• CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AND UMG NASHVILLE ANNOUNCE COUNTRY MUSIC-THEMED TOURING SHOW.

    Cirque du Soleil will bring audiences of all ages a new theatrical touring show starting in Nashville in July 2024 in collaboration with Universal Music Group Nashville. While introducing the perfect harmony of captivating acrobatics and soulful melodies of beloved country legends and contemporary stars, this ode to country music’s rich heritage promises an unforgettable experience. With deep roots in storytelling, heartfelt emotions, and the ability to resonate with audiences from all walks of life, both country music and Cirque du Soleil embody themes of love and resilience – as well as a passion for breathtaking, powerful performances.

    “Our collaboration with Universal Music Group Nashville presents an exciting opportunity for us to expand our creative horizons and reach new audiences, as we delve into the vibrant world of country music entertainment.” Stéphane Lefebvre, President, and CEO of Cirque du Soleil.

    “We are thrilled at the idea of joining forces with Cirque du Soleil to offer a one-of-a-kind show celebrating classic and modern country music. Cirque du Soleil is a shining example of making the impossible, possible through creativity, collaboration, and emotion. The opportunity to highlight our incredible catalog and bring the history of country music to life in a live theatrical setting, will allow our music to live on with a new generation of audiences and country music fans,” said Cindy Mabe, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville.

    Ticket Info
    Premiering the North American Tour in July 2024 at Tennessee Performing Arts Center® (TPAC), in Nashville. Fans are invited to register on CirqueCountry.com ahead of the ticket sales for exclusive pre-sale, updates, and information. The general public on-sale begins on December 6, 2023.

    So, hold onto your cowboy hat as you two-step into a mesmerizing world of breathtakin’ guitar grooves & aerial moves with a boot stompin’ journey into the heart & soul of country.

    Casting – Singers & musicians Auditions in Nashville
    In the true spirit of country music, Cirque du Soleil will be holding auditions for singers and multi-instrumentalists in Nashville. The audition dates are December 4 to 7, 2023. If you have the vocals of Dolly Parton, the rebel spirit of Johnny Cash, and you can groove like Shania Twain, we want to meet you! Find out more about the audition process here. https://casting.cirquedusoleil.com/auditions-events

    Link to download visual assets and video HERE

  • LUKE BRYAN AND PEYTON MANNING ARE SET TO HOST THIS YEAR’S CMA AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning are in the last few hours of prepping to host this year’s CMA Awards, and they feel they are really zoned in on each other’s timing since being paired together last year.

    “With us, we’re just comfortable now, like I know how he rolls,” says Luke. “I guess our timing, we know a little bit better about our comedic timing and how that’s gonna roll.”

    Peyton agrees and says he had a lot of fun last year, not only hosting, but watching the performances and seeing all of the winners. “I’m honored to be back. It was a lot of fun for me last year, and I’m kind of the outsider here. The music was so great, and seeing all the winners last year, the looks on their faces, as Luke and I kinda discussed last year, this is a life-changing moment for so many of these artists, and so I can appreciate that, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of those other life-changing moments tomorrow night.”

    The NFL Hall of Famer has made a lot of friendships with country artists over the years, beginning with Tennessee Vols fan Kenny Chesney. He’s also close friends with Brad Paisley with whom he has done numerous Nationwide Insurance commercials, as well as new pals Jordan Davis and Parker McCollum.

    “Probably wasn’t necessarily a huge country fan growing up in New Orleans, because I wasn’t exposed to it as much, but when you spend four years in college in Knoxville, country music is right in front of you, and I just jumped right in and embraced it,” says Peyton. “I got to meet a number of the artists during that time and started going to concerts. I met Kenny (Chesney) on the sidelines at a Tennessee game, and he and I got to be good friends and saw him perform several times. He performed at my wedding, which was a great honor. And that’s just been the coolest part for me is getting to know these artists as friends, as well, not just as entertainers, and I’ve tried to continue to get to know him and spend some time with ‘em, you know playing golf and I’ve appreciated their friendships. I met Jordan Davis four years ago, and he told me that we met before, and I said, ‘I don’t recall that.’ And he said, ‘I was a high school quarterback from Shreveport and I came down to your high school football camp back in 2004.’ And I said, ‘Obviously, we coached you right into country music.’ (LUKE LAUGHS) We couldn’t help him much as a quarterback. I love stories like that, and I went on a golf trip with Parker McCollum earlier this year and he and I have stayed in touch. He’s gonna play this charity event for me in Indianapolis that Luke has played, which means a great deal to me. So, I love it. I love the stories. I love to hear where the artists have come from, whether it’s Albany, Georgia or Gibbs High School outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, and I love to kind of know the hard work that these artists have put in to reach their dreams. It’s been a lot of fun for me, and I really do value these friendships that I’ve made, and I enjoy getting to know new ones each year.”

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

    Audio / Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning talk about hosting the CMA Awards.

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    Luke Bryan Peyton Manning (hosting CMA Awards) OC: …the cameras. 1:01
    LUKE: “With us, we’re just comfortable now, like I know how he rolls. He kinda, I guess our timing, we know a little bit better about our comedic timing and how that’s gonna roll.” PEYTON: “Yeah, obviously I’m honored to be back. It was a lot of fun for me last year, and I’m kind of the outsider here. The music was so great, and seeing all the winners last year, the looks on their faces, as Luke and I kinda discussed last year, this is a life-changing moment for so many of these artists, and so I can appreciate that, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of those other life-changing moments tomorrow night. But got a great line-up of artists performing, and I just hope Luke and I get off to a better start. We had all these rehearsals last year (LUKE LAUGHS). We walked out and I thought we were supposed to stand at this spot. Luke thought it was this spot. I think we kind of just split it down the middle.” LUKE: “Literally, the first move, there’s a star here and a star there, and we get to the first star, and we look at each other and we’re like, just split the difference. They’ll focus the cameras.”

    Audio / Peyton Manning talks about some of the friendships he's made with the country music community.

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    Peyton Manning (country music friends) OC: …each year. 1:43
    “Probably wasn’t necessarily a huge country fan growing up in New Orleans, because I wasn’t exposed to it as much, but when you spend four years in college in Knoxville, country music is right in front of you, and I just jumped right in and embraced it. I got to meet a number of the artists during that time and started going to concerts. I met Kenny (Chesney) on the sidelines at a Tennessee game, and he and I got to be good friends and saw him perform several times. He performed at my wedding, which was a great honor. And that’s just been the coolest part for me is getting to know these artists as friends, as well, not just as entertainers, and I’ve tried to continue to get to know him and spend some time with ‘em, you know playing golf and I’ve appreciated their friendships. I met Jordan Davis four years ago, and he told me that we met before, and I said, ‘I don’t recall that.’ And he said, ‘I was a high school quarterback from Shreveport and I came down to your high school football camp back in 2004.’ And I said, ‘Obviously, we coached you right into country music.’ (LUKE LAUGHS) We couldn’t help him much as a quarterback. I love stories like that, and I went on a golf trip with Parker McCollum earlier this year and he and I have stayed in touch. He’s gonna play this charity event for me in Indianapolis that Luke has played, which means a great deal to me. So, I love it. I love the stories. I love to hear where the artists have come from, whether it’s Albany, Georgia or Gibbs High School outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, and I love to kind of know the hard work that these artists have put in to reach their dreams. It’s been a lot of fun for me, and I really do value these friendships that I’ve made, and I enjoy getting to know new ones each year.”

  • 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.

     

     

     

     

  • UMG NASHVILLE SIGNS LOUIE THESINGER.

    Photo I.D. (L-R): Manager Lorenzo Zenteno; UMGN’s Lori Christian, Cindy Mabe, and Mike Harris; Louie TheSinger; UMGN’s Chelsea Blythe and Rob Femia/Photo Credit: Chris Hollo

    UMG Nashville has signed rising star Louie TheSinger. Louie has built a strong foundation based on trust with his fanbase by placing his truth at the forefront, sharing the scars and the joys through his music.

    “Having witnessed Louie’s magnetic charisma translate on stages across this country and watch the rabid fan base he is building, I know that Louie is going to widen the country music audience,” says UMG Nashville Chair & CEO Cindy Mabe. “I am so inspired by Louie’s energy, purpose and intention to expand the sound of country music through his own personal story and his songs. I am so proud to bring Louie into the Universal Music Group Nashville family!”

    Proud of his Texas roots and his Mexican heritage, and proud to have overcome struggles in his life, Louie represents a voice and sound not found in today’s country music.  Louie grew up in the streets of Fort Worth and spent time in prison, where he vowed to change course. Upon his release, he put all his focus on family and on creating and performing music his own way.

    “It’s crazy to think that I was just in a prison cell three years ago and now I’m signed to one of the biggest record labels in the world,” shares Louie. “Big thank you to Cindy Mabe and my new fam at UMG Nashville. I’m ready to disrupt country music (in a good way). I’m just tryna add a little spice and make my people proud. It’s time Mexican Americans have a voice in this country world and I’m here for it.”

    Louie is currently in the studio working on new music expected in the new year.

  • MUSIC ICON BRENDA LEE CELEBRATES THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER BELOVED HIT “ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE” WITH NEW MUSIC VIDEO DEBUTING ON CMT, RIAA 5X PLATINUM CERTIFICATION, AN NBC SPECIAL APPEARANCE AND MORE.

    Rock and Roll Hall and Country Music Hall of Famer Brenda Lee is celebrating her signature song, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” on the 65th Anniversary of the holiday classic. Written by Johnny Marks, who wrote many of the holiday standards, the song was released when Lee was just 13 years old. Last year, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was the second highest streamed Christmas song with 240M streams. It was recently certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA. Now, for the first time ever, Lee has created an official music video for the song, which is out today. The video made its broadcast premiere on CMT, CMT.com, CMT Music and Paramount Times Square Billboards.

     

    Photo Credit: Alexa King Stone

    Featuring cameos by country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, the video shows Lee getting ready for her favorite holiday by trimming the tree, baking cookies and there is even a special visit by Santa.

    “For those out there who know me and have supported me and my music through the years, I’ve very proud to be putting out the first ever music video for ‘Rockin’.’ This song has been so special to me – I never thought it would be my signature song, but I love that it is because it brings so much joy,” said Lee. “I remember the day I recorded this wonderful Johnny Marks song, and here we are 65 years later and I’m only here because of you. I won’t ever meet all of you, but I know you are there and have been since I was a little girl – so Thank You and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!”

    A new EP, A Rockin’ Christmas with Brenda Lee is also out today featuring Lee’s hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and other holiday favorites including “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock” “A Marshmallow World” and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” reimagined by Filous. Listen | HERE

    Lee will perform “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” on the upcoming NBC television special “Christmas at the Opry” which airs Thursday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and streams next day on Peacock.

    For Audio of Brenda talking about “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” click HERE.

    About Brenda Lee:
    Brenda Lee signed with the legendary Decca Records label before her 12th birthday and went on to record such landmark hits as “Sweet Nothin’s,” “All Alone Am I,” “Break it to Me Gently” and “I’m Sorry.” Though she had success in multiple genres including rockabilly, pop and rock, Lee found her home in country music. Lee’s best-loved hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” is celebrating its 65th anniversary and continues to top the charts year after year. Not only has Lee sold more than 100 million albums globally, throughout her career she shared stages and earned the respect of the world’s most revered performers. The Beatles opened for her and the lads from Liverpool became good friends with the Southern belle from Atlanta, and Elvis Presley and Lee made their Grand Ole Opry debut on the same night. Lee had nine consecutive top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits from 1960 to 1962 and set a record for a female solo artist that was unequaled until over two decades later. Lee churned out country hits such as “Sunday Sunrise” and “Big Four Poster Bed” and continued to have country hits into the 80s, including “I Love Her So,” a duet with George Jones. Lee was the first woman inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Fames and she is a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement award.

    Audio / LINER Brenda Lee (Here's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree)

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    Audio / LINER Brenda Lee (Seasons Greetings)

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  • TRAVIS DENNING RELEASES NEW SONG “GOING PLACES.”

    Travis Denning released a new song today, “Going Places.” Written by Denning, Matt Mulhare, Paul DiGiovanni and Jeremy Stover, the track was produced by Paul DiGiovanni and Jeremy Stover.

    LISTEN TO “GOING PLACES” | HERE

    “I think “Going Places” is a sonic departure from where I’ve usually been known to go,” said Denning. “Lyrically, I wanted to paint a picture of a storyline of two people that ran together then blew apart into two very different lives. I tried to challenge myself to think outside of my normal comfort zone melodically and musically with this one, and that’s been the motive for all the new music I’ve been working on.”

    Denning has some remaining tour dates before the end of the year.  Tickets are available HERE.

     

    11/10 Bradenton, FL Joyland Country Music Night Club
    11/11 Miami, FL Country Bay Music Festival
    11/18 Winnsboro, SC Carolina Adventure World
    12/21 Decatur, GA Eddie’s Attic

     

    About Travis Denning:
    A native of Warner Robins, Georgia, singer/songwriter and Mercury Nashville recording artist Travis Denning first made waves with the release of his Top 40 debut single “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs,” which has also been certified Gold by the RIAA. He celebrated his first No.1 and Platinum certified single with the “shadowy” (Rolling Stone) “After A Few,” from Denning’s debut EP Beer’s Better Cold, which debuted in the Top 20 of Billboard’s Country Albums chart. The track “Buy A Girl A Drink,” off the EP Might As Well Be Me is a candlelit confession that features Denning’s tender lyricism, marking Denning’s highest streaming debut to date. His song, “Strawberry Wine And A Cheap Six Pack,” is Denning’s second highest debut and has already amassed over 6.3M Global streams. Denning’s songwriting extends to other artists – he has co-written for Morgan Wallen, Michael Ray, Chase Rice, Jason Aldean and Justin Moore. Denning has previously headlined his own “Heartbeat Of A Small Town Tour,” toured with Brother’s Osborne, Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, Alan Jackson, Riley Green, Dierks Bentley and Jake Owen and he is currently out on the road headlining and playing festivals. With over 800 million streams worldwide, Denning has been spotlighted for his head-turning sound and is making his mark within the industry, being previously selected as one of CRS New Faces, an Opry NextStage recipient and a CMA KixStart Artist. He also recently performed on “ACM Honors” which aired on FOX. Denning is in the studio recording his next project. For more information, visit travisdenning.com.

     

    Audio / Travis Denning talks about his new song, "Going Places."

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    Travis Denning (Going Places) OC: …around here. :22
    “It’s about a love story that blew apart two totally separate ways in a big way. This girl ended up going to a new city, new job, new career, new life, and the guy stayed home and went to the bar and went out of his mind. And it’s just kind of the passive-aggressive kind of way of saying you’re not the only one that’s going places around here.”

    Audio / LINER Travis Denning (Going Places)

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