Morgan Wallen won't submit his album for Grammy consideration
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Morgan Wallen at the Ryman Auditorium in June. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA
Morgan Wallen doesn't want a Grammy.
- The country star's team confirmed this week he wouldn't submit his album "I'm the Problem" or any of its 37 songs for consideration this year.
Why it matters: The move underscores Wallen's up-and-down relationship with some corners of the music industry.
The big picture: Wallen is one of several artists to rebuff the Grammys. Some have bashed the ceremony as out of touch.
- The Weeknd and Drake have declined to submit their work in recent years after they felt they weren't getting the recognition they deserved.
Zoom in: Wallen is one of the most popular artists in any genre. He's been a seemingly immovable fixture on the Billboard charts for years.
- His musical dominance has come hand-in-hand with a series of scandals.
Flashback: In 2021, Wallen was caught on video using a racial slur. He was banned from attending the CMA Awards for the year.
- In 2024, he was arrested after officers accused him of throwing a chair off the rooftop at Chief's on Broadway. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
Controversy has done little to slow Wallen's rise on the charts, but many industry insiders have kept him at arm's length.
- He's returned the favor.
State of play: Critics have been dismissive, and his trophy collection is relatively sparse.
- Wallen has two Grammy nominations, but he had some help. Both nods were for his 2024 collaboration with Post Malone. He has never been nominated for his solo work.
He only has two CMA Award wins, a top indicator of Music Row's embrace of an artist. Wallen's fans see the tepid track record as a snub, and there are indications he agrees.
The intrigue: When he did snag the ceremony's top honor last year, he was a no-show. Wallen barely acknowledged the Entertainer of the Year victory, posting a sideways picture of the trophy in an Instagram photo dump months later.
Between the lines: Wallen has a history of shrugging off what other artists consider career-defining milestones.
- When he was the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" last year, a difficult booking for most country acts, he abruptly walked off the stage during the closing moments and hopped on a plane.
Reality check: There's a reason accolades don't matter to Wallen: He continues to rack up hits without them. And many other top artists embrace and collaborate with him.