Kelsey Hart, John Morgan, Meghan Patrick, Chase Matthew, Ella Langley and Josh Ross shined at the 2026 Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces of Country Music showcase on Friday, March 20, delivering memorable performances that highlighted their star power and knack for creating hits for country radio, as the annual event once again closed out the three-day, industry-only event by introducing its “Class of 2026.”
The CRS New Faces of Country Music Show, held at the Omni Nashville Hotel’s Broadway Ballroom and sponsored by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Academy of Country Music, spotlighted six artists on the brink of superstardom, instead of the annual five, who found success on country radio and marked a key career milestone for many of the genre’s top stars, remaining a must-attend event for industry leaders.
The artists are selected by members of the country music industry and country radio. Established in 1970, the show remains one of CRS’s most anticipated events and has helped launch the careers of many of the genre’s biggest hitmakers. The 2025 class included Drew Baldridge, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Zach Top and Warren Zeiders, joining a long list of past New Faces honorees such as Jelly Roll, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Luke Combs, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and Brooks & Dunn.
This year’s New Faces showcase proved country music is in great hands, as each artist delivered stellar performances that highlighted both their vocal talents, songwriting and their ability to entertain.
Chase Matthew
Kicking off the show was Warner Music Nashville recording artist Chase Matthew, who set the tone for the evening with a high-energy performance that included performances of “Love You Again” and his current single at Country radio “Holdin’ It Down.” A video introduction set the stage for him, taking the audience on a journey through his career with narration from Matthew, his parents, and his manager. The clip highlighted key milestones, including a visit to the shop where he once worked as an ATV mechanic, a role that found him listening to Country radio daily, which ultimately inspired his journey into Country music, and a look at the truck and van he drove early in his career, covered in stickers promoting his music.
“I can tell y’all I’ve snuck in this building enough times for CRS to know that the Lord is real because he put me on the stage this time and I didn’t have to sneak in,” Matthew shared from the stage with a smile, realizing how his dreams are coming true. “So thank you, Warner Nashville. Thank you, Country Radio. Thank you, CRS for having us. And thank you to all my awesome team members. You know who you are. Thank you for this band… I believe this opportunity is just as important as my Opry debut, my Ryman debut.”
He continued, “This opportunity is once in a career… I’ve been a loss of words. I just want y’all to know how grateful I am for this opportunity. How grateful I am for the people that I’ve met and how many awesome people have been on this stage.”
One of the highlights of the night came when he performed “All My Exes” alongside surprise guest and duet partner Lauren Alaina, delivering a show-stopping performance together that was met with a loud singalong.
Chase Matthew closed out his memorable performance with a performance of his first-ever chart-topping hit “Darlin’,” which has since been certified Gold by the RIAA. During the last song of his performance, the fast-rising hitmaker and 28-year-old Tennessee native made his way around the crowd and danced with some of the members of the music industry, leaving a lasting mark on the event attendees and cementing his place as one of country music’s next superstars.
Kelsey Hart
Curb Records recording artist Kelsey Hart took the stage next, opening his four-song set with “Put It On The Map” after a sizzle reel highlighted his path from his Kentucky roots to pursuing a music career in Nashville and playing off all of the “new faces” he met along the way.
“Y’all, this is truly a dream come true for me. And I’m so honored and thankful to be here in this position,” Hart shared before recalling his journey to where he is today. He went on to explain that he has been to multiple CRS’ through the years “just dreaming of the opportunity and the time that I could possibly be up on this stage.” Reflecting on the first time he attended, when he “didn’t know a soul,” Hart says that fast-forward to 2026, this year feels more like a “family reunion” now that he has met everyone on radio tours.
“I just want to say, y’all, I moved to town in 2016 to chase this dream and I was extremely green, didn’t have a clue what I was doing or what I needed to do,” he continued. “And here we are 10 years later and getting that chance. And I mean, it truly means the world to me, guys, for y’all taking the chance on my music, taking the chance on me as a person. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
He then launched into his current Top 40 radio hit “Fireworks” and another song before closing out his set with an emotional performance of his viral wedding song, “Life With You.”
Meghan Patrick
Meghan Patrick exploded into her electrifying set with a bold harmonica solo before launching into a rockin’ medley of Led Zeppelin covers on electric guitar. She was introduced to the stage by a video featuring her and her band warming up and dancing, and even included a quick FaceTime with her famous husband, fellow country star Mitchell Tenpenny. The self-proclaimed golden child donned a gold-toned velvet bodysuit with fringe, complete with a belt and thigh-high leopard print boots, as she dominated the stage and showcased her unique sound.
After a handful of Led Zeppelin covers, Meghan Patrick recalled the long road to stardom and all the hard work that led her to the New Faces of Country Music before going into her first Top 20 hit, “Golden Child.”
“I am just beyond honored and humbled to be here as one of the new faces of 2026, which seems kind of crazy to say because I don’t feel like a new face because I’ve been doing this a long time, but God’s timing is always right on time,” Patrick told the industry-only crowd. “And this next song I think is proof of that. I want to thank every radio person in this room right now for believing in me, for giving me a chance this year, change my life with this song and for giving me a chance to come play your shows and play for your listeners. It means the world to me, not just to get this song all the way up to 16, but for it to be a song that means so much to me and has a message that’s close to my heart.”
She continued, “As long as it’s taken me to get to where I’m going, I know when I get to the top of that mountain, I can turn around and be proud of the way I got there and know that I did it with integrity. I did it authentically as myself and I did it with music that means something to me and hopefully brings a little bit of healing and joy to the people who hear it. And sometimes you just have to remember that not everything that glitters is gold.”
Patrick lit up the room with the synchronized LED wristbands every guest wore as they watched her set. The multi-instrumentalist showcased her many talents, from her incredible vocals and songwriting to her skills playing both electric and acoustic guitar, harmonica, and tambourine, while delivering a captivating performance.
She closed out her set with a nod to her husband Mitchell Tenpenny, who inspired her final song of the evening, “Safe Place To Break,” of which she said, “I can tell you right now, I could not make it through the day or through this crazy industry if it wasn’t for [my husband Mitchell]. I love that man so much and it takes a strong man to support a woman who does what I do, who’s as independent as I am, who’s as strong and tough and as hardheaded as I am. But I also know that when I need to be not so tough, a little bit vulnerable, maybe even cry a little bit, I have a safe place to do that. And that’s what real love is. When that person becomes your safe place to break. So I wrote this song about him.”
Megahn Patrick didn’t just play a set, she owned the room with her radio-ready anthems, leaving no doubt that she is a future superstar.
John Morgan
John Morgan introduced his performance with a hilarious video that found him walking through his record label’s office, where every employee donned wigs and hats to replicate Morgan’s signature look, before jumping in a “Uber” driven by none other than his friend and country superstar Jason Aldean on the way to Country Radio Seminar. He then arrived to the CRS stage for his performance as the curtains opened and he launched into a performance of “Way Out Would” from his latest album, Carolina Blue.
“So honored to be here tonight. Thank you guys for having us,” Morgan told the high profile crowd.
He also performed “One More Sunset” and his current single “Kid Myself.” John Morgan then closed out his set with his chart-topping hit “Friends Like That.”
“I got to say a big thank you to all my country radio fan for taking this song all the way to number one. This is my very first number one as an artist, so thank you so much for all your support, every one of you guys. I love you. Thank you for changing my life with them,” Morgan said before his performance of “Friends Like That,” a track that original features Jason Aldean.
Josh Ross
Josh Ross launched his set with a sizzle reel highlighting his many achievements, from CCMA Awards to his chart-topping hits in Canada and the United States. He opened with “Hate How You Look” before delivering the vulnerable “Scared Of Getting Sober.”
Before performing the latter, Ross shared an intimate and vulnerable glimpse into his personal life struggles, admitting he almost didn’t include the song in his set but felt compelled to as it best represented him as an artist and a person. “I think if there’s something that shows off me as a character and the battles that I go through, it’s this next song. I have the greatest job in the world sometimes. It gets super hard. This song has spoken to a lot of people so far on the road,” he said.
He then performed “Namin’ Names” before closing out his set with his chart-topping hit. Wearing a boxy blue button-up over a navy shirt, jeans, and a backwards ball cap, Ross captured the attention of the sold-out crowd, proving he is both a country music mainstay and a rising superstar.
Ross wrapped up his set with his No. 1 hit, “Single Again,” which earned the Waterdown, Ontario-native the distinction of being the first Canadian male in nearly 30 years to top the U.S. Country Airplay chart, further extending his string of multiple No. 1s in Canada. His four-song set featured selections from his debut album, Later Tonight, and Ross confidently commanded the stage, capturing the audience’s attention with every note.
He concluded, “Thank you for giving a kid from Ontario, Canada the opportunity to have a number one as a male in almost 30 years from Canada…And the one thing I promise you is I’m here to stay. I’m freaking grateful and I won’t let you down. I want to be here in 20, 30 years still standing on this stage playing for you guys, hanging out and representing the market that brought me to life. So thank you so much.”
Ella Langley
No introduction video or announcement was needed for the final performer of the night: Ella Langley. Once it was her turn, the packed Omni Ballroom spilled out of their seats to gather around the stage, eager to witness a true superstar in an intimate moment with fans, a performance unlikely to happen again as she gears up for her first-ever completely sold-out arena trek, The Dandelion Tour.
The curtain opened to unveil Langley dressed in a red-and-black leopard print fringe ensemble as she launched into the title track of her upcoming new album, Dandelion. The 26-year-old country superstar followed with her fan-favorite viral hit, “Be Her,” moving across the stage and singing directly to fans in the front row with effortless confidence.
She then shared a glimpse into her current happiness and excitement, introducing “Loving Life Again,” the final track released ahead of her sophomore album due April 10, which was released earlier that day. “I’m a very happy girl these days…I have had a big dream my whole entire life. I have literally wanted to do exactly what I’m doing in front of you here tonight since I’ve ever wanted to do anything. This job gets crazy, this world gets crazy. No matter what you’re doing, I think life sometimes can get really heavy and we put out some fun songs to this record, some heartbreak songs, but this song was really important to me and the last one before the whole record comes out,” she explained. “If it wasn’t for this song or this moment in my life, I don’t think I would have gotten the rest of this record finished.”
Langley closed her set with the record-breaking, historic anthem “Choosin’ Texas,” sparking a massive sing-along from the crowd. Bold, magnetic, and undeniable, Ella Langley was the highlight of CRS and the New Faces of Country Music show, not only for her performance but also for her discussion with Jo Dee Messina the day before. It was a defining moment that confirmed Langley as one of country music’s brightest stars and a name fans will be talking about for many years to come.
