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Lainey Wilson is the top nominee for the 2023 CMA Awards, with nine nods. Wilson was also the top nominee last year, with six nods. Wilson is the first artist in CMA history to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the final ballot.
Moreover, Wilson is just the fourth artist in CMA history to land nine or more nominations in a single year. She follows Merle Haggard (nine nods in 1970), Alan Jackson (a record 10 nods in 2002) and Miranda Lambert (nine nods in both 2010 and 2014).
Wilson is the first artist in 13 years to land two nominations for single of the year in the same year. Wilson is nominated for “Heart Like a Truck” and as a featured artist on HARDY’s “wait in the truck.” Lambert was the last artist to land two nods in this category in one year; she was nominated in 2010 with both “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar.”
First-time nominee Jelly Roll landed five nominations, second only to Wilson for the most nods this year.
Luke Combs and HARDY each collected four nominations. Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, songwriter/producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and musician/producer Derek Wells each secured three nods.
Two women are nominated for entertainer of the year for the fourth consecutive year. Carrie Underwood and Wilson are nominated this year. Underwood and Lambert were both nominated in each of the last three years. This is the first time in CMA history that two women (or woman-led groups) have been nominated four years running.
The other entertainer of the year nominees are Combs, who won in that category the last two years; Stapleton, nominated for the seventh time; and Wallen, nominated for the second year in a row.
Women dominate the album of the year nominations for the second year in a row. Wilson, McBryde and Kelsea Ballerini are nominated in that marquee category this year. Wilson, Lambert and Maren Morris were nominated last year.
The other nominees in that category this year are Combs and Wallen.
Lambert landed her 17th nomination for female vocalist of the year, which puts her in a tie with Martina McBride for second place in that category; Reba McEntire leads with 18 nominations.
Little Big Town landed their 18th nomination for vocal group of the year; only Alabama has had more nods (21).
Brooks & Dunn was nominated for vocal duo of the year for a record-extending 24th time.
Three of the five song of the year nominees were written by gaggles of four or more songwriters, a change from past practices in country songwriting circles. A fourth was written by a three-member team. The only nominee written by a solitary songwriter was written 35 years ago: Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” nominated this year because of Combs’ smash cover version.
Chapman isn’t the only Black artist to receive a CMA nod this year in a high-profile category: The War and Treaty, consisting of married couple Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, is nominated for vocal duo of the year for the first time.
Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” and “Wait in the truck” by HARDY featuring Wilson are this year’s only works to receive nominations for single, song and video of the year. “Fast Car” and “Heart Like a Truck” were both nominated for single and song of the year, but not music video of the year.
First-time CMA Awards nominees — besides the aforementioned Jelly Roll, Chapman and The War and Treaty — include Mason Allen, Trannie Anderson, Renee Blair, Michael H. Brauer, Katelyn Brown, Zach Bryan, Josh Ditty, David Fanning, Nicki Fletcher, Greylan James, Paul Jenkins, Gena Johnson, Chase McGill, Cameron Montgomery, Megan Moroney, Austin Nivarel, Eivind Nordland, John Osborne, Hunter Phelps, David Ray Stevens, Patrick Tohill, Alysa Vanderheym, Hailey Whitters, Ben Williams, Dallas Wilson and Charlie Worsham.
Fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, who has won musician of the year four years running, is nominated again this year. She faces steel guitarist Paul Franklin, who is nominated in the category for the 31st time; guitarist Derek Wells (his eighth time); guitarist Rob McNelley (his second); and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Worsham (his first).
Winners will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA professional members on Monday, Oct. 2. Voting closes on Friday, Oct. 27. CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be determined by a final round of judging this month. Entries are judged by a panel of broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions. Winners will be revealed in October and will be honored at the CMA Awards. All balloting is tabulated by Deloitte.
The 57th annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning for the second year in a row, broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 8 (8–11 p.m./ET) on ABC. The show is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer.
The first CMA Awards Banquet and Show was held at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast for the first time on NBC – making it the longest-running annual music awards program on network television. The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006.
Here’s a complete list of the nominations for the 57th annual CMA Awards (listed in ballot category order):
Entertainer of the year
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Single of the year
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
“Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi
Album of the year
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne
Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery; Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym
Song of the year
Award goes to Songwriter(s)
“Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
“Heart Like a Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson
“Next Thing You Know”; Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
“Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
“wait in the truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt
Female vocalist of the year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce
Lainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Vocal group of the year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War And Treaty
Musical event of the year
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson); Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina (Remix)” – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell
“Thank God” – Kane Brown (with Katelyn Brown); Producer: Dann Huff
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce (featuring Chris Stapleton); Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce
Musician of the year
Jenee Fleenor
Paul Franklin
Rob McNelley
Derek Wells
Charlie Worsham
Music video of the year
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)
“Light on in the Kitchen” – Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long
“Memory Lane” – Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Director: Justin Clough
New artist of the year
Zach Bryan
Jelly Roll
Parker McCollum
Megan Moroney
Hailey Whitters
2023 CMA Broadcast Awards
Finalists for broadcast personality of the year (by market size):
Weekly National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus/Westwood One
“Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Compass Media Networks
“Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Silverfish Media
“On The Horizon with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM
“Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton” (Kelly Sutton) – Firefly Media/Silverfish Media
Daily National
“Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia
“The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Silverfish Media
“Katie & Company” (Katie Neal) – Audacy
“Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One
“The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC
Major Market
“Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
“Frito & Katy” (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas
“Hawkeye in the Morning with Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
“Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.
“Scotty Kay” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.
Large Market
“The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Ashley Heiert, and Jason “Stattman” Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
“The Morning Drive with Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews” (Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews) – KBEQ, Kansas City, Mo.
“Scott and Shannen” (Scott Dolphin and “Shannen O” Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
“Tim & Chelsea In The Morning” (Tim Leary and Chelsea Taylor) – WIRK, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
“The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
Medium Market
“Cait & Bradley Morning Show” (Cait Fisher and Matt Bradley) – KWEN, Tulsa, Okla.
“Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks, and Kadie Daye) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
“Ellis and Bradley Show” (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
“Mo & StyckMan” (Melissa “Mo” Wagner and Greg “StyckMan” Owens) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
Small Market
“The B100 Morning Show with Brittney Baily” (Brittney Baily) – WBYT, South Bend, Ind.
“The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
“Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
“Steve & Tiffany in the Morning” (Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.
“Steve, Ben and Nikki” (Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, and Nikki Thomas) – WXBQ, Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
Finalists for radio station of the year (by market size):
Major Market
KCYY – San Antonio, Texas
KEEY – Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn.
KKBQ – Houston, Texas
KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
Large Market
WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
WKDF – Nashville, Tenn.
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
WWKA – Orlando, Fla.
Medium Market
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
WGGY – Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.
WPCV – Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
WQMX – Akron, Ohio
Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
WBYT – South Bend, Ind.
WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.
WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.
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Jason Aldean got involved in America’s silly culture war after Country Music Television removed the video for his controversial song “Try That In A Small Town” from its platform. Because the MAGA Nuts and the “Respect My Rights” crowd are sensitive little cherubs, they’re complaining about the takedown while dragging Garth Brooks into the beef.
Let’s take our time with this one.
Jason Aldean, a popular country music star who once notched a big hit with Ludacris, has gone on to sell millions of for Nashville, Tenn’s Broken Bow Records. His latest single, “Try That In A Small Town,” pretends to be a song about the resilience of working-class America but the video makes no secret of its nefarious aims. It is a vehicle to take shots at the perceived lawlessness in big cities, most especially protests against police and public demonstrations decrying racism.
We usually don’t center tweets from goofballs in the body of a story but here’s an example of what the minds of proud Americans are focused on instead of, we don’t know, human decency and common sense, maybe?
Here are the lyrics and hook for “Try That In A Small Town”:
Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalkCarjack an old lady at a red lightPull a gun on the owner of a liquor storeYa think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like
Cuss out a cop, spit in his faceStomp on the flag and light it upYeah, ya think you’re tough
Well, try that in a small townSee how far ya make it down the roadAround here, we take care of our ownYou cross that line, it won’t take longFor you to find out, I recommend you don’tTry that in a small town
It is clear what Aldean is communicating and the video, reportedly shot in front of a former site where lynchings took place, speaks to the fragility of white conservative America and the silly attack on the “Woke Left” or whatever else these nutballs come up with.
Tacked onto Aldean’s controversy is some discussion from the MAGA weirdos about Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. Over a year ago, Brooks and Yearwood made a public appeal to help refugees caught up in the ravages of war in Ukraine. That video was resurfaced and the strawman arguments have only intensified.
Adding to this, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made an explosive goof even by his lowly standards after sharing an article from the satirical website Dunning-Kruger-Times (which should’ve been a dead giveaway but here we are). The article was about a fictional moment featuring Brooks being booed offstage for supporting Bud Light. Before deleting the tweet, Gov. Abbott used the tired phrase “Go Woke. Go Broke.”
On Twitter, the dumbassery of MAGA is on full display over Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, and all things ‘MURRICA. Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
Sure, proper country songs had been absent from the top of the Hot 100 for quite sometime prior to Wallen’s reign, but that doesn’t mean the genre’s sound and aesthetics weren’t present in mainstream music and pop culture, especially when it comes to the work of Black and queer artists.
Obviously, “Old Town Road” is the lightning rod moment — its fusion of country and trap helped keep country sonic motifs present on top 40 radio, and the Billy Ray Cyrus remix gave it an extra dose of country legitimacy — but there were other moments and artists doing similar work. Megan Thee Stallion, a Houston, Texas native, has consistently employed Southern aesthetics in her artistry and music. The Grammy Award-winning rapper frequently sports cowboy hats, she teamed up with Fashion Nova for a 100-piece cowboy-themed collection, and she recently presented Shania Twain the Equal Pay Award at the 2023 CMT Music Awards.
Beyoncé, another Houston native, made a big splash at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards back in 2016 with the live performance of her The Chicks-assisted “Daddy Lessons” remix. Lizzo, a Detroit native who moved to Houston with her family when she was a child, similarly flaunts her Texas pride with tons of fringe and cowboy hats. She even gave her own spin on country-pop with “If You Love Me,” a deep cut from her Grammy-nominated Special album.
Just this year, the Broadway musical Shucked! — which features original music and lyrics from award-winning country music songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally — earned star Alex Newell a history-making Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Album cuts from R&B stars Chlöe (“Cheatback”) and 6LACK (“Testify”), two artists with roots in Atlanta, Georgia, feature obvious nods to the guitar-based production and narrative-centric songwriting of country music.
The past decade has also seen pop stars like Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and P!nk dip their toes into country music, as well as a handful of country songs (Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Backroad,” Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” etc.) that proved to be sizable and enduring cultural moments. Nonetheless, the increased visibility of country music and Southern aesthetics across a diverse collection of Black and queer artists has helped mainstream ears and minds become a bit more open to the sounds and styles of country music, hence the genre’s recent rebound in popularity amongst a general public that might have been less tuned-in to Nashville happenings in decades prior.
After getting to know each other this weekend at the 2023 CMT Music Awards, country music legend Shania Twain said she’s totally down for a possible collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The two got acquainted when Meg presented the Equal Play Honor to Twain at the show and Twain told ET Online that it got her thinking about how they might sound together.
“I love her… what a sweetheart!,” Twain said of the “Body” MC, who was seated near the country queen in the audience during the broadcast. She added that they got along “very well… I love her as a person.”
There is one question, however, Twain is very glad Megan didn’t ask her. “She is a great talent, I was just glad she didn’t ask me to twerk out there. I would had to have said no,” Twain said. “She was amazing and said so many sweet things and I was really flattered she was there for me.”
The bond was so immediate, Twain added, that she revealed she “was thinking” they might vibe in the studio as well. “I think that that would really work… I love her whole mind,” the singer said.
If it happens, it would mark a hip-hop crossover first for Twain, who has typically leaned into the country/pop vein in the past when it comes to sharing the mic, including songs with Orville Peck (“Legends Never Die”), Alison Krauss & Union Station (“I’m Gonna Get You Good”), Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath (“Party For Two), her musical hero Anne Murray (“You Needed Me”), and, at this year’s Coachella, Harry Styles for a live run through her “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”
It would also be a first for San Antonio-bred Megan, who has also mostly stayed in her lane, teaming up with Beyoncé for the “Savage” remix, Key Glock on “Ungrateful,” Juicy J for “Simon Says,” Dua Lipa for “Sweetest Pie” and, of course, Cardi B on their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “WAP.”
A conversation between six-time Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves and Academy Award-winning actress/entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon led to the globally focused country music competition series My Kind of Country, which premieres Friday (March 24) via Apple TV+, in partnership with the Witherspoon-founded media company Hello Sunshine.
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“We were talking about, ‘Why is country music so closed off? Why are there not more global influences and people who have a different perspective?’” Nashville native Witherspoon told Billboard via phone. “Kacey really illuminated it for me — it’s been a closed-door business for a long time. So this idea [is] to start a country music competition series and make it very international, because the reach of Apple is global. An important piece of this is highlighting voices that have not been heard. At Hello Sunshine, we have a spotlight that we would like to shine on people who have not had the opportunity to have their work highlighted.”
Witherspoon and Musgraves serve as executive producers on the eight-part series, which airs a new episode each Friday. Also serving as executive producers are Hello Sunshine’s Sara Rea and Lauren Newstadter, and Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen (Musgraves is a Sandbox client), Izzie Pick Ibarra and Done+Dusted’s Katy Mullan.
The series’ dozen contestants hail from across the globe, including five artists from South Africa, two from India, one from Mexico and four from the United States.
“It’s been really cool for me to be part of this because since day one it’s been really important for me to keep reaching out globally, to try to find the people that connect with my music across the world,” said Musgraves, who is one of the few country artists to have toured Japan. “The easier thing to do would be to stay in America and play shows, but I want to build audiences around the world. I have been so moved and floored by being able to tour in places so far away from my home and see that my stories have connected with people there. Being part of this show is another angle of that for me. It just shows that no matter where you come from, when it’s brought back to the heart of the matter in the songs, we have the same emotions and the same human connection.”
Indeed, the show is intent on highlighting diversity and inclusion — not just with the contestants, but through the three artists who serve as scouts, mentors and judges: Jimmie Allen is a Grammy nominee and a 2021 CMA new artist of the year winner with three No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay chart hits; Mickey Guyton, who broke through with songs “Black Like Me” and “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” and was the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category; and Orville Peck is a gay country artist who has collaborated with Shania Twain and is known for his fringed masks and retro-tinged brand of country music. Each handpicked four contestants to become part of their teams.
“It was cool to hear country music during different parts of the world, sometimes in different languages,” Allen told Billboard via Zoom, “and being part of choosing artists. I remember being on Zoom with show producers and going through and listening to so many artists that were really good.”
The dozen selected contestants traveled to Nashville, and throughout the eight episodes, viewers watch as they hone their skills and confidence, as the scouts narrow down the competition via weekly eliminations, culminating in a finale performance in front of Musgraves, Witherspoon and the mentors/scouts, with one ultimate winner.
Allen’s artists are Ale Aguirre, who hails from Chihuahua, Mexico, and blends bilingual lyrics with elements of Norteño and banda. Dhruv Visvanath, from New Delhi, wrote the score to two independent films. North Carolina’s Camille Parker launched her career in R&B and pop music before pursuing a career in country music. Johannesburg’s Justin Serrao blends elements of alternative rock and country.
Guyton’s artists are two singer/songwriters from Nashville: Ashlie Amber and Chuck Adams, as well as South African sibling duo The Betsies (Zel and Landi Degenaar) and South African singer/songwriter Wandile.
Peck’s artists are Cape Town’s The Congo Cowboys (Julie Sigauque, Simon Attwell and Chris Bakalanga), who perform in both English and Lingala, the official language of the Democratic Republic of Congo; nonbinary bluegrass-influenced singer/songwriter Ismay Hellman of Petaluma, Calif.; Alisha Pais of Goa, India, and former South Africa Idols contestant Micaela Kleinsmith of Cape Town.
For all three scouts, their contestants have already moved them musically and emotionally.
“I feel like we’re all very nurturing people and to be around these amazing, incredible artists, it’s such a fulfilling thing to get to do,” Guyton told Billboard via Zoom. “The coolest part is you’re seeing how many people love country music globally.”
“Camille’s first performance, she sang ‘Space Cowboy’ by Kacey Musgraves, but the way she performed it, her vocal tone and delivery, it just hit me and she made the song her own,” Allen said.
Peck, who also hails from South Africa, noted watching fellow South Africa artist Kleinsmith progress in confidence was heartening.
“Coming into the competition, she was insecure about many things and had imposter syndrome,” Peck told Billboard via Zoom. “She is so incredibly talented and just getting to watch someone find themselves and their confidence in such a short amount of time that we did this show was really special for me to watch.”
Guyton recalled witnessing Adams’ vulnerability on the show.
“You never get to hear artists go through mental health struggles, but Chuck was very vocal about those things and it was beautifully honest,” she said. “Then he performed and you hear the pain and angst and this beautiful person. You just don’t often get to see that vulnerable side of people, especially on a show like this.”
“We cried a lot,” Allen added, sharing how he related to Adams’s story. “With Chuck, you know, I got diagnosed with bipolar [disorder] when I was 13, and I’ve had my moments where for two or three months I wanted to die, but I fought and stayed alive. So when you have those moments of him being open and then hearing his song, I knew if it was hitting me and inspiring me, all the people that see it are going to be inspired.”
Musgraves sees My Kind of Country as another essential step in the evolving progress of opening country music’s doors to a more diverse range of life stories and perspectives.
“Progress is progress, but there’s a long way to go,” Musgraves says. “Country music is woven with so many different stories and styles. And it’s not just about inclusivity in terms of color or gender. I want to see inclusivity when it comes to song matter and production style—that the songs that are able to be popular on country radio aren’t sung by the same kind of person about the same kind of thing. There are a lot of factors that could still be improved on.”
Witherspoon anticipates additional seasons of My Kind of Country, saying, “I sure hope so, because I do think country music is due for a disruption. We need to talk about why it’s been a closed-door business for so long. I think it’s the voice of the working people, whether that means you live in India, Africa, China, Japan…I think storytelling is storytelling, and we are here to promote great storytellers.”
The last thing the world needs is a new artist.
An influential executive said that around eight years ago, and she had a point — there’s already so much music in circulation that most acts are swimming against the current in their attempts to achieve widespread recognition.
But the industry doesn’t always know what it needs until it shows up, either. And all of country’s star acts — people such as Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood or Chris Stapleton — were unknown new artists before the genre eventually discovered they were essential for its vitality.
Over a dozen newbies are hoping events in the next six months will help them become the exception, eventually emerging as household names after releasing their first country album or EP during the period. The contenders include two acts (Tyler Hubbard and Mike Gossin) issuing their first solo projects, after previously earning hits as members of Florida Georgia Line and Gloriana, respectively.
The list also features three duos: recent 8 Track Entertainment signees BoomTown Saints, longtime Warner Music Nashville project Walker County and Americana husband-and-wife team The War and Treaty, who are optimistic that their sound can translate to country.
Following is an overview of 14 acts whose first album or EP, either in the genre or at a label of consequence, are due during the first six months of 2023:
The Country Music Association will soon launch its inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship, which will provide a select group of BIPOC students with an immersive educational experience leading up to the 2023 CMA Fest in June.
The CMA has partnered with the University of Alabama, Nashville’s Belmont University and Knoxville’s University of Tennessee. Six students (two from each university) will be selected to take part in the fellowship, launching this spring. Students must be an incoming junior or senior majoring in public relations, advertising, journalism, business or a related field. Each student will also receive compensation for their work, as well as a stipend to cover living expenses while in Nashville.
“As we look at our industry and how we can drive country music into the future, it’s being thoughtful about who is part of it and who feels like they can be part of it,” Mia McNeal, CMA senior director, industry relations and inclusion, tells Billboard. “Working with all three of these universities has been incredible, thinking strategically and intentionally about how we can engage the student body in a way that is very direct and making a pipeline of talent.”
McNeal adds, “There has been a push for more artists of color within the country music industry, but they also need the opportunity to team with people behind the scenes who look like them.”
In April, the students will begin working remotely with the CMA’s communications team, participating in planning meetings with cross-departmental teams and various industry partners. They will then join CMA team members in Nashville in the weeks leading up to and through CMA Fest, June 9-12. Following the event, the students will take part in a six-week assignment with a country music publicity partner, offering the students additional real-world PR experience.
“They get the 360-degree view of exactly how public relations and communications is central not only to the CMA, but to the industry at large,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA vice president, industry relations and philanthropy.
“The idea for this fellowship came out of having significant conversations with several artists and a wide variety of industry professionals who really felt that publicists are part of the storytellers of our business,” Kerns adds.
The University of Alabama’s Dr. Kenon Brown, who was previously the faculty advisor for the UofA’s CMA EDU chapter for about three years, serves as the fellowship’s managing faculty member. Brown along with faculty representatives from the university partners and CMA staff will review applications.
“We felt the one thing that would help students be exposed to the industry would be to give them first-hand experience,” Brown tells Billboard. “We wanted to also give them mentors to give them a more realistic viewpoint of how the music industry works. Hopefully this helps make them more excited about not just working in music but working in country music.”
In describing the types of students they are looking for, Brown says, “We want students who recognize the opportunity they have here to become a leader in this industry and a voice for promoting diversity and inclusion in the country music industry. We want students who can look at the country music industry and see the strides that they have made and see the advantage that they have to really add a unique voice to the genre.”
The CMA is also working with the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations on the fellowship, as well as with Trell Thomas, a public relations executive and co-founder of My Publicist is Black, to match each student participant with an industry expert to serve as a mentor throughout the fellowship.
“At CMA Fest last year, we had diversity on all of our stages,” McNeal says. “Our fans are diverse and that representation matters so much. It’s hard to be something you cannot see.”
The application to apply for the fellowship is open today (Jan. 9) through Feb. 24 at cmaworld.com/fellowship.
The fellowship is one of multiple recent initiatives the CMA has launched to support leadership, education, and diversity. The CMA previously teamed with Discovery Education for a series highlighting STEAM careers within the country music industry. In 2022, the trade organization also launched a 16-week training program to support women in leadership throughout the country music industry.
Earlier this month, breakthrough country superstar Kane Brown became the first touring artist to play all 29 National Basketball Association (NBA) arenas during a single tour, fulfilling a lifelong dream around his passion for pro hoops.
“Kane’s a huge basketball fan,” says his manager Martha Earls with Neon Coast. “He’s athletic, loves sports and first got the idea back in 2019 when he was invited to headline a 20th-anniversary show for what was then the Staples Center in LA (and now is known as Crypto.com Arena).”
The January 2020 show — postponed from October 18, 2019, due to the tragic death of Kane’s longtime friend and drummer Kenny Dixon days earlier — and a Lakers game attended the night before by Kane, Earls and promoter Rich Schaefer with AEG Global Touring became the genesis for Brown’s first arena tour.
Originally scheduled to be announced in March 2020, publicity for Brown’s tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a plan to “be ready the minute we can get back on the road,” Schaefer recalls. “That opening came in April of 2021 and we ended up being one of the first sales in the year following COVID-19.”
Schaefer said he wanted Brown to get back on the road after releasing his EP Mixtape, Vol 1 in Aug. 2020 on RCA Records Nashville, which hit No. 2 on Billboard‘s Country Albums chart and No. 15 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Mixtape, Vol. 1 included the crossover track “Be Like That” featuring Swae Lee and Khalid, as well as “Cool Again” featuring Nelly and “Last Time I Say Sorry” featuring John Legend.
“Sales for the tour were massive and the tour kicked off six months later,” Schaefer said of the Blessed & Free Tour, which officially launched on Oct. 1, 2021, at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and hit 28 of 29 NBA arenas and college facilities in Nampa, Idaho and College Station, Pennsylvania. The tour also made three stops at hockey arenas in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Las Vegas, wrapping its first leg at Sin City’s T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 4.
The final show took place 10 months later on Dec. 4 at the final NBA arena on the tour, ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto — marking the 29th of 29 NBA arena concerts. “We couldn’t get into Canada during the initial run of the tour because of the restrictions and the lockdown in the country,” Schaefer says.
In Jan. 2022, the Blessed & Free Tour was the most well-attended concert tour of the month, averaging 11,000 fans per show. “When we did announce the tour in April, I got some calls from people thinking we were maybe being a little bit bullish,” Earls recalls, “but we just felt there was such a desire from the fan base and an excitement from fans for live music coming back that we knew we were ready.”
Helping boost sales was the chart success of Chris Young’s track “Famous Friends” featuring Brown, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay in July, two months after the Blessed & Free Tour went on sale.
“At almost every show, we had NBA players come out on stage for ‘Famous Friends,’ often with the mascots from each team,” Schaefer said. In Milwaukee, player Khris Middleton appeared on stage for the song months after leading the Bucks to their first NBA Finals victory.
During the downtime between the February date in Vegas and the Canada show, Brown performed the first concert ever held at Finley Stadium in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 7.
“It was a heavy lift and we all learned a lot together including the stadium staff,” Schaefer recalls. “We don’t really say no to a lot of things. If it’s Kane’s dream to do it, we’re gonna help make that happen. That’s what we do for a living here.”
A month later, Brown reached another milestone, headlining a stadium show at Fenway Park in Boston on June 23. The venue became available to Brown thanks to a quick sellout at the city’s TD Garden arena five months earlier on the Blessed & Free Tour.
“That was the great thing about this tour — each success lead to a new opportunity and a chance for Kane to hit a bunch of venues he has always wanted to play,” Earls said. “We learned more than we ever thought possible and watched Kane continue to grow and strengthen his relationship with fans who have grown with him. We are all so proud of what he has achieved.”
Universal Music Group Nashville has signed actor-musician Luke Grimes, in association with Range Music. Grimes is known for his role portraying Kayce Dutton on the hit Paramount Network series Yellowstone.
Grimes previously released a snippet of his new song “No Horse to Ride,” which will release Friday (Dec. 16). He wrote the song with Tony Lane and Jonathan Singleton and is currently working on his debut major-label album with producer Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton).
“As an actor, Luke Grimes has effortlessly brought the cowboy lifestyle to the forefront of American culture,” said UMGN president Cindy Mabe via a statement. “As a country music artist, Luke has tapped into that same honesty and authenticity to capture a raw grit and pure depth of artistry that will expand the sound and reach of country music. We are so excited and proud to welcome Luke Grimes to Universal Music Group Nashville.”
“Luke is a special spirit who puts honesty above all else in his art,” added Range Music managing partner Matt Graham. “We at Range are excited to partner with Brian, Cindy and the rest of the UMG team to help him fulfill his dreams of sharing his songs with country music fans.”
Prior to his role on Yellowstone, Grimes appeared in movies including American Sniper and The Magnificent Seven. The Ohio native also grew up playing music in church, picking up drums, guitar and piano. Prior to becoming an actor, Grimes was a drummer and songwriter for a country band in Los Angeles.
Universal Music Group Nashville’s roster includes Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, The War and Treaty, Chris Stapleton and Darius Rucker, among others.
Just as the 29-year-old singer-songwriter did in 2021, Sneedville, Tenn. native Morgan Wallen reigns as Billboard’s Top Country Artist of 2022. Concurrently, he finishes first as top country male artist.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts dated Nov. 20, 2021 through Nov. 12, 2022. The rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology details, and the November-November time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2022 Year-End Charts
Wallen’s Dangerous set is the No. 1 Top Country Albums title of 2022. The 30-track LP has led the weekly albums list for well over 80 frames. On April 2, when it rolled into its record-breaking 51st week, it made history as it surpassed the 50-week commands logged by Luke Combs’ This One’s For You and Shania Twain’s Come on Over.
Notably, the methodology for Top Country Albums changed as of the survey dated Feb. 11, 2017, when the chart switched from using a strictly album sales-based formula to one calculating multiple metrics, incorporating album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA), and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Thus, the steady streaming activity of Dangerous’ 30 songs has contributed to the set’s chart rank each week during its run.
Dangerous blasted in at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart dated Jan. 23, 2021, with 265,000 equivalent album units earned. That marked the biggest week for a country album since Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty launched with 266,000 in September 2018. Wallen achieved the largest week for a solo male since Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights began with 345,000 (August 2015).
Wallen also possesses the No. 1 and 2 hits of 2022 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay and sales based Hot Country Songs. “Wasted on You,” which is from Dangerous, is the leading song of the year, while stand-alone single “You Proof” is No. 2.
“Wasted” rocketed atop the weekly Hot Country Songs survey in January 2021 and topped the tally for 11 weeks. “You Proof” debuted in the penthouse in May of 2022, giving the artist his sixth leader and his fifth No. 1 start, the most of any artist. “You Proof” also dominated the weekly Country Airplay chart for five frames — his longest running No. 1 among his seven chart-toppers.
Underwood Shines: Billboard’s Top Female Country Artist of 2022 is Carrie Underwood. She ranks 10th overall.
Underwood’s Denim & Rhinestones LP entered Top Country Albums at No. 2 on the chart dated June 25, marking her 10th top 10 in as many visits. Released June 10, the set earned 31,000 equivalent album units in its first week, with 22,000 of that sum in album sales, according to Luminate.
Underwood is the second-highest ranking woman on the Top Country Albums Artists recap (Taylor Swift is first) and Underwood is seventh among all artists.
On the list for top Country Airplay Artists of 2022 Underwood is the top female (12th overall). The artist’s hit “Ghost Story,” which reached No. 6 in October 2021 awarded Underwood with her landmark 30th song to reach the chart’s weekly top 10.
Since Country Airplay was launched in January 1990, Underwood is second among women with the most top 10s; Reba McEntire leads with 30.
Billboard’s Top Country Duo/Group of 2022 is Zac Brown Band. The act ranks first among duos and groups on the year-end Top Country Albums Artists recap, and 15th overall.
At the end of October 2021, ZBB released its seventh studio LP The Comeback which arrived at No. 3 on the weekly Top Country Albums chart with 19,000 units in its first week. It was the band’s 10th top 10.
Over on Country Airplay, ZBB achieved its first No. 1 in over five years when “Same Boat” (from The Comeback set), floated from 4-1 on the tally dated Dec. 4, 2021. It awarded the act with its 14th No. 1.
Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2022 is Zach Bryan who finished fifth on the overall Top Country Artists recap.
Bryan is also fifth on the Top Country Albums Artists roundup this year. Bryan’s American Heartbreak album ranks eighth on the year-end Top Country Albums titles list. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Oologah, Okla. released the hefty 34-track effort on May 20 and it entered atop the June 4 dated chart with 71,000 equivalent album units. Concurrently it bowed at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Also noteworthy for 2022, the group Parmalee’s “Take My Name” is No. 1 on the year-end Country Airplay Songs tally. The song led the survey for two weeks starting June 18. It gave the group its third No. 1, plus it remained in the top 10 for 21 weeks; the fourth longest run in the list’s upper tier in the almost 23-year history of the chart.