Luke Combs & Ashley McBryde Earn Early & Deserved ACM Awards
It’s cool that the ACM Awards spectrum out their annual “Best New Artist” award to male, female, and duo/group categories to give up-and-comers that much more opportunity for recognition. But it’s also lame how they report who actually won on a random Monday with a quick email before the April 7th awards, like your office may send out a memo to not use the 2nd floor bathroom until further notice because Carl broke the toilet again.
Part of the point of these awards is to shine a spotlight on the efforts of these deserving artists, and maybe stimulate some economic activity for them. Unfortunately announcing the recipients as an afterthought fails to do that in any measurable manner. But nonetheless, both Ashley McBryde and Luke Combs are worthy recipients, and the best choices for 2019 in their respective categories.
Luke Combs is the biggest thing going in country music at the moment, and it’s not even close. He’s currently on a historic run that we will be looking back on years from now as not dissimilar to when Florida Georgia Line, or Sam Hunt broke out, if not even greater, though it doesn’t seem to be drawing similar fanfare. And unlike those other guys, Luke Combs symbolizes a return to country music’s roots as opposed to a tearing away from them. Yes, we all agree he’s not Cody Jinks or Tyler Childers, but this is the very top of the mainstream we’re talking about, and a big ‘ol North Carolina boy with a twang in his voice and soul in his music is absolutely setting the world on fire. The importance of this cannot be overstated.
Just this week, Luke Combs became the first artist in country music history to lead all five of Billboard’s country charts simultaneously. Luke Combs is dominating radio, his streaming numbers are insane, and his fans actually buy and download songs as well. Luke’s song “Beautiful Crazy” has been #1 at country radio for 5 weeks and counting, which is unprecedented in this era when gerrymandered #1 songs crest the charts only to fall precipitously the next week. Luke Combs was the only right choice for the ACM’s Best New Male Artist, and was much more deserving than R&B interloper Jimmie Allen, or Mitchell “Bitches” Tenpenny.
Where the rest of the country music industry seems to be obsessed with making the women more pop under the misguided idea this is how to break through the gender barrier, Ashley McBryde has proven you can have more success simply being yourself, and offering something unique, original, and compelling. Whether McBryde ever finds success on country radio is quickly becoming irrelevant since her already-established grassroots are beginning to intertwine with the roots of independent and Americana fans, making Ashley McBryde a universally-appreciated artist, and giving her a plausible path forward to a successful career irrespective of radio, which is good since her current single, the ironically-titled “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” is struggling.
Ashley McBryde was also nominated for a Grammy award, and was even recently nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program for her renditions of “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” and “American Scandal” on CBS This Morning Saturday. Now with an ACM Award under her belt, she’s really starting to emerge as a serious contender for a woman who can break through the country music gender ceiling, and do it with music that is celebrated by a wide swath of country listeners as opposed to inducing cringes like some of the other possible selections.
… oh, and LANCO won for New Duo/Group of the Year.
Let’s just come out and say it: Artists that don’t fit Nashville’s pop star mold are the ones receiving some of the greatest traction in the genre at the moment, and it’s refreshing and exciting and bodes well for the future. Of course ACM Awards don’t mean much of anything, especially when they’re announced like a memo on Nextdoor about rowdy teenagers disturbing the yard ornaments in the neighborhood. But it’s a really positive sign for country music, and deserves to be celebrated.
Congratulations to Ashley McBryde and Luke Combs.
…and LANCO.
hoptowntiger94
March 26, 2019 @ 10:21 am
That’s good news.
I can’t wait until the Anti-Miranda Lambert trolls find out who she’s performing with at the ACM’s.
Lisa
March 26, 2019 @ 10:40 am
She’s performing with Miranda?
Melissa W
March 26, 2019 @ 10:45 am
I read today that Miranda is performing a melody of her hits and also will be performing with George Strait.
Glad for Ashley and Luke and country music!
Lisa
March 26, 2019 @ 10:58 am
Gotcha. Apparently Ashley is performing with Eric Church!
Melissa W
March 26, 2019 @ 12:26 pm
Seems like there will be some good performances. I don’t watch award shows though so I hope they will make it on YouTube
King Honky Of Crackershire
March 26, 2019 @ 5:27 pm
I hate Miranda and her pop trash, but I haven’t watched these awards shows in 15 years, so who she’s performing with don’t make a hill of beans to me.
Black Boots
March 26, 2019 @ 5:46 pm
Oh, wooowwwww. You’re soooo counter-culture!!!!
King Honky Of Crackershire
March 26, 2019 @ 7:07 pm
I don’t think so. I love American Idol.
Sarah
March 26, 2019 @ 10:49 am
That office memo bit made me laugh out loud.
CeeCeeBee
March 26, 2019 @ 10:59 am
Glad for them…but honestly…
The ACMs are also celebrating Jason Aldean as the Artist of the Decade…so…
Not gonna give them too much credit.
Atomic Zombie Redneck
March 26, 2019 @ 11:13 am
Ashley McBryde is definitely deserving of this award. Her major label debut was one of great country releases of last year.
I really like Luke Combs, but is it just me or has he won several “new artist” awards over the past couple years?
As for LANCO, I got duped by really digging their “Greatest Love Story” single, only to learn the rest of the album was awful.
Kevin Davis
March 26, 2019 @ 12:40 pm
Yes, “Greatest Love Story” is a solid song with organic production. It’s amazing how it sounds almost nothing like the rest of the album. Much like “Cowboys and Angels” for Dustin Lynch, I’m sure their fans will point to “Greatest Love Story” every time someone questions LANCO’s country bona fides.
Joe
March 26, 2019 @ 12:08 pm
I appreciate the sentiment here. The FB comments on this very quickly devolved into exactly what I thought the reaction would be. If you are a true supporter of real country music, it does a huge disservice to the greater cause to instinctively scream “fuck that guy” just because he’s found Nashville success. Is he Turnpike, Childers, etc. or anything close? No, but if you’ve listened to his stuff and say you don’t find it at all country or enjoyable, you’re lying.
Gabe
March 26, 2019 @ 12:43 pm
Someone needs a hug…
Chris
March 26, 2019 @ 1:07 pm
They have talent, but they really need to dial down the rock.
Derek Sullivan
March 26, 2019 @ 2:18 pm
I hope McBryde gets to sing by herself as well as with Church. It will be a great moment to see and hear Girl Going Nowhere at the ACMs. I know “Look at Me Now” is a common theme in all types of music, but for whatever reason, McBryde really nailed it. And unfortunately, let’s be honest, this may be her one chance to play the ACMs.
Keepin it Country
March 26, 2019 @ 3:07 pm
Acm’s are usually a joke. Hopefully this means country music is coming back. As for the radio I thinks it’s an irreversible pile of shit . Really enjoy Luke Combs, has a very soulful voice. Ashley McBride’s girl goin nowhere is an enjoyable listen.They both blow Lame Brown outta the water.
jeannie
March 26, 2019 @ 3:35 pm
Love Ashley McBride…First time seeing her was when she was out on tour with Miranda Lambert. Congratulations to both Ashley and Luke, keeping it country.
Brett
March 26, 2019 @ 3:50 pm
I really enjoyed the article and Combs and McBryde are very deserving of their distinctions. I encourage anyone who hasnt listened to either albums due to fears of mainstream country, givem a spin. Solid song writing and just fun listens. Ill admit i dont own a lot of female lead records, but Girl Going Nowhere is great from start to finish. As for LANCO, they are what i call one of those harmless bands. Them along with Old Dominion and others. They have some solid singles but very mediocre albums. I like some of the rock instrumentation coming to the genre, better than Bro Country tractor rap crap.
Lone Wolf
March 26, 2019 @ 4:33 pm
Haven’t heard the Ashley McBryde CD yet but I keep hearing and reading positive things about her and I do like ‘Girl Going Nowhere’ so I’ll be sure to give her a serious listen. Luke Combs’ CD is one I can listen to from start to finish. Thanks for the heads up, Brett!
OlaR
March 26, 2019 @ 4:46 pm
Try to listen to her earlier work too. She released an EP in 2016 called Jalopies & Expensive Guitars. The highlight is “Bible & a .44”.
Her first release was Earthbound (album) in 2011.
OlaR
March 26, 2019 @ 4:37 pm
A long time ago…well…not-sooo-long ago (2013) Ashley McBryde recorded a duet with Barrett Baber called “Miss You In The Morning” (it’s on his album Battlefield Us) & now Ashley McBryde is an award winning artist.
Strait Country 81
March 26, 2019 @ 4:59 pm
Luke Combs is a fraud Ha!
TheKillerRocksOn
March 26, 2019 @ 5:38 pm
for a site thats tryin to save a hijacked genre, you sure do give way more of a damn about who and why the establishment gives their monthly trophies to.., these shows are all about who performs for ratings., You guys know that right?
The Killer Stops Rocking
March 26, 2019 @ 8:01 pm
Exactly……So if the awards are going to who performs for ratings and these are the artists we can feel good about then that is a good thing for the genre because it means ratings are starting to align with quality…..how was what you said at all a negative….how do you not get it?
The Killer Stops Rocking
March 26, 2019 @ 8:22 pm
Exactly……So if the awards are going to who performs for ratings and these are the artists we can feel good about then that is a good thing for the genre because it means ratings are starting to align with quality…..how was what you said at all a negative….how do you not get it?
Jman Burnett
March 26, 2019 @ 9:37 pm
I’m not too familiar with both artists, but I checked out their latest singles after reading this. Count me in among the peanut gallery.