ACM National On-Air Personality of the Year Bobby Bones is continuing to show his support for new talent, revealing the five artists who will make up “The Bobby Bones Show Class Of 2018″ this week. Recognizing some of Country music’s most-anticipated acts, Bones selected Jimmie Allen, Kassi Ashton, Morgan Evans, Jillian Jacqueline and Brandon Ray for this year’s class. The honorees represent artists he believes have what it takes to break through and become the next big thing, with the only criteria being that they’ve never had a Top 40 song. Bones will rally behind his “Class Of” thought the year, providing various opportunities and platforms to give each artist continued exposure. Honored by ASCAP with the “Partners In Music” Award and heralded by PEOPLE for “using his platform…to promote undiscovered country music artists,” this is the fourth year Bones has selected a “Class Of.” Past members have gone on to see impressive career milestones and become some of Country’s hottest acts, including Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, LANCO, Old Dominion, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi and Brothers Osborne.
“I love these artists. And I think other people should too,” Bones said. “I’m thankful for my listeners for letting me be the advocate for new music in Nashville.”
Inducted into the National Radio Hall Of Fame as the youngest honoree ever, Bobby Bones has been dubbed “the most powerful man in country music” (Forbes). His nationally syndicated radio show The Bobby Bones Show reaches millions of listeners on 100+ stations and garnered a 2017 Country Music Association award for National Broadcast Personality of the Year, following two ACM Awards for National On-Air Personality of the Year in 2014 and 2016. His popular podcast, BobbyCast, a “treasure trove of unusually candid anecdotes…” (Washington Post), is quickly approaching its 100th episode and has been downloaded more than 2 million times. Bones sits down with top artists and songwriters – Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, John Mayer and Chris Stapleton to name a few – for in-depth personal interviews. The podcast’s overwhelming success has paved the way for Bones to launch the Nashville Podcast Network, an eclectic collection of seven podcasts from a variety of Nashville-savvy hosts, giving listeners an inside look at the lifestyle and pop culture in Nashville. His memoir, BARE BONES: I’M NOT LONELY IF YOU’RE READING THIS BOOK (Dey Street Books), landed at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers Lists, and his second book is expected summer of 2018.
