Major Layoffs Hit ACM Awards, MCA Nashville
Is something amiss in the major label world? Or are they just getting a head start on the inevitable replacement of virtually all human labor with AI? Either way, two of country music’s major entities are cutting staff, and no matter how they spin it, when you’re downsizing as opposed to growing, it’s usually not a good sign.
Ever since the Academy of Country Music awards moved to Prime Video, it’s felt like they’re on more shaky ground than when they were broadcast on network TV. It’s really hard to know exactly how successful the awards have been on Prime because we don’t get any real ratings. And if Amazon does boast about engagement, you have to take it with a grain of salt since the numbers aren’t coming from an impartial third party.
A month after the 2025 ACM Awards on May 8th, the organization laid off one quarter of its staff, or five people total. That seems pretty significant, even for a smaller organization. This included Alexis Bingham (Coordinator, Events), Lexi Cothran (Senior Manager, Communications and Strategic Initiatives), Jesse Knutson (Director, Publicity and Media Relations) and Brittany Uhniat (Manager, Creative and Content Production).
Of course, the official line from the ACM Awards tried to paint a rosy picture.
“Coming off a successful 60th ACM Awards week and renewal with Prime Video through 2028, the Academy implemented a strategic staff realignment in an effort to support its future business and growth initiatives, resulting in the elimination of five staff positions across various departments,” the statement said. “We thank these individuals for their dedication and contributions to the work of the Academy.”
MCA, which is the old UMG Nashville (part of the Universal Music Group) also recently laid off a reported dozen staffers, which again, feels like a big number. The company is in the process of reorganizing, and perhaps is trimming fat as the label looks to focus more on digital and social media strategies. But again, you don’t lay off a dozen people if everything is going well.
If you’re a fan of the mainstream country music industry, should you be worried? If you’ve been rooting for the Music Row system governing country music to implode, should you be happy? It’s hard to determine at this point. But if we continue to see more layoffs, it will definitely speak to a deepening trend that either is about emerging weakness in the major label world, or a dramatic shift to streamline manpower and rely more on AI and younger talent to replace the old guard.
June 19, 2025 @ 8:40 am
Nobody cares about awards anymore.
The younger generation got their spots online, whatever it is in the moment, they don’t watch ACM, Grammy or CNN. The older generation sticks to the artists they know, most of them semi-retired or dead. The streaming companies (minus NetFlix) are dying; too much content not worth our time. The record companies and film studios will follow. You don’t need a big company to back you up anymore. A YouTube video will do the same as MCA.
I’m absolutely not alone in my dislike for modern music (and I’m not even 50 yet), so why would I watch a glossy show with tattooed hip-hop artists calling themselves country singers? I don’t even bother with tv anymore, be it cable or most of the streamers. I will watch Mayor of Kingstown and Landman when the shows return – if they still holds up.
Old books, old tv shows, old movies – the well is bottomless. New stuff? Nah, seen it done better before.
And every day is a new day with fresh air, doggie walks, hunting, good food, wife and kid, friends, collegues and neighbours. That’s more than enough to fill the day. Often too much; you cherish silence and solitude as you grow older.
Too much noise and light around us, anyway.
June 19, 2025 @ 8:54 am
If you’ve been following independent country music the past ten years, this should come as no surprise.
June 19, 2025 @ 9:15 am
Eventually, the zombies have to be dealt with.
June 19, 2025 @ 9:38 am
I get your point… but I expected numbers larger than five and twelve.
June 19, 2025 @ 10:02 am
Not trying to be hyperbolic. But if your organization consists of 20 people and you lay off five or 25%, that’s pretty significant. If Microsoft or GM laid off 25% of its workforce, it would definitely be news. And a dozen people even at a major Nashville label is not small either. That said, the point of highlighting this now is to see if it works into a deepening trend that could portend something for the future of country music.
June 19, 2025 @ 9:43 am
I’m sorry, but why do we presume that AI can replace any of the folks impacted by this layoff? *Maybe* it makes it quicker to draft a press release email and *maybe* they use one of the image generators in the creation of promotional material, but beyond that I don’t know what evidence we have that AI can, you know, actually do the work the Big Tech companies claim it can?
Show me a company that has laid off gobs of staff and replaced it with AI and it has been successful? The companies you have heard of talking about “pivoting” to AI have been companies circling the drain and trying to drum up Venture Capital OR companies that have used “AI” as an excuse to hide the fact they over hired – combined with the loss of a key R&D tax credit that expired last year – and are making cuts as a result.
Look at poll after poll after poll. People *hate* this AI crap. They hate it. Overwhelmingly. The only people who like it are business idiots (i.e., middle managers) who don’t actually do anything all day and see this as a way to justify their existence (look at how I’m boosting productivity!!) and access journalists like Casey Newton and Kevin Roose who kiss the ring rather than….you know…critically report.
MCA Nashville can certainly try and replace a few of these folks with AI, but much like everything else related with AI it will overwhelmingly fail and they will just use AI as an excuse for why Mark down the hall can do the job of 3 people so the C-Suite can throw themselves another party.
June 19, 2025 @ 10:26 am
Hope springs eternal.
June 19, 2025 @ 6:02 pm
“…future Country Music” Trigger ? Hahahahahahaha! How will future country music sound like? Of course you should know based on this blog, but I must say there is no such thing as future Country Music. Perhaps that’s why the CMA has introduced the new category of the “Best Traditional Country Music Award “ and because l understand George Strait’s music as a fan for more than 40 years since l grew up listening to Traditional Country Music l would argue that George Strait should be the first recipient of the new category especially since he incorporates his life journey into his music by honoring the memory of his beloved daughter Jenifer Lyn Strait in his music.
June 19, 2025 @ 1:45 pm
MCA aka UMG has removed the last vestiges of the Mabe regime. Those laid off were the Mabe supporters. That’s all to read into that. The ACM’s on the other hand have been on life support for years.
June 19, 2025 @ 2:38 pm
How will this affect back catalogs of older artists is MCA/UMG goes under? Considering how many artists are under that umbrella, I’d hate to know that their music would poof out of existence.
June 19, 2025 @ 2:49 pm
I don’t really think that’s a concern, but you never know.
June 20, 2025 @ 1:16 am
They’re used to burn the artists’ masters anyway.
June 19, 2025 @ 3:07 pm
I think Old Dominion will do just fine even if the ACM’s go completely under.
June 19, 2025 @ 3:10 pm
Some of the artists probably love going to those award shows, but when I see them I think how much I would hate having to dress up and attend the several different shows as part of my job. I might silently root for some to go under.
June 19, 2025 @ 8:05 pm
Awards used to mean something to a career in the 70s and 80s. Maybe part of the 90s? Not much anymore. Being on tv decades ago was gigantic – now it’s not such a big deal thanks to youtube.
I lost interest in the award shows in the 2000s for sure. And the years fly by, and you notice when people starting winning 4-5 Entertainer of the Year awards….female vocalist 5-6-7 times….boring – and it smells like payola?
When Loretta Lynn or Charlie Pride or Glen Campbell, or Barbara Mandrell won Entertainer, it was a huge deal. They won it once. Barbara was twice. When Garth Brooks wins his 5-6-7-99th Entertainer award, it all seems ridiculous. And the show becomes irrelevant.
June 19, 2025 @ 10:03 pm
I’d say the award shows were still relevant well past the 90’s.
Chris Stapleton’s CMA performance with Justin Timberlake changed his whole career.
June 19, 2025 @ 8:14 pm
I kinda like Rob Zombie,Comcaster.
June 20, 2025 @ 2:45 am
…”billboard” reported already back in april: “Universal Music Group Nashville Rebrands as MCA Under New Leadership. New CEO Mike Harris and chief creative officer Dave Cobb add Katie McCartney and Tom LaScola to their executive team, as label restructuring leads to several departures.”
now, there are more departures announced in the process of restructuring universal/mca nashville. quite a normal process actually, when new people take over at the top and bring in new ideas.
when it comes to the acm, the fact that the currently biggest stars in country music have not been attending the second biggest – pure – country awards show can’t go down well with anybody involved and in charge there. also the decision to hold it in remote frisco, texas must be seen as at least unfortunate, if you want to be recognised as something glamourous on a national level.
to put into question “the governing music row system” over these intrinsically separate decisions/events is taking things way too far. the point is, if your organisation doesn’t score, when everything is rosy elsewhere and around you, you have to question your position and the people in charge and consequently act upon accordingly. that’s all what’s been happening there, i’d think. and nope, the indie guys and gals are very likely not (yet) taking over in nashville, even though they have improved in making their presence more felt.
June 20, 2025 @ 7:06 am
Yes, it’s important to point out that these MCA layoffs came AFTER an initial wave of layoffs in the restructuring.
June 20, 2025 @ 7:36 am
I believe the last time I watched an awards show was in the early 90’s. If the entire awards cabal went away I wouldn’t even know it unless I read it here. Country My Ass.
June 20, 2025 @ 11:42 pm
I lost interest when you give awards to people that buy there own music so they can win album of the year “”Bionci “. { Sorry Spelling) We have All these so called Pop And Rock Stars coming to Country Music and playing at the Ryman, and saying things like really I was always Country lol : Ringo Star. ect………. Music is changing all right, and it’s not good 🤔😵💫
June 21, 2025 @ 2:33 am
…sorry ma’am, music – in all of country music – has rarely been better and varied than today thanks to everybody involved. just do the math with review scores only on this site. facts are facts and too many emojis look like “vudu”, like your adventurous spelling of names accompanied by some really lame “sorry”.