Author: Meghan Reich
SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE WINS FIVE ACM AWARDS, THE MOST FOR ANY LABEL GROUP
| Sony Music Nashville earned five trophies at the “56th ACM Awards,” the highest tally for any label group. Most-awarded artist of the evening, Maren Morris received her second Female Artist of the Year Award. Morris also received her first ACM Award for Song of the Year for her 3X Platinum No. 1 multi-format hit “The Bones,” as both artist and songwriter. She joined husband Ryan Hurd for the first-ever performance of their new duet “Chasing After You” from the Ryman Auditorium (watch here). This marks Hurd’s inaugural ACM appearance. Kane Brown was an early winner, taking home his first ACM Award ever for Music Video of the Year (“Worldwide Beautiful”). During the show, he and Chris Young debuted their Top 20 single “Famous Friends” from the Ryman Auditorium (watch here). Old Dominion took home their fourth consecutive Group of the Year Award, the longest winning streak in the category since 2008. The group was also nominated for ACM Song of the Year for “Some People Do,” which Matthew Ramsey co-wrote. Luke Combs performed his latest Top 20 single “Forever After All” accompanied by a string orchestra at the Grand Ole Opry House (watch here). Combs was nominated for ACM Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Music Event of the Year for “Does To Me” with Eric Church. Miranda Lambert hit the stage alongside Elle King at the Grand Ole Opry House to open the show with their newest collaboration, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” (watch here). She later joined Chris Stapleton at The Bluebird Cafe for a performance of “Maggie’s Song” (watch here) and her The Marfa Tapes collaborators Jack Ingram and Jon Randall at the Ryman Auditorium for the premiere performance of “In His Arms” off the anticipated project (watch here). Lambert is ACM’s most-decorated artist of all time, and was nominated for ACM Female Vocalist of the Year, as well as “Single” and “Song” for “Bluebird.” Brad Paisley surprised ACM New Male Arist of the Year Jimmie Allen at The Bluebird Cafe and performed “Freedom Was A Highway” (watch here). For more information, visit sonymusicnashville.com. About Sony Music Nashville: Sony Music Nashville includes its three country label operations – Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville and RCA Nashville – and Provident Entertainment. |
KAT &ALEX RELEASE TWO NEW SONGS “HEARTBREAK TOUR” AND “YOU AND THE RADIO”
Country-Latin disruptors, Kat & Alex, have released two new songs today, “Heartbreak Tour” and “You and The Radio,” via Sony Music Nashville.
“Heartbreak Tour” and “You and the Radio” are available everywhere now, HERE.
“Heartbreak Tour” puts the duo’s harmonious vocals at the forefront as they deliver heartfelt lyrics about the push and pull of their journey in music. The song was written by Kat & Alex themselves and produced by Brad Hill (Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne). Meanwhile, “You and the Radio” offers upbeat, rowdy guitars and an anthemic chorus that longs for sunset drives with that someone special and the radio on at full blast. The song was written by Robyn Collins (Josh Gracin, Kalie Shorr, Hayley Orrantia), Jordan Minton (Keith Urban, Dan + Shay, Abby Anderson), and Mark Trussell (Keith Urban, Maren Morris) and also produced by Hill.
About “Heartbreak Tour,” Kat & Alex say, “‘Heartbreak Tour’ is extremely special to us because it’s one of the very first songs we wrote together. It came to us at a difficult time in life when we were wrestling between doing music full time and going back to 9-5 jobs. So in reality, it’s a real reflection of our choice to pursue this life and this career together.”
The rising stars burst onto the music scene when they competed individually on American Idol in 2020, giving viewers their first taste of the couple’s unique Country-Latin sound. After their run on Idol, the pair moved to Nashville to embark on their musical journey together. In a few short months, their distinct blend of voices has ignited a fire within the music community, and the two are perfectly positioned to blaze their own trail.
Last Fall, Kat & Alex released their debut single, “How Many Times ,” which showcases the duo’s unique musical style – a unique blend of country and soul with Latin roots. The song was written by Grammy-winning songwriter Jordan Reynolds (Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett) and his frequent co-writing partner Robyn Collins and it was produced by Brad Hill. The duo also released a version of the song that features a Spanish chorus, in homage to their Latin heritage. Since it’s release, “How Many Times” has surpassed over 9 million streams and was placed on major playlists such as Spotify’s Hot Country, New Boots, Sin Ti, Duetos and Apple Music’s Today’s Country and Country Risers.
KatandAlex.com | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
KANE BROWN ANNOUNCES 35 CITY NORTH AMERICAN BLESSED & FREE TOUR
Today, 5X American Music Award winning entertainer Kane Brown announced his headlining Blessed & Free Tour, stopping in 35 North American cities. Brown made the announcement from the American Airlines Center in Dallas during one of his surprise promotional stops in upcoming tour markets. Starting October 1 in Sacramento, Brown’s Blessed & Free Tour will visit all 29 NBA basketball arenas throughout 2021 and 2022, making him the first country artist in history to headline every NBA basketball arena in a single tour. A life-long basketball fan and former high school athlete, Brown first hinted at the tour when he played at the 2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity game in Chicago. The country star is set to visit milestone venues from coast-to-coast, including Brown’s first headlining dates at New York City’s Madison Square Garden and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Brown also returns to play the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, where in 2020 he became one of a handful of country artists to sell out the venue. In addition to the NBA arenas, the Blessed & Free Tour will make stops in Nampa, State College, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Seattle at the brand new Climate Pledge Arena before wrapping the tour in Las Vegas. Jordan Davis will join Brown as support for all 2021 tour dates, with Chase Rice joining the tour in 2022. Restless Road, who Brown signed to his label, 1021 Entertainment (a Sony Music Nashville joint venture), will open all shows throughout the full tour.
Register for early access to tickets now at kanebrownlive.com. Tickets for Blessed & Free Tour will go on-sale to the general public Friday, April 16th, at 10 am CT. A limited number of VIP Packages will be available. These exclusive offers include an amazing selection of tickets, early-access to the General Admission Pit, limited edition merchandise and much more. Visit kanebrownmusic.com for a full list of tour dates, additional pre-sale and ticket on-sale information.
Noted as the “future of Country” (Billboard) and one of “31 People Changing the South” (Time), the chart-topping entertainer recently earned his first ACM Album of the Year nomination for Mixtape Vol. 1, as well as a Video of the Year nomination for his anthem “Worldwide Beautiful.” In November 2016, Brown entered the Top 5 of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with his self-titled 2X Platinum debut album. Brown made history almost a year later as the first artist ever to lead all five of Billboard ’s main country charts simultaneously which can be attributed to his 13-week-No. 1 Kane Brown Deluxe Version album including the huge hits “Heaven” and “What Ifs” featuring Lauren Alaina. Respectively the third and seventh most-streamed country songs of all time (U.S. Nielsen Country On-Demand Streams chart), “Heaven” and “What Ifs” both have exceeded 1 billion streams worldwide. And remarkably, upon the two songs receiving 6X Platinum award upgrades, Brown joined Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan as the only artists with multiple 6X Platinum or more country songs certified by the RIAA. With the chart-topping Billboard 200 release Experiment in November 2018, Brown became the only male country artist in more than 24 years to have his sophomore album debut at the top of this chart. The Platinum-certified long-player has yielded three consecutive No. 1 and 2X Platinum singles – “Lose It,” “Good As You” and “Homesick.” Brown’s Mixtape Vol. 1 EP features his newest country solo single, “Worship You,” his previous country smash, “Cool Again,” and the Platinum-certified No. 7 Top 40 single, “Be Like That,” a collaboration with Swae Lee and Khalid. Fueled by Marathon, Blessed & Free marks the first tour for Brown since his Worldwide Beautiful Tour.
SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE SIGNS KAT & ALEX
Pictured (left to right) are: Top Row – Sony Music Nashville’s COO/EVP Ken Robold, SVP A&R Taylor Lindsey, SVP Marketing Jennifer Way, SVP Sales & Streaming Caryl Atwood and Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman; Middle Row – The AMG’s Rob Beckham, Kat & Alex and The AMG’s Steve Bryan; and Sony Music Nashville’s VP National Promotion Lauren Thomas, EVP Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges, EVP A&R Jim Catino, VP Creative Services Tracy Fleaner and SVP Legal & Business Affairs Angie Magill.
| NASHVILLE, TN – Sony Music Nashville announced the signing of Kat & Alex today. The newly-married country-Latin duo, made up of Kat and Alex Georgia, released English and Spanish versions of their debut track, “How Many Times,” in October, and the music video in November. Listen to “How Many Times” in English HERE and Spanish HERE, and watch the video HERE. “Joining the Sony Music Nashville family is truly a dream come true for us,” Kat and Alex comment. “From our very first meeting, this team has shown so much passion and excitement for our music, and we just know that we are going to accomplish amazing things together! We are so excited to get back in the studio and start working on new music!” Kat & Alex just returned from their honeymoon, following their intimate wedding at Cactus Creek Barn in Dickson, Tennessee, on January 15. Read about their ceremony and celebration in an exclusive PEOPLE feature and photo gallery HERE. About Kat & Alex Kat & Alex are poised to redefine the boundaries of country music. With a unique and powerful sound that can best be described as country-soul fusion with Latin roots, Kat’s textured, savory vocals perfectly complement Alex’s smooth, low country sound, allowing the two to create harmonies that flow seamlessly between languages. Kat & Alex made their national television debut on Season 18 of “American Idol.” A first-generation American raised in a Puerto Rican family in Northwestern Georgia, Alex often entertained by dancing and putting on shows. His dad’s old acoustic guitar unlocked a world of possibilities as he taught himself how to play. Alex’s family moved to Miami when he was 11 years old, and he used the instrument to make friends and find confidence as a musician. In high school, inspired by artists ranging from Fleetwood Mac and Norah Jones to Garth Brooks, he learned piano. Meanwhile, Kat grew up in Miami as a first-generation American in a Cuban family. Her quiet charisma shined on the 2018 season of “La Voz,” the Spanish-American version of the popular NBC series “The Voice.” Following her run on the show, she attended Vous Church pastored by Rich Wilkerson, JR. A special guest in a cowboy hat captivated her from the stage. |
SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE SIGNS WILLIE JONES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PENTHOUSE
Sony Music Nashville has announced today the signing of Willie Jones to an exclusive deal in partnership with the Penthouse. “Whoa! I can’t wait to see what’s down this road,” said Jones. “I appreciate everyone who has been part of the Willie Jones story so far, and I’m truly blessed. Now, let’s get it.” Jones, a Shreveport, LA native, seamlessly blends hip-hop and country music, paving the way for a genre-expanding sound that’s truly signature. The rising artist has earned critical acclaim for his debut album Right Now, which features the poignant patriotic single “American Dream.” The video clip of this anthem was jointly premiered on CMT and BET, a first for the networks. He also recently performed the track on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Watch here. Jones has been featured in NPR All Things Considered, Forbes, Rolling Stone, Vulture, E! News, PEOPLE, MTV and more. Jones is represented by Jonnie Forster at The Penthouse for management and John Huie at CAA for booking. He is signed to a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville. WillieJonesMusic.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok |
ANDREW JANNAKOS IMPACTS COUNTRY RADIO WITH “GONE TOO SOON,” ONE OF THIS WEEK’S MOST-ADDED SINGLES WITH 18 COUNTRY STATION ADDS
RCA Nashville singer-songwriter Andrew Jannakos impacts country radio today with his debut single “Gone Too Soon,” garnering 18 first week adds. Written by Jannakos alongside Jason Afable and Josh Bricker, “Gone Too Soon” was commercially released in September and earned the singer a #1 debut on Billboard’s Emerging Artist Chart, while the track landed at #12 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and within the Hot 100. Stream/download “Gone Too Soon” here.
This morning, Jannakos released a heartfelt fan generated video for “Gone Too Soon” (view here). The video is a compilation of fan-submitted videos of things that were “gone too soon” to them, where he received over 2,800 submissions from his continuously growing global following. The video serves as a thank you to his fans for supporting him and allowing him to have his first single at country radio.
The 2021 Artist to Watch (Sounds Like Nashville, Country Sway) also spoke with Country Insider about the process of taking his first-ever single to country radio in a recent interview. Read the story here.
“Gone Too Soon” was originally teased on Jannakos’ TikTok, when his girlfriend (now wife) posted a clip of him singing along to the track while cooking dinner (view here). By the next morning, the post racked up 250k likes. To date, “Gone Too Soon” has amassed over 30 million on-demand streams and now has an accompanying music video (watch here), which premiered on December 11.
The Flowery Branch, Georgia native grew up in a small-town neighborhood where barbecue parties and backyard soccer games were everyday events. Today, that sense of community translates to his nearly one million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and continues to grow stronger with every viral post. In less than four months, Jannakos’ TikTok page amassed over 38.4 million video views, 3.8 million likes and 380k followers. Today, his numbers have greatly surpassed these and his follower count has more than doubled.