Tyler Childers is now a Grammy winner. So is Zach Top. Mavis Staples and I’m With Her also have two more Grammy Awards apiece. Chris Stapleton has another one for his massive trophy collection.
But then came Best Country Song, and a big win for Tyler Childers via “Bitin’ List.” Though Childers was not there himself, his band The Food Stamps were, with “The Professor” Jesse Wells addressing the win on behalf of Childers and the band. For Tyler Childers, the Grammy win feels like a long time coming, especially since he’d been nominated nine times previous. He’s also up for Best Contemporary Country Album to be handed out during the televised presentation, and perhaps his early win portends positive things for him later on.
If we’re being honest, “Bitin’ List” just seems like a strange pick for the “Best Country Song” of a given year. It’s definitely fun and infectious. But in a year of earth shaking moments and some earth shaking songs, a kiss off feels a little light. But the Grammys have a way of awarding the right artists, even if they miss on the actual song or album. That’s what the “Bitin’ List” win feels like. And hey, clearly Grammy voters connected with it, even if this is a songwriting award, not one for an infectious performance. Zach Top is the inaugural winner of the new Best Traditional Country Album category. You can read more about that win here. But it feels like a success for the new category. It could have gone to Willie Nelson simply for the name recognition, or to the Lukas Nelson album that felt more Americana. Zach Top is responsible for the traditional country resurgence in popular music, and it’s hard to quibble with him getting this Grammy, even if he isn’t your personal favorite. I’m With Her (Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins) feel like the big winners from the roots realm, taking home Best Folk Album for Wild and Clear and Blue, as well as Best American Roots Song for “Ancient Light.” They were also one of the few present to accept these awards. Best Americana Performance went to Mavis Staples for “Godspeed,” and Best American Roots Performance went to Staples for “Beautiful Strangers.”
Jon Batiste won Best Americana Album for Big Money. Batiste made a stink some years ago when he walked away with two Grammy Awards on a year he won five total, and was nominated for 11 across a host of different genres. But listening through Big Money, it does feel like where Americana is today, which includes strong roots influences, as well as a lot of vintage soul and R&B. Billy String won Best Bluegrass Album for Highway Prayers. Released in October of 2024, you could almost forget the album. But now it will be much harder to after being feted with a Grammy. To read more about the Billy Strings win, CLICK HERE. Overall, this Grammy Awards season feels like a positive so far, however measured. The wins for Zach Top and Tyler Childers feel validating, as do the accolades for I’m With Her. All that’s left to resolve is now Best Contemporary Country Album, which pits some very big titans from the genre against each other, and from various corners representing “country.”
Best Traditional Country Album:• Dollar A Day – Charley Crockett• American Romance – Lukas Nelson• Oh What A Beautiful World – Willie Nelson• Hard Headed Woman – Margo Price• Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top – WINNERBest Contemporary Country Album• Patterns – Kelsea Ballerini• Snipe Hunter – Tyler Childers• Evangeline Vs. The Machine – Eric Church• Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll – WINNER• Postcards From Texas – Miranda LambertBest Country Solo Performance
•“Nose on the Grindstone,” Tyler Childers•“Good News,” Shaboozey•“Bad as I Used to Be [From F1® The Movie],” Chris Stapleton – WINNER•“I Never Lie,” Zach Top•“Somewhere Over Laredo,” Lainey WilsonBest Country Duo/Group Performance
•“A Song to Sing,” Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton•“Trailblazer,” Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson•“Love Me Like You Used to Do,” Margo Price & Tyler Childers•“Amen,” Shaboozey & Jelly Roll – WINNER•“Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” George Strait, Chris StapletonBest Country Song
•“Somewhere Over Laredo,” Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)
•“A Song to Sing,” Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton)Best Americana Album
•BIG MONEY, Jon Batiste – WINNER•Bloom, Larkin Poe•Last Leaf on the Tree, Willie Nelson•So Long Little Miss Sunshine, Molly Tuttle•Middle, Jesse WellesBest American Roots Performance
•“LONELY AVENUE,” Jon Batiste Featuring Randy Newman•“Ancient Light,” I’m With Her•“Crimson and Clay,” Jason Isbell•“Richmond on the James,” Alison Krauss & Union Station•“Beautiful Strangers,” Mavis Staples – WINNERBest Americana Performance
•“Boom,” Sierra Hull•“Poison in My Well,” Maggie Rose & Grace Potter•“Godspeed,” Mavis Staples – WINNER•“That’s Gonna Leave a Mark,” Molly Tuttle•“Horses,” Jesse WellesBest American Roots Song
•Carter & Cleveland, Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter•A Tip Toe High Wire, Sierra Hull•Arcadia, Alison Krauss & Union Station•Outrun, The Steeldrivers•Highway Prayers, Billy Strings – WINNERBest Folk Album
•What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson•Crown of Roses, Patty Griffin•Wild and Clear and Blue, I’m With Her – WINNER•Foxes in the Snow, Jason Isbell•Under the Powerlines (April 24 – September 24), Jesse Welles– – – – – – – – – – –
Crazy. You spend a decade pushing and pulling for an artist and he finally gets recognized for a song on a project you can’t relate to or stand to listen.
And there was “Nose on the Grindstone” – a song that gave voice to a region and the highlight of his concerts for a decade – getting bested by a throw away soundtrack song.
Nose to the Grindstone’s strength was mostly in the songwriting, and the award it was up for wasn’t about songwriting.
I consider Bitin’ List’s strength to also mostly be in the songwriting. It’s “infectious”, as Trigger described it. But it’s the lyrics and melody that are infectious, not Childers’ particular performance or the production. It’s it a worthy winner of a best song award.
I think we can love Tyler Childers, love that he earned a Grammy, even love “Bitin’ List,” and still recognize that it’s not the type of songwriter’s song that is normally recognized in this category, especially at the Grammys. But hey, what do they say about looking gift horses in the mouth?
So I believe that since “Nose On The Grindstone” had officially been released previously on The OurVinyl Sessions, it wouldn’t be eligible for Best Country Song since it’s too old. But don’t quote me on that. That is why it was released to Best Country Performance, be cause the “performance” is still new.
Tyler licked the boot and that fact is underscored by his shame in not showing his face to accept his award.
I actually think it’s classy that Tyler dispatched The Food Stamps to accept any awards. We also don’t know that he’s not there. He might be to accept Best Contemporary Country Album if he wins. Or, we might get The Food Stamps again, which would be super cool to see on broadcast television.
I was literally going to say the same thing and you beat me to it! That the man who wrote “Nose on the Grindstone” won his first Grammy for “Bitin’ List” is too bizarre to be believed. It’s like if Guy Clark had one Grammy to his name and it was for “Homegrown Tomatoes”, or if Robert Earl Keen had pulled one down for “Farm Fresh Onions.” Just inexplicable.
Nice to see the Staples Singers–or one of them, at least–is still active. They were from the “old guard” when they collaborated with Marty Stuart on the Rhythm, Country and Blues project 30-some years ago. That might have been their first connection to country music.
To me, it feels like Best Contemporary Country Album is a battle between Tyler Childers and Jelly Rooll. Both won earlier, and the producers are really favoring Jelly Roll in their camera shots.
Source: savingcountrymusic.com