Your 2025 Country Grammy Nominees

Shauna "WhiskeyChick" Castorena

11 months ago

It’s been a crazy year in country music, with what seems like more pop stars than ever throwing their hat in the ring for consideration by country fans and Recording Academy voters. Here’s a complete list of the country and country-adjacent nominees for the 2025 Grammy’s and a few of our thoughts in between.

Best Country Solo Performance

“16 CARRIAGES,” Beyoncé
“I Am Not Okay,” Jelly Roll
“The Architect,” Kacey Musgraves
“A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey
“It Takes a Woman,” Chris Stapleton

Beyoncé famously said on Instagram, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.” But she still submitted tracks under these categories and the Grammy voters went along with it: In addition to its album of the year nod, Cowboy Carter is nominated for best country album, and in four other country or Americana categories. It’s the first country album to be nominated for album of the year since Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour, which won in 2019. We find it interesting Kacey’s in the running this time around too, and with a sleeper of an incredible album.

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“Cowboys Cry Too,” Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan
“II MOST WANTED,” Beyoncé feat. Miley Cyrus
“Break Mine,” Brothers Osborne
“Bigger Houses,” Dan + Shay
“I Had Some Help,” Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen

We didn’t go in expecting to love Post Malone’s debut in the country music scene, but here we are, a few months out and it’s part of our daily playlists. Of all the po to country crossovers, his has been the most welcomed one we’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s because he brought humility and appreciation into his writing and recording sessions, and because he’s just so damned fun to be around.

Best Country Song

“The Architect,” Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
“A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters (Shaboozey)
“I Am Not Okay,” Casey Brown, Jason DeFord, Ashley Gorley & Taylor Phillips, songwriters (Jelly Roll)
“I Had Some Help,” Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, Morgan Wallen & Chandler Paul Walters, songwriters (Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen)
“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)

Over-saturated or not, Jelly Roll broke hearts, barriers, and records this year and he’s a voice for the downtrodden-but-trying country fan that was desperately under-served up until his arrival. For the good works he’s doing and the good heart he’s showing, we hope he pulls in this well-deserved award.

Best Country Album

COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé
F-1 Trillion, Post Malone
Deeper Well, Kacey Musgraves
Higher, Chris Stapleton
Whirlwind, Lainey Wilson

Not since Reba have we seen a thick-accented redneck woman rise so high and we’re here for it. Lainey has definitely accomplished her mission of making country cool again.

Best American Roots Performance

“Blame It on Eve,” Shemekia Copeland
“Nothing in Rambling,” The Fabulous Thunderbirds feat. Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal & Mick Fleetwood
“Lighthouse,” Sierra Ferrell
“The Ballad of Sally Anne,” Rhiannon Giddens

Sierra Ferrell has also had a fast rise from riding the rails as a hobo busker to becoming an industry darling that champions the classic Americana sound. If nothing else, she draws mainstream country fans back to traditionalist roots and we love her for it.

Best Americana Performance

“YA YA,” Beyoncé
“Subtitles,” Madison Cunningham
“Don’t Do Me Good,” Madi Diaz feat. Kacey Musgraves
“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell
“Runaway Train,” Sarah Jarosz
“Empty Trainload of Sky,” Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Gillian Welch has been a living legend since the day she first whispered into a mic and her success in the industry is proof of that. While there is a ton of talent in this list, Gillian is the quiet constant that I think gets taken for granted in this business and she deserves her damned flowers!

Best American Roots Song

“Ahead of the Game,” Mark Knopfler, songwriter (Mark Knopfler)
“All in Good Time,” Sam Beam, songwriter (Iron & Wine feat. Fiona Apple)
“All My Friends,” Aoife O’Donovan, songwriter (Aoife O’Donovan)
“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell & Melody Walker, songwriters (Sierra Ferrell)
“Blame It on Eve,” John Hahn & Will Kimbrough, songwriters (Shemekia Copeland)

Best Americana Album

The Other Side, T Bone Burnett
$10 Cowboy, Charley Crockett
Trail of Flowers, Sierra Ferrell
Polaroid Lovers, Sarah Jarosz
No One Gets Out Alive, Maggie Rose
Tigers Blood, Waxahatchee

We’re torn on this one… While Charlie Crockett has become a household name with his deep crooning baritone and cowpoke style, we can’t overlook the steady rise of Waxahatchee… and in our opinion that’s where the staying power is. Check in with us in five years to see who’s audience has grown and whose has plateaued.

Best Bluegrass Album

I Built a World, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Songs of Love and Life, The Del McCoury Band
No Fear, Sister Sadie
Live Vol. 1, Billy Strings
Earl Jam, Tony Trischka
Dan Tyminski: Live From The Ryman, Dan Tyminski

This is always the hardest category for us to weigh in on to the point that we usually leave it to the gatekeepers and elitists to duke it out in the comments, but this year has been a breakthrough for Billy Strings, and there’s no denying that he’s had the face time to grab the Academy vote at the very least.