Stars Ready For Grammy Awards

Country’s top stars are in Los Angeles this weekend for the 56th annual Grammy Awards.  Among the nominees attending this year: Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Hunter Hayes, Lee Brice, Kacey Musgraves, Darius Rucker, and many more.

Hunter Hayes will perform on the show, and he’s tweeted that he’ll debut a new look and some new music.  Hunter is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “I Want Crazy,” and he says the Grammy is the ultimate reward for his work:  “It’s awesome, that means the world to me.  I make the music I make because I love it, and for them to credit that as credible is something I wish for.”  Last year’s Grammy show is where he met Jason Mraz, and invited him to sing on his “Encore” album. 

Little Big Town won the Grammy last year for “Pontoon,” and they’re in the same category again for their dramatic ballad “Your Side Of The Bed.”  Karen recalled their reaction to the nomination:  “We were very surprised and happy.  There are so many collaborations in that category, we’re the only group on that category, so it’s even harder to get nominated, and we’re in a category with Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.  How cool is that?  We’ll probably lose to them, so it’s not so cool.” Unfortunately, the quartet will be on tour in Eastern Canada this weekend, so they won’t be able to make it to LA in time for the show.

Jason Aldean received three nominations in 2012, and has a nod this year for Best Country Album.  “This is only the second time I’ve been nominated in this category, the first time was pretty amazing.  To find out that we got nominated again this year is one of those feelings you’ll never forget.  We’ve been fortunate enough to win CMAs, ACMs, some of those awards, but still yet to win a Grammy, so maybe this is our year.” Also in the Best Country Album category: Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, Tim McGraw, and Blake Shelton.

Blake actually has two nominations: Best Country Album and Best Solo Country Performance for his hit “Mine Would Be You.”  He says, “I never won a Grammy, and not until recent years have I even been nominated for a Grammy.  I love it, I love going to that show.  The first few times I got in the building was because my wife was nominated. It was like, ‘Yes, we’re going, and I’m sitting with you!’   Now it’s just awesome to be included and thought of in that group of artists.  I’ll be there having as much fun as anybody in the building.”  Blake is actually competing against his wife Miranda Lambert in the Best Country Solo Performance category, and he said he does care who wins: “I hope one of us wins that thing cause I want it in my house.  The thing about a Grammy is if you sit it up high enough on the shelf, they can’t read the plaque.  So if somebody comes in the house, it’s like, ‘You got a Grammy?’  I can say, ‘Yeah, yeah I got one.'”  Blake will perform with legends Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson in a special “Grammy Moment.”  His wife Miranda Lambert will be part of a tribute to the late Phil Everly.

Darius Rucker won two Grammy Awards as part of Hootie & The Blowfish.  But this year, he received his first solo country nomination for his #1 hit “Wagon Wheel.”  “It’s pretty awesome, what a big circle to be nominated for a Country Grammy, I was on cloud 9 when I heard about it, because a Grammy nomination is such a validation that you did something great that year, and it was really cool that Wagon Wheel got nominated, and I haven’t been to the Grammy Awards in years, so I think I’ll go this year.”

Lee Brice has his first Grammy nomination for his hit “I Drive Your Truck.”  Lee  said he was pretty surprised to be included. “Can you believe it?  All the artists in the whole world, and here’s measly peasly little Lee.  But it’s a great song.  It still feels like a dream.  I’m really proud.  To be up for the performance is a whole ‘nother ball game, and I pride myself on singing, and when I started singing in the studio, it was so good, that’s one thing about the Grammy Awards: They want honesty and they want real, and I think maybe that’s why they recognized it.” So who is Lee looking forward to meeting? “I’m a huge Bruno Mars fan, I’ve met every country award there is, but I’m sure I’ll be a little starstruck runnin’ around the freakin’ Grammys.”  The night before, Lee will be in New York City performing at Madison Square Garden with Luke Bryan, but he expects to leave first thing Sunday morning to attend the show in LA. “I Drive Your Truck” is also nominated for Best Country Song.

Other country performers: Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban (in a tribute to The Beatles), and Taylor Swift.    Country stars who’ll present are: Hunter Hayes, Martina McBride, and Zac  Brown.

The 56th annual Grammy Awards will take place Sunday night January 26th on CBS-TV.

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Category: NEWS