The Country Radio Broadcasters Board of Directors has announced major updates to the eligibility and selection criteria for the annual CRS New Faces of Country Music Show, reflecting shifts in how country music is consumed outside of radio in the digital age.
Two main changes mark this new approach: the inclusion of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart as a qualifying measure and a redefined submission process involving record labels and artist representatives.
For the first time, the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, which incorporates digital sales and streaming data alongside traditional radio airplay, will join the existing Mediabase Country Chart as a criterion for New Faces eligibility. This adjustment aims to provide a fuller picture of artist performance by factoring in both radio and digital platforms.
Additionally, record labels and artist representatives will now oversee eligibility confirmation and submissions for ballot inclusion, ensuring that artists meet the necessary qualifications and are available to perform if selected. This change allows for greater industry involvement in the selection process.
The updated criteria take effect for the qualification period from November 1, 2024, to October 27, 2025, determining the lineup for CRS 2026. The updated qualifications, outlined on the New Faces page of the CRS website, require artists to have between one and five Top 25 singles on the Mediabase Country Chart or Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart during the qualification period.
Full-time employees in programming, promotion, or distribution of country music are eligible to vote, though those with vested interests in individual artists are excluded. The Country Radio Broadcasters Executive Committee will review and approve the final ballot, which will feature all qualifying artists in alphabetical order for transparency.
CRB Executive Director RJ Curtis commented, “The revised New Faces Show chart criteria more broadly reflects how our music is being exposed and consumed in 2024, and how its performance is measured. While radio airplay continues to be the critically important calculation for artist success, digital sales and streaming data are also important, accurate factors in identifying the rising New Faces and voices in country music.”
