A Strategic Vision for the Country Music Association by Laura Segura
Deep Roots Wide Reach.
A strategy to maintain CMA's genre leadership while evolving into a modernized platform spanning global media, live experiences, and industry development.
Explore the StrategyA Note Before We Begin
A Proposal Offered with Humility
What follows represents a strategic framework developed through research and external observation — before the privilege of learning from the Board, the team, and the organization's full history. These ideas are offered as a starting point for conversation, not a finished plan.
The Board's guidance, institutional knowledge, and strategic priorities would shape and refine every element of this vision. The goal is to demonstrate how I think — and to invite your perspective on where CMA should go next.
Section 01 — The Opportunity
We Are Already Global
Country music is experiencing continued global growth across streaming, touring, and cultural influence. That growth is spread across platforms, markets, and stakeholders without a unifying engine driving the success.
Organizing that growth into a cohesive narrative benefits the whole genre.
CMA is uniquely positioned to continue their leadership into this next phase.
Source: Luminate Data, 2025
Section 02 — Strategic Shift
Special Moments to Global Convener
The CMA can further drive the immense global growth in audiences by interconnected development of industry, media, experiences, and partner activations. The four parts of this strategy are not separate programs — they are one connected ecosystem, each reinforcing the others.
Not more activity. More connection.
Section 03 — Preliminary Ideas
Four Focus Areas. One Connected System.
CMA already has a rich, year-round calendar of events, awards, and specials — the CMA Awards, CMA Fest, CMA Country Christmas, the CMA Songwriters Series, Introducing Nashville, and six annual honors programs. The opportunity is not to add more, but to connect these assets into a continuous media presence that builds audiences across every platform and every season.
- Expanded media rights deal anchored in CMA's existing event calendar
- CMA Awards, CMA Fest, and CMA Country Christmas as year-round content pillars
- Short-form series building on the Songwriters Series and Introducing Nashville formats
- International specials extending CMA's existing global reach (U.K., Australia, Canada)
- Awards & honors content (Hall of Fame, Triple Play, International Awards) as storytelling moments
A continuous content ecosystem that increases media rights value and audience connection.
CMA already produces some of the most compelling live experiences in music — CMA Fest, the Awards show, CMA Country Christmas, and the intimate Songwriters Series and Introducing Nashville touring formats. The opportunity is to deepen the global reach of what already works, not to reinvent it.
- Extend CMA Fest's global footprint through international broadcast and partner events
- Scale Introducing Nashville and Songwriters Series to more international markets
- Deepen premium fan experiences around existing events (VIP, travel, access)
- Capture and distribute live content from all events to build year-round engagement
A scalable global footprint driving fan growth and sponsorship expansion.
Country music is built on people — the artists, songwriters, producers, managers, touring crews, and business professionals who bring it to life every day. The CMA Foundation has laid critical groundwork in music education, investing $29 million to ensure students have access to the genre's roots. CMA's role is to pick up where the Foundation's work leads: ensuring that people entering this industry can build sustainable, fulfilling careers. This means supporting both the creative talent pipeline and the professional workforce — with practical development, wellness resources, and a culture that takes care of its own. A genre that takes care of its people deepens its roots and earns its global reach.
- Build on CMA Foundation's music education work to create clear career pathways into the industry
- Professional development programs for artists, songwriters, managers, touring professionals, and business staff
- Mental health and wellness support — normalizing care as a professional standard, not an afterthought
- Financial literacy and career sustainability resources across both creative and business roles
- International exchanges for songwriters and emerging professionals to deepen global connections
- Annual State of Country Music Report — A major industry and media moment that positions CMA as the definitive voice on the genre's global trajectory.
- Aggregated Partner Insights — Curated data from partners like Luminate, transformed into compelling narratives for press, partners, and policymakers.
A genre that takes care of its people — sustaining the talent and professional ecosystem that makes everything else possible.
CMA's existing events and honors programs are already world-class assets. The opportunity is to unlock more value from what already exists — connecting partners to the full year-round calendar rather than individual moments, and deepening the brand equity that makes those partnerships worth more.
- CMA Legacy of the Year Gala — a premier fundraising and sponsorship event honoring a defining figure in country music
- Expanded sponsorship opportunities across media and live
- Enhanced membership value (access, content, global network)
New high-margin revenue streams and deeper partner engagement.
Section 04 — Supporting Layer
Thought Leadership
Across all four strategic focus areas, The CMA has an opportunity to be a data leader and own the narrative of Country's Global Growth. Be the voice — the authoritative source that shapes how the world understands country music's growth, cultural reach, and economic impact.
Stellar content, storytelling, leading data collection and analysis makes this possible.
Authority, visibility, and strategic influence.
Section 05 — The Inflection Point
The Media Rights Opportunity
CMA already has the CMA Awards, CMA Fest, and CMA Country Christmas as major broadcast properties — plus a rich calendar of honors and events throughout the year. The next media deal is the opportunity to present all of that as a unified, year-round content platform rather than individual moments.
Event-based licensing
Year-round content partnership
- CMA Awards — Country Music's Biggest Night™
- CMA Fest — The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™
- CMA Country Christmas — holiday season broadcast
- CMA Songwriters Series & Introducing Nashville — touring formats
- Hall of Fame, Triple Play & International Awards — storytelling moments
- Short-form and digital series building on existing formats
- International specials and CMA Fest global extensions
- Possible new Legacy Show
This is how CMA increases long-term enterprise value.
Section 06 — First Year Implementation
What Happens Next
Negotiate an expanded year-round media partnership
→Launch short-form and international content formats
→Pilot one international CMA-branded live event
→Deepen workforce development and care services for the people of Country
→Publish the inaugural State of Country Music Report
→A Closing Thought
Country music has always told the truth about the human experience.
The world relates deeply and craves that shared story. CMA is uniquely positioned to tell it — at scale, with authority, and with the authenticity that makes country loved worldwide.
Deep Roots, Wide Reach. CMA can.
About the Author
Laura Segura is a purpose-driven nonprofit leader with over 20 years of executive experience modernizing complex institutions at scale. As Executive Director of MusiCares she led a period of substantial organizational growth, expanding operating revenue by more than 180%, while also raising more than $50 million in two special relief efforts to music professionals. This growth allowed for scaling programs more than 200%, serving over 100,000 people in need. Prior to MusiCares, she served as Vice President of Membership at the Recording Academy, overseeing programs and services for 25,000 members nationwide and lobbying for passage of the Music Modernization Act. Most recently, she has served as Senior Vice President at the Entertainment Industry Foundation and Executive Director of She Is The Music.
Her experience spans governance, fundraising, membership, live events, media, workforce development, and strategic change management — with a consistent focus on building institutions that are both financially strong and deeply trusted by the communities they serve.
LinkedIn ProfileThis strategic vision was created by Laura Segura as preliminary strategic ideas — a starting point for dialogue with the Board, not a finished plan. Every element would be shaped by the Board's guidance, the team's expertise, and the organization's institutional knowledge.