Chris Stapleton Brings Home Best Country Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards
Chris Stapleton has won Best Country Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards, with his album, Starting Over. The album came out in late 2020 and is Stapleton's fourth full-length studio project.
Stapleton came up on stage to claim his trophy along with his producer Dave Cobb. As he accepted the award, the country star reflected on the work that goes into being a musician, specifically acknowledging that he — a father of five — had sometimes had to miss his kid's birthdays or other special milestones in order to make his career work
"I'm thinking a lot about sacrifice, and everybody in this room has made some kind of sacrifice," Stapleton said, gesturing around the room at the all-star audience of celebrities and entertainers. "And I don't know what it is for everybody, but I know it hurts sometimes. Hopefully we're all doing it so we can make the world a better place."
After he was finished with his acceptance speech, Stapleton passed the microphone to Cobb, who spoke briefly to express his gratitude.
Stapleton is now three for three at the 2022 Grammys. Before the main awards show kicked off, he picked up two trophies at the pre-show Premiere Ceremony: One for Best Country Solo Performance, and another for Best Country Song. Both award-winning tracks — "You Should Probably Leave" and "Cold," respectively — come off of Starting Over. He's also set to perform later in the Grammy Awards ceremony.
To win his trophy, Stapleton beat out Brothers Osborne's Skeletons, Mickey Guyton's Remember Her Name, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram's The Marfa Tapes and Sturgill Simpson's The Ballad of Dood & Juanita.
Kelsea Ballerini and actor Anthony Mackie presented the Best Country Album Award. They'll reunite later in the month to co-host the 2022 CMT Music Awards, which is, for the first time, airing on CBS — the same network which airs the Grammys.