“Song of the Summer” is not an official Grammy category, of course, but the soundtrack to America’s collective life during those glorious warm-weather months is definitely a harbinger. And although the award has never gone to a country song, most independent observers agreed that the 2023 title belonged to Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night”. After becoming the first country song by a male solo artist to top the Hot 100 in 42 years, it went on to become the second longest-running single of any genre to top the Billboard chart, spending an astonishing 16 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1.
Wallen’s fantastic 2023 didn’t end there, as his 36-song collection One Thing at a Time is undoubtedly the biggest album of the year to date, spending 16 weeks atop the Billboard 200 – the most for any release this decade.
With a blockbuster single and album on a scale not seen in years, and a whopping 53 gold and platinum singles and albums since he released his first single in 2016, Wallen would surely seem due for Grammy recognition. But so far he has not even been nominated.
One might assume that the Recording Academy still hasn’t forgiven him for his headline-grabbing racial slur and flagrant disregard for COVID protocol (both caught on video) a few years ago. But that’s the wrong question, according to several Grammy voters and insiders, who say Wallen is a long shot for Grammy nominations – especially in the country field – more because his brand of hyper-commercial country has traditionally not been the Academy’s cup of tea.
While not addressing Wallen’s prospects specifically, Tracy Gershon, a trustee of the Recording Academy’s Nashville chapter, cautions against ever assuming that blockbuster status translates into nominations, let alone wins. “I would say that unlike other awards, Grammy voters don’t necessarily vote on commercial popularity,” she says. “In fact, they tend to vote on artistic merit.”
And if Last Night isn’t nominated, there are two even more glaring non-country shutouts in recent memory: The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran in the years of Blinding Lights and The Shape of You, respectively.
It’s hard to imagine that Wallen’s past transgressions won’t play a role in Grammy voters’ opinions of him, but one prominent member of the West Coast Recording Academy insists they’re definitely not at the forefront of their minds. “I’m not sure people still hold that against him as much as people on the coasts, including our members, just don’t really resonate with the record as much as Middle America does,” the member says. “It’s a big crossover hit if you look at the numbers, but it’s not like ‘9 to 5’ [by Dolly Parton] – more like ‘Cruise’ [Florida Georgia Line’s 2012 hit with Nelly].”
