Mike Sistad  
Judge

ASCAP Membership Relations executive, Michael Sistad, began his future in music at an early age as a singer and musician. Music has taken Sistad across North America and includes stops at the Houston Rodeo, the Calgary Stampede, as well as radio and TV performances on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” and the Grand Ole Opry. Moving from Minnesota to finish his degree at Belmont University, Sistad rose from the mailroom to Director of A&R at Arista Records over his nine years with the company. During that time, Sistad worked with an amazing artist roster that included Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Diamond Rio, Radney Foster, BlackHawk, Brad Paisley, Phil Vassar and Carolyn Dawn Johnson among others. After a stint on the road, playing with writer/recording artist Phil Vassar, Sistad joined ASCAP in 2001 as Director of Membership Relations to facilitate and support their writers, artists and publishers. Sistad is a member of the ACM, CMA, Leadership Music Alumni and currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Nashville Chapter of NARAS (The Recording Academy).