Why it’s a big deal that Musgraves won album of the year at CMA Awards
Award show presenters typically try to keep a straight face before they announce the winner — but on Wednesday night, the four members of Little Big Town couldn’t conceal their excitement as they read the envelope at the Country Music Association Awards.
“And the CMA Award for album of the year goes to ...” Karen Fairchild trailed off. Then, she smiled. “For all the little girls writing songs out there, ‘Golden Hour,’ Kacey Musgraves!”
In the audience, Musgraves looked stunned — while some predicted she could win the tough category, the odds weren’t exactly in her favour. She hugged her grandmother, then made her way to the stage.
“Wow. This is really, really crazy timing, because I just realized this morning — it sounds like a lie — 10 years ago today, I moved to Nashville,” Musgraves, 30, said, as she thanked her husband, Ruston Kelly, along with her management and record label. “Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, my two coproducers, made this record with me, and we poured everything we have into this. And I’m so proud of it. It’s inspired by just this beautiful universe, all of you and just most of all, love.”
While Musgraves’s win is significant for her career (“Golden Hour,” which has sold about 107,000 copies since its release in March, is now back near the top of the all-genre iTunes charts), it’s also a big deal for the industry. As you may know, country music has received a lot of backlash in recent years for its very visible gender imbalance. Women only make up approximately 10 per cent of the songs played on country radio; streaming playlists and festival lineups are also skewed male. Even the CMA Awards were spare on female nominees, with an all-men entertainer of the year category for the second consecutive year.
Fairchild’s dedication to “all the little girls writing songs out there” wasn’t just an aside — she has been vocal about the challenges women face in the genre.
Now, Musgraves certainly gives them some hope, as she was the only woman nominated for album of the year; she beat out Chris Stapleton’s “From A Room: Vol. 2,” Thomas Rhett’s “Life Changes,” Keith Urban’s “Graffiti U” and Dierks Bentley’s “The Mountain.” All four men see much more airplay than Musgraves, who has received virtually no country radio support since her 2013 debut album, “Same Trailer Different Park.”
And while some wondered whether that would have an impact on her chances, clearly it didn’t matter. She’s now the sixth solo female singer to win album of the year in the 52-year history of the CMAs, joining Miranda Lambert (who won twice), Taylor Swift, Lee Ann Womack, Patty Loveless and Anne Murray. Solo male artists have won the prize 37 times.
Not only does Musgraves’ victory help prove that albums can be competitive without radio play, but it’s a lesson to Nashville artists who want to take chances. “Golden Hour” is a country album, though it incorporates everything from pop to disco. Backstage after her CMAs win, Musgraves told reporters that going into making the record, she was facing a crisis of confidence, and wasn’t sure what she wanted to do next. She decided to work with a new group of producers and “find that thing that made my soul really happy again.”