Entries to Grammy’s New Traditional Country Category Look Very Promising

The ballot for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards has been officially released online, with the period between October 3rd and October 15th reserved for the initial round of voting to determine who the eventual nominees in the 95 separate Grammy categories will be.

This process takes on special importance this year in the traditional country realm since the Grammys have added a Best Traditional Country Album category to compliment the Best Contemporary Album category. The hope would be that the new category will make a space in the Grammy process for true country artists who often get crowded out by more contemporary performers, or moved to “Americana” where they often feel forgotten.

When the new Best Traditional Country Album category was announced, there was some trepidation. Would it simply be just another category to get co-opted by the commercial country music industry and pop performers? Looking over the list of entries for Best Traditional Country Album sent to Saving Country Music by numerous voters, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. In fact, the Best Traditional Country Album ballot reads like a killer playlist of some of the best country albums released in the last year.

Here’s a look a a cross section of some of the entries vying for Best Traditional Country Album nominations. (Eligibility period August 31, 2024, through August 30, 2025)

Big Names of Independent Country Well Represented:

In previous years, top names in independent and traditional country music felt under-represented in the Grammy process. Now they feel like front-runners in this category.

Charley Crockett – Dollar A Day
Cody Jinks – In My Blood
Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman
Turnpike Troubadours – The Price of Admission
Jesse Daniel – Son Of The San Lorenzo

Country Legends in the Running

Granted, the Grammys have always been better at making sure country legends don’t go overlooked than the CMAs and ACMs, giving big awards away to Willie Nelson and Tanya Tucker recently. But now they have a category where they can compete among themselves and other traditional country performers.

Asleep At The Wheel – Riding High In Texas
Willie Nelson – Oh What A Beautiful World
Trisha Yearwood – The Mirror
George Strait – Cowboys And Dreamers
Dwight Yoakam – Brighter Days

The Women of Traditional Country Coming In Strong

This has been a landmark year for the women of traditional country. Really, it feels like all five of these women deserve a nomination themselves, and there’s more where this came from. But at least this year they have a much greater chance since they’re competing in their own field.

Sunny Sweeney – Rhinestone Requiem
Shawna Thompson – Lean On Neon
Kristina Murray – Little Blue
Kelsey Waldon – Every Ghost
Hailey Whitters – Corn Queen

Mainstream Traditionalists Not Overlooked

It’s important we don’t think of the new Grammy category as just exclusively for “independent” or “less commercial” artists. If a big name artist on a major label releases a traditional country album, they should be allowed to compete too, similarly to an independent artist in Best Contemporary Country Album if they release a worthy one.

Zach Top – Ain’t In It For My Health
The Castellows – Homecoming
Kameron Marlowe – Sad Songs For The Soul
Ashland Craft – Dive Bar Beauty Queen
Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum

Underground Country in the Mix

You’re also heartened to see country artists who are not on big independent labels or don’t always get big spreads in major media outlets receiving an opportunity to be considered in this category. It’s not rare at all for critically-acclaimed artists to receive nominations and even win Grammy Awards. So as long as you’re in the mix, you have a chance.

Benjamin Tod – Shooting Star
JP Harris – JP Harris Is A Trash Fire
Joshua Ray Walker – Tropicana
Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms – Gold In Your Pocket
The Doohickeys – All Hat No Cattle

Western Artists Not Forgotten

The new Grammy category also makes sure to state that traditional country subgenres like Western, Western Swing, and Outlaw country are also considered, and we see these represented in the entries as well.

Marcedes Carroll – We Lost Track Of The Stars
Ian Munsick – Eagle Feather
Tris Munsick & The Innocents – Big Medicine Moon
Sterling Drake – The Shape I’m In
Ned LeDoux- Safe Haven

There are many more entries from there, but that represents a good cross section of how this Best Traditional Country Album category shaped up. The nominees will be announced on November 7th.

What can we expect from the Best Contemporary Country Album category? Some were concerned that with the new Traditional category, we’d been ceding the term “country” to a contemporary pop performers. But looking through those entries, you’ll still have folks like Tyler Childers, Riley Green, and others competing. In fact, Best Contemporary Country Album might be more “country” this year as well.

For artists to be considered for a Grammy, they have to submit their work. They’re not just automatically entered. Though there were actually more entries to Best Traditional Country Album (68) than Best Contemporary Country Album (62) according to Billboard, there could be way more. If you’re a traditional country artist, make sure when next year comes around, your album is in the mix.

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