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Keith Urban will return for a fourth consecutive year to help the Country Music Association celebrate those behind the year’s top country tours, when the 2025 CMA Touring Awards are held Jan. 27 in Nashville.
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The nominations were revealed Monday (Nov. 24) for the upcoming awards ceremony, which honors touring musicians, managers, touring managers, stage managers, backline technicians, lighting directors, production managers, performance venues and many other touring professionals.
Final round voting for the 2025 CMA Touring Awards opening Monday, Dec. 1, and closes Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. CT.
Veteran artist manager Jim Halsey will be honored with the CMA touring lifetime achievement award, which is presented to an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of country music touring. During the course of more than six decades, Halsey has guided the careers of artists including Roy Clark, Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard and The Oak Ridge Boys, and expanded country music’s international impact, helping the genre to rise to a global stage.
“Recognizing the incredible work of our touring community is one of the highlights of our year,” Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Our road warriors are the heart and soul of our business, bringing their spirit to audiences everywhere with creativity and passion. The growth of country music would not be possible without the dedication of each of our nominees, and we can’t wait to celebrate their achievements in January.”
“I love touring, always have, always will,” Urban shared in a statement. “And that only happens with so many people behind the scenes out there on the road making it happen every night. The CMA Touring Awards is where we turn the spotlight on our road families and celebrate the hard work they all do for all of us. It’s an honor to host, and I’m glad to be back.”
The CMA Touring Awards (originally called the Standing Room Only Awards) were launched in 1990 by the CMA Board of Directors to recognize outstanding professional achievements in the touring industry; the ceremony was renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.
See the full list of nominees below:
Crew of the yearAll-American Road Show Tour crew – Chris StapletonAm I Okay? Tour crew – Megan MoroneyBroken Branches Tour crew – Dierks BentleyI’m the Problem Tour crew – Morgan WallenJim Bob World Tour crew – HARDYLive on Tour crew – Kelsea BalleriniOn the Road Tour crew – Tyler ChildersWhirlwind World Tour crew – Lainey Wilson
Backline technician of the yearPatrick Boyle – Tyler ChildersDalton Ray Brown – Lainey WilsonWilliam Coats – Eric ChurchCasey Ervin – Jelly RollTerry Fox – Kenny ChesneyMatt Kennedy – Morgan WallenHunter Lamb – HARDYChris Miller – Keith Urban
Business manager of the yearStephanie Alderman – Farris, Self & Moore, LLCRenee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.Legina Chaudoin – O’Neil Hagaman, LLCDuane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Jen Conger – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Stephanie Mundy-Self – Farris, Self & Moore, LLCKris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLCDwight Wiles – Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC
Coach/truck driver of the yearChad Allison – HARDYTim Barrett – Kane BrownDustin Bringham – Parker McCollumSteve Carmack – Megan MoroneyGreg Cook – Riley GreenCaleb Garrett – Luke BryanJason Humphrey – Jason AldeanNick Wagner – Morgan Wallen
Front of house engineer of the yearRyan Dell – Lainey WilsonChris Diener – Kelsea BalleriniDavid Loy – Kane BrownJames “Pugs” McDermott – Dierks BentleyJeff “Pig” Parsons – Blake SheltonRobert Scovill – Kenny ChesneyTodd Wines – Miranda LambertIan Zorbaugh – Old Dominion
Lighting director of the yearBen Bearden – Chris StapletonNick Chang – Kelsea BalleriniZac Coren – Morgan WallenJustin Kitchenman – Luke BryanAndy Knighton – Rascal Flatts/Jason AldeanKevin Lichty – Old DominionAlex Sanchez – Parker McCollumAlec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett
Manager of the yearNarvel Blackstock – Starstruck EntertainmentHayley Corbett – PunchBowl EntertainmentEnzo DeVincenzo – 377 ManagementKerri Edwards – KP EntertainmentTroy “Tracker” Johnson – TRACK ManagementChris Kappy – Make Wake ArtistsMandelyn Monchick – Red Light ManagementZach Sutton – Red Light Management
Monitor engineer of the yearBeau Alexander – Morgan WallenCurt Armstead – Lainey WilsonBrad Baisley – Blake SheltonCory Benson – Tyler ChildersChris Daniels – Luke BryanLogan Hanna – Brothers OsborneChris Newsom – Kelsea BalleriniPhil Wilkey – Keith Urban
Production manager of the yearChris Alderman – Blake SheltonJohn Garriott – Chris StapletonJeff “Goofy” Greeninger – Jon PardiAdam Groeninger – Dierks BentleyChad Guy – Morgan WallenBrent Maxon – Parker McCollumEarl Neal – Jason AldeanEd Wannebo – Kenny Chesney
Publicist of the yearJanet Buck – Essential Broadcast MediaZach Farnum – 117 Entertainment GroupAsha Goodman – Sacks & Co.Olivia Hanceri – OH CreativeTyne Parrish – The GreenRoomJessie Schmidt – Schmidt RelationsWes Vause – Press On PublicityJennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity
Stage manager of the yearShaun Carswell – Dierks BentleyAlex Church – Megan MoroneySam “Sambo” Coats – Eric ChurchTodd Green – Chris StapletonMatt Hornbeck – Luke CombsJosh “Dude” Marcus – Jason AldeanAllison Noah – Carly Pearce / Lainey WilsonLonnie Taylor – Jon Pardi
Support services company of the yearASCOT Travel Services – NashvilleBandit Lites – NashvilleClair Global – NashvilleCrom Tidwell Merchandising – NashvilleMoo TV – NashvillePioneer Coach – NashvilleRichards & Southern – Goodlettsville, Tenn.Sound Image – Nashville
Talent agent of the yearBecky Gardenhire – WMEChad Kudelka – CAAKeith Levy – Wasserman MusicBraeden Rountree – WMEAdi Sharma – The Neal AgencyElisa Vazzana – UTAHunter Williams – CAAJay Williams – WME
Talent buyer/promoter of the yearBridget Bauer – Messina Touring GroupTodd Boltin – Variety AttractionsPatrick McDill – Live Nation NashvilleBrian O’Connell – Live Nation NashvilleRich Schaefer – AEG PresentsAaron Spalding – Live Nation NashvilleStacy Vee – GoldenvoiceEd Warm – Joe’s Bar
Tour manager of the yearMatt Anderson – Old DominionKyle Crownover – Tyler ChildersDustin DeRosier – Kelsea Ballerini / Little Big TownJeff Gossett – Morgan WallenMike McGrath – Keith UrbanMeg Miller – Lainey WilsonMark Oglesby – Post MaloneChelsae Partosan – Megan Moroney
Touring musician of the yearMark “Taco” Annino (Drums) – Morgan WallenJody Bartula (Fiddle) – Cody JohnsonJT Cure (Bass Guitar) – Chris StapletonJenee Fleenor (Fiddle) – George StraitAslan Freeman (Guitar) – Lainey WilsonKenny Greenberg (Guitar) – Kenny ChesneyKurt Ozan (Multi-Instrumentalist) – Luke CombsJesse Welles (Multi-Instrumentalist) – Tyler Childers
Tour videographer/photographer of the yearMason Allen – Old DominionAlex Alvga – Kane BrownZach Belcher – Dierks BentleyCaleb Cockrell – Jordan DavisSam Crabtree – Riley GreenTanner Gallagher – HARDYZack Massey – Luke CombsCatherine Powell – Kelsea Ballerini
Tour video director of the yearDave Bergfeld – Lainey WilsonHouston Creswell – Dierks BentleyAdam Cline – Morgan WallenMilojko Dobrijevich – Little Big TownRon Etters – Chris StapletonJordan Karow – HARDYJustin Stein – Parker McCollumJake Zobrist – Cody Johnson
Venue of the yearBankNH Pavilion – Gilford, N.H.Bridgestone Arena – NashvilleFenway Park – BostonGrand Ole Opry House – NashvilleGreek Theatre – Los AngelesMoody Center – Austin, TexasThe Pinnacle – NashvilleRed Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, Colo.
Unsung hero of the yearHolly Atherton (Production Assistant) – Chris StapletonChase Butler (Road Manager) – Riley GreenMichael Corcoran (General Manager) – mtheoryKayla Carter Greear (Production Assistant) – Luke BryanJeff “Bean” Griffin (Road Manager) – HARDYLolo Kinser (Logistics Coordinator) – Post MaloneDiana “Lemonade” McBride (Backstage Hospitality) – Grand Ole OpryMel Murphy (Road Representative) – Live Nation Nashville
SZA’s SOS Deluxe: Lana, the deluxe edition of her 2022 album SOS, has set a new record as the album with the most tracks that have received Grammy nominations – a whopping nine tracks. These nominations have been spread out over four Grammy eligibility years. “Good Days,” which was released in December 2000, was nominated […]
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Rissi Palmer, Coffey Anderson, Miko Marks, Reyna Roberts and Pynk Beard were among the winners at the second Origins Impact Awards, held Thursday (Nov. 20) at Nashville’s The Cowan.
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The awards were launched last year by boutique entertainment agency Origins Music Group to recognize emerging, independent and underrepresented artists and executives in the Nashville music community.
Palmer, who received the Academy of Country Music Honors Lift Every Voice Award in August, took home two awards: the Cultural Impact Award for her Apple Music podcast Color Me Country, and the Innovative Project Award for From Where I Stand, a newly expanded version of a boxed set originally released in 1998 by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Warner Music Nashville that highlights the works of Black country and Americana artists. Palmer shared the latter award with BMI’s Shannon Sanders and the CMHOF.
Angie K won artist of the year, while Sacha’s “Hey Mom I Made It” captured song of the year.
The nominees were selected from a write-in ballot from industry members and fans.
Hosted by Justin Lee, performers included Pynk Beard, Wendy Moten, Grayson Russell, Sam Pounds and Coffey Anderson.
Below is the full list of Origins Impact Awards winners.
Champion Award
Winner: Coffey Anderson
Breland
Nina “Teapot” Owens
Jacqueline Marushka
CULTURAL IMPACT AWARD
Winner: Color Me Country
FEMco
Country Proud
Country Latin Association
Community Advocate Award
Winner: Song Suffragettes
BMI Rooftop on the Row
Kinfolk (Warner Records)
Equal Access
Executive of the Year
Winner: James Marsh – Warner Music Nashville
Gina Miller – Waters Edge Entertainment
Rakiyah Marshall – Back Blocks Music
Candice Watkins – Capitol Records Nashville
Best Collaborative Effort Award
Origins Music Group x Country Latin Association – Country Con Corazon
Color Me Country x The Long Road Festival
Don Louis & Sammy Arriaga – Mine in My Mind
Winner: Frank Ray & Shy Carter – Jesus at the Taco Truck
Innovative Project Award
Winner: From Where I Stand — Shannon Sanders, Rissi Palmer & CMHOF
Country Forward — CMA
Biscuits and Banjos — Rihannon Giddens
Country Con Corazon — Origins Music Group & Country Latin Association
Female Country Pop/Rock Artist of the Year
Tristan McIntosh
Kasey Tindall
Ashlie Amber
Winner: Leah Galván Turner
Male Country Pop/Rock Artist of the Year
Grayson Russell
Winner: Sam Pounds
Ollie Gabriel
Zeus Rebel Waters
Female Country Soul Artist of the Year
Brei Carter
Ashley Ave
Winner: Miko Marks
Shae Nicole
Male Country Soul Artist of the Year
803 Fresh
Winner: Pynk Beard
Tonio Armoni
Mike Clark Jr.
Female Country Latin Artist of the Year
Angie K
Ana Cristina Cash
Andrea Vasquez
Winner: MŌRIAH
Male Country Latin Artist of the Year
Alejandro Medina III
Frank Ray
Louie TheSinger
Winner: Sammy Arriaga
Female Country Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Stormie Leigh
Winner: Reyna Roberts
Tanner Adell
CieratheRapper
Male Country Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
2’Live Bre
Chris Detroit
Winner: Kng Ego
Ron Killings
Emerging Artist of the Year
Steve Ray Ladson
Scoot Teasley
MŌRIAH
Winner: Rodell Duff
Song of the Year
“EYA”— Louie TheSinger
“Happy and You Know It (Drink a Beer)”— Coffey Anderson
Winner: “Hey Mom I Made It”— Sacha
“Bigger Than the Song”— Brittney Spencer
Artist of the Year
Tonio Armani
Winner: Angie K
Madeline Edwards
Louie TheSinger
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Music documentaries are well-represented on the list of 201 features that are eligible in the documentary feature film category for the 98th Academy Awards. Docs about BTS’s avid fan army, Tejano star Selena, rock gods Led Zeppelin, John Lennon & Yoko Ono and songwriter Diane Warren are in the running for nominations.
The Warren doc includes a new song that she wrote for the film, “Dear Me,” which may bring the veteran songwriter a 17th Oscar nomination for best original song.
The longlist includes two films about very different live experiences that became cultural touchstones – Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror and Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – the Untold Story.
There’s the cheekily titled Billy Idol Should Be Dead, as well as docs about some music and entertainment personalities who are, in fact, dead, including songwriter Jeff Buckley, Selena and Lennon (both shot to death, tragically), comedians Andy Kaufman and Stiller & Meara, 1960s sex symbol Jayne Mansfield and ventriloquist and puppeteer Shari Lewis.
There are two films about Oscar-winners for best actress — Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (Liza Minnelli) and Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore.
Members of the Documentary Branch will vote to determine the shortlist of 15 films and then the five nominees.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also released the list of feature films eligible in the animated feature film and international feature film categories. Thirty-five features are eligible in the animated feature film category. Eighty-six countries or regions have submitted films that are eligible in the international feature film category.
Shortlists in 10 categories will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22. The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC.
Here are music and entertainment documentaries that are eligible in the documentary feature film category.
BTS ARMY: Forever We Are Young
Becoming Led Zeppelin
Billy Idol Should Be Dead
Diane Warren: Relentless
14 Short Films about Opera
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery– The Untold Story
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (Liza Minnelli)
One to One: John and Yoko (John Lennon and Yoko Ono)
Selena y Los Dinos (Tejano star Selena Quintanilla)
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted
Viva Verdi! (about a retirement home for elderly opera stars)
Who in the Hell Is Regina Jones? (publisher of Soul newspaper)
Other Entertainment Documentaries
Being Eddie (Eddie Murphy)
Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie
Chronicles of Disney
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (Jayne Mansfield)
The New Yorker at 100
Shari & Lamb Chop (puppeteer Shari Lewis)
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost (Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara)
Thank You Very Much (Andy Kaufman)
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The National Endowment for the Arts has announced the 2026 recipients of the Jazz Masters Fellowship, billed as the highest award bestowed by the United States on jazz musicians and advocates. They are pianist, composer, musical director and educator Patrice Rushen; vocalist, composer and arranger Carmen Lundy; drummer, percussionist, composer and educator Airto Moreira; and jazz broadcaster Rhonda Hamilton, who is set to receive the 2026 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy.
Rushen, Moreire and Lundy have all received Grammy nominations. Rushen also landed a top 30 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 with “Forget Me Nots,” which has often been sampled and interpolated.
The NEA will honor the 2026 Jazz Masters at a free concert on Saturday, April 18, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and streamed online.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the NEA is proud to also honor these individuals who have played a significant role in jazz, considered one of our country’s greatest cultural gifts to the world,” NEA senior advisor Mary Anne Carter said in a statement. “As with our nation, jazz is an art form with a rich heritage that continues to evolve, thanks to those who have dedicated their lives and creativity to this music over generations.”
The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded to living individuals based on nominations from the public including members of the jazz community. NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are $25,000. Since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded 181 fellowships to important figures in jazz.
Rushen’s career has bridged jazz, R&B, classical and pop. Rushen was the first woman to serve as musical director for the Grammy Awards, the Emmy Awards and the NAACP Image Awards.
“It is an absolute honor to be named an NEA Jazz Master,” Rushen said in a statement. “To even be considered among those whose love of this art form has contributed to the music at the highest level, is an indescribable feeling. I am humbled and grateful.”
Hamilton played a key role in the early days of jazz radio station WBGO-FM and has served as a trusted guide for generations of jazz listeners, including in her current role as host of a weekday radio show on KKJZ-FM in Los Angeles.
Lundy’s artistry has significantly influenced modern jazz over a career spanning more than five decades and including more than 150 published songs.
Moreira is a defining voice in jazz percussion, proficient at instruments ranging from the tambourine to the bongos.
Visit the NEA site for more information about the 2026 NEA Jazz Masters.
Trending on Billboard The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) will present the 2025 SCL Lifetime Achievement Awards to composers Stephen Schwartz and Charles Fox and will posthumously induct legendary composer Ennio Morricone and iconic singer-songwriter Peggy Lee into its Hall of Fame. The SCL will also present its 2025 Ambassador Award to artist, songwriter, […]
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The hangovers have cleared. The cleanup, complete. And the 2025 ARIA Awards are in the books.
The Australian recorded music industry’s annual night is the curtain call on the year in music, a fancy party in Sydney as the baking hot summer makes its predictable entrance.
It’s a good — no, great — time of year. AC/DC is currently in the market, playing stadiums. Oasis and Metallica have been, and rocked. Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran are coming. The festivals circuit will swing in the weeks ahead.
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The ARIAs, presented at the historic Hordern Pavilion, which last year celebrated its 100th anniversary, was a goal-scoring celebration for Amyl and The Sniffers. The punk rock outfit converted four of their six nominations, including the coveted album of the year, for Cartoon Darkness. This was the year Amy Taylor ruled at Glastonbury, and scored nominations at the Grammys and Brit Awards. In years to come, they’ll remember 2025 as the year their respective lives changed.
Ninajirachi entered the ARIAs race with a leading eight nominations, and she didn’t go home disappointed, by collecting three trophies, including the Michael Gudinski newcomer award.
Fellow production masterminds Kevin Parker and Dom Dolla collected two pointy awards each.
Not every artist got what they’d hoped, or deserved. And some got the surprise of a lifetime. Billboard remembers the surprises and the snubs from the 2025 ARIA Awards.
Surprise: BARKAA
If a hero had to be selected from the 2025 ARIA Awards, it was BARKAA. The Indigenous artist won for best hip hop/rap release with Big Tidda (Big Apples Music / Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia), beating out a stacked field that included Hilltop Hoods, Miss Kaninna, ONEFOUR and the Kid LAROI. The roar of approval from the audience was immense, and BARKAA’s acceptance speech was honest and real. “Still can’t believe I can now say I’m an ARIA award winning rapper, the first Aboriginal woman to ever win this award,” she writes on social media. “Hip-hop raised me and hip-hop saved me and this is BIGGER THAN ME! My purpose was to come out here and put on for BLACK WOMEN, to be that representation like my sisters who have paved the way before me, to be able to do what I’m doing.” She’s nominated in the First Nations category for the NSW Music Prize, to be unveiled next week.
Snub: Hilltop Hoods
The Hilltop Hoods aren’t just a hip-hop group. They’re Aussie rap royalty. Hailing from Adelaide, the Hoods are on a wild winning streak. Suffa, Pressure and DJ Debris debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in August with Fall From The Light (Island Records Australia / Universal Music Australia), their sixth consecutive leader, and seventh overall. With this feat, the Hoods established an ARIA record for chart leaders by an Australian group, ahead of AC/DC, Powderfinger, Cold Chisel, Silverchair, and the rest. They couldn’t however, extend on their tally of 10 career ARIA Awards on Wednesday night, despite reeling in five nominations.
Surprise: Amyl and The Sniffers
Amyl and The Sniffers cleaning up with four ARIA Award wins wasn’t a surprise, not to the industry. But it was to them. The much-loved punk rock outfit always keeps it real, Amy Taylor always speaks her mind, and with best group and best album honors, for Cartoon Darkness (Amyl and The Sniffers / Virgin Music Group), Amyl and The Sniffers were the dominant force at this year’s ceremony. Bass player Gus Romer was both a surprise and a snub; he failed to take the stage when his band won for album of the year. “Looks like we lost the bass player,” Taylor joked. “It happens a lot, he’s replaceable, don’t worry about it.” It’s official: Amyl and The Sniffers are national treasures.
Snub: Royel Otis
After dominating the 2024 ARIA Awards with four wins, Royel Otis might’ve expected the good times to roll on. The Sydney duo of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic collected four nominations this time, off the back of their sophomore album Hickey (Ourness / Capitol Records), which cracked the ARIA top 10, emulating the chart success of their debut, Pratts & Pain. Royel Otis had the top-ranked homegrown recording on triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown in January, with a cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” coming in at No. 2, and Hickey single “Moody” topped Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay Chart in July of this year. On Wednesday night, those four ARIA Award nominations came to nought.
Surprise: Ninajirachi
With eight nods, the night was all set up for Ninajirachi. As the house lights went up, the EDM artist (real name: Nina Wilson) had her hands full with three heavy ARIA trophies. That’s quite a haul, and it comes after she collected the Australian Music Prize and triple j’s J Award for I Love My Computer (NLV Records). Ninajirachi could see the irony in winning the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist award; the Central Coast-raised creative released her first record eight years ago, as a teen. Good things do come to those who wait, and Ninajirachi can now claim to be an overnight success, a decade in the making. She’s nominated in two categories for the NSW Music Prize, to be announced next week.
Snub: RÜFÜS DU SOL
Electronic music was pumping at the ARIA Awards, as Ninajirachi and Dom Dolla scored five awards between them. RÜFÜS DU SOL bagged four nominations for 2024’s Inhale / Exhale (Rose Avenue Records / Warner Music Australasia), their fifth studio album. The collection opened its account at No. 3 on the ARIA Chart, continuing a podium finish for all their recordings: Atlas (2013), Bloom (2016) and Surrender (2021) went to No. 1 in 2013 and Solace peaked at No. 2 in 2018. RDS have won four career ARIA Awards, they have a Grammy Award in their safekeeping (and they can add another, for best dance/electronic album next February), and they’re currently touring the country. The 2025 ARIA Awards just wasn’t their night.
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The Country Music Association awarded Big Machine Label Group founder, chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta the 2025 CMA Irving Waugh Award of Excellence on Wednesday (Nov. 19) ahead of the 59th Annual CMA Awards. Borchetta was surprised with the industry honor on the red carpet by Riley Green, a Big Machine Label Group/Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment artist (and winner of three 2025 CMA Awards).
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Borchetta was also a 2025 CMA Awards nominee in the musical event of the year category as a producer, along with Jimmy Harnen and Dann Huff, of Green’s “Don’t Mind If I Do,” which reunited the singer with Ella Langley. It was Borchetta’s second CMA nod. He was first nominated in 2013 as a producer on Taylor Swift’s Red, an album of the year nominee.
“Scott has played a pivotal role in shaping Country Music’s modern era,” Sarah Trahern, CMA’s CEO, said in a statement. “I’ve watched him navigate this industry with remarkable clarity and conviction — championing emerging talent, supporting legacy artists and investing in ideas that move our genre forward.”
“I truly did not see this coming,”Borchetta said. “A sincere thank you to our extraordinary CEO, Sarah Trahern, and all on the CMA Board for this incredible recognition. Irving Waugh was a true visionary who did so much for Country Music and its culture, and I’m humbled to stand on his shoulders alongside so many who continue to shape and inspire the world of Country Music.”
Big Machine Label Group is home to such stars as Thomas Rhett, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Carly Pearce, Mötley Crüe and Sheryl Crow. As an executive producer, Borchetta has championed projects such as the 20-track Petty Country and the Grammy-winning documentary Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me.
Waugh was a radio and TV executive who was active from the late 1940s through the early 1990s. He first joined WSM-Nashville as a radio announcer in 1941. In the late ’40s, after serving in World War II, he returned to WSM and began a career that included positions as commercial manager, GM, vp and president of WSM’s radio and TV operations. He died in April 2007 at age 94.
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Jelly Roll has two major life updates. First, the country star is newly nominated for three Grammys. Second, his face is now bald.
In a chatty video posted to YouTube on Thursday (Nov. 20), Jelly took fans with him as he shaved his beard for the first time in years and shared how he “really feels” about the Recording Academy. After razoring off his facial hair with wife Bunnie Xo at his side in the bathroom, he went for a walk outside and talked to viewers one on one.
“By now, you have probably figured out that I look like a Ninja Turtle,” he said self-deprecatingly, explaining that before his recent weight loss, he felt he “was so obese, it was easier to cover what was happening here [with a beard].”
Jelly then fought back tears while addressing his 2026 nominations for best country duo/group performance for the Shaboozey duet “Amen,” best contemporary country album for Beautifully Broken and best contemporary Christian music performance/song for “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” “When I look at these nominations, all I see is God,” he said.
“I want to cry,” the singer continued. “Wow, country album of the year. It’s not even about the album or the nom. It’s about the name.”
Getting emotional, Jelly said that the title of his 2024 Billboard 200-topping LP represents “what’s happening in the world right now, I think, more than ever.”
“Win, lose, or draw, holy f—, dude, we won,” he added. “I know a lot of artists give the Grammys a lot of sh–, but the truth is I feel honored … Y’all make fun of me now and leave comments about my double chin.”
Jelly has now been nominated for a total of seven Grammys, earning his first nods in 2024 for best new artist and best country duo/group performance for his and Lainey Wilson’s “Save Me.” The following year, he scored nominations for best country song and best country solo performance for “I Am Not Okay.”
Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson and Blake Shelton all moved up the list this year. See where they rank.
11/20/2025
