Tanya Tucker Is Ticked That Country Grammys Were Not Televised
Truth be told, Tanya Tucker cleaned up at the 2020 Grammy Awards, winning the two biggest honors bestowed to country artists: Best Country Album for her comeback record While I’m Livin’, and Best Country Song for “Bring My Flowers Now.” The wins were the first for Tanya after first being nominated 47 years ago, and receiving 10 more nominations before finally winning.
“After 50 years in this business, and it’s still unbelievable to me that I still have a few firsts left. So after 14 trips, 14 nominations, this is the first win, and I can’t believe it,” Tanya Tucker said after winning for Best Country Song. “I just want to say that no matter how young or old you are, never stop following your dreams. Keep going.”
But the only way you heard Tanya’s two acceptance speeches is if you were signed into the streaming feed of the Grammy’s “Premier Ceremony,” which transpires hours before the actual Grammy Awards broadcast on CBS. Granted, it’s very understandable why not all the awards are handed out on national television. With 84 total Grammy categories, there is just no way you can televise them all. But usually, either Best Country Song, or Best Country Album is saved for the telecast.
Instead in 2020, producers moved Best Country Duo or Group Performance to the televised portion so that Dan + Shay could get the screen time for their win for “Speechless.” Willie Nelson’s win with “Ride Me Back Home” for Best Country Solo Performance was also handed out during the earlier Premier Ceremony.
“We deserve to be on national television just like everybody else,” Tanya Tucker told the New York Post recently, not just about her wins, but the other country categories as well. “It’s just not right, and we need to change that. I love to sing all kinds of music but country music will always be my first love. That will always be my real bitch with the Grammys.”
This is not the first time the Grammy Awards have rearranged things last minute and relegated a country winner to the Premier Ceremony. “I guess the revolution will not be televised,” was Sturgill Simpson’s response when he won Best Country Album in 2017 for A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Even though he was also up for the all-genre Album of the Year, Grammy producers didn’t think Simpson had enough name recognition to accept his award in prime time.
However both Sturgill and Tanya Tucker were given prime time performance slots. Sturgill received a big Grammy boost in sales after the awards, as did Tanya, especially her song “Bring My Flowers Now,” which she performed with producer Brandi Carlile. After the win, Tucker made her first appearance on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 17 years. “Bring My Flowers Now” showed up this week at #47.
And Tanya Tucker did actually receive an award on the telecast, though it wasn’t one of hers. Tucker was part of the tandem that handed out the “Best Comedy Album” to Dave Chapelle, but since Chapelle wasn’t in attendance, Tucker accepted it on his behalf. Usually Best Comedy Album is done during the Premier Ceremony as well.
Tanya isn’t resting on her laurels after her wins though. She’s getting to work. “We ain’t gonna sit around and rest. That’s when the shit will really hit the fan! I would have liked to have had a few more days to walk on the beach, but it’s back to the bus, back to the road, which is really what starts all that Grammy stuff off, you know. It’s where the nucleus of it really is. I’m going back to the one that brung me! (Laughs.)”
February 8, 2020 @ 12:25 pm
Do you think she’ll be up for any awards at the ACM Awards this April?
February 8, 2020 @ 12:53 pm
Good question. ACM’s came up for initial round of nominations right during/after the Grammy Awards, so we’ll see. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up. People complaining about irregularities with the Grammy Awards have no idea the kind of backhanded deals the ACMs are famous for.
February 8, 2020 @ 1:04 pm
Trig, is it also true that the Highwomen can’t be nominated for Album of the Year because of Maren’s “Girl” .. I thought the same thing happened with Miranda and The Pistol Annies…
If so, that’s unfair. The Highwomen’s debut album is leagues better than “Girl”
February 8, 2020 @ 1:23 pm
Do you know when ACM nominees will be announced?
February 8, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
Tyler, usually around Feb 20th or so.
The 2nd round of voting is done on Feb 11th
February 8, 2020 @ 8:57 pm
Thanks!
February 8, 2020 @ 12:28 pm
Tanya is right this is ridiculous!
February 8, 2020 @ 12:52 pm
Screw the Grammys, Tanya Tucker should fight Dan and Shay in a loser-leaves-town, live boxing match.
My money’s on the 61 year old woman.
February 8, 2020 @ 5:03 pm
Dan and Shay can use self defense & use their hair spray to ward off Tucker. They can use it like pepper spray.
February 8, 2020 @ 1:11 pm
I am ticked too, but not only about the awards being presented in the pre-televised portion. Her performance was not given a proper full introduction, and she was forced to cut the song short. They presented her the way they sometines present new artists who are viewed as not yet big enough for a full slot.
After all, she was the most Grammy-nominated country artist of the year, and her stunning comeback is related to perhaps the most consistently acclaimed country release of last year. Becoming so relevant and so visible after so long is rare for “legacy” artists. There was a real story for her to be introduced with.
Also, especially on the day of Kobe Bryant’s death, singing a full version of the song after a proper introduction would have had even more impact on non-country or non die-hard fans. I am thrilled she got attention after this, but she deserved more. Also, the fact that the Grammys killed the power of the moment by making Tanya and Brandi present best comedy album seemed jarring and took away from the power of the performance. I am hoping it is not far-fetched to think that Tanya might get some ACM or CMA nominations this year. It is not like there are other women getting a ton of radio airplay or having mainstream big “hits.” And as of late, women like Brandy Clark, Kacey Musgraves, and Ashley McBryde have gotten ACM/CMA nominations without having number one songs or mainstream radio support. Fingers crossed, as Tanya has been one of country music’s most important voices for nearly fifty years.
February 8, 2020 @ 1:33 pm
Awards and their shows. It’s tiresome watching these industries stroke themselves. Meaningless from my perspective.
February 8, 2020 @ 1:37 pm
Her biggest mistake is believing the Grammys are still relevant.
February 8, 2020 @ 6:25 pm
From the article: “ After the win, Tucker made her first appearance on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 17 years.” So there is still some relevance.
February 9, 2020 @ 12:09 am
It was plenty relevant to HER.
February 9, 2020 @ 8:52 am
People still watch awards shows? Imagine that…..
February 9, 2020 @ 9:27 am
Music bidness is bass ackwards now. Its all basically the Super Bowl halftime, lip sync, T&A BS. I am happy for Tanya though. People do deserve to be recognized for actually making great music.
February 9, 2020 @ 11:39 am
Award shows are the pits. Nothing but a mono genre parade of narcicism, sanctimony and entitlement.
Yes Tanya and country were shown disrespect. But look at it this way, Tanya Tucker is an icon and a legend. Country (mainstream) is quite dead, hence non country artists winning in (country) and how can you ask a legend to share a stage with some of the other bilge that passes for (music) today.
But what do you expect from a profit driven industry that peddles bro/boyfriend bearded hipster/ Park Slope/talentless sexpot pop country singers fueld by Mac books, Auto Tune, American Idol, DX-7s etc all to appease activist shareholders.
In my opinion, most music sucks ???? today, everything is mono genre “emo/hip hop” infused and not mutually exclusive. Hence we get Lol Nas X in country and Billie Eilush as record if the year.
Tanya is correct as far as disrespect, but then again look at the industry itself and wisely lower your expectations (so far that you have to look up to look down…????)
February 9, 2020 @ 2:54 pm
Tanya Tucker is the best in country music. Period. Nobody has ever sang with a voice like hers.period.she is truly a legend. Tanya has alot up her sleeve so be watching world, tanta is going to blow you away. It’s Vicky!