Kacey Musgraves Earns Very Rare ‘Triple Crown’ for “Golden Hour”
This story has been updated.
Keith Urban walked away with the biggest trophy of the night for Entertainer of the Year, and Dan+Shay walked away with the most trophies with three. But it was Kacey Musgraves who arguably won the 2019 ACM Awards Sunday evening (4-7) as she walked away with both Album of the Year for Golden Hour, and Female Artist of the Year.
Many had already factored in a win for Golden Hour for Album of the Year, and it not winning would have been the shocking development. Female Artist felt a little more out of reach, but after Kacey’s big wins in February at the Grammy Awards right as ACM voters were casting their ballots, including for all-genre Album of the Year, the trophy came a bit more in focus for her.
With her win for ACM Album of the Year, Kacey Musgraves joins rare company as one of the few country music “Triple Crown” winners, meaning an Album of the Year win from the ACMs, CMAs, and the Grammy Awards. Depending on how you want to count it, it’s only happened 14 times before at most, but only 6 have done it like Kacey Musgraves, and only three have done it while also winning the all genre Album of the Year Grammy as well.
Albums that have also won the ACM, CMA, and Grammy for Album of the Year, AND the all-genre Grammy for album of the year are:
- 2000 – O Brother Where Art Thous Soundtrack
- 2008 – Taylor Swift – Fearless
Albums that have won the ACM, CMA, and Grammy for Country Album of the Year are:
- 1999 – Dixie Chicks – Fly
- 2008 – Taylor Swift – Fearless
- 2014 – Miranda Lambert – Platinum
- 2015 – Chris Stapleton – Traveller
- 2017 – Chris Stapleton – From A Room: Volume 1
If you’re noticing that there not many older albums on the list, it’s because the Grammy Awards did not have a Country Album of the Year category for many years. They reinstated the award in 1994. Even then, only six other albums have won both the CMA and ACM for Album of the Year in the same cycle.
- 1969 – Merle Haggard – Okie From Muskogee
- 1973 – Charlie Rich – Behind Closed Doors
- 1982 – Willie Nelson – Always On My Mind
- 1983 – Alabama – The Closer You Get
- 1984 – George Strait – Does Ft. Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
- 1986 – George Strait – Blue Clear Sky
- 1987 – George Strait – Carrying Your Love With Me
- 1990 – Garth Brooks – No Fences
However you slice it, this feat by Kacey Musgraves and Golden Hour is very rare, and speaks to the resonance of the record.
“It’s hard to describe just how exciting and fun and memorable and meaningful this whole entire album process has been for me,” Kacey said in a press conference after the win. “Of course accolades are amazing, but this album is very personal to me, and it was born out of finding the love of my life, my eyes and heart opening to humanity and to the world, and in turn my songwriting changing a lot. Some wonderful people made this record with me.”
Musgraves went on to say, “I think when I’m an old lady someday, it will probably hit me. But I haven’t really had much time to stop and think about everything.”
She will find it hard to forget her run with Golden Hour, as will country music, because it has been nothing short of historic.
April 7, 2019 @ 11:51 pm
It’s very meaningful that, again, it’s a woman who wins the CMA, ACM and Grammy Awards for album of the year (including the all-genre Grammy for album ofthe year), after Taylor Swift, 11 years ago. Winning the big three” is outstanding and Kacey Musgraves deserves all those awards, for the high artistic quality of “Golden hour”. Congratulations for her and for all the women who contribute to the awesomeness of country music!
April 8, 2019 @ 9:23 am
There is so much negative press about how women are being downgraded in country, women can’t succeed in country, women are getting locked out of awards and radio, and so on, and so forth, and I’m not saying it is not warranted because it is. But it’s also critical to highlight the positive, to inspire women, challenge women to reach similar heights, to show young women who may want to get into the business that they can succeed. Kacey Musgraves just swept the Album of the Year trophies for this cycle, and she beat men to do it. There is room for women in country music to succeed. They just need to do it their way as opposed to waiting for radio to do it for them, or hoping that all the press racket about the lack of women will somehow bestow them opportunities. Kacey Musgraves EARNED this distinction, and against all odds.
April 8, 2019 @ 6:42 pm
Why didn’t she perform???
April 8, 2019 @ 7:36 pm
I don’t know.
April 8, 2019 @ 12:21 am
Good for her. I think she’s tremendous and I haven’t been this happy for an artist since Sturgill and Chris. Love it.
April 8, 2019 @ 2:06 am
Well Deserved.
April 8, 2019 @ 5:32 am
I have tried to listen to that album so many times and fail.
I love Rainbow and always start listening there, then the fake drums scare me off.
Sorry, I love Kacey, but I really don’t understand this album.
I’m happy for her, but its frustrating because i want to like it and can’t
April 8, 2019 @ 8:50 am
i hear your dilemma Blackhat . i think its a record you need to listen to and consider as a ‘package’ . its a record that stands apart from the fray on so many fronts -production , attention to musical hooks , MELODIES , simplicity of arrangements , Musgraves’ unique unaffected ( honest-sounding ) vocals , etc..
Sure it uses more technology sonically than trad country ( I wouldn’t call it country at all …and that is another issue altogether ….) but to use a well-worn argument ….it IS more country than the ballereinis, little big towns , the urbans ,the kane browns , the marren morrises , the osbourne brothers ( southern rock ) FGL , Fake Owen , Underwood ….even most of Aldean’s stuff ….and many more wannabes .
I think her last two records were better lyrically than tis one ..AND also managed to carve out a ‘sound’ from the din that has become mainstream ‘country’ in such a way that people responded to the honesty of intent as well as the freshness which simply drew from time-tested musical influences and craft . Yola , who was reviewed by trigger several weeks back , took a similar approach , I think .
April 8, 2019 @ 5:34 am
She has broken the mold. Music is her life. Mineola & Golden are proud. Keep on doing your thing. TexasRedLarry is a big fan. Hawkins, TX.
April 8, 2019 @ 6:05 am
It’s a wonderful feel good album and her success is well deserved. Would still like to know why she didn’t get to perform and why none of her music was used during the show.
April 8, 2019 @ 6:14 am
She was in New York on Friday for a Variety magazine event where she was being honored during the annual Power of Women luncheon, which was the same time that rehearsals for the ACM’s were taking place. From her social media posts, it looked like she arrived in Vegas on Saturday afternoon and was able to do radio interviews. I would think it’s just a matter of scheduling…she’s been all over the country nonstop lately.
April 8, 2019 @ 7:34 am
Other artists only arrived on Saturday as well. That doesn’t explain them not using any of her music during the show. Trigger touched on that in another post. Maybe he can find out more.
April 8, 2019 @ 6:47 pm
Towards the end of the show they weren’t using anyone’s music.
April 8, 2019 @ 6:43 am
I’ll say it again, it’s not a country album. Sure, it’s not formulaic mindless pop, and she’s a real artist, not a corporate tool (see Dustin Lynch, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, etc.) — so that’s the positive. Still, it’s not a country album.
April 8, 2019 @ 7:22 am
Strait also won AotY from the CMAs and ACMs for 1996’s Blue Clear Sky and 1997’s Carrying Your Love With Me.
April 8, 2019 @ 9:38 am
Good catch. Somehow I missed those.
April 8, 2019 @ 2:35 pm
The years are messed up on the list of winners there.
April 8, 2019 @ 7:32 am
The not playing clips of Kacey’s music struck me as odd whenever they showed her nominations. Just my theory…coincidence or not: They did not play a clip for “Space Cowboy,” “Broken Halos,” or Maddie + Tae. All three are signed with Universal Music Group. They are the only UMG nominees for the categories that were aired and showed clips. (ex: entertainer/female/male categories just listed the names). Luke Bryan is also a UMG artist and he was nominated for Single and they did play his song….however, you will notice that it was a performance from last year’s ACMs, which obviously the ACMs have ownership/rights to. Wondering if it was a clearance issue with UMG?
April 8, 2019 @ 2:37 pm
And the show was on ABC, owned by Disney? UMG is Universal, which owns NBC? Could be.
April 8, 2019 @ 7:47 am
Dixie Chicks
Taylor Swift
Miranda Lambert
and now Kaycie Musgraves
Looks like another addition to the list of women who make terrible music that I won’t ever listen to.
Honestly, in 2019 with thousands of albums past and present from any number of artists
Who sits and thinks “I’m going to listen to Kaycie Musgraves?”
Man has been recording music for a hundred years and you can’t find SOMETHING better than the annoying biscuits lady to listen to?
What a load of hogwash. these stupid awards aren’t worth jack shit.
Somebody find me a record player I gotta listen to something better than golden hour
maybe I’ll sit around listening to a truckload of tin cans backing through a a petting zoo
April 8, 2019 @ 8:18 am
The Dixie Chicks made terrible music? Did you seriously just say that?
April 8, 2019 @ 9:30 am
The Dixie Chicks were a traditionally-oriented string band that never get their due for preserving traditions even when they were the hottest thing in country music. “Wide Open Spaces,” “Fly,” and “Home” are classics.
April 8, 2019 @ 9:41 am
I still love their version of “Long Time Gone,” too. They were predicting the future in that last verse … (Country) sounds tired but it don’t sound Haggard, they’ve got money but they don’t have Cash …
April 8, 2019 @ 9:42 am
Nuts to that!
sure they were good, maybe even tight and together and well performed
BUT
what did they do that hasn’t been done better by basically any other major stringband?
Lynn Morris Band?
Flamekeeper?
Union Station?
May I quote Dr. Sheldon Cooper?
In a world which already contains a big boy, why would I want something that’s like a big boy?
April 8, 2019 @ 1:20 pm
The others didn’t record Cowboy Take Me Away and Travelling Soldier.
They made quality music for the masses, Union Station etc make quality music for connoisseurs
April 8, 2019 @ 1:34 pm
Ha! Traveling Soldier?
Sure, that was a kind of fun feel sad song when it happened
But how is that any different from Brantley Gilbert running out of content and mentioning the troops in one of his dumb songs?
It’s a vapid teenage love song that masquerades as something better.
and hey, once upon a time it was one of my favorite songs
But just like Maddie and Tae’s dumb little protest song that wasn’t
You can’t try and give me a vietnam story then turn around and take the opposing stance on the middle-east situation
Just like Girl in a Country song was undermined (fake) by the actions of their label
the Dixie Chicks’ best known song is undercut too by their actions
And it just makes them lose credibility and reveals that they have nothing to say except to try and say whatever’s current and popular
April 8, 2019 @ 8:55 am
Tis good to have your commentary here Fuzz, but that’s a terrible take. To paraphrase Steve Earle, the Dixie Chicks made good, fun, maybe-not-the-artistic-pinnacle-but-just-fine country music, and I will sit here on my porch swing in my Whitey Morgan cutoff and tell ya so.
April 8, 2019 @ 10:26 am
Golden Hour was great. Genres aside one of the best records of last year.
April 8, 2019 @ 9:16 am
I think this is a pretty cool, albeit not very rare accomplishment. There have been 54 ACM, 52 CMA, and 61 Grammy awards. So, there have been 52 years that all 3 have taken place. Out of 52 years, this has happened 12 times, which is .23, which lies between 1/4 and 1/5. So, on average, every 4 or 5 years, someone will win the very rare Triple Crown. I love SCM, that’s just the math in me. Don’t get me started on a guy that gives 110% 🙂
April 8, 2019 @ 9:28 am
I think what makes this “very rare” is the fact that she won the all-genre Grammy for Album of the Year too for only the 3rd time from a country artist. So it’s sort of a “Quad Crown,” but that’s not really a colloquialism we commonly use. Also, the stats are a little strange here due to the Grammy’s eliminating, and then re-instituting the Best Country Album category.
April 8, 2019 @ 9:38 am
This is a little off topic but I am hoping for a story on this site about how the ACMs once again got their lowest ratings ever. No one is watching this crap anymore. Way to push all your die hard fans out the door, country music!
https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-sunday-april-7-2019/
April 8, 2019 @ 10:13 am
Don’t see much country in the album. Again, she is the politically correct choice spurred by the Grammy’s obvious political statements they often make. It has transcended into the triple crown. Not saying it’s not a good album, but overtly country? In my opinion, not really.
April 8, 2019 @ 10:35 am
It’s definitely not a political album. At all.
April 8, 2019 @ 12:11 pm
I agree with you on that. I was not directing my comments to the album. It was to those who chose the album.
April 8, 2019 @ 2:02 pm
Who was the girl in the front row last night wearing a big black hat and blonde curls? They showed her a hundred times during performances but I never saw her onstage.
April 8, 2019 @ 3:49 pm
Cam.
April 8, 2019 @ 8:00 pm
I have begun referring to her as Queen Kacey – one of the best things going in music today.
April 9, 2019 @ 12:16 am
Aloha Kacey . Upcountry Maui ranch land. Love your musica.