Nick Steele & Kristen Flowers of 99.5 The Wolf (KWJJ/Portland) to Receive Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award During CRS 2026

(Nashville, Tennessee — January 20, 2026) — Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. (CRB) will honor Nick Steele and Kristen Flowers, morning show hosts on Audacy’s 99.5 The Wolf (KWJJ-FM) in Portland, with the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award during CRS 2026, set for March 18–20 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

Named after broadcast veteran Tom Rivers, the award celebrates his legacy by recognizing individuals in the country radio industry who exemplify a magnanimous spirit of caring and generosity through hands-on community service. Recipients demonstrate a deep personal commitment of time, talent, and resources to meaningful causes, reflecting the very best of country radio. 

Rivers passed away in 2004 at the age of 38. At the time of his passing, he was a member of the CRB Board of Directors and served as Operations Manager at WUSN (99.5 FM) in Chicago. His distinguished career also included time at WQYK (99.5 FM) in Tampa. 

Steele and Flowers are being honored for their extraordinary philanthropic leadership through Nick & Kristen’s Medical Debt Payoff, an annual initiative now in its sixth year. During the most recent campaign, held Nov. 17–21, 2025, the duo raised enough funds to eliminate $2.17 million in local medical debt across the Pacific Northwest. The effort was conducted in partnership with national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. 

Since its inception, Nick & Kristen’s Medical Debt Payoff has raised more than $18 million, fully relieving medical debt for over 10,000 individuals and families throughout the region, providing life-changing financial relief, and restoring dignity to those impacted by unexpected medical hardship. 

Past recipients of the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award include Mark “Hawkeye” Louis, Tim Leary, Storme Warren, Heather Froglear, Lon Helton, Bill Lawson, Dan Halyburton, Peter Smyth, Jeff Smulyan, Mary Quaas, and George G. Beasley. 

General registration for CRS 2026 is $698 per person and is available at www.CountryRadioSeminar.com. Limited single-day passes are also available for $349 (maximum of two per person) and include access to panels, speakers, luncheons, and networking events for the selected day, excluding the New Faces of Country Music® Showcase. New Faces of Country Music® tickets are sold separately for $110 and are limited; early purchase is strongly encouraged.