CMA Unveils 2026 Broadcast Award Finalists

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The Country Music Association has announced the finalists for the 2026 Broadcast Awards.

The CMA Broadcast Award categories are grouped by market size based on population as ranked by Nielsen. Broadcast Personality of the Year entries are based on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical and impact information.

Radio Station of the Year finalists are judged by aircheck, ratings, community involvement and impact information. The entries are judged by a panel of broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.

The 60th Annual CMA Awards will air live on Nov. 18 on ABC and Disney+, and next day on Hulu. Winners of the CMA Broadcast Awards will be announced in the coming weeks and recognized during the Pre-Telecast Ceremony.

WCOW, a finalist for Small Market Radio Station of the Year, is also a MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart reporting station.

2026 CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR FINALISTS:

Weekly National:

  • “American Country Countdown with Ryan Fox” (Ryan Fox) – Westwood One / Cumulus Media
  • “The Country Top 40 with Fitz” (Cory “Fitz” Fitzner) – Hubbard Broadcasting
  • “Crook & Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – Jim Owens Entertainment
  • “The Highway Hot 30 Countdown with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM
  • “Steve Harmon Show” (Steve Harmon) – Westwood One / Cumulus Media

Daily National:

  • “The Angie Ward Show” (Angie Ward) – iHeartMedia
  • “Backstage Country with Elaina Smith” (Elaina Smith) – Key Networks
  • “Big D & Bubba” (“Big D” Derek Haskins, “Bubba” Sean Powell, Carsen Humphreville, Jonathan Shaffer, and Garrett Freche) – Silverfish Media
  • “The Bobby Bones Show” (Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, “Lunchbox” Dan Chappell, Eddie Garcia, Morgan Huelsman, “Scuba Steve” Spradlin, “Mike D” Rodriguez, “Raymundo” Ray Slater, and “Phone Screener Abby” Anderson) – Premiere Radio Networks / iHeartMedia
  • “Katie & Company” (Katie Neal) – Audacy

Major Market:

  • “The Andie Summers Show” (Andie Summers, Jeff Kurkjian, Donnie Black, and Shannon Boyle) – WXTU, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • “Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
  • “The Lo Show” (Lauren “Lo” Sessions) – KKBQ, Houston, Texas
  • “Michael J & Candace in the Morning” (“Michael J” Stuehler and Candace Dold) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.
  • “The Scotty Kay Show” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.

Large Market:

  • “Deb & Matt in the Morning” (Deborah Honeycutt and Matt Malone) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.
  • “Eagle Mornings with Steve & Karen” (Steve Waters and Karen West) – WGH, Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.
  • “Heather Froglear” (Heather Froglear) – KFRG, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.
  • “The Jesse & Anna Show” (Jesse Tack, Anna Marie, and Jake Thomson) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • “Scott and Shannen” (Scott Dolphin and “Shannen O” Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

Medium Market:

  • “Clay and Company” (Clay Moden and Rob Banks) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
  • “The Doc Show with Chewy” (Ken “Doc” Medek and Sean “Chewy” Medek) – WGGY, Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.
  • “Joey & Nancy” (Joey Tack, Nancy Barger, and Karly Duggan) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
  • “Julie and DJ in the Morning” (“Julie K” Kansy and “DJ Thee Trucker” Dale Sellers) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
  • “Steve & Gina in the Morning on Kat 103.7” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small Market:

  • “The Cat Pak Morning Show with Brent and Friends” (Brent Lane and Jordan Glass) – WYCT, Pensacola, Fla.
  • “Hilley & Hart” (Kevin Hilley and Erin Hart) – KATI, Columbia, Mo.
  • “Kicks Wake Up Krew” (“Dub” Bryan Axelson and Cody Blaine Jackson) – WKXC, Augusta, Ga.
  • “Liz & Scotty in the Morning” (Liz Del Grosso and Scotty Cox) – KCLR, Columbia, Mo.
  • “Officer Don and DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington, Ky.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR FINALISTS:

Major Market:

  • KSCS – Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
  • KSON – San Diego, Calif.
  • KYGO – Denver-Boulder, Colo.
  • WMZQ – Washington, D.C.
  • WPOC – Baltimore, Md.

Large Market:

  • KFRG – Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.
  • WCTK – Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, R.I.
  • WDSY – Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
  • WQDR – Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

Medium Market:

  • KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
  • WHKO – Dayton, Ohio
  • WLFP – Memphis, Tenn.
  • WQMX – Akron, Ohio
  • WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.

Small Market:

  • KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
  • WCOW – La Crosse, Wis.
  • WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.
  • WKXC – Augusta, Ga.
  • WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.
John Nix Arledge
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