For more than a century, Nashville has earned its reputation as Music City. From the stages of the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry to the studios of Music Row and the global phenomenon of CMA Fest, Nashville has become the epicenter of American music.
Yet despite our prominence in the industry, one of music's most prestigious nights has been absent from Nashville for more than five decades.
The Grammy Awards have not been held in Nashville since 1973.
That should change.
With the Grammys transitioning to ABC beginning in 2027 and Nashville entering a new era of growth and international visibility, it is time for our city to begin a serious effort to bring music's biggest night
back to Music City.
Nashville has proven it can host major national events
For decades, Nashville has proven that it can successfully host major televised events. The CMA Awards are always among the most-watched annual music broadcasts in America, and CMA Fest draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and generates national television programming distributed around the world.
In recent years, Nashville has hosted the NFL Draft, the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL Stadium Series, SEC events, major concerts and globally televised sporting events. Each time, our city has demonstrated an ability to welcome large crowds, execute complex logistics and showcase Nashville's hospitality and culture to a worldwide audience.
The timing could not be better.
New infrastructure strengthens Nashville's bid
Nashville's new Nissan Stadium will transform the city's event-hosting capabilities. Beyond serving as the home of the Tennessee Titans, the venue is designed to attract the largest entertainment and sporting events in the world. Combined with a thriving downtown, record tourism numbers, a growing inventory of hotel rooms and one of the busiest convention centers in the country, Nashville possesses the infrastructure necessary to compete with any market for major events.
We've been selected to host the Super Bowl in 2030, and this year, the state legislature approved the creation of a Joint Capital Tourism Board that will direct $30 million annually to attract and host major tourism events.
The music industry already lives here
More importantly, Nashville offers something no other city can.
While Los Angeles may be the center of the entertainment business, Nashville remains the heart of the music business. Artists from every genre increasingly call Nashville home. Songwriters, producers, musicians, record labels, publishers and industry executives all maintain a significant presence here. The city is no longer just the capital of country music. We've become a hub for pop, Christian, Americana, rock, hip-hop and countless other genres. There is no city more closely connected to the creation of music itself than Nashville.
Bringing the Grammys to Nashville would create significant economic benefits. Tens of thousands of visitors would fill hotel rooms, restaurants, venues and local businesses during one of the year's most visible weeks. The global broadcast would shine a spotlight on Music City before millions of viewers, creating a tourism and branding opportunity that would resonate for years.
Finally, hosting the Grammys would send a powerful message about Nashville's standing in the music industry. It would reinforce our identity as a global music capital and create opportunities to showcase local artists, musicians, students, venues and cultural institutions.
This will not happen by accident.
Building a coalition must start now
If Nashville hopes to host the Grammys in the coming years, local leaders, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, the Mayor's Office, business leaders, venue operators, music industry executives and community stakeholders should begin building a coalition now. Conversations should be initiated with the Recording Academy and ABC to better understand what a competitive bid would require.
Perhaps Nashville will ultimately be selected. Perhaps it won't.
But if we do not make the ask, we can guarantee the answer.
For a city that proudly calls itself Music City, pursuing the Grammy Awards should not be viewed as a long shot. It should be viewed as a natural next step in Nashville's evolution.
The Grammys belong in a city that lives and breathes music every day.
The question is not whether Nashville is ready.
The question is whether we are willing to make our case.
State Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville, is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 59.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: It's time to bring the Grammy Awards back to Nashville | Opinion
