RCA recording artist Chris Young and songwriter Luke Laird celebrated their recent co-written No. 1 hit "You" during a party held in the CMA Atrium yesterday. The soiree marked the first industry event held in the newly renovated space.
"We're thrilled that Chris and Luke decided to share their celebration with us," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore. "We updated our Atrium so we could play host to more industry events such as this, and honoring the success of 'You' is a great way to christen our new event space."
Young, an EMI Music Publishing writer and ASCAP member, is a two-time CMA Award nominee and has already charted four additional No. 1 hits including "Gettin' You Home," "The Man I Want To Be," "Voices," and "Tomorrow." Young is currently a part of reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert's "On Fire" tour.
"I don't care what kind of work you put in, to have what's going on right now with my career and my life is just absolutely amazing," shared Young from the stage. "Thank you to everybody in this room and on this stage - this is an amazing day."
Laird, a Universal Music Publishing Group writer and BMI member, is a two-time CMA Triple Play Award winner who, with the addition of "You," has co-written nine singles that hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
"When you're writing songs, to have a voice like Chris' to present it to the world, it's a huge gift for a songwriter like myself," said Laird during the event.
More than 11,000 music industry professionals and companies around the globe are members of CMA. Formed in 1958 as the first trade association for a single genre of music, the organization's objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry while advancing the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA's strategic imperatives - CMA Music Festival and the companion CMA Music Festival television special; "Country Music's Biggest NightT," the CMA Awards; and CMA's latest television venture "CMA Country Christmas." All of CMA's TV properties air on the ABC Television Network through 2021. For information about CMA visit www.CMAworld.com.
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