Music News (2/7/18)

MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards Honor Ashley Gorley

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson, Ashley Gorley and MusicRow Chart Director Alex Kobrick. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

MusicRow Magazine hosted its 16th annual Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards at the Listening Room Café this week, recognizing top spin recipients from the magazine’s panel of reporting stations in 2017.

Notably, the Songwriter of the Year was Ashley Gorley, who has co-written an incredible seven No. 1 hits during the past 12 months. He was also ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year for a record-setting fifth time last year.

Read more at MusicRow.com.

Alan Jackson, Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff Headed To Songwriters Hall Of Fame

New York’s Songwriters Hall of Fame announced the recipients of its 49th annual Induction and Awards ceremony on Tuesday morning (Feb. 6), including Alan Jackson, Bill Anderson and Steve Dorff. The induction event will take place on June 14 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Read more at MusicRow.com.

Cody Belew Joins ASCAP Family

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe Johnston, Cody Belew and ASCAP’s Robert Filhart

Singer/songwriter Cody Belew stopped by ASCAP’s Nashville offices Jan. 31 to officially sign with the performing rights organization.

A native of Beebe, Arkansas who received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Arkansas Tech University, Belew moved to Nashville in 2011. While constantly writing songs and figuring out how to navigate the music business, he opened Hyde Salon in 2012 and helped to build that into a thriving Nashville brand before opening Duet, a women’s contemporary store, in the fall of 2017. He is currently writing for an upcoming project set for release in the summer of 2018.

 
ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo Announces First Round Of Panelists

ASCAP has announced the first wave of music creators who will take the stage at their 2018 “I Create Music” EXPO. Among what is expected to be over 200 panelists from across the music business, are ASCAP members Jason Mraz, Marc Cohn, Darrell Brown, Dan Wilson, Claudia Brant, Marcus Miller, Desmond Child, Paul Williams, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.

Registration is now open for this year’s EXPO, which will be held Monday, May 7 through Wednesday, May 9 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles.

 

NSAI Announces Board Of Directors

Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has concluded its 2018 Board of Directors election. New board members are Corey Crowder, Chris DeStefano and Jimmy Yeary.

Current board members who were re-elected to an additional two-year term include Tony Arata, Steve Bogard, Jeff Cohen, Ben Glover, Connie Harrington, Byron Hill, Liz Rose and Jenn Schott.

These members join existing board members Rhett Akins, Jim Beavers, Roger Brown, Beckie Foster, Nicolle Galyon, Brett James, Tim Nichols, Gary Nicholson, Josh Osborne, Rivers Rutherford, Anthony Smith, Caitlyn Smith, Bobby Tomberlin, Troy Verges and Danny Wells, whose terms expire in 2019. Additionally, past-president Lee Thomas Miller sits on the board as a non-voting ex-officio member.

The election includes votes by the NSAI Professional Songwriter Membership and appointments by the NSAI Board of Directors. Officer elections will occur at the May 2018 board meeting.