ArtistDirect News
Country Music Hall of Fame Honors Trailblazing Director Trey Fanjoy at Louise Scruggs Forum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will honor music‑video director Trey Fanjoy at its 18th annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum on Wednesday, Aug. 19, in the museum’s Ford Theater in downtown Nashville. The event, led by museum writer‑editor Allison Moorer, will feature a discussion with Fanjoy, who broke new ground when she became the first woman to win the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Video of the Year award in 2009.
Fanjoy’s career spans more than 150 major‑label videos, including Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” which earned her the 2009 Video of the Year award, and later works for Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, and George Strait. She has received the CMA Video of the Year award twice—once for Lambert’s 2010 “The House That Built Me” and again in 2020 for “Bluebird”—and has been nominated 18 times, the most of any director in the category.
The Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum, first presented in 2007, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to country music. Scruggs, who lived from 1927 to 2006, was the first woman in the industry to serve as a booking agent and manager. In 1955 she began managing the bluegrass group Flatt & Scruggs and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, guiding her husband Earl Scruggs’s career for half a century. Past honorees include Alison Brown, Kay Clary, Lorianne Crook, Bebe Evans, and others who have shaped the genre.
The Ford Theater, which seats just over 200 people, is described by the museum as a “living room” that offers full production capabilities for events. It has hosted the museum’s signature Songwriter Sessions and other live music programming throughout the year.
Fanjoy’s work has appeared on CMT, VH1, GAC, The Nashville Network, CMT Canada, and MTV. She has been recognized as one of the most award‑winning directors in country music, with her videos frequently featured on television and streaming platforms. Her 2009 win with Swift’s “Love Story” was historic because it was the first time a woman received the CMA Video of the Year award. She remains the only woman to win the award twice and one of two people to win it three times.
The forum will provide an opportunity for attendees to hear from Fanjoy about her creative process, her collaborations with high‑profile artists, and her perspective on the evolving role of women in country music production. Museum writer‑editor Allison Moorer will guide the conversation, drawing on Fanjoy’s extensive experience and the broader history of the Hall of Fame’s support for industry pioneers.
The event is part of the Hall of Fame’s ongoing effort to recognize individuals who have contributed to the preservation and interpretation of country music history. By spotlighting Fanjoy’s achievements, the museum underscores the importance of visual storytelling in the genre and highlights the progress made by women in roles traditionally dominated by men.
The 18th Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum will take place on Aug. 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ford Theater. Tickets are available through the Hall of Fame’s website and can be purchased in advance. The event is free for Hall of Fame members.
In summary, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s tribute to Trey Fanjoy celebrates a director whose work has shaped the visual language of country music for more than a decade. Her historic CMA wins, extensive list of collaborations, and record number of nominations make her a fitting honoree for a forum dedicated to the legacy of a pioneering woman in the industry.
Fanjoy’s career spans more than 150 major‑label videos, including Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” which earned her the 2009 Video of the Year award, and later works for Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, and George Strait. She has received the CMA Video of the Year award twice—once for Lambert’s 2010 “The House That Built Me” and again in 2020 for “Bluebird”—and has been nominated 18 times, the most of any director in the category.
The Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum, first presented in 2007, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to country music. Scruggs, who lived from 1927 to 2006, was the first woman in the industry to serve as a booking agent and manager. In 1955 she began managing the bluegrass group Flatt & Scruggs and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, guiding her husband Earl Scruggs’s career for half a century. Past honorees include Alison Brown, Kay Clary, Lorianne Crook, Bebe Evans, and others who have shaped the genre.
The Ford Theater, which seats just over 200 people, is described by the museum as a “living room” that offers full production capabilities for events. It has hosted the museum’s signature Songwriter Sessions and other live music programming throughout the year.
Fanjoy’s work has appeared on CMT, VH1, GAC, The Nashville Network, CMT Canada, and MTV. She has been recognized as one of the most award‑winning directors in country music, with her videos frequently featured on television and streaming platforms. Her 2009 win with Swift’s “Love Story” was historic because it was the first time a woman received the CMA Video of the Year award. She remains the only woman to win the award twice and one of two people to win it three times.
The forum will provide an opportunity for attendees to hear from Fanjoy about her creative process, her collaborations with high‑profile artists, and her perspective on the evolving role of women in country music production. Museum writer‑editor Allison Moorer will guide the conversation, drawing on Fanjoy’s extensive experience and the broader history of the Hall of Fame’s support for industry pioneers.
The event is part of the Hall of Fame’s ongoing effort to recognize individuals who have contributed to the preservation and interpretation of country music history. By spotlighting Fanjoy’s achievements, the museum underscores the importance of visual storytelling in the genre and highlights the progress made by women in roles traditionally dominated by men.
The 18th Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum will take place on Aug. 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ford Theater. Tickets are available through the Hall of Fame’s website and can be purchased in advance. The event is free for Hall of Fame members.
In summary, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s tribute to Trey Fanjoy celebrates a director whose work has shaped the visual language of country music for more than a decade. Her historic CMA wins, extensive list of collaborations, and record number of nominations make her a fitting honoree for a forum dedicated to the legacy of a pioneering woman in the industry.