Documentary Songmaker
Musician | Activist | Storyteller
Melanie Hammet is a songwriter, performer, and activist whose work bridges music, justice, and community storytelling. With a career rooted in using art as a tool for change, Hammet’s compositions and performances tackle complex social issues—bringing attention, dialogue, and action to the forefront through music.
Her songwriting has been a powerful force in criminal justice reform, particularly through her partnership with the Georgia Innocence Project. This collaboration led to Life 20|20, a musical project co-written with Ben Holst and Clarence Harrison, who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 18 years before his 2004 exoneration. Hammet also served as executive producer for LIFE SENTENCE, a project that provided outreach and resources for innocence work. Hammet and Holst’s song, “(DNA) Do Not Assume”, was selected as a musical theme for the Robert Redford-produced CNN series Death Row Stories, further amplifying the conversation around wrongful convictions.
Hammet’s artistic activism has extended to urban planning and land use with her song collection Edifice Complex, created during her artist residency in Seaside, Florida. This folk-pop exploration of architecture and community development makes city planning accessible through melody and lyricism.
Working with women veterans, Hammet helped bring untold stories to light, using music as a form of healing and empowerment. For over a decade, she has also been a performer with Cosmic Gospel Hour, a musical experience that blends gospel, folk, and contemporary influences to create soul-stirring performances. Cindy Diamond, Ann Duckworth, and Hammet’s repertoire includes a wide range of uplifting songs, from traditional hymns to modern anthems that reflect the evolving spirit of the nation. Through this work, Cosmic Gospel Hour engages audiences in a deep and joyful exploration of unity, resilience, and hope.
A leader both on stage and in her community, Hammet served two terms as the Mayor of Pine Lake, Georgia, where she brought her creative and civic passions together to shape policy with imagination and inclusivity. She is also the creator of the Kids Town Hall series, an initiative designed to engage young voices in civic dialogue and community-building.
In recognition of her advocacy, Hammet received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from Points of Light in 2015 for her work on LIFE SENTENCE.
From the stage to city hall, from songwriting to social justice, Melanie Hammet’s career is a testament to the power of music as a force for change.
(Photo by Roger Easley)
In April of 2015 Melanie received a national Presidential Volunteer Service Award from Points Of Light for her work on LIFE SENTENCE. Much gratitude to everyone who has worked on this project with her: Ben Holst, Aimee Maxwell, Patricia Henritze, Melanie Tumlin, Melissa Arends, Sarita Alami, Gayanne Geurin, and Julie Skrzypek!