Music News (3/18/26)

MusicRow Reveals 2026 CountryBreakout Award Winners

For 24 years, MusicRow has celebrated country music’s success at radio in secondary markets with its annual MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards.

Based on spins on the secondary market stations that report to the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart panel each week, winners in eight categories are awarded. These artists and industry professionals wrote, recorded and promoted the music that played across the nation throughout 2025.

Morgan Wallen, Megan Moroney, Rascal Flatts, Hudson Westbrook, LOCASH and MCA prevail at this year’s CountryBreakout Awards for garnering the most spins in their own respective categories. Hit songwriters Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome and Taylor Phillips, as well as MusicRow Radio Chart reporter Justin Brown are also victors for their esteemed skills.

The winners of MusicRow‘s 24th annual CountryBreakout Awards are highlighted in this week’s MusicRow Weekly newsletter. Click here to view.

Nominees Unveiled For 2026 AIMP Nashville Awards

The Association for Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) has revealed the final 2026 AIMP Nashville Awards nominees. The nominee-only ceremony will take place at the Analog at the Hutton Hotel on April 14th at 7 p.m, and will be hosted by Storme Warren.

The evening will recognize the past year’s biggest hits written and promoted solely by Nashville’s independent publishing companies and their songwriters. Leading the nominations this year are Johnny Clawson with four and Jessie Jo Dillon and Chase McGill with three each.

Categories for this year’s awards include Rising Songwriter of the Year, Rising Artist-Writer of the Year, Artist-Writer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year, Publisher Pick of the Year, Song Champion of the Year, and Publisher of the Year.

“We are very excited to host our 11th AIMP Awards this year, continuing our tradition of honoring the very best independent songwriters and music publishers in Nashville! We look forward to celebrating all of these talented nominees on Tuesday, April 14th,” says Alex Heddle, Senior Vice President of Publishing at Big Machine.

The final voting period opens at 1:30 p.m. CT today (March 17), and closes at 5 p.m. CT on March 24. For any questions regarding voter eligibility and category requirements, reach out here.

Click here to view the full list of nominees.

Jamie Moore Signs With Spirit Music Group

Pictured (L-R, front row): Kennedy Murphy (Spirit Music Group), Jamie Moore, Mike Fiorentino (Spirit Music Group) and AJ Burton (Spirit Music Group/Fluid Music Revolution). (L-R, back row): Spirit Music Group’s Jane Wahlfeldt, Ryan Johnson, Brian Bradford, Will Cooper, Jake Pieklik, Frank Rogers and Andy Hodges. Photo: Courtesy Spirit Music Group

Jamie Moore has signed with Spirit Music Group.

Hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Moore has earned cuts with Carrie Underwood, Mackenzie Carpenter, Toby Mac, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line and Tim McGraw. The four-time Grammy nominee was honored for “Chasin You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen, as one of NSAI’s 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written.

“I love writing songs and being a part of the Nashville songwriter community; what I truly believe is the greatest songwriting community in the world,” shares Moore. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the Spirit family and look forward to celebrating many successes together.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Jamie to the Spirit family,” adds Spirit Music Group Creative Director Kennedy Murphy. “I have had the privilege of getting to know Jamie as the incredible human and friend he is and am now looking forwarding to championing him as a creative. We’re grateful for his trust and partnership in this next chapter of his songwriting career.”

Moore joins a roster that includes HARDY, The Black Crowes, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, David Garcia, Ryan Beaver, Monty Criswell and more.

NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation To Offer Free Tax Preparation Services For Songwriters

The NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation (Supporting Our Next Generation of Songwriters) is partnering with H&R Block to provide free tax services to songwriters based in Nashville and Los Angeles.

The program, which began in 2019, enables songwriters to visit select H&R Block locations to receive assistance with both federal and state tax returns.

“As self-employed individuals, one of the biggest challenges songwriters face annually is dealing with taxes. By offering this free service through H&R Block our hope is that songwriters experience a sense of relief and find more time to dedicate to their craft,” shares NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation President David Israelite.

The application is available here.

Scout Speer Inks With Sony Music Publishing & Dan Isbell

Pictured (L-R): Chelsea Kent (SMP), Rusty Gaston (SMP), Tom Luteran (SMP), Cam Caldwell (SMP), Scout Speer, Dan Isbell, Scott Safford (Safford Motley PLC) and Jeff Peterson (Interstate Music).

Rising artist and songwriter Scout Speer has signed a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Nashville, in partnership with country music hitmaker Dan Isbell.

Speer combines a modern country edge vivid storytelling, her Tennessee upbringing in her sound. Recent singles “Strangers,” “Against Me” and “That’d Be Crazy” have already gained viral attraction, alongside her self-titled EP Scout Speer. Speer has already amassed five million streams, and has performed two sold-out shows in Nashville, alongside making a festival appearance She is currently working on new music, with a full-length album slated for release later in 2026.

“I’m incredibly grateful to be partnering with Sony Music Publishing and Dan Isbell as I take this next step in my career. It’s an honor to work with people who believe so deeply in my music and my future as a writer,” says Speer. “I also want to thank my manager Jeff Peterson and the team at Interstate Music for supporting me from the very beginning and helping me get to this moment. I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”

“I’m thrilled to work with Scout,” shares Isbell. “She’s a killer vocalist with a sound that balances heartfelt melancholy and an upbeat spirit that really comes alive on stage. I can’t wait for Nashville and the rest of the world to hear her voice and experience all she has to say.”

“When Dan introduced me to Scout, I immediately saw in her what he did: an unmistakable voice and a natural storytelling ability that captures audiences,” adds Sony Music Publishing Nashville VP, Creative A&R, Tom Luteran. “Shaped by her collegiate soccer background, Scout has discipline, a team-first mindset and a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed, and we’re proud to partner with Dan to support her career.”