There is no doubt that there are a lot of awards show in existence. I think most of us would agree that the world would not be any worse off with a few less awards shows. Country music awards are no exception. But in the music industry there is no greater recognition than the Grammy’s. For more than 50 years The Recording Academy has honored achievements in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart success. The idea that they reward country artists that may not have sold particularly well or received a lot of radio airplay always upsets some music industry types in Nashville and die hard fans of artists who sold a gajillion records. But you have to remember not to take award shows too seriously. It is after all, just an industry giving itself a pat on the back, and the grammy voters often get it wrong. Before we get to this year’s country nominees, here are a couple of examples of why you should not take these things too seriously….
– In 1963, the nominees for Best Country and Western Recording were… Burl Ives‘ Funny Way of Laughing, Claude King‘s Wolverton Mountain, George Jones‘ She Still Thinks I Can, Jimmy Dean‘s P.T. 109, Johnny Tillotson‘s It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’, Marty Robbins‘ Devil Woman. Burl Ives went home with the Country Grammy that year! Ives was an actor and singer who is best remembered as the voice of the snowman on the holiday classic, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
– In 1966, the nominees for Best Rock & Roll recording were made up of a group acts that have had a huge impact on rock history and all except one had long careers with multiple hits. The nominees were…The Beatles‘ Eleanor Rigby, the Beach Boys‘ Good Vibrations, The Monkees‘ Last Train To Clarksville, The Mama’s & the Papas‘ Monday Monday, The Association‘s Cherish, and The New Vaudeville Band‘s Winchester Cathedral. The Winner was…Winchester Cathedral. That’s right, the Grammy’s chose the only one hit wonder of the bunch. It is also interesting to note that the Stones’ classic #1 hit, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, released in 1965, did not receive a nomination. Wow.
– The Rolling Stones did not win a Grammy award until they were given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.
So don’t be taking this stuff too seriously. Do you even remember who won last year’s Grammy for Best Country Song? (it was Lady A, Need You Now, by the way). Band Perry is nominated in the Best New Artist category and here are this year’s nominees in country related categories…
Best Country Solo Performance
“Dirt Road Anthem” — Jason Aldean
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” — Martina McBride
“Honey Bee” — Blake Shelton
“Mean” — Taylor Swift
“Mama’s Song” — Carrie Underwood
Best Country Song
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” — Jim Collins & David Lee Murphy, songwriters (Thompson Square)
“God Gave Me You” — Dave Barnes, songwriter (Blake Shelton)
“Just Fishin'” — Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
“Mean” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Threaten Me With Heaven” — Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Will Owsley & Dillon O’Brian, songwriters (Vince Gill)
“You And Tequila” — Matraca Berg & Deana Carter, songwriters (Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter)
Best Country Album
My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean
Chief – Eric Church
Own The Night – Lady Antebellum
Red River Blue – Blake Shelton
Here For A Good Time – Geroge Strait
Speak Now – Taylor Swift
Best Americana Album
Emotional Jukebox — Linda Chorney
Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down — Ry Cooder
Hard Bargain — Emmylou Harris
Ramble At The Ryman — Levon Helm
Blessed — Lucinda Williams
Best Bluegrass Album
Paper Airplane – Alison Krauss & Union Station
Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs by Robert Hunter & Jim Lauderdale – Jim Lauderdale
Rare Bird Alert – Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe – The Del McCoury Band
A Mother’s Prayer – Ralph Stanley
Sleep With One Eye Open – Chris Thile & Michael Davis
Best Folk Album
Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars
I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive – Steve Earle
Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes
Ukulele Songs – Eddie Vedder
The Harrow & The Harvest – Gillian Welch
Here’s Gillian Welch and David Rawlings performing ‘Six White Horses’ in concert. This is a track from the grammy nominated album The Harrow and the Harvest. Pretty darn country.
