Who Will Be Country Music’s Artist of the Year in 2021?
The year 2020 was a tough one for many people, but it was also a great year for country music. There were some fantastic new releases, and some artists really stepped up their game. So, who will be country music’s artist of the year in 2021?
Luke Combs
Luke Combs is a country music singer and songwriter. He has released two albums, This One’s for You and What You See Is What You Get, both of which have been certified platinum by the RIAA. Combs has also had five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, and he was named the ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year in 2019.
Maren Morris
Maren Morris is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released four studio albums. Her major label debut album, Hero, peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart.Her second album, GIRL, debuted atop the all-genre Billboard 200 and produced three number one country singles: “Girl”, “The Bones” and “My Church”. All three songs were certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Morris was born in Arlington, Texas to a family of musicians. She began singing in church at a young age. She attended college at Oklahoma State University and began pursuing a music career after graduation. In 2015, Morris signed with Columbia Nashville and released her first EP, Maren Morris EP. The following year, she released her debut studio album, Hero. The album’s lead single “My Church” peaked at number one on Country Airplay.
Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was born on April 15, 1978, in Lexington, Kentucky. Stapleton is a five-time Grammy Award winner who has released six studio albums, three of which have been certified platinum or higher by the RIAA. Stapleton’s most recent album, From A Room: Volume 2, was released in December 2017 and won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. Stapleton has sold over five million albums and has had nine No. 1 songs on the Billboard Country chart. In 2018, he was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.
Keith Urban
Keith Urban is an Australian country music singer, songwriter and record producer. In 1991, he released a self-titled debut album and charted four singles in Australia before moving to the United States the following year. He found work as a session guitarist before starting a solo career in 1999 with the release of his album Keith Urban. His eponymous album was certified platinum in the United States and produced three more number one singles, “Somebody Like You”, “You’ll Think of Me” and “Days Go By”. A greatest hits package entitled Greatest Hits: 18 Kids followed in late 2004. Continual success at radio and live performances led to his headlining his first concert tour in 2006, the Flip Flop Summer Tour.
He has been married to actress Nicole Kidman since 2006 and they have two daughters together. In October 2013, Urban introduced his own line of guitars and accessories called “Urban Guitars”. He also co-designed an urban clothing line with Rock & Republic called ROCK KEITH. In 2016, he became a coach on The Voice Australia for one season.
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was released in 2005 and is the fastest-selling solo female debut album in country music history. The album was certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album’s second single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel”, became her first number one song on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
