• PRISCILLA BLOCK MAKES FEEL-GOOD BAD DECISIONS WITH LATEST RELEASE “HEY, JACK” AVAILABLE NOW.

    Platinum-selling recording artist, Priscilla Block, has been shutting down the bars on Broadway with fake names since she burst onto the Country music scene. Now, everyone’s favorite party starter is showcasing her evolution as an artist with her latest release, “Hey, Jack” (via UMG Nashville). The song, written by Priscilla Block, Randy Montana, Jeremy Stover and Dave Cohen, is a mid-tempo heartbreak that leaves Block desperately seeking a quick remedy in the mysterious Jack. A departure from her more carefree and angsty tracks, “Hey, Jack” proves Block is an artist without limitation and is poised for a lasting and impactful career.

    “This release is something that we’ve worked really hard on. From writing the song, to filming the video, to having my red carpet looks mimic different scenes from the video. It’s been such a creative time for me. This is the start of a new era and I couldn’t be more excited about it!”
    -Priscilla Block

     

     

    LISTEN:           “Hey, Jack”

    Block is also announcing upcoming show dates for the Hey Jack Tour, kicking off in San Diego, CA and continuing on throughout North America. She can also be seen next year performing during the C2C Music Festival in the United Kingdom and the CMC: Rocks Festival in Australia.

    Hey Jack Tour Dates:
    *Festival

    February 7, 2024 Moonshine Beach San Diego, CA
    February 8, 2024 Troubadour West Hollywood, CA
    February 9, 2024 Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace Bakersfield, CA
    February 10, 2024 The Fremont Theater San Luis Obispo, CA
    February 15, 2024 Showbox Seattle, WA
    February 16, 2024 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
    February 17, 2024 Knitting Factory Spokane, WA
    February 23, 2024 Tannahill Tavern & Music Hall Fort Worth, TX
    February 24, 2024 The Hall Little Rock, AR
    March 8 – 10, 2024 C2C: Country to Country Festival United Kingdom*
    March 15-17, 2024 CMC: Rocks Festival Willowbank, Australia*
    April 18, 2024 The Pageant Saint Louis, MO
    April 19, 2024 The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
    April 20, 2024 Roxian Theatre McKees Rocks, PA
    April 25, 2024 The Paramount Huntington, NY
    April 26, 2024 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
    April 27, 2024 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
    May 2, 2024 The Georgia Theatre Athens, GA
    May 3, 2024 The Windjammer Isle of Palms, SC
    May 4, 2024 The Ritz Raleigh, NC

     

    Audio / Priscilla Block talks about her new song, "Hey Jack."

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    Priscilla Block (Hey Jack) OC: …some whiskey. :25
    “’Hey Jack’ was such a fun song to write. I wrote it with Randy Montana, Jeremy Stover and Dave Cohen, and it was really cool writing from the perspective of you talking to a drink. I feel like a drink can be something that you lean on if you’re going through a great time or a hard time, and they get sides of you that a lot of people don’t. So, instead of calling an ex-boyfriend, you might call on some whiskey.”

    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Hey Jack) 1

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    Audio / LINER Priscilla Block (Hey Jack) 4

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON IS SET TO RELEASE HIS BRAND NEW ALBUM, HIGHER, ON FRIDAY.

    CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Chris Stapleton is set to release his new album, Higher, on Friday (November 10th). Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton, and Stapleton, Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A. Across its 14 songs, Stapleton showcases his supernatural voice and musical versatility with songs that span genres and defy easy categorization. Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine), and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).

    When releasing new music, Chris and his team feel a combination of anticipation and apprehension about how fans will react. “Whenever we’re releasing new music, we don’t have a specific ritual really, but I think there’s a little bit of apprehension, a little bit of excitement mixed together wondering how fans will react, really,” he says. “I think that’s the main thing going on in our heads when we put something out is we hope whatever we’ve done will be something that people will gravitate to and enjoy.”

    The new album follows 2020’s acclaimed Starting Over, which went on to win three awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMYs: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”) in addition to earning Album of the Year honors at both the CMA and ACM Awards. Called a “a sure-footed masterpiece” by the Associated Press, the album landed on “Best of 2020” lists at NPR MusicRolling StoneBillboardEsquireVultureThe Tennessean, and The New York Times, who declared, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.” Prior to Starting Over, Stapleton released a pair of Platinum-certified releases in 2017 — From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2 — as well as his 5x Platinum breakthrough solo debut album in 2015, Traveller.

     

    HIGHER Track List:

    1. What Am I Gonna Do
    2. South Dakota
    3. Trust
    4. It Takes A Woman
    5. The Fire
    6. Think I’m In Love With You
    7. Loving You On My Mind
    8. White Horse
    9. Higher
    10. The Bottom
    11. The Day I Die
    12. Crosswind
    13. Weight Of Your World
    14. Mountains Of My Mind

     

     

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says there's always a little apprehension and a little excitement mixed together when releasing new music.

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    Chris Stapleton (releasing new music) OC: …and enjoy. :22
    “Whenever we’re releasing new music, we don’t have a specific ritual really, but I think there’s a little bit of apprehension, a little bit of excitement mixed together wondering how fans will react, really. I think that’s the main thing going on in our heads when we put something out is we hope whatever we’ve done will be something that people will gravitate to and enjoy.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton talks about the time in between writing the title track of his new album, Higher, and actually putting it on an album.

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    Chris Stapleton (Higher title track) OC: …to me. :22
    “’Higher’ is a song that’s been around a long, long time. I wrote it in 2001 in the first few onths of being a professional songwriter here in Nashville, and it was on the first demo session that I ever did here in Nashville. So, for it to come around 22 years later and wind up being the title track of an album is a pretty unique thing to me.”

    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Higher out November 10th)

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    Audio / LINER Chris Stapleton (Higher available this week)

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  • CHRIS STAPLETON WINS CMA MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR.

    Chris Stapleton picked up the award for Male Vocalist of the Year–his 7th in that category. He won in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

     

    He says he’s always surprised to hear his name called when it comes to awards. “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day,” says the humble Kentucky native. “As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

    Chris had the crowd on their feet when he turned in a soaring performance of his latest Top 15 single, “White Horse.” The song is from his new album, Higher, which drops on Friday (November 10th).

    Chris will be one of the headliners for the inaugural Walmart “Heroes & Headliners” concert, which will pay tribute to veterans and their families. The concert, which will also feature Imagine Dragons and H.E.R., will be held at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater on Veteran’s Day (Saturday, November 11th). Fans will be able to stream the show beginning at 6:15pm ET/5:15pm CT on Walmart.com/Live, Facebook, Youtube and X/Twitter.

    Audio / Chris Stapleton says he’s always surprised when he wins awards.

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    Chris Stapleton (awards) OC: …grateful for it. :30
    “These things are always fantastic to win, but when you get nominated or invited to these parties, in my estimation, you’ve already won and you’ve already gotten to be far beyond anything, you know, anybody who’s a musician could ever dream of getting to do, and we get to do that every day, we get to live it every day. As far as thinking about going into anything, I’m always genuinely surprised to win anything, and I’m always grateful for it.”

     

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  • BROTHERS OSBORNE PICK UP THEIR SIXTH CMA VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR.

    Brothers Osborne picked up their sixth Vocal Duo of the Year at Wednesday night’s (November 8th) CMA Awards. In accepting their award, the pair thanked their families and the industry, as well as acknowledged the other nominees in the category and were equal parts self-deprecating and humble.

     

    Backstage, TJ told reporters that he truly did not think they’d win the award this year and how he needs to get out of his head at times.

    “I did not expect us to win. I felt that way every single year, and it has always felt like it was this close to slipping away from us,” says TJ. “And I don’t know if it feels that way for other artists, but I do think what happens to all of us in our heads is mostly not reality when we’re thinking about if we’re cool, if we’re still gonna be relevant. But it’s something that I think of regularly and I’m like, I wonder if this is the last year that we get to feel like we’re on top of the world. And then it keeps happening. I think the thing I need to change is probably just wake up and realize that we’re gonna be here for a while, at least I hope, and probably get a better therapist.”

    John is really trying to live in the moment and savor the success and accolades the two have achieved. “We were here (in Nashville) for well over a decade before we ever got signed to a record deal,” he says. “So, you really try to relish these moments that happen because some people are like, ‘Oh yeah, you did it again.’ It’s like, no, this is our moment, this is our year, because at some point, it will pass, you know, and you’ve got to relish it. There will be a time when we aren’t even nominated. There will be a time when we can’t even get in the damn building, and we’ll look back and wished we would have relished it more. So, I definitely don’t want to miss any of this.”

    John and TJ are currently making their way up the country charts with their latest single, “Nobody’s Nobody,” from their self-titled album.

    Audio / Brothers Osborne's John Osborne talks about relishing their success at this point in their lives.

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    Brothers Osborne (CMA Vocal Duo of the Year 2023) OC: …any of this. :36
    JOHN: “We’ve had a great moment these last several years, but we’ve still spent the vast majority of our lives in actual obscurity. We were here (in Nashville) for well over a decade before we ever got signed to a record deal. So, you really try to relish these moments that happen because some people are like, ‘Oh yeah, you did it again.’ It’s like, no, this is our moment, this is our year, because at some point, it will pass, you know, and you’ve got to relish it. There will be a time when we aren’t even nominated. There will be a time when we can’t even get in the damn building, and we’ll look back and wished we would have relished it more. So, I definitely don’t want to miss any of this.”

    Audio / Backstage at this year's CMA Awards, TJ Osborne says he really didn't think they'd win for CMA Vocal Duo of the Year.

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    Brothers Osborne (didn’t think they’d win) OC: …therapist. :35
    “I did not expect us to win. I felt that way every single year, and it has always felt like it was this close to slipping away from us. And I don’t know if it feels that way for other artists, but I do think what happens to all of us in our heads is mostly not reality when we’re thinking about if we’re cool, if we’re still gonna be relevant. But it’s something that I think of regularly and I’m like, I wonder if this is the last year that we get to feel like we’re on top of the world. And then it keeps happening. I think the thing I need to change is probably just wake up and realize that we’re gonna be here for a while, at least I hope, and probably get a better therapist.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Priscilla Block, Mickey Guyton, The War And Treaty

    Priscilla Block has a new song “Hey Jack” dropping on Friday (November 10th). She even wore a gorgeous chocolate brown outfit with a long flowing cape featuring the title of the song on the back to the BMI Awards on Tuesday night (November 7th).

    Mickey Guyton appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performing “The Tree” with Maren Morris and Brittney Spencer.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Zh6CoL4Zw

     

    The War And Treaty performed at the 17th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit, spearheaded by ABC Correspondent Bob Woodruff, who was severely injured by a roadside bomb several years ago. The event helps shed a light on PTSD and other conditions caused by war. ABC’s David Muir spotlighted Michael and Tanya (pr. Tonya) prior to the event. Michael is an Iraq War veteran who suffers from PTSD after losing so many friends. He taught himself to play piano in Iraq in one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces. Check out the profile from World News Tonight below.

     

     

     

     

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  • JORDAN DAVIS IS HAVING A HECK OF A CMA WEEK ALREADY; NAMED ASCAP COUNTRY MUSIC SONGWRITER/ARTIST OF THE YEAR.

    Jordan Davis was named Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year at Monday night’s ASCAP Awards in Nashville, having scored two multi-week No. 1 hits this year with “Next Thing You Know” and “What My World Spins Around.”

    The Louisiana native also performed on two national television shows on Monday (November 6th), including Live With Kelly and Mark where he performed his current single, “Tucson Too Late.”

    WATCH HERE

    He also performed his huge smash, “Next Thing You Know” on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday night (November 6th).

    WATCH HERE

    Jordan is nominated for three CMA Awards, including Single, Song and Music Video of the Year for “Next Thing You Know.”

    The 57th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (November 8th) at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and the next day on Hulu.

  • TYLER HUBBARD EARNS SECOND SOLO RIAA PLATINUM CERTIFICATION FOR “DANCIN’ IN THE COUNTRY” DEBUT SOLO ALBUM PASSES ONE BILLION STREAMS.

    21-time No. 1 hitmaker Tyler Hubbard has earned his second RIAA PLATINUM certification as a solo artist for his hit single “Dancin’ In The Country.” Additionally, Hubbard’s debut album has passed the mark of one billion global streams.

    “Dancin’ In The Country” was Hubbard’s second single off of his debut self-titled record in January of this year, and it was his second solo No. 1 song at country radio. He co-wrote the song with Keith Urban, Ross Copperman and Jon Nite. Hubbard shared the song’s official music video in January featuring Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, America’s Got Talent), and it has amassed 6.5M+ views.

    Hubbard followed his solo debut with his wild-and-free anthem “Back Then Right Now” (9.8 via EMI Records Nashville). Watch him perform the song on NBC’s TODAY Show, here: youtu.be/X7vdeTBvb9g?si=6816KsXe5hUExYO1

    Hubbard shared his new song “A Lot With A Little” last week (11.3). Listen to the song, here: strm.to/ALotWithALittlePR

    He wrapped his sold-out Canadian headline tour last month, and he will serve as direct support on Kane Brown’s In The Air Tour in 2024, with shows in Los Angeles, Toronto, Houston, Atlanta and more.

    To stay up-to-date on all things Tyler Hubbard, visit tylerhubbardofficial.com.

     

    Audio / Tyler Hubbard talks about writing his No. 1 single, "Dancin' In The Country."

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    Tyler Hubbard (Dancin’ In The Country) OC: …a fun one. :59
    “’Dancin’ In The Country’ is just a really fun, uptempo country song that I’m super excited to play live. I was fortunate enough to get to write this with Ross Copperman, Jon Nite and Keith Urban, who’s just incredible as a writer and a guitarist, and he and Ross Copperman really helped capture the feel and emotion of this song sonically and also me and Jon Nite really tried to dial in the lyrics and they were also very helpful with that. But just an incredible day of songwriting and a really cool song that came from it and a song that sounds like nothing else on the project, and honestly, a song that was inspired by these nightly dance parties we’ve been having in my house after dinner. Me and the three kids and my wife we go in the playroom, turn the party lights on just about every night and have a dance party. So, this is one of those songs that always worked in the dance parties  and feels like something that’ll be really fun to take on tour and play live and hopefully get the crowd moving the way the kids do during the dance parties. So, ‘Dancin’ In The Country’ is just a fun one.”

    Video /

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  • REBA MCENTIRE CAPTIVATES AT GRAND OLE OPRY AND RYMAN AUDITORIUM FOR “NOT THAT FANCY” WEEKEND.

    Reba McEntire celebrated a “Not That Fancy” weekend with back-to-back appearances at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium in celebration of her new book and album, both titled Not That Fancy.

    Reba kicked things off Saturday night as she headlined the Grand Ole Opry, performing songs featured on her new album. Reba’s record label UMG Nashville honored her with a plaque for her hit “Fancy” being certified RIAA double platinum and surpassing 400 million streams.

    Left image: Reba is honored with a plaque for “Fancy” being certified RIAA Double Platinum. (L-R: Reba’s manager Justin McIntosh, UMG Nashville CEO Cindy Mabe and Reba McEntire)

    Sunday night, she took to the Ryman stage with her Reba co-star Melissa Peterman for “Not That Fancy: An Evening with Reba & Friends” to talk about her new book. Reba delighted fans with personal stories, laughs, and a special performance. The night even included a few surprise guests as her boyfriend Rex, son Shelby, friend Marci and siblings Alice and Pake joined her on stage. Reba was honored with a plaque for her book landing on the New York Times Bestseller list. The title also landed on bestseller lists with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Publishers Weekly.

    “An homage to her faith, family, and Oklahoma upbringing (Booklist), Not That Fancy is a “lifestyle guide that has a sense of humor” (Garden & Gun). Purchase the book HERE.

    For the accompanying album Not That Fancy, Reba teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record stripped-down versions of some of her most iconic songs, “making room for McEntire’s voice to shine” (American Songwriter). The 14-track collection features a brand new single “Seven Minutes In Heaven,” an homage to Reba’s mother. Listen to the album now HERE.

  • CMA AWARDS 2023

    The 57th Annual CMA Awards take place on Wednesday (November 8th), and UMG Nashville will be represented in many of the night’s categories, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Group, Duo, Single, Song, Music Video, Musical Event and New Artist.

    With three nominations, Chris Stapleton, the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, returns to both Entertainer and Male Vocalist categories, marking his seventh Entertainer nod and ninth Male Vocalist nomination. He is also up for Musical Event with Carly Pearce on the song “We Don’t Fight Anymore.” Chris has 34 career nominations.

    Jordan Davis is nominated for Single, Song and Music Video of the Year for his multi-week No. 1 smash, “Next Thing You Know.” The song, produced by Paul DiGiovanni, was written by Jordan, Greylan James, Chase McGill and Josh Osborne.

    Carrie Underwood is once again nominated for Entertainer of the Year, while Parker McCollum is up for New Artist of the Year.

    Last year, Brothers Osborne picked up their fifth CMA Award for Vocal Duo of the Year and are once again nominated in the category.

    Brothers’ John Osborne is also nominated as producer AND Mix Engineer of Ashley McBryde’s album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville. 

    Maddie & Tae return to the Vocal Duo of the Year category, while The War And Treaty earn their first CMA nod in the category.

    Little Big Town earns their 18th nomination in the Vocal Group Of The Year category, which they’ve taken home six times. This is their 32nd CMA nomination overall.

    CMA PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
    Luke Bryan – a medley of his hits, including “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” “One Margarita,” “That’s My Kind Of Night,” “Play It Again” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),”
    Chris Stapleton — performing his latest single “White Horse”)
    Jordan Davis – multi-week No. 1 smash “Next Thing You Know”
    Little Big Town will join newly-minted Country Music Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker on her iconic hit “Delta Dawn.”
    Alan Jackson – the 16-time CMA Award winner will perform during a tribute to recently passed singer-songwriter icon Jimmy Buffett. The tribute will also feature Kenny Chesney, longtime Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally and the Zac Brown Band.
    The War And Treaty, first-time nominee this year for Vocal Duo of the Year, will perform their song “That’s How Love Is Made.”

    Other artists who will take the stage to perform include previously announced performers — Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Carly Pearce, Tanya Tucker, K. Michelle,  Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Post Malone, Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wallen.

    CMA PRESENTERS INCLUDE:

    Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum, Nate Bargatze, Bill Anderson, Paula Abdul, Chris Young, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Hailey Whitters, Craig Morgan, Lady A, Brian Kelley, Tony award-nominated actor currently starring in the hit Broadway musical “Shucked,” Kevin Cahoon, Emmy and Tony award-winning and Oscar-nominated actress, singer, author and producer, Cynthia Erivo, 2023 World Series MVP, Corey Seager and “The Golden Bachelor,” Gerry Turner.

    The 57th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL great Peyton Manning, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 8th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and the next day on Hulu.

     

    CMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS:

    Entertainer of The Year:

    • Luke Combs
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Carrie Underwood
    • Morgan Wallen
    • Lainey Wilson

    Female Vocalist of the Year:

    • Kelsea Ballerini
    • Miranda Lambert
    • Ashley McBryde
    • Carly Pearce
    • Lainey Wilson

    Male Vocalist of the Year:

    • Luke Combs
    • Jelly Roll
    • Cody Johnson
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Morgan Wallen

    Vocal Group of the Year:

    • Lady A
    • Little Big Town  
    • Midland
    • Old Dominion
    • Zac Brown Band

    Vocal Duo Of The Year:

    • Brooks & Dunn
    • Brothers Osborne  
    • Dan + Shay
    • Maddie & Tae
    • The War And Treaty

    Single of the Year:

    • “Fast Car”; Luke Combs; Producer: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathon Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
    • “Heart Like A Truck”; Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • “Need A Favor”; Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
    • “Next Thing You Know”; Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Hardy, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi

    Album of the Year:

    • Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne
    • Bell Bottom Country; Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
    • Gettin’ Old; Luke Combs; Producers Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
    • One Thing At A Time; Morgan Wallen Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland
    • Rolling Up the Welcome Mat; Kelsea Ballerini Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym

    Song of the Year:

    • “Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
    • “Heart Like A Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson
    • “Next Thing You Know”  Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
    • “Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt

    Musical Event Of The Year:

    • “Save Me”; Jelly Roll w/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
    • “She Had Me At Heads Carolina (Remix)” Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell
    • “Thank God”; Kane Brown w/Katelyn Brown; Producer: Dann Huff
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Producers: Hardy, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells
    • “We Don’t Fight Anymore”; Carly Pearce f/Chris Stapleton; Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce

    New Artist of the Year:

    • Zach Bryan
    • Jelly Roll
    • Parker McCollum
    • Megan Moroney
    • Hailey Whitters

    Musician of the Year:

    • Jenee Fleenor
    • Paul Franklin
    • Rob McNelley
    • Derek Wells
    • Charlie Worsham

    Music Video of the Year

    • “Light On In The Kitchen”; Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long
    • “Memory Lane”; Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher
    • “Need A Favor”; Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill
    • “Next Thing You Know”; Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear
    • “Wait In The Truck”; Hardy f/Lainey Wilson; Director: Justin Clough

     

     

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN TALKS ABOUT CO-HOSTING THE CMA AWARDS WITH PEYTON MANNING FOR A SECOND YEAR.

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    Luke Bryan (co-hosting with Peyton for second time) OC: …great night. :48
    “I thought we did a great job together. I think he is a crazy – no pun intended – he’s a crazy pro-preparer and he knows his brand; I know my brand. He’s a little drier humor, and I’m a little more slapstick, I guess, maybe that’s the way to say it. So, I think the partnership of he and I and when we wrapped after the show, all the producers, everybody was raving, and obviously the ratings were great, and the show was great. And I think we just gotta take what Peyton and I learned from last year and build upon it and make a great show. And like I said, I knew we did a good job when they were trying to lock me and Peyton down that night for the following year. So, it was a great night, and we were excited about it. So, it’s gonna be another great night.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about co-hosting the CMA Awards with Peyton Manning.

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    Luke Bryan (co-hosting CMAs with Peyton) OC: …stress away. :50
    “The thing about co-hosting with Peyton is all gloves are off. We can cut up with one another, have a little fun, roast each other a little bit, but it takes a little pressure off during the night – even if I’ve got a performance, then Peyton can do one of the segments while I get a little more time to get ready for the performance and coming back in and out. But the bottom line is it’s gonna be a fun thing to share with Peyton, it’s gonna be fun to be backstage, kind of toasting right before we go out and he’s a pro and hopefully I’m a pro at this point. I still try to be a kid about all this, but I do have to take it serious now and then. But, yeah, I think having someone else to share some of the duties takes a little bit of the stress of it all being all on me, takes a little bit of the stress away.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about hosting this year’s CMA Awards.

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    Luke Bryan (hosting the CMA Awards) OC: …chance to do. :31
    “To be a representative of the music that I love, to be someone to carry on a tradition and to be the host and conduct this show with elegance, class, humor, reverence, to really make the show an example of country music and to represent the show to the best of my ability to the people watching at home is a big task and it’s something I’m so honored to have the chance to do.”

    Audio / Chris Stapleton, who is up for three CMA Awards including Entertainer of the Year, says he’s always grateful for the moment of recognition.

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    Chris Stapleton (grateful for awards) OC: …grateful for the moment. :30
    “Well I’ll take ’em home with me I guess once they send ’em. Yeah, I guess you have to at some point, but it still is a very… I’m thankful for it and it’s very nice and there’s a lot of great people doing a lot of great things making a lot of great music and working really hard and so when you get this kind of a thing going, I don’t think anybody deserves it. It’s a lot of luck and a lot of stars lining up so, I’m grateful for the moment.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood is honored to be nominated for CMA Entertainer of the Year.

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    Carrie Underwood (CMA Entertainer nod) OC: …that category. :47
    “It is, I mean, obviously such an honor to be nominated in Entertainer of the Year. Obviously, that’s such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there’s just so, I don’t even want to call it competition, there’s just so many hard-working artists out there that are just you know pouring themselves and their time and their energy and their love and their artistry into what they do. You know, obviously just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing and hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it’s a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists, so we’ll just see what happens, but definitely excited to be in that category.”

    Audio / Jordan Davis is nominated for three CMA Awards including Single, Song and Music Video of the Year.

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    Jordan Davis (CMA 2023 reaction) OC: …home an award. :28
    “So, when I found out about my nominations for ‘Next Thing You Know,’ I was on the road. It was early. My buddy woke me up and gave me the news. I mean, I was shocked. I did not expect to be up for three CMAs. This song has just really taken on a life of its own. I’m super grateful and humbled to have three nominations at the CMA—biggest night in Country Music, and really excited to be a part of it and pumped to see if this song can bring home an award.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne talks about the pair’s nomination for Duo of the Year.

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    Brothers Osborne (CMA Awards) OC: …awesome family. :49
    JOHN: “The Duo category can go any which way. I mean, you look at us, comparatively speaking, we’re kind of maybe somewhere in the middle in terms of the numbers and I don’t know (laughs) what it is. I don’t really know why we’re holding these up here and it’s super rad and I’m definitely going to be putting this on my mantle. I think one of the most amazing pieces of advice I was ever given was to work hard and be nice to people, and I think that’s why we have these. We work really hard, and we try to be respectful to everyone around us. And one of the things that I love about the country music genre is that it’s a family and we’re all really, really close. We’re all a bunch of misfits thrown together. We’re all a little different, but we love one another and respect one another. I’m just honored for the both of us to be a part of this awesome family.”

    Audio / Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne talks about his CMA nomination for Producer and Mix Engineer for Album of the Year for Ashley McBryde’s Lindeville.

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    Brothers Osborne (John’s nomination with Ashley McBryde) OC: …means the world. :55
    “It means the world, you know. We didn’t know when making that album if it would do anything, and for it to have been nominated, well it was nominated for a Grammy for Country Album as well. It’s awesome. I mean, we worked really, really, really hard on that, and we were doing it at a time where we were also working, so I spread myself way too thin, but I love, I love going out and playing our shows, I love writing our songs, but I love everything. I cannot make enough music. I I’ve always been like that since I was a kid. And then to get recognized for it is amazing. You don’t ever make it, that’s not your intended purpose. Your intended purpose is to make something that you love and are proud of, but to have the industry show their love, it means the world too. It’s just I love, just as much as touring and playing shows, I love getting in the studio and tinkering as well, and I wish there were more hours in the day to do both more. I just cannot get enough of it, so it’s certainly a high honor. It means the world.”

    Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN’S KIMBERLY SCHLAPMAN SAYS SHE VIVIDLY REMEMBERS WINNING THEIR FIRST CMA AWARD IN 2012.

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    LBT (1st CMA Award) OC: …person there. :42
    “I remember almost everything about winning our first CMA Award. I remember being on the stage, our name is called, we’d been waiting a long, long time for that one. I think we made fools of ourselves pretty much because we were so crazy excited. I remember most vividly as we were standing up there, all of our friends in Nashville standing up on the floor giving us a round of applause, and I think that’s one of the most humble moments we’ve had in the band, ‘cause so many people have cheered us on for so many years and it was like, the whole town of Nashville was part of that award, not just us, but we shared that with every single person there.”

    Audio / Maddie & Tae's Taylor Kerr talks about awards nominations.

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    Maddie & Tae (Awards nominations) OC: …makes sense. :49
    “Nominations are so cool, whether it’s fan-voted or industry-voted. I think the weight it carries for Maddie and I is just like validation. I think when you’re head-down working on something and (it’s) kind of hard to look at it from a broad perspective and kind of see what other people are seeing. So, whenever you get a pat on the back with a nomination, it’ just like hey, you know, we’re doing something notable. We’re doing something that people are noticing and appreciating. So, we must be doing something right, and it definitely feels good. It doesn’t carry the weight of make or break, because we’ve had to sort of let that go, ‘cause obviously, we would love to win, but if that doesn’t happen for us, we know we’re still meant to be where we are, if that makes sense.”

     

    Audio / The War And Treaty (CMA 2023 reaction) OC: (MICHAEL) …This is crazy. :24 NOTE: quick cutoff at the end

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    TANYA: “I can’t believe you got up and you gave me the phone (Michael laughs). The first thing you did, you passed me the phone and I started crying.” MICHAEL: “Text messages from everyone. Like to think, Oh My God, this is our first CMA nomination.” TANYA: “That’s insane.” MICHAEL: “WE.ARE.NOMINATED.FOR.A.CMA.” TANYA LAUGHS: “That’s crazy.” MICHAEL: “Are you serious?” TANYA: “I mean, all I can say is thank you to the fans and everybody. Thank you so much.” MICHAEL: “This is crazy.”

    Audio / CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Parker McCollum says he’s truly humbled and grateful for his success.

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    Parker McCollum (grateful for his success) OC: …part of it all. :48
    “You know, not really like giddy about it or anything, but you know I’d just be flying home or something and be like damn, not bad for a kid from Conroe, Texas and no college degree and told everybody he was moving to Austin to be a country singer. Everybody looked at him like he had two heads. It’s certainly humbling and trying to be intentionally grateful. You know, I’m just incredibly blessed and done more and made more and been more places than I ever thought I would by 30 years old. So, it’s crazy, and you know truly the biggest thing for me is making my family proud and that’s a pretty cool feeling to see like how like they can’t believe it.  It’s crazy.  And that really is like the dopest part of it all.”

     

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Luke Grimes, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum

    Backstage at her Grand Ole Opry appearance, Reba McEntire was presented with a plaque for her song “Fancy.” It has been certified double-platinum and has more than 400 Million Streams.

    Luke Bryan was hosts the new special, DOLLY PARTON – FROM RHINESTONES TO ROCK & ROLL, on Tuesday (November 7th) at 10:01pm ET/9:01pm CT. The one-hour special , which features an in-depth interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, features appearances by Sting, Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jordan Davis, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Carly Pearce, Luke Combs and Cody Johnson, among others.

     

    Luke Grimes is scheduled to perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live (check local listings) on Wednesday (November 8th).

    Carrie Underwood is offering fans a special limited edition green vinyl of her Christmas album, My Gift. The new special edition version will include all 11 tracks from the 2020 version of the album, as well as three additional songs including “Favorite Time of Year,” “All Is Well” and “Let There Be Peace/Something In The Water” that she performed on her HBO MAX special, My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood. Click here for more information.

    https://twitter.com/carrieunderwood/status/1720467097833062830

     

    If you are looking to purchase a vinyl copy of Chris Stapleton‘s new album, Higher, you’ll be able to choose from SIX different color variants: translucent milky clear, cola bottle clear, opaque baby pink, opaque bone, opaque brown and standard black. Higher, featuring the superstar’s latest single “White Horse,” is available on Friday (November 10th).

     

    Parker McCollum showed CMT his tour bus, complete with recliners, bunks, drinks, Halloween candy and a humidifier, which has been a game changer for him. Check it out below.