Music News (5/24/17)

MusicRow Awards Retrospective: Song Of The Year

Lori McKenna performs Song of the Year “Humble And Kind” at the 28th Annual MusicRow Awards. Photo: Moments By Moser

Following yesterday’s (May 23) announcement of this year’s nominees for the 29th annual MusicRow Awards, we reflect on the Song of the Year award.

The Best Songs Are The Ones You Write Alone
7 Song of the Year winners were solo-writes:

“Humble and Kind,” Lori McKenna
“Stealing Kisses,” Lori McKenna
“If I Die Young,” Kimberly Perry
“Letter To Me,” Brad Paisley
“Red Ragtop,” Jason White
“Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” Alan Jackson
“Friends,” Jerry Holland

They Sure Know How To Pick ‘Em
These artists have recorded more than one MusicRow Song of the Year.

Brad Paisley: “Letter To Me,” “Whiskey Lullaby,” “He Didn’t Have To Be”
Miranda Lambert: “All Kinds of Kinds,” “The House That Built Me”
Tim McGraw: “Humble and Kind,” “Red Ragtop”

The Chosen Few
Only three songwriters have won the Song of the Year award multiple times.

Lori McKenna: “Humble and Kind,” “Girl Crush,” “Stealing Kisses”
Allen Shamblin: “The House That Built Me,” “Don’t Laugh At Me”
Brad Paisley: “Letter To Me,” “He Didn’t Have To Be”

Subscribed members of MusicRow will receive ballots by email on Wednesday, May 24. Voting closes on Tues., May 30 at 5 p.m. CT. If you do not have a subscription, you may subscribe to receive your ballot and invitation.

Warner Music Nashville Signs Morgan Evans

Morgan Evans with Warner Music Nashville Chairman & CEO, John Esposito

Warner Music Nashville has signed singer, songwriter and musician Morgan Evans.

Signed to Warner Music Australia since 2012, he now continues his relationship with the Warner Music family in Nashville. Managed by Fitzgerald Hartley out of Nashville and Rob Potts Entertainment Edge out of Australia, he is currently in the studio working on new music with songwriter/producer Chris DeStefano.

Evans is set to play the Grand Ole Opry stage this Friday, May 19, followed by a performance the following evening at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café. Evans is also engaged to Black River Entertainment singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini.

Jamie Floyd Joins Writer’s Den Music Group Roster

(L-R): Sarah Feldman (Creative Director, Writer’s Den Music Group) Bobby Rymer (Partner/GM, Writer’s Den Music Group) Jamie Floyd, Lydia Schultz (Manager, Creative Services SESAC)

Jamie Floyd has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Writer’s Den Music Group.

Floyd recently co-wrote the soundtrack to the Burt Reynolds film Dog Years. She is also a member of the duo Stranger Friends with John Martin, and the two are working on their debut album.

Floyd spoke to MusicRow earlier this year about her work in the recent documentary The Last Songwriter, which premiered at the Nashville Film Festival in April. The documentary chronicles Floyd’s struggle to balance her creative pursuits as a Grammy-nominated songwriter with the necessity to make a living. At the time, Floyd said her (then unofficially announced) new deal made for a happy update to her story.

 
Disney Music Group Signs Tina Parol To Publishing Deal

Pictured (L-R): Emily Peacock, AAM; Dennis Lord, SESAC; Sarah Beth Gerlecz, Disney Music Group; Ciara Shortridge, Disney Music Group; Tina Parol; Leslie T. DiPiero, AAM; Shannan Hatch, SESAC; Lydia Schultz, SESAC.

Disney Music Group has signed Tina Parol to an exclusive worldwide agreement.

A first-generation American born to Polish immigrants, Parol started her career in music in the Big Apple as a pop artist on Universal Motown with a Top 40 single. Since moving to Nashville to pursue songwriting full time, she has had songs recorded by artists including Britney Spears, Jerrod Niemann, Dallas Smith, and Celine Dion. Her songs have been placed in shows on Fox, ESPN, Lifetime, MTV, NBC, CBS, and ABC, including two songs on the show Nashville.

 
Singer-Songwriter Jillian Cardarelli Teams With WME, Suretone Entertainment, Loeb and Loeb

Pictured (L-R): Matthew Malcolm (WME), Corey Wagner (Suretone), Brittany Schaffer (Loeb and Loeb), Jillian Cardarelli

Singer-songwriter Jillian Cardarelli has signed with William Morris Endeavor exclusively for worldwide representation. The news comes after signing a management deal with Suretone Entertainment, the powers behind music heavyhitters ZZ Top, Fleetwood Mac and Lonestar. Additionally, Loeb and Loeb has come onboard for legal representation.

Currently on tour with Lonestar, Cardarelli is preparing for the Spring release of her debut single, “Re-Run,” penned by Maren Morris, Tina Parol and Jordan Reynolds. An EP release is planned for the summer.

Cardarelli has been a regular National Anthem performer for sports organizations including the Boston Bruins, the Boston Celtics, Baltimore Orioles, and the Nashville Predators. As a songwriter, she recently landed her first major label cut with Australian artist Jody Direen on ABC Music.