Melinda Newman is <em>Billboard</em>'s executive editor, West Coast and Nashville. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, she has covered culture and entertainment for over 20 years. Before returning to <em>Billboard</em> in 2017, she wrote for <em>The Washington Post</em>, the <em>Los Angeles Times</em>, <em>Rolling Stone</em>, <em>Christian Science Monitor</em>, <em>Forbes</em>, <em>Variety</em>, <em>Parade</em> and <em>Entrepreneur</em>, among others. The 2020 recipient of the Country Music Association's media achievement award splits her time between Los Angeles and Nashville and has reported from Mali, Peru, Lebanon, Poland and other corners of the world, but her favorite location is in the pit at a Bruce Springsteen concert.
