CMT & mtheory Select New Equal Access Cohort Members

Pictured (L-R, back row): Justin Tomlinson, Carmen Dianne, Brittney Boston, Chris Housman and Julie Williams; (L-R, front row): CMT’s Leslie Fram, Becky Parsons and mtheory’s Cameo Carlson. Photo: @samwisemanphoto & Blk Creative Studio

CMT and management services company mtheory has selected six new candidates to participate in the Equal Access Development Program, an intensive artist and management training initiative designed to support underrepresented voices in country music.

The six participants chosen for this year’s Equal Access program include artists Carmen Dianne, Chris Housman and Julie Williams, as well as management professionals Brittney Boston, Justin Tomlinson and Becky Parsons.

As part of the Equal Access cohort, these new members will participate in the year-long program that offers rising artists and management professionals with funding, training and unprecedented access to industry leaders, helping to ensure a multi-faceted pipeline of diverse, creative talent in country music.

“It’s no secret that despite some marginal progress, the music industry, particularly the country genre, continues to struggle to support artists of color, LGBTQIA+ artists, and women across all aspects of the business,” shares Cameo Carlson, CEO, mtheory. “Equal Access is committed to continuing to raise the profiles of underrepresented artists within the country space, and to ensure that the infrastructure to assist those artists exists as well. The best way to help those whose stories have not been reflected in the genre is through a long-term commitment, one that Equal Access is able to make thanks to our incredible partners at CMT and their parent company, Paramount.”

Launched in April 2022, Equal Access is spearheaded by an all-female team, including mtheory’s Carlson, Tiffany Provenzano and Chantrel Reynolds alongside CMT’s Leslie Fram. Last year’s Equal Access participants included artists Angie K, Camille Parker and Denitia, and music management professionals Ahsaki-LaFrance Chachere, Alex Evelyn and Roberto Martinez. The inaugural 2022-23 Equal Access cohort included artists Madeline Edwards, Miko Marks and Valerie Ponzio, and music management professionals Charlene Bryant, Kadeem Phillips and Marques Vance. Over the past two years, Equal Access was instrumental in creating hundreds of country music industry connections for its members.

The newest cohort will make their debut on the red carpet at this year’s CMT Music Awards this Sunday (April 7) in Austin, Texas.

Fram, Sr. VP of Music & Talent at CMT, shares, “CMT, along with Paramount Global and its Content for Change initiative, is once again proud to partner with mtheory on one of the most dedicated, in depth programs committed to systemic change in country music. As with our equity initiatives CMT Equal Play and CMT Next Women of Country, it’s been extremely gratifying to watch the success of Equal Access and that of its participants, as they carve out their own signature paths as artists and managers in the country space. We look forward to welcoming this dynamic new group and supporting them across CMT and Paramount brands.”

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LB Cantrell

LB Cantrell is Editor/Director of Operations at MusicRow magazine, where she oversees, manages and executes all company operations. LB oversees all MusicRow-related content, including the publication’s six annual print issues and online news. She is a Georgia native and a graduate of the Recording Industry Management program at Middle Tennessee State University.

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