Time to take home some hardware.
On Thursday, Billboard officially released the finalists for their 2023 Billboard Music Awards, and country artists are well represented in the nominees. Morgan Wallen led all male performers with 17 nominations in 16 different categories, second overall only to Taylor Swift, including Top Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, and Top Hot 100 Song.
First year nominee Zach Bryan collected an impressive 14 nominations of his own, including Top New Artist and Top Hot 100 Songwriter. Bryan’s 14 nominations are the most this year for first time finalists. Other notable country nominees included Luke Combs with 10 and Jelly Roll with 4.
Country artists dominated the nominations in some of the biggest categories, accounting for three nominees in Top New Artist and Top Song Sales Artist, as well as two representatives each for Top Artist and Top Streaming Song.
Country artists also got some love in the rock category. Four of Zach Bryan’s nominations came in rock specific categories, including two for Top Rock Song. Hardy, Jelly Roll, and Bryan all were nominated for Top Rock Album, while Bryan and Jelly Roll also picked up nominations for Top Rock Artist.
The country wave of nominations comes as no surprise as the genre has seen one of its biggest mainstream moments in history. Whether it has been Wallen’s dominant run following the release of One Thing At A Time, Zach Bryan’s sustained success of Something In the Orange, Jason’s controversial, yet successful Try That In A Small Town, or the surprise number one debut of Oliver Anthony’s Rich Men North Of Richmond, country has a firm place in current pop trends, and it is exciting to see some of these artists get recognized for that.
Interestingly, Billboard chose to credit Taylor Swift in several country specific categories, including Top Country Artist and Top Country Album. I understand wanting to give credit to Taylor who has, by all accounts, had one of the biggest years of any artist in recent memory. However, it is frustrating to see deserving country artists miss out on recognition in favor of someone who has clearly distanced herself from the genre for years now.
The Billboard Music Awards differ from other award shows in that the winners are determined by performance metrics tied to Billboard’s year end charts, rather than being voted on by an academy or fans. The show is set to air November 19.
Check out the full list of nominees here:
Top Country Artist
Bailey Zimmerman
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Zach Bryan
Top Country Female Artist
Lainey Wilson
Megan Moroney
Taylor Swift
Top Country Duo/Group
Old Dominion
Parmalee
Zac Brown Band
Top Country Touring Artist
George Strait
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Top Country Album
Luke Combs, Gettin’ Old
Luke Combs, Growin’ Up
Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak
Top Country Song
Bailey Zimmerman, “Rock and a Hard Place”
Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
Morgan Wallen, “You Proof”
Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”
Billboard All-genre Nominees
Top Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift
Top New Artist
Bailey Zimmerman
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Peso Pluma
Zach Bryan
Top Male Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
The Weeknd
Zach Bryan
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift
Top Selling Song
Jason Aldean, “Try That in a Small Town”
Jimin, ‘Like Crazy”
Miley Cyrus,“Flowers”
Oliver Anthony Music, “Rich Men North of Richmond”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Top Hot 100 Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Songwriter (NEW)
Ashley Gorley
Jack Antonoff
SZA
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Hot 100 Producer (NEW)
Jack Antonoff
Joey Moi
Metro Boomin
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Drake
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Radio Songs Artist
Miley Cyrus
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Top Song Sales Artist
Jason Aldean
Miley Cyrus
Morgan Wallen
Oliver Anthony Music
Taylor Swift
Top Billboard Global 200 Artist
Bad Bunny
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Top Billboard 200 Album
Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss
Metro Boomin, HEROES & VILLAINS
Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
SZA, SOS
Taylor Swift, Midnights
Top Hot 100 Song
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Top Streaming Song
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”
Billboard Rock Nominations:
Top Rock Artist
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
Stephen Sanchez
Steve Lacy
Zach Bryan
Top Rock Album
HARDY, the mockingbird & THE CROW
Jelly Roll, Whitsitt Chapel
Noah Kahan, Stick Season
Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights
Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak
Top Rock Song
Jelly Roll, “Need A Favor”
Stephen Sanchez, “Until I Found You”
Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”
Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”
Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”