European Country Music Association

rdf:langString European Country Music Association

rdf:langString The European Country Music Association (ECMA) was established in 1994 in the United Kingdom and Spain by people related to the European country music scene, including publishers, DJs and musicians. It originally consisted of less than 100 members. The first president was the UK's Harry E. Fenton. After Fenton's death, Rafel Corbi—a DJ from Spain—was elected to the presidency, and he remains in charge of the organization, which is still a non-profit association. All members of the Board of Directors are volunteers. It was the first organization formed in Europe to promote country music at a general level, covering all of Europe. The objectives of the organization are to help promote country music in this continent and help as much as it can the value of the European artists and record labels; also to provide a proof of real airplay to the country music industry through its weekly national and pan-European charts. Its national Top-20 covers weekly Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, Swizertland, Malta, Poland and Austria. ECMA membership is composed of those persons or organizations that are involved in country music throughout the world, having members in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia and many European countries. ECMA has over 150 stations and DJs reporting their playlists every week. The ECMA also has its annual awards (votes comes only from members of the organization):