Country Music Association Reveals 2026 Broadcast Award Winners: Full List

Reigning CMA new artist of the Year Zach Top called radio stations and broadcast personalities nationwide on Tuesday (Oct. 13) with good news, notifying them that they were among the 2026 recipients of CMA Broadcast Awards. These awards honor outstanding achievement among radio personalities and stations in the United States and Canada.

“Country radio is an important part of our ecosystem, and we’re delighted to celebrate the people who show up for their listeners and communities every day,” Brittany Schaffer, incoming CMA CEO, said in a statement. “Congratulations to every personality and station and thank you for all you do for country music.” 

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The CMA Broadcast Award categories are established by market size based on population as ranked by Nielsen. Entries for broadcast personality of the year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical and impact information. Candidates for radio station of the year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and leadership and impact information. 

Any full-time, on-air broadcast personalities and radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to submit entries, regardless of CMA membership status. The entries are judged by a panel of broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions. 

CMA Broadcast Awards winners are not eligible to enter the same award category in consecutive years; therefore, those who received trophies in 2025 were not eligible in 2026. 

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Winners of the CMA Broadcast Awards will be recognized at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville during the Pre-Telecast Ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 18, prior to the televised 60th annual CMA Awards. The show, hosted by Lainey Wilson, will air live at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m CT on ABC and Disney+, and the next day on Hulu.

Here’s the full list of 2026 CMA Broadcast Awards finalists, with winners marked.

CMA broadcast personality of the year

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

WINNER: “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

WINNER: “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

WINNER: “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.

WINNER: “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.

WINNER: “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. 

WINNER: “Officer Don and DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington, Ky.

CMA radio station of the year

Major market

WINNER: KSCS – Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas

KSON – San Diego, Calif.

KYGO – Denver-Boulder, Colo.