CRS Starts Today

Catch Native Run, and Natalie Stovall And The Drive at ‘MusicRow’s’ CRS party.

Ready. Set. GO!!! Country Radio Seminar opens today (Tues., Feb. 18) with a bang.

MusicRow’s 12th annual CRS Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards, the unofficial kick off to CRS, will be today at Margaritaville in downtown Nashville, featuring performances by Native Run and Natalie Stovall & The Drive. Details here.

The jam-packed week will keep artists, industry and radio programmers hopping until the wee hours. Below are a few highlights from the official schedule, while tons of other invitation-only parties are also on attendees’ dockets.

All events are at the Renaissance Hotel/Nashville Convention Center unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, Feb. 18

6:00 PM – 8:15 PM: Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner & Ceremony. Honorees include Radio Inductees Larry Wilson and Mike Brophey; On-Air Personalities Paul Schadt and Jim Denny; Career Achievement Award winner Vince Gill; and President’s Award recipient Ed Hardy.

8:30 PM: Official Hall of Fame After Party featuring Rachele Lynae, sponsored by Momentum Label Group. Plus Millstar Entertainment artists Outshyne and a special guest appearance by Jamie O’Neal.

Wednesday, Feb. 19 

9:30 AM: Brett Eldredge will kick off the seminar with the national anthem at the opening ceremonies, followed by the presentation of Scholarship and the Artist Humanitarian Awards. Carrie Underwood is this year’s Artist Humanitarian Award recipient.

10:15 AM – 11:00 AM: Keynote Address: 11 Reasons Why Social Media Could Save The Radio Business Featuring Gavin McGarry Sponsored by Folds of Honor.

11:00 AM – 11:50 AM: Little Big Town “Perseverance” Sponsored by Folds of Honor. Bob Kingsley will conduct an interview with the CMA Vocal Group of the Year about perseverance in the country music industry.

12:00 PM – 2:20 PM: Team UMG at the Ryman Auditorium. This year’s performers are Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Easton Corbin, Billy Currington, Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Scotty McCreery, Kip Moore, Kacey Musgraves, David Nail, Jon Pardi, Eric Paslay, Darius Rucker and Josh Turner. Lunch served at NCC, Level 2, lobby near Ryman exit.

2:30 PM – 3:50 PM: CRS Research Presentation. Country Radio Seminar has commissioned a comprehensive Country music research study for presentation, with data on the increased popularity country music is seeing with the 12-34 year-old age group.? Panelists: Larry Rosin, Jayne Charneski.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Muscle Shoals: The Magic in the Music Sponsored by Muscle Shoals to Music Row Live and Alabama Tourism. These legendary producers and musicians are featured in a new award-winning documentary, Muscle Shoals. Panelists: Rick Hall, Jimmie Johnson, Spooner Oldham, Mac McAnnally, and David Hood. Moderator: Charlie Morgan.

9:30 PM – 11:30 PM: Muscle Shoals film screening.

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM: The Grand Ole Opry Presented by My Well Being Powered by Humana. Performances by Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Old Crow Medicine Show, along with Thompson Square, Chris Young, Charles Esten (Nashville), Love & Theft, Brandy Clark, Will Hoge and Eric Paslay. Bill Cody will host the event.

Thursday, Feb. 20

11:00 AM – 11:50 AM: CMA Presentation: Building a Strong Brand No Matter What Technology Does. Presenters: Mark Ramsey, Mark Ramsey Media; and Karen Stump, Senior Research Director, Country Music Association.

12:00 PM – 1:50 PM: UMG Nashville Lunch and Performance, Ryman Auditorium, with performers Jennifer Nettles, Brothers Osborne and Kalleigh Bannen.

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM: Why Choosy Brands Choose Country. Major brands are jumping on the country bandwagon. Moderator: Erica Farber, RAB. Panelists: Julie Craig, Retail Marketing Manager, Cracker Barrel;
Shari Lewin, William Morris Entertainment; Darcie Law, Vice President, Account Director, Chevrolet, Jack Morton Worldwide; and Mike Weidman, Chevrolet National Promotions Manager.

7:00 PM: Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley Sponsored by Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 and Co-Sponsored by Suntrust Bank, Beverage Bar Sponsored by ASCAP. Performers: Ben Hayslip, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Ashley Gorley, Rodney Clawson, Brett James, Matt Jenkins, Rhett Akins and Dallas Davidson.

Friday, Feb. 21

12:00 PM – 1:50 PM: Black River Entertainment Lunch and Performance with Kellie Pickler, Craig Morgan and John King.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: BMI Legends Featuring John Oates Sponsored by BMI. Oates discusses his career and performs a couple of acoustic songs. John Esposito, President of Warner Music Nashville, will moderate.

6:30 PM – 10:00 PM: New Faces of Country Music® Dinner and Performance Co-Sponsored by MDA and ACM, with performers Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr, Cassadee Pope, Thomas Rhett and Charlie Worsham, followed by the Official After Party of the New Faces Show Presented by TNT’s Private Lives of Nashville Wives.