Industry Ink: CMA Opens New Office, Opry Entertainment Staffs Up, #RoadToAmericanaFest

CMA Open For Business At New Location

CMA staff members on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 begin moving to new Music Row offices at 35 Music Square East, Suite 201, in Nashville. Photo: Christian Bottorff / CMA

The Country Music Association began operating from its new Music Row headquarters at 35 Music SQ. E. on Monday (July 25).

CMA had occupied its former building at One Music Circle South since 1991, when there were only 15 full time staff members, one annual television program, and Fan Fair was held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. CMA is now home to 49 staff members; three ABC television properties; the annual CMA Music Festival, which brings 88,500 fans to downtown Nashville; CMA Songwriters Series, showcasing the best of country music’s hit songwriters; and the CMA Foundation, which has donated $13.68 million to improving and sustaining music education programs across the U.S.

Phone and fax numbers remain, and the new mailing address is 35 Music Sq. E., Ste. 201, Nashville, TN 37203.

Opry Entertainment Adds Writer/Producers, Videographer

Opry Entertainment has added Ben Stansbury and Jill Wilderman as writer/producers, and Caleb Thomas as videographer.

Stansbury has a decade of digital, TV, commercial and music video production experience and has produced music videos for Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and Charles Kelley.

Wilderman has spent the last decade in Los Angeles in TV and digital content development, most recently as the founder, producer and host of online country music news and content destination Spotlight Country. There she produced and hosted an exclusive country music news program for the VEVO digital music video platform.

In his eight years in video production and photography, Thomas has worked in production on the television series Nashville as well as numerous music videos and on tour content projects for Nashville’s top labels and artists.

Stansbury can be reached at [email protected]; Wilderman at [email protected], and Thomas at [email protected].

Americana Music Association Launches #RoadToAmericanaFest

The Americana Music Association is gearing up for its 17th annual Festival and Conference, slated for Sept. 20-25 in Nashville, with an interactive campaign, #roadtoamericanafest. The campaign will engage artists, independent radio, retail, and more to promote AmericanaFest through their social channels.

The campaign will run through September with initial support coming from artists including Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, and Wynonna & The Big Noise in the U.S., Shane Nicholson in Australia, and My Bubba from Iceland/Sweden.

A #roadtoamericanafest contest has also been launched, with the grand prize including a flyaway experience to attend the Americana Music Festival as well as the Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 21 in Nashville. For more details, go to visitmusiccity.com.