CMA Celebrates Country Overseas During Packed Weekend

(L-R): CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, Wootton and CMA Board members Milly Olykan and Bob Shennan.

The CMA kicked off a busy weekend overseas celebrating country music with a sold-out CMA Songwriters Series show Thursday night at indigo at the O2 in London. The show featured performances by Kristian Bush, Mac McAnally, Maren Morris, Liz Rose, and Drake White.

The association also presented three International Awards throughout the weekend to Bob Harris, winner of the International Country Broadcaster Award; The Shires, who received the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award; and Richard Wootton, receiving the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award. The CMA International Awards are voted on by CMA International Membership, as well as a panel of U.S.-based industry members.

Amidst the festivities, CMA also hosted the U.K. Advisory Council to discuss the future of country abroad with guests including CMA Board members, promoters, record labels, talent agents, performing rights societies, and representatives from BBC Radio 2 and C2C. Country is rapidly gaining popularity among millennials in the U.K. and CMA’s research team unveiled studies demonstrating that trend during the Nashville Music and Brand Forum Friday in London with panelists and attendees including representatives from BBC, Sky TV, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, AEG, and more. Drake White and Charlie Worsham performed at the event.

The event was held as country fans packed the sold-out C2C Festival in the U.K. and Ireland last week, where Cam, Dan + Shay, Hunter Hayes, Reba, Maren Morris, Jennifer Nettles, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band and more performed.

The CMA Nashville Music and Brand Forum on Friday, March 10 at the Intercontinental Hotel at C2C in London. Pictured (L-R): Drake White, CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, Charlie Worsham, CMA Chief Marketing Officer Damon Whiteside

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Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at [email protected].

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