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The Country Music Association announced Wednesday that Brittany Schaffer will be its next CEO. Schaffer, presently a dean at Belmont University and formerly a top exec in Spotify’s country operations, will succeed current
CMA head Sarah Trahern as of Jan. 1, 2027.
Trahern, who has led the organization for 13 years, announced her intention to retire on Jan. 14 of this year, paving the way for an executive search committee to take its time in finding a successor. In what the CMA is calling a “strategic transition plan ensuring continuity CMA’s staff, board and members,” Schaffer will officially join the CMA on Sept. 8 but not take over until Trahern’s exit at the end of the year.
Schaffer will be leaving her current position as Dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville. The CMA said she brings “over 15 years of experience in the music industry spanning entertainment law, partnership strategy and academic leadership in entertainment education.”
Before taking her role as a dean at Belmont three years ago, Schaffer spent five years as Head of Artist & Label Partnerships for Nashville at Spotify, where she shaped strategy for the streamer’s country, Christian/gospel and Americana operations and partnerships. Prior to that, she was an entertainment attorney at Loeb & Loeb LLP.
Her tenure at Belmont has “brought energy, clarity, and momentum to the college,” the announcement said, “deepening industry engagement and launching transformative initiatives — including the 90,000-square-foot Curb College on Music Row expansion and the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment — reflecting her commitment to experiential learning and the holistic well-being of artists, songwriters, and the professionals behind the scenes.”
“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.”
Said Schaffer, “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. 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 said, “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.”
