Country Music Association Kicks Off CMA Fest Week With Country Forward

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Sarah Trahern and Mia Jones. Photo: Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for CMA

The Country Music Association kicked off CMA Fest Week with Country Forward.

Hosted at Nashville’s Aura Lounge, the event is designed to bring together people who might not otherwise cross paths. This year marked the fourth iteration of the bi-annual event, and was themed “Bright Lights and Big Country.”

“There is something genuinely special about what happens at Country Forward,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “People come together from all different corners of this industry and this city, and something clicks. Relationships form, opportunities open, and collaborations begin—not because anyone planned it that way, but because people show up and are present with each other. That kind of community building is what Country Music is built on, and this event reminds us of that every single time.”

Elia Esparza and Alyssia Dominguez. Photo: Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for CMA

MŌRIAH and Frankie Staton. Photo: Lorenzo Huerta/CMA

Attendees of CMA’s Country Forward 2026. Photo: Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for CMA

Angie K and Rodney Smith. Photo: Lorenzo Huerta/CMA

Lauryn Sink
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