Cindy Watts Presented With 2015 CMA Media Achievement Award

Cindy Watts and Chris Young

The COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (CMA) presented the 2015 CMA Media Achievement Award to TENNESSEAN reporter CINDY WATTS during last NIGHT's (11/4) backstage ceremony. RCA NASHVILLE artist and TENNESSEE native CHRIS YOUNG was on hand to present the award to WATTS on the red carpet prior to the start of the televised "49TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS."

"CINDY is respected in the industry for her passion for the music and artists, her tenacity, creativity, and professionalism," said CMA VP/Corporate Communications WENDY PEARL. "She sets a very high standard for journalistic coverage of Country music and is very deserving of this honor."

WATTS has been covering music in the MIDDLE TENNESSEE area for 15 years, having started her career at THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL (DNJ) in MURFREESBORO during her sophomore year at MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY (MTSU) where she was a Recording Industry major. She spent seven years with DNJ before transitioning to THE TENNESSEAN in 2007, where she has assumed responsibility for the bulk of Country music coverage, including festivals, awards shows, music news, personality profiles, trend stories, and more.

The CMA Media Achievement Award was established to recognize outstanding achievements in media as they relate to Country music.  Print and internet journalists, columnists, authors, and editors; television writers, producers, and bookers; and syndicated radio reporters are considered eligible for nomination and selection for the prestigious award.

"I grew up watching the CMAs in SEVIERVILLE and remember laying on my stomach on the floor waiting to see who would win," said WATTS. "I never imagined one day I'd win an award from the same organization. It's completely surreal. For CHRIS to have worked this into his crazy busy schedule means so much. It truly was the most perfect moment."

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