Music News (11/29/17)

Final Grammy Nominees Announced

Nominees were announced for the upcoming 60th Annual Grammy Awards on Tuesday morning (Nov. 28).

Little Big Town, Midland, Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton were among the artists who recorded the Best Country Song nominees. See a full list at MusicRow.com.

Selected from more than 22,000 submissions across 84 categories, the nominations showcase some of the most gifted music makers of the past awards year (Oct. 1, 2016–Sept. 30, 2017). As the only peer-selected music award, the GRAMMY is voted on by the Recording Academy’s membership body of music makers, who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, mixers, and engineers.

The final round of GRAMMY voting will close Dec. 21, 2017. The Recording Academy will present the GRAMMY Awards^® on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, live from Madison Square Garden in New York and broadcast on the CBS Television Network from 7:30–11:00 p.m. ET/4:30–8:00 p.m. PT.

 
UMPG Signs Songwriter Derrick Southerland

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed an exclusive global publishing deal with country music songwriter Derrick Southerland.

Within six months of his first publishing deal, Southerland had a major label cut for “Breaking” (The Swon Brothers) and his song “Be My Girl” was featured on ABC’s Nashville. Southerland also wrote “Mexico,” which was recorded by Carrie Underwood. He also had single success in Canada, Australia and the U.K. with “Young, Alive and in Love” (Tim Hicks) and “Be My Girl” (John & Jacob).

 
Ryan Griffin Signs Publishing/Development Deal With busbee, BMG Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Dan Franquemont (Morris Higham); Nate Ritches (Morris Higham); Jess Rosen (Greenberg Traurig, LLP); Clint Higham (Morris Higham); Will Hitchcock (Morris Higham); Ryan Griffin; Talia Griffin; busbee; Daniel Lee (BMG)

Artist/songwriter Ryan Griffin has entered into a joint publishing and development deal with songwriter/producer busbee and BMG Nashville.

A client of management firm Morris Higham, Griffin has amassed over four million streams on Spotify and was a recent Highway Find on Sirius XM’s The Highway. He has opened for Old Dominion, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady Antebellum, and more, and was the cowriter on Kelsea Ballerini’s No. 1 single “Dibs.” Ryan and busbee recently recorded his first project, which is slated for release in early 2018.

Griffin visited the MusicRow offices earlier this year to preview music from his recent EP, Sake of the Summer, which features the track, “Back Seats and Burnt CDs.”

 
Disney Music Group Signs Johnny Dibb

Pictured (L-R): Josh Tomlinson (BMI), Austen Adams (Dickinson Wright PLLC), Ciara Shortridge (Disney Music Group), Johnny Dibb, Leslie Roberts (BMI), Dustin Kovacic (Dickinson Wright PLLC), Sarah Schumacher (DMG)

Johnny Dibb has entered into an exclusive worldwide agreement with Disney Music Group, announced by Mio Vukovic, SVP A&R/Head Of Creative.

Originally from Plymouth, England, Dibb grew up in Social Circle, Georgia after moving to the U.S. when he was 5 years old. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, he began producing music at 15, and became involved in leading worship at churches around Atlanta through his high school years. He moved to Nashville at 17 to attend Belmont University where he studied music business and production.

 
Singer-Songwriter Lance Carpenter Signs With Show Dog Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Lance Carpenter, Toby Keith

Lance Carpenter has signed with Toby Keith’s Show Dog Nashville label. Carpenter moved to Nashville in 2011, signed a publishing deal in 2012 and had his first No. 1 in 2015 with co-writing Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You Mean It.”

Raised on a farm in Ozark, Arkansas, Carpenter grew up hunting, fishing and playing sports. His love of music was purely as a fan until he picked up a guitar while in college. “I learned my first few chords and the idea of telling stories through music,” he says.

Carpenter soon jumped into his intended career in emergency management, working for the state and federal governments (FEMA). He was involved in 42 different disasters including Hurricane Katrina, with music serving as an escape. “I would take a guitar with me and because I was still learning to play, I really had to focus on what I was doing. I couldn’t think about work, so it was my therapy, in a way.”

After his first performance in 2007, Carpenter sought ways to get involved with the music industry. “I googled the word ‘songwriter,’ found NSAI and joined on the spot,” Carpenter said.

 
Dan Bremnes Signs With Word Entertainment

Word Entertainment has signed singer/songwriter Dan Bremnes to its roster. On the heels of this new partnership, the British Columbia native will release “Going Together.” The track marks his first digital single since the release of his 2015 major label debut album, Where The Light Is (Sparrow/Capitol CMG).

Produced by Toronto-based Mike Wise and mixed by Dan Weston, “Going Together” is dedicated to Bremnes’ wife of ten years, Britt. “From day one she has been the most supportive, sacrificial and amazing partner,” Bremnes said. “This is our love story.”

A special lyric video created for the song features Bremnes’ Instagram feed chronicling he and Britt’s adventures together, including the birth of their children, son Eli (3) and daughter Eden (6 months).

Bremnes is currently on the Winter Jam Spectacular tour, and will again join the 47-city tour from January through March, opening for headliners Lecrae and Skillet and performing a solo set with loop pedals and samplers. In December, he will head back to Canada to headline 16 dates on his inaugural Christmas tour, Jingle All The Way.