CMT Adds Six Artists To ‘Listen Up’ Initiative

CMT has added six artists on the verge of breaking out to its 2014 Listen Up campaign, selecting acts from across major and indie labels, as well as unsigned artists. Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann, Sundy Best and Thomas Rhett will be highlighted across CMT platforms throughout the year in a multi-platform initiative. Viewers will get an inside look at the personal lives and careers of these artists through live performances, new photos, social chats and interviews that showcase why fans should “listen up.” Additional Listen Up artists will be named later this year.

Danielle Bradbery kicked off the 2014 class officially last week, debuting five new performances exclusively at listenup.cmt.com, and on the just-launched CMT Artists App for iPhone. The five-song set includes her hit single, “The Heart of Dixie,” as well as “Talk About Love,” “Never Like This,” “My Day” and “Wild Boy,” from her Big Machine Records debut album.

“The idea behind Listen Up is to introduce fans to artists on the rise or artists who are about to take the next big step in their career. It is music discovery at its core,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT. “We’re excited to get behind this diverse mix of incredibly talented artists, and Listen Up is just the first of many opportunities to highlight them across CMT.”

CMT launched Listen Up in 2011 as a way to showcase emerging artists online. Since then, the franchise has expanded to take advantage of the network’s broad reach across television, radio and on its social networks. More than 22 artists have been featured, including recent alums Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Brett Eldredge, Cassadee Pope, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina, Charlie Worsham, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, Casey James and Jon Pardi, among others.