2025 MusicRow Awards Nominees For Producer Of The Year

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 37th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank, we take a closer look at the Producer of the Year category. This visionary class of nominees crafted up some of country music’s most innovative projects during the eligibility period of June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribers. Voting is now open and closes on Aug. 15 at 5:00 p.m. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow subscriber here.

Will Bundy has continued to build momentum as both a producer and songwriter, contributing to a wide range of rising and established country acts. Over the past year, he produced tracks and projects for Cole Swindell, Ella Langley, Chase Matthew, Bryce Leatherwood, Graham Barham, Drew Green, Lauren Watkins, Hannah McFarland, McCoy Moore, and Jenna Paulette. In May, Bundy earned three ACM Awards, including one for producing Riley Green and Ella Langley’s duet “You Look Like You Love Me.”

Charlie Handsome produced major releases during the eligibility period for artists including Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, Thomas Rhett, Jelly Roll, and Dylan Scott. Alongside Joey Moi, he co-produced Wallen’s fourth studio album I’m The Problem, which debuted at No. 1 in seven countries and helped set a new record for the most simultaneous entries in Billboard Hot 100 history. He also led production on Post Malone’s country album F-1 Trillion. In addition to his production work, Handsome is a chart-topping songwriter.

Dann Huff continued his prolific run with production credits on recent projects by Kane Brown, Mackenzie Carpenter, Ashley Cooke, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Caylee Hammack, Brian Kelley, Chris Lane, Ryan and Rory, Kameron Marlowe, Thomas Rhett, Neon Union, Keith Urban, Brett Young, and more. Highlights from the eligibility period include Riley Green’s Don’t Mind If I Do, Keith Urban’s High, Kane Brown’s The High Road, and Thomas Rhett’s About A Woman. Huff remains one of Nashville’s most sought-after producers.

Jay Joyce remained a go-to producer during the eligibility period, working on key projects for Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Whiskey Myers, and LANCO. He produced Church’s Evangeline vs. The Machine and Wilson’s Whirlwind, the latter earning him an ACM Award in May. Joyce also teamed up with Jon Pardi for his fifth studio album Honkytonk Hollywood, continuing a run of genre-shaping collaborations.

Joey Moi produced major releases during the eligibility period for Morgan Wallen, HARDY, ERNEST, Lauren Alaina, Dallas Smith, Lauren Watkins, Jake Worthington, and more. Alongside Charlie Handsome, he co-produced Wallen’s fourth studio album I’m The Problem, which debuted at No. 1 in seven countries and broke the record for the most simultaneous entries in Billboard Hot 100 history. The project also generated multiple country radio hits. Moi is also Partner and President at Big Loud.

Alysa Vanderheym produced Kelsea Ballerini’s album Patterns, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and No. 4 on the Billboard 200—marking a major milestone in Ballerini’s career. She also contributed production to Jelly Roll’s album Beautifully Broken. In addition to her production work, Vanderheym is an accomplished songwriter.