Executive Order 2026-640
Before Governor Beshear announced the Governor’s Office of Music at world-renowned Kentucky music festival Bourbon & Beyond on September 25, 2026, he signed Executive Order 2026-640, making Kentucky just the second state with an office dedicated to supporting musicians and the music industry.
The Governor’s Office of Music, which will maintain the Kentucky Music Industry Directory, 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.
The Executive Order also created a certified Kentucky Music Friendly Community designation, directed the Office of Music to work with the Transportation Cabinet to create a license plate highlighting Kentucky’s music legacy, and ordered the Governor’s Office of Music to draft legislation to provide to the Kentucky General Assembly to support the music industry.