Country Music Well Represented in Grammy Race

The 55th annual Grammy Awards will be presented on February 10 in Los Angeles.  Country music is well represented in this year's race for the awards.

“Springsteen” by Eric Church is one of six songs nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.  Hits by Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Dunn, Hunter Hayes, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood make that category one of this year’s tightest Grammy races. 

“Springsteen” is also nominated for Best Country Song.  Church shares the songwriter’s award competition with “Springsteen” co-writers Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell.  Also nominated for Best Country Song are the writers of Underwood’s “Blown Away,”  Dunn’s “Cost of Livin’;” the Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart;” and Alan Jackson’s “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore.”

2013 Grammy Preview - Country Music

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Best Country Duo or Group Performance nominees include the Eli Young Band, Little Big Town, The Time Jumpers, and Don Williams and Alison Krauss.  The Civil Wars won last year’s Best Country Duo or Group Performance Grammy award.  The folk-rock band earned a nomination in that category again this year for their duet with Taylor Swift, “Safe and Sound.”

As the songwriter of “Safe and Sound,” Swift picked up a second nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media. The track was featured in the hit 2012 science fiction film “The Hunger Games.”

Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley will represent the Country field with performances during the live Grammy Awards ceremony.

The all-genre Best New Artist Grammy has been given to only two Country artists, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood.  Country newcomer Hunter Hayes, 21, is competing against fun., The Lumineers, Frank Ocean and Alabama Shakes for this year’s New Artist prize. 

Hunter had a breakthrough year with his self-titled debut album, which produced three huge Country hits.  The set brought Hunter a nomination for the coveted Best Country Album Grammy Award.  He shares that category with the Zac Brown Band, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert and The Time Jumpers.

For a complete list of the nominees, visit www.grammy.com.