Pictured (L-R): Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon, Megan Moroney and Kristian Bush. Photo: Catherine Powell
Megan Moroney gathered the Nashville music industry on Monday afternoon at her Emo Cowgirl Bar on Westin Nashville’s L27 rooftop to celebrate her most recent No. 1 hit, “Am I Okay?.” Hosted by SESAC, the event honored the artists, songwriters, publishers and industry team members who contributed to the single’s success.
The song, penned by Moroney, Jessie Jo Dillon and Luke Laird, and produced by Kristian Bush, marked the artist’s second No. 1 at radio, following her breakout hit “Tennessee Orange.”
The event was emceed by SESAC’s Shannan Hatch. Industry leaders took the microphone to honor each artist, writer and producer including BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Creative Nation/GMR’s Emily Furman, Big Machine Music’s Alex Heddle, Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Sony Music Nashville’s Dennis Reese and Pinnacle’s David Devaul.
Pictured (Front Row, L-R): Emily Furman (Creative Nation), Jessie Jo Dillon (BMI/Songwriter), Megan Moroney (SESAC/Songwriter), Kristian Bush (BMI/Producer), Rusty Gaston (Sony Music Publishing). (Back Row, L-R): Luke Laird (GMR/Songwriter), Alex Heddle (Big Machine Music), Shannan Hatch (SESAC), Leslie Roberts (BMI). Photo: Catherine Powell
Many of these people spoke of Moroney’s talent, kindness and sharp understanding of her brand. Industry attendees repeatedly highlighted Moroney, Dillon and Laird’s writing dynamic, noting the high level of respect and admiration each one carries for the others.
“I am uniquely here with [Moroney] from the beginning. What this room probably can’t understand is the distance between celebrating right now and how long ago it was that [the team] made this,” Bush shared, referencing his long-standing relationship with Moroney, who interned with him while in college. “I once asked someone for advice on how to become a hit producer. They said it is really simple, just produce hit songs. This was a hit before it got to me.”
“One thing I want to say about Megan is that no matter what gets thrown at her, she holds her head high and is kind,” shared Dillon. “She is such a special human, aside from the music, and I’m so grateful to be your co-writer and your friend.”
Photo: Catherine Powell
Laird, who notched his 25th No. 1 with the song, told the story of discovering Moroney after hearing her sing “Hair Salon” and watching her performance at CMA Fest in 2022, leading him to reach out to ask her to write. “I’m just so grateful. She is always 20 steps ahead of all of us and it is just an honor to be here.”
To close out the celebration, Moroney took the microphone, thanking each member of her team.
“To my songwriters, writing with y’all is so effortless. [Kristian] has produced everything I’ve ever put out and I’m so grateful for you understanding my brain. I have such solid people around me, the producer, the songwriters, my team. I know in every corner I look there are genuine people who want what is best for me. They trust me, and my instincts, and that’s all you can ask for as a songwriter.”
Lauryn Sink is a staff writer at MusicRow Magazine. Hailing from Lexington, North Carolina, Lauryn is a 2025 graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
