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Country Music Association



 
 
The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enhance the development of Country Music
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
 throughout the world; to demonstrate it as a viable medium to advertisers, consumers and media; and to provide a unity of purpose for the Country Music industry.






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The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enhance the development of Country Music
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
 throughout the world; to demonstrate it as a viable medium to advertisers, consumers and media; and to provide a unity of purpose for the Country Music industry. However the CMA may be best known to most country music fans for its annual Country Music Association Awards broadcast live on network television each fall (usually October or November).

Initially, CMA's Board of Directors included nine directors and five officers. Wesley Rose
Wesley Rose

Wesley Rose was an United States music industry executive and record producer.The son of songwriter Fred Rose , he was born in Chicago, Illinois, and studied to become a Chartered Accountant....
, president of Acuff-Rose Publishing, Inc.
Acuff-Rose Music

Acuff-Rose Music was an United States music publishing firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.Acuff-Rose was formed by country and western music performer Roy Acuff and Fred Rose , a major Nashville music-industry figure who had a respected ability as a talent scout....
, served as CMA's first chairman of the board. Broadcasting entrepreneur and executive Connie B. Gay was the founding president.

Originally there were nine individual membership categories. The current 15 categories represent all facets of the music industry. Organizational memberships are also available. CMA membership is composed of those persons or organizations that are involved in Country Music, directly and substantially.

The first CMA Awards
Country Music Association Awards

The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs and not to be confused with the Academy of Country Music, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association....
 ceremony was held in 1967 in Nashville. Sonny James
Sonny James

Sonny James is an United States country music singer and songwriter. In 2006, James was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame....
 and Bobbie Gentry
Bobbie Gentry

Roberta Lee Streeter , professionally known as Bobbie Gentry, is an American singer-songwriter. Gentry was one of the first female country music to write and produce her own material....
 hosted the event, which was not televised. The winner of the first "Entertainer of the Year" award was singer Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold

Richard Edward Arnold was among the most popular country music singers in United States history and helped to create the Nashville sound....
. "Male Vocalist of the Year" went to Jack Greene
Jack Greene

Jack Greene is an United States country music musician nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant" and well known for his 1966 hit "There Goes My Everything."...
 and "Female Vocalist of the Year" to Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is an United States country music singer-songwriter; she was one of the leading country vocalists and songwriters during the 1960s and 1970s and is revered as a country icon....
.

In 1968, Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers

Roy Rogers , was a singer and cowboy actor, as well as the founder of the famous Roy Rogers Restaurants chain. He and his third wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino Trigger , and his German Shepherd Dog, Bullet, were featured in over one hundred movies and The Roy Rogers Show....
 and Dale Evans
Dale Evans

Dale Evans was the stage name of Frances Octavia Smith , a writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers....
 hosted the awards, which were presented at the Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium

The Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue located at 116 Fifth Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States, and is best-known as the one-time home of the Grand Ole Opry....
 in Nashville. (The ceremony was filmed and televised on NBC a few weeks later.) The first live telecast of the show was in 1969.

Annual awards are given in the following twelve categories: Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist, New Artist of the Year (formerly the Horizon Award), Vocal Group, Vocal Duo, Single, Album, Song, Music Event, Music Video, and Musician.

The CMA also gives a "CMA Broadcast Award" to country-formatted radio stations each year. Broadcast Awards are segmented based on market size, major market (Arbitron Ranking 1—25), large market (Arbitron Ranking 26—50), medium market (Arbitron Ranking 51—100) and small market (All other Markets). A single station cannot win the award in consecutive years.

List of CMA Award Winners


See also

  • Academy of Country Music
    Academy of Country Music

    The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association founded in 1958 was based in Nashville, Tennessee, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states....
     - a separate organization from the CMA
  • CMT
    CMT

    CMT can refer to:* Cadmium Mercury Telluride* California mastitis test* California Musical Theatre, a nonprofit arts organization in Sacramento, California...
  • Country Music Hall of Fame
  • Grand Ole Opry
    Grand Ole Opry

    The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio programming and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays from March through December....
  • CMA Music Festival
    CMA Music Festival

    The CMA Music Festival is a 4-day music festival centered around country music hosted each June by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee....


External links