Blake Shelton Exits Warner Music Nashville After 23 Years

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Blake Shelton is leaving the only record label he has ever called home. The 48-year-old announces he and Warner Music Nashville are parting ways after 23 years. Shelton’s eponymous freshman album was released in 2001 on Giant Records, which was a joint venture with Warner, where all of Shelton’s subsequent records were released.

“I moved to Nashville when I was 17 to sing country music and get a record deal,” Shelton says. “Along with the support from Warner, my dreams came true, and then some. It’s impossible to name everyone who has had a hand in all the success we enjoyed, but a huge and heartfelt thank you to the Giant Records, Warner Bros. Records and Warner Music Nashville staff and family.”

Shelton’s last album on Warner Music Nashville was Body Language, released in 2021. That record included three hit singles: “Happy Anywhere,” a duet with his wife, Gwen Stefani, plus “Minimum Wage” and “Come Back As A Country Boy.”

“Working alongside Blake these past 23 years has been an honor and a privilege,” Warner Music Nashville says in a statement. “Together, we’ve celebrated a record number of hit songs, sold-out tours and award wins. Blake’s talent is undeniable, but that wit of his, and the countless moments of laughter he’s given us remind us how fun this business of music can be. While our time together has come to an end, we count ourselves amongst his biggest fans and are grateful for the ride with this true gentleman and icon.”

Shelton might have left his longtime record label, but he still has plenty to keep him busy, including his Ole Red franchise. Shelton opened his sixth, and largest, location in Las Vegas earlier this year, a city that is also home to his 2025 residency, Live in Las Vegas.

“It’s been swirling for years now, and ever since the idea was first floated about opening an Ole Red in Las Vegas, this conversation has been happening too,” the Grand Ole Opry member tells People, speaking of his residency.

“If you’re going to have a stake in Las Vegas, you got to do a residency also if you’re an artist,” he adds. “I’ve just been kicking the can down the road because I wanted the Ole Red to be open before I did it.”

It was Shelton’s good friend, and “Dive Bar” duet partner, Garth Brooks, who inspired Shelton to do his own Las Vegas residency.

“He played songs that he grew up loving and made him fall in love with music. I don’t want to just rip somebody off, but I do love the idea of doing something that you wouldn’t normally get to see out on tour,” says Shelton. “So I got to figure out what that is, and now I’m going to start thinking about how it would be different than something I would do on tour.”

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Shelton’s departure from his record label will likely also leave time for him to pursue his biggest passion: spending time with Stefani and her three sons. Time as a family is also what prompted Shelton to leave The Voice in 2023, after 23 seasons.

“If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I’m missing out on some more important things in life,” Shelton previously told People. “For now, that’s our kids. This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again.

“Even though I’m a stepparent, I take that job very seriously,” he continued. “The kids see me as a very important person in their life. [When they ask], ‘Why isn’t Blake here?’ I take that stuff to heart. I’ve made plenty of money, but you can’t buy time back. I don’t want any regrets.”

Find all of Shelton’s music and upcoming shows, including his Live in Las Vegas residency dates, at BlakeShelton.com.