CMA Foundation Partners With Lainey Wilson and Zach Top on Investments in Music’s Next Generation

The foundation will invest $10,000 in each artist’s selected music education program, with Wilson’s Heart Like a Truck Fund adding another $5,000.

Country music’s talent pipeline starts long before an artist signs a record deal or steps onto an awards show stage. It begins with access to instruments, instruction and spaces where young musicians can discover what they have to offer.

The CMA Foundation is putting new funding behind those opportunities, partnering with Lainey Wilson and Zach Top to connect their 2025 CMA Awards achievements with support for the next generation.

Turning CMA Awards Recognition Into Community Investment

The philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association will invest $10,000 each in two music education initiatives connected to the artists: Notes for Notes, supported through Wilson’s partnership, and Taylor’s Camp, a Washington State youth program with deep roots in Top’s musical upbringing.

Wilson’s Heart Like a Truck Fund will contribute an additional $5,000 to Notes for Notes, bringing the combined investment across both programs to $25,000.

The initiative connects recognition of established talent with support for the

educational programs that help emerging musicians find their footing.

“Music has the power to change lives, and our artists have a unique ability to inspire the next generation,” said CMA Foundation Executive Director Michelle Kirk.

“As we celebrate 15 years of the CMA Foundation, we’re proud to honor Lainey and Zach’s incredible CMA Awards accomplishments by extending their impact into music classrooms and communities across the country.”

Lainey Wilson Supports Access to Studios, Instruments and Education

Wilson, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, is helping support an organization whose work extends beyond learning an instrument.

Notes for Notes gives young people access to instruments, recording studios and music education, providing hands-on opportunities to explore their creativity and gain experience in music production.

That breadth matters to an industry supported by a range of creative and professional disciplines. Early exposure to a studio can introduce a student to performing, while also opening a door to work behind the console or behind the scenes.

“Lainey embodies the spirit and will of perseverance matched with innate talent,” said Phil Gilley, CEO and co-founder of Notes for Notes. “Her journey is an inspiration to every young artist that walks into our studios in Nashville and beyond, from those who may be exploring music for the first time to those chasing the dream.”

With the CMA Foundation’s investment and Wilson’s additional contribution, Notes for Notes will receive $15,000 in support.

“This is an investment that can unlock a future for the next player, songwriter, producer, manager, music teacher or even Entertainer of the Year,” Gilley said.

Zach Top Gives Back to the Camp That Helped Shape Him

For Top, the reigning CMA New Artist of the Year, the investment brings his career back to a program that helped shape it.

Taylor’s Camp, the youth music education program of the Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival, introduces children to foundational music skills through instruction from professional musicians. Participants also have the opportunity to perform on the festival’s main stage.

Top experienced the program as a student before returning as an instructor, giving this investment a direct connection to the mentorship it will support.

“Taylor’s Camp is a special place to me because I got to be on the other side of it — I was a kid learning there, and later I got to come back and teach,” Top said. “There’s something pretty special about being able to pass along what somebody once passed along to you.”

“I’m really proud that this investment can help more kids experience that, find something they love and keep this music going.”

Festival board member Will McSeveney said Top remained connected to the community as his career progressed, eventually returning to headline its main stage.

“That he still wants to give back to this camp, no matter how far his career has taken him, means more to us than we can say,” McSeveney said.

Supporting the People Who Build Music’s Future

The investments build on the CMA Foundation’s work since its establishment in 2011. Through funding, professional development and educational programming, the organization has supported hundreds of teachers and thousands of students alongside the music industry.

These partnerships also illustrate the role artists can play in sustaining the programs that introduce young people to music. Wilson’s support helps provide access to creative spaces and production experience, while Top’s investment reinforces a community tradition of musicians teaching the next generation.

As the CMA Foundation marks its 15th anniversary, the initiative gives two major awards achievements a lasting purpose: helping students access the tools, teachers and experiences that could shape their own futures in music.

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