Music News (2/10/16)

MusicRow Reveals Songwriter Winners at CountryBreakout Awards

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Craig Shelburne, songwriters Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, and MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson. Photo: Molly Hannula

MusicRow’s 14th annual Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards celebrated success on the 2015 MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart, the leading secondary country radio chart.

Songwriters Shane McAnally, Ashley Gorley, and Josh Osborne tied for the Songwriter of the Year honor, which recognizes the writer(s) who penned the most No. 1 songs on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart. McAnally, Gorley, and Osborne penned five chart-topping songs each in 2015.

Read a full write-up about the event at MusicRow.com.

BBR Music Group Signs Kristian Bush

Pictured (L-R, Bottom Row): Kristian Bush; BBR Music Group CEO/President Benny Brown; (Top Row) BBR Music Group EVP Jon Loba; Magic Mustang Music VP of Publishing Juli Newton-Griffith; BBR Music Group Legal & Financial Affairs Colton McGee. Photo: Courtesy of BBR Music Group

BBR Music Group has signed Kristian Bush to a multifaceted publishing, production and label deal. He is already in the studio working on the follow-up to his debut solo album, Southern Gravity, to be released via BBR imprint Wheelhouse Records. Bush also joins the songwriting roster at Magic Mustang Music. As a member of Sugarland, Bush co-wrote nine of the band’s 11 Top 10 country singles.

Bush is managed by Red Light Management, booked by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and represented by publicity agency Sweet Talk Publicity. He is a BMI affiliated songwriter.

Will Overton Appointed To Warner/Chappell A&R Post

Will Overton

Warner/Chappell Music has appointed Will Overton to A&R Manager, Warner/Chappell Nashville. In this role, Overton will work with new and established songwriting talent. He will report to Ben Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Nashville.

Overton previously worked at music publisher Droptine Music and, before that, at William Morris Endeavor. He graduated from the University of North Carolina and went on to earn a Master’s in Management Studies at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

NSAI to DC, New Board

Pictured (L-R): NSAI Legislative Co-Chair Roger Brown, Songwriter Equity Act sponsor Congressman Doug Collins (GA), songwriter Jeff Cohen, NSAI’S Bart Herbison and Jennifer Turnbow.

In association with Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) participating in three days of meetings in Washington D.C. this week on the topic of music licensing reform, the songwriter organization concluded its 2016 Board of Directors election. New board members are Jeff Cohen, Ben Glover, Connie Harrington and Liz Rose.

Current board member who were re-elected include Tony Arata, James Dean Hicks, Byron Hill, Lee Thomas Miller, Jenn Schott, Stephony Smith and Dave Turnbull.

These members join existing board members Rhett Akins, Jim Beavers, past-President Steve Bogard, Roger Brown, Beckie Foster, Nicolle Galyon, Ben Hayslip, Brett James, Tim Nichols, Gary Nicholson, Rivers Rutherford, Anthony Smith, Caitlyn Smith, Bobby Tomberlin, Troy Verges and Danny Wells, whose terms expire in 2017.

The election includes votes by the NSAI Professional Songwriter Membership and appointments by the NSAI Board of Directors.