# Brittany Schaffer appointed chief executive of the Country Music Association

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/country-music-association-names-brittany-schaffer-as-next-ceo/
- Published: 2026-07-10T14:39:19+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-11T08:15:23+00:00
- Original publisher: Billboard
- Original article: https://www.billboard.com/pro/cma-names-brittany-schaffer-next-chief-executive-officer/
- Topics: Business, Companies, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Brittany Schaffer named next CEO of the Country Music Association.
- She succeeds retiring Sarah Trahern, who led the CMA for 13 years.
- Schaffer joins 8 September, taking over officially on 1 January 2027.

## Summary

The Country Music Association (CMA) has appointed Brittany Schaffer as its next chief executive officer, succeeding Sarah Trahern, who announced her retirement earlier this year after 13 years leading the organisation. The move marks a significant leadership transition for one of country music's most influential industry bodies, with the CMA emphasising continuity for its staff, board and members. Schaffer's appointment is intended to guide the association into what its board describes as a "next era", extending country music's reach beyond Nashville.

Schaffer will join the CMA on 8 September 2026 and officially assume the role on 1 January 2027, following a planned transition period alongside Trahern. She joins from Belmont University, where she served as dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and helped lead the initiative for a 90,000-square-foot campus on Music Row and the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment. Before that, she spent over a decade as an entertainment attorney at Loeb & Loeb and later headed artist and label partnerships in Nashville for Spotify. Board chairman Jay Williams, a WME Nashville partner, said the search committee sought a leader who understood "the responsibility of representing this industry, not just the opportunity of it".

## Coverage

- [Billboard: Brittany Schaffer appointed chief executive of the Country Music Association](https://www.billboard.com/pro/cma-names-brittany-schaffer-next-chief-executive-officer/)
- [Variety: Country Music Association Names Brittany Schaffer as New CEO to Succeed Sarah Trahern](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/country-music-association-brittany-schaffer-new-ceo-1236804657/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.