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Trending on Billboard Eric Church is giving fans a preview into the cinematic concert extravaganza that his fans will see in February, when Eric Church: Evangeline Vs. The Machine Comes Alive hits IMAX theaters in the United States and Canada for two nights only, on Feb. 11 and Feb. 14, 2026. Explore See latest videos, […]
Trending on Billboard Luke Bryan and Ella Langley are getting into the holiday spirit, releasing a new collaboration as part of Bryan’s new three-song EP, Luke Bryan Christmas, which dropped Friday (Nov. 14). Explore See latest videos, charts and news Bryan and Langley team up for a rendition of the holiday classic “Winter Wonderland,” which […]
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Laufey, Gwen Stefani and more stars are ready to rock around the Rockefeller Christmas tree, with NBC announcing the lineup for its annual tree-lighting celebration — hosted this year by Reba McEntire — on Friday (Nov. 14).
As Billboard can exclusively share, the network is set to air its 2025 Christmas in Rockefeller Center special at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 3, with viewers getting the choice of tuning live on NBC or watching a simulcast on Peacock. With the country icon and Voice judge making her debut as host of the yearly program, Marc Anthony, Halle Bailey, Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, New Edition, Brad Paisley and Carly Pearce will also perform.
Plus, the Radio City Rockettes — who are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year — will once again be present to dazzle viewers with a festive showcase and, most likely, a kick line or two. “The lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center is one of the great traditions that New York has to offer, and we couldn’t be more proud to once again share that excitement with audiences all over the country,” said Jen Neal, executive vp of live events and specials at NBCUniversal Entertainment, in a statement.
She added, “We’re so looking forward to seeing Reba bring her infectious energy to the telecast and create an unforgettable holiday moment.”
The 2025 iteration of the holiday extravaganza will build on more than 90 years of tradition. The first Rockefeller tree lighting took place in 1933, giving New Yorkers a meaningful bit of Christmas cheer amid the Great Depression; in 1936, the famous ice-skating rink at Rockefeller Center opened, giving the ceremony its now-iconic backdrop.
This year, the tree — a Norway Spruce imported from East Greenbush, N.Y. — will measure at 75 feet tall and 45 feet wide, weighing approximately 11 tons. Topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star, it’ll take more than 50,000 colorful LED lights to illuminate.
In 2024, the special was hosted by Kelly Clarkson and featured performances from the Backstreet Boys, Dan + Shay, Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, Little Big Town, RAYE and more.
Trending on Billboard Before the 59th annual CMA Awards take place Nov. 19, ABC will pay tribute to some of country music’s leading names with Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards — Special Edition of 20/20, which will air Nov. 18 evening. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Hosted by former CMA Awards […]
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The Country Music Association has revealed six individuals it is celebrating as the 2025 CMA International Awards winners, honoring their significant contributions to the global growth of country music.
The honorees will be celebrated during a special reception on Nov. 19 in downtown Nashville and will be recognized onstage that same evening during the pre-telecast ceremony for the 2025 CMA Awards.
Morgan Wallen is the recipient of the International Artist Achievement Award, which recognizes a U.S. artist who has made the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States during the eligibility period. His fourth album, I’m the Problem, debuted at No. 1 in seven countries, while he continues to elevate country music on a global stage with sold-out stadium shows and a growing international fanbase.
Canadian artist Cameron Whitcomb is the recipient of the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award, for international artists. Whitcomb recently won breakthrough artist of the year and fans’ choice award honors at the CCMAs, while his Hundred Mile High Tour has spanned Canada, Australia and Europe.
Lynette Garbonola, vp of International at BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, will be honored with the Jo Walker Meador International Award for leadership in expanding country music in areas including Europe, Australia, and Asia. The honor recognizes achievements in supporting country music’s marketing development in territories beyond the United States.
Shannon Saunders, agent and head of Nashville International at WME, will be honored with the Rob Potts International Live Music Advancement Award for impact on international touring. Saunders has spearheaded expanding the reach and revenue of WME’s global touring division, driving record-breaking tours for Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, Lainey Wilson, and Jordan Davis.
Justin Thomson, national content director for iHeartCountry Australia, is being celebrated with the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award for his role in promoting country music through global media. With over twenty years in media, Thomson produces original programming and travels more than 100,000 miles annually to broadcast from international events including CMA Fest, Canadian Country Music Association Awards (CCMAs), C2C and CMC Rocks.
Mattias Hansson of P4 Country on Sveriges Radio will be honored with the international country broadcaster award. As host and producer of P4 Country, Hansson has played a key role in growing country music’s audience in Scandinavia, hosting the region’s largest weekly country program.
“This year’s honorees embody the extraordinary ways Country Music continues to transcend borders,” Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement. “Whether through radio, touring, media, or artist development, each has helped share the genre with audiences around the world. Their work not only broadens Country Music’s reach, it deepens its impact, reminding us that this community truly is global.”
The 59th annual CMA Awards broadcasts live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET on ABC and next day on Hulu.
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Whatever has been ailing Dolly Parton is nothing that a bestselling book can’t fix. The superstar, dressed in a black leather top and pants adorned with glittery silver and gold stars, was out and about this week touting her new book, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage.
Parton made the rounds in Nashville following the book’s Tuesday release, posting on Instagram her stops at Barnes & Noble, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Costco and Target, where she was making sure her newest release was front and center. She even tried some tasty treats at Costco, and then at Target jokingly used the book as a weight, hoisting it up in the air a few times, jokingly declaring, “This is heavy. This is how I built up my chest.”
Written with Billboard Country Update editor Tom Roland, the book celebrates Parton’s nearly 60-year career as an entertainer. It is the third in a trilogy, following Songteller, which focused on her lyrics, and Behind the Seams, which highlighted her fashion. Star of the Show features more than 500 photos, stories about her decades of touring and a list of all her performances.
Parton made news in September when she postponed her December dates at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to September 2026, telling fans, “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
Concern for Parton hit overdrive in October after her sister Freida posted on social media that she had been “up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” adding “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly.” The next day Parton posted a video suggesting her health issues were of no great import. “I know lately, everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am … do I look sick to you?! I’m workin’ hard here,” she said, dressed to the nines in a red top and black pants. She stressed she wanted to put “everyone’s mind at ease… I’m OK. I’ve got some problems that I mentioned,” adding that she didn’t take care of herself while she was tending to her sick husband, Carl, who died in March. She added she was having “a few treatments here and there” at Vanderbilt’s Medical Center but stressed “I am okay…. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working.”
This Sunday, Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars’ annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles. The award is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities,” according to the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The award recognizes Parton for her decades-long humanitarian efforts, including the Dollywood Foundation, which inspires the children of East Tennessee — her home state — to achieve educational success, as well as her Imagination Library, which provides pre-school children with a book a month.
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On Tuesday evening (Nov. 11), Save the Music’s sixth annual “Hometown to Hometown” event put a spotlight on the power of music education to inspire creativity and launch careers, while also raising money to aid the current and future generations of students to have access to quality music technology. The event was held at Nashville’s City Winery, raising over $250,000 to support music education in under-resourced public high schools.
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Singer-songwriter Dasha opened the evening with a performance of “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” and also co-hosted the evening alongside FEMco founder Leslie Fram. They led the way in celebrating the night’s 2025 champions of the year, artists Lee Ann Womack and Old Dominion, as well as music industry leader Cameo Carlson.
Lee Ann Womack performs onstage for Save The Music’s 6th Annual Hometown to Hometown Event at City Winery Nashville on November 11, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Catherine Powell/Getty Images
Carlson is the CEO of mtheory, and manages Grammy-nominated artist Mickey Guyton. Carlson is also an instrumental part of organizations and programs including Nashville Music Equality and the Equal Access program. Carlson began her career in terrestrial radio before transitioning into the digital music arena as head of label and artist relations at Apple, helping to spearhead the early iTunes juggernaut. Carlson’s career has also included executive roles at Universal Motown Republic. Prior to her work at mtheory, she led digital strategy at Borman Entertainment.
Guyton honored Carlson with a performance of “Better Than You Left Me,” while music industry exec Rachel Whitney presented Carlson as a champion of the year honoree. Carlson also joined Fram onstage as the two shared a conversation about Carlson’s career.
“The real thing for me is staying open-minded,” Carlson said of her early career roles. “Being that first-gen [college] student who didn’t have a network of any kind to walk into, I didn’t know what possibilities there were and weren’t, so I kept an open mind. I was taking opportunities that presented itself in front of me that sounded cool and sounded different, and I wound up in this space of kind of being an interpreter between what the tech needed and what the music industry did and I liked that niche…there’s no way you could have charted out the path that I wound up on.”
In her role at mTheory, she and her team provide services to aid artist managers in their complex myriad of roles.
“The managers, in the ecosystem of an artist, they are the one person who has to know everything, they have to do every single line of business. It is an impossible job. There’s never been a manager that goes to bed at night and says, ‘I did everything I could for my artist today,’ literally doesn’t exist. So the job starts at impossible, and our mission statement is that we support the impossible. We put services in place to help managers.”
Mickey Guyton performs onstage for Save The Music’s 6th Annual Hometown to Hometown Event at City Winery Nashville on November 11, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Catherine Powell/Getty Images
Womack performed “A Little Past Little Rock” and “I Hope You Dance,” the latter being a five-week Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper in 2000. Songwriter Bernie Taupin presented Womack with her accolade, telling Womack, “Honoring this woman is such a pleasure for me, I cannot even begin to tell you. I’m preaching to the choir here and you all know, it’s been happening for years, art and music is getting siphoned out of the educational system.” He added, “Music is a life force and the life blood of my industry… It was my education, and we should not let it be drained out of the educational system.”
“Thank you to Save the Music so much for keeping music in schools… we all know, helps them with their test scores in math and science and tech-related things, and not only that, but emotionally, giving them an emotional outlet to express themselves,” Womack told the crowd. “I want every child to have the opportunity to hold a musical instrument in their hands. It’s so important. I can tell you from personal experience, music is so important in these schools. It can be the reason a kid gets up in the morning. It can be the reason they want to go to school, it can be the reason they want to have a better score on that math test or that science test. I thank Save the Music so much for keeping music in schools.”
Old Dominion performed “One Man Band” and a song the band has referred to as a “love letter to Nashville,” this year’s “Good Night Music City.” The band was presented with its accolade by Sony Music Nashville Chairman/CEO Taylor Lindsey. Earlier in 2025, Old Dominion spearheaded raising almost $300,000 for music programs through several initiatives, among them by donating a portion of proceeds from their seven-night run of shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
“My hometown was about the size of this room,” recalled Old Dominion lead singer Matthew Ramsey. “I know what it’s like to grow up in an area where resources are not readily available. I was definitely that kid that felt like music was sometimes the only reason to get up. I know what everyone is talking about here… and I appreciate Save the Music and what they’re doing. We are so honored to be part of it in a small way.”
Later in the evening, Nashville-based Johnson Alternative Learning Center’s principal Franklin and music teacher Mr. Hanna spoke of how music technology and music education have impacted their students. Additionally, one of the school’s senior students Janie, who is learning podcasting through a Save the Music J Dilla Music Technology grant, offered a powerful testimony of how music technology has been beneficial.
Dasha, Fram and singer-songwriter Pynk Beard delivered encouragement for the crowd to raise money for the cause. The event raised $250,000 to support new music technology programs in Nashville as well as the honorees’ hometowns of Washington, D.C. (Old Dominion) and Dallas, Texas (Womack).
Since its launch in 2019, Hometown to Hometown has raised $1.2 million, aiding 18 high schools with resources and state-of-the-art music technology equipment. The sixth annual Save The Music’s “Hometown to Hometown” event was sponsored by Gibson Gives, Love Tito’s, Messina Touring Group, Morris Higham Management, mtheory and SiriusXM.
Dasha performs onstage for Save The Music’s 6th Annual Hometown to Hometown Event at City Winery Nashville on November 11, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Catherine Powell/Getty Images
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Orville Peck talks with host Tetris Kelly about his new EP ‘Appaloosa,’ starring in ‘Cabaret,’ his new role in the live-action ‘Street Fighter’ and more hot topics over lunch at Beachwood Cafe.
Orville Peck:
What’s up?
Tetris Kelly
What’s up? Good to see you man!
Good to see you, too! Thank you very much.
You’re doing it real big for some coffee today.
Oh yeah, just a little something, you know what I mean? You look great, too! I like the ostrich.
Listen, Beachwood Cafe, only for them. First of all, Orville, thanks for hanging out with us, because I feel like you’re busy as sh*t.
I’m the busiest man in the world right now.
You have so much going on.
No, but it’s nice. It’s good to, like, take a moment and hang so I’m happy to be here.
Well, listen, and I feel like I kind of doxed you a bit, maybe? You know, I’m putting your business out where you like to hang out.
I know, it’s true.
Beachwood Cafe, what is it about this place?
I mean, it’s, like, near to where I live, and I just like the vibe. They let me bring my dog in here. So, you know, she sits around and, like, you know, me and my partner come here for, like, dinner and things, so…
Lovely! It’s a little date night spot too.
It’s very nice. It’s very convenient. You know, Beachwood is, like, a really cool part of LA where it has this little community in the hills. So it’s, like, it’s kind of nice, yeah.
And then, I mean, did you know? Because I feel like, you know, Harry Styles as well, like, they have his lyrics on a cup. So, like, I’ve never been here, so I didn’t realize, I guess how legendary this place is.
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As he gears up to release his new EP Appaloosa on Friday (Nov. 14), country singer Orville Peck broke down the current phase of his career in the latest episode of Billboard‘s Takes Us Out.
Peck sat down with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly at Los Angeles’ Beachwood Café, where the pair chowed down on comfort food and took a look at the state of Peck’s career today. “[I’ve been] going back to my roots, in terms of just diving into the creativity and the artistry and the references that I grew up loving,” Peck says. “[Appaloosa]’s also got a very constant air through it in terms of lyrics, of just kind of being unconcerned with what things should sound like or look like. I’m really just making music for myself again.”
The singer, who spent the last few years rising through the ranks of country music and becoming a breakout star in his own right, says that his work with friends and former collaborators such as Noah Cyrus and Willie Nelson only further helped bolster his confidence about his own artistic output. But he points to one country superstar as his dream collaborator.
“I mean, I always say Dolly [Parton], I would love to work with Dolly,” he says. “I got Willie Nelson, he was really neck-and-neck with her, so she is the last one on my absolute bucket list that I would die to work with.”
As a disruptive force in the country space, and one who has often advocated for greater diversity and equity within the genre, Peck points out that he’s happy to see some progress finally being made for the genre he calls home. “I feel better about it. I think there’s a lot more people now feeling like they can make country music and not be within the sort of homogenized idea of what country ‘needs’ to be,” he says. “That’s amazing, not just for queer people, but for black people, for brown people, there’s a lot more artists who feel validated to be a part of that.”
But, he points out that country is “tricky” when it comes to progress, and says that the work is far from over. “There is some attachment to country with the culture of country,” he says. “In some ways we’re making a lot of progress, and then in some ways, that progress is making some people want to stand firm in their gatekeeping of country. It’s a constant conversation.”
He points to the recent rule change at the Recording Academy, dividing the previously existing best country album category into two separate lanes for “traditional” and “contemporary” country albums, as an example of his point.
“I actually think it makes sense, personally,” he says. “I think in the last 10-15 years, there has been more of a split between radio-pop country, which tends to be more about a certain type of culture than a sound. And then I think there’s the other side of country that is a more traditional, referenced type of country that’s more about the songwriting … that feels like it’s more open culturally to anyone who wants to express themselves in that.”
During the new interview, Peck also chats about his time playing the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on Broadway, his favorite song off of his new album and the “diet illegal” activities he and his friends got into growing up. Watch the full episode of Takes Us Out above.
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Speakers were widely attuned to Taylor Swift when her third studio LP, Speak Now, debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and Top Country Albums dated Nov. 13, 2010.
The set followed 2008’s Fearless as the second of six Swift albums that have started atop both lists.
Speak Now’s release was heavily publicized, as Swift made performances at New York’s Kennedy Airport, on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars and on Los Angeles’ Hollywood Boulevard as she shot an NBC special, Taylor Swift – Speak Now.
Five Speak Now singles reached the top five on the Hot Country Songs chart: “Mine” (No. 2 peak, November 2010), “Back to December” (No. 3, March 2011), “Mean” (No. 2, June 2011) and two No. 1s, which led for one week each: “Sparks Fly” (November 2011) and “Ours” (March 2012), the latter from a Target-exclusive CD version of the album.
On the Billboard Hot 100, four Speak Now songs hit the top 10, including the title track, with “Mine” charting the highest (No. 3).
Amplifying Speak Now’s legacy, Dan + Shay’s new cover of “Back to December” debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart dated Nov. 1.
Speak Now logged 13 weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Meanwhile, the re-recording, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), led for two weeks in 2023.
In addition to Swift’s six albums that have topped both the country and all-genre album lists, her self-titled debut dominated Top Country Albums for 24 weeks beginning in August 2007 and her EP Beautiful Eyes went No. 1 on the chart for a week in August 2008.
Nine more of Swift’s titles have led the Billboard 200 but not Top Country Albums, including The Life of a Showgirl, currently ruling (on the Nov. 15-dated survey) for a fifth week. Her 15 Billboard 200 No. 1s are the most among soloists and second overall only to the Beatles’ 19.
