Variety’s 2026 Women of Nashville Entertainment Impact Report

Global lead for country music programming
Amazon Music

In her decade with Amazon Music, Cohen Belote has continued to expand the platform’s influence within the country genre through artist development, programming and large-scale initiatives. In 2025, she led the selection and rollout of Carter Faith as an Amazon Music Breakthrough artist, helped shape the platform’s Country Music Month programming via live activations and a Grand Ole Opry takeover, and grew its “Country Heat” and “Bonfire” discovery playlists. Just as significantly, she played a central role in shaping Amazon Music’s strategy for the 2026 Stagecoach festival, leading the playlisting approach that anchored the campaign and using “Country Heat” to connect fans with key artists and moments ahead of the festival.

Artist manager
Megan Moroney

Before managing Moroney, Corbett spent six years working alongside legendary veteran label executive and manager Fletcher Foster, where she built her foundation in artist development, touring, long-term strategy and day-to-day execution. Since joining Moroney’s team in 2022, she has played a pivotal role in the singer’s meteoric rise, which in the past year has included a sold-out North American tour, several major country radio hits, a Top 10 album with “Am I Okay?” and being named Variety’s Hitmakers Storyteller of the Year. With barely a pause for breath, Moroney dropped her third studio album, “Cloud 9,” in March, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. She has an arena tour launching in May and leads nominations at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards.

“We’re in a moment in music where more women than ever are succeeding, especially in Nashville,” Corbett says. “I see peers leading the charge and all-women teams moving the needle. Women are still underestimated — and that’s not a weakness, it’s an advantage. It pushes us to go further, break barriers, and continue to create more opportunities for the women coming up.”

Label head
Leo33

Dean has helped shape Leo33 from the ground up, building its roster — including Grammy-winning flagship artist Zach Top — and shaping its creative vision. The Augusta, Ga., native held roles at AristoMedia and the Country Music Assn. before finding her footing in radio promotion. She spent nearly two decades at Universal Music Group Nashville, where she rose to lead the first all-female promotion team at a major label. She also played a key role in the success of artists such as Sam Hunt, Parker McCollum and Jordan Davis, and helped drive George Strait’s 60th No. 1 song. In 2023, she launched Leo33, whose roster also includes Jason Scott & the High Heat, Jenna Paulette, Clay Street Unit, Ashland Craft, and Trey Pendley.

“For all its competitiveness, Nashville never loses its sense of community,” Dean says. “This is a town full of ambitious, driven people, but it’s not cutthroat in the way you’d expect. It’s competitive, but it’s friendly competition. There’s a shared understanding that when one person wins, it’s a win for the format, for the genre, for all of us who care about keeping country music moving forward.”

VP, international
BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville

Garbonola has been at the forefront of connecting artists like Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and Blake Shelton with new audiences across the globe, notably in Europe, Australia and Asia. She joined BBR in 2010 after spending 16 years at Warner Music Nashville, where she helped launch its new media/digital department, rising to the role of VP. In 2025 she was honored by the Country Music Assn. with the Jo Walker Meador International Award for “outstanding achievement by an individual in advocating and supporting country music’s marketing development in territories outside the United States.” 

Co-head and partner  
WME Nashville

As the first female to be named co-head of an agency in Nashville, Gardenhire has had an impressive journey at WME since she joined the company after graduating from New York University in 2002. She joined the Beverly Hills office of what was then the William Morris Agency as an assistant in the television department before moving to Nashville a year later. She was named a partner at WME in 2017, and the following year was honored with CMA’s Talent Agent of the Year award. She represents some of country music’s most successful and influential artists, including Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Trisha Yearwood, Jordan Davis, Sara Evans and Lukas Nelson, among others.

A&R  
Sawgod Records

Hansen signed Ella Langley to her first publishing deal at Sony Music Publishing in 2021 and has been working with the Nashville breakout star as her A&R and music confidant ever since. She joined the Sawgod team when Langley signed with the label in 2022 and has been a part of all the artist’s projects, including her blockbuster sophomore album “Dandelion” and Hot 100-topping single “Choosin’ Texas.” Hansen also manages singer-songwriter Gabriella Rose (Zach Bryan’s duet partner on his song “Madeline”), who will join Langley on the “Dandelion” tour and will release her debut album this year. “I’m really proud to see Ella become the first female artist to simultaneously lead the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts,” Hansen says. “It’s always cool to see the girls break barriers.”

Artist manager  
Painted Rock Management

While working at the concert promotion company Peachtree Entertainment, Hinde “fell into” management with business partner Bradley Jordan after joining forces with a young country singer named Ella Langley in 2021. Jordan had booked Langley as an opening act in the previous years, and soon Painted Rock Management was born. Langley’s profile rose dramatically around a long tour with country star (and duet partner) Riley Green, and in 2025, she was the most-nominated artist at the Academy of Country Music Awards and tied for most at the Country Music Assn. Awards. But it was all prelude for her sophomore album, “Dandelion,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in April — not to mention the single “Choosin’ Texas,” which is currently the top song of 2026, according to Luminate.

Asked about challenges facing women in her area of the business, Hinde says, “Etiquette on the road can be a challenge outside of the corporate office environments for women. Accommodations and support for the women on either in side needs to be increased with programs and options added into advances. A healthy road environment is an empowered and professional one.” 

Senior VP of artist & industry relations  
Recording Industry Assn. of America

In her role at the RIAA, Jones has spent much of her energy in recent years confronting the impact of AI on the music industry — most notably companies trying to profit from copyrighted works without permission or compensation. She worked on the national advocacy campaign Stealing Isn’t Innovation (to oppose the unlicensed use of creative works), was instrumental in securing Tennessee’s Elvis Act (a victory in protecting artists’ voice and likeness from AI deepfakes) and promoted the bipartisan federal No Fakes Act within the music community, bringing country stars Lainey Wilson and Martina McBride to testify before Congress. She also co-founded Family Alliance in Music to benefit caregivers in the industry, and produced the ACM Lifting Lives 60th Anniversary Gala, raising more than $1.3 million for music industry health and relief efforts. 

Agent  
CAA Nashville

An 18-year CAA veteran, Jones Long grew up loving mainstream country but has increasingly built a roster of crossover artists who fall between genre cracks, like her highest-profile clients, Brandi Carlile and Shaboozey. She was involved in booking Carlile’s first U.S. arena tour this year. “Standing side-stage at Brandi’s opening night in Philadelphia, I felt the same electricity I experienced months later watching Carter Faith close out her first nationwide club tour with a sold-out show at Exit/In,” she says. “Different stages, different scales, but the same unmistakable sense of momentum and connection.” Wyatt Flores, Whiskey Myers and Hailey Whitters are among her fastest rising mid-level acts. Jones Long’s helped found the Hubb, a program providing tools for a diverse lineup of interns. 

President
The Sandbox

The fittingly named Sandbox, founded by Jason Owen, is a multi-platform entertainment company that reaches into nearly every sector of music, film and storytelling, largely as a management firm. Kaminsky has led ambitious digital strategies for the company’s client roster, which includes Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Little Big Town and others. Projects include Ballerini’s first sold-out arena tour, Musgraves’ recent sixth album, “Middle of Nowhere,” and Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D,” which Eilish co-directed with James Cameron. A multilingual native of Argentina, Kaminsky has previously held roles at the Walt Disney Co. (in Brazil), the Recording Academy and Warner Music Nashville.

Asked about challenges facing women in this area of the business, Kaminsky says, “One of the challenges facing women in this industry that has remained at the forefront of my mind over the past few years is the ongoing struggle to balance a high-powered career with motherhood, for those who choose that path. Too often, motherhood is absent from professional narratives like this one as if it needs to be concealed. That needs to change.

“Women coming up in this industry deserve to see that it is not only possible to be both a mother and a leader, but that it is something to be proud of,” she continues. “We need more visibility, honesty, and resources for working parents across the industry, along with a broader cultural shift toward acceptance and support. I am fortunate to work at a company that recognizes my role as a mother not as a limitation, but as a superpower.”

Head of media
Sony Music Nashville

Over the past year, Kehoe’s role has expanded beyond overseeing the label’s publicity initiatives to driving its licensing and sync strategies, and forging relationships with TV and film music supervisors to secure placements. A major success of the past year was her role in the rise of Variety Hitmakers Storyteller of the Year Megan Moroney, who scored a sold-out North American tour last year and recently landed a No. 1 debut with her third album, “Cloud 9,” with an even bigger Stateside trek to follow. Kehoe also helped to plan and execute the campaign around Luke Combs’ latest album, “The Way I Am.” Previously, she held senior roles at RCA Records for 14 years working closely with Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake and Tate McRae.

Senior vice president of industry relations & philanthropy; executive director at CMA Foundation
Country Music Assn.

Kerns played a major role in elevating mental health as a priority for CMA, stewarding a multimillion-dollar investment that expands access to counseling, crisis support and wellness resources for artists, crews and industry teams. She also oversees several of CMA’s professional development programs, including the CMA Women’s Leadership Academy (a resource for mentorship, leadership training and community-building) and the expansion of CMA’s Touring Mentorship Program, connecting emerging touring professionals with experienced leaders. She also works with CMA EDU, which provides college students with hands-on learning and industry access as well as overseeing the CMA Foundation, which advances music education opportunities.

Senior vice president  
The Team 

Kinder leads a formidable roster of artists that includes Wynonna Judd, Tanya Tucker, the War and Treaty, Weyes Blood, I’m With Her and Sarah Kinsley. Before moving to the agency side, she spent roughly a decade as a promoter at AEG Nashville/AEG Presents, where she started as a marketing intern in 2007 and later worked as a talent buyer and promoter. She joined Paradigm’s Nashville office as an agent in 2018 (before the agency ultimately became part of Wasserman Music, which was renamed the Team earlier this year).

Senior director of A&R 
Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville

Over the past year, King signed Megan Moroney and writer-producer Alysa Vanderheym (Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs), while writers on her roster have contributed to the Grammy-winning hit “Amen” by Shaboozey and Jelly Roll (co-written by Nevin Sastry and Seth Ennis), Blake Shelton’s “Texas” (co-written by Kyle Sturrock) and Cody Johnson’s “The Fall” (co-written by Ray Fulcher). Before joining UMPG, King worked at Concord Music Publishing and on the global music rights management team at Songtrust. “What I love most about Nashville is the shared respect for the songwriter,” King says. “It’s incredibly meaningful to live and work in a town that genuinely values and celebrates them.”

President  
The Core Entertainment

Leading a management company that has scaled up to include a label and hire 30 full-time employees, Martin has not only seen artists like Bailey Zimmerman and Nate Smith grow from the ground up, but also veterans like Dan + Shay and Tyler Hubbard, who’ve come over looking for fresh energy. After starting her career with TV networks in Canada (and four years as president of the Canadian Country Music Assn.), Martin loves her base of five years in Music City. “Nashville is one of the few places where the business and the creative are completely intertwined. Artists, writers, managers, agents: everyone’s in it together and actually around each other. It keeps you sharp.”

Exec VP/general manager  
MCA Records

As the recently rebranded MCA brought in a wave of new toppers last year, McCartney came over from an eight-year run helping to build Monument Records from the ground up, and is now bringing that track record to a company that still has one of the biggest and most illustrious rosters in Nashville. She’s been the engine behind transitioning the company into “a more modern, artist-first model — prioritizing long-term storytelling, global strategy and platform-native fan engagement,” she says. Successes in her first year have included the ascent of ACM best new male artist Tucker Wetmore, the further development of Parker McCollum as a real artist as well as hitmaker, the introduction of critical favorite Carter Faith and the signing of flagship artist Vince Gill to an unprecedented lifetime contract.

Label partnerships lead  
Spotify

In her role at the world’s largest paid streaming service, McInturff develops campaigns and global strategies for top releases across major and independent labels. Highlights of 2025 included building Spotify’s global marketing campaign for Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem” and recent albums by Tucker Wetmore, Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves, the latter including a special fan event in Nashville. The Melbourne, Australia, native worked for a dozen years at indie record labels, digital marketing firms and recording studios before joining Spotify in 2022. “Nashville is a community that prioritizes two things: humans and songs,” she says. “Knowing that every day I’m fighting for songs to be heard alongside people who take care of one another is something I will never take for granted.” 

Artist manager  
Red Light Entertainment

Monchick has played a major role in one of country music’s biggest success stories of the past decade: Lainey Wilson’s breakout run from a promising new artist to a superstar in both country music and on television, via her recurring role in “Yellowstone,” her feature film debut “Reminders of Him” and as host of the 2026 CMA Awards. At the CMA Awards, she won entertainer of the year, female vocalist of the year and album of the year for her latest effort, “Whirlwind.” Wilson also headlined her first global tour and played stadium dates alongside Chris Stapleton. Plus, she was top billed at the Stagecoach and Country Calling festivals in 2026. A boot brand, Golden West, and the Lainey Wilson Jewelry Collection were icing on the cake.

Asked about challenges facing women in the business, Monchick says, “The biggest challenge is breaking through bias and being taken seriously early on. I want to see more executives actively championing and developing young talent on both sides of the business and a culture that values long-term development over quick wins.”

Senior VP of artist development & global touring  
Live Nation

Olykan joined Live nation’s concert division at the beginning of 2025 to lead global strategy for the country and Americana divisions, after having served as the CMA’s VP of international relations for six years. (She also worked on CMA Fest and was the festival’s interim director for two years.) Her experience as a prime mover for country in the global space goes back to a previous stint leading AEG Presents’ country touring efforts in the U.K.; she also helped found the Country to Country (C2C) Festival. Her first year with Live Nation found her working with the company’s international promoter network to open new markets, from Brazil (where Cody Johnson headlined a 50,000-strong rodeo) to South Africa (where the Cape Town Country Music Festival has launched).

Co-president 
Triple Tigers

Since being named co-president of indie label Triple Tigers Records alongside Kevin Herring in 2023, Ortmeier has overseen a strong roster that includes Scott McCreery and Russell Dickerson, who have respectively lodged No. 1 songs at country radio over the past year thanks to bespoke promotional strategies. With a background that includes stints at Universal Nashville and Big Machine Label Group, Ortmeier recently helped launch Tigers’ second country radio promotion arm Akando Music and spearheaded an increase in global sales, including a combined five weeks of non-U.S. chart-toppers. Most of all, she’s proud of “the resilience and strength of our small but mighty team,” she says, “which consistently enabled us to rise to the ever-changing occasion and keep creating and achieving new goals.”

Asked about challenges facing women in the business, Ortmeier says, “Being a working mom or caregiver still presents challenges in this industry due to relentless hours and demanding travel. The non-profit Family Alliance in Music is helping families working in the music industry to thrive — the founders are fellow moms.”

Chief marketing and external affairs officer 
Mechanical Licensing Collective

By the time she was promoted to her current role at the MLC in 2024, Truley had already helped enroll over 45,000 members to the organization, which collects and distributes mechanical royalties from U.S. streaming services. In the past year, her work at the nonprofit has helped nearly 80,000 members and driven outreach across the industry. Earlier this year, she handled the communication strategy around the MLC’s market-share distribution process for 2027, and last fall, she spearheaded comms around the launch of the MLC’s Songwriter Hub, which centralizes and simplifies access to artists’ catalogs at the company.

Partner/agent  
UTA

Over the past year, Vazzana has played a crucial role in strategizing the careers of Megan Moroney, Buffalo Traffic Jam and Chayce Beckham. She’s seen major success with breakout country star Moroney, with whom she partnered early in her career. Moroney’s third album, “Cloud 9,” became her first to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in February and her forthcoming summer tour — her first in arenas — sold more than 450,000 tickets in 15 minutes. This past March, Vazzana was named as a partner at UTA, just five years after she joined the company following a nearly 14-year stint at CAA. In addition to her agent role at UTA, Vazzana is also head of fairs and festivals, as well as a member of the board of directors at the International Entertainment Buyers Assn.

President, Capitol Music Group Nashville
Executive VP, Capitol Christian Music Group

Watkins joined Capitol in May of 2025 following a wildly successful run at Big Loud Records, where she oversaw the label’s marketing, digital, creative, PR and streaming departments and played no small role in the blockbuster success of Morgan Wallen, as well as Hardy, Stephen Wilson Jr., Lauren Alaina and others. She previously held roles at Universal Music Nashville, Red Light Management and Cross Point Church, and worked as an artist manager (for Hunter Hayes and others) and as Keith Urban’s day-to-day manager for three years. Yet it’s still early days at Capitol. “This past year has been about reimagining what a modern label should be,” she says. “Now it’s about identifying and partnering with artists who not only reflect where culture is going, but help define it.”

She adds, “Nashville’s growth over the past several years has been incredibly fast, especially with the expansion of country and faith-based music, and that’s brought a lot of new energy into the market. What continues to set it apart, though, is the core group of people who are here for the long game — building careers, not just moments. There’s a real commitment to supporting artists and one another. At its best, that spirit of trust and mutual respect is what makes working in Nashville so special — and it’s something worth preserving as the city continues to evolve.”

Executive vice president
Empire

Way arrived at Empire in July 2025 following roles at Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Nashville and Universal Music Group, where she got her start as a sales and marketing coordinator before rising through the ranks to become manager of marketing and artist development. With nearly two decades of experience in the biz, Way leads overall strategy for Empire’s Nashville team and oversees day-to-day operations. Though her remit includes discovering and signing new talent, she also handles a roster that includes Kevin Powers, Niko Moon and Shaboozey, who recently announced his concept album “The Outlaw Cherie & Other Western Tales,” due this summer. At Empire, Way touches on several aspects of the business including operations, A&R, marketing and promotion, including upcoming releases from Larry Fleet and Jake Banfield, both of whom are prepping new music.

Executive vice president of radio and commercial partnerships
Warner Records Nashville

A veteran at Warner Records Nashville, Williams has led the imprint’s radio division since 2010 and, this past March, was upped to her current role at the company. That’s in part due to her success over the past year, which included landing Dan + Shay’s 11th No. 1 and Cody Johnson’s fourth chart-topper. In addition to working smash records from Cole Swindell and Bailey Zimmerman, Williams has grown momentum for buzzy Nashville artists including Chase Matthews and Gavin Adcock through her commercial partnership initiatives that includes retail, streaming, catalog development and direct-to-consumer efforts.

The key to success, she says, are the relationships that the Nashville scene helps cultivate. “There is something uniquely supportive about our community,” says Williams. “We’re not just working in music — we’re surrounded by people who genuinely love it and live it. Nashville keeps that core intact: great storytelling, great writing, and a shared belief that a song can still change everything.”