Stapleton to Childers: Kentucky musicians won 2023. These acts look to carry on in 2024.

Continuing a trend from recent years, 2023 was a banner year for Kentucky music and musicians.

Jack Harlow’s new album “Jackman” peaked at No. 8 on the US Billboard 200, Carly Pearce won her first Grammy, Sturgill Simpson landed an acting role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers Of The Flower Moon,” Wynonna Judd had a Paramount+ documentary and the Judds’ tribute album was released in her honor. Plus S.G. Goodman received the Emerging Act of the Year Award at 2023 Americana Honors & Awards, Chris Stapleton sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVII and won Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards and Tyler Childers racked up five nominations for the forthcoming 66th Grammy Awards.

Now, the next young crop of talent is looking to hop on and continue that successful wave in 2024. From Emily Jamerson to Jordan Lee King and Jayce Turley, here are eight Kentucky born or based musicians worth keeping an eye on, or ear for, in the new year.

Hunter Flynn

From playing at the reopening of the Virginia Theatre to the Master Musicians Festival, Somerset’s Hunter Flynn is no stranger to captivating his hometown crowd. However, lately others have begun to take notice of the former insurance salesman too, with a recent video of his song “F****d Up Brain” surpassing 700,000 views online and Spotify streaming numbers jumping to over 25,000 monthly listeners. With incredibly introspective lyrics and a vocal veracity akin to Tyler Childers, it’s easy to see why that wave is only expected to grow as it rolls into the new year.

Hannah Howard

After cutting her teeth as a teen performing covers of everyone from Amy Winehouse to Adele and Lorde (several of which can still be found on her YouTube channel), Rockcastle County’s Hannah Howard has instead began making a name for herself through original work in recent years. With a voice eerily similar to that of Lexington’s Abby Hamilton (who recently made her national TV debut on CBS Saturday Morning), Howard is currently at work on her debut album with producer Shannon Forrest, whose resume includes credits with Taylor Swift, Toto, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith, among others.

Emily Jamerson

Despite being relatively new to the art of songwriting and performing her own songs live, Prestonsburg’s Emily Jamerson has grown into the role well. The sister to Sundy Best co-founder Nicholas Jamerson, Emily hopes to record her debut EP in the coming year while continuing to write and hone her craft with shows at a slew of venues and festivals statewide.

Laurel Lewis

In 2017 Southeastern Kentucky born artist Laurel Lewis drew considerable praise for her debut “Back To The Blue” (released under the name Madison Lewis) that led to her family moving to Nashville so she could chase her musical dreams. The artist is looking to take another leap forward in 2024 as she puts the final touches on her next album, co-produced with Grammy winner Rodney Crowell, due out in the spring.

Jordan Lee King

Although his songs haven’t quite had the same viral moment as Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North Of Richmond” (yet), the sentiment within “Cars and Refrigerators” and other tunes from Middlesboro’s Jordan Lee King are one in the same. That song — an empathetic tale of the trials and tribulations of life in small-town Appalachia — is among eight that will be included on “By And By,” the artist’s forthcoming album expected in February. The project also will touch on everything from King’s relationship with religion (“Holy Flame”) to tough love (“Laundry On The Line”) and heartbreak (“Porcelain”) as he paints a portrait of Eastern Kentucky’s beauty and complexities.

Ruen Brothers

England born, Louisville based siblings Henry and Rupert Stansall — better known as the Ruen Brothers — burst onto the scene in 2013 with their country and pop-tinged ballads that have drawn comparisons to Roy Orbison and Kentucky’s own Everly Brothers. The duo moved from New York to Louisville in early 2023 and released “Ten Paces,” their debut record for Yep Roc, in June. Its follow-up is expected this coming fall.

Scott T. Smith

Since releasing his four-song “Wanted Man” EP in 2020, Louisville by way of West Virginia singer-songwriter Scott T. Smith has been turning heads and raising eyebrows with every show he plays. His mix of folksy arrangements with soaring vocals are full of promise and hope, something he looks to keep up as he prepares to record his next project in the new year.

Jayce Turley

Years of attending bluegrass music gatherings with his father and grandfather has paid off for Greenup County’s Jayce Turley, who began writing and singing his own songs at 14 on his way to becoming one of the Commonwealth’s rising talents. The 18-year-old has already shared the stage with Marty Stuart, Town Mountain and Morgan Wade in addition to being featured on Appalachian video platform RadioWV. He’ll look to build upon that momentum with his January release, “Broke Down,” his first full-length album and a follow up to 2022’s “The Opening Act.”