Music Business Association to Honor CMA’s Sarah Trahern With 2026 Presidential Award
Association also announces finalists for its nine crowd-nominated awards
March 3, 2025 — The Music Business Association (Music Biz) today announces that Country Music Association (CMA) CEO, Sarah Trahern will receive its 2026 Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement. The award will be presented to Trahern at the 5th annual Bizzy Awards Dinner, happening Wednesday, May 13 during Music Biz 2026 at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly.
Trahern took the helm of CMA in 2014, and earlier this year announced her upcoming retirement at the end of 2026. In her 12 years leading the organization, she worked to grow & strengthen the Association’s membership, expand awareness & market share of Country music worldwide, and support music education as President of the CMA Foundation. Trahern’s time as CEO also saw her support the needs of artists & executives alike in the face of COVID-19, natural disasters affecting major music communities, and the rising calls for mental health support across the music industry. Prior to CMA, Trahern worked for C-SPAN, The Nashville Network (TNN), and Great American Country (GAC). She also launched her own company, Sterling Television, following the start of her Nashville career. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Belmont University, as well as the boards of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Leadership Nashville, the Music City Bowl, and her alma mater Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Among many accolades, Trahern has received the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award from the Grand Ole Opry in 2024, was named Billboard’s Country Power Players “Executive of the Year” in 2017, and was honored as one of Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs.
The Music Biz Presidential Award is one of the Association’s highest and longest-standing honors, presented to individuals or organizations who have contributed greatly to the overall success of the music industry. Past recipients include Twitch’s Cindy Charles, mtheory’s Cameo Carlson, Gina Miller (fmr. MNRK Music Group), Sony Music Entertainment’s Julie Swidler, Sony Music Nashville’s Randy Goodman, Cary Sherman of the RIAA, Universal Music Group Nashville’s Mike Dugan, Epic Records’ Sylvia Rhone, and the Recording Academy, among others.
“Sarah’s leadership throughout the last decade plus has been inspirational and transformative for the Country music industry, the Nashville community, and everyone whose lives have been touched by Country artists,” said Music Biz President Portia Sabin. “As she ends her chapter of service to the music business, we at Music Biz are thrilled to honor her for all that she is and all that she’s accomplished!”
Music Biz today also confirms the finalists in each of its nine crowdsourced Bizzy Awards. Nominations for these awards were cast from Music Biz’s community of 400+ music company members worldwide. Details on each award category and their 2026 finalists are as follows:
- Leading Light Award — Presented to a company or executive that has supported their staff via internal initiatives aimed at improving mental health, wellbeing and work/life balance.
Finalists:
– Stacey Bedford, GM & CEO, Bandzoogle
– Lisa Hresko, COO, A2IM & President, Foundation for Independent Music
– Nyeesha D. Williams, Founder & CEO, The Serenity Haus - Agent of Change Award —Presented to a company that exemplifies a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their hiring practices, executive development, and promotion structure.
Finalists:
– The Orchard’s Council for Equity and Progressive Action (CEPA)
– Women in Music Canada
– Women in Music Organization (WIM) - #NEXTGEN_NOW One To Watch Award —Presented to an executive under 40 whose work (professional and/or volunteer) has been exceptional, innovative, and stands out as a contribution to the industry.
Finalists:
– Brandon Holman, Head of Industry Relations, Amber Health
– Erin Moorman, VP of Marketing, Syntax Creative
– Hannah Thompson-Waitt, SVP of Commercial Marketing US, Virgin Music Group - Maestro of Metadata Award — Presented to a company or executive who has made a significant impact in the area of data processing, credit clarification, streamlining or otherwise promoting clean data and best practices.
Finalists:
– Kristian Downs, Head of Digital Operations, Secretly Distribution
– Andrew Mitchell, Chief Analytics & Automation Officer, The MLC
– Redeye Worldwide Digital Operations Team - Indie Retailer of the Year Award — Given to a retail store who has shown exceptional inventiveness and ingenuity in their practices during the past year in their interactions with consumers.
Finalists:
– Down in the Valley | Golden Valley, MN
– Easy Street Records | Seattle, WA
– Zia Records | Various locations across AZ and NV - Marketing Superstar Award — Honors a marketing campaign that was innovative and thought-provoking. Candidates can be from any sector of the industry and campaigns can be physical or virtual.
Finalists:
– Brandi Carlile Campaign at Easy Street Records | Interscope Capitol’s Christina Meloche and Mike Martorano
– Hayley Williams, “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” | Secretly Distribution/Post Atlantic
– Lecrae’s “Reconstruction” | Reach Records - Music Business Educator of the Year Award — Celebrates a music business educator who inspires students to enter the music business.
Finalists:
– Professor Tonya Butler, J.D., LL.M., Chair, Music Business/Management, Berklee College of Music
– Josh Rabinowitz, Associate Professor, Brooklyn College/CUNY; Associate Professor, Berklee College of Music, Boston; Assistant Professor, The New School, NYC
– Erin Workman, EVP and Department Head of Music Business & Songwriting, Los Angeles College of Music - Ace Communicator Award (new in 2026) — Recognizes a company or individual who is outstanding in the fields of public relations & corporate communications.
Finalists:
– Downtown’s Communications Team
– Dmitri Vietze, Founder & CEO, Rock Paper Scissors
– John Vlautin & the SpinLab Communications Team - Digital Innovator Award (new in 2026) — Given to a company or individual who is pioneering the effective use of digital technologies to positively impact how the modern music industry does business.
Finalists:
– Vickie Nauman, Founder & CEO, CrossBorderWorks
– ClicknClear
– OpenPlay
About Music Biz 2026
Music Biz 2026 will take place May 11th — 14th at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly. This marks the event’s second edition in Atlanta, building on the momentum of last year’s gathering of more than 2,100 global music professionals in this beloved music city. Attendees can expect industry-defining conversations and networking opportunities aimed at shaping the future of the music industry. This year’s program will feature all-new panel blocks such as “Advancing the Business of Music: Emerging Strategies for 2026 & Beyond” and “Harmony At Work: Best Practices for Inclusion, Support & Productivity,” joining new editions of attendee-favorite tracks like Music & Money, Let’s Talk Physical, the Trust & Safety Symposium, and the Music Biz Roadshow. Visit musicbiz2026.com for an up-to-date conference agenda, event registration, lodging & flight discount info, and more.
About The Music Business Association
The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a not-for-profit membership organization that advances, promotes, and invests in the future of the music business by providing a trusted forum where ideas and cooperation flourish. Through events, education, and engagement, the Association brings together the full breadth of the industry for unparalleled access to networking, resources, and thought leadership.
Music Biz Media Contacts
Nicole Hennessey, VP, Music Business Association — nicole.hennessey@musicbiz.org
