Melissa Joan Hart to Host Variety’s Inagural “Power of Women Nashville”; Noah Kahan, Maren Morris, Hillary Scott and Breland Join as Presenters

Melissa Joan Hart will host Variety‘s first-ever Power of Women: Nashville event, taking place on Thursday, May 1, with Noah Kahan, Maren Morris, Hillary Scott and Breland joining as presenters.

The event and accompanying issue (cover date: April 29), in partnership with Lifetime, will celebrate Power of Women’s inaugural Nashville honorees — Kelsea Ballerini, Sheryl Crow, Mickey Guyton and Reba McEntire — along with five songwriters and 26 executives. Each top honoree will highlight a charity of their choosing, to which Variety will make a donation as part of the event.

Actress, director and producer Melissa Joan Hart, known for her roles in “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” will host the event. Recently, she starred in Lifetime’s “Killing the Competition” and is slated to produce and star in the Netflix holiday film “Merry Little Xmas” later this year.

Presenters for the event will include genre-blending artist Breland, introducing Guyton. He released his latest EP, “Project 2024,” last October, and recently hosted his third-annual “Breland & Friends” in support of the Oasis Center, a local organization that supports at-risk youth in Middle Tennessee;

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, introducing Ballerini. He has released three studio albums including the breakout “Stick Season,” and helps to raise awareness for mental health initiatives through his nonprofit, the Busyhead Project;

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Maren Morris, introducing Crow. She will release her fourth studio album, “DREAMSICLE,” on May 9, and created the Heroes Fund to support music education in public schools; and

Hillary Scott, introducing McEntire. A nine-time Grammy-winner and one-third of the superstar group Lady A, she is a co-founder of LadyAID, created to bring awareness to and generate support for children who cannot otherwise help themselves, and serves as an ambassador for Cornerstone Building Brands’ Home for Good project, partnering with Habitat for Humanity to support affordable housing initiatives across North America.

Pop-country sensation Dasha will perform her cover of Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For The Party,” which was recently released as an Amazon Music Original ahead of her debut appearance on the Stagecoach festival’s main stage last weekend.

Actress and activist Ashley Judd will attend the event to introduce the upcoming four-part documentary event “The Judd Family: Truth Be Told,” premiering on Lifetime May 10th and 11th. Profiling one of the greatest country music families of our time, the doc examines Naomi Judd’s complicated bond with her daughters, Wynonna and Ashley.

This year’s Power of Women honorees include: multiple Grammy Award-nominated and two time CMA winning artist and songwriter Kelsea Ballerini, who is the newest judge on NBC’s hit competition series, “The Voice.” Ballerini recently released her critically acclaimed studio album “Patterns,” and is celebrating the Feel Your Way Through Foundation, which focuses on raising money for nonprofits centered around mental health;

Nine-time Grammy-winning musician Sheryl Crow, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 and released her twelfth studio album “Evolution” in 2024. She will highlight the Natural Resources Defense Council, an organization that works to safeguard the earth;

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mickey Guyton, who released her most recent studio album, “House on Fire,” in 2024. She will highlight The Loveland Foundation, which focuses on bringing opportunity and healing to communities of color, especially to Black women and nonbinary individuals;

and Grammy-winning singer and Golden Globe-nominated actress Reba McEntire, whose NBC sitcom “Happy’s Place” was recently renewed for a second season. She is supporting the Safe Haven Family Shelter, a premier shelter-to-housing program in middle Tennessee that accommodates families experiencing homelessness.

Lifetime is the Presenting Partner of the event. Other event sponsors include Amazon Music, whose head of country music, Michelle Tigard Kammerer, will introduce Dasha’s performance. L-Acoustics, a leading provider of professional audio technologies, will showcase its cutting-edge sound solutions on the mainstage to preview the opening of its new Nashville regional headquarters this fall. Amber Mundinger, L-Acoustics’ global director of creative engagement, will provide onstage remarks about the company’s shared-sound experiences connecting artists and audiences.

Sony Electronics, Anzie Blue, Big Loud, Back Blocks Music, Country Music Association, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Publishing, Sony Music Nashville, Live Nation Women, Wasserman and the Recording Industry Association of America are all supporting partners.

Exclusive, curated gift bags will be given to honorees and guests at the event with entertainment, beauty, health and fashion products, from companies including Rare Beauty, BÉIS, Tower 28, Mario Badescu, tarte cosmetics, Uncommon James, Supergoop!, Bombas, Grande Cosmetics, OSEA and more.