Sunday night, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated its second annual Opry NextStage Live In Concert with performances by select members from the 2022 NextStage class. The star-studded group included BRELAND, Restless Road, Elvie Shane, Conner Smith and Nate Smith.
Highlights from the evening include Conner Smith’s standing ovation for his song “Dear Grand Ole Opry” which he quoted on stage as being “a love song to the Grand Ole Opry” as well as Elvie Shane’s performance of his platinum record, “My Boy.” The crowd also received special performances by the host of the evening, platinum selling NextStage alumna, Priscilla Block as well as fellow NextStage alumna and 2022 Grammy nominee, Hailey Whitters, who sang her chart topping single, “Everything She Ain’t.”
On stage, Restless Road remarked, “We feel so honored to be on stage here, being an Opry NextStage artist is absolutely unbelievable and to get to stand on the same stage as many of these other artists who are here tonight is an absolute blessing.”
The NextStage Live In Concert event is an opportunity to showcase some of country music’s top rising stars who have been a part of the NextStage artist discovery program. Highlights of the 2022 class include BRELAND receiving his first CMA nomination for “Musical Event of the Year” alongside artists Dierks Bentley and Hardy, Nate Smith’s Top 12 placement on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart for his single “Whiskey On You” and Callista Clark being named the youngest member of CMT’s Next Women of Country in the 2022 class.
The complete Opry NextStage 2022 class included BRELAND, Callista Clark, Restless Road, Elvie Shane, Conner Smith, Nate Smith and Morgan Wade.
WHERE: Grand Ole Opry House
WHEN: November 20, 2022
Photo Credit: Lindsey Patkos
About Opry NextStage
Developed by Opry Entertainment Group in 2019, Opry NextStage, presented by Geico, invests in the discovery of new artists and highlights one up-and-coming artist per month with featured original content, an Opry performance and support across the brand’s platforms, which include the Opry, Ryman Auditorium, WSM Radio, Ole Red and Circle Network. With a pulse on what is next in the Country music format and a deep commitment to supporting burgeoning talent, NextStage has cemented a strong track record in just three short years. The two previous NextStage classes have featured artists such as Parker McCollum, Lainey Wilson, Riley Green and Tenille Townes who all went on to earn ACM New Male and Female Artist of the Year trophies following their Opry NextStage debuts.
About the Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. The Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE:RHP). For more information, visit opry.com.