April 27, 2026 News@CountryAircheck.com

Triple A: Warner Records Nashville's Avery Anna was surprised onstage with the ACM New Female Artist of the Year trophy by Atlantic Outpost's Sam Barber last night (4/26) following her performance at the Lone Star Smokeout in Arlington, TX. She and the TBA Male Artist of the Year will perform at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

KEEY Note: iHeartMedia Modern AC KTCZ/Minnepolis APD/morning host Zach Dillon has added afternoons at Country sister KEEY/Minneapolis. He succeeds 28-year station veteran Mike "Muss" Mussman, who departed earlier this month. Mussman joined K102 in 1998 and moved from mornings to afternoons when the station added Chris Carr & Company in 2014 (CAT 8/15/14). Dillon is also APD/MD and weekend host on Top 40 sister KDWB/Minneapolis, and has previous stops in Austin, Tulsa, Las Vegas, Waco, TX and New Haven, among other markets.

Bring The Payne: Former MCA Coord./Marketing & Project Management Luci Payne has joined Nashville-based multi-genre label and publishing company By Design as Project Mgr. By Design launched last fall, and includes country artist Frankie Ballard on its label roster (CAT 10/6/25). Reach Payne here.

Gig Alert: Audacy KILT/Houston is still seeking a morning host following last month's departures of Frito & Katy (CAT 3/31). Five or more years of on-air experience is preferred. Find the job posting and apply here.

Mountain State Milestones: WHKX/Bluefield was named Radio Station of the Year, and WJLS/Beckley and WVMD/Cumberland shared Country Station of the Year honors at the West Virginia Broadcasters Association's Excellence in Broadcasting Awards April 25 in Morgantown. WKWS/Charleston's Robb Reel won Best Morning Show, while WKKW/Morgantown afternoon host Mike Vincent was named Best On-Air Personality. WKWS also took home an award for Best Significant Community Impact. WJLS's Felicia Cochran was named Radio Rookie Professional of the Year. Full winners list here.

Tour Support: Willow Avalon's North American headline tour includes stops at New York’s Webster Hall (9/20), Los Angeles’ The Fonda (8/4), Toronto’s Phoenix Theatre (9/16), Boston’s Royale (9/18) and Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club (9/12). Tickets here tomorrow (4/28).

Bits & Pieces: Cumulus VP/Country Travis Daily makes a cameo in the "Redneck And You Know It" music video from MCA artist Dalton Davis, where the radio veteran portrays a television talk show host. Watch here.

Darius Rucker's 17th annual Darius & Friends benefit for St. Jude Children's Hospital will be held June 1 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. The artist lineup will not be revealed in advance. Tickets (5/1) here.

Townsquare has entered into a strategic digital advertising partnership with Columbus, OH-based North American Broadcasting Company, which includes Classic Country WJKR. Townsquare launched its media partnerships division in 2024, expanding its reach into 31 markets that don't overlap with its own stations.

ICYMI: The Grand Ole Opry’s Circle Sessions and Opry Live will air on RFD-TV beginning May 8 and May 9, respectively.

Life Note: iHeartMedia KTEX/McAllen PD/morning host Jo-Jo Cerda is in need of a kidney transplant to replace one he had transplanted in 2015 that is now starting to fail. He is on daily home dialysis and a transplant list with Methodist Transplant Hospital of San Antonio, but tells Country Aircheck, "The wait for a cadaver kidney is about seven years. That's why a live donor is preferred. My insurance takes care of all of the cost for the medication, doctor visits and the procedure. The pain is very minimal and the recovery time is also minimal." Find more info here; reach Cerda here.

Chronicle: Industry veteran Cliff Downs died April 24 at age 72 after a cancer battle. Downs began his career as half of Atlantic Records-signed pop duo Downes & Price, and went on to work as a Nashville songwriter, producer and publisher across the pop, country, contemporary Christian and jazz genres. His songs have been cut by Wynonna Judd, Gabby Barrett, B.J. Thomas, Paul Rodgers and Glenn Campbell. A Celebration of Life will be held May 4 at 4pm at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, TN, preceded by a 3pm visitation. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions in his honor to The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum or PR Ministries.

Country Aircheck Today Top 5: Here are the Top 5 songs for the week ending April 25, according to Mediabase.

LUKE COMBS/Days Like These (Columbia)
LUKE COMBS/Sleepless In A Hotel Room (Columbia)
CODY JOHNSON/The Fall (CoJo/Warner/WRN)
TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury)
RILEY GREEN/Change My Mind (Nash. Harbor)

Country Aircheck Top Point Gainers: Here are the top point gainers for April 26, compared with the same day last week, according to Mediabase.

ELLA LANGLEY & MORGAN WALLEN/I Can't Love You Anymore (Sawgod/Col. NY/Triple Tigers) +787 points
LUKE COMBS/Sleepless In A Hotel Room (Columbia) +494 points
TUCKER WETMORE/Brunette (Back Blocks/Mercury) +286 points
DAN + SHAY/Say So (Warner/WRN) +252 points
CHRIS JANSON/Me & A Beer (Harpeth 60/WMN) +238 points

Tomorrow's Birthdays (4/28): Mark Chase, Jesse James, Chuck Leavell, Bill Walker, Fred Knobloch, Athena Puharic, Kimsey Kerr, Jason McColl.

Pretty Little Plaques: Warner Records/WRN's Warren Zeiders (c) celebrates multiple certifications at Stagecoach. Pictured with (l-r) Underscore Works' Jamie Ernst, the label's Isaac Green, Tom Corson, Aaron Bay-Schuck and Cris Lacy, and Underscore Works' Charly Salvatore.

I Was Squall But 22: Nash. Harbor's Riley Green and his team before high winds forced Stagecoach to evacuate. Pictured (l-r) are the label's Sandi Spika Borchetta, Scott Borchetta and Dexter Bensman (back), Green, the label's Jimmy Harnen and guest Jenny Gilliand and the label's Andrew Thoen, Christina Hunt and Madison Larson.

Holdin' It Dune: Mr. "Double L," Jeremiah McGinnis, WRN's Kayla Burnett, KNIX/Phoenix's Lois “Double-L” Lewis and WRN's Jenna Johnson (l-r) at Chase Matthew's (not pictured) Stagecoach set.

Stage Poach: CAA's Meredith Jones Long, Island/Republic's Wyatt Flores and CAA's Jacob Lapidus and Ella Fernandez (l-r) at the CAA 2026 Stagecoach Brunch.

ShaKUZZy: Empire/Magnolia's Shaboozey (c) with KUZZ/Bakersfield's Ness Heraldez and Brent Michaels at Stagecoach.

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