2026 MusicRow Awards Nominees For Producer 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 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, 2026.

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.

 

Carson Chamberlain produced Zach Top’s Ain’t in It for My Health album, which won the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Country Album and earned a nomination for Album of the Year at the 2026 ACM Awards. Chamberlain also produced Top’s 2024 Cold Beer & Country Music LP, which earned nominations for Album of the Year at the 2025 CMA Awards and Single of the Year at both the 2025 CMA Awards and 2026 ACM Awards. In addition to his production work, Chamberlain is an accomplished songwriter whose credits include recordings by Midland, Kameron Marlowe and Wynn Williams.

Charlie Handsome co-produced Morgan Wallen’s 2025 I’m the Problem album, which earned Album of the Year nominations at the 2025 CMA Awards and 2026 ACM Awards, and Wyatt Flores’ Scared of Heights LP. His production work also includes the 2025 CMA Award-winning Musical Event of the Year “Pour Me a Drink” by Post Malone and Blake Shelton. Handsome earned a CMA Triple Play Award recognizing his three No. 1 songs in 12 months, and his work was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s American Currents: State of the Music exhibit.

Dann Huff continued his prolific run this year with production credits on recent and upcoming projects from Ashley Cooke, Keith Urban, The Band Perry and more. Highlights from the eligibility period include Riley Green’s Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) and the ACM Award-winning Musical Event of the Year “Don’t Mind If I Do” by Riley Green and Ella Langley, as well as Lady A’s On This Winter’s Night (Volume 2). Huff was recently inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.

Jay Joyce remained a go-to producer during the eligibility period, producing Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind (Deluxe), which earned a 2025 CMA Award win for Album of the Year and 2025 CMA and 2026 ACM nominations for Single of the Year. His recent production credits also include HARDY, Morgan Wallen, Tim McGraw and Eric Church’s collaboration, “McArthur,” The Black Crowes’ A Pound of Feathers and Whiskey Myers’ Whomp Whack Thunder.

Joey Moi’s production credits during the eligibility period include Lauren Watkins’ In a Perfect World and Jake Worthington’s When I Write the Song as well as Lauren Alaina’s latest singles and upcoming album, among others. Moi produced Morgan Wallen’s 2025 I’m the Problem album, which earned Album of the Year nominations at the 2025 CMA Awards and 2026 ACM Awards. He serves as Partner at Big Loud and President of Big Loud Rock.

Ben West produced major releases during this year’s eligibility period, including Ella Langley’s Dandelion, which features the history-making 2026 ACM Award-winning Single of the Year “Choosin’ Texas,” along with Kameron Marlowe’s Sad Songs for the Soul album. His recent production credits also include projects with Carly Pearce, Lori McKenna and Laci Kaye Booth, reflecting his continued work with both established artists and emerging voices.