Industry Ink: CMA Awards, BMI at ACL Fest, Sony/ATV and Belmont, Music Biz Conference

Thomas Rhett

CMA To Reveal Performance Pairings on One-of-A-Kind Wednesdays

Thomas Rhett will team up with rock band Fall Out Boy to perform during The 49th Annual CMA Awards, airing live Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11 PM/ET) from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on the ABC Television Network.

One-of-a-kind collaborations are a hallmark of Country Music’s Biggest Night and this year that tradition continues with pairings that will be announced on “one-of-a-kind” Wednesdays, leading up to the big night.

Thomas Rhett is a nominee in the New Artist of the Year category.

CMA previously announced the collaboration of Eric Church with Hank Williams, Jr., as well as performances by CMA Awards co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

The final CMA Awards ballot will be sent to eligible voting members tomorrow (Oct. 8). It closes Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6:00 PM/CT.

BMI Hosts Stage At Austin City Limits Music Festival

Rising artists rocked the BMI stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival last weekend in Austin, Texas. Muddy Magnolias, comprised of BMI songwriters Kallie North and Jessy Wilson, took the stage on Oct. 4 to perform latest single, “American Woman.”

Pictured (L-R): Third Generation’s Clay Bradley, BMI songwriter and Muddy Magnolias member Jessy Wilson, BMI songwriter Sarah Davidson, CAA’s Lindsey Myers, BMI songwriter and Muddy Magnolias member Kallie North, and BMI’s Mark Mason.

Sony/ATV and Belmont University Continue All Access Program

The Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University will again partner with Sony/ATV Music Publishing for the “All Access” program. Students will have the opportunity to have two songs reviewed by the Sony/ATV Music Publishing Creative Team, which will select students to perform their songs live for the Sony/ATV team at a showcase.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing SVP of Nashville A&R Josh Van Valkenburg said, “Sony/ATV is incredibly proud to continue this partnership with Belmont. We saw and heard some amazing talent last year, and actually signed one of the students who performed! Belmont continues to be an innovative educational leader by developing opportunities like All Access, and we feel confident we will receive even more impressive submissions from Belmont students this year.”

James I. Elliott, Chair of Songwriting in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, added, “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to have their music heard by Troy Tomlinson, Josh Van Valkenburg and the Sony/ATV Creative Team. We look forward to the process and have high hopes that Sony/ATV Music Publishing will discover some future hit makers at Belmont.”

Music Biz To Honor Redeye Distribution

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will present its Independent Spirit Award to Redeye, a leading physical and digital distributor and label services provider. The presentation will take place on Tuesday morning, May 17, during the Awards Breakfast of the Music Biz 2016 convention at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville.

Founded in 1996 in Haw River, NC, by Tor Hansen, with Glenn Dicker joining as a partner soon after, Redeye got its start in the independent music scene of the Southeast U.S. Early Redeye-distributed artists include John Mayer and Shawn Mullins, who both went on to become Platinum-selling artists. Nearly two decades later, Redeye has grown into an international music company with more than 70 employees and offices across the U.S. and overseas.