CMA Names Schaffer As New CEO
• Brittany Schaffer has been named the next Chief Executive Officer of the Country Music Association (CMA). She will succeed Sarah Trahern, who announced her decision to retire earlier this year following 13 years leading the organization. Schaffer will join the organization on Sept. 8 as part of a strategic transition plan ensuring continuity for CMA’s staff, Board and members, and will officially succeed Trahern on Jan. 1, 2027.
Schaffer joins CMA from Belmont University where she serves as Dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. Prior to Belmont, she spent over a decade in the industry as an entertainment attorney at Loeb & Loeb LLP and later as Head of Artist & Label Partnerships, Nashville at Spotify.
The appointment follows a comprehensive national search led by a search committee formed by CMA’s Board of Directors, in partnership with independent executive search firm Buffkin Baker. “Our search committee set out to find a leader who understands the responsibility of representing this industry, not just the opportunity of it,” said Jay Williams, CMA Board Chairman and WME Nashville Partner and Co-Head. “We met with an exceptional group of candidates, and we believe Brittany is exactly the leader to carry this organization into its next era, and to make sure Country Music’s influence continues to expand well beyond Nashville.”
“Country Music meets people where they are, and it changes lives every day,” Schaffer remarked. “That starts with songwriters and artists and everyone who carries this music to fans around the world. Serving them is the honor of a lifetime. Sarah Trahern will leave CMA and this community stronger than she found it. I’m grateful for her mentorship and friendship, and for a transition marked by the same professionalism and intentionality that defined her tenure. Together with CMA’s talented staff and members, we’ll build on that foundation. We’ll reinforce the connectivity within this community, bring renewed energy to our signature events, and find new ways to connect Country Music with fans around the world. And if we get that right, somewhere a song will find somebody who needs to hear it. That’s the heart of this work, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Trahern commented, “Leading this organization for 13 years has been the honor of my life, and I have this community to thank for that. I’m grateful to our search committee for the time, care and integrity they brought to this process, and I trust the thoughtfulness they poured into it. I wish Brittany every success as she steps into this role, and I look forward to cheering this entire industry on for many years to come.” [Photo Credit: Matt Andrews]
