NEW YORK — Country music has become a dominant force, seeping into the pop music mainstream. And artists who may not have been associated with the genre before — like Beyoncé and Post Malone — have recently released country albums.

They’ve been popular, but their Grammy prospects remain uncertain.

Beyoncé’s famous “Cowboy Carter” re-centered black artists in music history and made her the first black woman to reach number one on the Billboard country albums chart.

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is the biggest song of the year, having spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other – it combines his twang with the familiar sample of J’s rap hit Kwon from 2004 “Tipsy”. .”

This summer, he followed Beyoncé and became the second black artist to simultaneously top the Billboard pop and country charts.

And Post Malone made an effortless transition into the country world, spending time in Nashville, performing at the Grand Ole Opry, and dominating the charts with “I Had Some Help,” his collaboration with Morgan Wallen.

For all their success, will these country newcomers be rewarded when the Grammy nominations are announced next week? Here are some key things to know.

What are the Grammys country categories?

There are four main country music categories at the Grammys: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and Best Country Song. The latter is attributed to the songwriters.

Each category rewards five nominated works.

Who submitted their application in the country categories?

Beyoncé, Shaboozey and Post Malone were submitted in all four major country music categories, including country album of the year for “Cowboy Carter,” “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going” and “F-1 billion”, respectively. Nominations are not guaranteed, although each has submitted entries in several other categories that honor pop, R&B and Americana and also compete for recognition for best album, record and song of the year.

Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” was submitted in the country song category. “16 Carriages” is up for solo country performance and in the country duo/group performance category, “ll Most Wanted,” his duet with Miley Cyrus, was submitted.

In Shaboozey’s case: “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is nominated in the country song and country solo performance categories. “My Fault” with Noah Cyrus is up for a country duo/group performance.

And finally, for Post Malone: ​​“I Had Some Help” with Wallen is up for the country song and country duo/group performance. “Yours” is his submission in the country solo performance category.

They’ll likely take on some of the nominees for Best Country Albums at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards, including Luke Combs’ “Fathers & Sons,” Cody Johnson’s “Leather,” Kacey Musgraves’ “Deeper Well” and Chris’s “Higher,” Stapleton. ” as well as other stars who have released albums eligible for Grammy nominations, among them Lainey Wilson’s “Whirlwind.”

Is Beyoncé likely to get a Grammy nomination in the country categories?

Beyoncé received no nominations for “Cowboy Carter” for the 2024 CMAs, a decision that country star Mickey Guyton called discouraging — and one that could reflect the way Nashville’s country music industry operates. Could the same thing happen at the Grammys?

“A lot of times in country music, if you put out a country record, you have to – you don’t need to, but it’s beneficial for you – to invest in the community and really show yourself to that audience so that the community feels an attachment to you,” Guyton said. “Nashville is very, very, very — it’s almost a club and it’s a community. And people…feel like they need to know you. And so that was definitely a factor. It doesn’t still makes it not disappointing.

If Beyoncé receives a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album, she will become the second Black artist to do so — Guyton was the first, for her 2022 debut, “Remember Her Name.”

Country musician BRELAND, who is both a CMA and Grammy voter, points out the differences between the two award shows.

“Nashville in general is a community where when you come to town, you kind of pay your dues. And I feel like that’s how the system works. That’s how country radio works,” he explained. “You saw Post Malone really ingratiate himself with the community here in Nashville, which I think helped get him some of these looks. You know, Shaboozey was nominated (for the CMAs). ,) but you also saw him play at the CMA Festival and play at several of these country festivals.

In Beyoncé’s case, “the fact that she’s not here (in Nashville) probably didn’t help her get a nomination,” he continued. “She’s done a really good job of helping change the narrative of country music, and I’d be surprised if she wasn’t recognized in some capacity at the Grammys. … The Grammy voting members will probably be a little more receptive to this than the people on the CMA side.

Maura Johnston, a freelance music writer and adjunct instructor at Boston College, said that Beyoncé “often falls victim to the tall poppy syndrome where she’s so good, she’s so great and so, like, on another level than everyone else” , the knee-jerk reaction is to “honor something else.” Race is also a factor to consider, as black artists are rarely recognized in national categories.

“It should be nominated because it’s such an artistic achievement.” You know, it’s a way for people to get a very intensive course in the history of Americana,” she continues. “But I also know how the country feels about foreigners.”

On the other hand, Johnston argued that Grammy voters could attempt to correct the decision made by the CMAs and ensure that she receives the nominations. “It would be a nice tip of the hat and a nice realization that, yes, the music business is quite important and we need to get rid of the parochialism that can dominate,” she said.

What are Post Malone’s Grammy prospects in the country categories?

“Judging by the country radio reaction to him, I think he might have the best picture of the three,” Johnston said.

“Radio is a crucial gatekeeper in the country music industry,” and Malone plays the game, she says. “The album…has so many cameos from everyone in country music,” she added. The possibility of him being named only by the people he collaborated with is very high.

These include Hank Williams Jr, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Combs and Wilson. “I think it has a better chance of receiving a nomination for country album of the year.”

Johnston said she thought the inclusion of “I Had Some Help,” which features Morgan Wallen, could be a hindrance at the Grammys, where past behavior — like throwing a chair off a Nashville roof near two police officers and using a racial slur in a 2021 video – means “he’s still a little radioactive.”

Despite having some of the biggest songs and albums of recent years, Wallen has never been nominated for a Grammy. (At the February show, his single “Last Night” was nominated for Best Country Song, but didn’t win. Wallen wouldn’t have received a trophy anyway — it’s awarded only to songwriters.)

Overall, she sees Malone as an obstacle to some nominations — especially ones that don’t include Wallen.

What are Shaboozey’s chances at the Grammy Awards?

As great as Shaboozey’s album was, it’s much more likely that the country star will be recognized for his huge hit, “A Bar Song (Tipsy.).”

“It kind of builds on the premise of ‘Old Town Road,’” Johnston says, pointing to Lil Nas X’s breakthrough single.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” reached number one on the country and all-genre charts, she points out. “It’s a cross-genre moment, and just a good song. It’s also classic country.

Shaboozey “was the first black male artist to go to number one on country songs and country shows,” Johnston said, “So I think it’s a good sign that, you know, radio has embraced him .”

Maybe the Grammys will do the same.