2026 CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT HEADLINERS 
DEANA CARTER
Nashville native, Deana Carter, burst onto the country music scene with her multi-platinum debut album, Did I Shave My Legs For This?, featuring the #1 smash “Strawberry Wine.” The album also produced the #1 hits “We Danced Anyway” and “How Do I Get There,” along with the Top 5 single “Count Me In,” making Carter one of the defining country artists of the 1990s.
The daughter of legendary guitarist and producer Fred Carter, Jr., Deana grew up surrounded by artists including Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton. Willie Nelson later invited her to perform at Farm Aid VII alongside John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson and Neil Young.
Across eight albums, Deana has continued to evolve as a singer, songwriter and producer. Her songwriting success includes “You and Tequila,” recorded by Kenny Chesney, which earned Grammy, CMA and ACM Song of the Year nominations.
Today, Deana continues to write, record and tour, bringing her unmistakable voice, deeply personal songwriting and enduring catalog of hits to audiences around the country.
MADDIE FONT
After more than 15 years growing up in country music as one half of multi-Platinum duo Maddie & Tae, Maddie Font is stepping forward on her own, and bringing the audience that grew up alongside her into this bold new era.
Her first solo release, “Drive Me Around,” came out on September 4, 2026, and is more than a new song; it’s the beginning of a deeply personal new chapter, pairing the lead voice and storytelling fans have loved for years. Produced by acclaimed songwriter and longtime creative partner Jonathan Singleton (producer of Luke Combs and more), the song finds meaning in love’s simplest currency: time together — and its cinematic video makes that story even more personal, starring Maddie alongside her husband.
After a career filled with milestones, Maddie isn’t starting over, she’s finally getting the chance to show audiences who she is now.
ANNA VAUS
Anna Vaus is a human being and Nashville-based singer-songwriter whose music feels like a conversation with a big sister: disarmingly honest and refreshingly wise. She has amassed over 15 million streams and recently released her latest single, “There Is Time”.
She has toured alongside Willie Nelson, Stephen Wilson Jr. and more, finding a stage wherever she goes from the grass stages of her fans’ backyards to the Grand Ole Opry. As a songwriter, she holds her own in any room, with cuts recorded by Carly Pearce, Maddie & Tae, and more.
Her creativity stretches from song to Substack, where her newsletter The Weekly Whimsy reaches over 44,000 readers every Monday morning.
EVE SELIS with BACK TO THE GARDEN
Eve Selis has spent over 30 years crafting powerful Americana music that heals and connects. Her latest album, Dark Sky Blue, released in 2024, is a reflection of resilience and hope through life’s challenges.
STEVE VAUS
FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
2010 Grammy winner; four-time Grammy nominee. He has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and the White House. Vaus, along with Wayne Nelson of Little River Band, founded Carols by Candlelight in 1990.
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