CMA hands out Potts International award

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – The Country Music Association awarded Anna-Sophie Mertens, Vice President of Touring, Live Nation U.K., the Rob Potts International Live Music Advancement Award.

The honor, one of its 2023 CMA International Awards, was handed out during Highways Festival in London on Saturday. These efforts are part of CMA's ongoing mission to grow and expand country music globally.

This award recognizes outstanding achievements made by an individual who has made important contributions to the live music industry by extending performance opportunities and building live audiences for country outside of the U.S. Promoters, booking agents, talent buyers, festival/venue bookers and other live music industry professionals are eligible to win this award to be presented only when it is deemed that a recipient is worthy of recognition.

Mertens is the Vice President of Touring for Live Nation U.K. and has been instrumental in bringing talent to the United Kingdom,c ontinuing the development of international superstars and championing awareness for country outside of North America.

In 2023, Mertens established Highways, the first ever country and Americana Festival at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Mertens has advocated for country representation on multi-genre festivals which saw Morgan Wade play at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2022, and in 2019 Brothers Osborne performed at the Download Festival. In 2020 Mertens joined the CMA Board of Directors and has served on their U.K. Task Force since 2018.