Sturgill Simpson Becomes Fourth Country Artist Nominated for All-Genre Grammy Album of the Year and NOT CMA Album of the Year

Posted on December 6, 2016

Since the inception of the CMA Awards in 1967, only three country artists’ albums have been nominated for the all-genre Grammy Award for Album of the Year and NOT been nominated for the CMA Award for Album of the Year, according to my hasty research.

Bobbie Gentry was the first to earn the dubious honor in 1968 when Ode to Billie Joe was nominated for Grammy Album of the Year but did not garner the CMA Album of the Year nod. Linda Ronstadt matched that feat in 1976 with Heart Like a Wheel, as did the Dixie Chicks in 2007 with Taking the Long Way.

Well, ladies, you’ve finally got some male company.

Sturgill Simpson can now add his name to the list.

Today (Dec. 6) Sturgill received Grammy nominations in the all-genre Album of the Year and Country Album of the Year categories for A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, but he earned no such nomination at this year’s CMA Awards in November.

Perhaps Sturgill was onto something when he lambasted “Nashville” during a lengthy Facebook post in August, closing the message with “Some days, this town and this industry have a way of making we wish I could just go sit on Mars and build glass clocks.”

Country Artists Who Earned Grammy Award Nominations in the All-Genre Album of the Year Category Since 1967

1968: Bobbie Gentry: Ode to Billie Joe*
1969: Glen Campbell: By the Time I Get to Phoenix
1970: Johnny Cash: At San Quentin
1974: Charlie Rich: Behind Closed Doors
1976: Linda Ronstadt: Heart Like a Wheel*
1980: Kenny Rogers: The Gambler
1988: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris: Trio
1999: Shania Twain: Come on Over
2000: Dixie Chicks: Fly
2003: Dixie Chicks: Home
2007: Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way Home*
2008: Vince Gill: These Days
2010: Taylor Swift: Fearless
2011: Lady Antebellum: Need You Now
2014: Taylor Swift: Red
2016: Chris Stapleton: Traveller
2017: Sturgill Simpson: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth*

*Albums did not earn CMA Album of the Year nominations.

photo by Reto Sterchi/Sacks & Co

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