Country Music Association® (CMA)

CMA was founded in 1958 in response to the burgeoning popularity of Elvis Presley. Radio stations were switching formats from Country Music to rock ‘n’ roll and a group of industry visionaries decided that the collective resources of the entire industry were needed to stem the rising rock tide. CMA was the first trade association formed to promote a genre of music. The organization started with 160 members and has now grown to more than 7,600 industry professionals around the world representing every aspect of the business. Today there are 82 volunteer leaders that serve on the CMA Board of Directors.

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™ began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. The legendary CMA Fest has become the city’s signature Country Music event that hosts tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 37 international countries. In 2019, CMA Fest featured more than 300 performances on 11 official stages – all to benefit music education.

Since 2006, a portion of proceeds from CMA Fest has been given to music education initiatives supporting students K-12 across the U.S. through the CMA Foundation.

Source: website