Our 2017 Grammy Awards Predictions — Make Yours!
The 2017 Grammy Awards nominees include some of the biggest names and hottest up-and-coming talent in country music, including some nominations in non-county all-genre categories. This year the staff of Taste of Country are challenging our readers to a friendly bet to see who can most closely predict the winners among the country nominees in the prestigious awards.
Maren Morris leads the county nominations this year with four, including one in the all-genre Best New Artist category, and ToC predicts she will not go home empty-handed. Kelsea Ballerini joins her in that category as a testament to her pop crossover success, while Keith Urban earned nominations across three country categories for “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and his most recent album, Ripcord.
Thomas Rhett, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney are some of the huge names in country to score nods this year, and Brandy Clark is nominated in multiple categories in the 59th annual Grammy Awards, which are set to air live on CBS on Feb. 12, hosted by James Corden.
Check out below to see our predictions as to who will win big in 2017, and vote for your own favorites!
2017 Grammy Nominees (Country):
Album of the Year
Our Pick: Beyonce, Lemonade. The other artists in this category all released great albums this year, including Sturgill Simpson, who did country proud with an all-genre nod for A Sailor's Guide to Earth. But let's face it, Beyonce owns this category hands-down.
Best New Artist
Our Pick: Maren Morris This is another mainstream category with country artists in it, including Kelsea Ballerini. ToC predicts that Maren Morris' combination of songwriting and vocal skills, on top of her hip vibe, will score her the win.
Best Country Album
Our Pick: Brandy Clark, Big Day in a Small Town This is one of the toughest categories to predict this year, with so many great country albums in release. But despite strong efforts all around, we believe Brandy Clark's critically-acclaimed Big Day in a Small Town will win Best Country Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
Best Country Song (Awarded to Songwriters)
Our Pick: Tim McGraw, "Humble and Kind" (Lori McKenna) A no-brainer. McGraw has such an innate knack for finding great songs with sweeping messages, and McKenna sure gave him one in "Humble and Kind." This is one of those songs that you hear it once, and you begin predicting it will sweep awards season.
Best Country Solo Performance
Our Pick: Miranda Lambert, "Vice" This is another really difficult category, with nothing but standout performances nominated. But Lambert hit a new high-water mark with her intimate, revealing performance on "Vice," and we predict she's got it wrapped up.
Best Country Duo / Group Performance
Our Pick: Dierks Bentley With Elle King, “Different for Girls” What a year for great collaborations! But the best of them all was Bentley and King, who brought such a different vibe to country radio with this track. It could have been a big risk, but in their expert hands it's both a critical and commercial smash.
Best Americana Album
Our Pick: Kris Kristofferson, The Cedar Creek Sessions Another category overflowing with excellent choices. But Kristofferson is a legend, as well as one of the greatest songwriters in history across genres, and we predict that when Grammy voters get the chance to recognize that once again, they will.
Best American Roots Song (Awarded to Songwriters)
Our Pick: Jack White, "City Lights" (Jack White) The Time Jumpers, Lori McKenna, Robbie Fulks and more released great songs that are under consideration for 2017, but there's only one Jack White, and this is his category to take home.
Best American Roots Performance
Our Pick: Rhiannon Giddens, "Factory Girl" This is another category in which any of the nominated artists are very deserving. But Giddens' plaintive delivery of this traditional tune is so sparse, and so moving, we predict it will earn the final nod.
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