CMA Songwriters Series Returns To London For 2017 C2C Festival

Pictured (L-R): Kristian Bush, Drake White, Maren Morris, Bennett Lewis (Morris’ guitarist), Liz Rose and Mac McAnally perform during the sold-out CMA Songwriters Series Thursday at indigo at The O2 in London. Photo: Amy Westney/CMA

The CMA Songwriters Series returned overseas Thursday (March 9) to kick-off the fifth annual Country 2 Country (C2C) Festival at London’s indigo at The O2. The highly-anticipated show featured an award-winning lineup of country music hitmakers: five-time CMA award-winner Kristian Bush, former CMA Musician of the Year Mac McAnally, reigning CMA New Artist of the Year Maren Morris, former CMA Song of the Year winner Liz Rose, and rising star Drake White. The sold-out show was the CMA Songwriters Series debut for McAnally, Morris, and White.

Kristian Bush
Photo: Amy Westney/CMA

Midway through the set, Bush made a special announcement from the stage, surprising U.K. country duo The Shires with CMA’s Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements by a country music artist originally signed outside of the United States–in both furthering the popularity of country music and bringing attention to the country music format in their foreign-based territory.

The intimate CMA Songwriters Series launched in 2005 at Joe’s Pub in New York City and made its European debut in 2012 with stops in London, Dublin, and Belfast. It has returned to London annually as part of C2C since 2014. C2C is the U.K.’s largest country music festival.

For more information, visit CMAsongwritersseries.com.

Mac MacAnally
Photo: Amy Westney/CMA

Maren Morris
Photo: Amy Westney/CMA

Liz Rose
Photo: Amy Westney/CMA

Drake White
Photo: Amy Westney/CMA

Pictured (L-R): Damon Whiteside, CMA Chief Marketing Officer; Butch Spyridon, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp Chief Executive Officer and Ex-Officio CMA board member; Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer; Mac McAnally; Liz Rose; The Shires’ Crissie Rhodes and Ben Earle; Kristian Bush; Milly Olykan, AEG Festival and Live Events Director at The O2 and CMA board member; and Drake White gather following the CMA Songwriters Series. Photo: Amy Westney/CMA