Kelsea Ballerini, Hunter Hayes and More Attend Billboard Power Players Event in Nashville
The event included appearances from many of Music City's managers, agents, television and radio executives, technology leaders and other influencers.
On a warm summer night in Nashville, TN, members of the country music industry gathered at the L27 Rooftop Bar at The Westin hotel to celebrate Billboard’s Top 100 Country Music Power Players, a group of people who have helped highlight the genre of country music and bring the field to a wider audience.
Among those honored was the Country Music Association’s CEO, Sarah Trahern, who earned the top honor as Executive of the Year. Her accolade comes after the 50th Annual CMA Awards, which saw a stand-out performance from the Dixie Chicks and Beyoncé, bridging the gap between country music and the rest of the world.
In the midst of the night’s other exceptional honorees were Kelsea Ballerini, RaeLynn, Cam and several others, who’d each earned their spot as one of Nashville’s Power Players. Ballerini topped the Billboard Country Charts with her smash hit “Peter Pan” and came dressed for the occasion in her self-dubbed “boss lady suit.”
“I feel like Billboard is like a standard of music,” Ballerini said on the event’s red carpet of her involvement with the publication. “When you’re on the charts, or whether it’s like the Billboard song chart, or the Hot Country chart, or whatever it is, to be a part of that brand, and involved with that brand, is … Gosh, it’s amazing! I mean, it’s iconic, you know? And to have us out here, being a part of that number one, and it’s been amazing.”
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Hunter Hayes was equally in awe of those surrounding him during the night’s festivities, as each have had a hand in the growth and development of country music over the past year.
“I think in this room right now we’re surrounded by brilliant people. The thing about Nashville is it mixes brilliance with just good people. I know that just recently I had to take a lot of meetings on a bunch of different levels, and I got to meet a lot of people that I didn’t really know that well before then. It really clicked for me just how supportive, how familial this whole town is. Everybody says it’s a family, and it’s such an overused word, but it’s the truth. You feel like you know everybody, and everybody’s got your back. It doesn’t feel like an extremely competitive town. Nobody’s gonna beat you up to get where they wanna be. You’re gonna get there together. I’m glad I’m here for that reason. I’m glad I moved to Nashville. I’m glad I found it, and I’m glad that I’ve continued to be in here. It keeps getting better. It is filled with people like this who will push the envelope, change the game, but do it for the good of just everybody, not just a single agenda.”
The Top 100 Country Music Power Players are honored in a special edition Nashville edition of Billboard magazine. Covering the special edition is Miranda Lambert, with appearances from many of Music City’s managers, agents, television and radio executives, technology leaders and other influencers.
