Could country music’s chart success lead to the attention of the Grammys? – Billboard

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Country music is having a huge mainstream moment.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 non-consecutive weeks from March to August, asserting itself as the undisputed crown song of the summer. It is one of only four country songs to reach number one on both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs. The 2023 chart will be the highest annual record since 1975.

And Warren’s success story isn’t the genre’s only recent standout. Luke Combs, whose cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” spent eight weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100, and whose breakthrough single “Something in the Orange” reached the top 10 of the Hot 100. Thanks to artists like Zach Bryan. Between 100 and his albums American heartbreak Country music consumption in the U.S. skyrocketed in the first half of 2023, as it reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. According to Luminate, he grew by 20.3% compared to the same period in 2022, which grew by 2.5%. This was before Jason. Aldean’s polarizing song “Try That in a Small Town” reached No. 1 on his Hot 100. Before breaking out in Appalachia, Oliver Anthony Music dominated headlines with the populist anthem “Rich Rich North.” Before Brian topped both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200.

Whether this commercial surge leads to a Grammy nomination on Nov. 10, long overdue for a country artist in the general field, remains to be seen, especially for country outliers Anthony and Anthony. This could be one of the most compelling stories of this awards season. Brian could lead the way.

“Country music [is at] Joey Moy, partner and president of A&R at Big Loud and producer of Warren. “You’re looking at two or three artists. [from the country format] They’re just hanging out there with the big kids. ”

Country has often been neglected in the general categories of Grammy nominations: album, record, song of the year, and best new artist, which all 13,000 members of the Recording Academy can vote on. (Starting with the 2024 Grammy Awards, the so-called Big Four will become the Big Six, with the addition of Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical and Producer of the Year, with Non-Classical moving into the general category.)

Five cycles of the Grammys have occurred since the number of nominations in the four categories increased from five to eight to 10, with a total of 196 nominations in the four categories during that time, but mainstream country artists Only six projects were selected.Just one win takes Kacey Musgraves’ Album of the Year trophy golden hour (For the 2024 awards, nominations will return to eight in each category).

But the dynamics could change this year if many of these songs gain recognition beyond just domestic audiences. Anthony went from obscurity to celebrity with “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which debuted at No. 1 on his Hot 100 in August. “Rich Men” was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year, but was not included in any country category, and Anthony was not considered for Best New Artist. (His manager did not respond to requests for comment on the submission.)

If “Rich Men” is nominated for song or record of the year, or even wins, it wouldn’t be the first time voters have marked a song with a message on their ballot. At the 2019 awards ceremony, Childish Gambino’s commentary on systemic racism, “This Is America,” won best song and record of the year. Two years later, HER’s poignant response to the murder of George Floyd, “I Can’t Breathe,” won Song of the Year.

But while “Rich Men” has garnered some notoriety, and the song was mentioned in August’s Republican presidential debate, it may not translate into Grammy votes.

“Artists who have big moments still have to consider who’s voting for them,” one Grammy consultant said, adding that the voters are the ones who make the music, not the fans who pushed “Rich Men” to No. 1. Point out that he is a creator. The timing of Mr. Anthony’s rise means he is fresh in the minds of voters as they mark their ballots, but that could work against him. “I don’t know if the industry is going to wait and see. [he] It’s got legs or it’s flash,” said one Grammy voter. “If this happened in March or April and it continued throughout the year, we would have a clearer story. [He’s] It felt like I started the race about 5 minutes later than everyone else. ”

Brian, unlike Anthony, has been entered in several country categories as well as album, song, and record of the year, but he may have had a different experience. Unlike the self-released Anthony, he is signed to Warner Records, which has the infrastructure to run a campaign. His success has been building steadily over the past 18 months, extending beyond one song or one format, and as Grammy voters say, “He’s had a career that has grown and gathered roots.” Brian and Musgraves, a past Grammy favorite, collaborated on the duet “I Remember Everything,” from his self-titled album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums. It debuted at number 1 on the Hot 100. In the general category, he was able to draw from a particularly wide range of voters. His self-titled set, released on August 25th, also topped the Top Rock Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, and Americana/Folk Albums charts.

By forging their own non-traditional path, Anthony and Brian have, ironically, been able to garner recognition that some of the country’s most revered artists have not received. Of Miranda Lambert’s 27 Grammy Awards, none have been nominated in the general category, while Chris Stapleton’s 17 Grammy Awards have resulted in just one nomination. . Nominated. It remains to be seen whether these countries will distract from the efforts of their more traditional country peers in the general category. The Grammy voter added: “I don’t know if people know about all the great country records that may have come out this past year, because they occupied a lot of the atmosphere.”

Additional reporting by Jessica Nicholson.

This article will be published in the October 7, 2023 issue. signboard.