Megan Moroney is just 27, but she already knows all about the ups and downs of awards shows. On Nov. 8, she learned that she had been passed over for a Grammy nomination for best new artist. Just 12 days later, she won the CMA Award for new artist of the year.
Moroney’s situation isn’t unique. Since 1981, when the Country Music Association introduced its horizon award (renamed new artist of the year in 2008), most of their winners haven’t received Grammy nods for best new artist. Even such giants as Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts and Morgan Wallen were passed over for Grammy best new artist nods.
The situation has improved markedly in recent years, as the graphic below shows. But the Recording Academy still has work to do to make sure that country artists are getting a fair shake in the marquee categories.
Here is every CMA winner for the horizon award and new artist of the year, divided into four categories – those who also won the Grammy for best new artist; those who were nominated for the Grammy for best new artist but didn’t win (and who won in that category!); those who were not eligible for a new artist Grammy nomination that year (because of prior Grammy nods or wins); and those who were eligible for the Grammy, but were simply not nominated. The year shown is the year of the CMA ceremony where the artist won.
We cap this discussion by showing the four CMA winners for the horizon award/new artist of the year who have yet to win a Grammy in any category. (Moroney has lots of time to move off this last list.)
One lesson from this list is that we need a variety of awards shows – all-genre shows like the Grammys and genre-specific shows like the CMA Awards and their country brethren. What one show misses, hopefully, the other catches.
Won CMA Award; Won Best New Artist Grammy
1997: LeAnn Rimes
2006: Carrie Underwood
2010: Zac Brown Band
Won CMA Award; Nominated for Best New Artist Grammy, But Lost
1984: The Judds (lost to Cyndi Lauper)
1998: Dixie Chicks (lost to Lauryn Hill)
2000: Brad Paisley (lost to Shelby Lynne)
2004: Gretchen Wilson (lost to Maroon 5)
2007: Taylor Swift (lost to Amy Winehouse)
2008: Lady A (lost to Adele)
2011: The Band Perry (lost to Bon Iver)
2012: Hunter Hayes (lost to fun.)
2013: Kacey Musgraves (lost to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis)
2016: Maren Morris (lost to Chance the Rapper)
2018: Luke Combs (lost to Dua Lipa)
2021: Jimmie Allen (lost to Olivia Rodrigo)
2023: Jelly Roll (lost to Victoria Monét)
Won CMA Award; Not Eligible for Best New Artist Grammy That Year
1983: John Anderson (had been nominated for an early solo hit at the 1982 ceremony)
2009: Darius Rucker (had won two Grammys with Hootie & the Blowfish)
1995: Alison Krauss (had won three Grammys – one solo and one each with The Union Station and The Cox Family)
2015: Chris Stapleton (had received three previous Grammy nods with his group, The SteelDrivers)
Won CMA Award; Not Nominated for Best New Artist Grammy
1981: Terri Gibbs
1982: Ricky Skaggs
1985: Sawyer Brown
1986: Randy Travis
1987: Holly Dunn
1988: Ricky Van Shelton
1989: Clint Black
1990: Garth Brooks
1991: Travis Tritt
1992: Suzy Bogguss
1993: Mark Chesnutt
1994: John Michael Montgomery
1996: Bryan White
1999: Jo Dee Messina
2001: Keith Urban
2002: Rascal Flatts
2003: Joe Nichols
2005: Dierks Bentley
2014: Brett Eldredge
2017: Jon Pardi
2019: Ashley McBryde
2020: Morgan Wallen
2022: Lainey Wilson
2024: Megan Moroney
Won CMA Award; Has Yet to Be Nominated for a Grammy in Any Category
1993: Mark Chesnutt
2014: Brett Eldredge
2017: Jon Pardi
2024: Megan Moroney
