Awards Shows Focus on Fans

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Table of Contents Awards Shows Focus On Fans 1 Awards Shows Focus On Fans by Sarah Skates 3 Country Debuts Light Up Connecting with fans has always been an an update after its 2009 television ratings Charts 3 EMI Music CEO Abruptly important part of the music business, because were the lowest in history. The purpose of Exits the fans—and ultimately their pocketbooks adding more nominees for Best Picture was 3 CMA Hires Search Firm —are what make or break a career. The rise to make room for the box office blockbusters For Exec. Dir. of digital technology and social media has that are often snubbed by voters, and 4 Star-studded Martell Gala brought about changes in the ways artists hopefully draw a larger audience, including 4 Underwood’s Play On Tour reach out to fans, and affected the industry younger viewers, which are preferred by Gets Underway in a multitude of ways. The latest effect: shifts marketers. 4 Paisley Tour Wraps in awards shows. The Academy of 5 Robertson Taylor Int’l Taking home a trophy from one of these Country Music has taken Names Reba Adams VP glittering gloryfests is becoming less important a similar approach to draw 5 Ted Wagner Offers Entertainment Services and getting face time with fans—or a coveted interest in its top prize, 5 Republic Nashville Hires performance slot—is the real objective. On Entertainer of the Year, Whalen the day after an awards show, industry insiders for the April 18 ACM 5 DISClaimer are more concerned with television ratings Awards. There will be than who won the night’s top honor. The eight nominees, up from Respect Intellectual Property: following week, sales execs sit on pins and five the year before. ACM Executive Director MusicRow transmissions in email and file form plus online passwords, are needles waiting for SoundScan to show a Bob Romeo explains, “By allowing three intended for the sole use of active subscribers only and protected under post-awards bump. To keep up, awards show more people to run it’s more inclusive for the the copyright laws of the United States. organizers are working harder than ever to format, and it gives us Resending or sharing of such intellectual property to unauthorized individuals engage fans, which in turn drives viewers three more people to help and/or groups is expressly forbidden. and sales. promote the viewing of MusicRow Publications, Inc. reserves the right to cancel, without refund, the the show. I think if you account of any subscriber found to be want to remain viable in violation of this policy. Adding Nominees...Changing Voting Methods today, you have to be Music Row Communications, LLC engaging the fans and 1231 17th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212 Sunday night’s (3/7) Academy 615-321-3617 Awards offered 10 nominees, doubling give them some buy-in www.musicrow.com the number from last year, for the to what you are doing.” [email protected] show’s Best Picture category. The This will be the third [email protected] Bob Romeo Academy knew the show needed year that Entertainer

©2010, MusicRow Communications, LLC—ALL RIGHTS RESERVED [email protected] page 2 Wednesday, March 10, 2010 will be selected by fans, another way the Academy is driving initiatives like this: “One, to drive live tune-in; two, to engagement. ACM professional members narrow down the enhance the experience; and three, continue the conversation Entertainer nominees to the final eight and fans vote for the afterward.” Oscars organizers took the hint from Jaffe and overall winner. fans around the world, and streamed its nominations live “The first year we opened voting for Entertainer we were online for the first time at Oscars.org and on Facebook, averaging 200 votes per minute. When you see these numbers, scoring more than 170,000 unique viewers. The Academy I don’t know how anybody can say that engaging the consumer also debuted an Oscars iPhone app, and increased online is not what we have to do.” offerings such as video, exclusive content from nominees, In fact, the ACM also solicits fan votes for its three New widgets and predictions. Artist categories: Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Duo Grammy Award organizers wanted fans to have a hand and Top New Vocal Group. These winners go on to compete in its Jan. 31 show. According to Evan Greene, Chief Marketing for the overall Top New Artist award, also fan-voted. Officer of The Recording Academy, "With the natural evolution The race for the New Artist categories compels artists to of social media, fans have become a cultural force driving the hit the online campaign trail. Nominees Luke Bryan and Joey power of music.” Consumers decided which Bon Jovi hit the + Rory made videos and placed them on YouTube and other band would perform on the show. The "We're All Fans" ad sites encouraging fans to vote for them for ACM Top New Solo campaign celebrated the connection between fans and artists, Vocalist and Top New Duo, respectively, at www.VoteACM.com. offering a first-of-its-kind interactive experience where portraits Romeo says, “In two days of voting for the New Artists of Grammy-nominated artists were composed entirely from this year, we have already outpaced the total votes we had real-time, fan-generated YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook for New Artist last year.” postings. The CMA Awards gave a significant boost to its social Social networking networking offerings for the show in November 2009. There Music historian Robert K. Oermann has seen awards was a Twitter Viewing Party, with celeb and VIP tweets, as shows grow and change. He says the rise of social networking well as a “My Picks” widget that let fans share their choices has prompted organizers to offer fans an “active rather than for the top winners. ABC.com, the web site of the network passive experience.” which airs the CMAs, had daily behind the scenes Webisodes The ACM wants its show to be anything but passive; the leading up to the show. organization has several consumer initiatives that haven’t been officially announced. Fans will take part in selecting the song Ratings Brooks & Dunn perform on the show, a new set design will All the effort paid off. The CMA Awards and Oscars both allow fans onstage, there will be a live pre-show online, and saw their highest ratings since 2005, and the Grammys had a text voting component is in the works. Romeo says the ACM the biggest numbers since 2004. In the two years since the has been building its web presence for years. “On our web ACM started fan voting, its viewership for the awards show site four years ago, we had 10,000 people that we were has almost doubled. engaging, we call them our ‘A-listers.’ Now we are up to “Every day those fans vote. They vote when they buy a 200,000. And last year when our web site went down during concert ticket, they vote when they tune in to watch a country the awards show, the estimation was that we had over 1.6 music awards show, they vote when they buy a CD or a million hits.” download,” says Romeo. “They are voting with their hard- In an AdAge article about the Oscars, social media earned money. I don’t know why that should be any different blogger Joseph Jaffe simplified the goals of awards media than sharing a vote in our process.”

Country Debuts Light Up Charts Country music artists have a hold on four of the top 10 slots on the Billboard Top 200 chart this week. Grammy winners Lady Antebellum are back at the No. 1 spot with increased sales totaling 126K, while Blake Shelton moves 79K to debut at No. 3. American Idol alum Danny Gokey debuts at No. 4 with 65K, and Mercury artist Easton Corbin’s self-titled debut bows at No. 10 with sales approaching 43K. With the exception of Gokey, the debuts this week are all driven by top 10 hit singles and videos. With his debut single, “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me,” still climbing the The CMA is holding its quarterly Board meeting in Washington DC, this charts, Gokey is enjoying the significant momentum provided week. Included in the agenda was a tour of the Library of Congress, by his highly-rated return to Idol last week. meetings with some of the LOC collection staff and a cocktail party With an attractive price point ranging from $4.98-6.99 attended by numerous Washington dignitaries. After the party the guests were treated to a guitar pull featuring Bob DiPiero, Kix Brooks, at various retailers, Shelton's 6-track “Six Pak” release has Lorrie Morgan, John Rich, Randy Scruggs and Victoria Shaw in the obviously struck a positive chord with cash-strapped consumers. Coolidge Auditorium. (L-R):Congressman Dennis Moore, his wife His last album, Startin' Fires debuted with 26K at No. 7 Stephanie; MusicRow Publisher and CMA Board member David M. Country and No. 34 Top 200. Ross; and Lorrie Morgan. Photo: Mitchell Layton EMI Music CEO Abruptly Exits In yet another company shakeup, Elio Leoni-Sceti, the In its statement, EMI said Leoni-Sceti had "successfully EMI Music CEO charged with the task of finding a new strategy led EMI Music through the first phase of its operational for its private equity owner, Terra Firma to present to investors, turnaround." will leave the company on March 31 after serving in the "Over the past two and a half years [since Terra Firma's position for only 18 months. acquisition], EMI Music has become a stronger and growing EMI issued a statement today (3/10) announcing the company, with a talented senior team, significant creative former marketing executive’s abrupt exit. The company also success and a more rigorous approach to marketing and announced that Charles Allen, who has chaired EMI’s board operations," the statement said. during the transformation of the business under Terra Firma, "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with [Leoni-Sceti],” has been appointed Executive Chairman. Allen says. “Our goals for EMI Music remain the same. I will support and guide the group's strong team, keep EMI's focus on creativity and superb A&R, and deliver a digital platform. This is a great business - our task is to ensure it has a great future." CMA Hires Search Firm For Exec. Dir. An executive search firm has been named to find a new executive director for the Country Music Association, announced Charlie Anderson, President/CEO of Anderson Merchandisers and former Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. Anderson chairs the CMA Search Committee, which consists of current members of the CMA Board of Directors who have also served as Chairman. The Committee selected Jason Aldean celebrated his third consecutive chart-topper, “The Truth,” on Monday the firm WTW Associates based in New York (3/8) at BMI’s Music Row offices. Co-written by Ashley Monroe and Brett James, City to lead the search. Ira Sallen, a partner “The Truth” marks Monroe’s first trip to the top of the charts, and is the third single in the firm, will be working directly with the off Aldean’s already platinum album Wide Open. (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, Wrensong Publishing’s Ree Guyer Buchanan, Monroe, Aldean, Wrensong Publishing’s Christina Search Committee and will be accepting Mitchell, producer Michael Knox, Broken Bow Records’ Jim Yerger, and BMI’s Jody applications from potential candidates at Williams. Photo: Drew Maynard [email protected].

Star-studded Martell Gala The T.J. Martell Foundation Second Annual Honors Gala will take place March 22 at Nashville’s Hutton Hotel (1808 West End Ave.) and guests will include Tim McGraw, Big Kenny, R&B legend Anita Baker and RCA’s Danny Gokey. Baker and Gokey will provide attendees with musical entertainment and McGraw, along with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, will present Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award. Big Kenny will join Ross Perot Jr. in honoring Senator Bill Frist Prolific songwriter and successful music publisher Roger Murrah was with the Lifetime Medical Achievement Award. The Honors honored Saturday (3/6) as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame® Gala will also recognize Brooks & Dunn, Michael Bolton and Museum’s quarterly Poets and Prophets series. Pictured (L-R): VP and Susan Simons for humanitarian and industry efforts. Museum Programs Jay Orr, program host Michael Gray, Murrah and Pete Coors, Ruth Ann Harnisch and Frances Williams VP Bug Music John Allen. Photo: Donn Jones Preston, among others, will also present awards. Tickets for the the event are $1000 and available by calling the T.J. Martell Foundation at 615-256-2002 or visiting www.HonorsGala.org. In Nashville, the T. J. Martell Foundation supports cancer research through the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Last year’s gala raised raised over $400,000 to benefit cancer, leukemia and AIDS research. Underwood’s Play On Tour Gets Underway Carrie Underwood’s Play On Tour will kick off tomorrow (3/11) in Reading, PA with special guests Jake Owen was the featured entertainment at the NAB’s recent State Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia. Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. (L-R): BMI’s Dan Spears, The Play On Tour, “hydrated” by Inner City Broadcasting Pres./NAB Radio Board Chair Charles Warfield, vitaminwater and sponsored by NAB Pres./CEO Gordon Smith, Owen, NAB Exec. VP Radio John David Pedigree, is currently slated to run and Commonwealth Broadcasting Pres./NAB Joint Board Chair Steve through June 20 in the Canadian Newberry. city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Carrie Underwood Tour Director Raj Kapoor has brought in top name collaborators including Michael Jackson's This Is It Production Designer, Michael Cotten, and Emmy Award- winning costume designer, Soyon An. Underwood’s 2008 Carnival Ride Tour wrapped after 137 shows with over 1.2 million fans in attendance. Visit www.carrieunderwood.fm for up-to-date tour information. Paisley Tour Wraps This past weekend Brad Paisley closed his highly successful American Saturday Night Tour with sold- Lambert, Paisley and Moore On February 25, BMI co-hosted the WCRS Live! Showcase at Country out shows in Greenville, Radio Seminar 2010. The show featured Country Music Hall of Fame SC; Knoxville, TN; and Charleston, SC. member Tom T. Hall, 2009 NSAI Songwriter of the Year Wynn Varble, Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore were his special and Mercury Nashville’s Easton Corbin. (L-R): BMI’s Dan Spears and Jody Williams; Corbin; Hall; Varble; and BMI’s Clay Bradley. Photo: guests for the final leg of the tour and helped Paisley close Jerry Bailey each show by joining him on the encore finale, “Alcohol.”

Saturday night at the North Charleston Coliseum Brad full-blown tour schedule, TWES will coordinate all aspects of took a hard fall onstage at the end of “Alcohol” but he jumped the project. back up, thanked the audience, and told them good-bye. Once Wagner has more than 20 years experience in radio he left the stage he was transported to the local hospital via promotion and has held leadership roles at various labels ambulance and after undergoing tests it was determined he including RCA Records, Equity Music Group, Montage Music was just badly bruised. Group, Nine North Records, and Columbia Nashville where Paisley will be playing the Houston Livestock Show and he spent eight years as Vice President of Promotion. Ted Rodeo this Thursday (March 11) evening. He currently has Wagner Entertainment Services is located at 1100 18th Avenue the honor of holding the attendance record (73,003) of any South, Nashville TN 37212. For more information contact country music artist in the 78-year history of the Rodeo. Ted Wagner at 615-613-3292 or [email protected]

Robertson Taylor Int’l Republic Nashville Hires Whalen Megan Whalen has joined the staff of Republic Nashville Names Reba Adams VP as assistant to the label president, Jimmy Harnen. Whalen Reba Adams, of Robertson Taylor, will be based at the label’s Nashville office, and will report Nashville has been promoted to vice directly to Harnen. president of the company. Adams has She was at Broken Bow Records for the last two years, been an entertainment, film and live working as the assistant to Sr. VP of Finance and Legal Affairs, event insurance specialist for over Paul Brown. Originally from Brainerd, MN, Whalen attended thirty years. Belmont University. She can be reached at 615-250-6647 or Reba Adams Robertson Taylor International is a [email protected]. London-based firm, founded in 1977 to provide insurance and risk management services specifically for the music and live event industries. In addition to New York and LA, they LifeNotes now have a Nashville office located on Music Row. Congrats to Little Big Town members Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook, who welcomed their first child on Friday (3/5) in Nashville. Son Elijah Dylan Westbrook Ted Wagner Offers weighed 7 lbs., 14 oz., and was 19 and inches long. Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney and his wife Tiffany Entertainment Services Fallon are anticipating the birth of their second child in Industry veteran Ted Wagner has September of this year. Joe Don and Tiffany already have established Ted Wagner Entertainment one son, Jagger Donovan Rooney, born May 31, 2008. Services, a company that provides support services for event management, road management and radio promo Contact Update tour management. Whether for a Ted Wagner Longtime Nashville music publisher and songplugger weekend showcase, a few dates, or a Robin Palmer has new contact information. She can be reached at [email protected] or 615-504-5199.

DISClaimer by Robert K. Oermann I’ll cut to the chase. There are really only four singles that are essential this week. They belong to the Eli Young Band, Bucky Covington, Lonestar and our DISC of the Day winner, Little Big Town. According to his website, Head Above Water and its “Rock Angel” single are not Texan Brandon Rhyder’s first recordings. But since this is the first I have heard of him, he’s definitely getting a DISCovery Award. Besides, he has recently signed with Nashville booking, publishing and publicity companies, so now a lot more people are going to be finding out about him. Among our three other newcomers this week, the one to watch is Jason Mitchell. But The Music City Tennis Invitational Pre-tournament Songwriter Showcase was held at the Bluebird Café March 4. The benefit concert is a lead-in event for the 37th Annual he gets demerits for not having his website MCTI benefiting the Center for Child Development at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's up and running. Hospital at Vanderbilt. The tennis tournament will be held April 24-25 at the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Tennis Center at Vanderbilt. (L-R) back: Jim Collins, Bill Riddle, Tammy MELANIE DENARD/Tumblin’ Down Jacobs, Dr. Tyler Reimschisel, Kathy Ashworth and Lynn Morrow. Middle: Chris Wallin, Writer: Rodney Clawson/Brian White; Brenda Black, Patsy Wells, Patsy Bradley and Luann Mayer. Front: James Slater, Producer: Dan Frizsell; Publisher: Writers David Ball and Thom Shepherd. Extreme/Big Loud Bucks/Warner-Tamerlane/

Live on Sydney, Australia's legendary AM radio Danny Gokey celebrated the release of his Marty Raybon hosted a listening party at the station 2SM, singer Jasmine Rae and CMA debut album, My Best Days, last week with a GrandVista Studio on March 2 to preview his Board member Rob Potts surprised morning return to the American Idol stage on Thursday upcoming album, At His Best,set for release show presenter Grant Goldman with the CMA (3/4) for a performance of his single, “My April 6. (L-R): Raybon and Chairman/Pres. International Country Broadcaster Award. Best Days Are Ahead of Me.” Photo: Michael Mastran Music Group and GrandVista Music (L-R): Potts, Rae and Grant Goldman. Becker/FOX David Mastran.

BMG/Multisongs, BMI/SESAC; Star Path (track) from The Sir Douglas Quintet’s legendary Augie (www.melaniedenardmusic.com) Myers. —She has a strong voice, with plenty of volume and range. The song and production are decent LITTLE BIG TOWN/Little White Church enough. But the thing is, she ain’t that “country.” Writer: Karen Fairchild/Wayne Kirkpatrick/Kimberly Schlapman/Phillip Sweet/Jimi Westbrook; Producer: BUCKY COVINGTON/A Father’s Love Wayne Kirkpatrick & Little Big Town; Publisher: Writer: Liz Hengber/Thom Shepherd/Steve Warner-Tamerlane/Tower One/Mad Mother/Manatt, Williams; Producer: Mark A. Miller & Dale Oliver; Phelps & Phillios, BMI; Capitol Nashville (CDX) Publisher: Black in the Saddle/Mets Fan/Bourbon —Wildly catchy. In addition to being as hooky as Orleans/Songs of Green Hills/Songs of Oak Hill/ all get out, it has the most infectious handclaps, Pier Three, ASCAP/SESAC; Lyric Street plus, get this, whispering. —Extremely well written. Dad doesn’t express his feelings verbally. He fixes stuff for his son with JASON MITCHELL/Slow & Steady his tools. “I didn’t hear it then, but I hear it now/ Writer: Dale Morris; Producer: Dale Morris & Dan He was saying ‘I love you’ the only way he knew how.” Mitchell; Publisher: Morris, BMI; DMP (www.jasonmitchell.net) BRANDON RHYDER/Rock Angel —He can sure-enough sing. The soulful song manages to sound Writer: B. Rhyder; Producer: Walt Wilkins; Publisher: none both sexy and spiritual simultaneously. That said, I’m not at listed; Brandon Rhyder (track) (www.brandonrhyder.com) all certain about the wisdom of trying to launch a recording —Country rock at its coolest sounding. I love his soaring career with a ballad, especially one this slo-o-o-o-ow. singing voice with its falsetto leaps. The crunchy production is also ultra listenable. So nice I played it twice. Brandon’s Head MINDY McCREADY/I Want A Man Above Water collection is a double disc, the other being a Writer: Mindy McCready/Billy Crain/Robin Bruce; Producer: “making of” DVD. Trey Bruce; Publisher: none listed; Iconic/Capice (track) (www.mindymccready.com) ELI YOUNG BAND/Guinevere —Pleasant, if somewhat ordinary sounding. Find a stronger Writer: Scooter Caruso/Mike Eli/James Young; Producer: song. Mike Wrucke; Publisher: Gravitron/Carnival/NTAC, SESAC/ BMI; Universal South/Republic (track) REAGAN HUDSON/The Boar Hog Twist —This stately, melodic, spacious ballad has been pleasing Writer: Reagan Hudson; Producer: Reagan Hudson; this band’s concert audiences for months. I, for one, couldn’t Publisher: Reagan Hudson, BMI; Tate Music Group (track) be happier that it is now going to get a well-deserved radio (www.reaganhudson.com) push. Sing it, boys. —Rube rockabilly that’s beyond ridiculous. The guitar picking is quite sprightly, however. STEPHANIE URBINA JONES/Como Se Llama Mama Writer: Stephanie Urbina Jones/Mark Marchetti/Rex Schnelle; LONESTAR/You’re The Reason Why Producer: Bill Green & Bobby Flores; Publisher: Casa Del Writer: Dean Sams/Michael Britt/Cody Collins; Producer: Rio/Baby Z/Rex Paul Schnelle, SESAC/BMI; Casa Del Rio Lonestar; Publisher: none listed; Saguaro Road (310-877-9800) —It has been quite awhile since we’ve heard from this Texas —A chesty power ballad with big, ooomphy choruses and treasure. This is a light-hearted, rhythmic romp with a chiming, roaring electric guitars. Classic sounding. Eminently Spanglish tang, plus some vocal and instrumental support playable.