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A number of staffers at CMT, the Nashville-based country music and lifestyle programming network, have been let go as part of a broad swath of staff cuts taking place at Paramount Global.
Billboard has learned that among the music and talent team leaving are Stacey Cato (director of music and talent), Quinn Brown (vp of production), Ray Sells (senior director of production), Jennifer DeVault (senior producer), Jordan Walker (senior manager of music and talent), Abbi Roth (senior manager of music and talent) and Bryana Cielo (executive assistant), as well as Heather Graffagnino, vp of production management.
Among those remaining are Margaret Comeaux (senior vp of music and events production), Donna Duncan (vp of music and talent), Melissa Goldberg (vp of digital and social), Yasmin Mohammed (producer) and David Bennett (creative director).
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Sources say that Paramount will continue to support CMT and is positioning the outlet for the future, but what that looks like is unclear.
This week, Paramount Global began a second round of staff cuts, as it continues its aim of reducing its U.S. workforce by 15%, seemingly in preparation for the company’s planned merger with Skydance Media. In a memo to staffers on Monday (Sept. 24), Paramount’s co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins stated, “Like the entire media industry, we are working to accelerate streaming profitability while at the same time adjusting to the evolving landscape in our traditional businesses. In order to set Paramount up for continued success, we are taking these actions. Days like today are never easy. It is difficult to say goodbye to valued colleagues, and to those departing, we are incredibly grateful for your countless contributions.”
The cuts come as the company, like many legacy media companies, is seeing a decline in linear television viewership and advertising, and consumers continue to move toward streaming video and digital.
In June, Paramount cut nearly all the content roles across its CMT, MTV, Comedy Central and TV Land websites, while storied news site MTVnews.com was taken down. During a town hall on June 25, McCarthy noted that Paramount’s revenue had grown by 13% between 2018 and 2023, while the company’s operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) has fallen 61% during that same time frame. Thus, they are aiming at cutting $500 million in costs.
Country radio trade publication Country Aircheck first reported a number of the layoffs.
Reps for Paramount Global had not responded to Billboard‘s request for confirmation by press time.
Blake Shelton fires up a new collaboration with country veteran Steve Wariner, covering “Old Flame” on the Aug. 15 premiere of CMT Giants: Alabama, to air at 8 p.m./7 p.m. CT exclusively on CMT. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A dozen artists — including Brad Paisley, […]
Following the unexpected shuttering of the MTV News website earlier this week, Paramount has now largely cleaned house on the sites for several more of its cable channels, in a potential cost-cutting move.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the sites for Comedy Central, CMT, Yellowstone airer Paramount Network and TV Land were instead directing users to the media conglomerate’s streaming platform Paramount+. On Monday, MTVnews.com was taken down, purging some 20 years of stories from the web.
A pop-up window on the Comedy Central site reads, “While episodes of most Comedy Central series are no longer available on this website, you can watch Comedy Central through your TV provider. You can also sign up for Paramount+ to watch many seasons of Comedy Central shows.” Similar language shows up on the CMT, Paramount Network and TV Land sites, as well as that of MTV (which was separate from MTVnews.com).
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aramount said in a statement, “As part of broader website changes across Paramount, we have introduced more streamlined versions of our sites, driving fans to Paramount+ to watch their favorite shows.”
As noted by LateNighter, the cleaning out of the Comedy Central site in particular wipes out a huge trove of archival material from The Daily Show and other late night series, along with clips from South Park, Key & Peele and Workaholics, among many others. Some of that material is available on YouTube, but it’s not as easily searchable or accessible as it was on the network page. (The oldest video on the Daily Show YouTube channel, for instance, is from 2016, while the show’s history stretches back 20 years before then.)
On Paramount+, only the two most recent seasons of The Daily Show are available. The platform has several South Park specials and the 1999 feature film Bigger, Longer and Uncut, but the show’s primary streaming home is on Max. Paramount+ does have the full runs of Key & Peele and Workaholics.
As of publication time, sites for Paramount’s BET, Nickelodeon and VH1 were still active, while MTV.com offered some episodes and clips.
The website changes come on the heels of Paramount’s co-CEOs — George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins — telling employees at a town hall meeting Tuesday that they were embarking on a cost-cutting mission as profits have dropped for the company. Paramount is looking for $500 million in reduced costs, which will mean layoffs for some employees. Cheeks also said at the town hall that “We’re looking at selling certain Paramount-owned assets — in fact, we’ve already hired bankers to assist us in this process — and we’ll use the proceeds to help pay down debt and strengthen our balance sheet.”
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
CMT‘s Next Women of Country franchise, now in its 11th year, has added 14 new artists to its ranks, revealing the 2024 class in the program’s ongoing aim at promoting female country artists — and fighting systemic gender disparity within the country music industry — as part of CMT’s overarching CMT Equal Play initiative.
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The CMT Next Women of Country: Class of 2024 includes Anne Wilson, Denitia, Ella Langley, Emily Ann Roberts, HunterGirl, Karley Scott Collins, Kylie Frey, Lauren Watkins, Madeline Merlo, Mae Estes, Tanner Adell, The Castellows, Tigirlily Gold and Twinnie.
The franchise’s new class was revealed and celebrated on Tuesday (Jan. 23) before a Nashville gathering of music industry and media members at City Winery Nashville. CMT’s Leslie Fram was joined by co-hosts Kimberly Perry and Colbie Caillat, each of whom will serve as mentors to the 2024 CMT Next Women of Country class.
“As someone that grew up watching CMT every morning, to now be highlighted with this wonderful class of artists is inspiring. CMT’s continued support of my career has been amazing, first through Equal Access, and now as a Next Woman of Country,” NWOC Class of 2024 member Denitia told Billboard in a statement. “My focus is to make music that connects with people and I’m really grateful for this opportunity to have even more of a platform to do that. I want to continue to be inspired by the past traditions of country music while moving forward into an exciting future. What an honor to be included in what’s next!”
The singer-songwriter released the 2022 album Highways, featuring the song “I Want to Live,” and followed in 2023 with a cover of Garth Brooks’ “What She’s Doin’ Now.”
With its 2024 class, the franchise has welcomed 125 women into its ranks over the past decade, creating a community and network of supporters, champions and collaborators, including Mickey Guyton, Kelsea Ballerini, Brittney Spencer, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney and more.
For 2024, the Next Women of Country will team up with the female singer-songwriter collective, Song Suffragettes, for a year-long partnership, which was announced onstage by Fram and Song Suffragettes leader Todd Cassetty. Since 2014, Song Suffragettes has held weekly songwriter showcases in Nashville, with dozens of the women featured going on to secure publishing and record deals.
This joint effort, in conjunction with organizations Change the Conversation and The Change Agent·cy, aims to pursue industry education opportunities together to continue advancing and supporting women country music artists. In celebration of the collaboration, NWOC will host a showcase with Song Suffragettes at City Winery on Feb. 27, with performer lineup and ticketing details to come.
Additionally, CMT’s series CMT Hot 20 Countdown, hosted by Carissa Culiner and Rissi Palmer, will again this year offer a three-hour special episode, honoring the NWOC 2024 class; the episode will air Feb. 10.
NWOC Class of 2024 member Anne Wilson, whose album My Jesus was a sonic slab of CCM-country sounds, is experiencing a crossover surge, having previously earned two No. 1 Billboard Christian Airplay hits with “My Jesus” and “I Still Believe in Christmas.” She recently released the country radio-focused track “Rain in the Rearview,” while her single “Strong” is in the top 20 on the Christian Airplay chart.
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“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude to be a part of this year’s Next Women of Country,” Wilson told Billboard via a statement. “It’s truly an honor that I don’t take lightly. My love for country music and the beautiful community of artists in it is immense. It’s a dream to be walking alongside these incredible female artists with the support of an organization I’ve loved since ever since I can remember.”
NWOC Class of 2024 member Adell, who released the critically acclaimed album Buckle Bunny last year, told Billboard via a statement, “Being a part of CMT’s Next Women of Country is an honor in so many ways. As a little girl I watched CMT and admired all the strong women I saw. I’m blessed with a story that wasn’t always easy to live, but I can’t wait to heal and inspire other women with my journey and wear the Next Women of Country badge with honor.”
CMT’s Next Women of Country franchise launched in 2013, highlighting female country performers on all CMT screens, including CMT and CMT Music, as well as digital series; the NWOC franchise expanded to include seven tours spearheaded by artists including Jennifer Nettles, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Tanya Tucker and Maddie & Tae.
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“It’s an honor and a privilege to welcome this latest group of artists to CMT’s Next Women of Country,” said Leslie Fram, SVP, Music & Talent, CMT, via a statement. “For the past 10 years, this franchise has represented the best and brightest new talent in all of country music and this year is no exception. From the UK and Canada to California and the deep South, these women all have their own unique stories to tell, and we can’t wait to introduce them to CMT audiences in creative and meaningful ways.
“And in the spirit of providing greater opportunities and visibility for female voices in our format, we’re thrilled to join hands and partner with our friends at notable singer-songwriter collective, Song Suffragettes, to work together towards our collective goal: greater parity for underrepresented female voices in our format. We look forward to collaborating with Todd Cassetty and his team to ensure that more talented women like these are given the opportunities they deserve to be seen and heard worldwide by our industry and fans.”
Ledisi, Billie Jean King, Amber Riley, Chris Janson, Fancy Hagood and Lucie Silvas have been added to CMT Smashing Glass, a salute to genre-defying women artists that premieres Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Clint Black, Mickey Guyton, Sheryl Crow and The War & Treaty were already announced for the special, which will celebrate […]
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CMT and management services company mtheory have revealed the six new candidates selected to take part in the Equal Access Development Program, its yearlong artist and management training program designed to support underrepresented voices and communities in country music, including Black, Native and Indigenous, Latino, LGBTQ+ and women.
This year’s participants are artists Angie K, Camille Parker and Denitia, as well as music industry executives Ahsaki LaFrance-Chachere, Alex Evelyn and Roberto Martinez.
The Equal Access Program launched in April 2022, spearheaded by mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson and Tiffany Provenzano, as well as CMT senior vp of music & talent Leslie Fram. The program provides funding and training, as well as access to industry leaders, with the goal of creating a multifaceted pipeline of diverse talent in country music.
Angie K previously competed with Team Blake on NBC’s The Voice and is part of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2023. Her music often blends country with her Latin roots, such as her bilingual release “Real Talk,” which made her a Highway Find on SiriusXM. Parker, a member of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022, also recently competed on AppleTV+’s My Kind of Country. Parker is also currently recording her debut EP with producers Chris McClenny and David Phelps. Texas native Denitia is a multi-instrumentalist who has played saxophone, trumpet and guitar and has roots in a myriad of musical genres, including gospel, folk and alternative rock.
LaFrance-Chachere is a Diné (Navajo) tribal member and African-American woman, who aims to demonstrate that Native Americans/Indigenous people are diverse despite stereotypical depictions. Her LaChachere Management & Publishing represents country music artists Dzaki Sukarno, C’ing Jerome and Jay Brown. Evelyn is CEO/founder of management and development company Big Al Management, which includes clients YSA and Khrys Hatch. Evelyn also serves as radio/TV producer/show host at YoCo 96.7 FM in Nashville. Martinez has worked as a songwriter, producer and recording engineer. After a five-year stint at Warner Music Group, Martinez manages artists in multiple genres as CEO of The Exos Group and is partner in Coco’s Backstage.
Carlson, CEO of mtheory, said via a statement, “Research continues to show the enduring racial and gendered hierarchy within the industry, and its ripple effect throughout every facet of the business: radio airplay, songwriting, publishing, streaming, record label signings, artist development, touring and more. Only through deliberate, consistent efforts like Equal Access, will we begin to see stronger representation of underserved groups in the format, and we’re committed to helping this new group of exceptionally talented individuals successfully prepare for careers in country music, particularly in this current legislative environment that has become an increasingly prohibitive place for creativity to grow and flourish. Thank you to all of our supporters for making this program possible, particularly our title sponsors at CMT and across the Paramount companies.”
Fram added, “CMT, along with Paramount Global and its Content for Change initiative, is proud to partner with mtheory once again and is committed to leading the industry in igniting systemic change. Equal Access accentuates our roster of groundbreaking initiatives including CMT Equal Play and CMT Next Women of Country, and contributes significantly towards leveling the playing field in country music. We look forward to collaborating with this amazing new group of artists and managers to amplify their work to CMT audiences and beyond.”
The inaugural 2022-23 Equal Access cohort included artists Madeline Edwards, Miko Marks and Valerie Ponzio and music management professionals Charlene Bryant, Kadeem Phillips and Marques Vance.
Over the past year, the 2022-23 Equal Access class members have reached numerous goals. Edwards signed a publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing, a recording deal with Warner Music Nashville and has toured with Chris Stapleton and Ingrid Andress. Marks released the album Feel Like Going Home with music reaching the top five on the Americana Radio Albums chart, while her single “One More Night” reached the top 20. Ponzio released her EP Frontera and had her music featured on the Times Square billboard and on CMT. Marks and Edwards both made their Grand Ole Opry debut performances.
Bryant now manages artist Harper Grae and is a consultant for Universal Music Nashville. Vance began a full-time job with a major label and launched a website to feature his work as a manager and marketing consultant. Phillips launched the Empower the Block website to showcase his work as a manager, publisher, distributor and studio owner, and launched a monthly showcase, Spirit of Country, to highlight country artists of color.
Kane Brown and Jelly Roll made history at the 2023 CMT Music Awards, which were presented on Sunday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The show aired on CBS for the second year in a row.
Brown became the first person in 20 years to both host or co-host the show and win the top award, video of the year. He co-hosted with Kelsea Ballerini for the third year in a row. He won video of the year for “Thank God,” his hit duet with his wife Katelyn Brown. The last person to accomplish this double feat was Toby Keith, who co-hosted the 2003 CMT Music Awards with actress Pamela Anderson and took the video of the year award for his post-9/11 song “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American).”
This is the third year in a row that a collaborative video has won video of the year. “If I Didn’t Love You” by Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood won last year. “Hallelujah” by Underwood featuring John Legend won two years ago.
Jelly Roll won both male video of the year and breakthrough male video of the year for “Son of a Sinner.” This marks the fourth time in the show’s history that someone has won the award for the year’s top male, female, group or duo video and a breakthrough award in the same year. In 2005, Gretchen Wilson took female video of the year for “When I Think About Cheatin’” and breakthrough video of the year for “Redneck Woman.” The following year, Underwood took both awards for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” In 2013, Florida Georgia Line took breakthrough video and duo video of the year for “Cruise.”
Underwood didn’t add to her record-setting collection of 25 CMT Music Awards. She was nominated for video of the year for “Hate My Heart,” but lost to the Browns’ smash. She was nominated for female video of the year for “Ghost Story,” but lost to Lainey Wilson’s “Heart Like a Truck.” This marks the first time in 12 years that Underwood hasn’t won in at least one of those marquee categories.
Wilson, who led the pack with four nominations, won two: female video of the year for “Heart Like a Truck” and collaborative video of the year for her featured role on HARDY’s “wait in the truck.” HARDY and Wilson beat the Browns’ “Thank God” in the latter category, though there was a reversal of fortune in the video of the year category where the two videos again competed.
Zac Brown Band took group/duo video of the year for “Out in the Middle.” It’s their second win in the group video category, following a 2019 win for “Someone I Used to Know.” Rascal Flatts is the top winner in the category, with seven wins, followed by Lady A with five and Little Big Town with four.
Cody Johnson’s performance of “Til You Can’t” on last year’s CMT Music Awards won for CMT performance of the year. Johnson won male video of the year for the smash at last year’s show.
Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange” won breakthrough female video of the year.
As CMT’s Next Women of Country celebrates its 10th anniversary, the franchise welcomes its largest class so far.
Revealed on Tuesday night (Jan. 17) at Nashville’s City Winery, the 16 rising female artists in the class of 2023 are Sony Music Nashville/Columbia artist Alana Springsteen, Angie K, Big Loud’s Ashley Cooke, Warner Music Nashville’s Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Catie Offerman, Sony’s Georgia Webster, Julie Williams, Kasey Tyndall, Kimberly Kelly, Mackenzie Carpenter, Black River’s MaRynn Taylor, Sony Music Nashville/Columbia’s Megan Moroney, O.N.E The Duo, Pillbox Patti and Roberta Lea.
Over the next year, the new CMT Next Women of Country class will receive cross-brand support for their music and videos on CMT, CMT Music, PlutoTV’s CMT Equal Play Channel, CMT Hot 20 Countdown, CMT.com and CMT’s social channels, as well as cross-promotional opportunities for Paramount Media’s MTV Entertainment Group brands via live events, the Paramount Times Square billboard in New York City and more.
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“So many women broke through this year and had success stories, whether it was signing a publishing deal, or breaking through on TikTok, that we couldn’t not make it a big class. It just happened to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the franchise,” Leslie Fram, CMT senior VP of music strategy tells Billboard. “You have women who are amazing songwriters, women who have been working for years and some who just broke through on streaming. Each one has an incredible story.”
Cody Alan and CMT Next Women of Country alumnus Rissi Palmer will host the event, with program alums including Maddie & Tae (2015), Ingrid Andress (2019), Kelsea Ballerini (2015), Brittney Spencer (2021), Caitlyn Smith (2017), Brooke Eden (2015), Chapel Hart (2021) and Mickey Guyton (2015), as well as singer-songwriter-producer Nicolle Galyon, among those in attendance.
“We remember when Next Women of Country was starting and we really had the opportunity to see the sisterhood work,” trio Chapel Hart, members of the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2021, tells Billboard via a statement. “Social media was just kinda kicking off, and we watched the ladies share each other’s music & art on the other’s platforms because radio just wasn’t playing many women but they found a way to innovate…We admire angels like Leslie Fram and the staff at CMT because it’s one thing to talk the talk but they are actually putting in the work and walking the walk! NWOC is hands-down one of the greatest accomplishments of our career.”
Including the Class of 2023, 111 female acts have been supported through the program over the past decade, among them Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark, Brooke Eden, Carly Pearce, Gabby Barrett, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Runaway June, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Alaina, Maren Morris and Morgan Wade.
“CMT’s Next Women of Country is an incredible beacon in this town, shining a light on new female talent,” Spencer, who was part of CMT Next Women of Country’s Class of 2021, tells Billboard via a statement. “Whether it’s giving touring opportunities, advertising support by displaying new female artists’ music videos on Viacom’s billboard in Times Square, or ensuring male and female artists’ music videos receive equal play time on its platform through its equal play access initiative, CMT leads the way in providing tangible, useful support to an often times overlooked group of Nashville artists.”
Beyond launching its CMT Equal Play Initiative to help amplify underrepresented voices in country music, as well as promoting music and content from female artists across its range of platforms, CMT has also teamed with social impact firm The Change Agent-cy for a third consecutive year to offer Next Women of Country members access to individual consulting, media training, and planning for specific social impact and advocacy campaigns.
Celebrating 10 Years of Changing the Narrative
Fram launched the program a decade ago after seeing the need to amplify female voices.
“I came into this genre from the rock world and over the course of that first year at CMT and seeing a lot of women start to disappear from playlists in general, the percentages were so low of women being supported by terrestrial radio, way before we had started talking about playlisting on DSPs,” she says. “It was concerning because we’ve seen this in all genres, the myths of ‘You can’t play two women back-to-back’ or ‘Women don’t want to hear women,’ and there’s no research that backs any of that up. We thought, ‘How can we as a network–knowing that we play videos and that we have content and Hot 20 and all these platforms– support female artists?’”
Talent was the defining criteria for inclusion. “We started seeing a lot of these artists that were getting zero support, but who had these amazing voices and talents, like Ashley Monroe and Brandy Clark,” Fram says. “Brandy was one of my early inspirations, because I was such a fan of Brandy’s and I wanted to support her. I knew if she’s not signed to a label, it would be hard to get exposure. That was another reason to start this program, because they did not have to have a publishing deal or a record deal—it was just about great music and great artistry.”
In 2013, the inaugural CMT Next Women of Country class, which included Clark, Monroe, and Musgraves, effectively put the industry on notice as to the lack of female voices being heard on country radio, two years before what would become “Tomato-gate” in 2015, when radio consultant Keith Hill drew ire after calling female artists the “tomatoes” of a male artist-filled “salad.”
“If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out,” Hill told country radio trade publication Country Aircheck. “Trust me, I play great female records and we’ve got some right now; they’re just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.”
It was a stark contrast, given the proliferation of female country artists heard on country radio—and winning awards—in previous decades, including Country Music Hall of Fame member Loretta Lynn (the first woman to win the CMA’s entertainer of the year honor, in 1972) and Barbara Mandrell (the first artist—male or female—to win two consecutive CMA entertainer of the year honors), to Dolly Parton, The Judds, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, and a plethora of female artists who stormed the country radio charts in the 1990s, from Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood and Faith Hill to LeAnn Rimes, The (then-Dixie) Chicks, Terri Clark and more.
Since 2013, just over 50 songs featuring female voices (including solo female artists, duos and groups including female artists and female artists featured on songs released by male artists) reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Several alumni from CMT’s Next Women of Country have earned radio chart-toppers, including McBryde, Lindsay Ell, MacKenzie Porter, Ballerini, Barrett, Morris, Maddie & Tae, Lauren Alaina, and Pearce. Barrett, who previously earned two No. 1 hits with “I Hope” and “The Good Ones,” is currently in the top 10 on the Billboard’s Country Airplay chart dated Jan. 21 with “Pick Me Up,” while Wilson has two songs in the top 15 (“Heart Like a Truck” and “Wait in the Truck,” a collaboration with HARDY). Pearce is at No. 15 with “What He Didn’t Do.” Other past and present NWOC participants on the chart include Hailey Whitters (“Everything She Ain’t”), Moroney (“Tennessee Orange”), and Ballerini (“If You Go Down, I’m Going Down Too”).
“We are seeing more females getting signed and when artists like Lainey and Megan have success, it opens the door for so many more,” Fram says. “We see those success stories and the gatekeepers begin to say, ‘Ok, we need to pay attention to this.’ I would love to see the percentages increase on terrestrial radio, but we are seeing more women get on tours. A lot of our male superstars are taking women out on tour with them, too. It’s helping that crazy cycle that we are trying to break. You are seeing women getting signed, like Ashley Cooke to Big Loud.”
Many members of CMT’s Next Women of Country have picked up awards accolades and nominations in recent years. At the 2019 Grammys, Musgraves earned the most coveted trophy of the evening, when her Golden Hour project earned the all-genre album of the year trophy, in addition to country album of the year. In 2020, Mickey Guyton earned a Grammy nomination for best country solo performance for “Black Like Me,” and followed with a CMA new artist of the year nomination in 2021 and Grammy nominations for best country solo performance, best country song and best country album (all for the single and album “Remember Her Name”). Pearce and McBryde have earned awards recognition from the Grammys, CMAs and ACMs for their No. 1 Country Airplay hit “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” while Pearce won the CMA’s female vocalist of the year honor in 2021. Ballerini picked up Grammy nominations for best new artist (2016), best country album (2019 for Unapologetically) and returns to the Grammys nominations ballot again this year, earning a best country solo performance nomination for “Heartfirst.” In 2021, Ballerini earned her first two CMA Awards wins, picking up musical event and video of the year for her song “half of my hometown” (a No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hit, written by Ballerini, which flips the script on having female artists guest on a male artist’s song, by welcoming her fellow east Tennessee native Kenny Chesney). In 2022, Wilson earned six CMA Awards nominations, and picked up two wins, including female vocalist of the year and new artist of the year. Morris and McBryde are each up for best country album at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
Road Warriors
CMT’s Next Women of Country has done more than dispel myths about who women want to hear on radio—they’ve worked to revise the notion that female artists cannot sell concert tickets. The program has included seven CMT Next Women of Country tours, with all-female lineups spearheaded by artists including Jennifer Nettles, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Tanya Tucker and Maddie & Tae.
“There was this weird cycle—if you didn’t have a song on the radio, you couldn’t get on a tour,” Fram says. “So a lot of them couldn’t get on a tour, so we wanted to create a platform where they had a stage to play on. I talked to a lot of [promoters] in town, like AEG and Live Nation and they were all about it. The first tour was Kelsea Ballerini and Jana Kramer in these clubs, but it was successful. It was women and men coming to see them and we were proving that women do sell tickets. The other myth was that women don’t sell beer, but I’ll tell you what, they do sell a lot of alcohol. Then we started talking to headliners about anchoring the tour.”
When CMA Fest returned in downtown Nashville in 2022, so did CMT’s Next Women of Country showcase at Nashville’s City Winery.
“It’s great because it’s not a big ask for the artists, they can do a couple of songs, and it gives them a stage to play on. We’ve started having a bit of a following, of people who come to everyone, because they want to support women,” Fram says of the showcases.
Since the inaugural CMT Next Women of Country Tour in 2015, country music’s touring sector has also seen a slew of successful, all-female country tours from Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Maren Morris sell out arenas across the country, as have more recent all-female lineups including Reba McEntire’s Live in Concert tour featuring Terri Clark (in 2023, the tour adds The Isaacs) and The Judds: The Final Tour, with Wynonna welcoming McBryde, Little Big Town, Ballerini and more. Twain will launch this year with a primarily female lineup of openers, while Ballerini is also bringing newcomer Georgia Webster along on her own tour.
“That’s exciting for all of us, frankly, when you see artists like this, like Miranda, Maren, Kelsea and Shania doing this and putting their money where their mouth is and bringing women on tour with them,” Fram says. “It’s a celebration of women.”
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