Awards
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Janis Ian had a memorable night at the International Folk Music Awards, which were held at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday (Feb. 1). The veteran artist received a previously announced lifetime achievement award and also won in the top competitive category, artist of the year.
Crooked Tree by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway won album of the year. The album is nominated for a Grammy for best bluegrass album. Tuttle is also nominated for best new artist. The Grammys will be presented on Sunday Feb. 5.
There was a tie for song of the year between “Bright Star,” written and performed by Anaïs Mitchell, and “B61,” written and performed by Aoife O’Donovan. Mitchell won a Tony and a Grammy for her work on the musical Hadestown.
Jake Blount and Wallis Bird performed in tribute to Ian. Blount performed Ian’s Grammy-winning coming-of-age classic “At Seventeen.” Bird sang “Better Times Will Come.”
Ian, 71, is a two-time Grammy winner. She won the 1975 award for best pop vocal performance, female for “At Seventeen” and the 2012 award for best spoken word album for Society’s Child: My Autobiography. Ian received her 10th Grammy nomination this year for best folk album for The Light at the End of the Line.
Leyla McCalla and Josh White Jr. performed in tribute to Josh White, who received this year’s lifetime achievement award for a legacy (deceased) artist. White died in 1969 at age 55. McCalla performed “I Gave My Love a Cherry (The Riddle Song).” White Jr. sang “One Meatball.”
McCalla also received the People’s Voice Award, which is presented to an individual who “unabashedly embraces social and political commentary in their creative work and public careers.” Past recipients include Jason Mraz (2022), Jackson Browne (2021) and Ani DiFranco (2020).
Oh Boy Records, which was founded in 1981 by John Prine, Al Bunetta and Dan Einstein, all now deceased, received the business/academic award. In tribute to Prine, the Milk Carton Kids performed “That’s the Way the World Goes ’Round,” a song from his 1978 album Bruised Orange. Iris Dement performed “Mexican Home,” a song from his 1973 album Sweet Revenge.
Sara Curruchich performed “Mujer Indígena” at the show, which was held on the opening night of the Folk Alliance International’s 35th annual conference.
The organization, based in Kansas City, Mo., was founded in 1989. Today it has more than 3,000 members — artists, agents, managers, labels, publicists, arts administrators, venues, festivals, and concert series presenters.
Alisa Amador received The Rising Tide Award, which was launched in 2021 to celebrate an artist under 30 who “inspires others by embodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creative work, community role, and public voice.”
Shambala Festival, a four-day contemporary performing arts festival in Northamptonshire, England, received the Clearwater Award, which is presented to a festival that “prioritizes environmental stewardship and demonstrates public leadership in sustainable event production.”
Here’s a complete list of winners at the 2023 International Folk Music Awards, as well as the recipients of honorary awards:
Album of the year
Anais Mitchell, Anais MitchellWINNER: Crooked Tree, Molly Tuttle & Golden HighwayGet on Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Taj Mahal and Ry CooderMarchita, Silvana EstradaQueen Of Sheba, Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf
Artist of the year
Aoife O’DonovanJake BlountWINNER: Janis IanLeyla McCallaPrateek Kuhad
Song of the year
“Udhero Na,” written by Arooj Aftab, performed by Arooj Aftab and Anoushka Shankar“Vini Wè,” written and performed by Leyla McCallaWINNER: “Bright Star,” written and performed by Anais Mitchell“How,” written by Marcus Mumford and Brandi Carlile, performed by Marcus Mumford featuring Brandi CarlileWINNER: “B61,” written and performed by Aoife O’Donovan
The Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards: Janis Ian (living), Josh White (legacy), Oh Boy Records (business/academic)
The People’s Voice Award: Leyla McCalla
The Rising Tide Award: Alisa Amador
The Clearwater Award: Shambala Festival
The Spirit of Folk Awards: Steve Edge, Amy Reitnouer Jacobs, Marcy Marxer, Adrian Sabogal, Pat Mitchell Worley
The Folk DJ Hall of Fame: Robert Resnik, Marilyn Rea Beyer, John Platt, Harry B. Soria Jr.
The Country Music Association has revealed the honorees for the 13th CMA Triple Play Awards, which celebrate songwriters who have earned three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period based on the Billboard Country Airplay, Billboard Hot Country Songs, and Country Aircheck charts.
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This year’s 16 honorees are Rhett Akins, Kurt Allison, Luke Combs, Jesse Frasure, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley (who contributed to six chart-topping hits during the 12-month period), Charlie Handsome, Michael Hardy, Ben Johnson, Tully Kennedy, Shane McAnally, Chase McGill, Thomas Rhett, Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson and Morgan Wallen.
All of this year’s honorees will be feted during a ceremony to be held Wednesday, March 1 at Saint Elle in Nashville, and hosted by CMA Board member Jim Beavers.
Gorley will receive his 19th and 20th CMA Triple Play awards during the upcoming ceremony, while first-time CMA Triple Play award recipients this year are Allison, Handsome, Johnson and Kennedy.
In addition to honoring songwriters for crafting some of the year’s most-popular compositions, the CMA Triple Play Awards ceremony will honor longtime songwriter champion and Jody Williams Songs founder Jody Williams with the CMA Songwriter Advocate award.
This accolade recognizes an individual who has dedicated their life to supporting and advancing the art of songwriting and the careers of songwriters. The honoree accepting this award must have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of songwriting in country music over the course of several years, and has proven their unprecedented historical impact on the songwriting community.
“Being honored by the CMA with this award is the cherry on top of the incredible experience I have had serving on the CMA board,” Williams said via a statement. “Nashville’s songwriters have blessed me with a fulfilling career. I’m extremely grateful.”
For more than four decades, Williams has supported, uplifted and aided numerous songwriters, both during his tenure as the head of creative at BMI, as well as his time spent with both major publishers and at his own companies. Just a few of the songwriters and writer-artists Williams has supported over the years are Liz Rose, Ashley McBryde, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Maren Morris, Jeffrey Steele, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Natalie Hemby and Alison Krauss.
See the honorees for this year’s CMA Triple Play Awards, as well as the songs they are being honored for, below:
Rhett Akins“To Be Loved By You,” recorded by Parker McCollum“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“Half Of Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett featuring Riley Green
Kurt Allison“Blame It On You,” recorded by Jason Aldean“If I Didn’t Love You,” recorded by Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood“Trouble With A Heartbreak,” recorded by Jason Aldean
Luke Combs“Cold As You,” recorded by Combs“Doin’ This,” recorded by Combs“The Kind Of Love We Make,” recorded by Combs
Jesse Frasure“Whiskey And Rain,” recorded by Michael Ray“One Mississippi,” recorded by Kane Brown“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
Nicolle Galyon“Gone,” recorded by Dierks Bentley“half of my hometown,” recorded by Kelsea Ballerini“Thought You Should Know,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Ashley Gorley“Sand In My Boots,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Beers On Me,” recorded by Dierks Bentley featuring BRELAND and HARDY“You Proof,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“Take My Name,” recorded by Parmalee“New Truck,” recorded by Dylan Scott
Charlie Handsome“I Love My Country,” recorded by Florida Georgia Line“More Than My Hometown,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Wasted On You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Michael Hardy“Single Saturday Night,” recorded by Cole Swindell“Sand In My Boots,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Beers On Me,” recorded by Dierks Bentley featuring BRELAND and HARDY
Ben Johnson“Take My Name,” recorded by Parmalee“Best Thing Since Backroads,” recorded by Jake Owen“New Truck,” recorded by Dylan Scott
Tully Kennedy“Blame It On You,” recorded by Jason Aldean“If I Didn’t Love You,” recorded by Jason Aldean“Trouble With A Heartbreak,” recorded by Jason Aldean
Shane McAnally“half of my hometown,” recorded by Kelsea Ballerini“23,” recorded by Sam Hunt“Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” recorded by Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce
Chase McGill“Waves,” recorded by Luke Bryan“Never Say Never,” recorded by Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson“Don’t Think Jesus,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Thomas Rhett“Country Again,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“Slow Down Summer,” recorded by Thomas Rhett“She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” recorded by Cole Swindell
Ernest Keith Smith“Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s,” recorded by Sam Hunt“One Mississippi,” recorded by Kane Brown“Wasted On You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Josh Thompson“Whiskey And Rain,” recorded by Michael Ray“Wasted On You,” recorded by Morgan Wallen“Half Of Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
Morgan Wallen“Wasted On You,” recorded by Wallen“Thought You Should Know,” recorded by Wallen“You Proof,” recorded by Wallen
The 2023 Grammys is just days away, which means music fans will soon find out who’s walking away with new golden gramophones on music’s biggest night.
Of course, part of the fun is getting to predict the winners, and today, Billboard is honing in on one question: Whose song do you think should win the Grammy for record of the year?
It’s been a few years now since the Recording Academy widened the field of its top prizes to 10 nominees, and this year’s pack of hopefuls are heavyweights across multiple genres — from pop to R&B, hip-hop and more.
As one of the Big Four categories, the race for record of the year will once again pit Beyoncé against Adele in a hotly anticipated rematch of their epic face-off back in 2017. At the time, 25 memorably — and the Beyhive would certainly say controversially — beat out Lemonade for album of the year, and Adele gave Queen Bey a teary apology during her modest acceptance speech. But which do you think deserves record of the year in 2023: Adele’s “Easy on Me” or Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul”?
The two superstars are hardly the only contenders, though. Harry Styles had one of the biggest smashes of the year with “As It Was,” which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 non-consecutive weeks — a streak that was eventually broken by first-time nominee Steve Lacy‘s No. 1 hit “Bad Habit.” Or maybe you think it’s about damn time for Lizzo to walk away with the trophy for, well, “About Damn Time.”
And don’t count out the dark horses of the field: ABBA scored its first-ever nomination last year in the same category thanks to “I Still Have Faith in You,” but could the Swedish pop pioneers clinch their first win with “Don’t Shut Me Down”? There’s also Mary J. Blige‘s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Kendrick Lamar‘s “The Heart Part 5,” Doja Cat‘s “Woman” and Brandi Carlile‘s Lucius-assisted “You and Me on the Rock” to consider.
The 2023 Grammys will air Sunday (Feb. 5) on CBS. Vote for who you think should win record of the year below.
The In Memoriam segment at the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, will include breakout tributes to three diverse artists who died last fall — Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie and Takeoff.
Kacey Musgraves will perform Lynn’s 1970 classic “Coal Miner’s Daughter” in tribute to the country music legend, who died on Oct. 4 at age 90; Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt will team to perform “Songbird” from Fleetwood Mac’s album of the year-winning Rumours to honor McVie, who died on Nov. 30 at age 79; and Maverick City Music will join Quavo for Quavo’s tender ballad “Without You” to honor his Migos colleague Takeoff, who died on Nov. 1 at just 28.
Lynn won three Grammy Awards and also received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2010. McVie won two Grammys as a member of Fleetwood Mac. In 2018, the band became the first group or duo to be honored at the MusiCares’ Person of the Year gala. Takeoff received two Grammy nominations as a member of Migos.
The CMA Awards on Nov. 9, 2022, opened with a tribute to Lynn by Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. The segment included “Coal Miner’s Daughter” as well as “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Don’t Come Home A’Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” and “You’re Lookin’ at Country.”
Musgraves and Lynn teamed to perform “You’re Lookin’ at Country,” a 1971 Lynn hit, at the CMA awards in 2014.
Other performers set to appear on the Grammy telecast are Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, and Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
This year’s four leading nominees – Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Brandi Carlile – have yet to be announced as performers, but the Academy may be holding some big names back to build last-minute buzz.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Emmy-winning comedian Trevor Noah. The show will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Raj Kapoor serves as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Ben Winston and Jesse Collins as executive producers. Phil Heyes joins the team for the first time as director. Eric Cook is co-executive producer with Tabitha Dumo, Tiana Gandelman, Patrick Menton. David Wild is producer.
As previously announced on Wednesday (Feb. 1), first lady Jill Biden and past Grammy Awards hosts James Corden and Billy Crystal will help hand out awards. Other presenters are past Grammy winners Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo and Shania Twain; current Grammy nominee Viola Davis; and actor Dwayne Johnson.
First lady Jill Biden and past Grammy Awards hosts James Corden and Billy Crystal will help hand out awards at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5.
Other presenters announced on Wednesday (Feb. 1) are current Grammy nominee Viola Davis, past Grammy winners Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo and Shania Twain, and actor Dwayne Johnson. Davis will become an EGOT if she wins in her category, best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording, on Sunday.
Corden hosted the Grammy telecast in 2017-18. Crystal hosted from 1987-89 (after which he went on to host the Oscars nine times.) He won a Primetime Emmy for hosting the 1989 Grammy telecast.
Performers set to appear on the show are Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy and Sam Smith & Kim Petras.
The Recording Academy made its first performers announcement a week ago. It added a big name – Styles – on Sunday, Jan. 29. The announcement was made during the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. The game aired on CBS, the Grammys’ network since 1973.
This year’s four leading nominees – Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Brandi Carlile – have yet to be announced as performers, but the Academy may be holding some big names back to build last-minute buzz. The Academy is expected to announce additional performers in the remaining days before the big show.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Emmy-winning comedian Trevor Noah. The show will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Raj Kapoor serves as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Ben Winston and Jesse Collins as executive producers. Phil Heyes joins the team for the first time as director. Eric Cook is co-executive producer with Tabitha Dumo, Tiana Gandelman, Patrick Menton. David Wild is producer.
Prior to the telecast, the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will be broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT, and it will be streamed live on live.Grammy.com. Randy Rainbow, a first-time Grammy nominee this year for best comedy album for A Little Brains, A Little Talent, is co-hosting the show. His co-host has yet to be named.
Performers at the Premiere Ceremony include Arroj Aftab, Madison Cunningham, Samara Joy, Anoushka Shankar, Carlos Vives and The Blind Boys of Alabama with La Santa Cecilia.
Presenters at the Premiere Ceremony include Babyface, Domi and JD Beck, Myles Frost, Arturo O’Farrill, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Jimmy Jam.
The nominees for this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class were announced on Wednesday (Feb. 1) — and unlike last year’s group, which featured mostly previously nominated acts, eight out of the 14 artists featured in the 2023 crop are first-timers, including two in their first year of eligibility.
As has been the increasingly common trend over the last 10 years, the “rock” qualifications of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are becoming increasingly flexible — this year, encompassing rap legends, pop superstars, country icons, R&B hitmakers and artists who are not easily classified under any one specific genre. There are still a handful of more traditionally rock-based acts recognized as well, but none of the Baby Boomer bands that have essentially comprised the Rock Hall’s foundation for most of its 35-plus-year existence.
The artists voted into the Rock Hall last year further suggested that a singular sound and legacy was more critical to induction than down-the-middle rock credentials. Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon and Eurythmics were all granted Rock Hall entry, despite none of them hailing from any traditional rock background. (Even the two most “rock” of the inductees — Duran Duran and Pat Benatar — were early MTV-era stars whose induction would’ve been unimaginable for most of the Rock Hall’s lifetime, as they were afforded little respect from the traditional rock media during their commercial peaks.)
Will the nominees from this year follow a similar path? Let’s break the 14 artists down, from our picks for least likely to most likely to get inducted later this year.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame revealed the nominees for the Rock Hall’s Class of 2023 on Wednesday (Feb. 1), announcing the 14 (or 15, depending on how you look at it) acts eligible for induction into the Rock Hall this year.
The following artists are nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023: Art rock auteur Kate Bush; rootsy hitmaker Sheryl Crow; hip-hop iconoclast Missy Elliott; metal legends Iron Maiden; post-punk-turned-dance-rock pioneers Joy Division/New Order; eccentric pop icon Cyndi Lauper; pop titan George Michael; country GOAT Willie Nelson; rap-metal firebrands Rage Against the Machine; grunge trailblazers Soundgarden; soul vocal pros The Spinners; alt hip-hop progenitors A Tribe Called Quest; garage blues revivalists The White Stripes; and caustic singer-songwriter Warren Zevon.
Of these nominees, eight (or arguably nine — more on that later) are first timers (Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Willie Nelson, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon), and two acts receive the nom within their first year of eligibility (The White Stripes and Missy Elliott). To be eligible for the RRHOF, an artist’s first commercial release must have come out at least 25 years prior to the nomination year. For those with an encyclopedic music knowledge who think, “wait, Missy’s debut Supa Dupa Fly dropped in 1997, and The White Stripes’ first single came out in 1998 – how does that math work out?” there’s a reason for it. The nominating committee at the Rock Hall has recently started meeting the same year the inductees are honored, as opposed to the year before. This means 2023 is a sort of “make-up year” for artists whose first release was in 1997 or 1998. But in the future, when it comes to Rock Hall nominations, you can subtract 25 from the induction year to determine eligibility.
As for the aforementioned issue over the number of artists nominated for Rock Hall induction in 2023, it comes down to the singular entry for two bands, Joy Division and New Order. For the uninitiated, Joy Division was a U.K. rock band who helped punk evolve into post-punk from 1976-1980; after the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis in early 1980, the remaining members (Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris) regrouped as New Order, added a keyboardist (Gillian Gilbert) and proceeded to set the template for dance-rock and alternative dance music. While some might quibble over inducting both bands as one, there is precedent: The Rock Hall previously inducted Parliament/Funkadelic together in 1997; the (Young) Rascals, also in 1997; and Small Faces/Faces as one entity in 2012.
Inductees will be revealed in May, with the induction ceremony taking place this fall. The top five artists selected through fan voting will be tallied along with the ballots from the Rock Hall’s international voting body to determine the Class of 2023. Fans can vote online every day through April 28 at vote.rockhall.com or IRL at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland.
“This remarkable list of nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “These artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”
With three nominations, Vance Joy is the leader of the pack heading into the 2023 Rolling Stone Australia Awards.
The Melbourne singer and songwriter lands nominations for best record (his third studio album, In Our Own Sweet Time, which peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Chart), best single (“Clarity”), and the coveted Rolling Stone Global Award, details for which were announced Tuesday (Feb. 1).
Also snagging multiple nominations is ARIA Award-winning star-on-the-rise Budjerah, veteran kid’s entertainers the Wiggles, indie-rock faves Spacey Jane, rock act Gang of Youths, and country star Keith Urban.
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Urban will have his work cut out in the Global Award category. It’s a starry list, in which he’s named along with Alison Wonderland, Gang of Youths, Iggy Azalea, Kylie Minogue, Rüfüs Du Sol, Tash Sultana, The Wiggles, Tones And I, Troye Sivan and Vance Joy.
Each year, Rolling Stone Australia invites international writers, including editors from the U.S. and U.K. brands, to vote in the Rolling Stone Global Award category.
“We take great pride in the fact that, by hosting our third annual Rolling Stone Australia Awards, we get to play a part in recognizing Australian music’s growth,” comments Poppy Reid, editor-in-chief at Rolling Stone Australia publisher the Brag Media.
The Rolling Stone Australia Awards return to Sydney on April 4. Sponsors this year include headline partner Shure alongside Australis, Canna, Panhead, JMC Academy and Jim Beam.
In the weeks ahead, RS Australia will reveal hosts, performers and the nominees in the Rolling Stone Readers’ Award.
“I am immensely proud to be part of the team pushing local acts worldwide through our awards judging process, and our editorial partnership with Rolling Stone parent company PMC,” adds Reid.
Winners at last year’s ceremony include Genesis Owusu, The Kid LAROI and King Stingray, with live performances from Amy Shark and Ruby Fields.
2023 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards Nominees:
Best SingleAmy Shark – “Only Wanna Be With You”Budjerah – “Ready for the Sky”Courtney Barnett – “Rae Street”Keith Urban – “Brown Eyes Baby”Ruel – “Growing up is _”Spacey Jane – “Hardlight”The Kid LAROI – “Thousand Miles”Vance Joy – “Clarity”
Best New ArtistBlake RoseBudjerahEliza & The DelusionalsForest ClaudetteJames JohnstonLara DMerci, MercyTeen Jesus and the Jean Teasers
Best Record5 Seconds of Summer – 5SOS5Gang of Youths – angel in realtimeJulia Jacklin – Pre PleasureParkway Drive – Darker StillSpacey Jane – Here Comes EverybodyThe Wiggles – ReWiggledThelma Plum – MeanjinVance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time
Rolling Stone Global AwardAlison WonderlandGang Of YouthsIggy AzaleaKeith UrbanKylie MinogueRüfüs Du SolTash SultanaThe WigglesTones And ITroye SivanVance Joy
After two pandemic-induced years of touring shutdowns, the return of the Country Music Association’s annual celebration feting country music’s touring industry was rung in with a heightened sense of joy and gratitude. On Monday evening (Jan. 30), members of country music’s touring elite gathered at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works for the much-anticipated event.
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“After two years away, we are glad to be back,” said CMA CEO Sarah Trahern in welcoming the industry members. “The touring industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, and the individuals in this room know that better than anyone. In the midst of some really tough times as we all gather, I’m continually amazed at the resilience and passion that shine through from the people in this room, which I think is a true testament to how much you all recognize and value the power of music.” Trahern added that as touring ramped back up, the folks being saluted “didn’t miss a beat. You picked up right where we left off and delivered some of the biggest, most engaging tours we’ve ever seen. All of you continue to move the ball forward for country music, and I and all at the CMA are forever grateful for you.”
Twelve-time CMA Award winner and two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Keith Urban hosted the festivities. Following the evening, he told Billboard what the celebration of touring means to him. “It’s all about them, not the artists they work with,” he said of the evening. “It feels right. I’m so glad the CMA started this nine years ago. I was honored to be here to do this.”
Members from the touring organizations of Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs and Dierks Bentley took home the lion’s share of the award wins during the evening. Members honored from Bentley’s team were Chris Reade (lighting director of the year) and fiddle player Dan Hochhalter (touring musician of the year). The win represented a full-circle moment for Hochhalter, who was nominated in the same category as one of his heroes: Jimmy Mattingly, fiddle player for Garth Brooks.
“This is crazy,” Hochhalter said. “Back in 1998, I was a 16-year-old kid obsessed with country music. I got tickets to a Garth Brooks show and saw this guy shredding fiddle and electrifying the audience. I wanted to be that guy, so to be nominated in this category is crazy.” He also thanked Bentley for supporting his entire road family during the height of the pandemic. “You have done a lot for me and my family, especially when the world shut down and he did so much to [make sure] we knew we still had a job.”
Make Wake Artists’ Chris Kappy, who has guided Luke Combs’ career toward becoming a two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner, was named manager of the year.
“Seven years ago I moved to Nashville and met a young songwriter who was playing chicken wing restaurants named Luke Combs and started driving the van for him: selling merch, mixing ears, loading in and loading out… and came very close to going broke and insane,” Kappy recalled in accepting his honor. He added, “I get to look around this room now and see the amazing camp of Luke Combs’ team over here, and my team at Make Wake, and the amazing people that get to bring music to fans every night. We get the opportunity to let people escape from their worlds and from their cubicles and from the mundane things they have to go through … none of that happens without the people in this room. You are the superheroes, you are the great people who do this. Thank you for everything that you do.”
Additional members of the Combs touring crew that were recognized with CMA Touring Award wins were Tyler Hutcheson (tour video director of the year), Michael Zuehsow (monitor engineer of the year) and Jerry Slone (production manager of the year).
In Chesney’s camp, winners included John Stalder (coach/truck driver of the year), David Farmer (tour manager of the year), Jill Trunnell (tour videographer/photographer of the year) and Robert Scovill (front of house engineer of the year).
Farmer gave thanks to Chesney’s longstanding touring crew, saying the loyalty and camaraderie there is “a testament to Kenny and the culture he’s created, and I hope I can keep cultivating it.” He ended with what has become a mantra among Chesney’s touring family and longtime fans, leading members of Chesney’s touring crew in shouting, “Who lives like we do? We do!”
Essential Broadcast Media’s Ebie McFarland was named publicist of the year. The Essential Broadcast Media PR roster also includes Chesney, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen, and Ashley McBryde. Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell was named talent buyer/promoter of the year. O’Connell previously earned the CMA Touring Awards’ lifetime achievement award in 2018.
In his acceptance speech Monday evening, O’Connell shared the quote, “No individual whistles a symphony.” He added, “I have two symphonies: my staff and everybody in this room. I love this event. We usually see each other in parking lots.” (The last bit drew laughter from the room.)
He also nodded to the overall touring community, saying, “David [Farmer] works with Kenny, Kenny is an AEG client, but we are all together on the road. We all know what we go through. This trophy, this honor, will always be very close to my heart, and everybody in this room will be close to my heart, because nobody really knows what we really do out there — for good or for bad, mostly for good … In my mind everybody on this piece of paper [the nominees] are talent buyer/promoter of the year.”
Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium was named venue of the year. Talent agent of the year went to Austin Neal, who last year launched The Neal Agency, home to artists including Wallen, Bailey Zimmerman, HARDY, Ernest and more.
“I did not prepare a speech, because [WME’s] Jay Williams and Joey Lee were in the same category, as well as [WME’s] Nate Towne and [Wasserman Music’s] Mike Betterton — a lot of people that I look up to and have learned a lot from in this business. I’d like to thank my artists and their teams for supporting us and being crazy enough to go and start a little agency last year … it’s been a crazy year coming out of COVID … and here’s to another great year.”
Sarah Trahern, John Huie, Keith Urban, and Tiffany Kerns at the 2022 CMA Touring Awards on Monday, January 30, 2023 at Marathon Music Works in Nashville.
Hunter Berry/CMA
During the evening, Urban also shared that he knows well the hustle, determination and stamina involved in being on the road day in and day out.
“I only had one day job and it was working at a lighting company called East Coast Lighting in Brisbane, Australia,” he said. “We rented out lighting to bands. That was my day job and a band wanted me to join their band in case their guitar player didn’t show up one night. They didn’t have a job for me, so they hired me as their lighting operator, thinking I can watch the show every night and if one night he doesn’t show up, I can miraculously get up there and play. I quit my job at East Coast Lighting and became a lighting roadie. We were playing five nights per week. The crew would come pick me up, we’d cram in the front of this truck, drive to the club we were playing at, unload the truck, set all the stuff up, and at about 7:00 I would get changed and I was the opening act.
He went on to recount how he “would play 30 to 40 minutes then get changed and get behind the desk, operate lights, at the end of the night, pack it all up and get home about 2:00 in the morning and do it all again the next day. I did this week after week, hoping one day this idiot wouldn’t show up. And sure enough, one night he did not show up, and I got to get onstage and play [with the band]. Because of what I did for so long with my brothers on the road, I have enormous respect for all of the crews.”
Another sweet moment was the onstage remembrance of Randy “Baja” Fletcher, the inaugural recipient of the CMA Touring Awards’ lifetime achievement award and the production manager for Urban. Following Fletcher’s passing in 2021, his daughter Natalie joined Urban’s tour. Natalie took the stage to share a remembrance of her father and how being on the road impacted her. Backstage following the event, Urban shared with Billboard of Natalie joining the tour, “It was this divine intervention. We lose Baja and there is no one like him, and suddenly Natalie is there, representing every part of his personality and sunny disposition. It was like this continuation with her on the road. It was healing for us, and it was healing for her and that spirit was as strong as it was with Baja.”
The evening concluded with the presentation of the CMA Touring Awards’ lifetime achievement honor to CAA Music Nashville’s John Huie. During his career, Huie helped break artists/bands including R.E.M, The Police and Joan Jett, and revamped Christian music touring while working with artists including Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. He has also worked with a who’s-who of country music artists, from Carrie Underwood to Faith Hill to Zac Brown Band.
A video montage featured artists including Grant, Smith, Jett, Lady A and Brown, all commenting on the impact he has made in their careers. Grant thanked Huie for “finding the best stages for me for almost 40 years,” while Lady A’s Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott thanked Huie for being an “honest champion” for their career.
Taking the stage, Huie thanked his wife of 37 years for her support, as well as many of those he has worked with along the way, and praised former CMA Touring Awards lifetime achievement honorees, including Tony Conway and O’Connell. He also noted that the first concert he attended, when he was 9 years old, was on Aug. 18, 1965 to see the Beatles. “Best gift my mom ever gave me,” he said. He recalled teaming with Ron Baird to launch CAA’s Nashville office, as well as working with Richard Lovett.
CAA Music Nashville Co-Head John Huie receives the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 CMA Touring Awards at Marathon Music Works in Nashville on Monday, Jan. 30.
Hunter Berry/CMA
“Richard’s big thing is, ‘Take care of each other, associates first and good things will happen.’ I still today think, ‘Take care of the people you work with day in and day out and good things will happen,’” Huie said.
Huie also paid tribute to the late Ron Baird (“God bless Ron Baird, who passed away from Parkinson’s. It was a special time with Ron, Rod [Essig] and myself. We know Ron’s here in spirit as well”) and gave a special shoutout to Urban (“You talk about sustainability and fighting the fight, how hard he’s worked to become a successful artist … he did whatever it took to be successful, and those are the guys you want to root for.”) And finally, he closed with a tribute to his extended musical families.
“I do want to say that the family is the key to everything. Not only the CMA family, but the country music family. The CMA family, what Sarah [Trahern] has done in running that operation and Tiffany [Kerns] has done with the foundation — can you imagine the Rock Music Association? The Pop Music Association? You’d never get anybody in the room to agree on anything. But they created an organization where we drop our guard and bring our best selves to the table and make this industry better, not only for the consumer, but for each other and for the world. Thank you so much for this, it means the world to me.”
See the full list of CMA Touring Awards winners below:
Business manager of the year: Stephanie Mundy-Self – Farris, Self & Moore, LLCPublicist of the year: Ebie McFarland (Essential Broadcast Media)Manager of the year: Chris Kappy (Make Wake Artists)Venue of the year: Ryman AuditoriumTouring musician of the year: Dan Hochhalter (Dierks Bentley)Tour videographer/photographer: Jill Trunnell (Kenny Chesney)Tour video director of the year: Tyler Hutcheson (Luke Combs)Lighting director of the year: Chris Reade (Dierks Bentley)Production manager of the year: Jerry Slone (Luke Combs)Tour manager of the year: David Farmer (Kenny Chesney)Talent agent of the year: Austin Neal (The Neal Agency)Coach/truck driver of the year: John Stalder (Kenny Chesney)FOH (front of house engineer of the year: Robert Scovill (Kenny Chesney)Monitor engineer of the year: Michael Zuehsow (Luke Combs)Talent buyer/promoter of the year: Brian O’Connell (Live Nation Nashville)
The Grammy Awards are taking over Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday (Feb. 5), and some of the biggest names in music are going head-to-head for the song of the year award.
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GAYLE’s “abcdefu,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film),” Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul,” Adele’s “Easy on Me,” Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That” and DJ Khaled’s “God Did” featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy are all up for the Big Four category win.
Despite the outcome, we at Billboard want to know who you’d like to see take home the award. Let us know by voting below.