Scott Borchetta founded independent label Big Machine Records in September 2005 and serves as its President/CEO. In its first year Big Machine scored its first #1 single (Jack Ingram’s “Wherever You Are”), placed five singles in the Country Top 30, received a nomination for Record Label of the Year, and placed all three of the label's three new artist releases in the Top 10 Most-Played New Artists of 2006 (as monitored by Mediabase and reported by USA Today and Country Aircheck).
Big Machine’s signature artist Taylor Swift (the CMA and AP’s reigning Entertainer of the Year and the American Music Awards’ 2009 Artist of the Year) was the best-selling all-genre artist of 2008 and her current album, Fearless, repeated her success when it became 2009’s highest-selling album of the year across all genres. Fearless - the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and American Music Awards’ 2009 Country Album of the Year - has spent more weeks at #1 atop the Billboard Top Album chart than any other album in the last 10 years with an astounding 11 weeks at #1.
Taylor re-wrote the record books when her worldwide smash single "Love Story" became the first ever Country crossover single to hit #1 on the Billboard and USA Today Top 40 airplay charts. Her follow-up single, “You Belong With Me,” repeated the same feat.
Big Machine Records, was Billboard’s #1 Top Country Album Imprint of 2009, decorating it as the highest-selling record label group on Music Row. In 2009, Big Machine partnered with Universal Republic to create Republic Nashville. The Big Machine Label Group’s current artist roster includes Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Jewel, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Jack Ingram, Justin Moore, Steel Magnolia, The Band Perry, Edens Edge, Eli Young Band and Sunny Sweeney.
In 4 years, Big Machine Records artists have received 6 Country Music Association Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 4 Academy of Country Music Awards, 4 CMT Music Awards, 3 Teen Choice Awards, 1 MTV Video Music Award as well as 13 GRAMMY Nominations and 5 People’s Choice Award Nominations.
ABOUT SCOTT BORCHETTA
A native Californian and accomplished musician, Borchetta’s love for music began in early childhood when he developed an appreciation for the art by listening to as many styles of music as possible. That diverse influence afforded him the opportunity of playing a wide variety of instruments in various bands before moving to Nashville in 1981 and devoting himself full time to the industry side of the music business.
After a short stint in the mailroom of his father Mike’s independent promotion company, Borchetta started climbing the ladder and soon had power players heads spinning faster than a top in a hurricane. His willingness to react quickly to the changing music business led Borchetta to become one of the top radio promotion go-to-guys over the last decade and now he sits at the helm of Big Machine Records and the newly formed Valory Music Co.
