Aspiring country stars have the opportunity to kick-start their careers via the 4th annual NASH Next competition.

NASH Next 2018 officially launched on June 18, bringing together aspiring stars, a major record label (Big Machine Label Group) and the power of country radio (Cumulus Media). The winner of the four-month competition will receive a record deal with Big Machine Label Group and substantial radio exposure on Cumulus radio stations nationwide.

Artists can enter the competition via NASH Next or participating local stations. Listeners in local markets will rate each original song, along with local music industry professionals. Local markets will then host live events or select their finalist by judging the contestants in a video performance of their original song.

Ten of the local finalists will be selected by industry professionals to compete at the national finale event in Nashville in October where a panel of celebrity judges—including BMLG’s Scott Borchetta and Brooks & Dunn’s Kix Brooks—will announce the NASH Next 2018 winner.

“I’m always on the hunt for great new talent, and there’s arguably no better way to do it than through country radio,” said Borchetta. “In our fourth year with NASH Next, this program provides the Big Machine Label Group an incredible opportunity to have our eyes and ears on the ground in all of the great Cumulus country radio markets. If you want to be next, enter now. Game on.”

“I really enjoyed being part of NASH Next last year,” added Kix Brooks. The level of talent continues to get better and more competitive every year, and this music platform is working! It’s been fun to watch last year’s winner, Radio Romance, catch the wave and surf it to the next level of their career.”

Radio Romance released their debut single, “Weekend,” in April 2018 and cracked the Top 50 on the country charts in their first week on the radio.

“This whole experience has been truly incredible,” said Radio Romance’s frontman Sam Hayes. “There is honestly no way to describe what it’s like when you hear your first single played on the radio or when you see your name on the country music charts.”