I have broken down the awards into seven different categories, and I will announce the winners in the coming days. The seven categories are as follows:
- Best Album
This award will go to what I felt was the overall best album of the year: an album that fired on all cylinders and achieved on all fronts. An album that from start to finish was not only a fine piece of music and piece of art, but that was also enjoyable to listen to. - Best Song
Much like the “Best Album” award, this will go to what I felt was the best overall song of the year: a song which hit all the right notes and succeeded not just as a great Country/Americana song, but also as just a great song overall. - Collaboration of the Year
This award will go to a song and artists who collaborated on a song and put out an amazing piece of music together. - Male Vocalist of the Year
- Female Vocalist of the Year
- Group of the Year
These three awards speak for themselves. - Mainstream Single of the Year
Often, we complain about the state of mainstream country music. This award will go to an artist and song who/that was a positive point in mainstream country during the past year: a song which tried to make country radio better and stood out as exemplary during 2016.
So, without further ado, I present the nominees in each category:
Best Album:
Jack Ingram – Midnight Motel
Randy Rogers Band – Nothing Shines Like Neon
Flatland Cavalry – Humble Folks
Aubrie Sellers – New City Blues
Sean McConnell – Self Titled
Lucinda Williams – Ghosts of Highway 20
Miranda Lambert – The Weight of These Wings
Best Song
Jack Ingram – “Blaine’s Ferris Wheel”
Kiefer Sutherland – “Shirley Jean”
Turnpike Troubadours – “Come As You Are”
Lucinda Williams – “Can’t Close the Door on Love”
Randy Rogers Band – “Things I Need to Quit”
Aubrie Sellers – “Loveless Rolling Stone”
Miranda Lambert – “Tin Man”
Collaboration of the Year
Randy Rogers Band & Jamey Johnson – “Actin’ Crazy”
Chris and Morgane Stapleton – “You Are My Sunshine”
Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts – “A Life Where We Work Out”
David Nail and Lori McKenna – “Home”
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jack Ingram
Eric Church
Chris Stapleton
Cody Johnson
Cody Jinks
Female Vocalist of the Year
Lori McKenna
Lucinda Williams
Aubrie Sellers
Miranda Lambert
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Group of the Year
Randy Rogers Band
Turnpike Troubadours
Blackberry Smoke
Flatland Cavalry
Mainstream Single of the Year
Tim McGraw – “Humble and Kind”
Eric Church – “Record Year”
Miranda Lambert – “Vice”
Jon Pardi – “Head Over Boots”
Weigh in below, and I will be announcing the winners in the coming days!