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How 8 Kentucky artists fared at the 2024 Grammy Awards

Sunday was a big night for entertainers from Kentucky as five country music artists, one author, and one conductor from the area were all nominated for a host of Grammy Awards.

The 66th annual awards show was held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and aired live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. Many of the awards won by Kentuckians were given out during the Premiere Ceremony, which is not televised.

Staffordsville, Kentucky native Chris Stapleton, fresh of his seventh Male Vocalist of the Year award at the CMA Awards, has previously won eight Grammys. He added two more to that list Sunday after being nominated for three 2024 Grammys, including Best Country Solo for “White Horse,” and Best Country Song, for “White Horse,” of which he won both, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” alongside fellow Kentuckian Carly Pearce, who previously won a Grammy in 2023 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Never Wanted To Be That Girl.”

In the Classical division, Louisville Orchestra’s Teddy Abrams walked away with a Grammy after he was nominated alongside Yuja Wang for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for “The American Project.”

“First a huge congratulations to the incredible Yuja Wang, who soloed on this album and is one of the best musicians in the world right now,” Abrams said during the Premiere Ceremony. “A giant congratulations to all of my colleagues at the Louisville Orchestra. I am so proud of everyone at the orchestra and to the people of Louisville … Thank you very, very much.”

Lawrence County native Tyler Childers led the way for the Kentucky nominees with five 2024 Grammy nominations. Childers was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “In Your Love,” Best Country Song for “In Your Love,” Best Country Album for “Rustin’ in the Rain,” Best Americana Performance for “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” and Best Music Video for “In Your Love.”

Author Silas House, a Corbin, Kentucky native best known for books such as “Lark Ascending,” and “Southernmost,” also received a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video for Childers’ “In Your Love,” in which he’s credited as a video producer.

Two Kentucky-area musicians went head-to-head in the Best Bluegrass Album category, with Charlestown, Indiana native and Grammy Award winner Michael Cleveland garnering a nomination for “Lovin’ Of The Game” and Kentucky native and Grammy Award winner Sam Bush, who was up for “Radio John: Songs of John Hartford.”

“To have something that I’ve done recognized by enough people that it receives a nomination like this has me feeling very honored,” Cleveland told People Magazine earlier this year.

Finally, in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance category, Louisville producer and hip hop artist Anotnio “Yons” Gardner was part of the ensemble that contributed to artists Lecrae and Tasha Cobbs Leonard winning the Grammy for “Your Power.” Gardner is an instructor at Louisville AMPED Music Academy.

Here is how everyone from Kentucky fared. Winners are denoted in bold:

Best Country Solo Performance

For new vocal or instrumental solo country recording

• Tyler Childers, “In Your Love”
• Brandy Clark, “Buried”
• Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
• Dolly Parton, “The Last Thing On My Mind”
• Chris Stapleton, “White Horse”

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.

• Dierks Bentley featuring Billy Strings, “High Note”
• Brothers Osborne, “Nobody’s Nobody”
• Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”
• Vince Gill & Paul Franklin, “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)”
• Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson, “Save Me”
• Carly Pearce featuring Chris Stapleton, “We Don’t Fight Anymore”

Best Country Song

A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (Brandy Clark), “Buried”
• Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves), “I Remember Everything”
• Tyler Childers & Geno Seale, songwriters (Tyler Childers), “In Your Love”
• John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters (Morgan Wallen), “Last Night”
• Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton), “White Horse”

Best Country Album

For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new country recordings.

• Kelsea Ballerini, “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat”
• Brothers Osborne, “Brothers Osborne”
• Zach Bryan, “Zach Bryan”
• Tyler Childers, “Rustin’ In The Rain”
• Lainey Wilson, “Bell Bottom Country”

Best Americana Performance

For new vocal or instrumental Americana performance. Award to the artist(s).

• The Blind Boys Of Alabama, “Friendship”
• Tyler Childers, “Help Me Make It Through The Night”
• Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile, “Dear Insecurity”
• Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, “King Of Oklahoma”
• Allison Russell, “The Returner”

Best Bluegrass Album

For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.

• Sam Bush, “Radio John: Songs of John Hartford”
• Michael Cleveland, “Lovin’ Of The Game”
• Mighty Poplar, “Mighty Poplar”
• Willie Nelson, “Bluegrass”
• Billy Strings, “Me/And/Dad”
• Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, “City Of Gold”

Best Music Video

Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.

“I’m Only Sleeping,” (The Beatles): Em Cooper, video director; Jonathan Clyde, Sophie Hilton, Sue Loughlin & Laura Thomas, video producers

“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers: Bryan Schlam, video director; Kacie Barton, Silas House, Nicholas Robespierre, Ian Thornton & Whitney Wolanin, video producers

“What Was I Made For,” Billie Eilish: Billie Eilish, video director; Michelle An, Chelsea Dodson & David Moore, video producers

“Count Me Out,” Kendrick Lamar: Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar, video directors; Jason Baum & Jamie Rabineau, video producers

“Rush,” Troye Sivan: Gordon Von Steiner, video director; Kelly McGee, video producer

 Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and the Conductor when applicable.

• Robert Black, “Adams, John Luther: Darkness And Scattered Light”
• Andy Akiho, “Akiho: Cylinders”
• Yuja Wang; Teddy Abrams, conductor (Louisville Orchestra), “The American Project”
• Seth Parker Woods, “Difficult Grace”
• Curtis Stewart, “Of Love”

Written by Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal
USA Today Entertainment
Sunday 4 February 2024