Nashville, TN – The Music Business Association held its annual convention May 15-18, 2017 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville for the third consecutive year. Founded 60 years ago, The Music Business Association is a membership that promotes and advances music thru business commerce. It aims to offer invaluable information thru leadership, resources, and networking. Music Biz combines over 2000 attendees from 750 schools, companies, and organizations, some from as far away as Europe and Australia. With 100 sessions to choose from and over 250 speakers, participants learn and participate in discussion panels on topics such as A&R, licensing, digital downloading, live streaming, copyright, touring, and professional development. Reps from Spotify, Amazon, YouTube/Google, Apple, Pandora, and Soundcloud are among those present.
In addition to the classes and panels, Music Biz conducted other special events throughout the week to honor music legends, both in performance and business. The second annual Industry Jam was held the night of May 15 and included a rare performance and an award given to the original members of the Alice Cooper Band. Tributes were also paid to Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Chicago, and Glen Campbell, whose children performed and whose wife, Kim, accepted an honor on his behalf. Tuesday, May 16, also proved to be eventful with a special Leading Ladies panel, designed to educate and empower women in the industry, and led by Kelly Clarkson and Atlantic Records’ Julie Greenwald. Wednesday, May 17, began by honoring Mike Dungan, head of Universal Music Group (UMG) Nashville during breakfast with the Music Biz Presidential Award. Last year’s Artist of the Year winners, Little Big Town, also performed a three song set at the breakfast.
The last day of Music Biz also proved to be one of the most memorable. The May 18 luncheon, sponsored by BuzzAngle Music, was put together to recognize achievements of some of today’s most influential artists and game changers in the music industry.
The Hamilton Broadway Original Cast Recording and the Hamilton Mix Tapes won the Outstanding Achievement Award. The album was the best selling Broadway album of 2015 and 2016 and the first Broadway album to reach #1 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums Chart. “My Church” powerhouse Maren Morris and European Crossover group Lukas Graham were both named Breakthrough Artists. Morris has had quite the year since she released her debut and platinum certified EP for Columbia, Heroes, which also happens to be the name of her own headlining tour. She has a CMA under her belt for New Artist of the Year, as well as a Grammy, and a current spot on Sam Hunt’s tour following last year’s Ripcord tour with Keith Urban. Lukas Graham, the Dutch rock/pop band comprised of former high school friends, hit international fame with their smash, “7 years”, which led to three Grammy nominations and guest spots on shows like The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, GMA, and The Ellen Show. “7 Years” was the highest selling single by a debut artist in 2016. (Check out our interviews with both Maren Morris & Lukas Graham.) Sensational songstress Adele was honored with the covenant Artist of the Year Award, although she was not on hand to receive it. Her album, 25, sold more than 3 million copies in its first week of release and earned her five Grammys. Past winners include Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Green Day.
80’s pop sensation, respected choreographer, and former American Idol judge Paula Abdul accepted the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award from Harry Chapin’s widow, Sandy Chapin. Abdul is a spokesperson and advocate for many organizations and headed up the AVON digital campaign, #CheckYourself, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. She is also an ambassador for We.org which uplifts and empowers young people in cities all over the world. This year, she partnered with Turnaround Arts as part of President Obama’s Committee on Arts and Humanities, to help foster arts education in impoverished schools across the nation.
And last but not least, Reba McEntire became the first female country artist to accept the Chairman’s Award for Sustained Creative Achievement, which has been recognizing superior and continuing artistic development since 1964. McEntire, whose career began in 1975, has gone on to top the charts with 35 #1 singles and 56 million records sold. With numerous awards under her belt, including multiple CMAs and Grammys, she has also starred on Broadway, acted in 11 movies, and starred and co produced her own TV show, Reba, that ran for six seasons on cable network. Her current 2 disc album, Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope, topped both the Christian and Country charts earlier this year, making it her 13th album to hit #1. A savvy businesswoman as well, McEntire runs her own music business empire as well as a clothing and shoe line distributed exclusively with Dillards and a makeup line called Reba Beauty. In June, she returns to the Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas to reunite with her buddies Brooks and Dunn.
Music Business Association President James Donio was on stage to present all of the awards and give closing remarks. Following the luncheon, NSAI celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a performance from famed songwriters Rhett Aikens (“That Ain’t My Truck”, “Honeybee”) and Rivers Rutherford (“Real Good Man”, “When I Get Where I’m Going”).
Music Biz has even more reason to celebrate this past week’s success in Nashville. This year proved to be a record attendance, with the most participation since 2001. For more information on how you can sign up and attend next year, visit www.musicbiz.org and follow them on Twitter and Instagram @MusicBizAssoc.