Music News (7/20/22)

Nominees Announced For 34th Annual MusicRow Awards

MusicRow Magazine is proud to reveal the nominees for the 2022 MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank. The winners of this year’s honors will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, August 30.

Subscribed members of MusicRow will receive their ballots via email on Wednesday, July 20.

Click here to view the digital “Nominator” newsletter for a complete list of all nominees.

There are 11 member-voted categories, including:
1. Producer of the Year
2. Label Group of the Year
3. Talent Agency of the Year
4. Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
5. Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year
6. Male Songwriter of the Year
7. Female Songwriter of the Year
8. Song of the Year
9. Discovery Artist of the Year
10. Breakthrough Artist of the Year
11. Artist of the Year

Now in its 34th year, the MusicRow Awards are Nashville’s longest running music industry trade publication honors and celebrate the achievements of songwriters, artists, producers, and more.

The final nominees revealed in this announcement are determined by a committee. For the categories of Breakthrough Songwriter and Breakthrough Artist-Writer, outside nominations are also considered. For the Male and Female Songwriter of the Year categories, nominees are based on data from MusicRow’s Top Songwriter Chart. All nominations are based on projects that were active between the period of June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022.

MusicRow‘s August/September print magazine, which is produced and mailed out prior to the MusicRow Awards winners announcement on Aug. 30, features all of the nominees for the 34th annual awards. This print edition also includes exclusive industry-related editorial features.

Top 10 Album All-Star Musician Awards for Bass, Drums, Engineer, Fiddle, Guitar, Keyboards, Steel, and Vocals will also be announced on Thursday, Aug. 30, recognizing the studio players who performed on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart during the eligibility period.

MusicRow subscribers will vote to determine award winners. The Ballot Voting Period runs Wednesday, July 20 at 11 a.m. through Friday, July 29 at 5 p.m. To become a subscribed member and become eligible to vote, sign up here.
 

Leah Marie Mason Rounds Out Team With Warner Chappell, Numbers Don’t Lie, Sony’s The Orchard

Pictured (L-R): BJ Hill, VP A&R Warner Chappell Music Nashville; Josh Windt, The 13th; Leah Marie Mason; Andrew “Dru Brett” Harr, The 13th. Photo: The 13th

Leah Marie Mason has signed a global, joint publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and Numbers Don’t Lie.

Additionally, Mason and independent Nashville label The 13th have signed a global distribution deal with Sony’s The Orchard, providing Mason with exclusive access to The Orchard’s full suite of artist and label services, including marketing, promotion, rights management, sync licensing, advertising, and more.

Mason has been featured as the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Country playlist for her popular crossover single “Habit.” She is a featured performer around many of Nashville’s storied stages, such as The Listening Room’s Song Suffragettes showcases and Whiskey Jam.

The 13th and Numbers Don’t Lie Publishing are co-owned by Andrew “Dru Brett” Harr and Jermaine “Mayne” Jackson. Professionally known as The Runners, the Grammy-nominated duo have worked with Rihanna, John Legend, and DJ Khaled, among others.

“Leah Marie Mason is breaking in this market by embracing non-traditional marketing strategies. Brad Navin and his team at The Orchard are fully supporting our vision,” says Harr.

“Storytelling is always what drew me to country music, and Leah is so great at making you feel the emotions. We’re lucky to be working with her and the Numbers Don’t Lie team,” says B.J.Hill, VP of A&R, Warner Chappell Music Nashville.
 

Sony Music Nashville Signs Corey Kent To RCA Imprint

Sony Music Nashville, Triple 8 Management, Combustion Music and Corey Kent celebrate Kent’s signing to the label at the SMN offices. Photo: Katie Krauss

Country singer-songwriter, Corey Kent, has signed with Sony Music Nashville on the label’s RCA Nashville imprint.

Kent’s major label contract with Sony comes after a bidding war between many labels. The Oklahoma native impressed industry members with his debut single, “Wild As Her,” which landed Kent his first-ever entry into the Billboard Hot 100 after exploding on the streaming platforms with nearly 70 million streams in just 4 months.

Combustion Music, who was critical in Kent’s development, will remain in partnership with the artist for his publishing and more. The artist is managed by Triple 8 Management.

Now, with the support of a major label, “Wild As Her” will officially impact radio on Aug. 15. To celebrate the announcement of his signing, Kent has released a new version of  his breakout tune, now as a duet with rising singer-songwriter Carter Faith.

Kent started playing music at an early age, becoming the lead singer of a touring western swing band at age 11 and opening for acts such as Roy Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys. He made the move to Nashville at age 17.

Kent earned 3.5 million streams with his 2020 LP, From The West, which set the stage for this next chapter. In December of 2021, he released his sophomore album, ’21, to an overwhelmingly positive reception. His songs “Gold” and “Ain’t My Day” from the project have amassed nearly 15 million streams combined. Kent also has had success writing for other artists, including Kolby Cooper, Brandon Jenkins, Clark Green and more.