Kelsea Ballerini to Appear on CMT Storytellers on February 16th

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  –  CMT announced that GRAMMY®-nominated, multi-platinum country superstar and 2023 CMT MUSIC AWARDS co-host Kelsea Ballerini is set to headline the third installment of the famed music series “CMT Storytellers,” premiering Thursday, February 16th at 10p/9c with additional airings on Sunday, February 19th at 11a/10c (CMT) Friday, February 24th at 8p/7c (CMT Music) and Saturday, February 25th at 10a/9c and 6p/5c (CMT Music).

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Music Spotlight: Presley and Taylor

NASHVILLE, Tennessee-  Even though they are only 23 and 22, the sister duo known as Presley and Taylor have been a part of the music business for over eight years. And even with the pair being reared in the town of Middlefield, Connecticut, they grew up in a household where Tammy Wynette, Alan Jackson, and Randy Travis played on a constant loop, and weekend trips to their grandparents meant family singalongs of Loretta Lynn standards.

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Emily Hackett Releases Heartfelt ‘Handle’

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – I first interviewed Emily Hackett in October 2018 when she was featured in my Music Spotlight column. There has been a lot of shifts in the music world since then and we were able to talk about how that is affecting her/the industry.

As mentioned in my column, in 2018 Hackett released her EP By the Sun, and in 2019 she released its counterpart By the Moon which landed her as one of CMT Next Women of Country for 2019.

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Brett Young to Receive ASCAP’s Songwriter-Artist of the Year Award

Fueling momentum from his Platinum debut album and four consecutive No. 1 singles, Brett Young has now been named the 2018 ASCAP Country Songwriter-Artist of the Year. Young will be celebrated at the 56th Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards on Monday, November 12 in Nashville. The Songwriter-Artist of the Year Award is earned by the songwriter who has written and recorded at least two songs that, collectively, have amassed the greatest airplay during a predetermined time period. The Big Machine Music writer’s chart-topping singles, “In Case You Didn’t Know” (3X platinum) and “Like I Loved You” (platinum), will be among the most-performed songs honored at the awards event. Young commented on the impressive accolade: “I have been with ASCAP from the very beginning, and they have always made me feel like a part of the family, especially ASCAP’s Michael Martin and Robert Filhart. I also want to give a huge thank you to everyone in the songwriting community and in country music who welcomed me right away. I moved to Nashville to be a songwriter and it was a happy accident that I also became an artist. I’ve gotten better because I am lucky enough to get into rooms with incredible…

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Tennessee to Beef Up TV Production Incentives

tv production crew

Despite past problems and controversies, Tennessee officials are piling on more incentive money for TV production crews to film within the state. That’s because they want another show just like “Nashville,” which aired for several years on ABC and then on CMT. State officials are now offering incentives for more non-resident labor — but only to a point, according to a Tennessee Entertainment Commission Press Release. “Our primary goal is to help cement a permanent and thriving motion picture industry in Tennessee; one that provides extremely well-paying jobs for Tennesseans and also embodies Tennessee’s creative spirit,” said TEC Director Bob Raines, in a press release. With the new conditions, in place this month, qualified scripted television series that spend more than $500,000 per episode in Tennessee and include a “Filmed in Tennessee” logo are eligible to receive up to 30 percent in grant support for their spending on Tennessee labor. “TEC will also incentivize up to 25 percent of non-resident labor for qualified scripted television series,” Raines said. “This non-resident compensation will be capped at $2 million. We consider this critical for television shows that are casting the top acting talent in the business.” The “Nashville” TV series reportedly employed…

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