8th Annual Influencing Women Awards Gala
April 16, 2026, 6:00 - 10:00 pm | Sonesta Nashville Airport
On Thursday evening, April 16, join local business and community leaders for an inspiring and elegant celebration honoring the Donelson Hermitage Influencing Women and those who champion the advancement of Women in Business.
The 8th Annual Influencing Women Awards Gala, themed Trailblazers & Treasures, shines a spotlight on the bold leaders who carve new paths and the remarkable individuals and organizations who uplift them along the way. We will gather at the Sonesta Nashville Airport for a night filled with connection, recognition, and celebration.
Guests will enjoy an unforgettable evening of dining, dancing, and meaningful moments as we honor women who lead across business, industry, enterprise, and community. The celebration also includes opportunities to network and mingle, bid on exciting silent and live auction items, enjoy a delicious dinner, and cheer on extraordinary honorees and the businesses that support their success.
You’re invited to be part of this special night!
Whether you attend as a guest, bring colleagues or friends, or choose to support the event through sponsorship, your participation helps elevate and invest in the women shaping our community’s future. Sponsorship opportunities offer meaningful visibility for your business while directly supporting leadership, mentorship, and advancement for women in our region.
Join us for an evening that sparkles with purpose, celebrates leadership, and treasures the impact of women blazing trails today and for generations to come!
This year, the Donelson Hermitage Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the
Jeannie Seely Standing Ovation Award
to Emmy-nominated TV Anchor and Grand Ole Opry Host Kelly Sutton.
Kelly Sutton can currently be heard all over the world talking about country music. A global media personality, she’s known as “Country music’s best friend” and biggest cheerleader!
Kelly made history in 2022 when she was named the first female staff announcer for the Grand Ole Opry. She is the host of syndicated radio show “Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton” as well as Circle Television / WSM’s “Coffee, Country & Cody” and “The Nashville Show” for Absolute Radio Country in the UK. She is also the co-host of Amazon Music’s flagship podcast “Country Heat Weekly”.
For over two decades, she has covered all things country music. She is an Emmy award winning former news anchor who spent years on major networks - FOX, NBC, ABC and CMT - covering live daily entertainment events. She is the go-to red carpet host for ACM and CMA Awards.
She works closely with St. Jude Children’s research hospital "Country Cares” program and Susan G. Komen events supporting breast cancer research and the Best Buddies program.
When she isn’t interviewing celebrities, Kelly loves live theater, going to concerts, judging barbecue contests and feeding her pet deer. She lives outside of Nashville with her husband Paul, daughter Reese and dog Wicket.
To review the categories and past award winners, please check out the information below.
Previous award winners are ineligible to be nominated again for the same category.
Influencing Women Awards Categories & Recipients
To review the categories and past award winners, please check out the information below.
Previous award winners are ineligible to be nominated again for the same category.
Since its beginning in 1925, the Grand Ole Opry has not only been a popular radio show featuring an incredible mix of country music performances, but it has also truly been a family. Often referred to as the home of country music, the Grand Ole Opry provides artists with the opportunity to perform with their mentors, to sit down with a fellow artist and share stories that only artists can relate to, and to walk backstage and feel like they’re at home.
This feeling of family is why on the Opry’s 40th Birthday, Opry management decided to start the Opry Trust Fund. Started in 1965, the Opry Trust Fund’s mission is to help those in the country music industry when they need it the most, by offering financial assistance during their time of need.
Since its inception, the Opry Trust Fund has distributed more than $5.8 million.
Learn more about the Opry Trust Fund and its impact at https://www.opry.com/about/opry-trust-fund.
Past Gala Pictures
