Introducing Taste of Country’s RISERS: 2026 Artists to Watch

Taste of Country has unveiled its RISERS: 2026 Artists to Watch.

The most up-and-coming artists in country music include both men and women, traditionalists and pop-country artists — representing a true cross-section of contemporary country.

Who Are the Most Up-and-Coming Artists in Country Music?

The most promising artists in country music in 2026 include recent The Road winner Adam Sanders, singer-songwriter Kaitlin Butts, modern-day country traditionalist Spencer Hatcher and more.

What Is Taste of Country's RISERS Program?

Taste of Country's RISERS is a new artists spotlight that dates back to 2017.

Brett Young, Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, Riley Green and more are some of the rising country musicians who have passed through the RISERS program over the years and then gone on to develop world-class country music careers.

What Makes an Artist a Taste of Country RISER?

There's really no one metric by which Taste of Country selects the artists for our RISERS program.

Any given artist has to have some career development and some marketplace traction, either at country radio, touring and retail, or online with a viral hit.

That artist also needs to be in a position where it's likely they will be in a better place in their career next year than they are this year, since that's literally the essence of what a RISER is.

Finally, a Taste of Country RISER needs to display the long-term potential to develop a lasting career.

Who Are Taste of Country's RISERS: 2026 Artists to Watch?

Scroll through the pictures below to see the 26 up-and-coming country singers who are part of Taste of Country's RISERS: 2026 Artists to Watch, and click on the highlighted titles to read more about each artist we've chosen.