WDNY Radio

Reigning ACM new artist of the year Zach Top grabbed five nominations for the upcoming 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, second only to Chris Stapleton as the male artist with the most chances to win. 

In February, the “South of Sanity” hitmaker won his first Grammy for best traditional country album for Ain’t in It for My Health.

So how does he stay grounded amid all the acclaim?  

“There’s a bunch of people that kind of bought into my little dream before it was working,” he explains, “and they believed in me and saw me before I was anything. So they do a good job of being encouraging and supportive. And then also if it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re acting like a dummy,’ then, you know, they’ll tell me that, too.”

“You know, between family and my management and so many of the people that I work with [who] were in on it so early, it feels nice that we’ve all got to see it build the whole time,” he continues. “It’s a good reminder to, like, be thankful for every little thing, don’t get too caught up in all of it.”

“It’s like, ‘Remember when we were just hoping we could do anything like this?’ And now we get to be playing on a stadium stage.” 

And play stadiums he does. Zach’s set to play Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock with George Strait April 24, before he steps onstage at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, with Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean April 25. 

He’s up for male artist, album for Ain’t in It for My Health, plus song and single of the year for “I Never Lie” at the ACMs May 17 in Las Vegas. If he wins, he’ll pick up two trophies for song of the year, as both artist and one of the writers. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tone Stith is flying up the radio charts with his latest single, “Fly,” just as he’s doing in his personal life. He tells ABC Audio the record is deeply tied to his personal journey.

“‘Fly’ was definitely written based off of my experience in my life just in the music industry, and my journey and really just feeling like a caged bird in a lot of it …  feeling like people just always kept me in a box … and I wasn’t able to explore what … and who it was that I wanted it to be,” Tone said. “‘Fly’ really came from a place of being like, ‘Yo, this is a new chapter for me and a reset.'”

That intention carried into the visuals. “It was supposed to be in the desert. It was supposed to be some other aspects to it,” Tone explained. “But then … I was like it should just be even more focused on me.”

Though deeply personal, the message of “Fly” is universal, which Tone believes is driving the song’s success.

“For me, it was the music industry and my career,” he said, “but then there’s like so many aspects, so many walks of life where people are like, ‘Yo, I’m feeling the same way. I just want to spread my wings.'” 

Tone said seeing that connection has been the biggest reward thus far. “Usually I make a lot of love songs, so having songs [where] I’m just kind of being real transparent … and just seeing it resonate with people [has] been the payoff for me,” he said. “I’m happy about that.” 

“Fly” is a preview of Tone’s upcoming album, The Edge, which is set to release on May 15.

The song is on DSPs; the music video is available to watch on YouTube.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Never mind the bollocks, here’s a way to sound like the Sex Pistols.

The company Marshall has announced a new limited-edition JCM800 Half Stack amp inspired by the “Anarchy in the U.K.” outfit, described as a “bold tribute to the sound, attitude and cultural impact of one of music’s most disruptive bands.”

“The JCM800 became a defining voice of British punk,” says Marshall culture marketing director Steph Carter in a statement. “Working with [Pistols guitarist] Steve [Jones] to reimagine this amp for the band’s 50th anniversary has been a powerful tribute to the sound that changed everything.”

“I’ve been using Marshall for a long time now and the 800 series for me are my workhorse — always reliable, always consistent,” adds Jones. “I like to keep things simple, as the sayin’ goes. It’s only rock ‘n’ roll.”

The amp will go on sale Friday. Visit Marshall.com for more info.

The Sex Pistols reformed in 2024 with original members Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock alongside vocalist Frank Carter in place of frontman John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon. They’ll launch a U.S. tour in 2026, which was rescheduled from 2025 after Jones broke his wrist.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Olivia Dean’s breakthrough hit in the U.S., “Man I Need,” is currently #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has topped the publication’s Pop and Adult Pop Airplay tallies. It’s hard to believe that at first, Olivia didn’t even want to release the catchy, upbeat tune as a single.

“I wasn’t sure about it,” she tells the U.K.’s Hits Radio. “I thought it was a little bit different.” She explains, “I knew I really liked it, but I didn’t know if it was representative of the whole album and the story.”

She says she eventually changed her mind during rehearsals, when her band told her, “This one’s good, y’know.”

“I’m glad I followed through with that one. There was definitely loads of songs that didn’t make the album,” she adds. “I might still do something with them, I don’t know.”

Olivia will, of course, be singing “Man I Need” when her tour starts April 22; it comes to the U.S. in July. She tells Hits Radio, “I think we’re gonna go on a bit of an emotional journey.”

“But I think the feeling that I want you to feel is just warmth and togetherness,” she adds. “I want people to feel like they can come and sing along … [a]nd dance, but maybe also cry. Just get it all out!”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.