Music Writers Honored During Belmont’s International Country Music Conference

Pictured (L-R): Dr. James Akenson, Marissa Moss, Holly Gleason, Dr. Don Cusic.

The 34th Annual International Country Music Conference was held May 30-June 1 at Belmont University in Nashville. The academic conference featured top scholars of country music who presented papers on a variety of topics. Countries represented included Australia, Japan, Austria, Canada and England.

Leading off the conference was a talk by Sarah Trahern, Executive Director of the Country Music Association on “The State of Country Music.” She was joined by Karen Stump, head of research at the CMA and Milly Olyksan, head of the International department at the CMA.

During the Conference, the Belmont Book Award for the “best book on country music” was awarded to Holly Gleason for her book, Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives, published by the University of Texas Press.

The Chet Flippo Award for Journalism was awarded to Marissa Moss for her article on Eric Church’s career and development.

Special features of the Conference included panels on “Aussie Country: The Big Picture, History and Today,” “The Vietnam War, Nashville and Country Music” and “The Voice With a Heart: Mac Wiseman in Conversation.”

The International Country Music Conference began in 1984 in Meridian, Mississippi; since 1998 it has been held at Belmont University, hosted by Dr. Don Cusic and Dr. James Akenson. The International Country Music Journal is published in conjunction with the Conference.

The dates for the 2019 conference are May 30-June 1.