It’s Grammy Weekend in LA

Country’s top stars are in Los Angeles for the 55th annual Grammy Awards.  We spoke with about a dozen top nominees, including Hunter Hayes, who is nominated for 3, including Best New Artist.  “It’s awesome to put me in that category with all kinds of different kinds of music, that means the world to me.  I’m really excited about that, it’s a huge deal for me, and I’m very nervous about it.”  Not many country artists have won the Best New Artist Grammy, but two recent winners include Zac Brown Band and Carrie Underwood.  We asked Hunter if he’d researched the past winners: “Not beyond common knowledge, I haven’t done it yet, because I think it would make me nervous, it’ll freak me out, I want to wait until afterwards.  It’s one of those things you avoid, I don’t want to add to the nervousness, but I realize how big a deal it is.  I’m shocked and honored to be considered as one of those this year.” 

We asked Hunter’s tour-mate, and Grammy winner, Carrie Underwood her thoughts about his Best New Artist nomination: “That nomination couldn’t go to a better young artist, budding new artist, he’s so talented, such a nice guy, I’m lucky to have gotten to know him touring with him, every night I get to see the fans go nuts whenever he comes out and we sing together, so he definitely deserves it, I voted for him.

Carrie will perform on the Grammy show Sunday night, and we asked her to look back on her favorite Grammy memories: “The new artist award was one that was really important, that’s one of my favorite awards I’ve been nominated for and won, because it’s all-genre, you’re up against people that have had incredible years, deserves it just as much, so that one was important, singing with Tony Bennett, being part of the Michael Jackson tribute, I couldn’t believe they even asked me, they said “we’re picking artists we know he would have wanted us to pick,” so to have that honor bestowed on me, and sing with Celene Dion, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, that was such a wonderful thing, you’ll never get us together again, so that was really wonderful.”

Hunter will be a presenter on the Awards Show Sunday night.  He told us he wouldn’t have missed it: “I’m so excited to finally go to the Grammys, and to go with nominations is the best way to go.  I’m so speechlessly excited is the best way to put it.”  Also in LA this weekend is Best Country Group nominee Little Big Town: “We wouldn’t miss it.  We just love being part of that show, and experiencing music.  For us it’s enlightening and an experience that enriches our lives.” 

The Zac Brown Band is nominated for Best Country Album, and Zac told Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton that he was thrilled to receive a nomination:  “Super exciting, the Grammys are the pinacle of all awards.  We’ve won a couple Grammy Awards.  That’s legit, when you’ve won a Grammy, that’s a huge honor.  We’re so excited to go to the Grammys and represent country music.”   The group will be part of the tribute to the late Levon Helm.

Dierks Bentley is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for his #1 hit “Home.”  He’s been nominated many times before, and said the feeling never wears off: “I haven’t won a Grammy yet, I’ve been nominated 12 times, there’s starting a new thing next year that if you’re nominated 13 times you’re guaranteed a win.  So I’m looking forward to 2014.  But it doesn’t wear off, it’s always nice to be invited to the party, and the Grammys is one of the coolest parties of the year, for a song you’re proud of, and it never wears off, always grateful, and it’s a tough category, but it’s great to be nominated.”   Having 12 previous nominations, Dierks has attended the show many times, and says going to the show is the most fun: “The first time you go to the Grammys you’re blown away cause there’s just so many types of music, you’re blown away as a fan, and it’s a special awards show for sure, I always love to go out there, be part of the show, obviously to be nominated is the coolest way to go out there.  Soon as I get in my seat I’m a fan, I’m listening, watching, having a good time, so the best part of being nominated is you get to sit in seats and watch a great show, be part of history.”

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Category: NEWS