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From Beyoncé becoming tied with her husband Jay-Z for most nominated artist ever to ABBA becoming first-time nominees in the Pop category, this year’s Grammy nominations have been nothing short of historic. With so many firsts in the Grammy history books, seeing an older name like activist and entertainer Willie Nelson among the list seems just as surprising.
Since his first nomination in 1975, Nelson has gone on to accumulate a whopping 53 nominations at 30 Grammy Awards, landing himself in an elite club of Most Grammy Nominations. While the country music icon’s 53 nominations seem to pale in comparison to fellow club member Beyoncé’s astronomical 88, Nelson’s average of around one nomination per year since the 70s is still a commendable track record. As well, the Country Music Hall of Famer is a 12-time Grammy winner, meaning he wins around 23% of the Grammys he’s nominated for. (For comparison, Beyoncé has—so far—won around 35% of the Grammys she has been nominated for.)
Nelson’s impressive four nominations for this year’s awards are from three separate projects—Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver, A Beautiful Time, and The Willie Nelson Family. Three of his nominations are in the Country Field, which only has four categories. This is the second time the activist and singer has garnered four nominations in one night, and one of many times he has been nominated for multiple awards in one night.
Despite being 89 years old, Nelson is not the oldest person to be nominated for a Grammy this year—that title goes to Mel Brooks, 96, for his audiobook All About Me!: My Remarkable Life In Show Business. The crooning, long-haired country singer is among the oldest Grammy winners, though. With his latest win of Best Country Solo Performance at the 2020 Grammys at the age of 86, he’s right behind other older winners like Betty White (90), Tony Bennett (95), and Pinetop Perkins (97).
The legacy and critical success of Nelson is shown in more ways than Grammy milestones, though. The Country Music Association (CMA) created the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 to honor the musician and to be given to other artists, “who [have] attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music.” Specifically, these award recipients need to have achieved such prominence, “through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales, and public representation at the highest level.”
The country artist remains humble when receiving awards and recognition. When Nelson received his namesake award after performing at the 2012 CMA Awards, he simply said, “Thank you very much. This is a great award and I appreciate it very much…” As the song goes, Nelson seems to just keep goin’ “On The Road Again.”
You can watch the 2023 Grammy Awards on February 5, 2023, live on CBS or Paramount+.
With so many firsts in Grammy history coming from this year’s nominations, seeing an older name like Willie Nelson among the list seems just as surprising.
Since his first nomination in 1975, Nelson has gone on to accumulate a whopping 53 nominations at 30 Grammy Awards, landing himself in an elite club of Most Grammy Nominations.
The country music icon averages around one Grammy nomination per year since the 70s.
Nelson’s impressive four nominations for this year’s awards are from three separate projects—Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver, A Beautiful Time, and The Willie Nelson Family.
At 89 years old, Nelson is surprisingly not the oldest person to be nominated for a Grammy this year, but he is among the oldest Grammy winners ever.
The country artist remains humble when receiving awards and recognition, even when receiving his namesake Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 CMA Awards.
As the song goes, Nelson seems to just keep goin’ “On The Road Again.”
h/t: [Uproxx]
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