Sarah Trahern To Receive 2020 CRB President’s Award During “CRS Honors” officially launching CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience

(Nashville, Tenn. – Jan. 21, 2021) The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. has announced Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern as the 2020 CRB President’s Award recipient. The award will be presented during “CRS Honors,” the official launch to CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience, on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, at 12:30 p.m. CT, immediately following the morning sessions of the all-new CRS Streaming Summit.   

Trahern was named CMA CEO in 2014 following stops at Great American Country (GAC), The Nashville Network (TNN), and C-SPAN. She helms CMA’s three network television properties (CMA Fest, CMA Country Christmas and the CMA Awards), leads one of the biggest music festivals in the world and serves as President of the CMA Foundation. As a trade association, CMA represents every aspect of the Country Music industry and Trahern has made community outreach a priority, whether it is providing members affordable healthcare options or offering online tools and resources for music professionals displaced by COVID-19 shutdowns. Her vision and leadership have been instrumental in launching CMA’s Music Industry COVID Support (MICS) initiative. She was recently recognized as one of the Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs. Trahern is consistently included on various Billboard lists, including Women in Music and Country Power Players, on which she was profiled as “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 Museum.

The CRB President’s Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the marketing, production, growth, and development of the Country Radio Seminar and the multiple services that Country Radio Broadcasters provides to the country radio and music communities.

CRB/CRS Board President, Kurt Johnson, commented, “Sarah is the epitome of this award. Her selfless and tireless work on behalf of artists, songwriters, labels, managers, touring professionals, and Country Radio, and her steadfast support of CRB and Country Radio Seminar make her a highly deserving honoree. I am blessed to call her colleague, confidant and friend. And all of us in Country are blessed to have her as a true leader in our genre.”

The 2020 CRB Artist Career Achievement Award recipient, Rascal Flatts, will also be recognized during the Opening Ceremonies.  The CRB Artist Career Achievement Award is presented to an individual artist or act who has made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of country music and country radio through their creativity, vision, performance, and/or leadership. On the heels of celebrating their 20th Anniversary Year, Rascal Flatts was named the 2020 Artist Career Achievement Award recipient during a surprise announcement made at Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2020’s Opening Ceremonies. President/CEO of Big Machine Label Group, Scott Borchetta will present the award to Rascal Flatts.

Hailed as one of the most influential groups in modern country history, superstar vocal group Rascal Flatts are a chart-topping trio created by vocalist Gary LeVox, multi-instrumentalist Jay DeMarcus and guitarist Joe Don Rooney. Since their founding in 2000 and subsequent breakout with the Top 5 hit, “Prayin’ for Daylight,” the band has gone on to infuse country’s traditional mainstream with smooth-pop textures, arena-rocking energy and faithful positivity, impacting countless fans and fellow artists along the way. They’ve racked up 17 Number One hits, over 23.4 million albums sold, 35 million digital downloads, 2.2 billion streams worldwide and 4.4 billion streams solely on Pandora, while also selling over 11 million concert tickets and earning more than 40 trophies from the ACA, ACM, AMA, CMA, People’s Choice and more, making them the most awarded country group of the past decade. For more information visit rascalflatts.com. 

Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Mickey Guyton is also confirmed to open CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience with a performance of the national anthem, sponsored by Veterans Matter. 

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where the CRB President’s Award and Artist Career Achievement awards are historically given, could not be held in person and is subsequently being held virtually during CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience.  

Registration for CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience is $199 per person and is available for purchase at www.CountryRadioSeminar.com.  Country Radio Broadcasters have also made available an Unemployment, Student, and Young Professional rate.  To apply for one of these special rates, interested parties must apply at Country Radio Seminar’s registration page (here) no later than Feb. 12.  Registrants will need to select the rate they are applying for as the registration type to be considered for the discounted rate.  Contact Ashley Bourque at (615) 329-2615 or ashley@crb.org for any questions about the application.