Lon Helton to Receive CRB President's Award

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | 2:22pm CT

Lon Helton

Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) will honor legendary broadcaster and industry leader Lon Helton with the 2026 CRB President's Award, recognizing his decades of service and leadership in advancing Country radio and the Country Radio Seminar (CRS).

The award recognizes individuals whose dedication has played a vital role in the success of CRS and its mission to strengthen the Country radio format. Helton will receive the honor during the Country Radio Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday, Aug. 3, at Virgin Hotels Nashville.

"Few people in this industry have given more to country radio than Lon Helton," said CRB/CRS Board President Kurt Johnson. "This recognition has never been more earned, or more obvious. Presenting this award to Lon is one of the privileges of my career."

Helton's broadcasting career spans more than 50 years, beginning at WVPC-FM and WRAM in Monmouth, IL, before stops at WGIL-AM & FM in Galesburg, KLAK in Denver, WMAQ, WJJD and WJEZ in Chicago, and KHJ and KLAC in Los Angeles. Since 1984, he has hosted syndicated Country programming, including Country Countdown USA, which he launched in 1992 and continues to host. His syndicated work also includes Country Close-Up, Nashville Live, Listen-In, Country Star Tracks and more than 100 world-premiere album broadcasts.

A longtime supporter of CRS, Helton has helped strengthen relationships among broadcasters, artists, record labels and industry executives while mentoring generations of radio professionals.

Helton was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Radio Hall of Fame in 2022. He has earned the Country Music Association's National Broadcast Personality of the Year honor a record 13 times and the Academy of Country Music's National On-Air Personality of the Year award five times. His many other honors include the St. Jude Angels Among Us Award, the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award, the CRB Humanitarian Award and the CMA's J. William Denny Award.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame ceremony will also recognize the members of the Country Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2026.