Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton headline the 2026 Country Grammy nominees, setting the stage for a showdown of talent fans won’t want to miss. ML

The Recording Academy revealed the nominees for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards this morning, with country music taking center stage amid significant category updates. For the first time, the field splits into Best Contemporary Country Album (formerly Best Country Album) and the brand-new Best Traditional Country Album, reflecting the genre’s diverse sounds from mainstream crossover hits to roots-driven classics.

This year’s country contenders highlight a mix of established stars and rising talents, including Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, and more, setting the stage for the February 1st ceremony in Los Angeles. Miranda Lambert leads the pack with four nominations overall, with Tyler Childers and Stapleton not far behind with three apiece. Here’s the full rundown of nominees in the country categories:

Best Country Solo Performance

• “Nose on the Grindstone” – Tyler Childers
• “Good News” – Shaboozey
• “Bad as I Used to Be [From “F1 The Movie”]”
• “I Never Lie” – Zach Top
• “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

• “A Song to Sing” — Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
• “Trailblazer” — Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson
• “Love Me Like You Used to Do” — Margo Price & Tyler Childers
• “Amen” — Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
• “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” — George Strait, Chris Stapleton

Best Contemporary Country Album

• Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns
• Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter
• Eric Church – Evangeline vs. The Machine
• Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken
• Miranda Lambert – Postcards from Texas

Best Traditional Country Album

• Charley Crockett – Dollar a Day
• Lukas Nelson – American Romance
• Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World
• Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman
• Zach Top – Ain’t In It for My Health

Best Country Song

• “Bitin’ List” — Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)
• “Good News” — Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)
• “I Never Lie” — Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top
• “Somewhere Over Laredo” — Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)
• “A Song to Sing” — Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton)