Country music has been having a moment. Actually, scratch that it’s been having a massive, genre-bending, chart-topping year. And that makes looking at the current nominations for Grammy Award for Best Country Album for the upcoming 2025 ceremony feel less like a standard awards list and more like a battle for the soul of the genre.
I remember watching the Grammys a few years back when Chris Stapleton swept the floor. It felt inevitable. You just knew. But this year? The field is weirdly open, incredibly diverse, and honestly, a little controversial.
If you’ve been blasting Morgan Wallen in your truck or crying to Lainey Wilson in your kitchen, you might be surprised by who actually made the cut and who didn’t. Let’s dig into the list, the drama, and what these nominations actually mean for country music right now.
The Nominees: Who Actually Made the Cut?
Okay, let’s get the housekeeping out of the way. The Recording Academy dropped the list, and for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards (airing in early 2025), the Best Country Album category is stacked.
Here are the albums fighting for the gold gramophone:
- Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé
- F-1 Trillion – Post Malone
- Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves
- Higher – Chris Stapleton
- Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson
Just look at that list for a second.
You have the biggest pop star in the world (Beyoncé). You have a guy who became famous for face tattoos and hip-hop (Post Malone). You have the cosmic cowgirl (Kacey). You have the bearded king of soul-country (Stapleton). And you have the reigning queen of Nashville (Lainey).
It is chaos. Beautiful, confused chaos.
The Elephant in the Room: Cowboy Carter
We have to talk about Beyoncé. When Cowboy Carter dropped, the internet practically broke. Was it country? Was it pop? Was it a history lesson?
The fact that it is sitting right there in the current nominations for Grammy Award for Best Country Album list is huge. Traditionalists are probably grinding their teeth, but you can’t deny the impact. She brought the banjo back to the mainstream in a way we haven’t seen in years.
Personally, I think the Academy had to nominate it. If they ignored an album that literally redefined the genre’s boundaries this year, they would have looked out of touch. Whether she wins is a whole other story, but just being on the list is a statement.
The Post Malone Factor
Then there’s Posty. F-1 Trillion was the summer soundtrack for a lot of people.
It’s funny, if you told me five years ago that Post Malone would be nominated for a Country Grammy, I would have laughed. But the guy did his homework. He collaborated with everyone—Dolly, Tim McGraw, Luke Combs. He didn’t just dip a toe in; he did a cannonball into Nashville culture.
His nomination proves that country is becoming the new pop. It’s the cool place to be right now.
The Heavy Hitters: Stapleton and Wilson
While the pop stars are crashing the party, the Nashville establishment is still holding the fort.
Chris Stapleton is basically Grammy catnip. The man could sing the phonebook and get nominated. Higher is classic Stapleton—gritty, soulful, perfect vocals. He’s the safe bet. If the voters get scared of the “pop” influence of Beyoncé or Post Malone, they will pivot to Chris.
And then there is Lainey Wilson.
I saw Lainey perform at a small festival before she blew up, and even then, she had it. Whirlwind is a great record. She feels like the most “traditional” modern star on this list. She writes about life, love, and the grind. For voters who want to reward someone who is living and breathing the country lifestyle 24/7, Lainey is the one.
The Snubs (Because There Are Always Snubs)
You can’t talk about awards without talking about who got left in the parking lot.
The biggest omission? Probably Zach Bryan.
His album The Great American Bar Scene was massive. But Zach has a complicated relationship with the industry. He doesn’t play the game. He doesn’t do the red carpets. The Academy tends to hold grudges against people who don’t kiss the ring. It’s a shame, because musically, he deserved a spot.
Also, where is Luke Combs? Fathers & Sons was a softer, more emotional side of him that felt tailor-made for awards season. But in a year this crowded, even the big dogs get left out.
If you want to dive deeper into the full list of every category (not just country), the official Grammy Awards site has the complete breakdown of all 94 categories, which is exhausting but fascinating to scroll through.
Why This Year Feels Different
I’ve covered music awards for a while, and usually, the Country Album category is predictable. It’s usually five guys with acoustic guitars singing about trucks and beer.
This year, the current nominations for Grammy Award for Best Country Album represent a massive identity crisis for the genre—in a good way.
We are asking: What is country music?
Is it a sound? Is it a lyric style? Or is it a vibe?
Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well is barely country by 1990s standards. It’s folk-pop, soft and airy. But it’s beautiful, and Kacey is a Nashville darling. Her inclusion shows that “country” can be soft and introspective, not just rowdy.
My Prediction (Don’t Hold Me to This)
If I had to bet my own money?
I think Chris Stapleton might take it. The Grammys love a legacy act, and he is undeniably talented without being controversial.
However, if the Academy wants to make history? They give it to Beyoncé. It would be a cultural moment. It would force a conversation about race, genre, and gatekeeping that the industry has been avoiding for decades.
But watch out for Lainey Wilson. She has the momentum. She just won Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs recently. She is on a roll that is hard to stop.
FAQs
Q: When will the winners be announced?
A: The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 2, 2025.
Q: Why wasn’t Morgan Wallen nominated in this category?
A: Morgan Wallen is often a commercial juggernaut but struggles with Grammy voters due to past controversies and his style being more “radio-friendly” than “critic-friendly.”
Q: Has Beyoncé ever won a Country Grammy before?
A: No. She has performed country songs (like “Daddy Lessons” with the Chicks), but Cowboy Carter is her first full dive into the genre for nominations.
Q: How are the winners chosen?
A: They are voted on by the members of the Recording Academy—musicians, producers, engineers, and other industry professionals. Not by fans.
Final Thoughts
The current nominations for Grammy Award for Best Country Album are a snapshot of a genre in transition.
It’s messy. You have traditionalists fighting with futurists. You have pop stars wearing cowboy hats and country stars acting like rock stars.
But honestly? That’s what makes it exciting. Country music was getting a little stale a few years ago. Now, it’s the most interesting conversation in music. Whether you are rooting for the Queen Bey or the Kentucky Gentleman, this is going to be a ceremony worth watching.
So, grab some popcorn (or some whiskey), and let’s see who takes home the hardware.