ACM Unveils 2025 LEVel Up Cohort

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The Academy of Country Music’s LEVel Up: Lift Every Voice program has revealed the participants for its 2025 cohort.

The 2025 cohort consists of Allie Bartone (Red Light Management), Lilly Brown (BMI), Zoe Cummins (Songwriter), Tanner Davenport (White Boy MGMT & Black Opry), Hope Garrison (Triple Tigers), Krista Hayes-Pruitt (BBRMG/BMG), Samantha Kane (Grand Ole Opry), Matt Najdowski (Farris, Self & Moore, LLC), Ashley Negrillo (Maverick Nashville) and Jess Tomlins (Neon Coast).

The 2025 LEVel Up cohort consists of 10 young professionals with careers across various sectors of the industry, including performing rights organizations, management companies, record labels and more. Nearly all participants in this cohort come from organizations that have not previously been represented in the program. With members hailing from across the entire industry, they join a distinguished group of over 30 unique organizations that have been represented in LEVel Up since its launch in 2022.

The ACM LEVel Up curriculum is designed to empower participants to play a key role in broadening the reach of country music, connecting with new audiences that go beyond traditional demographics and geographic boundaries. Fully funded by ACM, participants spend their first year learning from industry thought leaders and collaborating as a cohort to create a strategy aimed at expanding country music’s appeal to underrepresented audiences. In their second year, the cohort puts their plan into action, working purposefully to shape the future of the genre and drive the industry forward in innovative and impactful ways.

“We are so excited about the new group of LEVel Up members, who are and will continue to be an integral part of the growth and evolution of the country music industry,” says Vipin Reddy, Chair of the ACM Lifting Voices Council. “The 2024 cohort raised the bar for affecting change with results-driven work, and we are thrilled to welcome our outstanding 2025 members to continue the great work of LEVel Up and ACM.”

Madison Hahnen
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