Belmont University Honors ASCAP’s Mike Sistad with Music City Milestone Award

Pictured: Belmont University’s Bob Fisher, songwriter Pat Alger, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad and artist Chris Stapleton. Photo: Courtesy Belmont University

Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, alongside industry partner ASCAP, recently honored alumnus Mike Sistad as the latest recipient of the Music City Milestone Award (MCMA).

The MCMA celebrates Belmont’s connection with the Nashville music industry, while recognizing a Belmont graduate who has achieved success in the entertainment and music industries early in their career.

Joining ASCAP’s Nashville Membership team as creative director in 2001, Sistad was promoted in June to vice president at ASCAP and still leads its Nashville Membership team. Sistad has been an integral member of ASCAP’s Membership group for more than 18 years and has nurtured and signed some of the organization’s top talent, including Chris Stapleton, Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce and more.

In addition to attendance from publishing and label executives and industry friends, recording artist Chris Stapleton surprised Sistad at the award event in his honor. Sistad is credited with signing and developing Stapleton.

A Belmont University graduate, Sistad has held many roles, including a stint with Muscle Shoals producer and musician Barry Beckett, an A&R executive position with Arista Records Nashville, and band member for two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year Phil Vassar.

Originally from Minnesota, Sistad has worked on both the creative and business sides of the music industry. As a musician, he has performed across most of North America, including stops at the Houston Rodeo and Calgary Stampede, as well as radio and television performances including “A Prairie Home Companion” and the Grand Ole Opry. Sistad has previously served as both a board governor and chapter advisor for the Nashville Chapter of the Recording Academy, in addition to being a CMA and ACM member and Leadership Music alumnus.

Previous Music City Milestone Award recipients include Cyndi Forman, Beka Tischker, Ben Vaughn, Ashley Gorley, Connie Harrington, Rusty Gaston, LeAnn Phelan and Carla Wallace.

Pictured: Doug Howard, Sarah Cates, Pat Alger, James Elliott, Mike Sistad, Dan Keen, Drew Ramsey, Julie Thomas. Photo: Courtesy Belmont University

Mike Sistad (center) celebrates his Music City Milestone Award from Belmont University with UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan and MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson. All three worked together in the ’90s at Arista Records Nashville. Photo: Courtesy Belmont University

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.

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