Smith, Ford, Hammar To Host ‘New Faces’ Show
• Country Radio Seminar announced a trio of talented broadcasters who will host the New Faces of Country Music® Show, to be held Friday, Feb. 25, closing out CRS 2022. This year’s New Faces show will feature performances by Gabby Barrett, Walker Hayes, Parker McCollum, Jameson Rodgers, and Lainey Wilson.
Elaina Smith, host of Westwood One’s syndicated Nights with Elaina, will serve as the on-stage emcee. Former WNSH/New York morning personality, current PickleJar content goddess, and multiple CMA Award-winning personality Kelly Ford will conduct backstage interviews, and Ania Hammar, host of Nights With Ania on SiriusXM’s The Highway will reprise her CRS 2020 role, doing “Woman on The Street” interviews with attendees.
Winners of the CRS/Country Aircheck Awards in 24 categories will also be revealed during the show. Lon Helton, Publisher of Country Aircheck and host of Country Countdown USA will also present KFRG/Riverside personality Heather Froglear with the 2022 Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award. CRB Scholarship Chair and Board VP John Shomby and CRB President Kurt Johnson will also award a $25,000 educational endowment set to be distributed to four universities: Belmont University, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee at Martin, and the University of North Alabama.
The CRS 2022 New Faces of Country Music® Show is co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Registration for CRS 2022 is still available for $649 at countryradioseminar.com through Feb. 18, when it increases to the on-site rate of $749.
• Everyone attending CRS 2022 is required to provide documentation of full COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative COVID test result, to be completed within 48-hours of arrival at the event.
