The Long Way to Entertainer of the Year
Cash Hollistah didn’t win Salina’s Entertainer of the Year because of one big night. He won it the slow way, the way that only works if you keep showing up. After more than 5,400 Salina311 subscribers voted in a community poll, Cash Hollistah emerged as the clear choice, a result that reads less like a popularity contest and more like a town taking inventory of who’s actually been there.
His relationship with performance started early. At six years old, Hollistah was already on stage as part of The Curtis Family, a gospel group made up of his parents and siblings. Church was where he learned discipline, presence, and how to hold a room. Hip-hop found him at nine, and from there the performances became personal.
“The early days were really just me finding my voice,” Hollistah said. “Rapping about kid stuff and, being a pastor’s kid, about my faith.”
Growing up in Salina didn’t offer a ready-made rap narrative. “The options of things to rap about were rather limited,” he added, laughing. That limitation forced originality.
A creative writing class at Salina Central High School flipped the switch from hobby to craft. After graduating, Hollistah briefly attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, where joining a campus hip-hop collective made the music business feel tangible for the first time.
“That’s where the journey into the music business started,” he said.
Building Something That Didn’t Exist Yet
Staying in Salina was never the easy route. Hollistah is candid about the contradictions of a small city that prides itself on support while sometimes resisting growth.
“There’s a small-minded mindset that seems to permeate around here,” he said. “And sometimes you can tell there’s a cliquish mentality.”
Rather than fight for access, he opted out.
“I learned I don’t need a seat at those tables,” he said. “Just build your own.”
That mindset shaped everything that followed. Collaboration wasn’t a branding choice, it was survival.
“Working as a silo is counterproductive,” Hollistah said. “That’s how you build community.”
He’s equally blunt about the unseen labor behind local art. “For them, it’s just a show or a party. For us, it’s an outlet and an investment. Many times with no guarantee of return.”
That understanding is why organizations trust him with projects that stretch beyond the stage.
“Cash Hollistah is a masterful collaborator,” said Anna Pauscher Morawitz, Operations & Development Manager at Salina Arts & Humanities. “As an artist, entertainer, and community leader, he understands each event and project through multiple lenses and delivers with strength from his community partnerships. From marketing and promotion to performing throughout the community and curating guest artists, Cash is a trusted partner in creating memorable experiences.”
Brad Anderson, Executive Director of Salina Arts & Humanities, has watched that evolution up close.
“Cash Hollistah is a gifted artist and educator who brings his authentic and creative voice to Salina in countless ways,” Anderson said. “It has been a pleasure watching him grow over the years as he sets an excellent example for youth and adults.”
When It Became Bigger Than One Mic
In 2012, Hollistah launched ONE MIC at Ad Astra Books & Coffeehouse. What started as an open mic quickly became something else entirely. Rappers shared stages with poets. People from different cities, backgrounds, and belief systems listened to one another without posturing.
“That first gathering,” Hollistah said, “seeing people from different ages, races, backgrounds, belief systems, all sharing ideas despite their differences, that was a light bulb moment.”
It was the moment the work stopped being about him.
His presence has been just as visible downtown, where his performances have helped define the tone of community events.
“I am so fortunate to know Cash, and I am absolutely thrilled that he is being recognized as Salina’s Entertainer of the Year,” said Leslie Bishop, Executive Director of Salina Downtown. “Cash has graced countless downtown events with his performances, bringing an incredible energy and vibe that lights up every crowd. He draws people together in such an inclusive way—exactly the spirit we aim to foster here in downtown Salina. Cash is an exceptional local talent, and our community is truly lucky that he shares his passion and creativity with us all.”
Peers see the consistency too.
“Cash is a great human being first and foremost,” said Jaron Bell. “His faith and his family are always evident in everything he does. In the entertainment industry, consistency is one of the most important factors for any artist, and Cash has exemplified that for years. He has been a constant source of quality entertainment in the Salina area and continues to be someone the community can count on. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Mr. Cash Hollistah.”
Beyond the stage, Hollistah’s work includes Poetry in Hip-Hop youth classes, the Cash Hollistah Scholarship, board service, and mentorship. It’s a portfolio that quietly challenges the idea that local art is small or unserious.
“Local doesn’t mean small,” he said. “You have to start somewhere. That’s how beginnings work.”
He’s had opportunities to leave and hasn’t ruled it out entirely. “But if or when I do,” Hollistah said, “I want to leave my city in a healthier spot than when I came in.”
Being named Salina’s Entertainer of the Year didn’t come from chasing attention or waiting for permission. It came from staying, building, and letting the work stack up. The 5,400 votes just put a number on something Salina already understood.
And if history is any indication, he’s still building.
About Salina311 Entertainment Coverage
Salina311 is expanding its focus on local entertainment and performers as part of its 2026 editorial plan, spotlighting the artists, creators, and events shaping Salina’s cultural identity and creative economy. This series is designed to go beyond announcements and surface the people doing the work, building audiences, and contributing to a stronger local arts and entertainment scene.
Salina311 reaches more than 30,000 subscribers locally, with a growing regional audience of more than 72,000 subscribers, providing meaningful visibility for artists and performers across Salina and the surrounding region.
Have an entertainer, performer, or artist you believe deserves deeper coverage and broader attention? Share your ideas, story tips, or nominations by emailing sarah@salina311.com. If someone is creating something worth paying attention to, we want to help tell their story.