Music News (11/2/16)

2016 ASCAP Country Awards

Publisher and Song of the Year honoree Warner Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley, Publisher and Song of the Year honoree Warner Chappell’s Jon Platt. Photo: Ed Rode

The 54th annual ASCAP Country Awards were staged at the Ryman Auditorium on Monday (Oct. 31), honoring Ashley Gorley with his fourth win as its Songwriter of the Year, Ricky Skaggs with its ASCAP Founders Award and Chris Stapleton with its ASCAP Vanguard Award.

Skaggs was saluted by Gordon Kennedy and Peter Frampton with “My Cup Runneth Over.” The close-harmony quartet of Alison Krauss, Jamey Johnson, Sydney Cox and Suzanne Cox offered “Waiting for the Sun to Shine.” Garth Brooks rounded out the Skaggs tribute with “Highway 40 Blues,” accompanied by Bush and Justin Moses. Marty Stuart made the Founders Award presentation.

Warner/Chappell won the country Publisher of the Year for the fourth consecutive time. Radio personality Bobby Bones was given the Partners in Music Award for helping to make stars of Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini and Cam, among others.

John & TJ Osborne had just performed their hit “Stay a Little Longer” with Sam Bush and Dave Pomeroy when it was suddenly announced as the ASCAP Country Song of the Year. “Stay a Little Longer” was one of the five top ASCAP country songs of the year. The other four were also performed at various points throughout the gala.

Corey Crowder and Chris Young tore into “I’m Coming Over.” Craig Wiseman and Luke Laird offered a lively “Gonna.” Dan + Shay wore outfits meant to imitate Gorley and Chris DeStefano as all four performed “Nothin’ Like You.” That one drew a standing ovation. Old Dominion band mates Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi did “Save It for a Rainy Day.” Their band spent most of the year touring with “Save It” singer Kenny Chesney.

2016 BMI Country Awards

Pictured (L-R): Michael O’Neill, Kenny Chesney, Jody Williams.

This year’s BMI Awards saluted Ross Copperman as the organization’s first-time Country Songwriter of the Year, Kenny Chesney—who has 30 No. 1 hits—was given the BMI President’s Award, and “Die a Happy Man”—written by its singer Thomas Rhett with Sean Douglas and Joe London Spargur—won the Frances W. Preston Country Song of the Year Award.

Sony-ATV set a new record by winning BMI’s Country Publisher of the Year honor for the 15th time. Georgia Congressman Doug Collins was given the BMI Champion Award for his legislative efforts on behalf of the songwriting community.

The ceremony, staged at BMI’s Music Row headquarters on Tuesday night (Nov. 1), also made history by honoring a record-setting 16 first-time songwriter winners. These included Cam (Ochs), Chris Janson, Michael Ray, Granger Smith, Jamie Lynn Spears, Tyler Johnson, Jennifer Wayne and Brian Davis.

Chesney’s segment featured Keith Urban, who delivered “I Go Back” in an arrangement that evolved from acoustic-guitar simplicity to a full-band, electric-guitar rave-up. Dean Dillon provided a touching, tender, solo on “Tin Man.” Eric Church injected his intensity into “Anything But Mine.”

Copperman was honored for writing seven major hits in 2015-16. The artists of six of those tunes were there to celebrate with him. They were Billy Currington, who sang Copperman’s co-written “Don’t It;” A Thousand Horses, who did “Smoke;” Urban, who immortalized “John Cougar, John Denver, John 3:16;” Luke Bryan, who hit with “Strip it Down” and Brett Eldredge, who recorded “Drunk on Your Love” and “Lose My Mind.” The sixth awarded Copperman song was “Confession,” sung by Florida George Line.

Award winners included Barry Dean, Al Anderson, Tom Douglas, Luke & Beth Laird, Trent Summar, Jim Collins, Brett & Jim Beavers, Casey Beathard, Tommy Cecil, Rodney Clawson, Jeffrey Steele (winning his 30th BMI Award), Dallas Davidson (his 25th), Westin Davis, Andrew Dorff, Liz Rose, Connie Harrington, Lee Thomas Miller, Jay Knowles, Lori McKenna, Melissa Pierce, Michael White and Phil O’Donnell.

2016 SESAC Nashville Awards

2016 SESAC Nashville Music Awards Song of the Year “Somewhere On A Beach” recipients Jaron Boyer and Michael Tyler, SESAC VP of Creative Services Shannan Hatch, SESAC Chairman and CEO John Josephson, and SESCAC Songwriter of the Year Josh Hoge (right).

SESAC kicked off the Country Music Week festivities at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday eve (10/30).

The performance rights organization bestowed its top 2016 Nashville honors on Josh Hoge (Country Songwriter), Margo Price (Americana), Sony-ATV/EMI Foray/Write 2 Be Free (Country Publisher) and “Somewhere on a Beach” (Song of the Year). Recording artists were on hand to congratulate the SESAC writers, including Chris Young, who sang their co-written “I’m Comin’ Over” before giving Hoge his honor. Dierks Bentley was on hand to honor co-writers Jaron Boyer and Michael Tyler for his hit “Somewhere on a Beach.”

Billy Currington presented to Cary Barlowe for co-writing his hit “It Don’t Hurt Like it Used To.” Dustin Lynch presented to Boyer for “Hell of a Night.” Kelsea Ballerini presented to Jesse Lee for bringing her the idea and co-writing “Peter Pan.” Michael Ray presented to Justin Wilson for “Kiss You in the Morning” and to Lance Miller for “Real Men Love Jesus.” Cassadee Pope presented to Hoge for “Think of You.”

Others in the country winners’ circle were songwriter James Abrahart Jr., the absent Zac Brown Band and publishers such as Michael Knox, Kim Wiggins, Kent Earls, Dan Hill and Bob Doyle.

SESAC’s Americana honorees included Elizabeth Cook, Bruce Burch, Corb Lund, Jason Eady and an absent Kevin Welch. As with the country honorees, Americana star Jim Lauderdale was present to win and Margo Price sang her “Desperate and Depressed” prior to winning with her Midwest Farmer’s Daughter album.

Jennifer Johnson Launches Riser House Publishing, Signs Michael Whitworth

Front: Michael Whitworth. Back row, (L-R): Mitchell Tenpenny, Riser House; Jason VanAuken, Riser House; Jeff Colvin, representing Michael Whitworth; Jennifer Johnson, Riser House; Kristen Ashley, Riser House; Lilly-June, Dog/Riser House Mascot; Paige Pugh, Riser House; Jim Zumwalt, Representing Riser House. 

Jennifer Johnson has launched a new publishing company, Riser House Publishing with first signee, Michael Whitworth from Roswell, Georgia.

Jason VanAuken has signed on as the company’s General Manager, with Kristen Ashley taking on the Sr. VP/Creative Director and Paige Pugh as Creative Manager.

Johnson continues to simultaneously run Song Factory, which recently celebrated a No. 1 hit with Jon Pardi.

Brock Berryhill Inks With Warner/Chappell Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Will Overton (WC), Brock Berryhill, Noah McPike (Berryhill’s attorney). Back row (L-R): Travis Carter (WC), Ben Vaughn (WC), Matt Michiels (WC), Alison Junker (WC), BJ Hill (WC)

Brock Berryhill has signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Nashville. The Nashville native has had songs recorded by Kane Brown (“Rockstars”), Darryl Worley (“Rainmaker”), Josh Thompson, and Tyler Ward.

Berryhill also produced tracks for twenty one pilots, Halestorm, A Rocket to the Moon, The Lacs, Jake Owen, Parmalee, and others, and had synch placements on the NFL Network, ESPN, MTV2, and BBC, as well as national licensing placements with companies like Subway and Ford, among others.

MV2 Entertainment Signs Thomas Archer

Pictured, Top Row (L-R): Kendra Polling, Tony Harrell, Kendall Lettow, Clay Myers. Bottom Row (L-R): Thomas Archer, Leslie Roberts (BMI). Photo courtesy of MV2 Entertainment

MV2 Entertainment has added Thomas Archer to its roster, where he joins writers Bart Allmand, Robert Arthur, Nora Collins, David Fanning, and Terry McBride.

The Georgia native moved to Nashville after graduating college in 2012 with a degree in accounting. In February 2014, Thomas signed his first publishing deal with BMG where he would have several cuts by Jordan Rager, Colt Ford, Walker Hayes and many others. He is a co-writer on Luke Combs’ debut single, “Hurricane.”

MV2 (Mission, Vision, Values) was formed by industry veterans Clay Myers and Harrell along with James Archer and the executive team of Blake Gage and Harold Johnson.