diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b9e3338d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name: Release
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - v**
+
+jobs:
+  release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v1
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-java@v2
+        with:
+          distribution: 'adopt'
+          java-version: '8'
+          cache: 'gradle'
+
+      - name: release
+        env:
+          SONATYPE_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME }}
+          SONATYPE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD }}
+          GPG_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.GPG_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+          GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ secrets.GPG_PASSPHRASE }}
+        run: |
+          # todo: verify version is same as tag
+          
+          ./gradlew publishToSonatype closeAndReleaseSonatypeStagingRepository
diff --git a/BUILDING.md b/BUILDING.md
index 3a92955d..5eabd4c2 100644
--- a/BUILDING.md
+++ b/BUILDING.md
@@ -19,3 +19,10 @@ $ ./gradlew publishToMavenLocal
 
 Ensure that you configure your project build to use the local version of
 gRPC-Kotlin.
+
+
+## Releasing
+
+1. [Generate a changelog](https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/releases/new) and prepend it to [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md)
+2. Create a Pull Request with updated versions in: [build.gradle.kts](build.gradle.kts) and [examples/build.gradle.kts](examples/build.gradle.kts)
+3. Once merged, tag the release with `vX.Y.Z` and push the tag.  This will kick off a GitHub Action that does the actual release.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index eb4d96ac..41e13cd9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,25 @@
 ## Change Log
 
+### 1.2.1
+
+#### Changes
+* ServerCalls: cancel only the request's Job by @goj in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/303
+* Update README.md by @Tails128 in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/304
+* Load rules_kotlin rules from jvm.bzl by @fmeum in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/300
+* Depend on tools in the exec configuration by @fmeum in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/301
+* Remove hardcoded references to @bazel by @aragos in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/305
+* Compose UI by @jamesward in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/296
+* add an integration test by @jamesward in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/310
+* Add kotlinx-coroutines-core-jvm dependency by @bu3 in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/311
+
+#### New Contributors
+* @goj made their first contribution in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/303
+* @Tails128 made their first contribution in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/304
+* @fmeum made their first contribution in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/300
+* @bu3 made their first contribution in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/pull/311
+
+**Full Changelog**: https://github.com/grpc/grpc-kotlin/compare/v1.2.0...v1.2.1
+
 ### 1.2.0
 
 #### Changes
diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 909ae3b7..e3cd6d40 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestExceptionFormat
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestLogEvent
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.addToStdlib.safeAs
 
 plugins {
     kotlin("jvm") version "1.3.72" apply false
     id("com.google.protobuf") version "0.8.15" apply false
+
+    id("io.github.gradle-nexus.publish-plugin") version "1.1.0"
 }
 
+group = "io.grpc"
+version = "1.2.1" // CURRENT_GRPC_KOTLIN_VERSION
+
 ext["grpcVersion"] = "1.36.0" // CURRENT_GRPC_VERSION
 ext["protobufVersion"] = "3.14.0"
 ext["coroutinesVersion"] = "1.3.3"
@@ -22,8 +26,9 @@ subprojects {
         plugin("signing")
     }
 
-    group = "io.grpc"
-    version = "1.2.0" // CURRENT_GRPC_KOTLIN_VERSION
+    // gradle-nexus/publish-plugin needs these here too
+    group = rootProject.group
+    version = rootProject.version
 
     repositories {
         mavenCentral()
@@ -117,22 +122,19 @@ subprojects {
         }
     }
 
-    extensions.getByType<PublishingExtension>().repositories {
-        maven {
-            val snapshotUrl = uri("https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots")
-            val releaseUrl = uri("https://oss.sonatype.org/service/local/staging/deploy/maven2")
-            url = if (version.safeAs<String>()?.endsWith("SNAPSHOT") == true) snapshotUrl else releaseUrl
-            credentials {
-                username = project.findProperty("sonatypeUsername")?.safeAs() ?: ""
-                password = project.findProperty("sonatypePassword")?.safeAs() ?: ""
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     extensions.getByType<SigningExtension>().sign(extensions.getByType<PublishingExtension>().publications.named("maven").get())
+    extensions.getByType<SigningExtension>().useInMemoryPgpKeys(System.getenv("GPG_PRIVATE_KEY"), System.getenv("GPG_PASSPHRASE"))
 
     tasks.withType<Sign> {
-        onlyIf { project.hasProperty("signing.keyId") }
+        onlyIf { System.getenv("GPG_PRIVATE_KEY") != null }
     }
+}
 
+nexusPublishing {
+    repositories {
+        sonatype {
+            username.set(System.getenv("SONATYPE_USERNAME"))
+            password.set(System.getenv("SONATYPE_PASSWORD"))
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/examples/build.gradle.kts b/examples/build.gradle.kts
index 83a4f0e9..152d93ac 100644
--- a/examples/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/examples/build.gradle.kts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ plugins {
 
 // todo: move to subprojects, but how?
 ext["grpcVersion"] = "1.39.0" // need to wait for grpc kotlin to move past this
-ext["grpcKotlinVersion"] = "1.2.0" // CURRENT_GRPC_KOTLIN_VERSION
+ext["grpcKotlinVersion"] = "1.2.1" // CURRENT_GRPC_KOTLIN_VERSION
 ext["protobufVersion"] = "3.19.2"
 ext["coroutinesVersion"] = "1.5.2"