Marking Milestones

Eric Church, Sunny Sweeney, and Word’s Francesca Battistelli had recent cause for celebration.

Eric Church was already riding high from his ACM Top New Solo Vocalist win, when he received the news that his single “Smoke A Little Smoke” had been certified Gold by the RIAA. The track was co-penned by Church and bandmates Driver Williams and Jeff Hyde. Now Church is working new single “Homeboy,” the first music from his third studio album to be released later this year. He is a nominee for ACM Top New Artist, at the April 3 show.

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Sunny Sweeney is celebrating the success of her Republic Nashville debut single, “From A Table Away.” It has entered the Top 10 on the country singles charts, including MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart, where it is No. 6 and climbing. “From A Table Away” garnered Sweeney the highest-charting debut single of a solo female Country artist in the last four years, since Taylor Swift’s “Tim McGraw.” Sweeney is also joining her first major tour, Brad Paisley’s H2O II: Wetter & Wilder World Tour, this spring. She has released an EP, and is working on her album, coming later this year.

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Fervent Records artist and reigning Dove Female Vocalist Francesca Battistelli received a surprise from the staff at Word Entertainment recently. Her label family and producer Ian Eskelin showed up at Bridgestone Arena after her performance at Sunday’s sold-out Winter Jam concert, wearing foam No. 1 fingers in celebration of her sophomore album Hundred More Years debuting at the top of the Christian SoundScan Album Chart. Battistelli also secured the top spot on the AC Indicator radio chart with her current single “This is the Stuff.” With four nominations, Battistelli is the most nominated female heading into the 42nd annual Dove Awards.