Sophia Michaels
Miranda Lambert picked up the most nominations when the Recording Academy announced the country music Grammy nominees on Tuesday. Lambert, a perennial contender, found herself nominated in all four of the country categories, the only performer to do so for the 2023 Awards.
Lambert’s 2022 album Palomino clearly resonated with Grammy voters. In addition to earning a Best Country Album nomination, the collection spawned tracks that earned two other nominations: “If I Was a Cowboy” and “In His Arms” for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance, respectively. Lambert’s fourth nomination was in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Outrunnin’ Your Memory,” a collaboration with Luke Combs that appears on his 2022 album Growin’ Up.
Combs had a strong showing this year as well, picking up three total nominations. Growin’ Up will vie for Best Country Album, while his anthem about playing music, “Doin’ This,” was nominated for Best Country Song.
Maren Morris and Willie Nelson garnered three nominations apiece. Morris’ “Circles Around This Town” will be considered for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song, while the album on which it appeared, Humble Quest, is up for Best Country Album. She’ll have competition in all three categories from Nelson, whose A Beautiful Time was nominated alongside songs “Live Forever” and “I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die.”
Ashley McBryde also picked up a couple of nominations between her Carly Pearce collaboration and new Lindeville concept album. Rising star Zach Bryan got his first Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, but no Best New Artist nod. Molly Tuttle, the bluegrass singer-guitarist, competes in the all-genre Best New Artist. Taylor Swift found her way back into the country categories with “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version),” and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s reunion produced nominations in both country and Americana categories.
In those Americana and Folk categories, frequent nominee Brandi Carlile is back after having her song “Right on Time” considered for the pop categories last year. She’ll face a wide range of offerings from Plant and Krauss, Bonnie Raitt, Aoife O’Donovan with Allison Russell, and Dr. John.
Best Country Solo Performance
Kelsea Ballerini – “Heartfelt”
Zach Bryan – “Something in the Orange”
Miranda Lambert – “In His Arms”
Maren Morris – “Circles Around This Town”
Willie Nelson – “Live Forever”
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt – “Wishful Drinking”
Brothers Osborne – “Midnight Rider’s Prayer”
Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert – “Outrunnin’ Your Memory”
Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton – “Does He Love You (Revisited)”
Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde – “Never Wanted to Be That Girl”
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – “Going Where the Lonely Go”
Best Country Song
Maren Morris – “Circles Around This Town”
Luke Combs – “Doin’ This”
Taylor Swift – “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version)”
Miranda Lambert – “If I Was a Cowboy”
Willie Nelson – “I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die”
Cody Johnson – “’Til You Can’t”
Best Country Album
Luke Combs – Growin’ Up
Miranda Lambert – Palomino
Ashley McBryde – Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville
Maren Morris – Humble Quest
Willie Nelson – A Beautiful Time
Best American Roots Performance
Bill Anderson featuring Dolly Parton – “Someday It’ll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version)”
Madison Cunningham – “Life According to Raechel”
Fantastic Negrito – “Oh Betty”
Aaron Neville with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band – “Stompin’ Ground”
Aoife O’Donovan and Allison Russell – “Prodigal Daughter”
Best Americana Performance
Eric Alexandrakis – “Silver Moon [A Tribute to Michael Nesmith]”
Asleep at the Wheel featuring Lyle Lovett – “There You Go Again”
Blind Boys of Alabama featuring Black Violin – “The Message”
Brandi Carlile featuring Lucius – “You and Me on the Rock”
Bonnie Raitt – “Made Up Mind”
Best American Roots Song
Anaïs Mitchell – “Bright Star”
Sheryl Crow – “Forever”
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – “High and Lonesome”
Bonnie Raitt – “Just Like That”
Aoife O’Donovan and Allison Russell – “Prodigal Daughter”
Brandi Carlile featuring Lucius – “You and Me on the Rock”
Best Americana Album
Brandi Carlile – In These Silent Days
Dr. John – Things Happen That Way
Keb’ Mo’ – Good to Be…
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – Raise the Roof
Bonnie Raitt – Just Like That
Best Bluegrass Album
The Infamous Stringdusters – Toward the Fray
The Del McCoury Band – Almost Proud
Peter Rowan – Calling You From My Mountain
Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway – Crooked Tree
Yonder Mountain String Band – Get Yourself Outside
Best Folk Album
Judy Collins – Spellbound
Madison Cunningham – Revealer
Janis Ian – The Light at the End of the Line
Aoife O’Donovan – Age of Apathy
Punch Brothers – Hell on Church Street
