Year Grammy honor three times. He has also earned several RIAA multi-Platinum certifications, as well as ACM, ASCAP, and CMA honors.

He has penned hits for Carrie Underwood (“Before He Cheats,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” “Blown Away”), Florida Georgia Line (“God, Your Mama, and Me”), Dierks Bentley (“Drunk On A Plane,” “Woman, Amen”), Lady A (the RIAA certified 9x multi-Platinum “Need You Now”), Tim McGraw (“Highway Don’t Care,” featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban), and Lee Brice (“Drinking Class”). His music has been featured in television shows including The Bachelorette, Glee, The Glee Project, and The Voice, as well as films such as Zero Dark Thirty and Country Strong.

“Rusty Gaston was one of the main driving factors for me,” Kear told MusicRow of joining Sony/ATV Music Publishing. “I did 17 years with Big Yellow Dog with Carla Wallace and Kerry O’Neil and my love affair with that company certainly didn’t end. It was time for me to try something else, and because Rusty was at THiS Music for so long and is still so closely connected with independent publishing, I felt like I might be able to get the best of both worlds by teaming up with him. He understood where I was coming from—I had worked on the more corporate side of things many years ago. I did six years with BMG at the beginning of my career. It felt like it was a return and a fresh start, but also still staying connected to the part of the business I love dearly.”

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston stated, “Josh is truly one of a kind – his songs have elevated the standards of country music, and they convey genuine emotion that everyone can relate to. I’m thrilled to welcome Josh to the Sony/ATV family and to deliver the best opportunities for his music.”

Kear also recently joined NSAI’s Board of Directors. He has made regular trips to Washington D.C. to help advocate for his fellow songwriters, and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018, as part of an initiative to pass the Music Modernization Act, which was signed into law in October 2018.

“[NSAI Executive Director] Bart Herbison is possibly the best friend in Nashville or anywhere in the United States of a songwriter—he’s been our defender, our advocate,” Kear says. “He cares so deeply about this community. I’m always happy to jump in to be of service. The work they do here and especially in Washington, D.C. is so important to the long-term health of our business.”

Cam Signs Joint Deal With Triple Tigers Records, RCA Records New York

Cam. Photo: Dennis Leupold

Nashville-based Triple Tigers Records has signed singer-songwriter Cam, in an unprecedented partnership with RCA Records New York, as the two labels partner to release Cam’s sophomore album, due to release this fall. Cam’s single “Classic” will release to country radio July 17.

“When I heard Cam’s new music, I was moved and inspired,” said Triple Tigers’ Norbert Nix. “She has an identifiable, world class voice and her songs are crafted with experience, emotion and strength. She is at the apex of her creative journey and it’s an honor to work with an artist of her caliber and to partner with our good friends at RCA Records New York to showcase her talents to the world.”

“This upcoming album is the best music I’ve ever made,” says Cam. “It deserves the best partner to take it out into the world – and that’s what I’m getting with Norbert and the team at Triple Tigers. Their passion, drive and ingenuity are exactly what I was looking for. This is gonna be such a fun ride.”

Cam is the fourth artist to join the Triple Tigers Records roster, alongside Scotty McCreery (who has earned three No.1 country singles and saw his single “This Is It” reach Platinum status), Russell Dickerson (who has also earned three No. 1 country singles and a Platinum single with “Every Little Thing,” as well as group Gone West.

Weekly Radio Report (6/26/20)

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Caylee Hammack Details Upcoming Debut Album ‘If It Wasn’t For You’


Capitol Nashville artist Caylee Hammack will release her 13-song, major label debut album If It Wasn’t For You on Aug. 14. Hammack co-wrote every song on the album, which she also co-produced alongside Mikey Reaves.

“I feel like I’m airing all my dirty laundry in this album in hopes of others feeling that honesty and vulnerability and in it, finding a safe haven to be themselves,” said Hammack. “I want the nitty gritty to shine through, that’s where the stories are. Every song on this record has a true story behind it, and now I can’t wait to tell those once people listen to the album!”

She welcomes several of her favorite female country artists to collaborate on the project. Reba offers vocals on “Redhead,” while Ashley McBryde and Tenille Townes contribute to “Mean Something.”

Georgia native Hammack is nominated for two ACM Awards at the upcoming September ceremony, including New Female Artist of the Year, and Musical Event of the Year, as part of “Fooled Around and Fell In Love,” alongside Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes and Elle King.

IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU Official Track List:
1. “Just Friends”
(Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere, Mikey Reaves)
2. “Redhead” (Featuring Reba McEntire)
(Trent Dabbs, Caylee Hammack, Natalie Hemby)
3. “Looking For A Lighter”
(Caylee Hammack, Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson)
4. “Preciatcha”
(Caylee Hammack, Jordan Schmidt, Laura Veltz)
5. “Sister”
(Blake Bollinger, April Geesbreght, Caylee Hammack)
6. “Just Like You”
(Caylee Hammack, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram)
7. “King Size Bed”
(Caylee Hammack, Thomas “Tawgs” Salter, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges)
8. “Forged In The Fire”
(Thomas Finchum, Caylee Hammack, Andy Skib)
9. “Family Tree”
(Caylee Hammack, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges)
10. “Mean Something” (Featuring Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes)
(Caylee Hammack, Mikey Reaves)
11. “Small Town Hypocrite”
(Caylee Hammack, Jared Scott)
12. “Gold”
(Caylee Hammack)
13. “New Level Of Life”
(Caylee Hammack, Aaron Raitiere, Connor Thuotte)

Weekly Radio Report (6/19/20)

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Play It Again Expands, Adds Ryan Dokke As CEO

Ryan Dokke, Dallas Davidson

Dallas Davidson is expanding his Play It Again publishing company to include label and artist management divisions, and has tapped former Curb|Word Entertainment Sr. VP/General Manager Ryan Dokke as CEO to lead the new venture.

Davidson launched PIA Music in 2015 and will remain as Founder of the company.

In the newly-created role, Dokke will oversee all aspects of PIA Music’s publishing, label and management business and operations. Additionally, he will work with Davidson on the group’s overall strategic vision for each of its three PIA divisions. PIA’s current roster includes multiple hit-making songwriters and artists; Kyle Fishman, Warner Music Nashville recording artist Trea Landon, Justin Wilson, Tommy Cecil, as well as the first two artists signed to PIA’s label; Walker Montgomery and Dylan Marlowe.

“Growing Play It Again Music is something I’ve been planning to do, but I needed the right partner to lead it. From the first time Dokke and I met, I knew that he had the right passion, vision and knowledge to take PIA Music where it needs to go. Among other things, he brings an incredible energy to the company. I couldn’t be more excited for him to become the CEO of PIA Music and to lead our growing team,” shared Davidson.

“PIA is an entrepreneurial company at its core. The vision is simple: work with incredible artists and songwriters and help to create value and opportunities around the songs and music they are creating. Music comes first. I’m excited to be working with Dallas and growing the PIA roster and team,” said Dokke.

In 2018, Dokke was promoted to SVP and General Manager at Curb|Word after serving as Curb’s VP of Promotion for four years. He oversaw a roster of artists across both country and Christian genres including Filmore, Lee Brice, Dylan Scott, Rodney Atkins, for KING & COUNTRY, Francesca Battistelli, and Natalie Grant. During his tenure at Curb, Dokke helped lead the team at Curb|Word to achieve multiple No. 1 singles. Prior to Curb|Word records, he was Manager/Regional Promotion for Sony Music Entertainment (Arista Records). Dokke is a graduate of Leadership Music’s class of 2019. He currently serves on the boards of the Academy of Country Music, ACM Lifting Lives, the Gospel Music Association, and the Country Radio Broadcasters.

Davidson has earned hits recorded by Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban and more. He has earned multiple songwriting awards including Billboard’s Hot Country Songwriter (2010), BMI’s Songwriter of the Year (2011, 2012), NSAI’s Songwriter of the Year (2012), ACM’s Songwriter of the Year (2011, 2012), and is a six-time CMA Triple Triple Play award recipient. Davidson currently serves as the Chairman of the Georgia Music Foundation, alongside Vice-Chair Karla Redding-Andrews, daughter of the late Otis Redding. The GMF is a non-profit that supports programs of music education, preservation and outreach while fostering an appreciation for the state’s rich music heritage.

Weekly Radio Report (6/12/20)

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Recording Academy Announces Changes To Grammy Awards, Nominations Review Committees

The Recording Academy announced Wednesday (June 10) a series of changes that will affect the 63rd Grammy Awards.

The changes to Grammy categories affects the categories of Best New Artist, Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Engineered Album, as well as changes in the Musical Theater and the Latin Urban genres. The rules for the Recording Academy’s nomination review committees have also been updated.

“I’m excited to announce our latest changes, as we’re constantly evaluating our Awards process and evolving it to ensure the GRAMMY Awards are inclusive and reflect the current state of the music industry,” said Harvey Mason jr., Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “The Academy accepts proposals for rule changes from members of the music community throughout the year that are carefully reviewed and, if accepted, ultimately ratified at our annual Board meeting, a process that we are proud to have continued in this challenging year.”

“As a peer-driven and peer-voted award, members of the music community are directly involved in the growth and preservation of the GRAMMYs® process,” said Bill Freimuth, Chief Awards Officer at the Recording Academy. “Each year we receive a number of rule change proposals from artists, producers and songwriters asking us to reevaluate our process to better reflect the current state of the music industry and how it’s evolved over the past 12 months.”

In the Best New Artist Field, the upper limit rule will be removed and will rely on the expertise of the Core and Genre Screening Committees to make the determination as to whether or not an artist had attained prominence in a prior year. An artist will be considered for Best New Artist if their eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape. Minimum releases to meet eligibility are five singles/tracks or one album. While there will be no specified maximum number of releases, the screening committees will be charged with determining whether the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence prior to the eligibility year. Such a determination would result in disqualification. An artist may not enter into this category more than three times, including as a performing member of an established group.

The Best Urban Contemporary Album category will be renamed Best Progressive R&B Album. For albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded progressive vocal tracks derivative of R&B. This category is intended for artists whose music includes the more progressive elements of R&B and may include samples and elements of hip-hop, rap, dance, and electronic music. It may also incorporate production elements found in pop, euro-pop, country, rock, folk and alternative.

The Best Rap/Sung Performance will be renamed Best Melodic Rap Performance. This category is intended for performances that use the delivery of rap and melody over modern production. This performance requires a strong and clear presence of melody combined with rap cadence, and is inclusive of dialects, lyrics or performance elements from non-rap genres including R&B, rock, country, electronic or more. The production may include traditional elements of rap or elements characteristic of the aforementioned non-rap genres. Both the song and melody should be considered to fit these criteria to be accepted in this category.

The Latin Pop Album has been renamed Best Latin Pop or Urban Album, and Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album has been renamed Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, to migrate the genres of Latin urban and represent the current state and prominent representation in the Latin urban genres. The Best Latin Pop or Urban Album category is intended to recognize excellence in Latin pop or urban music recordings that utilize a stylistic intention, song structure, lyrical content, and/or musical presentation to create a sensibility that reflects the broad spectrum of Latin pop music style and culture. The category includes recordings from balladeers and commercial Latin music and is not limited to any one region. The Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album category is intended to highlight Latin rock or alternative music recordings that utilize a stylistic intention, song structure, lyrical content and/or musical presentation to create a sensibility that reflects the broad spectrum of the Latin music style and culture.
The Best Engineered Album Categories will allow hi-res audio (greater than rebook audio-44 khz/16bit to be considered in submissions for both Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and Best Engineered Album, Classical.

There are also several substantial changes to the Nominations Review Committee, including:

Term Limit Changes.

The term limit for nominations review committee chairs and members have been further limited, to three years on and one year off for committee members, and three years on/two years off for Chairpersons. Committee members may serve a maximum of five consecutive years, if they served on the committee first and were then elected to be chair. Two years off still applies in these cases.
Changes To Discourage Potential Conflicts Of Interest.

At the time of invitation to participate on a Nominations Review Committee, a conflict of interest disclosure form will be provided. Each person invited to be a member of such a committee must disclose to the best of their knowledge whether, in connection with any recording that may be entered in the current year’s GRAMMY Awards process, (a) the person would be in line to receive a GRAMMY nomination or win for any recordings being considered in a particular category, (b) the person would have any direct or indirect financial ties to the recordings or creators under consideration, (c) the person has immediate familial ties to any of the artists in the top voter selections, and/or (d) any other conflict of interest, actual or perceived.

If a recording listed by the invitee presents a conflict of interest, the Academy will notify the committee member that they cannot participate on the committee that year.
If, in the unlikely event that, despite these pro-active efforts a conflict is discovered during the committee meeting, that person will be notified and recused from the meeting.
Failure to voluntarily disclose any conflict of interest will result in the person being barred from future Nominations Review Committee participation
For the full list of rule amendments for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, which were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy’s most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held in May 2020, click here.

Jody Williams Launches New Publishing Venture With Warner Chappell Music

Jody Williams. Photo: John Paul-Bruno

Jody Williams has returned to music publishing after a 14-year run as VP, Creative for performing rights organization BMI (his third run at the company).

Williams has launched Jody Williams Songs in partnership with Warner Chappell Music Nashville, to develop writers and artist-writers, secure covers, source legacy catalogs and represent select Warner Chappell Music catalogs for pitching. Jody Williams Songs will represent Ashley McBryde, Nathan Chapman, Jeremy Spillman and Greg Bates, and will also represent Pat McLaughlin in a writer management/publishing role.

Former Curb|Word Music Publishing Creative Director Nina Jenkins will serve as Creative Director for Williams’ new publishing company.

“My time at BMI taught me volumes about the business. I’ve seen how music, consumption, and income streams have changed over the last decade and a half,” said Williams. “Those great publishing catalogs that became the cornerstone of Nashville’s music industry, and those songwriters, provide continual inspiration for me. They are the catalyst for the song-forward nature of Jody Williams Songs. And having Ben Vaughn and the Warner Chappell team as the top publisher supporting us is a game-changer. Our Creative Director, Nina Jenkins, brings energy and an unmatched passion for songwriters. Between our team and theirs, I have very high hopes for the future.”

“It’s a huge honor that Jody chose to make his return to the scene with Warner Chappell Music,” said Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, WCM Nashville. “In his long and storied career, Jody has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of Nashville’s leading industry figures. His commitment to quality is matched only by his unwavering support for the songwriting community. We value Jody’s wisdom and experience and our team looks forward to working alongside he and Nina as an extended part of the WCM family.”

Nashville native Williams has spent more than four decades in Nashville’s music community, including serving as President for MCA Music Publishing Nashville, as well as roles at Tree Publishing, Chappell Music and Screen Gems Music. In 1999, he formed Jody Williams Music, where he worked with Liz Rose, Josh Turner, and McLaughlin. JWM’s catalog was later sold to ole Media Management (now called Anthem) and contained songs recorded by Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Tim McGraw, Bonnie Raitt, and many others.

Williams is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of CMA and remains a current board member, and is currently a trustee of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Weekly Radio Report (6/5/20)

Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Radio Report.