MusicRow Reveals Next Big Thing Artists Class Of 2026

MusicRow is proud to reveal its list of artists who are predicted to become the Next Big Thing (NBT) in 2026. The 12th annual NBT list features 14 artists, who are each profiled in MusicRow‘s latest 2026 Touring & Next Big Thing print issue, which releases today (Dec. 9).

Boasting a stand-out group of rising stars in the country music industry, MusicRow’s Next Big Thing Class of 2026 includes a wide range of talent, diverse in sound, style and level of success. What each artist has in common, though, is extraordinary talent and a passion for today’s ever-evolving country music format. These future superstars will expand the boundaries of country music, carrying the torch of the format both to its loyal fans and into the mainstream.

Single copies of MusicRow’s Touring & Next Big Thing print issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $50, and are included with yearly MusicRow subscriptions.

MusicRow Magazine’s 2025 Next Big Thing Artists:

GRAHAM BARHAM
Sony Music Nashville/Disruptor Records | The PRNT Co. | UTA | Warner Chappell Music Nashville/Cornman Music | BMI

Graham Barham was raised in Oak Ridge, Louisiana [population: 124], just down the road from Lainey Wilson and Dylan Scott. The son of a sixth-generation farmer and a schoolteacher, he grew up playing baseball at Tim McGraw Park and moved to Nashville to chase his dream. Blending authentic country storytelling with pop hooks and trap energy, Barham makes the kind of music he wants to hear—high-octane, heartfelt and undeniably fresh. He calls it “Club Country,” a sound that pushes the genre forward without letting go of its roots. After going viral with “WHISKEY WHISKEY,” Barham followed up with “OIL MONEY” and “WTH JUST HAPPENED?,” delivering a string of singles that flipped traditional country on its head while building a bold, visual identity. Alongside his artist rise, Barham has written songs for artists such as Blake Shelton, Wyatt Flores, Tyler Braden and Dierks Bentley. With “WHISKEY RAIN” featuring Tyler Hubbard and an eight-song EP out now, Barham is emerging as one of the most exciting artist-writers shaping the next chapter of country music.

 

KAITLIN BUTTS
Republic Records | Triple 8 Management | WME | Me Gusta Music | BMI

Kaitlin Butts’ fearless approach to country music is helping her reach new heights. In 2024, Butts released her acclaimed album Roadrunner!. She leaned into her lifelong love of musical theater and dreamed up a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favorite musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which ended up on numerous best-of year-end lists. In 2024, Butts made her Lollapalooza debut and opened for Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne and Flatland Cavalry. She also trekked across the U.S. on her first-ever coast-to-coast headlining tour. 2025 has been another banner year for the Tulsa-born, Nashville-based artist. In addition to her viral anthem, “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me),” amassing over 157 million TikTok views and 67 million global streams, she joined Lainey Wilson on her “Whirlwind Tour” and was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents exhibition. Butts also joined the 2025 Opry Next Stage Class as well as the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2025. Showing no signs of slowing down, she is launching her next chapter with the Yeehaw Sessions EP.

 

LACI KAYE BOOTH
Geffen Records | Red Light Management | WME | UMPG/Big Machine Music | BMI

Raised in a barn in Livingston, Texas and now based in Nashville, singer-songwriter Laci Kaye Booth started writing her own songs at age nine. Named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country and SiriusXM The Highway’s Highway Find, she has spent much of the past year on the road including shows with Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Ella Langley and more. After she released her debut album, The Loneliest Girl In The World, last spring, Billboard hailed Booth as “one of the genre’s brightest newcomers” and The Los Angeles Times observed, “The most impressive LP from a new(-ish) country act so far this year, The Loneliest Girl in the World teems with vivid songwriting.” With characteristic honesty, Booth captures the bewildering moments when everything seems to be crumbling on her poignant new single, “Luck Of The Draw.” She wrote the song with Ryman Wooten, who joined in on background vocals, and Ben West (Stephen Wilson Jr., Patrick Droney), who also produced and previously helmed Booth’s debut album.

 

THE CASTELLOWS
Warner Records Nashville | Make Wake Artists | WME | Warner Chappell Music Nashville | BMI

Neo-traditional country trio The Castellows bring new meaning to “family tradition.” Sisters Ellie (lead guitar), Powell (banjo) and Lily (vocals) grew up in Georgetown, Georgia, and now live in Nashville. Their sound is traditional yet modern, defined by three-part harmonies that blend into one striking voice. Their songwriting shines across their debut EP A Little Goes A Long Way and their three-song EP Alabama Stone. Their next project, the seven-song Homecoming EP, arrived May 30, followed by a headline “Homecoming Tour” that launched in fall 2025. Since first drawing industry attention in January 2023, the trio has appeared on 2024 watch lists including CMT Next Women of Country, CMT Listen Up and Nashville Lifestyles, earned a CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year nomination, toured with Little Big Town and Sugarland on the “Take Me Home Tour,” been named a SiriusXM Highway Find, performed on NBC’s TODAY and joined Thomas Rhett’s 2025 “Better In Boots Tour” with a Fenway Park stop.

 

KASHUS CULPEPPER
Big Loud Records | Jay Harren Management | CAA | Big Loud Publishing/Warner Chappell Music Nashville | BMI

Alabama-born country crooner Kashus Culpepper encompasses the sound of the south. A student and reverent purveyor of southern music–country, soul, blues, folk and rock– Culpepper found his voice in church at five years old, but it wasn’t until the 2020 global pandemic that he moved from listener to performer, picking up a guitar and learning cover songs to play at barrack bonfires in Rota, Spain during his Navy deployment. Covers soon became originals, and once back on U.S. soil, he played dive bars along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, building a name with a fresh yet reminiscent sound. Culpepper sold out headline club shows throughout the south before formally releasing a single song. With Nashville taking notice, he signed a record deal and will release his debut album Act I on Jan. 23. He has joined Leon Bridges, Sierra Ferrell and Darius Rucker on tour this year. Named to GRAMMY.com’s 25 Artists to Watch in 2025 and several other rising artist lists, The Guardian writes that “it’s obvious why his career has been fast tracked.”

 

LANIE GARDNER
BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek Records | TRACK mgmt | WME | Big Machine Music | BMI

Lanie Gardner’s extraordinary journey reflects her unmatched talent and determination, from her roots in the Appalachian Mountains to international stages. A gifted storyteller and songwriter from an early age, she developed a blend of classic rock, R&B and country that set her apart. Her career took off after her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” went viral, earning over 100 million views. On Sept. 5, she released her sophomore album Faded Polaroids, an 18-track scrapbook of self-discovery, family roots, romantic twists and personal healing, following her debut self-penned album A Songwriter’s Diary in late 2024. Her rise includes being named a 2025 Artist to Watch by the Recording Academy and Amazon Music, joining CMT’s Next Women of Country: Class of 2025 and being selected as a SiriusXM Highway Find. In the past year, she has made her Grand Ole Opry debut, performed on the TODAY show, appeared at Stagecoach, toured with Corey Kent and Gavin Adcock, joined Thomas Rhett for select dates with upcoming shows supporting Jason Aldean, earned SiriusXM No. 1 hits with Thomas Rhett and Warren Zeiders and contributed to movie soundtracks.

 

ALEXANDRA KAY
BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records | Beth Keith | Sound Talent Group | BMI

With over 8.7 million social media followers, Alexandra Kay, who starred on Netflix’s Westside, has a rare ability to genuinely connect with audiences through heartfelt melodies, her “refreshing brand of storytelling…custom-made for the country music genre” (People) and her “angelic, yet soaring vocals” (American Songwriter). A bright rising star that Billboard praised as “an adept, propitious singer-songwriter,” she released her debut album All I’ve Ever Known in 2023, reaching No. 1 on the iTunes All Genre and Country charts globally and earning Top 10 spots on Billboard’s Current Country Album, Emerging Artist and HeatSeeker charts independently. Named to Pandora’s 2025 Artist to Watch: Country list and CMT’s Next Women of Country: Class of 2025, Alexandra wrapped a milestone 2024 headlining her own tour, joining Jelly Roll’s “Beautifully Broken Arena Tour” and appearing on the GRAMMY-nominated Twisters soundtrack. In 2025 she has toured worldwide, wrapped dates with Brad Paisley, opened her Waterloo, Illinois coffee shop The Coffee Girl, released her sophomore album Second Wind, featuring her debut radio single “Straight For The Heart,” and launched her third headlining tour.

 

BRAXTON KEITH
Warner Records Nashville | Torrez Music Group | Evergreen Artist Group | Liz Rose Music | BMI

Braxton Keith has been hailed as “a devotedly country artist with the talent to join the ranks of today’s surge of neo-traditionalist hitmakers” (Billboard). His latest release, a “sublime” (MusicRow) version of George Strait’s “The Chair,” is now climbing Spotify’s Top 50 Viral Chart. Last year, Keith released his debut EP Blue, a collection Rolling Stone praised as “hardcore, traditional country music,” while Billboard called it “a slab of stone-cold country…forged from the depths of the Texas honky-tonk circuit” that highlights his unmistakable conversational singing style. The five-track set features his breakout hit “Cozy,” which has surpassed 100 million global streams and continues to rise. A proud Texas native who now splits time between San Antonio and Nashville, Keith is part of a new generation of country singer-songwriters reviving the genre’s core creative tenets. He has become a regular face in venues across Texas and the country while touring with Cody Johnson, Gavin Adcock and Luke Bryan, and is headlining his “This Ain’t My First Tour,” which continues through year-end.

 

ZACH JOHN KING
Sony Music Nashville | Hyphen Media Group | The Neal Agency | Boom Music Group | BMI

Pairing the reflective insight of a roots poet with the edgy intensity of raw alt-rock, Zach John King is pushing country in a new yet familiar direction, straight toward the truth. Raised in Fayetteville, Georgia and a lyricist first with multiple generations of poets in his family, he grew up old school but dreaming of escape. A fan of George Jones, Otis Redding, The Police, Third Eye Blind and Switchfoot, King fronted an indie-rock band through college before moving to Nashville in 2021 to explore his country roots as the genre expands. His minimalistic country-meets-rock style led to his first solo track in 2023, the vivid and audacious “Just Missed You,” followed by independent singles and his 2024 breakout “Wannabe Cowboy,” a conflicted confessional ballad boasting six million global streams. After joining Morgan Wallen’s “I’m The Problem Tour,” he went on to tour with Dylan Scott, Gavin Adcock, Nate Smith, ERNEST and Vincent Mason. His new EP Slow Down arrived this spring, and in 2026 he will rejoin Wallen for the “Still The Problem Tour,” perform at Stagecoach and tour with Riley Green.

 

CHASE McDANIEL
Big Machine Records (Big Machine Label Group) | Vector Management | WME | Sony Music Publishing Nashville | BMI

With the release of his debut album Lost Ones, singer-songwriter Chase McDaniel channels uncompromising honesty, co-writing every track and refusing to sugarcoat his battle with depression and suicidal ideation or his hard-won path toward hope and healing. Intentionally released during National Suicide Prevention Month, Lost Ones reflects his mission to help others find strength in their darkest moments. Raised by his grandparents in Greensburg, Kentucky, the University of Louisville graduate moved to Nashville after surviving his father’s death from addiction, a life-changing weightlifting accident and being rescued during a suicide attempt. With a raw baritone and fiery country-rock, he hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales and iTunes Country charts with “Project,” reached No. 3 all-genre with “Your Daughter,” signed a record deal, released his debut EP Blame It All On Country Music in 2024, made his Grand Ole Opry debut and now tours with Jason Aldean and Alexandra Kay as his first single “Burned Down Heaven” ignites country radio.

 

TY MYERS
RECORDS Nashville/Columbia | Starstruck Entertainment | CAA | UMPG Nashville | BMI

Breakout singer-songwriter-guitarist Ty Myers is commanding attention after releasing his debut album The Select (plus Deluxe and Acoustic editions) and earning his first Platinum hit with current single “Ends of the Earth.” In the studio for his sophomore album, he’s previewed the new era with “Leaving Carolina,” “Through a Screen,” “Come On Over, Baby” and “Two Trains” featuring Marcus King. Nearing a billion global streams to date and more than 20 million per week, Myers has already tallied 200 million+ streams for “Ends of the Earth.” Following his first sold-out headline run, he completed a sold-out “The Select Tour” and added new dates extending into 2026. Set for his Stagecoach debut and to support Luke Combs’ stadium tour next spring, he has also opened for Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw and Willie Nelson. Named Billboard’s Country Rookie of the Month and featured in their 21 Under 21 list. Myers first broke through with debut single “Tie That Binds,” followed by Gold “Drinkin’ Alone.” Born just outside Austin, the 18-year-old grew up on his family’s six-generation cattle ranch.

 

EMILY ANN ROBERTS
RECORDS/Sony Music Nashville | Starstruck Entertainment | UTA | Jody Williams Songs/Warner Chappell Music | SESAC

They say the path to the grandest stage is paved with relentless practice, and Emily Ann Roberts embodies that truth. From small Knoxville stages to numerous performances at the Grand Ole Opry, she has diligently earned her place in the spotlight. Her journey began as a standout and runner-up on Blake Shelton’s team on The Voice, an achievement reached before she graduated high school. Since then, Roberts has built extensive experience in performing, songwriting and recording, translating into more than 88 million global streams. Her debut album Can’t Hide Country blends traditional country and bluegrass roots and was spotlighted by Billboard, MusicRow, People and more, followed by her EP Memory Lane released Oct. 3. A seasoned performer, she has toured with Blake Shelton, Megan Moroney, Cody Johnson, Jamey Johnson and Clint Black. She was also named to the CMT Next Women of Country class of 2024, recognized as a Nashville Briefing Artist to Watch and featured in Walt Disney World’s Country Bear Musical Jamboree attraction performing “Try Everything” from Zootopia as Trixie St. Claire.

 

HUDSON WESTBROOK
River House Artists/Warner Records Nashville | River House Artists | Evergreen Artist Group | River House Artists/Sony Music Publishing Nashville | BMI

A son of Stephenville, Texas, Hudson Westbrook “is on the cusp of bona fide country music stardom” (Rolling Stone). After a 2024 splash debut with viral debut “Take It Slow,” he strung together a series of grassroots hits while still enrolled at Texas Tech University, including Texas radio chart-topper, “Two Way Drive,” and current Top 10 country radio hit, “House Again.” Revitalizing the organic country he was raised on while refusing to be held down by his roots, Westbrook’s “traditional country sounds and timeless songwriting” (Billboard) have become his calling card, fully realized on his Top 10, 17-track debut album, Texas Forever. Westbrook is headlining sold-out tours nationwide, following opening gigs with Parker McCollum, Midland, Eli Young Band, Cole Swindell and Ian Munsick. Amassing over 900 million global streams in 18 months, Westbrook was named a Billboard Country Rookie of the Month, a 2025 Artist to Watch by Spotify, Country Now, Holler, The Country Wire, and a SiriusXM all-genre Five for 2025.

 

STEPHEN WILSON JR.
Big Loud Records | ALJ Management/Range Media Partners | UTA | BMG | SESAC

Stephen Wilson Jr.’s journey from the hollers of southern Indiana to Nashville has taken many detours: he’s been an Indiana State Golden Gloves boxing championship finalist, a scientist and a lead guitarist and songwriter in an indie rock band. In 2016, he left his laboratory job and signed a publishing deal, leading to cuts from Caitlyn Smith, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash and more. His breakthrough arrived in 2023 when he signed a record deal and released his debut double album søn of dad, a 22-song, genre-spanning tribute to his late father, shared on the five-year anniversary of his passing. Named the No. 1 album of 2023 by Holler and praised by Whiskey Riff, Wide Open Country and Rolling Stone, the project propelled him to major visibility. In 2025, he released a deluxe edition featuring a widely streamed “Stand By Me,” performed the national anthem at the 2025 NFL Draft, collaborated with Shaboozey on “Took A Walk,” earned his first CMA nomination for New Artist of the Year and continues a wildly successful U.S. run of his søn of dad tour following support dates with HARDY.