ACM Hires Six Across Several Departments

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Pictured (L-R): Ben Carter, Matt Brum-Taylor and Lexi Cothran

The Academy of Country Music has added six new team members across multiple departments.

Ben Carter has been hired as Vice President, Live Events & Production; Matt Brum-Taylor has been hired as Director, Digital Marketing; Lexi Cothran has been hired as Senior Manager, Communications & Strategic Initiatives; Kendra Williams has been hired as Coordinator, Finance; Brooke Boyd has been hired as Assistant, ACM Lifting Lives and Heather Howard has been hired as Assistant, Marketing.

Carter, a Missouri native, has a background spanning more than two decades in the entertainment capital of Los Angeles. His experience includes time serving as Senior Director of Event Production for the Television Academy (Emmys), and production work for prestigious events such as the LA Area Emmys, College Television Awards, Emmys Nominations Announcement and Television Academy Hall of Fame, in addition to oversight of all logistics associated with and supporting the Emmy Awards ceremonies.

In his new role, Carter will leverage his experience to lead the planning and execution of the Academy’s live events, including the Academy of Country Music Awards and ACM Honors. He will play a pivotal role in elevating the ACM’s live events to new heights, while fostering innovative experiences to support the Academy’s mission of connecting industry, artists and fans. Carter reports to Gil Beverly, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer. Reach him at ben@acmcountry.com.

A Rhode Island native, Brum-Taylor moved to Nashville more than 10 years ago to begin his career in promotions and marketing at the iHeartRadio Nashville cluster. Following his stint in radio, he worked as Social Media Manager for the Grand Ole Opry. Most recently, Brum-Taylor served as Digital Marketing Director at Big Machine Label Group for seven years.

In his role as Director, Brum-Taylor will lead all digital and social media efforts for the Academy. This includes working alongside the marketing team to create relevant and compelling content for the Academy’s social platforms, engaging with fans, artists and the industry through the Academy’s platforms, and working to grow the reach of the Academy in the ever-changing digital world. Brum-Taylor reports to Rory Levine, Vice President, Marketing and Digital Strategy & Engagement. Reach him at matt@acmcountry.com.

With nearly a decade of experience in the music industry, Cothran most recently served as Account Executive at Shore Fire Media, where she spent more than two years handling day-to-day PR initiatives for a wide variety of clients that ranged from musical artists to brands and influencers. Prior to Shore Fire Media, she spent two years as a publicist at Nashville boutique PR firm Sweet Talk Publicity and previously held the role of Digital Producer at iHeartMedia/Premiere Networks for four years.

In her role as Senior Manager, Cothran will handle publicity and PR for the Academy’s organizational initiatives, key programs and courses, ACM Lifting Lives, brand partnerships and sponsorships as well as executive leadership. She will actively assist with communications campaigns supporting major tentpoles, live events, awards shows and other projects as needed. Cothran reports to Jesse Knutson, Senior Manager, Publicity & Media Relations. Reach her at lexi.cothran@acmcountry.com.

Pictured (L-R): Kendra Williams, Brooke Boyd and Heather Howard

Prior to the Academy, Williams served as a Staff Accountant at a CPA firm. Born and raised in Mims, Florida, she graduated from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting. She is continuing her education at Cumberland University, working toward a master’s degree in Business Management. In her role as Coordinator, Williams will focus on responsibilities across the finance operations of the Academy. She reports to Michael Stern, Office Manager. Reach her at kendra@acmcountry.com.

Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, Boyd interned with the Academy throughout 2023. During that time, she worked with both ACM Lifting Lives and the Academy’s live event operations team to assist in the planning and execution of key events, including the 14th annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp and the 2023 ACM Lifting Lives Topgolf Tee-Off and Rock On fundraiser. She graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in Management. In her role as Assistant, Boyd will support the ACM Lifting Lives team with administrative duties, live events and fundraising efforts. She reports to Taylor Wolf, Senior Manager, ACM Lifting Lives. Reach her at brooke.boyd@acmcountry.com.

Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Howard graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in Music Business in 2023. Prior to the Academy, she served as Digital Marketing Coordinator for Universal Music Group Nashville and held internships at Collective Artist Management, Live Nation Entertainment, and more. In her role as Assistant, Howard will work with the Marketing and Communications teams on all day-to-day needs. She reports to Levine. Reach her at heather.howard@acmcountry.com.

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