This yr, country music had a significant mainstream second on Billboard‘s all-genre charts, with 4 nation songs topping the chart: Morgan Wallen’s 16-week No. 1 hit “Final Night time,” Zach Bryan’s duet with Kacey Musgraves “I Bear in mind The whole lot,” Jason Aldean’s “Strive That in a Small City,” and Oliver Anthony Music’s two-week viral No. 1 hit “Wealthy Males North of Richmond.” In the meantime, Luke Combs’ cowl of Tracy Chapman’s “Quick Automotive” spent eight weeks at No. 2 on the Scorching 100, whereas Bryan additionally reached the highest 10 this yr with “One thing within the Orange.”
Courting again to the Scorching 100’s 1958 begin, the one different calendar yr that had 4 or extra nation chart-toppers was 1975, when 5 songs grew to become chart leaders.
Even with nation music’s lofty, record-breaking showing on the all-genre chart this yr, when the Grammy nominations had been introduced on Friday morning (Nov. 10), most of nation music’s largest artists of the second — together with Bryan, Combs, Wallen and Lainey Wilson, who simply picked up the coveted CMA entertainer of the yr trophy in a shock win on Wednesday night — had been shut out of the 4 largest classes: album, report and music of the yr and greatest new artist.
Nation’s solely illustration within the “Huge 4” is Jelly Roll (who gained new artist of the yr at Wednesday’s CMAs) and the nation/Americana duo The War and Treaty in the very best new artist class. Although The Conflict and Treaty’s music hasn’t gotten traction on mainstream nation radio, the pair was nominated for vocal duo of the yr on the CMA Awards, and their collaboration with Zach Bryan, “Hey Driver,” reached the highest 5 on the Scorching Nation Songs chart. However primarily, their awards nods have are available in Americana areas, together with a 2024 Grammy nomination for greatest Americana roots music.
“Sadly, nation nonetheless isn’t given the respect it deserves by some Grammy voters….Stereotypes about nation music nonetheless exist – twangy songs about my canine and my mother dying — and it may be perceived by some as not pretty much as good or influential as different genres,” posits Beverly Keel, co-founder of Change the Dialog and dean of Center Tennessee State College’s School of Media and Leisure. “I don’t assume many Grammy voters are conscious of the recognition and attain of nation. Whereas it doesn’t get the eye or respect that different genres do by way of award nominations, media protection and notion, the numbers reveal that numerous folks get pleasure from it.”
Regardless of his record-breaking gross sales and streaming yr, Wallen was fully shut out of this yr’s Grammy nominations, although his huge hit “Final Night time” did earn a rustic music of the yr nod (which matches to songwriters John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak). Regardless of his album One Factor at a Time being one of many biggest-selling albums of the yr, it earned no nominations within the all-genre album of the yr class, and even the nation album of the yr class. This shutout appears to echo one other loss for Wallen earlier within the week, when he was nominated in three high CMA Awards classes — entertainer of the yr, album of the yr and male vocalist of the yr — however went dwelling empty-handed.
Wilson, who picked up 5 whole wins throughout the CMA Awards ceremony, was noticeably absent from the all-genre greatest new artist class, regardless of being eligible. Her lone Grammy nominations had been for nation album of the yr (Bell Backside Nation, an accolade she additionally picked up from the CMAs this week) and greatest nation duo/group efficiency, for her collaboration with Jelly Roll on “Save Me.”
Traditionally, nation music hasn’t had an particularly robust displaying within the winners circle within the Huge 4 classes. Nation albums which have taken dwelling the coveted album of the yr prize embody Glen Campbell’s By The Time I Get to Phoenix in 1968, the soundtrack to O Brother, The place Artwork Thou? in 2002 and The Chicks’ Taking the Lengthy Approach in 2007. Extra not too long ago, Taylor Swift’s nation mission Fearless gained in 2010 (her two most up-to-date wins had been for her pop albums 1989 in 2016 and Folklore in 2020). The newest nation mission to win album of the yr was Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour on the 2019 Grammys ceremony.
It has been greater than a dozen years since a rustic artist has taken dwelling the trophy for greatest new artist, with Zac Brown Band profitable on the 2010 ceremony. Girl A’s “Want You Now” was the latest nation winner in each the report and music of the yr classes on the 2011 Grammys ceremony.
Nation has acquired a slew of nominations within the report of the yr class, together with Shania Twain’s “You’re Nonetheless the One” in 1999, Willie Nelson’s “At all times on My Thoughts” in 1983, with different nominations together with Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” and “Girl,” Crystal Gayle’s “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” Johnny Money’s “A Boy Named Sue,” Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A,” and Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe.” The Chicks gained within the class with “Not Able to Make Good”; Olivia Newton-John’s multi-genre hit “I Actually Love You” additionally took dwelling the report of the yr honor in 1975.
In the very best new artist class, nation winners have included Bobbie Gentry, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band, whereas nominees have included Jeannie C. Riley, The Judds, Kentucky Headhunters, Shania Twain (notably, she misplaced to Hootie & The Blowfish, whose lead singer Darius Rucker would go on to change into a star within the nation style himself), The Chicks, Brad Paisley, Girl A, Sam Hunt, Brandy Clark, Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini and Kacey Musgraves.
This yr, the overall area expanded from the Huge 4 to the Huge Six, with producer of the yr, non-classical and songwriter of the yr, non-classical added to the sector. Whereas no nation producers acquired a nomination, each Shane McAnally (Brandy Clark, Previous Dominion, Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton) and Jessie Jo Dillon (Jelly Roll, Previous Dominion, Dan + Shay) garnered nominations for songwriter of the yr.
In an interview with Billboard on the eve of the nominations, Recording Academy Chief Harvey Mason, Jr. acknowledged that creators in each the Latin and nation fields had been likely disappointed with the ultimate nominations in high classes. Requested particularly about Combs’ cowl of Tracy Chapman’s “Quick Automotive,” Mason famous, “That music, and nation basically, had such an amazing yr. [There were] so many truly good data and nice artists, so it was a shock.”
He added, “We at all times really feel like we will do higher. We now have to do extra outreach in Latin communities, ensuring that we’re representing the music precisely. We’re listening to from them issues that we will do; ensuring we have now the correct amount of membership and illustration. Identical goes for nation. So, we have now to be sure that we’re getting the best membership, which is one thing we have now to speak about yearly. After we have a look at the outcomes of any given yr, we at all times look and see the place we will do higher; the place do we have to steadiness; the place do we have to develop and evolve our membership. … It’s one thing that we pay shut consideration to, so we’ll proceed to do work on our membership.”
Even throughout the country-focused classes, songs and albums that dominated nation radio and albums gross sales over the previous yr didn’t dominate the nominations.
Along with “Final Night time,” greatest nation music nominations additionally included Chris Stapleton’s present radio single “White Horse” and the Bryan/Musgraves duet “I Bear in mind The whole lot,” which topped the Scorching Nation Songs chart for six weeks. Different nominees within the class had been Tyler Childers’ extra Americana-leaning “In Your Love” and Brandy Clark’s “Buried.” Childers’ “In Your Love” additionally earned a greatest nation solo efficiency nod, in addition to an total greatest music video nod, whereas Childers’ Rustin within the Rain earned a greatest nation album nod.
Different nation classes, as is commonly the case, additionally leaned towards critically praised songs and albums over chart-toppers.
Tasks together with Wallen’s One Factor at a Time and Combs’ Gettin’ Previous had been absent from the very best nation album class, although Wilson’s Bell Backside Nation earned a nod, as did Bryan’s self-titled album. Different nominations are Kelsea Ballerini’s much-lauded divorce report Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, Brothers Osborne’s self-titled album, and Tyler Childers’ Rustin’ within the Rain.
Combs’ chart juggernaut “Quick Automotive” earned a greatest nation solo efficiency nomination, as did Stapleton’s present high 20 Nation Airplay hit “White Horse,” whereas the remainder of the class was comprised of Childers’ “In Your Love” (which reached No. 7 on the Scorching Nation Songs chart, and is at the moment at No. 51 on the Nation Airplay chart), along with Clark’s “Buried” and Nation Music Corridor of Famer Dolly Parton’s “The Final Factor on My Thoughts,” from the Doc Watson tribute album I Am a Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100.
The very best nation duo/group efficiency class included the Stapleton/Carly Pearce collaboration “We Don’t Combat Anymore,” the Jelly Roll/Wilson collab, and the Bryan/Musgraves collab, with different nods going to Dierks Bentley’s bluegrass-tinged jam “Excessive Observe” with Billy Strings in addition to Brothers Osborne’s “No one’s No one” and the Vince Gill/Paul Franklin collab “Kissing Your Image (Is So Chilly).”
Notably, Oliver Anthony Music, whose “Wealthy Males North of Richmond” was submitted for music and report of the yr, after being one of many largest breakthroughs of the yr, acquired no nominations.
Nation music did significantly better within the Huge 4 classes on the Grammy Awards for 1975, which, as famous, was the final time the style despatched 4 or extra songs to the highest of the Scorching 100. Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy,” which topped each the Scorching 100 and Scorching Nation Songs that yr, was nominated for each report and music of the yr (the latter for its author, Larry Weiss). Eagles’ pop/nation crossover hit “Lyin’ Eyes” was additionally nominated for report of the yr. Linda Ronstadt’s Coronary heart Like a Wheel, which was a No. 1 album on each the Billboard 200 and High Nation Albums, was up for album of the yr. And Wonderful Rhythm Aces, which had the pop/nation crossover hit “Third Price Romance,” was nominated for greatest new artist.
See the total 2024 nation Grammy nominations under:
Finest Nation Solo Efficiency
For brand new vocal or instrumental solo nation recordings.
“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers
“Buried,” Brandy Clark
“Quick Automotive,” Luke Combs
“The Final Factor on My Thoughts,” Dolly Parton
“White Horse,” Chris Stapleton
Finest Nation Duo/Group Efficiency
For brand new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative nation recordings. (Observe: Roughly than 5 nominations in a class is the results of ties.)
“Excessive Observe,” Dierks Bentley that includes Billy Strings
“No one’s No one,” Brothers Osborne
“I Bear in mind The whole lot,” Zach Bryan that includes Kacey Musgraves
“Kissing Your Image (Is So Chilly),” Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
“Save Me,” Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson
“We Don’t Combat Anymore,” Carly Pearce that includes Chris Stapleton
Finest Nation Tune
A Songwriter(s) Award. A music is eligible if it was first launched or if it first achieved prominence throughout the Eligibility 12 months. (Artist names seem in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks solely.
“Buried,” Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (Brandy Clark)
“I Bear in mind The whole lot,” Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Zach Bryan that includes Kacey Musgraves)
“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers & Geno Seale, songwriters (Tyler Childers)
“Final Night time,” John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters (Morgan Wallen)
“White Horse,” Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
Finest Nation Album
For albums containing larger than 75% enjoying time of latest nation recordings.
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne, Brothers Osborne
Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan
Rustin’ within the Rain, Tyler Childers
Bell Backside Nation, Lainey Wilson
