In the upcoming Grammy awards, which are scheduled to take place on February 13, 2011 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, five country singers are nominated in the Grammy category for "Best Male Country Vocal Performance."
These male country artists include Jamey Johnson for "Macon," veterans Toby Keith and Keith Urban for "Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song) and "Til Summer Comes Around" respectively, as well as newcomers David Nail for "Turning Home" and Chris Young for "Gettin' You Home."
Jamey Johnson for "Macon"
For the second consecutive year, Jamey Johnson receives a Grammy nomination in the "Male Country Vocal" category. In last year's Grammy Awards, he was nominated for "In Color," which was awarded "Song of the Year" by both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Country Music Association (CMA). This year he is nominated for "Macon," a traditional country tune featured in his latest album "The Guitar Song."
Toby Keith for "Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)"
Veteran country singer Toby Keith has been recording country music since the early 1990s. Although he has garnered some very prestigious country music awards, such as the CMA's 2001 "Male Vocalist of the Year," as well as the 2002 and 2003 "Entertainer of the Year" award from ACM, he has yet to win a Grammy.
This year, Keith is nominated for his moving ballad "Cryin' for Me," in which he pays a tribute to the late basketball player Wayman Tisdale. This song went on to peak at #6 on Billboard's Country Charts. If the Grammy voters are equally moved by this emotional tune, they may very well award Toby Keith his first Grammy award.
Keith Urban for "Til Summer Comes Around"
Australian country music artist Keith Urban has won the "Best Male Country Vocal Performance" Grammy a total of three times, becoming the only nominee in this year's line-up who has previously won the award. Urban is nominated for "Til Summer Comes Around," which went on to peak at #3 on the Billboard Country Charts. Along with Toby Keith, Urban's name is perhaps the most recognized among the nominees in this year's category, which may give Urban the edge for yet another Grammy win.
David Nail for "Turning Home"
Newcomer David Nail receives his first Grammy nomination for his stunning vocal performance on the nostalgic "Turning Home." This song went on to peak at #20 on the Billboard Country Charts. Hopefully, this well-deserved Grammy nomination is a harbinger of more great things to come from David Nail.
Chris Young for "Gettin' You Home"
Former Nashville Star winner Chris Young receives his first Grammy nomination for "Gettin' You Home." "Gettin' You Home" is the second most successful song of his career, after "The Man I Want to Be," peaking at #1 on the Billboard Country Charts for a week; moreover, Chris Young's "Gettin' You Home" is the only song that is nominated in this year's Grammy category that has peaked at #1 on the Country Charts.
The Verdict
Although there is no clear front-runner in this "Male Country Vocal" Grammy category, it may come down to Keith Urban and Toby Keith for the Grammy win; however, if Grammy voters decide to use the artists' songs' chart performance as a factor, Chris Young may emerge as the dark horse.
Markos Papadatos - Markos Papadatos holds over six years journalism experience, authoring over 700 articles, many of which are feature profile interviews.
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