Briana Calhoun Lands Sony Deal While Running Prison Reform Nonprofit

Briana Calhoun has landed a significant worldwide publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Nashville, and Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn is her partner in the business venture. The deal marks a huge accomplishment for Calhoun, who has not only made a name for herself as a talented songwriter but also as the founder of Hope On the Inside, a nonprofit organization she started in 2023 to support rehabilitation and empower individuals who have been involved in the correctional system.

"I'm humbled and honored to have the opportunity to do what I love for a living. I had all but given up on my dream of becoming a songwriter and shifted my focus to growing Hope On the Inside. But with that came an outpouring of love and support from the Nashville community, and I think people began to notice," said Calhoun.

Rusty Gaston, CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, recognized Calhoun's authenticity and dedication to the community. Calhoun has worked with a number of renowned artists, including Don Cook, Terri Clark, and Randy Houser, and she has performed in correctional facilities and festivals across the United States, using her platform to tell the stories of people who transform their lives.

"Really looking forward to working with Briana on this collaboration with Sony," adds Brooks. "I've been writing songs there for almost my entire career, and I'm confident it's going to be a great home for her, too. She's not just writing really good and unique songs; she's also changing lives with the work she's doing to help inmates through her nonprofit. I'm proud to be associated with her, and I have no doubt she's got a great future with the music she's got coming."

Calhoun is set to release two singles in August 2025 — "Hope on the Inside," co-written with Bob DiPiero and Rafe Van Hoy, and "Bustin' Out," co-written with Brooks and Chancie Neal. She is also working on an acoustic album that will be released later this year that incorporates elements of country and roots-rock alongside pop and R&B. Her story of trauma, incarceration, reinvention, and creatively and philanthropically thriving continues to inspire people both in the music world and in the communities where she now works.