2026 Women Of Live: Kerri Pauley Edwards

Kerri Pauley Edwards
KP Entertainment | President

TWO-WAY STREET | “Out-work others and the commitment will pay off. This also applies to artists.”

From West Virginia beginnings to helming one of the top country music management companies, Kerri Pauley Edwards continues to grow star client Luke Bryan, who has sold more than 20 million concert tickets, good for No. 20 on Pollstar’s recent Most Popular Touring Artists Of The Millennium chart.

But it’s not just history for the five-time CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year, who in January pulled off his 11th Crash My Playa destination event in Riviera Maya, Mexico, and who is kicking off his Farm Tour for an 18th annual time, with dates in rural California this spring.

Other highlights for Edwards and her KP Entertainment include Cole Swindell selling out Red Rocks in Colorado, “America Idol” winner Chayce Beckham being named one of the Grand Ole Opry’s NextStage performers and Curb Records signee Dylan Scott being named the Country Aircheck No. 3 most air played artist of 2025.

Since starting KP Entertainment in 2006, Edwards has been named the CMA’s SRO Manager of the Year and ranked on various Nashville and Music Industry Power lists from trade magazines. Ironic, as the extremely kind Edwards eschews all the attention and doesn’t normally do interviews.

“In the live space, it is still heavy leaning men,” Edwards says. “I feel like the path for many women have opened tremendously since I first came into the business. We have work to do, no doubt, but we have chipped away at the opportunities.”

“Tim DuBois and Mike Dungan (Arista Records Nashville) first opened the door for me to be a part of this business,” Edwards adds. “I saw both of them have drive and passion for their careers, artists and the people who surrounded them while doing it all with such integrity. Mark Bright — producer, publisher and label head — took me under his wing and taught me so many pieces of this business as well as introduced me to our town. His lessons were invaluable.”

Edwards says to expect big things coming up from KP and its clients in 2026, and has a simple but effective mantra guiding her business.

“(It’s about) putting the time into strong and meaningful relationships and building a long-term career for our clients,” she says.