The 2024 Grammy Awards have wrapped up, and after being left out of all the major categories except for Best New Artist, country music still had plenty of moments on center stage. “We need to do more work with our country voters and continue to invite more country voters to the process,” Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason Jr. told the Associated Press.
The night’s second performance was an instant show-stopper when Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman performed “Fast Car.” Luke Combs gave the 1988 release a new life with his rendition of his Gettin’ Old. The performance had an extra level of importance to both singers after the commercial success it enjoyed this past summer. Combs’s rendition peaked at the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The performance was truly a duet as no one took over one another and respected each other as singers. At points, Combs wouldn’t be singing and he would be looking over at Chapman, admiring her and soaking in the moment while mouthing the lyrics.
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During the show, Lainey Wilson took home Best Country Album with Bell Bottom Country released in November 2022. Her third LP featured hits like “Heart Like a Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine;” notably, the latter appeared in the TV show Yellowstone. She’s been taking home numerous awards this cycle as she won Entertainer of the Year at the 57th annual CMA’s.
Earlier in the day before the show, Chris Stapleton won two awards on the strength of his single “White Horse.” Stapleton won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. He wrote the song with Dan Wilson and produced it with his wife Morange Stapleton and longtime collaborator Dave Cobb. The first single from his Higher album secured his 10th win out of his 20 nominations all-time.
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After receiving his first nomination last year, Zach Bryan finally got his first win with “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves. The song arrived in his August 2023 on his self-titled album and instantly ascended the streaming charts. The hit duet topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September, and its album topped the Billboard 200 chart upon its release. It marks both Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’s first #1 song on the chart. The song was nominated for Best Country Song as well but fell short to “White Horse.” This was Musgraves’s seventh Grammy win after earning Album of the Year in 2019 for the crossover smash Golden Hour.
Jelly Roll, The War and Treaty, and Noah Kahan represented country music in the one major category they were selected for, Best New Artist. Although neither of the three won the award, there are still plenty of deserving acts out there who may have a shot in the year to come.
