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After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a cameo in Drake’s “Nokia” music video, fans wondered if his team is cursed. LeBron James reacts to “Man on the Lakers,” and we cover who’s going to be performing at the NCAA March Madness music festival. Do you think Shai has been cursed by Drake? What did you think about […]
Country music label Monument Records, home to artists including Walker Hayes and Tigirlily Gold, is folding, with some aspects of the label to be overseen by Sony Music Nashville, Billboard can confirm. No reason was given for the label’s shuttering. Country Aircheck first reported the news. Sony Music songwriter/producer Shane McAnally and manager Jason Owen […]
Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Jessie Jo Dillon, Morgan Wallen and Jelly Roll are among the songwriters who will be honored at the 2025 CMA Triple Play Awards. This year’s ceremony, hosted by composer and CMA board member Jim Beavers, will be held Tuesday, April 29, in Nashville.
The CMA Triple Play Award is presented to songwriters who pen three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period based on the Country Aircheck chart and two key Billboard charts — Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs. (See the full list of honorees below.)
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Gorley and Handsome each had a hand in writing six No. 1 hits, which means they each pick up two Triple Play Awards. These are Gorley’s 25th and 26th CMA Triple Play Awards, extending his lead as the most decorated recipient in the award’s history. And he has an even bigger honor coming up: On June 12, he’ll be inducted into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame at the annual gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.
Dillon was nominated for a Grammy for songwriter of the year, non-classical, this year for the second year in a row. This is her first CMA Triple Play Award. Other songwriters receiving their first CMA Triple Play Awards this year are Rocky Block, John Byron, Jordan Minton and Taylor Phillips. Triple Play honorees Wallen and Jelly Roll are both notable for being superstar artists in addition to being songwriters.
CMA will also honor 73 songwriters who have achieved their first No. 1 country hit since the previous ceremony.
“Songwriters are the heartbeat of Country Music, and the CMA Triple Play Awards allow us to recognize the incredible talent and dedication it takes to write not just one, but three No. 1 songs in a year,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO. “We’re also proud to celebrate those reaching their first No. 1 — a milestone that marks the beginning of many great stories. We look forward to uniting our songwriting community later this month to honor these achievements and the creative contributions that continue to shape the genre.”
Music publisher David Conrad is set to receive the 2024 CMA Songwriter Advocate Award, which honors individuals who have significantly supported and advanced the art and careers of songwriters. Conrad, a music publishing veteran with more than 35 years of experience, is a driving force in establishing Nashville as a leading songwriting hub. Starting as GM for Charley Pride‘s PiGem/Chess Music in 1973, he went on to serve as head of Almo/Irving Music’s Nashville office.
“Some of my favorite folks in the Nashville song business have been recognized before me so it’s twice the honor,” Conrad said in a statement. “This is as good as it gets, and I am privileged to be included.”
The 2025 CMA Triple Play Awards recipients are being recognized for the following songs:
Rocky Block
“Man Made a Bar,” recorded by Morgan Wallen feat. Eric Church
“Cowgirls,” recorded by Morgan Wallen feat. ERNEST
“Pour Me a Drink,” recorded by Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton
John Byron
“Thinkin’ Bout Me,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
“Pour Me a Drink,” recorded by Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton
“Love Somebody,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Zach Crowell
“God Gave Me a Girl,” recorded by Russell Dickerson
“Stars Like Confetti,” recorded by Dustin Lynch
“Outskirts,” recorded by Sam Hunt
Jessie Jo Dillon
“Memory Lane,” recorded by Old Dominion
“Back Then Right Now,” recorded by Tyler Hubbard
“Halfway to Hell,” recorded by Jelly Roll
Ashley Gorley
“I Had Some Help,” recorded by Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
“Cowgirls,” recorded by Morgan Wallen feat. ERNEST
“Bulletproof,” recorded by Nate Smith
“Young Love & Saturday Nights,” recorded by Chris Young
“Love Somebody,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
“I Am Not Okay,” recorded by Jelly Roll
Charlie Handsome
“Thinkin’ Bout Me,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
“I Had Some Help,” recorded by Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
“Cowgirls,” recorded by Morgan Wallen feat. ERNEST
“Pour Me a Drink,” recorded by Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton
“Love Somebody,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
“I’m the Problem,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Jelly Roll
“Halfway to Hell,” recorded by Jelly Roll
“I Am Not Okay,” recorded by Jelly Roll
“Liar,” recorded by Jelly Roll
Ben Johnson
“TRUCK BED,” recorded by HARDY
“Bulletproof,” recorded by Nate Smith
“Liar,” recorded by Jelly Roll
Chase McGill
“God Gave Me a Girl,” recorded by Russell Dickerson
“Mamaw’s House,” recorded by Thomas Rhett feat. Morgan Wallen
“Chevrolet,” recorded by Dustin Lynch feat. Jelly Roll
Jordan Minton
“Save Me the Trouble,” recorded by Dan + Shay
“your place,” recorded by Ashley Cooke
“Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” recorded by Luke Bryan
Randy Montana
“Different ’Round Here,” recorded by Riley Green feat. Luke Combs
“Where the Wild Things Are,” recorded by Luke Combs
“This Is My Dirt,” recorded by Justin Moore
Hunter Phelps
“TRUCK BED,” recorded by HARDY
“Take Her Home,” recorded by Kenny Chesney
“Bulletproof,” recorded by Nate Smith
Taylor Phillips
“Thinkin’ Bout Me,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
“World on Fire,” recorded by Nate Smith
“I Am Not Okay,” recorded by Jelly Roll
Ernest Keith Smith
“I Had Some Help,” recorded by Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
“Cowgirls,” recorded by Morgan Wallen feat. ERNEST
“I’m the Problem,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Josh Thompson
“Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings),” recorded by Thomas Rhett
“Stars Like Confetti,” recorded by Dustin Lynch
“Young Love & Saturday Nights,” recorded by Chris Young
Morgan Wallen
“Mamaw’s House,” recorded by Thomas Rhett feat. Morgan Wallen
“I Had Some Help,” recorded by Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
“Love Somebody,” recorded by Morgan Wallen
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Fresh off the back of his early exit from Saturday Night Live over the weekend, Morgan Wallen has launched a new line of “Get Me to God’s Country” merchandise.
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Launched on Tuesday (April 1), the new merch options are rather simple, consisting of a white shirt and a hat, with the latter available in two different color variants. All the items feature the same design, however, with the Coors logo worked into a design which bears the words “Get Me to God’s Country.”
Despite the timing of the merch drop, the Club Wallen Instagram account has assured fans it’s not part of an April Fools’ Day joke.
The nascent run of merch comes just days after the phrase rose to prominence following Wallen’s early walk-off from Saturday Night Live. After performing a pair of songs from his forthcoming album, I’m the Problem, Wallen briefly joined the SNL cast at the end of the show, as is customary on the long-running sketch comedy series. He then whispered something into host Mikey Madison’s ear, gave her a hug and abruptly walked off the stage at Studio 8H.
Shortly after the incident, Wallen shared a photo on his Instagram Stories from his private plane, with the caption “Get me to God’s country” written over an image of the runway.
Given the somewhat mysterious nature of the phrase and the swift launch of the merchandise line, it’s currently unclear whether the slogan is part of Wallen’s new album, or something else entirely. The forthcoming record, I’m the Problem, is scheduled to be released on May 16 and features a total of 37 tracks, though only a handful of their titles have been released to date.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly following Wallen’s walk-off, longtime cast member Kenan Thompson said the incident was “definitely a spike in the norm.”
“We’re so used to everybody just turning around and high-fiving us, everybody’s saying, ‘Good job, good job, good job.’ So when there’s a departure from that, it’s like, hmm, I wonder what that’s about?” Thompson added, noting that Prince had previously done the same thing during his appearance on the show.
“I’m not saying Morgan Wallen is Prince, but we weren’t surprised because Prince was notoriously kind of standoffish. It’s just how he was. So we just thought like, ‘Okay, now he’s gone back into fantasyland.’”
Wallen is yet to publicly comment on the incident or provide information as to the meaning behind the phrase.
Morgan Wallen walked off the ‘SNL’ set early, which stirred memes and debates online as to why he left and around his cryptic post of “Get me to God’s Country.” ‘SNL’ cast members Kenan Thompson responded to his walk-off. Keep watching for all the updates on Morgan Wallen’s abrupt departure. What do you think of […]
Randy Travis, Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA), and Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) will be honored at the 2025 Grammys on the Hill Awards. The event is being held on Tuesday (April 8) in Washington, D.C.
Travis, a seven-time Grammy winner and multiplatinum recording artist, is being recognized for his work championing fair compensation and protections for artists in the digital age. In 2024, he testified on Capitol Hill in support of the American Music Fairness Act, which aims to ensure artists are fairly compensated when their songs air on AM/FM radio. He is also committed to promoting the ethical use of AI.
“At this point in my life, I am fully focused on living and giving back,” Travis said in a statement. “I’ve been part of the music community my whole life, professionally for 40 years. I am passionate about advocating to keep music an honest pursuit of art and human expression. While I remain excited about new, cutting-edge technologies, we must protect, and fairly compensate, the creative minds that give us the music—and art—that feeds our souls.”
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Travis, 65, has amassed 16 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart and five No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
Representatives Sánchez and Estes are being honored for their leadership in championing policies that empower and protect musicians. Together, they re-introduced the HITS Act in Congress in January 2025 to advance tax reforms to ensure independent music creators can thrive.
The Grammys on the Hill Awards are just the start of a three-day schedule of events hosted by the Recording Academy.
On Wednesday April 9, the Academy’s annual Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day will bring together Grammy winners and nominees, along with industry leaders, for meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss key legislative priorities impacting music creators.
On Thursday April 10, the Academy will hold its second annual Grammys on the Hill Future Forum, a conference exploring critical issues impacting the music community. The event will explore how to best build up music communities both locally and globally. Conversations will focus on the work state and local stakeholders are doing to develop and sustain music economies, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing new emerging music markets around the world.
“Grammys on the Hill plays a pivotal role in improving the lives of music creators, and we’re thrilled to see it evolve into a full week of advocacy, celebration and learning,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. “I’m excited to bring our music community and policymakers together in Washington—not just to celebrate the changemakers fighting for creators’ rights, but to unite and take action to improve the livelihoods of music people across the country.”
Since its inception in 2001, Grammys on the Hill has honored such artists as Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Pharrell Williams and Sheryl Crow. (See full list of artist honorees below.) The annual event has also recognized influential congressional leaders, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and former Speakers of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Grammys on the Hill has led to several legislative victories for the music industry, including the Music Modernization Act in 2018 and the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act in 2022. In 2024, the Academy helped pass five pro-music laws, supported 20 state and federal bills, and rallied more than 3,500 members to engage in music advocacy efforts across the country.
Here’s a complete list of previous artists who were honored at the Grammys on the Hill event:
2024 – Sheryl Crow
2023 – Pharrell Williams
2022 – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
2019 – Yolanda Adams and Kristin Chenoweth
2018 – Little Big Town
2017 – Keith Urban
2016 – Zac Brown Band
2015 – Alicia Keys
2014 – Lady A
2013 – Jennifer Hudson
2012 – John Mayer
2011 – Don Henley
2010 – Garth Brooks
2007 – Quincy Jones
2006 – Kelly Clarkson
2005 – Gloria Estefan
2004 – Natalie Cole
2003 – Martina McBride
2002 – Vince Gill
2001 – Missy Elliott
On last weekend’s Saturday Night Live, Morgan Wallen — guesting on the show for the first time since 2020 — performed songs from his upcoming album I’m The Problem, but also sparked controversy for his early exit from the SNL stage.
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Though Wallen has yet to directly comment on the SNL controversy, he has promoted some new music since then. On March 31, he posted a video to Instagram teasing a new song, “Come Back as a Redneck,” captioning the video with one of the song’s lyrics, “Maybe then you’ll understand.”
The song’s lyrics take a musical shot at tensions between city dwellers and those raised in the country, with Wallen singing, “I didn’t choose my raisin’ and you didn’t choose yours,” and elsewhere singing, “When you die, I hope you come back as a redneck…I hope you break your back for that barely-gettin’-by paycheck…maybe then you’ll understand.” The video shows Wallen partaking in various outdoor activities, including some target practice with a rifle at an outdoor shooting range and driving deep into the woods on a four-wheeler.
On the March 29 episode of Saturday Night Live, Wallen sang the title track of his upcoming album, I’m the Problem (due May 16), as well as a new song, “Just in Case.”
In keeping with SNL custom, Wallen joined the SNL cast on stage at the end of the show as the credits rolled. He gave a hug to the episode’s host, Oscar winner Mikey Madison, before quickly exiting the stage. Following his SNL exit, he later posted a story on his Instagram: a photo showing a private plane with the caption “Get me to God’s country.” His exit spurred controversy, with many questioning his decision to leave the show’s set, including longtime SNL cast member Kenan Thompson, who called the exit “definitely a spike in the norm.”
While the exit controversy has been at the forefront of fan conversations in recent days, it’s notable that Wallen also used the performance to seemingly tease several song titles from his upcoming album, including “Come Back as a Redneck.” The song was listed as “No. 21: ‘Come Back as a Redneck’ (feat. ______),” suggesting that the full song might involve a collaboration. Other song titles featured during the performance were “I Got Better,” “Skoal, Chevy and Browning,” “Genesis,” “Where’d That Girl Go,” “Miami,” “LA Night,” and two more songs that also seem to be possible collaborations with unnamed artists, “What I Want” and “Number 3 and Number 7.”
Wallen has already released or previewed snippets of several songs from the upcoming album, including his Billboard Hot 100 hits “Love Somebody” and “Just in Case.”
Wallen is a leading contender heading into this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards on May 8, where he is up for seven trophies, among them entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and artist-songwriter of the year.
On April 1, 1995, Trisha Yearwood’s “Thinkin’ About You” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, beginning a two-week reign. It became the third of her five career leaders, among 19 top 10s.
The hit was the title song from Yearwood’s 1995 album. It was authored by Bob Regan and Tom Shapiro, with production by Garth Fundis. Thinkin’ About You arrived at its No. 3 peak on Top Country Albums, giving Yearwood her third of 15 top 10s, a haul that includes four No. 1s.
The set’s “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)” topped Hot Country Songs for two weeks in September 1994. After the title track’s chart run, “You Can Sleep While I Drive” (written by Melissa Etheridge) hit No. 23 and “I Wanna Go Too Far” returned Yearwood to the top 10 (No. 9). Last single “On a Bus to St. Cloud” also dented the survey.
Yearwood was born on Sept. 19, 1964, in Monticello, Ga. In 1984, she graduated from Young Harris College with an associate degree in business. Prior to signing with MCA Records in 1990, she worked various jobs in Nashville, including a stint as a receptionist at MTM Records.
Yearwood’s rookie single, “She’s in Love With the Boy,” crowned Hot Country Songs for two weeks in August 1991. Its 30th anniversary was marked in 2021 with a surprise celebration at the Grand Ole Opry (to which she was inducted in 1999).
Now 60, and married to fellow country cornerstone Garth Brooks since December 2005, Yearwood is active in music and as a TV personality and an author, having published multiple cookbooks.
2025 has already proven to be a busy year for Yearwood. On March 24, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with dedications by Reba McEntire and Carly Pearce, and with Brooks by her side. With a new album due this year, Yearwood will kick-off a seven-city theater tour beginning on April 30 in Austin, Texas.
Megan Moroney brought a decidedly upbeat vibe to her usual “emo-cowgirl” candidness, performing her love song “Am I Okay?” at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event held Saturday night at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
Clad in a silver dress covered in fringe and sparkle and confidently commanding the stage, Moroney offered up a peppy rendition of the title track to her second studio album, which was released in July 2024, debuting at No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and at No. 3 on the Top Country Albums chart.
During the ceremony, Moroney was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rulebreaker award.
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Taking the stage to accept her honor, Moroney said, “Thank you, Billboard, for this. This is so cool. And I’m just really grateful to be here. When I found out I was getting the Rulebreaker award, I thought it was kind of funny, because if you know me in real life, I’m like an avid rule follower. I stole a piece of gum when I was 10 from a ballpark, and I still think about it sometimes. So it’s just ironic that I get the Rulebreaker award, but I’m just so grateful for it.
She continued, “I’m grateful to be here in a room with such talented, confident, amazing women in music. And I wouldn’t be up here if it wasn’t for my team. Thank you to my managers [Punchbowl Entertainment’s] Julie Griffith and Hayley Corbett, my [UTA] agent Elisa Vazzana, Stephanie Self. I’ve just got like so many bad bi—es [on my] team, I could go on and on. But my record label, Columbia Records and Sony Nashville, I’m just really grateful to be here and it’s awesome to see so many amazing women all in the same room tonight. So cheers. Let’s have margaritas. Thank you. Thanks, Billboard.”
Moroney was honored with a recent Women in Music feature, in which she opened up about her approach to her music and career, branding, working on her upcoming album, staying connected with her fanbase and more.
Morgan Wallen’s “Just In Case” debuts in the top five of the Hot 100. Tetris Kelly: This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated April 5. “APT” is back in the top 10 while “Not Like Us” slips to nine. “Beautiful Things” also returns to the top 10, as does “Nokia” […]