10 Finalists Unveiled For NASH NEXT Finale

Cumulus Media announced Wednesday the ten (10) Country music artists selected as finalists for its annual NASH Next competition — a national and local grassroots talent search and artist development program.

The winner of this four-month-long competition will receive a record deal under the Big Machine Label Group umbrella, as well as substantial exposure, commensurate with a major label release on Cumulus Radio Stations nationwide.

The finale event will take place October 11th, 7:30 – 10pm CST, at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, TN.  The finale event will be hosted by national Country morning show personalities Ty Bentli, Kelly Ford and Chuck Wicks from the eponymous “Ty, Kelly and Chuck” radio show. Last year’s NASH Next winners, Radio Romance, will headline the event.

The ten national finalists are:

• Brecken Miles representing Appleton, WI (WPKR-FM)
• Murphy’s Ford representing Columbia/Jefferson City, MO (KBBM-FM)
• Harper Grace representing Dallas, TX (KSCS-FM/KPLX-FM)
• Jessie Ritter representing Ft. Walton Beach, FL (WYZB-FM)
• Lane Mac representing Lafayette, LA (KXKC-FM)
• Justin Rivers representing Montgomery, AL (WLWI-FM)
• Jessica Rose representing New York, NY (WNSH-FM)
• Pearl Clarkin representing Pensacola, FL (WXBM-FM)
• NATU representing Peoria/Bloomington, IL (WFYR-FM, WBWN-FM, WJBC-FM)
• Brian Fuller representing Savannah, GA (WJCL-FM)

These ten emerging artists will be judged in the finale by a panel of Country music luminaries including; Scott Borchetta, founder, president and CEO of Big Machine Label Group, the world’s No. 1 independent record label and home to such superstars as Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts; Cindy Watts, 15-year veteran Country music reporter; and Terri Clark, platinum Country artist and host of national radio show, Country Gold.

Wildhorse Saloon

Mike McVay, executive vice president, content & programming for CUMULUS MEDIA, said: “This competition is all about the talent who will deliver the future sound of Country music. Every artist who entered this year’s NASH Next competition is incredibly gifted and has the opportunity of a lifetime before them – to be a major Country music superstar!”