Lady Antebellum First Artists to Enlist for the EXciting, EXpanded New AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X Exhibit Hall in Nashville’s State-of-the-Art Music City Center NASHVILLE – X marks the coolest daytime spot for Nashville’s “signature” event in the new AT&T® U-verse® Fan Fair X (FFX) with autograph signings, concerts, lifestyle exhibits, marketplace, live broadcasts, demonstrations, and more in the brand new, cutting-edge Music City Center during 2013 CMA Music Festival, ... Read more

NASHVILLE- CMA staffers surprised NHK World Country Programs producer and personality Takehisa Matsuda with the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award during a visit to the CMA offices on Tuesday, March 5. The award recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the United States who have made important contributions for the development of Country Music in their country. Read more

Artists Performing at LP Field Include Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band NASHVILLE – Where can you find more CMA Award winners and nominees than at the annual CMA Awards? Try the 2013 CMA Music Festival! The star-packed lineup is bursting at the seams ... Read more

NASHVILLE – Members of CMA’s Board of Directors from the radio industry spoke about the benefits of membership in CMA during a CRS 2013 panel, "CMA: More Than a One Night Stand." Radio representatives comprise more than 10 percent of the CMA Board of Directors serving on the CMA Radio Committee and contributing to several other CMA Committees. Among the topics discussed, the annual CMA Broadcast Awards for Radio Station ... Read more

CMA Member Benefits for Radio Include Research, Sales Tools, Access to Affordable Healthcare, Application for CMA Broadcast Station and Personality of the Year Awards, Credentials to Cover CMA Music Festival, the Ability to Vote and Purchase Tickets for Country Music’s Biggest Night – The CMA Awards, and More! NASHVILLE – CMA was created in 1958 to support Country radio and that mission is just as important today as CMA presented ... Read more

The CMA Songwriters Series is touring Europe, with Kristian Bush, Chris Young, Bob DiPiero and Brett James thrilling audiences at stops in Belfast, Dublin, London and Paris. Here are some photos from the road, with more to come.  Also, Kristian Bush is keeping up with the group's activities on his website, KristianBush.com.  Here is a quick video of Kristian performing a stripped-down version of "Headphones," to the delight of the ... Read more

Donation Brings CMA’s Total Financial Support of Music Education in Metro Nashville Public Schools to More Than $6.5 Million; Total for the Keep the Music Playing Program Tops $7.6 Million Since 2006 NASHVILLE – The CMA Foundation donated $1.2 million to benefit music education programs for Nashville’s 81,000 public school students from 2012 CMA Music Festival through the Keep the Music Playing campaign at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center Tuesday night. ... Read more

Stoney Creek Records' Parmalee played Live@CMA as their new single, "Carolina," was catching radio buzz.  In this Live@CMA video, they play acoustic versions of "Carolina," "Can’t Tell My Heart," "Already Calling You Mine" and the party rocker "Musta Had a Good Time." They also open up about their Country roots, improvisation and the wild party that broke out while shooting their crazy "Musta Had a Good Time" video. Here's a ... Read more

Ronna Rubin laces her conversation with sly, wise asides. For example, recalling how tiny was her hometown of Wheeling, W.Va., she observed, “The town was so small, we didn’t have a Goodwill.” But they did have a St. Vincent de Paul store and a soup kitchen, whose presence taught her an important lesson: “The size of the town doesn’t reflect whether poverty exists. From a young age, I was aware ... Read more

At Sunday's Super Bowl, all eyes will be on pop star Alicia Keys as she delivers the national anthem to the world's football-hungry fans. Last year, CMA Female Vocalist of the Year nominee Kelly Clarkson gave a stirring rendition. Here's a quick look back at Country's history during football's biggest game: 1993: Garth Brooks performed the national anthem at Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. That same year, ... Read more

The Popular Series Kicks Off Stateside at Joe’s Pub in New York City On March 19 featuring Craig Morgan, Shane Minor, Phil O’Donnell, and Host Bob DiPiero Ronnie Milsap and Lorrie Morgan to Join DiPiero in Washington, D.C. at the Library of Congress on March 20 2013 Series Will Also Play in Boston, Chicago, Austin, and Nashville NASHVILLE – The CMA Songwriters Series returns for a ninth consecutive year. The ... Read more

The CMA Foundation is donating $250,000 to help construct the first-ever physical Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame at the new Music City Center. The announcement was made today by CMA Board Chairman and member of The CMA Foundation Troy Tomlinson during the annual CMA Triple Play Awards and Songwriters Luncheon at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. (l-r) CMA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Moore; 2011-12 Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall ... Read more

The newly named CMA Triple Play Award winning songwriters pose on Jan. 29, 2013 at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, Tenn. Back row (l-r): Neil Thrasher; Rodney Clawson; Ben Hayslip; Josh Kear; and Brantley Gilbert. Front row (l-r): Eric Paslay; Dierks Bentley; Shane McAnally; and Chris Young. Photo credit: Donn Jones/CMA During the Luncheon, CMA Chairman Troy Tomlinson Announces $250,000 CMA Foundation Donation to Help Construct the Nashville Songwriters Hall of ... Read more

Ron Sakamoto -- a CMA Board member and famed Country Music promoter and businessman -- received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal last week in honor of his significant contributions and achievements as a Canadian. The medal commemorates the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in the United Kingdom. Versions of the medal are presented in the UK, Canada and some other countries. The Canadian medal honors Canadians ... Read more

If Westerns are your type of film, then the name Lucky Ned Pepper might ring a bell: It’s the bad guy in True Grit, a nasty, cantankerous character typical of those that prowled the plains and prairies.  It’s also the name of Josh Graham and Rick Russell's duo. While there’s nothing particularly villainous about these two Bakersfield-based singers, they do infuse their music with some wide-open, big-sky flavor. The songs ... Read more

NASHVILLE - Bigger Picture Group's Chris Janson stopped by the CMA offices on Tuesday, Jan. 22 to perform songs for the staff including his new single "Better I Don't." Chris Janson performs in the CMA Atrium on Tuesday, Jan. 22. Photo Credit: Christian Bottorff / CMA Pictured (l-r): CMA Senior Coordinator of Member Relations & Services, Betsy Walker; Bigger Picture Group Executive Vice President and General Manager, Bob Cahill; Bigger Picture ... Read more

Nashville’s Signature Music Event Benefits Music Education And Will Once Again Be Filmed for ABC Television Special    NASHVILLE – The one-of-a-kind, award-winning CMA Music Festival takes over downtown Nashville for four days this summer, Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, with a star-packed lineup that includes Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, and more artists to be announced soon. The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in ... Read more

Summit Includes Panels, Research, and a CMA Songwriters Series Event with Superstars Wynonna and Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, Hit Songwriters Brett James and Dallas Davidson, Hosted by Songwriter Hall of Fame Member Bob DiPiero NASHVILLE – The Country Music Association has your passport to reaching and engaging the international marketplace. The Association’s mission is to help expand the format around the world and for the first time, CMA is presenting the ... Read more

Marc Beeson can hardly believe how much time has passed since he performed in the first Bluebird Cafe fundraiser for Alive Hospice.  “It seemed like a worthy cause but it didn’t really touch my life in a personal way,” he recalled. “Over the years, after both my parents passed away and both times we had a hospice nurse, it’s just weird how it suddenly hits you and really matters to ... Read more

The CMA staff had a blast at this week's CMA Member Holiday Party, and the photos are in! It looks like our members had a great time too! Thanks for a fun night, CMA members, and happiest of holidays to all of you!   Read more