Photo Credit: Steve Lopez
Multi-Award-winning country music superstar Blake Shelton and acclaimed showrunner Lee Metzger proudly announce the formation of their new production company, Lucky Horseshoe Productions. Following the tremendous success of their collaboration on the hit television series BARMAGEDDON, the duo aims to bring their creative vision to a wider range of projects across various genres. The announcement follows Shelton’s departure from The Voice, a show he helped launch in 2011 and remained on for 23 seasons, establishing it as a ratings mega-hit and fan-favorite, Emmy Award-winning singing competition show.
With Lucky Horseshoe Productions, Shelton and Metzger begin a new chapter on an already successful business relationship, with them meeting on The Voice where Metzger was an executive producer for 13 seasons. Each, a powerhouse in their respective industries, Shelton, being one of the premiere Country Stars of the past two decades, and Metzger, an experienced and four-time Emmy Award-winning showrunner, last collaborated on creating hit competition series BARMAGEDDON. Recently nominated for a Critics' Choice Award, the show is set in Shelton’s bar Ole Red, and hosted by Shelton, Carson Daly and WWE Superstar Nikki Garcia. The series was the network’s most-viewed premiere in nearly three years with 1.2M total viewers. They have recently completed production on the second season.
“I’m excited to partner with my longtime friend and creative rainmaker Lee Metzger,” said Shelton.” “He was one of the first people I met at The Voice and we're enjoying working together currently on Barmageddon. We’ve always been in sync on ideas and projects that interest and excite us. So long as Lee doesn’t screw this up, it’s going to be great,” laughed Shelton.
“Over the years of working with Blake, we’ve created some incredible TV moments, now with the success of Barmageddon, we’ve realized we have a creative point of view that an audience loves to watch," said Mezger. “I’m looking forward to producing our own brand of entertainment and years of success with Blake. Besides, now that he’s left The Voice, it’s not like he has anything better to do,” he laughed.
With 28 No. 1 Country radio singles, Shelton burst onto the scene in 2001 with his No. 1 debut smash “Austin.” Since then, he has gone on to sell more than 52 million singles, 13 million albums and has nearly 11 Billion Global Streams. Shelton has received numerous awards, including six ACMs, three AMAs, ten CMAs, 11 CMTs and six People’s Choice, among many others.
The Grand Ole Opry member also remains focused on his Ole Red partnership with Ryman Hospitality, with locations currently in Tishomingo, Nashville, Gatlinburg and Orlando, they recently broke ground on a new venue in Las Vegas, which is slated to open late this year. He has also partnered with Land’s End, a classic American lifestyle brand, for a new collection – Blake Shelton x Lands' End.
A noted humanitarian, Shelton has helped raise millions of dollars for children’s hospitals, disaster relief organizations, food banks, the OK POP Museum and more in his home state of Oklahoma and throughout the entire country.
Metzger was previously the executive producer and showrunner for HBO Max's LEGENDARY, in addition to his role as executive producer on the first 13 seasons of The Voice. Additionally, Metzger has made a significant impact in the scripted realm, having written, directed and produced the groundbreaking podcast adaptation of Stephen King's renowned short story, "STRAWBERRY SPRING," which he is currently adapting as a feature film. The podcast debuted at No. 1 in fiction and drama podcasts internationally on both Apple and Spotify,
Lucky Horseshoe Productions, led by Shelton and Metzger, will produce captivating, genre-spanning content across platforms. Their expertise and strengths will drive groundbreaking, relatable and entertaining projects. Stay tuned for updates on their innovative storytelling and unrivaled entertainment. Lucky Horseshoe Productions is represented by Verve.