Artist & Industry News

After winning Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, and International Country Music Association Awards over the past five years, renowned veteran music journalist Marcus K. Dowling has announced his latest venture, a new weekly music industry podcast titled Culture At Large. Recorded live at Nashville’s Anzie Blue, the podcast debuts on Monday, October 13 and is the first of...

Parker McCollum's single “What Kinda Man," which he co-wrote with Natalie Hemby and Jeremy Spillman, has become the artist’s latest song to achieve RIAA Certified Gold status. The single is off of McCollum’s self-titled album released earlier this year via MCA. To celebrate, leading executives, friends and collaborators attended an intimate performance and conversation with McCollum including President and CEO...

By Design, a Nashville-based modern music company rooted in Kingdom values and driven by integrity, innovation and excellence, officially launches today under the leadership of Josh Bailey, Jeremy Holley, Rod Riley and Josh Thompson. The label is announced as part of a larger ecosystem comprised of three core entities to best serve creatives: By Design, the record label and music...

SMACK has signed a publishing deal with singer-songwriter Brinley Addington. A Tennessee native, Addington’s passion for music began at a young age - he later moved to Music City in 2008 and quickly built a reputation as a compelling performer and songwriter. In 2021, Addington earned his first #1 as a writer with Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris’ “Chasing After...

Luke Combs has been named the highest RIAA certified country artist in history, with 168 million units sold. “When my team first told me about this, my initial reaction was, ‘Are you sure? There’s no way.’ It was only 8 years ago that I got my first plaque for ‘Hurricane’ going Gold,” shares Combs. “I knew then, without a doubt,...

Messina Touring, a leader in live entertainment, unveils a new logo and refreshed brand identity that reflects the company’s forward-looking approach to live music and its unwavering commitment to artists. Founded by legendary promoter Louis Messina, Messina Touring has spent decades at the forefront of touring innovation, building record-setting tours for some of the world’s most celebrated performers, including George...

The Americana Music Association wrapped their 25th Annual AMERICANAFEST on September 13. The five-day festival celebrated the very best of Americana music with a wide range of performances from both emerging and established artists. Beyond the music, it also served as an educational platform, hosting insightful events on topics such as leveraging independence in today's music industry and what to...

Virgin Music Group has announced today they will partner with country music star Morgan Evans on the next chapter of his career. The first single under the new deal, “Beer Back Home,” is set to be released on October 10, with a new album to follow in early 2026. Morgan Evans, who is originally from Australia, first came on the...

Make Wake Artists, the Nashville-based music management company behind some of today’s top industry-disrupting artists, is proud to celebrate its 10-year anniversary this month. Founded in 2015 when Chris Kappy began managing Luke Combs, the company has grown from a bootstrap startup into an award-winning team representing chart-topping, genre-bending voices across country, Americana, rock, folk, pop and beyond. Over the...

The Grand Ole Opry, the legendary home of country music that has captivated audiences for 100 years, made history on September 26 with its first-ever live broadcast from outside of the United States as part of its Opry 100 celebration. Grand Ole Opry: Live in London, a sold-out, one-night-only event held at Royal Albert Hall in London brought together more...

Yesterday, September 24, Zach Top celebrated "I Never Lie," his first-ever #1 song at country radio, alongside his co-writers Carson Chamberlain (Chamberlain also produced the chart-topper) and Tim Nichols, at BMI Nashville. The song is currently nominated for “Single of the Year” and “Song of the Year” at the 2025 CMA Music Awards and finds its home on the Leo33 artists’...

The Creekers, a bluegrass and country music six piece ensemble, have signed a record deal with Warner Music Nashville and Warner Records. Creeping out of the hollers and hideouts of eastern Kentucky, come The Creekers. Generational roots run deep in Leslie County, Kentucky, where they formed over a shared love for the timeless sounds of traditional American music. The band...

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Nashville has promoted Kayce Russell to Manager, Creative Services and A&R Operations. In her new role, Russell will oversee all digital initiatives for Nashville songwriters and artists, with a focus on artist development. She will report to Austen Adams, President, WCM Nashville, serving as a key lead for A&R operations and identifying meaningful opportunities for songwriters...

Spirit Music Nashville and 2Mix Music today announced that they have signed Kasey Tyndall to a worldwide publishing deal. “Kasey checks every single box for the kind of artists that we want to work with,” said Derek Wells, Vice President, Spirit/Fluid Music Revolution. “A unique perspective and voice… and one of the hardest workers you’ll meet. So excited to have her...

Gutt Law, PLLC announces the addition of Lauren Davis as an attorney, further expanding the firm’s dedication to providing personalized, high-level legal services to creative clients across the music industry. Lauren Davis is a seasoned legal professional with a strong background in the music industry. Most recently, she served as an in-house attorney at Big Machine Label Group, working across...

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will open its next major exhibition, Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising, on Friday, Nov. 14, for a nearly three-year run. The more than 5,000-square-foot exhibit will survey the emergence of Muscle Shoals as a recording epicenter in the 1960s and 1970s and spotlight its enduring cultural impact. The exhibit is supported by...

17-year-old singer-songwriter Baylee Lynn released her latest single “John, Dear” with an accompanying video on Friday, September 19. The track arrives on the heels of her triumphant debut single “Cautiously Optimistic” - a late-August release that quickly topped Billboard’s new music poll with 64 percent of the vote, winning out over superstars like Sabrina Carpenter. This time around, the Greeneville, TN-born artist...

Rising talent Coleman Jennings has signed with Big Loud Texas and Mercury Records and made his label debut with “Head Spinning,” out now. “I was always scared of the whole record deal thing, but Big Loud Texas and Mercury made me feel understood,” shares Jennings. “They are good people who want to serve the artist, and they allowed me the...

On September 18, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum celebrated the opening of its newest exhibition, Country's Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100. It examines notable performers and key moments in the history of the show that has entertained and enthralled millions. The exhibit, which is included with museum admission, runs until March 2027. To mark the opening...

The Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards Dinner, benefiting The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project (TCDJHP), returned to Nashville’s City Winery last night, raising more than $600,000 to fund critical programs for U.S. veterans, first responders, and their families. Founded in 2014 by the late Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Daniels and longtime manager and friend David Corlew, TCDJHP provides...

Multi-Grammy® Award winning Steve Earle was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry tonight by his friend and fellow Opry member Emmylou Harris. Earle performed his hits “Guitar Town,” “Hillbilly Highway,” and before performing his signature hit “Copperhead Road” Earle said, “There has never been any time since I had a guitar that I didn’t want to be on the Grand...

Platinum-selling recording artist Mitchell Tenpenny’s foundation the 10Penny Fund and ACM Lifting Lives are partnering to bring support to music industry colleagues impacted by cancer. Mitchell’s 10Penny Fund will make a $100,000 contribution to assist in 10 grants of $10,000 to individuals who require help covering essential medical bills, everyday household needs, and mental health support through ACM Lifting Lives’...

BMG has announced the acquisition of Country music superstar Jason Aldean’s recorded music catalog along with interests in the recorded catalogs and publishing rights of a music collection from a cross-section of 23 artists and songwriters, with the entire acquisition encompassing 1,000+ songs across multiple genres. To date, the deal marks BMG’s single largest catalog acquisition investment. Recently the company...

Spotify and Sony Music Group have announced an extension and expansion of their long-standing, successful global partnership. As part of their ongoing collaboration, Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing have each entered into multiyear agreements with Spotify focused on delivering continued growth and innovation in music streaming that provides greater value for artists, songwriters, and consumers worldwide. Together, Spotify...