NASHVILLE (AP) - The Academy of Country Music is donating $2.5 million to help expand the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The pledge is going to the Hall's capital campaign to fund the expansion.

The Hall is more than doubling in size, from 140,000 square feet to 350,000. The new digs will include the ACM Contemporary Gallery. It will spotlight emerging artists and examine current trends in country music.

Academy of Country Music CEO Bob Romeo says in a statement that the Academy is honored to help ensure that the history of country music can be told for generations to come.

The museum launched its capital campaign a year ago. Since then over $70 million in cash and pledges have been secured. The expansion is expected to be completed in early 2014.