Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart after it was released on July 4. It spawned a big hit, “Pink Skies,” that is being recognized as part of Variety’s Hitmakers Top 25, along with his 2022 smash, “Something in the Orange,” and 2023’s hit collaboration with Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything.” Bryan’s evocative storytelling is a key to his success, with fans easily being able to find themselves within his songs. “He just has a way of putting the time and place in his music,” says David Goldsen, senior vice president of North America A&R at Warner Chappell Music, who signed Bryan to a global publishing deal in early 2023. “I think that we’re clearly at a point in time with music and fandom where people really want to gravitate towards that kind of artistic expression. And I think he just captured an entire generation with that. He’s become one of the most important voices we have.” (Variety)

Lainey Wilson has received just about every award imaginable over the past few years, even getting the opportunity to co-host the CMA Awards for the first time back in November. Wilson also was awarded Female Vocalist of the Year that night, for good measure. Now, the country superstar will cap off that impressive run of accolades and professional success by being named Storyteller of the Year at Variety’s HItmakers event on Saturday (December 7). “I’ve really been trying to perfect my craft since I was 9 years old,” Wilson reveals. The Louisiana native recalls rushing home from school just so she could pick up her guitar and tell stories with it. “And so, thinking now about the full circle moment of being called a storyteller, I’m extremely flattered, because I’ve always known that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” (Variety)

Dolly Parton took to Instagram on Thursday (December 5) to announce that a nationwide casting search is underway to find someone to play the country legend in the upcoming Broadway production of Dolly: An Original Musical. Parton, along with her manager Danny Nozell and ATG Productions, are on the hunt for someone to portray the music icon in the show, which was originally titled Hello, I'm Dolly. The musical will capture memorable moments from Parton’s life and music career, with the Grammy-winning singer personally encouraging performers of all ages to audition for the chance to "capture the spirit" of her incredible journey from the hollers of East Tennessee to worldwide superstardom. “I’m happy to announce the #SearchForDolly 🦋,” Parton wrote. “My brand new show ‘Dolly: An Original Musical’ is coming to Broadway and I want to give YOU the chance to help me bring my story to the big stage!” (People)

Carrie Underwood has been announced as the headlining performer for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2025. Underwood joins the other newly announced performers – CMA Awards Best New Artist Megan Moroney and Saltburn’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” viral sensation Sophie Ellis-Bextor – who will all perform during the holiday TV broadcast. The trio of music stars join the previously announced performers Lenny Kravitz, Teddy Swims, Tinashe, Cody Johnson, and Thomas Rhett, along with Rita Ora, who will co-host the event with Ryan Seacrest. “I have such fun memories of performing on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in Times Square in both 2007 and 2015, and I’m so excited to perform just before the ball drops again this year,” said Underwood. “I’m thrilled to celebrate 20 years since winning American Idol by joining Ryan as he hosts his 20th New Year’s Eve in Times Square.” Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest will air on ABC on December 31 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. (Billboard)

“Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony posted a video on YouTube on Wednesday (December 4) where he didn’t hold back his intense dislike of Beyoncé’s multiple-Grammy nominated album, Cowboy Carter. Anthony shared insight into a music industry executive’s plan to try and make the singer “cool.” “One of the guys I worked with, he wanted me to make some stupid f**king post about Beyoncé’s country album, about how it was good, even though it was complete trash," Anthony ranted. "It makes me just want to throw up.” He went on to express his criticism of Beyoncé’s reworking of Dolly Parton’s country classic “Jolene,” calling it “total cringe.” “It represents how degenerative our society has become,” Anthony continued. “That a song like a Beyoncé version of ‘Jolene’ can come out and anybody actually listen to it and think it’s not just complete trash.” (Billboard)

Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO delayed their annual Thanksgiving Day celebration due to Jelly being busy that day making a special guest appearance during Lainey Wilson’s halftime show of the Dallas Cowboys game, singing a duet of “Save Me” with the country superstar. But the party proved to be well worth waiting for, as the star couple entertained a houseful of 50 guests for a Thanksgiving feast that also included plenty of pumpkin pie-flavored Jell-O shots and a post-dinner round of karaoke. Bunnie shared the festive holiday details during a recent episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast. “I was having fun, man. Thanksgiving is our time to let loose,” she revealed. “The house was full. It’s really been a tradition that we started and [daughter] Bailee looks forward to it every year.” Bunnie’s co-hosts during the episode, Meme Shahan and Hailee Clark, disclosed that the star did “a lot of karaoke,” and “screamed and shook your a** all Thanksgiving.” (People)

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” tied a record last month by spending 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The universal appeal of the song propelled the Virginia native into music stardom, and Shaboozey loves seeing everyone come together while enjoying his big hit. “It has an American feeling to it, that feeling when you think of apple pie,” Shaboozey shared. “Everybody just holding their drink up, arms around each other’s shoulders, having a damn ball. That’s America.” Producers Sean Cook and Nevin Sastry reworked J-Kwon’s 2004 debut single, “Tipsy,” with Shaboozey saying the track came together naturally.

“My two producers picked up the guitar, started playing the chords and then we started writing it,” he recalls. “I sang, ‘They know me and Jack Daniels got a history,’ and everyone was just like, ‘F**k.’” The rest is chart – and music – history, and Shaboozey’s career will never be the same, as evidenced by his high-profile performance of the song during halftime of the Detroit Lions annual Thanksgiving Day football game. (Variety)

Parmalee earned their fourth career No. 1 single on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Gonna Love You,” which jumped up five spots this week to reach the top slot. The North Carolina country band also shared an emotional music video for the track, which documents a frightening real-life incident in 2010 where armed criminals robbed the band’s tour bus following a show, resulting in drummer Scott Thomas being critically injured. “‘Gonna Love You’ is personal to all four of us,” the band said collectively. “It allowed us to tell our story and film the music video, which recreates the night we were robbed after a show that resulted in a shooting.” Parmalee admits that “a lot of people think it’s just a love song,” so the video helps fans “find out what the song is really about.” “Having it connect with so many people and go to No. 1 is pretty emotional,” the band shares. “It was the right song at the right time for us.” (Billboard)

Jon Pardi took to Instagram on Wednesday (December 4) to share a video announcement of his 2025 Honkytonk Hollywood Tour. The 16-date jaunt will kick off on April 25 in Lubbock, Texas, hitting arenas and amphitheaters throughout the United States and Canada during the following two months, before winding down on June 21 in Bend, Oregon. Support on select dates will come from “Wild As Her” singer Corey Kent, and Kassi Ashton, who released her debut album, Made From The Dirt, earlier this year. The tour news wasn’t the only thing Pardi revealed that got country music fans excited. The singer also shared that he will be releasing new music in 2025, which perhaps includes a full-length follow-up to his chart-topping 2023 album, Mr. Saturday Night. “Have a lot coming for you guys in 2025,” Pardi wrote in the caption. “First, we have the Honkytonk Hollywood Tour with @coreykent and @kassiashton! New music coming next year!” (Billboard)

Brooks & Dunn singer Ronnie Dunn will be forced to take at least eight weeks off from the road as he recuperates from a serious skiing injury. The country star disclosed his accident in an Instagram post on Tuesday (December 2), where he shared a photo of his heavily bandaged knee and leg. But Dunn kept a sense of humor about the ordeal, referencing his 2011 hit song, “I Don’t Dance” in the caption of his post. “Changing these lyrics from “I don’t dance with anybody but you” to “I probably shouldn’t ski anymore at 72”….? 8 week vacation !!” Dunn’s daughter shed more light on her dad’s undisclosed injury, sharing a video of her father using a walker in her Instagram stories from Wednesday (December 3). She wrote "12 hours post knee replacement" over the clip, suggesting that Dunn already had major surgery earlier this week. (Taste of Country)

After experiencing a breakout year over the past 12 months, rising country star Maggie Antone will cap 2024 off in style by making her debut on the legendary Grand Ole Opry stage on December 13. The “Suburban Outlaw” and “Johnny Moonshine” singer is set to appear on the long-running radio broadcast next Friday evening, and the significance of the occasion isn’t lost on the young Richmond, Virginia native, who shared the Opry news on Instagram on Monday (December 2). Antone captioned her post, “What an honor it is to be invited to step into that circle. it feels like a fairytale come true. ❤️” Antone is also set to perform at the historic Ryman Auditorium on Thursday (December 5) in support of Brent Cobb. Antone self-released her debut album, Rhinestoned, in August on her own label, Love Big, and it looks like the year ahead has more big love in store for the emerging country star. (Holler)

On Tuesday (December 3), Variety announced six additional honorees for their upcoming eighth annual Hitmakers celebration. Lainey Wilson will be awarded Storyteller of the Year, while Laufey will receive the Crossover Award. Young Miko is set to be recognized with the Trailblazer Award, while Grace Bowers will receive the Next Gen Award. The event also honors the record labels and executives that helped shape today’s hit music, with REPUBLIC Corps Collective to be recognized as Label of the Year, and Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson celebrated as Executives of the Year. These new honorees join previously announced recipients Hitmaker of the Year Charli XCX, Humanitarian of the Year Quavo, Changemaker of the Year Jelly Roll, Newcomers Award recipients Shaboozey and Benson Boone, Songwriter of the Year Amy Allen, Producer of the Year Daniel Nigro, and Producer of the Decade Jack Antonoff. The private event will be held on Saturday, December 7, in Los Angeles. (Variety)

Justin Moore’s new single, “Time’s Ticking,” was shared to country radio on October 25, and the song shares an appropriate message for music lovers over the holiday season. “It’s pretty simple,” Moore says of the track’s overall theme. “Live life to the fullest, and try to take advantage of every moment you have, whether it be with your family or with your career. Make the most out of every single day.” Jeremy Stover is a co-writer/producer on the tune, along with co-writers Randy Montana and Will Bundy, who all clearly identified with the 'experience life' message of the song. “My kids are getting a little older,” Stover says. “Just thinking on some of the moments I’ve missed, but also some of the ones I’ve been there for — you know, the ones I’ve been there for have been really, really valuable, and I appreciate a lot. That’s a big part of where that comes from.” (Billboard)

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas announced on Instagram on Tuesday (November 3) that they are setting out on their first tour in a decade. The Arcadia 2025 Tour will find the beloved country and bluegrass band – which now features the addition of vocalist-guitarist Russell Moore – performing 73 dates across the United States and Canada next spring and summer. The tour kicks off with a two-night stand at The Louisville Palace in Louisville on April 17-18, then rolls across most of the country on the sprawling jaunt, including high-profile shows in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, and a hometown show in Nashville, before finishing up in Davie, Florida on September 28. Opening act will be special guest Willie Watson, a co-founder of Old Crow Medicine Show. Alison Krauss & Union Station are also planning on releasing new music next year, which would serve as the long-awaited follow-up to 2011’s Paper Airplane, which earned a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. (Billboard)

Ahead of Super Bowl LIX at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Sunday, February 9, Post Malone will officially get the party started with a concert on Friday (February 7). Posty’s intimate performance will take place at the Fillmore in New Orleans, which has a capacity of only 2,000 fans, a stark contrast from the massive venues the crossover country superstar will perform at during his upcoming Big Ass Stadium Tour. The event, which is being touted as ‘Bud Light Backyard Presents Post Malone,’ will also be a free show for fans 21-and-up.

Posty’s partnership with Bud Light goes back a while, with the singer starring in three straight Super Bowl commercials for the beer, along with his Bud Light Dive Bar Tour, and his A Night in Nashville Bud Light-sponsored show in June to promote the release of his chart-topping country album, F-1 Trillion. “Bud Light has rocked with me for a while now, and I really can’t thank them enough for all the love and support they’ve shown through the years,” Malone said at the time. (Billboard)

On Tuesday (December 3), Ryan Seacrest announced the stacked music lineup that will bring 2024 to a rousing close during the annual holiday TV special, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest. Country superstars Cody Johnson and Thomas Rhett, R&B sensation Tinashe, and chart-topping “Lose Control" singer Teddy Swims will all be performing during the festive event, along with the previously announced musical guest Lenny Kravitz, who will be performing at the first-ever live New Year’s Eve countdown from Las Vegas. Rita Ora will also be returning as a co-host alongside Seacrest for the live broadcast of the iconic Times Square ball drop in New York City. New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest typically receives the largest TV viewership of any non-sports rated show, and is set to air on ABC from the East and West coasts on Tuesday night, December 31. (Billboard)

Darryl Worley shared an update on Instagram about his daughter’s recovery progress from the injuries she sustained in a head-on car crash in mid-November. The country star’s 16-year-old daughter Savannah had to have screws inserted into her big toe to hold the bones in place, along with suffering a “broken leg, bruises, and lacerations" from the crash. But Worley says that she is progressing well, and that they were all thankfully able to spend the holiday together as a family. “Everything is coming along nicely. We are so blessed that she is alive and well,” Worley wrote. “Still got some healing to do but we are so thankful at this time of year that we will all be celebrating Thanksgiving together. Savannah is turning the corner and we don’t have to hold our breath anymore.” (Taste of Country)

Darius Rucker has been announced as the host of the 2025 CMA Songwriters Series taking place during the C2C Festival in London. The line-up of special guests include an impressive group of emerging singer-songwriters, including Jesssi Alexander, Wyatt Flores, Mickey Guyton, and Tucker Wetmore. The CMA Songwriters Series writers’ round has quickly become one of the stand-out events at the C2C Festival in recent years, with the 2025 event scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 23th at London's Indigo at the O2 Arena. Guyton and Wetmore will be making their UK live debuts at the CMA Songwriters Series, with Wetmore and Flores also set to perform during the main C2C Festival 2025 event at London's O2 Arena the following evening on Friday, March 14th. (Holler)

Morgan Wallen is taking a well-earned break from touring at the moment, after his record-setting One Night At A Time Tour became the highest grossing country music tour of all-time. During the singer’s current down time, he went on a hunting trip that was part of the hunting lifestyle platform, MyOutdoorTV. They shared an Instagram photo featuring Wallen and a group of his hunting friends all decked out in camouflage in the woods, along with the caption, “Making memories in the great outdoors with special guest, Morgan Wallen 🦌👏🏻.” Wallen has already previously been featured in a hunting episode of MyOutdoorTV, and the new photo suggests that the country superstar will be featured in a future episode as well. Wallen was just awarded the 2024 CMA Entertainer of the Year, and is set to host his inaugural music festival, Sand In My Boots, which will take place in Gulf Shores, Alabama on May 16-18, 2025. (Holler)

During Kacey Musgraves' Deeper Well Tour stop in Tampa, Florida on Friday night (November 29), an aggressive female fan tried to give the country star an unwanted hug, which startled the singer. “Last night, this Tampa b**ch,” Musgraves said between songs at her show in Hollywood, Florida on Saturday night, referring to the incident from the night before. “She kind of ruined it,” Musgraves continued, still clearly flustered by the interaction. “She kind of ruined it for everybody. I thought I was going to have to get real East Texas on her, take off my earrings. Florida goes hard.”

A fan-filmed TikTok video captured the Tampa incident, with Musgraves stopping singing while exclaiming, “what the f–k?” to the person before muttering, “Jesus f–king Christ” as she walked away, clearly perturbed by the unwanted, invasive contact from the fan. Musgraves is set to continue her Deeper Well Tour at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on December 5, with special guests Lord Huron and Nickel Creek. (Billboard)