Mickey Guyton and Jimmie Allen continue to break down barriers with this year’s Grammy nominations, announced earlier Tuesday (Nov. 23).
Guyton earned three nominations this year, picking up best country solo performance and best country song nods for “Remember Her Name,” as well as a best country album nod for her full-length debut album of the same name. This marks Guyton’s second best country solo performance nomination, following her nomination in 2020 for “Black Like Me.” At that time, she became the first Black solo female artist to earn a nomination in a country category. With her Remember Her Name project, Guyton also becomes the first Black artist to earn a Grammy nomination for best country album since it relaunched in 1995. Notably, the category was discontinued from 1967-1994, which included Charley Pride’s most commercially viable years. Also, Keb’ Mo’ appeared on the 2001 best country album-winning project Timeless–Hank Williams Tribute, though the album was credited to various artists.
While Allen did not pick up any country category nominations, he did earn his first Grammy nomination in the all-genre best new artist field, making him the first Black male country artist to be nominated in the category. Notably, Darius Rucker previously won in this category in 1995, though for his work with rock band Hootie & The Blowfish before he launched his country career. Yola was nominated in this category in 2019, though all of Yola’s Grammy nominations have come in Americana/American Roots categories.
Like Guyton, Chris Stapleton picked up three nominations this year, competing for best country solo performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and best country song (“Cold”), as well as a nod for best country album (Starting Over). The perennial favorite has taken home five Grammys including best country album twice, for Traveller and From A Room, Vol. 1
Earlier this year, controversy swirled around Kacey Musgraves as her album star-crossed was deemed ineligible for a nomination for best country album. Musgraves’ sole 2022 nominations are in country categories, including nods for best country song and best country solo performance (both for “Camera Roll” from star-crossed ). Despite her previous effort, Golden Hour, earning an all-genre album of the year Grammy win, star-crossed was absent from this year’s top category, as well as best pop vocal album, where it was moved after it was taken out of country consideration.
Brothers Osborne also picked up two nominations, including best country duo/group performance for “Younger Me,” an impactful song about accepting oneself that Brothers Osborne member T.J. Osborne released after coming out as gay earlier this year. The duo’s album Skeletons also earned a best country album nomination.
Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris picked up two nods apiece. Lambert was nominated in the best country album category for The Marfa Tapes, her collaborative album with Jon Randall and Jack Ingram, as well as in best country duo/group performance for her Elle King collaboration “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).” Meanwhile, Morris earned a nomination in the best country song category for “Better Than We Found It,” while she and husband Ryan Hurd also earned a best country duo/group performance nomination for “Chasing After You.”
Also picking up a best country song nomination were Walker Hayes’ viral juggernaut “Fancy Like” and Thomas Rhett’s “Country Again,” while Luke Combs’ “Forever After All” picked up a nod for best country solo performance.
Voters continue to honor artists who lean more Americana than mainstream country in country categories, with Sturgill Simpson’s The Ballad of Dood & Juanita earning a best country album nomination, while Jason Isbell’s “All I Do Is Drive” picked up a nod in the best country solo performance category.
Notably, Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, while a best-seller this year, was shut out of the Grammy nominations.
Wallen was not the only artist shut out of country category nods this year. Also missing from the final lists were contributions from recent CMA female vocalist of the year winner Carly Pearce (who released the EP 29 as well as the full-length project 29: Written in Stone), 2020’s CMA entertainer of the year Eric Church (who released three projects, Heart, &, Soul, during the eligibility period) and Gabby Barrett, whose “The Good Ones” spent three weeks atop Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.
Meanwhile, several country artists were honored in categories outside the country genre. In addition to her country category nomination for “If I Didn’t Love You” with Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood picked up a best roots gospel album nod for My Savior. Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson earned nominations in the best traditional pop vocal album category for A Holly Dolly Christmas and That’s Life, respectively.