Sheryl Crow, Reba McEntire, Mickey Guyton & More Slated for Power of Women: Nashville Event

Variety is set to launch its first Power of Women: Nashville issue and event, bringing its Power of Women franchise to Music City to honor a slate of top women country artists and industry members.

The May 1 event, in partnership with Lifetime, will celebrate the inaugural Power of Women: Nashville honorees, who will each appear on four separate covers of the issue, as well as women profiled in the annual Women’s Impact Report: Nashville, which will highlight the industry’s most philanthropic women who have made an impact through their work.

The Power of Women: Nashville event will honor artists Kelsea Ballerini, Mickey Guyton, Reba McEntire, and Lainey Wilson.

Country Music Hall of Famer McEntire has earned 24 No. 1 Billboard Hot Country Songs hits and has forged a multi-faceted career that includes movies, television, music, Broadway, book deals, a clothing line and time as a judge on The Voice, among other initiatives. Wilson has earned entertainer of the year accolades from both the CMA and ACM, and released her latest album, Whirlwind, last year. She’s currently headlining her Whirlwind tour, with shows in Europe and North America. With her recent projects including the Grammy-nominated Rolling Up the Welcome Mat and her latest, Patterns, Ballerini has seen her career surge on the strength of heartfelt songs and energetic stage shows, with headlining concerts at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Knoxville’s Thompson-Boling Arena, and New York’s Madison Square Garden. Guyton recently released her latest album, House on Fire, and launched her first headlining tour last year, in addition to garnering an array of high-profile appearances in recent years, including performing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in 2022.

Nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow will host the event, while actress and activist Ashley Judd will be on hand to introduce the upcoming four-part documentary The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, which will premiere on Lifetime on May 10-11, and will profile familial and personal connections within the Judd family, including Ashley, her sister Wynonna Judd and their late mother, Naomi Judd. In addition to her own solo musical career, Wynonna was also a part of the Country Music Hall of Fame duo The Judds with Naomi. In the 1980s, the duo earned 14 No. 1 Hot Country Songs hits.

As has been done with Variety‘s Power of Women celebrations in Los Angeles and New York, each honoree will bring awareness to a charity of their choice, with the publication making a donation to each charity as part of the event. Ballerini will honor the Feel Your Way Through Foundation, which helps nonprofits focused on mental health initiatives. Guyton has chosen to celebrate The Loveland Foundation, which seeks to give opportunities to communities of color, while Wilson will spotlight her own Heart Like a Truck Fund.

“The impact of these extraordinary honorees reminds us that true power lies in uplifting others and creating meaningful change,” Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime & LMN, said in a statement. “This year, as we bring Variety’s Power of Women to Nashville for the first time, we celebrate not only their achievements but also the power of storytelling, community, and advocacy. Lifetime is proud to continue shining a light on these remarkable women with Variety.”

Variety and Billboard are owned by parent company PMC.