Music News (8/18/21)

Tune In to Learn The 2021 MusicRow Awards Winners Tomorrow

MusicRow will reveal the industry-voted winners of the 33rd annual MusicRow Awards in a series of videos on all MusicRow online platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, starting at 9:00 a.m. TOMORROW (Aug. 19).

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 Group 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.: Discovery Artist of the Year
2:00 p.m.: Breakthrough Artist of the Year
2:30 p.m.: Artist of the Year

Presenting Sponsor of the 2021 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.

Click here to read about the nominees up for each category. The nominees are also profiled in the recently released MusicRow Awards print issue.

The Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards will also be announced on Aug. 19, recognizing the industry’s most in-demand studio players for Bass, Drums, Engineer, Fiddle, Guitar, Keyboards, Steel, and Vocals.
 

Danielle Blakey Signs With Round Hill Music Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Lindsay Will (Manager, A&R, Round Hill Music Nashville), Mark Brown (Sr. Vice President/General Manager, Round Hill Music Nashville), Danielle Blakey, Bob Squance (Sr. Director, A&R, Round Hill Music Nashville)

Danielle Blakey has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Round Hill Music Nashville.

The Australian-born songwriter and producer has had songs recorded by Jimmie Allen, Matt Stell, Easton Corbin, Kelleigh Bannen, Levi Hummon and Erin Kinsey, among others.

“Danielle is an extremely talented songwriter and producer and we’re thrilled to welcome her to the Round Hill Music family,” says Bob Squance, senior director of A&R, Round Hill Music Nashville. “Her work ethic and dedication to music are exceptional and we’re looking forward to having great success together.”

“Danielle is a unique talent and will be a huge asset to the Round Hill team. We’re excited to get to work,” adds Mark Brown, senior vice president and general manager, Round Hill Music Nashville.

Blakey joins the roster at Round Hill that includes Ashley Gorley, Jimmy Robbins, Zach Crowell, and more.

“I am over the moon to be working alongside Bob Squance and the whole team at Round Hill Music,” says Blakey. “I’m excited to begin this new chapter of my career and am proud to be part of such an incredible roster.”
 

Travis Denning Shows Off His Many Sides With Dirt Road Down

Travis Denning

Mercury Nashville Recording artist Travis Denning recently released his sophomore project Dirt Road Down, which provides a well rounded spectrum of Denning’s personality.

With a long song (“Dirt Road Down”), a bar-burner (“Call It Country”), a wise look at life (“I Went Fishin'”), and a tongue-in-cheek ditty Denning is becoming known for (“ABBY”), the ever-charming artist shows off his songwriting chops on the six-song set.

Denning recently spoke with MusicRow about his Dirt Road Down project.

Click here to read the full interview on musicrow.com.
 

Levon Gray Signs With Kane Brown’s Verse 2 Music

Pictured (L-R): Verse 2’s Kent Earls, Kane Brown, Levon Gray, Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston

Singer-songwriter Levon Gray has signed with Verse 2 Music, a Sony Music Publishing joint venture helmed by multi-Platinum entertainer Kane Brown and publishing veteran Kent Earls.

Growing up Gray was exposed to various styles of music from salsa, reggae, blues, and country music, which inspired him to write and sing in various styles. After starting his career as a music minister, Gray decided to change course and began to open for Case, KeKe Wyatt and Tamela Mann. In 2018, he provided guitar for Lil Baby’s Street Gossip project.

Gray co-wrote Brown’s new upcoming single, “One Mississippi,” that Brown teased on social media earlier this week.

Gray caught Brown’s attention when he uploaded a video of a song he wrote to social media, tagging Brown and a few other artists. Brown messaged Gray and invited him to co-write in Nashville, telling him if the song was good that he would cut it and perhaps talk about signing him to Verse 2 Music. The opportunity was a much needed positive moment for Gray, who lost his mother recently to COVID.

“He came up to Nashville. I sat back and was in A&R to make sure he knew what he was doing, and he wrote [‘One Mississippi’]. It just means the world to me,” Brown says. “I’m so pumped for him, and to see what this does for him in the future.”

“Levon wowed us from his first co-write, and after getting to know him as a person, he continues to wow us with his graciousness and work ethic,” says Earls. “We’re excited to help achieve all of his hopes and dreams. Welcome to the Family, Levon!”

“I just love making music that can make memories,” says Gray. “The guys at Verse 2 are on the same page, so I’m just grateful to God and them.”