Music News (6/21/23)

2023 Nashville Songwriter Awards To Honor Bobby Braddock, David Israelite & Tim McGraw

Bobby Braddock, David Israelite and Tim McGraw

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) will hold its 6th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards at the Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 26.

The evening, presented by City National Bank, will celebrate the ’10 Songs I Wish I’d Written’ awards, NSAI’s Song, Songwriter, and Songwriter-Artist of the Year. The Nashville Songwriter Awards will also honor Bobby Braddock, David Israelite and Tim McGraw.

NSAI’s highest honor—the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award—will be presented to Bobby Braddock. The legendary songwriter and producer has impacted music with works such as “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (George Jones), “I Wanna Talk About Me” (Toby Keith) and “Time Marches On” (Tracy Lawrence).

“Bobby Braddock is one of the greatest songwriters in any genre, in any era,” says Bart Herbison, NSAI Executive Director. “His legacy of iconic hit songs over many decades speaks for itself. We are honored to bestow him the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award.”

The NSAI Advocacy Award will be given to the much-deserving David Israelite, President & CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association.

Herbison shares, “David Israelite is the architect of the Music Modernization Act and was the quarterback of recent Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) proceedings that will bring billions of dollars in new streaming revenue to songwriters over the next five years. Couple that with a myriad of other accomplishments including getting digital media platforms from Twitch to Peloton to compensate songwriters, we are proud to present him with the NSAI Advocacy Award.”

Tim McGraw will received the President’s Keystone Award. Personally selected by NSAI’s Board President, Steve Bogard, this award will honor of his significant contributions to the industry for the betterment of all songwriters.

“Tim McGraw has been recording great songs by Nashville Songwriters for over three decades,” says Bogard. “On hit after hit, whether rocker or ballad, his artistry and moving performances brings our stories to life and take Nashville’s music across genres and platforms around the world.”

Information regarding tickets and scheduled performers will be announced at a later date.

Peermusic Acquires Entire Earl Scruggs Song Catalog, Majority Of Gary Scruggs Catalog

Pictured (L-R): Kara Blankinship, Director, Clearance & Catalog Management, Peermusic; Patrick Smith, Manager, Legal and Business Affairs; Jesse Scruggs; Jaime Scruggs; Kathy Spanberger, President & Chief Operating Officer, Peermusic; Michael Knox, President, Peermusic Nashville

Peermusic has acquired the entire music publishing catalog of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, as well as the majority of his son Gary Scruggs‘ song catalog.

During his lifetime, Earl was a collaborator with Peermusic founder Ralph S. Peer. The company has served as the publishers of the Earl Scruggs song catalog from the time the songs were written. Through this deal, Peermusic acquires the U.S. rights it was previously administering for Earl, as well as some of the songs that were previously controlled by the Scruggs estate.

The deal also includes the acquisition of the majority of the song catalog of the late Gary Scruggs, a Grammy award-winning songwriter, musician and eldest son of Earl and Louise Scruggs.

“It’s a rare opportunity to acquire these incredible catalogs of songs in this competitive music rights landscape, but what makes this most meaningful to us is the decades-long relationship that Peermusic has enjoyed with Earl Scruggs and Gary Scruggs,” says Kathy Spanberger, President & COO of Peermusic Anglo American Region. “This deal really exemplifies everything a relationship between a songwriter and a publisher should be. Earl and Peermusic worked together successfully for decades to share his music with the world, and Peermusic continues that tradition with the songs of Gary Scruggs. We thank Jesse, Jaime, and the Scruggs family for this opportunity—the entire team at Peermusic is honored to continue championing and protecting Earl and Gary’s incredible legacy of music so that these songs can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

Dylan Wolfe Signs Publishing Deal With Riser House & Lyric Music Publishing

Pictured (L-R, back row): Michael Ransom, Kirby Smith, Lauren Spahn, Brandon Perdue; (L-R, front row): Jennifer Johnson, Dylan Wolfe, Drew Baldridge. Photo: Shannon Bradley

Riser House and Drew Baldridge’s Lyric Music Publishing have partnered to sign singer-songwriter Dylan Wolfe to an exclusive publishing agreement.

Wolfe is an independent country-rock artist from Illinois. He has garnered a large following on social media due to his TikTok presence, as well as over 10 million streams on his recent singles such as “Wasting My Time” and “Something To Talk About.” Wolfe also co-wrote Bailey Zimmerman’s “From The Fall” from his 2022 Leave The Light On EP.

“For 7 years I’ve been playing music, writing songs, working a job, traveling back and forth to Nashville from Illinois and I always prayed that someone would hear my stuff, see my hard work and be willing to take a chance with me,” says Wolfe. “That has finally happened and I couldn’t be more blessed! I’m so excited to be a part of the Riser House family and to have my mentor Drew as part of the team as well. My career has only just begun and the expectations are high for the future!”

“Dylan not only brings raw talent, but he is a self starter and has an incredible work ethic,” says Jennifer Johnson, President and Co-Founder of Riser House Entertainment. “I’m honored to be partnered with Baldridge in this publishing venture, and I am very excited for Dylan’s future!”

Established in 2023, Wolfe is the first artist to sign to Baldridge’s Lyric Music Publishing roster.

“I’ve watched Dylan since day 1 cut his teeth playing in the same dive bars that I started playing in back in southern IL,” says Baldridge. “His work ethic is unmatched and he continues to grow everyday in his artistry and songwriting. I’m so excited to be partnering with Jennifer Johnson and her incredible team at Riser House to give Dylan’s music the light it deserves!”

“Dylan has a truly unique voice, both as an artist and a writer, that feels ripe for the current wave of emerging artists,” says Brandon Perdue, Riser House’s SVP A&R + Publishing. “From the first meeting, his work ethic and character really impressed us and he comes in with some impressive relationships already established as well. We’re truly excited to dive in with he and Drew on this partnership!”