The Country Music Association is heading to SXSW 2026 with two events on March 13 that put both the music and the people who make it front and center. The first is a panel discussion running from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT at Downright Austin in Capitol Ballroom E, focused on how mental health support is being built directly into the touring ecosystem. Country artist Wyatt Flores, his manager William Dyer, and Dr. Chayim Newman, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Amber Health, will detail the model they developed together, with CMA Senior Vice President Tiffany Kerns joining to speak to the organization’s role in bringing it to scale. It is a rare, frank conversation about what sustainable artist care actually looks like on the road.
That evening, the CMA Songwriters Series takes over Central Presbyterian Church at 8 p.m. CT in the traditional writers round format, with Georgia Webster opening before Chase McDaniel, Ingrid Andress, Tiera Kennedy and Wyatt Flores each take their turns sharing the stories behind the songs and performing them as originally written. “Country Music has always been rooted in real stories and real emotion,” says Kerns. “Bringing an empowering conversation and a CMA Songwriters Series to SXSW gives us the opportunity to showcase that tradition in its most authentic form, while reinforcing our commitment to the well-being of the artists and industry professionals who make this music possible.”
Both events are presented in partnership with Amber Health, the music industry’s only full-service mental health and wellness provider, founded in 2020 by Dr. Newman and Zack Borer. Amber Health has supported tours behind Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran and Shakira, and its partnership with CMA represents one of the most serious institutional commitments to proactive mental health care the country music world has seen.