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.

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