Brittany Schaffer appointed chief executive of the Country Music Association
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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".
- 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.
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Country music's leading trade body, the Country Music Association, is changing its top leadership. The CMA represents and promotes the country music industry, and its chief executive plays a major role in shaping how the genre grows and reaches new audiences. The outgoing chief executive, Sarah Trahern, has led the organisation for 13 years and announced her retirement earlier this year.
Her successor, Brittany Schaffer, has a background spanning entertainment law, the music streaming industry and higher education. She previously worked as an entertainment attorney, later led artist and label partnerships for Spotify in Nashville, and most recently served as a dean at Belmont University's music business college. Nashville is widely regarded as the traditional home of the country music industry, and much of Schaffer's recent work has involved building ties between education and the music business there.
Leadership changes at organisations like the CMA matter because the association influences awards, industry standards and the wider promotion of country music, including efforts to expand its audience beyond its traditional base. The transition is being managed gradually, with a handover period before Schaffer formally takes charge.
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Originally published by Billboard as “Country Music Association Names Brittany Schaffer as Next CEO”.