Country music is gaining momentum in the UK, but there’s a crucial need to spotlight homegrown talent. Enter the UK Country Music Association (UK-CMA), set to launch on 10th March 2025.
“We are fighting the cause for the UK country music industry,” says John Finch, Chair of the newly founded UK-CMA. The organisation aims to support the over 2,000 artists, musicians, and industry professionals striving to make a living from country music in the UK.
The timing couldn’t be better. According to IQ Live Music Intelligence, the consumption of country music has surged by 380% over the past five years. In 2024, The Economist reported that country music overtook easy listening, becoming one of the top five most popular genres in the UK.
However, the limelight in the UK country scene is dominated by American artists. “American artists get all the plaudits! The UK Country Radio Airplay Chart is packed with Nashville artists but rarely includes any UK-based acts,” Finch explains. “UK acts are as good as, and in some cases better than, many of their US counterparts.”
The UK-CMA believes that greater awareness of the UK scene, especially in markets like the US, Canada, and Australia, will help propel more tracks by UK artists into key playlists, increasing streaming consumption and ticket sales.
CountryMusic.co.uk is an official ambassador for the UK-CMA, highlighting its commitment to promoting the genre within the UK and is set to ensure that all original country music artists in the UK are listed and promoted on it’s pages.
The UK-CMA’s strategic plans are built on four key elements:
- Promotion: Elevating UK artists and their music by showcasing the scale and quality of the UK country music scene to the media both domestically and internationally.
- Alliances: Forming alliances with the global country music community, including those in Scandinavia, mainland Europe, Canada, and Australasia, to enhance awareness of the undeniable quality within UK country music.
- Development: Nurturing existing talent from grassroots up, fostering collaboration among artists to provide them with industry knowledge, help them write better songs, and improve their concert performances.
- Unity: Bring together the UK Country Music community, from all corners of the country.
There has never been a better time to catch country music live across the UK. From revue shows and club nights like Buck N Bull Saloon, the new Lil’ Nashville venue, and London’s first and only honky-tonk and country music bar, the Dukes Head, to listening rooms like York’s FortyFive Vinyl Café and regular songwriters’ nights such as Nashville Sounds in the Round at Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Festival-goers can look forward to events across the UK, including the inaugural Roadhouse Weekender in July, which complements Country2Country in March, Highways in May, and The Long Road in August. Boutique festivals like Country on the Coast, Buckle & Boots, and The British Country Music Festival also showcase the vibrant UK country music scene.
As the UK-CMA launches, it aims to unite, promote, and develop UK country music, ensuring homegrown talent gets the recognition it deserves.
