Nash Next 2017 Selects Top Ten Finalists

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Cumulus Media has announced the Top Ten country music artists selected as finalists in NASH Next 2017, a grassroots talent search and artist development program for Country music sponsored nationally by Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM.

The 10 finalists were selected by a panel of Country radio professionals and will be judged in the finale by Country music luminaries and industry professionals, including Kix Brooks, half of Grammy-winning duo Brooks & Dunn, and host of Westwood One's American Country Countdown and Scott Borchetta. Additional judges will be announced in the coming weeks.

The winner will receive a record deal with NASH Next Records under the Big Machine Label Group along with substantial exposure, commensurate with a major label release, on Cumulus radio stations nationwide. nt is open to the public.

The 10 national finalists are:

• Lick Creek representing Bloomington & Peoria, IL
• Katie Austin representing New Orleans, LA
• Morgan Leigh Band representing Oxnard/Ventura, CA
• Natalie Spiroff representing Cincinnati, OH
• Alexis Gomez representing Centerville, OH
• Gyth Rigdon representing Lake Charles, LA & Beaumont, TX
• Schatzi + the String Boffin representing Fort Walton Beach, FL
• Radio Romance representing Nashville, TN
• Mike Rut representing Salt Lake City, UT
• Ashley Jordan representing Worcester, MA

Mike McVay, executive vice president, Content & Programming for Cumulus Media and Westwood One, said: "The artists who entered this year's NASH Next competition are incredibly talented and with this type of talent we are excited for the future of Country music. Any one of these artists could win and any one of these artists could be the next Country superstar-that's what this competition is all about!"