41st Annual International Country Music Conference
When
Thursday, 29 May - Saturday, 31 May, 2025
Where
Belmont University, Nashville, TN USA
About the Conference
The International Country Music Conference (ICMC) provides scholars an opportunity to share their work in all aspects of country music. ICMC broadly defines country music to include variants which share common historical and cultural roots ranging from Americana, alt.country, Bluegrass, Cajun, Country Rock, Crossover, and Honky Tonk to the Nashville Sound, New Traditionalist, Old Time Country, and Western Swing. ICMC is truly international with scholars from Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, and the United Kingdom participating. The conference averages around 100 attendees with all presentations in one room, making it a welcoming community for first timers.
Conference Schedule
The 2024 conference schedule can be found here.
Past programs can be found here.
The deadline for ICMC 2025 proposals was Friday, 25 October 2024.
Awards
To Be Announced
is the 2025 honoree for the Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism for their work.
The 2025 The Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year honoree is:
The Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year honors one book published per calendar year. For books published in 2025, please email internationalcountrymusicconf@gmail.com to get your book in the running for the 2026 award.
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The International Country Music Conference requests nominations for the 9th annual Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism. The Chet Flippo Award will be presented Friday, 30 May 2025 during the International Country Music Conference. The honoree will receive $1,000 funded by Dean Beverly Keel of Middle Tennessee State University.
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Open to nominations from throughout the world, the Chet Flippo Award will honor a piece of writing on Country Music published during 2024 in a newspaper, magazine, website, or other appropriate channel distinct from academic books, reference works, and academic journals. Nominations will be evaluated by the committee based on the work’s significance of content, clarity of writing, and impact.
Nominations must be received by Saturday, 30 March 2024 and include the nominee’s name, email contact information, and a link to the work for which the nomination is made. Writers of any employment status may be nominated. Self- nominations are welcome.
Please send nominations to James E. Akenson at jakenson@tntech.edu.
Conference Journal
The International Country Music Journal (ICMJ). The ICMJ features a wide variety of articles. The Journal is not actively being published at this time.
Past issues ICMJ is available on the ICMC website here
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