The Academy of Country Music has named Andy Schuon, a veteran media executive, as its new chief executive, with his first day set for 1 September. Schuon's appointment matters as it brings an outsider with decades of radio, television, streaming and music-business leadership into the organisation for the first time from outside Nashville, though he will relocate to work from the Academy's Music City office. He succeeds Damon Whiteside, who stepped down on 30 June after announcing his departure ahead of this year's ACM Awards and had led the Academy since January 2020.

Schuon's career spans programme director roles at Los Angeles radio station KROQ, senior positions at MTV, VH1, Warner Bros. Records, Universal Music Group, Ticketmaster and CBS Radio, and involvement in launching ventures including MTV2, Farmclub, Pressplay and Revolt TV. He joins from Anthem Sports & Entertainment, where he oversaw AXS and HDNet from February 2024. Whiteside will remain with the Academy in a transitional emeritus role through the end of 2026, and the search for his successor was led by ZRG Partners alongside the ACM board. ACM board chair Cris Lacy praised Schuon's "lifelong commitment to innovation, creativity, and serving artists".