Music News (8/12/20)

Thomas Rhett Inks With Warner Chappell

Thomas Rhett has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville. The multi-Platinum singer-songwriter was most recently signed to Sony/ATV. 

Thomas Rhett is the reigning ACM Awards Male Artist of The Year and current 5-time nominee. He has charted 15 No. 1 songs, while his most recent single “Beer Can’t Fix” marks his ninth consecutive No. 1, breaking the Billboard Country Airplay Chart record for most consecutive chart-toppers. 

Thomas Rhett has earned two CMA Triple Play awards for penning three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period and was the most played artist on country radio in 2018. Along with writing and co-producing much of his own material, Thomas Rhett has written songs recorded by Jason Aldean (“I Ain’t Ready to Quit” and “1994”), Florida Georgia Line (“Round Here”), and Old Dominion (“Some People Do”), among others.

Most recently, Thomas Rhett enlisted the help of friends Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban for “Be A Light,” which is Top-5-and-climbing at country radio.

Thomas Rhett is managed by Virginia Bunetta of G Major Management, and was represented in the agreement by attorney Jess Rosen of Greenburg Trarig.
 

MusicRow Awards: Winners To Be Revealed Online Aug. 18

MusicRow will reveal the winners of the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards on all MusicRow online platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, starting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

MusicRow Awards Schedule of Announcements
9:00 a.m.: Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards
9:30 a.m.: Producer of the Year
10:00 a.m.: Label of the Year
10:30 a.m.: Agency of the Year
11:00 a.m.: Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
11:30 a.m.: Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year
12:00 p.m.: Male Songwriter of the Year
12:30 p.m.: Female Songwriter of the Year
1:00 p.m.: Song of the Year
1:30 p.m.: Robert K. Oermann Discovery Artist of the Year
2:00 p.m.: Breakthrough Artist of the Year
2:30 p.m.: Artist of the Year

Winners will be revealed for Producer of the Year, Song of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Songwriter, Breakthrough Artist-Writer, Label of the Year, Talent Agency of the Year, Robert K. Oermann Discovery Artist of the Year, Male and Female Songwriters of the Year, and Artist of the Year throughout the day.

Click here to read about the nominees up for each category.

The Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards will also be announced on Aug. 18, recognizing the industry’s most in-demand studio players.

Presenting Sponsor of the 2020 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.

Final nominees for the MusicRow Awards are determined by an internal MusicRow committee. For the Breakthrough Songwriter and Breakthrough Artist-Writer categories, music publishers are invited to submit qualifying candidates for consideration. Male and Female Songwriter nominees are based on data compiled from MusicRow’s Top Songwriter Chart. The eligibility period for the 2020 awards was April 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020

MusicRow‘s August/September print magazine, featuring all of the nominees, is available for purchase now at musicrow.com for $20, and are included with yearly MusicRow memberships.

Please note that issues of MusicRow Magazine’s MusicRow Awards issue can only be purchased online as the MusicRow building is currently closed to the public due to COVID-19.
 

Darby Signs Publishing Deal With Ebach Entertainment, UMPG

Darby Cappillino (Darby) has inked a publishing deal with Ebach Entertainment and Universal Music Publishing Group.

Darby first made her way onto the music scene in 2016, when she was featured on the song “You” with internet sensation, Matty B. The YouTube video garnered 13 million views and caught the attention of songwriter/ producer Justin Ebach, who first learned about Darby through his little sister.

Darby’s natural passion for chords and harmony was nurtured through watching her mother and father perform in the Inspirational group, Point of Grace. Her father played an array of artists on the car stereo, including Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton, Elton John and others that would shape her into the songwriter she’s grown into today.

She debuted her first project, Trying On Dresses, in January of 2019 and has since released five other tracks, been streamed millions of times, was featured in the CMT Artist Discovery program, and her latest release – ‘New Girl’- was exclusively released on CMT in May.

“I am thrilled to make this official with Darby,” said Ebach Entertainment’s Janine Ebach. “You meet a lot of great singers in this town, but it’s not every day you meet a star in the making. Darby is not just a singer but a songwriter, actress and overall entertainer. There are so many opportunities already brewing for her in music and beyond at such a young age and partnering with Ebach, Missy Roberts, and Troy Tomlinson at UMPG is an added bonus.”
 

Courtney Marie Andrews Signs With Reservoir, One Riot

Courtney Marie Andrews has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Reservoir and One Riot. The deal includes global rights to Andrews’ newly released album, Old Flowers, plus future works.

Originally from Phoenix, Andrews broke through the music scene with the 2016 release of her album, Honest Life, which went to No. 1 on both the Official UK Americana Albums and Independent Album Breakers charts and was named the Bluegrass Situation’s Album of the Year. She followed that with her 2018 album, May Your Kindness Remain, which also shot to No. 1 on the Official UK Americana Albums and Independent Album Breakers charts, as well as topping the Euro Americana Chart. Since its release, Andrews won International Artist of the Year at the 2018 UK Americana Awards and earned a nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards.

The 10 new songs comprising Old Flowers stemmed from the aftermath of a long-term relationship and follow her personal journey through heartbreak, loneliness and finding herself again. In the lead up to its July 24 debut via Fat Possum Records, Andrews released several singles including “If I Told,” “It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault,” “How You Get Hurt” and “Burlap String.”

Old Flowers has been steadily climbing the charts, while “It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault,” was the top downloaded single at AAA radio and reached a new peak at No. 15 on the Americana Singles chart. Andrews was the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Folk playlist and was featured on CBS’ Saturday Morning.
 

Clay Walker Signs Label Deal With Show Dog Nashville

Clay Walker has signed with Toby Keith‘s Show Dog Nashville label.

Walker has been preparing a new project over the past year, working with many of the genre’s top songwriters, and details on the new single and album project will be coming soon. He has charted 31 singles, many of which continue to receive strong airplay, including “Live Until I Die,” “Dreaming With My Eyes Open,” “If I Could Make A Living,” “This Woman And This Man,” “Hypnotize The Moon,” “Rumor Has It,” “Then What,” “The Chain Of Love,” “I Can’t Sleep” and “She Won’t Be Lonely Long.”

“Toby and I started out at the same time and share a common vision,” Walker says. “We are managed by the same team and no one understands what an artist needs like another artist. We see eye to eye in so many ways. I am thrilled to be a part of this team and can’t wait to get my new music out to everyone.”

“Our paths have crossed many times,” Keith said. “I respect Clay as an artist, and his catalog of hits speaks for itself. He writes and sings country music. What a concept.”

“Clay and I had a phenomenal run as teammates on Giant Records a few years back,” said Rick Moxley, Show Dog Nashville’s VP Promotion. “He is an incredible country artist and I look forward to another successful string of hits.”