CRS 2026 heads back to Nashville next month, bringing with it the return of the Y’all Means All Breakfast and Programming Happy Hour on the Wednesday schedule, as the conversation around who Country music is for takes center stage at the Omni Nashville.
The Y’all Means All Breakfast, titled “Expanding the Audience,” will be moderated by WSM-AM’s Amber Anderson. Panelists include Al Farb of Cumulus Media Dallas’s New Country 96.3 (KSCS), recording artists Ty Herndon and MŌRIAH, and James Marsh of Warner Music Nashville. Organizers say the discussion will focus on strengthening listener connection, increasing cultural relevance, and identifying practical strategies to expand country radio’s reach.
The breakfast continues CRS’s broader effort to foster dialogue around inclusion and audience development within the format.
Later that afternoon, CRS will host its Programming Happy Hour as a mentorship-driven networking session, giving attendees the opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversations with established program directors like Drew Bland of Audacy, Christi Brooks of Cox Media Group, Kevin Callahan of Pamal Broadcasting, Ashley Morrison Layfield of iHeartMedia, Brent Michaels of Buck Owens Productions, Dylan Salisbury of Connoisseur Media, Dawn Santolucito of Beasley Broadcast Group, and Jill Strada of iHeartMedia.
Earlier this month, CRS unveiled its three major research presentations for 2026. NuVoodoo will open March 18 with results from a 400-song Auditorium Music Test of Country fans 18–54 across radio and streaming. On Thursday, Strategic Solutions Research will deliver CRS’s annual Perceptual Study examining listener attitudes and behaviors. The series wraps March 20 with the Country Music Association’s new teen-focused study, followed by a panel on engaging the next generation of Country fans.
