2026 MusicRow Awards Nominees For Breakthrough Artist-Writer Of The Year

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 38th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank, we take a closer look at the Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year category.

The Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year honors a Nashville songwriter and recording artist who wrote or co-wrote their first top 10 country song via radio or streaming during the eligibility period. Outside nominations from Nashville’s publishing community are considered for this award.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

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. 14 at 5:00 p.m. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow subscriber here.

Graham Barham earned his breakthrough with Blake Shelton’s “Stay Country or Die Tryin.’” Born and raised in Oak Ridge, Louisiana (population: 106), Barham has built a sound that reflects the full spectrum of his musical upbringing, from classic country to rap, hip-hop, pop and EDM. That vision comes to life on CLUB COUNTRY, a 16-track, self-defined statement that expands the genre without losing its roots. Co-writing every song, Barham delivers a project designed to resonate everywhere today’s audiences discover music, from country radio and festival stages to streaming playlists. The album features his current radio single “BREAKUP (DOWN),” alongside fan favorites “COUNTRY MUSIC,” “WHISKEY RAIN” featuring Tyler Hubbard, and viral hit “OIL MONEY.” With nearly 625 million global career streams, two RIAA Gold-certified singles, Barham’s 2026 is gaining momentum, earning spots in the Opry NextStage and MusicRow Next Big Things classes while headlining his “WHISKEY RAIN Tour.” and appearing at major festivals nationwide.

Wyatt McCubbin co-penned Zach Top’s “Good Times & Tan Lines.” McCubbin has built a reputation for timeless storytelling and memorable country melodies. As a songwriter, he has penned hit songs Cody Johnson’s “Horseback” and Jon Pardi’s “Boots Off.” In addition to writing for some of country music’s biggest artists, McCubbin continues to release his own music, with new projects on the horizon. His songwriting credits also include cuts by Luke Combs, Riley Green, Dustin Lynch and many more. McCubbin will also hit the road this summer/fall supporting Top.

Max McNown scored his breakout with “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes).” McNown has emerged as one of music’s fastest-growing crossover artists over the past year. His Platinum-certified “A Lot More Free” has garnered more than 400 million streams and earned McNown his Billboard Hot 100 debut and a spot atop Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. McNown’s follow-up track, “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes),” a single from his 2025 sophomore album, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), has achieved double Platinum certification, gained more than 500 million streams and spent 36 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 26. The single also reached No. 6 at country radio, Top 30 at Pop and No. 8 at Hot AC Radio, further showcasing McNown’s multi-format appeal. He also made his television debut on The Kelly Clarkson Show. McNown continues to build his audience online, where he currently has more than 2.6 million TikTok followers.

Kevin Powers broke through with “Amen,” recorded by Shaboozey & Jelly Roll. Born in Boston, raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, and now based in Nashville, Powers is carving out a distinctive lane in contemporary music with his self-defined “Southern Pop” sound. Blending country, pop and singer-songwriter influences, Powers first broke through with the independently released singles “Walked In” and “How You Been?,” which have amassed more than 36 million combined Spotify streams. “Amen” surpassed 50 million streams within its first three months. Powers’ rapid ascent has positioned him as one of Nashville’s most promising emerging multihyphenate talents. In 2025, he signed a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing, joined Range Media Partners for management, became one of the inaugural signings to Shaboozey’s American Dogwood label venture, and was tapped to open Shaboozey’s 12-date “The Great American Road Show” U.S. tour, marking a breakout chapter for both his recording and songwriting careers.

Hudson Westbrook scored his breakout with “House Again.” Westbrook has quickly become one of country music’s fastest-rising new artists. Raised in Stephenville, Texas, on a foundation of Red Dirt and traditional country influences, Westbrook broke through in 2024 with his debut release, “Take It Slow,” and quickly followed with a string of grassroots successes, including Texas radio No. 1 “Two Way Drive” and his chart-topping country radio debut, “House Again.” His signature blend of traditional country storytelling and modern sensibility is showcased on his Top 10 debut album, Texas Forever, and its follow-up EP, Exclusive. In less than two years, Westbrook has amassed more than 1.5 billion global streams while selling out headline dates nationwide and sharing stages with George Strait, Parker McCollum, Morgan Wallen, Bailey Zimmerman, Midland and Ian Munsick. A 2026 ACM New Male Artist of the Year nominee and member of the Opry NextStage Class of 2026, Westbrook has also been recognized as a Billboard Country Rookie of the Month and a 2025 Artist to Watch by Spotify, Country Now, Holler, The Country Wire and SiriusXM.