Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum Receives National Medal Of Arts

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts.

The medal was awarded by President Joe Biden during a special ceremony at the White House on Monday (Oct. 21). Kyle Young, Chief Executive Officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, accepted the Medal on behalf of the institution.

The ceremony recognized 20 recipients representing the past two years. Primarily awarded to individuals, the CMHOFM was the only institution to receive the Medal among the new recipients. Established in 1984, the Medal is the highest award given to artists and arts institutions who are “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the U.S.”

“Our museum and country music itself were both born of humble beginnings — an origin that made it common for many to dismiss the artform or any careful study of it,” says Young. “The National Medal of Arts is a treasured validation of our longtime commitment to country music’s cultural significance, even when our work was not considered a serious endeavor. For more than a century, this music has given voice to the thoughts, feelings, hardships, triumphs and values of our country’s people. This prestigious recognition, to me, says that our institution is on the right track — collecting, studying and cherishing country music while holding to a broad approach including all forms of American vernacular music in its narrative.”

As one of the most-visited history museums in the country, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors in 2023 and offered more than 1,200 educational programs. Its flagship Words & Music program promotes language arts by pairing songwriters with school classrooms to create original songs. In addition, the museum offers the 7,500-square-foot Taylor Swift Education Center and the CMA Theater and Ford Theater which regularly host live music and cultural events. The museum’s collection facilities, including the Frist Library and Archive, houses the world’s largest assemblage of country music artifacts and serves as a research hub for understanding the genre’s history and impact.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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