MTSU professor Beverly Keel, chair of the university’s highly touted Department of Recording Industry, has been named among the winners of The Nashville Business Journal’s inaugural Women in Music City Awards.

Beverly Keel

The Business Journal solicited nominations of women working in the music business “who are making a creative and economic impact on the industry.”

A judging committee of women music professionals from Los Angeles and New York City reviewed and scored the nominees, and an NBJ committee chose the 26 winners, according to an online story by NBJ Associate Editor Alison Nash.

Click to see full list of winners.

Formerly an award-winning music journalist and recording industry executive, Keel took the helm of the recording industry department a year ago.

Among the projects the MTSU alumna has worked on since then include fundraising efforts to establish a scholarship fund at MTSU in memory of country music legend George Jonesand creation of the Chair’s Lecture Series to bring industry leaders such as Gary Overton, Sarah Trahern, Joe Galante and others to speak to students.

Keel is a graduate of Leadership Music, Leadership Nashville and Leadership Middle Tennessee and serves on the boards of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and The Women’s Fund. She also writes a column for The Tennessean.

NBJ Publisher Kate Herman announced the new awards program in June. All honorees will be recognized at a red carpet event at the Omni Nashville Hotel Sept. 15 and in a printed program on Sept. 19.

Read the full list of winners here.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)