After more than five months of competition, Nash Next 2017 is down to its 10 finalists.
In May, Cumulus Media and Big Machine Label Group invited aspiring country artists and bands to participate in Nash Next 2017, a grassroots talent search and artist development program for country music. Sponsored nationally by Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, the winner of the competition will receive a recording contract with Nash Next Records under the Big Machine Label Group and garner substantial exposure, commensurate with a major-label release, on Cumulus radio stations nationwide.
The 10 finalists were selected by a panel of country radio professionals and will be judged in the finale by a group that includes:
- Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn
- Songwriter Hall of Fame writer Desmond Child
- chart-topping entertainer Brantley Gilbert
- Big Machine Label Group’s president/CEO Scott Borchetta
- Cindy Watts of the Tennessean
The 10 finalists will perform at the Nash Next 2017 finale event at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event is open to the public.
Below are the 10 finalists for Nash Next 2017. Click on their name to get to know each finalist.
1. Alexis Gomez, representing Centerville, Ohio
2. Ashley Jordan, representing Worcester, Mass.
3. Gyth Rigdon, representing Lake Charles, La., and Beaumont, Texas
4. Katie Austin, representing New Orleans, La.
5. Lick Creek, representing Bloomington and Peoria, Ill.
6. Mike Rut, representing Salt Lake City, Utah
7. Morgan Leigh Band, representing Oxnard/Ventura, Calif.
8. Natalie Spiroff, representing Cincinnati, Ohio
9. Radio Romance, representing Nashville, Tenn.
10. Schatzi + the String Boffin, representing Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
