CMA Extends Its Commitment To Mental Health With Multi-Million Dollar Investment

THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION EXTENDS ITS COMMITMENT TO MENTAL HEALTH WITH MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT

Nashville-Based Trade Organization Donates $3 Million to Belmont University to Support the Launch of Center for Mental Health in Entertainment

CMA Renews Financial Assistance to Benefit Music Industry Mental Health Organizations in 2026, Including Amber Health, ECCHO Live, Music Health Alliance, MusiCares®, and Porter’s Call

The Country Music Association (CMA) today announced a significant investment for mental health resources, reaffirming its multi-year commitment to the well-being of music industry professionals. As part of this ongoing effort, CMA has made a $3 million donation to Belmont University to support the launch of the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment, a pioneering initiative designed to address the mental health needs of entertainment professionals. Additionally, CMA has renewed its financial support to aid five leading organizations delivering essential mental health services across the music industry in 2026—Amber Health, ECCHO Live, Music Health Alliance, MusiCares^®, and Porter’s Call.

Building on investments first established during the COVID-19 pandemic, CMA’s ongoing support underscores the importance of ensuring music professionals have access to essential care and wellness services. CMA’s role as Country Music’s premier trade association has long been to protect, invest in, and amplify the Country Music community, whether through disaster relief following the 2010 Nashville flood, more than $30 million invested in music education through the CMA Foundation, or critical support during the pandemic. Mental health is no exception.

MusiCares’ recent Wellness in Music survey revealed that 11.4% of respondents reported suicidal ideation in the past year—more than double the U.S. general population—while the majority continue to struggle with financial insecurity and limited access to preventive health care. Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents reported earning less than $100,000 annually, most said they cannot cover basic expenses through music work alone, and many directly tied their anxiety and depression to financial stress.

“We feel strongly that as a trade association, it is CMA’s responsibility to ensure our industry has the resources, access, and understanding to navigate mental well-being,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This is not new work. It builds on years of investment and direction during the pandemic, expanded healthcare access, and countless moments where we’ve rallied for our community. By prioritizing the mental health of the people who make Country Music possible, we are safeguarding the future of our genre. Through our programming, partnerships, and industry convenings, we will continue to keep well-being at the center of CMA’s work.”

Through its gift to Belmont University, CMA is helping to support the establishment of the new Center for Mental Health in Entertainment on Nashville’s Music Row—a first-of-its-kind initiative that will serve both students and industry professionals through research, education, and community outreach. The donation will fund both programming and the creation of an endowed chair and executive director position, to be held by esteemed industry leader Debbie Carroll. In this role, Carroll will guide the Center’s strategic vision and impact, drawing on her decades of experience supporting mental health within the music community to foster lasting, systemic change across the entertainment industry.

Additionally, CMA is renewing its six-figure investment in mental health resources across the broader music industry. This continued support extends to five trusted organizations in 2026—Amber Health, ECCHO Live, Music Health Alliance, MusiCares, and Porter’s Call—that provide direct care, counseling, and wellness programs for artists, songwriters, touring crews, managers, and countless others who power the business. Through these partnerships, CMA is helping ensure that mental health care remains accessible, compassionate, and tailored to the unique needs of music professionals, strengthening the well-being of the entire creative community.

In 2025, CMA’s mental health investment helped thousands of music professionals access critical care, counseling, and wellness resources through its partner organizations. Together, these programs delivered thousands of hours of counseling, on-site wellness support, and crisis care—ensuring that artists, crews, and industry professionals had access to vital resources when they needed them most. Collectively, their work is changing the conversation around mental health in music.

• Amber Health — Enabled nine artist tours to access on-site and virtual mental-health support, including counseling, meditation training, and leadership consultation. CMA funding ensured no eligible tours were turned away, directly supporting 120+ individuals. Artist teams credited the care with helping them manage anxiety, sustain sobriety, and strengthen communication across teams.
• ECCHO Live — Expanded All Access and All Access On Site programs to serve live-event professionals, resulting in 77 participant applications for enrollment and 172 on-site counseling sessions. Delivered on-site support at 12 festivals and one stadium tour, plus seven national webinars on stress, nutrition, and financial literacy. One crew member said on-site counseling “may have saved my life.”
• Music Health Alliance — Expanded its nationwide Mental Health Fund to serve 471 clients and provide more than 3,500 counseling sessions, a 45% increase from the prior year. CMA funding helped hire a full-time Mental Health Manager, strengthen disaster-response protocols, and broaden care to include artists’ family members. One client described MHA as “a lighthouse in the darkness,” reflecting the program’s impact in guiding music professionals through grief, trauma, and recovery.
• MusiCares — Provided mental-health services to 1,918 individuals through Wellness Lounges, Safe Harbor Rooms, and educational programming at major events including CMA Fest, Coachella, Stagecoach and the GRAMMYs. Conducted mental-health trainings for more than 20 leading tour managers overseeing crews of over 2,000 touring professionals, launched five co-branded webinars with CMA, and hosted 12 support groups for disaster-affected professionals. Participants described these efforts as “transformational” and a “game-changer” for industry culture.
• Porter’s Call — Hired a new provider, known as a Porter, and expanded the position to full-time capacity, resulting in an additional 1,500 hours of care (for a total of 5,000 hours of care to hundreds of artists and partners). Clients described sessions as “lifesaving” and “a safe place to fall apart and put myself back together.” CMA funding also supported staff wellness initiatives and training to strengthen long-term, inclusive care.

“At its core, these investments are about unity,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Senior Vice President, Industry Relations & Philanthropy. “For more than six decades, CMA has been there for our community, from honoring its excellence to showing up in times of crisis. This commitment is the continuation of that legacy. Every professional in our industry faces unique pressures, and we want to ensure that care is not only accessible but understood as a priority. These organizations are trusted partners who share that mission.”

CMA’s advocacy for mental health is also reflected in its Mental Health Hub at CMAmember.com/mentalhealth, a comprehensive portal that connects music professionals with resources from CMA’s partner organizations and offers guidance for those seeking tailored care.

About the Country Music Association
Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association is the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. Music industry professionals and companies across the U.S. and around the globe are members of CMA. The organization serves as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advances the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Fest, which benefits the CMA Foundation and music education and is taped for a three-hour network television special, “CMA Fest”; and “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s television properties air on ABC.

 For more information about CMA Membership, visit CMAmember.com.