Ben R. Atkinson is a broadcaster, ethnomusicologist, and musician whose work explores the intersections of music, culture and media.
He is currently completing a PhD at KU Leuven, Belgium, examining the experiences of women in Nashville’s country music industry between 1990 and 2024. His research investigates the impact of cultural change, technological developments, and industry practices on women’s careers in country music. As part of this ethnographic project, he has conducted more than fifty interviews with industry professionals and undertaken extensive fieldwork in Nashville, Tennessee.
Alongside his research, Ben has worked in educational technology since 2017. He is currently a Learning Technology Consultant at the University of Nottingham, where he supports academic colleagues in the design and delivery of teaching and learning. Since 2021, he has also served as Digital Communications Manager for the British Association for American Studies (BAAS), supporting digital engagement and scholarly communication within the international American Studies community.
Ben’s academic interests are informed by a long-standing career in broadcasting and media. A recognised specialist in American roots music, he has presented Ben’s Country Music Show, the UK’s longest-running independent country music radio programme, since 2008, building an international audience through in-depth coverage of country, folk, bluegrass, and Americana music. He has appeared on BBC radio and television, lectured at universities in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and presented a wide range of radio programming, including breakfast, drivetime, arts, and culture output.
A musician, writer, and producer, Ben’s creative work spans recording, publishing, and audio production. He has released the albums Cold Hard Shoulder (2020) and Country Folk (2025), as well as the live EP 3-0 Live (2021). As an author, he has published two novels, The Kraken’s Curse (2008) and Walking on Cinders (2010), and created the 1000 Books to Sell project, an early social media-driven publishing campaign that attracted national and international attention. He continues to work across academic, educational, and creative projects that connect scholarship with public engagement.
Ben holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Media Production and an MA in Digital Media from the University of Lincoln, where he received the school’s Outstanding Contribution Award. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (Online and Blended Learning) from Falmouth University and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy