Shaun Silva is one of Nashville’s biggest proponents, and is striving for growth in the local film and TV industry. “This isn’t about being the best in Nashville, this is about making Nashville the best it can be,” he assures. “I enjoy living in Nashville, so it’s in my best interest to try to elevate the industry here, so I can remain a part of this community. There are more opportunities for me elsewhere, but we can also find ways to create opportunities here.”
He encourages Nashville record labels and ad agencies to stop looking elsewhere for their visual needs and to look in their backyard. “There are plenty of creative people and creative companies in this town that can achieve, and have for years achieved, other companies’ goals and needs. Anytime these companies are looking for an advertising agency to take them to the next level and they look beyond Nashville, it hurts the local industry. We want those companies to help their own community thrive. Everybody needs to figure out why it’s important to take care of your own first.”
Silva believes creating stronger film and television incentives would help attract business to Tennessee. “It’s going to take a community of people coming together and figuring out what will convince outsiders that it is worth bringing a production to Nashville, instead of staying in L.A. or New York or Chicago or Florida. Everybody is watching the budgets and that’s important, so if we can help them save money or give them an incentive in a tax break, it would help get them here. That’s what’s happening in Atlanta, so people are picking Atlanta over Nashville. We have a really strong group at the film commission right now that are pushing for new incentives. If you are going to make a real impact, you have to look at the cities that have had success and figure out why. We’ve got a TV show named Nashville, so it makes sense to shoot it here, but if the name of that show wasn’t Nashville, it wouldn’t be here. Period. So it’s important that we all come together as a community who wants their industry to thrive and find ways to bring more work into this town. You can’t get comfortable. We have to build upon it.”
For the complete interview with Silva, pick up a copy of MusicRow’s June/July 2013 issue. It was mailed to subscriber members and is available at the MusicRow offices or here.

The County Music Association (CMA) Board of Directors announced today that Steve Moore has submitted his resignation as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 30, 2013.
Moore said, “After nearly four years in this position, and given the phenomenal success that the CMA team has achieved, this seemed like an appropriate time to step aside and pursue other corporate and philanthropic opportunities.”
Troy Tomlinson, the Country Music Association Board of Directors Chairman said, “Steve Moore’s dedication and hard work as a CMA Board member, CMA Board leader, and as CEO have taken our organization to new levels of success. He’s been a tremendous asset to CMA due to his high regard in the industry as a resourceful and tenacious advocate for Country Music.”
After serving as Interim CEO, then becoming CEO two and a half years ago, Moore was instrumental in securing the new long-term extension of the television partnership for the annual CMA Awards, the CMA Music Festival special, and the “CMA Country Christmas” special all on the ABC Television Network.
Under Moore, the 2013 CMA Music Festival hit a record attendance with an increase of 13 percent, more artist participation than ever before, and 11 music stages. He created and led the newly-formed The CMA Foundation. He also created the new CMA position of Community Outreach Manager to create a liaison with the music community, education community, and The CMA Foundation Board of Directors. Under his watch, CMA also created CMA EDU, a dynamic college community outreach that brings the power of Country Music to colleges. It was launched at three Middle Tennessee college campuses and several ambassador campuses nationwide.
Moore was also instrumental in re-invigorating the international Country Music agenda by instituting such things as the U.K. Songwriters Series, the first ever International Marketing Summit in Paris, France, and the inaugural Country 2 Country (C2C) Country Music Festival at the legendary O2 center in London in 2013.
A longtime member of the CMA Board of Directors (since 1989), Moore was elected President in 2008 and Chairman in 2009 before being asked to fill in as interim director of CMA after former CEO Tammy Genovese resigned in December 2009.
As a CMA Board member, Moore contributed his experience and knowledge to the Association through some of the most pivotal years in the organization’s history: from the move of Fan Fair from the state fairgrounds to downtown Nashville in 2001 and the creation of a companion, primetime network television special in 2004; the strategic move of the CMA Awards to New York City in 2005 and the subsequent return to Nashville to the downtown arena; the implementation of a massive research initiative in 2008 that has far-reaching benefits for the industry; and the creation of CMA’s music education program “Keep the Music Playing,” which has contributed more than $7.6 million since 2006 to purchase more than 4,000 instruments providing students in Metro Nashville Public Schools a strong reason to stay in school.
Moore has been prominent in the Nashville music community for 21 years, going back to his appointment as the first Executive Director of the popular concert venue Starwood Amphitheater and extending through his work as Senior Vice President of one of the world’s largest concert promotion, special event, and touring companies AEG Live!. His innovations and successes have earned him three SRO Awards as Promoter of the Year.
In 1985, Moore moved to Nashville from his home state of Texas to open Starwood Amphitheater on the outskirts of town. In 1992, he launched Moore Entertainment and continued to work with Country acts and blues festivals. After nine years, Moore sold his business to TBA Entertainment. He left in 2004 to reinvent his independent operation as Moore Entertainment Group, LLC, where he created the “CMT On Tour” franchise.
In April 2005, he entered a multi-year deal with AEG Live! and was named Senior Vice President. His activities included organizing tours; booking Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Tim McGraw into a run of sold-out New Year’s Eve concerts at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; and a three-year effort that led to Sir Paul McCartney’s first-ever Music City performance at Bridgestone in July 2010.
An honored humanitarian, Moore is the founder and president of the Shalom Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational, nutritional, and medical assistance to underprivileged children and their families in Guatemala. He and his wife, Charmione, have three sons, Remick, Sterling, and Hunter.