THE BIG MACHINE WEEKLY REPORT [Week 1/21-1/27/08]

THE BIG MACHINE WEEKLY REPORT [Week 1/21-1/27/08]
Submitted By Big Machine Records
Jan 28, 2008

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

*Taylor Swift Set To Host CMT Online Awards Show & Nominee Special
*Taylor Swift Racks Up Two More RIAA Digital Certifications
*Trisha Yearwood Goes Top 40; Single Most Added Again
*Jack Ingram Breakthrough Week: 10 Big Adds + Top 5 Research At KYGO

ARTIST NEWSFLASH

*JUST IN: Taylor Swift can add two more plaques to her wall this week, as her single “Teardrops On My Guitar” has been awarded an RIAA Digital Platinum single for more than 1 million downloads and her 6 week #1 hit “Our Song” has been awarded an RIAA Digital Gold single for more than 500,000 downloads.

*CMT announced the finalists for the second annual CMT ONLINE AWARDS this week, and double-platinum recording artist and the first bona-fide country star of the MySpace generation, Taylor Swift, will recap the nominees from the comfort of her very own tour bus in a half-hour special CMT ONLINE AWARDS NOMINEE SHOW, premiering on CMT.com and CMT on Wednesday, January 30 at 9:00-9:30 a.m., ET/PT. Finalists were selected based on the number of clicks during 2007 at CMT.com. Taylor will also host the CMT ONLINE AWARDS, which premieres at CMT.com on Tuesday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m., ET/PT, followed by a run on the TV network beginning February 12th. Taylor received three nominations for the online awards including Number One Streamed Music Video (“Teardrops On My Guitar”), Number One Streamed Unplugged @ 330 Performance (“Teardrops On My Guitar”) and Number One Digitally Active Female Artist.

*Jack Ingram is profiled in the current issue of Country Weekly in their ‘7 Questions’ feature, and the hitmaker provided insight on how he likes to unwind: “I do love having a couple cold Bud Lights after a show,” notes Jack. “I also like to read, and I’m currently reading a very eye-opening book called ‘What Is The What’ [by Dave Eggers], about the lost boys from Sudan.” In addition to reading books, Jack explains he also tries to read the newspaper everyday. To read more musings from Jack, be sure to pick up the current copy of Country Weekly, on-stands now.

*RANDOM NOTES: Taylor Swift’s “Teardrops On My Guitar” receives a BDS Spin Award for posting more than 200,000 plays…Garth Brooks’ Pearl Records collection The Ultimate Hits has been certified 5x platinum by the RIAA…Taylor Swift’s music video for “Our Song” spends an unprecedented 7th week at #1 on CMT’s Top 20 Countdown...Trisha Yearwood is hosting The Marketing Group’s Valentine’s Day radio special available for airing the week of February 11th. Album tracks and Trisha’s latest hits will be spotlighted within the special…Taylor Swift has been chosen by US Weekly as one of the 10 Most Powerful Girls In Hollywood.

*Garth Brooks made a special appearance on the premiere Crook & Chase show airing on RFD-TV January 17th. Garth, who performed his record-breaking #1 hit “More Than A Memory” on the program, was also joined by George Jones and the Oak Ridge Boys on the debut episode.

*Jack Ingram is pictured above joking with GAC Nights host Suzanne Alexander during the new syndicated radio show’s launch week.

*Garth Brooks visited with GAC Nights’ Suzanne Alexander (pictured above) recently in Nashville during the new syndicated radio show’s launch week.

*New Big Machine artist Fisher Stevenson recently visited WGSQ in Cookeville, Tennessee as the singer-songwriter prepares to launch an extensive radio tour. Pictured above (l-r): Big Machine’s Bobby Young, Katie Clark (Fisher support player), Fisher, WGSQ MD Stewart James, Penny Clark (Fisher support player) and Big Machine’s Jack Purcell.

Taylor Swift releases "Picture to Burn" to radio this week

*Jack Ingram stopped by WKDF in Nashville recently for an impromptu on-air visit with PD Bud Ford, pictured above.