HAILEY WHITTERS NAMED OPRY NEXTSTAGE ARTIST

HAILEY WHITTERS NAMED OPRY NEXTSTAGE ARTIST

NOMINATED FOR “BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR” AT THE 2021 CMT MUSIC AWARDS

TOURING WITH MIDLAND LATER THIS YEAR ON THE LAST RESORT TOUR

NASHVILLE, TN. — (For immediate release) — Opry Entertainment Group and the Grand Ole Opry yesterday (1/6) announced that Iowa-born, Nashville-based country artist Hailey Whitters is 2021’s inaugural Opry NextStage artist. The Opry NextStage platform was created to invest in the discovery and development of new artists, and features collaborations such as live performances, strategic marketing support and short-form documentary-style storytelling created by Opry Entertainment’s award-winning content team.

“The Grand Ole Opry is a holy place to me. Its story and circle are something I’ve dreamt of being a part of ever since I was a little girl,” shared Whitters. “To be named an Opry NextStage Artist is an honor and comes at a time in my career where their investment in my career makes a difference.”

Whitters made her Opry debut in 2019 and is set to return this Saturday, June 5th, at 8 p.m. CT. Her performance will be included on Circle Network’s weekly Opry Live broadcast and livestream.

WATCH THE JOURNEY WITH HAILEY WHITTERS PART 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZcFq786ew (60 second clip)

Last month, Whitters earned her first-ever CMT Music Awards nomination in the “Breakthrough Video of the Year” category for “Fillin’ My Cup” (feat. Little Big Town) from her critically-acclaimed deluxe album LIVING THE DREAM. The 2021 CMT Music Awards broadcast airs in the USA on Wednesday, June 9th at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on CMT, with a five-channel simulcast across MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network and TV Land.

Whitters also announced she will return to the road later this year to support Midland on THE LAST RESORT TOUR. The tour kicks off on October 7th in Phoenix, Arizona and will make stops in Nashville, Chicago, Boston, New York and more. Additionally, Whitters will also be performing at Windy City Smokeout, Tortuga Music Festival, and the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival this year. Find a full list of tour dates at HaileyWhitters.com.


ABOUT HAILEY WHITTERS
:
Rising singer-songwriter Hailey Whitters scored her breakthrough moment in 2019, with the release of “Ten Year Town,” the first single from her critically-acclaimed, self-funded debut album, THE DREAM – praised as “the year’s deepest country album” (The Washington Post). Now with 12+ years in Nashville, TN, under her belt, the Shueyville, IA-native is LIVING THE DREAM, with the release of her deluxe album that features five new collaborations with Brent Cobb, Jordan Davis, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Little Big Town, and Trisha Yearwood. The deluxe album’s breakthrough single “Fillin’ My Cup” (feat. Little Big Town) has been streamed more than 8 million times and was named a SiriusXM “Highway Find.” Since being dubbed “Nashville’s Newest Unsigned Star” (Rolling Stone) for her breakout hit, she’s toured with Brent Cobb, Jordan Davis, Maren Morris and Little Big Town, plus notched cuts as a songwriter by Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, and Little Big Town. Named an Artist to Watch 2020 on coveted lists by Paste MagazinePandora, and more, as well as being inducted into CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2020, Whitters signed her first record deal in partnership with her own label Pigasus Records and Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters. Lauded by Pitchfork and BrooklynVeganTHE DREAM appeared on more than 15 year-end best of 2020 lists and landed at #1 on both Stereogum’s “10 Best Country Albums of 2020” and Garden & Gun’s “Best Southern Albums of 2020” list.

ABOUT OPRY NEXT STAGE:
For nearly a century, the Grand Ole Opry has created opportunities for artists throughout the country music spectrum to make strong connections with fans and fellow artists – on its stages and across its channels – from terrestrial radio to network television to the digital universe. Audiences throughout the world look to the Opry to showcase the very best of country music’s new stars, superstars and legends. Opry NextStage presents rising artists making incredible music at the forefront of their careers through the Opry’s marketing platforms, which are set to deliver more than 100 million impressions, Opry Entertainment partners with Opry NextStage artists to tell their stories and expand their audiences. Opry Entertainment is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based REIT that owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, Ole Red, Ryman Auditorium and 650 AM WSM.

ABOUT THE GRAND OLE OPRY:
The Grand Ole Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. The Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE:RHP). For more information, visit opry.com.

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