Latest news with #CMAAwards
UPI
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Listen: Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton team up on 'A Song to Sing'
1 of 5 | Miranda Lambert arrives on the red carpet for the CMA Awards in November. She collaborated with Chris Stapleton on "A Song to Sing," out Friday. File Photo by John Angelillo | License Photo July 11 (UPI) -- Miranda Lambert is teaming up with Chris Stapleton on new music. The country music singers released the single "A Song to Sing" and its lyric video Friday. "I want you to know, you are a part of me, baby, you're the heart of me," they sing. "Together we can write a song to sing." The song was inspired in part by Stapleton's relationship with his wife and collaborator, Morgane Stapleton. "Chris understands this emotion from the inside out, because he and Morgane have both lived it. To have someone so soulful and willing to go into the heart of the feelings, to share the pull of the road and creative life -- and what that means when you love someone with every bit of your being is next level," Lambert said, per Taste of Country. Lambert and Stapleton previously collaborated on Stapleton's "What Am I Gonna Do," and both are currently touring. Miranda Lambert's career: Country music, red carpets and awards Miranda Lambert attends the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 17, 2005. Photo by Roger Williams/UPI | License Photo
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Morgan Wallen Dominates Country Radio Like Few Before Him
Morgan Wallen dominates Billboard's Country Airplay chart this week with five tracks, including two ... More top 10 hits and a debut with 'I Got Better.' NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 09: Morgan Wallen attends the 56th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 09, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) Billboard's Country Airplay chart is perhaps the most competitive of all the company's radio rankings, and certainly one of the busiest. Radio still makes a huge impact in the country space, and competition for the highest reaches is fierce between singer-songwriters. It's not common for any act to fill more than one or two spaces at a time, and a trio of wins at once is a surefire sign that a musician has become a superstar in the country world. Morgan Wallen has advanced beyond that title, and he manages a truly incredible feat this week. Morgan Wallen's Five Country Radio Smashes Wallen fills five spaces on the Country Airplay chart at the moment. He ups his count significantly from last time around, as 'I Got Better' debuts at No. 40, while 'What I Want,' his collaboration with Tate McRae, reenters the ranking. That tune, which has already conquered both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts, breaks back in at No. 60 – in last place – after once rising to No. 55. Multiple Top 10 Hits Also included in Wallen's roundup of smashes are a pair of top 10 hits: 'Just in Case' and 'I'm the Problem.' One of several singles and the title track from his recently-released blockbuster album sits at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, side-by-side. Morgan Wallen and Post Malone's Second Duet One of Wallen's two collaborations with Post Malone, 'I Ain't Comin' Back,' dips slightly 10 weeks into its tenure on the tally. Last time around, 'I Ain't Comin' Back' sat at No. 30, its all-time high point. This frame, it slips to No. 35. Jelly Roll Follows Next Jelly Roll claims the second-most hits on the Country Airplay chart at the moment, with three. 'Heart of Stone,' 'Hard Fought Hallelujah' with Brandon Lake, and 'Amen' with Shaboozey all manage to appear. Shaboozey, Parker McCollum, and Chris Young score a pair of wins each, while every other artist on the 60-spot roster manages only to live in one slot. Wallen's success on the Country Airplay tally is impressive, but he claims significantly more spaces on tallies like the Hot 100 and various country-only rankings.
UPI
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Morgan Wallen's 'I'm the Problem' tops U.S. album chart for 4th week
Morgan Wallen's "I'm the Problem" is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for a fourth week. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 21 (UPI) -- Country music star Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem is the No. 1 album in the United States for a fourth consecutive week. Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Saturday is Lil Wayne's Tha Carter VI, followed by ENHYPEN's Desire: Unleash at No. 3, Addison Rae's Addison at No. 4 and SZA's SOS at No. 5. Rounding out the top tier are My Chemical Romance's Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge at No. 6, Sabrina Carpenter's Short n'Sweet at No. 7, Wallen's One Thing at a Time at No. 8, Turnstile's Never Enough at No. 9 and Kendrick Lamar's GNX at No. 10. CMA Awards: Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs walk the red carpet Host Lainey Wilson arrives on the red carpet for the 58th annual CMA Awards in Nashville on November 20, 2024. Wilson is nominated for Entertainer of the Year alongside Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Jelly Roll. Wilson is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year for "Watermelon Moonshine" and Music Video of the Year for "Wildflowers and Wild Horses." Photo by John Angelillo | License Photo
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Grammys change country categories to separate traditional and contemporary albums
Grammys change country categories to separate traditional and contemporary albums Show Caption Hide Caption CMA Awards 2024: Home Free harmonizes Beyonce's 'Texas Hold'em' While speaking to The Tennessean, country a cappella group Home Free harmonized to Beyonce's hit song "Texas Hold'em" at 2024 CMA Awards red carpet. The 2026 Grammy Awards will introduce a significant change: Best country album category has been renamed best contemporary country album, and a new category, best traditional country album, has been added. This change underscores the importance of recognizing the diverse styles within country music and honoring both its modern and traditional roots. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the recent comeback of traditional country music deserves its own recognition. 'Country music has evolved in a major way over the past decade, with traditional country experiencing a massive resurgence, growing in popularity and volume," Mason Jr. said. "Traditional country has a timeless, distinct sound that's inspired generations of musicians throughout the years. It's an important part of the country music story and deserves to be celebrated and recognized with intention." The award was initially presented as best country & western album in 1965 and 1966, with Roger Miller as the recipient. It was discontinued in 1967 but revived in 1995 under its current name, best country album. Beyoncé made history at the 2025 Grammys as the first Black woman in the awards' history to take home the award. Mason Jr. said the additional Grammy category for country music allows for more inclusion in the genre. "When it comes to creativity, we don't want to exclude, we want to include," Mason Jr. said. "The Recording Academy wants to celebrate as much beautiful, passionate art as possible. All music is amazing and the uniqueness of its creative process deserves to be honored. As an organization, I want us to be an organization that is able to open our eyes and ears to getting it right as far as offering a spotlight to as many different sounds as we can." Country music's expanding, star-making scope The Nashville country music industry's star-making machine has churned out a steady stream of chart-toppers in the past five years. One-fifth of gold and platinum-selling albums and singles released last year claimed Music City roots, according to 2024 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) data. Among those hitmakers, Beyoncé, Post Malone, and Shaboozey represent an expanse of sounds and styles, from mainstream genre-bending, soulful ambient pop and hip-hop-influenced mega-hitmaking, that has arguably stretched country's traditional underpinnings in an unprecedented manner. Include established country chart-toppers like Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, Kacey Musgraves, and Morgan Wallen, along with performers with strong Nashville roots such as Maren Morris, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. This adds up to roughly a dozen artists, alongside 48 others from various genres, who have achieved year-end Billboard all-genre top-10 success in the past five years. "This action by our members now opens the door for us to celebrate more artists and a wider range of music," Mason Jr. said. "By adding this new category and renaming the Country Album Category, we're creating more space for all the diverse artists who are shaping the future of country music." He added that the proposal was received from those involved in the nomination and voting processes to split the Best Country Album category into contemporary and traditional segments. This change aims to better reflect and celebrate the diverse and expanding landscape of country music. "In general, categorizing music and performance for evaluation and celebration is difficult," he said. "Now, consider how genres and sounds are evolving and changing rapidly (in the modern era). The music industry being more fluid and subjective than ever makes it more challenging to ensure that music can be judged similarly against each other." What separates contemporary from traditional country music? The Recording Academy outlines the new standards and expectations, delineating the difference between the categories as such. Best Traditional Country Album — for albums vocal or instrumental: "Traditional country includes country recordings that adhere to the more traditional sound structures of the country genre, including rhythm and singing style, lyrical content, as well as traditional country instrumentation such as acoustic guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano, electric guitar, and live drums," the Academy states. The category includes "sub-genres such as Western, Western Swing, and Outlaw country." Contemporary Country Album — for albums vocal or instrumental: "The Recording Academy and our voters have had many lengthy debates about how production choices impact musical styles," Mason Jr. said. "However, we want to find as many ways as possible to accurately and honestly honor amazing art. If that requires us to make more space, then we do so. Primarily because we recognize that we do not always have the lines that people use to separate genres perfectly defined, we continually need to refine those standards by listening to the individuals who work within those musical communities to serve them best." Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. on 'Cowboy Carter' and the future of country Upon the March 2024 announcement of her eventual Grammy-winning "Cowboy Carter" album, Beyoncé wrote on social media: "This ain't a Country album. This is a 'Beyoncé' album. This is act ii Cowboy Carter, and I am proud to share it with y'all!" Eleven months later, when she was awarded a golden gramophone for her work, she appeared as stunned as anyone about the achievement. "Being inspired by something doesn't always mean that you're singularly focused on copying or emulating it. (On "Cowboy Carter"), country music was one of many outputs that fed into (Beyoncé's) human database, which was regurgitated into a new form that was personal to her life experiences," Mason Jr. said. "Obviously, beyond her intentions, ("Cowboy Carter") was a new, exciting, impactful, meaningful and resonant album for people." Mason Jr. said that he believes that more music pushing boundaries of culture and genre will exist in the "country" space. "Judging and celebrating that music accurately and in a way that authentically represents those musical communities feeling best heard and seen is essential," he said. Recent Country Album of the Year Grammy Award winners In recent years, the need for a clear division in the genre's album categories has become increasingly apparent. Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" defeated albums by Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson for the Best Country Album trophy. Wilson triumphed a year prior for "Bell Bottom Country," with Willie Nelson, Stapleton, Miranda Lambert and Tanya Tucker claiming victories in the category in the 2020s as well. While accepting the award from Taylor Swift in 2025, Queen Bey said, "Wow, I really was not expecting this. I think sometimes 'genre' is a code word to keep us in our place as artists and I just want to encourage people to do what they're passionate about, and to stay persistent." Who could receive traditional country Grammy nominations? Regarding the next steps for the category, consider how the dozen country-to-crossover stars can blend with breakout contemporary acts like Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Jelly Roll, Tucker Wetmore, and Bailey Zimmerman. Additionally, think about recent Americana Artist of the Year nominees who favor traditional styles, such as Sierra Ferrell, Billy Strings, Charley Crockett, Joy Oladokun, Waxahatchee, Tyler Childers, Noah Kahan, Allison Russell, Margo Price, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and Yola. Whereas the former more distinctly fit in the contemporary lane, the potential for what can happen with contemporary industry artists who are more classic stylists, plus rootsy "Americana" performers in the "traditional" space, is far more intriguing. In 2015, the Recording Academy created the Best American Roots Performance category to address various disparities. This category encompasses all subgenres within the American Roots field, including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk, and other regional roots music. A sister category, Best Americana Performance, was introduced in 2023. "Those genres are all taking on so much life in respect to the breadth of the diverse cross-section of artists coming into those spaces. It's important to reflect how, over the years, the areas of the world and the stories being told that are represented in those musical spaces has evolved," Mason Jr. said. Of note, Carlile, Russell and Ferrell have won Grammys in the Best American Roots Performance category, while Beyoncé, Childers, Isbell and Kacey Musgraves have received nominations in Americana Performance. Jon Batiste The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sarah Jarosz, Dolly Parton, plus Gillian Welch & David Rawlings are significant names associated with both categories. Roots artists with more defined country leanings could join "traditional" country artists with connections to the Western, Western Swing and Outlaw country scenes to create an impressively diverse and vibrant "Best Traditional Country Album" category offering.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Country singer Conner Smith involved in fatal truck-pedestrian crash in Nashville
Conner Smith, an up-and-coming country singer nominated for new male artist at last year's ACM Awards, allegedly struck a 77-year-old pedestrian Sunday night in Nashville, police said. The woman died. "The preliminary contributing factor for this crash appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian. He showed no signs of impairment," the Metro Nashville Police Department said in a news release. "There are no charges at present as the investigation continues." Read more: Luke Bryan sees no message in Beyoncé's CMA Awards snub: 'A lot of great music's overlooked' The woman, identified as Dorothy Dobbins, lived nearby, according to police. She was walking in a marked crosswalk at the time of the collision, which occurred around 7:30 p.m. Dobbins died at nearby Vanderbilt University Medical Center, police said. The viral "I Hate Alabama" singer saw his 2023 tune "Creek Will Rise" climb onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 2024. He has been a special guest on Luke Bryan's Farm Tour, an annual effort aimed at bringing what Bryan calls "big city" country music to rural areas. Farm Tour 2025 hit California's Merced, Fresno and Kern counties in May and will play three Midwest shows in September. "His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time,' Smith's attorney told TMZ in a statement that acknowledged the singer's involvement in the crash and indicated he was cooperating with authorities. Smith is among the acts scheduled to open for Bryan this Saturday in Florida at the Boston Red Sox "Fenway South" spring-training facility in Fort Myers. He has shows booked around the country through the summer, including opening for "In Case You Didn't Know" singer Brett Young on Aug. 8 at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
