2008 Music Row Award Nominees
Industry Voting Begins May 16
It’s been an intense week at Music Row preparing for today’s announcement and we are excited to share some new developments! Drum roll please, lift the curtain and voila!—the nominees for the 2008 20th Annual Music Row Industry Awards. This year, because our world has become so interactive, our industry and radio readers will vote to choose the winners. Next week on May 16, Music Row and Rowfax subscribers will receive a nifty, multi-media e-mail ballot that will also offer samples of some of the music behind this year’s nominees. (Only subscribers will be allowed to vote and pass-along ballots will not be counted. Nominees are advised to smile a little wider, shake a few more hands and be sure to laugh at everyone’s jokes in anticipation of next Friday’s vote.)
Reader-voted honors will be awarded in the categories of Breakthrough Songwriter, Producer, Breakthrough Artist and Song of The Year and winners will be featured in our June/July issue. The 2008 Top Ten Album All Star Studio Musicians will also be recognized. Congratulations to all the nominees in each category.
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Honoring an artist who achieved significant career progress for the first time.
Bucky Covington, Lyric Street Records
Lady Antebellum, Capitol Records Nashville
James Otto, Warner Bros. Nashville
Kellie Pickler, BNA Records
Ashton Shepherd, MCA Nashville
BREAKTHROUGH SONGWRITER
Honoring a Nashville songwriter who wrote or co-wrote a Top 10 song for the first time.
Lee Brice “More Than A Memory;” artist—Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan “Good Directions;” co-writer—Rachel Thibodeau; artist—Billy Currington; “All My Friends Say;” co-writers—Lonnie Wilson, Jeff Stevens; artist—Luke Bryan
Candy Cameron “What Kind Of Gone;” co-writers—Dave Berg, Chip Davis; artist—Chris Cagle
Jonathan Singleton “Watching Airplanes;” artist—Gary Allan
Chuck Wicks "Stealing Cinderella;" co-writers—Rivers Rutherford, George Teren; artist—Chuck Wicks
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Honoring a producer’s work on albums and singles active during the awards time period. Can include, but is not limited to, chart performance and album sales.
Mark Bright—Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus, Whitney Duncan
Buddy Cannon—Kenny Chesney, Ashton Shepherd, Willie Nelson
Byron Gallimore—Tim McGraw, Sugarland, Faith Hill
Frank Rogers—Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Josh Turner
Mark Wright—Gary Allan, Joe Nichols, Phil Vassar
SONG OF THE YEAR
Honoring writers and publishers on the craft of songwriting, not necessarily chart position.
"Don’t Blink" Writers—Casey Beathard, Chris Wallin; Publishers—Lavender Zoo Music, Mama’s Dream Music, Sony/ATV Acuff Rose, WB Music Corp.
"If You're Reading This" Writers—Tim McGraw, Brad Warren, Brett Warren; Publishers—L’ile Des Auteurs Music/Bucky, Clyde Music
"Letter To Me" Writer—Brad Paisley; Publishers—EMI April Music/New Sea Gayle Music
"Lost In This Moment" Writers—Keith Anderson, Rodney Clawson, John Rich; Publishers—EMI April Music, Inc., Romeo Cowboy Music, WB Music Corp., Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Writer’s Extreme Music
"Moments" Writers—Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate; Publishers—Gravitron, WB Music Corp.