As the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards approach on February 1, 2026, a wave of discussion has swept across the country music community and beyond. The spark? Not a single country artist landed a nomination in any of the four coveted all-genre categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, or Best New Artist. For a genre that often claims the soul of America, this absence has left many fans and industry insiders scratching their heads and, in some cases, feeling left out in the cold.
Pop, hip-hop, R&B, K-pop, Latin, and alt-rock artists are all represented in these top categories. Names like Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and Doechii are among the nominees, as reported by The Tennessean. Yet, for country music, it’s radio silence—at least when it comes to the GRAMMYs’ biggest prizes.
This isn’t the first time the genre has faced such a snub, but the timing feels especially pointed. Just last year, Beyoncé took home Album of the Year for "Cowboy Carter," an album that celebrated country’s roots while pushing its boundaries. Some fans, perhaps buoyed by that moment, expected the genre to maintain or even expand its presence in the GRAMMY spotlight. Instead, the pendulum has swung the other way.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the controversy head-on, seeking to cool the temperature of the debate. "Yeah, and I really hope it doesn't turn into that type of dialogue based around politics or right or left, because it really is not that; it's really about what the voters choose to vote for every given year, and it is cyclical. There have been other times where there's been different representation. We will be looking into all our genre categories and the voters associated with them and making sure they are balanced, like we do every year. And after this year, we'll do it again," Mason told WKML and Variety.
He continued, "Provided that we have the right percentage and ratios, then we’ll be in the right spot. We can’t tell what those people will vote for, but we can make sure that we have a representative voting body." Mason was candid about the emotional toll such omissions can take, saying, "All I know is it’s heartbreaking for me when somebody’s not represented, whether that’s an individual artist or a genre, because I know how hard people work in this business." He emphasized that the Academy’s mission is to get it right, and that means continually reviewing both the process and the makeup of its voters.
With nearly 15,000 voting members, the Recording Academy is a diverse body comprising singers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and other music professionals. In 2025, more than 3,800 new members were added. Of those, only 1% were from the country music industry, while the largest influx—13%—came from the Latin music category. The new class is also younger and more diverse than ever: half are 39 or younger, 58% are people of color, and 35% are women.
But what does this mean for country music’s representation? Mason explained that the Academy looks at the number of voters from each genre to ensure a fair match with the volume of music being created. "I think the question you’re trying to get to is, (do a year’s results) change how we recruit? I would say it’s more towards the underpinning of the process, which is the number of members that we have that represent the genre, as opposed to being specifically around outcomes," he said.
While the Big Four categories are out of reach for country artists this year, the genre is hardly absent from the ceremony. In fact, the 2026 GRAMMYs mark a significant structural change for country music. The Best Country Album category has been split into two: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album. This shift reflects the genre’s growing diversity, with some artists sticking to classic sounds while others blend country with pop, rock, or even hip-hop influences.
For Best Contemporary Country Album, the nominees are Kelsea Ballerini, Tyler Childers, Eric Church, Jelly Roll, and Miranda Lambert. The Best Traditional Country Album category features Charley Crockett, Lukas Nelson, Willie Nelson, Margo Price, and Zach Top. Elsewhere, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Chris Stapleton are recognized in other country categories, according to The Tennessean and WKML.
Yet, not all of country’s biggest names are in the running. Morgan Wallen, one of the genre’s most commercially successful artists, refused to submit his music for consideration this year. Meanwhile, the Turnpike Troubadours, a group with a fiercely loyal following, received no nominations. These decisions, intentional or not, speak to changing attitudes toward music awards in the streaming era, where audience discovery and direct fan engagement can sometimes matter more than industry accolades.
The Recording Academy, for its part, continues to stress its commitment to fairness and representation. Mason said, "We will be looking into all our genre categories and the voters associated with them and making sure they are balanced, like we do every year. And after this year, we'll do it again." The organization’s efforts go beyond awards, too. Mason noted, "We've given out pretty much all the money over this last year to music people who needed help — that's a massive stat. I'm so proud of the show and proud of what our music community does when it comes together, and last year was a perfect example of that."
For those eager to watch how the ceremony unfolds, the 2026 GRAMMY Awards will take place at Los Angeles’s Crypto.com Arena, with Trevor Noah hosting for his final year after a six-year run. The event will broadcast on CBS and stream on Paramount+, offering fans everywhere a front-row seat to music’s biggest night.
So, was country music snubbed? That’s the question echoing through Nashville and beyond. The Academy insists the process is fair and cyclical, and that every effort is made to ensure all genres have a seat at the table. Still, for country musicians and their fans, the lack of representation in the top categories stings—especially in a year when the genre continues to innovate and captivate new audiences.
As the industry continues to evolve, so too does the way we measure success. For some, a GRAMMY is still the ultimate validation. For others, the connection with fans means more than any statue. This year’s nominations offer a snapshot of where the industry stands—and a reminder that, in music as in life, recognition sometimes comes in cycles. The next turn of the wheel may well bring country music back to the center stage.