Music News (1/29/14)

For the first time in the history of the CountryBreakout Awards, MusicRow will honor the songwriter who accumulated the most No. 1s from the previous year on the MusicRow Chart.

On Feb. 18, the invite-only 2014 CRS Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards will reveal the Songwriter of the Year, and present long established airplay awards including Male Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Group/Duo of the Year, Breakout Artist of the Year, Independent Artist of the Year, Label of the Year, and Reporter of the Year.

A total of 44 songs reached No. 1 last year, based on reports from MusicRow’s panel of Country stations from across the U.S.

Subscribe for your invitation to the ceremony, which will feature performances by Native Run (Show Dog-Universal) and Natalie Stovall and the Drive (HitShop Records).

In 2014, MusicRow introduced the No. 1 Challenge Coin to honor the artists and songwriters who have earned a No. 1 song on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart throughout the year. With each new chart, recipients will be chronicled in the “Charts” menu at MusicRow.com.

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Centricity Music and Centricity Music Publishing have signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with Brentwood-based, Music Services, Inc. Under this new partnership, Music Services will be responsible for the royalty accounting for both the record and publishing assets of Centricity and the licensing of their recorded masters and songs.

Centricity’s Record roster includes Aaron Shust, Andrew Peterson, Carrollton, Jason Gray Jonny Diaz and Canadian country group, High Valley.

Music Services currently serves the needs of 25 record labels and 200 music publishers representing the rights to some 3,400 owned or administered catalogs.

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Catch This Music LLC (CTM) expands its properties with the creation of CTM Records, and has signed flagship artist Jared Mitchell.

A free concert and signing party is planned for Wednesday, Jan. 29, 8-10 p.m. at Tin Roof Nashville, and will feature songs from Mitchell’s current CD The Maiden Voyage and new tunes from upcoming releases. Mitchell is a pop-Americana, singer-songwriter, who has also signed his publishing to CTM Writers Ink.

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Pictured (Front row, L-R): Mike Sebastian, VP/General Manager, Given Music Publishing; Chris Caminiti. (Back row, L-R): Michael Martin, Senior Creative Director, ASCAP; Denise Stevens, Senior Counsel, Loeb & Loeb LLP.

Given Music Publishing has signed songwriter/instrumentalist Chris Caminiti to its roster. Caminiti, a Chicago native, moved to Nashville in 2005 to further his songwriting craft. He was a Top 4 finalist in consecutive years in the CMT/NSAI song contest, and has performed during Tin Pan South and Key West Songwriter’s Festivals.

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Hearts Bluff Music has hired Ashley Hertzog and Tyler Sutphen. Hertzog takes on the role of Creative Manager/Executive Assistant. Her previous publishing stops include Combustion Music and My Good Girl Music.

Sutphen joins the company as Communications Manager. His experience began in Abilene, Texas, working with some of Hearts Bluff’s strategic partners before making the move to Nashville.

Hearts Bluff Music manages a $30 million music-publishing portfolio that includes over 10,000 titles, 50 No. 1 songs, and five Hall of Fame writers. Among the notable copyrights are Elvis‘ “Mystery Train,” Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration,” Jennifer Lopez‘s “Ain’t it Funny,” the theme to I Love Lucy; as well as Country hits such as “She’s Everything,” “Baby Blue,” “Austin,” “My Best Friend,” and “Waitin’ On A Woman.” For more info on the company, visit heartsbluffmusic.com.