The partnership between the Nashville Predators and the National Museum of African American Music makes sense on more than just the surface level.
For one, the fact that the museum and Bridgestone Arena share real estate at the same intersection in downtown Nashville provided a natural fit - but as with all endeavors the Preds pursue in the community, there’s much more to it than just proximity.
Presented by Nissan, the Predators are celebrating Black history and heritage throughout 2026, and their relationship with the National Museum of African American Music - NMAAM, for short - is one that was born out of a shared desire from one established community pillar to another on the rise.
Founded five years ago at the corner of Broadway and Rep. John Lewis Way across the street from the home of the Preds, NMAAM is one of the newest, yet visionary and interactive venues, that help to give Nashville its Music City USA moniker.
And when it comes to the vibrancy of all this town has to offer, it’s tough to beat a partnership like this, especially when sports and music come together.
“Both sports and music speak universal languages,” NMAAM Deputy Director of Strategy and Advancement Dexter Evans said. “There's this natural synergy of connecting the two together with the enthusiasm and the energy that sports and music both provide - for not only the players or the artists, but also for the fans. And I think that's mostly who we're doing it for, right? The Preds are doing it for the 17,000 people that are coming to each game, and the museum and Black music, more generally, is doing it for the 60 percent of the people in the world who are purchasing Black music every day. There’s that fan or that member-level experience that always will continue to be integrated within each other.”
The relationship between the two entities started simply enough in 2021 and 2022, especially on the Bridgestone Arena side when an African American headliner would come to town. To this day, the museum activates fan experiences and engagements prior to the show, and the Arena allocates tickets to the show to allow museum fans to purchase and interact with the concert.
The Predators have partnered with NMAAM for the past four years during Juneteenth celebrations across Nashville, and earlier this month, NMAAM was also heavily involved in Black Music Heritage night, hosted by the Preds during a recent game.
Curated by the museum, the Music Heritage Showcase highlighted performers representing each of NMAAM’s permanent exhibits, including Crossroads (country): Saaneah; One Nation Under Groove (R&B): SoulChess; Wade in the Water (Gospel): Mt. Zion Choir; A Love Supreme (Jazz): Summer Joy; and The Message (Hip-Hop): Jyou.
“We can reach 17,000 people in one night - many who've never visited NMAAM but will experience our mission through this activation,” Evans said prior to the game. “Watching families collect stamps on their Musical Passport Journey, seeing kids engage with our teaching artists in the Gnashville Fun Zone, and knowing that thousands of fans will redeem free museum passes because of this event, that’s institutional partnership at its best. The Predators aren't just writing a check; they're using their platform to amplify Black music heritage in a way that's authentic, educational and celebratory. That's powerful.”
The museum itself strives to live up to its national name, and providing one of the most interactive experiences in the country helps to do just that. With five galleries and almost 60,000 square feet of exhibits, NMAAM allows visitors to take home a playlist compiled with every piece of music a patron interacts with during their visit.
A trip to Bridgestone Arena to watch the Preds delivers the same type of sensory experience - something both venues offer that most simply can’t compete with in this community.
“We have two destinations here that people can hop across the street from and have one of the most engaged and really thoughtful experiences while here in Nashville,” Evans said. “It’s become sort of this very robust and full and fun partnership where we always feel like we're developing something together for the greater good.”
Above all else, and just like the Preds, NMAAM wants everyone to feel welcome in their space. That atmosphere is something that’s been helped by the partnership with Nashville’s hockey team, and it won’t be diminishing anytime soon.
Yes, they’re neighbors in the midst of the city’s core, but there’s so much more to this relationship than what hockey and music can do for a community.
“How I feel about this partnership, and how I think both the Preds and NMAAM want their fans and guests to feel is both a sense of belonging, one, and two, a sense of respect,” Evans said. “We want people to feel like they can come to either these institutions and not feel ostracized or feel like, even for us, that the name African American is in the title, and so therefore it's only for one group of people. That's not what it's about, or that hockey is historically a place where African Americans haven’t spent a lot of time.
“We are creating the space for all people to come and to experience more than just a game or just a museum visit somewhere you can feel like you belong. And the second part is to feel respected. I feel so respected by the partnership that we built with the Predators, and I know they feel the same way, because we care about each other. First and foremost, we care about these institutions and we care about the fans.”
The Nashville Predators are proud to partner with Nissan USA to celebrate Black history and heritage throughout 2026. Click here for more events and details for this year's Black Community Celebrations.
