UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan to Receive Presidential Award at Music Biz 2017 Convention in Nashville
Country Music Association (CMA) to sponsor convention’s Awards Breakfast for second straight year
November 16, 2016 – The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will present its prestigious Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement to Mike Dungan, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville. The presentation will take place on the morning of Wednesday, May 17, 2017, during the Music Biz 2017 convention’s Awards Breakfast at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville. The Breakfast will be sponsored for the second straight year by the Country Music Association (CMA), which just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the CMA Awards on November 2.
“Mike’s journey in the music business spans more than four decades,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “He has grown to be such an integral industry player, building Capitol Nashville into a major force before developing UMG Nashville into the dominant Country powerhouse it is today. Mike unquestionably represents the exceptional vision, leadership and commitment that perfectly exemplifies our Presidential Award recipients.”
Dungan follows an esteemed list of previous honorees, which includes: John Esposito, Dick Clark, Walter Yetnikoff, Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, Jim Urie, Ted Cohen, Clive Davis, Don Cornelius, Casey Kasem, Sylvia Rhone, John Marmaduke, Bob Higgins, Paul Smith, Scott Borchetta, Akio Morito, Eric Paulson, Henry Droz, and Russ Solomon as well as organizations including the Country Music Association (CMA), The Recording Academy (NARAS), and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“We’re also thrilled to welcome CMA back as the sponsor of our Awards Breakfast,” Donio continued. “Last year’s event provided strong visibility and promotion for ‘The 50th Annual CMA Awards,’ while recognizing some of the most influential executives in the music business. We look forward to another fantastic Breakfast with their support.”
“I’m honored to be selected for the Music Biz Presidential Award, and to be counted among those who have been recognized with this award in the past, many of whom are my personal heroes,” said Dungan. “I have always strived to spread the word about the music that I love, and music that I feel will affect people’s lives. Continuing this on such a grand scale with the spectacular roster we have here at UMG Nashville has been the most rewarding experience of my career. Now, to be recognized in this way by Music Biz is truly humbling.”
Raised in Cincinnati, Dungan has worked in the music business since he was 16 years old, getting his start doing odd jobs in a local record store. In 1979, he began his label career as a Pop Promotion Rep for RCA, working in the Cincinnati, Detroit, and Minneapolis markets. In 1987, he took a sales position with RCA and Arista Records parent company, BMG. Two years later, Arista Records hired him as its Director of Marketing for the Midwest. In 1990, Dungan moved to the newly-formed Arista Nashville label to head up Sales and Marketing, later rising to the post of SVP and General Manager. In 2000, Dungan was named President of EMI Music’s Capitol Records Nashville, and over the next 12 years, helped that company to realize enormous success, with the Capitol label being named Billboard Magazine’s Country Label of the Year for eight straight years, including 2015.
In May of 2012, Dungan moved to the Universal Music Group as Chairman and CEO. Shortly after, Universal purchased EMI, reuniting Dungan with his old roster at Capitol. Now, he oversees UMG Nashville and its four label imprints – Capitol Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, Mercury Nashville, and MCA Nashville – which are home to 35 major artists, including Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, George Strait, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Darius Rucker, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Gary Allan, and Vince Gill. Billboard has listed Dungan on its annual “Power 100” list in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Also in 2016, Dungan was named Billboard’s Country Music Executive of the Year.
“CMA is proud to once again sponsor the Music Biz 2017 Awards Breakfast as we have had a long partnership between the two organizations,” said Damon Whiteside, CMA SVP of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships. “This year’s honoree, Mike Dungan, as well as the past honorees, have made significant contributions to the overall music industry that have made it possible for Country Music to flourish. We’re excited to continue to support this event and help give all the honorees the recognition they deserve.”
Founded in 1958, CMA has been advocating for the advancement of Country Music for nearly six decades. In 1961, the organization created the Country Music Hall of Fame, which now counts 130 members. In October 1967, CMA launched the CMA Awards as an untelevised event hosted by Sonny James and Bobbie Gentry. The ceremony was broadcast on television for the first time the following year, making it the longest running annual music awards program on network TV. This year’s 50th installment, which aired November 2, featured performances from CMA Entertainer of the Year Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson with George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton with Dwight Yoakam, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, a surprise performance by Beyoncé and Dixie Chicks, and more to commemorate the special occasion. In addition, the organization hosts the annual CMA Music Festival, which got its start in 1972 under the name Fan Fair. The 2016 edition broke records with daily attendance of 88,500 fans. CMA also established the charitable CMA Foundation in 2011, which focuses on improving and sustaining music education programs and advocating for causes benefiting the Country Music community.
Music Biz 2017, which will return to Nashville from May 15-18, is the music industry’s premier event, giving the commerce and content sectors a place to meet with trading partners, network with new companies, and learn about new trends and products impacting the music business. Registration is open now with early bird discounts in effect until early 2017. For more information or to register for the event, visit www.musicbiz2017.com.
About the Music Business Association
The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce — a community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. It provides common ground by offering thought leadership, resources and unparalleled networking opportunities, all geared to the specific needs of its membership. Music Biz brings a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. Today, we put our collective experience to work across all delivery models: physical, digital, mobile, and more. Music Biz and its members are committed to building the future of music commerce — together.
Music Biz Media Contact
Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications — laurie@jaybirdcom.com, 646.484.6764
