Country music label Monument Records, home to artists including Walker Hayes and Tigirlily Gold, is folding, with some aspects of the label to be overseen by Sony Music Nashville, Billboard can confirm. No reason was given for the label’s shuttering. Country Aircheck first reported the news.
Sony Music songwriter/producer Shane McAnally and manager Jason Owen collaborated to revive the storied Monument label in 2017. In addition to Hayes and Tigirlily Gold, its roster included Shelby Lynne, Brandon Ratcliff and Alex Hall. Tigirlily Gold will transition to Sony Music Nashville.
Through his management company The Sandbox, Owen will work with Sony Music to create new ideas and approaches for artists to help propel their stories across various mediums, including film and TV, while McAnally will continue working with artists through creative routes including A&R, production and songwriting. Meanwhile, Monument Records general manager Katie McCartney is moving on to a new opportunity to be announced soon; other Monument staffers have also been impacted by the closure. Owen and McAnally did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Music executive/producer/songwriter Fred Foster co-founded Monument Records with Buddy Deane in 1958. Over the years, the label became known for a roster that included such major stars as Kris Kristofferson, Roy Orbison and Dolly Parton. The label closed in 1990 but was then reactivated for a period in the late 1990s, when it boasted a roster that included hugely successful acts like Little Big Town and The Chicks (then called The Dixie Chicks).
