New Texas / Red Dirt “The Galleys” Awards Announce Inaugural Nominees

In the realm of Texas and Red Dirt music, the website Galleywinter.com is the original, the OG, the longest-running outlet covering the music with a dedicated focus instead of on the periphery. Now after over 20 years of covering the music, they have decided to start their own annual awards.

Lord knows there are a lot of other awards out there, including in the Texas music realm. But the awards in Texas often don’t take into account how the Red Dirt artists from Oklahoma and beyond play into the equation, or they almost solely focus on Texas radio, or stats or streams. Other awards solely focus on country instead of the totality of the scene that also mixes in rock, folk, and Americana influences.

The Galleys look to better represent the “scene” that actually exists around Texas and Red Dirt music, while also presenting it as something distinctly separate from Nashville. When you go to festivals and talk to fans in the Texas/Red Dirt scene, the foundation is often country, but can also veer into rock with artists like The Droptines and Shelby Stone, or veer towards Americana with a performer like Ryan Bingham.

Unlike awards driven primarily by radio airplay, streaming numbers, backroom industry politics or popularity, The Galleys are determined by a committee of music industry professionals. The selection panel includes artists, journalists, broadcasters, and longtime supporters of the independent music community.

“This music has always been about more than charts, ticket sales, or the size of the crowd,” says Brad Beheler of Galleywinter. “It’s about great songs, people who believe in what they’re doing, and a community that’s supported its own for decades. We wanted to create something that recognizes all of that.”

Eligibility for the inaugural awards ran from November of 2025 to October of 2026. The inaugural awards will be held Sunday, December 13th at the Country Line Events Center in West, Texas on December 13th.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Ryan Bingham — They Call Us the Lucky Ones

Wade Bowen — The Version of Me You Get

Charley Crockett — Clovis

The Droptines — Drought Flower

William Clark Green — Watterson Hall

Silverada — Living Proof

The Wilder Blue — Cinco


ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Wade Bowen

Kaitlin Butts

Charley Crockett

Flatland Cavalry

William Clark Green

Treaty Oak Revival

Turnpike Troubadours


ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

American Aquarium

William Beckmann

Kaitlin Butts

Shane Smith and the Saints

Shelby Stone

The Wilder Blue

Josh Weathers

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

William Clark Green

JD Graham

Presley Haile

Mike Harmeier

Drew Kennedy

Race Ricketts

Zane Williams

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Cameron Allbright

Presley Haile

Ashton Naylor

Julianna Rankin

Lance Roark

The Smokin’ Oaks

Hank Weaver


SONG OF THE YEAR

“Backslide” — Ashton Naylor

“Drag” — Silverada

“Freakin’ Out” — Dexter and the Moonrocks

“How Many Sorrys” — Cameron Allbright

“Kamikaze” — Logan Ryan Band

“Rain” — Wade Bowen

“Stubborn and Remains” — William Clark Green


MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Bubba Bellin (Josh Weathers)

Nick Brumley (Presley Haile, Race Rickets)

Paul Eason (The Wilder Blue, Bri Bagwell)

Nyles (Multiple acts)

Omar Oyoque (Silverada)

Kyle Reed (Reed Brothers, The Departed, others)

Josh Serrato (Koe Wetzel)