Maren Morris, Jon Pardi Anchor CRS ‘New Faces’ Showcase
The annual gathering of country-radio executives, programmers and on-air talent is set for February 22nd through 24th in Nashville, and the organizers recently announced the lineup for the event’s centerpiece: the New Faces showcase.
Held on the final night of Country Radio Seminar (CRS), the concert will feature Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, William Michael Morgan, Drake White and Granger Smith.
Morris has had a busy week: scoring four nominations at the 59th Grammy Awards, including one for Best New Artist, and topping Rolling Stone‘s 40 Best Albums of 2016 list with her debut Hero. On Saturday, she’ll perform on Saturday Night Live as the show’s musical guest.
Morgan and Pardi have been turning heads with their mix of traditional country and modern flair, and White has developed a reputation for energetic tent-revival live performances. Smith, meanwhile, is lucky to make it to New Faces: he suffered serious injury after a tumble off the stage during a recent concert in New Jersey. The Earl Dibbles Jr. creator was just discharged from the hospital and is recuperating at home in Texas.
Last year’s New Faces class included Chris Janson, Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, Cam and Old Dominion.