Info From Music Row 01/24/2024

In case you missed it...

For the eleventh time, CMT has announced their prestigious "New Women Of Country" Class, a group of fourteen hand-picked country-stars-in-waiting. The "NWOC" is CMT's effort to support and promote developing female talent. The up-and-coming artists are: Anne Wilson, Denitia, Ella Langley, Emily Ann Roberts, HunterGirl, Karley Scott Collins, Kylie Frey, Lauren Watkins, Madeline Merlo, Mae Estes, Tanner Adell, The Castellows, Tigirlily Gold, and Twinnie. Again this year, CMT’s "CMT Hot 20 Countdown," hosted by Carissa Culiner and Rissi Palmer, will dedicate an entire three-hour special episode to celebrating the new class of CMT Next Women of Country, introducing the class of 2024 with exclusive interviews and performance clips from each inductee. The special episode is slated to air Saturday, February 10. The "New Women Of Country" has recognized and promoted numerous female country performers who went on to become big names in the genre, including Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark, Carly Pearce, Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress, Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Alaina, Lindsay Ell, Maren Morris, and Megan Moroney, to name a few of many.

It seems like Dolly Parton always has something cooking - sometimes literally. Dolly just announced that she has entered into an exclusive agreement with Duncan Hines’ parent company, Conagra Brands, to develop a line of retail food items. The new line of Dolly Parton food products will include frozen, refrigerated, grocery, and snack items inspired by down-home comfort cuisine. "I loved co-creating my Duncan Hines line with Conagra and I’m thrilled we’re going well beyond the baking aisle with new items across the store. We’re looking to continue to inspire special moments in the kitchen, with some of my family’s favorite recipes, and I think people are really going to love them!" Dolly said in a statement. The new products will start rolling onto store shelves nationwide this month, with an expanded line-up of Duncan Hines’ mixes including Chocolate Cake Mix, Yellow Cake Mix, Cinnamon Crumb Cake Mix, Blueberry Muffin Mix, and Banana Nut Muffin Mix. Additionally, the first single branded Dolly Parton item, Buttermilk Pancake Mix, will start hitting shelves this winter and marks Dolly’s first foray into the breakfast category. More items are expected to launch later in 2024 including frozen items.