2026 MusicRow Awards Nominees For Male Artist 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 Male Artist of the Year category.

This category honors the achievements of a Nashville male artist during the eligibility period.

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.

 

Luke Combs added another historic year to his career. Last year, Combs became the first country artist to headline both Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, in addition to topping the bills at Austin City Limits, Newport Folk Festival and New Orleans JazzFest. He became the first country artist with two songs earning one billion streams on Spotify and, with the release of his recent album The Way I Am, became the highest-certified country artist in history with 168 certified tracks. He also became the first country artist to earn four RIAA Diamond-certified singles, adding another milestone to one of the genre’s most decorated commercial careers. The Grand Ole Opry member and 11x CMA, 4x ACM and 6x Billboard Music Award winner also partnered with Opry Entertainment Group to open Category 10 in downtown Nashville, with new locations planned for Las Vegas and Orlando. Combs has also collaborated with Post Malone, Bailey Zimmerman and Jon Bellion, and joined Alex Warren for a live performance of “Ordinary” at Lollapalooza.

Riley Green is on track for another banner year with the release of his fourth studio album, That’s Just Me, in September. Green’s 2024 project, Don’t Mind If I Do, gave way to breakout hits including “Don’t Mind If I Do,” “Change My Mind,” “Jesus Saves” and his solo-written, third country radio No. 1, “Worst Way.” The album followed Green’s breakout success alongside Ella Langley, with “You Look Like You Love Me” becoming one of his defining hits and earning multiple ACM Awards. Green has won five ACM Awards and four CMA Awards, while also receiving recognition as MusicRow Breakout Artist of the Year, a CMT Listen Up Artist and one of CRS’ New Faces of Country Music. Beyond music, Green recently made his acting debut on CBS’ Marshals and was announced as a coach for Season 30 of The Voice. He also continues to expand his Duck Club Bourbon brand and the charitable work of his Buford Bonds Fund.

Cody Johnson added several major career milestones over the past year. At the 2026 ACM Awards, Johnson was crowned Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year, bringing his career total to four ACM wins. Johnson’s catalog now spans six albums, including the 2024 CMA Album of the Year-winning Leather. The project also contained the ACM Song of the Year winner “Dirt Cheap.” He sold more than 400,000 concert tickets in 2025 and landed on Billboard’s Top 100 Tours list. Throughout his career, Johnson has also been recognized as a CMT Artist of the Year, won four CMA Awards and three CMT Music Awards, and was named Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Johnson has also appeared on Today, The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Last summer, he cohosted the three-hour CMA Fest Presented by SoFi alongside Ashley McBryde.

Zach Top followed his breakout debut with the release of his sophomore album, Ain’t In It For My Health. The project earned an ACM Album of the Year nomination and won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Traditional Country Album. Its lead single, “Good Times & Tan Lines,” continued Top’s momentum at country radio following one of the genre’s biggest breakout years. His debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, has surpassed one billion streams, earned RIAA Gold certification and also received an ACM Album of the Year nomination. The project includes the 2x Platinum “I Never Lie,” along with Gold-certified hits “Sounds Like The Radio,” “Use Me” and “Bad Luck.” Top was awarded the ACM New Male Artist of the Year honor in 2025 and performed during this year’s ACM Awards before returning to the road. He previously supported Lainey Wilson and launched his sold-out “Cold Beer & Country Music Tour,” establishing himself as one of country music’s most promising traditional artists.

Morgan Wallen added another record-breaking chapter to his career in 2026. His fourth studio album, I’m The Problem, debuted at No. 1 globally across seven countries and spent 13 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200. At release, all 37 tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, allowing Wallen to break his own record for the most simultaneous entries in the chart’s history. The project has already produced six No. 1 singles at country radio, including the title track, which spent eight weeks atop the chart. Wallen’s previous albums, Dangerous: The Double Album and One Thing At A Time, have each spent more than 100 weeks in the Billboard 200 Top 10, making him the first artist to accomplish the feat. He recently concluded his 23-stadium “Still The Problem Tour 2026.” A portion of every ticket sold continues to benefit the Morgan Wallen Foundation, supporting youth music and athletic programs.

Tucker Wetmore emerged as one of country music’s fastest rising artists over the past year. His 2025 debut album, What Not To, marked the biggest country album debut from a new artist that year while helping push his career total beyond 2.4 billion streams. Wetmore earned his first three country radio No. 1s with the 2x Platinum “Wind Up Missin’ You,” “3,2,1” and “Brunette,” which topped both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase Country charts. This year, Wetmore earned his first ACM Award and performed during the awards show. He also made his Nissan Stadium debut during CMA Fest before continuing his “Brunette World Tour” across the U.S., U.K. and Europe. On the road, Wetmore has had runs alongside Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Jordan Davis. Wetmore has additionally earned Artist to Watch recognition from Billboard, MusicRow, Spotify, Vevo and the Grand Ole Opry.