Student Reporter Alyssa Smith Receives CMA Award of Merit

Vanderbilt University graduate Alyssa Smith was awarded the 2009 CMA Close Up Award of Merit by the Country Music Association. Created in 2007, the award honors the student that "demonstrates the most creativity, dedication and promise in covering the CMA Music Festival on assignment from CMA," according to a CMA press release.
The award was presented to Smith during the backstage press conference at the 2009 CMA Awards at the Sommet Center in Nashville.
"CMA is proud to foster up-and-coming music journalists by offering them the tools and opportunities to hone their skills," said Wendy Pearl, CMA Vice President of Communications. "It is important for us as a trade association to recognize excellence in entertainment journalism and encourage the next generation of writers."
CMA Close Up Award of Merit candidates were chosen based on recommendations from department heads in Journalism or similar programs at universities and colleges in central Tennessee. The final 14 reporters and photojournalists covered all parts of the 2009 CMA Music Festival under Bob Doerschuk, editor of CMA Close Up magazine, and their work was posted daily during the event. Their work has been archived at http://www.CMAfest.com.
After the Festival, the CMA Close Up editorial team reviewed everyone's performance and stories and selected Smith as the winner. Smith was also invited to cover the 2009 CMA Awards for the magazine.
"We had a large and very talented group of student volunteers covering [the] CMA Music Festival this year, but even among this impressive company Alyssa distinguished herself through the quality of her coverage as well as the unusual initiative she displayed," said Doerschuk.