40th Annual International Country Music Conference

When
Thursday, 30 May - Saturday, 1 June, 2024

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 2023 conference schedule can be found here.

Past programs can be found here.

The deadline for ICMC 2024 proposals is Friday, 27 October 2023. Proposals submitted before the 27 October 2023 deadline are appreciated and help in the publicity and scheduling processes.

See this year's schedule

Awards

Alanna Nash

Alanna Nash is the 2023 honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism. Chandler will be honored for "Changing Nashville: As America becomes more diverse, so does its music"

Past Awards

Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be &
The Running Kind: Listening to Merle Haggard

The 2023 The Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year honorees are:

Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be by Marissa Moss

&

The Running Kind: Listening to Merle Haggard by David Cantwell

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 2023, please email don.cusic@belmont.edu to get your book in the running for the 2024 award.

Rolling Stone in association with the International Country Music Conference is pleased to request nominations for the 8th annual Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism.

Open to nominations from throughout the world, the Chet Flippo Award will honor a piece of writing on Country Music published during 2022 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 1 April 2023 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. Stories published in Rolling Stone and stories written by Rolling Stone Staffers are ineligible.

Please send nominations to James E. Akenson at jakenson@tntech.edu.

Conference Journal

The International Country Music Journal (ICMJ) 2023 is now available and edited by Dr. Don Cusic of Belmont University. The 2023 ICMJ features a wide variety of articles. Although an official function of ICMC, the ICMJ accepts manuscript submissions from scholars and others from throughout the world regardless if they have attended and presented at ICMC or not. ICMJ is available from Amazon and on the ICMC website here