Key Takeaways

• Brittany Schaffer has been appointed as the new CEO of the Country Music Association, succeeding Sarah Trahern.
• Schaffer will officially take over on January 1, 2027, after a transition period starting on September 8.
• She previously served as dean at Belmont University and has extensive experience in the entertainment industry.
• The CMA board believes Schaffer is the right leader to expand the influence of Country Music beyond Nashville.

The Country Music Association has named Brittany Schaffer as its next chief executive officer, succeeding Sarah Trahern, who announced her decision to retire earlier this year following 13 years with the organization.

Schaffer will join the CMA on Sept. 8, as part of a strategic transition plan to ensure continuity for CMA’s staff, board and members, and will officially succeed Trahern on Jan. 1, 2027.

Schaffer will join CMA following her time serving as dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University, where she helped lead the initiative for the 90,000-square-foot Curb College on Music Row, and the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment. Prior to her role at Belmont, Schaffer spent over a decade as an entertainment attorney at Loeb & Loeb and later as head of artist and label partnerships, Nashville at Spotify.

“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, in a statement. “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. That starts with songwriters and artists and everyone who carries this music to fans around the world,” Schaffer added. “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.”

“Leading this organization for 13 years has been the honor of my life, and I have this community to thank for that,” Trahern said. “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.”