CRS and Whitney Allen Launch “Hot Mic” Scholarship to Support Emerging Female On-Air Talent

(Nashville, Tennessee — January 21, 2026) — Country Radio Seminar (CRS), in partnership with recently retired Country Radio Hall of Fame on-air personality Whitney Allen, has launched the Whitney Allen “Hot Mic” Scholarship, a new initiative designed to support and elevate emerging female on-air talent in country radio. 

The scholarship will award one recipient a complimentary full registration to CRS 2026, along with round-trip airfare to Nashville and accommodations at the Omni Nashville Hotel, ensuring hands-on access to the industry’s premier educational and networking event. 

The purpose of the Whitney Allen “Hot Mic” Scholarship is to identify female on-air personalities early in their careers who are striving to make a meaningful impact at their station, in their community, and within the country format. Eligible female applicants must have one to five years of experience in the radio industry, serve in a primary on-air role, and be first-time attendees of CRS. Applications must be submitted here by Feb. 2.

“Your program director, music director, or owner may attend CRS and return with notes on what stood out to them or what they felt was important,” says Allen. “And while that insight is valuable, it’s still only part of the story. When you’re not there in person, you miss the full picture. Hearing success stories and seeing the stats is one thing — but experiencing the presentations firsthand, delivered with real-world experience, energy, and genuine passion, is something entirely different. That’s what stays with you when you go home. That’s what sparks new ideas, shifts perspective, and inspires real change.”

Allen began her radio career in 1979 and transitioned into country radio in 1982. After early success at KCBQ/San Diego, she moved into the Los Angeles market at Pirate Radio and KIIS before joining the nationally syndicated “After Midnite" in 1995. She later hosted afternoons at KZLA/Los Angeles and went on to create and host “America’s Hot List,” as well as “The Big Time” and “Big Time Saturday Night.” Over the course of her career, Allen earned multiple CMA and ACM Personality of the Year nominations, was named a Radio Hall of Fame nominee, received a Gracie Award in 2018, and was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2022.