Just give them all to Ella Langley now, because you know she’s going to win them. Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Music Video of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, they’re all shoo-ins for Ella.
The Ameripolitan Awards & Weekender will be returning in 2027 after two years away, and is partnering with another event to make it “bigger and badder than ever.” The date and location has just been announced.
We’re heading into the home stretch of 2026, and we very well could still see some of the best albums released in country and roots music coming out in the impending months. This list is intended to keep you informed.
There are multiple reasons we can surmise that Taylor Swift might be choosin’ country moving forward. Of course, just like the rest of Taylor Swift’s “country” catalog, it’s fair to question just how “country” it will all be.
The summer might be ending, but the “Oscar Season” for songs is nigh upon us with some excellent tracks crowning some stellar albums worth selecting out from the herd and shining a heavy spotlight on.
It was lucky number 13 for the 13th taping of The Hook in Austin where some great songs and songwriters were featured, and special guest performer/panelist Drew Kennedy dropped some monster wisdom everyone should hear.
Ever since we lost the voice of Randy Travis in 2013, the wish and the hope has been that somewhere out there might be a trove of material the world has never heard before from this one-in-a-million voice in country music.
It’s been rumored for many years. It was recorded all the way back in 2017, so almost a decade ago. Now David Allan Coe’s final album called ‘A Million Reasons’ is finally set to be released.
A new class-action lawsuit is being brought against the leading company for consumer-level AI music generation, Suno. There’s also a unique angle in how they’re approaching this lawsuit that will have fans of Star Trek smirking.
Alan Jackson officially opened a museum in the Lower Broadway corridor at 121 3rd Avenue South. It’s near where the Johnny Cash Museum is also located. Called the Alan Jackson’s Silverbelly Whiskey Distillery and Museum…
In an era when it’s harder and harder for up-and-coming talent to find a foot in the door, The Hook was built to break down barriers and let ANYONE have an opportunity to play a song in front of an attentive audience.
The festival season isn’t over just yet, especially in the Texas Hill Country where fall and winter take their sweet time getting there. On November 14th, the 2nd Annual Honky Tonk Fest will be happening just outside of Austin.
Hear ye, hear ye: By the power vested in Saving Country Music, Friday August 28th, 2026 is officially being declared a country music holiday, with all the rights and privileges thereof due to the excessive amount of cool releases.
Congratulations. You lived in the time of Dolly Parton. An infinite gift from above. Country music? This doesn’t even begin to contain the multitudes of this woman’s towering contributions across the entire expanse of humanity.
For the Thursday show on September 10th in Rosemont, a good 90% of all upper deck seats are still available. For the Sunday matinee show, it’s about 70% of the upper deck that remains unsold. For Friday night, it’s about 50%.
It’s completely unacceptable to sit back and let AI, algorithmic scrolling, paid-for “influencers” and other inequitable regressions in the music industry sold to us as technological advancement completely erode the integrity of music.
You’re being warned now. The next couple of weeks are going to be the busiest weeks for cool releases in country and roots in 2026, with a cavalcade of albums coming out that could include some of your favorites of the year.
It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that the David Allan Coe estate is embroiled in legal fights and verbal arguments in the aftermath of his death on April 29th. Beyond multiple ex-wives with multiple children between them…
It was always the wonder of ZZ Top that the only member of the band with the name “Beard” was the only guy not rockin’ one darn near to his belly button. No matter, ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dripped cool like the other two hombres.
All hail the steel guitar! It’s one of the essential building blocks of true country music, and the most recognizable sound of the genre as it squeezes the emotion out of moments with its crying and moaning bends.
The more music being dumped into streaming networks every day, the harder it is to find the songs, albums, and artists, and albums that might appeal to you. The bounty of choice has resulted in the cratering of appeal.
The Hook is not a performance competition. It’s a songwriting showcase. But it’s not just that either. The Hook is an attempt to address the issues that you see and hear so many of your favorite artists complaining about.
Best of luck pigeon holing Ben Jones in your nice and ordered little idea of what being American is supposed to be, cast in the political binary, and weighted on one side or the other of the always-inflamed culture war.
As we like to say about our country heroes, they’re gone but not forgotten. It’s even easier to not forget them when their progeny make it a personal mission to keep their legacy going, and not just by being a reenactment.