Best Country Album
Will Win - Miranda Lambert "Palomino"
Could Win - Willie Nelson "A Beautiful Time" or Maren Morris "Humble Quest"
Should Win - Ashley McBryde "Ashley McBryde Present Lindeville"
Commentary - Did you know that Willie Nelson has never won this award? It's hard to believe, and he has had many nominations over the last 25 years. He has been in a clear Grammy upswing lately, as voters have really heaped attention on his more recent work. Can he pull it off? Absolutely. With no corresponding Album of the Year nomination this year, this race is wide open. I am with Miranda Lambert to win again, as her last two major solo albums have won in this category. I would also watch out for Maren Morris and Luke Combs due to popularity, and I kind of hope that voters have given the late Ashley McBryde entry a listen, as it is yet another fantastic entry.
Best Country Solo Performance
Will Win - Willie Nelson "Live Forever"
Could Win - Miranda Lambert "In His Arms" or Maren Morris "Circles Around Town"
Should Win - Zach Bryan "Something in the Orange"
Commentary - Willie even upset Tanya's Bring My Flowers Now sweep in this category, and I think this performance has a lot of heart. Lambert or Morris could win, and I would be thrilled with a Zach Bryan upset.
Best Country Song
Will Win - Maren Morris "Circles Around This Town"
Could Win - Willie Nelson "I'll Love You Till the Day I Die", Taylor Swift "I Bet You Think About Me", Miranda Lambert "If It Was a Cowboy"
Should Win - Willie Nelson "I'll Love You Till the Day I Die",
Commentary - Country voters have spread the love a lot in recent years and while Willie could sweep, Taylor Swift could return to her roots of Grammy success, and Lambert is always a threat, I think they will go out on a limb and reward the song writing prowess of Maren Morris.
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Will Win - Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton "Does He Love You"
Could Win - Allison Krauss and Robert Plant "Going Where the Lonely Go" or Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde "Never Wanted to Be That Girl"
Should Win - Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde "Never Wanted to Be That Girl"
Commentary - The legends dueling the legends. Who will win? I honestly expected a lot more of Krauss and Plant, but they way underperformed this year. I think it is a tight race, but the star power of Reba and Dolly will be too much to ignore.
Best American Roots Performance
Will Win - Bill Anderson feat. Dolly Parton "Someday It'll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version)"
Could Win - Aaron Neville With The Dirty Dozen Brass Band "Stompin' Ground" or Aoife O'Donovan & Allison Russell "Prodigal Daughter"
Should Win - Aoife O'Donovan & Allison Russell "Prodigal Daughter"
Commentary - I would love to hear Allison Russell's name, but again, the star power of Dolly Parton with the legendary whisperin' Bill Anderson feels hard to beat.
Best Americana Performance
Will Win - Brandi Carlile feat. Lucius "You and Me on the Rock"
Could Win - Asleep at the Wheel feat. Lyle Lovett "There You Go Again" or Bonnie Raitt "Made up Mind"
Should Win - Brandi Carlile feat. Lucius "You and Me on the Rock"
Commentary - Old favorites Bonnie Raitt and Lyle Lovett will probably struggle against a Record of the Year nod.
Best American Roots Song
Will Win - Bonnie Raitt "Just Like That"
Could Win - Brandi Carlile feat. Lucius "You and Me on the Rock"
Should Win - Either
Commentary - Conventional wisdom suggests that Carlile sweeps. But You and Me on the Rock was nominated for Record of the Year, but not Song of the Year. Instead, Bonnie Raitt got a nod in that category. Voters can sometimes split the difference, but SOTY makes me think Raitt will earn her a 13th Grammy.
Best Americana Album
Will Win - Brandi Carlile "In These Silent Days"
Could Win - Honestly, any of the other four.
Should Win - Brandi Carlile "In These Silent Days"
Commentary - Legends like Raitt, Krauss and Plant, or Keb Mo are hard to ignore, but Carlile has the AOTY nod.
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