Ryman Auditorium Celebrates 15th POLLSTAR Theatre of the Year Award

Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium was named Theatre of the Year for the 15th time at the 35th Annual Pollstar Awards  in Los Angeles last night. 

Named one of the “10 Best Live Music Venues in America” by Rolling Stone magazine, the Ryman (2,362 capacity) was first recognized by Pollstar in 2003 as Theatre of the Year and has gone on to be recognized 15 times with Theatre of the Year awards. Other accolades include Venue of the Year nods from both the Academy of Country Music and the International Entertainment Buyers Association, and Venue of the Year presented by the Country Music Association.
 
Known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” Ryman Auditorium is holy ground for a number of music’s greats. A bucket list venue for many, the hallowed stage has seen the likes of Bono, Ed Sheeran, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Harry Styles, Kacey Musgraves, Lizzo, Marcus Mumford and Noah Kahan, to name a few. The Ryman is known around the globe equally for its world-class acoustics and history-making contributions to the live music industry.

Built in 1892, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium hosted over 250 shows and 9 residencies last year. In addition, the major exhibition, Rock Hall at the Ryman, continues to celebrate the Ryman’s mark on rock & roll history. The interactive exhibit commemorates the venue being named a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame landmark. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees featured include James Brown, The Byrds, Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, Joan Jett and Dolly Parton, in addition to country music icons Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Hank Williams, who were early practitioners of what would become rock & roll music. 

Last fall the Ryman welcomed a new addition to its collection of unique music artifacts – Johnny Cash’s legendary tour bus, “JC Unit One.” The bus is now on public display outside of the Ryman, allowing guests to step inside and experience a piece of country music history during the venue’s tour hours. JC Unit One, which Cash used for the 1991 Highwayman Tour that transported Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, traveled to Nashville from its home at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. The bus’s journey to the Ryman is part of the venue’s ongoing partnership. Access to “JC Unit One” is included with the purchase of a regular Ryman tour admission ticket.

Photo Credit: Jason Kempin

About Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was built by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. A 15-time winner of the prestigious Pollstar Theatre of the Year award, the historic venue is well-known as the Mother Church of Country Music and is the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974). The Ryman has been featured in numerous film and television projects including Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Johnny Cash Show, American Idol, Nashville and more. While offering a diverse lineup and thriving concert schedule (with over 200 shows per year), the venue is also open for daytime tours year-round. A coveted underplay for many, her iconic stage has seen the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Lizzo, Mumford and Sons, Garth Brooks, Foo Fighters, Wu Tang Clan, Coldplay, Michelle Obama and Little Big Town in recent years. Ryman Auditorium is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based REIT that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, 650 AM WSM and Ole Red. For more information, visit ryman.com.

Ryman Auditorium Announces 30th Year of "Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman," Kicking off 6/13

Springer Mountain Farms “Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman” returns to Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for its 30th year starting Thursday, June 13, and will continue on Thursday nights through July 25. The series kicks off with Del McCoury Band, followed by Steep Canyon Rangers with Lindsay Lou, The Earls of Leicester, Della Mae with Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley and Dailey & Vincent, leading up to the final night with a performance from Country Music Hall of Fame Member and 14-time GRAMMY Award-winner Ricky Skaggs. 
 
Season passes include all six shows and are on sale now for both renewing and new passholders. Single tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 23. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ryman.com/bluegrass. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be preceded by a 6 p.m. CT pre-show “Pickin’ on the Plaza” event sponsored by Springer Mountain Farms and Farm Bureau Health Plans on the Ryman’s PNC Plaza, featuring live music from local bluegrass artists and bands presented by WSM Radio.

“Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman” was first introduced in 1994, after the Ryman underwent renovation and reopened its doors after sitting vacant for nearly two decades after the Grand Ole Opry relocated to its new home. The first of what would become its annual series featured Bill Monroe and Alison Krauss. Now 30 years later, the Ryman continues to celebrate bluegrass music’s contribution to music history with artists and fans alike. The venue honors Monroe’s legacy with a life-size statue on site, unveiled in 2017. Learn more about Monroe and the Ryman’s Bluegrass legacy HERE. 

Springer Mountain Farms Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman 2024 Lineup:
June 13 – The Del McCoury Band
June 20 – Steep Canyon Rangers with Lindsay Lou
June 27 – The Earls of Leicester
July 11 – Della Mae with Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
July 18 – Dailey & Vincent
July 25 – Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
  
About Ryman Auditorium:
A National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was built by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. A 14-time winner of the prestigious Pollstar Theatre of the Year award, the historic venue is well-known as the Mother Church of Country Music and is the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974). The Ryman’s thriving concert schedule hosts more than 200 shows annually, and the venue is open for daytime tours year-round. The Ryman has also been featured in numerous film and television projects, including Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Johnny Cash Show, American Idol, Nashville and more. Ryman Auditorium is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based REIT that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, WSM Radio and Ole Red. For more information, visit ryman.com.  

Amy Grant and Vince Gill Celebrate 100th “Christmas At The Ryman” Show

Last night, Amy Grant and Vince Gill celebrated their 100th show at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium as part of their sold-out 2023 “Christmas at the Ryman” residency. This achievement also makes Grant and Gill the first artists to headline 100 shows at the Ryman. Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian and Nashville native Nate Bargatze surprised the duo on stage with a Hatch Show Print commemorating the 12-show run and centennial milestone.  
 
Since the first show in 2008, “Christmas at the Ryman” has become one of Music City’s most treasured traditions, with fans from across the country and worldwide flocking to the historic venue to take in the holiday sounds of two of Nashville’s most cherished performers. Over the years, the husband-and-wife duo has filled the show with Christmas favorites such as “Let It Snow,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Tennessee Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.”  

L to R: Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Ryman Auditorium's Chrissy Hall and Comedian Nate Bargatze | Photo Credit: Catherine Powell

About Amy Grant:  
Amy Grant's career spans more than 40 years and stretches from her roots in gospel into becoming an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality and philanthropist. With three multi-platinum albums, six platinum albums and four gold albums, her total career album sales have exceeded 30 million and over 1 billion global streams. Grant’s chart success has been consistent throughout her career with six No. 1 hits, 10 Top 40 pop singles, 17 Top 40 Adult Contemporary tracks and multiple Contemporary Christian chart-toppers. In addition to her six GRAMMY® Awards, Grant has earned 26 Dove Awards (including four Artist of the Year Awards) and has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as the Music City Walk of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Conventional wisdom has it that Grant put Contemporary Christian Music on the map becoming the first Contemporary Christian artist to have a platinum record, the first to hit No. 1 on the Pop charts and the first to perform at the GRAMMY® Awards. With that, her legacy as one of the most influential artists of the past four decades is assured.  In 2020, the T.J. Martell Foundation – the music industry’s leading nonprofit to fund innovative medical research focused on treatments and cures for cancer – honored Grant with the Tony Martell Outstanding Entertainment Achievement Award at their annual Honors Gala. Most recently, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts included Grant as one of their five distinguished Honorees to receive the 45th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements. \ 
 
About Vince Gill: 
One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. Since then, Gill has won 16 additional CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. In 1991, Gill was invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry, and in 2007 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2012 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A gifted songwriter, Gill’s compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded the prestigious BMI Icon award in 2014. Throughout his career he has released 20 albums, sold over 30 million albums, and charted 45 singles. Always considering himself a musician above all else, Gill has over the years been a part of some iconic bands including Pure Prairie League, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, and The Time Jumpers. In 2022, Gill was inducted into the Musician’s Hall of Fame.  In 2017 Gill was asked to join the Eagles on the road and continues to be a part of that historic band’s tour. 
 
About Ryman Auditorium: 
A National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was built by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. A 14-time winner of the prestigious Pollstar Theatre of the Year award, the historic venue is well-known as the Mother Church of Country Music and is the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974). The Ryman has been featured in numerous film and television projects including Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Johnny Cash Show, American Idol, Nashville and more. While offering a diverse lineup and thriving concert schedule (with over 200 shows per year), the venue is also open for daytime tours year-round. A coveted underplay for many, her iconic stage has seen the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Lizzo, Mumford and Sons, Garth Brooks, Foo Fighters, Wu Tang Clan, Coldplay, Michelle Obama and Little Big Town in recent years. Ryman Auditorium is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based REIT that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, 650 AM WSM and Ole Red. For more information, visit ryman.com. 

Lainey Wilson Hosts "Opry NextStage Live" with Performances by Members of 2023 Opry NextStage Class

On Wednesday, Dec. 6, the Grand Ole Opry and Opry NextStage hosted “Opry NextStage Live,” which served as a year-end celebration for this year’s Opry NextStage Class with performances by 2023 members Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, ERNEST, Chapel Hart, Corey Kent and Kameron Marlowe. Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and 2021 Opry NextStage alum, Lainey Wilson, served as the evening’s MC and headliner. 
 
The festivities wrapped a busy year for this year’s class of eight acts that saw them collectively score two No. 1 songs, release 10 albums, earn 17 major award nominations and perform on the Opry 23 times.
 
Since 2019, the NextStage program has introduced new talent to the country music fan base and featured artists such as Wilson, Riley Green, Parker McCollum, Tenille Townes and Hailey Whitters who all went on to earn ACM New Male or New Female Artist of the Year trophies the year following their NextStage inclusion.
 
Other NextStage alumni include Priscilla Block, BRELAND, Niko Moon, Megan Moroney, Ian Munsick, Restless Road and Nate Smith, among others. 

L to R: Chapel Hart, ERNEST, Ashley Cooke, Kameron Marlowe, Jackson Dean, Lainey Wilson and Corey Kent | Photo Credit: Catherine Powell

About Opry NextStage
Developed by Opry Entertainment Group and the Grand Ole Opry, Opry NextStage invests in the discovery of new artists with featured original content, Opry performances and support across the brand’s platforms to help tell their stories and expand their audiences. 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 and to Circle Network. The Opry has helped launch the careers of countless artists, including Roy Acuff, Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe and Dolly Parton, to name a few. Award-winning group Little Big Town made its very first public appearance as a group on the Opry stage in 1999, and Carrie Underwood cemented a place in Country music with her first Opry appearance less than two weeks after having been named American Idol in 2005. Audiences around the world look to the Opry to showcase the very best in Country music, and it was with this tradition that Opry NextStage was created. 

Ryman Auditorium Announces Mother's Day Weekend w/ Amy Grant, May 10-11, 2024

Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium has announced a two-night special event featuring six-time GRAMMY winner Amy Grant to coincide with Mother’s Day weekend. Grant's Ryman shows in May will mark her first solo performance at the Ryman in 25 years, and her first solo performances in Nashville in more than 15 years. The two-night event takes place May 10 and 11, 2024, and will feature different set lists each night. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. CT. In celebration of Mother’s Day weekend and women everywhere, a portion of every ticket will go to Thistle Farms. Visit ryman.com for more details.   

Preceding her spring shows, Grant and husband Vince Gill will kick off their “Christmas at the Ryman” residency on Dec. 13, one of Music City’s most treasured traditions. The 12-concert run is scheduled for December 13-14, 16-17, 19-20 and 22-23 and will once again feature matinee performances of the beloved show.
 
“Who doesn’t love the Ryman Auditorium? It’s the best place in the world to hear music and to perform,” says Grant. “Every year I look forward to Vince’s and my Christmas residency there, and this year is no exception. For so many artists and musicians, playing that stage is returning to the Mother Church of music and sharing a night with family.
 
“I’m thrilled to be headed back to the Ryman for the first time in 25 years to play two nights of the non-holiday music I’ve been making for the past 45 years,” Grant continues. “Over the two nights, I’ll cover as much of the old music as I can, and introduce a couple of new songs.”
 
This past weekend, Grant and her long-time friend and collaborator Michael W. Smith embarked on their 2023 Christmas Tour. Joined by special guest Michael Tait of the Newsboys, Grant and Smith will co-headline nine holiday shows, including their first appearance together on New York City’s iconic Carnegie Hall stage (Dec. 5). 

About Amy Grant:
Amy Grant's career spans more than 40 years and stretches from her roots in gospel into becoming an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality, philanthropist and has become as some have dubbed her, ‘The Queen Of Christmas’ with her millions of Christmas albums sold over the years. With three multi-platinum albums, six platinum albums and four gold albums, her total career album sales have exceeded 30 million and over 1 billion global streams. Grant’s chart success has been consistent throughout her career with six No. 1 hits, 10 Top 40 pop singles, 17 Top 40 Adult Contemporary tracks and multiple Contemporary Christian chart-toppers. In addition to her six GRAMMY® Awards, Grant has earned 26 Dove Awards (including four Artist of the Year Awards) and has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as the Music City Walk of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Conventional wisdom has it that Grant put Contemporary Christian Music on the map becoming the first Contemporary Christian artist to have a platinum record, the first to hit No. 1 on the Pop charts and the first to perform at the GRAMMY® Awards. With that, her legacy as one of the most influential artists of the past four decades is assured.  Amy has established herself as an iconic ‘Christmas’ artist as well with not only millions of Christmas albums sold, but also her annual Christmas Tours with the likes of Michael W. Smith, Marc Martel, Jordan Sparks and many others.  Additionally, for the past 19 years, Amy and her husband Vince Gill, perform an annual two-week residency at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with their ‘Christmas At The Ryman’ shows.  In 2022, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts included Grant as one of their five distinguished Honorees to receive the 45th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements. In 2020, the T.J. Martell Foundation – the music industry’s leading nonprofit to fund innovative medical research focused on treatments and cures for cancer – honored Grant with the Tony Martell Outstanding Entertainment Achievement Award at their annual Honors Gala. In 2023, Grant will be on the road performing in 70 cities across the country and recently released her first new music in a decade, starting with the single "Trees We'll Never See,” (March) and most recently in April "What You Heard."  Grant released her latest project, “Lead Me On Live 1989” on 10/6/23 which is a full-concert documentation from the 1988-1989 Lead Me On Tour.  Grant will finish the year with two Christmas Tours including dates with Michael W. Smith as well as the annual ‘Christmas At The Ryman’ residency with Vince Gill.  
 
About Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was built by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. A 14-time winner of the prestigious Pollstar Theatre of the Year award, the historic venue is well-known as the Mother Church of Country Music and is the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974). The Ryman has been featured in numerous film and television projects including Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Johnny Cash Show, American Idol, Nashville and more. While offering a diverse lineup and thriving concert schedule (with over 200 shows per year), the venue is also open for daytime tours year-round. A coveted underplay for many, her iconic stage has seen the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Lizzo, Mumford and Sons, Garth Brooks, Foo Fighters, Wu Tang Clan, Coldplay, Michelle Obama and Little Big Town in recent years. Ryman Auditorium is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based REIT that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, 650 AM WSM and Ole Red. For more information, visit ryman.com.

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Celebrate Eight-Night, Sold-Out Residency at Ryman Auditorium

GRAMMY award-winning Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit wrapped an eight-night, sold-out residency at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium Sunday, Oct. 22. The run of shows from Oct. 12-15 and Oct. 19-22 marked the group’s eighth residency at the Ryman, as Isbell reached a milestone of 50 career shows played at the revered venue. His residency has become an October tradition, with each night featuring a variety of openers and special guests including Adeem the Artist, Quinn Christopherson, S.G. Goodman, Izzy Heltai, Autumn Nicholas, Kim Richey, Lawrence Rothman, Satya and Amanda Shires.

Isbell celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his fourth solo album, Southeastern, playing the album from top-to-bottom during the residency. Released in 2013, the album solidified Isbell's influence on Americana and includes RIAA gold-certified tracks "Cover Me Up" and "If We Were Vampires." An expanded deluxe edition of the record was released in Sept. to further commemorate its impact over 10 years. In June, Isbell released his ninth solo album, Weathervanes, as Pitchfork observed its songs "reveal their intricacies slowly, the measured, almost leisurely pace suggesting that Isbell is confident that his audience will stick with the album as they learn its subtle pleasures."

Photo Credit: Eric Ahlgrim

About Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was built by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. A 14-time winner of the prestigious Pollstar Theatre of the Year award, the historic venue is well-known as the Mother Church of Country Music and is the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974). The Ryman’s thriving concert schedule hosts more than 200 shows per year, and the venue is open for daytime tours year-round. The Ryman has also been featured in numerous film and television projects including Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Johnny Cash Show, American Idol, Nashville and more. Ryman Auditorium is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based REIT that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, WSM Radio and Ole Red. For more information, visit ryman.com.

About Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit:
A Jason Isbell record always lands like a decoder ring in the ears and hearts of his audience, a soundtrack to his world and magically to theirs, too. Weathervanes carries the same revelatory power. This is a storyteller at the peak of his craft, observing his fellow wanderers, looking inside and trying to understand, reducing a universe to four minutes. He shrinks life small enough to name the fear and then strip it away, helping his listeners make sense of how two plus two stops equaling four once you reach a certain age -- and carry a certain amount of scars. The record features the rolling thunder of Isbell’s fearsome 400 Unit, who’ve earned a place in the rock ‘n’ roll cosmos alongside the greatest backing ensembles, as powerful and essential to the storytelling as The E Street Band or the Wailers.
 
They make a big noise, as Isbell puts it, and he feels so comfortable letting them be a main prism through which much of the world hears his art. He can be private but with them behind him he transforms, and there is a version of himself that can only exist in their presence. When he plays a solo show, he is in charge of the entire complicated juggle. On stage with the 400 Unit, he can be a guitar hero when he wants, and a conductor when he wants, and a smiling fan of the majesty of his bandmates when he wants to hang back and listen to the sound.
 
The roots of this record go back into the isolation of the pandemic and to Isbell’s recent time on the set as an actor on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. There were guitars in his trailer and in his rented house and a lot of time to sit and think. The melancholy yet soaring track “King of Oklahoma” was written there. Isbell also watched the great director work, saw the relationship between a clear vision and its execution, and perhaps most important, saw how even someone as decorated as Scorsese sought out and used his co-workers’ opinions.