Ella Langley's Dandelion Leads 2027 Grammy Country Picks — SkimNews
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- Ella Langley's sophomore LP 'Dandelion' leads Rolling Stone's 2027 Grammys' Best Contemporary Country Album predictions; Country Radio Broadcasters executive director RJ Curtis calls her year a "cultural phenomenon."
- Rolling Stone projects five nominees ahead of the Nov. 16 nominations: Luke Combs (The Way I Am), Carter Faith (Cherry Valley), Langley (Dandelion), Megan Moroney (Cloud 9), and Kacey Musgraves (Middle of Nowhere).
- Dandelion was co-produced by Langley, Miranda Lambert, and Ben West; FemCo's Leslie Fram says it fits what contemporary country voters reward — "big, crossover-friendly albums that still feel rooted in the genre."
- Carter Faith's Tofer Brown-produced debut 'Cherry Valley' is Rolling Stone's pick for who SHOULD win, described as a fully formed concept LP that "will never be fully embraced by country radio."
- Ward Guenther of Whiskey Jam and Apple Music calls 2025 "a statement year for women," spotlighting Langley, Musgraves, and Moroney as the category's driving force.
- Shaboozey, Ashley Monroe, Cody Johnson, and Charlie Worsham are cited as potential surprise contenders; Worsham will be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in December.
- Rolling Stone notes voters got last year's category wrong — Tyler Childers' Snipe Hunter should have beaten Jelly Roll — while invoking the Chicks' Taking the Long Way as a precedent for rewarding ambitious country records.
Why it matters: The Grammys' recent split of country albums into traditional and contemporary categories has effectively rerouted the race toward women-led, crossover-friendly records, and a nomination alone could vault a debut like Carter Faith's 'Cherry Valley' into mainstream attention that country radio has refused to give it — while Shaboozey's potential nod would formally recognize hip-hop- and Americana-infused crossover as Grammy-eligible country.
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