Nashville, Tennessee – (July 23 2024) – As one of Nashville’s leading figures in entertainment, Sarah Trahern was honored last night with the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award. Sarah is an advocate for country music and for all those who are part of it. Her efforts on behalf of a genre she loves extend far beyond Music Row – her role as CEO of the Country Music Association has allowed Sarah to represent all of the industry on a national and a global level. The event was held at the Opry House and benefits the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
Last night’s event included performances by Tom Douglas, Chris Janson, Ryan Larkins, Craig Morgan, Maura O’Connell, Carly Pearce, Marty Stuart, and Trisha Yearwood with remarks by Suzanne Alexander, Robert Deaton, Joe Galante, Tiffany Kerns, Jeannie Seely, Susan Swain, Jody Williams and Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
The Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award was established a decade ago to celebrate the remarkable career of veteran country radio broadcaster Bob Kingsley. It has raised more than $350,000 raised for the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund since. Other prestigious honorees include Joe Galante (2015), Jim Ed Norman (2016), Lorianne Crook & Charlie Chase (2017), Clarence Spalding (2018), Lon Helton (2019), and Bart Herbison & Erika Wollam Nichols (2023).
The Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund was founded nearly 60 years ago on the Opry’s 40th anniversary. Its mission is to help members of the country music community when they need it most. Over the years, the Trust Fund has distributed more than $5,000,000, assisting with needs such as living expenses, medical bills, rent or mortgage, and utilities.
ABOUT SARAH TRAHERN:
Sarah Trahern was named CEO of the Country Music Association on January 1, 2014. She helms the organization’s three acclaimed network television properties (CMA Fest, CMA Country Christmas, and the CMA Awards), one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and serves as President of the CMA Foundation, which funds meaningful music education initiatives across the country. Throughout her career, Sarah has been an advocate for Country music, the artists, songwriters, and the extensive creative and business communities that fuel the format. With foresight and determination, she has crafted a brand identity for country music at the highest level and has been at the forefront of some of the industry’s most ambitious initiatives fostering gender equality, inclusion, and preserving the legacy. Among her numerous accomplishments was the creation of the award-winning “Forever Country” 50th anniversary music video, which celebrated the iconic music of John Denver, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson and has garnered more than 18 million views.
Prior to CMA, Sarah was General Manager of cable network Great American Country (GAC), where she had executive oversight of the network’s creative and digital initiatives. Sarah joined Scripps-owned GAC in 2005 and was quickly promoted to SVP of Programming before being named GM in 2010. Under her leadership the cable network experienced tremendous growth and developed a reputation for fostering strong relationships with legends such as Garth Brooks, as well as emerging talent including a young Taylor Swift. Known for her natural curiosity, Sarah began her career at C-SPAN in Washington, D.C. covering politics and public affairs and producing the popular series “Booknotes” before moving to Nashville in 1995 to oversee specials and entertainment series for The Nashville Network (TNN). After her time at TNN, she launched her own successful company, Sterling Television, working with several networks including DIY, HGTV, and CMT, where she produced Johnny Cash’s memorial service.
A leader with vision who values relationships, Sarah has been recognized as one of the Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs. She is consistently included on Billboard’s Country Power Players list and was named “Executive of the Year” in 2017. In 2011, she was the subject and honoree of the prestigious Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum by the Country Music Hall of Fame and has also been honored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Lauded for her business contributions, Sarah demonstrates an equally strong commitment to the community. She serves on boards for the Monroe Carroll Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, , the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation (NCVC), Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, Leadership Nashville, and the Music City Bowl . She also chaired the Entertainment Committee for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game in Nashville and served on the 2018 NFL Draft Committee. She is an alum of both Leadership Music and Leadership Nashville.
A graduate of Georgetown University with an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, Sarah grew up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Her mother was a classical viola player, and her father, Dr. Joseph Trahern, grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry prior to becoming a college professor. Music was encouraged, and Sarah developed a deep appreciation for the skill and commitment it takes to create music. Although she plays several instruments, including guitar and banjo, she never aspired to be a professional musician, but she has a genuine connection and strong sense of responsibility to the industry she represents.
