MATT STELL’S “PRAYED FOR YOU” CERTIFIED PLATINUM

First-Ever RIAA Virtual Plaque Presentation Celebrates One Million Unit Milestone

April 2, 2020 — Nashville, TN — RECORDS/Arista Nashville breakthrough entertainer Matt Stell thought he was being “fooled” yesterday when he joined a Zoom video call with Ash Bowers (Wide Open Music), Barry Weiss (RECORDS), Randy Goodman (Sony Music Nashville), Mitch Glazier (RIAA), and Jackie Jones (RIAA).  The group surprised Stell with a virtual platinum song plaque, the first of its kind, celebrating his “career-changing” (Music Row) multi-week No. 1 smash and the only Billboard chart-topper by a debut artist in 2019, “Prayed For You,” hitting the one million unit milestone. As one of only 30 RIAA platinum-certified country songs in the last two years, “Prayed For You,” written by Stell with Ash Bowers and Allison Veltz Cruz, joins an elite group. Watch the surprise moment and Stell’s reaction here.

Stell’s epic new single, “Everywhere But On,” was co-written by Stell, along with Paul Sikes and Lance Miller and is currently Top 40 on the country radio charts and climbing. The track is featured on Stell’s Everywhere But On EP, which also includes a collaboration with Jimmie Allen, “Home In A Hometown,” and Stell’s cover of the Ariana Grande hit “God Is a woman.”

In addition, Stell hosts a WEEKLY livestream music series – PENNED UP – on Instagram @MattStellMusic. In response to the global pandemic impacting in person shows, Stell, Lindsay Ell and Jameson Rodgers take to Instagram every Wednesday at 8PM CT to each perform a new song written solo that week, with Jimmie Allen joining as special guest on April 1.  View his weekly PENNED UP series HERE.  Stell’s first headlining run, MATT STELL EVERYWHERE BUT ON TOUR, will play the remaining shows later this year while Matt will hit the road on select dates this fall with Toby Keith and as part of Rascal Flatts: Farewell Life Is A Highway Tour. Check out mattstell.com for latest dates and information.

ABOUT MATT STELL: Matt Stell is poised for a next-level year after a breakthrough 2019.  Milestones continue to add up, with multi-week No. 1 Platinum-certified hit, “Prayed For You” being the ONLY debut artist single to top the Billboard Country Airplay chart (for two consecutive weeks), also notching the top spot in Country Aircheck/Mediabase.  The highly acclaimed track, written by Stell with Ash Bowers and Allison Veltz Cruz, has accumulated 182 million streams and counting and is featured on his Everywhere But On EP, which also includes a collaboration with Jimmie Allen, “Home In A Hometown,” and Stell’s cover of the Ariana Grande hit “God Is a woman.”   The year also marked his Grand Ole Opry debut (April 27) and the launch of his philanthropic initiative, the Give A Damn Foundation, raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Doctors Without Borders, the Humane Society, and more.  Stell made his primetime, network TV debut on ABC’s summer reality series “Bachelor in Paradise” and kicked off 2020 with a performance on “Good Morning America.”

He’s come a long way from playing college basketball for Drury University and making the choice to head to Nashville instead of Cambridge, MA where he was accepted into Harvard University’s Extension School Pre-Med program. Following his dream of writing and performing, the 6’7” Center Ridge, Ark. native and self-taught vocalist and guitar-player made the move to Music City in 2014, landing a publishing and management deal with Wide Open Music and a record deal with music industry powerhouse Barry Weiss’ RECORDS/Arista Nashville. Stell has received “Ones To Watch” shout-outs from multiple partners, including Vevo DSCVR, MusicRow’s Next Big Thing, The Boot Artist To Watch, Sounds Like Nashville New Country Artist to Watch, CMT Discovery Artist, and YouTube Music Artist on the Rise. He just wrapped his first headlining shows, MATT STELL EVERYWHERE BUT ON TOUR, and will hit the road on select dates this fall with Toby Keith and as part of Rascal Flatts: Farewell Life Is A Highway Tour.

Learn more at mattstell.com, Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, YouTube @MattStellMusic.

(photo:
L to R: RIAA VP Artist & Industry Relations In Nashville Jackie Jones, Wide Open Music President Ash Bowers, RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier, Sony Music Nashville Chairman and CEO Randy Goodman, RECORDS co-founder and CEO Barry Weiss, Matt Stell )

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