Country Radio Seminar (CRS) took over Nashville this week, running from Feb. 19 to Feb. 21. The event brought together professionals from all corners of the country music industry, including radio, streaming, record labels, artists, media, and more.
As an annual convention, CRS serves as a platform for education, idea-sharing, and industry growth, with a strong focus on topics relevant to country radio.
CRS 2025 featured performances from a mix of rising and established artists, culminating in the most anticipated event of the week: the New Faces of Country Music Show. This showcase highlighted five artists—Drew Baldridge (Lyric Ridge/BMG/Stoney Creek), Ashley Cooke (Big Loud/Back Blocks), Dasha (Warner Records), Zach Top (Leo33), and Warren Zeiders (Warner Records)—each earning their spot through votes from the country music industry.
The New Faces of Country Music Show has served as a launching point in artists’ careers since its inception over five decades ago. Through the years, artists such as Jelly Roll, Parker McCollum, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Luke Combs, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn, and more were previously named New Faces of Country Music.
Keeping with tradition, this year’s New Faces class had the opportunity to showcase their talent and music in front of key industry leaders on the final night of CRS. The 2025 performers did the genre proud, highlighting the incredible wave of talent currently shaping country music and country radio.
Dasha
The first artist to take the stage was Dasha, who opened her five song set with the addictive “Didn’t I.” She followed up with a performance of “Heartbreaker From Tennessee” then took a moment to address the industry-only crowd.
“How much of an honor it is to be up on the stage right now. Thank you to everyone in this room who voted for me. I know you guys are the reason [I’m here], so thank you. Thank you, thank you,” she graciously shared from the stage.
The singer/songwriter went on to reflect on the “craziest year” of her life and how it led her to this moment.
“I just can’t even believe I’m at the Olympics of Country Radio right now. That’s what it feels like and I’m just so honored,” she continued.
Dasha’s standout moment came when she performed a raw, stripped-down version of “Even Cowboys Cry” from What Happens Now?—just her and her guitar. While some may see her as an overproduced country/pop artist, this performance highlighted her true storytelling talent, proving there’s much more to her than meets the eye.
She picked the tempo back up a bit with a preview of her forthcoming new single, “Not At This Party,” and closed out her set with her massive breakout hit, “Austin,” making her way off the stage and onto the floor to showcase some of her line dancing moves which originally helped make the song go viral on TikTok.
Drew Baldridge
Drew Baldridge opened his segment of the show with “Rebel,” prompting many CRS attendees to get out of their seats and make their way to the front of the room.
Before delivering a performance of his powerful, chart-climbing single, “Tough People,” the Illinois native went on to reflect on his musical journey as he recalled, “Back in 2019, I lost everything. I had a record deal… Lost my manager, my booking agent and everything. And I almost gave up and just moved back home to the farm.”
Baldridge then shared how he took a Hail Mary, grassroots approach to his career, using social media to offer backyard concerts for fans. After receiving over 20,000 requests and playing more than 400 shows, he realized, “I ain’t making music for Nashville, making music for real life, country people, real life, country, people’s hearts and souls.”
Despite the challenges he faced during this tumultuous time of his career, Baldridge came out on the other side with a new perspective.
He explained that during the darkest times, he leaned on his song “Tough People” to get him through.
“This song right here became my fight song about not giving up.I can tell you this, Tough times can sure as hell make some tough people,” he declared.
As he sang the second verse of the song, which goes: “She was four years old when they got the news/ It was in her little lungs, it was stage two/ Mama spent every night by her bed/ And daddy shaved his head/ Talk about tough people/ Yeah, there were plenty of times she could’ve gave up/ But she didn’t/ Nah, she fought like hell ’til she rang that bell in Memphis,” Baldridge invited several St. Jude patients to join him on the stage, bringing an emotional high to the moment. The room erupted in applause as the St. Jude survivors smiled back.
Closing out his performance, Baldridge became quite emotional as he recalled the many times he has attended the New Faces of Country Music Show and sat somewhere in the back hoping that one day, he’d get his turn on the stage.
Holding back tears, he introduced his final song of the evening, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” and shared how the success of the song has completely changed the trajectory of his career.
“This next song right here, I wrote it for my wife,” he said while joking that he was a “sissy” for tearing up. Baldridge then expressed his gratitude for everyone who helped him get the song to No.1 as an independent artist.
“You took it all the way to number one. It changed my life.”
Few rising artists are as beloved and widely supported as Drew Baldridge. Anyone who’s spent even a few minutes with him knows he’s a genuinely good guy with a big heart—making it impossible not to cheer him on. His performance at the New Faces of Country Music Showcase made this more evident than ever, as the love and support surrounding him filled the room.
Warren Zeiders
With undeniable confidence, Warren Zeiders took the stage next. Wearing a black cowboy hat and sunglasses, the Pennsylvania native made his entrance to his latest single, “Relapse.”
After thanking those who had supported him on his journey, Zeiders launched into a performance of “You For A Reason,” followed by his breakout hit, “Pretty Little Poison.”
“[This song needs] no introduction because it was the second most listened to song on radio last year. I’m sure we all know this song, so I would love for you to sing along,” he shared from the stage.
Zeiders closed out his set with “Ride the Lightning,” delivering an electrifying performance that had the crowd fully engaged. With his signature grit and unmatched energy, he left a lasting impression, proving why he’s one of country music’s most exciting rising stars.
Ashley Cooke
When it was the time for Ashley Cooke to take the stage, industry professionals crowded the front of the room in anticipation of the unforgettable performance they knew she was about to deliver. She prefaced her set with an introduction video that not only showed off her lighthearted spirit but also teased the “special guest” she had in store for the evening.
The lights went dark, and the songstress emerged alongside her bandmates, illuminating the room with her dazzling gold ensemble and powerhouse vocals. She kicked things off with her first No. 1 song at country radio, “Your Place,” followed by another track off her debut album, “I Almost Do.”
With the crowd already wrapped around her finger, Ashley then announced that she is “deep in the studio working on album two” alongside producer Dann Huff and made a last-minute decision to preview the project with a new song called “The F Word.” Contrary to the title, this powerful tune centers around the word “forever,” and showcases Ashley’s unmatched storytelling skills.
She closed out her set with the biggest surprise of the whole night. As she poured her heart into her just released breakup anthem, “All I Forgot,” the crowd erupted in cheers when her pop superstar duet partner, Joe Jonas, stepped on stage to join her for the electrifying live debut of the tune. Each artist on the 2025 New Faces lineup came to impress, and there’s no doubt that Ashley Cooke made every effort to prove that she is on course for greatness.
“Massive thank you for anybody who voted for me to be on this stage tonight. It truly is such an honor to be up here,” Ashley shared with the crowd. “I know the people that came before me at New Faces and it really means the world, thank you guys so much.”
Zach Top
Closing out the show was Zach Top, one of the most talked-about new artists in country music today. As he took the stage, even more attendees rushed to the front, creating a packed, honky-tonk-like atmosphere in the Omni Nashville ballroom.
“Thank you so much for making us feel welcome, we’re proud to be here at CRS New Faces. We’re very thankful for it,” Top said at the top of the set.
During the final performance, industry leaders let go of their professional personas and fully embraced the moment as fans, singing along to nearly every word.
The Washington native kicked off the show with his debut entry to country radio, “Sounds Like The Radio,” setting the tone for the remainder of the evening.
The Washington native opened with his debut country radio single, “Sounds Like The Radio,” setting the tone for an unforgettable set. While “Bad Luck” wasn’t a radio single, that didn’t stop the room from joining in on the sing-along.
Top got a laugh out of the crowd when introducing his song, “Use Me.”
“They used to write a lot of cheating songs in country music and lately they don’t so much anymore and I can’t tell if it’s because folks quit cheatin’ or they just quit talkin’ about it,” he quipped.
Unsurprisingly, the song that got by far the biggest response from the entire show was “I Never Lie.” The track is currently racing up the charts at country radio and if the response to the song on Friday night was any indication of what’s to come, it’s headed for No.1.
With the entire room captivated, Zach Top wrapped up his set with “Cold Beer & Country Music,” an instant honky-tonk classic.
After witnessing the 2025 New Faces of Country Music Show, it’s safe to say the future of country music is in good hands.
The post Ashley Cooke, Zach Top Lead 2025 New Faces Of Country Music Show appeared first on Country Now.
