Our Mission
The mission of the Governor’s Office of Music is to ensure Kentucky continues to grow its music industry and its economic and cultural impact by cultivating, connecting, highlighting and supporting musicians, music venues, businesses, and festivals. The Office will be a resource for Kentucky artists, venues, festivals, and the many other professionals that make live music and the music industry thrive in the Commonwealth, and will advocate and implement policies to support Kentucky’s music industry.
Overview
Kentucky has been a leading voice in music for generations, altering the sound and landscape of music across the Commonwealth and around the planet. Governor Andy Beshear created the Governor’s Office of Music to work alongside our artists, our venues, our festivals, and other businesses in the industry to support live music and ensure that Kentucky music, musicians, and businesses will continue to lead in coming generations. The Governor’s Office of Music is a tool and a resource for musicians, venues, promoters, producers, and so many others that make the music industry thrive in Kentucky; carrying the sounds from our front porches, garages, clubs, and stages around the world.
Music is as integral to Kentucky culture and traditions as our horses, bourbon, and basketball. Kentucky music and musicians have blazed trails for generations, from pioneers Bill Monroe, Lionel Hampton, Loretta Lynn, and Rosemary Clooney to the voices of today, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jack Harlow, and Tyler Childers.
Kentucky’s influence can be seen from Butcher Hollow to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, all along Country Music Highway, and heard at venues across Kentucky and around the world. From the stages of Renfro Valley, Louisville Palace, and The Burl to some of the best music festivals anywhere in the world, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to Kentucky every year with the Master Musicians Festival, W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival, ROMP, Railbird, Louder than Life, Bourbon & Beyond, and so many more throughout the Commonwealth.
And those artists, venues, and festivals just begin to scratch the surface of the influence of Kentucky storytelling, creativity, culture, and vision on the music world.