Entertainment

BMI Promotes Shannon Sanders to Assistant Vice President in Nashville

Kiran MachadoPublished 5m ago2 min readBased on 1 source
BMI Promotes Shannon Sanders to Assistant Vice President in Nashville
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Shannon Sanders has been promoted to assistant vice president, Creative, Nashville, at BMI, the performing rights organisation, Billboard reported on 12 November 2026. She now reports to Clay Bradley, BMI's vice president, Creative, Nashville.

BMI collects royalties for songwriters and music publishers whenever their songs are played in public, whether on radio, in shops, on television or online. Its creative teams work closer to the writers themselves, helping them find new talent and build careers.

Sanders joined BMI in 2020 as executive director, creative, Nashville. In her new role she will keep supporting the city's creative community. That means signing and developing new talent, and backing songwriters through showcases, educational programmes and networking events.

Her work at BMI has included a conversation series, BMI Presents: A Conversation With, which she produced with guests including Sheryl Crow and Sting. She also hosted the company's monthly Acoustic Lounge at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, with performers including Lauren Daigle, The War & Treaty and K. Michelle.

Before BMI, Sanders founded the Nashville radio station 102.1 The Ville and served as its program director, the person who decides what goes on air. She was also co-musical director for the Fisk Jubilee Singers and India.Arie. In 2022 she led the creative initiative for the Annapolis Songwriters Festival.

Her honours include three Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards and a GMA Dove Award. The Academy of Country Music gave her its Lifting Lives Award in 2024. The National Museum of African American Music named her a "Living Legend" in 2025, and Tennessee State University inducted her into its Hall of Fame for Distinguished Alumni.

For songwriters in Nashville, the job comes down to the everyday work of the room. Showcases decide who gets heard, and the education programmes decide who learns how the business runs. The new title gives Sanders a wider remit over that work, reporting to Bradley.

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