CRE Rising 25 – Week 10: October 13, 2026
CRE RISING 25
WEEK 10 • OCTOBER 13, 2026 • PUBLIC RELEASE
Twenty-five emerging country artists. One national editorial chart. A weekly look at the performers building momentum across country music.
BELLES leads the CRE Rising 25 for another week, with Hannah McFarland and Laci Kaye Booth holding at Nos. 2 and 3 as the Top 4 remain unchanged.
Week 10 brings gains for Kinsley, Noah James, Just Jayne, Nathan Dean & The Damn Band and Slater Nalley.
Noah James earns the Biggest Mover spotlight and this week's Hot Song selection, while Gabriella Rose continues drawing attention just outside the chart.
Week 10 Highlights
CRE Rising 25 — Week 10
▲ Rising • ▼ Falling • — Holding
| Rank | Artist | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BELLES | — |
| 2 | Hannah McFarland | — |
| 3 | Laci Kaye Booth | — |
| 4 | Elizabeth Nichols | — |
| 5 | Kinsley | ▲ 1 |
| 6 | Zach John King | ▼ 1 |
| 7 | Noah James | ▲ 2 |
| 8 | The Jack Wharff Band | ▼ 1 |
| 9 | Just Jayne | ▲ 1 |
| 10 | Kevin Powers | ▼ 2 |
| 11 | Mae Estes | — |
| 12 | Kashus Culpepper | — |
| 13 | Abbie Callahan | — |
| 14 | Greylan James | — |
| 15 | Cody Lohden | — |
| 16 | Nathan Dean & The Damn Band | ▲ 2 |
| 17 | Brandon Wisham | ▼ 1 |
| 18 | Kaleb Austin | ▼ 1 |
| 19 | Tyce Delk | — |
| 20 | Lily Meola | — |
| 21 | Slater Nalley | ▲ 2 |
| 22 | Jacob Hackworth | ▼ 1 |
| 23 | Ashley Wineland | ▼ 1 |
| 24 | Hudson Macready | — |
| 25 | Matt Farris | — |
The Week 10 Story
BELLES Holds the Lead
BELLES remains at No. 1, extending her stay at the top of the Rising 25. Hannah McFarland, Laci Kaye Booth and Elizabeth Nichols all hold their positions, keeping the first four places unchanged. Kinsley rounds out the Top 5 after climbing one spot.
Noah James Moves Into the Top 10
Noah James rises two places from No. 9 to No. 7 and receives the official Week 10 Biggest Mover spotlight. His song "Nothin Rich" also takes this week's Hot Song distinction.
Nathan Dean & The Damn Band advance two places to No. 16, while Slater Nalley makes a matching two-position gain to No. 21.
A Week of Stability — and Competition
There are no new entries or graduations in Week 10. Even with the same 25 artists returning, positions are changing.
Just Jayne moves up to No. 9, Kinsley rises to No. 5, and Zach John King shifts to No. 6. Kevin Powers slips two positions to No. 10. Each week is a new opportunity for artists to build momentum.
Just Outside the Top 25
These artists occupy the next four positions on the Week 10 watchlist:
| #26 | Julia Golden |
| #27 | Grace Tyler |
| #28 | Belle Frantz |
| #29 | KC Bruner |
Gabriella Rose is this week's featured On the Verge artist, recognized for growing buzz beyond the current Top 25.
What Is the CRE Rising 25?
The CRE Rising 25 is Country Road Entertainment's weekly nationwide editorial ranking of emerging country artists.
The chart considers music and streaming activity, social audience growth, live performances, industry recognition and CRE's independent editorial evaluation.
Artists, managers, publishers and publicists are welcome to introduce emerging talent for consideration.
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