Leslie Fram and her team have had a significant impact as a talent producer and talent booker, particularly during her 13 year tenure at CMT (Country Music Television), where she served as Senior Vice President of Music and Talent. In this role, she was instrumental in overseeing music integration across all CMT platforms, which included original programming, CMT.com, and music video airplay. More specifically, her responsibilities as a talent producer and booker involved negotiating and securing talent for major tentpole events and music specials, such as the *CMT Music Awards*, *CMT Crossroads*, and *CMT Artists of the Year*.
Fram’s work extended beyond mere booking; she played a key role in curating and producing content that elevated both established and emerging artists. For instance, she was an executive in charge of talent for specials like *Brooks & Dunn and Friends* (2019), *Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration* (2022), and most recently *Ringo Starr & Friends* (2025) ensuring the right artists were brought together to create memorable televised moments. Her influence also shone through in the acclaimed *CMT Crossroads* series, where she facilitated unique pairings like Maren Morris and Alicia Keys, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, and Halsey with Kelsea Ballerini, blending country with other genres to broaden the network’s appeal.
Before CMT, Fram’s experience as a radio programmer and DJ—most notably at 99X in Atlanta and WRXP-FM in New York—honed her skills in talent development and booking. At 99X, she helped break artists like Matchbox Twenty, Marvelous 3 and Shawn Mullins by giving them airplay and platform exposure, a precursor to her later work at CMT. Her approach to talent booking was informed by a deep passion for music and a keen eye for potential, often taking risks on lesser-known acts to help them gain traction.
Fram’s legacy as a talent producer and booker is also tied to her advocacy for diversity and inclusion. She launched initiatives like *CMT Next Women of Country* in 2013 to spotlight female artists and *CMT Equal Access* and * CMT Equal Play* to support underrepresented voices, directly.
