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ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® ANNOUNCES RECORD-HIGH MEMBERSHIP AS IT WELCOMES CLASS OF 2023

ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® ANNOUNCES RECORD-HIGH MEMBERSHIP AS IT WELCOMES CLASS OF 2023


New ACM members Madeline Edwards, ERNEST, The War And Treaty, and others share their excitement in joining the Academy in exclusive new video



Nashville, TN (December 12, 2022) – The Academy of Country Music® announced today an increase in Academy membership to 4,966 professional members, which marks the Academy’s highest membership count since membership numbers were tracked. Newly accepted and renewed members qualify to vote for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, which is set to return to Texas this May for the first time since 2015’s historic 50th anniversary show. Additionally, Academy members gain access to a suite of benefits including early access to tickets for ACM events, discounts on industry partner events, industry data insights, monthly educational and networking events, acclaimed seasonal magazine ACM Tempo, and more. 


New ACM members including artists, songwriters, producers, and industry professionals visited the Academy’s new headquarters in Nashville’s Wedgewood Houston neighborhood to share their excitement in joining the Academy of Country Music. The interviews were amongst the first pieces of original content captured in the Academy’s new Lisa Lee Content Studio, honoring the beloved longtime Academy staffer and passionate Country Music champion who passed away in 2020. Additional videos and content series will be released throughout 2023, to continue to tell the story of the new class and how the Academy plays a pivotal role in their lives, careers, and artistic pursuits.


“Our members are the lifeblood of the Academy of Country Music, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome so many new members into the Academy and to announce that we’ve hit record-high membership heading into 2023,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “The Academy’s membership is made up of so many essential voices in our Country community, and with our growing membership, the Academy is even better able to serve as a powerhouse advocate for fans, artists, and our industry as a whole.”


“For new members and renewed members alike, this is a very exciting time to be part of the Academy with submissions for the 58th ACM Awards opening in January and voting beginning in February,” said Tommy Moore, VP Artist and Industry Relations, Governance and Board Administration. “ACM members will play an active role in shaping the future of Country Music through helping the Academy promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, and shaping the genre of Country Music for a global audience.” 


The Academy of Country Music has furthered its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by inviting members to keep diversity top of mind when referring potential new members. The ACM believes that having a membership base comprised of a vast array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives makes for a much richer, robust, and innovative ACM experience. The Academy’s DEI mission statement reads, “The Academy of Country Music is relentlessly committed to creating a more inclusive environment for underrepresented groups in the Country Music industry, from the boardroom to the stage.” 


For more information on membership with the Academy of Country Music, please visit the ACM Membership platform at: https://www.acmcountry.com/membership.  


Special thanks to the artists, songwriters, producers, and industry professionals featured in the video:

  • Trannie Anderson, songwriter
  • Kelleigh Bannen, artist, media personality
  • Cameron Bedell, songwriter-producer
  • Madeline Edwards, artist
  • ERNEST, artist-songwriter
  • Braden Griffith, artist manager
  • Jordan Harvey, artist
  • Kaitlin Madewell, artist manager
  • Meghan Patrick, artist
  • Christen Pinkston, video producer
  • Wesley Stebbins-Perry, video producer
  • The War And Treaty, artist duo
  • Dallas Wilson, songwriter-producer


About the Academy of Country Music 

Founded in Southern California in 1964 as a regional trade organization, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) has grown in the almost-60 years since into a leading association for the Country Music industry. Today, the Academy boasts more than 4,600 professional members nationwide and serves as a powerhouse advocate for Country fans, artists, and all facets of the business, as well as a supporter of philanthropic work through charitable partner ACM LIFTING LIVES, which harnesses the power of the Country Music community to help improve lives through the power of music and provide aid in times of need, with a focus on health initiatives. 2022 continues to be a landmark year for the Academy, with the relocation of the organization’s headquarters to Nashville after decades in Los Angeles; ACM Honors, dubbed the “Country Music industry’s favorite night,” returning to broadcast TV and airing for the first time on FOX; and, in a historic partnership with Amazon, its iconic Academy of Country Music Awards streamed live on Prime Video in 235 territories all over the globe, the first time a major awards show has streamed exclusively. For more information, log onto www.ACMcountry.comor www.ACMLiftingLives.org.


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