2025 Impact NextGen Honoree: Ryan Nelson

RYAN NELSON
Senior Director, Event Production
CMA (Country Music Association)

TOUCHED AT THIS YEAR’S CMA FEST
Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde.

Few genres have seen such exponential growth as country has over the past decade, with artists ascending to stadiums at a faster pace than ever. What also makes the genre unique is the fact that it was the first to have an industry trade group, the Country Music Association, dedicated to promoting the music, and it has done so through various ventures like CMA Fest, one of the largest country events put on to celebrate the genre.

This year’s four-day Nashville fest featured artists like Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll and Ashley McBryde, drawing an estimated 95,000 people from all over the world. It was a massive success for CMA, one that Senior Director of Event Production Ryan Nelson is happy to be a part of in only his second year with the association.

“I’m proud to have contributed to foundational changes that elevated the footprint, flow and overall fan and artist experience at CMA Fest,” Nelson says. “A major milestone was the successful deployment of RFID credentials across CMA Fest and the CMA Awards for the first time, enhancing access control, streamlining performer movement and providing valuable insights into how people were moving throughout the venues.”

Nelson was also instrumental in the execution of CMA’s After Party event, which introduced the “first-ever on-site award engraving, an extended red-carpet experience and an immersive celebration that allowed the industry to continue honoring country music’s biggest night in a meaningful and memorable way,” he says.

Such ingenuity and forward thinking for the association’s prestigious event could only come from the minds of people like Nelson, who grew up in Wisconsin and was exposed to audio and production at a young age. He spent weekends and summer days building speakers and cases, which fueled his interest in live event production.

“I came up during a pivotal time of technological transformation, straddling the end of the analog era and the rise of digital,” Nelson says. “My generation had the unique advantage of experiencing both worlds firsthand.”

Nelson’s appreciation for multiple systems, old and new, comes from a value his father instilled in him: treating everyone with respect. Seeing his father knowing everyone’s name and making time to shake their hand with a smile left an impression on him, and he tries to emulate that at CMA.

“I made a conscious choice to carry that mindset forward, and it’s become a cornerstone of how I lead,” Nelson says. “True leadership isn’t about status… it’s about showing up for people, setting the tone through action, and creating a culture where every role is valued.