Eric Ryan Anderson
Seth England
partner/CEO
Big Loud
By the time Morgan Wallen began working on his 2023 album, One Thing at a Time, he was no hit-making novice: He had earned six Billboard Country Airplay No. 1s, and his previous release, Dangerous: The Double Album, had spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200.
Still, Wallen listened when Seth England — partner/CEO at Big Loud, where Wallen is signed in a joint deal with Mercury Records/Republic — suggested he include a particular song on the new album.
“Musically, Seth has one of the best ears in the business,” Wallen says. “On my last record, there was a song that I almost didn’t record, but he felt strongly about it and I trusted him.” That song was “Thinkin’ ’Bout Me,” which ended up ruling Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for five weeks last year, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and going triple-platinum.
For nearly two decades, England’s golden ear, entrepreneurial skill and penchant for strategic risk-taking have transformed what was once a boutique music publishing operation into a multifaceted hit machine with label and management components. Big Loud was named Billboard’s top country label of 2023, one of 24 year-end charts the label and its artists landed on.
Read Billboard’s full profile on executive of the year Seth England here.
Aaron Bay-Schuck
Co-chairman/CEO
Tom Corson
Co-chairman/COO
Warner Records
Zach Bryan’s rapid ascent has been one of the top music stories across all formats over the past 18 months. “His rise to prominence is nothing short of extraordinary,” Bay-Schuck says of Bryan’s meteoric climb. “We have had a front-row seat and big hand in the birth of one of the greatest generational talents of the decade, if not all time, irrespective of genre.” Given Bryan’s accomplishments and the Los Angeles-based label’s success with country upstarts Warren Zeiders and Dasha, it’s small wonder “Warner Records is now viewed not only as a pop label, but a legitimate player in country music,” Bay-Schuck says. “Thankfully, our relationship with Warner Nashville is incredibly strong.”
NASHVILLE CHARITY I SUPPORT
“T.J. Martell has been close to my heart for my entire career,” Corson says. “It represents the best of what our music community can do.”
Christopher Polk for Billboard
Zach Bryan’s “rise to prominence is nothing short of extraordinary.”
—Aaron Bay-Schuck, Warner Records
Scott Borchetta
Chairman/CEO
Mike Rittberg
COO
Andrew Kautz
President of label operations
Sandi Borchetta
Executive vp of creative
Allison Jones
Executive vp of A&R
Big Machine Label Group
Big Machine was recognized for two 2023 year-end Billboard honors: top independent albums imprint for Big Machine Records and top independent albums label for Big Machine Label Group. “Country is really hot right now and has a huge fan base that arguably only competes with top 40 in reach,” Scott Borchetta says. “There is a lot of music right now that is really interesting, cool and new, but isn’t readily identifiable yet that ends up getting thrown into the country lane by labels to capitalize on the genre’s heat.”
Nashville charity I support
“We support many, including our own Music Has Value fund that we created to support music in schools and music therapy,” Scott says. “We are huge supporters of Vanderbilt Hospital and proudly have the Big Machine Neighborhood at the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.”
George Couri
Managing partner
Kevin Herring
Annie Ortmeier
Co-presidents
Triple Tigers Records
In September, Ortmeier and Herring were named co-presidents of Triple Tigers, with Ortmeier joining from Universal Music Group Nashville and Herring elevating from senior vp of radio promotion at the label, which is home to Scotty McCreery and Russell Dickerson. “His dominant history at radio promotion and her experience running streaming and digital for the largest label group in our business supercharges us to compete with anyone at all levels and areas,” says Couri, who also heads Triple 8 Management (McCreery, Eli Young Band, Corey Kent). He adds that the label has enjoyed a stellar record as of late, with “11 chart-topping songs out of 15 total attempts and 26 gold and multiplatinum certifications.”
Biggest issue
Ortmeier cites gatekeeping at country music. “Instead of putting walls around it, we should be celebrating artists wanting to be a part of it,” she says. “Artistic interest is, in essence, celebrating country music.”
Mike Curb
owner/chairman
Curb Records
The label that Curb founded in 1964 turns 60 this year and continues to score chart and sales successes with contemporary artists such as Lee Brice and Dylan Scott, as well as celebrating 1980s powerhouse band Sawyer Brown’s 40th anniversary. “Our greatest [achievements are] reaching our 60th anniversary” and Curb’s vast network of non-major-label global distributors, he says. “Curb presently has 79 independent distributors throughout the world.” Additionally, Nashville keeps benefiting greatly from Curb’s philanthropy: In April, he donated $58 million for continued expansion of Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
Biggest issue
“We need to find more new, innovative ways to break new artists to positively impact radio and the charts.”
Courtesy of Curb Records
“Our greatest [achievements are] reaching our 60th anniversary” and that “Curb presently has 79 independent distributors throughout the world.”
—MIKE CURB, Curb Records
Seth England
partner/CEO
Joey Moi
Partner/producer/president of A&R
Craig Wiseman
Partner/songwriter
Stacy Blythe
Senior vp of radio promotion
Candice Watkins
Senior vp of marketing
Big Loud
Read Billboard‘s full profile on executive of the year Seth England here.
Randy Goodman
Chairman/CEO
Ken Robold
Executive vp/COO
Steve Hodges
Executive vp of promotion and artist development
Taylor Lindsey
Senior vp of A&R
Jennifer Way
Senior vp of marketing
Sony Music Nashville
SMN celebrated the breakthrough of artists including Nate Smith (see story, page 54), whose “World on Fire” spent a record-tying 10 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, but it was Luke Combs’ award-winning success with his version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” (which the duo performed at the Grammy Awards in February) that stands out as the year’s “massive highlight,” Lindsey says. “It has been incredible to watch a song that had such an impact decades ago cross generations, find a whole new fan base and become a staple song for Luke. It’s the power of an amazing song.”
Biggest issue
“Due to the cultural moment country is enjoying,” Robold says, “one of the biggest issues for Nashville-based labels is that we are now competing with the rest of the industry for new signings, which is a relatively recent development.”
Gordon Kerr
President/CEO
Black River Entertainment
Rick Froio
Executive vp
Black River Records
Froio says Black River’s studios had a “record year” in 2023, while its publishing company continues to grow — but adds that re-signing country star Kelsea Ballerini was the highlight of the last year. The “Blindsided” singer released three projects — album Subject To Change, EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat and extended EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) — in under 12 months. With Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, Ballerini earned her first Grammy nomination for best country album; she also garnered two Country Music Association (CMA) Award nominations and three CMT Music Award nods.
Nashville charity I support
“Gilda’s Club,” Froio says. “This organization provides cancer patients and their families support, hope and personalized care throughout their experience.”
Ben Kline
Cris Lacy
Co-chairs/co-presidents
Torie Mason
Senior vp of strategic marketing and analytics
Kristen Williams
Senior vp of radio and commercial partnerships
Warner Music Nashville
Texas artist Cody Johnson keeps reaching new heights. In March, he landed his second No. 1 on Country Airplay with “The Painter,” and, in 2023, was named iHeartMusic Awards’ best new country artist. “The past 18 months have seen Cody Johnson’s ascent to being one of the biggest, most fan-centric superstars in our genre,” Kline says of the artist, who also landed his first entertainer of the year nod for the upcoming Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards. “He is widely regarded as the next stadium artist, and we’ve had numerous people outside our building comment on his growing ‘entertainer of the year’ résumé.”
Biggest issue
Country’s ability “to travel at the rate of other genres,” Lacy says. “The percentage of exported country music outside of North America and the usual suspects — the U.K., Australia, etc. — is, let’s say, an area of great opportunity.”
Monte Lipman
Founder/Chairman
Avery Lipman
Founder/Vice Chairman
Jim Roppo
President/COO
Republic Corps
Tyler Arnold
President
Ben Adelson
GM
Alex Coslov
Executive vp
Mercury Records
In March, Nashville’s Big Loud expanded its partnership with Mercury Records/Republic, inking a multiyear distribution deal for its full roster. Previously, only releases from Morgan Wallen, Lily Rose and Dylan Gossett had gone through the union. “We feel very fortunate to have Seth [England, Big Loud CEO] and the entire Big Loud team as our partners in Nashville,” Arnold says. “Over the past few years, they’ve truly become a part of the Mercury Records and Republic family. From our historic success with Morgan Wallen to now announcing our bigger strategic alliance, we’re very excited to build on what we’ve already accomplished and continue to break and develop incredible artists together.” In April, Republic signed country superstar Miranda Lambert, in partnership with Big Loud.
Jon Loba
President of frontline recordings
BMG North America
JoJamie Hahr
Executive vp of recorded music
Peter Strickland
GM
BMG Nashville
“When it comes to our artists and our team, they can’t be defined by one breakout moment,” Hahr says of BMG’s successful 2023. There are the trophies: Lainey Wilson received the most-ever CMA Awards for a female in a single year (including entertainer of the year), and Jelly Roll won the CMA’s new artist of the year honor and was the most-awarded artist at the People’s Choice Country Awards. There are the hits: Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” gave BMG label Broken Bow Records its first-ever Billboard Hot 100 No. 1; Wilson landed two Country Airplay No. 1s in 2023; and Jelly Roll’s Whitsitt Chapel, with its two No. 1 Country Airplay singles, was the largest debut for an artist’s first entry on Top Country Albums since the chart began ranking by consumption units in 2017.
Cindy Mabe
Chair/CEO
Mike Harris
Executive vp/COO
Chelsea Blythe
Executive vp of A&R
Lori Christian
Executive vp of marketing
Rob Femia
Executive vp of business and legal affairs
Universal Music Group Nashville
UMGN expanded rapidly during the past year, launching Capitol Comedy Nashville with initial signee Nate Bargatze; film/TV production company Sing Me Back Home Productions in partnership with Mercury Studios; and independent services label Silver Wings Records in conjunction with Virgin, which signed Hueston. It has also “been an incredible year of artist development,” Mabe says, pointing to Jordan Davis releasing two consecutive multiweek No. 1 singles, including 2022 CMA song of the year winner “Buy Dirt.” Duo The War and Treaty earned its first Grammy nominations, including for best new artist, and Parker McCollum is selling out arenas after the release of his second major-label album, Never Enough.
Biggest issue
“The biggest issue for country music is staying true to its roots — ‘three chords and the truth’ — while evolving into global mass appeal,” Mabe says.
Gregg Nadel
President
Jacob Fain
Executive vp/head of A&R
Elektra Entertainment
Elektra Entertainment’s Nadel expresses immense pride in the accomplishments of the label’s country artists. Bailey Zimmerman — with his third consecutive No. 1 single on Country Airplay, including “Religiously” and “Rock and a Hard Place,” as well as a sold-out headlining tour — is gaining a strong fan base. He credits Zimmerman’s rapid growth as a live performer and his cross-genre appeal, predicting that he’s “one of country music’s next big stars.” Another artist, Brittney Spencer, is also rising after releasing her noteworthy debut album, My Stupid Life. “Having Beyoncé recognize her talent by tapping her for Cowboy Carter,” Nadel adds, “is such a statement of where our roster is headed.”
Jimmy Fontaine
“Having Beyoncé recognize [Brittney Spencer’s] talent by tapping her for Cowboy Carter is such a statement of where our roster is headed.”
—Gregg Nadel, Elektra Entertainment
Lynn Oliver-Cline
Founder/owner
Zebb Luster
VP/GM
River House Artists
Luster notes the breakthrough success of Austin Snell, who will open 30 dates for Jason Aldean and release his debut album this summer. River House also signed legendary songwriter Dean Dillon (George Strait’s “Ocean Front Property,” “The Chair”) to a global publishing deal “and he has recently secured cuts with artists like Miranda Lambert,” Luster says. The company also created viral moments for Western rapper Ryan Charles with his song “Cold Beer Diet.” “The overall growth of our development clients has been incredible to see,” Luster says. “Our team’s ability to navigate the always-changing targets of the music business is a considerable achievement, and we have seen success across many different genres, which is exciting in itself.”
Country music in a word
“Expanding,” Luster says. “So many artists are including influences outside of country music, making it more accessible to people beyond your typical country fan.”
Katie Studley
Vp of Nashville
The Orchard
Though Kelsea Ballerini and Black River Entertainment planned a “quiet” release for her divorce EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, it instead “resulted in roaring acclaim and insatiable interest,” Studley says. The Nashville executive emphasizes The Orchard’s agility, stating, “We quickly rose to the occasion.” The renewal of Ballerini’s deal with Black River Entertainment, a key Orchard client, is “a beautiful attestation of the power of our partnership and the magic that can grow out of the simple act of putting the artist first,” she adds.
Nashville charity I support
“The Tennessee Innocence Project, whose mission is to seek justice by correcting and preventing wrongful convictions in Tennessee. They are a nonpartisan organization of litigators who fight for people in prison for crimes they did not commit and whose claims of innocence have gone unheard.”
Hutton Supancic for Billboard
