As the executive director of the Americana Music Association (AMA) for seventeen years, Jed Hilly’s responsibilities include producing the annual awards show and the AmericanaFest Music Festival and Conference. He loves his job because he is passionate about music and artist advocacy.
Jed got his start in music in New York. He was in a band, and booking gigs fell on his shoulders. He learned he liked doing it and discovered he was good at the business side of things.
Jed spent ten years at Sony Music Entertainment in New York, where he had many diverse experiences as the VP of digital asset management and marketing services. He then moved to Nashville to oversee Roy Orbison's estate before accepting the role of executive director of the AMA.
“The AMA started 25 years ago, in 1999,” says Jed. “It started as a reaction to commercial country music not recognizing artists like Roseanne Cash, k.d. lang, Dwight Yokum, or Emmylou Harris. The AMA was formed to recognize all traditional American roots music, including blues, r & b, bluegrass, and contemporary American music.”
Jed explained that in the mid-1990s, an FCC ruling allowed the consolidation of radio stations around the country. “There were a few owners with a lot of stations, and commercial country music was king. But there were people who wanted to shine a light on artists who would not otherwise have been heard.”
In the Spring of 1999, a group of thirty or so people gathered to discuss how to get grassroots music played. They met again in the fall to organize. “A corporate facilitator helped them define their mission and what they were aspiring to do,” says Jed. “The mission was to foster growth for Americana artists. Before that time, people didn’t really know they existed.”
When Jed started at the AMA in 2007, there were just over 790 members and not one major label. When Brandi Carlile won a Grammy for best Americana record for “By the Way, I Forgive You,” she described Americana as “the land of misfit toys.”
The incorporation of American roots music traditions from Gospel to traditional country to blues to rock ‘n’ roll is prevalent today. “The strength and beauty of Americana is its diversity,” says Jed.
Since Jed joined the AMA, services have expanded greatly, and the music is gaining more traction. More music supervisors are discovering Americana music for film and television, and the music is being spread through social media.
The Americana Music Association Foundation is a 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization that promotes educational purposes and maintains the integrity and continued existence of Americana music.
The 23rd Americana Music Honors and Award Show was held in September. “It’s not just an award show,” says Jeb. “It is a very powerful show. There are no hosts – it’s very much about the community of musicians.” Held in the historic Ryman Theatre in Nashville, the show has featured entertainers including Robert Plant, Johnny Cash, Buddy Guy, Brandi Carlile, Milk Carton Kids, Shelby Lynn, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Comments