Grammys mid-season country contenders: From divisive Morgan Wallen to breakouts Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman

Jaime Rodriguez
·5 min read
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Country is having quite the renaissance. The genre, which had lagged behind after the streaming era took over, suddenly has found its footing in the new musical landscape. As such, we are getting more Hot 100 hits from country stars, and we are also more aware of newer stars thanks to apps like TikTok. This rebirth of the genre into the popular consciousness will surely play a factor in the upcoming Grammy nominations, which might skew more commercial this time around after years of digging into the indie-country scene, probably due to a perceived lack of quality from the bro-country songs that ruled the charts almost a decade ago.

Morgan Wallen is inarguably the biggest contender of the season, with his hit album “One Thing At A Time.” Wallen’s success is somewhat unprecedented for a country musician this century, topping both the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100 for multiple weeks. Of course, Wallen’s infamous past will always be a factor, but will voters hold that against him forever? It seems like other country industry voters, like the CMA and ACM memberships, have decided that Wallen’s been punished enough and have given him top awards at their ceremonies. The Grammys are less prone to forgetting though, and as we’ve seen just last year with Willie Nelson‘s victories, they don’t really care about sales figures that much. Still, Wallen will likely show up somewhere, even if just in Best Country Album and Best Country Song.

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Another big contender is Luke Combs. His newest album, “Gettin’ Old,” has enjoyed similar success to his past records, achieving multiple hits already. Arguably the most successful of those is his rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which won a Grammy back in the day. Grammy voters love covers, especially in the country field, so it’d be a bit hard to pass Combs over this time around. “Fast Car” is also shaping up to be one of his biggest hits, entering the top 10 of the Hot 100 and being a streaming force.

Country starlet Lainey Wilson is having a phenomenal year already, taking home four ACMs in May. Among those, her album “Bell Bottom Country” took the coveted Album of the Year award, which could build momentum towards a Best Country Album win at the Grammys. The singer is also aided by two big singles this year: “Heart Like A Truck” and “Wait in the Truck,” the latter of which is a collaboration with musician Hardy. Both songs could be contenders in the solo and duo/group performance categories, respectively, especially “Wait in the Truck” since the duo/group category is looking a bit dry thus far.

This year’s country breakout is Bailey Zimmerman, who recently dropped his debut studio album, “Religiously.” You might know Zimmerman for his hit “Rock And A Hard Place,” which reached the top 10 of the Hot 100 and topped the country charts. “Rock” is Zimmerman’s second country radio chart-topper, after “Fall In Love.” While he was passed over by the recording academy last year, this year might be the perfect time to award him for his burgeoning success, making him a contender for Best New Artist.

SEEHow often do the Grammys agree with the ACM and CMA Awards for Best Country Album?

Kelsea Ballerini could be back this year with her hit “If You Go Down, I’m Goin’ Down Too.” The song gained traction after she performed it alongside drag queens at this year’s CMT Awards, making a statement amid the on-going legislative attacks on the drag community, especially in the South. There’s also Zach Bryan, a nominee last year who could get another nom for his Maggie Rogers-assisted single “Dawns.” The song was another hit for Bryan, even if radio never truly caught on. Then there’s “Tennessee Orange” by breakout star Megan Maroney, which recently cracked the top 10 on the country airplay chart. Last but not least, “You” by Dan and Shay could be a potential contender in the duo/group category since it’s a rising hit for the perennial nominees.

On the less commercial side, Brandy Clark’s new self-titled album will surely be getting a few nominations, with voters loving Clark’s more traditionalist style of country. The album was produced by Grammy darling Brandi Carlile, who also features on the track “Dear Insecurity.” Also produced by Carlile is the new Tanya Tucker record, “Sweet Western Sound,” her first since “While I’m Livin’,” which took home Best Country Album and Best Country Song. While there’s probably less urgency to give Tucker more Grammys now that she’s finally a winner, the album could still be a major contender for key nominations.

Finally, there’s a new Brothers Osborne record coming soon, with the acclaimed lead single “Nobody’s Nobody” being a surefire bet for yet another Best Country Duo/Group nomination for the pair. If they get it, it’ll mark their ninth consecutive bid in the category, breaking the record.

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