BMAC, ACM JOIN FORCES FOR ONRAMP

The Black Music Action Coalition and the Academy of Country Music have created a program to financially assist 20 young, Black members of the Nashville music community for a year.

OnRamp, which will provide each participant with a $1,000 monthly stipend, aims to empower the next generation of leaders in the early stages of their careers by granting access to professional-development opportunities and community mentorship. Participants will be able to receive industry exposure, access to Academy membership panels and tentpole live events and visibility with Academy Board members and industry leaders.

The 2022 cohort of the ACM program LEVel Up: Lift Every Voice will guide OnRamp.

Said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder/co-chair of the Black Music Action Coalition, “It speaks volumes that the Black Music Action Coalition and the Academy of Country Music are joining forces to launch a guaranteed-basic-income program in Nashville for emerging Black artists and young professionals. I applaud [ACM CEO] Damon Whiteside, the ACM board and the LEVel Up team for sharing our vision and becoming true partners on a direct-impact solution that will begin to address longstanding racial inequalities.”

“We see this partnership as a particularly effective way to make the statement ‘Country music is for everyone’ a reality,” Whiteside said.

BMAC, ACM and industry partners will initially fund OnRamp, which will be run by social-impact agency BreatheWithMe. Applications will be available starting in late spring, with the program commencing in June to coincide with Black Music Month and BMAC's third anniversary. Interested candidates can visit ACMcountry.com/OnRamp to sign up for email notifications.